2000 AD Online Forum

Watched 'Soldier' on C5 tonight (well I say watched, I actually caught snipetts of it while trying to get my son to go to bed), and althought it's more a Rogue Trooper thing Russel's screen persona could translate well to Dredd, mean badass mofo only speaking when totally necessary, and absoloutly takin no shit!!!

Never really considered him as a Dredd before (Perlman gets my vote every time) but I think he could do a good job.

Bo Selecta!!!

I think we could have fun with Russel and that Soldier movie while being pretty awful in some parts, was good in others.  Nearest thing to a Rogue movie we may ever see.  More importantly it must have been made for the same sort of budget as the dredd films or less.  It's not a big movie.  So they could afford him.

Hell, we could have fun with Russel.  He does cool mean deadpan humour very very well.  I.e. not like Stallone or Arnie where it's forced and we don't want an entirely lifeless Dredd.

I tend to keep forgeting about Russel, then get reminded every now and again.  And although he may be getting on a bit (52, that's okay) he still has a popular fan base amongst the SF/Action/Horror crowd having created the iconic Snake Pliscan (imagine someone as mean as Dredd, but with only one eye), was fantastic in the Thing and could shoot straight in Tombstone.

See, now thats what always annoyed me about the makers of the first film. They reckoned that Dredd couldn't be an anti-hero because no one likes anti-heroes. Yet Kurt Russell does the anti-hero thing to a tee, Snake Pliskin being his best example.
Thats why I think the Dredd in these films should be a bastard, plain and simple. The same way the supporting cast of Soldier carried Kurt Russell, the supporting cast of the Dredd films could be utilised in the same way, i.e Dredd doesn't say a lot, the rest of the cast do it for him.

Also, Kurt has a degree of acting talent which is lacking in an actor like, say, Stallone.

Couldn't agree with you more. I found his performance in Breakdown, to be something of a revelation.Yet it's easy to forget, that he cut his serious acting teeth on gritty drama like Silkwood. Any one seen Dark Blue yet It's set around the time of the L.A. riots, and according to critics, is one of Russell's best performances.

he would add weight to the project. i would not see him as dredd, but in there somewhere.

ron perlman has the look though.but the way things are going . we could not afford him anymore.

Yeah, what about actors for other parts in the movie?

Here's me vote for Anderson:

I could go with that... Who is she?

I once heard a rumour that Maria Sorvino (sp??) was gonna be Anderson, I doubt if Shoreline could afford her.

She is Emily Proctor, from CSI Miami.

or someone from the west wing

Hey, the opening montage to Soldier is tops. The bit where Junior Kurt has to raise a dog and the kill it to prove his badassness, oh when hes fighting in various wars for about 10seconds each including fighting on the moon... ace!

she would make a great anderson !

look, lets get real,, its going to be jean reno, its going to be an above average budget tv movie... the important thing is that its economically viable...that way you get a steady increase in merchandise sales... more follow up films etc.!

build up the following then mr hollywood says 'hey, lets make a big budget version guys'...

small steps

Snake Pliscan ? I thought he was dead.


For once an actor who could carry off playing Dredd, Yip its kurt for me.

Samual L Jackson for Judge Giant

Roy Barraclough for Judge 'Hoover' Edgar



What about the council of five?

Huffy B-)

when are you guy sgonna learn? it's clint esatwood all the way for dredd, a la' deadman/necropolis.
giant - ving rhames (marcellus wallace)
anderson - nicole kidman (please!!)
you know it makes sense.,....

Yeah right...

I'm quite keen on the idea of Kurt Russell playing Dredd, if there wasn't anyone better available.

He makes Tombstone a fantastic film, almost single-handedly, and he was fun to watch when he escaped from various cities.

- The Trout's your huckleberry

If it is Reno (which I don't think is gonna happen) I take it there gonna dub out his accent.

Until an official statement is made I refuse to take in any rumour about who's doin what.

And even then I'll not believe it until I see it.

Anyway, arn't these films supposed to be in production now, what's happening there then?

Anybody fancy emailing Shoreline? They replied last time I mailed 'em. It's definitely somebody else's turn this time, though...

I think we need a growed up for that

Tommy

just emailed shoreline,hopefully some office junier will spill the beans...i think you can forgot kurt,clint...these people are really low budget film production types...not bad films...just low budget.... my money is on reno

Elisabeth Rohn is my vote for Anderson. She played the cop in the first two seasons of Angel, is a credible actor, and has the most unique eyes I've ever seen.

...Carnivore - you icon just scared the hell out of me!!

Yeah, Rohn would make a great Arthur Ranson's Anderson, while the Proctor Anderson is more Brian Bolland.

Now *that* is a good icon.

That is a DROKKING good icon!

the eyes are good, i suppose a psi is a mutant...mm... new thread there...

I always thought it was Val Kilmer's rather foppish turn as Doc Holliday that "made" TOMBSTONE.

It was certainly him that did the magnificent "I'm your Huckleberry" line (whatever that means).

But Kurt Russell would be great - just how FEW lines did he have in Soldier? About ten and half of them were "Sir, yes, Sir".

And Kurt has played Elvis, hasn't he?

But it's all pie in the sky - expect a cast of unknowns of the quality of "Starship Troopers" - plucked from the ranks of daytime TV Hospital sopa operas (but the Dredd movie will have the actors that play the senior Doctors rather than the Junior Doctors).

Thanks for the kind words on the icon, folks. I'll get around to making a much better version one of these days.


I too saw some of Soldier the other day, and (as usually happens when I'm watching low-budget action sci-fi), thought of the Dredd movies.

I think Dredd needs more physical presence. In other words, he should be taller and have some muscle. Kurt Russel tends to be play every character as really laid back. Even in the best Judge uniform, I don't think he could scare the crap out of me which, in my opinion, is what Dredd should do.

One thing that bugged me about the first film (don't worry I'll be brief), was the helmets. They made them fuctional, opening up peripheral vision. To me, it made the Judges appear friendly. I didn't get the sense of centurion/stormtrooper/inquisitor that I think is an important part of the Judges' look. Who's to say that the nose guard part of the helmet in the center of the visor isn't there to project holographic images of the environment directly into the wearer's eyes?

Imperial Stormtroopers must have terrible peripheral vision but it doesn't matter 'cos they look ultra cool and scary.

I think I've wandered into discussing the uniform!

Judges, in general, should be everything from athletic build to husky slabs of man-meat. The film-makers should probably recruit gay porn models as extras! While Dredd owes a lot to Clint Eastwood, he has always been much more physical and imposing than any of Clint's characters. I understand why Ron Pearlman may be viewed as ideal by some as we can believe he can kick down doors and mess people up.

Having said that, I have no idea who should play Dredd. In my mind I imagine someone between Clint Eastwood and the (ex?)wrestler who goes by various names: Psycho Sid/Sid Vicious/Sid Justice.
http://members.tripod.com/S_A_J/pictures/sidvicious13.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/slobhull/sidearlywcw.jpg
http://www.webontario.com/fighting/sidvicious/sid07.jpg

Given that Dredd may not actually remove his helmet, there would be no reason not to simply hire the person with the best body, voice and acting ability for the role. The visible part of the face could be done with make-up.

yeah, but he shouldn't be too muscular. The uniform is so bulky that if Dredd's too musclebound he just looks like a stupid meatball. the best renditions of him bear this in mind - if you look at McMahon's drawings, for instance, Dredd is actually quite skinny - which ties in with the Eastwood look.

The other thing is that the uniform has become so stylised over the years that what looks good in the comic wouldn't necessarily translate all that well to 3-D. I'm not saying the uniform should be completely reinvented, but maybe it would work better in a live action setting if it were taken back closer to Esquerra's original design?

I absolutely agree with you on both points.

My contention is that Clint, for all his great characters was always a stringy, weedy-looking guy. While I think the Judges in general should be shown as physically formidable, Dredd himself need not, and should not, be musclebound to the extent of steroid-pimped wrestlers (since that's the best frame of reference I can think of). I cited Sid as he has a pretty scary look, but I would no more want to see him in the role than Dolph Ludgren! :) A physical halfway point between Clint and Sid would do it for me.

The uniform definately needs redesigning. If the comic look was put in a real world setting it'd clearly be ludicrous. While the armies of history -- especially the upper ranks -- have worn much needless decor such ceremonial trim was shed in battle. So it should be for the Judges.

I'd suggest going back to the very first Dredd stories where the pads were more discreet, and extrapolating a real-world uniform from there; one could probably find a good mid-point between the comic book and contemporary uniforms of SWAT/ Riot Police. The helmet, however, should be scary badass! :)

I can explain exactly why the uniform need not be ridiculous translated exactly, but then that's imaginations for you.

'Dredd's all silly, Rogue makes no sense' the gormless mothers weep.

Heh. So could I...

Judges transplanted into The Fifth Element would've looked great. That movie had a terrific designer, director, and overall tone. But if a Dredd film gets made it's a low-budget American production with someone like Jean Reno. In which case I'd prefer it if they played down the eccentricities of the uniform, leaning in the direction of Mad Max/Minority Report, rather than run the risk of the Judges looking like tits... again.

I liked the uniform in the movie. Thought the Eagle pad looked really good.

Totally unfunctional of course, too bulky, but it's only a movie and looks count for more than realism.

I'd be interested to see the new movies take on the uniform. The teaser blurbs about the films have a sort of mix of movie & comic uniform.

As I said earlier, these movies should be in pre production by now so (if they'er gettin made at all) designs should soon be available.

We'll see.

I'll email Shoreline and enquire about the progress of the films. Stay tuned!!!

Couldn't agree more about the Fifth Element Carnivore.  It may have differed from Mega City in a lot of ways but it really captured the manic craziness of a future city.

Mega City 1 should be the city equivelant of a laughing manic madman.

Tips, I did say he made the film "almost" single-handedly and I did have Val Kilmer's consumptive Holliday in mind.

That exchange: "Hey, I got lots of friends."---  "I don't."

... is one of my favourite film moments. Subtle and absorbing. Really hits you suddenly.

Now I really want to see Tombstone again. Must get to (hissssss.. boooooo..... nnnngggh... nooooo...) Ikea for a cupboard so I'm allowed to dig out all my old videos.


Mind you, Kilmer for Dredd? Nah.

- Trout

Don't even say it Trout!  While Kilmer is unuausally brilliant in Tombstone, he's usually the sign of a shocking movie.  In Batman he had that horrible lipstick covered girly pout.  Ack!

I like Val Kilmer a lot as an actor, he certainly is a presence in every film hes in (except Batman Forever).  I mean hes in Top Gun, acts Cruise of the film, has the better role.  Cruise becomes a MegaStar.  Tombstone is another, between him, Russel and Shepperd (sp) the film cackles when they are all in shot.

Sam Shepperd is another actor I like, the Right Stuff(IIRC).  Can he play a long walk judge a la Wade Garret from Road House!!!
 :)
Yer Slips

And that version of the Saint he was in was really, really bad, bad on a Batman and Robin level. And that's very bad indeed.

Did I mention it was a bad film?

Sam Sheppers Feck Sam Elliot.  Not the right stuff guy.  Damn and Blast!!!

Yer Slips

'im your huckelberry' - refers to tom sawyer - best mates n all that.

BTW - tyhink im right in saying the dredd uniforms were made 'real' by armani?......

Having perused the thread I give you the answer you've been waiting for...
...Guy Pierce.
He can act,got a square jaw,well built-not weightliftery.
Or,er,what's his name,Michael Winterbottom(?) out of The Crow,gravelly voiced dude.
A GOOD actor would get my vote,unknown or not.

As for the look-biker leathers should be the start,non?Ways and means around tight fitting sweatiness as i should know,i can tell ye...*ahem*

M.

Micheal Wincott is his name. But I agree, he's a good choice alright.