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Why the new Land of the Lost may not be for the youngest kids
Brad Silberling, who directed the comedy movie update of the classic '70s children's TV show Land of the Lost, told reporters that parents will have to decide whether their kids can handle the film: With a PG-13 rating, the movie features intense dinosaur action and raunchy humor courtesy of stars Will Ferrell and Danny McBride.
That would be a departure from the family-oriented and innocent, if trippy, original series, from Sid and Marty Krofft.
"Innuendo seems to fly over kids' heads," Silberling said in a group interview on Friday in Hollywood. "I think more about kids' not getting traumatized because one of the things we were excited about was really committing to the photo-realism of these dinosaurs and the action. So I think it's probably up to the parents."
Silberling said his own 8-year-old daughter won't be seeing the film, but that his 4-year-old son tagged along while the director was doing visual effects. "Both were fascinated by Grumpy [the Tyrannosaurus rex] but also would just hit the deck anytime he really came at the camera," Silberling said. "We set out to make a PG-13 movie, and it was decidedly PG-13. That was there in the script, and it was certainly there at the end."
The film is being marketed at a PG-13-appropriate audience, Silberling added. "They've been very shrewd about that, not going suddenly on Cartoon Network and selling and not going on Nickelodeon and suddenly trying to have your cake and eat it, too, where you're trying to say, 'Oooh, well, they're dinosaurs, but don't you young people come,' which is disingenuous," he said.
For his part, Ferrell said he aimed his jokes at teenagers. "We obviously didn't want it to be kind of a Disney film," Ferrell said in a separate interview. "We wanted the humor to be cool and kind of pushing that PG-13 or fulfilling that PG-13 thing, but kids are pretty sophisticated. Probably a sophisticated 11-year-old, 10-year-old [could see it.] That's when I'm proud about this movie in the sense that it is a more family [-oriented] movie than I've done in a while, and yet I feel like it's still got some original, sophisticated jokes that you're not going to find in a movie in a similar kind of vein."
Silberling added that jokes about masturbation and Chaka's groping Holly (Anna Friel) represent how those who grew up on Land of the Lost might reflect on their childhood memories. "Just honest behavior and unexpected behavior and a lot of it coming from, I would say, sort of emotional memory," Silberling said. "Chaka kind of creeped me out. He really did. Everybody was a little creeped out by Chaka. So the part that seemed either a little sketchy or untrustworthy or a little bit repulsive, we thought, 'Well, then why not have them actually act that way? Because that's what we remember, and it's not going to be what you expect.' I think that was it. It was just to not get too earnest and to have the characters keep surprising each other and the audience's expectations. So it kind of came from that, even down to Chaka, in a moment of celebration, basically getting the guys just wasted. It just seemed like the perfectly wrong thing for him to do."
Though the film is not a satire of the original Land of the Lost, McBride approached the comedy from a rebellious place, compared to the usual mainstream summer movie. "There is definitely a subversive nature to it," McBride said in a separate interview. "On face value, you'd think it would be something just for kids, but it's pretty racy. There's stuff in there where you're like, 'Oh, OK, I don't know if I'd really want my kid watching that.' But what I liked about this film was that it was unexpected. It takes some turns that you don't expect, with the tone and even with some of the comedy. When you see that the special effects are done for real, and it's not like the old TV show, I think it's definitely unexpected where it goes, tone-wise. I think it's cool."
According to Silberling, Land of the Lost faced no struggle with the ratings board. It was PG-13 on the first pass. "The interesting thing was we took the film, well before it was finished, to the ratings board, and we got our PG-13," Silberling said. "I think there were just a couple things for us that we thought 'We don't need to go there,' and yet, if we had, it still would have been [PG-13.] At the movie's most extreme, we got a PG-13. I may, down the line, just for sheer enjoyment, try to put together more of an extended director's cut, just because the movie goes so many places and we tried to strike the balance that we did, but there are certainly things that I left behind that I did love."
On the set, however, McBride admitted he had to censor himself to avoid full-on R-rated language. "There were a lot of those, where I'd just be like, 'Oh, I want to say, "F--k you' so bad, and I can't say it,'" McBride said. "There was a great rape joke that didn't make it. Anna [Friel] was translating Chaka, and, when she was translating what he was saying, she was like, 'I think he's raped an apple,' and raping apples is not cool. That would turn people off. So Chaka doesn't rape an apple in the movie anymore. But zombie d--k is totally cool."
Land of the Lost opens Friday.
By Paul at 7:55 AM ON 06/01/09
Think I'll stick with the LOL complete series DVD set.
By Storm1968 at 8:11 AM ON 06/01/09
I agree with you, Paul. Why diminish what the show was in the first place? For a few bathroom jokes and stuff that I deem not funny? I've never liked Will Ferrel's form of humor. They made all the characters a joke unlike the original. I'm really disappointed that they went this way. The director has made sure, with his comments, that I won't be seeing this anytime soon. Even on rental.
By Soraya at 8:47 AM ON 06/01/09
I am sooo mad that they decided to do this with Will Farell and make it idiotic. So the 70's one was cheesy but earnest, this one is just bad movie making. I wonder what Sid and Marty Kroft think about all this.
By Timechick at 9:44 AM ON 06/01/09
It's a mixed bag with me on this. 1) I loved the show. I grew up with it along with all the other Marty Kroft shows. Even with the cheesy dinosaurs the stories were phenomenal. Larry Niven wrote for this show for crying out loud... I really want to see the new FX, but gawd, do I really want to see the show turned into a comedy?
By joesocwork at 10:33 AM ON 06/01/09
Alright, so the movie version of Land of the Lost is completely different than the original 70's Saturday morning show and Sid and Marty Krofft approve of their work being marketed to the young adults instead of children and families. Fine.
And the director makes it sound like he thinks the movie will be better than the tv series b/c the special effects are more believable. NOPE! UN-HUH! It always has and always will be the writing. Forget how realistic and scary the dinosaurs are, the better sci-fi shows (which Silberling and company weren't apparently aiming for either) often show ordinary people coming to grips with extraordinary circumstances.
Personally, I hope the Sci-Fi Channel or another producer would do a version of LotL that emphasizes a coming-of-age or coming-to-terms theme for a family trying to survive and make it out of an uncompletely unfamiliar dangerous environment with a sci-fi mystery while relying on themselves and their ingenuity as a unit and developing as a family and individuals in the process.
Again, superior f/x or no and S&MK approval or no, I still see the movie as a Will Ferrell movie that nothing to do with the original show, take him or leave him.
By AdmNaismith at 10:42 AM ON 06/01/09
Will Ferrel is the reason I would never see this movie. He might be OK as a second-banana in some other movie, but he is weofully miscast as a lead (as so many comics are these days).
After watching the marathon on SciFi, I'm reminded that LotL is a good scince fiction show with a very solid premise. The FX (esp the stop motion library footage) were quite good despite the obviously small budget.
You could easily spin an exciting 2 hr movie out of the idea. But making it a repository of poop jokes and obvious pandering ruins a show that Larry Niven (!) wrote for and that David Gerrold worked on staff for.
By naner at 11:31 AM ON 06/01/09
I was surprised about seeing Will Ferrel as lead and the fact that they had changed some of the original story. Why change such a beloved story? I so enjoyed watching the show Saturday mornings. I think I will pass on this. I think everyone forgot that parents who grew up on this show would not to bring their kids so they could share something in common. If it bombs, or doesn't make as much as they thought, they only have themselves to blame. I don't even find the previews appealing.
By Storm1968 at 11:42 AM ON 06/01/09
@naner
If this bombs in the box office, S&MK will probably never see any of their other works made into movies. But, I've been wrong before with Hollywood. It appears that juvenile, bathroom humor is what makes comedies nowadays. Just look at all the 'Scary Movies' and other farcical flicks that have come out in the last couple of years. Makes me sad that people find this humorous... when they are 20+ years or older. 10-15, maybe... and that's stretching it, but as an 'adult'?
By kickn67 at 12:35 PM ON 06/01/09
"Makes me sad that people find this humorous... when they are 20+ years or older. 10-15, maybe... and that's stretching it, but as an 'adult'?"
Well it is rated PG13. I don't see what the big deal is. So they changed it, so what. I also loved the show when I was a kid but that was 30 years ago. Kids today aren't the same as we were when we were kids. That said, I'll probably wait for the DVD and give it a rental, just for kicks.
By wilcoy at 12:56 PM ON 06/01/09
The special effects of the dinosaurs were cheesy but the writing of the story lines and the sets were awesome in the original seventies series. This movie is a mockery to fans of Land Of The Lost which grew up watching the Saturday morning series. The science fiction writing of the show was really compelling and offered real imagination. I don't think the new movie version pays real respect to fans who grew up watching the series.
By madeyemax at 12:56 PM ON 06/01/09
Sorry children of the 70s, but sad news, the 70s SUCKED.
I'm 23, i wasn't around for the 70s, but my hippie parents were around..and i asked what they thought about Land of the Lost (they were in there mid 20s ath the time) and it sucked....
Now i did catch the newer Land of the Lost from the early 90s. Watched it ever now and then, it was good for a few laughs in between Power Ranger and Buggs Bunny.
But this movie looks good, its not going to get any Oscars, but that not the point, its a movie to make people laugh. its not a movie version of the 70s show, its not a movie version of the 90s show, its a movie to make people laugh (and line the pockets of the producers) but call me crazy if you will i like the idea of turning half turd show from the 70s into gold...it worked out pretty well for Battlestar Glactica
By spaceage whizkid at 1:20 PM ON 06/01/09
There wasn't a lot to the 70's series but I liked it. I was 9 years old and it had a cute little girl plus dinosaurs and aliens. I was a scifi fan even then.
By zathras at 2:47 PM ON 06/01/09
madeyemax,
The reason the remake of Battlestar Galactica worked out well was because the remake took the premise of the original series and gave it the proper treatment it deserved. The original Battlestar may have been a prime-time show, but it was basically written for children. In fact, I would go so far to say that some of the plots of the original Land of the Lost were actually more sophisticated than the plotlines of the original Battlestar Galactica. Additionally, of course, the remake of Battlestar had a good cast and by and large, pretty good writing and directing.
This remake of Land of the Lost, on the other hand, just looks like a cheap and unimaginative attempt to cash in on an old series, instead of coming up with something new. You can just tell by the television ads that the film is a stinker--none of it seems funny at all. And I agree with some of the other posters here about Will Ferrell; he's really better suited as a supporting actor in comedies, and as a sketch comedian.
By Methos at 2:49 PM ON 06/01/09
Is everybody just going to ignore the 90's tv version of Land of the lost. Which by the way was so much better then the 70's version.
By zathras at 4:01 PM ON 06/01/09
Despite the general cheesiness of the original Land of the Lost, I think one reason why so many people who watched it as kids have a fondness for it, is because it did have its moments of rather sophisticated writing.
For example, the character of Enik always fascinated me as a kid; he was a very different character than what you normally see in a kid's show. Most characters in shows geared for children are either good or evil, but Enik was basically just amoral. He never harbored any ill will toward anyone, but he only would help others if it were in his own interest. And while the Marshall's were always trying to convince him of the "logic of compassion", they also accepted him for who he was. Most kids shows only feature characters who have a simple black-and-white morality; they rarely have characters as sophisticated or unusual as Enik.
By scifire at 5:56 PM ON 06/01/09
I agree with you Methos. The 90's series version was an excellent product. They should be doing more stuff like that instead of the crap we have to look at nowadays!
By Bewildered at 7:29 PM ON 06/01/09
With so little extra effort, a high-quality dramatic family movie could have been created, and it would be a huge success. Instead we get yet another stupid Will Ferrell "vehicle" that just pays lip-service to the original TV series.
By Michael at 7:45 PM ON 06/01/09
The new LOTL isn't for the fans of the original show, either. The fact that Will Ferrell is in the lead-- meaning the story is played for lowbrow laughs--shows that the creators of this movie haven't got a clue about what made the original show so compelling and so charming.
By Underdog007 at 10:03 PM ON 06/01/09
I agree with madeymax. The 70's did suck. I missed it by about 11 months and thank God for that every day. Nearly everything made then was dirty and ugly looking. I've seen the LOTL 70's episodes and they are a comedy even if they don't mean to be. Terrible effects, terrible acting. Laughable. Course I work in a bank, what do I know? :)
By Del Coro at 12:18 AM ON 06/02/09
"the creators of this movie haven't got a clue about what made the original show so compelling and so charming"
It looks like they know exactly what made the original charming and compelling - absolutely nothing.
News flash: Land of the Lost was terrible. If you love it so much the new movie offends you, guess what? You're a freaking idiot.
By tinmiss at 3:09 AM ON 06/02/09
I remember the 90's version as well, mainly because I grew up in the 80's & 90's & I can tell you this it was a lot better than the 70's version (I watched a little bit of it on scifi & it sucked). All I can remember about it is a little bit of the beginning credits. And as for whoever mentioned the original Battlestar Galactica that was stupid too as was the spinoff Galactica 1980, (I watched reruns when I was little) but FOX made a sort of remake in the 90's called SPACE: ABOVE & BEYOND which lasted a season, & was very cool, & had nothing to do with Battlestar Galatica.
Also the person who wrote about the shows becoming movies, I agree with you Hollywood needs to stop making remakes of old stuff that doesn't need remaking, but should remake shows into movies that interest audiences.
Does anybody remember Mission: Impossibe (I watched that twice back to back to understand it), or the odd numbered Star Trek sequels, The X-files 1 & 2, TMNT (07), & Wild Wild West. Come on people have some common sense, these movies were terrible but we went & saw them anyways, & some made millions of dollars!!!
By dteeleagle at 8:36 AM ON 06/02/09
I missed this in the 70's. Back then, we had like 1 channel, 3 if the wind was right. But when I saw it was another Will Ferrel farce, I crossed it off my list. He's simply irritatating, like fingers on a blackboard, even on SNL, I flipped the channel during his sketches (unless it was a Jeopardy parody) As for Hollywood, can anyone who uses the word "reboot" and start writing some good stories without relying on SFX all of the time
By ocaladan at 2:11 PM ON 06/03/09
So sad that we take a kids show and make excuses to make an adult movie that kids will be taken to see. I am tired of Hollywood bringing out crap and saying it is for families. Pixar knows what a family movie is and continues to make the best product in hollywood. If I have to see one more 4 year old in a PG-13 or R rated movie, I am going to scream!
By Son of a Maui Portagee at 12:06 AM ON 06/04/09
I haven't made my mind up about Ferrell.
I will admit he does have a tendency to not know when it's time to end a bit and lets it transform from entertaining the audience to entertaining mostly himself.
In the trailers and previews I've seen, it seems as if Grumpy steals the picture from him. So much so that it might be worth the price of a ticket to see Grumpy put him in his place for those who don't care for Ferrell.
By Enik fan at 8:23 PM ON 06/07/09
I recently saw the movie......so naturally I'm still recovering from this monstrosity that bears the name of a great FAMILY series.
basically this movie takes everything you know and love about the original series and blows it to heck
ending spoilers
1-first of all ,It is originally a family series!
not some dirty perverse not-comedy.
2- ENIK IS NOT A VILLAN!!!
he isn't that nice but he isn't evil!
3- The Zarn is NOT a Sleestak
he is a cool disco alien
there are many more examples
what were they thinking
Q: who will this movie attract?
A: fans of the original series and their kids/grandkids
Q: who is this movie a slap in the face to
A:fans of the original series and their kids/grandkids
shame on them!
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Enik fan:
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