# Would a remake of Airplane! work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374 "2011-10-31T12:45:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/21 "2011-10-31T16:43:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Remake what? The plot? The characters? The sole reason they exist is so that they’d have something to hang the jokes on. If you can find writers who can write gags as good - and as plentiful - as they had in _Airplane_, then it doesn’t matter what your movie is actually about. This. The movie is about a particular style of humor. The purpose of remaking a movie is to attempt to find a better, or different way of telling the same story. But the story just doesn’t matter here. And if the goal here would be to re-tell the same jokes, well, I think the style of the humor itself would feel quite dated. I imagine the result would be similar top the remake of The Inlaws. (which I didn’t see BTW, but if the trailer, reviews, and comments from others are any indication…). ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/22 "2011-10-31T17:01:24Z")
What would be great is if they did a deadpan, totally serious remake of \*Airplane! \*They could get, say, Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden and Linda Darnell to star in it. It would be hi-_larious!_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/23 "2011-10-31T17:15:58Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q__vuyH1JEI/hqdefault.jpg "Airplane! vs. Zero Hour!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q__vuyH1JEI) ---
**Author:** ![Av8trix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@Av8trix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Av8trix)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/24 "2011-10-31T17:17:35Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > A sequel? Over Macho Grande? I don’t think I’ll ever get over Macho Grande. ---
**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:** [October 31, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/25 "2011-10-31T17:24:37Z")
To the tower! To the tower! Rapunzel! ---
**Author:** ![opmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@opmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opmike)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/26 "2011-10-31T17:34:21Z")
It would undoubtedly end up being remade by the same assholes that gave us movies like “Meet the Spartans” and it would undoubtedly suck horribly. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/27 "2011-10-31T17:34:22Z")
A remake? What is it? Well, that’s when they take an old movie and make a newer, crappier version of it, but that’s not important right now… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/28 "2011-10-31T17:43:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I watched Airplane! last night and I actually think a decent remake could be made. I’m sure they could do a good job of making fun of TSA security and all the annoying airline fees. I’d rather see a good gladiator movie. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/29 "2011-10-31T18:23:58Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > What would be great is if they did a deadpan, totally serious remake of \*Airplane! \*They could get, say, Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden and Linda Darnell to star in it. It would be hi-_larious!_ And then the Arabs will come - and buy Mercedes Benzes! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/30 "2011-10-31T18:24:26Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > What would be great is if they did a deadpan, totally serious remake of \*Airplane! \*They could get, say, Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden and Linda Darnell to star in it. It would be hi-_larious!_ The Halloween version of it (directed by Rob Zombie, I suppose), using their reanimated corpses, probably _would_ be a hoot. Especially the scene where the corpse of Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch (as the pilot) is chatting up the corpse of the man that Raymond Ferrell grew up to be… Incidentally, I had not known that the cockpit in _Zero Hour!_ had a famous athlete among the crew. I wonder if the ZAZ team had been taking that into account when they cast Kareem. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/31 "2011-10-31T19:03:58Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Incidentally, I had not known that the cockpit in _Zero Hour!_ had a famous athlete among the crew. I wonder if the ZAZ team had been taking that into account when they cast Kareem. Seems 100% likely. Much of **Airplane!** is a very faithful remake of **Zero Hour** , dialog and all. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/32 "2011-10-31T19:13:42Z")
> [@](#): > > What would be great is if they did a deadpan, totally serious remake of Airplane! They could get, say, Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden and Linda Darnell to star in it. It would be hi-larious! Be careful with that. In the original, they cast Leslie Nielsen because they thought his serious gravitas as an actor would make him a good straight man. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/33 "2011-10-31T19:29:26Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Surely you can’t be serious. I’m deadly serious, and don’t call me Shirley. I have to say that one of my favourite jokes was something that I never noticed until about the tenth time I watched it. Whenever they cut to an exterior plane shot you hear the drone of a prop-plane. It makes me laugh, what can I say? I like my humour childish and unsubtle…like my men. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/34 "2011-10-31T20:15:36Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Incidentally, I had not known that the cockpit in _Zero Hour!_ had a famous athlete among the crew. I wonder if the ZAZ team had been taking that into account when they cast Kareem. I would say very likely since they originally cast Pete Rose, but filming was during baseball season, so they were not able to use him. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/35 "2011-10-31T22:36:22Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I thought you were going to point out the scene where all of the women walking past the scanners came out naked on the screens but all the men were still clothed. THIS – is exactly why we need a re-make now! 🙂 What the hell. Make EVERYBODY who goes through the scanners come out naked. [Slight digression] Way back sometime in 2004, when all this TSA shit was getting started, Ann Coulter wrote a column in which she suggested that we should all just fly naked. The lady makes sense for once! [/Slight digression] ---
**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:** [October 31, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/36 "2011-10-31T22:39:57Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > What would be great is if they did a deadpan, totally serious remake of \*Airplane! \*They could get, say, Dana Andrews and Sterling Hayden and Linda Darnell to star in it. It would be hi-_larious!_ And you know what else would be hilarious? Find some actor who’s famous for playing drunk guys and have him play the pilot. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/37 "2011-10-31T22:46:43Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > So let me get this straight. > > You think that one of the top 2 or 3 comedy movies…ever, could be remade and be…what? Better? > > I think the chances of it being better are negligible and so what would be the point? > > **I think you are smoking something fairly potent and now would be a good time to give it up.** (emphasis added) I think you are smoking something fairly potent and now would be a good time to have even more of it. (Including some to share around.) !! 🙂 Question about Airplane!, though: Does someone know the source of that gag, “Surely you jest” “I’m not jesting and stop calling me Shirley!” (and variations thereof) Did that gag originate in this movie, or was it used before? I swear, I always thought it was a standard Groucho Marx line (it sure sounds like one, doesn’t it?) – but my attempts to research on-line all point to Airplane! with no mention that I can find of any earlier source. Does anybody know otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/38 "2011-11-01T00:38:13Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > THIS – is exactly why we need a re-make now! 🙂 > > What the hell. Make EVERYBODY who goes through the scanners come out naked. > > [Slight digression] > Way back sometime in 2004, when all this TSA shit was getting started, Ann Coulter wrote a column in which she suggested that we should all just fly naked. The lady makes sense for once! > [/Slight digression] I dunno. Have you ever seen a grown man naked? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/39 "2011-11-01T00:49:57Z")
No. It came after a decade of disaster movies such as four versions of “Airport”, “Towering Inferno”, “Earthquake” and “Poseidon Adventure”. I suppose if there is any prevalent genre now it is vampire movies but that may not work. Plus "spoof movies’ were relatively rare 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374/40 "2011-11-01T01:06:50Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Surely you noticed that there WAS a “TSA”-like gag in there, even though this was long before TSA. He calls out “Hi, Jack!” to somebody, and several guards arise from behind planters and take him down. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I thought you were going to point out the scene where all of the women walking past the scanners came out naked on the screens but all the men were still clothed. I’ve watched Airplane! at least half a dozen times, and neither of these scenes are in it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-remake-of-airplane-work/601374.md?page=3)