Future releases [2]

Halfy, I never read any Asimov so it is all new to me. I don't know if it is a good likeness or not unfortunately. It looks like a bog-standard sci-fi film to me.

Mrs Figg wrote:Halfy, I never read any Asimov so it is all new to me. I don't know if it is a good likeness or not unfortunately. It looks like a bog-standard sci-fi film to me.

I read him along, long time ago, but Asimov is definitely better worth a read. I think ‘I Robot’ is a good introduction, from memory. Don’t think ‘movie’.

the Will Smith version of I Robot was a worse desecration than even what PJ did to The Hobbit.  In both cases you took a charming story (or stories) and tried to make an action flick out of it.

Foundation is turning the empire into something run by monks.   Instead of Cleon II we get Brother Sun or something like that. The hell?

I liked I Robot. One of Will Smith's best. Never read the book though.

I prefer I am Legend as regards Will Smith performances.

The film I Robot was probably pretty good so long as you weren't expecting something completely different. I'm sure lots of people enjoyed the Hobbit films.

I cant remember when I last saw a book adaptation into film that I liked. It was a long time ago anyway. They always seem to disappoint. I liked Life of Pi though.

{{ Got me thinking Figg about what was last good book adaptation I saw in film. And it occurs to me that what could be termed, 'minor' changes by some, actually bother me far more than wholesale changes.
So making Aragorn reluctant, or Faramir a dick and Denethor a cartoon villain but maintaining the broad outline of plot, setting, action and narrative gives me far more crabbit grief than say, The Shining, which is very much Kubricks own thing based off ideas and setting taken from the book, and in many ways goes against the book- particularly in characters and threat, but I can enjoy it just fine as its own thing.
And films which somehow capture the spirit and feel of a book even whilst making substantial changes can get an easier ride with me, Trainspotting for example is a good one for me, I loved the book, and loved the ilm, even thoughin many ways they are very different beasts. But the way Boyle adapted the material was not to lose anything of the characters or essence of the piece and to capture that feel through a distinct visual look, suited to his medium.

So on balance its definently films which try to stay as close to source as possible, but then for some inexplicable, or very stupid reason- 'convention says they must meet an obstacle at that point in a film, the prtoagonist must be proactive in every scene, every characters must go on a journey with set up, obstacles to overcome, success/lesson learnt arcs' ect - that get my crabbit going most. I am more forgiving of a filmmaker that makes a thing their own and uses it as a springboard for something good cinematically in its own right, than those who dont quite have the courage of their own convictions to adapt faithfully, but do so only to a degree as an appeal to the built-in pre-existing books audience. }}

This is looking extremely promising.

{{ Mmm not sold on that as a bit of a Lovecraft fan. Bit short on fishy people if you ask me, and if it wasnt for the flashof tentacle monster thing and Lovecraft in title Id never have even thoughtit had anything ot do with the books.
But I suppose if your going to adapt an author with some troubling racial views making the entire main cast black is one way to try to prevent complaints.
Also anything with Abrams name on it instantly puts me alert

Oddly enough I just started writing a story out of a desire to do a Lovecraftian tale, it folows a US oil company man sent to the west coast of Scotland to check out potential oil fields near a small village next to a mysterious island that has a land bridge that only connects to the mianland a few hours a day. And it mixes Lovecraftian horror with Scottish folklore of the sea. Its sort of Local Hero meets Wicker Man meets Lovecraft. }}

The deeply saturated filmography always perks my interest, as does the sort of noirish acting. I also like the premise of burying a monster story in 1950's American creepy racism. If done well it's a whole new mode of story telling.

Your story sounds interesting Petty. Got my whiskers twitching

{{ Thanks Az. If it gets anywhere im sure Ill post it here. I was tring to finish the Hlafy story I started about 2 years ago! And which only has a couple chapters left to go, but Ive been finding it very difficult in these times to write comedy, and I just amn't feeling it. So horror it is! }}

you cant force something that aint there, so go with the feeling that is there

Maybe after the november elections I'll be more ready for comedy...or horror.

Um.....Naw.

Love the story idea Petty!

Yeah the "Lovecraft Country" isn't very Lovecraftian-sounding.It's not a bad idea for a story, I just think they shouldn't be using Lovecraft's name for it.

The Batman trailer is a teaser, I know, but it's not looking good.

Il give Batman a chance. looks a lot darker to me & I kinda want that.

{{ Batman should be dark, and not a hero- he's filthy rich powerful white guy thats dresses up as a bat and goes out to beat up the poor! }}

I don't think he beats them up because they're poor.

{{ Well you never see him going after corporations or stuff, he just goes to the worst, poorest bits of Gotham and beats up people- who by being there and having to use crime to get by are 00.0% likely to be poor people. So he pretty much only goes after the poor and downtrodden, then knocks the crap out of them. At least seems like viglianty brutality to me. }}

I was sort of expecting that reading of things in this era.

{{ Oh Ive thought this of Batman for a long time. Super wealthy corporate businessman who puts on a bat suit and beats up people who coincidentally are usually poor.
In Killing Joke the Joker origin comic he only gets into crime after being unemployed in the depression, with a heavily pregnant wife at home, he gets talked into working with a crime gang on a one off job to support his family as last desperate measure. Only to meet Batman, get the crap knocked out of him and dumped in a toxic vat.
And not the only time we see Batman take out someone, like a dorman, or a security guard, who is probably hired thinking he's doing a legit job, paying the bills, supporting his family. Then whack, super wealthy guy in a stupid costume who thinks he''s a bat knocks six shades of shit out of you.
I know who I reckon is the weirdo mentally ill villain here! }}

It does sort of explain why all these villains are out to get him.