movies you'd like to see made

[The Wrath]

There are tons of movies I'd like to see made. If I had any of the required cinematographic ambition, skills, or resources nessesary, I would make these films. Here they are, along with my suggested titles, and a brief description. For pretty much all of them (including all of the movies in the 3 trilogies I'd like to see done), I think only a movie of around 3 hours could do justice to the story.

Warsaw

About the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

Island Prison

About the Cuban Revolution and the oppression of the Cubans ever since. After the last scene, before the credits role, a caption would appear on a black screen, reading: "Dedicated to Elian Gonzales."

Twentieth Century Motors

I know I said not to mention Atlas Shrugged, but this is different. I think a very good movie could be made about the 20th Century Motors incident, ending with John Galt promising to stop the motor of the world.

The Once and Future King

I have been dying for an epic movie about King Arthur, with the style of Bravheart, LotR, etc. and a James Horner or John Williams soundtrack. I know that King Arthur came out a couple of years ago, but that was centered around the actual history behind the legend. I want one that tells the story of the legend, itself. Although I borrow T.H. White's title, I would prefer it to not be as light-hearted as his book.

Trilogy #1: The American Revolution

To appease the movie-going crowd and to be historically accurate, has to contain lots of warfare scenes, but political gatherings (i.e. great speeches, debates, important political moments) would be the main focus.

1. Declaration
   Beginning with the run-up to the Declaration of Independence, and ending with the Battle of Dorchester Heights.
   
2. Times that Try Men's Souls
   Beginning where the first left off, and ending with Washington's defeat of the Hessians on Christmas Day, 1776.
   
3. Independence
   The rest of the war.
   

Trilogy #2: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

To appease the movie-going crowd and to be historically accurate, has to contain lots of warfare scenes, but political gatherings (i.e. great speeches, debates, important political moments) would be the main focus. Also, should probably have side-stories (a-la Love Actually) about prisoners of war and concentration/extermination camp inmates.

1. The Rise of the Third Reich
   Begins with the birth of Adolf Hitler, and ends with his ascent to Chancellor of Germany.
   
2. The New European Order
   Begins where the first left off, ends with the German defeats at Stalingrad and El Alamein.
   
3. The Fall of the Third Reich
   The end of the war. Includes brief tributes to the defeat of Japan, but not more than a few minutes, since this is not the intended focus. Ends with dividing of Europe between the West and the Soviet Union. The last shot would be a video recreation, in color, of the famous photograph of a sailor just off his ship after coming home, kissing a nurse.
   

Trilogy #3: Evil Empire

To appease the movie-going crowd and to be historically accurate, has to contain lots of warfare scenes (Viet Nam, Korea, Grenada, Cuban Missile Crisis, etc.), but political gatherings (i.e. great speeches, debates, important political moments) would be the main focus.

1. Bolshevik
   Starts with the origins of the Bolshevik Revolution, and ends with the end of World War II.
   
2. Evil Empire
   Starts where the first left off, ends with the end of Viet Nam.
   
3. The Wall
   Starts at the end of Viet Nam, ends with the fall of the Berlin Wall.
   

Edited July 29, 2006 by Moose

[Lemuel]

Being a hard sci-fi geek, there are several I'd love to see dramatized:

Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos

There are four books in the series, a perfect candidate for a Lord of the Rings treatment. While not especially Objectivist in nature, it's highly imaginative, epic in scope, and Simmons' style would demand a very capable director and talented actors.

Stephen Baxter's Manifold Trilogy

Each story is different, alternate-universe versions of the story of Reid Malenfant, probably the closest Galt-like character I've found outside Rand. Malenfant is an industrialist and former astronaut who was washed out of NASA, but spends his fortunes pulling off a historically significant private space venture. In one of the books, the military descends on his space port as he's launching on his maiden voyage - it includes a particularly awesome scene where the lead engineer on the project is screaming in victory as the roar of the lauch envelopes the control tower.

Arthur C Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth

Man took to the stars in a rush after learning the sun's days were fewer than previously thought. The last seedship from Earth stops at one of the settled worlds for resources to keep going. They trade the settlers the last treasure rescued from Earth before it melted in the nova: all of history's art, music, and literature.

Stephen Baxter's Exultant

It's the story set in the distant future, when man has been fighting an enemy for 10,000 years and making little headway. They've beaten the enemy to the center of the galaxy, but haven't found the way to win the war. A scholar from Earth recruits a pilot to help him come up with the method to finally defeat their enemy. Pretty-much space opera stuff, but it's refreshingly concise in motivation: those are the bad guys, we must kill them before they kill us.

Dan Simmons' Ilium and Olympos

Futuristic retelling of the Trojan War, where the gods use cleverly disguised technology to interact with the Greek and Trojan armies. They've resurrected a 20th Century scholic to observe the events of the war to ensure consistency with Homer. When the scholic is discovered by Helen of Troy, Homer's story diverges, and the Greeks and Trojans band together to wage war on the gods that have manipulated them.

Edited July 30, 2006 by synthlord

[Praxus]

I would like to see Stephen Pressfield's Gates of Fire be turned into a movie. It would be amazing to see the tiny Greek force hold on for over 3 days of fierce fighting against an enemy over 20 times larger then their own. Not to mention the personal heroism of such characters as Polynikes and Leonidas.

[Hakarmaskannar]

David Gemmell's 'Legend'.

Failing that, I'd love to see a depiction of that moron, Che Guevara, that was historically accurate

[LaszloWalrus]

An accurate dramatization of Ayn Rand's life would be good.

[JMeganSnow]

I'd like to see a superhero movie that isn't about saving the someone. Want to use your powers for good? How about doing something useful with them.

Barring that, there are a couple of novels I'd like to see made into movies:

Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson: sweetest Cyberpunk book EVER, I tell you

The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley: cool female heroines

The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (there's seven books in this series, but I figure, if they can do Harry Potter, the sky's the limit)

[The Wrath]

A modern version of Dracula that doesn't suck.

[Felix]

Two good sequels to Matrix I.

[Fenriz]

I would like to see a bio pic about the Communist tyrant Nicolae Ceaucescu, from his humble origins in a Romanian village, to his activist days, to his eventual rise to power, to the devastation that his regime brought upon his people, and finally to his violent overthrow in December of 1989.

[docjoycedc]

Hey Praxus they are in the works of doing gates of fire.

Lets hope it comes through

[JMeganSnow]

A modern version of Dracula that doesn't suck.

Like, vegetarian Dracula? Is he reformed or something?!

ROTFL!!!!!

Edited July 30, 2006 by JMeganSnow

[Felix]

Like, vegetarian Dracula?

Thanks! That's what I needed before going to bed!

[Scott_Connery]

I'd like to see "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"

[Lemuel]

I'd like to see a superhero movie that isn't about saving the someone. Want to use your powers for good? How about doing something useful with them.

I second the motion.

[bobsponge]

I second the motion.

I can't remember who came up with it, but we joked about making a comic book about a supervillain called "The Tax Man" who had the special power to make 30% of anything disappear.

Besides that, I'd like to see all 3 of Richard Morgan's 'Takeshi Covacs' books turned into movies (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, and Woken Furies). For fans of fast-paced, hardboiled sci-fi stuff, it's a great series; hopefully there will be more written.

-JB

[Felix]

I can't remember who came up with it, but we joked about making a comic book about a supervillain called "The Tax Man" who had the special power to make 30% of anything disappear.

This thread is pure gold!!!

[Olex]

Movie made by the book "Lord of Light" by Roger Zelazny.

[AMERICONORMAN]

There are my "Olives":

All of Rostand, All of Hugo, All of Schiller, All of Ibsen.

There are my "shorts":

Short films based on stories by O. Henry, Du Maupassant, Maugham, Hawthorne, even Chekov, etc. I don't know why this is not done on television. But it would also make the short story much more popular and maintain the value of plot in newly inspired stories.

And of course all of Rand's fiction.

I would also like to see a movie based on Nietzsche's Zarathustra; that would be neat.

And there's a story idea that I want some else to write. The idea is a general who is struggling between the duty to bomb a certain city and to save his favorite piece of art in that enemy city.

And I got a whole bunch of stories I'm planning on writing that would make great films. I will share at some future date one movie scenario that I will probably never write but I would love to see someone else make.

That's it for now,

Jose Gainza.

[The Wrath]

A modern adaptation of the short story, The Most Dangerous Game.

[Rex Little]

Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, would make a great movie. There's a scene right after the comet hits, and one of the pieces causes a tidal wave which hits southern California. A surfer catches the wave and manages to ride it all the way into downtown L.A., where he wipes out against the Bonaventure Hotel. I'd pay the $9 for that scene alone.

And at the end of the book, the good guys defend a nuclear power plant from a gang of fanatic environmentalists. How can you not love it?

I'll second Scott Connery on Moon is a Harsh Mistress, too.

[The Wrath]

I was hoping someone would comment on the movie ideas I gave in my first post.

[Felix]

I was hoping someone would comment on the movie ideas I gave in my first post.

I've been thinking that the Motor company would have been a great book of its own. So turning it into a movie is fine with me.

And I've wanted to see a decent movie on "Once and future king" ever since I've seen "The Mighty".

Am too ignorant to comment on the rest.

[Prometheus98876]

Well I would love to see some Sword of Truth movies made. Although...there is apparently a mini-series based on the first book in the series being made at the moment (Wizards First Rule).

If you want to find out something about this, here is a link:

http://www.prophets-inc.com/news

[Maarten]

Moose, I wonder about something regarding your 20th century motor company idea. Wouldn't the most interesting part of the story start when John Galt leaves? The events leading up to the point where he leaves aren't that special yet; I think it would be much more interesting to fully flesh out what would happen in such a case (basically the story as the old guy tells Dagny in the train).

[The Wrath]

My memory is a bit hazy. I thought Galt left at the end of the story. If not, there could be a bit of artistic license taken to make it that way.

Edited August 7, 2006 by Moose