The Knight Rider Movie as a 1980’s genre piece

[Matthew]

Hi gang,

I’m back again. As you’ll know from my previous thread, the A-Team movie has got me wondering what it’d be like to see the Trans Am on the big screen with all of the modifications that went into creating KITT. I believe that the tepid response has been down to a sense of fatigue over the “car” issue. Since I’ve suffered those same feelings in the past, I can only blame myself for raising the issue again so soon.

In the interests of fairness, you should know that the Trans Am is what originally prompted this new line of thinking on my part. You’ll be pleased to know that it isn’t however, the reason for creating this thread.

For those of you familiar with British television, you’ll likely know about the shows Life on Mars, and Ashes to Ashes. For those of you who aren’t, they were set in the 1970’s and 1980’s respectively, and were a bit a big hit with audiences for their no-nonsense depictions of the time. Forget the politically correct BS that so many modern shows shove down our throats these days, as these programs embraced the concepts of brutality and sexism that were so prevalent at the time.

Whilst those character traits (the brutality in particular) aren’t necessarily positive, they added to the escapism that’s seldom provided by the reality TV shows and procedural dramas that tend to dominate the TV schedules nowadays.

As a character of his time, Michael Knight had a habit of facing off against some of the worst criminals in the world with nothing but clenched fists and kung fu kicks. As we saw with NBC’s series, Mike Traceur almost always carried a handgun, despite being proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Yet, if he’d gone into situations like David Hasselhoff’s character did, Justin Bruening would likely have been out of a job by the second episode.

Short of borrowing Christian Bale’s high-tech armour, it’s hard to imagine a modern day Michael Knight without a weapon in his hand, and this would, I’m sure lead to a vastly different characterisation to that of the original series. Of course, that might be a good thing. I’m certainly all for a serious movie with dark humour as opposed to the abominations that were Starsky and Hutch and the Dukes of Hazzard, but maybe, just maybe, a film set in the 1980’s could work for the Knight Rider.

Matt

[Josch Schulz]

I realy ask myself again why this comes up...did we diskuss this in the other thread somehow

[Matthew]

I know English isn't your first language Josch, but to suggest that this was discussed in the other thread is just plain silly. I would ask you to read the entire post, rather than stopping at the second paragraph, but it would seem that you're only interested in criticising my attempts to generate some in-depth discussion. Perhaps a thread discussing whether the movie should be a remake of Knight Rider 2010 would be more to your liking?

Matt

[Josch Schulz]

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I would ask you to read the entire post, rather than stopping at the second paragraph, but it would seem that you're only interested in criticising my attempts to generate some in-depth movie orientated discussion. Perhaps a thread discussing whether the movie should be a remake of Knight Rider 2010 would be more to your liking?

Do not be so down man, i was just making fun, thats why I give you these 2 smiles I am interested in the movie, no prob. I am sorry but there you can see where something goes when you not sit in front of each other and talk eye to eye. It was just a little teasing Talking english is bedder with me belive me

I would love to see the 80s style...what I was gonna think about this was that we might can have a flashback to the 80s how it comes to the complete Story later in the Future today. So we have the old charakters, Michael and KITT, mayby some others and then there is a cut or something and we see the new ones. How about that Idea

Sorry that you misunderstand me man, I do not want to step on your feed, Sorry okay

[Matthew]

Oh boy, I think I’ve got a bad case of the internet phenomenon known as foot in mouth disease. I too am sorry for the misunderstanding Josch.

Deep down, I’ve always been partial to a film set in the 80’s that could fully embrace the characters of the original series. The Starsky and Hutch film that was set in the 70’s did make me question whether a serious film could be made that wasn’t in the modern day style that Chris Nolen has so successfully used for the Batman franchise though.

Unfortunately, the real problem with placing the film in the original Knight Rider universe at this point is the recent NBC series, since the mess that was made by the producers of that series would likely have forced Glen A. Larson to follow his current approach of rebooting the franchise anyway.

Still, the fact that there are so many ways to make this movie is what makes it interesting. I just hope that we don’t end up waiting another ten years for it to finally arrive.

Matt

[Josch Schulz]

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Oh boy, I think I’ve got a bad case of the internet phenomenon known as foot in mouth disease. I too am sorry for the misunderstanding Josch

Yes, that how it is when you life in the www However the world is nice again and we love us Well that is how it is and what is makin me missing the 80s...we did'nt have no Internet *sing*

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Unfortunately, the real problem with placing the film in the original Knight Rider universe at this point is the recent NBC series, since the mess that was made by the producers of that series would likely have forced Glen A. Larson to follow his current approach of rebooting the franchise anyway.

Yeah

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Still, the fact that there are so many ways to make this movie is what makes it interesting. I just hope that we don’t end up waiting another ten years for it to finally arrive.

lol and lets hope we do not get more of cheesy crap factor hot wheels action stuff

[WIBoomer1]

Matt,

Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes was more about a modern man getting thrust back into a time period which he was a stranger to. If I want to see an 80's version of KR, then by gosh, I'll watch the DVDs. Why remake what was already made...we all know a ton of it comes off very cheesy, time is slowly rusting away at the show.

I think the concept of a man having everything taken from him, channeling that into fighting something more than even he knew existed outside his comfortable bubble, and watching that person grow into the man we want to fight for us...well, that is someone we want to root for. The character of Michael Knight and the journey that he takes, first as Michael Long, and we seeing the things he lost, and what happens to him, his fantastic transformation into the Hero we wish we could be, what we strive to be, and in the end to prevail over the force(s) that began his journey, that's what the movie means to me. Yes, I want action, I want a cool kick ass car that talks (and probably one ups him with every line he utters), but for the general public to embrace KR as we have, the motion picture needs to have a more character driven plot in order to make money and hopefully have a sequel. One KR film would be a shame.

Boomer

[Iron KITT]

Interesting points folkes, my biggest fear is seeing KR become like the awful and dreadful Starsky & Hutch affair, man that was so bad, they totally missed the point with that.

Im sure Glen Larson has a pretty good idea on how to re-invent it or re-boot it whatever the case may be with regards to his plan.

Im sure he has watched the other remakes to see what people think, giving an idea as to what works or clearly in Starsky & Hutch terms what didnt which was the entire film.

As for an 80's genre piece, dude that would be so cool, everything about the 80's was just brilliant, but I think a more dramatic approach is called for, as a few of you have pointed out, a Chris Nolan approach, seeing how he did Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, that would be a really interesting way of re-inventing Michael Knight.

[james olden]

To be honest,i disagree about Knight Rider:The Motion Picture being set in the 80s.I think that the movie should be updated to modern day.It should be how they updated the miami vice movie,Batman begins,and The Dark Knight.