One to Skip.

[kragore]

*Final Edit*
Yay Hollywood for confusing me.
2 kid's fantasies, 2 character's named Will, 2 time-spotty storylines. It was bound to happen.
"The Dark is Rising" looks to suck. Go see it at Apple Trailers. Cringe.
"The Golden Compass" (first of "His Dark Materials") looks definately Not to Suck.
Angry Armored Polar Bears! The trailer can be found at IMDB.com.
Sorry for the confusion, - K.
*end final edit*



I love the series called "His Dark Materials" (Golden Compass, etc,) by Susan Cooper. It's a young adult fantasy with deep theological roots.
They were/are turning it into a movie, and I just heard the interview with the author on NPR. I had been looking forward to it.

I can't explain how *sad* she sounded talking about how they've "adapted" (re: gutted and americanized,) her book.
I can't wrap my head around the statements the director made, (the same guy who did "Trainspotting".)

I wanted to see it, but now I wish they hadn't made it.
WIll isn't British, (they made him American so he wouldn't be confused with Harry Potter.)
He also isn't 11, he's 13 in the movie, which, for anyone who's read the book, means there's going to be horrible plot mutilations. (There really was a good reason he was 11, you cocky director asshole.)

They've also changed the name 3 times now, (from "Dark Matter" to "The Seaker: Dark Matter" to "The Seaker")

There has been no mention of Laura, Pan and the Polar Bears.


I have a feeling I'm going to be completely and thoroughly disgusted by this adaptation. Which was sad, because Peter Jackson prooved you can (mostly) remain loyal to a story and still sell it.

- k.

**EDIT** - Having just watched the trailer - They may have used the name, but the story, (from what I can gleen from that steaming pile of pop-candy shlock,) isn't anything like the books I love.

Go read the books. Be irritated that they took what could have been a fabulous movie made it Dumb. Because they think the lowest common denominator is acceptable.

Comments

[nomadmwe.livejournal.com]

I remember that LeGuin had a very similar response to the Sci-Fi adaptation of "A Wizard of Earthsea". They mutilated the book in so, so many ways. It was awful.

While I recognize that authors need money too, I can't fathom publishing something without leaving myself an utter stranglehold over any film rights, and should a studio want to buy them, telling them "I get creative control, or you don't get the rights."

But then, money's money. Or people just set up contracts and don't think about it.

[kragore.livejournal.com]

I guess many screenplays have been written going back over 20 years, (one by Cooper herself) and this one got traction, what with the sucess of all the other fantasy movies lately. It sounded from the interview that none had ever really gotten the true essance of the books, though her's was the closest.

Movie houses are looking for more cash cows like LoTR and HP, and His Dark Materials got caught under the fantasy bus.

She did write a long list of suggestions, but she sounded highly doubtful they were listened to.



Sad Polar Bear.
- k.

[nomadmwe.livejournal.com]

As an aside, I saw the trailer for "The Dark is Rising" and thought exactly the same thing. Awesome young adult fantasy book/series. I think you'd love it.

The movie?

Hollywoodized schlock. Awful.

[kragore.livejournal.com]

That's the same series - I think all the changes and Americanization crap I heard about it is getting me confused about the actual name of the darn thing..
- K.

[nomadmwe.livejournal.com]

I reread your post, this time for content! Yayz for bleary sniffles.

His Dark Materials was Pullman, I think.

Dark is Rising was Cooper.


Pullman has angry polar bears.

Cooper has cool celtic/arthurian myth stuff.

I think, upon rereading, you were absolutely describing Cooper's book (Will was 11, British, etc), but confusing it with Pullman (polar bears, Pan, Laura).

Given how they're being treated by Hollywood, this confusion is a) understandable and b) totally ironic. :)

[kragore.livejournal.com]

Want Angry Polar Bears!!! In Angry Polar Bear Armor!

I think I was confusing them: 2 fantasies, 2 Will's, 2 time-spotty story lines. The mistake was bound to happen.

Still annoyed they took *that* great book and set it to a candy-pop sound track.
- k.

[nomadmwe.livejournal.com]

I think I was confusing them: 2 fantasies, 2 Will's, 2 time-spotty story lines. The mistake was bound to happen.

Totally.

(The Seeker?! WTF? I mean, maybe they're changing it to that for the Harry Potter reference? And in case they can't pull a sequal off? 'Cause "The Dark is Rising" sounds very much like a lead-in, y'know?)

I'm not sure what's worse - candy-pop soundtrack or generic fantasyoid that's clearly reminiscent of LotR but is just fake-epic sounding.

[kragore.livejournal.com]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385752/trailers-screenplay-E34503-10-2

YAY ANGRY POLAR BEARS!!!!

This one does not look to suck as badly...
- k.

[lordbleys.livejournal.com]

WTF?
OK, I saw the trailer on TV for The Seeker and thought to myself.
"Holy frack, it's the Russian Horror/Matrix film "Nightwatch". When the hell did this movie get greenlighted? And why isn't Stalin picketing?"


Sorry to hear that it's another great book bastardized and sodomized by Nazi Sex Midgets (I hate those guys) until it became an Amer'ican film.



Grrrrr

[lordbleys.livejournal.com]

Night Watch trailer...


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403358/trailers-screenplay-E27962-10-2