Howard the Duck is a mess. That's as simply as I can put it. And it was a high profile one for George Lucas, who shepherded it to the screen. What was originally envisioned as an animated project transitioned—becoming a live-action movie in service to a contractual obligation of Lucas'.
That term, as the pod has noted many times over, is a dreaded one. This duck wasn't roasted properly. Its script is not only unfunny—tragically so for a supposed comedy—it lacks an actual narrative; and it culminates in a third act as random as the appearance of an anthropomorphic duck on earth. Frankly, it's all wet.
Critics and audiences agreed. Howard the Duck left some serious egg on Lucas' face. It sits at 15% on Rotten Tomatoes with 48 reviews; and it grossed a paltry $38 million on a budget of $37 million. That is some puny-sized poultry.
It's failure also left Lucas' pockets bare. Worse, the poor director's (Willard Huyck) career flew south for the winter—an extended one.
But, hey, Howard's trip to earth earned him a rocking credits song! And the disastrous film wasn't without some form of technical merit—even if that never came across onscreen.
So sit back, hook your space tentacle into a few Galaxy Drifter American IPAs from Pontoon Brewing Co., and play some righteous air guitar to the musical stylings of Cherry Bomb! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are priming the neutron disintegrator to blast the Dark Overlord back to the void of space!
This Week’s Segments:
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Knowledge is Our Treasure
Robocop 3 – Needs to be Decommissioned
Alien Covenant – Demented David’s Dungeon of Curiosities
Prometheus – There is No Why
Alien Resurrection – Kill It with Fire!
Alien 3 – Lock Her Up
Damned River – River Rat Rage
Drop Zone – Look Out Below
Rollerball – Prison Rules
Airborne – Wannabe Bullwinkle
Moonfall – Nuke the Moon!
Three Thousand Years of Longing – Not Worth the Wait
The Northman – Naked Volcano Fight
Black Adam – It’s Electrifying
The Wizard – It’s So Bad
Mars Attacks! – Ak Ak
GI Joe: The Movie – At Ease, Disease
RIPD – Here Come the Men in Flak
Mystery, Alaska – The Mighty Yuks
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