When I first saw this movie, I wasn't that impressed. I realized it was just a horrible version of Casablanca.
The main character is a business-women who has a business that will cater to anyone as long as they have money. They were jilted by a lover who didn't show up when they were expected. The lover pops up all the sudden with a spouse and begs for help to get them out of the area.
They could have at least done a better job than this.
WoW! That is a pretty good observation! I wonder if this is actually true? Seems plausable. Lo and behold it's true! I guess anyone can make anything these days.
I'm pretty surprised this movie only made 4 mill considering Pam's following at the time was pretty sizable. Overall I thought this movie was entertaining. I mean you get what you go for, and this was pretty much what I expected. Pam looks great, cinimatography was better than average, costumes were great. stunts and action sequences were competent. I think the director got about as much out of the so-so script as he could.
Your explanation of the similarities to "Casablanca" don't do justice to the COMPLETE ripoff of that great classic that this film tried for...
1. Barb Wire isn't just a "business woman", she owns a bar/nightclub just like Rick Blaine...
2. The setting is in a "free city" where the good guys and bad guys both are welcome (and the "bad guys" are obviously supposed to be Nazis)...
3. Barb comes into possession of the fake retina contact lenses that will allow escape...Rick gets hold of the Letters of Transit that will allow escape...
4. Xander Berkeley's Alexander is the local cop that plays both sides for his own benefit just like Claude Rains' Louis in Casablanca...
5. Steve Railsback's Col. Pryzer is the perfect "Nazi" bent on catching his prey just like Conrad Veidt's Maj. Strasser...
6. Axel, just like Ilsa, is the former lover that didn't show up at a crucial time in the past, but now arrives with a spouse, and desperately needs help to escape...
7. And Big Fatso is obviously supposed to be Sydney Greenstreet's Signor Ferrari (aka The Fat Man)
It's been years since I saw this, but I remember thinking the same thing as yourself when I did...a Casablanca remake...and a VERY poor one at that.
Oddly enough, you are the only other person I've heard make the connection without me pointing it out to them. lol
Well done EGG, move to the front of the class :-)
Did you forget the dialogue between Barb and the cop at the end of the movie.
I think it was a modern adaptation of the last two Casablanca sentences.
I noticed this too. I'm a big fan of Casablanca and I'm sure the similarities were no accident.
Clint Howard's character is obviously the Peter lorre character Ugarte.
Hell, the villains outfits even look like Nazi uniforms.
We could deconstruct the entire movie and every scene has something to do with Casablanca. This must have been some sort of tribute because I can't imagine the filmmakers would ever think that anyone that had seen both of these movies wouldn't notice.
I thought it was obvious. My friends all thought I was nuts. Most of them haven't seen Casablanca though, which should be a capitol offense.
I'm Ford W. Maverick and I'll see you in hell.
http://whistlinginthegraveyard.blogspot.com/
Thank you thank you :)
Seriously though. The one part I had problems with was her brother. I thought maybe he could be Sam... but now that's the waiter/host/guy with bad toupee.
I noticed the uncanny similarity as well. However, I remind everyone that I am not watching Barb Wire for any reason but to laugh at it. Basically, I said "You know this movie could use more references to Casablanca," then I realized it was a reference to Casabalanca.
shareCasablanca is my most favorite film of all time, so naturally when I saw this crock when it came out in the late 90's my jaw hit the floor. The person above listed a lot of the complete rip offs, its not as if it was a couple thing here and there but it was basically the entire plot and characters of course very very very poorly executed. For years I felt like I was the only one but thankfully I am not, it made me want to break my TV when I saw this trash, I dont mind the bad film but don't rip off one of the greatest films of all time like that and make it so damn obvious.
shareI just came into this forum to see what other people thought of this as my identical twin sister called last nite to tell me she just saw this thing. First thing she said was it was a rip-off of Casablanca and that it appeared that Pamela Anderson could not act. She had the unrated version and said Pam was showing a lot of "boobocity". Lotsa explosions and so forth. She said the rest of the cast could act and that everybody except Pam kept their clothes on. I wonder if Temuera Morrison, Victoria Rowell, et al bothered to read the script before they signed on??
shareProbably not :(
shareThank goodness I wasn't the only one to notice this. I only just saw it today, and I couldn't believe it. Casablanca is my all-time favorite movie, and I guess my signature is a dead giveaway. That's why, I was so outraged to see such a blatant rip-off of such a classic.
Apart from the things already mentioned I also noticed the line spoken by Alexander Willis: "Such blatant disregard for money!" rings similar to the line spoken by Captain Renault: "How extravagant you are, throwing away women like that. Some day they may be scarce."
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine
Was it being a loose remake the movie's problem or does the comic "homage" it too? I never read them.
For DEMONIC TOYS and updates on Full Moon Films:
www.freewebs.com/demonictoys/
All I know is, this is easier to masturbate to than Casablanca.
share