Discuss: Ron Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and 'Gung Ho'
Filed under: DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand
Can I ask you a question: When did we lose Ron Howard? Was it EdTv? How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Did these two films back-to-back force Howard to re-direct his career so that every film he made was either an Oscar-poised drama or a Dan Brown adaptation? Today, Variety tells us that Universal and Imagine Entertainment are now looking to strap Howard down to the director's chair for an adaptation of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft -- which is a graphic novel from Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz that takes elements of Lovecraft's struggles in real life and combines them with a fantastical element that includes transforming all of his darkest nightmares into reality. Sounds pretty cool and creepy, but is it the type of film we want from Ron Howard? I appreciate that he's looking to play with another genre (even though this kind of story seems perfect for Tim Burton), but am I the only one who would love to see Howard return to comedy? Arrested Development was brilliant, sure, and I really do hope that movie gets made -- but I'm talking along the lines of Splash, Gung Ho, Nightshift or even Parenthood. Heck, Willow wasn't that bad either. Where did Ron Howard's playful side run off to? Since when were we interested in the dark and disturbing side of Ron Howard?
Seriously, are you liking Howard's career choices right now? Do you think he's a good fit for this H.P. Lovecraft comic adaptation, or would you rather see a sequel to Gung Ho?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-26-2009 @ 6:20PM
brian said...
That sounds fantastic in my book. I hope he does this movie.
BTW, Willow is one of my all time fav movies, I don't get the hate for it. I still quote it to this day.
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3-26-2009 @ 6:46PM
Ben Brown said...
I don't think we ever truly did 'lose' Ron Howard–your post, as well written as it is, fails to ignore the fact that Howard did just as many dramas early on as comedies. 'Apollo 13', 'Cocoon', and 'Ransom' were all interspersed with comedies like 'Splash' and 'Parenthood'. It was never like he just focused solely on comedy. And as for his career choices nowadays, its obvious that he still tries to incorporate comedy into more serious dramas (Frost/Nixon had me in stitches at several points, and I think we can all agree that The DaVinci Code was one of the most unintentionally funny movies of the decade). I just don't think its anyone's place to try and tell a director what type of movies he should or shouldn't be making–as long as they're good, and for most part, Howard's record is quite attractive–then I don't see why there's any reason to complain.
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3-26-2009 @ 7:44PM
sophomorecritic said...
Have you not seen Frost/Nixon or did you just not think it warranted a nomination. I personally loved that film and if someone like Ridley Scott, Steve Soderbergh, or Oliver Stone made it, you'd be all over it too, admit it.
Even if Frost/Nixon wasn't worthy for an Oscar for you, most people would agree it was a pretty solid film. Before that, A Beautiful Mind wasn't bad, maybe not worthy of a best picture oscar, but still a solid film.
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3-27-2009 @ 9:45AM
Kevin said...
Frost/Nixon was a good film, but what about the directing was exceptional on that film? The performances were great, but otherwise it was a pretty standard movie. I think you have it backwards. If it had been directed by anyone other than Ron Howard making it there wouldn't have been any love for the movie itself. Kinda the same way that the whole only reason Gran Torino was even considered for a nomination was because it was a Clint Eastwood movie.
3-26-2009 @ 7:48PM
victor de la torre said...
Frost/Nixon was the best film of 2008... PERIOD.
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3-26-2009 @ 10:19PM
Kenneth said...
As a long time fan of H.P. Lovecraft; I can state in no uncertain terms that a hack director like Ron Howard shouldn't be allowed to even see a movie about Mr Lovecraft. Except for Uwe Boll; I can't come up with a worse choice to direct such a film.
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3-26-2009 @ 10:55PM
vegimorph said...
yeah, i totally agree. Frost/Nixon was the best movie of last year. I'm a big fan of Ron Howard's movies. they're really fun. I've never really depicted him haivng a certain style so it'll be interesting to see what he does with this movie. I don't know much about H.P. Lovecraft either. As for the people calling Ron Howard a hack, don't. He's a Hollywood legend and he's acted and directed. He's made some great movies, don't just focus on his latest ones
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3-27-2009 @ 9:16AM
ML said...
I'm on the fence on this one. As a Lovecraft fan who doesn't know the graphic novel ... I don't know how Howard feels about Lovecraft. He has talent, so it depends on his passion for the subject matter. I'm more interested in del Toro's project, At the Mountains of Madness.
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3-27-2009 @ 10:59AM
Bill said...
Finally, Gung Ho! gets some love. This is such a good and funny movie. Very underrated. One of Ron Howard's and Michael Keaton's best films.
http://tvnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/
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3-27-2009 @ 6:31PM
Synergy said...
That picture of Ron reminds me of Tom Cruise character in Tropic Thunder.
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3-29-2009 @ 4:48PM
Mudassir said...
Ron Howard is a director whose movies regularly lack charisma. Frost/Nixon, surprisingly, didn't have that. I think he may do Lovecraft movie some justice.
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