"Flight of the Phoenix" remake -- looks like it's in trouble

11/24/04

[MineralMan]

The original was great. I just watched it last week, after reading about the remake.

What is it with all the remakes this year? None of them have even come close to being as good as the original. Not one.

I'm not going to any more of them. Instead, whenever they come out, I'll rent the original.

[Lyford]

I gotta disagree there. I've no use for George Clooney's politics, but I've no use for Frank Sinatra either. And the Soderburgh "Ocean's Eleven" was, as an entertainment vehicle, vastly superior to the original. IMO, obviously...

[MineralMan]

"Looks terrible though, the good news is it will hopefully inspire them to release the original on DVD "

It's already available. I got a copy from NetFlicks and watched it. Terrific!

[Yo-Yo]

The fact that the (model) airplane designer was German, a few years after WWII, was a pivotal element of the movie. The others distrusted him. I just don't see how the remake can capture that, unless it is done as a '50s period piece.

I suppose they could make the engineer character of Arab descent. However, while I can see the plausability of making an airplane out of (I think) a C-123, I can't see the same with, say, a 737.

[Constantine XIII]

The old one gets 100% from rotten tomatoes.

Must be freakin awesome.

[Jaxter]

"The original was quite infamous in its time for the fact that Paul Mantz, the stunt pilot, was killed while filming the scene of the plane taking off. Life magazine did a spread of pictures of the filming in the desert."

That's why they never show the plane landing at the end of the movie.

[asgardshill]

it will hopefully inspire them to release the original on DVD (much like the Oceans 11 remake did).

Amazon has it. (And yes, so do I).

[jaydubya2]

FC,

Yes, I'm a big fan of Paul Mantz. He acquired acre's of surplus WW2 aircraft from the government and restored many of them to flying condition. Many of the planes that were beyond repair found there way on to movie sets. Rumor is that he purchased the planes so cheaply that he was able to drain the fuel from the planes fuel tanks, and sell it to cover all of his investment.

[jaydubya2]

One thing no one has mentioned. Remember in the original a couple of the guys were killed by Arab nomads...
I did mention that a few post ago, but I referred to them as towel heads. Anyway, Whay would drug runners be doing in the middle of a desert?

[.38sw]

I need to check my movie collection. My husband has purchased a whole lotta DVD's that I don't discover unless I start thumbing through them. I think he bought this one. I had seen it years ago when I was sick at home and channel surfing. I loved it. It was on a few years ago, I taped it, and watched it with hubby. We both think that it is just a terrific movie.

[Travis McGee]

Anybody who enjoyed FOTP should also check out "Sands of the Kalahari," about another plane crash landing in the desert. That group had to battle each other, fight baboon tribes for the only water hole, and eventually find a way to walk out.

[Petronski]

Fo' shizzle

[ProudVet77]

As a former model airplane hobbyist, I loved the line "But the principles are the same!"

For RC and gliders. But I saw a picture in some model airplane magazine (early 60s) of a whisk broom with a shortened handle with a Fox 15 strapped on the handle and some rudimentary wings and a yoke/elevator system hooked up to a u control.
Looked just like the model airplane hillary would fly.

[A CA Guy]

I saw the trailer in the movies and though:
Slow
Irrelevant
Looked boring

They have real trouble.

[asgardshill]

We both think that it is just a terrific movie.

Your intelligence is matched only by your good taste ;)

Flight of the Phoenix and Patton were the first two movies I got for my father when I bought him his first VCR (a Betamax that must have weighed 600 pounds) in 1979. I had to dub FOTP off of broadcast TV because it hadn't been released for sale yet.

[Jhensy]

54 posts and no one has pointed out that it's the CURSE OF DENNIS QUAID, for the umpteenth time.

It's well known in Hollywood that a movie with Dennis Quaid as featured star has never been a commercial hit. This past year was supposed to have broken the streak, but The Alamo and The Day After Tomorrow were notorious flops, and now this! He's the Cubs of cinema!

P.S.:Breaking Away or The Right Stuff, you say? He was just a supporting actor in both.

[Hank Rearden]

Amazon has it. (And yes, so do I).

Amazon's pretty lame these days; their prices are rarely the lowest, plus they charge me sales tax.

It's available at DDD here for $9.36 including free shipping. Just ordered my copy.

[asgardshill]

That's a better price than Amazon (even the used copies). Thanks for the link - I'll check it out.

[jaydubya2]

54 posts and no one has pointed out that it's the CURSE OF DENNIS QUAID
Funny you mention that! I was just trying to remember if Dennis was ever in a good movie. The Right Stuff was all I could come up with.