MovieChat Forums > Childhood's End (2015) Discussion > The "Devil" thing

The "Devil" thing

posted 9 years ago by ehaas-3
11 replies | jump to latest

I thought this was a fairly decent updating and translation into a visual medium of the novel, and I loved a lot of the visuals. But I think they were a little too literal in their interpretation of "the Overlords look like the Devil!" plot point.

The concept is good. Even on earth (or in the same country or city for that matter) what is completely normal to one group may be threatening to another. There's no reason aliens couldn't remind us of things in our mythologies. And remember that even if you believe in demons, the Overlord type of image has no theological basis and has it's origins in late medieval art.

But he looked like he stepped right out of an old European painting or a heavy metal album cover. I would have rather had the Overlords look more alien, but their basic profile (horns, wings, hoofs, tail--or organs that seem to be these things) be suggestive of the popular concept of demons.

It would have also been interesting to know the reaction of people whose cultures don't view evil spirits this way (the vast majority of humans) and the effect or lack thereof on non-religious people. For that matter, the reactions of Satanists and metal fans would have been fun.

[–] nyarlath 9 years ago

You mean like this?
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/7a/70/ee/7a70ee01c5a14c89e916bcb2e56eaa9a.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2a/3c/60/2a3c60007194b171b9301b051601d409.jpg

personally I like this better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdDoFQK4Rrs

[–] BigRich 9 years ago

I would have rather had the Overlords look more alien

The Overlord's in the book looked like this: https://pbmo.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/overlord.jpg

_
Every person that served can be called a veteran, but not every veteran can be called a Marine.

[–] Flosive 9 years ago

The Overlord's in the book looked like this: https://pbmo.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/overlord.jpg

No, that's just another artist's interpretation. The original book makes it clear that the Overlords look exactly like mythological demons from Hell.

[–] jpfurlong79 8 years ago

Actually, the book describes them as jet black, with insect-like carapaces, no mouths as we know them, and with strange gill-like organs on their necks. Wayne Barlowe's illustration above pretty much nails it.

[–] nnq2603 8 years ago

Thanks for referent.

[–] lauraroze 9 years ago

Agree. I have not read the book and was waiting for a "big reveal" on this very subject. The overlords' uncanny appearance seemed too much a coincidence and, to me, was enormously loose end that was never tied up. (They also reminded me of Satan from South Park, which made me chuckle)

I thought perhaps the aliens had once come to earth thousands of years ago, (perhaps before written language) and ended up making an (likely negative) imprint on all of western religion.

[–] Flosive 9 years ago

The overlords' uncanny appearance seemed too much a coincidence and, to me, was enormously loose end that was never tied up.

It was explained both in the book and the TV series. The immense psychic shock of the change sent a memory of the Overlords back through time within the human psyche. When a man in the middle ages dreamt of demons, he was in fact remembering them from the great change in the future.

[–] jpfurlong79 8 years ago

That's how it was explained in the novel, yes. It was absolutely NOT addressed as such in the series, however. They showed an old tapestry with the overlords depicted on it, made the supposition that they must have visited us in the past, then never spoke of it again. It was a spectacularly epic adaptational fail, much like the entire miniseries itself. ?

[–] HillmanHunter77 8 years ago

It was addressed in the series. Near the end, Milo asked Karrellen when they had prev been to Earth. He told him they never had and then went on to give the explanation of a primal fear based on a future memory of the end of humankind.

_____

"Football in the groin, football in the groin"

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jpfurlong79 8 years ago

Hmm. Are you sure? I don't recall that at all, which is strange because I was waiting for them to address it the entire time. Do you recall which scene, by chance? I may need to rewatch that part.