# If You Could Make Any Film You Wanted To! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843 "2008-02-16T01:19:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/41 "2008-02-17T20:03:31Z")
I keep thinking _The Man That Never Missed_ would be a fun film. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/42 "2008-02-17T20:15:13Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] I’ve always loved George R.R. Martin’s _Tuf Voyaging_, a scifi novel about a schlub/antihero space merchant who finds an enormously powerful derelict starship. He then decides to make a living as an ecological engineer, with results that vary from the very funny to the pretty damned scary. Hollywood would probably never touch it, but when I earn my first billion I’m going to get it made, dammit. [/QUOTE] I’m not really into sci-fi but this sounds damned interesting. I’m playing the $225 million lottery here on Tuesday; if I win I’ll bankroll you. [QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] One of Spielberg’s near-future movies is going to be a biopic of Abraham Lincoln, starring Liam Neeson. I think George Washington deserves similiar treatment - he had a fascinating life, even though we think of him today as little more than a marble statue. [/QUOTE] I agree. I think now is a great time to do some modern, in-depth bio-pics of some of the presidents. Hollywood has seemingly run out of good, original ideas lately (bad re-makes, etc.) and current electrified political passions would definitely support such films. Do you think Spielberg will go into Lincoln’s roommate situation? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/43 "2008-02-17T20:51:10Z")
A miniseries I would love to make would be a long treatment of several soldiers from the Civil War, preferably on both sides. It’s not an entirely original idea: _The Blue and Gray_ did this with some success, but not with great length or insight and “too pretty” all in all, and then there was _North & South_ (ugh… History meets The Love Boat). What I’d like to see is an epic miniseries like _Band of Brothers_ and _Winds of War/War & Remembrance_ that shows a lot more of the day to day life of soldiers and “common folk” and is more realistic in its depictions of Civil War battles. An interesting possibility would be to have two separate regiments with no connection to one another, one Union and one Confederate, and using the same battle sequences and stock footage of an area (Chattanooga, Georgia countryside, etc.) for each. Their final battle is [Bentonville](http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/HS/bentonvi/bentonvi.htm), or maybe even a much lesser skirmish like [Monroe’s Crossroads](http://www.nps.gov/seac/mcattack.htm), very late in the war and the first battle where all major characters who have survived this far fight each other. Of course you don’t know who will live or die and by this time you’ve gotten to know the boys from Indiana (or wherever) and the ones from Georgia (or wherever). The Civil War was such a defining event in America, and yet it gets scant treatment on film outside of romantic melodramas (there was damned near nothing romantic about it) and plantation potboilers (ho hum) and the occasional “great men” piece. I wouldn’t want to see any main characters beyond the rank of sergeant, any main characters from Greek Revival mansions, and southern houses/plantations/slaves portrayed far more accurately than usual (i.e. even large plantations usually had relatively plain houses with no grass in the yard, and there are so many errors and cliches about slaves on both the “Magnolia Mythology” side and the “Let’s politically correct it” side). Any famous personages who appeared- a general or a politician- would be fleeting and not a cameo as this is very much “people’s history” stuff. That said, the lesser Civil War vehicle I’d love to dramatize would be [Mary Chesnut’s Civil War](http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Chesnuts-Civil-War-Chesnut/dp/0300029799), which is already a text and would have the hoop skirts and cotillions and the Jefferson Davises because that was her circle. I’d rather do the untitled one above, but if not I’ll push for this and then try to cash in on its success to do the one above. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/44 "2008-02-17T21:26:56Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] (1) The Taking by Dean Koontz. I usually don’t “see” what I read, but with this book, there are large sections that I could. (2) Second choice: War For The Oaks by Emma Bull. It would be interesting to see this important urban fantasy story on the big screen. [/QUOTE] (1) Haven’t read _The Taking_ but this sounds like a cross between magic realism and science fiction. Am I even close? The wiki description makes it seem entirely doable though; I wonder why it hasn’t been. (2) Some good intelligently done urban fantasy would be good. Who would you get to play Eddi in _War For The Oaks_? [QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] All British Isles cast/writers **only**. English, Welsh Scots & Irish. Perhaps a French ferry captain, but that’s the limit; Shot on location, whenever possible; Military consultants, to the uniforms, weapons & drill correct; And the scene with the Vicar in the ruined cellar gets l **eft in** , dammit! I **don’t care** if the little old ladies in Kansas don’t like it! :mad: Although, how we are to rectify Wells’ error, re: the _Thunder Child_, I cannot say. 😕 [/QUOTE] Spot on with the _WOTW_ specs, je dirais! Let’s just say _Thunder Child_ was sold well before its time. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/45 "2008-02-17T21:30:49Z")
After I finish my CG animated short, my dream project is to apply the same level of passion and detail, storytelling and mythos to [**Watership Down**](http://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-Novel-Richard-Adams/dp/0743277708/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203283599&sr=8-1) that Peter Jackson applied to LOTR. It’s been since forever that I say the animated film from the 70s, but I would treat the subject matter not as a children’s tale, but with depth and intensity. Not to mention breathtaking visuals of England’s countryside; taking great pains to recreate the actual locals where the setting was derived from. Some day… ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/46 "2008-02-17T21:36:17Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] After I finish my CG animated short, . . . [/QUOTE] Are you going to make that available for viewing anywhere? [QUOTE=cmyk] . . . my dream project is to apply the same level of passion and detail, storytelling and mythos to [**Watership Down**](http://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-Novel-Richard-Adams/dp/0743277708/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203283599&sr=8-1) that Peter Jackson applied to LOTR. It’s been since forever that I say the animated film from the 70s, but I would treat the subject matter not as **a children’s tale** , but with **depth and intensity**. [/QUOTE] Why can’t you have it speak to both? I read it when I was twelve, so forgive me if I didn’t get it or don’t remember it that well. [QUOTE=cmyk] Not to mention breathtaking visuals of England’s countryside; taking great pains to recreate **the actual locals** where the setting was derived from. [/QUOTE] Well, yeah, you’ve pretty much got to have some Englishmen in it. Hopefully, some outdoor scenery too. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/47 "2008-02-17T22:00:57Z")
I no spell good. Yeh, My production blog is [here](http://theendmovie.blogspot.com/)… it’s woefully out of date, and I need to start adding some of the work i’ve been doing over the last month. When completed (hopefully in less than a year now that I work from home), I plan on entering it in a few festivals. Siggraph, for sure. After that, I’ll make it as accessible as possible, since I’m not really doing it for money. And yes, I believe _Watership Down_ could speak to both kids and adults. It’s one of those stories that I think wonderfully transcends age. Although, I feel the old movie panders mostly to kids, and looses a lot in that. I don’t think the story should divide an audience, but rather bring it together. It’s a shame how animation is looked as a medium for children only. And at best, as a medium for kids, with a layer that adults can enjoy too. But at the same time, I wouldn’t attempt to water down (heh) much of the intense scenes from the book just because there might be 6-year-olds watching. The story is what it is, and I wouldn’t want to sacrifice that. If it turns out the movie would be more suitable for teens and up, then so be it. T’was the way it was written. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/48 "2008-02-17T22:37:26Z")
[QUOTE=Spiny Norman] Frans G. Bengtsson’s viking novel [novel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Ships) about Orm Tostesson the Wide-travelled deserves a better treatment than the 1964 abomination. Raiding parties at dawn, heroic deaths with famous last words, love, death and betrayal, good deeds being rewarded at unexpected moments. Men of action and honor. Wisecracks and understated humour, and a wry look at Christianity, Judaism and Islam as offered by a heathen outsider. [/QUOTE] A mini-series, I take it? **cmyk** , good feedback. I’d love to see more adaptations that stick to what inspires one to see the story in film form and less conforming it to Hollywood-ish story requirments. If this is done more often, in Hollywood as well as independent settings, believe the audience _will_ adapt and rise to the challenge and appreciate what is being offered for what it is, specific film tastes prevailing, of course. I will keep track of the link you provided and look out of the finished short. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/49 "2008-02-18T13:29:53Z")
Stephen King’s short story “Dolan’s Cadillac” would make a damn good mini-series. King’s story “Do The Dead Sing?” not having yet been filmed is inexcusable. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/50 "2008-02-18T14:03:31Z")
Ah, this old topic. Once again, I’ll go with Haruki Murakami’s _Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World_. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/51 "2008-02-18T14:11:31Z")
_Weapon_ by Robert Mason. I know it (along with its inferior sequel, _Solo_) has been made into a film (taking the title of the second book - _Solo_), but it was really terrible. Really terrible. The book isn’t bad at all. I’d also take a shot at _Ringworld_ - I’ve mentioned this before and it’s been said that it’s just a story about a journey, but the same could be said about LOTR or War Of The Worlds. I think it could be made into a fairly decent movie. I’m the only person that could do this though. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/52 "2008-02-19T00:47:37Z")
::Bump:: until I can reply to poster on a computer at a location where Cyberpatrol doesn’t block the first page of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/53 "2008-02-19T03:06:33Z")
I’d remake Gone With The Wind, to bring some of the characters more in line with the way the book portrayed them. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/54 "2008-02-19T06:32:35Z")
(Apologies if this has been posted - I can’t read through 2 pages) _ **Confederacy of Dunces** _. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/55 "2008-02-19T07:13:37Z")
It would sure be great if someone made Starship Troopers into a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/56 "2008-02-19T07:19:50Z")
I’d agree those who mentioned Heinlein. I’d like to see a proper filming of STARSHIP TROOPERS. Not that abortion produced a few years ago with the same name, but little other similarities. A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON and other Xanth novels by Piers Anthony should be filmable now with CGI. David Weber’s Honor series would transfer well to the cinema, too. (although, I’ve heard rumour there is a movie currently in the works.) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/57 "2008-02-19T07:20:12Z")
As much as I complain about how unnecessary many remakes of movies are, I would like to see someone do a Western version of [Jean de Florette](http://imdb.com/title/tt0091288/) and its sequel, [Manon of the Spring](http://imdb.com/title/tt0091480/). Instead of southern France, the story could be set in the Texas Hill Country during the 1870’s and the ill-fated hunchback who inherits the property that’s at the core of the story would be a crippled Union vet. Beyond that, much of the plot and themes would remain the same. Perhaps Larry McMurtry could adapt the screenplay from the original French novel. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/58 "2008-02-19T07:43:42Z")
[QUOTE=Baker] I’d remake Gone With The Wind, to bring some of the characters more in line with the way the book portrayed them. [/QUOTE] I’d love to see that as well, this time as a “true to the book” uncensored miniseries so that you can have the first two kids, the Fontaines/Tarletons/Will Benteen/Dilcey,etc. and the backstories of Gerald & Ellen (and Philippe). I’d also have sets that were true to the book (a big sprawling not particularly pretty country house for Tara, an Atlanta that doesn’t 20 acres of wounded soldiers, etc..). ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/59 "2008-02-19T08:11:09Z")
Any movie with [mermaid](http://www.robertshort.com/images/393_splash_web_comp.jpg) costumes, fairy costumes, period dress, and [angel](http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/M/==/QM/yQ/DN/4Q/TO/wc/TZ/tF/kX/nB/na/B5/lM/B5/FN/0k/TN/wk/zN/2c/TM/B5/VM._SY400_SX600_.jpg) costumes. I wouldn’t care about the actual movie, (it woudl be a disaster anyway, starring anges and fairies and renaissance mermaids) as long as I could have the professonally made costumes afterwards to take home with me and own. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843/60 "2008-02-19T13:36:08Z")
Books and stories I’ve filmed in my head (and, where someone else made a version, I wasn’t entirely pleased with): \*\*The Stars my Destination The Demolished Man \*\* Fredric Brown’s **Arena** – done straight, for once Frederick Forsyth’s **The Odessa File** and his **The Devil’s Alternative** **Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight** and (since it’s been done twice, really badly, Isaac Asimov’s **Nightfall**. Oh, yeah, and, since it’s never been even close to properly done, Mark Twain’s **A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-make-any-film-you-wanted-to/437843.md?page=4)