40 replies to this topic

[Singularity1312908853]

So with Sky Captain coming out soon, I was thinking about what movies are great examples of pulp and inspirations (no pun intended) for Adventure!.  Here's what I've got so far:

Indiana Jones Trilogy
Both of the Mummies
The Shadow
The Phantom
The Transporter
All of the Star Wars movies (Lucas based it on pulp)

Any other ideas?

[Hugin]

Pulp inspired includes Remo Williams, The Adventure Begins.

And of course you forgot Doc Savage, Man of Bronze.

[Singularity1312908853]

They made a Doc Savage movie?

[Alex Craft]

That they did.

[Singularity1312908853]

Well hot damn, was it any good?

[Singularity1312908853]

Ah crap, I might've not known about the Doc Savage movie (and Doc Savage is the quinessential pulp character and one half of Max Mercer), but I do know about this one and I'm ashamed for forgeting it, especially in the light of how much of a ripoff of Doc Savage it is:

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

[ronin]

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and though the time frame is a bit off, Hudson Hawk.

[Hugin]

League is actually pre-pulp in inspiration and post-pulp in feel. Hudson Hawk defnitelly seems like a pulp movie though.

A bad one, but a pulp one.

[Singularity1312908853]

Yea, LXG the movie was "bigger" and "campier" than most pulp... but good call on Hudson Hawk.

[Endeavor]

I'd have to second Remo Williams. My favorite action movie of the early 80's.

Put it in the 1920's, and you'd have a heck of a time!

[ronin]

Don't hate, Craig.  Hudson Hawk was a good fucking movie, if you can love it for what it was.    

[Jordan]

How about The Rocketeer?  Sure the movie was El Mucho Stinko, but it was also great fun!

[Hugin]

Quote:

Originally posted by ronin:
Don't hate, Craig.  Hudson Hawk was a good fucking movie, if you can love it for what it was.       

An overproduced ego project?

Sorry man, the movie sucked. More so because I can see the great movie inside of it.

[Endeavor]

Hudson Hawk did not suck! It was a comedy, pure and simple.

It pisses me off that no one gets the idea of that darn movie!!!

Everyone expected some action flick on the level of Die Hard.

Sorry. Don't work that way. Not in a comedy.

[Hugin]

Oh fucking please, give me some goddamn credit before throwing a hissy fit. I understand completely that it was supposed to be a comedy. I knew that from step fucking one. It was a comedy that sucked. There was poor casting choices, mugging for the camera, bad timing, and more overacting than in all three Evil Dead films without any of Campbell's panache.

[Endeavor]

Thank you for clairifying your point.

If you're wondering why I find the movie funny...

You just described why.

That's why I thought the movie was good. It was the perfect con pulled on the audience. P.T. Barnum couldn't have done better.

[Kirby1024]

Not necessarily pulp, but great Inspiration for Adventure!, would be Big Trouble in Little China. Much excellent Inspiration to be found in that movie, despite it's quite obvious non-pulpiness.

Pulp's antecedents include most action films as well, and Hong Kong Action films carry Pulp's flame as well. There are a lot of very good Asian films which, while not emulating pulp that well, provide a lot of Inspiration for the kind of cool things that Pulp Heroes should be able to do.

Also, Many of the older Bond Films definitely wear their Pulp influences on their sleeve, and I'm adamant that Bond is merely a Daredevil with most of the Heroic Knacks...

[Kane Knight]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sakurako Hino:
I'd have to second Remo Williams. My favorite action movie of the early 80's.

Put it in the 1920's, and you'd have a heck of a time!

Remo Williams works,  especially since it was based in part on the earlier parts of the "Destroyer" Series.

Later on,  Remo starts doing some things that are incredible even for pulp.

(definitely a stalwart).

Anyway,  I love Remo.  And Chiun.  Chiun rules.

[Menagerie]

Ok, I'm looking for two films and I can't remember the name. I thought it was Remo Williams but looking at the description on IMDB I think I'm UBER-wrong.
An Andrew-Dice-Clay-type is a Bouncer and ends up fighting ninjas/warriors from the east who are after a magic Lotus flower.  He's "very much" from New York (mega-stereotype) and picks up a Japanese Sidekick.  

Is Remo Williams the film with the guy learning to dodge bullets and run over wet concrete?

[Alchemist]

Well, since it hasn't made it in here yet:
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Perhaps a bit more epic than Adventure!, but so pulpy that I fell out of my seat laughing.  Twice.

[Endeavor]

Quote:

Originally posted by Alchemist:
Well, since it hasn't made it in here yet:
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Perhaps a bit more epic than Adventure!, but so pulpy that I fell out of my seat laughing.  Twice.

Yes, but was it in a good way like it was for me? I loved Sky Captain.

[Gryffen]

Anyone remember Dick Tracy?
Not a great film, but sort of the pulpy theme.

Ghost in the Darkness?

Did anyone see Tales of the Golden Monkeyback in the 80s? (oops, showing my age now)
I know it's not a film, but I thought it was worth expanding this to TV - just to give more options and scope.

[Jager]

Tales of the Gold Monkey and Bring 'Em Back Alive with Captain Sheridan ... I mean, Bruce Boxlietner ...

Dick Tracy's problem was that it tried to be too artsy, otherwise it could have been good.

[Nimrod]

Quote:

Originally posted by Alchemist:
Well, since it hasn't made it in here yet:
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Perhaps a bit more epic than Adventure!, but so pulpy that I fell out of my seat laughing.  Twice.

[tangent threadjack]More epic than Adventure! ?

I don´t really understand that sentiment - but perhaps that is because I´ve fought zeppelin armadas over the NY skyline, insectoids in the Hollow Earth and even mad Hindu tiger gods - all as commander of my own SHIELD-goes-pulp organization.

The only game that goes more over-the-top with PC choices is Aberrant, in my experience. YMMV, of course.[/tangent threadjack]

[Mark J. Cobb]

"Romancing the Stone" and it's sequel (which I never saw), "Jewel of the Nile"  Both w/ Mike Douglas.

[Crimson Dwarf]

Here's one from the past.  The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension.  Now who remembers that classic film?

[Mark J. Cobb]

vaguely...

I LOVE resurrecting bygone threads

[Hutch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Menagerie:
Is Remo Williams the film with the guy learning to dodge bullets and run over wet concrete?

Yes, yes it is.  God I love that movie!  I went out and bought the DVD...

"Chun, your incredible!"

"No!.....I am better than that."

[Mark J. Cobb]

I forgot that part!

Chun: "... now do it backwards."

Remo: "Ok, no problem..."  *leaps towards exercise pole/onstical course thingy*

Chun: "...In the dark." *clicks off light, crashing sound heard*

[Cadvalon]

the phantom with billy zane is funny but so poor in cinemaography and acting (and some sets are awful, the singh broterhood base for example or the ancient caves) but it has some scenes i really enjoyed.

The shadow with alec baldwin, its far from perfect but i like it, if only this baldwing guy wasn't showing his face too often...  but the (telepathically) invisible base, the colorfull villain and the era look are great IMHO.

High Road to China with tom selleck, in this movie you can see why he was chosen for indiana jones role originally. A very good OST.

Buckaroo Banzai... uff that's a weird film, too campy and homorous for me but i like some ideas (i used red lectroids and doctor Masado Banzai in one of my adventure! campaigns)

Hellboy and Hellboy animated, great for more terror oriented adventure!, specially nazi super villains and lovecraftian monstruosities. Althoug it is set in the present time hs deathtraps and spooky places are great for 1920's an 1930's adventures. In my own games i usually add some terror  elements and Hellboy's comics are great for visual inspiration.

Corto Maltese, a french animated movie based in a great BD character, Corto Maltese is an adventurer (part time pirate) in a 1900-1920 setting from South Seas to Caribbean to Siberia... the comics are far better than the movie.

Flash Gordon (1980) again it's set in the present and with a low budget. But it's funny and science fiction is adventure too.