The Hitcher remake [Archive] - The Superhero Hype! Boards

Hunter Rider

04-18-2005, 06:50 AM

Michael Bay’s quest to remake every horror film of the last 30 years continues this week with the news that his production company, Platinum Dunes, has bought the remake rights to the 1986 cult classic The Hitcher. Clearly The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is merely the start of a trend – expect more and more films about people standing by the side of the road / planet with their thumbs stuck out.

This latest remake follows on from its back-to-back successes with new versions of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror. Both those films made back their budget in the opening weekends, which has clearly encouraged Bay and his producing partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller to keep feeding audiences’ seemingly insatiable demand for horror remakes. Which brings us back to The Hitcher, one of Rutger Hauer’s finest moments (behind Blade Runner but ahead of the Guinness ads) and the most effective public safety, anti-hitchhiking advert ever.

The story followed a young man called Tim (played by C. Thomas Howell in the original film), transporting a car to another state. He picks up a murderous hitchhiker (Hauer), who frames Tim for the murders he commits along the highway. Which just shows you, kids: never pick up a hitcher without first asking for references and performing a criminal records check. You might also want to consider using a portable lie detector before allowing creepy strangers into your car.

The producers are looking for a writer now, but are planning some changes to the original film’s format. Bay has suggested that they may add some “twists and turns” to the original’s fairly linear plot (well, driving in a straight line can become dull) and may even make the hero a heroine. It’d be more interesting if they made the villain a villainine for our money, but that might be a truck stop too far. Expect this some time next year – the makers are producing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel first.

Morg

04-18-2005, 07:57 AM

dammit! Leave that one alone, I love the classic one and the new one probably sucks

Hunter Rider

04-18-2005, 08:01 AM

dammit! Leave that one alone, I love the classic one and the new one probably sucks

yeah i agree and although the expansion of the plot isnt a terrible idea changing the lead charcaters sex is silly and cliche

KenK

04-18-2005, 08:37 AM

yeah i agree and although the expansion of the plot isnt a terrible idea changing the lead charcaters sex is silly and cliche

If the main character is changed to female, the killer would have to be too. A lot of the interaction between Tim and the killer was reliant on the fact that they were the same gender. I can't see a woman having the same dynamic with a male killer.

AVEITWITHJAMON

04-18-2005, 09:19 AM

They better not make it crap, the Hitcher was ansd still is a good movie

terry78

04-18-2005, 01:12 PM

Now if they make the killer a female and leave the hero a male, that would be very interesting, as unorthodox as it would be.

Lord Blackbolt

04-18-2005, 05:36 PM

Wait....the hero in Hitcher 2 was female. So actually ..... It's not that big of a twist.

But then again....Hitcher 2 did suck. So I'd rather they keep it a guy.

terry78

04-18-2005, 05:40 PM

Tobey Maguire as the hero, Courtney Love as the Hitcher. Tell me you wouldn't watch that.:p

Chomp

04-18-2005, 06:09 PM

I HATE Michael Bay. Just because everyone has more talent than the man, doesn't mean he can go back and remake previous movies to make his crapfests look halfway decent.

Micahel Bay's motto: If it isn't broken, break it!

Motown Marvel

04-18-2005, 06:13 PM

f**king michael bay.

The Squirrel

04-18-2005, 06:54 PM

and may even make the hero a heroine.

why must horror movies always have the girls be the 'save the day' heros.

I'm not being sexist or anything, but it's getting kind of old. Especially if this is a remake.

Wolfwood

04-19-2005, 01:02 AM

Yah the whole "girl is the only one left to stop the killer" idea got old after Scream, at least for me it did. :o I want to see a guy actually do something in a horror movie, not get knocked out from behind in a cheap way, only to have his girlfriend save him.

terry78

04-19-2005, 11:46 AM

The woman is always the heroine in these flicks because it's some kind of empowerment cliche they like to put in horror and suspense. A dude vs. another dude seems pretty anti-climatic, but a female pitted against a deranged male seems to tip the scales apparantly. Boogeyman is the latest horror movie I've seen where the hero is male...not that it was all that good.

Hunter Rider

07-25-2005, 08:28 AM

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=20822
Dr Doom going hitchhiking in THE HITCHER?

Hey folks, Harry here... It'd be real easy to be mean and unfair to Julian McMahon based on his Dr Doom, but ultimately... as much as I didn't enjoy that performance of his - I blame him least in its creation. Could Julian have played Victor better had the part been written better... giving him more character to work with? Well, McMahon has a lot of fans from NIP/TUCK and given I haven't watched that show, I'm not gonna begin to refute their appreciation, as I'm ill informed. Having said that, at this point - it's kinda hard for me to imagine him being nearly as delicious in the role of THE HITCHER as Rutger Hauer was. I mean, c'mon... Rutger was one ****ed up icky as **** on your forehead on a summer day in that film. Then again... I friggin love the original THE HITCHER. It isn't a sacred cow, and thus far I have definitely enjoyed the Platinum Dunes remakes, though I have to admit... I'm very curious to see them do something original in the genre. Hopefully, all in good time, eh? Them casting Jordana Brewster in TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE the prequel is interesting. I absolutely love Jordana, she was such a sweetheart when she shot THE FACULTY. Anyway... Total Film is reporting that Julian McMahon is attached as the title character in THE HITCHER remake... thanks goes to Loafroaster for the heads up!

Hunter Rider

11-21-2006, 05:01 PM

http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=2070780

Trailer

The Dark Defender

11-21-2006, 05:08 PM

As flawed as it is, the TCM remake is still a good movie, Amityville was flat out horrible.

The trailer looks pretty intense and with Bean as the Hitcher I have faith in it.

Hunter Rider

11-21-2006, 05:23 PM

I loved the original and saw no need for a remake but the trailer is badass and Bean looks fantastic as the Hitcher:up:

ToddIsDead

11-21-2006, 06:06 PM

All that trailer does is make me want to watch the original. I do like what little we got to see of Bean though.

Tempest19

11-21-2006, 06:13 PM

I was skeptical at first. But, then the trailer through several cues out to fans of the original right when the line comes- "just say four little words... I... want... to ...die" and then we see shots of the huge police chase!!!

This might actually turn out to be good!

Duende Verde

11-21-2006, 06:16 PM

I love the original.
This one could be good, but the trailer looks exactly like all the others from the same production company.:cmad:

ToddIsDead

11-21-2006, 06:28 PM

the trailer looks exactly like all the others from the same production company.:cmad:
Exactly how I felt about it.

Duende Verde

11-21-2006, 08:11 PM

For a moment I thought Leatherface was the Hitcher...:woot:

livrule

11-22-2006, 06:42 PM

Sean Bean is hell of an actor ... because of him alone this has a chance.

Recently rewatched LOR : FOTR and he more than holds his own alongside some serious talent.

zanos

11-22-2006, 08:09 PM

Anyone read Roger Ebert's hilarious review of the original film? Here's the end of the review. He sounds more like a crazed fanboy than a movie critic.

"The Hitcher" grants the Hauer character almost supernatural powers. Although that makes the movie impossible to accept on a realistic level, it didn't bother me. I could see that the film was meant as an allegory, not a documentary.

But on its own terms, this movie is diseased and corrupt. I would have admired it more if it had found the courage to acknowledge the real relationship it was portraying between Howell and Rutger, but no: It prefers to disguise itself as a violent thriller, and on that level it is reprehensible.

JustABill

11-24-2006, 01:28 AM

This looks bad, awfully bad, even Sean Bean looks bad.

He had none of the intensity or creepyness that Rutger had in the original in that trailer.

L0ngsh0t

11-24-2006, 01:32 AM

dammit! Leave that one alone, I love the classic one and the new one probably sucks

I'll give it a chance, for Bay he is 1/2 in my book, I don't know about you guys, but I thought the Amityville Horror was pretty decent for a remake, wasn't to happy with TCM, but i thought there where so okay momments

L0ngsh0t

11-24-2006, 01:34 AM

I spoke to soon

I posted before I watched the trailer, this looks like crap

Hunter Rider

12-02-2006, 08:46 PM

HITCHER one-sheet

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30859

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/6443/hitcheronesheetqd6.jpg

Hunter Rider

12-06-2006, 02:26 PM

http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Thriller/The_Hitcher

Some new stills

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/9915/hitcher3cw4.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/2880/hitcher4of3.jpg

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/2985/hitcher5qg8.jpg

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/9580/hitcher6zi0.jpg

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4418/hitcher7qh5.jpg

Strange

12-06-2006, 02:27 PM

I saw the trailer and it looks like crap. It looks like the truck scene was reversed for this movie at least.

hammerhedd11

12-06-2006, 08:08 PM

This could be good because sean bean is in it. BTW, is that girl the same one as in TCM the beginning?

Tempest19

12-06-2006, 11:12 PM

Does anyone know if there will be a special edition US DVD release of the original around the same time the remake is released in theaters?

I know that past 'remake' films have done this, rereleasing or releasing special editions of the originals in promotion with or to make a cheap buck with the release of the remake.

I know there is an R2 2-disk special edition, could this come to the US?

Any details you may have would be greatly appreciated.:yay:

And- check this out: Uncut trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjXNPXrUmGU)

The Dark Defender

12-07-2006, 12:28 AM

This could be good because sean bean is in it. BTW, is that girl the same one as in TCM the beginning?

No, it's Sofia Bush from One Tree Hill.

Wolfwood

12-07-2006, 12:41 AM

Trailer didn't do anything for me, but I'll still be renting it for Sean Bean. Always nice to see him, even if he's slashing throats and killing innocent people and what not.

heypapajinx

12-07-2006, 06:06 AM

i remember when i saw the original with my mom... i laughed and laughed until the end (and don't worry, i wont give it away to all you Hitcher virgins)

i was horrified.
absolutely horrified.

i bet they're going to remake it different. that way you don't leave feeling all sad.... LAME!!! and blasphemous i might add.

i say leave it alone.

Red Mask

12-09-2006, 04:40 AM

I saw the trailer. Very stylish. But I wonder if it's the guy who gets torn apart this time?

Anyway, I think they should make a Hitcher vs Punisher movie. The villain who can't be stopped versus the vigilante who will hunt you down.

Hunter Rider

01-05-2007, 07:37 PM

New poster and stills

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/2540/movieposter9260pr3.jpg

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3318/movieimage9249bt4.jpg

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1849/movieimage9252ly9.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/6621/movieimage9253hx9.jpg

http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/1574/movieimage9254nm0.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/1599/movieimage9255wm5.jpg

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6536/movieimage9257uk9.jpg

Matt

01-05-2007, 08:11 PM

I'd just like to point out Sean Bean is in it. That alone makes it worthy of a chance in my eyes.

Matt

01-05-2007, 08:15 PM

I saw the trailer and it looks like crap. It looks like the truck scene was reversed for this movie at least.

Well, what would a horror movie be without the pointless empowerment of the female lead?

Darth Elektra

01-05-2007, 08:38 PM

looks good, and Sean Bean is in it.

Matt

01-05-2007, 08:53 PM

looks good, and Sean Bean is in it.

But you also say Hostel and Paul Anderson movies are good :-/

Fanticon

01-05-2007, 10:44 PM

the trailer gave me goosebumps...it was a packed showing of Blood Diamond...and it was clear that this was the best most intense preview shown. It looks friggin' awesome.

Red Mask

01-05-2007, 11:08 PM

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3318/movieimage9249bt4.jpg
Rip! Rip! Die! Die!

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1849/movieimage9252ly9.jpg

Uh-huh. 3/10

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/6621/movieimage9253hx9.jpg

Didn't I see her in Resident Evil?

Red Mask

01-05-2007, 11:08 PM

Warhammer

01-05-2007, 11:18 PM

The movie looks good to me.
Also, Sean Bean is in it. :up:

Lord Blackbolt

01-05-2007, 11:54 PM

It looks pretty much exactly like the old movie...only this time the lead is a chick. And they already did that with the Hitcher sequel already....

So I don't see any reason to see it. If if you haven't seen the original or don't even know it's a remake...I guess you can see it

~†~§iX~†~

01-06-2007, 08:19 AM

why must horror movies always have the girls be the 'save the day' heros.
As the horror genre was most popular with males through the 80s this first stemmed as a popular convention mainly through mizogeny, and the pleasure us guys can get from watching a fantasy woman suffer.

I studied the horror genre for 3 months at university, and even the most bland slasher movie has very interesting psycology going on!......

Carmine Falcone

01-06-2007, 08:37 AM

The poster isn't even half bad.

The original movie looks cooler though.

Mr. Credible

01-06-2007, 09:17 AM

if you're 15-25 years old, you've probably never heard of the original anyway, and never would have, if they wouldn't have remade it, so who cares if they remake it?

be honest with yourselves, if this movie was never remade, would you even know what the original was? i'm 23, a fairly big horror movie buff, and i've never, ever heard of the hitcher.

MaskedManJRK

01-16-2007, 09:28 PM

I catched a preview of it on USA after Monday Night RAW, and while it felt like a twisted action film instead of horror, it didn't look too bad.

The couple is driving fast through the desert road, as several cop cars are behind them. Suddenly, Sean Bean's character comes up from behind, in his own muscle car, and systematically destroy's all the cop cars, all while Nine Inch Nail's "Closer" plays in the background.

From what I gathered from the clip, it looks to be kinda bland action/horror fare, with the actual Hitcher character making enough menance to keep the audience interested. Not the best thing ever, but something that'll keep you entertained for an hour and a half or so.

Tempest19

01-16-2007, 10:02 PM

be honest with yourselves, if this movie was never remade, would you even know what the original was?

Um... I did, and I'm 18... saw it when I was 17- so, yeah I knew about the original before knowing there was a remake.

it felt like a twisted action film instead of horror

Well, the Hitcher (the original) is both actually. A twisted action film that can be considered a horror film. That's one of the things I loved about the original- a 'scary' action thriller.

Kritish

01-17-2007, 12:35 AM

REMAKES!!!:cmad: :cmad: :cmad:

Reptile

01-19-2007, 02:24 AM

I hope they dont **** it up too much

Supreme Power

01-19-2007, 03:48 AM

Hunter Rider

01-19-2007, 03:04 PM

Reviews are bad for this:csad:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31293

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31294

hammerhedd11

01-19-2007, 05:30 PM

nocomics

01-19-2007, 05:35 PM

Just got done seeing the movie. I think I'd give it a 4/10. I just couldn't get into it,and it kindof draged on. I think I prefer the Hitcher with Rutger Hauer,he seemed to fit better with it.
This one was well,more graphic than the other ones,but for some reason I just couldnt get into it. Sean Bean was a good 'hitcher',but the movie was just lacking any type of emotional angst towards his character?

O'Haire

01-19-2007, 05:37 PM

I like Sean Bean. But this looks no different than any other "horror movie" crap fest being released these days.

KenK

01-19-2007, 10:33 PM

Well, I just had to do it. I had to see it for myself. All the other remakes, I could care less about. I don't have the love for Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween that a lot of people have, so I don't hold them to be so sacred that they can't be remade. But dammit, the Hitcher, for me personally, that was MY movie! The dynamic between Jim and John is ESSENTIAL! It's basically John calling Jim out, in a perverse way, to be a man. Be the man that will kill another man. But the man that can save the woman. You lose that by making the main protagonist female. To say nothing of it missing the point of the original film, which went against the grain as far as the trends for slasher films in the early to mid 80s. The idea that the female, usually a teenager, has to find this inner stregth and fight back against a male oppressor. There's also the whole idea of slasher films as a sexual metaphor. It was refreshing to see The Hitcher take stuff like this out of the equation.

The problem with the remake begins with there being two people against Ryder in the first place. The initial with Ryder holding the knife to Jim loses a lot of tension with there being another person in the car. That person takes on all the concern and fear that should be taken on by the audience. There's no solitude with Jim as he has to deal with this psycho in his passenger seat. Then from the tiime they get him out of the car, it's a lot of bickering and "I told you so" banter to the point where certain scenes come off like they belong in a sitcom. There's also the face that Jim is NOTHING like Jim in the original. They've made him "cool guy", with his buff bod, soul patch, tattoos and muscle car. Not to mention A GIRLFRIEND!! Yeah, Nash is eventually introduced in the original, but for the most part, the film is Jim's journey, and Nash only gets pulled into things later on in the film, and it makes her death that much more powerful. The fact that Jim got her involved and he barely knew her. There's this trust that has to build quickly because of the urgency of the situation. But with Jim and Grace being there from the beginning, they both end up getting shortchanged. Having to focuse on two character arcs playing out simultaneously, they get cancelled out. For a while, it feels like the film should be Jim's journey as there's a plot point of him being nervous about meeting Grace's friends and having to deal with that until Ryder is introduced. But then it turns out to be Grace's journey, but for no justifiable reason.

Beyond that, the film just takes every moment of subtlety from the original, and decides they have to follow through and show us EVERYTHING. Jim and Grace finding the family in the station wagon, and of course, the Rig scene outside the motel. Nothing was more horrifying then imagining what happened to Nash when Ryder let the rig roll. Seeing it happen in the remake was just ridiculous. The filmmakers don't leave anything to the imagination. And it seems like they go out of their way to add as much blood to the film as possible. It's really quite a mess of a film.

Darth Elektra

01-20-2007, 01:04 AM

Im thinking about seeing this Monday night.

Ghostvirus

01-20-2007, 03:35 AM

Im thinking about seeing this Monday night.

This is bull S***!!! Everybody pisses & moans about these remakes, & it is always followed by "But I will probably check it out". Don't you people know that the bean counter only sees the bean. You are contributing to all these remakes. If you don't like them don't watch them. Then they will stop!

Halcohol

01-20-2007, 07:01 AM

The only reason I don't want to see this movie is because Sean Bean has a terrible American accent. It's awful. We're talking... Ewan MacGregor bad, ya know?

Galactus

01-20-2007, 07:17 AM

Reviews are bad for this:csad:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31293

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31294

Big surprise... :whatever:

Mr. Credible

01-20-2007, 07:45 AM

Wow you haven't? :huh:

nope. i like horror movies, i try to rent as many as i can, and i had never heard of this movie.

i think that honestly, not pointing fingers, that half of you people have never seen the original versions of some of these remakes, and you just like to ****** and moan.

honestly, a lot of the members on this site are teenagers, and i'm sure that most, if not all of them, have never seen the hitcher, or the hills have eyes, or watched magnum pi, or miami vice, and so on and so forth... like i said, they just like a reason to get all militant.

Darth Elektra

01-20-2007, 01:54 PM

This is bull S***!!! Everybody pisses & moans about these remakes, & it is always followed by "But I will probably check it out". Don't you people know that the bean counter only sees the bean. You are contributing to all these remakes. If you don't like them don't watch them. Then they will stop!

I dont mind remakes, yes most of them are crap but its not like you can't go back and watch the original. Every once in awhile a good remake comes out.

Plus I like Sean Bean.

PowersOfMind

01-20-2007, 02:53 PM

Beyond that, the film just takes every moment of subtlety from the original, and decides they have to follow through and show us EVERYTHING. Jim and Grace finding the family in the station wagon, and of course, the Rig scene outside the motel. Nothing was more horrifying then imagining what happened to Nash when Ryder let the rig roll. Seeing it happen in the remake was just ridiculous. The filmmakers don't leave anything to the imagination. And it seems like they go out of their way to add as much blood to the film as possible. It's really quite a mess of a film.

What bothers me about remakes you summed up in these few sentences. I love the Hitcher. A friend told me about it when I turned 18 and I had this big hiorror movie party for my birthday and that was one of the films we watched. Ive loved it since then. But whenever horror films get remade the filmmakers always feel they need to go the extra mile. They dont leave anything to the imagination and that sucks most of the time. Its as if they are trying to fulfill some quota of blood-spilling. Even once in a while you get a good remake but most are crap. A way to introduce the young newbies to the old stuff.

Tempest19

01-20-2007, 10:56 PM

Being a huge fan of the original film, I was originally skeptical on whether or not they could pull it off. But, glad to see they stuck true to the essence of the original film. Comubining action and horror. The memorable scenes from the original are in the remake such as the station wagon, highway chase scene, etc. As the guy that plays John Hasley in the remake said (also a fan of the original)- it's the Hitcher but they did their own thing in a way... seemed like a remake/sequel- if that makes sense. So, after being skeptical- as many on here are about their own favorite classics- it definitely lived up to the original in my opinion.

Red Mask

01-21-2007, 01:13 AM

I dont mind remakes, yes most of them are crap but its not like you can't go back and watch the original. Every once in awhile a good remake comes out.

Plus I like Sean Bean.

Hope you have fun.

hammerhedd11

01-21-2007, 01:09 PM

Can you tell me what the twist was in spoiler tags?

Anybody?

The Dark Defender

01-21-2007, 07:32 PM

The only reason I don't want to see this movie is because Sean Bean has a terrible American accent. It's awful. We're talking... Ewan MacGregor bad, ya know?

I thought it was quite good.

The movie was ok. Bean was great as always, Bush was passable but her performance was rather generic for this type of film and not as intense as it should've been.

SPOILERS

What was the point of using rock music as Bean was offing cops left and right? They should be making you unnerved and repulsed by the actions of the villain, not playing them up like they're cool; and good God I DESPISE this pointless empowerment of the female lead bs trend in what should be intense, visceral horror films. STOP TURNING WB CHICKS INTO RAMBO!!!!!

L0ngsh0t

01-21-2007, 07:37 PM

Was this flick really that bad?

The Dark Defender

01-21-2007, 07:39 PM

It wasn't really bad, it just wasn't as good as it should be.

Bean alone makes it worth seeing.

L0ngsh0t

01-21-2007, 08:11 PM

It wasn't really bad, it just wasn't as good as it should be.

Bean alone makes it worth seeing.

Oh nice, I'll probably wait to rent, but still nice

sean bean does rule

JustABill

01-21-2007, 11:10 PM

Sean Bean looks to be the WORST thing about this movie in the trailers. He has no sense of creepyness, oomph, or zing that Rutger had.

The Dark Defender

01-22-2007, 12:07 AM

After talking to a friend of mine that's seen the original (which I've seen, but not recently enough to remember it), I actually think a bit more of this film.

The ending works much better if the meaning to the story was that Ryder was symbolic of evil and his entire purpose was to get an innocent to become a murderer. That is a great concept but I didn't think this movie made it come across very clearly.

The original shows Ryder I believe using a lighter when you first see him, then you see Jim doing the same thing at the very end of the film, showing that Ryder basically turned him into what he was and in essence won by getting Jim to kill him.

That does explain why Ryder(in the remake)seemed very depressed and frustrated that she wouldn't kill him, and then at peace at the end when she did; but they shouldn't have put in the identity theft plot detail and taken out the ambiguously supernatural elements surrounding him, plus it would've been a much better final shot to show Sophia Bush standing in the rain with a cold look on her face like Ryder was when we first seen him rather than just her walking off with a gun.

After thinking about it, the rock music over the highway shootout with Ryder dispatching of the cops actually works in a way, because it puts you inside his head during it and shows how he views this as a fun game. I have mixed feelings about it because of what I said in my last post, but it does work better than I thought.

After further thought about it, it is a better movie than I initially thought, but there are alterations they made that weakened how effectively the message came across to the point where I didn't get it until it was pointed out to me using examples from the original.

The Dark Defender

01-22-2007, 02:01 AM

Sean Bean looks to be the WORST thing about this movie in the trailers. He has no sense of creepyness, oomph, or zing that Rutger had.

Bean is the worst thing about this movie in the same way that Hopkins and Englund are the worst things about the Lecter and Krueger films.

BeserkerHilf

01-22-2007, 03:48 AM

After thinking about it, the rock music over the highway shootout with Ryder dispatching of the cops actually works in a way, because it puts you inside his head during it and shows how he views this as a fun game. I have mixed feelings about it because of what I said in my last post, but it does work better than I thought.

what's sad about this point is that I would bet my left nut in saying that wasn't the directors intentions.

JustABill

01-22-2007, 04:04 AM

Bean is the worst thing about this movie in the same way that Hopkins and Englund are the worst things about the Lecter and Krueger films.
Sorry. No, just no. Bean is a terrific actor usually, but from every small bit of this film I've seen him in, it says a whole lot of about his performance in this film.

It says that he sucks in this film and for some reason did not bring his A Game to this role of John Ryder. And therefore if the actor playing the villian isn't batting out of the park in a movie of this nature which revolves much more around the villian than your typical horror/thriller than the whole movie just does not matter.

There are just some roles that are originally played by one actor and just can not be played by anyone else. Those are in horror as followed:

Rutger Hauer as John Ryder
Donald Pleasance as Dr. Sam Loomis
Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates/Mother
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode
Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.

Everyone else in the horror genre is fair game. Remaking this movie was a dumb mistake in the first place. Platinum Dunes has a win/lose situation with these remakes. The TCM remake was okay, it's prequel was better. The Amityville remake was awful. Now it's just become about money for them. That's all this project was about. Money. And it shows...there's just none of the elements that made the first one great in this.

I fear The Birds remake. There's no telling what they'll do to that. -rolleyes-

zanos

01-22-2007, 04:24 AM

Sean Bean is not nearly as attractive as Sophia Bush.

The Dark Defender

01-22-2007, 04:56 PM

Sorry. No, just no. Bean is a terrific actor usually, but from every small bit of this film I've seen him in, it says a whole lot of about his performance in this film.

It says that he sucks in this film and for some reason did not bring his A Game to this role of John Ryder. And therefore if the actor playing the villian isn't batting out of the park in a movie of this nature which revolves much more around the villian than your typical horror/thriller than the whole movie just does not matter.

There are just some roles that are originally played by one actor and just can not be played by anyone else. Those are in horror as followed:

Rutger Hauer as John Ryder
Donald Pleasance as Dr. Sam Loomis
Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates/Mother
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode
Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.

Everyone else in the horror genre is fair game. Remaking this movie was a dumb mistake in the first place. Platinum Dunes has a win/lose situation with these remakes. The TCM remake was okay, it's prequel was better. The Amityville remake was awful. Now it's just become about money for them. That's all this project was about. Money. And it shows...there's just none of the elements that made the first one great in this.

I fear The Birds remake. There's no telling what they'll do to that. -rolleyes-

It's not Bean's fault they remade it, I suppose if you're conent to criticize anyone else that plays The Hitcher due to how well Rutger played it that's up to you, but Bean was indeed depicting a great, very intimidating villain.

The Dark Defender

01-22-2007, 04:57 PM

what's sad about this point is that I would bet my left nut in saying that wasn't the directors intentions.

I heard they actually wanted you to root for Ryder, and that's why the played that music.

BeserkerHilf

01-22-2007, 05:14 PM

The Dark Defender

01-22-2007, 05:20 PM

but was there a deep thought and intention to show that ryder thinks all of it is a game?

basically, i'm calling Dave Meyers a music video director. that's all he'll ever know how to do is to film action scenes to rock music.

No, I was just pointing out a way of looking at it, I wasn't saying that was exactly what he intended.

Ghostrider84

01-22-2007, 05:24 PM

where can I get the glue Ryder used on his pictures?

Reptile

01-23-2007, 01:44 AM

I just watched the original again today, now to see the remake to see how much they ****ed it up

Reptile

01-23-2007, 01:46 AM

I rented hitcher 2 also, cause I wanted to see how bad the straight to DVD sequel could be

JustABill

01-23-2007, 02:10 AM

I rented hitcher 2 also, cause I wanted to see how bad the straight to DVD sequel could be
Hitcher 2 is pretty much a set up for the remake.

Y'know crap with a crap villian and a crappy actress playing the lead.

Dope Nose

01-23-2007, 11:04 AM

here's a strange bit about Eric Red who wrote the screenplay for the original Hitcher.

http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/archives/seeing_red.phtml#more

http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/death-race-2000/12382/

In May 2000, screenwriter Eric Red was involved in a minor fender-bender on Wilshire in West Los Angeles ... (Reds Jeep Cherokee hit a car in front of him) and when the guy in the car ahead walked back to (Reds Jeep), he saw Red slumped over the wheel, but staring straight ahead, his eyes open wide. Then the car started to move. Slowly, the Jeep pushed the other car out of the intersection until it jacknifed into oncoming traffic -- his girlfriend screaming in the front seat all the while. At the last second, Red's Jeep slipped off the back bumper and his tires found traction, jumpstarting him from 15 to 50 mph in a matter of seconds, and he crashed through a bus shelter, through the plate glass windows of a pool hall, and against the giant mahogany bar 20 feet inside, killing two people who were pinned against the bar and injuring 20. Then, when everyone was trying to rock the jeep back off his victims, Red wandered off, picked up a shard of glass, and slit his throat.

That's when the weird part really began. Red went immediately into the hospital on suicide watch, stayed out of the paper, and nine months later, LAPD announced they were dropping all charges -- it turns out, due to a neurological condition which caused him to pass out at the wheel. That would have been the end of it, except that the family of one of the victims was all lawyers, and they pursued him through the courts for five years before winning a million-dollar judgment. But in a monumental bit of reporting, Cullum documents every twist and turn -- including the similarities between the accident and his own films and unproduced screenplays, and the script he wrote after the fact making fun of the whole thing. It's not a tale for the faint-hearted.

And here's a tidbit you won't find in the story: When being admitted to UCLA hospital hours after the accident, Red insisted on being registered under the name Mario Kan. Mario Kan is an anagram for "I RAN AMOK."