Action-Adventure The All Encompassing Zorro thread

[Hunter Rider]

Zorro Series in Development at Disney Branded Television Starring Wilmer Valderrama

 

[C. Lee]

Zorro Series in Development at Disney Branded Television Starring Wilmer Valderrama

I was just coming here to post this. It's pretty cool news. If you had said years ago that Valderama was going to be Zorro I would have been very skeptical....but after watching him on NCIS the last few years, I can see it.

 

[DarkKnight88]

I don’t care for Valderama but a classic Zorro set in his appropriate time period is definitely a win.

 

[Frodo]

Valderama seems too old for a young Diego returning from School in Spain, so maybe he'll be a long established Zorro .

Disney did a pretty good job with Zorro nearly 70 years ago, so Hopefully lightning will strike twice.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

Tony Dalton would make an awesome Zorro. He’s Mexican, suave & charismatic, and has the mustache already!

 

[Dr.]

Yet another planned series... or the same one?

‘Zorro’ Drama With Female Lead From Robert Rodriguez, Rebecca Rodriguez & Propagate In Works At The CW – Deadline

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

Yet another planned series... or the same one?

‘Zorro’ Drama With Female Lead From Robert Rodriguez, Rebecca Rodriguez & Propagate In Works At The CW – Deadline

The CW?

Show is dead on arrival

 

[Deck Rickard]

Regarding the show with Wilmer… when they say “Disney Branded Television,” does that mean Disney +? Because if so, then the show might be quality. If they mean ABC, then I don’t have much hope for it.

As for Wilmer himself… he’s never really impressed me as an actor but maybe he’ll surprise me here.

 

[Breogan]

I was just coming here to post this. It's pretty cool news. If you had said years ago that Valderama was going to be Zorro I would have been very skeptical....but after watching him on NCIS the last few years, I can see it.

Regarding the show with Wilmer… when they say “Disney Branded Television,” does that mean Disney +? Because if so, then the show might be quality. If they mean ABC, then I don’t have much hope for it.

As for Wilmer himself… he’s never really impressed me as an actor but maybe he’ll surprise me here.

Replied in the Disney Zorro TV thread
- Zorro back at Disney starring Valderrama

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[Breogan]

Zorro in Animation:

1957

1981- Filmation The New Adventures of Zorro

youtube]uf4Y6lpBHzY
Part of the greatest hour of Sat. Morn television - Filmation's; Tarzan - Lone Ranger - Zorro - Adventure Hour. (followed by Filmation's Flash Gordon on another network)


1996-The Legend of Zorro (Japanese: Kaiketsu Zoro, lit. "Extraordinary Zorro")
He of the magical exploding sword strike! Japanese/Italian production, went with a blond Diego.


1997 - Warner Bros. - The New Adventures of Zorro
Drew some from the McCulley pulps, added some steampunk(ish) and supernatural elements. And Zorro's Shaman grandmother Grey Owl.

Cartoon Network bumper

2002- DIC Entertainment The Amazing Zorro (made for TV animated film)

2006- BKN International - Zorro: Generation Z

Making Zorro another characters re-imagined as future Legacy (although in truth Zorro did it first)

The above mentioned
2015- French production series - Zorro: The Chronicles,

 

[Breogan]

Chronicles,

Also apparently a fun looking game...

 

[signalman]

 

[Dave McFly]

I rewatched Mask of Zorro still a fun movie 25 years later Antonio is awesome as Zorro and Catherine is muy caliente!

 

[samsnee]

Anthony Hopkins as CZJ’s father was …. questionable

 

[signalman]

 

[Asr]

Anthony Hopkins as CZJ’s father was …. questionable

Maybe so, but both were perfectly cast and I wouldn't have wanted anyone else in either role.

 

[Breogan]

Anthony Hopkins as CZJ’s father was …. questionable

No more or less convincing than Hopkins himself as a Spanish-American Don.
Wich in the end worked fine for me.

Plus she is the presumed daughter of Hopkins(Diego) and Julieta Rosen (Esperanza De La Vega), which she actually played quite convincingly both in look and accent (maybe a celtiberian temperament if there is such a thing)

But damn she was absolutely stunning in that film, how is anyone complaining.

Wish they'd kept a bit of deleted scenes, the riding and sword training scene where she showed her own skills, and wore a lady Zorro type bolero hat and gear, reflecting whose daughter she really is, might have lent itself more to anticipating the sequel.

Speaking of, enough time has passed since the sequel, I find myself nostalgic for it's cast and characters, that if they decided to do an Old Man Zorro with Banderas, now in a similar Hopkins role, passing the mantle to their (now grown and hopefully less annoying) son, making it a full 3 acts. I would not completley balk at the idea.
.

 

[Breogan]

Get that man a typwriter!
From a Fairbanks estate auction page: the original Zorro novel.

"Doug Sr.’s personal copy of the novel that inspired one of his most famous films: The Mark of Zorro (1920). This leather-bound volume was personally inscribed to Fairbanks by the author Johnston McCulley"

So who got the wining bid on that?

I do consider Zorro having two fathers, McCulley and Fairbanks. While McCulley created him, Fairbanks put him and somewhat defined his look on film, helped make him the icon he still is today, and with him pretty much defined the action hero movie genre going forward.

What's great McCulley who had written Zorro as a one-off character, with a definitive unmasking and end. Yet because of the success of Fairbanks' film, McCulley brought Zorro back for more.
Retroactively obfuscated who exactly witnessed the unmasking, allowed him to continue, he also brought back the main villain, thought to have died, horribly marked with a Z across his face, never actually died on page, was just left twitching and still dying.
Using that to his advantage, and great effect - the mysterious villain of the second book, keeps to the shadows, psychotically bent on revenge, finally revealing his face permanently scarred with "Z" you realize who he is, somewhat becoming Zorro' analogues Joker, as Zorro and the reader at first do not suspect who he is, or that he'd survived, until the fantastic end reveal.

Apologies if that was a 100 year old spoiler, yeah the second Zorro story is now 100 years old.

 

[C. Lee]

A new anthology of Zorro stories is coming out.

The opening tale in the new anthology, ZORRO'S EXPLOITS, licensed by Zorro Productions Inc., is captured on the cover by artist Francisco Silva of Portugal. The Tekla Cichocka of Poland, and illustrated by Sora Almasy of Italy, “The Alcalde’s Last Try” fulfills a fan-fiction version of the Zorro character as played by Duncan Regehr, innkeeper Victoria Escalante played by Patrice Martinez and the Alcalde played by John Hertzler. **

 

[Breogan]

Random...
I always liked these two paralles:

218 King Street Hammersmith London
Never been, apparently closed, missed my chance to eat there.
Though I can't imagine the food was the best, still atmosphere looked fun, I absolutely love the themeing, and pairing of this duo.
Yes, I would have gone for that alone.

The classics

Megos...

50s TV 6qdfed.gif

The lunch boxes ...

Disney Comics

Edited a while back, always wished Disney had done an anthropomorphic animated Zorro, in the style of their Robin Hood.

Imagine: Bernardo as a bear.

Sgt. Garcia & Corporal Reyes as two bumbling Badgers (although I always thought the Tijuana Toads duo were suspiciously based on them.

Capitán Monastario as a Wolf or Jackal. (You won't see it acknowledged on the Wiki or in fandom, yet Tale Spin's Don Karnage is clearly based on the Gay Blades Captain Esteban (in itself a spoof on Zorro's long running Captain nemesi)

"The Eagle" as an Eagle.

And a couple of Jaguars as the Disney version of the Murieta Brothers,

 

[Breogan]

A new anthology of Zorro stories is coming out.

The opening tale in the new anthology, ZORRO'S EXPLOITS, licensed by Zorro Productions Inc., is captured on the cover by artist Francisco Silva of Portugal. The Tekla Cichocka of Poland, and illustrated by Sora Almasy of Italy, “The Alcalde’s Last Try” fulfills a fan-fiction version of the Zorro character as played by Duncan Regehr, innkeeper Victoria Escalante played by Patrice Martinez and the Alcalde playyed by John Hertzler. **

Still haven't watched all the 90s (New World) Zorro series, did it end on a cliff hanger? Popular enough to garner a fan written finally, and Zorro inc. to publish, might check it out.

It's been mentioned, (Zorro TV thread) the Marvel comics run was also based on this series, not sure if that had a definitive end....

Should be easy enough to track the originals, and I think "American Mythology" did reprints too, Don't know if it was ever collected as one volume?

 

[signalman]

Viewmaster.

 

[Breogan]

Nice! ^I do remember having a few of those.

-
Not sure what fans expectation or where they stand on Zorro's kill or no kill etiquette? Especially with the upcoming reimagined return to Disney (I'll refrain from bringing up my usual Zorro regularly uses a flintlock pistol/gun as part of his arsenal rant, for now)
Different incarnations have played it differently.

1919 - The classic McCulley pulps, Zorro had little compunction about killing when necessary to save a life.
He didn't just use his blade to mark people.
The scarring of faces with a bloody Z, was him being nice.
However it wasn't often, usually he found ways around it, yet if it came to it, after killing, he never took it lightly, and would ask the padre to pray for his soul and forgiveness.

1920 - Fairbanks is more the devil-may-care prankster, outfoxing, outwitting, and humiliating, while grimly marking his opponents, he's never shown killing.
Even the final duel where in Curse of Capistrano (pulp/novel) it's implied he kills Captain Ramon, in the film he only ever Marks him.

1939 - Fighting Legion one of my absolute favorite, Zorro's: Pistol if you are lucky gets you disarmed, as does a bullwhip, come at him one more time and you won't be as lucky, shot through the heart, a lethal sword to the gut. he's Just missing the throwing daggers there. (Point being, Zorro has options (he's the original dark avenger with the superhero utility belt)

1940 - Power's Zorro kills a couple of soldiers without mercy, and most famously the definative demise of (Basil Rathbone) Captain Esteban.

1957 - Disney Zorro is definitely the divil-may-care, enjoying a sword fight with a smile, usually outfoxing, out-fencing, disarming and humiliating his opponents was his major MO. Yet surprisingly didn't shy away from killing, if someone had it coming.
Check out that sheathing power-stance after a kill.

Fun, for the kids!

Curious to see how Disney plays it this time around?

1975 - Alain Delon version, actually takes a vow to never use the Zorro identity to kill, and spends most of the film doing the clever outfoxing , pranking and marking soldiers. Yet the murder of the Padre, in effect absolves Zorro of his never kill vow, leading to one of my favorite movie final showdown lines, and scenes .......

1990 - New World seems definitely more "family" I do enjoy this clever fight move here, although likely not rated for it? I can imagine what the on set sword master had in mind with this move possibly designed to end with him stabbing his own man, yet avoided.

1998 - Mask cleverly played both ways, with scenes like this as he doesn't touch either, yet has them brutally take each-other out, absolute brilliant move!

Although ultimately a revenge tale leads to the classic unmask reveal, accompanied by lethal sword strike, yet Love is still living, and actually taken out by the crushing weight of his own pilfered gold.

Similarly Hopkins (who plays De La Vega) has no compunction about using their own weapons against themselves, to lethal ends. ^
And similarly allows Montero to be dragged down by his own gold.

Most work great for a one-off final kill, yet for an ongoing series they will have to make a choice.
I think for Zorro the devil-may-care, clever outfoxing, and "marking" humiliation should always be his main approach.
Yet killing (while he's never the Grim pulpy Shadow, or callous killer who might revel in it), when it appears necessary I think it should be part of his MO. After all his weapon of choice by design, is a lethal one.
Either way clever sword choreography is a must for any Zorro version.

 

[Airwings]

Nice! ^I do remember having a few of those.

-
Not sure what fans expectation or where they stand on Zorro's kill or no kill etiquette? Especially with the upcoming reimagined return to Disney (I'll refrain from bringing up my usual Zorro regularly uses a flintlock pistol/gun as part of his arsenal rant, for now)
Different incarnations have played it differently.

The classic McCulley pulps, Zorro had no compunction about killing when necessary to save a life.
He didn't just use his blade to mark people.
The scaring of faces with a bloody Z, was him being nice.
However it wasn't often, usually he found ways around it, yet if it came to it, after killing, he never took it lightly, and would ask the padre to pray for his soul and forgiveness.

Fairbanks is more the devil-may-care prankster, outfoxing, outwitting, and humiliating, while grimly marking his opponents, he's never shown killing.
Even the final duel where in Curse of Capistrano (pulp/novel) it's implied he kills Captain Ramon, in the film he only ever Marks him.

Fighting Legion one of my absolute favorite, Zorro's: Pistol if you are lucky gets you disarmed, as does a bullwhip, come at him one more time bro, you are getting a lethal sword to the gut. Just missing the throwing daggers there. (Point being, Zorro has options (man with the original superhero utility belt)

Power's Zorro kills soldiers without mercy, and most famously the demise of
(Basil Rathbone) Captain Esteban

Disney Zorro is definitely the divil-may-care, enjoying a sword fight with a smile, usually outfoxing, and humiliating his opponents was his major MO. Yet surprisingly didn't shy away from killing, if someone had it coming.
Check out that tenacious sheathing power-stance after a good kill.

Curious to see how Disney plays it this time around?

Alain Delon version, actually takes a vow to never use the Zorro identity to kill, and spends most of the film doing the clever outfoxing , pranking and marking soldiers. Yet the murder of the Padre, in effect absolves Zorro of his never kill vow, leading to one of my favorite movie final showdown challenge lines, and scenes .......

New World seems definitely more "family" I do enjoy this clever fight move here, although likely not rated for it? I can imagine what the on set sword master had in mind, with this possibly designed to end with him stabbing his own man.

Mask cleverly played both ways, with scenes like this as he doesn't touch either, yet has them brutally take each-other out, absolute brilliant move!

Although ultimately a revenge tale, probably a lethal strike, yet Love is actually taken out by the crushing weight of his own pilfered gold.

Similarly Hopkins (who plays De La Vega) has no compunction about using their own weapons against themselves, to lethal ends. And similarly allows Montero to be dragged down by his own gold.


Most work great for a one-off final kill, yet for an ongoing series they will have to make a choice.
I think for Zorro the dviil-may-care, clever outfoxing, and "marking" humiliation should always be his main approach.
Yet killing (while he's never the Grim pulpy Shadow, or callous killer who might revel in it), when it appears necessary I think it should be part of his MO. After all his weapon of choice by design, is a lethal one.
Either way clever sword choreography is a must for any Zorro version.

You're a real Zorro fan, aren't you?

This summary is impressive!!