Movie News Discussion

[wayfriend]

Welcome to the watch, Mhoram99!

If only there was something we could do, any of us ... if wishes were fishes ...

I don't think there's anything remotely logical about what makes a movie sink or swim. So I don't think any explaining is going to work. You have to wave money, or point out where money is sitting there waving.

[wayfriend]

An interesting article about the Hobbit, and particularly about how the fantasy movie genre since LOTR has't been as successful as everyone believed it surely would be.

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainmen ... 42192.html

Maybe someone will realize that what we need is a "ring movie".

[ParanoiA]

I wonder if part of the issue is the lack of adult theme in these fantasy film blunders.

All of those that have since flopped, following LOTR seem to be geared more toward younger audiences, simplified plots...elementary and formulaic. Although I'm not sure about The Golden Compass, I've never seen that one, but my wife said it was boring.

Pan's Labyrinth had a dark, adult theme, but was not in English, so I think that could explain part of the lack of exponential enthusiam and marketing success.

LOTR isn't exactly adult, I suppose, but it compliments a discerning adult expectation since the plot is much thicker, and the characters more fleshed out and real - it seems to legitimize the CGI that drives it.

The second Narnia installment barely kept my interest, because it's so childish. I know, I know that was Lewis' audience, but it felt more like a hasty rush of a story to create a flimsy excuse to bask in CGI. I read the Narnia books, and I can think of 2 or 3 others that would have been more interesting than Prince Caspian. So, here again, in my opinion anyway, there is no legitimacy to support the drama of the CG battle candy.

This is why I think Covenant as a film would work so well. It's entirely adult themed, dark, thick with plot and character - including the Land - and the big CGI scenes have a credible dramatic background to serve. That's what I think LOTR had that made it work - even with kids.

My two cents anyway.

[matrixman]

I'm still bitter about Mr. John Orloff's unsuccessful bid to make a Covenant movie. If anyone in Hollywood could've been trusted to be faithful to the adult themes of the Chronicles, it surely would've been the people behind Band of Brothers. That studios would turn away Mr. Orloff and TCTC, and yet greenlight turd-rate fantasy like Eragon shows what manner of morons are running the town.

It looks like Peter Jackson's LOTR will remain a lonely example of great epic fantasy cinema for a long time to come. Sure, I have my issues with Jackson's adaptation, but there is still nothing else out there that remotely approaches his accomplishment. It's a real shame that Mr. Orloff and company were denied the chance to prove that they could scale the same heights as Jackson.

[Krazy Kat]

I'd like to see Ridley Scott make the movie.
I know most of his films are on historical themes, but the worlds he creates are incredibly believable.

Even if it was done in the style of Bladerunner, with short glimpses of landscape, character close-ups, and dark interiors, I think he's the man that can pull it off. I know this would disappoint the Peter Jackson-style fans, but Scott can give us the adult perspective.

I think Legend is one of the most beautifully shot films I've ever seen.

[SleeplessOne]

I s'pose discussing directors for a never-to-be film is a true exercise in futility, but Peter Weir, for mine, would be a most satisfactory choice.

Three or four films in particular show Weir to be a great candidate;

Picnic at Hanging Rock and Mosquito Coast are two films that showcase the man's ability to depict a natural environment as a vibrant and vital character; the Land deserves a director capable of capturing the beauty and power of the natural world.
the Truman Show is a good lil' film which illustrates Weir's interest in the nature of reality, a theme which is fairly heavily explored in TCoTC.
Master and Commander is exhibit A when it comes to finding a director for the voyage undertaken by TC and the Giants during the 2nd chrons .. I just think he would do an exceptional job ..

[Pharaoh]

Im not sure if this has been mentioned, there is so much to read on here, but I wonder if the Words of Power being used in the Dungeons and Dragons movie from a few years ago was with permission? I assume they are under copyright. Would SRD have to gain permission to use his own words in a Thomas Covenant movie? I stopped watching the movie as soon as I heard them. I thought the movie was pretty cheap to begin with, and not worthy of Dungeons and Dragons, but when I thought the screen writers had resorted to plagarism, I was done.

[wayfriend]

Would SRD have to gain permission to use his own words in a Thomas Covenant movie?

The producers making the movie have to get permission from the publisher. They do this by buying an option to the movie rights in order to plan a movie, and then buy the movie rights to make the movie.

The publisher gets the movie rights from the author as part of the publishing contract signed with the author. Hopefully, the author gets money for it.

The author ends up having nothing to do with the movie, unless the producers are wise, in which case they can hire the author as a consultant. And that's the author's role - consultant; they don't have a final say on anything, because they sold the movie rights.

With Dungeon and Dragons, I assume it is the same, except it is a game maker not an author.

(Anyway, isn't the whole point of a Dungeons and Dragons movie to see Dungeons and Dragons things in the movie?)

[Cagliostro]

That D&D movie was a laugh. I saw it because I heard there might be a new Lord of the Rings trailer along with it, but there wasn't (this was before FOTR came out). It was so very bad. I remember I went with one of my oldest friends, and there was some plot point about a rod. Sure, we associated it with a penis. It made the movie endlessly more entertaining, and we annoyed the hell out of the cloaked people with their bags of dice sitting in the theater by giggling throughout it.

[sammadhi]

OK...BOTTOM LINE!!!!

I love these books. I want to see them made into movies. It will never happen!!!

Audiences will walk out during or after Lena's misfortune!!!

The first book wasn't thrilling enough for people without car crashes and pyrotechnics!!!

To much thinking required people with this massively awesome yet thoroughly complex storyline!!!

"This story is to much like lord of the rings!!!'

sorry, im just a little pissed off

[Cagliostro]

I'm writing to say that I come off a bit of a dick in my previous post, but the fact is that I saw the D&D movie on opening night, and there really were people dressed up for it.

[hastypete]

Has anyone here watched any of the HBO series "Game of Thrones"?

Thomas Covenant could really use an HBO treatment like this series of books is getting.

I think that as a mini-series that each TC book could be done justice.
Now how to get someone at HBO interested?

Since they have 3 or 4 more Martin books to go and they are planning to do one per year it may be a while. But we are used to waiting long periods for the next book, so I don't mind waiting.

As far as Lena's rape? If they can get away with what they've been doing in Game of Thrones, I don't think that will be a problem to put on screen. But how do you get the viewers to side with Covenant? I'm no film-maker, but I'm sure someone can do it.

[Akasri]

hastypete: I agree, I would love to see the Chronicles done as an HBO series.

I doubt it will ever happen, but it would be great to see it.

The problem with Lena's rape, vs. what we see on Game of Thrones... IMO:

In Game of Thrones the sex we see is in keeping with the culture. Covenant raping Lena goes against culture and it's done by the main character of the novel, so that's a hard one to overcome.

I think it could be handled properly, but the problem is getting people who haven't read the books to stick with the show after that scene.

[hastypete]

Game of Thrones has incest. Not too socially acceptable either.

I don't see a problem of getting people interested. HBO is fairly good at getting viewers. Did you see the first episode of Game? It was so bad I almost didn't continue watching, but the reviewers that had seen the first 6 episodes assured that it was only the first episode (lots of characters to intro etc). I never read the book or even heard of them before this HBO series.

We can always hope. If there is money to be made, I'm sure somebody will figure out how to make money with TC. But it must be a miniseries and must be on a premium channel.

Now the GAP series..... that would be a tougher sell without toning it down quite a bit!

[Cambo]

I like the idea of a mini series for any of Donaldson's work, as that would allow less of the content to be cut than a feature film would necessitate.

Mordant's Need would seem to be the perfect fit for a two part mini series, less controversial content than Covenant or the Gap as well, much as I'd love to see either of those adapted well.

[amanibhavam]

Two episodes would be far too few for Mordant.

[Cambo]

Even feature length episodes. You may well be right, but just to be clear I'm thinking two hours here!