American graffiti 3 the prequel

bump!!

 

Let me just say, IT COULD WORK and not be a rip-off piece of shit. I'm not saying do it, don't do it. We don't need another POS to waste our money and time. All I am saying is that it COULD be done well.



Oh, yeah! Well, that crate you got looks like a field car
-- drives all over droppin' HORSE shit everywhere!

I almost break out in hives when I hear the words sequel or prequel, because they generally seem, FIRST, to be about making more dough by sucking off the success of a QUALITY movie. Think "Ghost Busters II," "Dirty Dancing -- Havana Nights," "Predator II,") and you know what I mean. Explains why Jim Carey, Sean Penn and Benico Del Torro all backed away from trying to do a 3 Stooges movie. Later efforts RARELY are as good (or better) than the original. "Alien II" is the only exception I can think of right now.

Taking Alien II as an example, main reasons it worked: Different but (1) very imaginative director, (2) most production values ("production design") were carried over and, (3) GREAT story and script that engage and entertain most any audience. Obviously, you're not going to go from the feel, tone and color of "American Graffiti" and do a sequel or prequel that is in Film Noir style, right? And (#4), the MUSIC would have to be accurate for the year in which key action takes place (I'm suggesting 1956).

That said, sure, Lucas would have to bless (even produce) the project, but my first choice for director would be Ron Howard, for a ton of reasons (mostly that he'd do #2 and #3 above!). Second choice would be Rob Reiner ("Stand by Me"). And since John Hughes ("Ferris Buehler's Day Off") is dead, my third pick would be Chris Columbus.

IMO, there is a key #5 requirement, too. Howard and Reiner have effectively used the flashback in their successful films. Since the people who played young people in "AG" are all still alive, the flashback could be an INTEGRAL element of the production (think as in "Forrest Gump"). Wolfman Jack is gone, I think, but all the original cast could work well in video or audio flashbacks. Folks still alive can be insurance salesmen, school teachers, etc., THINKING BACK about old times they miss ...

... after all, isn't that the reason we would even contemplate a follow-up on "American Graffiti"?



The original shock jock, Wolfman Jack!
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><!-- S BO --><!-- S IIMA -->
Now, the weather. Oh, it's gonna be about
a thousand degrees out around Fresno ...

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

jimi'shemi291..I like your idea of using the original cast...I had a thought...the movie could start out with a reunion of sorts with some of the original cast (the guys) gathered around a head stone that reads "John Milner" and they start telling stories about where he got his start....or another opening (I think its been mentioned here) is have a character like Toad sitting in his living room and have his grandchild ask him about that mangled old car under the tarp in the shed....

 

I think it would be a great idea. That movie was huge for me as a kid. I wonder how many other rodders got the bug from the movie. Thats what we need to do is get the young ones involved in the spirit and TRADITION of our hobby! Kids these days have the fast and the furious to go off of. Lame.

Personally i'm all for it. It could be huge and very infuencial. All of us old school guys would surely be biased to the original but c'mon, it could be a ton of fun!

Just My Opinion-

Total Perf-

 

I'm not a big fan of flashback style stuff but suppose it could work if done correctly. While everyone from the origianal movie except the Wolfman are still alive it would be tough to flashback Terry (MIA or KIA in More AG ?) and John unless as ghosts or phantoms.

And 1956 would be okay I guess. But that would make the kids 12 years old, except John who as stated here earlier was 22 in '62 - he'd have been 16 in '56.

I dunno, I just think it'd be better if not quite so far back - say '59 or '60? the kids would be into high school, drivers training, more into the dating game and PUBERTY! John would still be the "old guy", learning to race and twist wrenches. The Pharrohs might just be a bunch of punk juvies, in their early pre-gang troublemaking days.

12 year old kids might make it a bit too 'teeny bopperish', vice car & dating themed. But just IMO...

 

RacerOn, I just stabbed at '56 and hadn't really done the age math. You're right. "Doin' fine in '59" would make more sense, AND you'd have ALL the first four years of the true Rock&Roll music movement for the sound track. Thanks for posting.

 

My interest was piqued by Milner's dad being a mechanic/junkyard guy in '59. But I can't figure WHO to play the part.

I tried hard to picture Edd "Kookie" Byrnes. But he's now 77, so maybe he could be John's grand dad, and somebody else could play his dad (Christian Bale?). Could be VERY plausible AND believable: The WHOLE Milner family was gearheads!!!

(Imagine what early machine they would have tucked back in their garages & out buildings??? Stripped & hopped-up T-bucket? Hornet Twin-H? Rad Zep V-12 coupe? Or, the original "Hotrod Lincoln" V-12 A with LaSalle gearbox? Killer flatty Merc? All of 'em covered in dust and the old-timers reminiscing -- inspiring the young John.) Lotsa potential, eh?

 

I think you nailed it...a pretty concise analysis. I think a story line set in the pre-1962 school years possibly bookended by a contemporary story..much like the treasure seeking Bill Paxton in "Titanic" or the return to Normandy by the older Matt Damon in "Private Ryan" has potential.
And would there be any money in it ? Well..there's a horde of retiring baby boomers from the 50's -60's out there that lived it...they might be a viable demographic. But does modern day Hollywood have the imagination ? I think not..

 

I seem to remember a prequel to "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" that had two actors that bore reasonable resemblance to Newman & Redford..they pulled the same trick w/ "Dumb & Dumber" stars Jim Carey & Jeff Daniels in a prequel to that movie..a large enough net cast over the nation's acting community would probably find some decent young acting wannabees to play Milner, Toad, etc.

 

Maybe since George Lucas has made billions since he made the original American Graffiti, he would do a movie like this just out of love for the first movie that made him a star! He could hire a bunch of unknows, just like the original, and make a new generation of stars like the 1st one did for many of the then unknown cast!

 

Agreed.

 

Thanks, guys. As I said before, I feel it would not be worth doing if it was just a rip-off (like Dino DiLaurentiis' 1976 "King Kong"! Ugh!!!).

But done well and as a respectful, imaginitive tribute to the original, it could make up for the shortcomings (IMO) of "More American Graffiti." The devil would lie in excellent and approproriate production values.

I agree on the "young unknowns" casting approach, but I think including most of the originla cast in a flashback scenario would make tie the film closer to the original.

Hell, I can see the yonger Toad now! Bottle caps and playing cards in his bicycle spokes! LOL

 

I hereby move to form a real petition post...Sport Fury your the genius that started this, you decide but let us know if your going to and when cause I want to be at the top. And remember to put in the description if folks want to post idea's to come to this thread, that way the petition post is only to sign your name and where your from and the reply count will be the petition count.

 

second that.

 

for the night crew

 

Dude I got it! How about a scene in the pre-quel where Milner and his Deuce make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs? That would be sweet.

 

With a big hairy dude in the rumble seat. Oops the hairy dude rides with Han Falfa.

 

Instead of killing Milner at the end of More AG they should have showed him throwing a tarp over the coupe in behind the shop and then cut away to him driving off the lot in a brand new Hemi Road Runner, bright yellow of course. Now how many times did that happen for real?
That may have set things up for a rediscovery of the coupe for a sequel.
Why would a prequel have to have anything to do with Milner? AG was a coming of age film of sorts that centered on life changes of these young people. A prequel could focus on a group of returning G.I.s and their adjustment to civilian post war life. Tie ins to AG could be made to Holestein, Joe the Pharoh. maybe Milner's dad was one of the fallen, and the guys let him hang around the shop and take him to the dry lakes. You could also show them getting hasseled by a rookie Holstein and them basically ignoring him or shuttin' him down. "Holstein get lost! You don't scare me. I was knee deep in Nazis when you were still wearin' short pants!"
Man you could have some real hot iron in this, AV8s, some early styled customs. A lakes modified. Some dry lakes action. This would work too. Worlds Fastest Inian is a prime example, people were awestruck with the salt flats racing. My mother inlaw who has no interest in motorsports was absolutely amazed by those parts and later confessed to rewatching just the race footage of that film as she found it so amazing.

 

LOL! Han Falfa! Good Times brother!

 

Just watch Deuce of Spades a couple more times (once is not enough). Sure has more plot than AG which I in fact I loved. DOS is a love story (OK yuck for guys) hidden in a period hot rod film. Women love this film while we appreciate the cars, setting and nostalgia. Way to go Ms. Granger.

 

No, bad idea.........

 

I couldn't agree more. Deuce of Spades is far superior to AG and will become the new hot rod "cult" movie. We don't need a prequel or sequel of American Graffiti. It would be a waste of time and money.

 

Yes... And then we could have American Grafitti 3... Milner sits around griping about his lumbago, we find out Steve has been physically abusing Laurie and all three of their kids are crack addicts, Carol is a burned out porn star and Toad is a billionaire hermit in Silicon Valley. Finally, we find that Joe the Pharaoh is a born again Christian, left all that behind years ago and now spends his time posting on the HAMB.

American Grafitti 3? Nah... Let's just leave a good thing alone.

 

American Grafitti 3? Nah... Let's just leave a good thing alone.


well said, i agree

 

With all the crazy vampire movies like Twilight maybe Milner could come back as the "Undead Racer" who rose again from the crash.

 

bump!!

 

bump!!

 

That would be a good "reality" American Graffitti 3 movie..

Maybe "Joe the Pharaoh" can post his thoughts on this thread

 

Any car movie these days need gunfire, explosions, and cgi stunts.

And we don't want to encourage graffiti writers now, do we?

 

Has this thread officially died??