Dude. What the crap?

Okay, that's it.  I don't think I can watch it.  And not just because of this asinine question about Dumbledore, though it certainly didn't help. 

How did you make him different from Dumbledore? Is he less like a wizard?

Ian McShane:  Hodge has made him a butler. He's sort of this strange, old guy that lives in the house on the hill.  I have never done a science fiction movie, or anything of this ilk before.  I've never worked with kids.  Or special effects.  The whole process is incredibly laborious.  It's like doing a musical on the stage.  There's less concentration on the acting, and more on the special effects.  There's more emphasis on the "in and out."  It's a little distracting, but that's how it goes.  The kid is great. Alex (Ludwig) has really worked his ass off.  It's very rare that you get the kids in nearly every shot of the movie. It really is. In real life and in acting, we're backing it up. He's the one that's got the message, he just doesn't know it.  We have to guide him through the various processes.  He's the last of the Old Ones to be born.  There's me, and there's Frances Conroy, and there's James Cosmo, and Jim Piddock.  And they survive through the ages. And the kid comes in, and he is the last one to be born. He doesn't even know it.  Of course he's got the twin who has been imprisoned by the Dark for all these years.

So, there's Ian McShane's zinger in there about the lack of concentration on the acting.  Which would be funny if I didn't care about the book. 

And then:  "Of course he's got the twin who has been imprisoned by the Dark for all these years."

"The twin who has been imprisoned by the Dark for all these years."

Oh, of course. 

I.  Am.  Effing.  Horrified.  Why even call it The Dark is Rising?

(link via Oz and Ends)

Comments

[Nonanon]

What are they DOING? How is Susan Cooper standing it? And why didn't they just write their own stupid lame movie from scratch? Wouldn't it have been cheaper? Sorry--evidently I have a little anger about this too.

[Levi Stahl]

I'm torn. I love the Susan Cooper novels, and you're right that everything Ian McShane says here is suggestive of a very bad movie . . . but I do love Ian McShane, and I can imagine him being a very good Great Uncle Merry.

Still, probably best not to get my hopes up, huh?

[Leila]

Oh, I ADORE Ian McShane. And C. Eccelston, and Frances Conroy -- they're the reason I'm still even toying with the idea of seeing the movie.

[Sheila Ruth]

Yeah, it makes you wonder why they even bothered buying the rights to the book if they were going to completely change it. Why not just make their own movie? It can't even be for the name recognition, because everyone who would recognize the name is completely horrified. Poor Susan Cooper. I feel so bad for her. She deserves better.

[Ali]

I just felt a pang in my heart when I read that. Oh God.

[TadMack]

Oh. Oh, oh, OH.
Nope. Can't do it.
I mean, I already have ISSUES with most movies, but THIS -- THIS... sounds hideous.
No, please don't act. Just show us some CGI. That's all we really want. Not the story or anything...

[Kelly Fineman]

Twin? What???

No focus on acting.
Or story, apparently.

Blech.

[kasa]

Well... in defense of the fantastic Mr. McShane... I'm sure he's acting, folks. Something you'll hear from every actor who's ever done special effects work like blue screen, etc., is that the special effects is you know, kind of a distraction. The man's brilliant, I'm sure he'll do fine.

Can't comment on the story changing though, blech.

[Leila]

Oh, I'm not worried about whether or not HE'LL be good. It's the rest of the movie I'm worried about.

[Chrissy]

Is Walden Media doing this? They're the company that focuses on Newbery award winners, right? They should be PISSED! They should be yanking production with changes this big and this far from the story.

[Philip]

I was about to comment on another site how the company that made this horrifying piece of trash and the company that remade Narnia should come together and work on making all these adaptations a really messy masterpiece of a landfill. Of course, then a few hours later I find that they were done by the same company... hahaha! AGHHHH! man they should have freaking opened with a couple phrases from "The Dark is Rising" song like in an LOTR fashion, but of course not... they had to get rid of all the arthurian elements and make it a feel good family film about how Will Stanton realization of his place as the Last of the Old Ones is actually just him reaching puberty (high pitched I CANT TALK TO GIRLS).. man the freaking pain.

[okanagangal]

I bought the Dark is Rising for my son many years ago , in fact I bought the whole series as they came out in hard cover. I loved the whole series, but particularly The Dark is Rising. I had always thought it would make a good movie, but after reading what they have done to it, there is no way I am ever going to see it. I just wish I knew where to write to Susan Cooper and offer her my condolences.