h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

They've remade The Italian Job

Come on Hollywood, just leave stuff like that alone will you I've seen the trailer for it http://us.imdb.com/Trailers?0317740 and it looks like it's got all the usual Hollywood s**t in it - guns, girls, and far too many special effects, just like Get Carter. And the traffic jam is in LA At least they've had the decency to use new style Mini-Coopers.

What are they gonna lay into next... The Great Escape? Jeez.

There is a reasonable review, plus plenty of spoilers here http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=14725

Of course what it doesn't tell you is whether Mark Wahlberg quotes the immortal line, "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

I'm sorry to hear that about Ed Norton
(by the way, wasn't that the name of
Ralph Kramden's neighbor on "The Honeymooners"?).
He's been great in the movies I've seen him in.
He's supposed to be the best actor of his
generation. Of course, miscasting anyone is
a big mistake. I thought Meryl Streep was
miscast in "Marvin's Room," with disappointing
results. Maybe she was miscast in "House of the
spirits, too.

I never saw the original version of "The Italian
Job." Maybe this remake would have been more
fun if it had been rewritten that way "Adaptation"
was.

They're currently showing a season of Michael Caine films on BBC America Paul, and if the trailers are anything to go by then one of them will be The Italian Job (last week was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, this week is Sleuth and Get Carter - another film Hollywood poxed up). If you don't have BBC America I'll gladly make you a copy

I think I've seen "Sleuth," and I know
I've seen "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

Other Michael Caine films I've seen:
"Little Voice," "Final Orders," "Quiet American,"
"Educating Rita," plus several I can't think
of at the moment.

Alfie?
Jaws The Revenge?

I don't I saw any of his early movies.
I started seeing at least one movie
a week back in 1978, and have continued that.
Hm, let me consult a full list of his
movies, and I'll get back to you.

Okay, here are ten more Michael Caine movies that I've seen:

The wrong box
California Suite
Deathtrap
Blame it on Rio
Hannah and her sisters
Mona Lisa
Sweet Liberty
Without a clue
A shock to the system
Muppet Christmas carol

The Swarm!

Zulu

Oh look, on the 'ill, Zulus, fahsands of 'em. Oi! Don't point that spear... at me

It could be worse - they could have used VW Beetles like they originally wanted to...

Like the new Mini is a British car

They really wanted to use Beetles in the original? But the Mini was the perfect choice at the time - just look at its rallying success! I'm damn glad that suggestion was overruled.

No, no... when I first heard of plans to remake the original, the article said that the studio wanted to use the new-style VW Beetles.

They just don't get it, do they? Take away the essential Englishness of the film and you're not left with very much, are you?

This thread is the first I've heard of the remake since then - I remember that at one point, they said Michael Caine was lined up to play the Noel Coward part - is that true?

Well at least by the title they are paying their dues to the original. I mean many Hollywood remakes pay nothing towards their original sources, think, The Point of No Return, Three Men and a Baby and Somersby for starters.

Get Carter was on BBC America last night but I could only watch the first half hour of it because 1) I have to get up early this morning and 2) it was full of ads and before the film started again each time they had to go through the whole "This programme contains scenes of an adult nature etc etc etc"

You should try to watch The Wrong Box Paul - it's one of the best of the more surreal 60s British comedies, and it's shown quite often on one of the non-paying no-ads channels like AMC.