Redo of, THE BLUE MAX!

[rabu 9]

This was one of the finest WWI flight movies made IMHO ..Could it possibly be improved on? The book was written by Jack Hunter and is well worth a read, better then the movie IMHO The movie was made in 1966 by John Guillerman using the aircraft they had available.. not the most authentic, but the story was so good and so well done, it didn't detract from it IMHO

 

The main characters were:

Bruno Stachel (George Peppard)

Hauptmann Otto Heidemann (Karl Michael Vogler)

General Count von Klugermann (James Mason)

The general's wife, Kaeti (Ursula Andress) (Wow!)

So, here's the question, my friends.. actually, two:

1. What did you like in the original movie and what would you like to see changed or improved?

 

2. If you could pick anyone to direct, produce, and act in a redo of this movie, who would you choose?

 

This forum always has excellent feedback, so I'm looking forward to reading your opinions and I think it will be an interesting discussion.

 

Edited May 14, 2010 by rabu

[catch 81]

Q1: Improvements; To dispense with the double-sided tape on Ursula's towel.

 

Q2: Peter Jackson - Director.

[Hellshade 110]

I think Samuel Jackson should play the lead roll. He could pull it off as a young, hotshot German pilot out to prove something. :)

 

Tim Burton could direct it.

 

Hellshade

 

 

 

[jsalbano 0]

I would have rather had Stachel die by seizing the prototype out of hand and doing stupid things in it, thus having him die due to his own arrogance and stupidity rather than by having the General purposely putting him in the deathtrap and thus killing him through more underhanded treachery. also, the weird love triangle really could go, please, no having the nephew sleeping with the (granted married in) Aunt, that was just creepy. We could have it with them competing for the affections of some local girl or something and skip all the weirdness and unfaithfulness in marriage. Keep the excellent musical score.

 

and it would kick some serious tail if Peter Jackson directed it.

Edited May 14, 2010 by jsalbano

[carrick58 23]

Rabu, It is always nice to dream but alass It will never be remade as a major film ( Flyboys did poor at the box office and the Red Baron did dido)

However, If wishes came true, Spielberg to direct. Scarlett Johansson or Olivia Munn wearing Booty Pops or Hedi Klum without booty pops for the love interest. Daniel Craig or Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp as Stachel . George Clooney as the Sq Commander Katie Hudson or katherine Higl as the Sq Commanders wife/Nurse. James Franco or Heath Ledger as Willie the Rival. Jude Law as MvR . Gerald Bulter or Bruce Willis as the Count

 

Things I would chage: Shoot the film more like the book and include more air combat and different a/c. For example, barrow the BE2c and FE2b from the Aussie s. add the N-17 s from Flyboys. In addition, I would add walk on parts for Kim Kardasian and Catherine Zeta -Jones . Just to watch them walk.

 

P.S. I did get to meet Ursula Andress when she was driving around lost in the Port of L.A. Area in California. Although I only gave directions, She was a Wow even in the 1990s.

[Burning Beard 14]

I would like to see the movie end like the book....

 

Beard

 

Oh, I do like to what Katherine Zeta-Jones walk

[von Baur 54]

carrick, I know you said 'dream', but Heath Ledger?? I don't think he could fit it into his schedule as he's contractually bound to being dead for the rest of eternity. Although they are doing wonders with CGI these days.... Maybe the same people who finagle that could get James Mason to come back as the Field Marshall. And Peppard as Herr General. But if we stay in the land of the living, how about Sean Connery as the general?

 

Hellshade, interesting idea having Jackson as Stachel. I can think of two reasons why it wouldn't work, though (and no, that's not one of them). First, he's too old. Second, can you imagine the dialogue?

 

scene:

Stachel cuts the id # from the downed British two-seater's wreckage, revealing the bloody face of the observer. He walks back to where Hauptman Heidemann is standing over the pilot's body and tosses the fabric on the ground.

 

Stachel

Con-m*****f******-firmed, M*****f*****!

 

 

 

scene:

Stachel flings the monplane all over the sky, stressing it ever closer to its limit. Cut to the flight office where Sean Connery as the general stands at the desk while Heidi Klum (keeping the theme of a German actress in the role) as the countess sits nearby. Outside, over the roar of the monoplane's engine is hear a loud crack followed by general noises of shock and terror from the crowd. Faintly at first and growing steadily louder can be heard,

 

Stachel

M*****f*****-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmmm. All things considered, I'll stick with the original. Although I like catch's idea about dispensing with the tape on Miss Andress's towel.

[rabu 9]

A few shots I can sprinkle through the discussion.. Beauty always comes first, I guess...

 

[carrick58 23]

carrick, I know you said 'dream', but Heath Ledger?? I don't think he could fit it into his schedule as he's contractually bound to being dead for the rest of eternity. Although they are doing wonders with CGI these days.... Maybe the same people who finagle that could get James Mason to come back as the Field Marshall. And Peppard as Herr General. But if we stay in the land of the living, how about Sean Connery as the general?

 

Hellshade, interesting idea having Jackson as Stachel. I can think of two reasons why it wouldn't work, though (and no, that's not one of them). First, he's too old. Second, can you imagine the dialogue?

 

scene:

Stachel cuts the id # from the downed British two-seater's wreckage, revealing the bloody face of the observer. He walks back to where Hauptman Heidemann is standing over the pilot's body and tosses the fabric on the ground.

 

Stachel

Con-m*****f******-firmed, M*****f*****!

 

 

 

scene:

Stachel flings the monplane all over the sky, stressing it ever closer to its limit. Cut to the flight office where Sean Connery as the general stands at the desk while Heidi Klum (keeping the theme of a German actress in the role) as the countess sits nearby. Outside, over the roar of the monoplane's engine is hear a loud crack followed by general noises of shock and terror from the crowd. Faintly at first and growing steadily louder can be heard,

 

Stachel

M*****f*****-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmmm. All things considered, I'll stick with the original. Although I like catch's idea about dispensing with the tape on Miss Andress's towel.

 

 

I would vote for dumping the Tape also. Sean Connery would fit as the General But would his accent?

[carrick58 23]

A few shots I can sprinkle through the discussion.. Beauty always comes first, I guess...

 

 

Its as if she is thinking: If only I knew a Man with a 17 hr OFF pilot

[DukeIronHand 8]

Oddly perhaps I much preferred the movie to the book.

 

Perhaps its easier to flesh out characters (as you can "read their mind")in a book but I found them all quite despicable with no redeeming qualities and all with selfish motives.

 

In the movie Stachel, Heidemann, Von Klugermann, and the rest of the gang, come across, to me, as much more likable - even sympathetic in some cases.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I agree with Uncleal...leave it alone!...If Hollywood today got hold of it, they would ruin it completely.

 

I don't care what anyone says..Flyboys and The Red Baron were abysmal.

 

The CG Planes were unrealistic and naff!...I know some people enjoyed the Dogfight scenes...I didn't at all...over-spun nonsense...the storylines were believable only to a five year old!

 

The beauty of the original, was it was realistic..using Real Planes...and in contrast to the two previously mentioned Cack rubbish...well acted!

 

As for Sean Connery...forget it!...He's probably going to be doing Time in a Spanish Prison for Money-Laundering soon

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7120067.ece

Edited May 14, 2010 by UK_Widowmaker

[Hellshade 110]

 

Hellshade, interesting idea having Jackson as Stachel. I can think of two reasons why it wouldn't work, though (and no, that's not one of them). First, he's too old. Second, can you imagine the dialogue?

 

 

I was just kidding. He's almost the exact opposite of the part, of course though a fantastic actor in my opinion to be sure. And yes, actually I was imgaining the dialogue with Samuel L. Jackson saying his lines with the same attitude and delivery he did in Pulp Fiction. Ha! That'd be a hoot.

 

Hellshade

[Von Paulus 8]

I, like UK and uncleal, wouldn't touch the classic. In the hands of most directors it would be spoiled with ad nausea CGI.

In these days they seem to want to remake everything, so...

I'd never choose P. Jackson or Spielberg for such a film. S. Kubrick or even S. Fuller aren't among us anymore, so I'd choose probably C. Eastwood or R. Polanski. Guess it would have less CGI and more drama.

For the role of Stachel, Daniel Day-Lewis would be nice but it's a bit to old so I'd have to choose Jude Law. For Heidman I'd choose Ralph Fiennes. Charlize Theron could be Kaeti. For the General I really don't know how can I replace James Mason. Maybe even being in jail I'd choose Sean Connery.

 

EDIT: Just remembered, Bruno Ganz for General it would be much more suitable.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Von Paulus

[Barkhorn1x 14]

Random points:

 

- The book and the movie are two different stories and both, IMO, stand up well on their own.

 

- Remake director = Peter Jackson - of course - both for his love of WWI a/c and his owning an SFX studio.

- Ramake cast - hmmm...tough decisions:

Stachel = how about that actor who played Kirk in the Star Treck remake? Good looking but not one of those Hollywood metrosexuals.

Heidemen = Christoph Waltz from Inglorious Bastards

Katae = Diane Kruger

Old general von Klugermann = is Maximillian Schell still alive?

 

- Changes - oh the usual list:

Historical planes for a Feb 1918 starting point

Appropriate plane schemes - get rid of that horrid lozenge

Uniform variety amongst the flyers - most everyone was NOT an Ulhan

Get rid of the strange cocking bars and firing handle - show them pressing triggers instead

Edited May 14, 2010 by Barkhorn1x

[Creaghorn 10]

i would like to see a new WW1 aviation tv-show, rather than a movie. with todays standarts tv shows are technically as good as movies 10 years ago (e.g. battlestar galactica etc.). maybe about MvR with a 2 or 3 season show. or the real story about escadrille lafayette, or about jasta 5 etc. or maybe a show with just a handfull, but long episodes, like the 80ies shogun or north and south.

[Barkhorn1x 14]

Oh yea - if most of the a/c are going to be CGI - then realistic physics please - no X-wing/Tie fighter BS.

 

BTW, Steven Speilberg is very overrated in my opinion. He has had misses and the misses were abysmal:

 

1941

Always

Hook

Munich

[Barkhorn1x 14]

...or maybe a show with just a handfull, but long episodes, like the 80ies shogun or north and south.

 

The current economics of network TV mean no more mini-series. Perhaps HBO could do one but then it would be about the USAS as that is their market.

[rabu 9]

OK, but let's just assume that it can be done... the question was what would you like to see retained from the original and what would you like to see improved on or changed?

 

I would like to see more historically accurate planes and CGI can do that. It's been demonstrated nicely in several WWI flight movies lately, as long as they don't muck it up, which is not the question.

The ending in the film was good, but I liked the book better.

All aspects of the character build ups I would like to see retained, along with the feeling the film got across.

[rabu 9]

My pick for Director: Peter Weir (Gallipoli, Master and Commandar, etc.) I think he would do a fine job handling the scenes and the characters.

 

 

[Olham 164]

I'm with Creaghorn here.

A series about the aces and their best or most outstanding fights, their tactical measures

and their social behaviour, their courage and their nightmares.

All this following the documented events and their own hand records.

No nurses falling in love with the ace, no Ursula Undress stuff. (Sorry, Catch, but there are

so many other movies, where that fits so much better - old James Bond films for example.)

 

They should search for actors not yet so well known, and who fit the looks of the aces.

 

Director: Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) & Peter Jackson

Music: Matt Milne and Hans Zimmer

[JimAttrill 24]

I sort-of remember seeing a scene in the film where there were two triplanes with engines running. One had a rotary (much to my surprise) and the other had a radial. Was I seeing things?

[carrick58 23]

I, like UK and uncleal, wouldn't touch the classic. In the hands of most directors it would be spoiled with ad nausea CGI.

In these days they seem to want to remake everything, so...

I'd never choose P. Jackson or Spielberg for such a film. S. Kubrick or even S. Fuller aren't among us anymore, so I'd choose probably C. Eastwood or R. Polanski. Guess it would have less CGI and more drama.

For the role of Stachel, Daniel Day-Lewis would be nice but it's a bit to old so I'd have to choose Jude Law. For Heidman I'd choose Ralph Fiennes. Charlize Theron could be Kaeti. For the General I really don't know how can I replace James Mason. Maybe even being in jail I'd choose Sean Connery.

 

EDIT: Just remembered, Bruno Ganz for General it would be much more suitable.

 

 

I disagree, Polanski would have Miley Cirus as the Countess and Eastwood would have the pilots landing with pistols drawn for the big shoot out

[carrick58 23]

I'm with Creaghorn here.

A series about the aces and their best or most outstanding fights, their tactical measures

and their social behaviour, their courage and their nightmares.

All this following the documented events and their own hand records.

No nurses falling in love with the ace, no Ursula Undress stuff. (Sorry, Catch, but there are

so many other movies, where that fits so much better - old James Bond films for example.)

 

They should search for actors not yet so well known, and who fit the looks of the aces.

 

Director: Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) & Peter Jackson

Music: Matt Milne and Hans Zimmer

I have to agree with you two. A weekly or mini-event TV series along the lines of Piece of Cake except with the Jasta or Jastas or English Sq Outlineing the normal routine and social behavior as well as typical flights. However, We would still need walk on parts for Hedi Klum and Catherine Zeta-Jones just for spice and to attrack non airplane watchers.

[jsalbano 0]

I sort-of remember seeing a scene in the film where there were two triplanes with engines running. One had a rotary (much to my surprise) and the other had a radial. Was I seeing things?

 

not so sure about that one, I watched some clips on youtube and it looks like they both have radials.