OT: "Red Dawn" To Be Remade

[Littlearmies]

Is this sacrilegious or what? Taking a classic teen movie of the late Eighties and remaking it twenty years later - and to what purpose?

http://www.getthebigpicture.net/blog/2009/7/25/kurt-russell-eyes-red-dawn-remake.html

I first saw this on the BBC today where they were saying Tom Cruise's adopted kid was going to be playing one of the teens and it was going to be a Chinese / Russian co-invasion. I'm slightly mollified that the guy who wrote Michael Clayton has been hired as the writer (but who knows what the director will do with his script?).

Evidently they also plan to do Robocop. What happened to the days when studios produced original entertainment (or at least only ripped off foreign language movies that nobody had ever watched)?

[pmulcahy11b]

Well, I do think that China is the superpower of the future. But I've also long thought that Hollywood has run out of ideas.

[cavtroop]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo!!!!

[copeab]

What happened to the days when studios produced original entertainment (or at least only ripped off foreign language movies that nobody had ever watched)?

I'll point out here that the Bogart version of _The Maltese Falcon_ was the *third* film version of the novel. Would we be better off if they had never made it?

[copeab]

Well, I do think that China is the superpower of the future. But I've also long thought that Hollywood has run out of ideas.

I have no problem with a movie being remade if there are better ideas in it than the original. For example, John Carpenter's _The Thing_ was far superior to the original.

[pmulcahy11b]

How about making a movie from Heinlein's book Starship Troopers? That "movie they called Starship Troopers but wasn't and sucked" just didn't cut the mustard.

[Legbreaker]

Meh, it was a worth a laugh.

Or worth laughing at, take your pick.

[Littlearmies]

How about making a movie from Heinlein's book Starship Troopers? That "movie they called Starship Troopers but wasn't and sucked" just didn't cut the mustard.

I'd second that - where was the powered armour? Starship Troopers must rank as one of the crappiest adaptations I've seen.

[boogiedowndonovan]

Littlearmies, you beat me to it.

Tom Cruise's son is going to play the C. Thomas Howell character.

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.reuters.com/tom-cruise39s-son-quotred-dawnquot-remake-reuters

Wikipedia says there are talks with Kurt Russell to be a part of the remake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn#Remake

Who might he play? Lt. Col. Andrew Tanner? or Tom Eckert?

my most favorite dialogue from the original

Jed Eckert: ...Well, who *is* on our side?
Col. Andy Tanner: Six hundred million screaming Chinamen.
Darryl Bates: Last I heard, there were a billion screaming Chinamen.
Col. Andy Tanner: There *were*.
[he throws whiskey on the fire; it ignites violently, suggesting a nuclear explosion]


Guess that dialogue won't make it to the remake.

-bdd

[pmulcahy11b]

I'd second that - where was the powered armour? Starship Troopers must rank as one of the crappiest adaptations I've seen.

Today, the troops in powered armor would be easy to do with CGI, even on a limited budget. Back then, they just put out a cheap movie and got what they paid for. And they threw out most of the back story. I can't believe Heinlein's estate allowed them to put out that crap.

[Targan]

I'm looking forward to the remake of Red Dawn.

[natehale1971]

Today, the troops in powered armor would be easy to do with CGI, even on a limited budget. Back then, they just put out a cheap movie and got what they paid for. And they threw out most of the back story. I can't believe Heinlein's estate allowed them to put out that crap.

Don't get me started on that one... Heinlein's estate approved a movie to be made, but didn't enforce creative control. Thus the fact that the writer, producer and director stated they made the movie the way they did on purpose because they considered Heinlein a facist was over looked by everyone when it was in the starlog article when the movie came out.

[Targan]

Meh, I'm more interested in them making a movie version of The Forever War anyway. A better book than Starship Troopers IMO. If they stuffed up a film version of The Forever War I'd be really mad.

[kato13]

Meh, I'm more interested in them making a movie version of The Forever War anyway. A better book than Starship Troopers IMO. If they stuffed up a film version of The Forever War I'd be really mad.

Quick look online says that Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk down) is attached to direct a 2011 "Forever War" release.

[natehale1971]

you know... it would have been better in the remake to have changed it from being the chinese on our side, to being the russians.... but that is just my own werid idea of irony

[Legbreaker]

Forever war would be an AWESOME movie.

Provided it's done right....

[copeab]

Forever war would be an AWESOME movie.

Provided it's done right....

Vampire$ should have been an awesome movie ...

[Targan]

Quick look online says that Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk down) is attached to direct a 2011 "Forever War" release.

Excellent. I enjoyed all four of those films.

[Ed the Coastie]

I remember seeing Red Dawn while on Liberty Weekend in Boot Camp. (I also saw Ghostbusters, Condorman, and Yentl -- don't ask -- that same weekend.) It has long been one of my favorite movies.

I'm not sure that a remake would really have the same impact today as it did 25 years ago. We now live in a society that all-but demonizes the mere access to a firearm, much less teaching our children how to actually use such an "evil thing". To show a group of high school students who not only have access to and know how to use guns but who are also willing to do so against other human beings -- and yet keep from portraying them as a group of psychopathic juvenile delinquents -- is almost asking too much of the hankie-wringers who seem to be infesting Hollywood these days.

On the other tentacle, I would happily go see a true movie adaptation of Starship Troopers...I have nothing against the existing movie nor the "Roughnecks" animated series, but neither of them match very closely the way the book played out in my mind. I also second (or third or whatever) the suggestion of a movie made of The Forever War. For that matter, I would love to see movies of Old Man's War and any of the Falkenberg's Legion books. (I was given a copy of West of Honor as a commissioning present, and have carried it with me ever since.)

[Darksheer]

I'm not sure that a remake would really have the same impact today as it did 25 years ago. We now live in a society that all-but demonizes the mere access to a firearm, much less teaching our children how to actually use such an "evil thing". To show a group of high school students who not only have access to and know how to use guns but who are also willing to do so against other human beings -- and yet keep from portraying them as a group of psychopathic juvenile delinquents -- is almost asking too much of the hankie-wringers who seem to be infesting Hollywood these days.



I can honestly see them changing it completely and turn them into a bunch of computer hackers/sabotours that only attack people with stunguns/whiffle/nerfbats and unplug electric cars or make the toilets overflow
and in the end when they are all captured unharmed they will be sent to a nice camp where they get told they did a bad thing

on a side note the bad guys might have guns

[Raellus]

Don't get me started on that one... Heinlein's estate approved a movie to be made, but didn't enforce creative control. Thus the fact that the writer, producer and director stated they made the movie the way they did on purpose because they considered Heinlein a facist was over looked by everyone when it was in the starlog article when the movie came out.

I read recently (can't remember where) that the director of STT hadn't even finished the book when he started making the movie. I'm not sure if he ever did.

I actually kind of dug the "Roughnecks" animated STT series.

Loved the Forever War. I'm not sure it would translate to film, though and I'm not sure Ridley's the director to try it.

Condorman? Loved it as a little kid; watched it again a few years ago... Sheesh! It did not hold up at all.

How can they remake Red Dawn? If the Chinese are the main baddies, lot's of folks are going to scream RACISM! (and, perhaps, rightly so).

[pmulcahy11b]

How can they remake Red Dawn? If the Chinese are the main baddies, lot's of folks are going to scream RACISM! (and, perhaps, rightly so).

Right now in the US, it doesn't matter what you do or say -- someone's going to scream RACISM!

[weswood]

Right now in the US, it doesn't matter what you do or say -- someone's going to scream RACISM!

Roger that. "Oh, you don't like the President's plan for XXXXXXX? You racist!"

[Legbreaker]

Right now in the US, it doesn't matter what you do or say -- someone's going to scream RACISM!

"That kid bought a chocolate icecream instead of caramel!" :mad:
"Racist! Burn him!"

:D

[kato13]

I personally feel that the "Racism" card pendulum is swinging to the point where it exceeds actual cases of blatant/apparent racism (I have no idea how prevalent sub/semi conscious racism is). To be honest I hate that the word racism has been diluted to such a degree it has almost become useless. I really don't like it being used when "prejudiced" is really the proper term for most cases.

A variation happened to word Rape. It became sexual assault. And now when a eight year old boy kisses a classmate it can be classified by the same term (http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960510&slug=2328560). That is really inane.

Harsh words with bite used to have a clear definition, now the waters have been muddied so people can make something appear more significant than it is. That is a shame.

[kato13]

Getting back on topic

Red Dawn Imdb page
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234719/

Ugh. This the directors first movie. Though he was the stunt coordinator/second unit director for two the Bourne Movies and three kings.

Interesting the first two leads are Australian.

[pmulcahy11b]

Getting back on topic

Red Dawn Imdb page
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234719/

Ugh. This the directors first movie. Though he was the stunt coordinator/second unit director for two the Bourne Movies and three kings.

Interesting the first two leads are Australian.

I'm getting behind on the times. I have no idea who any of those people are!

[Matt Wiser]

Red Dawn remake!? Sacrilege! Heresy! Who do they think they are? But I'll probably see it anyway, just to compare the two versions.

[Targan]

Interesting the first two leads are Australian.

Well that changes everything. If there are Australians involved its bound to be awesome.

Bias? Of course not, why would you suggest such a thing? :D

[copeab]

Well that changes everything. If there are Australians involved its bound to be awesome.

What if one of the Australians was Yahoo Serious?

[Targan]

What if one of the Australians was Yahoo Serious?
Was he Australian? I thought he was a Martian.

[natehale1971]

Condorman? Loved it as a little kid; watched it again a few years ago... Sheesh! It did not hold up at all.

I had read somewhere that there was going to be a remake of Disney's Condorman to make it as a light family comedy just as the original had been. But i don't know if it's still going to get made.

[firewalker]

I For example, John Carpenter's _The Thing_ was far superior to the original.

While i agree that John Carpenter's the thing was a real good movie i still must take violent exception to this sentiment :mad:

;)

[Nowhere Man 1966]

I remember seeing Red Dawn while on Liberty Weekend in Boot Camp. (I also saw Ghostbusters, Condorman, and Yentl -- don't ask -- that same weekend.) It has long been one of my favorite movies.

I'm not sure that a remake would really have the same impact today as it did 25 years ago. We now live in a society that all-but demonizes the mere access to a firearm, much less teaching our children how to actually use such an "evil thing". To show a group of high school students who not only have access to and know how to use guns but who are also willing to do so against other human beings -- and yet keep from portraying them as a group of psychopathic juvenile delinquents -- is almost asking too much of the hankie-wringers who seem to be infesting Hollywood these days.

On the other tentacle, I would happily go see a true movie adaptation of Starship Troopers...I have nothing against the existing movie nor the "Roughnecks" animated series, but neither of them match very closely the way the book played out in my mind. I also second (or third or whatever) the suggestion of a movie made of The Forever War. For that matter, I would love to see movies of Old Man's War and any of the Falkenberg's Legion books. (I was given a copy of West of Honor as a commissioning present, and have carried it with me ever since.)

It's a bummer how the world has changed so much in 25 years. To me the 1980's don't seem that long ago, yet I feel like I'm an alien in this world of today. Heck, I work with people who are so young, they don't even remember the Cold War.

Chuck

[weswood]

It's a bummer how the world has changed so much in 25 years. To me the 1980's don't seem that long ago, yet I feel like I'm an alien in this world of today. Heck, I work with people who are so young, they don't even remember the Cold War.

Chuck

I feel the same way.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Heck, I work with people who are so young, they don't even remember the Cold War.

Chuck

I know what you mean - with working in the university most of my staff are aged 19 - 23!!! I'm such an old fart to them!

[RN7]

Any one ever see Invasion USA with Chuck Norris. One of the greats ;)

[pmulcahy11b]

Any one ever see Invasion USA with Chuck Norris. One of the greats ;)

I agree. Totally unrealistic, but a lot of fun to watch!

[RN7]

I can never understand why Chuck Norris never got an Oscar in 1985. Undoubtably the thinking man's Rambo.

[Marc]

Any one ever see Invasion USA with Chuck Norris. One of the greats ;)

Ahhhh...The golden age of the videclubs! When I was a child it was one of the most difficult VHS films to find free in my videoclub, specially on saturday.
The kind of movie you must wait at the door asking to everyone who enters the videoclub wich movie was going to return, trying to "intercept the cargo" while still "on flight".:)

It makes me thing about my "the lost of the innocence" as a movie viewer. Beyond the evolution of my tastes about cinema, I recognize it will be my main obstacle to enjoy any remake about "Red Dawn".

[RN7]

Ahhhh...The golden age of the videclubs! When I was a child it was one of the most difficult VHS films to find free in my videoclub, specially on saturday.
The kind of movie you must wait at the door asking to everyone who enters the videoclub wich movie was going to return, trying to "intercept the cargo" while still "on flight".

It makes me thing about my "the lost of the innocence" as a movie viewer. Beyond the evolution of my tastes about cinema, I recognize it will be my main obstacle to enjoy any remake about "Red Dawn".

I actually saw it on cinema when it first came out and the cinema was packed. Could never find it on VHS in the 80's and early 90's and still can't find it on DVD in any local stores. Must order it online and lock myself away for an evening with a six pack.

[Rainbow Six]

Anyone remember a mini series called Amerika about a Soviet takeover of the US? I think it came out in the late 80's / early 90's and starred Kris Kristofferson and Sam Neill.

I also recall a mini series starring David Soul where WW3 starts with US and Soviet soldiers fighting each other in Alaska; can't remember what that one was called but the ending was pretty grim...seem to remember that scenes of the two groups fighting each other in Alaska was interspersed with shots of the two countries' leaders in their respective war rooms...as the conflict in Alaska escalated so did the likliehood of the War going nuclear...

[RN7]

I remember Amerika, I felt a bit let down by it as its started off with a good setting and had Quislings et all, and then it went downhill. The so-called resistance did hardly anything, Sam Neil kept boring me and the serious ended with Kris Kristofferson being shot and America divided up into a smaller more manageable territories. Imagine America letting the UN led by the Soviets taking over and the US military doing nothing about it, yet alone the Americans themselves. Geez!

I never saw that serious with David Soul (thankfully) about Alaska in WW3. Ice Station Zebra is the closest I've seen to that, although I don't know if that was set in Alaska or somewhere in the Arctic Circle.

[Marc]

I also recall a mini series starring David Soul where WW3 starts with US and Soviet soldiers fighting each other in Alaska; can't remember what that one was called but the ending was pretty grim...seem to remember that scenes of the two groups fighting each other in Alaska was interspersed with shots of the two countries' leaders in their respective war rooms...as the conflict in Alaska escalated so did the likliehood of the War going nuclear...

It's name was "World War 3", I think... They don't lost a lot of time with the title... I saw it about two years ago. Just entertaining, nothing else, as I recall it. The action scenes are its weakest point.

And saint Goggle says that:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084919/

[Dog 6]

It's name was "World War 3", I think... They don't lost a lot of time with the title... I saw it about two years ago. Just entertaining, nothing else, as I recall it. The action scenes are its weakest point.

And saint Goggle says that:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084919/

OOh I liked it back in the 80's.



as far as "Red Dawn" being remade I'm not getting my hopes up. I hope they do it right, but i can't see how.

[pmulcahy11b]

It's name was "World War 3", I think... They don't lost a lot of time with the title... I saw it about two years ago. Just entertaining, nothing else, as I recall it. The action scenes are its weakest point.

And saint Goggle says that:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084919/

IIRC, it ended with Rock Hudson (who played the President) saying: "They're going to launch. And those bombers are not going to turn back." That was right after he got off the Red Phone, and the Russian President assured him there wasn't going to be a war in a rather sarcastic tone of voice. And then he put his face in his hands; he know what he was going to have to do.

And the tactic that David Soul's character used called "Buzzsaw" -- I wasn't even in ROTC yet and I knew that was more of a die-in-place tactic. Laying in those pipes, you have good cover from the sides, but the front, a good spray or a grenade will take you out, and you've got no place to go.

[Dog 6]

IIRC, it ended with Rock Hudson (who played the President) saying: "They're going to launch. And those bombers are not going to turn back." That was right after he got off the Red Phone, and the Russian President assured him there wasn't going to be a war in a rather sarcastic tone of voice. And then he put his face in his hands; he know what he was going to have to do.

And the tactic that David Soul's character used called "Buzzsaw" -- I wasn't even in ROTC yet and I knew that was more of a die-in-place tactic. Laying in those pipes, you have good cover from the sides, but the front, a good spray or a grenade will take you out, and you've got no place to go.

if only they had more ammo....... :(

[jester]

I remember that show World War III, and sorry Brian Keith as the Russian premier didn't cut it, nor his son the kid who was the kid on "Time Travelers." I remember the premis, the Sovs were having issues, they had riots over bread, kind like 1917, so they had the Soviet Desante team do their thing and attack our Alaska oil pipeline.

It also dealt with the Sov Backfire bombers which were also a thing at that time as well, so many issues of the day were crammed into the three part mini series.

And yes if the national guard troops had not had more ammo but if they would have fired on SEMI AUTO and aimed rather than fired all their ammo in a burst they could have done a dam dam to the Ruskies.

[Littlearmies]

It's name was "World War 3", I think... They don't lost a lot of time with the title... I saw it about two years ago. Just entertaining, nothing else, as I recall it. The action scenes are its weakest point.

And saint Goggle says that:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084919/

What was particularly good about that page was the "if you like this then try these...." section - "Seven Days In May" and "Fail Safe" - two really great Cold War movies...

[pmulcahy11b]

What was particularly good about that page was the "if you like this then try these...." section - "Seven Days In May" and "Fail Safe" - two really great Cold War movies...

I haven't seen Seven Days in May, but Fail Safe is an iconic Cold War movie. I read the book before I saw the movie, though -- I had a totally different idea of what the Vindicator bomber looked like (I was thinking more XB-70 Valkyrie) than the B-58 Hustlers they used in the movie.

[Littlearmies]

I haven't seen Seven Days in May, but Fail Safe is an iconic Cold War movie. I read the book before I saw the movie, though -- I had a totally different idea of what the Vindicator bomber looked like (I was thinking more XB-70 Valkyrie) than the B-58 Hustlers they used in the movie.

You've missed a "goodie" - "Seven Days In May" is a pretty good film about a US president who is about to sign a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Russians (the film was made in 1964 but set in 1970) - the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs plans a coup because of fears the Russkies are going to doublecross America. A USMC Colonel working at the Pentagon gets wind of the plot and has to track it down before his boss (loosely based on Curtis LeMay) executes the plan.

Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner - what's not to like?