[seankenny]

Went to see Dune today. Solid 2.5/5 for me, was bored in the first 15 minutes and it never improved.

I’d read the story as a teen but had forgotten/not realised how shonky it all is. It didn’t take much “my lord this that and the other” to have me pining for the Culture and its space communism. And all that specious mysticism and the American mid 60s racial hierarchy complete with cod Chinese accent doctor.

But also the treatment was so tedious, stretched out for either self indulgence or commercial effect, so obvious… oooh a dark rainy planet it must be the baddies. There was no sense of jeopardy or even action for a loooooong way into the movie. Putting a choir in the background does not a sense of wonder make.

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

[lagerstarfish]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

 Now, this is very interesting.
Anyone else interested in a thread split about which SF works should be made into films?
I'll start with Robert A Heinlein "Job".  With all the modern stuff like American Gods, this should be doable, surely?

[NaoB]

 I saw a trailer for Foundation the other day, looks like it will be a series on Apple TV (which I don't have...). I've been an Asimov fan since mid-teens, so curious to see how this will turn out.

Edit: obviously this is the wrong thread for a series!

[TobyD]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

 Now, this is very interesting.
Anyone else interested in a thread split about which SF works should be made into films?
I'll start with Robert A Heinlein "Job".  With all the modern stuff like American Gods, this should be doable, surely?

My pick would be The Drowned World by JG Ballard.  Not modern, but would be an amazing film in the right hands.
Also,  although I've only just started reading it, Sunfall by Jim Al Kalili.

[teestub]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

A Consider Phlebas series was in the works, but now cancelled sadly. Hopefully someone will have another go soon, although that wouldn’t be my first choice of Culture novel. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/26/amazon-tv-adaptation-of-iain-banks-culture-series-is-cancelled

[Plattsy]

I saw a trailer for Foundation the other day, looks like it will be a series on Apple TV (which I don't have...). I've been an Asimov fan since mid-teens, so curious to see how this will turn out.

Edit: obviously this is the wrong thread for a series!

I have the book but haven't read it yet. I am enjoying the series so far.

[Bradders]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

I've always thought the lack of any films or other media (apart from various videogames) based in the Warhammer 40k universe is pretty strange.

In particular my absolute favourite books are the Gaunt's Ghosts novels. They'd make brilliant films in my opinion.

[teestub]

Really interested to watch the Foundation series, from the trailer it looks like the entire series may be based on the first 20 pages of the first book!

Agree re Warhammer, both 40k and normal, I feel like there should at least be some substandard fare by now like the WoW film.

In terms of modern sci getting made, I’d say that The Expanse and to a lesser extent Altered Carbon are great examples, maybe it’s just easier to get series commissioned rather than movies?

[TobyD]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

I've always thought the lack of any films or other media (apart from various videogames) based in the Warhammer 40k universe is pretty strange.

In particular my absolute favourite books are the Gaunt's Ghosts novels. They'd make brilliant films in my opinion.

Anything all about the space marines and or terminators Vs the chaos would be amazing, but need a huge budget!

[moose]

In particular my absolute favourite books are the Gaunt's Ghosts novels. They'd make brilliant films in my opinion.

Good shout - Gaunt's Ghosts is basically "Sharpe in Space" - people in peril against terrible odds (the book that is basically a rewritten Siege of Stalingrad would be a goer?). 

I think Space Marines are possibly a bit too leaden for good drama - 8ft tall near invincible demigods with wooden personalities.  Mind you, I guess expecting great "human" drama is perhaps too high a demand for a WH40K film! I At least, CGI allowing, they'd allow for great action scenes.

Ciaphus Cain would be a possibility - i.e. Flashman in Space - sci-fi action black comedy. 

[Bradders]

the book that is basically a rewritten Siege of Stalingrad would be a goer?

Necropolis, yeah that would be top of the list.

[TobyD]

I think Space Marines are possibly a bit too leaden for good drama - 8ft tall near invincible demigods with wooden personalities.  Mind you, I guess expecting great "human" drama is perhaps too high a demand for a WH40K film! I At least, CGI allowing, they'd allow for great action scenes.

Are you forgetting how good Terminator was? Or that The Rock is probably currently one of the most bankable movie stars around? Itd be a nailed on success. 

[moose]

I think Space Marines are possibly a bit too leaden for good drama - 8ft tall near invincible demigods with wooden personalities.  Mind you, I guess expecting great "human" drama is perhaps too high a demand for a WH40K film! I At least, CGI allowing, they'd allow for great action scenes.

Are you forgetting how good Terminator was? Or that The Rock is probably currently one of the most bankable movie stars around? Itd be a nailed on success.

Terminator was great, but I feel a film that comprised lots of emotionless, genetically flawless terminators would not be. And, while The Rock is popular, are any of his films good? And would a film where every character is The Rock be interesting? Mind you, you're probably right that such a film would be successful, even if it was crap. And, a film of Space Marine versus Space Marine action (e.g Horus Heresy) could be really fun.   

[Fiend]

You bunch of utter dweeboids!! 

[moose]

You bunch of utter dweeboids!! 

I know! I've had a ferociously hard few months of work, and recently found that Wh40k novels give my brain a holiday! [See also, Jack Reacher]. I wasn't even aware of their existence until recently. I follow the Twitter feed of Patrick Wyman, of the Tides of History podcast, and he recommended the Black Library as a fund of  military sci-fi fun.

[SA Chris]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

A Consider Phlebas series was in the works, but now cancelled sadly. Hopefully someone will have another go soon, although that wouldn’t be my first choice of Culture novel. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/26/amazon-tv-adaptation-of-iain-banks-culture-series-is-cancelled

First choice would be Player of Games?

[Snoops]

You bunch of utter dweeboids!! 

I know! I've had a ferociously hard few months of work, and recently found that Wh40k novels give my brain a holiday! [See also, Jack Reacher]. I wasn't even aware of their existence until recently. I follow the Twitter feed of Patrick Wyman, of the Tides of History podcast, and he recommended the Black Library as a fund of  military sci-fi fun.

Should move this to good book thread but if you like military sci-fi you have to read ‘Amour’ by John Steakley, it’s just brilliant, possibly best ever.

[teestub]

First choice would be Player of Games?

Yeah, or Use of Weapons, also think Surface Detail would be great.

[TobyD]

First choice would be Player of Games?

Yeah, or Use of Weapons, also think Surface Detail would be great.

Player of Games struck me as a successful pastiche of Hesse's The Glass Bead Game. I don't know whether that's entirely my reading or misreading of it, but it's not a negative point, I still thought it was excellent.  I'm not sure if a film would do justice to the culture novels though, theres a lot of internal monologue which would be very difficult to render into a movie which retains any narrative drive.  I'd be nervous about it decending into tedious space opera. It's a while since I've read one though,  I could be completely wrong. 

[seankenny]

When I made my comment above I was thinking of filming books like The Left Hand of Darkness or The Parable of the Sower - books using SF to explore ideas around sexuality, social decay, religion, and not written from the perspective of middle aged white men.

But it's clear that what the market wants is Terminator on steroids... 

[teestub]

Enough social decay and issues around religion and sexuality going on in the real world, give me the escapism of talking ships and overpowered McGuffins any day of the week.

[seankenny]

Enough social decay and issues around religion and sexuality going on in the real world, give me the escapism of talking ships and overpowered McGuffins any day of the week.

Fair enough!

Though Dune was still fucking tedious despite its overpowered McNonsense.

[teestub]

Did you have similar feelings about other slow paced things such as Green Knight, 2049 etc. and how much of your dislike of the film would you put down to the political landscape portrayed? I was fairly tempted to go straight back to the cinema the following day, for me it is pretty much everything I’ve wanted out of sci fi.

Also interesting that you went for Left Hand after decrying ‘70’s books popular with hippies 😄 For me the central ‘no war’ conceit didn’t work against a backdrop of execution, political rivalry, border disputes etc. I’m sure the sexuality side of it was a big deal in the ‘70’s but felt pretty unremarkable these days.

[Fiend]

The criminal thing about films this shit is they distract from all the potentially interesting and more modern SF that could be made, but isn’t because it doesn’t have the brand name built from a book that was popular with 1970s hippies.

 Now, this is very interesting.
Anyone else interested in a thread split about which SF works should be made into films?
I'll start with Robert A Heinlein "Job".  With all the modern stuff like American Gods, this should be doable, surely?

Said it before, and will say it again, Alistair Reynold's Century Rain, a mixture of detective noir and alt-worlds thriller. Got plenty of good, gripping, cinematographic imagery in it, at the time I thought it would be great as a film.

A lot of the modern semi-fi thrillers I read would translate well, the stuff I've mentioned recently in the books thread for example.

[Teaboy]

Red Notice (Netflix)
Read some shit reviews for this but I thought it was very enjoyable, possibly carried by the two charismatic stars though.