The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!

Fed up talking videogames? Why?
User avatar
sawyerpip
Member
Joined in 2009

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by sawyerpip » Thu May 04, 2017 10:21 am

Poser wrote:Thing is, the Drawing of Three is the sort of narrative that would be dealt with by the first act of any standard Hollywood film. It simply isn't reasonable to expect a major studio-produced film to dwell on detail in the same way that King does, and certainly in such a non-linear way.

I can imagine there being a really decent origin story, that covers perhaps young gunslinger and his training, through to the events of Wizard and Glass.

(Must flag, I've only read the first four so far and am currently on The Black House. Next DT book (5) is next on the list.)


Just a heads up, if you've only read the first four I would avoid reading any articles about the film, some of them seem to be a bit casual about spoiling the end of the series.

User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Poser » Thu May 04, 2017 10:27 am

sawyerpip wrote:
Poser wrote:Thing is, the Drawing of Three is the sort of narrative that would be dealt with by the first act of any standard Hollywood film. It simply isn't reasonable to expect a major studio-produced film to dwell on detail in the same way that King does, and certainly in such a non-linear way.

I can imagine there being a really decent origin story, that covers perhaps young gunslinger and his training, through to the events of Wizard and Glass.

(Must flag, I've only read the first four so far and am currently on The Black House. Next DT book (5) is next on the list.)


Just a heads up, if you've only read the first four I would avoid reading any articles about the film, some of them seem to be a bit casual about spoiling the end of the series.


:lol: Awesome, thanks for the warning. I'm hoping to get everything read before I see the film but not sure how realistic that is at my current pace.

User avatar
sawyerpip
Member
Joined in 2009

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by sawyerpip » Thu May 04, 2017 11:08 am

Poser wrote:
sawyerpip wrote:
Poser wrote:Thing is, the Drawing of Three is the sort of narrative that would be dealt with by the first act of any standard Hollywood film. It simply isn't reasonable to expect a major studio-produced film to dwell on detail in the same way that King does, and certainly in such a non-linear way.

I can imagine there being a really decent origin story, that covers perhaps young gunslinger and his training, through to the events of Wizard and Glass.

(Must flag, I've only read the first four so far and am currently on The Black House. Next DT book (5) is next on the list.)


Just a heads up, if you've only read the first four I would avoid reading any articles about the film, some of them seem to be a bit casual about spoiling the end of the series.


:lol: Awesome, thanks for the warning. I'm hoping to get everything read before I see the film but not sure how realistic that is at my current pace.


It's doable, although I guess it is more difficult if your reading list includes a lot of the other King books that feature in the series.

I really need to re-read it myself as the last time was probably when the final book came out. I havent read all of the other works that feature either, Hearts in Atlantis is a big one I missed. And the Wind through the Keyhole book that got released a few years ago.

User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Poser » Thu May 04, 2017 11:20 am

sawyerpip wrote:It's doable, although I guess it is more difficult if your reading list includes a lot of the other King books that feature in the series.

I really need to re-read it myself as the last time was probably when the final book came out. I havent read all of the other works that feature either, Hearts in Atlantis is a big one I missed. And the Wind through the Keyhole book that got released a few years ago.


That's what I've been doing. I took a long break for the past 10 months or so as the new baby meant my head was a bit fried and I was struggling to concentrate on reading. But I'm back on it now: I've just done Hearts of Atlantis and I can definitely recommend it. It was very enjoyable. (There are two novellas, and three short stories. I didn't like one of the short stories very much, but it really was brief).

I basically am doing the long list that Memento Mori posted on here ages ago - his notes in the spoiler box below. Everything I've read so far in bold (I've been at it for two years in total now, though that includes the long break :slol: )

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (2004 revised edition)
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Stand (uncut edition)- While more tangential than some of the stuff I've left here, it's a good book and features a fairly major Dark Tower character.
The Talisman This is less connected to the Dark Tower books than its sequel Black House but you can't really read Black House without it and Black House is pretty heavy on Dark Tower relevance. I'm half convinced the writers of True Detective ripped off Black House massively.
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
Salem's Lot Don't skip this.
The Mist (Collected in Skeleton Crew)- This is skippable to be honest, though I like the story and I've been meaning to watch it on Netflix too. The reason I'm mentioning it is because Skeleton Crew has one of the most horrifying stories by King I've ever read (Survivor Type). No DT mythos in it but everyone should read that story. :lol:
It Almost entirely tangential to Dark Tower but if you're going to read King you need to read It, it's amazing.

Insomnia When you're reading this you'll probably be thinking it has massive DT significance but in the end not really. :lol: I'd still read it, but do so after It. It's a good book.
Everything's Eventual A cool short story but Little Sisters of Eluria in the same anthology is more DT relevant.
The Little Sisters of Eluria (Collected in Everything's Eventual) Dark Tower prologue story.
Hearts In Atlantis A really great anthology where the stories are all interconnected. Several DT characters feature.

Black House See my notes for The Talisman
The Wind Through the Keyhole This was the eighth DT book released but it's set right before V. Read it.
The Dark Tower Book V: Wolves of the Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower


I had to skip Insomnia. I've read it before and when I started, it just wasn't clicking. This was immediately post-baby, though, so perhaps the title was a little too close to home :lol:

User avatar
Rik_
Member
Joined in 2015

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Rik_ » Thu May 04, 2017 12:04 pm

One missing from that list is Ur from the Bazaar of Bad Dreams anthology (also as a separate ebook I think), adds a bit to the mythos of the Tower. BOBD is also a really good collection on the whole so it's worth a read.
But yeah, I'm in the same boat, reason I stopped midway through the opening act of Wolves of the Calla was I realised I'd probably better read 'Salem's Lot first. And then took several months to actually get round to buying a copy, woops. I also really couldn't get into Insomnia, was going to go back to it a while ago but can't remember where I put it for the life of me.

PSN - Rik2209
Switch - SW-7686-7983-2581
Discord - rik#3968
User avatar
Squinty
Member
Joined in 2009
Location: Norn Oirland

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Squinty » Thu May 04, 2017 1:54 pm

Yeah, Salem's Lot is pretty important to this series later on. It's a good book as well, well worth a read.

I wish I could recommend The Stand as well, but the end of it is strawberry floating horrendous. Such a shame, as the first part of the story is strawberry floating amazing.

User avatar
abcd
Emeritus
Joined in 2008
AKA: abcd

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by abcd » Thu May 04, 2017 4:10 pm

At first I was a bit put off by the trailer. But then I read what the verge have said about it...

https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/3/15528 ... -explainer

It now sort of makes sense.

Don't read this if you're still reading the books.

Image
User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Poser » Thu May 04, 2017 4:22 pm

Riksilver wrote:One missing from that list is Ur from the Bazaar of Bad Dreams anthology
But yeah, I'm in the same boat, reason I stopped midway through the opening act of Wolves of the Calla was I realised I'd probably better read 'Salem's Lot first. And then took several months to actually get round to buying a copy, woops. I also really couldn't get into Insomnia, was going to go back to it a while ago but can't remember where I put it for the life of me.


I have the .mobi files for pretty much every Stephen King book, if anyone with a Kindle or similar wants me to hook them up.

Off the top of your head, would you happen to know where Ur fits into that list? I have that anthology (actually as a hardcover) so will definitely read that as well.
Squinty wrote:Yeah, Salem's Lot is pretty important to this series later on. It's a good book as well, well worth a read.

I wish I could recommend The Stand as well, but the end of it is strawberry floating horrendous. Such a shame, as the first part of the story is strawberry floating amazing.


Same. I loved the Stand, as it really felt like an adventure. One of those books that you really get lost in, and really care about the characters. Even some of the evil(ish) ones. But that ending :lol:

User avatar
Memento Mori
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Emperor Mori

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Memento Mori » Thu May 04, 2017 7:11 pm

Poser wrote:
Riksilver wrote:One missing from that list is Ur from the Bazaar of Bad Dreams anthology
But yeah, I'm in the same boat, reason I stopped midway through the opening act of Wolves of the Calla was I realised I'd probably better read 'Salem's Lot first. And then took several months to actually get round to buying a copy, woops. I also really couldn't get into Insomnia, was going to go back to it a while ago but can't remember where I put it for the life of me.


Off the top of your head, would you happen to know where Ur fits into that list? I have that anthology (actually as a hardcover) so will definitely read that as well.

I think you can read Ur any time after Hearts of Atlantis.

Poser wrote:
(Must flag, I've only read the first four so far and am currently on The Black House. Next DT book (5) is next on the list.)

Read Wind Through the Keyhole (actually Dark Tower 8) before Wolves of The Calla.

User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Poser » Thu May 04, 2017 9:05 pm

Memento Mori wrote:
Poser wrote:
Riksilver wrote:One missing from that list is Ur from the Bazaar of Bad Dreams anthology
But yeah, I'm in the same boat, reason I stopped midway through the opening act of Wolves of the Calla was I realised I'd probably better read 'Salem's Lot first. And then took several months to actually get round to buying a copy, woops. I also really couldn't get into Insomnia, was going to go back to it a while ago but can't remember where I put it for the life of me.


Off the top of your head, would you happen to know where Ur fits into that list? I have that anthology (actually as a hardcover) so will definitely read that as well.

I think you can read Ur any time after Hearts of Atlantis.

Poser wrote:
(Must flag, I've only read the first four so far and am currently on The Black House. Next DT book (5) is next on the list.)

Read Wind Through the Keyhole (actually Dark Tower 8) before Wolves of The Calla.


Will do, cheers! I've really enjoyed working through your list :D

User avatar
Memento Mori
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Emperor Mori

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Memento Mori » Fri May 05, 2017 6:22 pm

So did I, it was a great experience. I'm trying to think when I started going through that list, it might have been 2011.

User avatar
more heat than light
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: mhtl
Location: Leicestershire

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by more heat than light » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:35 pm

So this is getting an absolute pasting from critics. Currently 34 on Metacritic.

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-dark-tower

The Guardian wrote:While sitting through this uniquely flavorless slog, a viewer jolts out of a waking sleep every five minutes or so to realize that they have not internalized a thing. Nikolaj Arcel’s efforts to translate and condense Stephen King’s long-running series of densely mythologized novels amount to being a western without the majesty of the west, a fantasy without anything even coming close to being fantastic.


:dread:

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:MHTL is an OG ledge
User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Poser » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:36 pm

strawberry float.

User avatar
jiggles
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by jiggles » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:39 pm

Should've been a Netflix/HBO series.

User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Poser » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:41 pm

jiggles wrote:Should've been a Netflix/HBO series.


On that note,a TV series has just been confirmed, based on Wizard and Glass.

User avatar
Floex
Member
Joined in 2008
Contact:

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Floex » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:58 pm

The Dark Tower hasn't had an easy journey to screen.

Its release has been burdened by fairly damning reports of a troubled production and disastrous test screenings, which already put a cloud over the Stephen King adaptation, in a summer that has set its buzz already worryingly low.

With the books series' expansive universe already having crossed the desks of Ron Howard and J.J. Abrams alike, Sony Pictures eventually took on the task of telling the story of the Gunslinger (Idris Elba) and his eternal battle with the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) to prevent him from destroying the Tower, which holds the entire universe together.

Here's what the critics thought.


Variety - Owen Gleiberman

It aims low and hits (sort of). It’s a competent and watchable paranoid metaphysical video game that doesn’t overstay its welcome, includes some luridly entertaining visual effects, and — it has to be said — summons an emotional impact of close to zero. Which in a film like this one isn’t necessarily a disadvantage.

The Hollywood Reporter - John DeFore

Though far from the muddled train wreck we've been led to expect, this Tower lacks the world-constructing gravitas of either the Tolkien books that inspired King or the franchise-launching movies that Sony execs surely have in mind. Though satisfying enough to please many casual moviegoers drawn in by King's name and stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, it will likely disappoint many serious fans and leave other newbies underwhelmed.

Mashable - Angie Han

The Dark Tower isn't really a movie for people who've never read Stephen King's Dark Tower books. It hardly bothers to serve up any exposition, so newbies are thrown right into the deep end of its convoluted mythology.

But it's probably not for people who have read the books, either. The movie version is disappointingly lacking in the magic of King's novels. (The metaphorical, literary kind of magic, I mean – there's still plenty of magic in the plot, which the characters talk about constantly.)

The Nerdist - Victoria McNally

That, in fact, is the biggest challenge in adapting something as expansive and genre-bending as The Dark Tower: how do you make it stand out from all the other sci-fi and fantasy franchises that indirectly owe their existence to it?

In this area, the movie has a difficult time setting itself apart; despite all the Stephen King easter eggs, at times it feels more like somebody took the Western-futuristic aesthetic of Firefly, blended it together with the sorcery and demons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and slapped some Stargates in for good measure.

Uproxx - Mike Ryan

The Dark Tower is so astoundingly awful that when you leave the theater you’ll likely be less mad you wasted your time than flabbergasted that something like this could a) happen and b) be released as something that, theoretically, is going to launch a multi-platform franchise.

Indiewire - Kate Erbland

And while this all sounds fantastical and mind-bending, The Dark Tower is startlingly low on both energy or any larger sense of magic or a wider world beyond whatever Jake is able to experience.

While Elba and Taylor make a fine match, and the film picks up tremendous steam once they’re paired together, the script’s aim to keep things as lean and tight as possible mean they’re forced to rush through a complex story that deserves much more than a time-strapped take that gets significantly less interesting as it goes along.


Looks like this turned out, err, like quite something... :slol:

Do not believe in Sony Picture's lies.

User avatar
Moggy
"Special"
Joined in 2008
AKA: Moggy

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Moggy » Thu Aug 03, 2017 4:04 pm

Damn, I was sort of looking forward to this but it doesn’t even sound like it will be worth an illegal download.

Let’s hope that IT gives us a decent King adaptation this year.

User avatar
Memento Mori
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Emperor Mori

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Memento Mori » Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:44 pm

Sony destroying another franchise.

Poser wrote:
jiggles wrote:Should've been a Netflix/HBO series.


On that note,a TV series has just been confirmed, based on Wizard and Glass.

I don't think that's happening when the film bombs.

Moggy wrote:Damn, I was sort of looking forward to this but it doesn’t even sound like it will be worth an illegal download.

Let’s hope that IT gives us a decent King adaptation this year.

The IT trailers have been encouraging and it's far harder to mess up IT than The Dark Tower.

User avatar
BID0
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Essex

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by BID0 » Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:29 pm

I didn't realise this was out. It was only the other day I saw an article about poor test screenings and it about to go through extensive reshoots :|

User avatar
Preezy
Skeletor
Joined in 2009
Location: SES Hammer of Vigilance

PostRe: The Dark Tower Movie - Trailer Out Now!
by Preezy » Sat Aug 05, 2017 6:18 am

This was always going to be a bomb. Book isn't well known enough for the average joe public and without knowing what it's about you'd just think it's a sequel to Jonah Hex or something.


Return to “Stuff”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 142 guests