Shrunken women board

I was thinking about the early 80s "Incredible Shrinking Woman" movie, and this thought came to me:

So Dr. Nortz of the Kleinman Institute (and the Organization for World Management) needs Pat Kramer's blood to make a serum to shrink the world. Why the elaborate plans to kidnap her? If he's the doctor who discovered why she was shrinking and is looking for an antidote, couldn't he just call her up at any time and say he has tests to run? He could have done that when she was half-sized and no one would have batted an eyelash. He could have done that when she was any size.

Stupid bad guys.

Not to mention that they almost certainly have plenty of blood samples taken already. They wouldn't even need to call her. I always like to imagine that they bad guys pull it off and shrink the world.

I thought she was shrinking do to unquite body chemestry. So wouldn't not work on others.

The cause of her shrinking was a combination of household chemicals and an imbalance already presence in her system.

However, Dr. Nortz theorizes he can concoct a serum from her blood to shrink others. Since he's the doctor studying her, why would he need to have her kidnapped to get her blood. He could just call her up and say, "Yo, Pat, I wanna run a test. Come over."

My understanding is that the kidnapping of Pat Kramer was a 'plan b' after Pat's refusal to have a real doll made of her. If Pat had agreed to the offer made by the Ned Beatty character acting on behalf of the Institute, the outcome would surely have been different....and we would not have had Sidney the Gorilla, which always drew cheers from the audience when he gave the cops the middle finger.

Kidnapping her was actually their "Plan C." Both their "Plan A" (at dinner) and "Plan B" (phone call next morning) of getting her to pose for a doll failed.

But the ultimate goal was the doctor who diagnosed her shrinking (Dr. Nortz) getting samples of her blood to make the serum. He didn't need these plans. He's her doctor! He could have just called her up and said, "Drop by the office for some tests" and he draws blood, and no one else knows. He could call her in weekly to get more!

But ultimately, you're right. Without "Plan C," there's no Sidney the gorilla and the keystone cop capers in the secret lair under the strip mall.

scidram wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:57 am

Kidnapping her was actually their "Plan C." Both their "Plan A" (at dinner) and "Plan B" (phone call next morning) of getting her to pose for a doll failed.

But the ultimate goal was the doctor who diagnosed her shrinking (Dr. Nortz) getting samples of her blood to make the serum. He didn't need these plans. He's her doctor! He could have just called her up and said, "Drop by the office for some tests" and he draws blood, and no one else knows. He could call her in weekly to get more!

But ultimately, you're right. Without "Plan C," there's no Sidney the gorilla and the keystone cop capers in the secret lair under the strip mall.

You know what? Let's just say he didn't think of that. We're gonna hurt our heads if we keep this up.

I think this one page storyboard (i have many more storyboards) will shed some light on the whole 'how can we get Pat Kramer's blood so we can shrink everyone in the world!'

Where did you get that?

sumuderguy wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 3:49 am

I think this one page storyboard (i have many more storyboards) will shed some light on the whole 'how can we get Pat Kramer's blood so we can shrink everyone in the world!'

I've seen these storyboards before on eBay. Was too steep a price for this collector, but I saved all the images the seller shared. This page doesn't shed much light because it doesn't show how the bad guys got her.

But it creates a new question. In these sketches, it's clear that Pat is being kept in a glass aquarium. That's a lot smarter than the hamster cage in the movie. The movie scientists are bumbling idiots, knowing she's still shrinking but putting her in a cage that she'll eventually be able to escape. Although, the cage is visually better, and it ultimately leads to her being trapped under the funnel (which is all kinds of awesome).

I think that the glass aquarium wasn't enough, notice there's no hamster wheel. No, I think the penultimate scene was Pat Kramer being utterly humiliated was the shot of the giant hand reaching into the hamster cage while Pat is running wildly on the wheel. Much more comedic than any looming (it doesnt look like Dr Nortz notice the glasses) doctor with a syringe. The plastic funnel? Who knows who's idea that was.....yes very well done.

also as part of her body would the supply of sampled blood also not "reduce" or Shrink away" ?