MovieChat Forums > Nightflyers (1988) Discussion > How about a remake 2

How about a remake 2

posted 18 years ago by beau_man
8 replies | jump to latest

I began this topic as markiebeau, but lost that identity when I didn't have a computer for awhile.
I have read the comments concerning this movie and the replies to the original topic.
Some people read the book, some people saw the movie and some people did both. I have both seen the movie and read the book (in that order) and agree that the movie does not do the book justice. The movie, however, is creative in at least attempting to create the atmosphere described awesomely by George R.R. Martin, although it did take a bit of a different direction.
I believe that that if they remade this movie and stuck closer to the original story, (such as Mirandas's real name, race and character) it would do very well as an original, non alien type, monster aboard a spaceship movie. (Although there are other similarities to other classic movies as well, which would be a different topic)
There has been a dawn of remakes (War of the Worlds, The Hills Have Eyes and others). With the video, cgi and audio technology they have now, this movie in the right hands could work.

Any comments?? Of course you would have to have read the novella to know if it would work.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] lucens 17 years ago

I agree that a remake would be nice, but I would settle for the original with a re-edit. I am a fan George R.R. Martin's writing, but although he is an excellent writer, I don't believe he 'transfers' well to film/TV/etc. There is just so much in his stories that goes on as thoughts, memories, impressions, etc. that to transfer to a totally visual medium usually requires severe pruning at best.

Frankly, although I haven't read this particular story of his, I felt the movie was very unfocussed; a little trouble deciding whose or which story they wanted to tell. When you have a large multi-person cast, as most of Martin's stuff does, you really have to be ruthless about whose storyline you are going to follow.

And there are some things that I feel could have been done differently to prolong the tension: i.e. waiting longer to reveal whether or not Michael Praed's character was actually human.

I guess overall I found this movie frustrating, because the casting was so great, and the characters were very interesting as presented (in the first 10 minutes) and the set-up was so tension-filled, and then I felt it just fell apart in a welter of gore and conflicting agendas, and all that really wonderful story-telling potential just vanished like fog when the sun comes out. Beautiful, mysterious, gone...and the world is mundane again.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] hey_o 16 years ago

I would support a remake - a good one this time. I remember reading the novel when I was a teenager. I thought it was pretty good back then, but was very disappointed with the movie (love the cool poster though).

"When I'm good, I'm GOOD. When I'm bad, I'm BETTER."

[–] Witchytwo 15 years ago

This is from an interview with Michael Praed and goes some way to explain why the film was not as good as it could have been.

What was the story behind Nightflyers?

"Nightflyers? Oh Christ! That's an interesting story for all the wrong reasons. I liked the script, but the week before shooting, the director gave us a completely revised script. It bore no relation at all to the original! Instead of bailing out, we stuck with it. In the end, he took his name off the film - he shouldn't be allowed to get away with that.”

The Witch is back

[–] stu-250 14 years ago

Oh god, not re-make again, they can't remake every bloody film just for the sake of it, some films are meant to be left alone!

[–] Tru-Dru 13 years ago

I agree!