Pirates of the Caribbean

[Desdichado]

So as I sat through the movie, the one thought that kept returning to my mind over and over and over- is "Wow! WOTC is so gonna sue these guys over intellectual property!!"

Did any other gamers immediatly think mind flayer when they saw the evil squid dude?

That'd be kinda hard to do when mind-flayers are so clearly ripped off of Cthulhu, who makes a much better direct inspiration for Davey Jones anyway.

I did immediately think that either one (or both) of the writers must have been gamers, though. Especially looking over all the movies they've done on IMDB.

 

[mmadsen]

I did immediately think that either one (or both) of the writers must have been gamers, though. Especially looking over all the movies they've done on IMDB.

If you'd like to learn more about them, they have their own site, and it has en entire section of articles on screenwriting that I'd recommend.

 

[bowbe]

Definitely Cthulu-esque vs. Mind Flayer (which has been mentioned as inspired by Lovecraft anyhow.) If you accept (as you should) that such things as Mind Flayers, Aboleth, Sahuagin, Koa Toa ect. and the like were indeed inspired by the creative works of Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and R.E. Howard then the real question goes back to the old question: Why mind flayers got cut from the SRD in the first place .

Of course the answer is because these D&D incarnations became a creation unto their own.

For DMC the Davey Jones/Cthulhu tie in merely reinforces modern writer's and creative folks inspiration from those earlier great author's public domain works.

If the movie inspires some kids who have never read C.A.S or HP Lovecraft to actually check out their books... then more power to them for it since nobody really reads anything anymore.

Case

 

[Dragonbait]

No.

You see, Davy Jones is more like Cthu... Oh wait.. I think someone on here already brought this up.

On another note, for an octopus-head, he was very expressive and, IMO, well played.

I did think this: If there was a Warhammer Chaos god of the ocean, Davy Jones' crew would be a perfect group of chaos mutants to represent it.

 

[Henry]

According to Gary, Mind Flayers were ripped from an illustration (on Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley, I think he said?)

 

[Mycanid]

'Fraid I agree with Whizbang. When I FIRST saw it I groaned, oh no, a mind flayer, but then upon reflection I thought ... no, too many tentacles - kinda reminds me of cthulu....

But others have said this already anyway ....

 

[Desdichado]

If you'd like to learn more about them, they have their own site, and it has en entire section of articles on screenwriting that I'd recommend.

That was cute. One of their bios (can't remember which one) has a "Hobbies" section, then he gets all coy and decides not to tell us what his hobbies are after all, like he's embarrassed about them or something.

GAMER!

 

[bowbe]

AH yes... Lumley, an author inspired in large part by... H.P. Lovecraft.

Gives me an Idea for a mssg board game. Call it 3 degrees of Cthulhu or something.

Case

 

[TheAuldGrump]

No, Captain Squidbob Cthulhupants, err... Davey Jones was definitely more Lovecraft than Gygax. Though his getting rid of his heart, etc. seems more along the lines of something the King in Yellow or Nyarlathotep might sanction. Cthulhu just wants to be handy to the busses and closer to the shops - wiping out mankind is simply a means to that end.

I find the idea of undead beings that form their bodies out of whatever sealife is around them interesting.

The Auld Grump

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The best lesson from the movie is that any D&D adventure would be better with an undead monkey.