The Man Without a Country was briefly mentioned in the Fighting on Film podcast as part of Beau Bridges' resume. I think they only said that it was a naval tale and he was wearing a bicorn hat. Well that got me searching as I do love stuff from that era. And I managed to find the full film on youtube!
It's not brilliant in its production, but it's a nice little TV movie with an interesting premise that made me think it could be even better if redone today. Basically, officer damns the US gov't during a trial over The Burr Conspiracy and is sentence to live on ships for the rest of his life. He makes due, educates himself and had some adventures...
... what else do you think deserves to be remade?
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 4:56 pm
by Punter15
Brilliant ideas badly executed first time around, rather than retaining IP.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 5:34 pm
by fishfoodie
The Bonfire of the Vanities !
The book was a masterpiece, & the story is as topical today as it was in the 1980's, but despite all the money & people involved, the 1990 film was a crime against cinema, & someone should have gone to prison for it.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 7:38 pm
by Kawazaki
The Medusa Touch. Original is a favourite of mine but the special effects were not great and let it down a bit. Would be hard to cast John Morlar nowadays though - a brooding intense Burton was very good but can't think who gets close to him nowadays. Maybe if Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement...
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 8:57 pm
by Yr Alban
None.
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
That's the point !
Too often the remake is a vanity project by a director who takes a movie people already think is a classic & they butcher the job; e.g. the remake of "The Ladykillers" !, or dog help us the abortion that was "The Jackal"
But there are plenty of potentially great movies that were turned into complete turkeys, which deserve a 2nd chance.
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
Ben Hur (okay, cheating a bit with silent b&w to talkie/colour)
Heat (okay, Mann remade his own TV movie)
3:10 to Yuma (original not bad)
Ocean's 11 (maybe?)
... pains me to say, but I think most people would prefer the remake of one of my fav b&w comedies, Mr Deeds Goes to Town, and I actually really enjoy the Sandler version tbf.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 4:44 am
by Guy Smiley
Instead of remakes, how about Hollywood tries to come up with original scripts and ideas for a change...
and drops the fucking Marvel CGI bullshit while they're at it.
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
That's a little over simplistic though. I've never seen the original Ben Hur, but the remake is fucking awesome. The '62 version of Mutiny on The Bounty is brilliant and even the 80s one isn't a bad movie (though it is completely unnecessary).
There are plenty of remakes that stand up well, not all of them are pointless like Psycho and Old Boy, or utter shite like the, well, most of them!
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:54 am
by Tilly Orifice
Guy Smiley wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 4:44 am
Instead of remakes, how about Hollywood tries to come up with original scripts and ideas for a change...
and drops the fucking Marvel CGI bullshit while they're at it.
Yes and yes.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:57 am
by Yeeb
ASMO wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 9:02 am
Jason and the Argonauts
Would agree with you, but they fucked clash of the titans badly.
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
That's a little over simplistic though. I've never seen the original Ben Hur, but the remake is fucking awesome. The '62 version of Mutiny on The Bounty is brilliant and even the 80s one isn't a bad movie (though it is completely unnecessary).
There are plenty of remakes that stand up well, not all of them are pointless like Psycho and Old Boy, or utter shite like the, well, most of them!
I actually think there are more good remakes than are often given credit for, not least the ones many don't necessarily appreciate are remakes like The Thing and The Fly. We also have to appreciate that entertainment is generational and however 'classic' a film, there will only be a certain number of people who look backwards for various reasons. And they can't necessarily be faulted, there is no lack of new film and television coming out constantly and a finite amount of free time to dedicate to both it and the revered work of the past. Sometimes a new version with modern production value is what's required to grab an audiences' attention.
Having mentioned Old Boy, I'm generally not in favour of remaking foreign language films into English because it's usually a shot for shot replication, just without the subtitles that too many people allow themselves to be put off by. We Are What We Are is one of my favourite remakes of all time because it takes the broad concept of the orginal film of the same name, but completely transplants the action and writes a different story. More an 'inspired by' than a remake.
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
That's a little over simplistic though. I've never seen the original Ben Hur, but the remake is fucking awesome. The '62 version of Mutiny on The Bounty is brilliant and even the 80s one isn't a bad movie (though it is completely unnecessary).
There are plenty of remakes that stand up well, not all of them are pointless like Psycho and Old Boy, or utter shite like the, well, most of them!
I actually think there are more good remakes than are often given credit for, not least the ones many don't necessarily appreciate are remakes like The Thing and The Fly. We also have to appreciate that entertainment is generational and however 'classic' a film, there will only be a certain number of people who look backwards for various reasons. And they can't necessarily be faulted, there is no lack of new film and television coming out constantly and a finite amount of free time to dedicate to both it and the revered work of the past. Sometimes a new version with modern production value is what's required to grab an audiences' attention.
Having mentioned Old Boy, I'm generally not in favour of remaking foreign language films into English because it's usually a shot for shot replication, just without the subtitles that too many people allow themselves to be put off by. We Are What We Are is one of my favourite remakes of all time because it takes the broad concept of the orginal film of the same name, but completely transplants the action and writes a different story. More an 'inspired by' than a remake.
Good Call on The Thing and The Fly. I've actually seen the original The Fly and its not bad - it's a good fun 50s creature movie. Has a very good ending too
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 3:47 pm
by Simian
ASMO wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 9:02 am
Jason and the Argonauts
One of my favourite films. If they do ever remake it, I hope it’s better than the awful TV miniseries versions. Despite a decent cast, it was astonishingly terrible.
I’d love to see a good remake of it tho!
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 3:48 pm
by Simian
I’ve always thought a remake of a clockwork orange could be good.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 3:49 pm
by Yeeb
Battle of Britain due a remake. Cast:
Halle berry: Hugh Dowding
Hugh Grant: Herman Goring
Mark Wahlberg: Keith park, Captain of the elite p51 squadron the blue angels
Tom Hiddleston: Albert Kessellring
Danny Dyer: Trafford Leigh Mallory
Christian Bale: Manfred von Richthofen
Mila Kunis: Marshall Zhukov
Jamie Foxx: Adolf ‘Sailor’ Malan, ace African pilot of the Blue Angels
Monica Belluci: capitano Bertolrelli who gets shot down early on and accidental falls in love with Park, AND Malan whilst being pregnant from von Richthofen
How often does a remake improve on the original? Once in every 20 attempts, at a very generous estimate. It’s almost certainly going to be a pile of shite. Make a new story.
That's a little over simplistic though. I've never seen the original Ben Hur, but the remake is fucking awesome. The '62 version of Mutiny on The Bounty is brilliant and even the 80s one isn't a bad movie (though it is completely unnecessary).
There are plenty of remakes that stand up well, not all of them are pointless like Psycho and Old Boy, or utter shite like the, well, most of them!
Oh, I knew I was making a sweeping generalisation. There are remakes which are brilliant (The Thing and The Fly have been mentioned). It’s just that the vast majority of them aren’t. I do see the argument for remaking a film when the story is good but the first attempt was poor. Fair enough. But for the love of all that’s holy, stop trying to remake films that were perfect the first time round! It’s going to be a disaster.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:04 pm
by Niegs
Sandstorm wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 9:07 am
The Phantom Menace
Have you heard of actor Topher Grace's recut of the three prequels? It's supposedly good!?
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:12 pm
by Niegs
The Battle of the Bulge with snow and period tanks could be redone.
Sandstorm wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 9:07 am
The Phantom Menace
Have you heard of actor Topher Grace's recut of the three prequels? It's supposedly good!?
HAN SHOT FIRST !!!
Never mind remaking any of the Star War movies, fucking Lucas has dicked around with all of them after they've been released, adding shit just because he can.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 8:43 pm
by fishfoodie
Niegs wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:12 pm
The Battle of the Bulge with snow and period tanks could be redone.
That might be a legitimate use of CGI ?
Bloody hard to get a couple of hundred Tigers these days
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 8:50 pm
by sockwithaticket
On that note, I'd love to see someone tackle Sharpe with the budget to do Napoleonic era battles justice.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2025 11:56 pm
by Niegs
sockwithaticket wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 8:50 pm
On that note, I'd love to see someone tackle Sharpe with the budget to do Napoleonic era battles justice.
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:08 am
by Thor Sedan
I'd be interested in a 'B-Grade' movie getting a big remake - something like Krull or The Black Hole?
Also - even though I love the original movies - taking a movie like Cross of Iron, Paths of Glory or Gettysburg and shooting it with a big ol' budget would be visually amazing.
Niegs wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:12 pm
The Battle of the Bulge with snow and period tanks could be redone.
That might be a legitimate use of CGI ?
Bloody hard to get a couple of hundred Tigers these days
Never was that many in one location and even less engaged in this battle (less than 600 tanks total engaged in the battle most of them Panzer IV and Panthers and less than 1400 Tiger built)
As for tigers there is currently 1 running (British) and a second (original) being restored to running state (French).
there are a few replicas and static models (the French one was a static complete model from the Cavalry museum)
Sandstorm wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 9:07 am
The Phantom Menace
Have you heard of actor Topher Grace's recut of the three prequels? It's supposedly good!?
HAN SHOT FIRST !!!
Never mind remaking any of the Star War movies, fucking Lucas has dicked around with all of them after they've been released, adding shit just because he can.
Check out 4k77 - its a 4k scan of original 1977 35mm prints
Niegs wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 7:12 pm
The Battle of the Bulge with snow and period tanks could be redone.
That might be a legitimate use of CGI ?
Bloody hard to get a couple of hundred Tigers these days
Never was that many in one location and even less engaged in this battle (less than 600 tanks total engaged in the battle most of them Panzer IV and Panthers and less than 1400 Tiger built)
As for tigers there is currently 1 running (British) and a second (original) being restored to running state (French).
there are a few replicas and static models (the French one was a static complete model from the Cavalry museum)
Bloody hard to get a couple of hundred Tigers these days
Never was that many in one location and even less engaged in this battle (less than 600 tanks total engaged in the battle most of them Panzer IV and Panthers and less than 1400 Tiger built)
As for tigers there is currently 1 running (British) and a second (original) being restored to running state (French).
there are a few replicas and static models (the French one was a static complete model from the Cavalry museum)
laurent wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:55 am
Never was that many in one location and even less engaged in this battle (less than 600 tanks total engaged in the battle most of them Panzer IV and Panthers and less than 1400 Tiger built)
As for tigers there is currently 1 running (British) and a second (original) being restored to running state (French).
there are a few replicas and static models (the French one was a static complete model from the Cavalry museum)
A French tank that doesn’t work ?
bit like anything the brits make nowadays...
Une bonne riposte mon ami, but about 35 years too late. Our utter shit like Morris Marina’s got zapped back in the 70’s and 80’s , mostly we high tech now and quality pretty good like JCB, rolls Royce’s & Bae aero, 90% of the worlds sports and racing cars etc
laurent wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:55 am
Never was that many in one location and even less engaged in this battle (less than 600 tanks total engaged in the battle most of them Panzer IV and Panthers and less than 1400 Tiger built)
As for tigers there is currently 1 running (British) and a second (original) being restored to running state (French).
there are a few replicas and static models (the French one was a static complete model from the Cavalry museum)
A French tank that doesn’t work ?
bit like anything the brits make nowadays...
How dare you !!
The Ajax is an excellent vehicle, capable of causing many traumatic injuries ...... it's just a pity that these are caused to those inside it, & not the enemy ......
Re: Films That Could Do With a Remake
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2025 1:20 pm
by Niegs
Thor Sedan wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:08 am
I'd be interested in a 'B-Grade' movie getting a big remake - something like Krull or The Black Hole?
Sword and Sorcery flicks? I love the movie Willow, but back in the day anything else like it feels like a student film.
