Printed Media
This section will include any and all Printed Media made for the movie. You will find the Promotional Materials, the Sales Catalogs for stores and Book available for retail purchase.
Posters - Flyers - Promotional Merchandise - Merchandise Catalogs - Consumer Merchandise
United States Japan Germany INNER NOTES - Rough Translation; Promotion Guide This exremely rare Promotion Guide was given out to theaters in preparation for the film's release. There's a ton of great info in there about how Disney wished for the film to be marketed and what kinds of promo items were available at the time. PAGE 2 - COVER LETTER; 1993 ERTL Toy Catalog This catalog from ERTL released in early 1993 gave us our first hint at their then-upcoming product line. Check out the cover, contents page, and the wonderful two-page spread teasing the toy line. 1993 ERTL Toy Brochure This brochure from ERTL released in early 1993 provides an extensive overview of their entire toy and action figure line. Based upon this brochure, it looks like everything the company planned to release made it to store shelves. It's also worth noting that the 12-inch talking dolls were still unfinished at this point, with some illustrations standing in for the real thing. Golden Super Mario Bros. "Look-Look" Book This short children's book outlines the main plot of the film in only 24 pages. Interestingly, the book finds time to mention "King Bowser" twice, and it also features in-production photographs as well as ones from alternate scenes. Golden Super Mario Bros. Sticker Book This sticker book included 16 pages of photos from the film, three pages' worth of stickers, and a "stand-up" of the film's logo contained on the book's back cover. One of the coolest things about this book is that some of the images are production photos and therefore reveal some alternate angles at some shots and also reveal some deleted scenes information.
Golden Super Mario Bros. "Big Coloring Book" This coloring book contains 56 pages of illustrations following (more or less) the story of the film. Two things stand out to me here. First, it's really interesting to see how some of the film's concepts were reinterpreted into a marketable product for children-- such as having the "Stage 2" Koopa on the first page and an overall cartoony feel compared to the grittiness of the film itself. And second, this coloring book actually provides some additional context into potential deleted scenes, most notably with the Devo Chamber and some additional scenes during the "merging" sequence. We're also inluding the back and front covers of the Promotional version as they differ slightly from the "Big" version. BIG:
Related Links: SMB Archive's Interview with MEL (Makeup & Effects Laboratory)
The Content
In Brooklyn, New York, strange things happen. Shady characters hang around in the streets and more often than not one hears from girls who have disappeared without trace. But the attractive dinosaur researcher Daisy has other problems: their archaeological finds of evolved reptiles is over flooded with dirty water for days. A case for the best plumbers from Brooklyn - the Mario Bros..
But when the two unequal brothers Mario and Luigi want to repair the damage, they're in for a nasty surprise. Two completely wacky types grab Daisy, and drag her into the depths of the tunnel. Luigi has a major crush on her, and doesn't wait for a second, takeing off in pursuit. Mario doesn't wants his little brother to leave alone, so they both end up in Dinohattan, an aggressive, living union metropolis whose residents turn out to be crude predators.
The tyrannical Fuhrer, Koopa, hijacks Daisy to come into possession of her precious gemstone, whose magical power permits him to merge his reptilian world with ours once and for all. The time had come because Dinohattan has analarming water shortage. Koopa should not succeed the coup, that would be the end for Dino-land. Now he must snatch at Mario and Luigi, Koopa the Miracle Worker. But that's not all: The fearless brothers heroically enter the fortress of Koopa and rescue Daisy - including all the kidnapped Brooklyn girls.
A hairy undertaking. Because beside himself with rage, Koopa rushes in with his gigantic zombie bodyguards, the Goombas, behind him in order to get hold of her power, and to deliver the terrible punishment of all - the "De-Evolution" ...
May 20, 1993
To All Press:
Attached are your press materials for Hollywood Pictures' SUPER MARIO BROS.
SUPER MARIO BROS. opens nationwide on Friday, May 28.
When a beautiful university paleontologist named Daisy (Samantha Mathis) calls for help at a flooded excavation site, two of Brooklyn's hardest-working plumbers: Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) answer the call, only to be pulled through a mysterious portal into an incredible reptile dimension known as Dinohattan. Created eons ago when a giant meteorite crashed to Earth and ripped the dinosaurs' domain from our own, this fantastic parallel plane of action has thus far remained hidden. Now, their water supply is rapidly running out and the reptile inhabitants are doomed to extinction unless their diabolical leader, Koopa (Dennis Hopper), can get hold of a mysterious meteorite pendant that Daisy wears around her neck, and use its unique properties to merge his world with ours. Inspired by the phenomenal worldwide popularity of the Super Mario Bros. video games based on characters created by Nintendo, our unlikely superheroes, Mario and Luigi, must battle eight-foot-tall Goombas, deadly fireballs, a crazed lizard king and the ultimate penalty of de-evolution, in order to save a princess, a pendant, and life as we know it on this planet. Hollywood Pictures presents the exciting new live-action comedy adventure "Super Mario Bros." A Lightmotive/Allied Filmmakers presentation in association with Cinergi Productions.
The running time of Hollywood Pictures' SUPER MARIO BROS. is 104 minutes. The film is rated PG.
Please note that the review date for Hollywood Pictures' SUPER MARIO BROS. is opening day, Friday, May 28.
PROMO:
