Yes.
It seems like everyone is talking about The Rocketeer lately. And by everyone, I guess I mean me.
There’s actually been a frisson of conversation recently about the 1991 Walt Disney Pictures production on Twitter, owing to the recent release of a rather snazzy trailer for this summer’s Captain America. Marvel’s latest film adaptation is directed by Joe Johnston, who directed The Rocketeer (and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!) for Disney, and with its World War II setting and comic-inspired feel, many fans think it’s the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Rocketeer sequel. There had once been plans for two sequels starring the Rocketeer, but when the film failed to reach blockbuster status upon its initial release those plans were abandoned.
Anyway, although we might have given up plans for a revival, fans still hope for a remotely decent home theater release of the original film, and considering that this year is the film’s 20th (!!!) anniversary now might be the perfect time. Especially considering that those ever-eager folks in the marketing department can now bill it is “From the Director of Captain America: The First Avenger! ZOMG!”
This is a drum I intend to keep pounding throughout the year. I want my deluxe 20th Anniversary Special Edition Rocketeer on Blu-ray.
In the meantime, you can listen to this inaugural “Metro-Retro Historical Society” broadcast – featuring me! – from our pals at WEDway Radio. After the discussion on Twitter the other week, the guys asked me to come on, hang out, and reminisce about our love for this great little film. Take a listen, and enjoy!
Dang! You trumped me! I have a series of Rocketeer articles coming up in about a week or so.
This is totally off-topic, so sorry for hijacking this post, but did you see this:
http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58591
The Florida Hospital for Children built the EPCOT hotel!! It’s built to scale, it’s not a hotel, and it’s not in EPCOT, but I’m blown away that the people involved with this project would even know/care about something like that. Simply incredible!
HA! Jeff – sorry! I typically train my story-stealing ray on George, but it must have strayed off course! But we can never have enough Rocketeer – maybe we can get that Blu-ray if we talk about it enough…
Mark – That is AWESOME. I had no idea. I saw where that was happening the other day but didn’t really care about it so I didn’t look at any of the reports. I didn’t know they’d do something crazy like that! Excellent. Thanks for the link.
The Rocketeer’s rocket-pack is visible at Disney Studios. In the Backlot-Tour, as you enter the wharehouse en route to loading onto the tram-vehicles, the first long aisle you walk down as you enter the structure, at the very end before you start snaking through to your left, at the very top of the shelve-units housing the prop displays. I’m pretty sure there are two of them. Got pushed along quicker than I wanted and didn’t get a photo. Great to see, though! Even if it’s just a dusty ‘relic’, it’s a concept, if perfected, that would reshape human civilation forever for the better. Thanks for posting this article, good reading. I appreciate your efforts.
[…] long online chat led to a guest spot on a Metro-Retro Historical Society podcast with the WEDway Radio guys, where we talked about our […]