2226 replies to this topic

[Harmsway]

Personally, I'm hoping for the latter - it would certainly be the more interesting option.

Definitely. Although it seems hugely unlikely, since Harris would be unable to sell the film rights.

But it would also allow him to avoid writing another screenplay disguised as a novel, as is the case with HANNIBAL RISING.

Now, to be fair, this was not a novel Thomas Harris really desired to write. Dino DeLaurentis came with him and asked him to write the screenplay for a Hannibal prequel film. It allegedly took some convincing (a big paycheck), but Harris relented and wrote the screenplay. It wasn't until long after Harris wrote the screenplay that he felt compelled to put the story in novel form and expand it. So HANNIBAL RISING isn't a novel Harris would have written of his own accord, and I think that shows.

At any rate, something tells me that Young Hannibal isn't really going to catch on, and that they'll at some point soon try to lure Hopkins back for one more film rounding off a Hannibal and Clarice trilogy.

Maybe. HANNIBAL RISING seems dead in the water (I saw the english trailer, and while it's a better trailer, it's nothing special), but I can't imagine yet another Hopkins Hannibal film being all that great. Sounds like it would be miserable.

Given that it's hard to imagine Harris putting pen to paper on Lecter again for a few years, another Hopkins Lecter flick would probably be an original story by another writer or writers.

Probably. I shudder at the thought.

[Loomis]

I can't imagine yet another Hopkins Hannibal film being all that great. Sounds like it would be miserable.

Yeah. Everyone would be doing it purely for the money, and it'd show. Plus, they'd almost certainly have to recast the role of Clarice once again (since I doubt that Julianne Moore is exactly itching to play the character a second time, and even if she were she'd doubtless be considered too old by producers), so there'd be little sense of series history and probably no rapport between the leads.

I'm still looking forward to reading HANNIBAL RISING, but I have to say that your review has caused my high expectations to nosedive. To put it in Bond terms, I was anticipating vintage Fleming, but it looks as though I'll have to adjust my expectations and hope to enjoy the book on the level of a Benson.

Seems the literary Hannibal series has only two really good entries: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and HANNIBAL. Oddly enough, those two are also the only genuinely terrific outings in the film franchise, with RED DRAGON and even Michael Mann's MANHUNTER being mediocre.

[00Twelve]

Reading "The Way of the Wild Heart," a new book by John Eldredge. Fantastic.

[Harmsway]

I'm still looking forward to reading HANNIBAL RISING, but I have to say that your review has caused my high expectations to nosedive. To put it in Bond terms, I was anticipating vintage Fleming, but it looks as though I'll have to adjust my expectations and hope to enjoy the book on the level of a Benson.

Yeah, that's a good way to read it. HANNIBAL RISING is pretty much Harris writing a novelization of his screenplay (he wrote the screenplay first, after all), so it's not a brilliant Harris creation.

I'll read the novel again and hopefully enjoy it more and appreciate its high points for what they are. Regardless, that movie looks dire (the US trailer is absolutely dismal) and looks like it does a disservice to the what good points the novel has.

[Waffles, James Waffles.]

Moonraker is what I'm reading now. Live and Let Die and Casino Royale were first. Good books.

[james st.john smythe]

Recoil by Andy Mcnab. Well i'll start it 2moro

[Qwerty]

My Bio book.

...thankfully this will be the last week of it.

[Loomis]

I'm still looking forward to reading HANNIBAL RISING, but I have to say that your review has caused my high expectations to nosedive. To put it in Bond terms, I was anticipating vintage Fleming, but it looks as though I'll have to adjust my expectations and hope to enjoy the book on the level of a Benson.

Yeah, that's a good way to read it. HANNIBAL RISING is pretty much Harris writing a novelization of his screenplay (he wrote the screenplay first, after all), so it's not a brilliant Harris creation.

I'll read the novel again and hopefully enjoy it more and appreciate its high points for what they are. Regardless, that movie looks dire (the US trailer is absolutely dismal) and looks like it does a disservice to the what good points the novel has.

The book is getting slagged six ways to Sunday. Here are some choice comments from Amazon (to be fair, there are a some good reviews, too, but not many):

What we get is a lot of half-baked psychology and endless scenes of nauseating violence designed for no other purpose than to shock and revolt us. The central character himself barely makes an impression; he's almost--perish the thought--boring. And the rest of the cast is even less interesting. The writing throughout the book is surprisingly bad, and I'm having a hard time believing it is actually the work of Thomas Harris.

This portrait is just inconsistent with the character we came to know so well in the earlier novels. Why doesn't Harris sell this character to another novelist who can treat Lecter with more creativity and credibility?

This entire novel appears to have been ghostwritten by an over enthusiastic fan who had only seen the films. It's as if Thomas Harris hasn't even read his other Lecter trilogy books, let alone written them.

I didn't like it at all, kept waiting for it to get better. It read more like a letter to the IRS from Thomas Harris, justifying hanging out in Paris for a little wine . . . and ice cream sundaes.

A single star, and were it permissible, lower. Actually sullies the good (?) name of Dr. Lecter from the earlier works and makes him closer still to a cartoon. Having finished this in a bit over 3 hours, there is almost nothing I can recall with the exception of the opening paragraphs.

I think there are three scenarios in which Harris wrote this book. a) he was broke and needed to make a quick buck so busted this out without much thought b)he was offered a lucritive contract for another hannibal movie and this is the screenplay, c) he's not even the author because the writing of this book is such a far departure from the quality of his other books.

Listen to what others have written about this book. It is that bad. I thought his last book was bad, but this was worse. I read about 100 pages and had to stop. It was so awful that I went back to the bookstore adn returned the book.

Lady Murasaki stepped right from the worst parts of Memoirs of a Geisha.

Oh, for another RED DRAGON. Not word for word, mind you, but it seems like aliens came along and captured the person who wrote that and SILENCE and left this word machine in their place.

fanfic-bad

With print the size of a pre-school reader and the content equally as enthralling....you would do best to pass on this offer.

[*Gala*]

Okies... I'm reading "Running in the Family" by M. Ondaatje cuz I have to read it by tomorrow for school and I just started today. Oh wonderful!!! *Sighs*

[Harmsway]

The book is getting slagged six ways to Sunday.

I know, but I don't take a lot of the comments that seriously because they're all the same people who hated HANNIBAL. I thought that was the best Harris book thus far, so obviously their and my readings of the character are going to differ. Admittedly, though, I'm not the book's biggest champion either, but I will defend against some of the allegations made (like Harris' writing itself being poor - not true, there's many beautiful passages of his typical poetic prose - it's just that it's laid on top of material that's not all that interesting). HANNIBAL RISING is not that bad. (And if you're interested, somebody put the full 2:30 trailer for HANNIBAL RISING up on youtube; shoddy quality, but it's a good enough look: .)

I'm interested to see what Stephen King writes about the book. He's a huge Hannibal Lecter fan and praised HANNIBAL out the wazoo.

But anyway, Newsweek gave it a glowing review:

[box]Dec. 7, 2006 - The trouble with Hannibal Lecter

[Loomis]

And if you're interested, somebody put the full 2:30 trailer for HANNIBAL RISING up on youtube; shoddy quality, but it's a good enough look: .

I suspect this film will bomb, and deservedly so. What a dire, dire trailer.

[Harmsway]

I suspect this film will bomb, and deservedly so. What a dire, dire trailer.

I agree. It looks absolutely abysmal. I have seen good things related to this film (there are decent pictures available here), but those trailers make me wretch. The movie looks cheap and so dull as to make Ratner's direction on RED DRAGON look Oscar-worthy.

Conversely, as I've been re-reading HANNIBAL RISING, I've been enjoying it a good deal more than the first time around. It's not perfect, but it must be accepted as something entirely different to the previous novels - it's a slow-paced, atmospheric portrait of the birth of Hannibal. You have to take your time with it and let it soak in. A sort of skim-reading won't do, since the novel isn't focused on a narrative.

I think that the novel, with a solid director, might have been able to become a really interesting film. But it would require a Ridley Scott to do it - somebody with a fantastic visual sense to take Harris' beautiful imagery and successfully realize them.

[Loomis]

The movie looks cheap and so dull as to make Ratner's direction on RED DRAGON look Oscar-worthy.

Agreed. It looks like a BBC2 budget version of a Hannibal Lecter film.

I think that the novel, with a solid director, might have been able to become a really interesting film. But it would require a Ridley Scott to do it - somebody with a fantastic visual sense to take Harris' beautiful imagery and successfully realize them.

Yeah, that's why I mentioned Chan-wook Park (have you seen OLDBOY, BTW?). You said a few posts back that it would still be crap with a beautiful visual sense, and that's true, but, still, there are, of course, many, many films with absolutely wretched screenplays and stories that are the most ridiculous drivel that are nonetheless very much worth watching because of their directors' terrific visual eye - BLADE RUNNER, CHUNGKING EXPRESS and LAYER CAKE being three that immediately spring to mind.

[Harmsway]

The movie looks cheap and so dull as to make Ratner's direction on RED DRAGON look Oscar-worthy.

Agreed. It looks like a BBC2 budget version of a Hannibal Lecter film.

That's a fantastic way of putting it.

I think that the novel, with a solid director, might have been able to become a really interesting film. But it would require a Ridley Scott to do it - somebody with a fantastic visual sense to take Harris' beautiful imagery and successfully realize them.

Yeah, that's why I mentioned Chan-wook Park (have you seen OLDBOY, BTW?).

I have seen OLDBOY... found it somewhat repellent, but an interesting and well-made film nonetheless. He would be a fascinating choice for director. The novel reminded me of OLDBOY in places, and I found myself envisioning Chan-wook Park-style takes on certain scenes. HANNIBAL RISING does evoke a strong Asian atmosphere, so an Asian director would seem to be a natural fit.

You said a few posts back that it would still be crap with a beautiful visual sense, and that's true, but, still, there are, of course, many, many films with absolutely wretched screenplays and stories that are the most ridiculous drivel that are nonetheless very much worth watching because of their directors' terrific visual eye - BLADE RUNNER, CHUNGKING EXPRESS and LAYER CAKE being three that immediately spring to mind.

Very true. A fantastic director with a solid budget could have made HANNIBAL RISING into a very unique film.

It seems that Peter Webber lacks any sort of visual prowess (which is surprising, since I've heard good things about GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, and he was using the DOP from LAYER CAKE). This film seems like it will be shelved alongside the BASIC INSTINCT 2s of the world.

[Double-0-7]

I've started reading Moonraker again. Just at the card game in Blades part at the beginning. Fleming sure paints a beautiful picture and the feel of the place.

[Loomis]

I have seen OLDBOY... found it somewhat repellent, but an interesting and well-made film nonetheless.

Very much so. I've seen it about three times, and I still don't understand what it's all supposed to mean (and I share the oft-mentioned internet fanboy gripe that the main character's supposed schoolchum looks young enough to be his son), but, hey, I guess that's all part of the charm. And Min-sik Choi would be a terrific Bond villain (or, even better, a Mathis-/Kerim Bey-style "father figure" ally for 007).

[TortillaFactory]

Chuck Palahniuk's Choke. Again. Damn, he's good.

[Number 6]

BITE by Richard Laymon

[Qwerty]

Finished Agatha Christie's They Came To Baghdad. College classes kept forcing me to put it off.

[Joyce Carrington]

Karin Slaughter's Blindsighted. I love this author.

[Byron]

Currently reading "Overboard-The stories cruise lines don't want told".

Quite an eye opening book on what has gone wrong on cruises eg people disappearing (mothers, pensioners included), viral outbreaks (the QE2 is quite an unhygienic vessel), crimes commited on board, piracy threats and attempts, sinking ships, 3rd world conditions for cruise staff etc.

Here's an interesting fact Cunard and P&O are owned by the same entity Carnival Corporation. Royal Caribbean lines have also featured quite prominantly and in a far from favourable light in this book as well.

To give you an idea of the writer's style here is an excert about a cruiseliner contaminated by a norovirus:

"At the port of Piraeus the Greeks were eyeing the $500 million Aurora liner like a biological Trojan Horse"

and

"The passengers meanwhile were forming into two camps, the noisily desperate and the more traditional cruisers - posh, elderly, with an upper lip that would remain stiff, no matter what gut related indignities it witnessed."

Highly recommended reading especially for those planning to go on a cruise.

Edited by Byron, 20 December 2006 - 10:58 AM.

[killkenny kid]

A Hand to Guide Me - Denzel Washington.

[Qwerty]

Secret Servant: The Moneypenny Diaries. Just starting it today.

[freemo]

Cat O' Nine Tales by Jeffrey Archer

[Harmsway]

I have seen OLDBOY... found it somewhat repellent, but an interesting and well-made film nonetheless.

Very much so. I've seen it about three times, and I still don't understand what it's all supposed to mean (and I share the oft-mentioned internet fanboy gripe that the main character's supposed schoolchum looks young enough to be his son), but, hey, I guess that's all part of the charm. And Min-sik Choi would be a terrific Bond villain (or, even better, a Mathis-/Kerim Bey-style "father figure" ally for 007).

Agreed with all of that.

Anyway, HANNIBAL RISING got a new trailer (the UK trailer), and it's actually pretty damn good, or at least it is compared to the last batch. The movie doesn't look like a direct-to-DVD affair, at the very least. It's on this page (an Amazon.co.uk exclusive):

http://www.amazon.co...h...TF8&s=books

[Qwerty]

Thanks for posting this trailer, Harmsway!

I couldn't see the one earlier posted in this thread.

[Harmsway]

Thanks for posting this trailer, Harmsway!

I couldn't see the one earlier posted in this thread.

No problem. This is a better trailer anyway.

[Double-0-7]

Santa's Stuck - a cute poem book about Santa loading up on desserts and the mayhem that ensues.

[Loomis]

The movie doesn't look like a direct-to-DVD affair, at the very least.

Perhaps (can't access this trailer, for some reason), but it'll certainly be a direct-to-DVD affair for me, unless the reviews are very, very positive indeed. As for the book, I'm looking forward to reading it, but not so much that I won't be waiting for the paperback.

[Harmsway]

Perhaps (can't access this trailer, for some reason), but it'll certainly be a direct-to-DVD affair for me, unless the reviews are very, very positive indeed.

Can't imagine that the reviews will be anything better than mixed (but what do I know?). But take my word for it that the trailer actually got me somewhat excited about the film again - it's not only better edited than the previous trailers, it shows better material.

As for the book, I'm looking forward to reading it, but not so much that I won't be waiting for the paperback.

I think that's for the best. After re-reading it, well, let me just say I'm even more sure of my opinion of it. It's a very mediocre novel. Interestingly, though, the movie does seem to have a number of different details as far as its story goes (I read a large summary from someone who had seen a screening of HANNIBAL RISING), and the differences seemed to weigh in the movie's favor.