Is Howard the Duck (1986) Actually A Misunderstood Masterpiece?
52Howard the Duck was one of the biggest financial flops of the 1980s. It did so poorly that the two heads of the studio allegedly got into a fistfight over who greenlit it. But what does that have to do with Marvel? Let us explain.
Before there was an entire money-making studio dedicated to pumping out movies and tv shows based on the vast and ever-expanding catalogue of Marvel Comics characters- we were seeing the likes of Sam Raimi making the Sony Spider-Man trilogy and Johnathan Hensleigh delivering an interesting take on The Punisher. Even before that, we had the iconic Blade movies and some solid X-Men fare- all movies that we’ve covered in previous episodes of the show... Or have we?
See, it’s easy to do a Marvel series that praises the Raimi trilogy, and roasts the goofiness of the Tim Story Fantastic Four films- but, today is going to be one hell of a throwback for any Marvel fan who grew up in the 1980’s. Before the dawn of mutants and the day-walking vampire hunters, there was a much different Marvel hero blasting their way into the zeitgeist and giving us what many consider to be the true beginning of Marvel Cinema... I guess, not including the 70’s Japanese Spider-Man film or the small screen Captain America joint.
So, let’s wind the clocks back to 1986 and revisit the first theatrically released film based on a Marvel character. It's a story about belonging, fulfilling your purpose against all odds, and a women’s biker gang called Satan’s Sluts. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. I guess I’ll just start by saying... In the beginning, there was Howard the Duck!
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00:00 Intro – Marvel’s First Movie Disaster
00:32 The Duck That Almost Wasn’t – Comic Origins
01:57 George Lucas and the $30 Million Gamble
03:35 The Strange Script, the Stranger Romance
05:11 From Puppet to Person in a Duck Suit
06:48 Behind the Scenes: Chaos and Reshoots
08:30 The Critics Destroy Howard the Duck
10:16 Cult Status: Has Time Been Kind to the Duck?
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