# Battleship, Cowboys & Aliens, what are the other I-can't-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912 "2012-06-03T02:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/21 "2012-06-03T16:14:36Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > moans that no-one wants to fund his film about an 18-year-old boy from Glasgow who travels to Madrid to assassinate General Franco. Audience: nil. I’d be a hell of a lot more interested in this than a movie about Stretch Armstrong. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/22 "2012-06-04T00:22:10Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > The idea of Cowboys and Aliens is a good concept for a movie, although the movie they made was campy and overdone (albeit IMO better than its reputation). We’ve been doing alien invasion movies for more than a half-century now, but they’re pretty much all set in the present day (or occasionally in the '50’s, when the genre was born). But an alien invasion in an historical setting isn’t ultimately any more absurd than in a contemporary one. > > –Cliffy I just saw that one last night, and yeah, it wasn’t bad. Granted I watched the extended cut, not the theatrical, but I don’t know that those extra 15 mins could make a huge difference in the thing. The concept itself is pretty solid, alien invasion in a past setting. Only thing you have to worry about is no one in that era knowing about aliens because they hadn’t really been invented as a concept yet, but this movie handled that well. Generally, they think of the aliens as demons It’s really no more absurd conceptually than Stargate where you had Egyptians mistaking aliens for their gods then eventually overthrowing them and burying their main means of transport to Earth. Granted there it’s used as backstory and the main movie/series is set at present, but it just shows that aliens in different times can work. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/23 "2012-06-04T00:27:45Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > 3/4 of all the Batman movies, and most of the rest of the comic book hero movies. What’s wrong with comic book based movies? ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/24 "2012-06-04T10:58:02Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > But an alien invasion in an historical setting isn’t ultimately any more absurd than in a contemporary one. > > –Cliffy As evidenced by “War of the Worlds”. The novel, not the 2006 movie. The lack of modern technology in the novel makes the alien invasion even more frightening. ---
**Author:** ![dudemanjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@dudemanjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dudemanjack)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/25 "2012-06-04T11:33:05Z")
Abraham Lincoln: vampire hunter. really? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/26 "2012-06-04T11:36:05Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > As evidenced by “War of the Worlds”. The novel, not the 2006 movie. The lack of modern technology in the novel makes the alien invasion even more frightening. Minor nitpick, but The War of the Worlds was contemporary when it was written, with the British armed forces using state-of-the-art weapons technology against the Martians. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/27 "2012-06-04T14:15:20Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Wasn’t there a film a couple-three years back about the guy who invented intermittent windshield wipers? > [@runner pat](#): > > It’s been on again, off again for years. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > I hear they went back and forth for a while before proceeding. Yeah, they were waiting for a rainmaker to sign onto the project. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/28 "2012-06-04T14:35:47Z")
Nobody’s mentioned the live-action _Underdog_ adaptation yet? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/29 "2012-06-04T14:39:39Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > The idea of Cowboys and Aliens is a good concept for a movie, although the movie they made was campy and overdone (albeit IMO better than its reputation). We’ve been doing alien invasion movies for more than a half-century now, but they’re pretty much all set in the present day (or occasionally in the '50’s, when the genre was born). But an alien invasion in an historical setting isn’t ultimately any more absurd than in a contemporary one. > > –Cliffy Cowboys and Aliens worked both as a Western and as an Alien Invasion movie. Plus, it made my oldest interested enough to watch Silverado with me. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/30 "2012-06-04T14:43:30Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Cowboys and Aliens worked both as a Western and as an Alien Invasion movie. > > Plus, it made my oldest interested enough to watch Silverado with me. w00t. Silverado is my favorite western. For WTH movies, I’d also like to add the majority of the live-action animated comic movies: Scooby Doo, Garfield, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Marmaduke… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/31 "2012-06-04T14:54:14Z")
Yes, most of those live-action animated comics movies looked terrible, but the first Alvin and the Chipmunks film made $361 million at the box office and the sequel (or squeakquel, as it was called in the title) made _$443 million_. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/32 "2012-06-04T15:22:26Z")
> [@dudemanjack](#): > > Abraham Lincoln: vampire hunter. really? How about a rip off of Abraham Lincoln: vampire hunter? [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2246549/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2246549/) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/33 "2012-06-04T15:45:23Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Yes, most of those live-action animated comics movies looked terrible, but the first Alvin and the Chipmunks film made $361 million at the box office and the sequel (or squeakquel, as it was called in the title) made _$443 million_. It’s not about the money; remember, I also said I was surprised they made LOTR. It’s the WTF? factor we’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/34 "2012-06-04T16:12:29Z")
I would like to make a movie about Cowboys vs. Nazis called _Das Boots_ - anyone have a few million they want to commit to my project? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/35 "2012-06-04T16:14:05Z")
[Ozombie: Osama Bin Laden is back…from the dead!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnrKmcf-vG8&feature=player_detailpage) ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/36 "2012-06-04T16:33:42Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s not about the money; remember, I also said I was surprised they made LOTR. It’s the WTF? factor we’re looking for. Even then though, I don’t see what’s so surprising about Alvin and the Chipmunks. They’ve been popular with little kids in multiple media since 1958. Making a CGI version seems a no-brainer if your a studio exec. I’d almost be more surprised if someone hadn’t tried yet. Granted, I wouldn’t want to watch it. But that’s because I’m not as amused by funny voices and anthropomorphic rodents as the eight year olds who are the movie’s target audience. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/37 "2012-06-04T17:39:11Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > How about a rip off of Abraham Lincoln: vampire hunter? > > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2246549/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2246549/) Saw that in the video store yesterday. Along with a direct-to-video ripoff of _[Battleships](http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8705393)_. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/38 "2012-06-04T17:54:19Z")
Dopers, I give you… [Musical Chairs. The Movie](http://www.musicalchairsthefilm.com/) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/39 "2012-06-04T18:00:32Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > Dopers, I give you… > > [Musical Chairs. The Movie](http://www.musicalchairsthefilm.com/) Imagine getting a seat in the theater. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912/40 "2012-06-04T18:08:35Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Back in the early 1970s when Woody Allen did his film of “Everything You always wanted to know about sex..but were afraid to ask”, originally a Q & A book, the radio commercials used “I can’t believe they made a book of” as a tagline. This was actually a very good film and it had a great cast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battleship-cowboys-aliens-what-are-the-other-i-cant-believe-they-made-a-movie-about-this/623912.md?page=3)