"Pelham" opening credits

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I love the brassy-gutsy David Shire music that accompanies the opening credits of The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974) -- here's the clip. And now Entertainment Weekly says there's a Tony Scott remake coming with Denzel Washington as Walter Matthau..."gesundheit." Do you think Scott will use that bit with the Japanese businessmen being given a tour of New York's MTA central control and have Denzel, presuming (as Matthau presumed) they don't speak English, refer to them as "monkeys"?

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 23, 2007 at 5:10 PM

comment #1

RoyBatty says ...

Leave it to Ridley's Slick Rick brother, always style over substance, to fuck this up from the get-go with bad casting alone. Washington would make a great Mr Blue (Robert Shaw in the original), but not Lt. Garber.

That was half the beauty of the original - Matthau so perfectly inhabited the rumpled slacks and worn jacket of a career New York civil servant.

What's sad is that we live in such a shallow age that no actor immediately leaps to mind to play the part.

Posted by RoyBatty at September 23, 2007 5:40 PM

comment #2

Pelham123 says ...

"Screw the goddamn passengers! What the hell did they expect for their lousy 35 cents - to live forever?"

(ABC-TV already remade this in 1998. Really, what's the point?)

Posted by Pelham123 at September 23, 2007 5:53 PM

comment #3

The Hoyk says ...

It won't work unless the remake allows everybody to be as ugly, grouchy and openly racist as in the original. And we know that of course will never happen.

Posted by The Hoyk at September 23, 2007 5:57 PM

comment #4

actionman says ...

any film with Tony Scott on board is fine by me. Especially ones that star Denzel.

Posted by actionman at September 23, 2007 6:31 PM

comment #5

TKC says ...

RoyBatty -- How about Paul Giamatti?

Posted by TKC at September 23, 2007 6:31 PM

comment #6

Joe Leydon says ...

The original TP123 is a classic. Really. (And the original novel -- the sort of book so obviously written for movie adaptation, you can practically see sprocket holes on the pages -- was pretty good, too.) Now if they announce Clive Owen for the Robert Shaw role...

Posted by Joe Leydon at September 23, 2007 6:35 PM

comment #7

malibugigolo says ...

Fabrice Luchini

Posted by malibugigolo at September 23, 2007 7:14 PM

comment #8

Chicago48 says ...

Denzel is stereotyping himself into the Cop role. Not a good move. Denzel: Try something different for a change.

And I love the original, will not see this one. Why are they remaking a classic?

Posted by Chicago48 at September 23, 2007 7:15 PM

comment #9

Joe Leydon says ...

Malibugigolo: He was great in Colonel Chabert. But if we're going to go European, why not Daniel Auteuil?

Posted by Joe Leydon at September 23, 2007 7:26 PM

comment #10

gradystiles says ...

Chicago48: Apparently, you haven't heard of a little movie called AMERICAN GANGSTER, huh? Denzel plays the title character, Russell Crowe plays "the cop."

Posted by gradystiles at September 23, 2007 7:42 PM

comment #11

christian says ...

can they still use their code names ala mr. blue mr. red etc.?

and i love this movie. especially it's utterly fantastic final shot.

no spoiler.

Posted by christian at September 23, 2007 8:10 PM

comment #12

swordandpen says ...

The original is perfect as is. A remake would get rid of all the satire and classic one-liners and just make the movie about the plot, which is not what makes the movie great.

Plus, I fear Tony Scott covering the action with twenty cameras running at different speeds with Denzel doing his earnest cop routine. Watch the original movie to see how to pace a movie with probably a hundred speaking parts without headache-inducing cutting. I refuse to watch any remake of this.

Posted by swordandpen at September 23, 2007 8:15 PM

comment #13

malibugigolo says ...

Daniel Auteuil. Dull, dull, dull. Makes me what to take a nap.

Posted by malibugigolo at September 23, 2007 8:39 PM

comment #14

malibugigolo says ...

Colonel Chabert? Yes. What a great movie. My VHS copy is getting worn out..(sigh)

Posted by malibugigolo at September 23, 2007 8:41 PM

comment #15

notjon says ...

Denzel already starred in a remake of ToP123. It was called Inside Man.

Posted by notjon at September 23, 2007 8:46 PM

comment #16

source188 says ...

There's no way the color aliases could be kept for the remake because of Reservoir Dogs, and that's the sad truth. And Tony Scott can't make entertaining flicks anymore, whether it's the schizo camera or something more toned down like Deja Vu. Denzel has gotten old and tired and boring and the both of them make for a lame collaboration.

Posted by source188 at September 23, 2007 8:47 PM

comment #17

christian says ...

of course what made the original interesting is having schlubby matthau matching wits with a team of criminal pros.

Posted by christian at September 23, 2007 8:51 PM

comment #18

Joe Leydon says ...

What's even more interesting is that, in the book, the character Matthau plays is black.

Posted by Joe Leydon at September 23, 2007 9:18 PM

comment #19

Joe Leydon says ...

Malibugigolo: Definitely must disagree about Auteuil. Check out Lacenaire (aka The Elegant Criminal) and Girl on the Bridge.

Posted by Joe Leydon at September 23, 2007 9:24 PM

comment #20

BurmaShave says ...

Wasn't INSIDE MAN already a PELHAM for this generation?

Posted by BurmaShave at September 23, 2007 9:26 PM

comment #21

BurmaShave says ...

notjon beat me to it.

Posted by BurmaShave at September 23, 2007 9:27 PM

comment #22

Malone says ...

Quite simply, one of the most brilliantly paced movies ever.

I'll always worship the original but Tony Scott won't completely screw it up. It'll be fun to sit through.

Casting will be everything.

Posted by Malone at September 23, 2007 9:35 PM

comment #23

MickTravis says ...

if you want a doo-doo rhyme then come see me!

Posted by MickTravis at September 23, 2007 9:48 PM

comment #24

Walter Sobchak says ...

One of the New Yorkiest movies ever made and a reason why to this day when I think of the Big Apple I picture it in '70's mode.

Great flick.

Posted by Walter Sobchak at September 23, 2007 11:11 PM

comment #25

malibugigolo says ...

JOE LEYDON: Elegant criminal sure, I'd put that more on what is written than what he does with it. I groan when Leconte works with him. Give me Fabrice or Michel Blanc who he worked with in the great Monsieur Hire. When is that coming to DVD?? My VHS of that is running thing too.

Or Vincent Lindon Ma petite entreprise what a funny movie!

CachÃ© was one of the moth loathsome "smart" movies as in "Smart" is what "compelling" was to reviews in the late 90's early 00's and "convincing" was in the 80's. That is, a signifier that the movie/book in question is reactionary liberal with its politics, glib with its humor, and generally nihilistic with its ideology. It was hard not to laugh at Auteuil after the 30th time he does that "eh" sigh and rolls his eyes around. He's unintentionally hilarous. He gets for too much credit for be subtle and understated when all I see is that he plays small because he has no range and has nowhere to go.

Posted by malibugigolo at September 24, 2007 2:28 AM

comment #26

BurmaShave says ...

Are you being serious? Or is this more satire?

Posted by BurmaShave at September 24, 2007 7:19 AM

comment #27

George Prager says ...

What the hell is this?

http://imdb.com/title/tt0887883/

Posted by George Prager at September 24, 2007 7:26 AM

comment #28

George Prager says ...

And who si psyched for SPIDER BABY: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT?

http://reel.com/movie.asp?MID=9070

Posted by George Prager at September 24, 2007 7:27 AM

comment #29

BurmaShave says ...

Also I finally can remember where Brian Helgeland's PAYBACK stole its score from, though I think it actually did it a little bit better.

Posted by BurmaShave at September 24, 2007 7:42 AM

comment #30

MickTravis says ...

I was thinking the exact same thing, B.S.

Although Helgeland's director's cut of "Payback" has much lamer, more restrained scoring. Just one of the many, many elements that made me realize Gibson's cut is far superior.

Posted by MickTravis at September 24, 2007 8:34 AM

comment #31

George Prager says ...

More links (from the traitorous Judith Miller-enabling NY Times):

Bringing Hollywood Boulevard to Main Street
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/23LAND.html?em&ex=1190779200&en=d22c5c5af14f6865&ei=5087%0A

Posted by George Prager at September 24, 2007 10:48 AM

comment #32

T. S. Idiot says ...

As the conflicted cop in 36 Quai des OrfÃƒÂ¨vres, Auteuil shows an edge missing from much of his other work. He would be good in either Matthau or Shaw role.

Posted by T. S. Idiot at September 24, 2007 11:38 AM

comment #33

The Hoyk says ...

Apparently, with little fanfare, Kino is releasing a DVD of Leconte's MONSIEUR HIRE later this fall.

If this remake is going to happen, and if we must be stuck with Denzel Washington, let me suggest some casting:

Mr. Blue - Stephen Rea
Mr. Green - Harvey Keitel
Mr. Gray - Bruce Campbell
Mr. Brown - Nicky Katt
Frank Correll - Dan Aykroyd
The Mayor - Mike Binder
Lt. Rico Patrone - Patton Oswalt

Posted by The Hoyk at September 24, 2007 2:35 PM

comment #34