Crapolla Shmolla

I love The Rockford Files, 2nd gen Firebirds, and James Garner. I absolutely hate Vince Vaughn. Crap.

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Ruining childhoods! This is the Hollywood way.

In reply to ThePhranc:

They can't come up with any new ideas, so they ruin old ones.

How timely.
Just over the weekend, the wife and I watched the pilot episode (2 parter) through Hulu.
Some funny things, we realized that James Garner was older than we thought when he started the series at 46 but also then had that sinking realization that we are that age as well.
The series started in 1974. If you remember, the '74 firebird had the smaller rear window and then in '75 it gained the more common wrap around rear window. I noticed that if Rockford was driving the car it was a '74 but in all the shots that were likely added later, like the car driving down the coastline the car was a '75.
There were also some aerial shots of Vegas which were funny in that there was no development on the strip.

Lets hold out some hope, but I'm not optomistic.

Still, the worst case of mis casting in the history of TV series/movies was when they cast stone faced, humorless Ralph Fiennes as devil may care Steed in The Avengers.

I was trying to think of an actor that would do the role justice, and the only name that kept coming to mind was...James Garner.

I like Vince Vaughn, and as long as they truly remake it and let him do his own take on Jim Rockford, it could be OK. But a base, beige Firebird with no rear spoiler? That car was really lame.

In reply to bravenrace:

I agree. This is terrible news

In reply to pinchvalve:

I read Garner's book, and in it he addresses the firebird vs T/A thing. It has to do with the Rockford character, who was intended to be kind of a wimp. Meaning he didn't carry a gun, avoided violence whenever possible, and always showed regret of some sort when he did engage in violence. The character was also supposed to not value money, which is why he lived in a beat up trailer and drove a base firebird instead of a T/A. Of course the book describes this better, but you get the idea. If it helps, his cars did have the 400 engines and beefier suspensions.

As far as Vince Vaughn, to each his own, but I find him to be a one trick pony. He's the same character in everything he's in, so I don't know how anyone expects him to do Rockford well.

I hope it is not schtick with a guy in a '70's car wearing sportcoats with flared lacks while using payphones and answering machines trying to get along in a modern world.

If set in the current world, there will need to be some changes.
The classic answering machine opening audio will be replaced with an email flashed up on the screen.
The oceanfront Malibu mobile home will need to be replaced with a derelict boat in the Port of LA/Port of Long Beach.

I am disappointed to hear this and I bet you it will be something in the lines of the Starsky and Hutch remake.

bravenrace wrote: As far as Vince Vaughn, to each his own, but I find him to be a one trick pony. He's the same character in everything he's in, so I don't know how anyone expects him to do Rockford well.

This is the truth. If you have watched more than one movie with Vince Vaughn, you would know that he can only do one character.

Which is a whiny sarcastic shiny happy person.

I have a theory on all these remakes. The actors of today remember seeing all this when they were young and want to try there hand at the old stuff. Kinda like playing cowboys & indians or cops & robbers or whatever when we were kids. Only they are grown playing the parts.

Kinda getting tired of it myself.

And I agree that a lot of the current actors just seem to play themselves in whatever rolls they're in.

Who's going to play Angel? That's what I want to know.

In reply to Zomby Woof:

Must be you.

People forget how subtle the humor was in Rockford. One of the funniest things I remember in an episode was the foot chase through the inside of Hoover Dam (instead of a fist fight at the end, they both just stopped at the bottom because they were exhausted). The Googlez say the episode is called "Roundabout", and it was the last episode of Season One. I might fire up Hulu m'self here in a lil' bit.

I really don't see the point in making a Movie out of this. Heck even making a movie with the Garner Rockford does not make a lot of sense. If you want to make a series I can see that, but a movie? Let me guess, a goofy send up of the original show.

That being said, I actually enjoyed the goofy send up version of 21 Jump Street, but that is mainly because it was a bit of a send up of the whole "movie remake" trend. I think though, if I was a real fan of the original series, I might be a bit disappointed, it really has nothing in common with the original series.

I am not sure there is really anything in Rockford Files to goof on anyway. It was a pretty straight forward show. The only thing that I can think of that would be pretty funny would be that he would have a highly unreasonable tendency to do very unnecessary Bootlegger turns whenever possible.

You want to do a remake to goof on? Try The Six Million Dollar man... that was pretty damn hooky, you could do lots of stuff. You could also probably do a pretty good serious version if you like, but considering the show, probably better to go with the goofy version.

Ugh.

James Garner could drive. Learned the J-turn from Rockford. Also learned how to use a wrapped roll of quarters inside your fist from Rockford.

From what I remember reading, Rockford was supposed to be the anti-Mannix. Still a PI, but not as slick as Mannix.

Maybe Patrick Dempsey could pull off a modern Rockford. Not sure what the modern equivalent of a Firebird Esprit would be. The new V6 Mustang? I guess that would be too much blasphemy. The new Camaro might still be too flashy in base trim. Maybe a used Solstice?

Some what bland, somewhat conservative, somewhat responsible but able to be powerful if needed.
Holden/Pontiac GTO
Did they come in beige/gold?

when do they touch simon and simon and Magnum PI?

If they remake Matlock or Jake and the fat man I will loose it

Garner recently said that Rockford probably wanted an Trans Am but couldn't afford one. Also said he drove a Trans Am in real life at the time. Garner is cool.

Oh, one more thing - Pontiac didn't supply cars to the show. They had to buy cars for the production and usually had two to three at any given time.

Rocky's GMC truck is here in Jacksonville. Last I heard, it was in a pretty sad way.

mad_machine wrote: when do they touch simon and simon and Magnum PI?

There have been rumors for years of a Magnum movie starring George Clooney. I'm hoping that one never happens.

Will wrote:

mad_machine wrote: when do they touch simon and simon and Magnum PI?

There have been rumors for years of a Magnum movie starring George Clooney. I'm hoping that one never happens.

Magnum ! Get these mickey kalucking snakes off this mickey kalucking estate

In reply to Will:

Magnum is in the pipeline starring Matthew McConaughy. (sp?)

It'll suck.