Land of the Lost - dreams of childhood, dashed

[davidlevine]

Word count: 4207 | Since last entry: 1323

Imagine this: it's 1978, you're a Trekkie, and you've just learned that, after a decade off the air, they're making a movie of Star Trek.

Starring Jerry Lewis as Captain Kirk.

Punch in the gut, right?

That's how I felt when I saw the trailer for the new Land of the Lost movie starring Will Ferrell. Oh. My. God.

Okay, Land of the Lost was a dopey 1970s Saturday morning TV show. But it was good, dammit. They had scripts by Larry Niven, Theodore Sturgeon, Ben Bova, and David Gerrold, which introduced concepts like time loops and closed universes to what had, I'm sure, originally been intended as an unexceptional kids' show with dinosaurs. Remaking it as a stupidity-comedy with the star of Elf and Anchorman and Blades of Glory is... well, it's like a bad, bad movie of a fondly remembered book. Yes, the book is still there, but the movie swamps it in the public consciousness and poisons one's memories.

Feh, I say. Feh and feh.

(Footnote: Yes, I liked Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction. But the trailer for Land of the Lost makes clear that this is not, shall we say, a film in that mode.)

(Footnote 2: For more information on the real Land of the Lost:
http://www.landofthelost.com/faq.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_the_Lost_(1974_TV_series))

Comments

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

Yet another "reimaging" that makes it hard for me to stay a Quaker.

[coreolis.livejournal.com]

Yes, this remake makes me cry.

[janetl.livejournal.com]

I just gotta ask ... when was the last time you watched an episode of the TV show?

[davidlevine]

I must confess that I haven't seen one lately and, like Podkayne, it might disappoint if I did. But still! Will Freaking Ferrell? Don't stomp on my cherished childhood memories like that!

[jrittenhouse.livejournal.com]

A slightly belated happy birthday!

[criada.livejournal.com]

Last night I caught MTV Spoilers (hey, Wil Wheaton was on it) and they actually had a survey asking what tv show Will Farrell should bring to the big screen next: Full House or Cheers. I'd say Full House, since, hey, it was a lousy show to begin with.

[eleri.livejournal.com]

that were my reaction, too.

[jeffsoesbe.livejournal.com]

I'm expecting plenty of overdone camera mugging by Will Ferrell and multiple dinosaur fart jokes.

- yeff

[davidlevine]

Dinosaur farts? Nothing so sophisticated. I'm expecting dinosaur diarrhea!

[jeffsoesbe.livejournal.com]

Followed by severe Will Farrell mugging and choke-gagging...

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

To take your mind off this desecration, I recommend you rent the movie version of The Avengers.

[davidlevine]

It wouldn't be the same for me, as I never saw the original Avengers for some reason.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

The bad news is that they made a really terrible movie out of the series, decades after it went off the air, using actors who had none of the chemistry of the original cast.

The good news is that, during your old age, you can look forward to watching the BEST TV SERIES OF ALL TIME. (I speak, of course, of the Diana Rigg years.)