Ed Bishop. So since he's left us, I'm really not interested, but if I hear the movie was decent, I'll get it when it becomes a DVD.

If they have to replace Straker, (sigh) what about David Morse?

Write Rat wrote on Apr 4^th, 2011 at 3:38am:


Agree, Straker WAS Ed Bishiop so anyone else they get to play the character will never be as good imho - I know I'm biased but for me no-one will ever come close.  The rest of the cast poses a problem too as Vladek was Jackson, who can replace him?  sometimes wish they'd just leave well alone, but like Star Trek if it's done sympathetically it might be ok and i'll wait for a DVD release too.

Most remakes have been gargantuan flops, so I have to wait and see.

Normandie wrote on Apr 4^th, 2011 at 12:04pm:


Rhys Ifans is a good actor, and yes he could do a passable Straker, he does scrub up quite well.  He was in an Australian comedy a while ago called Danny Deckchair and it was funny, he looked quite handsome in it.  I was surprised really because he usually looks so unkempt.  He has really deep eyes and I imagine if he did play the great man, his eyes would be as penetrating.  But really imho, no-one can ever do Straker as well as Ed did him; he was outstanding.  In Question of Priorities when he phones the hospital, he is almost crying, he is showing the audience that Straker is battling like mad to keep his emotions in check and it always makes me sad that scene and in Kill Straker where he really is smacking Foster around, that's why Mike Bilington looks so surprised.  Ed did that deliberately to get that reaction but didn't tell anyone he was going to do it until he did it.  Excellent craftsman and technician in the art of acting.  Don't get me wrong, anyone can play a role but they can never bring the character alive as Ed did.  He was unsurpassed, I know I'm biased but I really feel that Ed was the best in that role.  I know they replaced thim in Scarlet because of his age and the voice had deepend quite a lot since the early days when his voice was slightly higher and when I interviewed him.  That was so funny because I was terrified and he was so helpful, I wish he was still here I miss him so much, they broke the mould when they made him

Quote:

  I watched the movie Avatar, and I was surprised to find out Sam Worthington is Australian. I never would have known it if I hadn't had the special Avatar DVD where he was speaking in his own voice. I certainly would like an unknown to portray Straker. Daniel Craig is a distinguished actor, but he seemed to come out of nowhere, and he in my opinion made the 007 role his own. He portrayed Bond closer to Ian Fleming's idea of the role. Sean Connery too, brought Bond alive. Ed Bishop himself could sound totally different, being his fan I had a lot of material he was in. I have an audio tape of him portraying John Kennedy, the late president. When I bought it, I played it, and I was thinking oh great, Bishop isn't even in it, and it said he is. Not until I listened to it more carefully did I realize he was playing Kennedy! He did it so well, he could have probably fooled Jacqueline Kennedy in a phone conversation.    Bishop also has been Southern, in the movie Lords of Discipline. In several books on tape I own, he's done all kinds of accents and played all kinds of characters, including women, and in Breakheart Pass he sounds just like John Wayne. 
So a good actor certainly would be able to make Straker work.

Ed Bishop truly was one of a kind. You know that scene in Priorities, if people were impressed by that, try to see his performance as Edward Banner in Highlander: Diplomatic Immunity. There are some screencaps of the episode on Marc Martin's UFO website. http://ufoseries.com/films/high.html

Yeah, he might be able to pull it off. Most certainly a family resemblence there.

Write Rat wrote on Apr 6^th, 2011 at 12:38am:


See how deep his eyes are, not the ice blue frost of the SHADO Commander but still deep and I would imagine they would make you squirm if he turned themon you as Straker.  If anyone gets the chance to see Danny Deckchair, Ifans is in that as the star and he does scrub up quite well, looks quite handsome and charming in it.

Good to hear from you again Steve. We are still all holding our breath on the new movie, but I haven't seen much new stuff about it.

With CGI they should be able to do some awsome special effects, I guess we'll see.