Even if a Twinkie turned your tongue black and made you cry, I’d still eat it.
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Land of the Lost comes out this weekend and I could sincerely not care less. Hey, don’t get me wrong – I love Will Ferrell. That much of the comic wasn’t a lie. But I’m getting a distinct Bewitched vibe from this movie. If you didn’t see Ferrell in that catastrophic misfire, consider yourself lucky. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… won’t get fooled again.
Here’s what I want to know: Was there any authentic demand for a Land of the Lost movie? A big screen version of an obscure Saturday morning live action program whose retro, ironic shelf-life probably expired around the time Paramount produced A Very Brady Sequel?
Perhaps a bored executive over at Universal was watching Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and it finally dawned on him that Ferrell’s idiot Federal Wildlife employee Marshal Willenholly was a riff on Marshal, Will and Holly Marshall – the main characters of the old Land of the Lost TV show. “Dude! I totally know who to cast for this thing!”
I realize that Ferrell is a divisive character in comedy. I’m aware that a lot of people find him loud, overbearing and, well, not funny. I’m not one of those guys. I love the way he reads lines and don’t mind that he can only seem to find success playing boorish louts in obscure sports comedies.
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to buy a ticket for Land of the Lost.
If this thing turns a profit – especially in direct competition with The Hangover (which is getting way more buzz) – then I’ll be shocked. At this point, people are probably more interested in watching the dinosaur from the trailer for two hours than experience Land of the Lost as a “Will Ferrell Movie.”
Let’s just hope the inevitable failure of this thing puts Anchorman 2 on the fast track. Ferrell dropped hints about it last week and that, my friends, is a movie long overdue.
What’s your opinion of Land of the Lost? Any interest? Is there anyone here who grew up in the 70s that thinks this remake looks good? Leave your comments below!
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I think its really weird that no one has mentioned that there has already been one remake of Land of the Lost. It used to be on Nickelodeon in the 90’s. I remember being shocked when my mom so me watching it and said she used to watch the original all the time.
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I always disliked Ferrell movies (read: not movies with Will Ferrell, but Will Ferrell movies), but found his sketches to be comedy gold.
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I’ve tried like hell to figure out the plot (or if there IS one), and have come to the conclusion that there probably isn’t one. And that’s fine with me. After being disappointed by three of the big summer movies so far, I’m ready for something that I can shut my brain off to, and if Will Ferrell is in it, that’s just icing on the cake.
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I am unsure about Land of the Lost. In general I do not laugh at anything Will Ferrell puts out. The single exception was Talladega Nights. I’m not sure why I found that movie funny, as I do know that it was a Will Ferrell movie, but I don’t see any reason for another Anchorman (though I have co-workers who will rejoice if there is another).
I remember the Nickelodeon remake as well as seeing reruns of the original. The issue I have with the movie is that it seems that to be playing to the Will Ferrell fanbase instead of anyone that might remember and enjoy a big screen version of either version of the show. From what I’ve seen in the trailers they are relying on Will Ferrell to put forth the comedy, instead of being a fun, campy, adventure film. I could be wrong, but I probably won’t know until I rent it as I won’t see it in the theater at all.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt the Bewitched vibe. This movie looks just bad. He should stick to Apatow and Anchorman type movies. That’s where he is roll-on-the-floor funny. I’m kind of curious about the Hangover though. It looks funny and I like the cast. Sadly, I know it won’t draw in the same cowds as Land Of The Lost because it doesn’t have Will Farrel.
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Never mind an Anchorman sequel, I want to see a Brian Fantana spin off!
I do like Will Ferrel but not in his family movies. Land of the Lost isn’t known at all over here in Ireland (or in Europe in general) so I can’t see it performing well meaning more importance on it’s US takings. I presume the marketing will focus on Ferrel rather than the dinosaur that I’ve seen in the trailers so far.
Although you never know, it’s coming out after Harry Potter here so it might perform well in a section of the summer that’s a bit light on so called blockbusters. I wouldn’t say it’s in direct competition with The Hangover, it will have to contend with Up more likely.
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Is there anyone who would remember the show and enjoy a big screen version? I remember thinking how bad the show was back in the 70s, and I was just a kid who still thought Space 1999 was great and would go on to enjoy the Dukes of Hazzard.
Having said that, the trailer looks awful. I may rent it sometime when my wife is out of the house, but I’m betting that I won’t enjoy it.
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I loved lLand of the lLost as a child. I was a kid who loved dinosaurs. Dynamation style, puppet style, glue some rubber fins to a crocodile style, it did not matter how the dinosaurs showed up to the party; I was enamored. For me the trouble with this current “re-imagining” is that it is trying to be a wacky comedy when the show was a children’s fictional drama. Yes it may have been campy but it was not intentionally funny. The threat of the carniviorous dinosaurs and the slestaks were countered by the cooperation found in the baby brontosaurus and the Chacka charater. There was no gross out humor of giant blood sucking bugs or fruit that when opened was filled with insects (sences from commercials I have seen on televison) It was a 1970’s hybridization of Jules Vern’s Lost World and Lara Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Praire. There is some major camp factor in just the idea alone but to go from earnest, fun and corny to ironic, funny and wacky misses the whole point of why some people liked the show. (in my opinion, do I really have to say that? since i am writing this it is obviously my opinion. hmmm)
I will not see this movie. Apparently somepeople are mining the ’70s for Ideas but is missing the understanding of why people liked the shows back then. I wonder if they are going to do a Bigfoot and Wildboy movie as well. Yes. I grew up on the Sid and Marty Kroft cavalcade of shows and remember quite a few of them without the internet.
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Land Of The Lost was one of my favorite Saturday morning shows when I was growing up. I purposely avoided the marathon that was recently on the Sci-Fi Channel because too many times I’ve gone back to watch old shows, that I loved, only to find out how truly bad they really were.
I personally can’t stand Will Ferrell, and have never found him funny in any role that he’s had. I’m also really annoyed that they decided to make Land Of The Lost into a comedy, just like they ruined the promise of a Starsky and Hutch movie. Hopefully someone, someday, will learn something about not trying to make a comedy out of material that wasn’t intentionally meant that way in it’s original form.
Bottom line. No interest here. And no money will leave my wallet to support it in the theater or on DVD.
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Like bryan above, I would watch any kind of dinosaur when I was a kid in the 70s. I LOVED Land of the Lost. I agree that changing it from a kid’s drama show to a campy comedy is a losing formula. I’d also like to point out that making the main characters no longer related and having Will Ferrell’s character hot for Holly (who was his tween age daughter in the original) is going to creep out many people my age with its undertone, incestuous vibe. Shudder.
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Your RSS feed isn’t showing your comic at all. At least while using Google’s Reader
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Ferrell on Man vs Wild was great! “Damn you, Bear Grylls…..”
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And, eerily enough. Ferrell eats a twinkie during the show…
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You know I would love to hate on Will Ferrell but he was awesome in Stranger Than Fiction.
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Greatest blog title EVER.
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I’m disappointed that the Land of the Lost movie is a comedy. I’d much prefer to see a mature take on the Land of the Lost concept. I love the old TV show for it’s sci-fi underpinnings and melodrama, not the goofiness that occasionally crept in.
If you’re interested in Land of the Lost, you might want to visit my fan site with coverage of both versions of the TV series and the latest news on the upcoming movie.
http://personal.linkline.com/enik1138/
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I saw an advance screening earlier this week. (As a disclaimer, I think I’m 50/50 on Will Ferrell’s movies.) I’ve never seen Land of the Lost, so I can’t say how close to the original it gets. Ferrell’s character is a huge blowhard. The other two actors are barely in any scene that doesn’t include him. It was Will-being-a-jerk-clueless-blowhard, and if you enjoy that about his previous movies, this will not disappoint. It was fine being free, it would probably be a fair matinee. (And if you do go, at the end of the movie there’s a pre-credits roll, then an extra scene before the credits start.)
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