Lost in Space (1998)

[Edgy MD]

Interesting trivia: this film became known and celebrated in Hollywood circles as "The Iceberg," for being the film that finally knocked Titanic out of first place in the weekly box office rankings. Sadly, if you're of a mind to care, it's known and celebrated for little else, but somehow became holiday viewing for me this Independence Day.

[metirish]

I know I saw it but have absolutely no recollection of it....

[Edgy MD]

Well surely you remember the... there was the... um...

There was a giant fucking spider --- I'll tell you that!

[metirish]

Looking at the cast here


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120738/

I guess I remember Hurt a bit, not Oldman at all.

[stevejrogers]

LeBlanc had made that baseball playing chimp movie prior to this, and of course shared screen time with a monkey during the first season of the show Friends (they also had a major character be a parent during that first season, my guess is that both were their way of getting a couple of JTS tropes out of the way early).

So when I saw whatever that CGI simian was supposed to be on the screen I was thinking that the poor guy just can't get away from projects involving simians.

[Edgy MD]

We were reviewing LeBlanc's career working with simians during the movie. Ms. Edgy was also recalling a pre-Friends show that she seemed to remember had him doing chimp business, but I had nothing.

[Vic Sage]

one of the worst. movies. ever. made. period.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, it's hard to say, as I don't get to see all the bad movies ever. But it was bad. I'm sure there was some Norwegian bullfighting movie in 1937, and maybe 1966 thing about the Dutch juggler --- three hours with a single shot and the over-saturated colors. There are bad things out there.

I've heard a lot of noise about 2012 being among the 10 worst. Whatever. But I remember being half-way through Lost in Space and thinking, "Gee, this is probably worse than 2012."

You saw them trying to capture what was worthwhile about the show and repackaging it in a less campy way, and you could hear them going, "You know that thing in the show? Let's do that but on steroids. It'll be cool like the show, and totally not lame!"

But the bottom line was the script was written in crayon. We'd hear the actors deliver the lines and want to give them a hug. None of the plot developments made and freaking sense, and Lacey Chabert (then about 15, I guess) delivered her lines in this grating pixified voice that made you angry every time spoke.

Made me want to go into the screenwriting bidness.

[MFS62]

Which leads me to the question "Has there ever been a movie that was better than the tv show upon which it was based?"
I can't recall one, but maybe it is fodder for its own thread.
Anyhow, it was the reason I never saw this movie. I thought the tv show was terrible, so why bother?

Later

[Edgy MD]

For money, of course.

[Vic Sage]

we discussed movie remakes of TV shows here:
http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/4100/f11_t4147.shtml

[stevejrogers]

MFS62 wrote: Which leads me to the question "Has there ever been a movie that was better than the tv show upon which it was based?" I can't recall one, but maybe it is fodder for its own thread. Anyhow, it was the reason I never saw this movie. I thought the tv show was terrible, so why bother? Later

Many of the better Star Trek movies are fine answers to this question.

[Vic Sage]

as noted in the thread i posted

[MFS62]

we discussed movie remakes of TV shows here: http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/4100/f11_t4147.shtml

Thanks, Vic. I forgot about Star Trek II. I wanted to forget about the other Star Trek movies.

I have another to add to the list, but don't want to hijack this thread. I'll start a new thread.

Later

[nymr83]

we discussed movie remakes of TV shows here: http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/4100/f11_t4147.shtml Thanks, Vic. I forgot about Star Trek II. I wanted to forget about the other Star Trek movies. I have another to add to the list, but don't want to hijack this thread. I'll start a new thread. Later

You didn't like any of the Star Trek movies besides 2? I think Vic even underrates them in that thread, I'd give 2, 4, and First Contact all at least 4 stars. There is a big dropoff after that though as none of the others are over 3