Given the quality ofthe original film and Hollywood's ongoing commitment to remake movies that got it right in the first place (FlightofthePhoenix, Ladykillers, etc.), it's all too easy to write off Jonathan Demme's modern update before even seeing it -- but that would be a serious mistake.
Apart from the fact that thefilm's title isn't exactly mainstream audience friendly (it doesn't pass the "can 3 out of 5 US teenagers spell it?" test), the movie also dared to retell a story that was already masterfully set in scene by a '60s classic directed by John Frankenheimer.
But more importantly, unlike flat remakes like Gus Van Zant's Psycho it actually complements the 1962 classic by offering an updated perspective and changed plot elements that command a viewing even if you're a fan ofthe original movie.
Twentieth Century Fox have brought forward the release ofFlightofthePhoenix to December 17th in order to be the only action filmofthe season.
Tuesday 7th December 2004: FlightofthePhoenix:
Directed by John Moore and starring Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Tyrese Gibson, Mirando Otto and Hugh Laurie, FlightofthePhoenix is an action-adventure in which a plane crash in a remote area of China leaves 10 people stranded.
FLIGHTOFTHEPHOENIX (2004, Adventure): Curse the lack of restraint of modern directors with an Avid editing station in their hands: FLIGHTOFTHEPHOENIX is a perfectly respectable old-school adventure, and it calls for a classic tone.
Truth be told, there just isn't enough in the premise ofthefilm (a woman sees elements of her life being "erased" from her life, including in other people's memories) to justify more than a short story's worth of material.
THE FORGOTTEN (2004, Science-Fiction): The curse of most average SF/Fantasy movies these days is the market imperative to pad a story until it's roughly 90 minutes long.
I will look forward to seeing it in the re-make of "TheFlightofthePhoenix." I assume Dennis Quaid will reprise the role of Jimmy Stewart in the 1966 film.
February 08, 2004, 08:05 PM Jim C. On Page 34 ofthe March 2004 issue of "Air Classics" magazine there is a nice articele about theflightofthe H&P C-119 from Wyoming over to Africa.
December 30, 2003, 05:35 PM Jim C. Nice shot ofthe silver H&P C-119 in Spain.
TheFlightofthePhoenix is the title of a 1964 novel by Elleston Trevor, a 1965 movie, and its 2004 remake (as FlightofThePhoenix).
In the 1965 film, the plane crashes in the Sahara desert, while in the2004 remake, the crash occurs in the Gobi desert, although the survivors do not know if they are in Mongolia or in China.
The overall plot involves the crash of a plane (a C-82 Packet in the 1965 version and a C-119 Flying Boxcar in the remake) in the middle of a desert, due to a sandstorm, and the survivors attempting to make a flyable plane from the wreckage to escape.
Trivia: Hugh Laurie auditioned for the part of Dr. House via video shot in a hotel bathroom in Namibia, where he was shooting the upcoming filmFlightofthePhoenix (2004).
(In a recent episode, he got to use his native English accent for a joke.) One important note: "House" is not for the squeamish.
For expanded development & in production information on over 5,200 film and television projects from Pitch through Completed, including contact details, visit IMDbPro.com.
Trivia: Hugh Laurie auditioned for the part of Dr. House via video shot in a hotel bathroom in Namibia, where he was shooting the upcoming filmFlightofthePhoenix (2004).
House loves to tell the truth as he sees it, cutting through the nice happy lies that your average urban US adult tells and believes, never mind the hurt feelings he might leave lying bleeding by the roadside.
Hugh Laurie's Dr. House is someone you feel guilty loving because he's so arrogant and callous, but he keeps you entertained because you can't wait to hear what he'll say next.
- Phantom ofthe Opera, FlightofThePhoenix, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, 2046, Spanglish, Bobby Jones : A Stroke of Genius, Oceans 12, A Day Without a Mexican, Hotel Rwanda, Blade : Trinity, Three : Extreme, Dig!
Aileen : Life and Death of a Serial Killer - 4 out of 5 - Dir-Nick Bloomfield and Joan Churchill
