70 Years ago Today

[kham]

Operation Chastise

BoB Memorial Flight Lancaster Trip

Still missing a movie on this beyond the original...

[Mynock]

You could email Michael Bay.....just don't be surprised when one of the bombers turns into a giant robot and starts stomping wholesale Nazi ass.

[kham]

Thats what I heard, he has the project and got trapped by those ridiculous hobbits again; 3 movies instead of just 1 like originally planned.... c'mon Pete, get with it. If you hurting for money something is wrong. Only plus is he is a Dam Busters guy like Cameron was into Titanic. So all things being equal, it would be good.

[Mynock]

I'm happy they broke it up into a trilogy. There was too much chopped out of LOTR to make it fit into three movies, they should've done 4 maybe even 5 so they weren't 4 hours long lol....

[kham]

Les Munro is apparently still around as of right now, and involved in the production as technical advisor. So it should be pretty good. The usual questions asked, some technical (Upkeep was still classified when the first movie was made.. ) and the first one of course about the name of the damn dog... needless to say, Jackson said, a) I will either be called a racist or b) not following historical accuracy. So I think he consigned to that fate right off the bat, and move on

[Lomax]

Still missing a movie on this beyond the original... ;)

Well, George Lucas re-shot it and called it Star Wars.

More seriously, WHY would any sane person want to re-make such a classic? This is a gross failing of the film industry - re-makes, re-boots (still not sure what that means), sequels, prequels, pale imitations. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the re-make is far inferior to the original (usually because the original WAS original) - and quite often it is dreadful beyond description. The Wicker Man, The Day of the Jackal, Total Recall, Planet of the Apes, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Psycho. Six travesties that spring to mind.

Can anyone think of a re-make that was BETTER than the original? Off the top of my head I can only think of one. Ben Hur - and that was more than sixty years ago.

The Dam Busters (to use its proper title - note three separate words) was and is a classic film. Yes, it was in black and white, yes the special effects weren't that special; but that's not the point. Can you imagine anyone matching messrs Redgrave or Todd? And has any composer EVER written a better theme tune?

Hurrumph.

According to his autobiogrphy, Stephen Fry was commissioned to write a screen-play for a remake more than a decade ago. The project seems to have fallen into development hell. Let it stay there.

PS: I've just remembered that Peter Jackson (who should NEVER be forgiven for what he did to Tolkien) made a complete pig's ear of the re-make of King Kong. No WAY should he be allowed to get his hands on The Dam Busters.

[kham]

Guess we'll see if and when it sees the light of day.

And the decade ago thing? Forget all that bullshit. Back then, some asshole named Mel Gibson had the rights to the film. I think I will take Jackson over that stunned twit anyday

[Duncan Edwards]

You think they could write Sofia Vergara into it somehow?

[Mynock]

Can anyone think of a re-make that was BETTER than the original? Off the top of my head I can only think of one. Ben Hur - and that was more than sixty years ago.

The Blob (1988)
The Punisher (2004)
King Kong (2005)
Star Trek (2009) is 1000x better then the 4 hour yawn fest that is Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Not technically a remake but close enough.

[Lomax]

Guess we'll see if and when it sees the light of day.

And the decade ago thing? Forget all that bullshit. Back then, some asshole named Mel Gibson had the rights to the film. I think I will take Jackson over that stunned twit anyday

I merely report what I read. I went back to the book. Unusually for Fry, he was exact about dates. Autumn 2006. Six and a half years ago. So sue me.

He also stated that he was commissioned to write the screenplay by Peter Jackson (natch). He says very little else about the project, as the main point of his ancedote was the fact that he found himself unable to write a single sentence since he'd just given up smoking. The screenplay only proceded after the procurement of a carton of Marlboro.

However; I fail to see how anyone can have the "rights." Rights to a novel or a play - sure. But rights to an historical event? I hope not.

And I can tell you now that the re-make will be inferior to the original, simply because it IS a re-make.