I paid money to see that in the theater… opening weekend even. While it is indeed awful, I enjoyed it a lot.
I actually liked this movie. Maybe it was the nearly-naked Leah Thompson that blinded me to its…deficiencies.
I look forward to the Marvel Studious version of this material. After all, Howard already appeared in the post-credit scene in their best movie yet, Guardians of the Galaxy! Although I was the only one in the cinema laughing out loud upon seeing that character.
I remember sitting through this wondering how it managed a PG rating. A good friend had a pretty solid Howard comic collection, but I was still surprised by how many explicit references to sex–and plenty of near-nudity, or actual nudity if you count a duck woman’s nipples–the film had.
Same. Best thing about it was Jeffrey Jones, and even that has been ruined by later…events.
DEATH FROM THE SKIES TO ALL DUCK HUNTERS!
Love this movie.
Yes, it’s terrible, but it has a very charming performance from Tim Robbins, great stop-motion, and some fantastically horrid '80s rock. I must have listened to the sound track a thousand times,
Now where’s my Blu Ray?
Oh man… 8 year old me fucking LOVED this movie. I watched my VHS copy of it WAY too many times.
As truly bad as it is, that movie accomplished a singular feat I’ve yet to see duplicated. It started off weird as fuck and continued to steadily ratchet up the weirdness for almost two hours! Even Buckaroo Banzai flagged a bit here and there.
I loved this when I was seven or eight (watching on tape). It was only recently that I discovered it bombed so badly.
I think the film just mis-targeted its audience. Clearly it wasn’t intended for seven-year-olds (I remember being confused by the rolled-up condom), but if it had been it probably would have done well.
In the defense of this movie I should say that not only have there been worse films, but there have been worse comic book films, several of them quite recently… But I’m not sure I would ever pay money to see this again.
If watching a scantily-clad Lea Thompson attempt to seduce a talking duck is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
HtD is a misunderstood, under-rated masterpiece. Like UHF. It’s only starting to become a Cult Film. One day it will get its due.
Only the release of Tank Girl at around the same time keeps this from being #1 on my worst-of-all-time comic-to-movie list.
Funny thing, I just heard Lea Thompson talking about this movie on The Nerdist podcast. She also thought it sucks, and felt that had the movie come out a bit later, and used Roger Rabbit-style animation instead of a little guy in a rubber suit, it might have worked. But it didn’t, and it doesn’t.
Worked as film crew on this, but never saw it. OMGlob was it 30 years ago?
I remember burning down the Cajun Sushi bar three times. And meeting Thomas Dolby.
Thanks Jason.
This is your fault, AND your fault. The post on FB reminded me to ask Hannah if she wanted to see it.
You are a better man than me for not seeing it and yeah 30 years ago…which like means I am old. 
It had a pretty successful second life as a nearly weekly repeat on USA Network’s overnight programming in the 90s.
I would have thought Howard’s cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy would have sparked a comeback.
I honestly loved this movie.
And not just because of this.
Although it didn’t hurt.
