Daily Dirt: Three movies from the 1980s that need to be remade

The name is Plisskin. Snake Plisskin. Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,253 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The decade of the 1980s saw some incredible movies hit the theaters. Here are my medal-worthy choices to see a remakes of three specific films from that marvelous decade:

• Gold medal: “Escape From New York” (1981). One account of this cult classic film labeled it a “dystopian masterpiece.” What originally drew me to this movie was the name of the lead character portrayed by Kurt Russell: Snake Plisskin. Complete with an eyepatch, Plisskin is an ex-solider turned convicted criminal who is given an opportunity to regain his freedom for agreeing to a mission inside a 1997 Manhattan (remember, the movie was made in 1981) that has been turned into a walled prison in an effort to combat rampant crime. At the very least, “Escape” is an incredibly thought-provoking piece on many of the failings of our modern-day culture. Other key stars: Lee Van Cleef, Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Pleasance, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes.
• Silver medal: “Die Hard” (1988). This Bruce Willis action film completely revolutionized the genre with its “perfect balance of humor and high-stakes thrills,” according to one review. More than one account of this film emphasized Willis’ character, John McClane, played a major role in redefining the action hero as a “vulnerable, relatable everyman who relies on his wits to outsmart his foes.” The iconic one-liners and breathtaking film sequences make this movie easy to reqtch time and time again. Other key stars: Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason.
• Bronze medal: “The Lost Boys” (1987). “(This movie) effortlessly weaves together elements of action, comedy and supernatural horror — three timeless elements that are sure to delight modern audiences should a remake of the classic movie happen,” writes Kayla Turner on screenrant.com. I could not agree more. A couple of teen-age brothers uncovered some mysterious happenings in their California hometown that led to a highly entertaining film, accented by a wowza soundtrack featuring the likes of Lou Gramm, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison, Steven Tyler and others. Key stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz.

2. Did you know (Part 329) …

• The person hired to be the technical advisor for the movie “The Last Boy Scout” was former NFL player Al Cowlings, the man who three years later in 1994 would lead the California Highway Patrol on a low-speed chase while driving murder suspect O.J. Simpson.
• The day after tomorrow’s official name is “overmorrow.”
• The “purlicue” is the space between the thumb and forefingers.
• “Chanking” is the proper name for spat-out food.
• Something resembling a butt is called a “natiform.”

3. Since today’s Daily Dirt kind of has a movie theme going, let me close with this: Before Clark Gable was cast as Rhett Butler in “Gone With The Wind,” the role was offered to Gary Cooper. He turned the role down, feeling the film would be a major disaster. 

Bad choice, Coop.

Instead, “Gone With The Wind,” adjusted for inflation, became the highest-grossing film ever at $4.34 billion. No. 2 is “Avatar” at $3.96 billion, No. 3 is “Titanic” at $3.68 billion and No. 4 is “Star Wars” at $3.57 billion.

Steve Thought O’ The Day
One more medical term for today, and this has always fascinated me. Is your second toe longer than than your big toe, or have you seen another person’s foot that looks like this? In instances like this, the second toe is a called a “Morton toe.” Who knew?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Did you know Snake Plissken pulled off one of the great sports scenes in movie history? To survive being put on the basketball court of death, he had to make five baskets on opposing sides of the court on a 10-second shot clock. Of course he does it, with the last basket being a full-court throw. Of course a remake is necessary.