The Movie John Carter?

robjvargas

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You know, the only thing that truly scares me about death is incompleteness. To leave this world missing so much wonderful books and movies not yet made, or worst, made but I never saw.

It's not fair. There was time now...
 

Dave Hardy

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Saw JCoM today. Excellent, it was a thrilling tale in its own right, and also very much in the ERB spirit. Burroughs hasn't had this good a treatment from Hollywood since Johnny Weismuller.
 

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Saw JCoM today. Excellent, it was a thrilling tale in its own right, and also very much in the ERB spirit. Burroughs hasn't had this good a treatment from Hollywood since Johnny Weismuller.

You realize that Weismuller's Tarzan was nothing like ERB's Tarzan, right? For Pete's sake, the Tarzan series with Ron Ely shot in South America was closer.

I am looking forward to JC. It was the third screenplay I ever wrote (when I was adapting my favorite books back in the day). We even filmed about 3 minutes of it on super8 when I was 14. My Tars Tarkas clay model animation was really awesome, considering.

I grew up on Burroughs, I read everything he ever wrote, with the exception of the Carson of Venus books for some reason. Will I like this movie?
 

DeleyanLee

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You realize that Weismuller's Tarzan was nothing like ERB's Tarzan, right? For Pete's sake, the Tarzan series with Ron Ely shot in South America was closer.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing actually

I grew up on Burroughs, I read everything he ever wrote, with the exception of the Carson of Venus books for some reason.

Same here! With an addition of Kenneth Robson's The Avenger and other such men's adventure. :D


Will I like this movie?
If you don't, I'll be surprised. I'm very happy with the adaptation.

While they didn't call attention to such things, I adore the little details like John Carter isn't the one who kills her betrothed, which was a big part of the book.

The only thing they did differently is that Dejah Thoris is a swordmaiden. I think it's countered by the heavy science/inventing interest she has--Cathoris gets it honestly! :D
 

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Yeah, I was thinking the same thing actually



Same here! With an addition of Kenneth Robson's The Avenger and other such men's adventure. :D


If you don't, I'll be surprised. I'm very happy with the adaptation.

While they didn't call attention to such things, I adore the little details like John Carter isn't the one who kills her betrothed, which was a big part of the book.

The only thing they did differently is that Dejah Thoris is a swordmaiden. I think it's countered by the heavy science/inventing interest she has--Cathoris gets it honestly! :D

Thanks so much!

Hey, here's a couple of Burroughs' books most people I know haven't heard about:

I am a Barbarian
The Outlaw of Torn

Did you read them too? They're ERB historical fiction. Good stuff.
 

saraflower

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I had no expectations of the movie, thinking it would just be a good action watch. Then, I really enjoyed it! I thought it was pretty epic with a good storyline and interesting characters.
 

Dave Hardy

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You realize that Weismuller's Tarzan was nothing like ERB's Tarzan, right? For Pete's sake, the Tarzan series with Ron Ely shot in South America was closer.

I am looking forward to JC. It was the third screenplay I ever wrote (when I was adapting my favorite books back in the day). We even filmed about 3 minutes of it on super8 when I was 14. My Tars Tarkas clay model animation was really awesome, considering.

I grew up on Burroughs, I read everything he ever wrote, with the exception of the Carson of Venus books for some reason. Will I like this movie?

Closer isn't always better. The Weismuller/Maureen O'Sullivan movies were their own things, but a damn good ones. I watched a hell of a lot of 'em of Jungle Theater on TV in Jacksonville. I watched a lot of the Ron Ely TV series too. Weismuller never did Lord Greystoke, the English noble, but he nailed the ape-man bit. I'm not a big fan of pastiche, but I'll allow adaptation into another medium a wide scope.

If it bothers you, replace with Doug McClure, since The Land Time Forgot is more recent. The People Time Forgot and At the Earth's Core were a lot of fun too.

I am a Barbarian & Outlaw of Torn are very good. I'd recommend The War Chief and Apache Devil for someone looking for a different side of ERB. The Mucker is another very good example of his lesser known works.
 

Diana Hignutt

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Closer isn't always better. The Weismuller/Maureen O'Sullivan movies were their own things, but a damn good ones. I watched a hell of a lot of 'em of Jungle Theater on TV in Jacksonville. I watched a lot of the Ron Ely TV series too. Weismuller never did Lord Greystoke, the English noble, but he nailed the ape-man bit. I'm not a big fan of pastiche, but I'll allow adaptation into another medium a wide scope.

If it bothers you, replace with Doug McClure, since The Land Time Forgot is more recent. The People Time Forgot and At the Earth's Core were a lot of fun too.

I am a Barbarian & Outlaw of Torn are very good. I'd recommend The War Chief and Apache Devil for someone looking for a different side of ERB. The Mucker is another very good example of his lesser known works.

I'm repping you for the Doug McClure films. Wasn't Peter Cushing in ATEC as well?

I would die and go to heaven if anyone made a decent Tarzan at the Earth's Core.
 

Dave Hardy

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I'm repping you for the Doug McClure films. Wasn't Peter Cushing in ATEC as well?

I would die and go to heaven if anyone made a decent Tarzan at the Earth's Core.

I believe he was. Michael Moorcock wrote the screenplay for LTF. That image of the German U-boat commander hanging out the hatch, blazing away with a Bergman submachine gun at a pterodactyl is the coolest!
 

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Closer isn't always better. The Weismuller/Maureen O'Sullivan movies were their own things, but a damn good ones. I watched a hell of a lot of 'em of Jungle Theater on TV in Jacksonville. I watched a lot of the Ron Ely TV series too. Weismuller never did Lord Greystoke, the English noble, but he nailed the ape-man bit. I'm not a big fan of pastiche, but I'll allow adaptation into another medium a wide scope.

.
as a child I loved weismueller's Tarzan. But then I read the books and realized how gawdawful insulting "me Tarzan you Jane" was to ERB's vision. Even burrough's tried to create his own closer interpretation starring Bruce Bennett. I just researched all the weismueller's when TCM reaired them last year. I couldnt believe just how far they veered from the books. Or just how bad they were.
 

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Even burrough's tried to create his own closer interpretation starring Bruce Bennett.

Bennett's turn, The New Adventures of Tarzan, was a pretty good serial of its time, and the last version I can think of that showed him as Lord Greystoke until the 60s. I've seen every Tarzan film that still exists except for the 1920 silent serial, Adventures of Tarzan, with Elmo Lincoln recreating the role he originated in the first Tarzan film in 1918. It was fairly common to show the civilized side of the Lord of the Jungle prior to Weismuller, and the Frank Merrill semi-silent serial, Tarzan the Tiger, has a pretty good depiction of Lord Greystoke in the first chapter. Prior to Ron Ely, Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry all showed him as articulate and intelligent (although Scott was not consistent with this portrayal), but IIRC only Henry showed him in regular clothes in his three Tarzan-cum-James-Bond outings.
 

thothguard51

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The all time worse Tarzan Movie is with Bo Derek as Jane and Richard Harris as her father.

Unless you really enjoy watching Bo Derek stretching nude and getting a mud bath while staked out. Funny I don't recall that scene in any of the ERB books...
 

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The all time worse Tarzan Movie is with Bo Derek as Jane and Richard Harris as her father.

Unless you really enjoy watching Bo Derek stretching nude and getting a mud bath while staked out. Funny I don't recall that scene in any of the ERB books...

It was in Tarzan the Perverted. ;)

The 1960 Tarzan the Ape Man with Denny Miller was almost as bad.
 

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Bennett's turn, The New Adventures of Tarzan, was a pretty good serial of its time, and the last version I can think of that showed him as Lord Greystoke until the 60s. I've seen every Tarzan film that still exists except for the 1920 silent serial, Adventures of Tarzan, with Elmo Lincoln recreating the role he originated in the first Tarzan film in 1918. It was fairly common to show the civilized side of the Lord of the Jungle prior to Weismuller, and the Frank Merrill semi-silent serial, Tarzan the Tiger, has a pretty good depiction of Lord Greystoke in the first chapter. Prior to Ron Ely, Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry all showed him as articulate and intelligent (although Scott was not consistent with this portrayal), but IIRC only Henry showed him in regular clothes in his three Tarzan-cum-James-Bond outings.

Oh, good call on the Mike Henry films. Almost forgot about them.

Did you catch the Casper Van Dien film from the nineties?...they almost tried...
 

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Wondering what you all think of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, starring Christopher Lambert?

Personally, I enjoyed it and found it gutwrenchingly sad. He loses so much and never finds peace or happiness. A different take on the franchise, I thought.
 

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I'll be honest, I've yet to make it through that movie. Even when I paid money at the theater. My ex stayed awake through it but said I didn't miss anything.

But if it turns out sad, then I definitely won't put any effort into getting through it. I dislike sad movies and Tarzan isn't a sad story to boot.
 

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Oh, good call on the Mike Henry films. Almost forgot about them.

Did you catch the Casper Van Dien film from the nineties?...they almost tried...

The great Fritz Leiber wrote a novelization of one of Henry's films, the only time I'm aware that was done.

The Van Dien film had potential, but was waylaid by a so-so script, marginal acting and pedestrian direction. Almost as disappointing as Greystoke, but only because my expectations were lower.
 

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Wondering what you all think of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, starring Christopher Lambert?

Personally, I enjoyed it and found it gutwrenchingly sad. He loses so much and never finds peace or happiness. A different take on the franchise, I thought.

The first half was pretty good, but it all fell apart once the scene shifted to England. Should've stayed in Africa.
 

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Getting back to JC, I was kinda disapppinted with the narrative. The therns were way too powerful, and the narrative seemed to meander without much direction. The beats between action and drama seemed off.

It's in no way a horrible movie, and definitely should be seen by any fans of the books. Woola alone will make most people happy.
 

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We saw JC the other night and quite enjoyed it. It's been years since I read any of the books so I can't comment on the faithfulness of the rendition.
But.
I am sure the medallion and the ancient ones (can't recall the name) from the time of the oceans were add-ons. Tell me if I am wrong because I am relying on memory. I thought Carter simply zipped to Barsoom and back with no real explanation.

That said, it was a fun movie and I am glad I saw it. When we stepped out of the theatre Venus and Jupiter were dominant in the western sky and it looked eerily like Barsoom's two moons.
 

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I just saw John Carter last night. I loved it. I never read any of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the movie really inspired me to pick up all his books!
 

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I can't believe it bombed. I haz sad.

And the Conan movie before it bombed. Is it the treatment of the subject? Or are these kinds of films (sword and ...) becoming passé?

I may be alone in this but I blame the trailer.

I saw the movie (if we're still talking about JC) and it was far better than the trailer promised it to be. Honestly, I believe whoever did the trailer needs to be fired. Completely uninspired and it did worse than not representing the movie. It completely misrepresented what the movie was about; feeling, sounding and looking like a tired retread of Avatar meets Star Wars.

Movie trailers are funny things. They can make a bad movie seem good. They can make a good movie seem like something completely different. A bad trailer not only does not make a good movie seem bad, but it misrepresents what the movie is about and when it misses those? It's truly tragic because a movie may not do well since people aren't motivated to go see it.

Some may have liked the trailer but there were many online who voiced grave concerns about how awful, truly awful it was. I had my own and wasn't originally going to go but having read many good things about it, gave it a chance.

I'm glad I did but it wasn't through any efforts from the damn trailer.