There was a made-for-TV ‘Generation X’ movie on Fox years ago, based on the comic. I only saw it played once during Mardis Gras, then it just died.
Brainscan- Horror film about a new video game and a sort of AntiJiminy Cricket with a bizzare hair do? For a while HBO showed it once a week. I’m not surpised it’s tough to find as it was IMHO just an average little horror film.
Generation X-This happens often. The network buys a pilot, but ends up not wanting the series. Rather than just leave the pilot in a vault, they wait until rerun season and show it as a movie. Generation X had poor special effects and plenty of other problems. AFAIK, the episode has never been made available to the public. However, I’m sure you can find a vender at your local comic convention who can sell you one. I’ve seen plenty of of folks selling the pilot for an unsold live action Justice League series.
They apparently made a TV-movie of A Wrinkle in Time, about a year or two back. Alfre Woodward was Mrs. Whatsit. I only saw the teaser for it on a video, once…haven’t been able to find hide nor hair of the movie itself.
Likewise, there was apparently a second animated “Far Side” (as in Gary Larson) special made. It was mentioned in Larson’s There’s a HAIR in my Dirt!" book, and I’ve seen a few screen grabs in isolated reviews…but it doesn’t seem to have been released commercially, otherwise. Damn it.
Do you want the
special edition? Or the standard widescreen? Or full screen? or is VHS your cup of tea?
Yellowbeard. That movie was frickin’ hilarious, and I’ve NEVER seen it on TV.
Lobelia Overhill said:
snip - I think it’s called Sole Survivor … ? a movie about a band of pilots who crashland in the desert or something. I saw it on TV years ago, never seen it again since. Loads of people ask about it when this sort of thread appears on MBs - snip
Are you thinking of “Flight of the Phoenix?”
I was able to get very reasonably priced copies of Nightcomers and Driver’s Seat at half.com.
White Dwarf…
still lookin’.
This Canadian production will be shown on ABC on May 15, 2004.
Michael Mann’s Manhunter, widely seen on video because of the Hannibal Lecter link, was only in the theaters for about two weeks. I saw it in the theaters and liked it a lot.
Heartbeeps with Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters disappeared off the face of the Earth. I hear it was awful. Still, it’s curious that the big Man on the Moon biopic didn’t mention that its subject actually made a feature film at some point. Much more interesting than his work on Fridays.
No. No, it’s not. I happened upon this movie, wondered why I had never heard of it before because it sounded so great for the reasons specified above, plus music by Devo! Considering all that, it’s almost impressive that it’s as bad as it is. I would never, ever watch this again.
Just wanted to throw that in.
As far as my contribution to the “movies that disappeared”, I can’t think of anything that was made and then vanished, but as far as ideas for movies that seem to have just vanished, whatever happened to this movie they were going to make of Stephen King’s Desperation? My copy of Creepshows: The Films of Stephen King says it’s due out in 2000 or something. So…what happened? They made Dreamcatcher instead?! Blech.
My pick for this thread would be the PBS version of Lanford Wilson’s The 5th of July starring Richard Thomas and an early Jeff Daniels. I got to see it live as well as the movie. Near as I have been able to dtermine it isn’t out on VHS or DVD.
- crosses fingers that someone will make a liar out of me!*
It’s Pat, starring the androgynous character from Saturday Night Live, was yanked from the theatres within hours, it seemed.
It is available on amazon.com, and sadly, has received some 5 star ratings from posters.
Heartbeeps- I remember liking this movie a lot. However, my age was still a single digit at the time. I do distinctly remember a geriatric robot borscht belt comedian.
White Dwarf- Again, a pilot for a series that was never made. The odd thing was that Fox aired it again a year later. AFAIK never released commercially. In this case the video vendors likely to have a copy will be found at Trek and B5 conventions. Beware any dealer dressed as a Ferengi, or any guy who tells you he’s “fully functional.”
It’s Pat- I heard the rumors. When it was shown on cable, I watched just to see if really was that awful. It was. It isn’t so bad it’s good. It’s a bad premise, mixed with poor writing, that drags on for far too long.
But it does have an appearance by Ween!!!
Yes, I have sat through this movie just to see that part.
Stop looking at me like that. 
You’re right, it’s not the same one at all. I should have followed the link instead of just spotting the title and jumping in. Duh!
(But the one I linked is still good, and the book is one of my favourites.)
I’ve seen it on television a few times, though not in the last 8 or so years. Also, The Final Countdown is available at my local video places.
There is no movie so bad that someone won’t post on the IMDB user comments: "OMG this is the most Awesome Movie EVER it is just soo KEWL!!!"