A Truly, Talented Ambitious Filmmaker Should Re-Make "Catch-22" Using Iraq As The Backdrop

[Yavin4]

I re-watched the film last night, and man, there are a lot of similarities between that film and Iraq today. Unbelievable. A really, really good filmmaker should take up the challenge and re-make the film for Iraq.

BTW, the cast of the original film is remarkable:

Alan Arkin
Martin Balsam
Buck Henry
Martin Sheen
Art Garfunkel
Anthony Perkins
Jon Voight
Bob Balaban
Austin Pendleton
Orson Welles

[gmoney]

1. I'm sure it would suck hard...

no way it would measure up, except it would be 10 times bloodier.

The Milo Minderbinder storyline would be especially appropriate to our contractor situation and the way we're arming the insurgants that are fighting against our soldiers.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

2. I have an audiobook version of the novel.

I last played it about a week ago.

I also have the DVD... somewhere...

Fantastic story, with a lot in it for the modern age. After all, everybody has a share!

[jmowreader]

3. You forgot Bob Newhart

who played Major Major Major Major.

They did change the role a bit from the book...in the book he joined the Army as "Major Major Major" and they promoted him to major within three days; in the film he was granted a field promotion because Colonel Cathcart said he was the only person in the unit who knew anything about being a major.

[IntravenousDemilo]

4. Unless a movie can be improved upon, there is no reason for it to be remade.

For instance, The Manchurian Candidate, Psycho, The Ladykillers, Bedazzled... I think a remake of Catch-22 would be another one of those "why?" movies, because for one thing, it's pretty hard to improve on the cast. A really good filmmaker would either leave it alone or come up with something brand new.

As it is, even though Heller's Catch-22 was set in the Second World War, the movie version was just as much about the Vietnam era in which it was made. Likewise M*A*S*H, whose action nominally takes place during the Korean Conflict -- it's really about whatever war is going on when you're watching it, or at least the most recent one if you're watching during peacetime, and audiences should be able to make that connection unless they're really vacant or literal-minded. That's because the stories were about the stupidity of war in general, a timeless theme that goes at least as far back as ancient Greek drama.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. It would end up with Ron Howard directing, and the producers would insist on a love story

[Yavin4]

6. Yeah, You're Right, They'd Shoe Horn Scarlett Johansson into the Movie

somehow.