The ’93 Super Mario Bros. Movie Lives Again. Yes, Still.
So I saw the new Super Mario Bros. animated movie over the weekend. It didn’t blow me away by any means, but I enjoyed it, namely for its wonderful use of color, neat animations, fun Nintendo fan service (it’s everywhere!) and, of course, Jack Black killin’ it as Bowser. I had a good time with it. (Also, stay through the post-credits.)
But here’s something I didn’t expect — the overwhelming success of the new Super Mario Bros. movie is actually spreading over to the ’93 live-action version.
For those who missed it, the ’93 version, starring the late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the “brothers” and Dennis Hopper as a ridiculous Koopa, is bad. Even the directors got kicked off the set during filming because they were so terrible at their job.
And yet…it’s incredibly watchable. And fun while doing so. You just accept its badness and the fact that Fisher Stevens is in it as a cronie and Mojo Nixon is Toad for some reason. And Lance Henriksen is a piece of phlegm up until the end. It’s just wild and weird.
I picked up the Blu-Ray (international release) a while ago that actually includes a director’s cut of the film (with unfinished footage, of course), and it’s well worth a watch. Even if it is notoriously bad. 90s gaming cinema was weird and glorious.
Now here’s why I mentioned that. The ’93 Super Mario Bros. DVD is actually the best-selling piece of home media on Amazon right now. Think about that. It’s outselling pre-orders for other mega-blockbusters like Ant-Man vs. the Wasp: Quantumania and others of that type. A movie. From ’93. On a bare-bones DVD that doesn’t even have a commentary (though I’m sure the directors would have to be drunk before they record it). And yet it’s sold out to the point that copies can’t be shipped until early May. That’s just plain nuts.
I guess people are just curious. Or maybe they want to enjoy this piece of delicious stinky cheese alongside the new film, out of sheer curiosity. Or, who knows, maybe Leguizamo got them curious talking about how the new movie didn’t have representation like the old one did.
All the same, it’s interesting how the old movie is getting exposure again, despite the fact it doesn’t have a proper Blu-Ray release (though the one I snagged is just fine) and it’s not available digitally (outside of RiffTrax, though their take on the film is absolutely magnificent — Nintendo jokes everywhere!).
So no matter which version you watch, I hope you have a good ol’ Mario time. As I said, the new movie is a good time for the whole family, but there’s just something incredibly wild about the ’93 version, and how well it holds up with its stinkiness. Hell, we watched it in a bar down here in Florida last week, on the day that the new movie released. (Fun fact: I helped secure them the copy. Friends don’t let friends go without watching Super Mario Bros.)
Now if we can just get Captain Lou Albano’s classic show circulating again. Particularly the episode with Rowdy Roddy Piper. Yes, that’s a thing.
Have a great week, all!
