25 September 2007
Back from the Lake District. BB was ill all weekend, so not much fell-walking was had. We had a jolly pub lunch in Caldbeck where BB's mum and family lived for a bit and met some of his Grandma's old friends and saw their old house. It was very picturesque and wholesome. They leave their front doors wide open and crime consists of their rare begonias being filched by unscrupulous plant thieves.
I notice The Dark is Rising has been made into a film. I can't wait. I hope it's a good adaptation, although it seems strange that a sizeable proportion of the cast seem to be Canadian.
I notice The Dark is Rising has been made into a film. I can't wait. I hope it's a good adaptation, although it seems strange that a sizeable proportion of the cast seem to be Canadian.
# posted by gilamonster : 17:06
Comments:
<< Home
What wouldn't I give to live in a crime-free paradise. Not like all us Malaysians cowering in our iron-barred bungalows waiting for parang-slashing low-life to break down our back doors and have their way with us.
I suspect it's not as idyllic as one might think on first impressions, but there was a lot of waving at neighbours and old friends and the church and brook look exactly the same as they do in the 45 year old painting BB's grandma has on her wall.
Grumble, grouch. Here it is again.
It appears the movie deviates significantly from the book. From one dismayed reviewer (Daphne Lee in the Star):
I knew it was time for my annual re-read of The Dark is Rising sequence. As it happened, I also needed to recover from the horrors of the trailer for the upcoming movie, based on the second book, from which the series takes its name.
At the moment, there’s a whole lot of ranting and gnashing of teeth going on online. Fans of Susan Cooper’s fantasy quintet are outraged by how the makers of the film have decided to alter the book’s plot and characters.
If you like the book go take a peek at www.seekthesigns.com, but be prepared to be confounded and disappointed. If you have not yet had the pleasure of reading The Dark is Rising, please rush out and get a copy as soon as possible. It really deserves to be read before the movie is released.
And from Wikipedia, the changes:
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising is based on the second book in Susan Cooper's series The Dark is Rising Sequence, titled The Dark is Rising.[4] Walden Media hired screenwriter John Hodge in October 2005 to adapt the story for the big screen.[10] The mythology of Cooper's book was considered to be the plot, and Hodge was tasked to interpret the book into events that could be portrayed in a film.[2] The story, which took place in the 1960s and 1970s in the book, was rewritten to be contemporary. Vikings were included in the film, based on a reference in the book to an old Viking boat which the protagonist discovers.[11]
Hodge rewrote the protagonist Will Stanton, portrayed by Alexander Ludwig, to be thirteen years old instead of eleven, and of American nationality instead of British. Hodge also added subplots that did not exist in the book, including sibling conflicts, a love interest (Amelia Warner), and alienation at school.[12] The character of The Walker, portrayed by Jonathan Jackson, was also rewritten to be significantly younger and more ambiguous in nature, and given a new story arc about the loss of his soul. The script also features the inclusion of many action sequences while seeking to preserve Cooper's narrative.[2]
It appears the movie deviates significantly from the book. From one dismayed reviewer (Daphne Lee in the Star):
I knew it was time for my annual re-read of The Dark is Rising sequence. As it happened, I also needed to recover from the horrors of the trailer for the upcoming movie, based on the second book, from which the series takes its name.
At the moment, there’s a whole lot of ranting and gnashing of teeth going on online. Fans of Susan Cooper’s fantasy quintet are outraged by how the makers of the film have decided to alter the book’s plot and characters.
If you like the book go take a peek at www.seekthesigns.com, but be prepared to be confounded and disappointed. If you have not yet had the pleasure of reading The Dark is Rising, please rush out and get a copy as soon as possible. It really deserves to be read before the movie is released.
And from Wikipedia, the changes:
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising is based on the second book in Susan Cooper's series The Dark is Rising Sequence, titled The Dark is Rising.[4] Walden Media hired screenwriter John Hodge in October 2005 to adapt the story for the big screen.[10] The mythology of Cooper's book was considered to be the plot, and Hodge was tasked to interpret the book into events that could be portrayed in a film.[2] The story, which took place in the 1960s and 1970s in the book, was rewritten to be contemporary. Vikings were included in the film, based on a reference in the book to an old Viking boat which the protagonist discovers.[11]
Hodge rewrote the protagonist Will Stanton, portrayed by Alexander Ludwig, to be thirteen years old instead of eleven, and of American nationality instead of British. Hodge also added subplots that did not exist in the book, including sibling conflicts, a love interest (Amelia Warner), and alienation at school.[12] The character of The Walker, portrayed by Jonathan Jackson, was also rewritten to be significantly younger and more ambiguous in nature, and given a new story arc about the loss of his soul. The script also features the inclusion of many action sequences while seeking to preserve Cooper's narrative.[2]
Aaargh. Why do they do that? The book was perfectly good as it was. And the longboat is not a Viking boat - it's based on English paganism. Sheesh.
Fumie, that's not nice. Anyway, Canadians cost a bit more than Americans as of last night.
I've never heard of this series - must investigate as we're reading Anne of Green Gables at the moment and while I'm enjoying it, the G is only scraping by.
I've never heard of this series - must investigate as we're reading Anne of Green Gables at the moment and while I'm enjoying it, the G is only scraping by.
Ooh, you definitely must. The author is Susan Cooper and the books in the series are:
Over Sea, Under Stone
The Dark is Rising
Greenwitch
The Grey King
Silver on the Tree
It's full of references to Arthurian legend and old pagan folklore. Really good.
Post a Comment
Over Sea, Under Stone
The Dark is Rising
Greenwitch
The Grey King
Silver on the Tree
It's full of references to Arthurian legend and old pagan folklore. Really good.
<< Home
