What do YOU want to see in a pirate movie?

[Captain Leigh]

I've just begun preproduction on a feature film about pirates. Since you guys are the core audience, I was just curious as to what you would like to see. I have plenty of ideas myself, as I am a huge pirate movie fan, but wanted to give you guys a chance to chime in before I start shooting.

Thanks,

Leigh Scottjava script:emoticon(' ')

[blackjohn]

I want to see the epitome of authenticity!!!

[Charity]

Real pirate action such as in Cutthroat Island..and authenticity :)

With real pirate action i mean i don't mind it being a litttle rough, as much as i like Captain Sparrow and the bunch (as POTC addict..obviously i do ) it's a little unrealistic..they weren't nice blokes

[Patrick Hand]

I can't remember the name of it, but there was a movie with Pyrates in modern times..... they catch some drug runners , and at the end have a fight with the Coast Guard.....

Anyway.... The thing that I liked most about the movie, is how nice and scummy the Pyrates were. None of this "Fancy Prittyboy" pyrate stuff.... but some good honnest (?) grunggy filth..... They looked like Pyrates.....

AND... they acted like Pyrates

What about something on the "Love Triangle" between Rackham, Anne Bonney and Mary Read ? It's not my first choice, but you gotta have a story that people will like..... The story can be a bit Hollywood, but if everything else is Historical correct.... Hey... violence....sex... more violence... and a great ending.

[JoshuaRed]

Real pirate action such as in Cutthroat Island

Cutthroat Island was ANYTHING but real pirate action...I challenge anyone to find an actual act of piracy committed in that or nearly any Hollywood movie. The closest thing is ironically in one of the oldest movies - The Black Pirate with Doug Fairbanks from 1926 (I think). The first ten minutes of the film shows a dirty, ragged band of thieves methodically board, loot and burn a Spanish vessel, including "interrogating' the prisoners, and even loading the plunder back onto their vessel.

So by god if you're gonna do a pirate movie, make it be about actual PIRACY and not about a bunch of silk-shirted adventures chasing buried treasure...or worse...each other - don't make it about "pirates who are sent out to catch other pirates"...that is such a lame way to justify their actions.

The best advice I can give is to watch films like Resevoir Dogs, The Ungforgiven, Romeo Is Bleeding, Heat, Goodfellas, etc, and translate that to the 18th century. Better yet, watch 1 episode of Deadwood and you'll immediately see how a great pirate movie could and should be done!

[bailang]

I'll give an ARRRMEN ter dat

[Black Hearted Pearl]

I'd like to see a movie about Grace O'Malley that hasn't been politcally corrected to the Elizabethan myth telling.

[Bloody_Mary_Bonney]

I'd like to see a movie about Grace O'Malley that hasn't been politcally corrected to the Elizabethan myth telling.

I'm with you on that one

[Captain Jim]

Unless you already have a script/storyline, tell Blackbeard's story. Tell it correctly. He was a cad, womanizer, wealthy landowner, political force and ruthless sea dog, charming and most likely psychotic, possibly schitzophrenic to boot.

Dress your pyrates correctly, not silk shirts and bucket boots.

Arm them correctly and if they fight, have them fight dirty, with both hands, with feet, elbows and whatever else is close at hand, not like Hollywood gentlemen (some of the fight scenes in Master and Commander are good models).

Have a few of the cannons and pistols misfire, have them use pistols to parry blades and crack skulls and have a sword or two break during boarding actions.

Have you dialect coach, or director, have them speak according to their station and time period, remembering that most pyrates were Britons, even those living in America.

Without knowing more about the storyline, I really can't offer more advice than that, except that we would all like to see a movie about pyracy, as opposed to an adventure movie with pyrates.

[Pirate Petee]

Me, . No, but seriously, did hear some say boots again.

[John_Young]

Hmm...

*No undead

*No makeup on the men folk

*No females as pyrates, instead show how they were really treated. Also, must be slutty and not so pretty.

*No cutesy nods to PotC or anything of the ilk.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

*No females as pyrates, instead show how they were really treated. Also, must be slutty and not so pretty.

Oh yes, let's make it a male fantasy idea of a pirate film: drunk, rude and crude men.

God forbid an actual historically film about a true pirate queen should be made where the women are in control, charming and not slutty.

Way to go, John Young for trying to keep it from being a fantasy film.

[Pirate Petee]

*No females as pyrates, instead show how they were really treated.  Also, must be slutty and not so pretty.

Oh, come on maybe just a little pretty. I would like to see a really authentic pirate movie.

[Caraccioli]

*No undead

No undead!? It just sounds duller and duller the more suggestions this poor guy gets.

In all seriousness, the public perception of pirates is quite different from the reality. The Quixotic among us may hope that a realistic pirate movie is the ticket, but the audience for such a film is most likely going to be far smaller as a result.

As it is, POTC was one of the first commercially viable genuine* pirate movies in 30 or 40 years. For those of you calling for realism, compare the gross on the very well made and publically heralded as "more realistic" Master and Commander to the gross on POTC. Realistic pirate movies seem to be better suited to smaller budget TV fair than the big screen.

* Not genuine in the historic sense, genuine from the perspective of not being Peter Pan or similar child-oriented fare.

[Pirate Petee]

As much as I do love zombies, I really would like to see a more realistic movie. I mean there are still quit a lot of great stories about pirates. It is a movie and it is still supposed to be entertaining, you don’t have to go 100% true to life. Look at a Treasure Island, far from reality, but not fantasy. There were no ghosts or sea monsters. But that could have happened.

[Sir Eric]

A good story, with a well defined plot and character construction that makes sense. Characters who are motivated by human need as opposed to filling two hours with flippant derring-do. In other words, a film about PEOPLE who happen to be pirates.

Good cinematography, particularly in fight scenes. I assume any movie about pirates will have a fight scene or two. When I see fights on the screen, I want to be able to see the technique, and the recent "MTV" style of tight shots and quick cuts every two seconds make it difficult to follow the fight (or show lack of good choreography.)

Oh yeah... good fight choreography. Actors who fight in a style that is in line with their character... not EVERYONE has to be an expert swordsperson.

Good acting. Actors who take the role seriously, and don't mail it in because "were just pirates, so we can follow the stereotype."

Hire yourself a GOOD art director, I've seen a lot of movies lately where the art direction is just sad or sloppy.

Stuntmen. Enough with the CGI already.

Oh, and the last thing a GREAT pirate movie needs is me. Have you cast it yet?

[Captain Leigh]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions so far. It's nice to see you're all on the same page :)lol!

Just so you guys know, I do want to find a happy middle ground between a complete fantasy with dandy boys running around and a realistic portrayal of pyrates. It's going to have some fantasy elements (with the success of POTC the investors would make me walk the plank if I didn't), but the pyrates themselves will be real mean and nasty, which all of you agree is a good thing.

And a quick FYI to the guys and girls that mentioned it, I HATE the MTV style of fighting too. This is my third lower-budget action movie, and I'm all about using good stunt guys and letting the camera hang back and catch the action.

Not sure how I feel about the "slutty" pirate girls. I'm leaning more towards making them a little more Anne Bonnay than a bunch of pirate wenches. But, maybe it will be a little bit of both.

We're shooting in early March in Southern California. We haven't cast everyone yet, so keep those PMs coming.

Thanks again,

Leigh

[John_Young]

Bonney and Reed were by all accounts true Dogs.

Let's leave the Pirate Queen ideas to the LaMorte sisters and to Geena Davis overacting all over the silver screen in Cutthroat Island.

Women were BAD LUCK at sea, and any woman who wanted to go on a ship had to be either well protected or a slut who serviced the men on long voyages. Period. Check your history books.

Let's leave the female pirates to ren faires and PotC fanfiction, mmm'kay?

[JoshuaRed]

Oh and PLEASE do not shy away in fear from touching upon slavery, tobacco, etc. Both very real and very vital parts of life back then. Though I suppose those words are like the kiss of death to investors. :)

By and large remember that 90% of pirates were the type of criminal who be robbing 7-11's today, not high-profile heists. It was about getting quick ready money to sate immediate needs, and perhaps if you were lucky enough to not have to work again.

[Pirate Petee]

type of criminal who be robbing 7-11's today, not high-profile heists. It was about getting quick ready money to sate immediate needs, and perhaps if you were lucky enough to not have to work again.

I don't think that you could get that kind of money from a 7-11. Just kiddin.

[JoshuaRed]

Sure, 50 or 60 bucks for some beer, chicken wings and a "cheap date" from the wrong part o' town! I can't imagine much more than that level of activity happening 340 years ago in Port Royal!

Well, throw in some brawls, gambling, etc....

[Pirate Petee]

True, true

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Women were BAD LUCK at sea, and any woman who wanted to go on a ship had to be either well protected or a slut who serviced the men on long voyages. Period. Check your history books.

You, sir, should check the history books. If you can recall my post, I spoke of Grace O'Malley, a true historical female pirate figure. I suggest you visit your local library and look it up. I'm done with this subject now. No more will be said.

[Sir Eric]

I have a feeling O'Malley probably fell into that "well protected" catagory.

And yah, I've never seen a pirate movie where the pirates board a prize and come away with little more than a change of clothes, some fresh water and a new cabin boy.

[Rumba Rue]

With all the rough and tumble people are talking about here, one of the best ways to get people into a theater to see a movie is HUMOR!

People love to laugh and enjoy themselves. I don't mean stupid slapstick humor, I mean true humor of a situation. POTC has done very will with that and will continue to do so as long as there is humor in the movie.

It takes good actors with good timing to complete a scene and make it funny.

Now I'm not saying the whole dang movie has to be funny, but sometimes it helps to break up the 'blackness' of the movie.

For instance, people who were pressed ganged to be on the pirate ships, weren't use to the sea, and guess what? Seasickness! Yup, I can personally attest to that and I know of many others who can too.

Whose to say that the galley cook with his salamungundi serves it up to the crew and wouldn't you know, someone finds a finger in it?

I hope I'm getting my ideas across in a good way.