mcb@k.cs.cmu.edu (Michael Browne) (12/05/85)
In article <726@hou2g.UUCP> scott@hou2g.UUCP (The Brennan Monster) writes: >Only the superhero is exclusively a comic >book genre. There is also a kind of Catch-22 here--people don't >read comics because "it's all about that superhero nonsense" while >superheroes don't make it in other media because "That's just comic >book stuff". Actually, I think that superheroes don't make it in movies and TV because real people look silly in costumes. Because of this, superheroes in other media are almost always played for laughs. (Just look at the Batman TV show and the Superman movies for example.) Offhand, I can't think of a show or movie that wasn't "camp". If anyone has a counter example, I'd like to hear about it.
boyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) (12/10/85)
> From: k.cs.cmu.edu!mcb > Actually, I think that superheroes don't make it in movies and TV because > real people look silly in costumes. Because of this, superheroes in other > media are almost always played for laughs. (Just look at the Batman TV show > and the Superman movies for example.) Offhand, I can't think of a show or > movie that wasn't "camp". If anyone has a counter example, I'd like to hear > about it. Well, first, I disagree about the SUPERMAN movies. While Luthor and his cronies were played as camp, I don't think feel that the movies as a whole was played as such. I'm ignoring SUPERMAN III in this argument. Secondly, there was THE INCREDIBLE HULK TV show. It certainly wasn't high drama, and Ferrigno did look silly in that green body make-up, but the show was still played straight, trying more for serious drama focusing on the characters than superhero antics. I've always felt that Bill Bixby brought a touch of dignity to the show. Thirdly, THE GREEN HORNET was a perfectly good show, played more as a private detective (albeit in a costume) than a superhero. Fourthly and fifthly, though they weren't particularly good shows, both THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and THE BIONIC WOMAN were played straight and not as camp. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.DEC.COM
ccrrick@ucdavis.UUCP (Rick Heli) (12/11/85)
> > > From: k.cs.cmu.edu!mcb > > > Actually, I think that superheroes don't make it in movies and TV because > > real people look silly in costumes. Because of this, superheroes in other > > media are almost always played for laughs. (Just look at the Batman TV show > > and the Superman movies for example.) Offhand, I can't think of a show or > > movie that wasn't "camp". If anyone has a counter example, I'd like to hear > > about it. > Also, there were one-shot pilots (?) of "Captain America" and "Dr. Strange" that were not camp. The latter was interesting, the former less so.
showard@udenva.UUCP (showard) (12/14/85)
> From: k.cs.cmu.edu!mcb > > Actually, I think that superheroes don't make it in movies and TV because > real people look silly in costumes. Because of this, superheroes in other > media are almost always played for laughs. This is probably a very good reason. Another thing is that with a few excep- tions, like the Batman TV series, superheroes on TV and in movies are fighting against normal humans, rather than villains who could challenge their powers. Remember the old Superman series from the 50s? He fought gun-wielding thugs, hardly a challenge to a bullet-proof man. Any the 1970s Spiderman series was the same way--he fought bad guys from Starsky and Hutch reruns. For me, much of the charm of Spiderman in those days came from the intriguing villains, who were completely absent in the TV version. --Blore
gmack@cisden.UUCP (Gregg Mackenzie) (12/16/85)
>>> From: k.cs.cmu.edu!mcb >>> >>> Actually, I think that superheroes don't make it in movies and TV because >>> real people look silly in costumes. Because of this, superheroes in other >>> media are almost always played for laughs. (Just look at the Batman TV show >>> and the Superman movies for example.) Offhand, I can't think of a show or >>> movie that wasn't "camp". If anyone has a counter example, I'd like to hear >>> about it. > > Also, there were one-shot pilots (?) of "Captain America" and > "Dr. Strange" that were not camp. The latter was interesting, And, let's not forget the Spiderman TV series. Although it was inaccurate (not to mention stupid), it was played seriously. As was the original Superman TV series and the Green Hornet series. Also, what was the one in the late 70's about some guy from the bottom of the sea that came out about the same time as the Spiderman series? Man From Atlantis or something? One of the things that really bugged me about the Spiderman show was the way that J. Jonah Jameson's character was played it wasn't anything like the comic book character (or even the cartoon character). SM's suit was pretty dissappointing, too. Sags and wrinkles everywhere (they must not have had that skintight stuff back then that all the runners are wearing these days). Maybe after reading SM in the comics for all those years I had unrealistic expectations of what the show should be like. Gregg Mackenzie cisden!gmack
slrichte@uok.UUCP (12/17/85)
> Jerry Boyajian Re: The Incredible Hulk TV show > I've always felt that Bill brought a > touch of dignity to the show. When Bixby way initally approached to do the Hulk, he reportadly sneerred and said, "Really, a comic book character?". --Steve Richter USENET: {ihnp4,allegra!cbosgd}!okstate!uokvax!uok!slrichte USMAIL: S. Richter c/o Southside, 754 Asp, Norman, OK 73069