This 26-minute documentary covers a lot of neat ground on the infamous big budget bomb "Howard the Duck." Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz talk about how they wrote the script for "American Graffiti" for George Lucas and that Lucas first got the idea to adapt the comic "Howard the Duck" into a movie in the early 1980's. They reveal that the story was initially going to take place in Hawaii and that Howard originally was going to be a puppet. Jeffrey Jones admits he had great fun playing two different characters and shares an amusing story about scaring Katz's daughter while wearing lots of grotesque make-up.
Lea Thompson discusses auditioning for the role of Beverly as well as learning how to sing and play guitar for the part. (Thompson also notes that it took two hours to have her hair crimped every day.) Ed Gale points out that the audition for Howard was very physical and that he replaced a 12-year-old boy who was initially cast to play Howard. Moreover, we also learn that the madcap plane chase was shot by a third unit, Thompson was sick when the rescue scene was filmed, the diner was recreated on a soundstage, and the climactic concert set piece was shot at an auditorium in San Francisco. The makers of this doc deserve praise for not taking the easy way out by trashing the movie and instead treat this legendary dud with a surprising amount of respect.
Lea Thompson discusses auditioning for the role of Beverly as well as learning how to sing and play guitar for the part. (Thompson also notes that it took two hours to have her hair crimped every day.) Ed Gale points out that the audition for Howard was very physical and that he replaced a 12-year-old boy who was initially cast to play Howard. Moreover, we also learn that the madcap plane chase was shot by a third unit, Thompson was sick when the rescue scene was filmed, the diner was recreated on a soundstage, and the climactic concert set piece was shot at an auditorium in San Francisco. The makers of this doc deserve praise for not taking the easy way out by trashing the movie and instead treat this legendary dud with a surprising amount of respect.
