The new LOTL Motion Picture!

[Bartman]

This topic is in response to what Chris wrote in "the worst show ever" section of the site. Since I thought it would be fun to discuss and that area wasn't the best place to do it, I jumped out here. I agree Robert Zemeckis would be an excelent choice to direct. While we are dreaming though that guy Spielberg is said to be great with kids and has some little bit of experience with dinosaur movies! No matter what though I would want ILM on the effects and production design. I would love to see the Lost City expanded upon from a design perspective. I guess the real question is "Who will star in the movie?"

[Webmaster]

You know, its funny, everytime I either read an interview or hang out with Sid and Marty at a Q & A session, the topic of the LOTL movie comes up, specifically the special effects.

I guess being puppeteers has a lot to do with it, but neither Krofft is in favor of computer special effects for the movie. I don't see how you could do a realistic dino these days without it, but they are in charge at this juncture.

I'm sure someone will talk them into a limited use of CGI for the movie, maybe in combination with some other form of effects.

George

[Bartman]

That brings up a good point George. Grumpy has a very definative look because his close ups were done with a puppet. Although I believe a new LOTL movie would definately need some CGI animation, I think Grumpy should retain his original look. It makes him a unique Tyranosaurus. How this would be done would be one of the many challanges facing the production designers and art staff!

[Ray]

I think it would be hard to have a major studio back a movie without computer generated effects,only ones that would are the lesser studios and I would hate LOTL the movie in the hands of them.I know Sid & Marty are great puppeters but with the realism demanded by todays movie going audiences, puppet and model dino's I dont think would fly.

[Slumberlord]

Two words for who should direct:
DAVID LYNCH

You thought it was creepy back then...

[Bartman]

Lynch is creepy. I haven't seen most of his stuff though. What are some of his projects? The LOTL movie needs its creepiness! It needs to have this feeling of exploration in a very strange and dangerous land. I think it could be cool to have a new group of people come into the LOTL and be following traces the Marshals left behind.

[Marc]

Well, I think the writer is a no-brainer--DAVID GERROLD. He's a great writer, and he created the damn thing. Plus, I think he actually has ideas.

[Webmaster]

Actually I think the best no brainer pick is me!

I graduated with a degree in TV/Film, usesless I know, but I wrote enough scripts to know that a LOTL project would be right up my alley.

Maybe David needs a co-writer.

George

[Knorris]

I think we should make a movie with the
original cast. Still stuck in this land.
With improved speical effects. Marc's
story seems the best.
Geroge, what do you think of Marc's story
line?

[Bartman]

Hey who's out there writing LOTL stories? What was Mark's story about. I'd like to bring up an idea I posted in LOTL that is getting "no play". Anyway one of the coolest hings about the LOTL is that it could also be the ultimate crossover universe. I know there is great potential for good MW&H stories but just think almost anyone's favorite characters could fall in for a quick or lengthy adventure. It could be comedic like an episode of Friends with the characters are falling in or just imagine what might happen if HR Giegers Aliens slipped in. That would have a lasting effect. Of course the Predators would follow and hey maybe even Boba Fett would show up. Anyway you get the point. The environment itself is ripe for many different types of storytelling.

[Bartman]

Hey George, what film school did you go to? I took some film classes at SC while working on my planning degree.

[Marc]

Bartman, as far as I know, there is only one site with LOTL fan fiction -- Tyrannasaurus Lex. My story was written as a series finale for the originals. The majority of the story is set 10 years after the last episode. Essentially, it's the story of how the Marshalls get home, answering a few unanswered questions along the way (like how Holly learns about the time doorways, or what happened to Rick). When I wrote it, I treated it as a movie, though it's not in script form, since it's my first fan fic. Anyway, if you want to read it, here's a direct link.

http://www.linkline.com/personal/enik1138/exodus.html

[Chris Oakley]

Marc,just got a look at your site,and so far
I like what I see!!
P.S.In regard to the proposed LOTL,I'd re-
commend Industrial Light and Magic handle the
special effects.

[Chris Oakley]

P.P.S.That line was supposed to be "proposed
LOTL movie";I left a word out.Oops.

[Slumberlord]

Keep Industrial Lights and Magic the hell away from LOTL!!! I say bring back the blue screen and stop motion claymation dinosaurs. They could be done effectively (and better than the original show) and it wouldn't betray the original series. That's what made the original series so great, is that it was UNIQUE. Whoever suggested ILM must've thought the GODZILLA movie was a pretty faithful adaptation of the originals and the story was great. (Neither is true)

i think the idea of new people following the traces of the Marshalls is a great idea. At least one of the original cast (Holly, if she could be persuaded) should do a cameo at least. Major possibilites. I'm going to read the fanfic/movie on Tyr-Lex now..

[Bartman]

Wow, very good story Marc. Everything flowed so naturally I feel like I really just read how the Marshals got home. That would make an excellent movie staying absolutely faithful to the original series. Good job.

[Bartman]

Not so fast there Slumberlord. The fact that the Godzilla movie was written poorly is not ILM's fault. The design for the new Godzilla was a real departure. Although I must admit I loved Tottopoulos' creature, It was not the Godzilla I know and love so there was no link to that history. This also was not ILM's or any other animation studio's fault. It was the designers.

Like I said before somewhere the challenge of doing a new LOTL series would fall heavily on the production designers and art staff. I think creatures like grumpy (who had a unique look since his close ups were a puppet) and the Sleestack (who in my opinion, were remade poorly in the 90's series)need to retain much of their classic look but also be enhanced to look more real. As tough as this sounds a good designer can pull it off. Look at some of the designs in the new Lost In Space Movie. The Jupiter 1 ruled!

[Chris Oakley]

Inquiry--anybody happen to know Tyrannosaurus
Lex's web address?

[Slumberlord]

The Lost in Space movie was the most unfaithful -visually and story-wise- piece of trash ever. Not a good exhibit B in your defense. The point I was trying to make is: Name one movie with effects done by ILM that had a decent story.

[duhman]

The Tyrannosaurus Lex Land of the Lost site
is at: http://www.linkline.com/personal/enik1138/index.html

Cool site.

[Bartman]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder slumberlord. I feel the designs in the LIS movie are excellent. However design and storytelling are two separate things. Although they had no part in LIS, I can name several movies ILM worked on that had great storylines. The obvious choices are the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. Death Becomes Her was fun. Then there are great scripts like Aliens, Forest Gump, the Abyss and a personal favorite of mine Star Trek II. ILM has worked on hundreds of movies and commercials. Most of them incredibly successful. Ultimately though effects houses like ILM are not responsible for the stories they work on but rather enhancing them to the point where the audience can "suspend disbelief" and imerse itself into fantasy. I agree with you, sluberlord if your concern is that the story is the most important aspect of a movie. In a LOTL movie a good story is imperative, however because of the nature of this story to be effective in today's movie market place it has to have believable effects. Right now there is nobody on Earth that does that better than ILM.

[Chris Oakley]

Memo to Duhman:
Thanks for the tip!

[duhman]

there's also a contest for a set of all the Land of the Lost shows on tape.

http://www.linkline.com/personal/enik1138/lostlist.html

[duhman]

And I forgot the add that the shows in the costest are for free. Pretty cool deal if you ask me.

[Marc]

Thanks for the comments on the story. The only thing I need to add is that the Tyranasaurus Lex site is not mine. Clayton is the webmaster, creator, etc. I just submitted the one fan fic. It's a good site though. I look forward to more fan fic being added.

[Chris Oakley]

That makes two of us,Marc.

[Slumberlord]

I don't think that ILM is the bee's knees when it comes to special effects, but this may just be a projection of my feelings about special effects in general. I thought the effects in the Star Wars Special Edition sequences, as well as most of the effects in THE PHANTOM MENACE, were apalling. Totally overdone. I don't want to see computer generated Sleestaks, dinosaurs, or Zarn. It's a cop-out that doesn't deliver. Look at the stormtrooper on the lizard-thing in Star Wars Special Edition, No feeling of weight whatsoever. They may as well have used a marionette. I think Hollywood needs to back-the-fuck-up and lay off the computers. Everything computer generated is obviously computer generated. Too Slick, Totally Unreal looking. I would want the effects of a LOTL movie to be created with a method that doesn't betray the Original. Deciding that it "Has to Bring in Millions and Please everyone" is a bit pointless. If it's going to look slick and computer-generated, why not just make something besides LOTL? I digress, I'm being argumentative, but oh is it fun!

[Chris Oakley]

Sorry,Slumberlord,but if you're looking for
someone to join your anti-ILM crusade,you can
count me out.

[MATT]

Count me in. ILM is a creature
borne of necessity. Now it's
become like a Frankenstein monster,
stepping all over stories and
crushing them...

Let's get back to basics. What made
LOTL so intriguing. The story along
with tasteful special effects, like
the crystal tables. Totally believable,
even eerie. I agree that computers
have yet to catch up with that visceral
something we feel when we know that
it's really real, down to it's dust
and molecules.

[Bartman]

I think it would be awesome to be on the design team for effects on a LOTL movie. I agree with slumber that the look needs to be reflective of the original series. That would be the challenge and with all of today's technology at hand I think it could be done. CGI is not the be all and end all of FX. I was never trying to say that. Many awesome models and miniatures were used In The Phantom Menace and it was one of the biggest CGI movies of all time. However CGI is a tool that should be used on this feature along with models and puppets.

Grumpy for example has a unique look and sound. A sound designer would need to take the original tapes used and expand upon them so he sounds the same but possibly a bit more verbose for a feature! A Tyranosaur model from JPark would not work for grumpy. Because he started as a puppet he has a flatter head and really thick tounge. The original puppet and models should be looked at to get him to be recognizable.

The sleestack also should harken back to the original design. Tall and kind of lanky with big, dark, mysterious eyes. The original stacks were much scarrier then their 90's counterparts.

Anyway these are just some ideas on design and effects. Anyone else have more? How about Chaka? He seems to be a favorite. What would he look like?

[MATT]

I'm reading this book called "Easy Riders,
Raging Bull: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n
Roll Generation Saved Hollywood" by Peter
Biskind. In it there's a quote from George
Lucas about Star Wars: "popcorn pictures have always ruled. Why is the public so
stupid? It's not my fault."

Now I realize I hang my ass out to dry
by taking a position even remotely anti-Lucas
or Star Wars. I personally Love Star Wars.
And The Empire Strikes Back. I was seven
and ten, when they came out. I think
episode one was a disaster. We may be in
agreement about the effects being the best
part of the picture. The story and direction
however, were appalling. The racial charicatures, right down to the black stubbly beard of that seven-eleven character
Watto... The criminal reference to Christ's
immaculate conception. Okay, fire away.
This is all very unpopular to say. But then,
this is Land of the Lost dot com.

A while back I suggested David Cronenberg.
See eXistenZ. Came out same time as Star
Wars episode 1. IMHO puts it in the dirt,
though they're so different as movies they seem to come from different galaxies. Cronenberg has always been
more interested in effects you can feel.
His creations have a flesh-like quality akin to chaka, sleestaks and other
Krofft creations. But please, not Lucas
or ILM. Spielberg, but not Lucas.

One more thing about Lucas. He once compared writing movie scripts to writing
"term papers"... That sums it up.

[Knorris]

Hello. We need special effects like this.
The camera (us), would follow Will and
Holly into the Pylon. (no cuts), first
the door to the Pylon would open with
Will and Holly moving toward the Pylon.
We follow them in, and continue toward the
matrix table. Those kind of special
effects would lend realism to the Pylon
without being so gratuitous.
Location filming in and around The Grand
Canyon would be my pick for LOTL.
Special flight sequences around the Colarado
River could be used for the opening.
Also, jungle sequences could be used at
Africa USA, near LA.
What do you think?

[MATT]

I think they're good ideas. I especially
like the pylon one. That's something
that CGI could do really convincingly.

I also want to say that despite all
the vociferous disagreeing, I really
enjoy this site and visit it many
times a day. I'd like to salute
George, who has done a great thing
here. How about a round of applause?
Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

Thanks again George!

[Ray]

I agree great special effects do not a good picture make,that is proven in Episode one of Star Wars last summer.

I was 10 when the first episode of Star Wars came out, and I grew up with star wars and the special effects though state of the art then it also had a damn good script which made Star Wars a great film and the reason the Star Wars (the 2 hour toy commercial) episode one failed,so it doesnt matter if LOTL the motion picture doesnt have the effects of the Jurassic Park but a great story it will work.

[Bartman]

I have to agree with Matt, sites like this are for voiceferous disagreeing sometimes! Good job George.

I find it interesting that nobody really wants to talk about actors in a new LOTL movie. Could it be that LOTL fans are much more design and story oriented the fans of other works?

Maybe we all just secretely want to go there, jump in a pylon and start messing with a matrix table.

[MATT]

most of my friends growing up had
some version of what i call "the
desert island fantasy". during
junior high, mine always involved
me and the prettiest girl trapped
someplace remote and forced to "survive"...
lol... in my wilder flights of
fantasy, this "lost" land contained
large numbers of dark-haired beauties.

but i digress...

[Webmaster]

Hey guys, I really appreciate the kind words, thank you!

I am happy that the boards are catching on and that communication can evolve while maintaining a non combatative atmosphere.

Nothing better than a friendly debate, nothing worse than watching it degrade into a name calling contest.

When I get the new software, we can expand the forums, get more specific and I can start to think about using forum moderators to spread the workload :)

Thanks again for the compliments!

George

[Bartman]

So what about a story for the new LOTL movie? Should it be like Marc's fanfiction and tell us all what happened to the Marshals? Should it be a new group of people that find traces the Marshals left behind? Maybe it should be a completely different take? What do you think? Personally I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of hot chicks in the LOTL! But now I am digressing...

Marc if you are still out there that story you wrote read like the treatment for a novel. Maybe you should pitch it to a publisher. That is if you are interested in writing books.

[Marc]

I'm still here. I appreciate the compliment but I think Exodus is too short to be a novel, and I don't know how much more I could add to it. My idea was to get a bunch of fan fics together and have an anthology of short stories. The problem is convincing a publisher that there is a market. If you know a publisher, I'm willing to show it to him. But for now, I guess I'll have to be content with the internet. I'm happy I haven't received a bad review yet. I'm currently working on a prequel, but it's going slow.

As for a movie. That story was essentially my dream movie. But realistically, if there is a movie, I expect a new cast, with the Marshalls.

[Slumberlord]

A few thoughts... Marc, Exodus is great but I can't help commenting on a few aspects.
The return of Rani is great and tied in brilliantly. What do you know about the Doctor Who Universe? There's a character named the Rani who is a member of the Time Lords (well, she's a renegade actually). The Time Lords are one of the superior races of the Universe who've mastered time technology but have a policy of strict non-interference.
Sound familiar? This little crossover-ish aspect really made me grin.

Due to the fact that I doubt alot of the original cast would come back (if we really even want them to [*cough* Will!]) and the fact that following a trail left by the Marshalls would be a prime way to introduce the story to newcomers, I think that's the way to go...

This Site is Gr8, by the way! Love the new boards!

[The Dude]

It would have been nice if the original cast did make a movie @ the end of thier 43 show run,it would have been MORE THAN WORTH IT!!!!!

I dunno........Pretty sad it came to a grinding end after show 43!!

Anyone know WHY they decided to stop making it after the 43rd show?? (Very sad)

[Rick_66]

The criminal reference to Christ's
immaculate conception.


The Immaculate Conception doesn't refer to Jesus, it refers to Mary. It's a Catholic dogma that Mary was conceived (in the normal way) without the stain of original sin on her soul (i.e., her soul remained immaculate). She also remained free from sin her whole life.

The dogma of the Virgin birth- that he was born to Mary without the biological assistance of a human father- refers to Jesus.

Those are separate things, but are often confused.

And for the record, many religious traditions and mythologies have had virgin birth themes. And more than a few pre-date the birth of Jesus. If you're interested in learning more, I suggest the works of Joseph Campbell.


Rick

[The Dude]

Nice comparison my friend :)