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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
 Posted - 05/20/2008 : 10:15:10 AM
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Well, the first one is more offensive than pointless. Remember Bad lieutenant? That Abel Ferrara film about the desintegration of a police officer played by Harvey Keitel? It wasn't an easy film to watch, when Ferrara wants to get dirty he won't settle for anything else, but it was a damn great film, and easily Keitel's best performance ever. and there are many contenders for that.
Anyway, the news are that a remake is in the works. It will star Nicholas Cage (you won't see it, but I'm hitting myself with a pan in the head as I write). Cage was once a decent if not great actor, but since he sold his soul to Jerry Bruckheimer and every remake to be put into productions he's become a joke.
The possitive thing about this remake (yes, there's one), is that the director will be the one and only Werner Herzog. His output in the recent years has been irregular, but if there's two things he's never done are a truly atrocious movie and a conventional one.
The second WTF? moment of the day came when I took a visit to AICN and learned there *might* be a Red Dawn remake in the works. Looks very pointless to me. Like many of the Cold War / Reagan era action films, Red Dawn is a product of a very peculiar historical moment. Would a film like that gather enough audience these days? Would it be taken seriously? Will it be a no-nonsense blockbuster a la Independence day or it will try to be a serious film?
Can't speak for what the original movie means to Americans these days, but here overseas it came with a reputation of being "controversial"... reputation which more or less fell under its own weight when people noticed it was just a half decent action movie that took itself too seriously. Invasion U.S.A. was funnier. |
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Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2008 : 4:12:10 PM
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Hummm...as I rec all, Neville, many of the troops RED DAWN postulated as invadeing were from South America. Such a thing could explain where the Reds got troops close enough to the U.S. to make a feasable invasion force.
I think that is one of the biggest problims with the original. Transportation.
How far ahead would the Reds have to plan to station enough forces and equipment to pull that off, and make it a credible plan?
Interesting concept...with information warfare part of Russian, American, and Chinese war planning, that alone makes for a challange that needs to be worked out to have the plot function
Marvin the Paranoid Android to Buzz Lightyear "Too infinity and beyond-i've been there, its rubbish!"
"Hoody Hoo, i waste 'em with my cross bow!" Bob Herzog- KODT
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Edited by - Flangepart on 05/20/2008 4:22:38 PM |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2008 : 7:54:59 PM
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How about this for a pointless remake: Highlander.
They're doing it. |
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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2008 : 11:05:17 PM
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Nick Cage as a cop, eh?
Why do I have a feeling that he will play the role with psychotic energy and with a goofball mentality?
Why do I feel a flashback coming on?
oh yeah....
[url="http://www.youtube.com/v/y0tT_zlRN8E&hl=en"]Click Here[/url]
Will SOMEONE dunk Cage into a tub of Promazine? PLEASE!?!?!
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 03:43:22 AM
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| Can you imagine Nic Cage and Highlander put together? Imagine a shot of Cage, with kilt and long hair waving in the air. He's in a mountain top and Queen music plays in the background. then he speaks to you in the fakest Scotish accent ever: My name is Connor MacLeod, from the McLeod clan... |
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New Hinda
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Israel
469 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 04:49:09 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by zombiewhacker
How about this for a pointless remake: Highlander.
They're doing it.
And BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING, which, except for Laurence Olivier, wasn't all that good to begin with!!!!!UGH!!!! |
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RossM
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 07:38:40 AM
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| In Hollywood nothing succeeds like success. They have been making pointless remakes for decades. First sound remakes of silents, then color remakes of black and white movies. Most fail artistically and commercially. I remember 1950s and early 1960s remakes of The lady vanishes, Babes In Toyland, The Blue Angel, Cleopatra, and many others. Almost all were dreadful. Prior to home video this made some sense. But most of these movies were financial failures. Remakes usually still are but Hollywood still makes them. Incidentally The Maltese Falcon was made into 3 different movies in less than 10 years. |
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CDiehl
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 09:45:45 AM
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Hummm...as I rec all, Neville, many of the troops RED DAWN postulated as invadeing were from South America. Such a thing could explain where the Reds got troops close enough to the U.S. to make a feasable invasion force.
I think that is one of the biggest problims with the original. Transportation.
I believe in the movie, they came up through Mexico. The opening cards indicate that first, the Soviet economy collapsed, then most if not all of Latin America had the same happen. Communist revolutions swept Latin America. It was a coalition of these countries, led by the Soviets, that invaded the western US. The only ally the US had was China, which had been WMD'd half to death by the USSR. Europe stayed neutral, which I guess makes sense, since I doubt China or any of them had the resources to send significant forces to help, and are much closer targets to the USSR.
I think a remake of Red Dawn would be criticized as an even bigger right-wing fantasy than the original. In the 80's, the idea of a Soviet invasion seemed plausible. Nowadays, what country besides the US has the resources to send an invasion force to another continent?
A remake of Invasion USA might be more plausible, with the titular invasion being basically a large-scale campaign of terrorism on US soil. However, in keeping with the current trend, it'd probably be a "dark, gritty, realistic" picture rather than the goofy, over the top Chuck Norris vehicle we got before. I'll bet that, if a remake of Invasion USA were made, it would actually be the movie of 24, because the only character out there who people will accept going on a one-man anti-terrorist rampage would be Jack Bauer.
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He's in a mountain top and Queen music plays in the background. then he speaks to you in the fakest Scotish accent ever: My name is Connor MacLeod, from the McLeod clan...
I would picture Cage not bothering with the accent, much like Sean Connery in the original. I doubt Cage has a lot of skill with accents. He'll be up on that mountain, in his hair extensions and kilt, big sword in hand, mumbling away in his usual Nicolas Cage way.
Finally, I've heard that a remake of Robocop is on the way in the next few years. I fail to see a reason for it. With the obvious exception of the cyborg element, most of the ideas in Robocop could be addressed in succeeding Iron Man sequels. Hell, Iron Man even had a shot of the hero punching a hole in a wall, and yanking someone back through that wall.
You know Grand Funk, don't you? The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The ... adequate drumwork of Don Brewer? |
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 10:01:10 AM
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In the 80's, the idea of a Soviet invasion seemed plausible
Oh come on. A Soviet invasion of the US was never plausible (maybe in some far future scenario but never in the 20th century). Sure they could have invaded Europe or nuked the US but an actual invasion of North America was a huge stretch. I mean look at the 80s, they couldn't even conquer Afganistan so how would they ever conquer the US? I like how that TV miniseries Amerika handled it (*sarcasm*), they didn't, they just kind of cryptically elided to some UN thing and then just brushed the whole thing under the rug as if to say, "sure this is far fetched but just for a few hours lets pretend that the Soviet Union could have conquered the US."
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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Ken HPoJ
Supreme Potentate
USA
1530 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 10:03:58 AM
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If I remember correctly about Amerika, the US basically fell apart on its own (irony alert!) and the Soviets marched in and just basically took over.
Only in the '80s would even Hollywood look at us and the Soviet Union and decide the US was the one in the precarious position.
PEGGY: I don't see how having a girl on the team would ruin it. Did a woman judge ruin the Supreme Court?
HANK: Yes, and that woman's name was Earl Warren.
--King of the Hill |
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CDiehl
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 10:34:44 AM
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Like I said, and was quoted as saying, back then, the idea of a Soviet invasion of the US seemed plausible. The operative word is "seem." In the 80's, most people were able to believe that the Soviets could invade and occupy about a third of the continental US, though admittedly with allied help. Nowadays, I can't imagine any country on Earth being capable of rallying such a coalition to carry out that task. Without a plausible opponent, how can you remake this movie?
You know Grand Funk, don't you? The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The ... adequate drumwork of Don Brewer? |
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 10:45:22 AM
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Ok, sorry. I jumped the gun a little bit.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 10:52:13 AM
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Without a plausible opponent, how can you remake this movie?
On another thread I brought up a similar problem with a potential Colossus: The Forbin Project remake. I think it's a far reaching problem. The US just doesn't have really interesting enemies any more. Sure you have radical Islamicists but they are one dimentional and dull. All they do is blow things up. They can't compete with you in space, build super computers to counter your super computers, match wits with James Bond or any of the other things our Cold War and World War opponents could do.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
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The Rev. D.D.
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
203 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 10:58:17 AM
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I remember 1950s and early 1960s remakes of The lady vanishes, Babes In Toyland, The Blue Angel, Cleopatra, and many others.
That makes me think of the '86 made-for-TV version of Babes in Toyland with Drew Barrymore, which in turn makes me angry.
And also makes me wonder whether Mr. Begg's ever considered it for inclusion in Jabootu's realm, 'cause damn that thing sucks.
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-Homer Simpson |
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Sardu
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1126 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2008 : 9:44:15 PM
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Well, why they picked Bad Lieutenant of all things is beyond me. BUT- I think the pairing of Cage and Herzog could be brilliant. Cage shines with visionary directors like Lynch or the Coens. I really think he probably thought the Wicker Man remake could have been his return to credibility when he singed on- gawd knows when and how that project degenerated into the crapfest it became. But if Cage and Herzog announced their new project was a film of the New York Metropolitan Phone Book I'd give it the benefit of the doubt until forced to do otherwise.
All the rest is pure lunacy of course.
"Meeting you makes me want to be a real noodle cook"
--Tampopo |
Edited by - Sardu on 05/21/2008 9:45:38 PM |
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BT
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2008 : 10:12:03 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ken HPoJ
If I remember correctly about Amerika, the US basically fell apart on its own (irony alert!) and the Soviets marched in and just basically took over.
Only in the '80s would even Hollywood look at us and the Soviet Union and decide the US was the one in the precarious position.
PEGGY: I don't see how having a girl on the team would ruin it. Did a woman judge ruin the Supreme Court?
HANK: Yes, and that woman's name was Earl Warren.
--King of the Hill
I didn't see Amerika, but I seem to remember that the Russians took over after detonating thermonuclear devices OVER America, taking out all communications (EMP). With no ability to coordinate or counterattack, it was basically a bloodless takeover. |
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