Dambusters Remake

[Eric Mc]

Sir David Frost has acquired the rights to Paul Brickhill's original book and the related film. He is currently pushing for finance for a remake of the film. However, it appears that there is a problem with what to call Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog - which was called "Nigger". However, he is insistant that the original musical score is retained.

Should they be remaking this film anyway as the original is such a classic?

Where will they get hold of the Lancasters required (there are only two flying in the world). Could they rely on CGI?

Opinions?

[diddyman]

I think they should change the story and make it about selecting 12 would be pilots from a cast of 1000s of no hopers who are trained up for a scret mission (which only 4 of them can go on) in 3 weeks to drop fake bouncing bombs on fake dams from fake Lancaster bombers.

Nah... it'll never work...

[nubbin]

I suppose in true movie style, the remake will feature American pilots in B52s dropping bombs which were tested on Lake Tahoe, and there will be interference from a cowardly and rather slippery British officer. And Denzel Washington will play a cameo role as guy gibson's dog. Jane Fonda will feature as a peace protestor outside the War Office in Whitehall.

[CVP]

You've got to worry it would be like the remake of the Italian Job, or Get Carter, both total pants from great originals.

I'm not sure this film should be remade, as you say all the flight scenes would have to be CGI. I'm sure there is another PH'er who's an expert in this field but I worry that unless you invest massively a la "Lord of the Rings" then it can easily look false. Can Frost really raise that kind of cash?

If it does get made then my vote is to keep the dog's name as Nigger. It is a matter of historical record and we should not pander to pinko liberalness. Mind you in the current climate how realistic do you think it is to get the necessary funding to actually make this? I think a lot of investors/studios will be quite wary of making a war film.

Chris

[Jaglover]

Remakes can be good or bad.

I think we should wait and see.

[Extra 300 Driver]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

K9 of African decent?

[eccles]

CVP said:

You've got to worry it would be like the remake of the Italian Job, or Get Carter, both total pants from great originals. I'm not sure this film should be remade, as you say all the flight scenes would have to be CGI. I'm sure there is another PH'er who's an expert in this field but I worry that unless you invest massively a la "Lord of the Rings" then it can easily look false. Can Frost really raise that kind of cash? If it does get made then my vote is to keep the dog's name as Nigger. It is a matter of historical record and we should not pander to pinko liberalness. Mind you in the current climate how realistic do you think it is to get the necessary funding to actually make this? I think a lot of investors/studios will be quite wary of making a war film. Chris

well in the same way that the italian job, and get carter payed only lip service to the originals, the americans could remake it with osama bin laden trying to fly a plane into the hoover dam, and the americans stopping him, and winning the war on terror, and then looking like all round good chaps.

[crmcatee]

If the so called PC people get there way there won't be a dog called Nigger. It'll be a cat called Tigger.

[GregE240]

Eric Mc said:

However, it appears that there is a problem with what to call Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog - which was called "Nigger". However, he is insistant that the original musical score is retained.

What the hells wrong with Nigger? Its a dog, FFS.

[seasider]

Extra 300 Driver said:

anonymous said: [redacted] K9 of African decent?

[Extra 300 Driver]

GregE240 said:

Eric Mc said: However, it appears that there is a problem with what to call Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog - which was called "Nigger". However, he is insistant that the original musical score is retained. What the hells wrong with Nigger? Its a dog, FFS.

Agreed, it's factual aswell, just pretending it didnt happen wont make it different.

Can you imagine the WINCO of 617SQN with a dog called Fluffy!

[Eric Mc]

I actually think that "Nigger" is becoming less of a problem than it was a few years ago. Many black people are now using it freely and as a "fum"/"endearing" term (Lenny Henny yesterday on radio, for example).

As for CGI - I think it is now good enough to replicate the raids MORE accurately than was done in 1954. For a start, at least they could now show REALLY how the bouncing mines (they weren't bombs thechnically) actually work. The technology was still on the Top Secret list when the original film was made.

[Yugguy]

Remake the dambusters?

Ahem.


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

>> Edited by Yugguy on Tuesday 13th December 09:19

[FourWheelDrift]

Eric Mc said:

Where will they get hold of the Lancasters required (there are only two flying in the world). Could they rely on CGI? Opinions?

CGi would work well, they did after all use some dodgy models during some scenes in the original.

[ettore]

Eric Mc said:

As for CGI - I think it is now good enough to replicate the raids MORE accurately than was done in 1954. For a start, at least they could now show REALLY how the bouncing mines (they weren't bombs thechnically) actually work. The technology was still on the Top Secret list when the original film was made.

I think the film could work very well subject to an appropriate budget, a bit of historical rigour and a good measure of flair. If they could tempt the Canadian Lancaster, there are probably enough airframes to make it work with current CGI trickery - there`s at least one semi-static airframe that could also be used.

The trouble with many modern re-make/war films normally lie in over-glossy production and a glib script. The original certainly wasn`t glib and the key to making a success of this film, I think, is ensuring an appropriate level of grittiness and realism. Whilst Private Ryan and Band of Brothers had their script issues (!) they were a huge success from a technical film production standpoint - using some of this technology (i.e the very "period" film processing)would really work on what remains a pretty compelling, and true, story.

[simpo two]

My ears pricked up when they gave this headline on R4 at 6am. I lay there waiting for the main article, but it was never mentioned. Very odd - do you think some BBC type pulled it at the last minute to avoid the inevitable storm of protest?

My proposals:

1) No 'Nigger' as it will upset the people who think that coloured people might be upset by it.

2) Can't use Merlin engines because the pollution will harm the ozone layer, sorry, acid rain, sorry, global warming. Hence the Lancs will have to be gliders.

3) Can't bomb Germany becuase we're friends now and mustn't mention the war and it might make peoel think of British Imperialism, so the planes will have to glide round and round in circles over the North Sea and then land again.

4) Can't have all-white crew because that racist (see (1) above), so each Lanc must have a representative selection of ethnic minorities, women and gays on board. And an asylum seeker.

5) Can't drop a bomb because it might hurt somebody and they'd sue.




Not worth making really is it?

[Parrot of doom]

The dog IRL was called Nigger.

The dog in the film should be called Nigger.

And stuff anyone who says its racist - perhaps in the original context, it was - but a good film should reflect that, not try and hide it.

[Andrew Noakes]

CVP said:

my vote is to keep the dog's name as Nigger. It is a matter of historical record

Exactly. Regardless of whether or not the term is an appropriate one to use today, the film was telling a true (ish) story and that was part of the story. I couldn't believe it when ITV edited those bits out when it screened the original film a couple of years ago.

[yertis]

Wasn't "Nigger" also one of the code-words used, for having hit one of the dams (or some other mission component)?

[simpo two]

Parrot of doom said:

And stuff anyone who says its racist - perhaps in the original context, it was

Not at all, 'nigger' was just used to describe the colour black. He wasn't naming his dog after West Africans! My father's childhood paintbox had 'nigger black' in it and nobody got all steamed up over it.

How about 'Eskimo white'? Is that being rude to Eskimos?