AN (UNLICENSED) EVENING WITH DAN POOLE
Dir. Dan Poole, et al., 1969-1992
United States. 125 min.
In English.

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 – 7 PM

This month, Spectacle is thrilled to host an evening of superhero “fan films” featuring a remote Q&A with death-defying DIY filmmaker Dan Poole.

From Andy Warhol’s BATMAN DRACULA, to the Turkish pop cinema of the 1960s and 70s, to this year’s own THE PEOPLE’S JOKER, unauthorized “fan films” of popular superhero IP have been a staple of the culture for as long as comic books and copyrights have coexisted. In 1992, upon hearing that James Cameron was writing a script for a big screen Spider-Man feature, Baltimore native Dan Poole gathered together $400, a committed group of friends, and an uncompromising vision to craft what many consider to be the greatest fan film ever made: A DIY adaptation of the iconic Spider-Man story arc “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”.

Eighteen months in the making, THE GREEN GOBLIN’S LAST STAND grew to be a cult sensation over the next decade through a combination of secret screenings, bootleg VHS copies circulated at comic conventions, and online auctions taking place out from under Marvel Comics’ watchful eye. Much of what set LAST STAND apart from other fan films was the sheer dedication of its director, producer, writer, creative editor, stunt performer, and star, Dan Poole, whose creative ethos of “getting the shot” above all else resulted in some of the most inventive and audacious DIY filmmaking ever captured, with Poole jumping off bridges, riding on top of cars, and swinging on ropes four stories off the ground with no safety net, all to bring his own vision of the character to life.

Three decades later, amidst a glut of generic CGI-driven superhero cinema, LAST STAND feels like a breath of fresh air. A comic book adaptation like no other, and a true testament to the spirit and passion of DIY filmmakers. Join us on July 17th for a program featuring Poole’s early fan films, presented alongside a sampling of (similarly unauthorized) fan-made shorts from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and followed by a virtual Q&A with Poole himself.