The Taking Of Pelham 123 (Tony Scott, 2009)

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Antoine Doinel · #1 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Thu May 01, 2008 3:50 am

The remake is already filming with Denzel Washington, John Travolta and James Gandolfini in the leads. Here are some set pics.

The real question will be if Tony Scott can make a film without changing filters or making a new cut/edit every three seconds.

souvenir · #2 Post by **souvenir** » Thu May 01, 2008 3:56 am

I'm disappointed in Denzel lately, and this doesn't really need to be remade. I just watched the original a few weeks ago and it's just about flawless as is. Does Denzel enjoy playing cops or is he tired of acting? This safety net he's fallen into with Tony Scott is really uninspiring.

HerrSchreck · #3 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Thu May 01, 2008 5:34 am

souvenir wrote:I'm disappointed in Denzel lately, and this doesn't really need to be remade. I just watched the original a few weeks ago and it's just about flawless as is. Does Denzel enjoy playing cops or is he tired of acting? This safety net he's fallen into with Tony Scott is really uninspiring.

Plus it's already been remade once already, and not that long ago, as a tv movie.

Thank god they don't film these lame-o remakes on location.. the 6 Train has been my home line since I was three yrs old, and nothing would be less worth suffering for than being inconvenienced by some lameass remake of a pitch perfect 70's crime drama.

I was just reading up on Hector Elizondo yesterday after catching him in an awesome 1st season episode of Kojak, where he plays a cop who engineers the murder of his wife's lover. Very dignified & intelligent man, and an excellent actor.

John Cope · #4 Post by **John Cope** » Thu May 01, 2008 5:53 am

Antoine Doinel wrote:The real question will be if Tony Scott can make a film without changing filters or making a new cut/edit every three seconds.

And the answer is undoubtedly no.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

flyonthewall2983 · #5 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Thu May 01, 2008 9:48 am

I don't know, while Man On Fire & Domino made excessive uses of it, his last film Deja Vu eased away from it in a subtle way.

Antoine Doinel · #6 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:37 am

Holy shit, this looks bad. Denzel seems to be reprising his role from Inside Man.

kaujot · #7 Post by **kaujot** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:43 am

Denzel has been playing a version of the same character for years now.

knives · #8 Post by **knives** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:15 am

While I'm one of the few who likes this Scott I have to agree unneeded and ugly. Why cast a bald Travolta?

flyonthewall2983 · #9 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:26 am

I'm a Tony apologist to some degree, but this looks kinda stock for him. I wasn't too high on his last movie, either and this seems to be in the same vain.

Grand Illusion · #10 Post by **Grand Illusion** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:17 am

I feel like I've seen the entire movie after watching the trailer.

It might be worth watching because Scott always works with strong actors. Still, the man is a paradox. Stylistically he's one of the most intrusive directors with his gels and filters and jittery camera, yet he really does nothing to push narrative storytelling in a new or exciting way.

Hrossa · #11 Post by **Hrossa** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:23 pm

I still have hope.

"Tony Scott apologist" would be a great thing to have under your name on a business card. I guess I was the one person who really liked Deja Vu. If you like Tony Scott, then a scene in which Denzel chases a terrorist two days in the past is ambrosia. Scott seems aware of how goofy his concept is and plays it to the hilt.

flyonthewall2983 · Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:41 pm

I liked Denzel's line which was something to the affect of "man this is trippy", probably my favorite line of the movie.

BTW, it's kind of interesting casting making Gandolfini the mayor of NYC. I can't think of any other politician role he's done.

HerrSchreck · #13 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:43 pm

WHAT in gods name is Travolta supposed to be fucking be, here? What breed of criminal/kind of guy? A badass fringe desperado with mama's boy pronounciation? Incredible.

I used to love the town I live in so much. Crap like this makes me want to run for the hills.

Remember when there was such a thing called New York Filmmaker? And that was a good thing?

Oh and train signs on the 6 train do not have their arrival-times blinking on their side-signs i e Pelham 123 above the window in that shot.

colinr0380 · #14 Post by **colinr0380** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:27 pm

I guess, Herr S., that you're glad that the remake of The Warriors has changed the location to L.A.!

I did find it amusing that Travolta has the bad guy moustache and black leather combo, while Washington is working the unthreatening shirt and jumper ensemble. Something tells me that the characterisation will not go much deeper than that!

I think I'd like it more if Scott's films were wackier in their casting - think of the plummy Keira Knightley as the hijacker and Christian Slater as a deranged mayor, or vice versa!

(By the way I just had my first moment of feeling incredibly old, as my brief excitement at realising I shared the same birthday with Knightley turned to shock when I found out that she is five years younger than I am!)

knives · #15 Post by **knives** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:22 pm

Deja Vu isn't well liked? Color me surprised. I think Travolta actually is trying better then Washington is in this one. I'll stick to the original though. Maybe get around to buying True Romance.

Barmy · #16 Post by **Barmy** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:21 pm

No one in NYC buys milk by the gallon.

Grand Illusion · #17 Post by **Grand Illusion** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:59 pm

colinr0380 wrote:I think I'd like it more if Scott's films were wackier in their casting - think of the plummy Keira Knightley as the hijacker and Christian Slater as a deranged mayor, or vice versa!

Yes, and think of the direct-to-DVD release.

Spoiler

You're still right though, that'd be more interesting.

JonathanM · #18 Post by **JonathanM** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:08 am

Washington certainly seems to have fallen into a deep and comfortable crime-related groove doesn't he?

While I enjoyed his scenery chewing in Training Day and his restraint in Man on Fire, I didn't think he was up to snuff in American Gangster and the less said about Deja Vu the better. I think he'd really benefit by stepping away from Tony Scott (and I think Scott would probably benefit by working with someone else).

John Cope · #19 Post by **John Cope** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:38 pm

Good advanced word on this one from Jeff Wells.

#20 Post by **Jeff** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:29 pm

John Cope wrote:Good advanced word on this one from Jeff Wells.

Decent notices from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter too.

The DVD of the 1974 original is non-anamorphic, but it is available in high-def for free right now on Comcast OnDemand.

oldsheperd · #21 Post by **oldsheperd** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:32 pm

Hopefully this film will get enough exposure to get MGM to think about releasing the original on an anamorphic SE on dvd.

Antoine Doinel · #22 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:38 pm

I could imagine it being (sadly) released as a bonus with the remake when it hits DVD. Similar things have been done recently with The Day The Earth Stood Still and a couple of other titles I can't recall right now.

Vic Pardo · #23 Post by **Vic Pardo** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:49 pm

Based on the trailer, it looks like Denzel is playing a train dispatcher, a lower-level MTA civil servant. In real life, a man in such a position would not participate in hostage negotiation, nor would he be allowed to. The call would be sent up the chain of command till it got to the Police Commissioner or someone designated by him or the Mayor as the hostage negotiator. It would work like this even if the criminals start shooting passengers as the calls go up the chain. The whole premise is ridiculous. So I go into this already unable to suspend disbelief.

In the original, Matthau played a high-ranking police official or inspector or something and he was the one who did the negotiating.

flyonthewall2983 · Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:03 pm

Well, it is a movie.

#25 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:05 pm

The concept of a helpful MTA employee is pure fantasy anyways

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