What's The Next Big Pop Cultural Push?

[kapars]

I really do hope “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” happens. Weren’t The Thing and Alien attempts at reproducing the success of Star Wars?

 

[MGibster]

2) a Western version of The Taming of the Shrew?* Romeo & Juliette, King Lear and Hamlet could also work.

Comedy Central had a sketch comedy show called Viva Variety starring Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenny, and Michael Ian Black. The conceit of the show is that we were watching some sort of European variety show and they would put on sketches and musical guests. One of their skits was the play Oedipus Rex done in CB trucker talk that was absolutely hilarious.

More than thirty years ago, I did see a production of Hamlet in Dallas where everyone had a thick, exaggerated Texas accent. It was also hilarious.

 

[MGibster]

I really do hope “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” happens. Weren’t The Thing and Alien attempts at reproducing the success of Star Wars?

I honestly don't think The Thing or even Alien were attempts to reproduce the success of Star Wars. Both were horror movies and everyone involved understood an R rating would limit their audience. They expected to make money of course, but I don't believe anyone expected anything close to Star Wars money. But someone who worked on Alien hoped to replicate some of that success as they sold the license to produce toys based on the movie to Kenner, the same folks who produced Star Wars toys. You might think it's wildly inappropriate to sell toys to children based on a movie like Alien, and you'd be right. Most kids didn't see the movie, they weren't interested in the toy, and parents weren't interested in buying it for their kids, so toy sales flopped. I believe it was the first time toys based on a rated R movie was marketed to kids. That said, the success of Star Wars certainly encouraged studios to produce their own science fiction movies as they wanted a piece of the pie.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

More than thirty years ago, I did see a production of Hamlet in Dallas where everyone had a thick, exaggerated Texas accent. It was also hilarious.

I think that may be a thing here in D/FW. The Western Shrew production I saw was in Irving- a suburb to Dallas’ west.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Most kids didn't see the movie, they weren't interested in the toy, and parents weren't interested in buying it for their kids, so toy sales flopped.

I wanted the Alien xenomorph action figure SOOOOOOOOO hard! It was something like 18” tall, with an articulated tail and projecting inner jaw. My parents refused to buy it for me for 2 very good reasons.

First, it cost $29 in 1979. That’s a pricey toy. Second, despite being a 12yo, I was still afraid of the dark and I knew that thing would terrify me in my room at night- think of the toy clown scene in Poltergeist- the fact of which my parents were equally aware.

 

[Tonguez]

In all seriousness, though…not quite.

Copper was a damn good police procedural set during the American Civil War. It only got 2 seasons…on the BBC.

Never seen that, but will track it down. Police procedurals in historic settings could be a great thing - Western, 1920s, Regency, Elizabethan, I recall a korean Joseon era movie that featured a policeman too)

 

[Epic Meepo]

Crom Scene Investigators
View attachment 396594

"This is the third barbarian murder since January. I guess you could say this year, murder..."

removes sunglasses

"...is all the rage."

 

[Nikosandros]

Hmmmm…Only Mordor in the Building?

The residents of several floors of a luxury condo band together to gain entry to the landlord’s penthouse to destroy his invasive, concealed “security camera” network, steal the master key he used to install it in their living spaces while they were out and destroy it in the furnace.

“Why can’t we take the express elevator straight up?”
“WhY cAn’T wE tAkE tHe ExPrEsS eLeVaToR sTrAiGhT uP?”

They get in trouble with law enforcement but in the end they are rescued by sympathetic lawyers. The legal eagles are coming!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

"This is the third barbarian murder since January. I guess you could say this year, murder..."

removes sunglasses

"...is all the rage."

I really want this show now. 10 years ago you could probably have got it made on Adult Swim with this pitch and a baggie of cocaine for the decision-makers.

 

[trappedslider]

I wanted the Alien xenomorph action figure SOOOOOOOOO hard! It was something like 18” tall, with an articulated tail and projecting inner jaw. My parents refused to buy it for me for 2 very good reasons.

First, it cost $29 in 1979.

that's only 134.88 in today's dollars