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Norrington Answers A Few Questions About GHOST RIDER!
Hey folks, Harry here... In a follow-up with Stephen Norrington, I managed to get some of the basic questions answered about GHOST RIDER. And personally I like what I hear here. Taking GHOST RIDER into a bit of a Manga world look is possibly very cool, especially with Wrightson handling the conception chores... And as for the answer to the last question... YES! That was the correct answer. I'm pleased, now to get my grubby hands on that script.... plotting.... hmmmmm...
Are you going to be able to start a new feature before the (alleged) strike?
Well, we've started Ghost Rider, but I don't think we'll be shooting before
the
strike.
I also got a letter the other day from someone that claimed to have spoken
with Wrightson about working on Ghost Rider, and he said something along the
lines of You saying to throw out all that design look from the comics....
Care to comment on the direction you are headed in.
Actually, I asked Bernie to go much more extreme than the comic, bigger, more
demonic, more "manga" and to include the clothes and the bike in the
transformation. But the flames, and the skullish thing are definitely still at
the heart of it all.
And then the question that everybody seems to be curious about is....
Which Ghost Rider are you going to place in the film and which origin are
you
contemplating giving him?
It's Johnny Blaze, but his origin's very different, more thematic, more realistic than the comic. Don't want to say any more than that.
later,
Norrrington
Readers Talkback
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and theres another post!
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It better be Jonny Blaze. If it were that other guy, Danny whasisname, then the movie would be so mediocre. If that dumbfuck Vengence is in it, kiss the film goodbye, and flush it down the toliet.
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Think about it. Unfortunately, a Fantastic Four movie will never work ( it's just impossible to decide upon which villian to use-Doctor Doom or Galactus-and both just HAVE to be in it, hence the problem). A Daredevil film, while possible, seems "iffy" to me.Thor would NEVER NEVER work. What the fuck are they thinking when Marvel say they wanna convert it to a T.V series!?! Ghost Rider is one of Marvel's few properties that could actually work. Now I don't know TOO much about him ( the only comics I have of him are the ones where he's made cameo's) but the whole making-a-deal-with-the-devil thing, complete with the Penance Stare and stuff, might just actually work. However UNLESS they have a kick-arse script, this one should be pure action. Blade was ok, but a bit boring towards the end. Most of us agree that the opening scene was COOL-AS, and that tone should have been carried throughout the movie. Trying to add emotion kinda made it crumble. I'm not saying Ghost Rider should be brainless slugfest, but it should be concentrating on "cool" scenes to carry this film along. i can just picture a scene where he grabs a villain and gives him "The Stare"...then again maybe I got no idea what im talking about. I never thought X-men nor Spider-man would translate well, and yet one did and the other looks to be on the right track....I guess time will tell.
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Personnally I couldn't care about this movie being mage at all. But then again I have never read the comic. This (Ghostrider) and ALI are two films that I could just not give a flying fuck about.
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i heard something the other day about Harry being in the faculty and as i didnt visit the site until the last couple of months i was wondering who he is. from the cartoons i deducted that he is a Portly Red Haired fella and i want to know if he is in the scene where the coach and the other teachers are drinking from the water cooler there is a red haired gent stacking the water containers against the wall. Is that you Harry let me know. By the way Ghost Rider and Stephen Norrington that has got my atrtention. Lets see what he can do!!!
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Where's Mike Ploog in all this? He did draw the GR version this film is adapting. I like Wrightson's work, but Ploog is to GR as Wrightson is to the Swamp Thing.
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Of all the friggin properties Marvel has, this is the easiest to make.(Wait, Punisher is, but everyone knows what happened to that) I just hope it sticks to the concept of the SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE and not get spandex super heroic. This is not a super hero action flick. It's about redemption, fear, love, and VENGEANCE.
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Hey now. I must admit that I'm fascinated by this project because there's a fine line between making a man with a burning head genuinely scary or really f'n funny. Like X-Men, if they keep the essence of the character intact and keep it convincing, it'll rock. ....But why Wrightson? I love the guy. He's a master of spooky imagery, but if they're going for a Manga aesthetic, shouldn't they get people who specialize in that style? ----My spontaneous casting for Johnny Blaze is Viggo Mortensen, but it's really the kind of character any white brooder could play. ----- For those of you looking to read some good GR, Mark Texeira's early 90's run of @ #1-20 w/ the Danny Ketch version were damn cool, in my opinion.
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Hopefully we'll see a big baddass chopper like in the early days, not some wuss contemporary speedbike!
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I for one really liked the Danny Keitch Ghost Rider. He had some really cool villains and it was lot less boring than the Johnny Blaze days. Plus Johnny Blaze was far cooler without Ghost Rider in him. Also there were loads of cross overs with Blade, now that would be cool. But if it has to be Blaze I say Thomas Jane should play him.
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I was wondering if someone could tell me the history of the incarnations of Ghost Rider. In so far as the stars of the comic have been. What years, why and how they became, etc.
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"Ghost Rider" was one of my favorite comic books growing up. He was the coolest of cool! I'm very happy to see that Stephen Norrington is handling this, for he did a superb job with "Blade". Thomas Jane would indeed make an awesome Johnny Blaze, however I think we need to go a step further, lets say Kurt Russell. SO PLEASE, DON'T FUCK THIS UP STEVIE!! Oh and by the way, you guys didn't actually think that I would let the "Oliver Stone's Captain America" talkback battle slip by within this talkback collum, I love all the pros and cons of it! I tell you, it's the best talkback battle on AICN!!
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the dude from Boogie Nights and that shark movie would kick ass as Blaze. And I do prefer Ketch as well. but Wrightson and 'manga' I don't know. Thats nothis style! Anyone remember the big funky red armored Ghost Rider Marvel did as they sunk into crap a few years ago. Please leather and chains that is Ghostie. A bad ass who takes crap from no one- like a supernatural T-2 meets Clint in Unforgiven. He don't need to talk but when he does you crap your pants. I for one would smush the two together! Have Blaze hunting the Spirit of Vengeance cause waaay back he cut a deal and the thing possessed him like in the comic and he wasn't free of it until it killed his family. Now it is in Ketch and Blaze wants them both dead. The catch and only deviation from the comic you'd need to make this work is eliminate all that bs past they made and have GR BE Zarathos a fallen Angel/demon who actually did kill Blazes parents among other evil thing sbut much like William Muney is now repenting and wants back into heaven. The only things in its way are Mephisto...the devil and Blaze who wants revenge. In the story GR has to learn the difference between Vengeance and being a REAL hero which was a major part of the comic with Ketch and in the end he learns the road to redemption is a long one and he will have to save people for a LONG time. Thats the way I'd go with it...smush it keep the themes and but don't get convoluted like Goyers first with the anchient Spirits of Vengeance and Zarathos that JUST HAPPEN to look a like. To me thats when the book went down hill. If they made the amnesiac GR actually a repentent Zarathos it would have been interesting...but thats another rant...
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I can't say if this movie will be produced to GR fan's approval or not, but i'm pretty sure it won't capture the public's imagination and be a broad based hit. Certainly not along the lines of the X-men, Superman or even the upcoming Spiderman. I wonder if a superhero has to have the word "man" in his name to be successful? But I digress... GR will be a niche film along the lines of Punisher and Spawn or even something old like Cyborg or The Exterminator. Why? Because if, as someone above stated, the main theme of GR is vengeance, (vengeance by a biker with a flaming skull for a head no less)then it's hard for the general population to relate. They want their heroes upstanding and benevolent, not pschycotic and filled with blind flaming rage. Who would prefer to rescue your kids? But then, besides the lead female character, rescue won't really be apart of the story anyways. Should we really care about another story about drug dealers, mafioso, and slimy corporate lawyers get brutally wasted by a berserker antihero? Maybe if it was 1984 again and starred Ah-nohld or Stephen Segal. "Robocop" anyone? These are all the same movies with different costumes and trappings. Comic books allow for a far more intimate and personal interpretation by readers than movies (as with other forms of the written word) because you can stop freely and let that what speaks to you sink in. Action movies just keep rolling on. Rolling, coasting, rolling... What can seem poigniant in a comic comes across as just trashy and gratuitous in a movie. I'm not saying the GR producers should compromise their vision. Far from it. If they truly believe in their characters and story, they should be able to please the fans at least. But if you as a fan are hoping this movie will push the comic book art form boldy onto the world stage, if you lie awake at night wondering why Anime doesn't break through, forget about it. Penter
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Bernie is yesterday's news. We need someone who knows that it's 2001. Maybe a Japanese designer.
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Jan. 31, 2001, 10:59 a.m. CST
TO ALL OF YOU, WHO LIVE IN THE NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY AREA.........
by Uncle Jay
Bernie Wrightson will be at the twice annual "Chiller Theatre" convention! This is a remarkable convention not to be missed, a great time!! Go to www.chillertheatre.com, all the info is there! Ask him your own questions, he's the coolest guy!
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The words "bigger, more thematic" for the Ghost Rider origin fill me with dread. And I have to say I'm not crazy about "manga" being thrown in there, either. Sorry, folks, some Japanese comic artists are great, but the vast majority (especially the popular stuff) REALLY sucks. That goes for a lot of American comics too, of course, but I can't understand this irrational love of these comics because they're Japanese any more than I could understand the popularity of that Batman/Dr. Fate ripoff Spawn. Norrington did a great job with Blade. But the original comics didn't NEED any improvement; they were pretty dark and even sorta noirish all on their own. I hope they introduce GR's...attributes via the "confessional" story.
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I was in the minority before the film came out, but I honestly thought X-Men would make a terrific movie. This was because I knew the characters so well, and loved them, and if I could have that kind of reaction then so could others. Marvel's best feature is its strength is in the characters. Spiderman, the X-Men, and yes, even Ghost Rider: these are young people (wolverine aside) who are dealing with incredible changes in their lives. They also deal with incredible powers, which means incredible special effects. Some Marvel characters never really came to life for me. I always considered them too comic-bookish, more about the spectacle. These would include the Avengers, Captain America especially, Punisher (a one trick pony that), Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer. I'll admit, these are just my preferences, but I think there is a reason why the X-Men and Spiderman can be good movies. These "heroes" never have it easy. There are mutant haters, and J Jonah Jamesons to worry about. There are life issues, and interpersonal issues to deal with. Characters with heart...
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I was in the minority before the film came out, but I honestly thought X-Men would make a terrific movie. This was because I knew the characters so well, and loved them, and if I could have that kind of reaction then so could others. Marvel's best feature is its strength is in the characters. Spiderman, the X-Men, and yes, even Ghost Rider: these are young people (wolverine aside) who are dealing with incredible changes in their lives. They also deal with incredible powers, which means incredible special effects. Some Marvel characters never really came to life for me. I always considered them too comic-bookish, more about the spectacle. These would include the Avengers, Captain America especially, Punisher (a one trick pony that), Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer. I'll admit, these are just my preferences, but I think there is a reason why the X-Men and Spiderman can be good movies. These "heroes" never have it easy. There are mutant haters, and J Jonah Jamesons to worry about. There are life issues, and interpersonal issues to deal with. Characters with heart...
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Yes, Steven Norrington will be directing every Marvel movie property. After OMEGA, there's NOVA THE HUMAN ROCKET, followed by WAR MACHINE, followed by TERROR INC. followed by POWER PACK. But he'd better keeping his fucking hands off DEVIL DINOSAUR & MOONBOY, I'm directing that one!
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The strength of the characters is what makes marvel heroes special, and it's the reason I read them when I did. And for the poster who said the general public wouldn't be interested: Are you kidding? Even if you had never heard of Ghost Rider before, even if you'd never read comics, Ghost Rider would still be of interest. It's cool because it's different thatn most comic characters. GR is not a spandex hero, and his world would translate very well to the screen. Besides, if you saw a trailer about a leather & chains biker with a flaming skull and a badass chopper (though the anime reference makes me think we'll most likely see an Akira bike than a Harley) you would go nuts. I would. Bring it on!
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why the hell do they have to always fuck withe the story? Just leave it the way that it was orignally intended and go with it!! For ex. B. Singer pretty much went with the comic story line and all in all X-Men was a pretty damn good flick. Ugh, just a waste if breath i guess
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ought to be gritty and harsh as hell if they get it right
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First off, Buzz, your comic suggestions brought to memory one of my favorite comics that was cancelled way way way too soon. TERROR INC. was the super shit. The story of a wisecracking zombie private detective who could wear the parts of the dead and gain their memories and/or powers was such a cool and kooky concept. I loved it and it's too bad that the character hasn' t been used in any other way since the series ended. Thanks for jarring that memory, Buzz. Other comics that went too soon: Major Bummer, Nomad, and Hellstorm. Oh well, on to Ghost Rider. If manga means Akira's bike, I guess that's kind of cool, but a leather clad skeleton on fire riding a chopper would be my choice. I am sure with Wrightston at the wheel, things will be okay design-wise. As with Blade, a costume revamp would not kill a second tier character like Ghost Rider. Hopefully they will stick with the Faustian themes of the first series and stay away from the whole Ghost Rider has been passed on from generation to generation mess. The revelation that Blaze and Dan Ketch were brothers or related in some way in the series was pretty hokey. I still hope they sprinkle in some of Johnny Blaze's circus daredevil life in the story somewhere. I think the circus would be an interesting backdrop for a tale of soul bargaining and what kind of trouble one gets into for dealing with the devil. To the poster above who said that Ghost RIder is all about vengance. This may be true for the modern Dan Ketch GR, but Johnny Blaze's GR was about the sacrifice and reclaiming of one's soul. That was the driving force through all of those old classic stories. I am sure the devil in some shape or form will be in this piece. Hopefully, they will go for another R rating and not try to cushion it for a PG-13. It is funny, Marvel refuses to have a Vertigo line, but they will allow one of their characters to have an R rated film made about them. Other Marvel movies that should be R rated: Hellstorm (of course), Terror Inc., Moon Knight (this should be everything that Batman wasn't), the ultra ultra (I cannot express how cool) cool Foolkiller series from the early nineties, and Punisher (of course). Plus an R rated Kraven's Last Hunt directed by David Fincher would be cool too. Bug out.
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Jan. 31, 2001, 9:28 p.m. CST
God, am I red-faced. My fifth grade English teacher is hiding h
by Ambush Bug
I meant to say AN honorable Buzz Maverik mention. Oh the shame, the shame, the shame of it all.
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Jan. 31, 2001, 10:05 p.m. CST
Nicolas Cage Is In Talks To Play INSERT FAVORITE SUPERHERO/SUPER
by Buzz Maverik
For my money, there's no one who can pull off both Devil Dinosuar AND Moon Boy like Mr. Cage.
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
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