Inconceivable!
Kolchak: The Night Stalker was a proto-X Files series from the early 70s which starred Darren McGavin as a reporter who investigated mysterious crimes with supernatural causes.*
Disney has just announced that it plans a feature film based on the series, starring Johnny Depp (who also stars in the upcoming film based on Dark Shadows; both it and Kolchak were created by Dan Curtis). And as Topless Robot puts it:
- Is it a remake of a weird and/or cult classic TV series or movie? Check.
- Is it being released by Disney, meaning it’ll be PG-13 at the most? Check.
- Is Johnny Depp going to star? Check.
Yet despite all the similarities to most of what Tim Burton has done over the past several years, somehow Burton will not be directing. That seems…almost criminal. Instead, Edgar Wright (who directed Shaun of the Dead amongst other things) has been hired both to direct and to oversee the project from the ground up.
I’m sure I’ll go see it anyway; it sounds like loads of fun. Still, such a Burton-esque project going Burtonless makes me sad.
*I recently re-watched a few of the old episodes and my primary issues were: 1) The first thing I ever saw Darren McGavin in was A Christmas Story, and it’s VERY hard to get past that and see him as a hard-bitten reporter fighting horrible supernatural creatures. 2) I kept being overcome with waves of early-70s nostalgia. (“They’re using flash cubes! I remember flash cubes!”) So you see.
Posted in Whatever | 7 Comments »
February 28th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
OMG. The Night Stalker.
<3<3.>;;
February 28th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
I watched it in the 70’s before Christmas Story! YIKES!
February 28th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Thanks for the heads up!! As for the Depp Nightstalker being PG13 … you know I’ve always felt that splatterpunk has its place, and it’s not onscreen. What you *don’t* see is what scares the hell out of you. I’d like to nominate Depp for Emperor of the known universe now. Any seconds?
February 29th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
I LOVED this series when it was on!!!! The tongue in cheek humor of the X-Files was stolen from TNS. I can quote a small dialog from the show that still makes me snicker.Kolchak is on a cruise ship and there’s a werewolf loose on board. The ship’s captain and officers all try to deny it to protect the reputation of the cruise company.While in pursuit of the werewolf he runs into the ship’s purser. KOLCHAK:
If you don’t believe there’s any danger then why are you carrying a gun?
SHIP’S OFFICER:
There’s a swim meet and I’m the starter.
KOLCHAK:
There’s no water in the pool.
SHIP’S OFFICER:
That’s why I need a real gun.
March 1st, 2012 at 1:29 pm
I read this post earlier, of course, since I stalk your blog. But I just saw the post title.
Hysterical.
March 1st, 2012 at 7:11 pm
I remember seeing the very first episode of this show. I was in my 20s at the time & as an aficionado of scary stuff, when I say it was scary I mean pee-your-pants, hide-under-the-bed scary!
March 16th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Just saw the trailer for the new Dark Shadows. Impressions: hilarious. awesome. Also: just yes. And then…Helena Bonham Carter is Johnny Depp’s Joan Cusack: She’s just randomly in all of his movies for no reason than his contract must demand it. Finally: I’m pretty sure setting it actually in the ’70s makes it that much better. Trying to modernize this doesn’t look like it’d work.