26 response about Two for The Road. »

1. 

   Sorry Marina, I have to agree with Kurt on this one.

   Comment by Quiet Earth — May 27, 2008
2. 

   Hey hey! I’m pretty sure that’s my beach! Sweet!

   Man, I hate how we have to wait so long for this…

   Comment by Jonathan — May 27, 2008
3. 

   if its anything as good as the book, then i’m gonna love this one

   Comment by Clarence Jimmersin — May 28, 2008
4. 

   Sorry kids. Too busy for an actual post and comments section was easier.

   1/2 through the book. I think I’m going to need a massive cry when I finish.

   Comment by Marina Antunes — May 28, 2008
5. 

   And BTW, I imagined the cart completely different.

   Comment by Marina Antunes — May 28, 2008
6. 

   I did by the book now I just need to find the time to read it.

   Comment by John Allison — May 28, 2008
7. 

   @John – I started yesterday. Haven’t listened to a podcast since and likely won’t until I finish tonight. Haven’t even downloaded the Cinecast or the FJ podcast.

   Comment by Marina Antunes — May 28, 2008
8. 

   I really got out of reading a while back and just can’t get myself back in the mood. I used to read before bed but now I just want to go to sleep or I throw a DVD in the portable and watch it.

   The last book I read was Perfume which once I started I read it pretty quickly. I’m sure the same will be with The Road.

   The one thing of reading this coming up is that I’m somewhat depressed that I’m going to ruin the movie for me. I really enjoyed No Country as a movie without having read the book. I’m trying to decide which medium I want to be entertained with. I’m sure the book has more to say but I also don’t want to ruin the movie.

   Comment by John Allison — May 28, 2008
9. 

   I still read a fair bit but it takes me longer to run through material, especially during busy weeks. The plan for the summer is to make a dent in the TBR pile which has expanded astronomically over the last few weeks. This may mean less DVD’s but it’s a price I’m willing to pay.

   I’ve given up on reading books before movies – for the most part. I just take them as they come. Funny thing actually – I saw “The Jane Austen Book Club” a while back and read the book after seeing the film and I liked the film better than the book.

   Comment by Marina Antunes — May 28, 2008
10. 

    Speaking of reading, last night I got through about half of Jonathan’s post from a while back in which he copied in the entire short story for Fincher’s inspiration of “Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s quite good and I plan on finishing tonight before bed.

    Comment by Andrew James — May 28, 2008
11. 

    I envisioned their cart a little different too, Marina. I thought of it more dolly-like.
    That’s it. I’m not even going to go see this movie now.

    Comment by Andy — May 28, 2008
12. 

    Funny that, I pictured it as a Costco cart, big grocery cart.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — May 28, 2008
13. 

    Yeah, for me it’s definitely more of a shopping cart – like the big ones from Costco.

    Apparently there’s a NY times story on the project which delves fairly deeply into the plot. I haven’t read it yet, going to wait until AFTER I read the book but if I find it, I’ll pass it along.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — May 28, 2008
14. 

    I’m saying it now: The Road will be the hot ticket at this year’s TIFF. at the very least it will be for me.

    I am halfway through Cormac’s Blood Meridian – a book I really like in stops and starts, and I believe Ridley Scott is in post-production in the film adaptation, perhaps it could be ready for showing at TIFF too. Two Cormac McCarthy adaptations at the same festival might inspire the author to show up methinks.

    I suppose more likely Tiff-darling Ridley will come with his other film already in the can, House of Lies… but time will tell.

    Comment by rot — May 31, 2008
15. 

    Here’s that article.

    Notice the “ERIE, PA.” at the beginning of the article. Representing my home town. WORD.

    Anyway, I’m predicting it now, without even seeing a second of footage. The Road shall win Best Picture!!

    As for Blood Meridian, it’s an incredible work, easily one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century. But no, rot, filming hasn’t begun on Blood Meridian yet. I wrote about it a couple months ago in my McCarthyism post. Everything seems to be at a standstill with production right now and nobody except Ridley is signed on yet.

    Comment by Jonathan — June 1, 2008
16. 

    The more I read Blood Meridian the more I wonder how they will pull this off. I mean the book reads cinematically, All Ridley and his cinematographer have to do is follow the perfect descriptions McCarthy gives but its the brutality which is the essence of the story that I am curious how they will pull off. I thought the universe depicted in the Road was brutal, man it has nothing on this. I am two-thirds through and I do not notice a single hopeful note. Its like a Bosch painting or Dante’s Inferno set on the wide plains. Its the Hobbesian chaotic brutal world prior to the restriction of law… it is, to me anyway, true to humanity and why again I think unmoderated self-interest proliferated through the visage of a free-market shows the ugly face of times when guns spoke louder than words… except now its foreclosures, bankruptcy, slave labour thats levels man.

    Ridley Scott better not soften the story, or go Kingdom of Heaven or I will be incredibly pissed.

    Comment by rot — June 2, 2008
17. 

    I’m missing the Ridley Scott connection… isn’t this being directed by John Hillcoat?

    After finishing the book I’m more than a little surprized that they are making a film adaptation. It was a good book, and very visual but other than that I’m not convinced.

    Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — June 2, 2008
18. 

    Ridley Scott is doing McCarthy’s other book, Blood Meridian. Similar to The Road in that it is unrelenting despair.

    Comment by rot — June 2, 2008
19. 

    “or go Kingdom of Heaven”

    Am I to take it that this means you didn’t like Kingdom of Heaven? I can see why the distributor chopped that film but the end result was a disaster compared to the epic that is the Director’s cut which, also happens to be, nothing short of brilliant.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — June 2, 2008
20. 

    Reading Blood Meridian is exhausting. Draining. I think it is the only McCarthy book I’ve read that would be next to impossible to pull off. And it will have to be softened. Have to. No studio will ever agree to it otherwise and the producers will chop the shit out of it. Which is just a shame.

    That which exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.

    Comment by Jonathan — June 2, 2008
21. 

    I have not seen the director’s cut, I admit

    Comment by rot — June 2, 2008
22. 

    @Jonathan

    I love that line from the judge… for me the best parts are when stories are being told either by the judge or about him, those chapters fly by… but then intermittently there are dense descriptions of events, Moby Dick dense. I still think they are great but it is work to slog through.

    as for softening, well that should be relative… do they need to have infant heads burst over rocks, no, but the pervasive mood of violence and hopelessness, of these people living like wild dogs, senseless atrocities everywhere, that HAS to be there or there is no film to speak of.

    I suspect the thing the judge does with the puppy will be in the film.

    Comment by rot — June 2, 2008
23. 

    Also the introduction of Toadvine HAS to be in the film… that scene and the punchline work so damn good and it sets the tone for the entire story.

    Comment by rot — June 2, 2008
24. 

    Hmm, I coulda sworn I commented here….

    Thanks rot for the Ridley Scott connection!

    Ack, blurring eyes not to read about the other book. Overall I might find these ones too dark but it’s a little early to say that. Something too keep eyes and ears open for!

    Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — June 2, 2008
25. 

    not to worry no real spoilers in my comments… I mean the infant thing is like a throwaway event, one of many atrocities.

    I think the wild dogs analogy is pretty good, this is the Old West populated with rabid dogs with six shooters and the violence is unrelenting, so yeah dark may be an understatement.

    Comment by rot — June 2, 2008
26. 

    “not to worry no real spoilers in my comments… I mean the infant thing is like a throwaway event, one of many atrocities.”

    Except that that scene made me pause for a few minutes before I could move on again. Ugh.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — June 2, 2008

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