DonKnotts Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Kevin Lima to Helm 'The Incredible Mr. Limpet'
Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Deals », Warner Brothers », Family Films », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
Someone out there will undoubtedly scream "sacrilegious!" or at least "LAME!", but I've always wanted to see The Incredible Mr. Limpet remade. It's a favorite film of both my parents, and so my sister and I loved it too. Remake talk has been floating around for years, with everyone from Robin Williams to Jim Carrey being attached to star (I always thought Lee Evans would have been a good pick), and the talents of Mike Judge behind the camera. Now The Hollywood Reporter says that Kevin Lima is the next to try and get it off the ground ... and considering his wonderful work on the live action / animated hybrid of Enchanted, he's a natural fit.
The original Limpet takes place during WWII, and centers on a fish-loving fellow (played by Don Knotts, King of '60s Children Cinema) that is belitted by his wife, and rejected by the armed forces. He falls off a pier and magically turns into an animated fish, and ends up a WWII hero because he can help battle U-Boats and submarines. He also meets a sexy girl named Ladyfish, who picks him up in a "Let's spawn!" scene that undoubtedly left many children asking awkward questions.
It's a cute film, and could really benefit from a beefier story and improved effects. The only downside is that they'll probably update the WW2 setting -- although if they got really clever and set it during the Cold War, I would be very impressed.
Vintage Image of the Day: Knotts and McGavin
Filed under: Disney », Family Films », Vintage Image of the Day », Obits »
We noted with sadness this weekend the deaths of both Don Knotts and Darren McGavin. When I saw both had died, a little light blinked in the back of my head, remembering certain movies from my childhood. Sure enough, Knotts and McGavin appeared together in two Disney movies from the 1970s.
The above image is from Hot Lead and Cold Feet, a Western in the same comic vein as the earlier Apple Dumpling Gang (which my whole family loved back in the day). In the 1978 film, McGavin and Knotts play a small-town mayor and sheriff who are entangled in a scramble for a family fortune. Ultimate Disney has a full review, which is good because I barely remembered the movie.
Knotts and McGavin also appeared earlier in a Disney caper film, No Deposit, No Return, which I do remember pretty well. In this 1976 comedy, they're third-rate safe crackers who sort-of kidnap a couple of kids that (surprise) turn out to be more trouble than they're worth. Again, Ultimate Disney has a thorough review. Both movies are available on DVD, if you want to hold your own film retrospective for the two actors.
RIP Don Knotts
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Fandom », Family Films », Newsstand », Obits »
Don Knotts, instantly recognizable from his multi-year runs as the jittery but lovable Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show and the desperately uncool Mr. Furley on Three's Company, died Friday night in a California hospital. Over the course of a career that spanned more than half a century, Knotts appeared in multiple television series and over two dozen films, usually as nerdy, high strung characters whose mannerisms were vastly different from those of the shy, soft-spoken actor. His best-known films include The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Shakiest Gun in the West, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet, all of which, at their cores, are warm, family films in which the shy, awkward Knotts wins the love of a girl who "can see through his nervousness to the heart of gold."
Even as he moved into old age, Knotts showed no interest in retiring, and instead continued to energetically pursue his acting career. In just the past few years, he did voice work for Chicken Little and multiple television shows, and appeared in touring stage productions and advertising campaigns. He died at 81 after dealing for more than a year with unspecified health concerns.
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
_thumbnail.jpg)
