Upcoming Films

Similar to Touching the Void, The Summit uses a combination of reconstructions, interviews and actual footage to unravel the mystery behind the disastrous attempt to scale K2 in 2008, where 11 climbers died. I hadn't heard of this until I came across the trailer, which freaked me out. I can't wait for it to come out, because it looks fantastic.

Since Charlie Hunnam decided not to kill his career, the poor saps at Focus Features may as well hire Alex Pettyfer as Christian Grey. That would make how many potential franchises he has brought to a screeching halt?

Grainne Mhaol wrote:Similar to Touching the Void, The Summit uses a combination of reconstructions, interviews and actual footage to unravel the mystery behind the disastrous attempt to scale K2 in 2008, where 11 climbers died. I hadn't heard of this until I came across the trailer, which freaked me out. I can't wait for it to come out, because it looks fantastic.

Wow, the scenery is amazing and the overall story is gripping, so I'll probably see this. In the theatre if possible, for the panoramas!

So apparently Joseph Gordon Levitt is in talks to direct and star in a 'Sandman' movie adaptation. I like him a lot, but I think the panel Comics Alliance picked there to illustrate that news item was my reaction, pretty much. This is such a doomed property, movie wise, this proposed film will probably get stuck in development hell just like all the others, but I'm still interested to see what people think about it.

I'm so over Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I'm tired of seeing him on the short list for *everything*.

Unspoiler for Gone Girl: they changed the ending, and reconstructed the whole story. Given how I felt about the book, this could be a really GOOD thing. Like someone on my Twitter feed hopefully offered can we hope for a

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I thought the ending was what anchored the whole book, to be honest - that the author didn't go for the expected ending was something I quite liked. I had a few minor issues with the book but the ending wasn't one of them.

I've been reading a few articles lately about the re-write and my feeling at this point is, depending on how much and in what way the ending and the events leading up to it are changed, it might end being different story entirely that's filmed and not the book. I totally understand that all books are tweaked (to a greater or lesser extent) when they're adapted for the screen, but to really alter the ending on this one is, IMO, changing a very fundamental part of the story itself. The author chose to play out the story in the way she did for the book - that's the story and the characters, for better or worse. For me, a lot of the impact of the book came from the ending. To have it be more typical or expected would be a shame, I think (if that's the direction they end up going in, of course).

The ending made me SO ANGRY when I first read it. Like throw the book across the room angry. But after I sat with it for a while, I realized it made sense. I hope she

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I heard about the re-write as well and I really hope

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I totally get why people (my entire book club, for example) hate the ending, but I really liked it because it was the only way I could think of to make sure

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Am I the only one hugely surprised by Neil Patrick Harris' casting? (He'll be great, though.) I pictured Desi as a South Asian!  It didn't occur to me that it could be short for Desmond.

Fincher is very wise to change the ending.  He can't fuck this up after the quite good but bloodless Girl With A Dragon Tattoo.  While Gone Girl's finale was shocking, sneaky and ironic (not least because

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it is also very literary.  

When I read the book I couldn't work out how the ending would film without seeming too cutesy and pat for its own good.  The ending was successful in the novel because of the sudden and severe adrenaline crash, which does not work on film as viewers are forced respond immediately and have no chance to contemplate.  After such a venomous and tortuous plot,  audiences will be pissed.  In a film that it will appear as more a cliffhanger than an ending after events that have audiences wanting blood, anyone's blood.  I was guessing

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as well!  But unless Affleck is exaggerating (and he probably is), Flynn is rewriting the entire third act, however the puzzle pieces are changed, at least she is still in charge.

Are we sure Labor Day didn't get lost on its way to the Hallmark Channel? I kept waiting for the trailer to tell us it was "based on the bestselling Lonely Housewives Book Club book." Kate Winslet, you are better than this!

I kept waiting for "Based on the Nicholas Sparks best seller!"

Drew at Hitfix sort of suggests that all this talk about a different ending may be overblown, because the whole plot has to be restructured to make it cinematic. I'm still not clear on exactly what this means for the ending, but I appreciate the perspective of how much work it must be to adapt a book that relies on the written word so much for the screen. This is Gillian Flynn's first screenplay, right? Sounds like a hell of a task.

Jason Reitman has done good work with less than stellar novels before, but I think Labor Day may break his streak. The novel, while beautifully written in some sections, really is pretty terrible and I find the situation that gets the story rolling essentially unbelievable as written. From what I've seen in the trailers and while they were filming at my library he hasn't really changed it much, so I don't have a high hopes. Then again, I've heard that both Winslet and Gattlin Griffith really sell it, so I hope I'm wrong.

So it IS based on a crappy book! I knew it!

Labor Day is Oscar bait that isn't being released nationally until Super Bowl weekend, two weekends after the Oscar nominations would have been announced. The studio knows they have a have a turkey on their hands and all those ads with that Rihanna song can't save it.

inversed wrote:So it IS based on a crappy book! I knew it!

I was just reading a plot synopsis and jesus, it's like Days of Our Lives level of drama shenanigans.

I've SEEN it. Its AWFUL. Like SO BAD. And I REALLY like Reitman's previous films. I have since Thank You For Smoking. BUT JUST AWFUL.

Like what a letdown from Young Adult. Also the cast is wasted. They are good but...no one could make this work.

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Kiran, does the film include the kid talking to a librarian at the circulation desk? That's my co-worker, in what would have been my part if not for wardrobe issues.

Yeah it does. Be glad you are only second hand associated with this hot ass mess.

Noah looks like the worst movie ever. It's like they're trying to turn a bible story into 300. I think I'd be more offended that they've managed to whitewash Jews out of biblical stories, if it didn't look quite so bad.

Whenever I see the commercial I start singing the Ned Flanders Noah song: "God said to Noah, build yourself an arkie-arkie." Russel Crowe singing that would be the only saving grace for the film. That and if the voice of God tells him to build a big room for poo.

rivki8699 wrote:Noah looks like the worst movie ever. It's like they're trying to turn a bible story into 300. I think I'd be more offended that they've managed to whitewash Jews out of biblical stories, if it didn't look quite so bad.

While the lack of melanin in sword and sandals movies is pretty endemic, I don't think the word "Jew" would technically apply to any of these characters, as they predate Abraham.

Yeah, I agree. It happens so early in Genesis and the place of occurrence is rather vague.