Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Carl Kolchak ...Johnny Depp?

Well, that might just work.
Kolchak is up there with Swamp Thing for this cat/dork...


I fucking love Carl Kolchak ..just do.
I could question why, but I already know. It's Darren McGavin - he's got the tone of the character built in to his own - he's stubborn, smart, and undoubtedly aggravating. I bet he could drive people nuts - a well trained actor, who knew what he wanted to do, but often foiled by dummies...
...and a Kolchak show could have been sooo good.
Don't get me wrong - I love the TV show, but not because it's brilliant - it boasts a few really cool episodes, but it's difficulties on the studio side led to too many compromises, and just one short season.
No, it was the original film - a TV movie called The Night Stalker(1972) that hooked both the studio(which got huge ratings and they ordered another one immediately) and myself. Now, granted I saw it in rerun, but it was such a weird experience that I told friends about it for years.
It was another late friday with Dad, and I joined the movie a few minutes in. It looked cool - that old seventies mystery look, and the lead was ...odd, I guess is the best way to put it - I remember it struck me how bumbly he was - but I was engaged by him ...by his investigation - who was this "Kolchak", and what kind of killer was he chasing?
I was pretty freaked-out when it turned out to be a vampire - in modern day!! What was going on? What a cool story...
This was my one time experience with Kolchak but thanks to The X-Files(creators love of it) I'd find it all eventually.

What an intro.
Check out the music/tone change...

The 1st movie is great - 2nd is almost as good, and the series, though formulaic, has a few really good episodes - a couple are screenplay material fer sure...
It all looks great, and he's just so much fun.


Sooo, could someone be the new Kolchak? Guess that depends...
I didn't think anyone could be the "New Captain Kirk" but it worked(ST'09).
Really well, in fact - been a long time since I was stoked for the next Star Trek flic, but JJ Abrams - he just "gets" it...
Smart guy, and young Chris Pine ...again - he "got" it. Don't play William Shatner - play a young Captain Kirk.
...such a frickin' good movie.

Women love Johnny Depp - good-looking, funny, charming - superstar actor/zillionaire...
But everyone knows it's the quirky that makes him JD...
...and it's quirky that made Carl Kolchak.
CK is a smart character but goofy for sure and Darren McGavin wasn't afraid to be goofy - the idea is to do it well - really really well, and who does anyone think of first for well-executed weirdos?
The one thing I'd bet on is that JD loves the character if he does it, and that's what these "re-imaginings" need most - genuine love for the original material.

The film is only in the development part so who knows what'll happen but if Jack Sparrow does play Carl Kolchak - cool - bring it on.
Only One Question Remains:
Who will play Tony Vincenzo?

A.

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