Someone on the radio mentioned "Battle Beyond The Stars" and it struck me that we are due for a "Seven Samurai" remake sometime soon.
The original "Seven Samurai" is the classic Samurai movie, where 7 masterless Samurai are hired by a small village to protect it from bandits. They fight with skill, pathos and honor well beyond their station.
It was remade in the 60s into a Western. You might have heard of it--"The Magnificent Seven." Yul Brenner, Charles Bronson, etc...
It was remade a final time that I am aware of in the late 70's, early 80's in a film called "Battle Beyond the Stars." It was terrible. Its a fun movie to watch in the same way that "Attack of the Killer Tomato's is a fun movie to watch. I believe one of the hired guns was a "space trucker" with a CB Radio on his space ship.
I think a remake would be interesting--perhaps set in Northern Mexico, where a drug gang is harassing a small village. The villagers use their pennies to enlist the help of a bunch of coyotes and gang-bangers. In the end, some live, some die, some are heroes despite their gangster ways.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
There's also Samurai 7, which was something of a sci-fi anime.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Ender's Game *ducks and runs*
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
NO we are not arguing the Ender movie again. Marshmellow blowguns are at the ready if anyone persists.
The Phantom Stranger has been one of my favorite comic book characters since I started collecting, and I think he has many entertaining options for a cinematic story. He is a complete enigma in the DCverse, no name and no back story and no one knows what his powers are or what his limits are. His main element has been to be a vague guide to other heroes and main characters in DC, helping them find the path without telling them anything all that helpful and generally comes out morally amibigious. In example, in Niel Gaimans Books of Magic he tricks the young Tim Hunter into entering the world of magic that one cannot walk away from once they have seen it by offering to guide the boy and let him choose wether or not to accept it in the end. But the story ends with Tim refusing magic and all that must be sacrificed to control it, only to find out that The Phantom Stranger has asked him in the begining "Do you believe in magic?" Tim said yes and started his journey that he was now trapped in. I like the fact that The Stranger is not this character or that character, he doesnt seem to have an alignment beyond Order.
In light of how well done Constantine (minus Reeves his dark hair and clean clothes) they were able to tell a story that is coherant to the character and mythology, and seeing as The Phantom Stranger and John Constantine are half of The Trench Coat Brigade (with the addition of Dr. Occult and formerly of Mr. E) I think it would be cool to explore the movie option with each of these very anonymous characters who are certianly not cookie cutter reprints of Superman.
[ April 26, 2010, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: AchillesHeel ]
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Snow White and the Seven Samurai.....with cinnamon buns and lightsabres of course... ...and a benevolent queen who's actually a Sith Lord
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
we can't make ender's game yet.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
:execution style marshmallow shot to Samp's head:
Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
William R. Forstchen's One Second After.
I love this type of book. I always hit Mr. Tammy up after I read this type of book and ask him how he plans on helping the family survive?
After watching 2012, he described plans to build a submarine in the lake out back. Although, I suspect he just came up with that on the fly to stop me from drilling him for a plan as I usually do.
I warned him that an EMP will make the sub completely useless. I believe unless I start making the plans myself, we're doomed.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Replay by Ken Grimwood. It would have a strong "Groundhog Day" feel, but it would be a very different movie.
The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams.
Red Thunder by John Varley.
Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Stardance by Spider and Jeanne Robinson.
Several of those are or have been in various levels of deal-making or preproduction, none have progressed very far. Jeanne was starting work on Stardance, even to taking contributions and going on the Vomit Comet to film practice footage so she could begin choreographing actual zero-G dance. She's been fighting a nasty strain of cancer this last year or so and is in the "that's all we can do" phase. Dammit.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm curious about Samp's reasoning, but I fear the Marshmallows of Death.
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
quote:Originally posted by Orincoro: :execution style marshmallow shot to Samp's head:
Did you say a quasi-catholic prayer before shooting?
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
In nomini patri et filii et Espiritus Sancti, in nomine dei nostri satanas luciferi excelsi. Yes I did.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
Ummm I'm pretty sure a 7 Samurai remake already happened. It was made in China around...2003 or 2004. I have it on DVD at home, I'll have to take a look.
Edit: Nevermind, I was thinking of Zatoichi.
Speaking of Chinese films, did anyone ever see The Banquet, The Promise, or Curse of the Golden Flower? The Promise in particular was one of the most expensive Chinese films ever created, and it shows. It was pretty amazing
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
I've seen Curse of a Golden Flower. The Banquet is on my list.
The Promise was so savagely received (and infamously parodied) that I never really got around to it.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
The Promise had its flaws, but really should just be seen as a work of art. The scenery in that film is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in a film, matched only by Avatar.
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)