MovieChat Forums > The Dark Tower (2017) Discussion > For all the apparent deviations from the...

For all the apparent deviations from the source, I really hope it's good

posted 8 years ago by brendan_stuart
23 replies | jump to latest

I want the whole story to be told, with the visionary differences the director has from king's original, rather than tripping spectacularly in the first film and subsequent films being quietly shelved.

Long before reading the Dark Tower, I read a young-teen series called the Darren Shan Saga, a story about a boy being turned into a half-vampire, and his introduction to, and life within, the expansive yet hidden vampire world (something akin to Harry Potter's introduction and life with the same kind of expansive yet hidden Wizarding world). Being the exact age the series was targeted for, I was wholly engrossed, reading the whole series in direct succession about 3 or four times. Cut to about 2 years ago, and my younger sister is at that same age. So come christmas, I decide to buy her the series, and just like me, she absolutely loved it.

My point is, at some point I learned that there was actually a film made based on the books. You might be unfortunate enough to have heard of it, maybe cursed enough to have SEEN it: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. Anyway, we watched it together, and both agreed it was god-awful. Not just because of the huge deviations from the source (the biggest one for me being the atmosphere. They turned a thrilling drama into a goofy comedy ffs), but the movie was, in all aspects, garbage. This movie came out 7 years ago, now, and there are precisely NO plans to make the rest of the story into film (the movie covered about 1.5-2 of the 12 books), which is a shame, becuase fixes could have been made. Again, look at Harry Potter: Not that the first 2 films were bad, but the change in atmosphere, setting, theme, etc, from movie 2 to 3 is pretty striking, and all for the better IMHO.

Basically what I'm trying to say is, I don't want to wait all this time, to watch the film pass hands in an eternal limbo, to only see one terrible movie, and the rest of the films dropped like a wet fart. Whether I like the films or not, I'd still rather see the WHOLE, FINISHED story.

Plus, I'm interested to see if Eddie and Susannah will even be incorporated into the story, and if so, who'll play them.

[–] Captain_Wesker 8 years ago

Your attitude is laudable .

Plus, I'm interested to see if Eddie and Susannah will even be incorporated into the story

They are set to appear in a sequel.

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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

So even when it's terrible you'll still want a sequel? That's just sad. FYI, this will tank. There will be no sequels to this trainwreck and that will be solely the fault of all the idiots involved with this film who couldn't even be bothered to pretend to follow the book (would help if any of them had actually read it).

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

This film will make Cirque Du Freak look like an academy award winner.

[–] brendan_stuart 8 years ago

Very blazé, but I understand your point.

Just gunna pick you up on one detail, though. It's small, but quite important, I think. The film is called The Dark Tower, not Gunslinger. While I agree that the film's plot looks like it's going to deviate from the whole story, I think it can be forgiven for not following the whole first book only and entirely, at the very least.

Besides, the way I normalize it in my mind is, I don't see the film as a telling of the story after the first line of the first book, but the telling of the story after the LAST line of the last book.

You're free to your opinion, but I'm optimistic, if not flatout hopeful, that it'll be a good movie in its own right.

[–] Captain_Wesker 8 years ago

Besides, the way I normalize it in my mind is, I don't see the film as a telling of the story after the first line of the first book, but the telling of the story after the LAST line of the last book.

Oh yeah. I've seen this way of thinking more than a few times before. Makes perfect sense to me, given that this film is a sort of cosmic retcon/reboot (as indicated by the presence of the Horn of Eld).

---
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

That entire idea is a joke, just an excuse used by subpar filmmakers to justify their ignorance of the books.

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

This is the first (and after this bombs, only) adaption of the Dark Tower series ever, with that and considering the years of waiting. It deserved a proper adaption.
They could do their PC new cycle bullsh*t after (when it wouldn't kill all chances for a proper version), this is not good enough.

It has been done on the cheap, with a cheap and bad director. Awful producer and writer and cast with an PC agenda. This will be awful. May as well admit that to yourself now.

[–] jerryhammond38 8 years ago

A true adaptation could have been great, or it could have failed for many various reasons. It definitely would not have been complete. Stephen king? Demon sex? Light sabers? I don't think so.

This also has a chance to be great, or a failure, but at least it is new. We don't know what is going to happen and that is awesome. I always wanted the story to keep going.

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

Better to fail at least trying to get it right, which would still please the boom readers for at least getting one faithful film. Than fail while abandoning the story of the books entirely and pleasing no one.

What about this makes you think this will be anything but a total trainwreck? The poor casting, the poor director. The producer who has already called anyone criticising Elba as Roland racist or the fact that it was thrown together on the cheap and looks like YA cr*p?

[–] guyamos 8 years ago

I admire your views of failing but trying to get it right, but respectfully disagree.

I've got to ask though...

What makes you think this will be a total trainwreck? your examples so far have all been opinion based so, as much as they count for you, how can we take your word? Have you seen enough of Elba or Arcel's work out of interest?

I think you've misunderstood the producer calling people racist, if you re-read it clearly says that anyone who's being racist is a racist which is pretty self-explanatory..

"I'm unbelievably proud of it as a collaborator on this enterprise and because I think that he's a great actor and I couldn't be more thrilled that he is likely to play a part... I understand that people who are thoughtful about the storytelling and the racial politics of the storytelling might want to understand how that informs that storytelling, and I respect that and I hear that, and those things are not things we didn't think about or don't think about. The racist *beep* should go *beep* themselves."

Here is the link... http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Dark-Tower-Producer-Has-Blunt-Message-Who-Don-t-Like-Idris-Elba-105537.html

I can see your confusion but it clearly says the opposite of what you've suggested.

May I also ask, what makes you think this is YA targeted? every piece of marketing so far has very much suggested otherwise, I went on a big rant about it a while ago if you're interested in hearing from a different perspective...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648190/board/thread/263058375?d=263084157#263084157

I agree that these days $60 million is not really a lot to spend on a big Hollywood blockbuster but for a film that isn't full of Michael Bay explosions, it's not too bad.

Looking forward to hearing your reply Spidey.

[–] avildsen-610-19446 8 years ago

You put a lot of effort into this. Got to give you that.

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

I'd like to see a sequel come out of this but i see the dilemma. If this movie does well enough at the box office to have one greenlit, then those involved will most likely follow the same formula and it won't be a faithful adaptation of tDotT which is what i would be hoping for.

[–] jerryhammond38 8 years ago

There will most likely never be a true adaptation, and I certainly feel everyone's pain in that.
I just don't see any point in beating a dead horse, or giving it mouth to mouth for that matter.

We are getting what we are getting, and we don't quite know what it is yet. I will let it live or die on its own merits or short comings.

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

or giving it mouth to mouth for that matter



As funny as that is, stop being so objective for once . Surely you feel positive about W&G no?

[–] jerryhammond38 8 years ago

I do, but that is also a big worry because it's my favorite in the series. They better get Cuthbert right or there will be hell to pay. (Read that with Clint Eastwood in your head.)

How will you feel watching it, knowing how it ends?

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

W&G is standalone enough, it would be almost impossible to butcher it so i'm 100% on board with it. 12-13 episodes is great news too. At this point i can't fault it (don't know enough about it to be a grinch yet haha). I'm one of the few that love King's endings so 👍

[–] jerryhammond38 8 years ago

I love his endings too. I really meant we will be watching the whole season, hopefully falling in love with a certain character, but knowing they will meet a certain fate.

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

yep, and i hope they rip my heart out just like King did. Killing off beloved characters is a gift that King has honed to a fine point. In a masochistic way i will love it lol (is that bad?). Except for Wolf. Wolf is an exception to King's sadistic pleasure.

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

But going to watch this knowing how badly they've butchered it and still expecting it to be good and giving it your money. That's a bit like getting on the dead horse and expecting it to run.

[–] jerryhammond38 8 years ago

Are you not going to watch it and see for yourself?

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

I don't pay for cr*p films. For the same reason I have no intention of paying to watch the Assassin's creed film (another film I also knew would be terrible, which is now getting panned).
I will however laugh when it flops and be ready to say I told you so.

[–] williamforrest429 8 years ago

You will go watch who are you kidding? and if it's good you will act like you were on board all along,change your user name and have and post relentlessly about how great it was and how you knew it all along.

[–] Spider198 8 years ago

You would have to pay me to watch this cr*pfest, and it would have to be a lot more than the price of a single movie ticket to watch a hatchet job starring Idris, play the same character in everything, Elba as Roland.
I will be watching for all the people like you who try to pretend they knew it all along about how it wouldn't be a good film when it sinks like a stone at the box office. Gets slaughtered by critics and when it turns out it's as I've said all along and nothing more than an in name only adaption.