| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
 Posted - 05/23/2008 : 11:45:00 AM
|
You know, I'd love to see Amerika, but it seems to be available on VHS tape. I no longer have a VHS, and anyway the NTSC tapes won't play on European players. It's not even on P2P networks, talk about vanishing from Earth.
Was the series any good? I mean, I've heard Americans blasting it, but I can't tell wether they didn't like the premise or if they though it was a crappy show after all.
I like alternate history stuff, and the premise alone could make for some interesting viewing. |
 |
|
|
Flangepart
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
2329 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2008 : 5:02:12 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by BT
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.
That would be key.
Take away computers and high tech, leave it to guns and grit, and it becomes more of a numbers game.
Still be a big transport problim...
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
|
|
|
|
New Hinda
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Israel
469 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2008 : 09:57:19 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by The Rev. D.D.
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.
Was that the one with the stolen-from-THE WIZARD OF OZ "It-was-all-a-dream" ending? UGH!!!! I can't believe they didn't get sued. |
|
|
|
RVHorror
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
532 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2008 : 07:47:21 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by RossMIncidentally The Maltese Falcon was made into 3 different movies in less than 10 years.
It's worth pointing out that the third version was the John Huston-Humphrey Bogart version, the one which is remembered today. Not all remakes are worse than the original, though it is a pretty good rule of thumb. |
|
|
|
zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 05/26/2008 : 9:46:04 PM
|
Neville:
Politics aside, Amerika's biggest sin was that it was dull. Not outrageous, not campy, not even really especially bad -- just dull. And talky. More like a night time soap opera -- minus the sex. In other words, Red Dawn it ain't.
If you're looking for a more politically-charged, trashy camp masterpiece TV miniseries from the '80s, this might be more up your alley:
[url]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094462/[/url] |
|
|
|
Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2008 : 05:32:24 AM
|
Sounds interesting, but I prefer alternate history stuff, like Fatherland. Hence my curiosiity about Amerika.
But it's a good call anyway, I'll see if I can find it. Thanks. |
Edited by - Neville on 05/27/2008 05:32:40 AM |
|
|
|
Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2008 : 09:09:13 AM
|
If I remember correctly the idea for Amerika originally started as a conservative response to the anti-nuke tv movie The Day After though I'm sure that as the baton was passed from its original genesis on to the producers the more blatant agit-prop characteristics were lost and it just became a typical tv pot boiler. Interestingly though it did inspire someone (I think it was Ted Turner) to broadcast unedited Soviet news programs as an "alternative" to the view presented in the miniseries. I don't think there is any word in the English language (though I'm sure there was an informal one in Russian) that could convey they absolute boredom that the news broadcasts could induce. It would go something like this:
The top story was Comrade Gorbachev's visit to the auto-worker of K. They would then go to location and would broadast a 5 minute, unedited monologue of Gorbachev speaking to the workers.
The second story would be, uh, Comrad Gorbachev's visit to the steel workers of L. and we would enjoy another 5 minute monologue by our favorite Comrade.
etc.
There was some other stuff that I don't remember well. The only news about the West was, suprise, a story about the awful propoganda that was Amerika and some story about nuclear protests in the US Midwest.
I only turned onto it once. That was enough.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
|
|
|
niccolom
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
Canada
118 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2008 : 6:46:47 PM
|
Speaking of remakes. Happened to catch the new version of The Andromeda Strain on A & E last night.
I was kind of hoping for the best, but no dice. First off, a couple of kids watch the satellite come down and then load it into the their pick-up truck and drive it into town!! If you saw a satellite crashland would you load into your truck?? Not I!!
The change of setting from a small desert town in the South-east to a fairly large town in Idaho also put me off. How the heck are you going to it keep secret that hundreds of people have mysteriously kicked the bucket when all their friends and relatives start trying to contact them and can't? The original idea of having it take place in a small isolated town made way more sense.
Then they blew-up big time! They couldn't leave well enough alone. Of course I' talking about when they go into the all-to-typical vast military cover-up conspiracy mode and the brave slovenly-dressed newspaper reporter who tries to convince his editor that "the truth is out there."
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the original the satellite had picked up some bug in outer space and brought it back to earth. No vast conspiracy that I remember.
There were also a couple of other small things that were off putting, but as soon as the conspiracy angle appeared it was "bye, bye" off to bed I go!
"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk."
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez, aka "Tuco," aka "the Rat," aka "Ugly," aka "il Cattivo" |
|
|
|
Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 05:32:04 AM
|
quote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the original the satellite had picked up some bug in outer space and brought it back to earth. No vast conspiracy that I remember
In the original the satellite was launched by the Defence Dept. as part of its bioweapons program but that twist formed only a minor part of the plot and pretty much only took up a few lines of dialogue.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
|
|
|
BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 06:04:34 AM
|
I saw a few minutes of this thing last night. Great to see Andre Braugher (yay!), but just about everything else told me this movie had taken the one thing that made the original so good — its ice-cold, documentary style of telling its story — and thrown it in the crapper.
Oh, that, and the fact that most of the scientists are played by beautiful people. I remember distinctly that the lead scientist in the original was a nerdy professor type, and the female scientist quite plain in appearance. Here, they're played by Benjamin Bratt and Christa Miller. I like Bratt as an actor, and Miller's chops ain't bad. But in these roles? Ugh! |
|
|
|
niccolom
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
Canada
118 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2008 : 02:52:51 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ericb
quote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the original the satellite had picked up some bug in outer space and brought it back to earth. No vast conspiracy that I remember
In the original the satellite was launched by the Defence Dept. as part of its bioweapons program but that twist formed only a minor part of the plot and pretty much only took up a few lines of dialogue.
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp
Thanks, much appreciated for the info. It's been quite a while since I saw the movie. Ciao!
"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk."
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez, aka "Tuco," aka "the Rat," aka "Ugly," aka "il Cattivo" |
|
|
|
The Rev. D.D.
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
203 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2008 : 10:52:00 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by New Hinda
Was that the one with the stolen-from-THE WIZARD OF OZ "It-was-all-a-dream" ending? UGH!!!! I can't believe they didn't get sued.
Well, see, it wasn't a dream caused by massive skull trauma brought on by a flying piece of debris during a tornado.
Instead, it was a dream brought on by massive skull trauma after she went headfirst into a tree during an automobile accident.
So, you know, it's totally different.
Mr. Borntreger has a review of it on his site. It got two slimes.
-------------------
Keanu Reaves is also in it. *cue shrieks* |
|
|
|
Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
|
|
Sardu
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1126 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2008 : 06:59:15 AM
|
That's great- it's like Uwe Boll's talented alter ego. Which is a strange and awesome thing to contemplate.
"Meeting you makes me want to be a real noodle cook"
--Tampopo |
|
|
|
Ericb
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2008 : 07:41:34 AM
|
The Bizarro Boll
"I reserve the right to look as well as be boring." - Robert Fripp |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Forum Locked
Topic Locked