Just checking if anyone else ever checks in to the group anymore? It's
been a long time for me and looking at the dates of the most recent
posts (October, and OT), it has the feel of party two hours after the
cheese dip went dry.
Here's a question in case anybody does. No, actually, here are two:
(1) Does anyone know of particular comments that Norman made about
those 2 godawful movies "based" on his novels? I saw them back in the
day (it took years to recover). I just bought a DVD with both of them
on it on a lark (and on sale). I noticed that they do open titles with
"John Norman's" implying approval. I also know how very VERY little
control writers have over their stuff when a film studio takes over.
(2) No other attempt has been made to produce an *actual* Gorean flick,
unless you count the Fencer Minerva movies, which borrowed heavily
enough to require World Bank intervention. I can't but wonder why?
The thing is, you could shoot a straight-up adaption of several of the
Gor novels, or of an amalgamation incor****ating one of the story arcs,
and give Prof. Lange a nice gift here in his latter years (while making
some money) by shooting a movie evenly balancing among the three key
elements of the Gorean mythos: (1) a philosophical stance involving
self-honesty, acceptance of nature, courage, etc.; (2) Romanesque epic
conspiracies and adventure; and, (3) yep, "the romance of restraint".
The best Gor novels had this sort of balance.
The amount of bondage involved wouldn't exceed that in many
"mainstream" films, the only difference would be that the film makers
wouldn't have to jump through all kinds of hoops to come with excuses
for it as they do in the mainstream films.
It would be a nice little nod to the Professor to point out there was
much more to his books than the flamers will acknowledge; it could be a
nice little flick. Toss a bit of the wry humor Norman himself used now
and then (not the sort of "all right, we're conceding right here that
this is a B movie" jokes they used in the Gor movies), and it would be
quite nice.
Just a pipe dream, though, eh?
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