Other Science Fiction Series

Red Dwarf

POSTED BY: Infrared
UPDATED: Thursday, March 10, 2005 19:42
VIEWED: 11661
PAGE 3 of 4

JARED

Tuesday, March 1, 2005 6:49 PM

interesting. but then, somehow im already used to be expected to pay for things twice, pay for things you dont want or pay for a right you only have in theory.

examples:
-gez charges a fee if you own a radio or tv because you COULD receive government radio/tv. that the program is so bad most people would have to be paid to watch it doesnt really matter. thats kind of like having to pay $50 to the supermarket each month because you COULD shoplift.

-gema is a nice fee on every blank medium to compensate for the copyright violations created through private copies. unfortunately that right is void when something has a copy protection. now, what DOESNT?

well, guess that leaves the "just the shows" set with series 1-4 for about $75, but missing all the extras. still waiting for that phone call that i won the lottery in some parallel universe where actually playing one isn't necessary to win.

rimmer: that's what they do. all those people who inexplicably vanish, they return them. aw, smeg, that's all we need. glen miller on board, boring us to death with pennsylvania 6-5000. kryten, open communication channels.
(comm) we don't want him! go away! you took him, you can keep the smegger!

PUMAMANREDUX

Tuesday, March 1, 2005 8:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Starrbaby:
Was I dreaming, or perhaps I just pulled it out of my butt, but wasn't there a movie in the making?
I've got to go, my toaster won't shut up about making me some toast.

You sure you won't have some crumpets, tea cakes, waffles, scones, croissants .. no?

There was/ is a movie in the works ... Doug Naylor sent a message to fans that got posted on the net ... the problem with the movie has been finding funding ... the item is posted on the Official Red Dwarf Web site at http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/

The main part of the item is as follows

Quote:

Hi everyone,

I'd really like to say how truly sorry I am not to be with you this weekend but sadly I can't. The truth is I'm absolutely thrilled, I couldn't be happier - and not because I won't have to eat the Moat House fried breakfast, but because American funders are flying into the UK today to continue discussions we began at the Cannes Film Festival to fund the Red Dwarf movie. I fully expect that in a matter of a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, Red Dwarf the Movie finally will be green lit, and by early August I expect to be deep into pre-production in Australia.

It's taken an age, I know, but I'm sure in the end, the struggle will be worth it. When I first embarked on this little adventure I was assured that a film company had guaranteed to put £10 million pounds into the movie which was then budgeted at £15 million. It's now a bit under that. Within seconds of me finishing the script, something that took nine months, the company's share price went through the floor and so did their money.

We started again. A tax incentive EIS scheme was drawn up, something which took almost a year and cost legal fees into six figures. Contracts were signed, and then at the last minute the founders got cold feet and the scheme never happened. Our production team - which included Pat Carr who worked on Empire Strikes Back and two Indiana Jones movies and Alan Cameron, production designer of both Mummy movies and most recently Van Helsing - had to be disbanded.

We started again. I visited Germany, Austria, Spain, I talked to people in Canada, France, Italy and New Zealand in the search for a home for the movie because the UK studios were full of American films and we could no longer afford to shoot there. Three years ago, two weeks before Christmas, I shook hands with a man who promised we would be in pre-production two weeks into the New Year. He was the Managing Director of the company and there seemed to be no stopping us. A few weeks into the New Year he called and said he'd spoken to his number two and they'd decided not to invest in the film. 'But I thought you were the Boss?' I said. 'I am but I have to do what my number two says,' he replied.

A while after this we found a distributor - the guys who sell the movie around the world. They loved the project, they put the budget up, sold the film to Russia, Thailand, Australia, and Japan. Then their CEO left and the new guys came in. One of the new guys was the guy who'd had to do what his number two said. For the second time he shot us down in flames, slashing the budget from 13 million to somewhere below six. The film couldn't be made for six. We started again.

We joined a UK funding body that was going to fund a whole slate of UK films - there was lots of press coverage, we were to be first out of the traps - a year later, despite representing most of the top UK Film Producers, they hadn't raised a cent. We discovered later, that when they talked to investors, they hadn't even told them what the projects were - none of the investors even knew one of the movies they were being asked to invest in was Red Dwarf. They didn't think it would make any difference!

Then one day we got a call from a guy who represented WETA, the guys who made Lord of the Rings, they wondered if they could do the special effects for the Red Dwarf movie. I said I doubted we could afford them. They said they were fans and would love to work on the project and could cut us a d

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MRSKBORG

Tuesday, March 1, 2005 8:53 PM

Love Red Dwarf and can't wait for the movie, it's apparently in pre-production and shooting was supposed to begin jan 2005, but www.reddwarf.co.uk does seem to have the latest or most up to date info. I met Craig Charles at Memorobilia December 2003 and he said there would be a film but he didn't know when, depended on everyones schedules etc. Anyways some storyboards from the movie on site mentioned above.

"This movie may be a beautiful butterfly, but I loved that damn caterpillar." Joss Whedon.

MANOFSTEEL25

Wednesday, March 2, 2005 7:45 PM

Major US Dwarf fan over here.

I remmeber discovering the show in the spring of 1991 - when our PBS station aired Season 1-3 amidst the greatest line up we ever had - Hitchhike'rs Guide, Fawlty Towers, RD, Black Adder and then I'd swap to HBO at 11 for Kids in the Hall. Ah Fridays were good.

Then I discovered there was a 4th and 5th season our station was too cheap to air! So I found bootlegs of these 2 years later and loved them to pieces. That fall when I went to Vision's '93 and met Danny John-Jules we got treated to a screening of Series 6 which had literally just aired in the UK.

Overall I felt the quality of the show began to seriously dip in Series 6 and it got even worse in 7 and 8 with a few moments of greatness but nothing like the good old days. Anyone else agree? I find the fans of this show either get very particualr of thier favorite 'era' or they just love it all for better or worse.

I understand they have all thier eggs in the movie basket but seeing how long its been, I'd love to see a special or 9th short series to resolve the cliffhanger and end the show on mor eof a closure...like maybe actully finding Earth or closing the timeloop predicted in Season 2's StasisLeak.

Still GREAT show and yes, despite my misgivings about year 7 and 8 I'll be buying them all on DVD. looking forward to 5 and 6 hitting our shelves this month along with more Dr. Who....

DEANNAMAY

Wednesday, March 2, 2005 11:56 PM

Loved the series, especially with Rimmer, he was a smeghead, but he really made the show rock. Kochanski just didn't fill his shoes well.

I lent a coworker my season 2 DVD, and he took another job, and my DVD with him. I need to get a new one, but everytime I see it, it is with Season one, and I don't need another of those. I should go on ebay and find it.

I did love the Ace Rimmer planetary circle, that is a lot of Rimmers!!. One of my favorite eps was at the end of a season, when they have a time machine, and their future selfs (I believe, its been a long time since I've seen it) decide to kill them, and everyone is killed, Arnie gets to be heroic, runs back through the ship and blasts the time machine. End result, good guys are alive, and don't remember that for once Arnie (not as Ace) did the right thing.

MANOFSTEEL25

Thursday, March 3, 2005 12:06 AM

Despite it's weaknesses, I liked Out of Time as well. Although I wondered if after Rob Grant left Naylor was focred to come up up with an alt. explantaion for the cliffhanger.it seemed fairly obvious that right before the big explosion they hit another reality bubble and in that one, Arnie got to be heroic. At least that was my theory.

I dunno, I do think that the fact series 6 was the most guilty of running gags, it shows the most influence from the U.S. pilot they tried to get off the grond the year before.

Season 2 of RD is available seperately. I dunno if you're in the US or UK- but www.deepdiscountdvd.com is the best price I've seen for them together or seperately short of ebay.

anyone else here feel that RD got to be a little bit too much like the "british Star Trek with jokes" by Series 6/7?

And why they recast Kochanski puzzled me. The original actress (C.P. Crogan) was much better.

JARED

Thursday, March 3, 2005 8:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by manofsteel25:
I remmeber discovering the show in the spring of 1991 - when our PBS station aired Season 1-3 amidst the greatest line up we ever had - Hitchhike'rs Guide, Fawlty Towers, RD, Black Adder

*sigh* why dont we get anything like this? sounds like friday was "best of british comedy" night. rd never aired in germany and black adder was one of the very few shows they aired in english with subtitles (finally someone getting a clue that dubbing it will completely kill it).

and today? we get the infinite version of big brother and the funniest recent shows i remember would probably be angel and firefly even though they weren't comedies in the first place. hmmm.. anybody need a tv? i think i dont need mine anymore.

MANOFSTEEL25

Thursday, March 3, 2005 4:47 PM

Indeed it was and that's what our station called it "The Best of british Comedy" although at times they'd only schedule two sitcoms and after 1992 or so they fell on hard times for a while only showing Are You Being Served?, Allo Allo, Keeping Up Appearances, The Rise and Fall of Reginald perrin (?) and a couple other that never really did much for me.

Although Comedy Central was giving Ab Fab, and the Young Ones a screening around that time albeit with the dreaded american commercials.

At least pretty much all of these are on DVD now which is nice.

I know after 1999 or so our local station (granted I don't live there anymore but still) finally brought back Red Dwarf and **at long last aired Series 4 and onwards.

JARED

Thursday, March 3, 2005 7:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by manofsteel25:
Indeed it was and that's what our station called it "The Best of british Comedy"

*lol* ok, so the price for creativity doesnt go to pbs. but i guess the price for excellent programming is fine, too.

Quote:
I know after 1999 or so our local station (granted I don't live there anymore but still) finally brought back Red Dwarf and **at long last aired Series 4 and onwards.

im still waiting for the show to air at all. well, not really. it would be dubbed and interruped by commercials at least twice. but the dvds officially coming out here would definitely be nicer than expensive uk imports.

guess that wont happen until the movie comes out and has some decent success.

LISTER

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 5:39 PM

A fan? No. I mean YES! I read the two books first and that hooked me. I watched the TV show out of curiosity adn to get more RD fix, but the gags work so much better in print form IMO. If you thought the bit with Rimmer taking his exam was funny on TV, it pales to Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers. Read it and you'll see. Once the TV show got past rehashing the books it got better, until the later years. When one member of the crew leaves the show should end. You can't replace Rimmer so why try?

Run to the Tower, and call out the Magus
If he has caused this, we'll tear out his pages
Throw him in shackles, AND REMOVE HIS HANDS!
- Red Horse Rainbow, CLUTCH