George's Movie Wish List

Yesterday I was reading comments made from people on the Yahoo Movies page on the slew of 80's remakes coming to theaters: Clash of the Titans, Nightmare on Elm Street, The A Team, etc..

"THEY ALL SUCK!" said one person. "Aren't there any new ideas left in Hollywood?" asked another. And I have to agree. Creativity and originality in the motion picture industry have given way to profitability. Whatever takes in the most money at the box office is what matters.

But have no fear. For all you producers and screenwriters out there stumped on story ideas, I've come up with a list of ideas for movies I'd love to see made. Most of them are based on novels that I've read, which goes to show you the best and most economical means for movie ideas by far is adaptation. I call it George's Movie Wish List.

And for all you commentors out there, feel free to share some ideas of your own. I'd love to read them.

On The Road. Based on the classic Jack Kerouac novel which supposedly inspired the hippie generation of the 60s. I don't think it's ever been made into a movie. But if it were, I think it would make a great Matt Damon/ Ben Affleck vehicle as Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise, respectively.

Catcher In The Rye. Based on the late JD Salinger's novel. Over the years he vehemently fought attempts to have this novel filmed. But now that he's passed away, I feel it would be a great tribute to Salinger. I see Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame giving a stellar performance as Holden Caulfield.

Moby Dick. I know this would be a remake, but it would be super to see a CGI created white whale like Peter Jackson did with King Kong, with Sam Worthington as Ishmael, The Rock as Queequeeg, and Tommy Lee Jones as Captain Ahab.

Deception Point. This is Dan Brown's second novel, one without his Robert Langdon character. But it's a heart-racing thriller nonetheless, about a scientific discovery of alien life that isn't what it seems to be.

Elvis Cole. I'd love to see Robert Crais' private eye character come to the silver screen. But he refuses to sell the rights to it. Perhaps a letter-writing campaign demanding our money back for buying his books will make him change his mind! Ha, ha!

The Deerslayer. This is the sequel to James Feminore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans". Daniel Day Lewis was awesome as Hawkeye in that movie, and I'd love to see him reprise that role in this sequel. He's a terrific thespian actor, but he's a lot more exciting in action roles.

THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA. From Phillip Roth's recent novel. It's an alternate history about Charles Lindbergh, hero pilot but awful anti-Semite and Nazi sympathizer defeating Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election and making life miserable for one Jewish-American family narrating the story.

LAKE WOBEGON. Garrison Keillor's heartwarming, funny stories of that small Minnesota town coming to life.

MASH. A feature film version of the most iconoclastic television series of all time is long overdue.

BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP. Another 70's television series. It would be awesome to see the aerial dogfights with CGI enhancement. It worked on one movie about WWI pilots I saw, "Flyboys". No reason it shouldn't work here.

RETURN OF THE BIG LEBOWSKI. I broke two ribs laughing in the original. It would be a treat to see "Oscar winner" Jeff Bridges reprise this role.

DRAGONRIDERS. Based on Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. It's sci-fi, plenty of eye-popping special effects, great story.