Finally saw The Dark Tower

[K Frame]

Mtnbkr and I watched it last weekend.

Chris, based on something I found in a discussion here when the movie first came out, that WAS the Horn of Eld in Roland's pack, but it was never mentioned in the movie, either directly or by allusion.

As a movie based on the book series, yeah, it really freaking stank, as in very disappointing. Held up on its own, however, and removed from knowledge or comparison to the series, it was an enjoyable movie. I'm still very disappointed that the movie let down an actor of Idris Elba's monumental talents.

But in our post movie discussion Chris and I came up with a very appropriate, and very direct, comparison... The 1984 version of Dune. For people who have read the books, Dune was one of the most horrific movies ever made. It also came, in original theater release, with a glossary sheet that was handed out as you entered the theater (that's when I knew there were going to be REAL problems).

Yet, in retrospect, I've found that over time I've come to really enjoy Dune, IF I divorce it from the book, which was just incredible on so many levels.

So... Dark Tower is worth seeing, but you have to work hard to separate the movie from the books. If you can't, you're not going to like the movie at all.


Oh, and something I found out... there's going to be a TV series, supposedly coming out later this year, that will fill in a lot of the gaps in the movie.

[makattak]

Mtnbkr and I watched it last weekend.

Chris, based on something I found in a discussion here when the movie first came out, that WAS the Horn of Eld in Roland's pack, but it was never mentioned in the movie, either directly or by allusion.

As a movie based on the book series, yeah, it really freaking stank, as in very disappointing. Held up on its own, however, and removed from knowledge or comparison to the series, it was an enjoyable movie. I'm still very disappointed that the movie let down an actor of Idris Elba's monumental talents.

But in our post movie discussion Chris and I came up with a very appropriate, and very direct, comparison... The 1984 version of Dune. For people who have read the books, Dune was one of the most horrific movies ever made. It also came, in original theater release, with a glossary sheet that was handed out as you entered the theater (that's when I knew there were going to be REAL problems).

Yet, in retrospect, I've found that over time I've come to really enjoy Dune, IF I divorce it from the book, which was just incredible on so many levels.

So... Dark Tower is worth seeing, but you have to work hard to separate the movie from the books. If you can't, you're not going to like the movie at all.


Oh, and something I found out... there's going to be a TV series, supposedly coming out later this year, that will fill in a lot of the gaps in the movie.

 I really like the Dune movie. (I finally got around to reading the book last year, so I saw it long before the book.)

My explanation of the movie to my wife is that it seems they spent good and necessarily long time developing the characters, the background, the inter-house conflicts... and then ran out of money halfway through the movie and just threw together what should have been the second half in 10 minutes.

Having read the book, now, I stand by that characterization. And, as dramatizations of books go, it is probably one of the better movies. (Of course, that's not saying a lot given what hollywood does to books.)

Since I've never read the Dark Tower series, I should probably watch the movie first.

[K Frame]

" I really like the Dune movie. (I finally got around to reading the book last year, so I saw it long before the book."

Same here. I saw the movie in theater release in 1984, but everyone I went with ahd read the book multiple times and just savaged the movie. It didn't really cut back on my enjoyment of it, but I just didn't really enjoy it that much. At the time, though, I think part of that was that I wasn't really into sci-fi books or movies like I am now.

I read the book maybe two years ago...

I plowed through the whole thing in two days. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

[Ben]

I have to agree with most of the above. For The Dark Tower, I did not read the books. Given what I had heard about the movie,  I was expecting a let down, but actually enjoyed it.
 
With Dune, I read the books and I still enjoyed the movie.  Sometimes people get a little overworked about movies not directly following books. Same thing happened with The Lord of the Rings. I really enjoyed the first three movies despite being such an LOTR fanboi that I took a class on it in High School.

One interesting tangent: I had actually read Lonesome Dove without ever having seen the miniseries. I recently reread the book (because I am following up reading the other books in that series, which I have not yet read). I watched the miniseries last month. Had I not read the book first, I would have been a bit WTF? about the miniseries, because scenes switched so much in place and time that had I not read the book,  I wouldn't know what was going on and would have thought it was extremely disjointed. Rather, they were trying to stay true to a nearly 1000 page book in around 12 hours of TV.

Side note: I can no longer read the book without reading Gus's voice in the voice of Robert Duvall.  

[makattak]

I have to agree with most of the above. For The Dark Tower, I did not read the books. Given what I had heard about the movie,  I was expecting a let down, but actually enjoyed it.
 
With Dune, I read the books and I still enjoyed the movie.  Sometimes people get a little overworked about movies not directly following books. Same thing happened with The Lord of the Rings. I really enjoyed the first three movies despite being such an LOTR fanboi that I took a class on it in High School.

One interesting tangent: I had actually read Lonesome Dove without ever having seen the miniseries. I recently reread the book (because I am following up reading the other books in that series, which I have not yet read). I watched the miniseries last month. Had I not read the book first, I would have been a bit WTF? about the miniseries, because scenes switched so much in place and time that had I not read the book,  I wouldn't know what was going on and would have thought it was extremely disjointed. Rather, they were trying to stay true to a nearly 1000 page book in around 12 hours of TV.

Side note: I can no longer read the book without reading Gus's voice in the voice of Robert Duvall.  

I'm a complete nerd for Tolkien.

And the movies were probably the best adaptation of books that you could ever get out of Hollywood. There are quite a few things I disagree with leaving in or leaving out (and don't get me started on how they messed up Eowyn and Faramir!!!), but I doubt anyone could have done better. I love the movies. (Though they are a poor substitute for the books.)

I think the reverse is interesting, too: the books that are made after the movies. I remember reading "Gremlins" and "Gremlins 2" as a child after they came out. (Novelization of the movies.) I have no idea what my opinion would be now, but my recollection is that I found them more enjoyable than the movies, even.

Do they even do novelizations anymore?

[freakazoid]

Well it's actually a sequel to the books... That's why he finally has the Horn of Eld.

[grampster]

I'd been waiting most of my life for the movie made our of ERB Mars Books which I read in high school.  My dad had some first edition hardcovers of all the Mars books, plus others.   John Carter the movie was pretty much a disappointment in some ways but a fun movie in others.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Speaking of Dune and film adaptations, the newer version with William Hurt follows the book much more closely.

[Scout26]

I read Dune in high school and I want say I was somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 way through when it came to me that spice was worm poo... I kinda.lost interest after that and never saw.the movie.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I read Dune in high school and I want say I was somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 way through when it came to me that spice was worm poo... I kinda.lost interest after that and never saw.the movie.