Sci-Fi Channel and Stan Lee go to LightSpeed
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Fandom, Newsstand
Marvel creator Stan Lee is set to bring his new project LightSpeed to the Sci-Fi Channel in a made for TV movie directed by Don Fauntleroy. LightSpeed is the code name of a new Lee-created character named Daniel Leight. Leight is a government agent who gains the ability to run at the speed of light after his legs are crushed during a building collapse and he is exposed to a tremendously high dose of radiation. The character will be played by Jason Connery (son of Sean), and other actors include Lee Majors, Nicole Eggert and Daniel Goddard.
Naturally, as a comic book fan, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Stan Lee. The man was one of the major pioneers in the field, and created many of the most famous Marvel characters. Alongside Jack Kirby, he helped launch superhero comics from a novelty product to a major industry. However, since leaving Marvel, Lee has made some less than impressive moves (anyone remember Stripperella?), and this new project leaves me feeling somewhat apprehensive. The character archetype is tired (Quicksilver and the Flash already handle the super speed deal), and the radiation angle is also very overworked. It’s not the seventies anymore; we all know that massive doses of radiation do not make you superhuman, they just make you melty and dead.
Having said all that, I’m going to watch it. I mean…Stan Lee. Once I’ve seen it, I’ll be sure to let you know what I think. Reactions, anyone?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-26-2005 @ 12:06PM
Kelli said...
Does anyone know when we can expect to see this movie?
Reply
10-28-2005 @ 12:36PM
The Jeremy said...
Mmmmm...me likes Nicole Eggert for long time! That was such a great album cover...her posing sans attire on the debut album of Sugar Ray...Lemonade & Brownies. The album that is 100% not a sell-out. The album with such gems as "Mean Machine", "Danzig Needs a Hug", "Iron Mic" and "Big Black Woman".
Reply
10-28-2005 @ 1:36PM
brian said...
Not to get all science-y*, but... *run* at the speed of light? Unless you're running from planet to planet, that's not really "running." Teleporting is about the same and much less dumb. At 186,000 miles/second, it would take 0.016 seconds to go from NY to CA. Running at the speed of sound would take about 4 seconds and gives you time to do some neat visual effects. But given that a *single frame* of video (30 fps) is 0.033 seconds, how are you going to show a character running across the US in half a frame? Make him get to LA, realize he forgot his keys, run back, get them, and come back again? Maybe we can find a reason for him to go from Panama to Canada--that'd give you two frames to play with. As long as he's staying on Earth (and running requires gravity, last time I checked, otherwise we call it "flying") there's not gonna be much travel time.
* speaking of science, running at the speed of light brings up other problems--air resistance, orbital velocity, and stress on the body caused by changing directions at that speed, to name just three. And I agree--the radiation angle is WEAK. At least the Spider-Man movie had a GM spider.
And Jeremy--I think you'd like Blown Away. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103843/
Reply
10-28-2005 @ 2:38PM
The Jeremy said...
Brian, I guess I'll have to NetFlix that. Thanks for the suggestion. :)
As for Spider powers, I had hoped for a cold fusion experiment angle, but then again, I liked the old-school element from the comics. That and the car crash/building leap that even the 1970s Spider-Man tv series preserved from the original comic origin story.
Reply
10-31-2005 @ 11:39AM
Adam Baxter said...
My name is Adam Baxter and I was the body double for jason connery on the making of the movie Lightspeed and was there for everyday of shooting. It was alot of fun to work on this set and everyone was really cool all the actors and crew. It was long hours and total chaos but I think the movie will turn out pretty good. Don Fauntleroy is very efficient in setting up shots quickly. I also had a part in the movie where python man shoots me I got to get squibbed and everthing I was playing a lab tech in a government hospital.
Reply