Most are aware that when Fantastic Four hits theaters next weekend, it won’t be the first big screen iteration of the comics heroes. But Tim Story’s 2005 film wasn’t the first either. That honor goes to a 1994 movie called The Fantastic Four produced by Roger Corman. The myth surrounding the picture verges on legend, as it was never released to theaters or home video and suffered a disastrous production. It was really only made because Constantin Films was in danger of losing the rights to the Marvel property if they didn’t start production by a certain deadline, so the picture was shot in under 25 days on a $1 million budget.

The film has since become available via bootleg recordings, and a documentary called Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s “The Fantastic Four” is currently in the works. But with director Josh Trank’s reboot forthcoming, a new trailer mashup has been created by New York Magazine that blends audio of the new Fox film with the wonderfully cheesy visuals of Corman’s adaptation. It’s actually a fantastic cut, complete with VHS-style intro and shaky quality, and it kind of makes me want to see this movie.

Check out the trailer mashup below, via /Film, and begin debating over whose Thing is better: Corman’s or Trank’s. And if you missed the most recent real (and final) trailer for Trank's film, which stars Miles TellerMichael B. JordanKate MaraJamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell, click here to watch.


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Image via 20th Century Fox