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BATTLESTAR's Ron Moore Brings Us THE THING, And Attempts To Salvage The I, ROBOT Sequel?!?!
Merrick here…
In a recent video interview with collider.com, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Executive Producer (and all around cool guy) Ronald D. Moore revealed he’s currently “working on THE THING for Universal”.
He didn't indicate if the project was theatrical, for television, or...what. A television miniseries of THE THING was contemplated for a while…not too long ago, actually. I want to say it was under the auspices of Frank Darabont & being tooled for Sci Fi Channel, although this might be wrong.
I’m not sure if this "news" or not; while a remake of THE THING has been threatened for the past few years, this is the first I recall hearing of Moore’s involvement. I'm a huge fan of Carpenter's 1982 version...it's difficult for me to imagine improving on it too much (although I felt the pacing went a little soft at the end), so I'm interested in...but a touch apprehensive...about how it'll be approached again.
Moore also says he just completed a draft of a sequel to I, ROBOT!?!? The notion of an I, ROBOT sequel has been bandied about for quite a while, but this is the first vaguely promising news we’ve heard about it. Guessing it’ll pick up with the Robot society which dropped roots at the end of the first film? Maybe we’ll get robotic discord in space…shades of BLADE RUNNER’s "Offworld" backstory.
This isn’t the first time Moore’s stepped into the franchise/sequel seat (outside of STAR TREK & BATTLESTAR); most people forget he received story credit on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II alongside TREK scourge Brannon Braga.
Moore’s intense sense of mythology, pathos, & depth of character could suit both THE THING & I, ROBOT quite well. Still, it's hard not be be a little jittery about them.
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Readers Talkback
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which would make me third
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That is all.
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That is all.
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I hear the First on every Talk Back gets a trip to Butt Numb-athon AND a blow job from Harry. Oh Well , back to monitor duty.
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How could anyone possibly improve on what Carpenter has done? And where could they possibly find another man with a beard as handsome as Russel's?
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I mean...
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I'd rather see a sequel, starring Kurt Russell and Keith David, Picking up 25 years after the first movie. But don't give it to Carpenter - his salad days are long since over. Make sure it's directed by someone with at least 7000 mySpace friends, since that is the current method of measuring someones capability and integrity these days.
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Remaking The Thing with CGI is a bad idea. Stan Winston's work on Carpenter's film is some amazing stuff. Plus, it's got Kurt Russell at his best and it's the only film worth watching that has Wilford Brimley in it!!
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For the love of God, why would you remake the remake of The Thing? Both versions were perfect, in their own ways, and I can't imagine how you would manage to score a perfect third one... Also, Paris Hilton just got let out of jail, so I am VERY depressed.
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I hope the film execs who greenlit that idea get a very bad venereal disease. The special effects in The Thing stand up to any CGI shit fest that Commiewood produces nowadays. FUCK YOU HOLLYWOOD!
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I completely agree. Great character with lots of unexploited potential. I would LOVE to see a movie along the lines of: GIGOLO JOE AND THE SUPER TOY BEAR. I think that's where it's at.
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You can't give Winston the whole credit. Some of the coolest stuff came from Rob Bottin!
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The execs behind this idea have many more MySpace friends than us - ergo they are smarter than us, and we have no right to make our opinion known on this issue. Now if only they would hand this property over wholesale to Eli Roth....
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Hard to imagine anything topping John Carpenter's THE THING, but if anyone can bring it back to life with integrity it's Ron Moore. Bring it on. Why not?
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Paris Hilton is on her way to kick some Silverman ass, from what I hear.
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for Universal."? Never get your hopes up (or get riled up over nothing).
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Asimov wrote a trilogy of books. I forget what the other two were called. But if the next movie is gonna be packed with Will Smith hawking tennis shoes, count me out
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As long as the Thing stays a "visceral" horror film and does not go into that "psychological" horror category, I'm all for Moore updating this. If he does it well, then I've got TWO Things to enjoy, and what's the harm in that?
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Bears no relation to Asimov's novel - which is pretty obvious if you have read them - they simply took the name. And there is no trilogy - perhaps you're thinking of Foundation?
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Theres nothing wrong with a little gratuitious product placement in a film. <p> how dare you besmirch Will Smiths good name? <p> Seriosuly though Id love to see a sequel to that unfortunate abortion from Proyas (a really good director) picking up with a new Main character (hopefully not a still hairless Shia Laboof)
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He's contractually obligated to destroy his credibility everytime he starts getting respected as an actor. I mean, c'mon, Pursuit of Happiness was an actual movie. If he keeps this up he'll end up in another Michael Mann film and there's no way he can let that happen. He better find another embarassment to be part of fast.<br><br>Maybe a Wild Wild West sequel while he's at it!
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poster is online. No THING needed.
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I think that says it all.
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I'm a fan of Asimov but the movie was pretty meh so i can't imagine anyone badly wanting to see a sequel. Then again, i'd never of thought a reboot of BSG would be any good either so i'm willing to give Ron Moore the benefit of the doubt on this one.
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Come on, that title is up there with Splash Too! Take it for free, Hollywood types.<p>Also, mate, ALL of the good stuff in The Thing came from Rob Bottin. The poor guy half killed himself doing the effects for that one, so he deserves all the credit we can give him. Good work, Rob Bottin of twenty five years ago.
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now that would be worth watching.
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I, Robot movie does not equal Asimov's short stories published as 'I, Robot' novel - not at all - not in any way.
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Getting to knooooooow you, getting to assimilate all about yooooooooooooooou.
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June 7, 2007, 9:48 a.m. CST
Some summer the Alamo Rolling Roadshow needs to show
by ExcaliburFfolkes
..."The Thing" in Antarctica.
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Ron Moore is Universal's bitch.
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Wilfred Brimley graced us with The China Syndrome, High Road to China, Cocoon, Hard Target and anyone who says that Remo Williams - Unarmed and Dangerous (UK Title) is unwatchable needs to be given a trouncing they will never forget. I shall be at the foot of Big Ben on Saturday morning where I demand that honour be met! Cocoon the Return and the Electric Horseman are both shit though!
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No interest - I honestly can't see where they can go. It's not a story that would benefit from an 'Aliens' style sequel with hundreds of Things. It wouldn't benefit from a different location as 'Man is the warmest place to Hide' - so can't set it in Hawaii or anything as that'd just have loads of Things sitting on a beach basking in the sun. No point going to the Things home planet! You could have an Aliens Versus Predator Versus the Thing and that would be crap! Can't set it in small town cause that would be Slither. No idea what you could do that was different - unless it was a biography of Cousin Thing from the Addams Family or about a giant cock destroying Tokyo!
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I hope so.
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One of those channels.. TBS maybe.. was showing it this past weekend and dang it all if I don't watch it every time it's on. Very underrated movie, in my opinion. I would love to see a sequel, just so long as Will Smith signs on. No Cuba Gooding, Jr.!
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Sorry, buddy. I don't mean to make fun. I thought the movie was okay, but high-brow? I don't really think it required that much grey matter at all. It's not 12 Monkeys or Solaris.
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is so silly.
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Shhhhhhhhh Please dont give them any more excuse to pepper us with More Hostel crap.
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I, Robot was a good (=entertaining) movie. But the robot design was lame.
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Someone shoot Ellison's "I, Robot" script! Even if it's CGI (*with* good voice actors)...
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but the second half collapsed into just another generic pointless action flick with a rogue computer as the villian.
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The remake thing is my fav all time film. Ilove the music and the sotry...okas an update would improve the model effects i guess but it was a great flick. Make a sequel not a remake of a remake. Heck check out he offical comics (think there was two comics brought out after the film by dark horse?) they were enough to begin to base a film upon or at least a concept. Leave it alone the kurt Russel version was dam good imho.
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I had to leave before the end. Any big bombshells? By the way, Lucy Lawless is as funny as she is hot.
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Is in the works too.. read here: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18459466
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During I,Robot, I kept waiting for Will Smiff's trademark, "awww HAIL NAW !" But it never came. Like Julia Roberts teeth, it's the mark of a successful movie at the b.o.
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So I guess this news is not okay.
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and I say that with no sarcasm. All the Harry quote references from other talkbacks, smacking him down, are HIGH-LARIOUS. "7,000 MySpace friends", haha!
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I forgot Brimley was in Remo! That movie is brilliant. And I forgot about crediting Rob Bottin. Handing out props as we speak...
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Anyone else remember that? It wasn't long after 2000's live television performance of Fail Safe on CBS. Clooney said that he wanted to try to do the same thing with "Who Goes There?", the story that was the original basis for The Thing. I heard a few things about it at the time and then talk about it disappeared. Woulda been a neat thing to see...
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and how good it was. The commercials made it seem like a typical Will Smith smart-mouthin' summer fx flick. But, it was surprisingly deep with a great story and the special effects were amazing. Who did the FX for that film anyways? The Thing was also a great movie, that scared the hell out of me as a kid. Love the scene where they're testing everyone's blood. I'd see both of these movies.
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I really liked the first film, a pretty decent adaptation of the original stories. Looking forward to seeing what Moore has up his sleeve.
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for some reason. I think its down to the fact that he makes money and lot of money for studios. That he is commericial. That he understands hollywoods bottom line is green. He has proven that he can act and act well. Some people in the hard-core hip hop community hated his moral up bringing. he out sold them in the charts. back in the days when mtv was wathchable yo mtv raps had a special in which they invited all the rap and hip producers to conference about the future of the industry. Not one of them had a nice word to say about will smith and I think one of the people on the show was ICe cube. This is a guy who spent his early teenage years encouraging black youth to fight the police and disrespecting women. The five words you will never see are Ice Cube academy award nominee. Ice cubes career is now in the toilet. While Will smith can argue with some justification. That his single Summer time is one the best summer songs of all time. I for one love that line "Adjust the base and let the alpine blast".
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Aw.. Hell No! <br> I demand a remagining of 1982's Megafoce!<br>I always loved how Marvel comics would place..."Because you demanded it! The last issue of (Dazzler, Thing, etc.)"<br>This phrase belongs on the poster of any sequel.<br>Because you demanded it! Ben Affleck is back as DD!!
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Wont happen. Sigourney Weaver wont do it as she has had enough. She went on the record during a press junket for Snow Cake. She wont be involved in GB3 either. Cameron and scott should do it. But seeing as it takes years for cameron to do anything. It wont happen. I saw the directors cut of alien and cameron was right. The nest scene adds nothing to the movie and makes the movie more drawn out. Although it helps explain why Ripley becomes a toughie. Though turning her into an alien was a bad idea.
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i was afraid to read all the talkback bashing of i, robot that i expected, because i really enjoyed the film. it was nice to read so many people actually agreed it was a decent film. i didnt expect it.
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That movie was silly, fun to watch but very silly far from the best sci-fi this decade I'd have to give that too... Serenity? I guess that works.
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and make a damn Blade Runner sequel. Or a remake of the old classic film Metropolis.
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BTW, You guys are hysterical.
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.... could be cool if it was a nanobot movie ("wee robots")... as those who never read Asimov and wondering what the big fuss about 'I, Robot' was - imaging going to see 'Lord of the Rings' to find a soap opera about jewelry maker or when the BSG movie is out, it being about a pre-teen boy band called "Battlestar Galactica" The movie literally had NOTHING to do with the book other than a few names. It's not that they changed things visually, or they changed the story to take out any possible meaning in it (like the severely castrated "The Last Mimsy") - no, they wrote a completely unrelated story and slapped names from the book on it.
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The Thing never took definitive form in my opinion. At the end, it was just a mish-mash of all of the creatures it had "sampled" including dogs, Blair and some kind of insect thing. I don't think we ever saw its original form. As for it being a "remake", to me it is a remake in name only as it went to the original Campbell story "Who Goes There" for inspiration. Still, I doubt anything could be better than the Carpenter version. Rob Bottin's gooey, rubbery alien kicks the crap out of any cgi junk out there.
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I woule really like to see it.
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I Robot and Will Smith both suck so who cares but "The Thing" ???? Jesus Christ, the new HD-DVD transfer looks gorgeous and makes the experience that much more enjoyable!!! It takes place in the fucking artic, there really is no frame of reference to make it seem dated. No remake of Escape From New York, No, The Thing, I can see it now, The Thing starring The Rock, gay bad gay!!!
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All we need are some Quonset huts in the antarctic and a creature (someone out there must want to test a bio-weapon). It has hit written all over it.
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Why do they need to reboot that. You can easily write a great movie in the Aliens universe. Why do we need Sigourney Weaver? To me she does not make the franchise, though she was great. Let's see alien's on earth (AvP doesn't count) or the alien homeworld. Bring back the Colonial Marines!!! They're the reason Aliens was the top-grossing alien-pic.
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Dear lord, what's wrong with people? Isaac Asimov specifically wrote his robot short stories and novels because he hated killer robot stories. He felt that humans would not create sentient "tools" that would then turn around and kill their masters, we build safety into our non-sentient tools do we not?<p> Then we get "I, Robot" the movie which was a story about...wait for it...killer fucking robots!?!?!<p> To the next fucktard who calls what I said above "fanboy whining", go read something besides your shit Star Wars novels, you just might find out how important the works of Isaac Asimov are to both science fiction and literature in general.
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...does exist. Or me owning a copy is just in my head. Anywhoo, remake of The Thing is as useless as a second craphole in my forehead. And as for Moore having a credit on M:I 2 along with Braga is not a plus either. That motherfucker sucked beyond all that had sucked before it.
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He sure didn't mention this....
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very cool
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Dig it. Remaking the Thing is pretty pointless. And there are no words for the idea of rebooting the Alien saga. Just erase 3 and 4 and make a proper sequel without Weaver.
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Can't encourage it enough. I want a Ronald D. Moore re-imagined Robotech series! There is a lot of character development there, the clash of different societies, kick ass action, characters for the old and the new, love triangles, drama, and three whole generations to spin it off. Not to mention the already established fanbase. I know, it would be hard to pull off the "giant transformable robots" aspect of it... but after a Transformers movie, why not? and if they're doing Speedracer... I'm surprised no one has at least tentalized the prospect.
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at the number of talkbackers who thought I, Robot was a good film. It wasn't terrible, for sure, the special effects were okay, the action sequences were entertaining plus it had Bridget Monyahan in it. But those things by themselves don't make a movie good. They make it barely watchable. I, Robot is the kind of the film that would be enjoyable if you're stuck on a flight to Tokyo. But it's lowering the bar dramatically to describe it as anything approaching "good".
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I saw it on TV a few weeks ago, I couldn't sit through it. I counted *8* fucking BLATANT product placements before the first commercial break. I'm surprised they got away with charging admission in theaters. I couldn't stand to watch it any longer. Why bother with I, Robot 2? Give us Mac & Me 2: Mac & We. I already have a script written; Mac and his family get diabetes because they can't stop drinking Coke, and have to have limbs amputated.
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Who gives a rat's fucking ass where the title came from, in what way is that relevant to either this discussion or the stories of Isaac Asimov that this movie is "based" on? They didn't base this on Binder's writing, they based it on Asimov's you idiot.<p> I will agree that the short stories by themselves make for bad movie fare. They should have started with Caves of Steel and used the short stories as a way to explain the Three Laws to the audience. CoS and the other Elijah Bailey books would work great as films. Mystery, murder, romance, politics, and robots who don't turn into Terminators contrary to their author's wishes.
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Merrick, WTF? The Thing remake was announced MONTHS ago. Ain't it old.
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A Thing remake? "Hellll NO !!" As to The Thing ('82) being a remake, it was more based on the story "Who Goes There?" than the original walking carrot movie ( as fun as that one was, for it's Hawk-iness).
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nuff said
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but they still somehow managed to turn out a film which wasn't a complete piece of shit. For the follow-up, I'd like to see something more along the lines of the Caves Of Steel or its sequels - with a bit of tinkering, they'd fit into the original film's universe well enough, I think.
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"the movie was based on a piece of shit script that was changed to incoporate some of assimov's characters and concepts", then doesn't that make it even worse? They named it based on Asimov's work, stole stories from him, bastardized his intent for his robots, used his name while promoting the movie, and now you say Asimov was thrown on as filler? Just keeps getting worse and worse don't it?<p> And tailhook, asking that they remain faithful to some of the greatest books and one of the greatest authors of all time isn't "fanboy whining", but you go ahead and enjoy that AvP sequel tailor made for the lowest common denominator such as yourself.
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If you want to be totally lambasted by fans and critics, and you don't mind ruining your career - re-make Carpenter's The Thing. On the other hand, if you want to be embraced by the hardcore fans, and you want to make a huge cult hit that explores a goldmine of clever 'what-ifs' based on what Carpenter set up, then create a SEQUEL to Carpenter's The Thing. It makes perfect sense because, quite simply, there is no recent horror movie that comes close to Carpenter's version. It still shits on modern horror flicks, from a very great height. Leave it alone. Make a sequel and I'll promise to buy a ticket.
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Quite good...very atmospheric, and definitely scary in parts. It would make for great "sequel" material.
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ala the video game, it could even be the present day, but the events of the first film need to have taken place. No re-boot, re-make, or any other such BS. Sequel/continuation...that would be cool.
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Just wondering
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Is she Gigolo Jane? o_0
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..the real star of The Thing?
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..with those that found I, Robot to be a completely bland waste of time. I wouldn't even rate the effects work that highly, given some of the stuff around at the time - Minority Report knocked it into a cocked hat for a realistic view of a future America. All that Matrix slow-mo stuff as well, but done with NO reason or style. And the script? Well lets just say that those who consider the movie 'intelligent' are unable to see the irony...
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In comic form on Dark Horse.
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Maybe they should call The Thing...Too! Or perhaps make it a prequel to when The Alien wasn't so evil ala Star Wars Prequel trilogy.
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What happened? Did he just erase "Caprica" off the script and put "I, Robot?"
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What...is...it...with... all...of...the... ellipses...used...on ...this...site...???
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uj0xkAKhH8 i made it! ps the thing is my all time faviourite film! if anyone needs to know any thing about the 82 version ask away! yes it was developed for the sci f1 channel 2 years ago but was dropped at the pre pro duction stages!of which the production artwork is floating around on the net! the latest remake is not really technicaly a remake! but a prequal to the 1982 version which will be SET IN AND AROUND THE NORWEIGIAN BASE CAMP! ie how they find the ship in the ice, how they find the thing buried outside of the ship! and how all hell breaks loose, and anyone really interested in the carpenter version like me, may find this interesting, carpenter recently said that if you watch the end of the film, when mcready and co are waiting to die! WATCH THERE BREATH! one has breath the other doesnt! carpenter said this is deliberate! ie one of them is not human! im not telling which tho! LAST LINE... LETS JUST SIT BACK... AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS! how cool is that! but did you know! for the tv version there was an alternate ending shot! where they get rescued mcready has a test and he is ok! however it was never used! GOOD. my final thoughts on the prequal/remake are as follows! PRACTICAL FX and only rob bottin should be approached the animatronics he made in the 82 version have never been beat! for gods sake! nothing comes close! CGI to a miniumum! and a compitent director! darren {the fountain} arnofski would be a great choice! KEEP IT A SOCIAL DRAMA ie can i trust my neighbour! AND THE 1982 SCORE INSTANTLY FELT LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD! iconic score must be kept! AND LASTLY tie the end of the new one up with the start of the last one! as you can guess i am an ultra fan of THE THING! my fave of all time! and most of carpenters work untill after in the mouth of madness is fantastic! MAN IS THE WARMEST PLACE TO HIDE!
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The Thing captures Mac in the first five minutes and tortures him for two hours until the end?
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Aw Hell No!
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You should wait 20 more years, or do a different sci-fi version of little indians, withouth The Thing name attached to the project. The 82 version is just too damn good.
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Starring the voice of Rosanne Barr as "Pickles the amazing android snow puppy".
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Yes I completely agree with some talk backers: - I, Robot movie sucked. - Should have adopted the Robot books instead, but hopefully they'll do that regardless if I, Robot gets a sequal or not. Now, there are still other short stories that involve the same chars they can rape..er...mine for sequal ideas. It's possible to get another movie out for I, Robot, and I wouldn't put it pass them to call it We, Robots or some crap. Caves of Steel/Naked Sun/Robots of Dawn would be an awesome trilogy. And imagine if that was developed in parallel with Foundation, and eventually you'll get a 3rd trilogy where both stories co-mingle ala Foundation and Robots and the other Foundation books. If only dreams DO come true...
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....has been attached to write The Thing remake for Strike Entertainment & Universal for a couple of months now.
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The Thing? Really? Isnt there some crappy movie they can remake instead of all the classics? ie Texas Chainsaw..., Halloween (I love Zombie though) Day of the Dead, on and on.
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Love the sound of that.
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...but not sure about I Robot 2: Electric Boogaloo. I think with some of the paranoia episodes of BSG he's really shown he could do at least a very competant version of The Thing if not an amazing one. But do we really need an I Robot two, I mean really.
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"although I felt the pacing went a little soft at the end" Oh do fuck off you smarmy twat! I bet that made you feel cool and edgy to say that didn't it? A prize tit you are.
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THe rise of Mr. Roboto! That's great. As much as I'm a fan of Dennis DeYoung, and the other Styx members, I think I could do without a mix of Asimov and Mr. Roboto. hehe
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June 8, 2007, 9:48 a.m. CST
The Thing remake has level of Die Hard PG13 provocation
by 9banned0.5furious
and yes,"I felt the pacing went a little soft at the end"...you are a pretencious dick. Even the worse in our Camus reading club don`t say stuff like that.
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Now that I have your attention we should have a sequel to The Thing. Basic premise,the goverment tracks down Kurt Russel's charector, who's been living off the grid since the first encounter. Seems the goverment didn't belive his story about the creature and labeled him a kook. Now they need his help in trying to locate the creature who has gotten loose from a research facility in Alaska and is terrorizing the small town near the lab. Now to the mythology,is it a shapeshifting alien? An otherworldly demon? or an experiment gone wrong? Make this movie with alot of blood and gore,marines fighting alien monsters and your golden. And cast Tom Jane,Sylvester Stallone,Ving Rahmes and Bruce Willis alongside Kurt. License to print money.
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