Gettysburg was really good, but after that Maxwell seems to have gotten lost.
Was it because he had such a good book in The Killer Angels and he followed it so well?
Did his support team change?
Did the cast changes make much difference?
Was Gettysburg just a magic moment for him that pulled more out of him than he really has?
The franchise collapsed when Gods and Generals bombed at the box office. If Maxwell shares any blame, it's for assuming or hoping that Jeff Shaara could fill his late father Michael's shoes and urging him to write Gods and Generals with the promise of filming the movie version. Jeff Shaara may have cashed in on his father's legacy, but I've read enough of his books to realize that he's mechanically filling in his father's template for The Killer Angels without any of the passion, character depth or historical accuracy.
shareI think one of the problems is the fact that Gettysburg spans only a few days which is easy to translate onto film. Gods and Generals on the other hand covers about 2 years BEFORE Gettysburg and tries to incorporate far too much from that period.
shareI think you are right about that.
Also, from the business point of view Gettysburg was a flop. According to IMDB, the budget was around 25 million dollars and the domestic gross income was around 10 million dollars. Generally, movies should make profit on their ticket sales not to be considered flops.
The problem with Gettysburg is that it doesn´t have a wide international appeal which means that it should be able to make profit in US. It doesn´t make much sense from business point of view to make movies like Gettysburg even though it is a good movie.
The movie was released into theaters here in Australia, although I don't remember much about its run here. However, I know of quite a few fans of the movie here as well as having a very keen interest in the Civil War which some people might find surprising since it has nothing to do with our own country, but history is history, no matter which country's history it is and it is always interesting.
shareYou are forgetting the Cable TV broadcast $$. At its showing on cable in 1994 it was the highest rated cable show to date. The US Civil War has a broader world appeal than you think. At Gettysburg we get a ton of foreign visitors, especially from Britain and Germany.
shareThat was one thing I hated about living in G-burg. Tourist season was a bitch.
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If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go!
Especially motorcycle week. The noise has got to rival that of the actual battle.
shareI lived near the new High School (right across from the District Building, in fact), so I didn't experience Motorcycle Week nearly as much. For my friends that lived in town, though, they tell me it was a nightmare.
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Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb.
Gettysburg is only good because of the lack of films to satisfy Civil War buffs. As a film, it's mediocre at best. Wooden dialogue with far too many speeches acting as dialogue. Stiff staging that shows a lack of capability by Maxwell. For example, when Harrison is brought to Longstreet's tent at the beginning, note that obvious posing by the actor playing Longstreet's aid, TJ Goree. Notice the same "posed" movement later by Lee's aid.
Maxwell can film battle scenes. But, his movie's really suffer in between those scenes.
This film lost money. GaG lost a lot of money. The audience you need to make these films viable are those not Civil War buffs. The poor directing makes that difficult.
Gettysburg is only good because of the lack of films to satisfy Civil War buffs. As a film, it's mediocre at best.You're an idiot.
Oh, but I have so much more to say you inbred jackal. Perhaps you were one of the really fat "reenactors" that look to honor their slave owning grandpappy by shoving their 300 pound, 50 year old carcass into a uniform. Loved how Ron Maxwell brought home the carnage of deprivation of the Civil War by featuring guys who looked like they would stroke out from walking 10 yards.
BTW, you know how a bit of dialogue was REALLY IMPORTANT, because he had the characters say it twice. Oh wait, this good ground, very good ground. Different dreams, different dreams.
One time notice - I put you on ignore right after my reply to your idiotic post. As I said, there really is no point in reading anything further from an imbecile who would write anything so stupid. Take care .
This is all I am getting when you reply to me...thank you "ignore" button:
This message has been hidden because the poster is in your ignore list: njaintthatbad
On November 6, 2012...God blessed America
Seriously? Are you that delusional to think that a "one time notice" from you means anything to anyone? Are you so lacking in control over your life that you create some pathetic attempt at power over complete strangers on a message board - as though losing access to you is a treasured relationship?
What's your issue then sport? Wife divorced you, ignore you, or the far more pathetic you couldn't even get a woman to kiss you goodnight and now you're 50+ with no real human interaction? That would explain the multiple posts on this site. You one of those small, inconsequential people that expected more from your life and now you find yourself alone, helpless and hopeless? So you've taken to threats of loss of contact with you as some last grasp at power and control before heading quietly and unnoticed into the afterlife and oblivion?
You know what, forget what I said. Oh please, please Mr. Great and Powerful, don't block me. What ever will become of me? (There, maybe that bit of psychological boost will give you reason muddle along for another day._
Hahaha! ... Iroquois Joe is indeed an inbred jackass.
These fat "reenactors" would do everyone a favor if they used real bullets and rid us of their stupidity.
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Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself. - George Carlin
Gettysburg succeeds, because of its script, based on Mike Shaara's inspired book. Gods And Generals simply doesn't have the writing. Actually, IMO, Gettysburg falters somewhat during Pickett's Charge, the one place where Maxwell abandons Shaara's narrative, and tries to write his own. Had Maxwell stuck with the original, all the way through, his film would have been so much the better.
shareGrow UP and get a life.
share