Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Big Magilla wrote:Tee, I don't know about anyone else, but, yeah, I am seriously suggesting that a quick U.S. remake of Dragon Tattoo is a mistake. I thought it was doomed from the minute Daniel Craig was inappropriately cast as the male lead.

How could you watch the first two and not the third, which wraps it all up? I thought the second was a letdown after the first, but not the third which ties everything together.

Because I read the three books, and thought the third was far and away the worst -- there wasn't a single new element in it, and it all evolved in a totally predictable, "the government goons will try to silence Salander, but she will triumph at every turn" way. Plus, my wife isn't crazy about subtitled movies, and these days I'm trying to gear the entertainment portion of our DVD watching to movies she'd enjoy.

By the way, this must be the first time any David Fincher project has ever been described as "quick".

Mister Tee wrote: I don't think the novels are particularly special (I think the first one is the best, but even there not in a transcending-genre way), but if I have any excitement about this version it's that a true filmmaker is at the helm. When I watched the first trailer for the Fincher version, I was aware of seeing events from the earlier film, this time framed in far more interesting fashion. It's inconceivable to me that a creative shooter like Fincher (who even gave the pedestrian Panic Room a unique look) would fail to provide some value-added for this version.

That first trailer gave me chills. Especially with the cover of "Immigrant Song" as performed by Trent Reznor and Karen O adding some dark aggression to it.

Tee, I don't know about anyone else, but, yeah, I am seriously suggesting that a quick U.S. remake of Dragon Tattoo is a mistake. I thought it was doomed from the minute Daniel Craig was inappropriately cast as the male lead.

How could you watch the first two and not the third, which wraps it all up? I thought the second was a letdown after the first, but not the third which ties everything together.

Dien wrote:

flipp525 wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:Interesting. I've gotten those same vibes without talking to publiscists. The wild card is still Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud

You've got it backwards: it's Extremely LOUD and Incredibly CLOSE. I'm prepared to be underwhelmed considering I found the novel way too precious, but you never know.

I get it confused all the time, going as far as substituting adjectives and adverbs.

Yeah, but at least I don;t get as confushed with this one as I do with that Marcy May whatever title.

Um...folks...The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (and its two sequels) are a publishing phenomenon on a par with The Da Vinci Code (or, going back in time, Love Story/The Exocist/Jaws). Are people seriously suggesting a Swedish version that ended up grossing $10 million in the US has exhausted the domestic audience for it? Even worldwide, the Swedish version topped out at about $100 million, which is notably less than Crouching Tiger did in the US alone. Allow that there are more people exposed to it in DVD; the untapped market still remains vast. WB And the Larsson estate would be idiots not to make a version in English, one that I assume will easily crack $100 million and not unlikely $200 million.

And I have to dispute the idea that the Swedish films amounted to "expert" filming. I've only watched the first two, and found them standard-issue, utterly lacking in distinction. I don't think the novels are particularly special (I think the first one is the best, but even there not in a transcending-genre way), but if I have any excitement about this version it's that a true filmmaker is at the helm. When I watched the first trailer for the Fincher version, I was aware of seeing events from the earlier film, this time framed in far more interesting fashion. It's inconceivable to me that a creative shooter like Fincher (who even gave the pedestrian Panic Room a unique look) would fail to provide some value-added for this version.

flipp525 wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:Interesting. I've gotten those same vibes without talking to publiscists. The wild card is still Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud

You've got it backwards: it's Extremely LOUD and Incredibly CLOSE. I'm prepared to be underwhelmed considering I found the novel way too precious, but you never know.

I get it confused all the time, going as far as substituting adjectives and adverbs.

Big Magilla wrote:Interesting. I've gotten those same vibes without talking to publiscists. The wild card is still Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud

You've got it backwards: it's Extremely LOUD and Incredibly CLOSE. I'm prepared to be underwhelmed considering I found the novel way too precious, but you never know.

Dien wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:I'm not seeing a nod for Rooney Mara. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not only redunant, it's probably going to end up a foolish waste of money for Warner Bros., who thanks to the critical/box office failure of J. Edgar and Tattoo, will have to campaign hard for Extremely close if they want to be in this year's race.

Dragon Tattoo won't be released until late December. What suggests it's going to be a critical/box office failure like J. Edgar?

I could be wrong, of course, but I think the critics are going to be all over this for the same reasons as Sonic's relatives. I don't share their views. Although I generally have no problem with subtitles, there are films where the subtitles get in the way. This was one of those films that I tried to watch with subtitles but gave up after the first ten-twenty minutes because I had a hard time keeping up with both the image and the reading of the subtitles. Watching it in the dubbed version where I could keep my eye completely focused on the action instead of diverting my attention to the subtitles I was enthralled.

As for box office, it's going to vie with family films and ciritcally acclaimed films which tend to dominate at year end. Exceptions are generally lame ass comedies, not somber murder mysteries.

The primary audience for a film of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo consists of those who loved the novel and many of them would have seen the Swiedish version. For everyone else I think it will be a tougher sell than the Warner Bros. suits supsect.

Big Magilla wrote: I'm not seeing a nod for Rooney Mara. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not only redunant, it's probably going to end up a foolish waste of money for Warner Bros., who thanks to the critical/box office failure of J. Edgar and Tattoo, will have to campaign hard for Extremely close if they want to be in this year's race.

....or Harry Potter.

Dien wrote:

Big Magilla wrote:I'm not seeing a nod for Rooney Mara. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not only redunant, it's probably going to end up a foolish waste of money for Warner Bros., who thanks to the critical/box office failure of J. Edgar and Tattoo, will have to campaign hard for Extremely close if they want to be in this year's race.

Dragon Tattoo won't be released until late December. What suggests it's going to be a critical/box office failure like J. Edgar?

His resentment, probably. I had this same discussion with family members over Thanksgiving who are appalled that they're making an American version of Tatoo to placate the stupid Americans who can't read subtitles, never mind that this sort of thing goes on around the world. I couldn't share in the righteous anger since I was the one family member who hadn't read the books or watched the movies. I did give the first one a try and completely lost interest after 10 minutes. Oh, and the next day my wife found streaming online a remake of the Mel Gibson comedy "What Women Want" starring Andy Lau and Gong Li.

I'm sure the argument will be that there's a huge difference between a dumb, insignificant if successful comedy and the much beloved Millenium series. All I can say is, if the Larsson estate felt that the Swedish films should stand on their own, then they wouldn't sell the property out to other studios and filmmakers. But clearly they feel there is more milk to be gotten out of this cash cow.

Big Magilla wrote:I'm not seeing a nod for Rooney Mara. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not only redunant, it's probably going to end up a foolish waste of money for Warner Bros., who thanks to the critical/box office failure of J. Edgar and Tattoo, will have to campaign hard for Extremely close if they want to be in this year's race.

Dragon Tattoo won't be released until late December. What suggests it's going to be a critical/box office failure like J. Edgar?

We'll see, we'll see.

Big Magilla wrote: It's one thing to remake foreign language fims which were barely seen by U.S. audiences such Infernal Affairs and Brothers into major Hollywood productions, but why this property? The Dragon books were a worldwide phenomenon.

That's why. You just answered your own question.

Anyone interested in seeing film versions can rent or buy the entire trilogy on DVD as they have all been expertly filmed and come with dubbed soundtracks if you don't want to read subtitles.

So why haven't they?

You need a better read on the general public. I think you're in for a surprise.

Interesting. I've gotten those same vibes without talking to publiscists. The wild card is still Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud which won't be screened for critics and others until Friday.

I'm not seeing a nod for Rooney Mara. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not only redunant, it's probably going to end up a foolish waste of money for Warner Bros., who thanks to the critical/box office failure of J. Edgar and Tattoo, will have to campaign hard for Extremely close if they want to be in this year's race. It's one thing to remake foreign language fims which were barely seen by U.S. audiences such Infernal Affairs and Brothers into major Hollywood productions, but why this property? The Dragon books were a worldwide phenomenon. Anyone interested in seeing film versions can rent or buy the entire trilogy on DVD as they have all been expertly filmed and come with dubbed soundtracks if you don't want to read subtitles.

A friend of mine spent thanksgiving in Palm Springs, and he hung out with two major film publicists, each of whom are working on several Oscar campaigns. My friend said that this is what they told him:

* An Academy screening of "Tree of Life" did not go over well - people were either bored or baffled

* "War Horse" could be Oscar's pick this year -- a return to old-fashioned Hollywood filmmaking and an antidote to the past several years of Indie victories. "The Artist" is a wild card but "War Horse"'s closest competition. Critics will undoubtedly knock "War Horse," but it is widely regarded as a commercial sure thing. In a weird way, this is a flashback to the "Shakespeare in Love" vs. "Saving Private Ryan," Spielberg vs. Weinstein scenario.

* Ralph Fiennes' take on "Coriolanus" is very well done. Vanessa Redgrave's fierce, scenery-chewing performance seems assured of a Supporting Actress nod.

* "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is redundant if you have seen the Swedish version, with Daniel Craig's buffed-up bod an unlikely match for the supposedly schlumpy leading journalist, but Rooney Mara is solid, and assured of a nomination with one key scene. Purists may argue with alterations made to the plot of the original.