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  • TUESDAY JULY 10 2007 8:00 PM

Steve McQueen's Corpse Rolls Over, Cocks Loaded .45



It seems Brad Pitt is remaking the Steve McQueen classic, Bullitt.

I like Brad Pitt. Even though it makes my job that much harder, I have to admit, he's good. In theory, he's hate-able. In execution, he's actually a laid back-seeming guy, underrated actor and a pretty good movie "tough guy."

What he isn't, is anywhere close to as cool as fucking Steve McQueen. They could've done worse, but, ideally, they wouldn't have done it at all.

McQueen was and is, the coolest. His movies should be left alone, in some place where awesome things go to be awesome. I'd sooner see you remake the bible with a wise-cracking "Hay-zeus" who sports a goatee and drives a jet boat-Ark... Or re-do the Mona Lisa with indiglo paint, a hidden eye gimmick and Waldo. (I found these references in a book on 1998. It was pretty good.)

How about a remake/re-imagining called Citizen Cane, featuring the animated misadventures of a lovable walking stick and the people he helps, voiced with re-cut Orson Welles' clips. How about you take that idea...

Or the umpteenth variation on one of those poignant, "We thought we were teaching him.. but he was teaching us... Hold on, we actually were teaching him after all," feel good films about a mentally-challenged, Native American Martian. (See, he was Native American but raised by Martians who, at some point, accidentally damaged his brain.)

But no, they had to go and try to remake a classic. Did Alec Baldwin do such a good job on The Getaway? Did Pierce Brosnan hit The Thomas Crown Affair, out of the park? The answers are "no" and "no." Oh, I'm not linking to their imdb pages but if you crave mediocrity, go take a look.

I know it's been said far too many times but please stop remaking movies. This film is as kick-ass as it will ever be. '68 Mustang, iconic turtleneck, Steve McQueen playing "Frank Bullitt," and the greatest car chase ever put on film.

Get ready for '08 Mustang (as well as every other car Ford makes thanks to the inevitable product placement), a shirt unbuttoned to the waist for no apparent reason, Pitt playing "Ray Gunz," and a CGI cluster-fuck. No doubt set to the this song, which one guy loved so much in Kill Bill he decided to put it in his own movie. That's cool, right?

Without McQueen this is a standard idea. Renegade cop crosses the line to protect a witness, drives cars fast. Is this a story Hollywood has yet to tackle post-Bullitt? It is? Then go make it and call it something else.

According to legend, McQueen and the film's director were allowed to ride along with the San Francisco Police. The cops didn't care for McQueen and tried to spook him by inviting him on a tour of the city morgue. Unfazed, McQueen showed up carrying a sack lunch... I had a hack joke involving Pitt bringing a vomit bag all set to go, then came to my senses. Like I said, I like Pitt. So, let's just say that maybe Pitt would've shown up with an apple, but I'm betting McQueen ate oysters.

TheCoolerKing, who took his very own name from a McQueen film, is guessing not enough people know who McQueen is to bother clicking on this article.

 

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Comments
AnalogPussy

AnalogPussy

Burnaby, BC
August 2004

JUL 10, 2007 08:12 PM


and the greatest car chase ever put on film.



I loved the car chase n Bullit I really really do, but I think it was trumped by the car chase in Death Proof especially going in with no knowing who was going to live or die, seeing Zoe Bell on the front of that car and not knowing what was going to happen to me made it the most intense chase scene I have ever seen.

Jimbo

Jimbo

Dallas, TX
August 2003

JUL 10, 2007 08:14 PM

please fucking god no

Chainlink

Chainlink

Key West, FL
August 2005

JUL 10, 2007 08:15 PM

His name was McQueen. Come on, how tough could he possibly be ?!?


SPOILERS! (Click to view)
I kid. wink
He is the epitome of cool.

Maxx

maxx

Los Angeles, CA
July 2002

JUL 10, 2007 08:16 PM

"Kane"

freckle

freckle

Seattle, WA
January 2003

JUL 10, 2007 08:17 PM

AnalogPussy said:


and the greatest car chase ever put on film.



I loved the car chase n Bullit I really really do, but I think it was trumped by the car chase in Death Proof especially going in with no knowing who was going to live or die, seeing Zoe Bell on the front of that car and not knowing what was going to happen to me made it the most intense chase scene I have ever seen.



it is not permissible to say blank is the best blank ever until the first blank is at least 10 years old.

ifixtrains

ifixtrains

Denver, CO
October 2005

JUL 10, 2007 08:18 PM

Pay them back. If you want to see it, then wait till it comes out on dvd. And get a pirated copy.

ignisfatuus

ignisfatuus

I'm lost
January 2007

JUL 10, 2007 08:25 PM

i didn't read it. just wanted to let you know that.

spyder13

spyder13

San Francisco, CA
October 2006

JUL 10, 2007 08:25 PM

It equates to doing a cover of a Beatles song: it just shouldn't be done. How sad.

Subnatural

Subnatural

Milwaukee, WI
June 2004

JUL 10, 2007 08:29 PM

Why stop there? Let's remake "The French Connection" while we're at it. I mean, the car chase under the el train was good, but can you imagine it with Matt Damon? And you know the chase would look cooler with tons of CGI and shit. Gee whiz, that would be neat!

curtisology

curtisology

USA
April 2006

JUL 10, 2007 08:33 PM

does this mean a remake of Vanishing Point with Michael Madsen & Ice Cube?

FearTheReaper

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUL 10, 2007 08:37 PM

Fuck no. The man was a God. He threatened a studio executive with a chain saw, he patented his own race car seat, he was a third degree black belt, broke his foot during a motocross race - and still finished in the top ten, he flew airplanes, he was a Marine, he worked as as stuntman in the movie "Dixie Dynamite because he was BORED, and he punched a horse.


I said, 'This one' and I pointed to the black horse. He'd just been broken, and he had a very tender mouth, and he was shaking all the time, almost like a thoroughbred, very nervous. I got on him, and he bucked me right away, and it took quite a while to subdue him.

So this decided me in his favor, I wouldn't have any other horse. We got him onto the sound stage, and that's where we made a mistake. Because you can't take a horse and put him on a sound stage with all those strong lights and deep shadows. A horse walks from the lights to the shadows and he can' t see. And then he bumps into something, and then he hears strange noises and gets even more nervous. And he starts kicking. So, the first week we were shooting, the horse kicks out four or five lights, bites other horses, broke my big toe stamping up and down and bit me in the back about four times.

That was the beginning and it went on for all of three years. That horse and I fought for three years. Both of us went on winning. He would step on me--on purpose. Just reach over and go right on my foot. Again and again. And I'd punch him each time for stepping on me, but he would do it again. We never did compromise. The sonofabitch, no matter how much he was paid back in kind, he stood his place. He was black with white stocking feet, and his name was Ringo, and we really loved each other. But he never surrendered and this is how he taught me a lesson. He proved better than me, and smarter--and he beat me.



What the fuck has Brad Pitt done?

curtisology

curtisology

USA
April 2006

JUL 10, 2007 08:43 PM

FearTheReaper said:

What the fuck has Brad Pitt done?



But...

...he did The Mexican!

Subrosa

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA
July 2004

JUL 10, 2007 08:44 PM

Chainlink

Chainlink

Key West, FL
August 2005

JUL 10, 2007 08:52 PM

FearTheReaper said:
Fuck no. The man was a God. He threatened a studio executive with a chain saw, he patented his own race car seat, he was a third degree black belt, broke his foot during a motocross race - and still finished in the top ten, he flew airplanes, he was a Marine, he worked as as stuntman in the movie "Dixie Dynamite because he was BORED, and he punched a horse.


I said, 'This one' and I pointed to the black horse. He'd just been broken, and he had a very tender mouth, and he was shaking all the time, almost like a thoroughbred, very nervous. I got on him, and he bucked me right away, and it took quite a while to subdue him.

So this decided me in his favor, I wouldn't have any other horse. We got him onto the sound stage, and that's where we made a mistake. Because you can't take a horse and put him on a sound stage with all those strong lights and deep shadows. A horse walks from the lights to the shadows and he can' t see. And then he bumps into something, and then he hears strange noises and gets even more nervous. And he starts kicking. So, the first week we were shooting, the horse kicks out four or five lights, bites other horses, broke my big toe stamping up and down and bit me in the back about four times.

That was the beginning and it went on for all of three years. That horse and I fought for three years. Both of us went on winning. He would step on me--on purpose. Just reach over and go right on my foot. Again and again. And I'd punch him each time for stepping on me, but he would do it again. We never did compromise. The sonofabitch, no matter how much he was paid back in kind, he stood his place. He was black with white stocking feet, and his name was Ringo, and we really loved each other. But he never surrendered and this is how he taught me a lesson. He proved better than me, and smarter--and he beat me.





It takes a big man to admit the horse is smarter than you.

Gerry_D

Gerry_D

Los Angeles, CA
May 2003

JUL 10, 2007 08:59 PM

McQueen was also supposed to be at the Tate's the night of the Manson murders. He was invited, but mugged at knife point in Hollywood. He went to his car, got his gun and went searching for the punks. After retrieving his property he phoned and got out of dinner - he was too wired.

Then everyone at dinner was murdered. The End.

Things would have gone down a lot differntly if Steve was there when Charlie Manson crashed. Nobody would know Manson's name. He would just be the guy that Steve killed first that night.

Or so the legend goes.

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