The Dark Tower (2017)

[Bridgeburner]

I kinda liked that.

You forgot your spoiler tags lol.

 

[calsnowskier]

Spoiler

Worst ending I've ever come across in any book. Basically made the entire thing moot. Hated it. not enough for the series to stop being my favorite though haha.

Agree to disagree, I guess...

 

[chf]

Spoiler

Worst ending I've ever come across in any book. Basically made the entire thing moot. Hated it. not enough for the series to stop being my favorite though haha.

yeah, but you have no taste anyway.


<ducks>

How's life treatin' you BB?

 

[calsnowskier]

Spoiler

I kinda liked that, on reaching the top, Roland's life was reset...with at least the possibility that his new future could follow a better course, not having lost his friend's horn.

But it left too many questions unanswered. We never really found out what the Tower was, or who built it, or why the survival of the world...and every parallel version thereof, depended on it.

My money was on the idea that Roland's world was the one in which The Stand was set, only centuries later...that humanity recovered, and civilization was rebuilt, and in time surpassed our own...but ultimately fell.

It sucked, IMO, not getting more answers, after so many years of devotion to the series.

Edit: added spoiler tag. cal

Spoiler

I don't think any of those questions are that critical.

The fact that Flagg is established as just a flunky, however, was a huge disappointment for me. Flagg had been established over decades of King books as being a total bad ass. To intimately just make him a lieutenant, and to killed as an almost afterthought was a major letdown.

The world of the Tower and the Spokes is not the Stand-world. The Tet actually crosses into the Stand-world at one point in the books. Also, they cross over into the Stand-world briefly in The Talisman books, IIRC.

 

[The Crimson King]

????

What is the source material then? Shrek 2?

I don't understand your statement. It is a translation of the books to the big screen. Of course it is a "remake" of the books.

Well, I meant it's not a direct adaptation of the books. Anyone who's been paying attention knows that.

 

[jakedog56]

Well, I meant it's not a direct adaptation of the books. Anyone who's been paying attention knows that.

No adaptation is a direct adaptation of the source material unless it is the source material.

My point is that they are changing a main component of the character interdynamics only so they can put a minority in a role so it appeals to a larger audience. I typically would have no problem with that if the racial tension between Roland, Eddie, and Detta was not such a telling part of the story.

 

[calsnowskier]

No adaptation is a direct adaptation of the source material unless it is the source material.

My point is that they are changing a main component of the character interdynamics only so they can put a minority in a role so it appeals to a larger audience. I typically would have no problem with that if the racial tension between Roland, Eddie, and Detta was not such a telling part of the story.

On the surface, making Roland black is not a big deal. And Elba is a fantastic actor who can pull it off. Heck, years ago, when rumors of this movie first broke, I was pulling for Lance Reddick to play Roland.

But making Detta white is a move that totally castrates the character. She is a black woman from the south in the 60's (IIRC). She had been treated horribly her entire life BECAUSE she was black (vague by design) and her condition and attitude towards Roland and Eddie was understandabl, and, to a certain extent, defendable. Flipping the script and making her just a racist piece of shit white trash bitch removes the empathy for the character that Detta had.

It is possible they will handle this change well. King has been pretty outspoken that he really likes how this will be handled. But I just fear they are changing it purely for PC reasons (make the hero black, and avoid the complex, racist on the surface black character).

 

[Bridgeburner]

yeah, but you have no taste anyway.


<ducks>

How's life treatin' you BB?

Hahaha. Not too bad brother. Getting through one day at a time. You?

 

[Bridgeburner]

My point is that they are changing a main component of the character interdynamics only so they can put a minority in a role so it appeals to a larger audience.

I really don't think with the majority of movie-goers being white that they came to the conclusion that a black lead would be a moneymaker. I think it's far more likely that they did their homework and cast Elba as Roland because he was the best choice to play him. Something that I think comes through very clearly in the limited sample trailer.

 

[calsnowskier]

I really don't think with the majority of movie-goers being white that they came to the conclusion that a black lead would be a moneymaker. I think it's far more likely that they did their homework and cast Elba as Roland because he was the best choice to play him. Something that I think comes through very clearly in the limited sample trailer.

Again, I like Elba, and fully believe he will do a bang-up job as Roland. But when it comes to SJ, Hollywood gets a bit goofy. The back-pats and atta-boys they will get for this "daring" casting decision is worth millions to these guys.

But my main/only complaint about his casting is the subsequent changes that need to be made to Detta.

 

[chf]

Hahaha. Not too bad brother. Getting through one day at a time. You?

Gettin' old. My kid is about to graduate high school.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Gettin' old. My kid is about to graduate high school.

Lol. I was a weepy little bitch when my daughter graduated last year. I swear yesterday I could hold her in one arm. She's just finishing up her freshman year at Penn State now.

 

[jakedog56]

On the surface, making Roland black is not a big deal. And Elba is a fantastic actor who can pull it off. Heck, years ago, when rumors of this movie first broke, I was pulling for Lance Reddick to play Roland.

But making Detta white is a move that totally castrates the character. She is a black woman from the south in the 60's (IIRC). She had been treated horribly her entire life BECAUSE she was black (vague by design) and her condition and attitude towards Roland and Eddie was understandabl, and, to a certain extent, defendable. Flipping the script and making her just a racist piece of shit white trash bitch removes the empathy for the character that Detta had.

It is possible they will handle this change well. King has been pretty outspoken that he really likes how this will be handled. But I just fear they are changing it purely for PC reasons (make the hero black, and avoid the complex, racist on the surface black character).

Here Here!! That is a spot on statement.

 

[Bridgeburner]

But making Detta white is a move that totally castrates the character. She is a black woman from the south in the 60's (IIRC). She had been treated horribly her entire life BECAUSE she was black (vague by design) and her condition and attitude towards Roland and Eddie was understandabl, and, to a certain extent, defendable. Flipping the script and making her just a racist piece of shit white trash bitch removes the empathy for the character that Detta had.

Yeah, this is spot on. It's also a great character development the story will sadly miss.

 

[chf]

Lol. I was a weepy little bitch when my daughter graduated last year. I swear yesterday I could hold her in one arm. She's just finishing up her freshman year at Penn State now.

Heh, yeah the weepy thing seems to come at the same time as extra trips to the bathroom at night.

 

[The Crimson King]

On the surface, making Roland black is not a big deal. And Elba is a fantastic actor who can pull it off. Heck, years ago, when rumors of this movie first broke, I was pulling for Lance Reddick to play Roland.

But making Detta white is a move that totally castrates the character. She is a black woman from the south in the 60's (IIRC). She had been treated horribly her entire life BECAUSE she was black (vague by design) and her condition and attitude towards Roland and Eddie was understandabl, and, to a certain extent, defendable. Flipping the script and making her just a racist piece of shit white trash bitch removes the empathy for the character that Detta had.

It is possible they will handle this change well. King has been pretty outspoken that he really likes how this will be handled. But I just fear they are changing it purely for PC reasons (make the hero black, and avoid the complex, racist on the surface black character).

There is no Detta or Eddie yet, so we don't know what they're going to do about it.

 

[calsnowskier]

There is no Detta or Eddie yet, so we don't know what they're going to do about it.

I don't have links, but I have read articles that stated that the plan was for a white Detta (and a name change).

If they keep her black, doesn't that kinda castrate her as well? Her whole basis for hating Roland is gone, unless they just make her a man-hater in general.

 

[Niner Outlaw]

I don't have links, but I have read articles that stated that the plan was for a white Detta (and a name change).

If they keep her black, doesn't that kinda castrate her as well? Her whole basis for hating Roland is gone, unless they just make her a man-hater in general.

They could just make the white Detta some entitled or lesbian feminazi that hates a traditional/patriarchal strong man like Roland. We've already seen big changes just from the trailer. With Detta's color being different, we're sure to see a lot more "reimagining" of the story.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Can't. Stop. Pulling. Schmeckle. To. Trailer.

 

[Breed]

My bad if I missed it, but I didn't see a thread on it. Though I'll be a little surprised if this is the first one.

I dig Elba in the role of the Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and if McConughey as the Man in Black brings it like he did in HBO's True Detective. This could be the best ever book adaption of a Stephen King book.

Right now I got Misery and The Mist neck n neck as best movies from Stephen King books.