Howard the Duck (1986)
September 14, 2022 8:43 AM - Subscribe
In this film based on the comic book character, Howard the Duck (voiced by Chip Zien) is suddenly beamed from Duckworld, a planet of intelligent ducks with arms and legs, to Earth, where he lands in Cleveland. There he saves rocker Beverly (Lea Thompson) from thugs and forms a friendship with her. She introduces him to Phil (Tim Robbins), who works at a lab with scientist Dr. Jenning (Jeffrey Jones). When the doctor attempts to return Howard to his world, Jenning instead transfers an evil spirit into his own body.
Also starring Liz Sagal, Dominique Davalos, Holly Robinson Peete, Tommy Swerdlow, Richard Edson, and Miles Chapin.
"Written" by Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz. Directed by Huyck. produced by George Lucas.
14% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently steaming (not a typo) on Starz and available for digital rental on various outlets. JustWatch listing.
Bonus: Howard the Duck Pitch Meeting by Ryan George.
Also starring Liz Sagal, Dominique Davalos, Holly Robinson Peete, Tommy Swerdlow, Richard Edson, and Miles Chapin.
"Written" by Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz. Directed by Huyck. produced by George Lucas.
14% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently steaming (not a typo) on Starz and available for digital rental on various outlets. JustWatch listing.
Bonus: Howard the Duck Pitch Meeting by Ryan George.
Why is this movie so horny? Duck boobs, Howard works at an adult erotic spa, duck-human relationships...
Was the Marvel comic it was based on not also thus?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:57 AM on September 14, 2022
Was the Marvel comic it was based on not also thus?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:57 AM on September 14, 2022
I saw this movie at a formative age and I was probably too young, but I love it unironically because it's so earnest despite it's utter batshit premise, execution, and general ::handwaves:: everything, and yes it is deeply weird and weirdly horny.
posted by Faintdreams at 8:59 AM on September 14, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by Faintdreams at 8:59 AM on September 14, 2022 [9 favorites]
This is another one of those movies that apparently nobody saw, but I managed to watch in the theatres upon its initial release. It was not good. I have no idea what my current take would be, as I haven't seen it since, but I suspect my not good rating would not have improved any.
posted by sardonyx at 9:01 AM on September 14, 2022
posted by sardonyx at 9:01 AM on September 14, 2022
The theme song featuring Thomas Dolby is actually...pretty good and quite catchy.
posted by davidmsc at 9:18 AM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by davidmsc at 9:18 AM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Was the Marvel comic it was based on not also thus?
Not as such, no. It was kind of an interesting period for Marvel Comics, as the mainstream culture in America was generally horny, with porn starting to edge into the mainstream, and for a while Marvel was publishing black and white comics in a magazine format that would occasionally show bare breasts, as well as stories in other genres besides superheroes (mostly horror, fantasy, and action/thriller stuff). But Marvel was also still publishing comic books, and comic books as such were still under the Comics Code Authority, which, like all moral-panic-derived sets of rules, was fairly ridiculous in its particulars, and so no boobs. Steve Gerber, Howard's creator, was obviously chafing under the CCA rules, and very likely would have made Howard a lot hornier if he'd been allowed to; I remember it being implied that he and Beverly were having sex--they're in bed together in the second issue of his own book--but nothing as ridonkulous as Bev holding up a tiny condom.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:07 AM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Not as such, no. It was kind of an interesting period for Marvel Comics, as the mainstream culture in America was generally horny, with porn starting to edge into the mainstream, and for a while Marvel was publishing black and white comics in a magazine format that would occasionally show bare breasts, as well as stories in other genres besides superheroes (mostly horror, fantasy, and action/thriller stuff). But Marvel was also still publishing comic books, and comic books as such were still under the Comics Code Authority, which, like all moral-panic-derived sets of rules, was fairly ridiculous in its particulars, and so no boobs. Steve Gerber, Howard's creator, was obviously chafing under the CCA rules, and very likely would have made Howard a lot hornier if he'd been allowed to; I remember it being implied that he and Beverly were having sex--they're in bed together in the second issue of his own book--but nothing as ridonkulous as Bev holding up a tiny condom.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:07 AM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
(As an aside, and not to get into a derail about the comics too much, it's really something to pick up the old HtD comics after a while and see what a good writer Gerber was; even when he was showing deliberately risible characters such as the Space Turnip or Doctor Bong, characters talked the way that people usually do, unless they were pointedly imitating the way that most Marvel characters were written. And, to bring it back to the subject of this thread somewhat, I think that the comic had some influence on Alan Moore, who generally wrote superior dialogue and whose first American comic of note was Swamp Thing (Howard was introduced as a joke character in Adventure Into Fear With the Man-Thing #19), which did eventually feature the non-human character having sex with a human woman, albeit via a sort of hallucinogenic mind-meld experience facilitated by her consuming a sort of yam that he grew inside his body.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:32 AM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:32 AM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Even if there is an argument that someone could have made some kind of Howard the Duck film that was horny, Lucasfilm making that film and marketing it as a family film is still deeply fucking weird.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:49 AM on September 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:49 AM on September 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
There's also HtD #16: Gerber, relocating from New York to (I think) Las Vegas, phoning in text essays that were illustrated by available illustrators. Complete mindfuck, especially if you are, as I was, twelve years old. Also contains Pynchon parody, which is perhaps unique for 1970s Marvel comics.
I think Gerber was a genius, though an erratic and frustrating one (as geniuses often are).
I don't have anything nice to say about the film, so I'll pass over it in silence, though in retrospect Lea Thompson seems like a perfect Beverly.
It would be interesting if Feige's MCU were to create something that respected the spirit of HtD, though.
posted by Grangousier at 10:57 AM on September 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
I think Gerber was a genius, though an erratic and frustrating one (as geniuses often are).
I don't have anything nice to say about the film, so I'll pass over it in silence, though in retrospect Lea Thompson seems like a perfect Beverly.
It would be interesting if Feige's MCU were to create something that respected the spirit of HtD, though.
posted by Grangousier at 10:57 AM on September 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
I have only ever seen the trailer for this movie, but the theme song is indelibly burned into my brain, and has been since Ronald Reagan was president.
Steve Gerber is a strong contender, in my opinion, for best comic book writer ever to do it, and -- like most geniuses who worked on comics -- the industry clearly was very bad for his emotional and financial well being. It was also not great for his writing, and the cracks sadly show in the last few issues of HtD he wrote before abruptly walking out mid-storyline. I don't know the exact timelines, but Gerber was also writing a HtD syndicated comic strip at the same time he wrote the comic book, and moving cross country (as documented in an HtD issue that is all typewritten text and pinup art, as Gerber couldn't finish the script in time for Colan and Palmer to draw it by deadline), and probably yelling at Marvel's legal team, who insisted he didn't own the character.
I say all this to say that Gerber was not involved in the slightly more adult HtD black-and-white magazine that followed the cancellation of the color comic book (which lasted only briefly after Gerber stopped writing it), but it does sound like the movie followed its tone more closely than the comic. It should also be noted that Gerber eventually wrote Howard again in the early 2000s, in a bizarre mini that at one point depicts Howard performing oral sex on Bev in the shower. Gerber's work had grown very strange by then, however, and it's hard to say if he would have made the book that weirdly horny in the '70s if not for the Code.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:34 AM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Steve Gerber is a strong contender, in my opinion, for best comic book writer ever to do it, and -- like most geniuses who worked on comics -- the industry clearly was very bad for his emotional and financial well being. It was also not great for his writing, and the cracks sadly show in the last few issues of HtD he wrote before abruptly walking out mid-storyline. I don't know the exact timelines, but Gerber was also writing a HtD syndicated comic strip at the same time he wrote the comic book, and moving cross country (as documented in an HtD issue that is all typewritten text and pinup art, as Gerber couldn't finish the script in time for Colan and Palmer to draw it by deadline), and probably yelling at Marvel's legal team, who insisted he didn't own the character.
I say all this to say that Gerber was not involved in the slightly more adult HtD black-and-white magazine that followed the cancellation of the color comic book (which lasted only briefly after Gerber stopped writing it), but it does sound like the movie followed its tone more closely than the comic. It should also be noted that Gerber eventually wrote Howard again in the early 2000s, in a bizarre mini that at one point depicts Howard performing oral sex on Bev in the shower. Gerber's work had grown very strange by then, however, and it's hard to say if he would have made the book that weirdly horny in the '70s if not for the Code.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:34 AM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
If any marvel character truly deserves a reboot, it's Howard and the reboot should be animated ala Spiderverse. In a pefect world, it would also be aimed at a more mature audience - not to make it raunchier or crude - but so it could be smarter and angrier.
#neck beard dreams.
posted by hoodrich at 11:53 AM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
#neck beard dreams.
posted by hoodrich at 11:53 AM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
I mean, Howard is in the background of at least 1 or 2 of the recent Marvel movies, so it isn't out of the realm of possibility...
Like Faintdreams, I saw this movie at a young age (10-11) before I had any sense of "good" or "bad," so it occupies a warm place in my heart. I also probably loved the horniness at the time, although looking back on it... yeah, Wtf?
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:05 PM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Like Faintdreams, I saw this movie at a young age (10-11) before I had any sense of "good" or "bad," so it occupies a warm place in my heart. I also probably loved the horniness at the time, although looking back on it... yeah, Wtf?
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:05 PM on September 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Also, nice use of the "terrible" tag, DirtyOldTown.
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:07 PM on September 14, 2022
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:07 PM on September 14, 2022
If any marvel character truly deserves a reboot, it's Howard and the reboot should be animated ala Spiderverse.
If someone could successfully do a decent animated version of Gene Colan's artwork, I might die of happiness.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:15 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
If someone could successfully do a decent animated version of Gene Colan's artwork, I might die of happiness.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:15 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
I unabashedly love this movie. It is objectively not good, for sure, but my love is true and unyielding.
Weird coincidence - my girlfriend's dad worked for ILM on a couple of films and this is one of them. Unfortunately, when the credits were put together, there wasn't room for him, so his name got added to another ILM picture released later that year - "The Golden Child".
posted by hanov3r at 12:36 PM on September 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Weird coincidence - my girlfriend's dad worked for ILM on a couple of films and this is one of them. Unfortunately, when the credits were put together, there wasn't room for him, so his name got added to another ILM picture released later that year - "The Golden Child".
posted by hanov3r at 12:36 PM on September 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Howard is in the background of at least 1 or 2 of the recent Marvel movies, so it isn't out of the realm of possibility...
He has a quick speaking part in a post-credits scene in the first Guardians of the Galaxy as one of the detainees in the lair of the Collector, or whatever Benicio del Toro's character was called. Howard is (not very good) CGI in that scene and he was voiced by Seth Green. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Marvel has plans for the character, like a Netflix show or something. Marvel has plans for every character in every book they ever published.
The horniness of this movie is weird, but it was a little less weird in the context of 80s movies. Back then family films could be surprisingly raunchy by modern standards. (Even E.T. features the phrase "dickbreath" and other stuff that sure as hell would not fly in a family picture today.) This movie isn't really raunchier than something like Back to the Future, but the raunch hits differently because Howard is a freaking duck-man who looks like something from H.R. Pufnstuf.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:24 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
He has a quick speaking part in a post-credits scene in the first Guardians of the Galaxy as one of the detainees in the lair of the Collector, or whatever Benicio del Toro's character was called. Howard is (not very good) CGI in that scene and he was voiced by Seth Green. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Marvel has plans for the character, like a Netflix show or something. Marvel has plans for every character in every book they ever published.
The horniness of this movie is weird, but it was a little less weird in the context of 80s movies. Back then family films could be surprisingly raunchy by modern standards. (Even E.T. features the phrase "dickbreath" and other stuff that sure as hell would not fly in a family picture today.) This movie isn't really raunchier than something like Back to the Future, but the raunch hits differently because Howard is a freaking duck-man who looks like something from H.R. Pufnstuf.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:24 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
That the Lea Thompson filmography includes having the hots for her own son in BttF, and having the hots for a giant talking duck in HtD, says something, though I’m not entirely sure what.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:33 PM on September 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 3:33 PM on September 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
Who says there are no good parts for women in Hollywood!
posted by Saxon Kane at 4:29 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Saxon Kane at 4:29 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
She took my eggs.
posted by MrBadExample at 6:04 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by MrBadExample at 6:04 PM on September 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Lea Thompson, of course. But Jeffrey Jones did some very good scenery chewing.
posted by porpoise at 6:41 PM on September 14, 2022
posted by porpoise at 6:41 PM on September 14, 2022
Just in case you all need more Howard, here is the novelization.
posted by Literaryhero at 7:42 PM on September 14, 2022
posted by Literaryhero at 7:42 PM on September 14, 2022
Phil Tippet did the stop-motion work on the Dark Overlords from the Nexus of Sominus. That's all I got. Oh... and Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar among others) did some of the duck puppeteering. ILM/Lucas put talent behind this is what I'm saying.
posted by Molesome at 2:01 AM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Molesome at 2:01 AM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is another one of those movies that apparently nobody saw,
Maybe it it's because I was in high school when it came out, but I remember it being somewhat popular! I didn't see it in the theater, but others did, people of the popular kids/mainstream crowd IIRC. I think it was probably the horny kookiness. There was merch!
posted by rhizome at 2:05 AM on September 15, 2022
Maybe it it's because I was in high school when it came out, but I remember it being somewhat popular! I didn't see it in the theater, but others did, people of the popular kids/mainstream crowd IIRC. I think it was probably the horny kookiness. There was merch!
posted by rhizome at 2:05 AM on September 15, 2022
Why is this movie so horny?
I don't know, but I was fifteen when this came out, and that "seduction" (seducktion, arf arf arf) scene gave me some new feelings about Lea Thompson that persist to this day.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 5:40 AM on September 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
I don't know, but I was fifteen when this came out, and that "seduction" (seducktion, arf arf arf) scene gave me some new feelings about Lea Thompson that persist to this day.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 5:40 AM on September 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Bev holding up a tiny condom
Of course, real ducks have corkscrew penises that can be 10” long in some species.
posted by snofoam at 7:05 AM on September 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
Of course, real ducks have corkscrew penises that can be 10” long in some species.
posted by snofoam at 7:05 AM on September 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
I was such a massive Thomas Dolby stan in my childhood that I'm pretty sure he was 90% of the reason I went to see this movie at age 10. With some historical distance, it was a bizarre time in Dolby's career. Moved to LA, married an actress, grew out his hair into a very '80s balding sweep, and made Aliens Ate My Buick (which I understand some people still think is a very good album, but its denatured funk is redeemed only by "Budapest By Blimp" imho). I remember very little about the movie itself (Lea Thompson's hair and the condom scene for sure), but it definitely marked a reckoning for one of my musical heroes. I'm happy to say that at least I missed out on this 1987 Japanese single, in which Howard covers ... a Ray Davies song?!
posted by mykescipark at 8:01 AM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mykescipark at 8:01 AM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
A novelization... of the Howard the Duck movie... Wow. I kinda want to read that.
posted by Saxon Kane at 8:58 AM on September 15, 2022
posted by Saxon Kane at 8:58 AM on September 15, 2022
at least I missed out on this 1987 Japanese single, in which Howard covers ... a Ray Davies song?!
Well, at least it wasn't Ducks on the Wall.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:47 PM on September 15, 2022
Well, at least it wasn't Ducks on the Wall.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:47 PM on September 15, 2022
Yeah - I was 14, and this movie was "da bomb" - special effects were great for the time - I watched it soooooo many times on - checks - SuperChannel... Yeah, it's weird and very strangely horny.
posted by rozcakj at 1:14 PM on September 15, 2022
posted by rozcakj at 1:14 PM on September 15, 2022
Pretty sure ducks also have legs on earth. Wonder if whoever wrote that description back in the day was pulling one.
posted by joeyh at 4:16 PM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by joeyh at 4:16 PM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Gerber couldn't finish the script in time for Colan and Palmer to draw it by deadline), and probably yelling at Marvel's legal team, who insisted he didn't own the character.
I have no idea how this was legal, but Marvel and DC were able to get creators to waive copyright when endorsing their checks to be paid.
posted by StarkRoads at 6:59 PM on September 15, 2022
I have no idea how this was legal, but Marvel and DC were able to get creators to waive copyright when endorsing their checks to be paid.
posted by StarkRoads at 6:59 PM on September 15, 2022
Glad for those above mentioning Steve Gerber who is sadly neglected at times in comic histories. One of the greats for sure. A favourite from my youth but it is a shame the film doesn't really capture that Gerber tone. I often wondered if it was George Lucas (he's executive producer) getting back at Gerber for the Star Wars parody he did.
No one's mentioned it but the writer director William Huyck while best known for his work on American Grafitti and Temple of Doom, his first film is worth a look - Messiah of Evil. Largely ignored in its day but over time has earned cult status. A meeting in the film in hotel room #237 has some claiming that it has a connection with Kubricks The Shining as well.
posted by Ashwagandha at 1:38 PM on September 18, 2022
No one's mentioned it but the writer director William Huyck while best known for his work on American Grafitti and Temple of Doom, his first film is worth a look - Messiah of Evil. Largely ignored in its day but over time has earned cult status. A meeting in the film in hotel room #237 has some claiming that it has a connection with Kubricks The Shining as well.
posted by Ashwagandha at 1:38 PM on September 18, 2022
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:44 AM on September 14, 2022 [5 favorites]