spatch: (Better Off Dead - Charles in Snow)
[personal profile] spatch
Hey. You ever see the pilot for the Remo Williams TV show?

For most people, I bet the answer is of course not, because A. it was shown once in 1988 and was pre-empted in most areas for a speech by Ronnie Reagan, and B. it stank to high heaven.

I'm watching it now. Actually, I watched the first five minutes of it and had to stop because A. the opening credits sequence featured AWESOME ACTION CLIPS!1 from the film, and B. it stank to high heaven.

I can accept the fact that maybe Joel Grey wasn't available for filming that month or maybe his rent was paid up for a while, so they went ahead and put Roddy McDowall in yellowface for to play Chiun. (McDowall actually gets the best line so far, breaking the fourth wall in the beginning and telling us to change the channel.)

I can accept the fact that maybe Wilfred Brimley also didn't have any major outstanding expenses when they cast this pilot, cause he ain't in it as well.

But seriously, what could Fred Ward have been doing that was better than this? Why did they instead cast...



Jeffrey Meek, Soap Opera Hair Man, as Smirky Remo?



With fashions by Marty McFly, apparently.



I'm not amused either, Most Honorable Fake Asian Roddy McDowall!

I suppose I'll watch some more of it later tomorrow, and feel compelled to provide more insight into this ultra-sooper-rare TV gem. I mean, germ. I guess there's a reason some things stay hidden, sure, but by gum I'm chuffed to pieces to be able to even check this out.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-01-13 02:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dskasak.livejournal.com
Who is the worse fake Asian: Roddy McDowell, Mickey Rooney from Breakfast At Tiffany's, or Lee Van Cleef from "The Master?"

(no subject)

Date: 2006-01-13 03:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] infinitehotel.livejournal.com
To be fair, the show never claimed Van Cleef was Asian. They just claimed he was the only westerner ever to be deemed worthy to be trained in the ancient ways of the ninja.

Yep, get me a dork hat too...



(no subject)

Date: 2006-01-13 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dskasak.livejournal.com
Regarding Lee Van Cleef, I was going under the Pete Townsend theory that all the best cowboys have Chinese eyes.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-01-14 08:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scholargipsy.livejournal.com
"John Peter McAllister: the only Caucasian ever to receive training as a ninja...."

Got two dork hats to hand? God, I loved that show.

Profile

spatch: (Default)
spatch

July 2019

S M T W T F S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324 252627
28293031   

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags