What would you cut?

[Cagliostro]

I've often thought on this, and I thought the 2nd Chronicles should be filmed first, but as others have said, you lose what is at stake. So, opening scene:

screen is black - it comes up disorientingly to a flashing of police lights in the distance.

You hear a siren wailing as the lights get brighter and more annoying, shortly followed by the screeching of tires and then to black again.

Swirling misty stuff, Lord Foul and (or not) Drool scene follows. Set up what he is about to undertake, and maybe a mumbled "don't touch me, I'm a leper" or something, and title onscreen. Still no shot of TC, mostly shot darkly, disorienting the audience.

After the music has swelled and gone away, and the title sequence done, a shot of Covenant on Kevin's Watch. A nice helicopter shot to get the lay of the land around Kevin's Watch. He starts doing a VSE, and Lena comes up before it drags on too much. A quick conversation from the book, as they make their way down, and when they get down, a description of leprosy, maybe a flashback including what he was doing right before he went to the land, and how he needs water, not more mud as hurtloam is applied.

Probably some time while he is frustrated with being healed, maybe even right before the rape, some description of how his wife left him and took his son, or flashback.

Somewhere on the journey with either Atiaran or Foamfollower, a flashback of the leprosarium, a really bad case. Or for the DVD extended edition. I can't remember which journey this story is told, I think with Foamfollower, but definitely best with him, as he could say some line (which might be in the book, I can't remember) about how poorly he tells tales, or something that takes the piss out of the horror and produces a laugh.

That is, if the first book is all that is covered in the first film.

I'm also saying the Celebration of Spring has to be in there. It is such a vivid scene that just begs to be onscreen.

Maybe try cutting the Ward bits, as it never seemed to go too far, other than to show how the Lords were working with so little.

But I see those being the opening scenes. You can't get around flashbacks. Covenant walking down the road would make a good opening shot too, but it seems like the more disorienting the better. But you'd definitely want to get him to the Land immediately and not mess about with his backstory until he is in the Land.

I also would like to suggest that the name "Lord Foul" be used sparingly. You can still make fans happy by using one of his other names, like The Despiser giving a bit of mystery and not making newbies go, "Lord Foul? How obvious and dumb." It worked for me in Jr. High, but it seems that bandying that term about too early would strike the ear unpleasantly.

One more change I'd make, and this may upset some of you, is to make Covenant's reaction to this place a bit more like someone who has come from our world, to make his reaction a little more real. That was something that always bugged me about the book, was that he seemed like he belonged in the Land the entire time, especially with the curse, "hellfire and bloody damnation." I wouldn't have him talk like a Tarantino character, but at least make him a more regular American. Can still keep the h&bd, but at least something to make him appear he came from our culture.

Just some thoughts.

[Ur Dead]

Could make it like they did the movie "Out of Africa". That was one long movie. Easily a 180 minutes. ( I did see it at the premier showing. )

So why does LFB have to be a 90 to 110 minute movie?
Some travel scenes can be shorten. Some of the more mundane section can be cut or placed as an afterthought.

Like when Drool is searching for TC and the shock occurs. Have 2 scenes that show his first and when they discover what is happening. SF can by a look (in camera) can give the viewers what his intent is. He will carry TC and varies other short travel scene(s) shows him doing that. You don't detract from the book but convey the message of the book in a more condensed form.

But alot of stuff does get left on the cutting room floor.

[jacob Raver, sinTempter]

I personally just can't see the boots working on film. It really has no moral/philisophical question tied to it...and it only serves the purpose of keeping Drool in the story from a distance, which a kresh attack near Andelain might work as well, and look cooler.

Question: Does anyone else wish Triock's role was seriously squashed and Pietten's role massively inhanced? I gotta say, I have never, not any of the three times I've read the series, ever cared much about or for Triock, though I can relate to what he has felt...and I've always thought Pietten had so much story potential...maybe Foul's one huge mistake that could bring extra tension and possiblilty throughout, instead of despair rehashed...

[amanibhavam]

"What would you cut?"

Two fingers off Covenant's hand...

[emotional leper]

Not so much something I'd cut, but something I've realised would be a huge problem, I think.

Isn't Foamfollower naked after he gets out of Hotash Slay?

[jacob Raver, sinTempter]

Not so much something I'd cut, but something I've realised would be a huge problem, I think. Isn't Foamfollower naked after he gets out of Hotash Slay?

...He's like, so HOT! Would it be a problem though? Just pan the cam belly-button up...unless the director really wants a Costneresque butt-shot...

[amanibhavam]

Schwarzenegger went naked in the first shot of the Terminator and nobody blinked.

[emotional leper]

Schwarzenegger went naked in the first shot of the Terminator and nobody blinked.

The Terminator is not a movie you'd take Kids too.

TCTC are still fantasy, no matter what they're rated. Kids goto fantasy movies.

[King Elessar 8]

Schwarzenegger went naked in the first shot of the Terminator and nobody blinked.

The Terminator is not a movie you'd take Kids too.

TCTC are still fantasy, no matter what they're rated. Kids goto fantasy movies.

Frodo was naked when Sam found him in the tower of Cirith Ungol. I can't recall exactly how they handled that in the film (there is a scene in FOTR where the four main hobbits run around completely naked on a hillside that obviously didn't make the cut for the film), but if its a big problem just show Foamfollower from the waist up, or have him quickly find something to tie around his waist.

And if they did make a Covenant film (sure) I would hope it would be marketed as an mature work, maybe the first of a new way of presenting the genre on film - dark, R rated epic fantasy for adults, not families. Nothing in the Chronicles is kid-friendly. No other genre is aimed exclusively at children, why should fantasy be the exception?

[emotional leper]

Schwarzenegger went naked in the first shot of the Terminator and nobody blinked.

The Terminator is not a movie you'd take Kids too.

TCTC are still fantasy, no matter what they're rated. Kids goto fantasy movies.

Frodo was naked when Sam found him in the tower of Cirith Ungol. I can't recall exactly how they handled that in the film (there is a scene in FOTR where the four main hobbits run around completely naked on a hillside that obviously didn't make the cut for the film), but if its a big problem just show Foamfollower from the waist up, or have him quickly find something to tie around his waist.

And if they did make a Covenant film (sure) I would hope it would be marketed as an mature work, maybe the first of a new way of presenting the genre on film - dark, R rated epic fantasy for adults, not families. Nothing in the Chronicles is kid-friendly. No other genre is aimed exclusively at children, why should fantasy be the exception?

Linden's pretty kid friendly.

There are all those scence that take place when she's a kid.

[King Elessar 8]

The Terminator is not a movie you'd take Kids too.

TCTC are still fantasy, no matter what they're rated. Kids goto fantasy movies.

Frodo was naked when Sam found him in the tower of Cirith Ungol. I can't recall exactly how they handled that in the film (there is a scene in FOTR where the four main hobbits run around completely naked on a hillside that obviously didn't make the cut for the film), but if its a big problem just show Foamfollower from the waist up, or have him quickly find something to tie around his waist.

And if they did make a Covenant film (sure) I would hope it would be marketed as an mature work, maybe the first of a new way of presenting the genre on film - dark, R rated epic fantasy for adults, not families. Nothing in the Chronicles is kid-friendly. No other genre is aimed exclusively at children, why should fantasy be the exception?

Linden's pretty kid friendly.

There are all those scence that take place when she's a kid.

Yeah, the graphic suicide/matricide scenes via kleenex would delight the kiddies all over the world. Then they could move on from there and make an "updated" version of Mary Poppins where MP is a unbalanced junkie who ends up going on a crazy shooting spree at the local daycare center. I think the studio that put these films (covenant that is) on the screen would be sued by legions of angry parents.

[amanibhavam]

Schwarzenegger went naked in the first shot of the Terminator and nobody blinked.

The Terminator is not a movie you'd take Kids too.

TCTC are still fantasy, no matter what they're rated. Kids goto fantasy movies.

I still do not see the issue. There isn't a morsel of eroticism in the scene where Foamfollower returns from Hotash Slay. And the fact that the simple image of a natural human body can be regarded as more indecent and harmful to "kids" than the bloody butchery appearing in almost every movie out there, fantasy or not, kid-friendly or not, shows that there is something seriously wrong with the world.

Having said that, I agree that TCTC is adult fantasy. But not because of a flash of Foamfollowers naked self.

[emotional leper]

Schwarzenegger went naked in the first shot of the Terminator and nobody blinked.

The Terminator is not a movie you'd take Kids too.

TCTC are still fantasy, no matter what they're rated. Kids goto fantasy movies.

I still do not see the issue. There isn't a morsel of eroticism in the scene where Foamfollower returns from Hotash Slay. And the fact that the simple image of a natural human body can be regarded as more indecent and harmful to "kids" than the bloody butchery appearing in almost every movie out there, fantasy or not, kid-friendly or not, shows that there is something seriously wrong with the world.

Having said that, I agree that TCTC is adult fantasy. But not because of a flash of Foamfollowers naked self.

I have no problem with naked giant man meat.

I just don't want the movie to get an NC-17 rating.

[SoulBiter]

Thats one of the things I have a problem with in alot of movies that come out. They put unnecessary nudity in almost every movie. You dont need to show someone having sex to have a few scenes that would insinuate that they had sex. You dont need to see a full body scene (depending on the actress ) to show that someone took a shower.

As far as the Hotish slay.. yeah show him from the waist up and perhaps as he steps out, from the lower hips down.

[ninjaboy]

After reading this 'what to cut' bulliten, I am reminded of certain other books that were made into movies..

Anyone remeber Dune? If anone has ever seen that movie, they've been trying very hard to forget it ever since because it's just too complex.. Even in the extended edition too much was cut for it to make any sense... And they had Sting in it for chrissakes...

And the Bladerunner movie was also bollocks.

Sure Narnia and LOTR were successes because they were simpler stories.. Well Narnia was Simpler, LOTR was boring as hell. And because they were such popular books they recieved enough funding to satisfy every single detail regardless of expense..

Now it seems that with all that they'd have to cut for a TC movie, not even the fans of the books would bother seeing it.

And you Cannot just show the Giants corrupted by the illearth stone, You would have to show them what they were like before the corruption for the audience to comprehent what such corruption meant.

[Marv]

And the Bladerunner movie was also bollocks.

LOTR was boring as hell.

[Cail]

Bladerunner was bollocks in that it removed huge chunks of Dick's story to tell a different story. Bladerunner is a good movie but a lousy adaptation.

[Marv]

Bladerunner was bollocks in that it removed huge chunks of Dick's story to tell a different story. Bladerunner is a good movie but a lousy adaptation.

Ok, fair enough. Never read the original book.

[Cail]

And the point is, I'd be livid if someone were to film the Chrons and remove vital elements of SRD's story in order to tell their own.

[ninjaboy]

That's damn right!
The Bladerunner book was awesome. But there were so many crucial elements cut when they made the movie that it lost so much meaning..

For that reason cutting such things as the Leprosy and the Rape would diminish such an important aspect of the story.. He's got to be impotent and numb in this world for the health sense in the Land to have such an important role..

I'm kind of concerned how they would actually 'show' the health sense stuff in the movie..