How many times has Hollywood made a Tarzan movie? I'm looking forward to another, and it will be a nice break from the current superhero blockbusters (but not too big a break). He's not a traditional superhero, and prefers the jungle to civilization. I can relate to that. He never saves mankind, just an occasional African wildlife species or a lost damsel that finds herself separated from her less than competent male protectors.
As a kid, Tarzan was an almost perfect fantasy, at least for me. Although, the guy who originally played Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller, wasn't that good, and as a kid, I used to laugh at him, especially when he would give his signature Tarzan call, something that sounded like a failed attempt at a Swiss yodel. Rumor had it that Hollywood chose him because he was a good swimmer, which was odd because swinging from trees would have been a better acting asset. Also, his acting career predated steroid muscle building, and in later years, he was just "big", including his waistline, and without the popping veins and ripples of modern body builders.
But when I was a kid, we didn't have video games. We made do with empty cigar boxes, blocks of wood, and crappy Tarzan movies. Back then you had to use your imagination. So while the movies were shitty, the concept was rock solid, and waiting to be nurtured, which I did before I went to sleep each night.
The person/people you want to be is whoever holds the rights to Edgar Rice Burroughs' works.
QuoteEdgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is an American company founded in 1923[1] by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is based in Tarzana, California. The company holds the rights to the literary works of Burroughs that are still protected by copyright (a number of Burroughs' early works have passed out of copyright and consequently are in the public domain).
Burroughs was one of the first artists to incorporate, which he did for tax reasons and for more control over his works. Burroughs' books were published through the company from 1931 (Tarzan the Invincible) through 1948 (Llana of Gathol), with one additional title (I Am a Barbarian) appearing in 1967.
The company remains in the ownership of the Burroughs family and manages and licenses Burroughs' works and characters, including Tarzan and John Carter of Mars.
The Burroughs' family still holds the copyrights to his creations. the list is long. More than 50 books, not counting the short stories. The land that time forgot, Pellucidar, Barsoom (John Carter) etc. etc. Every time they remake a Tarzan movie I laugh. Simply put, copyright your shit.
SGOS, before you went to sleep at night, were you Tarzan with Jane? I was John Carter with Dejah Thoris. :2thumbs:
Sometimes I take an interest in comic book characters that aren't part of the mainstream.
I use to read Ka-zar comics.
(http://65.media.tumblr.com/a5ad609bca39333111ca7fdb6b8db542/tumblr_nyj2pp1jRw1uen2x4o1_500.png)
And then I got into conan comics.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/crawling_chaos/CONANANDTHESTALKEROFTHEWOODS0010000.jpg)
And then 90s Aquaman comics, the only time I thought aquaman was kinda cool.
(http://onceuponageek.com/images/aquacover25.jpg)
Something about these comic book characters being apart from the mainstream comics of the time made them feel like rare gems.
I'm now into reading the hercules marvel series, just because unlike all the kevin sorbo, Dwayne Johnson and Kellan Lutz takes on him, the marvel comics hercules comes off as the most genuine version of the character.
(http://www.ioffer.com/img3/item/205/678/844/hercules-prince-of-power-comics-on-dvd-809c.jpg)
Quote from: stromboli on June 28, 2016, 09:17:38 AM
SGOS, before you went to sleep at night, were you Tarzan with Jane? I was John Carter with Dejah Thoris. :2thumbs:
OK, I have to admit, Jane played an integral part in my musings.
I'm afraid there is a possibility this one could get on with the times and we could get a Tarzan the hero. :lol: Hopefully not. I always liked Tarzan movies.
Quote from: SGOS on June 28, 2016, 09:39:13 AM
OK, I have to admit, Jane played an integral part in my musings.
Beau Derrick?
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on June 28, 2016, 12:16:15 PM
Beau Derrick?
There were no actual names involved. There was A Jane, but not THE Jane, and her character could change from time to time. I don't think I wanted to call her Jane, because even at that young age, the classic dialog consisting of "Me Tarzan. You Jane," seemed outrageously silly. Come to think of it, I wasn't Tarzan in my ruminations either. I was just a guy who lived in the jungle, talked to animals, did everything right, and was linked with my environment in fascinating ways.
Gee, Now I've got myself looking forward to Friday with unusual intensity. I might even make it to the midnight debut on Thursday.
Quote from: stromboli on June 28, 2016, 09:17:38 AM
SGOS, before you went to sleep at night, were you Tarzan with Jane? I was John Carter with Dejah Thoris. :2thumbs:
This^!! Yes, Dejah Thoris my dream girl--I devoured the entire series when I was in HS. Think I read all the Pellucidar books as well. Only read a couple of Tarzan books--were not as good as the John Carter of Mars series. Even built the Chessmen Of Mars chess board and extra pieces and played it a few times with friends.
Personally, I always felt that tarzan was never true to his gorilla family upbringing, he should have embraced his true nature and live like his ape family would.
[spoiler](http://i.imgur.com/6VGryTa.jpg)[/spoiler]
(Pingas warning)
In Indiana the Tarzan novels were banned for a while, IIRC. Something about Tarzan and Jane living in sin.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on June 29, 2016, 11:13:25 AM
In Indiana the Tarzan novels were banned for a while, IIRC. Something about Tarzan and Jane living in sin.
He was raised by ape so was never baptized.
Quote from: Munch on June 29, 2016, 11:22:45 AM
He was raised by ape so was never baptized.
They were off about him and Jane never being married. They didn't read the second book.
I've never understood why Tarzan wore a breech cloth.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on June 29, 2016, 11:13:25 AM
In Indiana the Tarzan novels were banned for a while, IIRC. Something about Tarzan and Jane living in sin.
I didn't realize the state was that strange until just the last few months, when I've started hearing weird stuff about Indiana.
Quote from: SGOS on June 29, 2016, 12:28:47 PM
I didn't realize the state was that strange until just the last few months, when I've started hearing weird stuff about Indiana.
its gets weirder, given this list of laws here.
QuoteWaitresses may not carry drinks into a restaurant or bar.
Hotel sheets must be exactly 99 inches long and 81 inches wide.
If any person has a puppet show, wire dancing or tumbling act in the state of Indiana and receives money for it, they will be fined $3 under the Act to Prevent Certain Immoral Practices.
Anyone 14 or older who profanely curses, damns or swears by the name of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, shall be fined one to three dollars for each offense, with a maximum fine of ten dollars per day.
A three dollar fine per pack will be imposed on anyone playing cards in Indiana under the Act for the Prevention of Gaming.
The value of Pi is 3.
It is illegal for a man to be sexually aroused in public.
One may not sniff glue.
One man may not back into a parking spot becasue it prevents police officers from seeing the license plate.
State government officials who engage in private duels can be dismissed from their post.
A person must get a referral from a licensed physician if he or she wishes to see a hypnotist unless the desired procedure is to quit smoking or lose weight.
Smoking in the state legislature building is banned, except when the legislature is in session.
All males 18 to 50 years old must work six days a year on public roads.
Baths may not be taken between the months of October and March.
Check forgery can be punished with public flogging up to 100 stripes.
Mustaches are illegal if the bearer has a tendency to habitually kiss other humans.
It is illegal to sell cars on Sunday.
Pedestrians crossing the highway at night are prohibited from wearing tail lights.
Oral sex is illegal.
No one may catch a fish with his bare hands.
http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/indiana
Quote from: SGOS on June 28, 2016, 12:48:51 PM
There were no actual names involved. There was A Jane, but not THE Jane, and her character could change from time to time. I don't think I wanted to call her Jane, because even at that young age, the classic dialog consisting of "Me Tarzan. You Jane," seemed outrageously silly. Come to think of it, I wasn't Tarzan in my ruminations either. I was just a guy who lived in the jungle, talked to animals, did everything right, and was linked with my environment in fascinating ways.
This is unbelievably cute.
The value of Pi is 3. :wtff:
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on June 29, 2016, 11:40:09 AM
They were off about him and Jane never being married. They didn't read the second book.
I've never understood why Tarzan wore a breech cloth.
or how somebody raised by apes could learn to tan hides to make said breechcloth.
7/10
It was a good movie, It didn't start at the chronological beginning, but referred back to his primitive life via flashbacks. This could have been titled Lord of Greystoke, rather than Tarzan, since it begins with his life in England, followed by a visit to the Congo, where he meets up with old friends and new enemies. Animal special effects were pretty good.
Sounds old school. Glad to hear it.
I've always thought Burrows was a hack writer. His Barsoom novels are pure boiler plate.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on July 01, 2016, 01:17:00 PM
I've always thought Burrows was a hack writer. His Barsoom novels are pure boiler plate.
Can you say formulaic? Burroughs figured out how to do formula stories. That is how you crank out 50 novels. Robert Howard to a degree did the same with Conan and Kull the conqueror. Formula writing means you have a standard set of how the characters are portrayed, how the plot runs, where the plot breaks fall, how the story is concluded. Read 3 or 4 of Alistair Maclean novels. Maclean cranked out 40 novels. But the winnah in my book is Clive Cussler. 60 some novels. You want to see how formula works, The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare by Maclean have almost the same number of pages, the same plot twists and the same set of good guys/bad guys in every story.
Cussler does the same thing with Dirk Pitt and other protagonists. There is always some little known antique car involved in a chase scene, the female interest is always a willowy blonde goddess who happens to have an IQ of 250 and six college degrees. Reality based, imo. And the books are all of a similar size with similar hero profiles, a sidekick and a love interest. That is how you make the big bucks as a novelist.
I figure that out when I was 13.
Rotten Tomatoes doesn't like Tarzan (34%). I think it deserves more, although it could have been better.
Quote from: SGOS on July 01, 2016, 08:35:49 PM
Rotten Tomatoes doesn't like Tarzan (34%). I think it deserves more, although it could have been better.
[spoiler]This is the only Tarzan movie worth watching.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bc7KDyLV80
[/spoiler]
Now, that's the ticket!
Quote from: SGOS on July 01, 2016, 08:35:49 PM
Rotten Tomatoes doesn't like Tarzan (34%). I think it deserves more, although it could have been better.
Probably, they just booed it just because it was made a lot of times without any 'improvements'. But also rotten tomatoes...myeh.
Quote from: drunkenshoe on July 02, 2016, 02:56:49 AM
Probably, they just booed it just because it was made a lot of times without any 'improvements'. But also rotten tomatoes...myeh.
That site gave 'it follows' a high rating, when I just found the movie boring and pretentious, and gave warcraft a flop rating, where most people who go to see it enjoyed it. I gave up with sites like that.
Quote from: stromboli on July 01, 2016, 03:17:52 PM
Can you say formulaic? Burroughs figured out how to do formula stories. That is how you crank out 50 novels. Robert Howard to a degree did the same with Conan and Kull the conqueror. Formula writing means you have a standard set of how the characters are portrayed, how the plot runs, where the plot breaks fall, how the story is concluded. Read 3 or 4 of Alistair Maclean novels. Maclean cranked out 40 novels. But the winnah in my book is Clive Cussler. 60 some novels. You want to see how formula works, The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare by Maclean have almost the same number of pages, the same plot twists and the same set of good guys/bad guys in every story.
Cussler does the same thing with Dirk Pitt and other protagonists. There is always some little known antique car involved in a chase scene, the female interest is always a willowy blonde goddess who happens to have an IQ of 250 and six college degrees. Reality based, imo. And the books are all of a similar size with similar hero profiles, a sidekick and a love interest. That is how you make the big bucks as a novelist.
I liked the formula that Burroughs had developed when I stumbled across the John Carter of Mars series--I was in early HS and it struck a cord. So, I read them all. I also was introduced to Luis L'Amour at about the same time. I think he wrote something like 89 novels, but they were all western. I only read two of those, and then returned to SF.
There was so much well-written SciFi back then that dropping Burrows like a bad habit wasn't a problem for me. John Campbell introduced me to some great writers.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on July 02, 2016, 10:21:26 AM
There was so much well-written SciFi back then that dropping Burrows like a bad habit wasn't a problem for me. John Campbell introduced me to some great writers.
Among them Heinlein, Simak, Asimov and Lester Del Rey.
Quote from: stromboli on July 02, 2016, 10:38:38 AM
Among them Heinlein, Simak, Asimov and Lester Del Rey.
[happycamper]I found a site where I could download over 700 books from that era. [/happycamper]