Gaines biopic?

Missed this two-day-old Variety story about John Landis directing a movie about EC Comics Mad magazine publisher William Gaines called Ghoulishly Yours. Mad was great in the '50s and early '60s but you can't go home again. No one will care outside of the boomers and baby- busters who read the legendary rag when they were young. Sorry, but a bad idea for a theatrical feature. An HBO film at best.


Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 16, 2008 at 1:59 PM

comment #1

mutinyco Author Profile Page says ...

Better hope Fonebone doesn't read that...

Posted by mutinyco Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 2:28 PM

comment #2

Arran Author Profile Page says ...

Agree with you there...it's an HBO film at best.

Of course, you CAN make fascinating biopics about lesser-known people - re: American Splendor. So you never know.

Posted by Arran Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 2:39 PM

comment #3

George Prager Author Profile Page says ...

This is a bad idea. It's not even worth a Sci-Fi channel movie. If he does make it, then you can expect the Milos Forman version a year later, where the character of Estes Kefauver is replaced by Joe McCarthy because everyone knows who Joe McCarthy is and Kefauver is largely forgotten, so where's the harm, really...I mean it's kind of the same thing, isn't it?

Posted by George Prager Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 2:39 PM

comment #4

scooterzz Author Profile Page says ...

well, if john landis is doing it, it's kind of screwed anyway....but, as far as the subject goes, you're right about hbo.....

Posted by scooterzz Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 2:48 PM

comment #5

Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page says ...

Landis is a talentless hack.... even his good films, (Animal House, Three Amigos, Blues Brothers), were more about the script and the performers than anything he did.....
I guess we'll see a poster for "See You Next Wednesday" in the background...(how cute!)... and a scene where someone gets a zillion guns pointed at him at the same time

And I'd extend Mad's goodness up through the late '70s.... the "Jaws" parody is brilliant....


Oh yeah, and Landis is also an accessory to murder who should've been imprisoned.....

Posted by Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 2:56 PM

comment #6

George Prager Author Profile Page says ...

"And I'd extend Mad's goodness up through the late '70s.... the "Jaws" parody is brilliant...."

I agree, Sobchak, as is the DEATH WISH parody and so many others.

Posted by George Prager Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 2:59 PM

comment #7

mutinyco Author Profile Page says ...

Pay toll 50 feet...

Posted by mutinyco Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 3:39 PM

comment #8

christian Author Profile Page says ...

MAD ruled. It taught me everything I needed to know about a lot of the phonies in charge. When it went color and started carrying ads, then it went bye-bye. This is a fascinating story and one that does show how the government spooked a company into censorship. Landis seems like the perfect guy for this.

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 3:39 PM

comment #9

Wrecktum Author Profile Page says ...

Did Mad Magazine ever do a spoof of Twilight Zone the Movie?

Posted by Wrecktum Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 3:55 PM

comment #10

scooterzz Author Profile Page says ...

christian - not sure i understand why 'landis would be the perfect guy for this'...if even a portion of 'outrageous conduct' is to be believed, he's a horrible person (and it's pretty obvious he's been making horrible movies for some time now)....just curious re: your reasons...

Posted by scooterzz Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 3:56 PM

comment #11

Craptastic Author Profile Page says ...

The only way I'll see this is if it's done in animation as a Don Martin cartoon

Posted by Craptastic Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 4:02 PM

comment #12

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

Why not just let dogs lie Wells? Late to the story and then you piss on it? Nice.

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 4:43 PM

comment #13

corey3rd Author Profile Page says ...

does Spielberg get a free pass for just lurking on the location and not stopping the stunt?

Posted by corey3rd Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 4:56 PM

comment #14

mutinyco Author Profile Page says ...

Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
Jack meet mugger,
Jack give kick,
Jack show swiftness,
Jack show skill,
Jack learn bullet faster still...

Posted by mutinyco Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 5:29 PM

comment #15

christian Author Profile Page says ...

Tragedy aside, I'm a fan of Landis. He's got a great sense of humor and he's one of the best directors of comedy. With a good script there's no reason he couldn't deliver.

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 6:05 PM

comment #16

D.Z. Author Profile Page says ...

I still liked MAD in the 90s, but it died with Bill Gaines. The show wasn't bad, though...

Posted by D.Z. Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 6:16 PM

comment #17

Nate West Author Profile Page says ...

It's called "Ghoulishly Yours." Hint, hint. That puts the emphasis on the lurid EC crime and horror titles, the "comics scare," the Kefauver hearings and Dr. Wertham.

In the right hands (not Landis's), this could be intriguing.

Posted by Nate West Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 7:47 PM

comment #18

hiviper Author Profile Page says ...

Christian, Mad started out in color with ads, right from #1 on (when it was a comic book)...I would agree with Prager: Mad went into the crapper in the late 70's, not before.

Posted by hiviper Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 8:41 PM

comment #19

scooterzz Author Profile Page says ...

yeah, just went through vol.1, #1 and it was all color with full-page ads for: ec comics. binoculars, auto repair manuals and muscle building.....
until this thread, i'd forgotten that someone gave me the mad library on cd-rom (1952-1998)...every issue, every page, every song...it's kinda cool....

Posted by scooterzz Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 10:29 PM

comment #20

christian Author Profile Page says ...

I'm not talking about the early comics. When I collected MAD through the 70's, there was certainly no ads and that was done at the behest of Gaines. Go through those and you'll find no advertising (except for UP THE ACADEMY -- and they even parodied that). And they had great stuff until 80 or so.
But I moved onto National Lampoon and Heavy Metal...

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 10:36 PM

comment #21

scooterzz Author Profile Page says ...

wow, christian....you are good....i just went through the 70's issues and the only ads were for mad products and the interiors were b&w....nice call...
you also brought up the 'moving on' point.... i remember 'growing out' of mad and into national lampoon and then moving on to 'spy'.......i missed the heavy metal part.....
not sure if i should thank you or kill you for reminding me of these cd-roms.....i'm gonna be wasting a whole lotta time.....

Posted by scooterzz Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 10:54 PM

comment #22

Terry McCarty Author Profile Page says ...

Given the realities of the business now, it wouldn't surprise me if the script is offered to Jack Black.

Posted by Terry McCarty Author Profile Page at February 16, 2008 11:16 PM

comment #23

christian Author Profile Page says ...

Go find their parody of BARRY LYNDON, I think it's called BOREY LYNDON...funny stuff...I need to get me those cd-roms, though I still have my old collection boxed...

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 12:29 AM

comment #24

scooterzz Author Profile Page says ...

sept. '76...'mad for president' (borey lyndon)....i love this thing...(honestly, it's been sitting on a shelf for years)....

Posted by scooterzz Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 1:01 AM

comment #25

Morpho! Author Profile Page says ...

Seth Rogan for Gaines! Do it, Hollywood! Thanks.

Posted by Morpho! Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 7:34 AM

comment #26

movieirv Author Profile Page says ...

This sounds a bit like "The People vs. Larry Flynt," what with the first Amendment battle, an eccentric lead chaarcter, etc. Landis is trying to make a comeback with the Rickles film and this may be a rebound move because he didnt get the Wolfman project?

Posted by movieirv Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 8:47 AM

comment #27

christian Author Profile Page says ...

If Wells was in charge of production, do you think he would have not greenlit ED WOOD for the same reasons?

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 10:05 AM

comment #28

bb Author Profile Page says ...

Bill Gaines had a very interesting life that included more than MAD magazine. His troubles over EC comics should be as interesting as the later years. Mad caused dramatic changes in the law concerning parody etc. He wasn't a one note kind of guy.

If done right, this could not only be a good movie, but an award winning one.

if done right.

Posted by bb Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 11:59 AM

comment #29

christian Author Profile Page says ...

And how niche was AMERICAN SPLENDOR? I adore that film.

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 3:54 PM

comment #30

Rich S. Author Profile Page says ...

I'm surprised it took you guys so long to get to Ed Wood. Of course, Landis has never had the skewed sensibility of Burton, so the Gaines biopic will probably be more straightforward. Better than another movie based on an 80s toy commercial, right?

Oh, and I still have my copy of A Crockwork Lemon, as well as Al Jaffee's The Mad Book of Magic and Other Dirty Tricks. Still subversive and still funny.

Posted by Rich S. Author Profile Page at February 17, 2008 6:05 PM

comment #31

oakling Author Profile Page says ...

Maybe it'll at least inspire someone good to make another MAD movie and really do it right.

Posted by oakling Author Profile Page at February 18, 2008 1:20 PM

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