Kevin's Watch

That sounds horrible. All of it.

Some "It's Official" news coming out. I mention some things only to destroy expectations.

@StephenKing wrote:It's official: The man in black fled across the desert
and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie
@McConaughey @IdrisElba

AintItCool.com wrote:It's official: Matthew McConaughey fled across the desert and Idris Elba followed!

Firstly, The Dark Tower will begin shooting in 7 Weeks in South Africa, with a January 13th, 2017 release date planned. ...

The interesting part of the interview talks about the framing of the first movie, which will not be a part and parcel adaptation of The Gunslinger, but rather something new. ...

Arcel said that a good amount of the movie will take place in our world, which set off warning bells in my head. ...

It also sounds like the simultaneous movies and TV plan isn't on the table at the moment, but they're saving a lot of Roland's backstory should the movie prove to be a hit so we can have the Young Roland adventures going on in TV Land should the films keep on keepin' on. ...

[link]

They all arrived in Cape Town a few days ago. Also, Katheryn Winnick is going to have a part. (Lagatha from Vikings.)

There's not exactly many female roles in the DT so I was wondering if they were going to make Detta white with legs, (having made Roland black), but that article actually maybe clears up a few things.

Interesting point about starting him off with the Horn...it would almost make it acceptable if this is the next cycle as it were.

--A

Still sounds terrible.

Oh, I agree. But it would at least make changes internally justifiable. To an extent.

--A

Yeah, I read about that in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly yesterday. That it can be seen as a sequel to the books rather than an adaptation, which is a brilliant way to pose an adaptation, certain for one with a cyclical story such as this. It sounds like King is involved heavily as well. He said he had a go at a draft and cut out as much of the dialog as possible. But yes, so far just Roland and Jake and no Eddie or Susannah so far. Or the billy-bumbler. I guess they are going to see how much interest there is in further films before making any more. Two things alarmed me.

1. They are drawing characters and such from all the books.

2. The tower is described as something Flagg wants to destroy as it is linked to everything and will destroy all worlds if destroyed, or whatnot. And Roland is trying to keep him from doing so. That isn't my memory of what was going on, but it's been a long while since I read them.

Dead link.

And yes, that's not quite what was going on. Although IIRC

Spoiler

the Crimson King and the low men were the ones who were trying to destroy it. Flagg wasn't. He didn't want things to end, he was having far too much fun.

--A

Cagliostro wrote:Yeah, I read about that in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly yesterday. That it can be seen as a sequel to the books rather than an adaptation, which is a brilliant way to pose an adaptation, certain for one with a cyclical story such as this

I read that EW story as well. Feeling a bit better about the movie now. Yes seeing it as a sequel to the books makes the whole thing much better.

Well, a little better anyway.

--A

Avatar wrote:Well, a little better anyway.

--A

He has the Horn of Eld, so that means it's actually a continuation of the books, which is cool.

So...

The Gunslinger will be a film, then there will be a TV series showing the backstory in Wizard & Glass.

Dunno what's happening with TDotT and TWL...

www.ew.com/article/2016/09/21/dark-towe ... zard-glass

--A

Quint saw the first Dark Tower footage at CinemaCon and says it's kind of a #%@*in' bummer.

Quint doesn't like the shape of the doors, but has no issue with a black Roland? I suppose an s.f. Tower is worse than a PC Tower?

I thought Roland was based on King's childhood experience with Westerns. There is without a doubt a s.f. element to the Dark Tower ... including robots, for petesake. Nothing wrong with emphasizing an element that was already there. But there was already an explicitly black character in the story; her skin color was a vital part of her backstory and informed her actions/attitudes. There was no need to "update" Roland with something that didn't match the 60s cliches from which Roland was drawn. Nothing screams, "Hollywood revisionism!" louder than making the hero black for no reason whatsoever.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to it regardless of the changes. I liked the description of Roland reloading his gun and "shooting by ear."

Zarathustra wrote:Nothing screams, "Hollywood revisionism!" louder than making the hero black for no reason whatsoever.

Making Nick Fury a black man for the MCU? No problem.

Making The Ancient One a British woman instead of an elderly Asian man? People complain about "whitewashing".

AICN......Not really concerned with their opinion, as "Quint" is generally just a whiny fanboi when it comes to his(?) reviews.

I'm with Zar though.....Having Elba play Roland creates a real problem when Detta shows up, as that completely changes the dynamic of the group.

The problem is that there's no way this is going to live up to anyone's expectations and/or mental images of the books (up through W&G, after that was a dumpster fire). With any luck it'll be a decent film that has nothing much to do with the source material, and we can kind of forget they're connected (I'm looking right at you Blade Runner).

Cail wrote:AICN......Not really concerned with their opinion, as "Quint" is generally just a whiny fanboi when it comes to his(?) reviews.

I'm with Zar though.....Having Elba play Roland creates a real problem when Detta shows up, as that completely changes the dynamic of the group.

The problem is that there's no way this is going to live up to anyone's expectations and/or mental images of the books (up through W&G, after that was a dumpster fire). With any luck it'll be a decent film that has nothing much to do with the source material, and we can kind of forget they're connected (I'm looking right at you Blade Runner).

I didn't even like Wizard & Glass. It was okay, but a big step down from The Waste Lands.

Facing facts, The Dark Tower series is King's greatest literary choke job.

Oh, if only the accident hadnt happened.

Horrim Carabal wrote:

Cail wrote:AICN......Not really concerned with their opinion, as "Quint" is generally just a whiny fanboi when it comes to his(?) reviews.

I'm with Zar though.....Having Elba play Roland creates a real problem when Detta shows up, as that completely changes the dynamic of the group.

The problem is that there's no way this is going to live up to anyone's expectations and/or mental images of the books (up through W&G, after that was a dumpster fire). With any luck it'll be a decent film that has nothing much to do with the source material, and we can kind of forget they're connected (I'm looking right at you Blade Runner).

I didn't even like Wizard & Glass. It was okay, but a big step down from The Waste Lands.

Facing facts, The Dark Tower series is King's greatest literary choke job.

Oh, if only the accident hadnt happened.

Wizard & Glass was written prior to the accident. It is, to my mind, the best thing he's ever written.

I agree that everything after the accident is pants.

Wizard and Glass was great, but I liked Wolves of Calla even better.

I think King rushed the series in the end, maybe thinking that he'd never finish it if he waited too long.

Zarathustra wrote:Wizard and Glass was great, but I liked Wolves of Calla even better.

Woof. Wolves of the Calla was weak compared to the first 3 books, IMO. WotC sure is better than the last 2 books, though.

Cail wrote:Wizard & Glass was written prior to the accident. It is, to my mind, the best thing he's ever written.

Oi. Nothing in the first 3 books seemed forced.

The "Wizard of Oz" imagery in W&G seemed forced. Very forced. That scene is cringe-worthy in fact. The whole book was just okay for me.

Compare any scene in W&G to the vacant lot scene in Waste Lands. When he finds the Rose. Read that whole scene again. Or the scene were they discover the children's book by Beryl Evans...Charlie the Choo Choo, and start reading it. Or the scene in the Cradle of Lud when they meet Blaine. Nothing in W&G, or any of the later DT books, compares to the writing in those scenes. The Waste Lands, The Stand (uncut), and It are my top 3 King books.

Although I have a soft spot for Eyes of the Dragon, which was the first book of his I read. Also Pet Sematary, which is his most disturbing book (Gerald's Game is 2nd). Also 'Salem's Lot, which is just awesome. And The Talisman, which is as cool as Black House is terrible.

"(I'm looking right at you Blade Runner)"


you always gotta say that dontcha?!


yeah I like Elba but my first thought was wtf is gonna happen when it's time for Detta to call him a honky? what's she gonna do, call him an "uncle tom"?

like most, I am going to see the thing because it's king and i'm interested, and king himself seems to think it's looking good, but I am going to divorce myself from my expectations and just try to appreciated it for what it is, (i'm looking right at you Kubrick! )