I’m more than a little excited to see the new Land of the Lost movie with Will Farrell as Rick Marshall (Quick trivia part 1: The character Farrell played in Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was named for the main characters in Land of the Lost: Marshal Willen Holly) – if not for any other reason than because the Sleestaks in this production look much like the original Sleestaks in the kitschy Saturday morning sci-fi show (Quick trivia part 2: The Sleestaks in the original 1974 series were played by a number of NBA stars, including Bill Laimbeer and John Lambert).
Oh, that and because it proves, once more, that you can take an old, fun idea and reimagine it into something fun and different.
And while Land of the Lost is probably the best Sid and Marty Krofft vehicle to take a stab at on the big screen, there’s another property that I think deserve a reboot and a reimagining.
That would Dr. Shrinker.
Dr. Shrinker debuted on ABC’s Saturday morning lineup as one of several serials broadcast during The Krofft Supershow (other serials included Wonderbug and Electra Woman and Dyna-Girl).
The premise was simple. A trio of 20-somethings – Brad, B.J. and her brother Gordie – crash their plane on a mysterious island. Thinking it deserted, they soon discover the strange laboratory of Dr. Shrinker. One thing leads to another, and Dr. Shrinker uses his newly invented shrink ray to shrink the trio to six inches tall. They escape and Shrinker chases them.
Essentially, this was Lost meets Honey, I Shrunk the Kids before there was a Lost and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
But, man, with today’s special effects technology, Dr. Shrinker could be one helluva fun – and funny – ride.
I’m not usually a fan of giving old shows The Brady Bunch Movie treatment – that is, poke fun at the source material and constantly wink at the audience. That pretty much ruined The Dukes of Hazzard. But in this instance, you have to go the comedy/adventure route.
And, if anything, this is Seth Rogen vehicle. Rogen would play Brad, the hapless everyguy trying to impress the incredibly rich B.J. (maybe Selma Blair?), a later-day Paris Hilton. Brad is pilot of the family’s private jet, and on a trip back from the Caribbean, the jet crash lands on Dr. Shrinker’s mysterious island. Now Brad must deal with the uppity B.J. and her snotty brother Gordie (my vote is for Seth Myers – not because he’s snotty, but because he could play snotty soooo well).
Shrinker’s a hard one to cast, but after his turn as Dr. Horrible in Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog, Neil Patrick Harris would be a wonderful addition. The misunderstood mad scientist who just wants to be loved – and shrink things.
Comedy and adventure would ensue when Shrinker refuses to reverse the process, instead telling the Shrinkies that he plans to pickle them for later research. “I hope you don’t mind. It is for science, after all.”
The trio would escape into the island to face a miniature world of terrible dangers – snakes, spiders and other predators. They may even run into a hidden colony of other Shrinkies, former assistants, island visitors and lost seafarers – every one of them having easily escaped the good Doctor.
And though he comes to enjoy the life of a Shrinkie, Brad eventually decides to honor the wishes of B.J. and Gordie – who desperately want to get back to their life of fame and fortune – and mounts an attack against Dr. Shrinker. Leading the Shrinkies on a raid of Shrinker’s home, they succeed in overpowering him and reversing the process.
Of course, in the end, Brad decides to return to the island to lead the life of a Shrinkie – along with a fair number of Shrinkies who came to love their new life, free of the burdens of modern society.
And he is, of course, joined by B.J.
Who, of course, at the very end of the movie, whilst swimming in a puddle that to them is as big as an Olympic pool, and just before consummating their relationship, would say to her new beau, Brad:
“Talk about shrinkage.”
Oh, that and because it proves, once more, that you can take an old, fun idea and reimagine it into something fun and different.
And while Land of the Lost is probably the best Sid and Marty Krofft vehicle to take a stab at on the big screen, there’s another property that I think deserve a reboot and a reimagining.
That would Dr. Shrinker.
Dr. Shrinker debuted on ABC’s Saturday morning lineup as one of several serials broadcast during The Krofft Supershow (other serials included Wonderbug and Electra Woman and Dyna-Girl).
The premise was simple. A trio of 20-somethings – Brad, B.J. and her brother Gordie – crash their plane on a mysterious island. Thinking it deserted, they soon discover the strange laboratory of Dr. Shrinker. One thing leads to another, and Dr. Shrinker uses his newly invented shrink ray to shrink the trio to six inches tall. They escape and Shrinker chases them.
Essentially, this was Lost meets Honey, I Shrunk the Kids before there was a Lost and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
But, man, with today’s special effects technology, Dr. Shrinker could be one helluva fun – and funny – ride.
I’m not usually a fan of giving old shows The Brady Bunch Movie treatment – that is, poke fun at the source material and constantly wink at the audience. That pretty much ruined The Dukes of Hazzard. But in this instance, you have to go the comedy/adventure route.
And, if anything, this is Seth Rogen vehicle. Rogen would play Brad, the hapless everyguy trying to impress the incredibly rich B.J. (maybe Selma Blair?), a later-day Paris Hilton. Brad is pilot of the family’s private jet, and on a trip back from the Caribbean, the jet crash lands on Dr. Shrinker’s mysterious island. Now Brad must deal with the uppity B.J. and her snotty brother Gordie (my vote is for Seth Myers – not because he’s snotty, but because he could play snotty soooo well).
Shrinker’s a hard one to cast, but after his turn as Dr. Horrible in Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog, Neil Patrick Harris would be a wonderful addition. The misunderstood mad scientist who just wants to be loved – and shrink things.
Comedy and adventure would ensue when Shrinker refuses to reverse the process, instead telling the Shrinkies that he plans to pickle them for later research. “I hope you don’t mind. It is for science, after all.”
The trio would escape into the island to face a miniature world of terrible dangers – snakes, spiders and other predators. They may even run into a hidden colony of other Shrinkies, former assistants, island visitors and lost seafarers – every one of them having easily escaped the good Doctor.
And though he comes to enjoy the life of a Shrinkie, Brad eventually decides to honor the wishes of B.J. and Gordie – who desperately want to get back to their life of fame and fortune – and mounts an attack against Dr. Shrinker. Leading the Shrinkies on a raid of Shrinker’s home, they succeed in overpowering him and reversing the process.
Of course, in the end, Brad decides to return to the island to lead the life of a Shrinkie – along with a fair number of Shrinkies who came to love their new life, free of the burdens of modern society.
And he is, of course, joined by B.J.
Who, of course, at the very end of the movie, whilst swimming in a puddle that to them is as big as an Olympic pool, and just before consummating their relationship, would say to her new beau, Brad:
“Talk about shrinkage.”
