Spider-Man (1969 film)

Last updated
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 1969 cropped poster.jpg
Set photo of Donald F. Glut and Donna Shannon
Directed by Donald F. Glut
Written byDonald F. Glut
Based on
Spider-Man
by
Produced byDonald F. Glut
Starring
  • Donald F. Glut
  • Donna Shane
  • Bob Rosen
  • Jim Hormon
  • Rick Mitchell
  • Bill Obbarge
Narrated byDonald F. Glut
Release date
  • 1969 (1969)
Running time
12 minutes
Country North America
Language English

Spider-Man is a 1969 American superhero short film written and directed by Donald F. Glut, who also stars. It is an unauthorized fan film, one of several made by Glut and the last one of its type that he created. [1] The short was later released along with several of Glut's other shorts as a special feature of I Was a Teenage Movie Maker, a 2006 documentary about Glut. [2] The short's plot centers around Spider-Man, who must rescue a woman from her father, the devious villain Dr. Lightning, an original character Glut created for the film. [3]

Contents

Filming took place in Glut's apartment home as well as at Bronson Canyon, and Glut achieved the wall-climbing scenes by turning the camera sideways. [4] He also utilized other effects such as stop-motion animation and backwards photography, as well as the use of miniature figures. [4] Glut initially screened the film at the home of Michael Nesmith, a friend of his, and later persuaded a projectionist into showing the short at a theater showing student shorts from the University of Southern California. [4] [5]

Plot

The short opens with Spider-Man using his webbing to grab a Daily Bugle newspaper with a headline about a disfigured scientist becoming a villain by the name of Dr. Lightning. The film then cuts to Randy Robertson and Dr. Lightning's daughter, who hopes that by exposing her father he will return to the rational, non-evil man he used to be. Her attempts are for naught, as she's kidnapped by her father's henchman Rekov and taken away to a nearby canyon, but not before Rekov shoots Randy in the shoulder. Spider-Man appears moments later and upon seeing that Randy will live, goes to rescue the young woman.

Once in the desert Spider-Man confronts Dr. Lightning and Rekov. A struggle breaks out and in the chaos Dr. Lightning shoots and kills his henchman with a ray gun. He then flees, but not before Spider-Man can attach a homing beacon to his car. Spider-Man manages to locate the villain's car and tries to stop him by trapping his car with his webbing, only for Dr. Lightning to shoot the webbing, which causes the car to drop into the canyon and explode. Spider-Man returns to the villain's daughter and informs her of his death, stating that now she and the world are safe.

Cast

Reception

Critical reception for the film since its release in 1969 has been mostly positive, and Bleeding Cool has compared it to a Ray Dennis Steckler film with lower production values. [6] [7] Geeks of Doom rated the short favorably, poking fun at it while also favorably commenting on what special effects Glut was able to accomplish with "a lot of free time, some expendable toys, and a few handy firecrackers." [2] ComicsAlliance expressed a similar opinion, writing "Even though it was clearly made on what could charitably be referred to as a pretty low budget, Glut’s Spider-Man has an awful lot of charm." [8] The Reelz Channel also reviewed the short, remarking that it was "earnest, though still unintentionally hilarious". [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electro (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Electro is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oddjob</span> Fictional character from the James Bond film series

Oddjob is a fictional character in the espionage novels and films featuring James Bond. He is a henchman to the villain Auric Goldfinger in the 1959 James Bond novel Goldfinger and its 1964 film adaptation. In the film adaptation of Goldfinger, he was played by the Japanese-American actor and professional wrestler Harold Sakata. Oddjob, who also appears in the James Bond animated series and in several video games, is one of the most popular characters in the Bond series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Kiel</span> American actor (1939–2014)

Richard Dawson Kiel was an American actor. Standing 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) tall and often referred to as "the Gentle Giant", he was known for portraying Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). Kiel's next-most-recognized role is the tough but eloquent Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore (1996). Other notable films include The Longest Yard (1974), Silver Streak (1976), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Cannonball Run II (1984), Pale Rider (1985), and Tangled (2010). On television, he portrayed the giant alien in the highly regarded 1962 Twilight Zone episode, "To Serve Man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doppelganger (Marvel Comics)</span> Comics character

The Doppelganger, also called the Spider-Doppelganger, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a near-mindless duplicate of Spider-Man with a vicious, animal-like mind who primarily acts as a servant to other villains rather than having a full will of its own. Along with Peter Parker's agility, speed, and power to cling to walls, the Spider-Doppelganger possesses greater strength, six arms, talons, and organic web-spinnerets on each forearm that fire "razor-sharp" webbing.

<i>Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering</i> 1996 film by Greg Spence

Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering is a 1996 American supernatural slasher film co-written and directed by Greg Spence and starring Naomi Watts, Brent Jennings, and Karen Black. It is the fourth film in the Children of the Corn series. The plot follows a medical student returning to her hometown in Nebraska, where she finds the children to be falling under a mysterious mass illness connected to the town's past.

<i>Spider-Man</i> (Japanese TV series) Japanese tokusatsu television series (1978-79)

Spider-Man, also referred to as Japanese Spider-Man or Toei Spider-Man, is a Japanese live-action tokusatsu superhero television series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name through a contract negotiated by producer Gene Pelc. The series aired for 41 episodes on Tokyo Channel 12 from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979. A theatrical episode aired at the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. From March 5 to December 24, 2009, Marvel uploaded English subtitled versions of the episodes to their website.

<i>Spider-Man 2: Enter: Electro</i> 2001 video game

Spider-Man 2: Enter: Electro is a 2001 action-adventure video game based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision exclusively for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to Spider-Man (2000) and directly follows the events of the game, as Spider-Man attempts to thwart a criminal conspiracy orchestrated by Electro. Like its predecessor, the game features several Spider-Man villains as bosses, including the Shocker, Hammerhead, the Lizard, Sandman, and Electro, as well as his charged-up Hyper-Electro persona, created exclusively for the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightning McQueen</span> Fictional character from Cars franchise

Lightning McQueen is a fictional anthropomorphic stock car and the protagonist of the Disney/Pixar Cars franchise. He was developed by John Lasseter and co-director Joe Ranft from a story concept by Jorgen Klubien. McQueen's appearances include the feature films Cars, Cars 2, and Cars 3, as well as the animated series Cars Toons and Cars on the Road. He is also a playable character in each of the Cars video game installments. Lightning is recognizable by his red body with yellow and orange lightning bolt stickers featuring his racing number on his sides. He is primarily voiced by Owen Wilson.

<i>The Purple Monster Strikes</i> 1945 film by Fred C. Brannon, Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Purple Monster Strikes is a 1945 Republic Movie serial. It was also released as a Century 66 television film under the title D-Day on Mars (1966).

<i>Flying Disc Man from Mars</i> 1950 film by Fred C. Brannon

Flying Disc Man from Mars is a 1950 Republic Pictures 12-chapter black-and-white science fiction adventure film serial, produced by Franklin Adreon, directed by Fred C. Brannon, that stars Walter Reed, Lois Collier, Gregory Gaye, James Craven, Harry Lauter, and Richard Irving. Disc Man is considered a weak example of the serial medium, even compared to other post-World War II serials. In 1958 Republic edited the serial's 167 minutes of footage into a 75-minute feature, released under the new title Missile Monsters.

<i>Captain America</i> (serial) 1944 Republic black-and-white serial film

Captain America is a 1944 Republic black-and-white 15-chapter serial film loosely based on the Timely Comics character Captain America. It was the last Republic serial made about a superhero. It also has the distinction of being the most expensive serial that Republic ever made. It stands as the first theatrical release connected to a Marvel character; the next theatrical release featuring a Marvel hero would not occur for more than 40 years. It was the last live-action rendition of a Marvel character in any medium until Spider-Man appeared in the Spidey Super Stories segment of the children's television series The Electric Company in 1974.

Donald F. Glut is an American writer, motion picture film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the novelization of the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

<i>The Lightning Warrior</i> 1931 film

The Lightning Warrior is a 1931 American Pre-Code Mascot movie serial starring Rin Tin Tin in his last role. It is regarded as one of the better Mascot serials. A number of the production's outdoor action sequences were filmed on the rocky Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, known for its huge sandstone boulders and widely recognized as the most heavily filmed outdoor shooting location in the history of the movies. This was the original Rin Tin Tin's last movie, as he died in 1932, being replaced that same year by Rin Tin Tin Jr.

Riders of Death Valley is a 1941 American Western film serial from Universal Pictures. It was a high budget serial with an all-star cast led by Dick Foran and Buck Jones. Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor directed. It also features Lon Chaney Jr. in a supporting role as a villainous henchman as well as Noah Beery Jr., Charles Bickford, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Monte Blue, Roy Barcroft, Richard Alexander and Glenn Strange.

<i>The Spiders Web</i> (serial) 1938 film by James W. Horne, Ray Taylor

The Spider's Web is a 1938 Columbia Pictures movie serial based on the popular pulp magazine character The Spider. It was the fifth of the 57 serials released by Columbia.

<i>The Shadow</i> (serial) 1940 film by James W. Horne

The Shadow (1940) was the ninth serial released by Columbia Pictures. It was based upon the classic radio series and pulp magazine superhero character of the same name.

<i>Spider-Man Strikes Back</i> 1978 American film

Spider-Man Strikes Back is a 1978 American superhero film that had a theatrical release abroad, a composite of the two-parter episode "Deadly Dust" of the contemporary television show The Amazing Spider-Man, released on 8 May 1978. It was directed by Ron Satlof, written by Robert Janes and stars Nicholas Hammond as the titular character, Robert Alda, Robert F. Simon, Joanna Cameron, and Michael Pataki. The film was preceded by Spider-Man and followed by Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge.

<i>Spider-Man Lives: A Miles Morales Story</i> 2015 film

Spider-Man Lives: A Miles Morales Story is a 2015 Spider-Man fan film.

References

  1. Young, Clive (2008-09-01). Homemade Hollywood: fans behind the camera. Continuum. pp. 38–39. ISBN   9780826429230.
  2. 1 2 "Watch Now: Donald F. Glut's 'Spider-Man' Fan Film From 1969". Geeks of Doom. 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  3. 1 2 "How Will The Amazing Spider-Man Stack Up Against a 1969 Fan-Made Movie?". Reelz Channel . Retrieved 2016-05-25.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. 1 2 3 Glut, Don (2007-06-18). I Was a Teenage Movie Maker: The Book. McFarland. pp. 190–191. ISBN   9780786430413.
  5. Green, Scott (June 23, 2012). "Proto-Cosplay Captured in 1969 "Spider-Man" Fan Movie". Crunchyroll . Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  6. Lamar, Cyriaque (21 June 2012). "Was this zany fan film from 1969 the first live-action Spider-Man movie?". io9 . Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  7. "The 1969 Spider-Man Fan Film". Bleeding Cool . 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  8. "The Surprisingly Coherent Spider-Man Fan Film From 1969". ComicsAlliance . Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-05-25.