Movies and Biographies

[meddow]

I can't decide which movie I'm looking forward to least: Watchmen, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 or Y: The Last Man.

Watchmen I've said before that I don't believe should have been made. 300 sucked. I don't think it's going to be any better. Pirates Four has caused me to lose a considerable amount of respect for Johnny Depp. I love the first three movies and y'all know I've been involved in the fandom, but even I can see it's flogging a dead horse.

Y was looking alright for a while until the director announced that they were making the heartbreakingly sad but perfect ending happier, and making it much more about Ampersand. I’m sorry, but they've got some of the most interesting female characters committed to graphic novel, they've got a world in the midst of huge political upheaval and massive social change which acts as a wonderful commentary on gender in modern society, and they've got Yorick/355 which I ship so damn hard, and they're spending more time on the monkey? Are they kidding?

Fail, Hollywood. Fail.

Now if I were a producer, I would be making a Captain Scott biopic. I know there's already one out there, but that was made before his legacy was revised and he starting being viewed as less of a hero and more a man whose flaws killed him (and four others). I've been thinking this for some time since I've always been fascinated with Scott, but at the moment I'm reading Ranulph Fiennes' biography of him. The first chapter of that put me onto the tale of Franklin's lost expedition of the Northwest Passage, another one in which everyone died, but this one's got at 100 year old mystery, scurvy, lead poisoning and cannibalism. All that and I'd never heard of it before. I think this is the start of a phase of me reading a lot of explorers' biographies. I just wish I had more time to read.

Comments

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

I don't want to lose respect for Johnny Depp either. Although clearly something has lured him in. At this stage I'm not sure what. For some reason I don't think it is money (he doesn't strike me as that type of actor), but more the fact that he has become very attached to Captain Jack. The only way I can see it working is what you mentioned to me before - spinoff, not sequel. It *could* be okay, but I'm certainly not holding my breath. I have seen very few people around LJ land who have thought POTC 4 is a good idea.

As for a Captain Scott biopic - in this day and age where biopics are still very popular, you may get lucky. I mean, we get two films about Darwin shortly, apparently, so...

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I think it's the character rather than the money as well. He's got to be set up for his retirement already from the first three. I'm actually starting to think it would be worse as a spin-off. I liked so many of the characters in the trilogy that if you focus on one or two, then it'll just make me long for what I'm missing. But it could work. I should really stop being so cynical and dismissing things before I have any idea what they're going to be about.

I don't know. He's not as controversial as Darwin (whose probably only getting the attention because of intelligent design), but with CGI, you could make one hell of a brilliant looking movie without having to leave LA (or London, since it would require five Brits as the leads). I know that if they put in some dancing penguins, it'd certainly get made.

[frenchroast.livejournal.com]

I'm...unsure about PotC 4. There's a slight chance they can do it well, so I'm hoping for that, but it is hollywood, and they mostly let you down. It's about balance, and Hollywood mostly doesn't balance "OMG, EASY MONEY MAKER! WHOOO!" with "Good plot, good writing, good characters."

You should read Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen. It's about Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigating the world, and while it's thorough and factual, it reads like a novel. One of the best explorer/exploration biographies I've ever read.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yep. The trilogy wrapped up somewhat nicely, so really there's just no point. But then Pirates Four could suck, and it'd still make a tonne of money, so I'm pretty sure that's why it's being made.

Thanks for the book rec :) I'll put it on 'to read' list.

[teleskopos.livejournal.com]

So it is true, then? I recall catching a glimpse of something on one of the news sites I was glancing at about "Pirates 4" and thought it was speculation or something.

But for real?

Johnny Depp, GO TO YOUR CORNER.

:( :( :(

[teleskopos.livejournal.com]

Also, weird wording on that sentence up there. I've been doing this thing lately where I repeat a word within the same sentence. It's annoying.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yep. It's for real. Disney announced it and Johnny Depp's going to be in it. Although, no word yet on the rest of the cast and crew. Kiera Knightly has said she doesn't want to make another Pirates movie, so it will probably be Elizabeth-less (unless the recast).

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

"...and they're spending more time on the monkey?"

I'm just laughing so hard over this sentence. And now I must go in pursuit of Y.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

If you haven't already read it, you should. It's a fantastic series. And there's a monkey.