'John Carter,' aka the Edgar Rice Burroughs 'A Princess of Mars' adaptation

no ledge, this one that ned posted upthread: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/mar/01/john-carter-week-geek?CMP=twt_fd

the "planetary romance" genre is basically like the originary text for steampunk!

http://sleech.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/space1889.jpg

grew up on this nonsense

http://tcrf.net/images/f/f3/Martian_Dreams_-_Title.png

I guess what it comes down to is that my very favorite shit (Jack Vance, James P Blaylock) happens to be foundational for steampunk, yet I abhor steampunk.

So it was pretty ridiculous and entertaining! Yeah, go see it.

There's a huge feeling of "Wow, I can't believe they got away with spending that much money on this" but however formulaic it was always going to be, it wasn't dull. And yeah, Riggins or Kitsch or whatever you want to call him did pretty good and yes is mostly stripped down to not much throughout.

It's also the kind of film where I missed some dialogue here and there and thought "Ah, it won't matter." And it didn't, and I expected as much, so.

TIM RIGGINS OF MARS

yay

Thanks for the report Ned! Glad to hear it was fun.

Fun is important. I feel better about seeing this

There's one scene that is pure pulp one-dude-vs-the-alien-horde and gotta say that was pretty amazingly done. Frazetta come to life, that.

from Boxoffice:

John Carter is off to an underwhelming start. The sci-fi flick grabbed only $9.818 million on Friday. If family audiences decide to show up, then Carter could manage a better multiplier this weekend and possibly pass the $30 million mark. Either way, there's no way this debut will be seen as anything but a disappointment. Carter will have very little time to rebound considering that The Hunger Games hits on March 23. A 73% approval rating from around 15,600 Flixster users indicates that word-of-mouth is mixed.

http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/bo_numbers/early_estimate/2012-03-10

"Industry Hacks Poison Well Before Release, Then Bemoan Poor Box Office."

Even with a shitty marketing strategy, I mean, come on.

My local (NYC) megaplex is showing it in only one of its, like, 14 theatres and that's with just 3 showings per day. I think the "Heaven's Gate"-ish advanced fusillade has mortally wounded this one. FWIW, I'm gonna try and catch this on the big screen at one of those screenings tomorrow.

this was surprisingly breezy for a 2+ hour flick! i enjoyed it for what it was. manages to be pretty light in tone without being campy. worth seeing if you like this sort of thing.

i think I am a person who likes this sort of thing. Buoyed by positive ilxor reviews itt

Underwhelming performance?! After the great pains they took to keep the public from confusing it with Mars Needs Moms!? Surely people were all like, "John Carter? I don't know who he is but he sure sounds interesting! I have to spend $15 to find out more!"

Mark Kermode went on an unholy rant about this, not that that means absolutely anything at all qualitywise, but it made me more aware of just how much the knives were out due to its production cost. I think I'm going to see it this week just to spite that, but my local multiplex is only showing it twice a day in 2D and I can't be fucked with anymore retro-fitted 3D nonsense, unless any of you ILXors think it worth the extra dosh.

Nah, 2D will be fine.

yeah there's no reason to see this in 3D.

http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/03/the-film-makers-of-mars

ha this is awesome read it

Great story!

wow. stop what you're doing and read that article.

ILXors voting with their dollars to fight the burying of $250 M films

Nice.

That article is A+++

thanks for linking that ryman piece, latebloomer. great great great

Mark Kermode went on an unholy rant about this, not that that means absolutely anything at all qualitywise, but it made me more aware of just how much the knives were out due to its production cost.

How did I ever not find Kermode completely awful? He's just insufferable now.

That short story !!!! so good! SO good. Thanks for linking, lb

alt-history science fiction we can get behind

Carter looks to have made about 30 million. Finke is probably gonna get out her autopsy gear, and I'm gonna puke.

Saw a short NYTimes headline: "'Ishtar' Lands on Mars."

I'm going to see this this weekend, assuming they don't pull it hard with a vengeance, but the biggest red flag was not all the bad promotion or the bad advance word, but ironically something that's been trotted out in the film's favor: the fact that the source material has been minded dozens of prominent times over the decades. We've see this before.

Admittedly, that doesn't explain why every other POS people have seen before gets seen these days, from sequels to franchise kickstarts. And even on the higher end of things, I have no idea why people in America would take a shot at "Tintin" (however modest) but not this.

Ladies and gentlemen, future fall guy Rich Ross, former TV exec and chariman of Disney:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/03/12/business/carterjump1color/carterjump1color-articleInline.jpg

It would have been funnier if it was Rick Ross.

http://www.wchstv.com/abc/spincity/richardkind.jpg + http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/PosterThumbs/melgibson.jpg = http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/03/12/business/carterjump1color/carterjump1color-articleInline.jpg

I seem to remember reading that all blockbuster films – at least from the last 20 years – have at least recouped their costs over time.

what, even Cutthroat Island?

-xpost -

However, just looking it up now that seems to be balls. Mars Needs Moms (which I'd not even heard of) seems likely to struggle.

I still have never seen Cutthroat Island, and I probably should because I have an irrational love for The Long Kiss Goodnight. xp

i thought it was more draggy than breezy, but yeah it was alright. i thought it got pretty deadly any time it asked you to care about the fate of barsoom or whatever, which is most of the 2nd half. movie would've been better with young kurt russell in the lead (or present day 60 y/o kurt russell), kitsch is OK but kinda bland

I am going to see John Carter tonight.

Man, Kurt Russell would have killed in this. And whenever it got a little slow I just enjoyed the backgrounds; the money spent shows onscreen.

That Times story says it needs to make $600 mil to make its money back. $100 mil down (total), $500 mil to go!

Should be a jolly disparity as I read this over the week and then see it this weekend.

Oh, and nsfw, obv.

Ned OTM about the Frazetta moments. The art direction was in many ways the most worthwhile element. Loving and lovely.

Riggins' performance could best be described, I think, as "mostly shirtless."

Oh like THAT'S going to keep VegemiteGrrl from seeing this.

:D

I find my self suddenly ALL ABOUT THIS MOVIE