Kevin's Watch

So I'm guessing it wasn't worth seeing...

I've never read the series, but I'm hoping that it is better than the miniseries. It stank! Horrible acting-cheesy special effects, I could hardly get through 30 minutes of it. What is with Ged flaring his nostrils all the time?
-Avy

The books are classics of the genre. Well worth reading. Sounds like they did a pretty gawd-awful job on the mini-series, though.

Last night I rented the Appendices of the EE of ROTK from my local store and watched that. Getting something from my upstairs apartment (I was downstairs with my fiancee) I clicked on the t.v. to see maybe forty five seconds of the miniseries.

And was horrified.

Someone invading Roke! How? That's like a SWAT team trying to take out Hogwarts! The name "Ged" spoken outloud and casually? And what was this business of the "Will our belief survive?"

They really messed with the story. I was very disappointed. All of Le Guin's themes were dismissed with this crap that the Karag king wants to rule Earthsea and he wants the Nameless Ones to help him do it!! It's awful!! And the thing about invading Roke Island...that is literally impossible. They got around it by having Jasper conspire with the king, he would open the doors if the king would let him be Archmage. So lame and bogus. And Ged's shadow...they made into a Nameless One...and he looked like a PUPPET!!!

And the name issue...they had Ogion give Ged "Sparrowhawk" as his true name. GRRRRRRRR

I'm not happy with this at all. And to think I've been waiting months to see this...should have known, I'm always leary of books being made into movies. They did NOT do Le Guin justice at all in my opinion.

Not sure I want to watch part 2...I would like to see how they do Yevaud tho....

*gag*

Furls -- your description makes me wonder if the people who made this thing even bothered reading the books they supposedly based their work on?

Ah, well -- many things are butchered when transferred from book to film.

If it's as bad as you are describing, though, I sure hope it doesn't discourage people from reading the books, which really are very good.

They are indeed. In light of Furls' description, I'm reeling from the assertion that they were true to the books. Is it possible to have a less faithful adaptation?

I know it...me too. Because the story they are putting on film is not the story Le Guin wrote. I mean subtle things I can handle, like the Arwen thing in LOTR. That actually made the film better and yet PJ was able to incorporate it and keep intrigety to the books and story. But THIS...Oh my lord, just way too many changes to the story itself in such a fundemental way that it taints the books. The theme isn't even there, it's all about rise and conquer in this movie and not about the magic and the balance at all. It's horrid.

*pats Covvy on the back so he doesn't choke to death..*

Thanks.

I was reading the Farthest Shore today, by coincidence. Makes the contrast even more pronounced. That's pretty much the kind of narrative mangling I expected when I first heard about LOTR getting the film treatment.

I actually made it through the first 16 minutes before turning it off. How I lasted that long is beyond me. I never imagined in my wildest nightmares that anyone could turn those books into that abomination. Yes, this is one of the few times in life that the word abomination applies. To call it a joke would be giving it WAY too much credit. The people who made that pile of excrement should be ashamed of themselves.

You were smarter than I was. I actually tried to tape the thing!!! I'm not going to bother taping part 2. I just want to see how they do Yevaud. They will probably screw that all up too.

I don't usually tape things anymore, since I like to buy the dvd when it comes out. Obviously, I won't be getting this one.

I'm also curious about Yevaud. But since Ged is not remotely Ged, the impact of the whole scene will be insignificant. I'll just watch Dragonslayer, and pretend it's Orm Irian, or something...

Well, they screwed up Yevaud too. When Ged calls him by his true name, its Orm Embar!!!! UUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!! I turned it off after that.

It sounds from your description Furls, that they took a few names from the books -- and nothing else.

I was thinking that this morning. It sounds like they were given a list of names, and a one-line summary of the major characters.

...

Too bad they seem to have made such a mess of this.

All I could think of as I watched it was if the same people are going to try making Thomas Covenent then I hope they don't make it at all! I wathced it only because my 9 year old was dying to see it. I saw all of it. I kept saying alound, well that wasn't in the book. Now it was that way in the book. Where did that get that?! Thank GOD my oldest is reading the series now (or having me read it aloud) so she can know what the story REALLY is.

First thing to get me irked is him frolicking with a girl and using his true name. That never happened! They screwed up the witch, she is his AUNT. He was only 12 when he did the fog and he did NOT drown! It spent his power and he was catatonic or whatever. He got his true name when he was 13 and it was NOT Sparrowhawk!! That was his use name!

When he read the spell at Ogion's the floor did not split apart, there was a freakin shadow in the corner.

He spent a LONG time recovering from the attack and was NOT thrown out of school! He was told to stay because it was the only safe place! He finished school and got his staff then went to be a town wizard to protect the town against Orm Embar.

He went ALONE to see the dragon and did NOT ask the name of the shadow! He wanted the dragon to promise not to attack the people and the dragon tried to offer the name and he refused.

When he flew back to Ogion he did not just bounce back all bubbly... he acted as a bird for several days.

Tenar was NOT an orphan. She was taken from her parents when she was little as the reincarnation of the high priestess! Her name was taken form her and Ged gave it back to her later.

There were NO LIGHTS in the tombs. They did not serve good powers, the were servants of the dark powers!

Ged was trapped in the tmbs for days and only Tenar knew he was there.

The ring was a freakin ring, not that amulet looking thing and he put it around her wrist.

Poisoning?? Strangling the maid? I missed THAT in the book.

This king thing. I think someone pulled that one out of thier butt!

Arg, arg, grrrrrr.... I could rant and rave for hours! I spent 4 hours watching it with my daughter and making statements every couple minutes to tell her what they got wrong. Then I had to explain suicidetoher! She never knew what it was, but the maid was left hanging to make it look like a suicide.

I better shut up now or I may bust a vein in my face.

OK... the only redeming thing was like like Vetch's sense of humor. He was funny. That's about all I can say positive.