|
Post by helrunar on Jun 6, 2019 15:49:46 GMT
You are aware that there's a film version of this epic yarn, aren't you? It sounds like perfect fodder for one of those "SyFy" channel confections. It would make a change from those endless things involving whirlwinds of CGI sharks gobbling people up.
H.
|
|
|
Post by bobdirehack on Jun 6, 2019 21:09:02 GMT
I'd probably subscribe to SyFy if they made a film version of Night of the Crabs. It's my favorite of the novel nasties I've read so far. I didn't know there's a movie. The only two giant crab movies I've been able to find are Island Claws and Attack of the Crab Monsters.
|
|
|
Post by johnnymains on Jun 6, 2019 21:15:16 GMT
And Guys states that ISLAND CLAWS is based on his novel even though he's not credited ML: The Crabs series has developed a following over the years. Were you surprised by the success of the series?
GNS: Yes, I was surprised by the success of the Crabs series. It was also filmed in the 1980’s as ‘Island Claws.’ Best sellers are rare, you can never forecast how a book will be received. This one came at the right time, that record hot summer of 1976 when ‘beach reads’ were in demand.
|
|
|
Post by helrunar on Jun 6, 2019 21:27:27 GMT
|
|
|
Post by helrunar on Jun 6, 2019 21:36:41 GMT
I read in an interview years ago that US 1960s "gothic" novelist Dan Ross (who published his emissions under wife Marilyn's name, presumably so she could continue to collect royalties after his death) was once so close to a deadline that the final chapters of one of his "novels" was typed by him sitting in the back seat of his station wagon, parked in front of the post office. As soon as the final page came off the rack, into a mailer and the post the completed MS went, barely on time to meet the latest contractual obligation.
I've wondered, reading these excerpts, if Mr. Smith's books were composed with a similar degree of haste and obligation.
H.
|
|
|
Post by bobdirehack on Jun 7, 2019 20:49:36 GMT
All else being equal, Night of the Crabs resembles Roger Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters (1956) slightly more than it does Island Claws (1980). Both have giant crabs, but Attack has a giant telepathic crab, whereas Island just has a big crab.
|
|
|
Post by bobdirehack on Jun 14, 2019 20:26:40 GMT
Chapter 7 The airbase sentry is a slacker. The crabs decapitate him. The crabs attack the base and eat some guys, then leave. Here we're also introduced to one of Guy's pet peeves... In London, Cliff & Pat meet with Commander Grisedale. Due to media reports Shell Island has become THE destination tourist spot as gawkers flood the countryside. They palaver as Cliff casually gropes Pat. There's so much I don't miss about the 1970s. Back at Mrs. Jones boarding house, they boink.
|
|
|
Post by bobdirehack on Jun 14, 2019 20:42:51 GMT
Chapter 8 The crabs dismember a fisherman in Barmouth harbor. No doubt, somewhere Pat and Cliff are boinking. The great crab invasion begins! A tank shoots the crabs. It only stuns them. The crabs lift a tank and throw it in the harbor. British tanks are weak! The crabs overrun the town. Fire won't stop them. Mortars won't stop them. Even cotton candy and skee-ball are useless against the relentless crab army. Stupid Assumption #153
(No, that's not my mistake.)
Eventually the crabs get tired of pwning British tanks and leave. Immediately swarms of gawkers descend on the town because it's impossible to cordon off Welsh towns. I guess. At the Town Hall, Commander Grisedale tells the assembly that they're gonna find and blow up the crab's underwater lair, thus saving England and the world. This gives Cliff a chubby.
Back at Mrs Jones, Cliff explains the plan to Pat. She is appropriately impressed and Guy's word count is substantially lengthened.
|
|
|
Post by bobdirehack on Jun 14, 2019 20:59:11 GMT
Cliff, Pat and some navy guys take a boat out to search for the crabs. Cliff dons scuba gear and dives in because there are no other scuba divers in the British navy. Nope. Not a one. They don't find anything. More crappy British tanks arrive. Next day we learn that other divers are looking up and down the coast. Cliff fears they might overlook the enormous crab army because of inexperience. Cliff is clearly an idiot. Cliff finds a big cave with the crabs sleeping. Do crabs sleep? What do they dream about? A sentry crab arrives and Cliff has to hide. Tension! Back up top, Pat is worrying about Cliff. One of the navy guys gets ready to look for him. The other navy guy makes tea. Stupid assumptions bloom like kudzu. Diver Stan looks for Cliff. He assumes Cliff found some interesting plants and that's why he didn't come back. Stan is clearly as dumb as Cliff. Stupid Assumption #612 He finds the cave and just assumes Cliff is in there? Or something? Then he finds crabs. Tension!
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Jan 18, 2022 10:00:52 GMT
Because The Vault without a decent picture of one of the greats is a sad place.
|
|
|
Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jul 5, 2022 14:02:54 GMT
There's an interesting article in today's Telegraph (not normally a paper I read) by Matthew Sweet about a 1980s 'Doctor Who' screenplay Milton Subotsky had been touting about as a belated sequel to his two 60s Dalek films... but which actually originated as an adaptation of GNS's book... www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/outlandish-doctor-who-story-never/
|
|
|
Post by helrunar on Jul 5, 2022 15:54:25 GMT
Intriguing! Thanks, Daniel!
Cheers, Steve
|
|
|
Post by Michael Connolly on Jul 5, 2022 16:54:15 GMT
There's an interesting article in today's Telegraph (not normally a paper I read) by Matthew Sweet about a 1980s 'Doctor Who' screenplay Milton Subotsky had been touting about as a belated sequel to his two 60s Dalek films... but which actually originated as an adaptation of GNS's book... www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/outlandish-doctor-who-story-never/I saw that earlier today and assumed it was fake news.
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Jul 5, 2022 17:17:43 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Michael Connolly on Jul 5, 2022 17:50:35 GMT
Thanks. I wouldn't want even a free subscription to The Telegraph.
|
|