The Phantom Returns

[Brian Sheridan]

SyFy is reviving The Phantom. Here is a sneak peak. They retained some elements of the character's storyline but it seems set in a "big city (Canada, probably)" and not the Bengalla jungle. The purple tights have also been replaced by something that looks like Batman's rejected suit with a visor instead of a cowl.

I didn't mind the Billy Zane movie. Had they spent a little more money, it might have been excellent.

Here's the TV version.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/10/06/sneak-peek-syfys-the-phantom/

 

[Leesensei]

Hmmm. I think I would prefer a more traditional approach.

 

[LizzieMaine]

SyFy is reviving The Phantom. Here is a sneak peak. They retained some elements of the character's storyline but it seems set in a "big city (Canada, probably)" and not the Bengalla jungle. The purple tights have also been replaced by something that looks like Batman's rejected suit with a visor instead of a cowl.

I didn't mind the Billy Zane movie. Had they spent a little more money, it might have been excellent.

Here's the TV version.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/10/06/sneak-peek-syfys-the-phantom/

To those of us who have followed him in the funnies since remotest childhood, The Phantom, without his purple benday-dotted tights and striped trunks, would be just another dopey steroidal muscleman in a rubber suit. Phooey.

But I suspect that we aren't the constituency they're aiming for. Phooey again.

"Phantom rough on roughnecks -- Old Jungle Saying."

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

I really liked the 1996 Phantom movie. It wasn't the greatest, but it was fun. Billy Zane had a goofy charm, Patrick McGoohan got to chew some scenery, and Treat Williams was so OTT you couldn't even tell that he's a serious actor.

Maybe I need to have a cheesey pulp movie night with that and The Shadow...

 

[Vornholt]

I liked the 1994 Shadow pic. Not straight up serious, but a better vehicle for the character than the radio shows ever were, in my opinion.

I thought The Phantom movie was watchable, but rather silly. If SyFy (equally silly name) is doing a version of it, it will undoubtably stink to the high heavens, as do all other SyFy productions.:rage:

 

[Leesensei]

I liked the 1994 Shadow pic. Not straight up serious, but a better vehicle for the character than the radio shows ever were, in my opinion.

I thought The Phantom movie was watchable, but rather silly. If SyFy (equally silly name) is doing a version of it, it will undoubtably stink to the high heavens, as do all other SyFy productions.:rage:

Yes what has happened to the SyFy network. When it was first introduced, I thought that this was the greatest idea possible. I mean come on it is a whole channel devoted to the very best in Science fiction movies, classic tv series, etc. It should be filled with all of our favorite SciFi movies from Star Wars to Forbidden Planet and everything in between. Instead we now get really trashy, low budget CGI monster movies and replays of Stargate etc. They even play ECW Wrestling on this channel. There is virtually no decent Science fiction at all on the channel. How can they go from such a can't miss concept to the utter trash they have now? I just don't understand it.

Lee

 

[Lone_Ranger]

Yes what has happened to the SyFy network. When it was first introduced, I thought that this was the greatest idea possible. I mean come on it is a whole channel devoted to the very best in Science fiction movies, classic tv series, etc. It should be filled with all of our favorite SciFi movies from Star Wars to Forbidden Planet and everything in between. Instead we now get really trashy, low budget CGI monster movies and replays of Stargate etc. They even play ECW Wrestling on this channel. There is virtually no decent Science fiction at all on the channel. How can they go from such a can't miss concept to the utter trash they have now? I just don't understand it.

Lee

I kind of like Eureka. But, they have come a long way, from their Firefly and Farscape days, not necessarily in the right direction. Now, Bruce Campbell, as the Phantom. That, would have been a blast!

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

Heh, yeah Bruce would have made a great Phantom, imho.

Looks like Syfy is airing a two part The Phantom miniseries starting Sunday, June 20th. The trailer has a more modern look and feel to it, but will give it a watch to see how well they tie back to the previous Kit Walker.

I enjoyed the mid-90's Phantom as well. It wasn't fantastic, was silly at times with overacting but it was worth watching. I don't know if it captured the clothes of the time, but I did find myself ogling the clothes Kristy and Catherine wore.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Looks like Syfy is airing a two part The Phantom miniseries starting Sunday, June 20th. The trailer has a more modern look and feel to it, but will give it a watch to see how well they tie back to the previous Kit Walker.

Thanks for the heads up! If this latest incarnation is ****ola, then I can always return to the Eden that was the comic strip.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I'm thinking about it.

 

[Jennifer Lynn]

Indeed, the comic is good for a fallback.

Also, I haven't seen The Phantom: Legacy brought up yet. I would guess this effort fell by the wayside (even the rumored lead has been dismissed more than once in interviews), but it would be interesting to see if this does make it to the big screen. The team that had been working on it planned to distance themselves from the 1996 movie, though it has been touted by some as a possible sequel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_(comics)#The_Phantom:_Legacy

 

[swinggal]

One of my friends in Melbourne is the biggest Phantom fan I know. Even has a simple black tat of a classic 30s Phantom on has left shoulder and just about every Australian issue of Phantom ever printed. I will ask him what he thinks.

 

[Chasseur]

Wowie that new show looks bad... Why does that bald guy with the hat remind me of Howie Mandel... and what with that bad kid's halloween SWAT outfit...? [huh] On another note I agree with the above posters about the Scyfy channel. In theory it should be one of my favorites, but everytime I look it seems to only be bad horror movies...