Imagi-Movies Vol 1 No 1 ( Fall 1993)

64 Pages·1993·25.1 MB·English

by  Cinefantastique

Max Von Sydow
a King's
Leland Gaunt·
Pl.Us: Fame KING'S STAND"
"THE
JAPM'S
AltlllTED HORROR EROTICA
D•
FltCHER ON DIRECTING "ALIEN 3"
. .
,
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I
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Twenty-three years ago, in an edito Let me know what features you like,
rial in the first issue of CINEFANTAS and what you don't. If there are films
TIOUE, our parent publication, its edi you think didn't get their just desserts
tor, our publisher, commented on the either in praise or in criticism, then put
seemingly insurmountable task of writ those passions in print and send them
ing the first editorial of a new magazine. to us in a letter, a review, or an article.
Now, as I sit before my keyboard, only Let us hear you.
days before deadline, I finally see his In the first issue of FF editor Bill
point. George offered a picture of himself with
There is just so much you want to Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer. I'm
say that you can't decide what not to not so sure anyone wants to see what I
say, and you just end up saying noth look like but maybe you wouldn't mind
iRg. Got that? knowing some of the influences that
I guess I can start by addressing the Now wait just a minute, you say. made me who I am. Scattered about this
obvious question: Why another magazine Wasn't the cover of this very issue de page are several photos from some clas
devoted to the genre of fantastic films? voted to a big-budget, major production? sic genre films. They aren't there just as
Well ... yes. It's not really our intention to filler. These are the films that over the
cover solely the minor and obscure, any years have spoken to me, have crawled
more than CFO covers only the major inside my brain and left indelible images
films. It's more a matter of emphasis. on my mind, my psyche, my imagination.
CFO could, and would, cover the robotic These are my IMAGl-MOVIES.
action of KNIGHTS and NEMESIS, the To paraphrase a line from our interview
martial art hijinks of THE KUNG FU RAS with one of my greatest idols, Roger Cor
CALS, the current plans of Roger Cor man, that's my theory. If I had a photo of
man, the further adventures of the MANI me having dinner with the lovely Ms.
AC COP, the controversial animated eroti Bauer and Stevens, I might have a differ
ca of THE WANDERING KID, or print an ent theory. John Thonen
impassioned defense of a largely reviled
IMAGl-MOVIES' Influences: 1960's PSYCHO (top)
genre film, ALIEN 3. It just wouldn't Its Impact Is still felt In today's erotic thrillers.
1933's KING KONG (left), not just e greet genre
The answer is success. No, not ours, put them all in the same issue. We
film but e greet film, period. 1954's THIS ISLAND
though one can hope. I'm talking about can. We have. EARTH (below), • wonderful combination of
• Imagination, pulp, sci-ti end Intellectual content.
CINEFANTASTIOUE'S success. For CFO IM's existence came about, at least in
success has brought the obligation to con part, due to another success, that of our
tinue doing what it has obviously done so sister publication, FEMME FATALES. I
well, covering the major films and TV se must confess some envy for its editor. No,
ries in a depth and detail seen nowhere not because of the scads of beautiful
else. But that very obligation has made it women who are the topic of his magazine.
increasingly difficult for CFO to devote Well. .. Ok, maybe a little because of that,
much space to low-budget films, classic but mostly I envy the clearly defined vision
films, obscure films, and the people re he had for FF. I have no such solid con
sponsible for them. It's a Catch-22, but cept for IM and, despite my envy, I really
this time there is a solution. You're holding don't want one. I want IM to evolve, to
it. !MAGI-MOVIES. change, as our readers' interests change.
3
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VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1 .. The Magazine of Movie Imagination" FALL, 1993
6 44
KING B NEMESIS
Exploitation never sleeps, and neither, it CYBORG director Albert Pyun returns to
seems, does Roger Corman, judging from the futuristic world of mecha-humanoids.
his company's upcoming production roster. I Article by Max G. Alvarez
I Interview by Steve Biodrowski
47
KNIGHTS
8
REDDWARF Albert Pyun returns to the futuristic world
This British sci-ti comedy series is just of mecha-humanoids. Didn't we just say
waiting for cult discovery. Help lead the that? I Article by Chuck Crisafulli
way. I Article by Dennis Fischer
page& 48 KUNG Fu RASCALS
14
THESTAND Effects wizard Steve Wang combines
Finally, King's greatest achievement martial arts, special effects and the Three
is visualized in the format that just might do Stooges with unique results. I Article by
it justice. I Article by Michael D. Beeler Chuck Crisafulli
16 NEEDFUL THINGS 50 TEENAGE MUTANT TURTLES
Hollywood's King-mania continues with What's green, has a shell and make more
another quality King adaptation from Rob money than all of us combined? Meet the
Rainer's Castle Rock Productions./ Article acrobatic actors within those latex lizard
by Kenneth Winikoff costu'mes, and the martial arts master who
trains them./ Article by Dale Kutzera
page SO
24
THETOMMYKNOCKERS
52
MANIAC COP 3
Alterian Studios brings life to King's
Sometimes you just can't keep a dead cop
Boogeyman from the stars. / Article by
down.But you can depress his writer and
GaryL. Wood
director. / Article by Dennis Fischer
26 THE DARK HALF
Sure it's been out for a while, but when
IMAGI FEATURES
George Romero does Stephen King, one
look just isn't enough./ Article by Charles
5
SINISTER SENTINEL
D. Leayman
Facts, flashes and out-and-out rumors. All
Page26
32 ALIEN 3 the news that's weird to print. I By Jay
Stevenson
Don't skip this just because the movie
turned you off. Hear the director's story and
54
REVIEWS
read one viewer's insightful defense of the
film. I Interview by Mark Burman, Review
59
by Stephen M. Reese VIDEOPHILE
International films on video by Craig
38
WANDERING KID Ledbetter.
-A preview of an animated tale of violence
60
THE SCORE
and erotica known as UROTSUKIDOJI in
Japan. Even if you can't say it, we think you'll The return of the fantastic film music
want to see it. / Article by Todd French Page 32 column by Randall Larson.
Publisher: Frederick S. Clarke. Editor: John Thonen. Bureaus: New York/ Dan Scapperotti. Los Angeles/ Steve Biodrowski. London/ Alan Jones.
Contributors: Max J. Alvarez, Michael Beeler, Mark Burman, Chuck Crisafulli, Dennis Fischer, Todd French, Judith Harris, Dale Kutzera, Randall D. Larson,
Norman Laughlin, Charles Leayman, Craig Ledbetter, Christopher Martin, Stephen M. Reese, Kenneth Winikoff, Gary I. Wood. Edltorlal Operations
Manager: Elaine Fiedler. Edltorlal Production: Lisa A. Tomczak.. Production Associate: Ruth Kopala. Clrculatlon: Staci Richardson.
PHOTO CREDITS: C1993 castle Rock (Bob Akester 16. 17, 19, 20, 22, 23); C1992 CBS (578);C1992 Columbia (21T); C1993 Hemdale~548); Cathy Moore, (14); C1992 New Une (218, Robert
Isenberg SOT. 508R. 51); C1991 Orion (Lynne Warberg 28, 29. 30); Republic Pictures (Jack Rowand 57T); C1992 20th Century Fox (32·3 ; Ci992 Warner Bros (S4T. SST); 0Neather1y, Inc. (Tom
Vollick 47, 568); ACKNOWLEDGEllEtfTS: All Effects (Eric Allard). Kris Avery, Dan Diefenderfer. Optic Nerve (John Vulich, Everett Burrell . Jeff Silllfant. Candy Thonen. COYER ART: David Voigt.
IMAGl-llOVIES (ISSN 1069-5095) Is published quarter1y at 7240 W. Roosevelt Rd •• Forest Pai1(. IL 60130. [phone]. Second class postage pending a.I Forest Partt. IL 60130 & additional
malling offices.POSTMASTER; Send address changes to lMAGl·MOVIES. P.O. Box 270, Oak Plrt. IL 60303. Subtlcnptlons: Four issues $18. (Forel(/n & Canada: Four Issues $21.) Single copie
when purchased from publisher: $8. RMall Distribution: In the U.S. by Eastem News Distributors. 250 W. 551h St.. • New York. NY 10019. (800) 221·3148. In Great Britain by Titan Distributors,
P.O. Box 250. London E3 4RT. Phone: [phone]. SUbmluJons of artwoft( and articles are encouraged, but must be 8CCOIT11>8flied by a self·addressed, stamped envelope.
Contents copyright c1993 by Frederick S. Clarke. lllAGl-llOVIES (TM) Is a proprietary Trademaft(. PRINTED IN USA.
4
IMAGl-MOVIE NEWS INTERNATIONAL EDITION
BLOODSUCKERS closest to a true Lovecraft
adaptation I've ever seen, even
BOUNCE BACK
though it's not actually based on
The boxoffice success of
Lovecraft's stories.
BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
may have finally released Anne
H. P. WHO?
Rice's INTERVIEW WITH THE
Speaking of not based on
VAMPIRE from its 15-year
Lovecraft: Brian Yuzna is
internment in development hell.
producing an anthology film
While the rights reverted to Rice
which he describes as "inspired
in April, an extension was
by Lovecraft." Yuzna directs one,
granted to allow the producers
Christopher Gans and Shusuke
more time to try and land Daniel
Kaneko handle the others. "We
Day Lewis for the role of Lestat
tried to do actual Lovecraft
(hasn't anyone thought of Julian
stories, but they just didn't trans
Sands?) with Oscar-winner Neil
late to the screen," explained
Jordan set to direct his revision
Yuzna. The result, H.P. LOVE
of Rice's own script. Meanwhile,
CRAFT'S NECRONOMICON will
one of those anonymous Holly
feature nothing based on actual
wood insiders has been quoted
Lovecraft stories. Great Cthulhu
in the L.A. Times as saying the
must be spinning in his tomb in
a,nnounced '93 production of
the sunken city of R'lyeah.
Rice's THE WITCHING HOUR
Julian Sands In L.estat mode In TALES OF A VAMPIRE, with Kenneth Cranham as
has been delayed because the
Edgar Allan Poe, a British State Screen Producilon directed by Shlmako Sato.
novel's plot "sucks"-certainly a WEKNOWYOU
surprise to the millions who DIDN'T ASK Bur
probably softened him to John that they are all the same one.
enjoyed the novel. This Holly
Carl Buechler's pitch to use Lastly, we would respectively
wood hotshot went on to brand
miniature puppets, men in suits CARPENTER, CRAVEN ... submit that our sister publication
INTERVIEW's Louis "a whiner
and full-scale models for erred slightly in Issue #3 by peg
and a kvetch"- approximately AND AGAR?
CARNOSAUR. Buechler nearly ging EYES OF A STRANGLER
the equivalent of terming Hamlet Wes Craven (busy with his
sold Corman on using them as a as the Femme Fatales film of
an indecisive clod. new Freddy Krueger movie, his
substitute for post-production 1993. A more likely candidate, at
big-budget West Point ghost story
opticals as well. Director Adam least in terms of budget and
TONGUE-TIED TITLES Simon managed to discourage and a project jokingly referred to as boxoffice potential would surely
"HELLROSE PLACE} found time
Variety's new film starts Corman with a reel of out-takes be JURASSIC PARK. What
to do a cameo in an episode of
recently listed (take a deep of Buechler's men-in-suits femme fatales, you may say?
John Carpenter's made-for
breath) NIGHT OF THE DAY OF wobbling around and falling on Well, Michael Crichton's story
Showtime BODY BAGS. The same
THE DAWN OF THE SON OF their faces. Did GODZILLA have posits that the dinosaur popu
goes for the less-occupied John
THE BRIDE OF THE RETURN this problem? lation is controlled by genetically
Agar, who forged a friendship with
OF THE REVENGE OF THE engineering only femmes: as far
Carpenter several years ago when
TERROR OF THE ATTACK OF SIMULTANEOUS as their being fatale- well, the
Carpenter wanted him for a major
THE EVIL, MUTANT, HELL body count speaks for itself.
DEVELOPMENT HELL
role in his (since aborted)
BOUND, FLESH-EATING, SUB Jay Stevenson
Hollywood seems to have a CREATURE FROM THE BLACK
HUMANOID LIVING DEAD
knack for coming up with multiple LAGOON remake. Agar starred in
PART 2. While it may at last ·sos genre Icon, John Agar appears In
versions of the same basic idea, 1952's CREATURE sequel,
usurp Corman's SAGA OF THE John carpenter's upcoming made
at the same basic time. A decade REVENGE OF THE CREATURE.
VIKING WOMEN AND THEIR for-Showtfme producilon BODY BAGS.
ago it was snake movies; "Carpenter's wife [Sandy King]
VO\'AGE TO THE WATERS OF
remember VENOM, SPASMS, called me about BODY BAGS, and
THE GREAT SEA SERPENT
and JAWS OF SATAN? More I'm always happy to work," said the
crown for the longest genre title,
recently there was the trio of veteran actor. Meanwhile,
It hardly qualifies as a "fllm start."
underwater sci-fi films, THE Carpenter has moved on to
Seems the producers have
ABYSS, DEEPSTAR FIVE and another classic remake, VILLAGE
merely redubbed George Rome
LORDS OF THE DEEP. Now, OF THE DAMNED. Carpenter says
ro's original NIGHT OF THE
with a sequel already announced the dilemma lies in "making a
LIVING DEAD (now in the public
for Stuart Gordon's domestically better story than the first one
domain) with a "funny" sound
unreleased prison of the future which is a stretch because it was a
track. Surely there's something in
film, FORTRESS, no less than pretty good movie." Carpenter is
the copyright laws to protect
Gale Ann Hurd has announced also involved in a New Line project
Romero and company from this.
PENAL COLONY, while Colum called IN THE MOUTH OF
Or at least to protect us.
bia/TriStar Home Video has plans MADNESS, which he describes as
to release PRISON PLANET. All "one of the most inventive scripts
DINOSAUR BLOOPERS
futuristic prison pictures. Who I've read in years. Mike Deluca
Roger Corman's aversion to says there are no good ideas in wrote it and it's like nothing I've
post-production opticals Hollywood? The only problem is ever seen on the screen. It's the
5
T H E
B-MOVIE L E G A C Y CONTINUES
Vampires, dinosaurs and comic heroes
rt
lead Roger Connan to new budget
heights.~~·
••
By Steve Biodrowski upped our budgets to the $2-4
million range."
Has the Full Moon risen Three or four million dollars
over the New Horizon? Well, may not sound like much by
Charles Band may talk of today's standards, but it's at
Roger Corman in the past least ten times what Corman
tense, but the truth Is that Cor spent at A.LP during the '50s
man's Concorde/New Horizon and'60s. Today, however, no
out-produces Band's Full longer is the genre the exclu
Moon at a rate of approximate sive province of independent
ly two-to-one. And, though filmmakers, and major studio
Corman produces a slightly productions have raised audi
broader spectrum of films, he ence expectations. "You very
continues to emphasize genre seldom saw an expensive sci
fare such as TO SLEEP WITH ence fiction or horror film back
A VAMPIRE, STEPMON then," explained Corman. "I
STER, DRACULA RISING, think what's happened now is
CARNOSAUR and the recent the audience has become so
ly completed FANTASTIC accustomed to special effects
FOUR. films with budgets from $50 to
TO SLEEP WITH A VAM $100 million that you can't get
PIRE stars Scott Valentine away any more with a $50,000
"Living Legend" Roger Conner., now 87, dlrKts John Hurt 8t the conclusion of
(MY DEMON LOVER) and ConMn'• FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND, hi• flnt directoNI .nort In 22 ,_,.. or even a $100,000 special ef
Charlie Spradling (Full Moon's fects job. The audience simply
MERIDIAN and PUPPET night affair. In STEPMON trends. While agreeing that will not accept them, so we've
MASTER II, ironically enough) STER, with Alan Thicke, a horror is on the wane right put more money into the spe
as vampire and intended vic young boy now, he thinks a change may cial effects, into the artwork, in
suspects~orrect­
tim engaged in a deadly one- ly, as it tu ms out-that his new be coming. "The pendulum al to specialized props, and so
stepmother is a monster. ways swings back. That's not forth."
VamplrH .. Erotic Hunka. Doug Wert DRACULA RISING, which a perfect analogy, of course, it With all this competition,
In DRACULA RISING, eemk:ompMlon shot in Bulgaria last August, never swings back to exactly what is the secret to longevity
to FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND.
concerns an American art re where it was, and a pendulum in a business that has seen the
storer (Stacy Travis), working does. There's a trend away failure of many other indepen
in a Transylvanian monastery, from excessive violence, espe dent producers? "There's no
who is transported back in time cially in Europe, and, while secret to it," Corman stated.
and meets the son of Vlad we've done well with erotic "It's a combination of: (1) my
"The Impaler" Dracula. thrillers, I think that market is staff and I work very hard, and
CARNOSAUR, scheduled for about saturated." (2) we try to remain creative
release this Spring, is from a Corman's current crop is an and flexible and to move with
novel by Harry Adam Knight (a attempt to upgrade his product the changes, both in the mar
pseudonym for British film crit in response to an increasingly ket and in technology. We're
ic John Brosnan and an competitive market. "'We've utilizing technical effects today
anonymous co-author) about a been successful with horror that were undreamed of when
genetic research scientist who and fantasy films forever I started. And I would assume
recreates dinosaurs. well, 30 years," he proclaimed. that ten years from now, we
Part of Corman's strength "We now see that the market is will still be making these types
over the years has been an still there, but it requires a of films and working with tech
uncanny ability to capitalize on somewhat bigger film. So we nology nobody is working with
6
"I think that's a good idea, he
said. "As a matter of fact, when
I heard what he was doing, I
thought maybe of having spin
off company names create
sub-headings for a science-fic
tion line, a kick-boxing line, a
horror line. We may still do
that."
Speaking of limited theatri
cal release, what are Cor
man's feelings about 20th
Century-Fox's handling of
FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND?
"I was a little disappointed," he
admitted. "They hit all the ma
jor cities, but I thought it should
have had a broader release.
They told me they didn't ex
pect it was going to get such
good reviews: the New York
Times compared me to Fellini
and Kurosawa; Siskel and
Ebert gave it an excellent re
view. It also proved very popu
lar on video and cable, very
close to the size audience of a TV sitcom actress Robin Riker
(BROTHERS), as the titular character
major release."
of Corman'• kld-vld STEPMONSTER.
As to whether he might
soon direct again, Corman re BOUND, which would have
sponded. "I have a couple of been too expensive. "I liked
thoughts, but at the moment the novel, but it would have re
we have so much production, quired at least the budget of
and our new home video com FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND.
pany (New Horizons) is grow DRACULA RISING had a
ing so fast, it's just taking too slightly smaller budget, though
much of my time." it's still one of our more expen
A member of John Buechler'• effecta crew with the ~foot .nlrnetronlc beaat from
CARNOSAUR. A dlnouur cloning tale thlt be.t JURASSIC PARK Into the theetrea. Under the circumstances, sive films."
FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND More noticeable to the aver
today, and there will very pos even broader release ...W e will II would seem unlikely; howev age viewer will be the simi
sibly be new markets not avail always be doing regional re er, Corman pointed out, larity between CARNOSAUR
able today." leases, moving from one re "DRACULA RISING is the se and Michael Crichton's JUR
Another change Corman gion to another. Hitting the quel. There's similarity to the ASSIC PARK, currently re
has weathered is the trend to whole country on one night, titles, and in both pictures a ceiving the big budget treat
ward forgoing theatrical distrib you can end up spending from person travels back in time to ment from Steven Spielberg.
ution of small films without big $1-3 million on prints without meet Frankenstein or Dracula. Noted Corman, "The novel
name stars. Full Moon, for ex even getting into the advertis We've definitely taken the CARNOSAUR was written
ample, is strictly a direct-to ing." route to follow up on the eight or nine years before
video company. Said Corman, What does Corman think of FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND JURASSIC PARK. I know
"I think that's because {Charlie Band's other innovation, mar concept." However, the film is Michael Crichton-he's a good
Band's a friend of mine--he's keting the company label as a not connected to Brian Aldiss' guy. I don't think he took the
a bright guy, and I think he brand name for fantasy films? literary sequel, DRACULA UN- idea from CARNOSAUR. It
does good work) he doesn't was probably an original with
have his own distribution. Un While fllr removed from the BLUE LAGOON, Chrfatopher Atklna' pom.yal of Vlad him, and he didn't even know
less you control your own dis the Impaler In DRACULA RISING atlll IMNtma more aurter dude thin Euro-vampire. that Harry Adam Knight had
tribution, fhen you're giving it written a similar story."
to somebody else-there are CARNOSAUR'S obvious
too many hands taking their tie-in with Spielberg's highly
share of the income, and the anticipated JURASSIC PARK
atrical distribution becomes has brought it a lot of attention.
too expensive. You have to do However, Concorde's most no
it yourself. table '93 production wasn't
"We have our own distribu even in the planning stages a
tion through Concorde," he few months ago, and essen
continued. "All our films will get tially fell into Corman's all too
at least a limited theatrical re capable hands.
lease (100 to 200 dates), and When a German producer
CARNOSAUR and FANTAS failed to raise his projected
TIC FOUR will probably get an
contJnuect on Plloe 62
7
Interstellar British lunacy
invades U.S. shores.
By Dennis Fischer This opening serves to introduce
early episodes of an irreverent, inventive
'"Thi• I• en S.O.S. dlstr••• cell from the and almost irresistible challenge to the
mining ship RED DWARF. The crew ls deed, pantheon of all-time great science fiction
kllled by • radiation leek. Th• only survivors
series. That program, seen only sporad
were Dave Uster, who wu In auspended an
ically on various PBS stations, is the wild
imation during the disaster, end hi• preg
and wonderful RED DWARF.
nant cat, who was ufely •••led In the hold.
Revived, 3 mllllon years later, Uster's only What distinguished the great sci-fi se-
companions ere • llfe form th8t evolved from
ries of the past, TWILIGHT ZONE,
THE RED DWARF1 lhuttlecr8ft. The StaffNlg. A
hi• cat, end Arnold Rimmer, • holognun alm
ST AR TREK, OUTER LIMITS, THE tl*d llllOn eddltlon ..... helped open up the
uletlon of one of the deed crew."
PRISONER, and at times, DR. WHO, _..to more non-ehlpboerd atorytlnea.
were their distinctive freshness, their will
ingness to break the boundaries of typi ries.
cal television fare. Most past science fic '"RED DWARF came out of a sketch
tion comedies were either direct parodies, called 'Dave Holling: Space Cadet,· ex
like QUARK, or silly gimmick shows, such plained Naylor, •and that was just basi
as THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO cally about a guy on a spaceship where
or IT'S ABOUT TIME. everyone had been wiped out. It was just
him, slowly going mad, talking to his com
RED DWARF is the bi-product of two
puter. We did about eight of those in this
talented writers, Rob Grant and Doug
sketch show, and it was really quite suc
Naylor, and the rather unique British ap
cessful. We thought, hey, this would be
proach to television. A British comedy se
terrific as our own project. There will be
ries is generally limited to only six shows
just one guy and a computer, and that's
a season. By doing this they are able to
all there will be. There won't be any guest
avoid the creative burn-out that has
stars. We don't have anybody else. One
plagued even the best series of the past.
guy, and a computer."
While British TV budgets might be much
'"Dumb," chimed in Grant. '"Dumb,·
lower, the freedoms from restriction are
agreed Naylor. "Yes, it's very hard to get
much greater. With an irreverant attitude
plots out of a guy and a computer. Very
and a bickering crew, RED DWARF is a
boring. So we thought, OK, we don't want
breath of fresh air in the vacuum of the
another human, but we'll have anybody
sometimes sanctimonious nobility of Gene
who's not a human, and we don't want to
Roddenberry's universe.
have an android. So, we thought, we'll
Grant and Naylor met in school at age
have a hologram. We didn't want to have
nine, and while reading psychology at the
any aliens in it, to make it like, pretty
same university, got the idea to create a
much, all science fiction, because that's
sitcom. It didn't sell, but they continued
generally what you do when you do sci
writing, finally selling a Raymond Chand
ence fiction."
ler parody sketch to a radio comedy se-
"We started a show called SPITTING
IMAGE for John Uoyd and Paul Jackson,
From the fifth 11110.~., °'The 1nqu181tor," dedlcaled
who were the top producers in the coun
to ellmlndng UHIHI people, which pretty much
COV9rS the entlN RED DWARF crew. try at that time. After six weeks on it we
8
'''Don't worry,' we told
the BBC. 'There won't
be any science fiction
[in the show].' Of
course, if they leave
you alone a bit. .. ' '
-Co-creator Doug Naylor-
and probably the worst example. That was
the enduring joke really, a complete slob
and wastrel! A ne'er-do-well, and the last
living representative of the human race.
It all came from that central point. We
said, well, who's going to be best to set
sparks off with him, and we thought
maybe a straight down the line, regula
tion issue-type guy, who happened to be
dead. And neurotic.·
That was Rimmer, whom Grant de
scribed as "still an underachiever in his
death, and that was the driving line. Then
Cat was supposed to sort of reflect the
idea of what he (Lister) thought humani
ty was. He was supposed to be a satiri
cal edge character. He didn't pan out that
way, really, he was just a fun character."
The idea behind Holly was to have a
computer that, after three million years,
wrote the pilot for RED DWARF and Uoyd able to sell it, because no one wanted sci
had gone a bit senile. "The whole idea of
and Jackson really liked it. We thought ence fiction, and his selling point was,
that, was that he never really knew if he
we would be able to sell it in, like ten days, look, it isn't science fiction, it's just like a
was really super brilliant, or whether he
tops. It took three years,· recalled Nay few guys that could be on a submarine,
had actually lost all his marbles,· said
lor. "BBC turned it down three times,· only It isn't a submarine, it's a spaceship.
Grant.
added Grant. They went 'Oh, right,' and Paul went,
Dissatisfied with the first season of the
While Grant and Naylor continued to 'Don't worry, there won't be any science
show, Grant and Naylor began to make
work on SPITTING IMAGE, Paul Jackson fiction in it.' Of course, when they leave
some changes. In the second season,
gave up on trying to sell RED DWARF to you alone a bit ... •
the BBC in London and took a backdoor Rob Grant explained that the show
THE RED DWARF"• ll1npld crew (I to r): Android
approach by taking it to the BBC in Man originated with Lister. "The idea was that Krylen, ........- wwc111lltlc c.t, .... hnoolowgr.m..,p, .h.lc.
chester. It sold. he was the last human being left alive, RlllllW md •Every-elab," Ueter. The
Unlike American series which begin Holly compuler CM be ..... In upper left.
with a pilot, RED DWARF began with a
commitment for six episodes. "We didn't
want to make a pilot because we thought
the BBC might find out and undo it. Basi
cally, no one was quite up to speed and
none of the sets were really finished. It
was completely l:haotic. We thought, we'll
bite the bullet and we'll go with it, other
wise it was going to get cut. That's why
the first series is so rough; said Naylor.
"When we first started,· continued
Grant, "we thought it was going to be kind
of a SANFORD AND SON in space. A
conventional sitcom, but in space. We
wrote our first proper science fiction plot
about show four. It took us that long to re
alize it was a lot more fun doing time trav
el and that kind of stuff. Half of the first
series was in the wrong direction.·
"But,• explained Naylor, -ihat was al
so one of the reasons Paul Jackson was
''Our biggest enemy is
going space crazy.
The thing that keeps my
slender grip on reality
is my friendship with
my singing potatoes.''
-From the second season-
they decided to get off the ship a bit more
and had some of the sets changed. "There
is just a whole tradition, of a lot of British
science fiction, to look awful, like the sets
are going to fall down. That was the thing
we wanted to avoid and, of course, the
first series of DWARF was exactly that.
One of the solutions was to get off the
ship, and two was to get more solid-look
ing sets. Frankly, we didn't really suc
ceed," said Naylor. left to rtght: Chrts Barrie (Rimmer) , Hattie Hayrtdge (Holly), Craig Chartes (Lister), Danny~ohn Jules
(Cet) and Robert Llewellyn (Kryten). Not quite a Roddenberry-esque extended family Image.
Third season changes were even more
drastic with set updates and cast changes. Kryten, described in a later episode as Whether it was the changes or sim
The ship's mentally deficient computer "the android version of Norman Bates." ply a case of the audience finally finding
{previously portrayed by Norm Lovett) has A new opening sequence, featuring a the show, RED DWARF's ratings finally
performed a head change operation on it STAR WARS-style title crawl, that rolls by took off with the third season, and the
self in order to be replaced by Hattie too fast to read, helped introduce these show's popularity increased by leaps and
Hayridge. The character Grant and Nay changes and tried to "explain" the wild plot bounds.
lor had set out to avoid was incorporated inconsistencies that had developed from This new-found notoriety has given
when Robert Llewellyn joined the cast as the series' freewheeling scripts. For those Grant and Naylor the opportunity to write
lacking a single frame or slow motion fea two novels, Red Dwarf and Better Than
Trapped on a Pay-moon, all of Rlmmer's fears and ture on their VCRs, the opening reads as Life, based on the series. Written under
neuroses (and there ere plenty) are personified. follows: the pseudonym of Grant Naylor, the books
This Is one of the few pleasant ones.
have allowed the duo to alter and fill in
RED DWARF Ill:
THE SAGA CONTINUES further details of the main characters' his
The story so far ... tories. Since the first season of the show
Three mllllon years In the future, Dave was never repeated in Great Britain, and
lister, the last human being alive, discovers
was not released to videotape, they felt
he Is pregnant after a liaison with his female
self In a parallel universe. His pregnancy
concluded with the successful delivery of
twin boys, Jim and Bexley. However, be
cause the twins were conceived In another
universe with different physical laws, they
suffer from highly accelerated growth rates,
and are both eighteen years old within three
days of being born. In order to save their
llves, Lister returns them to the universe of
their origin, where they are reunited with
their father {a woman) and are able to lead
comparatively normal lives. Well, as normal
as you can be If you've been born In a par
allel universe and your mother's a man and
your father's a woman and you're eighteen
three days after your birth. Shortly after
wards, Kryten, the service mechanold who
had left the ship after being rescued from his
own crashed vessel, the Nova 5, Is found In
pieces after his space bike crashlands onto
an asteroid. lister rebuilds the 'nold,' but Is
unable to recapture his personality.
Meanwhile, Holly, the Increasingly erra
tic RED DWARF computer, performs a head
sex change operation on himself. He bases
his new face on Holly, a female computer
with whom he'd once fallen madly In love.
Kryten, de.crlbed as the android Norman Bates.
And now the saga continues ...
Llewellyn was also In the U.S. pilot.
RED DWARF Ill, THE SAME GENERATION
NEARLY ...
10