'The Earth Stood Still' for Keanu Reeves

Zap2It Movie News ^ | 8-28-07 | Bender2

[Bender2]

Variety is reporting that Keanu Reeves will star in 20th Century Fox's remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

[Bender2]

Re: ...I must give the devil his due and pray his “The Pacific” lives up to his “Band of Brothers”.

Must add this from Leonidas808:

'As far as Leckie is concerned only novel I've heard mentioned as being partly the basis for the series is Helmet for My Pillow, which was an account of Leckie's own experiences in combat as a Marine infantryman in the Pacific. The series is also being partly based on the book With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge. Leckie fought during the first half of the war and was at Guadalcanal and Peleliu, and Sledge fought in the last half, seeing action at Peleliu and Okinawa. I'm guessing the series is being based on both books in order to cover the entire scope of the Pacific campaign from start to finish, at least as far as the American experience is concerned.

'On a side note, while being the unofficial sequel to Band of Brothers this series should be very different in tone. With Band of Brothers there was always a sense that whatever hardships the men faced it was for a greater good. Their sacrfices seemed worthwhile in light of liberated concentration camps or when greated by cheering crowds that had been freed from Nazi tyranny. There was no sense of that for the men fighting in the Pacific, with most of the battles being fought on otherwise uninhabited islands. Men in the European theater also in large part fought against men who were not altogether different from them, the Geneva Convention was generally followed by both sides on the Western Front, and when the situation turned hopeless for German soldiers they would surrender. The Pacific was a whole different animal. (My italics) The Japanese fought to the last man and like the Eastern Front there was a mutual hatred between the enemies that made the combat both more personal and horrific. There was no quarter asked and none given by either side. (Marines routinely executed Japanese prisoners as well) Despite it's rather dry sounding title, With the Old Breed is a no-holds-barred account of the brutal meat-grinder that was the Pacific War. Sledge's company hit Peleliu with approximately 250 men, by battle's end it had suffered 65 % casualties, and of it's original 7 officers only 2 remained. Okinawa was even worse. Only 9 men in the entire company walked off that island unwounded. Sledge wrote of the slog through the mud towards the sounds of heavy fighting on the front in Okinawa, "With each step towards that distant rattle and rumble where fear and horror tortured us like a cat tormenting a mouse, I experienced greater and greater dread. And it wasn't just dread of death or pain, I felt the sickening dread of fear itself, and revulsion at the ghastly scenes of suffering among comrades that survivors must witness. Men struggled and fought and bled in an enviroment so degrading, I believed we had been flung into hell's own cesspool."

'Needless to say this series will most likely be much darker in tone than BoB'

Many moons ago, I wrote an never published novels that has one of the characters saying, "You know damned well the Pacific war is different. The war in Europe was between white people."

[Pablo64]

"Gadzooks! True! Never, ever... suggest Spielberg, or any of the other liberal left coasters, filming Citizen of the Galaxy!

Amen to that brother!! I think you are right, also, about Asimov's Foundation Trilogy. A series of films would be the only way.

I also wish that Serenity would have lasted longer. They really found the right combination there. As for Eureka, it is definately a family favorite around here.

[Borges]

Verhoeven is a brilliant natural filmmaker. (He also has a Doctorate in Mathematics btw). ST is a satire just like Robocop is a satire. If you know hiw work at all its concerned with intimations of fascism and the loss of personal identity through subversiveness to any extreme form of law and order.

This is present in Robocop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers and his great recent Dutch film ‘Black Book’. ST is a send up of action movies and the way people respond to them. You have a bunch of indistinguishable Ayran-like goons fighting a bunch of indistinguishable giant spiders and the audience is left to rooting for human ciphers. By revealing that the whole thing was a fascist propaganda film was the sting in the tail.

[allmendream]

The thing that got me was not the women, it was the only thing “mobile” about the Mobile Infantry was BOOT LEATHER.

In the book they had rocket and cybernetic muscle assisted leaps on their Mobile Infantry battle suits.

I guess they blew their budget hiring Doogie Howser and casting by Aaron Spelling.

What a crock that movie was.

That being said I thought the remake of “The Thing from Another Planet” i.e. “the Thing” was one of the scariest Sci Fi movies EVER. When I was a kid it gave me freekin nightmares. And I thought the best X-Files episode was a ‘homage’/’ripoff’ of “the Thing” with a ET bug controlling some members of an Arctic expedition “Were not who we are! Were not who we are!”

[allmendream]

MICHAEL RENNIE was ill the day the EARTH STOOD STILL
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man
Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outer space
And this is how the message ran:

Science Fiction - Double Feature
Dr. X will build a creature
See androids fighting Brad and Janet
Ann Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
Oh-oh at the late night, double feature, picture show.

I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Janet Scott
Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills
Dana Andrews said prunes gave him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills
But when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride
I’m gonna give you some terrible thrills, like a:

Science Fiction - Double Feature
Dr. X will build a creature
See androids fighting Brad and Janet
Ann Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
Oh-oh at the late night, double feature, picture show.
I wanna go, oh-oh, to the late night double feature picture show.
By RKO, oh-oh, at the late night double feature picture show.
In the back row at the late night double feature picture show.

[Bender2]

Re: Verhoeven is a brilliant natural filmmaker. (He also has a Doctorate in Mathematics btw). ST is a satire just like Robocop is a satire. If you know hiw work at all its concerned with intimations of fascism and the loss of personal identity through subversiveness to any extreme form of law and order.

This is present in Robocop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers and his great recent Dutch film ‘Black Book’. ST is a send up of action movies and the way people respond to them. You have a bunch of indistinguishable Ayran-like goons fighting a bunch of indistinguishable giant spiders and the audience is left to rooting for human ciphers. By revealing that the whole thing was a fascist propaganda film was the sting in the tail.

Hummmmmmmm... Let us go over this:

"...brilliant natural filmmaker...

"If you know hiw work at all its concerned with intimations of fascism and the loss of personal identity through subversiveness to any extreme form of law and order..."

"...send up of action movies and the way people respond to them. You have a bunch of indistinguishable Ayran-like goons fighting a bunch of indistinguishable giant spiders and the audience is left to rooting for human ciphers. By revealing that the whole thing was a fascist propaganda film was the sting in the tail..."

He did say... "...indistinguishable Ayran-like goons..." didn't he?

Am I the only one... who finds his skin crawling?

Good heavens, Borges... even I find that effete and snobbish to the max.

Really, Frasier... I thought it right on!

Borges, old sport... You need to step away from the Brie and Apple Martinis drunk with a pinky crinked...

Grab a beer... A smoke and some cotton candy.

And go fishing... with folks that work for a living and scratch when they itch.

Bender is right, Borges. Come as my guest... to the Naked Gun Film Festival.

But first, have three heaping bowls... to clean yourself out!

[Borges]

Well you’ve refuted my argument with aplomb! BTW to clarify, I was talking strictly about the alternate world characters in the film...not in any way to be confused with reffering to the actual Military.

[Bender2]

Re: Well you’ve refuted my argument with aplomb! BTW to clarify, I was talking strictly about the alternate world characters in the film...not in any way to be confused with reffering to the actual Military.

You bet your hind toot, son... Otherwise I'd have to open up a big old can of whup ass on your worthless hide!

And afterward when your skin won't hold shucks... I'd take a poke at ya.

But since you found the errors of your way... Welcome back to sanity. Have a beer and some nasty hot nachos.

[Borges]

I still stand by my advocacy of ST as a great satire. But speaking R. Lee Ermey there’s going to be a new DVD edition of 'Full Metal Jacket' in October with him speaking on an alternate audio track. That should be fun.

[allmendream]

So he took a brilliant book (Starship Troopers)with a brilliant political message of republican virtue and civic responsibility and turned it into an antifascist satire. And we are supposed to applaud this travesty? Not I.

[TrueKnightGalahad]

I still stand by my advocacy of ST as a great satire.

Bender2 has driven a stake through that statement better than I ever could. :-)

"great"

Definitions: Very large in size; Larger in size than others of the same kind; Large in quantity or number; Extensive in time or distance; Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent; Of outstanding significance or importance: "great work of art;" Chief or principal; Superior in quality or character; Noble; Powerful; Influential; Eminent; Distinguished; Grand; Aristocratic.

Nope, ST fits none of the above.

"satire"

Definition: A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.

Nope, ST lacks irony and wit of any sort...and simple derision of one's moral and intellectual betters does not constitute satire.

VerHoeven's claims that he makes satires must meet the reality test. Hey, I can claim to be the King of England...if I can get some people to agree with me, does that make it so? Or should people independently challenge my claim? Just because some film school monkeys echo VerHoeven's (and Neumeier's) claims that ST is a satire of fascism, and that it takes a special kind of intellect to appreciate his 'talents' ("Oh, duuuude, you don't see it? You're stupid, duuuude! He's a genius! Even has a degree in mathematics, duuuude!" -- this being an accurate rendition of things I've heard ST fanboys make), doesn't make it true in realityville.

Words have meanings, and consequences; they should be used wisely, and well.

[Jeff Chandler]

So he took a brilliant book (Starship Troopers)with a brilliant political message of republican virtue and civic responsibility and turned it into an antifascist satire.

It could be worse. He could have done what Frank Marshall did to Congo--turn a scientific jungle thriller into an anti-capitalist cartoon.

I guess we should be grateful to both of them for making popular literature accessible to people of low intelligence.

[Borges]

You can make an argument that the film pandered to action loving frat boys. Satire has always appealed to one audience a certain way and to another a different way (Gulliver’s Travels...)

[Borges]

It’s certainly not faithful to the spirit of the novel. I never claimed it was. It stands as an achievement on its own however. If you want slavish literary adaptations try Masterpiece Theater.

[Borges]

Words can also be decosntructed as Verhoeven did in ST. BTW you’re comparing him to Ed Wood is amusing Wood was incompetent and had no feel for the medium, and Verhoeven has been praised by pictorial artists like Roy Lichtenstien for his precise eye for framing and Ken Russell called Robocop the best SF film since Metropolis.

[TrueKnightGalahad]

LOL -- the irony of having Lichtenstein praise one's artistic eye, and Ken Russell -- Ken Russell, fer gosh'sakes! -- a director who makes just about everybody's list of top ten worst directors of all time ("Lisztomania," "Tommy," "The Devils," "The Boy Friend," Atered States" -- do I really have to go on, anyone?) -- praising another overblown piece of tripe, "Robocop" -- well, sir, you've filled my laugh quota for the whole weekend. Step away from the brownies, stop the Kool-Aid in mid-gulp...and if anyone offers you another dose of blotter, refuse it! :-)

[LexBaird]

ST is a satire just like Robocop is a satire. If you know hiw work at all its concerned with intimations of fascism and the loss of personal identity through subversiveness to any extreme form of law and order.

I think you should be a professional film critic. You are an almost perfect gauge. Everything you like, I despise.

Verhoeven is a ham fisted hack, with all the subtle undertones of the three stooges. He took the central message of one of the best SF books of all times, and stood it on its head to push a political "message" viewpoint that expired in 1968.

Gee, "fascism is bad". What a compelling and subversive message. Come on, Paul, rage against the machine. Next, how about another epic condemning the "military-industrial complex"? That would be a Hollywood mold breaker...

[Borges]

Robocop is a classic. Deadpan irony seems to be lost on you. Verhoeven is a master of the Classical camera style one finds in studio system-era Hollywood films.

[Borges]

Next, how about another epic condemning the "military-industrial complex"?

Robocop.

I understand how someone who had an emotional attachment to the novel would be upset that Verhoeven subverted its themes but I'm coming at this from a film lovers point of view. A film is judged by camera movement and framing, editing rhythm. Not fidelity to the source material. See his recent film 'Black Book' for a casual level of old school mastery that you rarely find these days.

[allmendream]

Slavish literary adaptation is not what I am after. How about ‘true to the spirit and intent of the narrative’?

If he turned Starship Troopers into an antifascist screed isn’t he implying that the republican virtues and civic responsibility theme of Starship Troopers was ostensibly pro-fascist? I don’t buy it.

Also as a Sci-Fi movie it was crap. Good thing that the air is breathable on bug worlds because they had no environmental equipment. The only thing ‘Mobile’ about the Mobile Infantry was good old fashioned BOOT LEATHER. Boot leather, camo uniforms, and gas propelled projectile weapons on an alien world? I don’t buy it.