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Post by Kamdan on Jul 12, 2013 11:14:15 GMT -5
I just got through watching a video from the Doug Walker's Nostalgia Critic talking about superhero films. In it, Walker credited Mario Puzo for taking the the mythos for Superman films seriously. Of course, my inital reaction was calling out fowl, since we all know that Tom Mankiewicz and Richard Donner had to revise a lot of things to make the film we all know and love today, but it got me thinking about how important Puzo's controbutions were, as he did indeed layout the ground work and stucture. What's your thoughts on the manner?
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Post by Jimbo on Jul 12, 2013 11:32:38 GMT -5
Nostalgia Critic never does his due diligence. His constant errors turned me off. Not to mention him "retiring", and then bringing the show back because page views plummeted.
The special features and interviews don't really give a good indication of what Puzo accomplished in his initial screenplays. I associate those movies exclusively between Mank and the Newmans.
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Post by Jor-L5150 on Jul 12, 2013 11:38:06 GMT -5
elliot maggin had a fond recollection of working with Puzo in the DC archives.
but it would have been a very silly film had mank and the neumans not doctored it up.
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Post by Kamdan on Jul 12, 2013 12:09:40 GMT -5
Yeah, I’m free to admit that Walker’s not my favorite person in the world, but at least some of his material allows for wider audiences to talk about the works he covers.
Also, information like Puzo’s initial scripts are all common place knowledge to people like you and me, but probably not for a person like Walker. I can remember reacting to the fact that the author of The Godfather was associated with the film, before I got the full story from the DVDs came out and visiting the Superman Cinema website.
Yeah, that’s what got me thinking about how big his contributions were. Mark Hamill once said something about how most writers for comic book film grab a simple published collection of comics and just go from there. At least Puzo had the right mind to visit the archive and speak with those who were writing the character at that time and understood the potential in bringing out all of the details of Superman on a big screen, including showing off his super strengths for the San Andres fault portion of the story, along with giving Superman formidable foes that matched his power and dealing with the romantic angle between Superman and Lois Lane, complete with him sacrificing his powers to be with her.
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Gandy
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Post by Gandy on Jul 13, 2013 11:37:56 GMT -5
Puzo came up with a lot of the story, but I suspect it was very dry. I think Puzo wrote a novel instead of a screenplay  I was chatting to someone and he made a very good point that the person who initially created a lot of what was STM should be applauded. They had to poach story ideas from various comics etc. I'm not an expert on the comics, but to create it all for film and inadvertently make it canon is pretty awesome. Everyone I know cites STM has the best version of Superman's childhood (including comics) - and most of it you don't even see. |
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jul 13, 2013 12:03:50 GMT -5
First, I think you mean 'foul', not 'fowl'. 'Fowl' is defined as: 'A gallinaceous bird kept chiefly for its eggs and flesh; a domestic cock or hen. Any other domesticated bird kept for its eggs or flesh, e.g., the turkey, duck, goose, and guineafowl.' Second: Still am wondering how is it that NOBODY can access a copy of Puzo's script even after all this time and put it on the web? *sigh*. THAT would clear up many mysteries as to who did what--- on the surface, though, the basic plot/structure for STM/SII is fantastic, I think. It's a pity no novelization of it was ever authorized. |
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atp
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Post by atp on Jul 13, 2013 12:16:33 GMT -5
I have a feeling the original Puzo script would have been crap.
Wasn't that the one that had Kojak appear in one part?
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jul 13, 2013 12:47:14 GMT -5
True.... I think the credit it would get would be the structure and basic plot points. Tone-wise, it's probably like SIII.
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Gandy
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Post by Gandy on Jul 14, 2013 7:54:58 GMT -5
I have a feeling the original Puzo script would have been crap. Wasn't that the one that had Kojak appear in one part? It was the Newmans, and their argument was that it was a joke for the crew, it wasn't going to be part of the film. |
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Metallo
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Post by Metallo on Jul 14, 2013 7:59:57 GMT -5
Kind of like "Batman's" appearance on the set of Superman III?
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