Went to see "Minority Report" recently. Thought it was quite good (despite some slight problems). While at the movies we saw the coming attractions which announced a remake of "Solaris" starring George Clooney.

I haven't been able to get through the Russian original (movie) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, though the critics seemed to have loved it. (Comparing it to "2001".) It seemed lethargic to me, but I may have missed something. This new version seems like it might be less "psychological". But - there may be room for some bad astronomy! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
http://www.k26.com/solaris/About_Sol...ith_layers.htm

NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Please - no. No. NO NO NO.

I like Solaris and the films of Tarkovsky. A remake?

This would be like remaking Citizen Kane with oh, Brad Pitt, punching his way towards a happy ending, or 2001 as a manga cartoon.
Some things, while not sacred, are best left alone.

If you liked "Solaris" the picture, you should read the novel in which it was based, by the great Polish science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem.
Be warned: it's a dark, pessimistic story.

I must have read "Solaris" some 20 times in the last 20 years and I always find something new in it - especially after once I tried the Japanese version of "Solaris" [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]. My reception depends very much on the mood I'm in when reading. But I wouldn't call it dark or pessimistic.
It's one of Lem's basic subjects that we will not be able to understand or even communicate with extraterrestrial lifeforms - hell, we can't even communicate with most of the terrestrial lifeforms! But I like very much how he treats this subject - I always wondered that in other SF the ETs always talked English [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img].

BTW, Lem's homepage, maintained by his son, is at http://www.lem.pl


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kucharek on 2002-07-16 08:10 ]</font>

Thank you for the link.

Isn't the idea the we will never be able to understand aliens a bit pessimistic in itself? (Lem takes it even further in "Fiasko", and "His Master's Voice".)
But there is something else that makes me say that "Solaris" is pessimistic, and that is the love story between Kris and Rheya, that ends so tragically.

Well, that love story... It's a really good one, but the basic point behind is: From which point is "something" a person? It's similar to the point in "Blade Runner".

I thought it also had to do with realizing that you love someone after you have lost her.

Maybe "sad" is a better word than pessimistic...


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: informant on 2002-07-16 12:40 ]</font>

You must be psychic! (Or you peeked.)

The remake will be written and directed by Soderbergh... who just finished writing and directing the remake of Ocean's Eleven with George Clooney and... wait for it... here it comes... Brad Pitt!

__________________
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ignorance or stupidity.
Isaac Asimov

Yikes! Look what I started. Well, I remember thinking when I saw that preview - That's going to be a tough act to follow! They might be approaching this Solaris "remake" directly from Lem's book without comparison to the arty Russian film. But then again, knowing how rare good science fiction movies are, I wouldn't be surprised if this remake is also a musical! Now who was that director? Alan...something? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]

BTW: Whatever happened to the epic sci-fi film production of "The Mote in God's Eye"? I've heard slight rumors it was in the works for several years. A shooting script has been written (probably more than one,) but that doesn't mean it's "in the can" by any means.

I have read Lem's novel, many years ago. Definitely a different slant on Sf from the Anglo-Saxon viewpoint; and for the same reason I really like the works of the Strugatsky brothers - "Stalker" being more a Tarkovsky film than a rendering of the book.

As for a film getting made, believe it when you see it on the screen. Most scripts and screenplays never make it past Development Hell, e.g. the Terry Gilliam version of "Watchmen" that was mooted a while ago.

__________________
Garlic Bread?!?!

"Solaris" is already in production and the plan is to release it in the US on 13 December 2002

Harald

Please, oh please, don't let Mote get made into a movie. My every instinct tells me it would be a travesty. They could never do a story like that justice on film.

But overall, Conrad is right. Don't ever believe a movie announcement until they are actually putting images on celluoid, and sometimes not even then. How many movie plans have I heard about that have gotten nowhere? I remember rumors about Childhood's End, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and Ringworld, among others, but nothing's ever come of them that I know of.

The only one I know of that really seems ready to come out is Rendevous with Rama. The word I've heard is that it's going to look good. But of course that could just be pre-movie hype. We've seen that before too (Godzilla anyone?). One good thing about it though is that it's a story that could translate to film very well. A movie might actually be able to do it justice if done right. Let's hope and pray.

__________________
...And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped. --Sir Bedevere

I enjoyed reading "Solaris" immensely, but I dozed through what I thought was a dull Russian film version.
In response to positive reviews on this BB, I gave "Mote in God's Eye" a try a year ago. I guess I lost my taste for square-jawed space marines and plucky imperial princesses about the time I graduated from high school.

Here is a link to a review http://www.msnbc.com/news/839698.asp?0dm=N1ALL . Maybe we can get THE BA himself to go see/review this one.

-AJ

Has anyone seen it yet? I'm kind of curious.

Hey, Conrad, don't diss manga cartoons! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

What he said.

__________________
Isn't the fact that they don't visit us proof that intelligent life is out there?

The Confused Philosopher - RCAF

Hey read "Mote" years ago never met anybody else who ever heard of it. I absolutely loved it also!! May need to reread it. Is there rumors of a movie?? Rama would be interesting too. I think CG effects have come far enough to do visual justice to either story. Alas the book is always(?) better than the movie. Personal interpretation vs. someone else's interpretation.

I only read Mote myself a couple of years ago myself. But I'll bet you anything that a bunch of the regualars here have read it. Larry Niven is one of the most respected authors in this neck of the 'net. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] I have no idea myself if it's being considered for filming. I was simply responding to Chip's comments on it. As I said, I sure hope they never get around to making it.

Rama however, has been under production for some time now. I'm not sure when it's actually due to come out, but it's probably sometime next year. All the rumors I've heard about it have been good so far, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

Added: Well, it looks like RwR is a bit further behind than I thought it was. I'm starting to think that 2003 might be a bit early. See here: http://www.corona.bc.ca/films/details/rama.html


And back on topic, I caught the Solaris preview myself last week. I got to go to a sneak preview of Minority Report, which is finally being be released here, and that was one of the previews. When it started I realized immediately what it had to be, even though it was nothing more than a shot of a planet with a space station orbiting it. That's all they showed other than the name, so the audience really has no idea just what the movie is going to be like or even what it's about unless they are familiar with the original (which I'm not, unfortunately).

They also showed previews for Daredevil and X-Men 2, but that's a bit off-topic for this thread. But when I saw Daredevil on the screen, I just couldn't help thinking that Marvel is sure getting a lot of it's stuff into production now. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

_________________
...And that, my leige, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped. --Sir Bedevere

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: David Hall on 2002-11-29 00:38 ]</font>