# How many ideas for movies do you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2013, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488 "2013-10-06T05:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/101 "2013-10-10T06:43:10Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > The final scene is her son holding out his arms to her for a hug, and instead of a hug the camera slowly pans towards the floor: a **vicious** red puddle slowly crawling towards Mom… Some of those puddles can be pretty nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/102 "2013-10-10T07:35:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Set in Europe during WWII, a young Jewish girl is hiding with her family from the Nazis in a friend’s attic. Unfortunately they are discovered and sent to a concentration camp, where she soon dies. Her father, an eccentric scientist, survives. He vows revenge against those that murdered his daughter and, using equipment he found in an old castle, manages to bring her back to life to destroy those who destroyed her. The title?_The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein_ The title alone would sell the pitch to the SyFy Channel’s movie division. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/103 "2013-10-10T07:43:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Here are the three you put out as your best:James Cameron would sue your ass for both stealing and defamation. No, he wouldn’t. The idea is different enough that no court would find in Cameron’s favor. Remember, Cameron got sued for something very similar when he made the Terminator movie. It would be discreet however to name the protagonist something other than “Jack.” And I could see a studio going for a pitch like that, big time. They LOVE to rip off stories. They would regard this as “safe.” Plus the scene of Jack being hit by the nose of a 747 going full-out would live in movie audience’s memories for a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/104 "2013-10-10T10:00:38Z")
> [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](#): > > **Slouching Towards Bethlehem** : A movie about the human race struggling to get through the early-to-mid 21st century and get to the better future (the Singularity, immortality, et al). A movie about all those who die and don’t make it, and all those who survive and do (sort of a secular Left Behind), and all the tragedies of life before the Singularity (confusion, delusion, accidents, death, suffering, wasted potential, etc.). I had a post-apocalyptic one as well, which I was going to call **Blessed are the Peacekeepers** until that stupid George Clooney movie came out. Now I dunno. A Rapture-like event has happened, with a sizable portion of the planet’s population vanishing without warning or explanation. Despite no other strange events happening civilization has collapsed as the remaining people go a bit crazy - some blame aliens but many naturally assume that God has found them wanting and, in usual human fashion, have devolved into small groups fighting “holy wars” with each other. The movie proper begins at that point. There is a small ragtag bunch of civilians, armed with an assortment of real and makeshift weapons, just trying to survive and help anyone they can in the midst of an urban warzone. They are led by a grizzled former UN veteran who lost his wife in the “Rapture” and is haunted by it. Anyway, yadda yadda yadda, long story short, interaction within the group to provide exposition, some compelling characters, a new member, a love story, a love scene, a love lost, an attempt to broker a lasting peace, a bunch of twists and betrayals, an almighty explosion, a sad but ultimately hopeful ending and a decent soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/105 "2013-10-10T15:45:45Z")
_Privacy Issues_-A television show’s gimmick is to film a stranger for a few days, gathering up as much information as possible before presenting it to the unknowing stranger to show them how public their life really is. Of course, this material can’t be used unless the u.s. signs off on it. What they _don’t_ know is that the stranger actually knows they are filming him, and is using them to set up an alibi for a major crime or assassination. Will the crew find out in time that they are being manipulated and, if so, will they be able to turn the tables? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/106 "2013-10-10T18:53:15Z")
Thought of a biopic while riding the bus: **Gang of Idiots** - the story of MAD Magazine from its comic book origins to the death of William M. Gaines and assimilation into the corporate culture at Time Warner. Features Mr. Gaines’ appearance on To Tell the Truth and Antonio Prohías’ work in Cuba then becoming disillusioned with Castro. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/107 "2013-10-11T04:42:20Z")
**Berserker** : Old Norse teenage girl is attacked by a visitor, unexpectedly transforms into a bear during the fight, and kills the rapist. Most don’t believe a woman can be a [berserker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker), but Old Gran remembers a story about it. She teaches the girl about herbs to control the change, but they are attacked during a foraging trip and the girl is kidnapped (by being knocked out before she has a chance to get mad). She dumps the dose that stops her changing, calls out the Big Bad, and dies heroically while killing him. (Both Odin and Thor are watching all through this.) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/108 "2013-10-11T09:38:59Z")
I would totally watch the last three films above (well, last four but that goes without saying). ---
**Author:** ![Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Came_in_like_a_Wrecking_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/109 "2013-10-12T02:03:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Here’s an even better title for you: _Scary Movie_:rolleyes: My movie is very different than Scary Movie, because it’s about a guy killing kids based on teen movies like the ones by John Hughes and Cameron Crowe (Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, Fast Times…). > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Let me clarify it for you: _No stuntman with an I.Q. over 45 will go anywhere near such a dangerous production._ _Are_ there any stuntmen with an IQ over 45? > [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > No, he wouldn’t. The idea is different enough that no court would find in Cameron’s favor. Remember, Cameron got sued for something very similar when he made the Terminator movie. It would be discreet however to name the protagonist something other than “Jack.” > And I could see a studio going for a pitch like that, big time. They LOVE to rip off stories. They would regard this as “safe.” Plus the scene of Jack being hit by the nose of a 747 going full-out would live in movie audience’s memories for a very long time. Not to mention that Cameron’s Titanic is very much ripped off of the Barbara Stanwyck Titanic from the 50s, including specific lines of dialogue copied almost verbatim. And I also considered getting James Cameron’s permission first (he’s so rich he might just say fuck it, go do it, whadda I care?), or, even better, getting him signed on as exec. Prod. Or director or whatever. > [@Gyrate](#): > > I had a post-apocalyptic one as well, which I was going to call **Blessed are the Peacekeepers** until that stupid George Clooney movie came out. Now I dunno. You misunderstood; Slouching Towards Bethlehem is not post-apocalyptic, it’s simply pre-Singularity. It’s just a movie about all the shit we all go through because we live in primitive, low-tech, ancient history compared to what might be coming in the future. It’s about which of us will survive this world of accidents, murder, disease, suffering, delusion, confusion, war, etc. and get to the better future. > [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Thought of a biopic while riding the bus: **Gang of Idiots** - the story of MAD Magazine from its comic book origins to the death of William M. Gaines and assimilation into the corporate culture at Time Warner. Features Mr. Gaines’ appearance on To Tell the Truth and Antonio Prohías’ work in Cuba then becoming disillusioned with Castro. I hate to say it, but of the scores of potential biopics I’ve read pitched on SDMB, this is the one I most want to see. Good luck to you. > [@rjk](#): > > **Berserker** : Old Norse teenage girl is attacked by a visitor, unexpectedly transforms into a bear during the fight, and kills the rapist. Most don’t believe a woman can be a [berserker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker), but Old Gran remembers a story about it. She teaches the girl about herbs to control the change, but they are attacked during a foraging trip and the girl is kidnapped (by being knocked out before she has a chance to get mad). She dumps the dose that stops her changing, calls out the Big Bad, and dies heroically while killing him. (Both Odin and Thor are watching all through this.) Um… well, this one’s just really mediocre to me (might make it as a Syfy tv movie), and reminds me a lot of [Merida](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merida_(Pixar)). Although it might work if someone in the movie actually goes up to her and utters the line “would you like to suck my (), BERSERKER?” Then I’d watch. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > _Privacy Issues_-A television show’s gimmick is to film a stranger for a few days, gathering up as much information as possible before presenting it to the unknowing stranger to show them how public their life really is. Of course, this material can’t be used unless the u.s. signs off on it. What they _don’t_ know is that the stranger actually knows they are filming him, and is using them to set up an alibi for a major crime or assassination. Will the crew find out in time that they are being manipulated and, if so, will they be able to turn the tables? This one also seems mediocre and low-concept to me, but would make a tv movie nonetheless. I have some more ideas for movies to share. Any feedback is appreciated: **The Changing Natures of Beth** : romantic comedy where a brilliant young scientist travels through time interacting with the titular character Beth at different stages of her life. He does this to find out what makes her tick, but comes to realize that Beth, like all women, changes greatly from decade to decade, life stage to life stage. It’s ultimately about how women change over time. **Marriage Day** : In Elkhorn, Maryland, a small town, each year they have a day where people get married in one big ceremony. My movie is one of those sweeping saga chick-flick tear-jerkers, about different generations of women who got married that day and how it went after that. **Screams From a Cabin** : A group of filmmakers made a movie about a witch (or something) in the woods in some town. They return to that town to record the commentary for the DVD of their movie, and are attacked and chased and go through the woods in terror the whole movie. They are wearing wireless mikes clipped to their collars, and leave them on the whole time. Thus, the film we watch is really a fake film overlaid with dialogue from what’s happening in this story; all we can hear are the characters and what we can make out audibly from their horror, but the film that they’re ‘commentary’ track is laid over helpfully supplements the action the whole movie. Basically Blair Witch Project meets Old Time Radio horror programs, meets modern technology and DVD commentaries. I know this one might be hard for you to understand what I’m describing… It’s about some people whose dvd commentary recording turns into an audio recording of their doom. Get it? **A History of VHS** : a movie (not documentary) about the history of the VHS tape, from 76 to 06. I can’t even explain this one, use your imagination to imagine how I might tell an engaging fictional story about that (I know how I will, but I won’t bother trying to explain to you). ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/110 "2013-10-12T02:14:02Z")
> [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](#): > > **The Changing Natures of Beth** : romantic comedy where a brilliant young scientist travels through time interacting with the titular character Beth at different stages of her life. He does this to find out what makes her tick, but comes to realize that Beth, like all women, changes greatly from decade to decade, life stage to life stage. It’s ultimately about how women change over time. _The Time Traveller’s Wife_ would like its idea back. ---
**Author:** ![Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Came_in_like_a_Wrecking_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/111 "2013-10-12T02:22:13Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > _The Time Traveller’s Wife_ would like its idea back. Nope, not the same. Mine’s a comedy, first of all. Secondly, he’s travelling on purpose, not unintentionally. Third of all, he’s not using the time travel to figure out the future of his relationship with Beth (and by the way, Fourthly of all he’s not even IN a relationship with Beth, that’s why he’s doing this), but rather to figure out Beth herself, what makes her tick, who she was at different life stages, who she will be at future life stages, and maybe figure out at what decade of life she’d be ready to be with a guy like him (and then move to that decade and be with her). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/112 "2013-10-12T02:29:19Z")
> [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](#): > > My movie is very different than Scary Movie, because it’s about a guy killing kids based on teen movies like the ones by John Hughes and Cameron Crowe (Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, Fast Times…). So a kid is killed while in detention, and another is killed while skipping school, and another is killed while masturbating? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Came_in_like_a_Wrecking_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/113 "2013-10-12T03:08:35Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > So a kid is killed while in detention, **and another is killed while skipping school** , and another is killed while masturbating? > > 😕 The second one’s true as far as I have the story mapped out; not the other two, but you’re on the right track of thinking. Opening murder: imagine opening of Scream, but when the girl on the phone turns on the backyard lights she sees her boyfriend standing in her swimming pool holding a stereo over his head, gagged and bloody. When she gets a teen movie question wrong, killer stabs him in the spine, forcing him to drop stereo in pool and electrocute himself. He kills her and shoves a flute up her (), just like band camp. Every time he kills someone he leaves a message written in their blood, but it’s not Helter Skelter it’s a morbid parody of a teen movie title (Never Been Killed, Peggy Sue Got Murdered, Pump Up the Violence, et al). He kills three kids skipping school like Ferris Bueller. He forces one kid into a deadly version of the drag race from Grease; kid survives. That’s all I’ll post for now. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/114 "2013-10-12T05:50:05Z")
> [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](#): > > Nope, not the same. Mine’s a comedy, first of all. Secondly, he’s travelling on purpose, not unintentionally. Third of all, he’s not using the time travel to figure out the future of his relationship with Beth (and by the way, Fourthly of all he’s not even IN a relationship with Beth, that’s why he’s doing this), but rather to figure out Beth herself, what makes her tick, who she was at different life stages, who she will be at future life stages, and maybe figure out at what decade of life she’d be ready to be with a guy like him (and then move to that decade and be with her). So it’s _The Stalker Time Traveller’s Wife_. eta Look, Who’s Stalking! ---
**Author:** ![Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Came_in_like_a_Wrecking_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/115 "2013-10-12T07:54:00Z")
**Alien in Vision** : A movie about aliens attacking a shopping mall in Omaha, that’s not really about aliens but rather about how everyone individually sees the world differently. One guy sees the aliens as looking like terrorists, one guy sees them as looking like gang members, one guy sees them as looking like an animal, etc. The whole movie all we see is through various characters eyeballs; no external camera view is seen (‘external’ meaning the one we see most movies through). Get it? Not Alien Invasion but Alien _in Vision_. ---
**Author:** ![Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Came\_in\_like\_a\_Wrecking\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Came_in_like_a_Wrecking_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/116 "2013-10-12T07:55:12Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > So it’s _The Stalker Time Traveller’s Wife_. > > eta > > Look, Who’s Stalking! There’s a fine line between stalking and being romantic. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/117 "2013-10-13T21:55:54Z")
I’d like to see HPL’s \* At the Mountains of Madness \* done as a movie. Also, as a proper anthology, \* World War Z \*. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/118 "2013-10-14T01:53:59Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > **Berserker** : Old Norse teenage girl is attacked by a visitor, unexpectedly transforms into a bear during the fight, and kills the rapist. Most don’t believe a woman can be a [berserker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker), but Old Gran remembers a story about it. She teaches the girl about herbs to control the change, but they are attacked during a foraging trip and the girl is kidnapped (by being knocked out before she has a chance to get mad). She dumps the dose that stops her changing, calls out the Big Bad, and dies heroically while killing him. (Both Odin and Thor are watching all through this.) I think that would make a great movie. Lots of Viking action and you get to look at the mores and social conventions of the times. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/119 "2013-10-14T01:59:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > _Privacy Issues_-A television show’s gimmick is to film a stranger for a few days, gathering up as much information as possible before presenting it to the unknowing stranger to show them how public their life really is. Of course, this material can’t be used unless the u.s. signs off on it. What they _don’t_ know is that the stranger actually knows they are filming him, and is using them to set up an alibi for a major crime or assassination. Will the crew find out in time that they are being manipulated and, if so, will they be able to turn the tables? I would watch this movie, too! Great concept. I could see Denzel Washington doing a great job as the lead. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488/120 "2013-10-14T02:05:46Z")
Dancing Slavegirls of Mars. Martians, their women long since gone because they wouldn’t clean up the place and the red dust gets in EVERYTHING, discover that Earth is full of women. So they hop a spaceship and fly to Earth, where they discover that the easy way to find fun , naked women is in strip clubs. So they kidnap the dancers of a couple dozen strip clubs and take them back to Mars to be their dancing sex slaves. Or wives, Martians are a little weak on that distinction. Where they discover that Earth’s gravity, being MUCH great than Mars, means that the Earth women’s strength compared to Martian men’s strength is like unto the different between a gorilla’s and a human male’s strength. Hijinks ensue! I see it as a B movie comedy sorto f thing. Or perhaps a musical. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-ideas-for-movies-do-you-have/670488.md?page=7)