Boycotting has never been easier!

[cleolinda]

Okay, as I mentioned to someone else I was talking to, this may just be the week that I get unnecessarily worked up about things, but: I feel like this is something that has to be done, and that y'all are probably going to be with me on this.

I mentioned a detailed list of changes to The Dark Is Rising The Seeker in the linkspam Monday evening. To recap my experience with the books, I read The Grey King in grade school not knowing that it was part of a series, liked it but was very confused, and never got around to reading the other books even after I knew. So I'm not a pissed-off fan talking here, although I do know what the books are actually like, in part. I know enough to know what a travesty this movie is, basically. Let's also recap some of the major points from kiandra_fire's list:

1) Arthurian legend does not play a part.

2) Will is a thirteen-year-old American with neglectful parents and bullying brothers.

3) "Will goes to the mall and is accused of shoplifting by security guards, who take him to their office, demand the signs, then turn into rooks and chase him around the mall."

4) The Walker is young and the Rider has a white horse.

5) "Merriman relies on a mace... Miss Greythorne is rocking her swordcane on two fully-functional legs."

6) Will has a crush on Maggie Barnes and Max is working for the Dark.

7) "Will is Superman, Jr., with super strength and a bunch of other powers. He just can't fly. Alexander Ludwig says in his interview that he regrets he doesn't have this power as well, but — what was it? Ah, yes — 'It would totally change the whole story though.' " OH, WELL THEN.

8) Ian McShane: " 'I think the one thing I wanted to bring to this was reality,' he says. 'It was written in Old English.' "

9) Will has a twin.

10) OLD ENGLISH? ARE YOU SHITTING ME?

I just realized that this is coming out this Friday, so I'm going to say something, I have to say it now. Let me explain why I care about this, and why you should, even beyond the obvious suggestion that I'm a writer and I feel horrified for Susan Cooper. No, first and foremost--nothing has made me happier than the fantasy movie renaissance of the last seven years, and given y'all's responses to things I've posted, I'm pretty sure most of y'all are fantasy fans as well. And so far, miraculously, we've gotten by with extremely respectful adaptations. In the beginning, LOTR and HP (both in 2001) set excellent precedents for faithful book adaptations making shitloads of money, and most subsequent productions have followed in their footsteps. (And yes, the Harry Potter movies have made tons of changes and omissions over the years, but--go back up and read that Dark Is Rising list and see if you don't look at the Harry Potter changes in a totally different light now.) The Lemony Snicket movie changed a few things, including more of a wrap-up at the end, but they all worked, and the rest of the movie was so obviously trying to capture the books. The Narnia movie was fantastic, the Dark Materials people are obviously trying to be as faithful as possible despite the religion issue, Stardust made some majorish changes but was still a lovely adaptation--the only other really, really horrible travesty I can think of off the top of my head was the Earthsea miniseries, and it bombed, so, you know, faithful = money was still being upheld.

What if The Dark Is Rising adaptation ("adaptation") is a hit?

Oh, the studios will say, you can still make a ton of money, but you can do whatever you want? You can change the story and put in pointless but trendy family conflicts, love interests, younger characters? You can squeeze action into bizarre places and completely miss the point of the story? You can whittle it down until it hardly resembles the original at all? Wow, this is really convenient! All this time, we were busting our collective ass for nothing! Why bother actually trying to do the work of translating a beloved property to a different medium? We can just use a known title to sell people a completely different story, and it doesn't even have to be any good!

You see why I'm getting concerned here.

Think of any book series they haven't put on screen yet--because they will, particularly now that Harry Potter has run its course and there's only two movies left. Think of any series you love. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising is what could happen to those books. In fact, I've heard that they're just calling it The Seeker now, which, as people have pointed out, is a term also used in... Harry Potter.

So what I'm asking is this: please, please do not go see this movie. Wait all of three months for it to come out on DVD, if you just need to see Christopher Eccleston the carnage. If you're talking to people about what movies you're all thinking of seeing, but they're not familiar with the books, "Oh, I've heard it's terrible. Basically, a really lame Harry Potter rip-off" ought to suffice. If you're actually talking to Susan Cooper fans, make sure they know that The Seeker is, in fact, a Dark Is Rising adaptation, despite all indications to the contrary. Make sure that people know how flippantly they've massacred the whole thing, and talk as many people out of seeing it as you can. Meanwhile, I'm going to go get the actual books--probably for Christmas--and try to support Susan Cooper that way. If you love the books already, now would be an excellent time to get a set for a young relative, for example, and try to pull in new readers. What I'm basically asking you to do is vote with your wallet--even if you don't want to spread the word, not seeing a movie is a pretty easy thing to do. This shit cannot be allowed to stand, y'all.

Comments

[dzurlady.livejournal.com]

3) "Will goes to the mall and is accused of shoplifting by security guards, who take him to their office, demand the signs, then turn into rooks and chase him around the mall."
Urgh, what. That must be the catalyst for where he gets into the secret chamber where there are snakes. (How original.)

7) "Will is Superman, Jr., with super strength and a bunch of other powers. He just can't fly. Alexander Ludwig says in his interview that he regrets he doesn't have this power as well, but — what was it? Ah, yes — 'It would totally change the whole story though.' " OH, WELL THEN.
8) Ian McShane: " 'I think the one thing I wanted to bring to this was reality,' he says. 'It was written in Old English.' "
9) Will has a twin.
WHAT. Also, what the hell is his twin going to do? I thought they wanted him to be an outsider.

[eruvadhril.livejournal.com]

Also, what the hell is his twin going to do?

Oh, he was kidnapped by the Dark at birth, of course. Will has to rescue him.

[grnarmadillo.livejournal.com]

It's funny, I saw the trailer attached to something and it didn't even occur to me that it was based on Susan Cooper's books until the title said "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising". I'll link this post to spread the boycott word.

[snale.livejournal.com]

If no one's pointed this out yet, here's an interview with Susan Cooper on NPR in which she sounds concerned about the upcoming film:
NPR : Author Uncertain About 'Dark' Leap to Big Screen (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14783609)

[wednesday]

I've not read the books, but I fear a world without Herne.

[count-01.livejournal.com]

I am always in favor of the boycott: a form of protest in which you don't do anything (including stuff you would normally do, like ride a bus.) So much less expensive than getting signs made, hiring a tour bus, and going to Washington to march against bad movies or something.

Then again, this is actually the kind of thing that has an effect on Hollywood, because the nilwitted greedheads pay attention to nothing happening, like when people don't go see their movies.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

See, exactly. I've always felt that petitions were sort of dumb, particularly the kind people post online that studios or TV productions aren't going to pay attention to anyway (or where the horse has already left the barn, in terms of the thing happening that the fans didn't want to happen), but boycotts? Opening weekends or TV ratings are pretty much the only thing that industry people listen to.

[misslucyjane]

I haven't read the books, but this pisses me off just as a fantasy fan.

[eruvadhril.livejournal.com]

Word.

I had a hard time finding all five books for a while, and had to order a couple from England on eBay, but a couple of weeks ago I saw all five books in one volume for about twenty five bucks in Borders.

I read The Grey King in grade school
I love The Grey King. The Grey King and Silver on the Tree are my favourites in the series. I have a little bit of a crush on Bran.

To discourage people from seeing the movie, I usually tell them about the scene in which Will's previously-peripheral-character brother goes back in time with him to a fifteenth-century Christian Viking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking) village, suddenly turns evil, and has a pseudo-Matrix kung-fu fight with Will on top of a vegetable cart while villagers throw chickens at them.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Ooh, kickass icon!

[sweet-pessimism.livejournal.com]

Consider it boycotted by me and anyone within hearing distance of me. This pisses me of just as a reader, let alone a fantasy fan! I never got around to reading this particular series as a kid, but if this amount of butchering is considered acceptable, it could happen to any of the series we all loved as children.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Exactly! It's just so callous and flagrant. It's not even wrestling with the amount of material vs. the running time, or with controversial themes--interviews with the writer and even some of the actors plainly show that they really don't give a shit about the book.

[lilotelasserie.livejournal.com]

Why bother actually trying to do the work of translating a beloved property to a different medium? We can just use a known title to sell people a completely different story, and it doesn't even have to be any good!

See: Eragon, The Princess Diaries (especially Princess Diaries 2). That sort of disregard for the genius of the original work seriously pisses me off. (Well, maybe not "genius", but those books were rather good in their own right. And then they made them into movies.)

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

I saw the Princess Diaries (only the first one) and thought it was all right, but I don't know anything on the original work so that opinion could always change.

Eragon, though.... The experience was like "OH MY GOD, STAB MY EYES AND BURN MY BRAINS OUT PLEASE."
In fact, I didn't allow my boyfriend to watch the DVD even though I was the one who turned him onto the books. It was the worst movie I've ever seen, and I've seen many movies. Oh God, I'm ending this comment now before I blow into full rant mode.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

This boycott idea rocks. If only someone had thought of it before the remake of HALLOWEEN....

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

And ERAGON! *cries*

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

I barely know what's going on here, but I will soon find out. Either way, I saw the commercials for this movie and that alone made me very, very sad. So you got my, er, vote?

[duncanatrix.livejournal.com]

Easiest protest I've participated in this month! I'll tell my friends, too. There's something so incredibly sad about the rape of an author's work, and to see them stand by helplessly as it gets twisted into something not even resembling their vision--that's just heartbreaking.

Terry Pratchett's miniseries adaptation of Hogfather was absolutely perfect, and I've heard that there are plans for Sam Raimi to take on The Wee Free Men. If Pratchett's closely involved in that, it could be great--but I would never want to see my absolute favorite author's work destroyed, as it sounds like poor Ms Cooper's work is being.

Hell no! We won't go...to see The Dark Is Rising The Seeker!

[evilbearhunter.livejournal.com]

*gasp* There is a mini-series of the Hogfather? I need it. Where is it available?

[quenbolyn.livejournal.com]

Well, if any of the other reviews sound like this one (http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=3243), I don't think it's going to do very well at all.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

After the leaders of a group known as the Old Ones (a.k.a. The HBO Stars of Yesterday)

O SNAP.

[mysticowl.livejournal.com]

You can change the story and put in pointless but trendy family conflicts, love interests, younger characters? You can squeeze action into bizarre places and completely miss the point of the story? You can whittle it down until it hardly resembles the original at all? That is how the Count of Monte Cristo Hollywood movie was made a few years back. You can hardly even call it an adaptation, maybe an "inspired by"? I haven't read the Dark is Rising books, but any time a book gets mauled beyond recognition (I'm looking at you, Disney), I feel sad.

[meiousei.livejournal.com]

This move fills me with such rage, and it's not even out yet.

Old English? I mean, it's fine if you don't like the books, but what?

Oh, Ian McShameonyou.

[dramedy.livejournal.com]

;-; I will so be boycotting this movie hardcore...or whatever. It makes me cry. I love these books.

I feel like making a button: "Ask me about my boycott!" or something. or a "BOYCOTT THE SEEKER!" shirt. yeah.

\o/

[coconut-zebra.livejournal.com]

"Boycott 'The Seeker'" Facebook group?

[quenbolyn.livejournal.com]

There already is one (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4907268493).

[caersidi.livejournal.com]

I've not been happy about this for a while and am taking a similar route to you - buying a fresh copy of the books (there is a nice omnibus hardback coming out this month) instead of seeing the film.

[alysscarlet.livejournal.com]

Seeing the trailer was quite enough for me. I shan't be darkening the doors of the cinema.

Brrr.

Thanks for this post.

[cpip.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, I'm out of the loop -- I had no idea this was coming out at all.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It's been years and years and years since I even cracked the books, so, most details have gone from my head, but I think my brain went painfully sideways when you mentioned a mall. Ow.

[leiabelle.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this; I've linked to it from my journal. I saw the trailer before Harry Potter, I think, and actually hissed at it. Who does that?

*sigh*

not having read the comments...

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading His Dark Materials and the news that they're cutting religious references out of the movies?... Dude!?! WTF?!?

What are they going to do? Talk about the Urch-chay and oul-chays?

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

3) "Will goes to the mall and is accused of shoplifting by security guards, who take him to their office, demand the signs, then turn into rooks and chase him around the mall."

A film by Jonathan Frakes.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

It's sad how happy I am to read the bad review that was posted, though I hope there are at least some from fans of the book who recommend those instead of seeing this movie, which is apparently brainless in its own right.

Why am I not surprised Will the Seeker and Will the Watchman becomes Will the Warrior adolescent who gets to beat up bullies.