MOVIE: The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

[LIRailfan79]

a remake of the 1970's movie, 'The Taking of Pelham 123' is coming out June 12th.
see the trailer here:

http://www.catchthetrain.com


looks really cool, i can't wait to see it. i just saw the original movie a few weeks ago.

[gjk1716]

FYI, some of the extras in the remake are NYC Transit employees. While I was still working there, a flyer was circulated inviting employees to participate in the movie. We figured the parts would be as Transit workers, but one guy tried out was cast as a cop.

-G-

[ExCon90]

A friend of mine just sent me a clipping of a story by Randy Kennedy in the May 3 New York Times, page 3, jumps to 22, about the making of the movie. It is highly detailed and portrays the TA in a very favorable light -- a refreshing change from a lot of media coverage of transportation. I'd link it if I knew how.

[donredhead]

It time for the game of Hey Thats Not Prototype!. Just like Money Train and countless other Hollywood movie Its time for me to go to the Movie Theater with a clipboard and start checking off where they take artistic licence! Like in Money Train the tokens are taken out in NY in Brinx Trucks but....Washinton Metro does have a token-money train

[zablocki22]

Saw the movie Saturday night. In the 1974 version, they cut the first car and operated it further south away from the rest of the train. Here they cut the car and run the remainder of the train back north towards the station. Problem is they show the train crossing over to the other track while on the control board it shows the train backing up on the same track.

Later on after the money is received, Travolta wants all the signals clear from 68th street to Coney Island. (train is supposedly between 42nd and 34th???) Why north to 68th??? In any case I'm wondering what's the track connection for the Lexington Line that would enable it to connect to the Coney Island line???

When the single car later is on the move (with the hijackers off of it), the car is speeding out of the tunnel into the elevated section. It flies by the old Shea Stadium. I guess they were shooting that sequence on the Flushing line.

Then the hijackers are looking for the Roosevelt tunnel??? Shows an old subway car and an elevator shaft into the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Was that the tunnel for FDR back in the 1940's?? Wasn't it off of the Metro-North (New York Central) tracks in the Grand Central station or was there one for the subway also?

The movie was OK from an entertainment standpoint. If I got a dollar for every time Travolta said the 'F' word, I had have pretty full pockets right now.

I liked the original.

Vincent

[railfan365]

I haven't seen the movie yet. HOWEVER, based on trailers and publicity, I can cite a couple of technical bloopers also. For one, the cars on the Lexington Avenue line no longer include single units - thus, one car cannot be conveniently unhitched and hijacked by itself.
Also, an electronical side marker will not display Pelham 1-2-3, the internal lingo for a train that was scheduled to leave Pelham Bay Termianl at 1:23.

I might see it anyway, but I expect to not like it as much as I did the original.

[r160 F Train]

I can't wait to see that movie. I think it will really compare to the old movie, which I saw yesterday on channel 11 (CW11)

In the old movie, the 6 train was an r22
In the new movie, the 6 train is an r142A

Also, there will be a lot more action, shooting, and better special effects.

The plot is still the same, no changes, and I can't wait to see the movie!!

[donredhead]

YES THERE ARE CHANGES. In the 1974 movie it was a subway cop who played the hero and the ransom was ONLY 1,000,000 (subway fare was 35 cents)---A switch key was used to override the lines--In 1988 remake with Olmos (or was it 98?) The ransom was upped to 3,000,000 and the NYC Subway fare was 1.50 and in 2009 here with John Travolta who is probably old enough to have Pulled off a hostage situation in the 1974 (Welcome Back Kotter) 1988 (Series of B Movies and Scientology sect) and 2009( Has to weigh more then 200lbs) the ransom is only 5,000,000 which is a bargin compared to being robbed by the NYTC token clerks at 2.50 a ride and 10.00 for a all day pass.

[oknazevad]

The ransom in the new one is $10,000,000, not $5mil (which was the ransom in the '98 remake). But it's really just a ruse (used to pay the other gunmen). Ryder's real plan is to make a fortune short selling on Wall Street during the inevitable market panic.

Also, the side LED signs never actually say "Pelham 123", that was just for the TV ads. The "Roosevelt spur" was indeed a New York Central track, not a subway one, and there is no connection between the Lex and Coney Island (directly, any way). So there are more than a few places where they took liberties with technical reality. But over all, it kept quite a bit of the spirit of the' 74 original, while also feeling a lot like many other Tony Scott films. Over all, it was entertaining, and kinda cool.

[pennsy]

According to the critics of the movies, the new one is not as good as the original and they gave a "pass" to the new one. Old story, a remake is never as good as the original.

[alchemist]

And none of the movie versions are as good as the book they were (loosely) based on. Pfui!

[donredhead]

Pelham is station on the 1 and 2 and 3 lines?

[pennsy]

Nope, Pelham is a line that runs through the Bronx, mostly.

[Otto Vondrak]

Pelham is station on the 1 and 2 and 3 lines?

Nope, Pelham is a line that runs through the Bronx, mostly.

One of the terminals of the "6" is Pelham Bay Park. The other terminal is Brooklyn Bridge. A train departing Pelham Bay at 1:23pm becomes "Pelham 123." The return trip would be identified as "Brooklyn Bridge 2:41," for instance.

Here's a map of the "6 Line."

http://mta.info/nyct/service/sixline.htm

-otto-

[Otto Vondrak]

The "Roosevelt spur" was indeed a New York Central track

Almost fiction. Grand Central Terminal and the Waldorf Astoria are blocks from each other. One of the Grand Central yard tracks does run along a leading platform under the hotel, said to be used for VIP's with private cars, and rumored to be used by the wheelchair-bound FDR. Today part of the Metro-North system, historically New York Central, and never ever having any connection to the New York City Subway. Ever.

-otto-