I realize that as a general rule, readers here have seen enough of the reviews of John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood so I’m not reposting them all here. But Ron Fortier at “Pulp Fiction Reviews” has written one that resonates, not so much for what it says specifically about the book — but more because of how he evokes the experience that so many of us went through as we saw John Carter (of Mars) finally make it to the screen, only to fail, and then to realize, gradually, the totality of the system failures that were visited upon this cherished piece of literature in its journey to the screen.
Here’s the review. I have some comments but I’ll put them in the comment section after others have had a chance to read it.
REVIEW : JOHN CARTER AND THE GODS OF HOLLYWOOD
By Michael D. Sellers
Universal Media
348 Pages
Every now and then I’ll read a book and then find myself debating whether to review it here and share my thoughts with all of you. I do my best to keep these reviews dedicated to pulp “fiction” but regular followers know I have dealt with non-fiction titles in the past; especially those I felt had a strong connection to pulp literature. That this book is all about the movie version of “A Princess of Mars,” by the greatest pulp writer of them all, Edgar Rice Burroughs, qualifies it above and beyond my parameters for this review column.
No, the reason I was having doubts about reviewing this book are my own personal feelings of animosity towards many of the people who were a part of one of the most disastrous Hollywood marketing fiascos of all time. It is book that details catastrophic incompetence among so many high ranking Disney executives one is left marveling how such a great movie as “John Carter,” ever got made in the first place. It also turns the spotlight on the heroes of this epic calamity; the few with the courage of their convictions and the daring audacity to see it finished. All this despite the selfish individuals determined to see them fail to the point of spreading lies to their cronies; unscrupulous movie critics eager for any scrap of negativity to enhance their own lackluster careers.