Hillcoat Directs The Road..

[Dubversion]

having finished reading Cormac McCarthy's latest The Road in the small hours this morning (an amazing but horrible book), checked out a website this morning and found out that John Hillcoat (The Proposition) is down to direct it.

Which could work a treat..

 

[Sunspots]

I've not got 'round to reading the book yet, but as soon as I read the initial reviews I thought: 'Shiiiit... that looks so bleak, apocalyptic and brilliant. Let's see somebody try to do that justice on the screen!' For some reason, I didn't expect anyone to attempt it for a few years yet.

Hillcoat's (so far) proved to be a decent director, so I'm really looking forward to it! (-Plus he's got another Cave collaboration on the go too (Death Of A Ladies' Man).

 

[Dubversion]

I 'Shiiiit... that looks so bleak, apocalyptic and brilliant.

that's about the measure of it. read it in about 3 hours last night and sat there and bloody wept at the end

without spoiling anything, i'm trying to work out if there is a genuine religious thrust to it, a comment on other people's faith or whether it's more about isolation vs community. But at the moment i'm just stuck with some of the book's horrible images.

 

[Sunspots]

As I said, I've not read the book yet, but I do remember the reviews discussing (-as you say) whether or not there was a religious fable underlying it. Sounds like it's forty days and forty nights in the desert to me...

On one level, it looks to me like it's about what happens to individuals (-and to humanity as a whole) in the face of utter futility. How far from your moral code would you be prepared to go just to survive, just for the sake of carrying on another day? If there was nothing left, what would keep driving you on?

Big, fucking bleak questions...

That you managed to read it in a single evening is encouraging to me. Given the weight of the story, I assumed it would be a bit of a mammoth task. I will actually get off my lazy arse and seek out the book...

 

[Dubversion]

nah, it flies by actually. pretty short - 220 pages -and very sparse text. I just raced through it, stopping to admire some of the fucking breathtaking writing. I was almost scared to go to sleep before I found out what happened.. you spend the whole book shitting yourself on the protagonists' behalf..

 

[Dubversion]

"People sitting on the sidewalk in the dawn half immolate and smoking in their clothes. Like failed sectarian suicides. Others would come to help them. Within a year there were fires on the ridges and deranged chanting. The screams of the murdered. By day the dead impaled on spikes along the road."

happy happy, joy joy!

 

[Sunspots]

nah, it flies by actually. pretty short - 220 pages -and very sparse text. I just raced through it, stopping to admire some of the fucking breathtaking writing. I was almost scared to go to sleep before I found out what happened.. you spend the whole book shitting yourself on the protagonists' behalf..

Sounds like fun!

Just ordered it from the library. Thanks for the reminder/push.

Reading up a bit more on the news of Hillcoat's involvement in the film, it looks like it'll largely be independently funded. Hopefully that'll ensure relatively good creative control and will produce a fairly faithful and uncompromised interpretation.

 

[Dubversion]

yeh, i think the majors were worried about the more gruesome aspects (a baby on a spit.. ) so keeping it indie makes sense..

 

[Elvis Parsley]

started reading it last night, it's not ideal bedtime material is it? got about half way through and then couldn't sleep. it wasn't until my daughter woke up and came into bed with us that i managed to calm down and drift off. fuck!

going to make sure i finish it before i get anywhere near my pillow tonight

 

[Dubversion]

started reading it last night, it's not ideal bedtime material is it? got about half way through and then couldn't sleep. it wasn't until my daughter woke up and came into bed with us that i managed to calm down and drift off. fuck!

going to make sure i finish it before i get anywhere near my pillow tonight

I'd recommend making sure you have a stiff drink handy

 

[blinky_bill]

without spoiling anything, i'm trying to work out if there is a genuine religious thrust to it, a comment on other people's faith or whether it's more about isolation vs community.

for seriously close analysis of 'the road' and all other books by CM see

the Cormac McCarthy forum

 

[Elvis Parsley]

finished it on the national express on the way home

lots

i can't remember the last time a book bothered me this much. not sure if it will last, but i think it's going to be stuck in my head for a few days. mrs elvis wants to read it, which makes me a little uncomfortable. she cries when she watch The Snowman ffs, and she's seen it umpteen times

 

[Dubversion]

I've still woken up all troubled and thinking about it, 10 days later

 

[Elvis Parsley]

flicking through imdb just now...

Viggo Mortensen as the father - could work
Kodi Smit-McPhee as the son - who?
Guy Pearce - worked with Hillcoat before and i think he's fab

and....

wait for it....

Michael K. Williams - Omar!



of course this could all change

 

[Sunspots]

flicking through imdb just now...

Viggo Mortensen as the father - could work
Kodi Smit-McPhee as the son - who?
Guy Pearce - worked with Hillcoat before and i think he's fab

and....

wait for it....

Michael K. Williams - Omar!



of course this could all change

*bump*

Screenshots: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1357353984/tt0898367

Looks good. Months to go yet, but I'm so psyched for this film.

Such an incredible book.

 

[El Jefe]

That does look good, and I do really trust Hillcoat - he's a bleak motherfucker

 

[Sunspots]

That does look good, and I do really trust Hillcoat - he's a bleak motherfucker

Yep, definitely the right man for the job.

 

[Spandex]

Screenshots: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1357353984/tt0898367

oooh - that looks pretty much how I pictured the book when I read it. Those screen shots don't fill me with dread like advanced screenshots normally do with remakes or adaptations of books.

I'm starting to get excited about seeing this now.

The only potential problem - when Michael K williams comes on the screen will I see anyone other than Omar...?

 

[Pieface]

When's it likely to come out? I'm excited about seeing this!

 

[Spandex]

When's it likely to come out? I'm excited about seeing this!

IMDB says 16 January 2009 in the UK.

 

[Pieface]

Wicked - it'll be like a late birthday present.

 

[sojourner]

Oh fabulous Hmmm...I wonder if the Cornerhouse will show it? *fingers crossed*

 

[marty21]

looking forward to this, one of the best novels i've ever read

 

[Elvis Parsley]

it just keeps getting better...Nick Cave is writing the score

perfect

 

[Artie Fufkin]

trailer here...



says directed by Jeffrey Brice

 

[Pieface]

it just keeps getting better...Nick Cave is writing the score

perfect

I'm starting to get nervous now

Wondering where the massive fuck up will come from.....they'll cast Hayley Joel-Osmont as the kid or something....

 

[g force]

Same here....it all seems to be going too well right now. It can only lead to crushing disappointment

 

[Pieface]

we're so British

 

[ringo]

Hope they don't try too hard for Oscars, that would ruin it.

 

[g force]

we're so British

*wipes away tear* I find being born in Birmingham set me up for a life of crushing dissapointments...this will be a mere blip