Kevin's Watch

If you were adapting LFB for either a film or webcomic etc

which characters would you have to have and which characters

could you managed without?

These Are the one I would have to have (correct grammer???):

Covenant
Lena
FoamFollower
Atiaran
Mhoram
Bannor
Foul (maybe in CG?)
Berek (in flashbacks)
Prothall


These are the ones I could do without:

Trell
The other new lords
The other bloodguard
The raman

Considering his place in TPTP, I doubt you could cut Trell.

Unless you delegate that role to Atiaran, in which case someone else needs to summon Troy.

considering the emotional impact of their deaths at soaring woodhelven, I doubt you can cut Variol and Tamarantha.

Can't cut any. It would leave huge holes in the Chronicles.

Ur Dead wrote:Can't cut any. It would leave huge holes in the Chronicles.

Agreed. Triock and Trell must be there because of their imporance in TPTP. Korik must be there because of his importance in TIW, and Tuvor because of his death in Kiril Threndor. Birinair, Tohrm, Quaan, etc etc....

Fullmetal660 wrote:These Are the one I would have to have (correct grammer???):

Covenant
Lena
FoamFollower
Atiaran
Mhoram
Bannor
Foul (maybe in CG?)
Berek (in flashbacks)
Prothall


These are the ones I could do without:

Trell
The other new lords
The other bloodguard
The raman

Blasphemous. Just...blasphemous. You can't CUT from Donaldson. Are you crazy? I expect that from a hollywood director, but from a fan of the books? How could you even suggest such a thing?

Thank you for all your responses so far. I would like to know if my avatar pic looks gaunt?

In reply to rdhopeca post, I feel it would be possible to dispense with Variol and Tamarantha if one had to be ruthless, as Tamarantha's creation story could be possibly given to another character, for example.

However, judging from the comments so far, it looks as if you would have to consider the First Chronicles as a whole, rather than three distinct books.

Donaldson is different from most fantasy authors in that he does not make detours on paper. He has stated it many times throughout the GI etc. that he only invents what is necessary for the story, to understand the world, the background, the motivation of the characters etc. Therefore it is impossible to cut anything without emasculating the story. How could one cut Trell, when his struggle and his personal desecration ritual is so much vital to the understanding of the nature of desecration and provides such a contrast to Mhoram's understanding of it? And this is just one example. I could not name one single vent that is not crucial to the understanding of the bigger picture, Lord Foul's schemes and machinations etc.

I'd rather not see this story converted to a film.

I would condense both the three primary Bloodguard and Warhafts to two persons,

I would make the it Kevin's Krill and get rid of Loric's tale completely,

I might leave Birinair at Revelstone, having Tamaramtha be a former wood-person before her Loresraat days and have her survive Burning Woodhelvin, and use Birinair on Koric's Mission in IW to give that part someone we know slightly,

Another option is to have FF save Cov and Atiar in Andelain instead of an UnFettered,

I'd cut Gay, as I always thought the whole Rue thing was gay in IW, leaving only Lithe to get to know from Ra,

I'd cut Tom Bombidil as it would defeat some of the theme that the ring is all powerful if some little singing guy in silly clothing is not affected by it at all.


Wait...where am I again?

Yeah. Radagombidil keeps showing up all over the Chrons (1st UnF and Cariol Wildwood).

WOOW!

I can't see cutting any of it.
Limitiing time on some of the side charactors stories is one thing (i guess the movie can't last as long as the novels), but now you guys are talking about doing the same thing that hollywood has been doing to way to many of my favorite books for way to long..... accually raping and ruining the whole thing.

i mean jeez, look at what they did to "the lord of the rings", let alone how they demollished90 % of the Stephen King movies.

I say BullSh*t,... you might as well write your own sceen-play and name it "The Chronicles of Thomas Cobane", or what-ever!!!

makes me want to piuk just thinking about it.

Could the scene in the Heers Chamber at Soaring Woodhelven

( LFB, pg.157- 164) work with only Llaura and Baradakas ?

bane wrote:WOOW!

I can't see cutting any of it.
Limitiing time on some of the side charactors stories is one thing (i guess the movie can't last as long as the novels), but now you guys are talking about doing the same thing that hollywood has been doing to way to many of my favorite books for way to long..... accually raping and ruining the whole thing.

i mean jeez, look at what they did to "the lord of the rings", let alone how they demollished90 % of the Stephen King movies.

I say BullSh*t,... you might as well write your own sceen-play and name it "The Chronicles of Thomas Cobane", or what-ever!!!

makes me want to piuk just thinking about it.

I'm glad you care about the books...

...but if you know that they have only three hours to make a nine hour film, why don't you appreciate the attempt? or at least, why do you bother to see the films then, knowing that they HAVE to make some cuts and changes? Wouldn't you want the wider audience to at least experience most of what you have?

For me, on reconsidering the question, I'd cut Variol and Tamarantha simply because Prothall is the main Lord in the first book, not Mhoram...and his parents really never factor much into who he becomes

I'd also make Drool a little more intelligent and imposing...I mean, who really wants to see Jar-Jar Golluman? Anyone? Plus, the Cavewights used to be good way-way back and are their own race

I'd make Lena fifteen years old (whereas I always imagined her more thirteen)

I'd get rid of Cov's self-deal to manipulate his daughter into taking the burden...that was just dispicable and would destroy any empathy the audience was feeling

Hmmm....

I'd cut all the characters and make it about a talking 18-wheeler named Thomas.

Cagliostro wrote:I'd cut all the characters and make it about a talking 18-wheeler named Thomas.

So would you use angry-looking red Corvettes for the Ravers?

Cagliostro wrote:I'd cut all the characters and make it about a talking 18-wheeler named Thomas.

Hey, Cag...have you seen Spielberg's first film, Duel?

Fullmetal660 wrote:These are the ones I would have to have:
Covenant
Lena
FoamFollower
Atiaran
Mhoram
Bannor
Foul (maybe in CG?)
Berek (in flashbacks)
Prothall

These are the ones I could do without:
Trell
The other new lords
The other bloodguard
The raman

Great list.

I'd add to the keepers:
- Joan & Roger
- Creator/Beggar
- Drool (but I'd have Jehannum control Drool at times, giving Drool's
character issues a rest...it always seemed somewhat ludicrous
that someone so dumb could do so much even with Foul's
teachings and guidance. I think having Drool Rave would shine
more light on the Jehannum mystery/plotline for the audience
too)
- Garth (we need a Warward leader at least introduced during the
first council, though he doesn't need any dialogue afterword)
- Quaan (we need a Warward leader for IW, though his role as
doubter of Cov is already taken by HT in that story)

Thoughts on cut list:
- At least one of the three non-primary Lords has to be kept to stay
and defend/keep Revelstone (I love Osandrea's demeanor)
- I love Tuvor's death scene, but it would probably interrupt the pacing
of the film with where and when it happens, plus, I never thought Cov
had enough of a relationship with Tuvor for his death to merit such
an impactful scene and for Tuvor to care so much about Cov's opinion
of him...I always felt that Cov would care far more about THEIR opinion o
him as they kind of know what he's going through in his dedication to
his own vow and what it demands of him in staying alive. Obviously
Tuvor has to exist to guard a Lord, but he doesn't have to be named
or have dialogue while Koric has to be there, but he only needs
just one scene where he would be noted by the audience, setting up
his role in IW
- If you get rid of the Raman as a whole, you lose the only reconciliation
Cov displays towards Lena (sending the Ranyhyn to her each year)
which is absolutely paramount in bringing the audience's Covenant
Despisement Meter down, along with losing a visually fantastic scene
(Ranyhyn rear to Cov and Pietten isn't afraid of being trampled). You
would also loose the Manthrall representing her people's part in this
quest, rep'ing as a major culture in the Land in the mind's eye of the
audience

Adding to the cut list:
- Triock (Only if Trell -and therefore his RoD in PTP- would be cut. I'd
then give Triock's overall role and journey to Trell. If Triock
would be kept, I might look into adding him in one of the
Mithil scenes...I don't think we actually met him until later...
could be wrong though)
- Lawyer from opening scenes, maybe the boobs in the building too
- Animals from the Celebration attack (UnFettered would have to attack
in some other way)
- Lluara (I'd have Baradakas handle all the roles/dialogue from Soaring
Woodhelvin and have him replace Lluara's role with Pietten,
creating a mirror where Cov might see what he wished for
between himself and Roger. This could create some fatherly
feelings in him towards Pietten, maybe feelings of responsability,
which would make Pietten's actions in PTP all the more distressing
for Cov...and us. OR cut Baradakas and have Lluara represent
all characters from Soaring Woodhelvin)
- Tohrm (If Trell's RoD is cut, Tohrm has no thematic purpose...if not, I
think he'd wouldn't make it)

On the block:
- Birinair (he's vital in creating the tense mood just prior to Burning
Woodhelving; he's vital in helping the audiences understanding
of the Wood Lore; his sacrifice in the mountain leading to
finding the Second Ward is a very emotionally satisfying scene
and memory; his name is cool !!! his Lore might make it
confusing for the audience to follow already having to get a
grasp of the Lord's power too; there are too many characters
introduced halfway through the story/film, his may get chopped
just for time constraint; Variol could die at Burning Woodhelvin
while Tamarantha could choose to stay alive and die leading
the Quest to the Second Ward, replacing Birinair's role therefore
giving Mhoram's parent's deaths more meaning and relevance
as there sacrifices would then have a larger effect on both the
narrative and Mhoram's emotional journey in PTP)
- Kevin (I wouldn't cut him, persay, just spend the least amount of time
needed on him as not to confuse the audience with Berek)
- Loric & Damelon (keeping Berek and Kevin's stories separate was
hard for me the first time around and I assume it
would be the same for an average audience, let alone
adding Loric and Damelon's to the mix. I'd probably
have Atiaran and FF mention each in passing without
focusing on either until IW)

jacob Raver, sinTempter wrote: Hey, Cag...have you seen Spielberg's first film, Duel?

Only in my imagination, but not in reality.

Akasri wrote:
So would you use angry-looking red Corvettes for the Ravers?

That's it! It takes two good ideas to start something wonderful. Let's start making this movie!