Oh God Why?? - Battle of the Bulge (1966) Discussion

[–] wizzo31 16 years ago

i actually think this would be a good film to remake, because although I love it to bits, it's got it's problems.

Thing is however, if they remade it now, it would be technically more correct, but lose a lot of the things that we love about it (the telly savalas character would be written out for instance, or a love story would be introduced).

Best left as is I think.

Everybody be cool. You - be cool.

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[–] rglasby 16 years ago

It would be an expensive movie to make well.

It is the largest battle fought by the US army and would require a huge budget to cover the whole battle - easier to make a movie about one small part of it.

I'd love to see a re-make of this - just as long as:

1. Steven Spielberg doesn't direct.
2. Tom Cruise isn't in it.

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[–] knightwind88 16 years ago

>>1. Steven Spielberg doesn't direct.
2. Tom Cruise isn't in it.<<

You took the words out of my mouth. How about Clint Eastwood directing? (then I suppose Spike Lee would start whining).

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[–] DrakeStraw 14 years ago

... the telly savalas character would be written out for instance, or a love story would be introduced ...

How much sense does this statement make when Telly was the only one with an on-screen love, Pier Angeli. Sadly, Pier who once was serious with James Dean, ODed in 1971 and never reached age 40.

--
Drake

FYI

[spoiler][/spoiler]

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[–] jloper 16 years ago

Since they made Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, I'm sure they could make another Battle of the Bulge movie, though they'd have to provide more tanks. Personally, since some modern ground warfare movies have been made, I'd like to see a new air or naval war movie, maybe about the Flying Tigers or the Taffy 3 defensive naval stand at Leyte Gulf.

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[–] SipteaHighTea 15 years ago

How about a movie where the Flying Tigers stopping the Japanese at the Salween River in April 1942. If the Japanese had cross the river, China would have been knock out of the war. That is truly one of the unknown battles of World War II.

How about a movie about the Battle of Imphal or Khomia where the British defeat the Japanese invasion of India?

Another movie would be the Battle of Leros, Samos, and Kos Islands where Prime Minister Churchill hope to occupy those islands after Italy surrender to the Allies in September 1943. Churchill want to use those bases to hopefully launch a Balkan invasion from those island plus using those bases to force Turkey to enter the war on the Allied side. It would be one of the few times the Germans beaten the Allies after the fall of North Africa.

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[–] zeroalias 14 years ago

I believe John Woo has a movie about the Flying Tigers in development to be filmed in China, so you may get your wish (heard a rumor that Tom Cruise was approached for a role in it).

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[–] PartyBeachMonsterVictim 16 years ago

I think Ewan McGregor would be good as Joachim Peiper, who Robert Shaw's character was based on in this movie. Do a google image search for him.

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[–] antimatter33 16 years ago

The truth is, it would be boring to actually film the whole battle - which consisted in 1) a big German push through a practically defenseless sector in the gloomy woods of the Ardennes 2) stiff resistance at Bastogne which prevented the Germans from rolling up the territory gained and spushing farther 3) halt of the advance due to counterattack in force by Patton combined with the Germans' fuel starvation 4) total failure of the offensive once air cover was restored in good weather. This all happened in the space of a few weeks.

The real "battle" was in the grinding, months-long mopping up during the winter of 1945, in which the Germans were pushed back to their original positions. Much of this mop-up was a battle of attrition conducted by green divisions of conscripts, and resulted in withering casualties on both sides, all to no purpose as the war was essentially over, Hilter having denuded his eastern defenses to man this impossible offensive.

Individual aspects of the battle have been well-covered - particularly the resistance of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne in the "Band of Brothers" mini-series.

-drl

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[–] sawyertom 16 years ago

It needs to be a long 10 to 20 episode mini-series.

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[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Homer900 15 years ago

Huh? How did they win the Battle of the Bulge?

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[–] yodarch 15 years ago

Air Power

Whoa, lady, I only speak two languages, English and bad English

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[–] superman1 14 years ago

Since Steven Spielberg made the best (most real - and engaging, per say) war film made (as even he wished to make a war film beforehand, I read), he doesn't need to re-make another one

Having said that, let me say this: This that I reckon even his film leaves pours and gores of the real hell out. Let that BE THE TRUE WAR FILM, THEN.

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[–] thatguy_78757 14 years ago

Not a remake BUT:

The Battle of the Bulge is shown in the movie
Battleground (1949)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041163/

and the very low budget but very cleverly done

Saints and Soldiers (2003)

and the little seen gem

A Midnight Clear (1992)

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[–] Lonixcap 13 years ago

The "Greatest Generation" that fought WW2 are in their 80's and 90's if they are still around, their sacrifices largely forgotten by younger people.

Today's audience might not embrace a WW2 epic the same way Speilberg's Saving Private Ryan was embraced by critics and audiences some 15 years ago.

Eastwood's Flags of our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima didn't do as well at the box office as Ryan did, and maybe that's an indication that today's prime moviegoers, teenage boys, aren't turned on by WW2 movies, because they have superhero fantasy movies like The Avengers instead.

Maybe, in the absence of a military draft, young people are disconnected from the military (except those who serve, of course) and like their movie battles to be comic book fantasies instead of historically accurate recreations of battles from 70 yrs ago.

So a Bulge remake is highly unlikely, since that same $200 million budget could be spent on the next Marvel Comics CGI fantasy, a box office slam dunk.

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[–] Homer900 13 years ago

Good points Lonixcap.

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[–] lsmithe01 10 years ago

You only need to watch the Military or History channel to see the real battles. In my opinion this is better than watching a movie with inaccurate information.

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[–] ianmeagherirl 9 years ago

Im sorry, but all I see on the History Channel now are Pawn shop programmes and Storage unit auctions. just about as far from actual Hisory as they can possibly go without having to change the name of the channel.

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[–] Reverend-Flasher 12 years ago

Why does it need to be remade? It's great as it is. Also for that matter why remake "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?

Read some books, Hollywood, instead of reliving in the past and recreating mediocre new versions.

In memory of Sam Peckinpah

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[–] NobodymournstheWicked 11 years ago

A hollywood studio hasn't thought to remake it, or a person that hasn't thought to remake it and bring it to to the attention of a Hollywood studio. But there have been a lot of movies that have been remade even faster in years then some others. Even if you look the Day the Earth Still the first movie came out in 1951, and the remake came out in 2008 which the same year as your post. And even the more recent remake of Footloose from 2011, came out 27 years or so after the first one did. But before a movie can be remade somebody has to have the idea to remake that movie.

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[–] maxman-5 9 years ago

It would SUCK. Would be mostly CGI and total "new Hollywood" crap. Look what they did with the ending to 'Fury'.

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