"Fantastic Faux!"

By: News Editor
Date: Friday, February 25, 2005
Source: Los Angeles Magazine

Los Angeles Magazine's March 2005 issue has an article by Robert Ito discussing the first "Fantastic Four" film made in 1993.

Ito interviewed Roger Corman, German producer Bernd Eichinger who bought the rights cheap from Marvel, Stan Lee and members of the cast.

Lee told the magazine, "That movie was never supposed to be shown anywhere. This fellow had the rights to do the Fantastic Four movie for, like, 15 years and finally the option was due to lapse. If he hadn't begun principal photography by December, he would lose the option."

He goes on to say, "The tragic thing is that the people involved with the film were not aware that the movie was never supposed to be shown to anybody."

At the time Bernd Eichinger decided to approach Roger Corman, the "King of B films," to enlist his aid in making the film quick and cheap. The project starred Jay Underwood as "Human Torch," Rebecca Staab as "Invisible Girl," Michael Baily Smith as "The Thing" and Alex Hyde-White as "Mr. Fantastic." The movie was produced by Corman and directed by Oley Sassone.

Sassone told Los Angeles Magazine, "I wish the people would have at least have had the f***ing decency to say, 'Look, let's at least give the guy a decent copy of his work." He goes on to say he is glad there are bootleg copies on e-Bay though Corman calls it "theft."

For the full six page story, with photos and screen caps, check out the issue on stands now or very soon.