Re: Train footage

Posted by Michaelson from em12-686.utsi.edu on October 18, 1999 at 10:03:04:

In Reply to: Re: Train footage posted by Micah on October 18, 1999 at 09:43:01:

: : The majority of the train scene, especially the crash, came from the Gregory Peck movie "Old Gringo". They've wrecked that poor train in a least a half dozen made for TV movies after that film came out. With Lucas's bend to create new footage, this aways surprised me that he used stock footage, even though I don't know how he could have improved on it. Regards. Michaelson

: Well, I'll be... I haven't seen that movie.

: I saw a made-for-cable movie last night on TNT called Time Shifters where there was a subway car crash that looked very similar to one in the Snipes/Harrelson movie Money Train. I didn't know they did this sort of thing. I just chalked it up to deja vu, similar situation, similar effect. But now, I bet they just lifted it straight from the movie.

: Thanks for the insight.

: --Micah

That's one of those "untold" stories of how a lot of studios get return monies from projects that didn't pan out that well at the box office. The huge budget picture "Tora, Tora, Tora", about the attack of Pearl Harbor, did limited box office returns, but 20th Century Fox made a return of their investment by selling license agreements to other studios allowing them access to the battle footage created for "TTT" and be inserted in OTHER war movies, "Midway" as an example. Neat way to recycle and save a budget. But as you pointed out, if you're a movie buff you tend to recognize this when it is run by you the second time. Regards. Michaelson

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: : : The majority of the train scene, especially the crash, came from the Gregory Peck movie "Old Gringo". They've wrecked that poor train in a least a half dozen made for TV movies after that film came out. With Lucas's bend to create new footage, this aways surprised me that he used stock footage, even though I don't know how he could have improved on it. Regards. Michaelson

: : Well, I'll be... I haven't seen that movie.

: : I saw a made-for-cable movie last night on TNT called Time Shifters where there was a subway car crash that looked very similar to one in the Snipes/Harrelson movie Money Train.  I didn't know they did this sort of thing.  I just chalked it up to deja vu, similar situation, similar effect.  But now, I bet they just lifted it straight from the movie.

: : Thanks for the insight.

: : --Micah

: That's one of those "untold" stories of how a lot of studios get return monies from projects that didn't pan out that well at the box office. The huge budget picture "Tora, Tora, Tora", about the attack of Pearl Harbor, did limited box office returns, but 20th Century Fox made a return of their investment by selling license agreements to other studios allowing them access to the battle footage created for "TTT" and be inserted in OTHER war movies,  "Midway" as an example. Neat way to recycle and save a budget. But as you pointed out, if you're a movie buff you tend to recognize this when it is run by you the second time. Regards. Michaelson

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