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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Dec 28, 2007 - 02:59pm PT
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Wow - Broken - is someone trying (Scott or ?) to make Blood Meridian into a film? I read the book a long time ago and have re-read it several times. I always hoped someone would take a stab at it (no pun intended) in terms of a film but it would have to be just that - a film - not a "movie" and definitely something of an acquired taste. Probably would have to go unrated. I am always surprised to meet people who have read it.
I haven't gotten to the movies yet to see "No Country" but am looking forward to it.
Another actor who would do well in collaboration with Cormac McCarthy is Daniel Day Lewis. Not to change the subject but I hear he's incredible in There Will Be Blood.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Dec 28, 2007 - 04:35pm PT
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Maybe the best movie with the weakest ending I've ever seen. If you read the book maybe you could explain it better than the Cohens. Love their work, but I was surprised Tommy Lee let that ending slide.
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Redwreck
Social climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Dec 28, 2007 - 04:42pm PT
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I thought the ending was perfect, and reflective of how the world really (often) works. No catharsis, no neat resolutions, no tying up of loose ends. Just a frightened look into an uncertain and probably dangerous future. I know mileage varies wildly on this, but I thought it was masterful.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Dec 28, 2007 - 04:56pm PT
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Reading the book, I thought much of the time , "this reads more like a screenplay," almost like a script.
Seeing the movie, I sat in the fourth row, center seat, for extra action effect, and was not disappointed. I was appreciating how the movie was true to the powerfully sparse "script" I had read. The cinematography was killer, the pace haunting, the acting breathless, but then the close-heeled "script" was abandoned at the end for a simplified one.
Still, the suspense and artistic power expressing darkness and doom, was mega forceful. Real Christmas-ee!
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Dec 28, 2007 - 06:13pm PT
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I'll be very surprised to see " Blood Meridian " made into a satisfactory film. It will take a genius to do it. Of course we as film buffs will know if it succeeds; we'll walk out of the theater and try to throw ourselves in front of the first rapidly moving truck that comes by.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Dec 28, 2007 - 06:15pm PT
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Hey woody, name one movie by Ridley Scott that was a bust.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Dec 28, 2007 - 06:17pm PT
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I thought the ending was perfect...
I started to fad listening to TLJ's monologue, thinking about other things going on in the movie. Then, suddenly, it was over. I was like "What? What'd he say? What did he say??"
Then I got it. Jones had said it before, near the beginning of the flick. He said just what it was all about.
Another thing it was about--How did those Mexicans keep tracking? It was all about tracking...everybody trying to outdo everybody else. Some not doing so well. Insane, you are never safe.
So creepy, so good.
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Geno
Trad climber
Reston, VA
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Dec 28, 2007 - 07:18pm PT
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Redwreck nailed it. It's a real American Western: raw, complex, unresolved. The Cohens pretty much just turned the book into a movie. I guess it was already twisted enough to suit their tastes. The book has a slightly better ending. I thought it was a great read but I have only read this one book by McCarty. Can't seem to get into Blood Meridian. I'll try again.
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bob
climber
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He's a great writer, but at times has lost me in his writings. Just read Child of God not too long ago and found myself laughing at stuff I'm pretty sure I shouldn't have been laughing at. That stuff is whacked, but worthy. Outer Dark was and epic journey complete with all the goods as well.
Haven't read No Country, but am interested for sure.
Bob j.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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In a caged death match who do you think would win?
Anton:
Or Blondie
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 1, 2008 - 11:59am PT
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No Country made most critics' "10 best" lists as they wrapped up 2007. Ty Burr in the Boston Globe writes vividly of its message:
"No Country for Old Men" A masterpiece of apocalyptic pessimism. The Coen brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel delivers the bad news with magisterial force: Evil walks the earth, dramatic closure is for fools, human life hangs on the flip of a coin, and - the hardest pill to swallow - cowboy heroism is just a bedtime story to soothe grown men.
http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2007/12/30/ty_burrs_top_10/
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billygoat
climber
3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle
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The ending is more or less the same, as is the entire film, as the book. It's pretty neat to see it done so well--a rarity among books made into movies. I remember reading it think about how it could make a great movie. I just read "The Road" and that would make a great movie too. I haven't been disappointed with any of McCarthy's writings. He's a master. His earlier stuff is definitely less dark, and there's moments where I'm sure he intended to get his readers to laugh.
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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I don't remember my source; however, "Blood Meridian" is based, with some modifications, on actual, historical events.
I can't remember all Ridley Scott's films. Enlighten me so I can deliver an opinion on whether or not I feel he failed with one.
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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LE Boomp
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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I saw NCFOM the weekend it came out in limited release last fall. I worship the Cohen Bros, love Cormac McCarthy's novels and the cast is so amazing. I don't think I could ask for more in a movie. It was like Christmas came early.
It did not disappoint. Yep, it's dark but it's supposed to be.
A friend of mine went to a screening of it with the Cohens and the cast at a Writer's Guild screening just before the flick came out (pre-strike as well). He said someone in the audience asked them how they went about adapting the screenplay and Ethan said "I just held the book open while Joel typed." In other words, they stayed painstakingly true to the book. So good to see in this day and age. It didn't get a "Hollywood" treatment.
On another note, Kelly McDonald - the actress who plays Llewellyn's wife in the movie - is actually Scottish. Speaks with a thick Scottish brogue. But she nailed the west Texas accent in the flick. The Cohens were looking for someone locally to play that role so the accent sounded authentic but their casting director insisted they audition Kelly. She blew them away and the rest is history.
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Jan 24, 2008 - 12:29am PT
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Holy sh#t, you're kidding? She was superb!
Just watched it tonight. Really good movie. A very disturbing take on life (and death), but very, very well done.
Edited to add - as I think about the movie, it keeps reminding me of a post Radical made a few days ago: That life has a nasty surprise waiting for all of us at the end.
GO
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dlintz
Trad climber
Neebraskee
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Jan 24, 2008 - 02:11am PT
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No Country was the best film I saw last year. My girlfriend didn't like the ending but IMO it was genius, much like many of the subplots of The Sopranos series...no tidy endings.
Ever since I read All The Pretty Horses many years ago I have been an unabashed fan of Cormac. Despite what some may think I've always felt that McCarthy is a more interesting and complex version of Hemingway (a longtime favorite). Regardless it'll be interesting to see how Blood Meridian turns out.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Jan 24, 2008 - 03:45am PT
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I'm all for spartan, terse and unresolved endings. My criticism of the ending (absent of reading the book) wasn't that it was poorly conceived, but rather that it was extremely poorly exectuted and inconsistent with almost every other aspect of the body of the film. The writing, photography, editing, directing and acting completely fell off a cliff as far as I'm concerned.
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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Jan 24, 2008 - 07:08am PT
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The baadaaaasssesst badass bad guy, in a weird bad hair day kind of way! Just the way that he never changed expression or tone (Robot like) was awesome.
I have always loved the old crusty of the sage, Tommy Lee did a great job.
Most definitely not a neatly wrapped, tidy Hollywood ending. I love the ones that kind of leave me squirming at the end.
Best Picture vote!
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