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Spider-Man Versus Kraven the Hunter | |
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Directed by | Bruce Cardozo |
Written by | Bruce Cardozo |
Based on | |
Produced by | Bruce Cardozo |
Starring | Joe Ellison A. Andrew Pastorio |
Edited by | Julie Tanser |
Release date |
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Running time | 30 minutes |
Country | North America |
Language | English |
Spider-Man Versus Kraven the Hunter is a 1974 American superhero short film written and directed by Bruce Cardozo. [1] It is a fan film that was endorsed by Marvel Comics and authorized by Stan Lee. [2]
According to an article in the 1975 issue of FOOM, the film features appearances by Kraven the Hunter and Gwen Stacy, and the story is based on issue fifteen of the comic book, The Amazing Spider-Man . [3] [4]
In October 1972, Cardozo wrote a letter to Stan Lee explaining the project. He received a very enthusiastic letter of approval providing the film was limited to a non-commercial exhibition (because of commercial licensing commitments Marvel Comics had at the time). Next, he presented the idea to his experimental film class, proposing a half-hour, 16mm, color, sound, semi-professional Spider-Man movie. When he outlined the special effects the class felt that it was impossible, but his instructor, Peter Glushanok, was very interested and gave Cardozo the go-ahead.
The first term was spent almost entirely in pre-production. Cardozo was a perfectionist and spoke with hundreds of people before deciding on the cast alone. He wanted the audience to say to themselves, "he or she looks and acts exactly like the characters." Daphne Stevens and Marilyn Hecht made the costumes, Richard Eberhardt designed the graphics, such as the Spider-signal, (as well as playing Spider-Man in costume) and Art Schweitzer created the unusual lighting effects featured throughout the film. Cardozo worked on the scenario, production direction and special effects.
They built an entire section of the building for Spider-Man to climb. They used travelling matte shots to make Spider-Man swing through Times Square at night with all the neon signs flashing in the background to produce breathtaking and dazzling visuals. Rather than using a phoney-looking backdrop when Spider-Man climbs up and down buildings, they matted in colorful sunsets and backgrounds and utilized travelling mattes in a scene where Kraven sends lions after Spider-Man in the final conflict.
The second term was hectic with more shooting and editing by Julie Tanser. When the film was about 3/4 finished, they gave Stan Lee, Ray Thomas and other members of the bullpen, a preview of some of the key scenes of the film. They were very impressed and enthusiastic about the results and encouraged them to finish the project.
Cardozo and his crew had hoped to have the film distributed in some form in the future, but on April 24, 2015, Cardozo died, and his computer containing the only known copy of the film was destroyed, making it a lost film. Its last known showing was at the Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles in 2005. [5] The film was never available online because Cardozo was against it. [6]
In December 2021, 4 new color stills of the film were leaked online, showcasing a shot of Spider-Man wall crawling, a group of thugs getting ambushed by the spider signal (a device that Spider-Man used during the early comics), a fight scene featuring Spider-Man taking down the group of thugs, and the first full look at Kraven.
The screenplay was adapted primarily from The Amazing Spider-Man #15, with various scenes added to update the story concerning Kraven's first arrival in America.
Spider-Man swings down and catches a group organizing a bank robbery and upon dropping in unexpectedly, a man escapes and contacts Kraven the Hunter. Parker finds this out firsthand when taking photographs for The Daily Bugle when Kraven arrives by boat. After studying Spider-Man's fighting style by organizing a robbery for Spider-Man to stop, Kraven finally comes out of hiding and fights Spider-Man. Spider-Man realizes the true strength of Kraven and also realizes that Kraven cheats by infecting his opposition with drugs that weaken them.
The casting was very well received by Marvel Comics employees. The realistic suit for Spider-Man was acclaimed and the casting of Andrew Pastario as J Jonah Jameson and Joe Ellison as Peter Parker received praise for their likeness to the characters. [7]
The Amazing Spider-Man is an ongoing American superhero comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it was the character's first title, launching seven months after his introduction in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy. The series began publication with a March 1963 cover date and has been published nearly continuously to date over six volumes with only one significant interruption. Issues of the title currently feature an issue number within its sixth volume, as well as a "legacy" number reflecting the issue's overall number across all Amazing Spider-Man volumes. The title reached 900 issues in 2022.
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book Amazing Fantasy #15 in the Silver Age of Comic Books. He has been featured in comic books, television shows, films, video games, novels, and plays.
John Jonah Jameson Jr. is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #1.
Gwendolyne Maxine "Gwen" Stacy is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man. A college student and the daughter of George and Helen Stacy, she is the first romantic interest for Peter following his high school graduation before she is murdered by the Green Goblin. Her death has haunted Peter ever since, and stories published long afterwards indicate she still holds a special place in his heart. Gwen is posthumously subjected to numerous cloning experiments by her former professor Miles Warren, Peter's clone Ben Reilly, and an A.I. of Harry Osborn, the latter resulting in the creation of the Kindreds, and Ben briefly resurrecting Gwen in "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" (2016–2017), with the embodiment of Death herself confirming in Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider (2017–2018) that all clones Ben created of deceased people had their souls intact on being brought back, while clones of living people had unique souls of their own. In the alternate realities of Ultimate Marvel and Spider-Gwen, a still-living Gwen respectively becomes their universe's versions of Carnage and Spider-Woman.
Kraven the Hunter is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 as an adversary to the superhero Peter Parker / Spider-Man. He since endured as one of the web-slinger's most formidable foes, and is part of the collective of adversaries that make up Spider-Man's rogues' gallery. Kraven has also come into conflict with other heroes, such as Black Panther and Tigra. He is the half-brother of the supervillain Chameleon, and is one of the founding members of the Sinister Six.
Elizabeth "Betty" Brant-Leeds is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in stories featuring the superhero Spider-Man. She is the personal secretary of J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle, and served as both a supporting character and love interest for Peter Parker. She later became a reporter for the Daily Bugle and the girlfriend of Flash Thompson/Agent Venom, later marrying Ned Leeds/Hobgoblin.
Ultimate Spider-Man is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint. Ultimate Spider-Man exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four and The Ultimates.
George Stacy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily in association with Spider-Man. He is Gwen Stacy's father and the police captain from the New York City Police Department. Stacy is a strong supporter of Spider-Man, often defending the superhero when others accuse Spider-Man of criminal acts, and thus serves as a foil personality to another Spider-Man related character, J. Jonah Jameson. Stacy's death in The Amazing Spider-Man #90 has been described as a turning point in the Spider-Man saga, signaling to readers that permanent changes could happen in the story, and that the supporting cast was not safe. Stacy was resurrected in a cloned body by Ben Reilly in Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy (2016–2017), with the embodiment of Death herself confirming in Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider (2017–2018) that all clones Ben created of deceased people had their souls intact on being brought back, before Stacy was killed again by the Carrion Virus.
"The Night Gwen Stacy Died", alternatively known as "The Green Goblin's Last Stand", is a story arc of the Marvel Comics comic book series The Amazing Spider-Man #121–122. The two-issue story was written by Gerry Conway, with pencil art by Gil Kane and inking by John Romita Sr. and Tony Mortellaro.
Spider-Man: House of M is a five-issue comic book limited series that ran concurrently with Marvel Comics' House of M crossover event in 2005. In the House of M pocket universe, mutants rule the world and humans are an oppressed minority. Magneto and his family, the House of M, rule the world from the island of Genosha.
"Kraven's Last Hunt" is a comic book storyline by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck published in 1987, featuring the final battle between Marvel Comics characters Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man.
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a modernized, alternate universe counterpart of Spider-Man who is in his youth, a superhero first created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962. The Ultimate version of the character originated in Ultimate Marvel, a line of comic books created in 2000 that is set in a parallel universe with a narrative continuity separate and independent from the main continuity of Marvel Comics stories that began in the 1960s.
Spider-Man: Blue is a comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale. It ran for a total of six issues and has been reprinted in trade paperback form. Loeb and Sale had also worked on the limited series: Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray and Captain America: White which also chronicle their respective Marvel Comics characters in their formative years.
The Green Goblin's Last Stand is a 1992 superhero fan film by Dan Poole, based on the comic book story "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", published by Marvel Comics in The Amazing Spider-Man #121–122. Poole is the director, producer, creative editor, screenwriter, and star of the film. The film and its attendant documentary received showings and accolades at several small film festivals.
"Spider-Man" is the name of multiple comic book superheroes from the Marvel Comics Multiverse. The original and most well known is Peter Parker created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko originating from the Earth-616 universe. Within the mainstream Marvel Universe there have been characters that have taken the mantle such as Ben Reilly, Mac Gargan, Otto Octavius, and Kurt Wagner.
Spider-Gwen is an ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics that began February 2015. The series revolves around Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, an alternate universe version of Gwen Stacy that debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as part of the 2014–2015 Spider-Man storyline "Spider-Verse". Spider-Gwen explores a universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker, leading her to a career as the Spider-Woman of her world.
"Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" is a 2016–17 Marvel Comics storyline starring Spider-Man. The story was notable for bringing long-dead Spider-Man supporting character Ben Reilly back to life. The storyline led Reilly to reclaim the heroic Scarlet Spider mantle and appear in his own comic book series. The story received generally mixed reviews, with critics praising the art style and action, however criticized the story and the retcons, as well as the treatment of Ben Reilly.
J. Jonah Jameson (JJJ) is a fictional character portrayed by J. K. Simmons in both Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and the Spider-Verse franchise produced by Sony Pictures, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise co-produced with Marvel Studios. Based on the Marvel Comics character by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he was adapted to screen by David Koepp, Sam Raimi, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, and Jon Watts.
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