If you don't like a kneejerk instant reaction from a nearly exhausted Harry who dealt with a yellow mangletoothed redneck at a paintball range who got Harry and Tom Joad lost out in the Hill Country... RAGE about the rumor at Dark Horizons about a Stephen Sommers Campy take on CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON... then turn away now!

Noooooo! God I hope this isn't true. I really really hope this is not true. Listen, THE MUMMY is all fine and dandy in that goofy camp cheese sort of way. I had fun with the film the second time I saw it. BUT please... do not set about to make all UNIVERSAL HoRRoR characters ridiculous. Give them some respect. Please... Please...

John Carpenter spent years developing and working on a CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON remake... He had it budgeted down in the under $40 million range, it was to be a serious take on it. Now... I'm not going to say it would be a great film. I don't know. I havn't read the script they were working with. I'd love to, but I havn't seen a copy.

But... All I'm gonna say is PLEASE, think about calling John up and listening to his pitch on his take on this Classic Universal Icon. I have met Stephen... He loves these old movies, but from his work he doesn't really get the texture or tone of the classics. That doesn't mean slow editing, locked down camera shots and moderate to creaky scares. It means having respect for your monsters. It means having comic relief not take center stage for the whole film to diffuse the weight of the moment.

Treat your monsters with respect. Don't abuse them. Don't embarrass them. Be kind, let them be mean... let them have soul... let them have subtlety with their obvious nature.

Call John Carpenter... listen to another option...

Of course this rumor could be false, in which case I apoligize to all in advance, but... the very concept of a campy CFTBL, just created an instant urge to put forth my strong negative feelings on the concept.

Harry