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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 20:23:40 GMT
Couldn’t think of anywhere else to put this, but here goes… I didn’t even know there was a name for this sort of thing except for “pulp” and possibly “dieselpunk” (related and can overlap, but not exactly the same thing), but can I just note how much I love this sort of story? tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TwoFistedTalesAnyone for recommendations? I know we mentioned several on my “knock-off” thread, and politicidal mentioned The Explorer’s Guild, but I’m interested in pretty much anything—book, movie, radio show, etc.—that fits the admittedly vague criteria that link sets out. I’m sure most of you will know my choices, but here goes... The Rocketeer (movie) Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (movie) Captain America: The First Avenger (movie) Batman: The Animated Series (television show) The Mummy ’99 (movie) Richard III ’95 (movie) The Lost World (book) King Solomon’s Mines (book) Congo (movie)…I gotta read the supposedly very different book one of these days. The Devil in Amber (book) The Adventures of Tintin (movie) Tintin (comic-book series) Dick Tracy (movie) TV Tropes informs me that The X-Files did a ‘40s set episode called “Triangle” that’s similar. As someone who likes The X-Files but is pretty much a newcomer, I’ve got to track it down. (TV episode) I’m not a video-gamer, but I enjoyed reading a webpage about a ‘40s set video game called Crimson Skies that I’m sure some of you know. (video game) My biggest problem is, what are our criteria? For example, though there were a number of similar elements to this kind of tale in, e.g., Michael Crichton’s Pirate Latitudes, I resisted putting it on here because the time period doesn’t work. But then I felt obliged to put on Doyle’s The Lost World and Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines! If anyone has strong feelings about what our criteria should be, please let me know—I’m not sure. For whatever reason, I can’t think of many books that fit. Anyone know any more? Also, to get us more on track, several of the Indiana Jones comic books are excellent; I seem to remember the one about the Spear of Destiny in particular. (Sadly, I tried reading Dennis Wheatley for the first time about a week ago after hearing that his books were exactly this sort of thing—and they are, but they’re also as dull as dishwater. He’s an atrocious writer.) All right, off to you! |
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 20:53:12 GMT
Two more: some Lovecraft (At the Mountains of Madness, “The Call of Cthulhu,” the Dream Cycle, particularly The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath) and—well, how could I forget Jules Verne?
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Feb 5, 2018 21:21:09 GMT
Tarzan movies, especially those set in the period (20's and 30's)
The Phantom 1996
The Shadow 1994
Adventure Inc. (TV series 2002)
Relic Hunter (TV Series 1999)
The Lost World (TV series 1999)
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne (TV series 2000)
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (TV Series 1993)
John Carter 2012
High Road to China 1983
Tales of the Gold Monkey (TV Series 1982)
Bring Em Back Alive (TV Series 1982)
Jonny Quest (animated series 1964)
Lassiter (1984)
Agent Carter (TV Series 2015)
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 21:29:09 GMT
Thanks, taylorfirst1 . Reminded me of last year’s Hooten and the Lady, which was decent (pilot episode was by far the best). |
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Feb 5, 2018 21:36:45 GMT
Yes, I enjoyed Hooten and The Lady also.
Houdini and Doyle was another very short lived series from a couple years ago.
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 21:39:40 GMT
I caught a few episodes of Houdini and Doyle, but it kinda annoyed me as a fan of both Houdini and Doyle. Very modern in its sensibilities, very badly-written stories (Murdoch Mysteries-level), and fairly cheap-looking.
On the other hand, I only caught one or two episodes of Hooten & the Lady, but what I did see was half-Indy, half-African Queen, and a lot of fun.
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 21:42:52 GMT
I wonder if The Mask of Fu Manchu (’32), starring Boris Karloff, would count for the “two-fisted tale” category. Longtime favorite of mine; it’s almost parodying as it’s telling its own story, like many of these, and we’ve got an Oriental mad scientist, complete with Dragon Lady daughter, who wants to take over the world via Death Ray.
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Post by politicidal on Feb 5, 2018 21:54:27 GMT
I wonder if The Mask of Fu Manchu (’32), starring Boris Karloff, would count for the “two-fisted tale” category. Longtime favorite of mine; it’s almost parodying as it’s telling its own story, like many of these, and we’ve got an Oriental mad scientist, complete with Dragon Lady daughter, who wants to take over the world via Death Ray. Indeed I think it would. I'd throw in the 1932 movie Chandu The Magician as well. |
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 21:56:19 GMT
Also, a question for everyone here: when I first watched that sequence in Sky Captain in which Law and Paltrow are rescued by the Tibetan medicine-men in Shangri-La, it reminded me of another sequence in an earlier (or possibly later, but I’d seen it first?) movie, but I can’t seem to place it. Anyone know a similar scene?
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 21:57:25 GMT
I wonder if The Mask of Fu Manchu (’32), starring Boris Karloff, would count for the “two-fisted tale” category. Longtime favorite of mine; it’s almost parodying as it’s telling its own story, like many of these, and we’ve got an Oriental mad scientist, complete with Dragon Lady daughter, who wants to take over the world via Death Ray. Indeed I think it would. I'd throw in the 1932 movie Chandu The Magician as well. I’ve got to get around to seeing it one of these days—heard it was quite good. |
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Post by politicidal on Feb 5, 2018 21:57:59 GMT
Also, a question for everyone here: when I first watched that sequence in Sky Captain in which Law and Paltrow are rescued by the Tibetan medicine-men in Shangri-La, it reminded me of another sequence in an earlier (or possibly later, but I’d seen it first?) movie, but I can’t seem to place it. Anyone know a similar scene? The 1937 adaptation of Lost Horizon by chance? |
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Post by Nalkarj on Feb 5, 2018 21:59:33 GMT
Not that one, politicidal—I haven’t actually seen Lost Horizon (or most of early Capra, in fact), and I seem to remember the scene in color. |
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Feb 5, 2018 22:21:26 GMT
Of course in the 1940's many great movie serials were made that meet the two-fisted criteria. They were of course the inspiration for Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
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Post by poelzig on Feb 7, 2018 3:14:23 GMT
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Post by Nalkarj on Mar 24, 2018 21:10:01 GMT
I was looking through a thread on an Indy forum for my “questions about Last Crusade” thread above, and there’s tons of build-up and love for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which most of us here have praised. And nearly everyone there loved it and said that it would go on to do very well. It’s really disappointing what happened to it and to Conran, especially after reading comments that favorable (with which I wholeheartedly agree). |
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Post by politicidal on Apr 2, 2018 17:25:49 GMT
I was looking through a thread on an Indy forum for my “questions about Last Crusade” thread above, and there’s tons of build-up and love for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which most of us here have praised. And nearly everyone there loved it and said that it would go on to do very well. It’s really disappointing what happened to it and to Conran, especially after reading comments that favorable (with which I wholeheartedly agree). Let's start up a petition or something. |
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Post by Nalkarj on Jul 25, 2018 15:20:35 GMT
Apropos of the list to which I referred here, TheRaider.net lists the following as two-fisted adventure flicks that aren’t exactly Indiana Jones inspirations: The Spiders (1919) The Thief of Bagdad (1924) The Black Watch (1929) East of Borneo (1931) The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) She (1935) Captain Blood (1935) Lost Horizon (1937) Storm Over Bengal (1938) Only Angels Have Wings (1939) The Sea Hawk (1940) Sundown (1941) King Solomon’s Mines (1950) White Witch Doctor (1953) Fritz Lang’s Indian Epic (1959) The Man Who Would Be King (1975) The Four Feathers (1929 - 1939 - 2002) (I happen to think, by the way, that Only Angels Have Wings and King Solomon’s Mines are more direct Indy inspirations.) I’d never even heard of several of these: The Spiders, The Black Watch, East of Borneo, Storm Over Bengal, Sundown, White Witch Doctor. Has anyone seen any of them? |
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Post by Nalkarj on Aug 18, 2018 1:52:32 GMT
I’m watching The Shadow (’94) right now. Incredibly weird movie, though it was a definite inspiration on an old favorite of mine and politicidal’s, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (which, however, I think is much better). The special effects and the villain are really weak, the movie isn’t that exciting, and Baldwin is woefully miscast. Which is too bad, as the period atmosphere and the rest of the casting are good. And Jerry Goldsmith’s score is amusingly similar to Danny Elfman’s for Batman. |
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Post by politicidal on Sept 7, 2021 19:22:42 GMT
Apropos of the list to which I referred here, TheRaider.net lists the following as two-fisted adventure flicks that aren’t exactly Indiana Jones inspirations: The Spiders (1919) The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
The Black Watch (1929) East of Borneo (1931) The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)
She (1935)
Captain Blood (1935)
Lost Horizon (1937)Storm Over Bengal (1938) Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
Sundown (1941)
King Solomon’s Mines (1950)
White Witch Doctor (1953)
Fritz Lang’s Indian Epic (1959)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
The Four Feathers (1929 - 1939 - 2002)
(I happen to think, by the way, that Only Angels Have Wings and King Solomon’s Mines are more direct Indy inspirations.) I’d never even heard of several of these: The Spiders, The Black Watch, East of Borneo, Storm Over Bengal, Sundown, White Witch Doctor. Has anyone seen any of them? I've seen the ones I highlighted in red. Though I haven't finished the Indian Epic, I still need to see the second part.
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