Jack Movie News - 4/9/04

[fpw]

Spoke to Barry Rosenbush yesterday. Here's the way things look:

The film will be shot in Shanghai. Because of the great temple locations available to them for the flashback, they wanted to know if they could switch from Indian mythology to Chinese. (They don't have to ask -- they own the rights -- but they did.)

I said it was okay with me -- as long as Jack stays Jack.

Yes, Jack will be Jack and the setting will be NYC. (Shanghai has excellent NYC street sets.) But Kusum and Kolabati will be Chinese, and the rakosh will be changed to something drawn from Chinese mythology.

This is all window dressing as far as I'm concerned, and irrelevant to the story.

So, they met this week, decided the elements they needed to change, and gave it to the scripter.

One problem: Chris Morgan, who's been rewriting Repairman Jack for two years now, has signed on to write the third Fast & Furious. Because of that commitment, he won't be able to turn in the Jack rewrite until June.

They tell me this will be the last major rewite. But I've heard that before.

[Ken Valentine]

The film will be shot in Shanghai. Because of the great temple locations available to them for the flashback, they wanted to know if they could switch from Indian mythology to Chinese. (They don't have to ask -- they own the rights -- but they did.)

I said it was okay with me -- as long as Jack stays Jack.

Yes, Jack will be Jack and the setting will be NYC. (Shanghai has excellent NYC street sets.) But Kusum and Kolabati will be Chinese, and the rakosh will be changed to something drawn from Chinese mythology.

This is all window dressing as far as I'm concerned, and irrelevant to the story.



So Kusum and Kolabati become what? Lin and Wu?

I understand their desire to keep costs down, but what is Sir Albert doing in China? Trying to keep the opium market open? Or are they going to turn him into a "gentleman adventurer?"

There are a lot of intriguing possibilities, but it just . . . doesn't . . . have . . . the . . . same . . . flavor.

Ken V.

[fpw]

but what is Sir Albert doing in China? .

Boxer Rebellion?

[Biggles]

Boxer Rebellion?

I just hope this doesn't turn into "The Keep II". And what about the tie-in with "Rakoshi"? If they change the mythology, are your creatures still Rakoshi? If Hollywood does to your books what they did to Dean Koontz' "Watchers" (twice), I may be driven to drink (a very short drive).

[fpw]

what about the tie-in with "Rakoshi"? If they change the mythology, are your creatures still Rakoshi?

The Borderlands Rakoshi edition will be geared toward the core readership and collectors; the movie tie-in paperback will be the source novel (The Tomb) but will be retitled (for obvious reasons) Repairman Jack. I have confidence in Beacon and Disney making a good film -- IF AND WHEN they finally get down to it.

[Biggles]

I have confidence in Beacon and Disney making a good film -- IF AND WHEN they finally get down to it.

Well, I'm turning my son into an FPW fan, so if I don't live to see the day, at least he will. :D

[Mailedbypostman]

Passing down repairman jack from generation to generation..lol. So it's going to be chinese mythology instead? Well, i t doesn't seem quite right. I mean... well you see...

[Ken Valentine]

Boxer Rebellion?

. . . was started by a sexy French Poodle . . .

IIRC, the Boxer Rebellion was right on the turn of the century, and was part of an anti-foreigner movement. Extremely dangerous for an Englishman. How about the mid 1860's, after the Emperor gave up on banning opium? Again, if I remember correctly, in 1857 the Emperor, in desperation, decreed that any Chinese caught with opium would be beheaded, and his family enslaved. Like the drug laws in this country, it didn't work. So, about 1863-64 he gave up and made it legal. This would probably be a good time for an English adventurer to go to China to seek his fortune . . . right about the end of our civil war.

That would still make the Chinese version of the Bakti's about one hundred fifty years old.

I still think linking it with Kali and the Thugee is the best way to go, as many people are at least peripherally aware of that part of history. And it gives it a more realistic flavor . . . a little more plausable. I also understand the savings in both money and time that would be gained by not having to film part of the movie in China, part in New York, and part in India. (That doesn't mean I have to be enthusiastic about it.)

Ken V.



Ken V.

[thisisatest]

[QUOTE=fpw][SIZE=3]Spoke to Barry Rosenbush yesterday. Here's the way things look:

The film will be shot in Shanghai. Because of the great temple locations available to them for the flashback, they wanted to know if they could switch from Indian mythology to Chinese. (They don't have to ask -- they own the rights -- but they did.)

I said it was okay with me -- as long as Jack stays Jack.

Yes, Jack will be Jack and the setting will be NYC. (Shanghai has excellent NYC street sets.) But Kusum and Kolabati will be Chinese, and the rakosh will be changed to something drawn from Chinese mythology.

This is all window dressing as far as I'm concerned, and irrelevant to the story.

Steve D
Jack could still be Jack in a musical version of The Tomb, but it wouldn't be The Tomb. I'm not buying it. The dressing is just as important as the turkey on Thanksgiving. Sniff. I already miss the Rakoshi.

[Paul R]

Spoke to Barry Rosenbush yesterday. Here's the way things look:

The film will be shot in Shanghai. Because of the great temple locations available to them for the flashback, they wanted to know if they could switch from Indian mythology to Chinese. (They don't have to ask -- they own the rights -- but they did.)

I said it was okay with me -- as long as Jack stays Jack.

Yes, Jack will be Jack and the setting will be NYC. (Shanghai has excellent NYC street sets.) But Kusum and Kolabati will be Chinese, and the rakosh will be changed to something drawn from Chinese mythology.

This is all window dressing as far as I'm concerned, and irrelevant to the story.

So, they met this week, decided the elements they needed to change, and gave it to the scripter.

One problem: Chris Morgan, who's been rewriting Repairman Jack for two years now, has signed on to write the third Fast & Furious. Because of that commitment, he won't be able to turn in the Jack rewrite until June.

They tell me this will be the last major rewite. But I've heard that before.



All missgivings aside (and so far, there seem to be a few...) at the end of the day, this is FPWs puppy, not ours, and if he says the Indian mythology is window dressing, then that's that. He is the author, after all.

If The Tomb had always been centred around Chinese mythology then it would still have been The Tomb because no-one would have known any different. And like The Man says, Jack will still be Jack.

If I may stick my two penny worth in though... ( no-one in the room raises an objection, so I forge ahead.) Books will always be better than films, in my opinion. And The Tomb in always going to lose something going to the big screen. That said though, I don't think a film version is a bad thing, it's just that it's a different thing and should, therefore, be judged as such. That the Rakoshi become something else is sad but not the end of the world.

And let's not forget, they own the rights, they didn't have to ask.

One thing though, just don't let it turn out anything like Big Trouble In Little China. It was a good film in many ways, but Kurt Russel just isn't Repairman Jack...

[fpw]

One thing though, just don't let it turn out anything like Big Trouble In Little China. It was a good film in many ways, but Kurt Russel just isn't Repairman Jack...

No, he was Jack Burton, and he had some great lines:

"I feel good, and I'm not scared at all. I just feel kind of... kind of invincible... Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?"

"When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: ‘Have ya paid your dues, Jack?’ ‘Yessir, the check is in the mail.’ "

[Paul R]

Actually, come to think of it, wouldn't Kurt Russel make a great Abe?

[Bushiboy]

Well, even after the major dissappointment of "The Keep" movie (though I'm sure nowhere nearly as much as Mr. Wilson's own) I'll definately be there opening night. I've been begging for this since around ninth grade.

China? Eh, I guess I can kind of see thier point, but is it that hard to make a place look like India?

[jimbow8]

[SIZE=3]No, he was Jack Burton, and he had some great lines:

"I feel good, and I'm not scared at all. I just feel kind of... kind of invincible... Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?"

Don't forget that classis finger gesture!

"I never drive faster than I can see."

Jack Burton: What's in the flask, Egg? Magic potion?
Egg Shen: Yeah.
Jack Burton: Thought so, good. What do we do, drink it?
Egg Shen: Yeah!
Jack Burton: Good, thought so.

Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run.
May the wings of liberty never lose a feather.

[Scott Hajek]

No, he was Jack Burton, and he had some great lines:

"If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the President."

[Gerald Rice]

I gotta say, I was looking forward to an Indian bad guy. You don't see too many of those. The Golden Child, Mortal Kombat, Lethal Weapon 4, any Jackie Chan movie- all had Chinese bad guys. Plus, who would've played the hot Indian woman? My Japanese professor would've been a good choice.

[Annice Burdeos]

That these changes have been made
This is how it is in Hollyweird
Lets hope none of the story or its theme/mood/tone of the 3rd Fast/Furious installment creeps into Jack

So I'd expect this latest rewrite will push the start date (the day shooting actually begins) which will likely impact its release date

Here's hoping another Alamo type situation is not developing ......



Spoke to Barry Rosenbush yesterday. Here's the way things look:

The film will be shot in Shanghai. Because of the great temple locations available to them for the flashback, they wanted to know if they could switch from Indian mythology to Chinese. (They don't have to ask -- they own the rights -- but they did.)

I said it was okay with me -- as long as Jack stays Jack.

Yes, Jack will be Jack and the setting will be NYC. (Shanghai has excellent NYC street sets.) But Kusum and Kolabati will be Chinese, and the rakosh will be changed to something drawn from Chinese mythology.

This is all window dressing as far as I'm concerned, and irrelevant to the story.

So, they met this week, decided the elements they needed to change, and gave it to the scripter.

One problem: Chris Morgan, who's been rewriting Repairman Jack for two years now, has signed on to write the third Fast & Furious. Because of that commitment, he won't be able to turn in the Jack rewrite until June.

They tell me this will be the last major rewite. But I've heard that before.

[Annice Burdeos]

For the most part I concur with your assessment regarding book to film translations

It is a rare thing indeed when a film does complement what an writer has envisioned
In my little life, I can really only think of one adaptation that worked extremely well as both book and film: the Australian Careful He Might Hear you

With Disney handling this, I'm not so sure but will give them the benefit of the doubt


All missgivings aside (and so far, there seem to be a few...) at the end of the day, this is FPWs puppy, not ours, and if he says the Indian mythology is window dressing, then that's that. He is the author, after all.

If The Tomb had always been centred around Chinese mythology then it would still have been The Tomb because no-one would have known any different. And like The Man says, Jack will still be Jack.

If I may stick my two penny worth in though... ( no-one in the room raises an objection, so I forge ahead.) Books will always be better than films, in my opinion. And The Tomb in always going to lose something going to the big screen. That said though, I don't think a film version is a bad thing, it's just that it's a different thing and should, therefore, be judged as such. That the Rakoshi become something else is sad but not the end of the world.

And let's not forget, they own the rights, they didn't have to ask.

One thing though, just don't let it turn out anything like Big Trouble In Little China. It was a good film in many ways, but Kurt Russel just isn't Repairman Jack...

[Ken Valentine]

For the most part I concur with your assessment regarding book to film translations

It is a rare thing indeed when a film does complement what an writer has envisioned
In my little life, I can really only think of one adaptation that worked extremely well as both book and film: the Australian Careful He Might Hear you

With Disney handling this, I'm not so sure but will give them the benefit of the doubt

I've had my doubts about Disney Corp. ever since it got taken over by the anti-Walt. We'll just have to see.

Recalling the movies I have seen which best did the book justice, I submit:

The Longest Day, by Cornelius Ryan

Pride And Prejudice, by Jane Austin (5-hour movie)

A Town Like Alice, from the novel The Legacy, by Neville Shute (5-hour movie)

The Great Escape, by Paul Brickhill -- There were some departures like Steve McQueens motorcycle escape, but on the whole it was very accurate. Even too the scar by "Big X'" right eye -- which was the result of a skiing accident.

When Eight Bells Toll, by Alistair MacLean

Ken V.

[Scott Miller]

Recalling the movies I have seen which best did the book justice, I submit:

A couple of other good ones are:To Kill a Mockingbird, Jaws, and The Guns of Navarone.

[fpw]

Recalling the movies I have seen which best did the book justice, I submit:

A couple of other good ones are:To Kill a Mockingbird, Jaws, and The Guns of Navarone.

Don't forget Jaws -- better than the book.

[Sam]

Did anybody besides myself find "The Silence of the Lambs" movie to be better than the book??? On another note, if you should happen to read "The Mothman Prophecies" by John Keel, DO NOT expect the movie to be true to the "facts". I would know..... I live in Point Pleasant. We were all quite disappointed with the movie.

[jimbow8]

I didn't even like Silence of the Lambs (well, at least half of it), so I would probably really hate the book.

[Scott Hajek]

I didn't even like Silence of the Lambs (well, at least half of it), so I would probably really hate the book.
"Hannibal" is a case where the movie far surpassed the book. Then again, any random bowel movement would pass the book.

[Peter]

As I said somewhere else in this labryinth I have no great hopes for the film, unpopular I know, but realistic, maybe. Still, I would sooner see it made than not. The change from India to China does not seem too bad. But something no-one seems to have suggested yet. What about Jackie Chan as Jack?

All right, I was just going anyway......

[Peter]

Er, that was a joke....

[Ken Valentine]

As I said somewhere else in this labryinth I have no great hopes for the film, unpopular I know, but realistic, maybe. Still, I would sooner see it made than not. The change from India to China does not seem too bad. But something no-one seems to have suggested yet. What about Jackie Chan as Jack?

All right, I was just going anyway......

An all Chinese cast.

Where is Kenji when we need him?

Ken V.

[jimbow8]

An all Chinese cast.

Where is Kenji when we need him?

Ken V.
...except Kenji is Japanese.

Where is that guy anyway? Didn't he ever make it over to the new message board?

[Ken Valentine]

...except Kenji is Japanese.

Where is that guy anyway? Didn't he ever make it over to the new message board?

Kenji started the alternative cast thread on the old board . . . remember?

The Black Repairman Jack cast.

The Asian RJ cast, and so on.

He's signed on, but he hasn't posted yet. Maybe there's a problem with his using the computer at work.

I sure hope he can get back. He always had something interesting to say.

Ken V.

[InfinityLtd]

I think my problem with casting for Repairman Jack is that I don't see how any current actors could play a character who doesn't stand out. All of the current actors in Hollywood are there because they stand out in some way (I was going to say "are designed to stand out," but that sounds too creepy...although...designed celebrities...hmmmmmm), and by the time people realize that they are good actors and looks don't necessarily matter (i.e. Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro), they're too old for the part.

I will probably go see the film when (if?) it gets made, and then I will reread the book and watch my own movie--in my mind. The special effects in my movie will be killer awesome, dude! ;) .

Anyway, that's my two-hundredths of a dollar worth.

[Auskar]

I don't think it makes a bit of difference whether the background mythology is based on China or India. Though I've read all of the Repariman Jack novels to appear in paperback, I think I read them in spite of the supernatural content, not because of it.

What is interesting about the novels (to me) is Jack.

My favorite scenes with Jack don't actually involve the supernatural. The subway scene, the scene with the punks in the park playing three-card monte, his "fix-it" jobs, the quirkiness about his apartment, and so on.

I like Jack's character, and that is what appeals to me about the Repairman Jack novels.

[nijimeijer]

I think the most important thing the film can get right is the character of Jack. This film is supposed to start a franchise; really, Jack is of central importance. The rest, it really is just window dressing. People who know the source material are of course going to be far more concerned with the details, but the details are the least important thing when talking movie adaptation intended for a large audience.

I can't tell you how many people I know went to see the LotR films three or more times in the theater without understanding one single thing about the storyline. Why? Because the movies got the one thing right that was most important to the books--it got Middle Earth right.

Same applies here, with Jack. Make sure he's done right, and people will be drawn to the film, regardless of whether the baddies are Indian, Chinese, or from Mars.

[nonsun blob a]

I think the most important thing the film can get right is the character of Jack. This film is supposed to start a franchise; really, Jack is of central importance. The rest, it really is just window dressing. People who know the source material are of course going to be far more concerned with the details, but the details are the least important thing when talking movie adaptation intended for a large audience.

I can't tell you how many people I know went to see the LotR films three or more times in the theater without understanding one single thing about the storyline. Why? Because the movies got the one thing right that was most important to the books--it got Middle Earth right.

Same applies here, with Jack. Make sure he's done right, and people will be drawn to the film, regardless of whether the baddies are Indian, Chinese, or from Mars.

In referance to the lord of the rings, that movie destroyed my image of many things in the book, and I'm afraid this movie is going to do the same thing. Maybe I just don't understand why they need to change the origins of things to chinese. Also, one of the best part of the books, in my opinion, is just listening to jack think. And how are they going to put that in the movie? Make it sound like an echo? Not putting that in alone is carving a huge chunk out of it. I don't know, I'm just having my doubts I guess, but I hope everything goes well and my doubts are brushed aside as merely pessimistic thinking.

[Mailedbypostman]

That's true.