Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: If they made Airplane! today.

This is topic If they made Airplane! today. in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 08-13-2011, 12:08 PM:

This question was posed to me last night. If they made Airplane! today -- which modern day actors would be best cast?

We aren't speaking about if the RE-MADE Airplane! - But if they made a shot for shot hommage to the original, who would be cast.

Another approach is if the original had never been made (and therefore few other film genre parodies) assuming a studio absolutely 100% ignored political correctness, could a similarly funny movie be made?

The only person I could think of for Elaine was Anne Hathaway, but only before we all knew who she was.

Ideas?

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-13-2011, 01:22 PM:

Something tells me LeBron or Kobe would be Roger Murdock. Jive Man: definitely Samuel L. Jackson. The rest? Gosh, that's a tough question. I'd imagine Steve Carrell would be somewhere, but I have no idea who....

AJG

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-13-2011, 02:55 PM:

Carell would be Stryker for sure. I don't know of anyone who could replace Leslie Nielsen though.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 08-14-2011, 08:36 AM:

Casting Carrell would go against the casting of the first "Airplane!", as all the primary roles in that film were played by actors who were at the time considered serious character actors.

That was part of the reason the movie was so fun. You didn't expect what you got from those actors. And they all played their roles as serious.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-14-2011, 11:52 AM:

Al Pacino?

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-14-2011, 12:00 PM:

In that case Sam, perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis as Stryker?

Check out this list for a good start.

AJG

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-14-2011, 12:01 PM:

On that list of "the best actors of today", Kevin Bacon is #27 but Harrison Ford is #32?

Will Smith should play Stryker. That way he could say "awwww, hell no" several times.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-14-2011, 12:01 PM:

I could see Steve Carell as that goofy guy at the airport who pulls the plug on the runway lights, etc.

Posted by David M. Leugers (Member # 2968) on 08-15-2011, 11:53 PM:

Alec Baldwin as Air Traffic Controller Steve McCroskey (Loyd Bridges)

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-16-2011, 12:28 AM:

At first I thought DiNero could play Stryker... But it dawned on me. There is no way in hell this movie could ever be remade and come out half as funny as the first one is. There IS just no way. I also believe that one of the reasons this movie is so good is because of the time period is was made in. 1979-80. Things were a lot different back then. Really, the first one IS absolutely perfect to this day. It would be the equivelent of attempting a remake of Casablanca and there are no present day actors that could fit into that movie.

Roger Murdock: Flight 2-0-9'er, you are cleared for take-off.
Captain Oveur: Roger!
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Tower voice: L.A. departure frequency, 123 point 9'er.
Captain Oveur: Roger!
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Victor Basta: Request vector, over.
Captain Oveur: What?
Tower voice: Flight 2-0-9'er cleared for vector 324.
Roger Murdock: We have clearance, Clarence.
Captain Oveur: Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?
Tower voice: Tower's radio clearance, over!
Captain Oveur: That's Clarence Oveur. Over.
Tower voice: Over.
Captain Oveur: Roger.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Tower voice: Roger, over!
Roger Murdock: What?
Captain Oveur: Huh?
Victor Basta: Who?

Mark

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-16-2011, 12:30 AM:

Mike, don't you mean Johnny!

AJG

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-16-2011, 12:36 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
I could see Steve Carell as that goofy guy at the airport who pulls the plug on the runway lights, etc.

Nah, Steven Toblowsky!

Groundhog Day

I couldn't find any clips from Sneakers where he plays Werner Brandes. (If anyone has not seen this movie, correct that immediately.)

No wait I've got one even better. Chris Elliott!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-16-2011, 01:02 AM:

Another thing that added to Airplane is that it was on the heals of the (too) many Airport movies. So the whole subject matter was ready for spoofing. Add to that the good sense of schtick and having serious actors playing comedy in a dead-pan way...it was just a very good mix. Having Mrs Cleaver translating jive...just too funny!

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-17-2011, 11:44 AM:

I still remember seeing Airplane for the first time, in Bozeman MT. I was with a group of three friends. When we got home, we all kept telling this other friend, Dennis (who hadn't been with us) the funny lines from the movie.

So a couple of weeks later it played at the Roxy, Dennis came to it ... and when it was over, he said "Well it was good, but you sons-of-bitches told me the whole movie ahead of time!" We just couldn't help it, it was SO funny you just had to quote lines to people.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-17-2011, 12:21 PM:

I'd love to see a new spoof of something...but I think writers have forgotten how to write a good one.

AJG

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-17-2011, 12:24 PM:

The humor of Airplane is that of Robert K. Weiss. I went to college with him. Louis

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 08-17-2011, 06:03 PM:

Betty White would have to be the jive translator.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 08-17-2011, 10:25 PM:

Amanda Seyfried could play a cameo as the chick with the exposed jiggly tits .

Maybe get one of the Supertroopers Broken Lizard guys as Stryker.

Lebron could have been Kareem until he lost some stature after his playoff choke.

Phillip Baker Hall as the pilot?

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 08-18-2011, 12:06 AM:

Roger Murdock (as Kareem Abdul Jabaar) - Barack Obama

Steve McCrosky (Lloyd Bridges) - Ian Holm

Captain Clarance Oveur (Peter Graves) - Dennis Weaver

Elaine Dickinson (Julie Haggarty) - Sarah Palin

Ted Striker (Robert Hayes) - Cookie Monster

Dr Rumack (Leslie Neilson) - Sir John Gielgud

Otto (Himself) - Barney

Jive Lady (Barnara Billingsley) - Dame Judi Dench

Jiggly Boob Girl (Kitten Natavidad) - Fat Bastard

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 08-18-2011, 12:29 AM:

I'd pay good money to see Judi Dench do jive.

AJG