Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    With the announcement of the Avatar sequels going to Weta it's all but guaranteed that four of the worst films of the coming decade will be made right here, in our fair country. One's heart fills with pride.

    Over the long weekend, I brought irresistibly cheap BluRays of 2001, The Shining and A Clockwork Orange. (Yes, I'm a consumerist drone. Bite me.) New Zealand's film industry would have been a scarier but more interesting place if Stanley Kubrick had decamped to New Zealand instead of England. We'd certainly have gotten used to the sight of whey-faced Warners executives passing through customs, muttering "what the fuck have we done..."

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    In my humble opinion today's piece by Derek Cheng is a reasonable attempt by a Herald columnist. A Hobbit's tale (revised).

    All those facts! In one column! What were they thinking?

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Just for the record, the first Kubrick film in which Warner Brothers had a hand was A Clockwork Orange. 2001 was an MGM joint. (Although the video is distributed by WB these days I imagine.)

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    The Two Towers was always acknowledged by the crew as the most difficult film to make, as "it had no beginning or end", and had the additional problem of inter-cutting storylines appropriately. Jackson even continued editing the film when that part of the schedule officially ended, resulting in some scenes, including the reforging of Andúril, Gollum's back-story, and Saruman's demise, being moved to The Return of the King. Later, Saruman's demise was controversially cut from the cinema edition (but included in the extended edition) when Jackson felt it was not starting the third film effectively enough.As with all parts of the third film's post-production, editing was very chaotic. The first time Jackson actually saw the completed film was at the Wellington premiere. -wiki

    Jackson must so weary of running out of time. Jesus he basically ran out of it last time.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Hergé (George Remi) says he originally saw the Tintin stories as movies, but could only afford to do them as comics... glad he did!

    I remember reading somewhere that if you like film-making but can't stand the actial film-making process, then comics/manga is the way to go.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Just for the record, the first Kubrick film in which Warner Brothers had a hand was A Clockwork Orange. 2001 was an MGM joint.

    Quite right, Gio. I bow to my sensei's superior nerd-fu. :) All the same, you've got to wonder if MGM or Warners would touch a weirdo like Stanley Kubirck with the proverbial barge pole if he was starting out today. I rather doubt even Peter Jackson would be allowed to follow up a commercial and critical flop like Barry Lyndon with a complex shoot on massive sets went months over schedule.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    I was sorry that The Scouring of the Shire got lost from the LOTR films - it was just hinted at with dark visions of enslaved hobbits. To my mind it's a much more satisfying end to the whole saga than that tedious sailing into the sunset. and the soggy story of Sam and Rosie. Pah.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    All the same, you've got to wonder if MGM or Warners would touch a weirdo like Stanley Kubirck with the proverbial barge pole if he was starting out today.

    I doubt it. The only reason why they took the risk back then is that there wasn't a road for commercial guaranted success. Now there is, so they're going to go with that. It would take something like the spectacular failure of a mega-expensive production (say, 600 mil?) done with colour-in book approach by what has sadly become a truly pedestrian director to scare studios into doing something new.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    @Gio: Sadly, you're right. Don't want to get too misty-eyed about the old studio system -- it turned out enormous amounts of fly-blown tripe. But it also produced something as sublime as Some Like It Hot, which closed out the Auckland Film Society season on Tuesday. Compare and contrast with the latest offence against the muses that is Katherine Heigel's film career.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Nobody's perfect, Craig.

    (Sorry, sorry. It was just lying there, waiting for me to pick it up.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Some Like It Hot...in my shortlist of all-time favorites. Such a perfect film.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Jan Farr,

    Now if Jackson could film Nigel Cox's Tarzan Presley as written (and before the US lawyers for Edgar Rice Burroughs came down like a ton of bricks, probably followed by a phalanx from Gracelands) that would be great - Giant wetas and all!

    Given the difficulty of finding a copy of aforementioned and fabulous book, he might have to make do with a grubby little black and white movie about the lawyers.

    Carterton • Since Apr 2008 • 395 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    I remember reading somewhere that if you like film-making but can't stand the actial film-making process, then comics/manga is the way to go.

    Yeah, the poor unrecognised storyboard artist. I remember the unfailingly good-natured Sylvain Despretz popping up on an online storyboard forum a few years back, and ruefully mentioning that, while security types and production-thingies got invites to the premiere of Gladiator, no-one thought to ask him.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Such a perfect film.

    Nobody's perfect.
    ;)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Well, Marilyn M gets damn close to it! It is a near perfect early summer's day too--the front lawn is covered in cherry blossom petals.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    whey-faced Warners executives

    poetry

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    And the keywords in Brian Gaynor's latest column are 'cargo cult' and 'long-term strategy'.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    All the same, you've got to wonder if MGM or Warners would touch a weirdo like Stanley Kubirck with the proverbial barge pole if he was starting out today

    Artists who suffer these days are the hit and miss ones. I think that's the case across the board - TV, music, movies. Interesting-but-unreliable filmakers like Burton will get squeezed out of the game, and people will be working on heavily marketed blockbusters or personl projects that are crammed in around the "real jobs" that pay for them.

    (The most disturbing aspect of a conversation I've had re: The Hobbit was the Unite staffer who seemed to be suggesting that (a) Peter Jackson is going to be "got" and that (b) it's better for actors to be unemployed than work on terms and conditions any less generous than SAG. I rather suspect the latter point isn't actually one many actors would agree with.)

    And the keywords in Brian Gaynor's latest column are 'cargo cult' and 'long-term strategy'.

    Oil and gas is a long-term strategy?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    With the announcement of the Avatar sequels going to Weta it's all but guaranteed that four of the worst films of the coming decade will be made right here, in our fair country. One's heart fills with pride.

    :P

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Oil and gas is a long-term strategy?

    Don't get Millsy started again

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Interesting-but-unreliable filmakers like Burton will get squeezed out of the game

    If only!

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Some Like It Hot ...in my shortlist of all-time favorites. Such a perfect film.

    which means that they are, at this very moment, probably concocting the unnecessary remake with Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher and Shia LaBeouf...
    ...okay throw that tapedeck in the bath, NOW!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I just want Burton to stop using Danny Elfman for his soundtracks. Isn't there an Oingo Boingo reunion he could be undertaking or something?

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    If only!

    Yes, yes, your favourite director sucks.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    I remember reading somewhere that if you like film-making but can't stand the actial film-making process, then comics/manga is the way to go.

    I always liked Jim Steranko's cinematic take on comics, too...
    ...and any Carl Barks Duck comic for Disney stands tall next to Tintin, as far as great adventures go, as well!
    ( Don Rosa does fine work also...)

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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