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Black Scorpion tv series

19 Jun 2017 12:08 #54874 by five_red
Black Scorpion tv series was created by five_red
With the recent passing of Adam West, I was reminded of the campy Michelle Lintel version of Black Scorpion that ran on Sci-Fi (aka SyFy) in 2001, featuring West as a recurring guest villain. I remember hearing about this show back in the day, but it totally slipped off of my radar. The show didn't do to well on Sci-Fi (now SyFy) and never really got screened outside of the US (even today it's a Region 1 DVD exclusive), so in the age before YouTube all I had to go on was a few small dial-up-era sized images. West's death, however, reminded me of series -- both West and Frank Gorshin had guested as villains -- so I figured I'd dig around and see what material was out there.

Surprisingly, not a lot.

A handful of episodes have found their way onto YouTube etc. (not in a R1 location, so access to all 22 episodes on DVD is going to be a hassle for me) and it is quite clear from that sample that the show had its failings, notably the silly dialogue, an over-reliance on stock shots for certain action sequences, and some scenery chewing performances. But amidst the silliness there's also a lot to enthuse the superheroine community. The show struggles with its limited budget and sfx capabilities, but still manages to turn out quite a few super-villainesses in half-decent costumes (by the standards of the time!) The video effects, particularly the title character's secret identity transformations, are generally handled quite well. Lintel has a martial arts background, so does okay with the action stuff.

So I guess my question is, as someone who didn't experience the show first time round, and has no real access to it today, what are people's views on Black Scorpion? Was it a total train wreck, or did it have redeeming qualities?


R5

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19 Jun 2017 14:25 #54876 by www1969
Replied by www1969 on topic Black Scorpion tv series
My take on Black Scorpion was that it was a campy show made by people who who didn't completely understand camp. I felt they either needed to give in to the low-budget silliness of it all (represented mostly by the rogue's gallery of villains) or commit to doing the best superheroine show they could do on a shoestring budget. It seemed they landed somewhere in the middle and failed to serve either master. It didn't help that while Michelle Lintel was definitely easy on the eyes, her range as an actress was, to be kind, somewhat limited.
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19 Jun 2017 14:51 #54877 by lfan
Replied by lfan on topic Black Scorpion tv series
Black Scorpion -- like most Roger Corman creations -- was pure cheesecake! Most of the villainesses/henchwomen were ex-pinup models or Playboy centerfolds and certainly looked good in their costumes.

Of special note to this crowd was the villainess Aerobicide who worked her clients out to death -- literally -- and no, I'm not making this up. Aerobicide was a super-enhanced fitness instructor played by Susie Allman.

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19 Jun 2017 17:20 #54883 by kikass2014
Replied by kikass2014 on topic Black Scorpion tv series

...the villainess Aerobicide who worked her clients out to death -- literally -- and no, I'm not making this up


HAHAHAH! Seriously OO

I have to admit, I don't really remember much about the show, except the obvious of good looking women in swimsuit style costumes :blush:

Peace.

/K

P.S. Tnx Lfan for that description. Haven't had a laugh like that in a while. :)

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19 Jun 2017 18:49 #54886 by Agent00Soul
Replied by Agent00Soul on topic Black Scorpion tv series
Thanks for reminding me about Black Scorpion and Aerobicide. It's more fun to look at than I remembered.

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