MovieChat Forums > The Shadow (1994) Discussion > Early Script Review for New Movie

Early Script Review for New Movie

posted 15 years ago by shadow-otr
5 replies | jump to latest

http://iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8 230:exclusive-the-s

For the most part it sounds pretty good, very much in line with the pulps. Although once again Harry Vincent gets gets diced up to become fodder for another character, in this case Margot Lane (although to be fair, it sounds like Margot will be used reasonably well).

Unfortunately, Siavash Farahanl current script is described as also having some typical modern Hollywood over the top elements to force the rating up.

There's really nothing in the pulps that would require a good movie based on the Shadow to be rated higher than PG-13. Hopefully the over the top elements mentioned are merely there as fodder for "bartering".

[–] Ricochet84 15 years ago

You never get sick of The Shadow's viewpoint on the world around him and his role as the ultimate anti-hero. He's menacing, he can break bones with his bare hands, and mow down an entire room of thugs with his Colt 45's.

Nah. I like the '94 Shadow. He didn't get carried way with killing. He even spared the guy's life by forcing him to surrender instead. THAT'S the Shadow I like.

There is nudity and some brutal fight scenes.

Nudity? Why?

I think Farahanl's script sounds awful. I sure hope they let someone rewrite it before it hits the screen. It's sounds like typical Hollywood garbage, and a butchering of the Shadow.

---
Why build one when you can have two at twice the price?

[–] shadow-otr 15 years ago

I was thinking about this script review this past week; and it struck me that it sounds disturbingly close to what Frank Miller delivered for the Spirit (and we all know just how big a train wreck that movie was).

I really hope some significant re-writes happen to bring the story truer to the Shadow's pulp stories. Since I've considered the script review some more it seems like there are several things (not necessarily big things) that skew the script away from the stories in the pulps. In some ways, it's like Farahanl is writing the script as a Quentin Tarantino movie -- which would be unfortunate since Tarantino's style is not right at all for a good movie based on the Shadow.

[–] tl2055 15 years ago

I'm actually really excited this, it sounds like the script is bringing the character closer to his Pulp roots, which is exciting. Pretty much every version of The shadow that Ive seen has been more for adults, except the movie which feels like its a fun serial-type film for kids....That's fine if you are looking for a Batman clone (which clearly the shadow was meant to be) but it isn't very compelling.

I am, however, against forcing an R rating for the sake of an R rating (ie Nudity) but if its organic then that's fine.

Official Bleeder

[–] shadow-otr 15 years ago

Actually, Batman was based largely on the Shadow, in fact even the very first Batman story was lifted from one of the Shadow pulp novels.

Batman isn't alone in being based upon the Shadow, see also the Whisperer aka James "Wildcat" Gordon, whose adventures could sometimes be found in the backpages of THE SHADOW MAGAZINE; The Spider, and The Black Bat (who premiered about the same time as Batman) are just a few of the other characters created after the massive success of The Shadow.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]