Howard the Duck on DVD

Some people love it, most people hate it and no doubt a fair few haven't heard of Howard the Duck. But like it or not it finally arrives on DVD in the UK on February the 18th. Released here in the UK as Howard: A New Breed of Hero the film was slated by the critics, Howard the Turkey etc... It is true to say that probably the worst thing in a film called Howard the Duck is the Duck itself.
Most people seem under the impression that George Lucas directed this film, the actual culprit was Willard Huyck who co-wrote American Graffiti and did some script doctoring on Star Wars, he also directed the abysmal Best Defense with Eddie Murphy and Dudley Moore back in 1984.
The film does have some very neat special FX by ILM and Lea Thompson in her Nightie :)

The story is it's thanks to Howard the Duck flopping at the Box Office that Lucas sold the Division of Lucasfilm that later became Pixar.

Howard the Duck !

Now I assume most people have seen the Movie of Howard the Duck, it always seems to get a mixed response with people I know, on the whole it was a load of crap, but it had some good bits too, but the sad fact is that the worst part of Howard the Duck, or Howard:A New Breed of Hero as it was known in the UK, was the actual Duck.

Many years before the movie Fangoria Magazine ran an interview with Make-up artist Stan Winston (Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Jurrasic Park) Pictured were 2 sculptures he'd done for a movie version of Howard the Duck, now this version never happened, and I doubt if it had they'd have had the technology then to make Howard look great, they're cool sculptures still though.

Howard the Duck is one project that could be really great if done right, but sadly the stigma attached to the name because of the Lucasfilm Movie would mean it would probably never get financing these days. Howard would be so much easier to do these days CG, he wouldn't have to look like a guy in a duck suit !