Kevin's Watch

hmmm...not to me it doesn't. For me, it's what is in Covenant's head that pulls me along. How he perceives the Land, how he's touched and embittered by it's beauty. We grow to love the Land thru Covenant's eyes. I very much care that it be included in any type of film version. If it's left out, it will all seem superficial to me, one dimensional. The same goes with Troy and Mhoram and even Linden, if it ever got that far.

Donaldson puts us in Covenant's head. I would like to be in there during a film version too.

That's just how I feel tho. I really don't want it to go to film. I think too much will be lost....

...The gray, gaunt man who strode down the center of the walk like a mechanical derelict.

His inner shouting collapsed.

He concentrated on restraining the spasmodic snarl which lurched across his face, and let the tight machinery of his will carry him forward step by step.

These would be lost on film. And that's just the first page.

But yes, I do recognize there's a story, and not only the writing.

exactly...

and yet, without the writing, there would be no story. I would hate to see Donaldson's masterpiece done up as just a spectacle of special effects, superficial battle scenes and computer imagry, (which is what I was afraid LOTR was going to be, I am very happy I was proven wrong there), just to sell it. If someone with enough insight and integrity, and one who loves the books as much as Peter Jackson loves LOTR, can find a way to put us inside of Covenant's head realistically, then I am all for a movie version. But, is there such a person?

There's no way that this film could be made properly. There isn't enough of a following for someone not to take far too much creative license with their script.

Example: The Watchmen is being made into a movie. It was a breakthrough graphic novel about an alternate reality where superheroes exist, but for the most part they are like the one Bruce Willis played in "Unbreakable". A great scheme is developed & the books ends with the scheme realized & it is plausible & interesting. The script deviates from it. How could you deviate from it? That's the reason it worked!!!

This would be like removing the rape of Lena & replacing Elena with Morham as high-lord in The Illearth War. Sure that could be done that way but at what cost? Plus they'd never allow a main character that is hated by much of the public.

I agree. Even in LOTR they had to pull out Arwen's and Aragor's romance from the Appendices, so as to have it in the main storyline, 'cause it would've been "too sterile". (Oh, and Miramax at first wanted to have the whole story in ONE film.) So I fear we would face major alterations in the story if it ever hit the big screen.

That said, "anything that passes unattempted is impossible" (Lord Mhoram)

Zephalephelah wrote:There's no way that this film could be made properly. There isn't enough of a following for someone not to take far too much creative license with their script.

Example: The Watchmen is being made into a movie. It was a breakthrough graphic novel about an alternate reality where superheroes exist, but for the most part they are like the one Bruce Willis played in "Unbreakable". A great scheme is developed & the books ends with the scheme realized & it is plausible & interesting. The script deviates from it. How could you deviate from it? That's the reason it worked!!!

This would be like removing the rape of Lena & replacing Elena with Morham as high-lord in The Illearth War. Sure that could be done that way but at what cost? Plus they'd never allow a main character that is hated by much of the public.

Agreed, Zeph.

The cold truth we have to face, people, is that teenagers run cinema. They vote with their wallets and because Hollywood is run by d*ckhead execs, they make films for teenagers. I honestly believe TCTC need to be made outside of Europe. It wont do well in America nor the rest of the world, but great films/stories aren't necessarily big sellers.

Furls Fire wrote: just a spectacle of special effects, superficial battle scenes and computer imagry, (which is what I was afraid LOTR was going to be, I am very happy I was proven wrong there)

Is that not what it was then?

Zeph wrote:There's no way that this film could be made properly. There isn't enough of a following for someone not to take far too much creative license with their script.

Example: The Watchmen is being made into a movie. It was a breakthrough graphic novel about an alternate reality where superheroes exist, but for the most part they are like the one Bruce Willis played in "Unbreakable". A great scheme is developed & the books ends with the scheme realized & it is plausible & interesting. The script deviates from it. How could you deviate from it? That's the reason it worked!!!

This would be like removing the rape of Lena & replacing Elena with Morham as high-lord in The Illearth War. Sure that could be done that way but at what cost? Plus they'd never allow a main character that is hated by much of the public.

Well quite.

hehe Cov

Love your new av..way cool

Thanks. It's just some random thing I picked up from the avatar gallery because someone starting using the other one. I thought it looked like my old av on a horse

I shudder to think how badly a movie version of TCTC could be. The re-writing that would occur would anger most, if not all of us.

I can see the first screen-draft meeting in my head. It isn't pretty. The first thing would be a desire to make TC "a little less anti-hero," which of course would neuter the whole premise upon which the story is built.

I prefer the idea of using audio drama, because TC could have internal conversations that let us hear his inner struggle, without worrying about how to translate leper's anger/anguish into a 60-second FX montage.

With audio drama, the stakes would be lower--not as much budget driving the need to vanillify the story to please the average popcorn muncher, so the author could retain creative control.

[Of course, my opinion could be tainted somewhat by my affinity for audio drama ]

The finished product would not be as gee-whiz cool as a movie, but anything is better than setting up a situation where there is the potential for apocalyptic casting mistakes [e.g., The Rock cast as Foamfollower?! ]

DukkhaWaynhim
[Weird, warped, and Wenceslas-y]

DukkhaWaynhim wrote:[Weird, warped, and Wenceslas-y]

The Rock?! Don't even joke about it...ew... Bruce Willis as TC...Tom Cruise as Mhoram...Mike Myers as Bannor...

Don't forget these:
Jessica Simpson as Elena
O.J Simpson as Heartthrall Tohrm
William Shatner as Trell
Kevin Bacon as Prothall
Kiefer Sutherland as Thomas Covenant
Freddie Prinze Jr as Mhoram
Mary-Kate Olsen as Osondrea
Ashley Olsen as her twin sister Sunny
Charo as Atiaran
Shakira as Lena
Ricardo Montalban as Triock
and of course Fran Drescher [aka 'The Nanny'] as Lord Foul the Despiser.

Just to be clear, these are sarcastic suggestions.

DukkhaWaynhim
[Weird, warped, Wassail-wielding]

Charo as Atarian????

Fran as Foul? brrrr...I can hear that evil laugh in my bones!

DukkhaWaynhim wrote:

Mary-Kate Olsen as Osondrea
Ashley Olsen as her twin sister Sunny

Your whole list is pretty damn funny.

Don't forget Martin Sheen as Hile Troy
Kevin Spacey as Amok
Owen Wilson as Pietten

Furls Fire wrote:Charo as Atarian????

[heavy spanglish accent]
I studied at the Loresraat! Coochie-coochie-coo!

DukkhaWaynhim
[Weird, warped, and wildly unimaginative]

Joy wrote:Don't forget Martin Sheen as Hile Troy
Kevin Spacey as Amok
Owen Wilson as Pietten

Wait a minute... Amok is the 7th Ward... Kevin Spacey was the serial killer in the movie Se7en..... creepy coincidence

DukkhaWaynhim
[Weird, warped, and Wet-napped]

DukkhaWaynhim wrote:William Shatner as Trell

Good god!

Ur-Vile wrote:
The cold truth we have to face, people, is that teenagers run cinema. They vote with their wallets and because Hollywood is run by d*ckhead execs, they make films for teenagers. I honestly believe TCTC need to be made outside of Europe. It wont do well in America nor the rest of the world, but great films/stories aren't necessarily big sellers.

After reading this I have changed my mind. Yes it can be done in cinema.
One version called The Land is for main stream moviegoers,
that butcher the essence of the whole story, {LOTR}. but yet give the basic idea of the story in a set of six 3hr length movies.

And The real film The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever an epic series including EVERYTHING in the entire works, working someway in such as a narrative or subtitles to encapsulate the soul of the series for which we are most so passionate about..

That said now I am pumped to start producing this masterpiece so if you will excuse me I must go out and buy a Lottery ticket to gain fundage for my exploit.

P.s. does anyone Have SDR's # I'd like to give him a ring, and get his approval first.

TRC wrote:P.s. does anyone Have SDR's # I'd like to give him a ring, and get his approval first.

I was sure I had it in my archives... Oh, no, that's one he had in a past life. That won't help you.