IFC green-lights Anita Blake television movie
Okay, so I stopped reading the Anita Blake books nearly two years ago because what had started as edgy supernatural horror/mystery had turned into non-stop sexcapades with little to no plot. But this is very interesting for the following reasons:
1) IFC. That means it can be an M-rated television movie, which is really necessary if you're going to stay true to the books. Even if the movie doesn't involve the sexcapades, the violence and gore alone will merit the M rating. I always thought that if there was an AB series, it would need to be done on a premium cable channel, but IFC is pretty close.
2) Glen Morgan producing. Yeah, I hate him like poison for the shenanigans he and Morgan Wong pulled as a writing team during the fourth season of The X-Files, but damn if I don't think one of the two men responsible for the disgustingly twisted and warped XF episode "Home" isn't absolutely perfect for the job of bringing Anita Blake to screen.
I'll be watching this closely to see what happens with the casting, but since it's IFC, the talent should be fairly unknown and free from any of the "name your dream cast game" hype that almost always features actors who are extremely well-known but ALL WRONG for the characters.
Edited, Apr 7th 2009 5:47pm by Ambrya
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Ambrya wrote:
if the movie doesn't involve the sexcapades
then Poldaran won't be watching it.
This is the kinky werewolf/vampire sex thing I've been hearing about, right?
I hate vampire type stories so I stay the hell away from them, but as I graduate in a few weeks and hope to be a teen librarian when a position opens up somewhere, I've slowly been catching up on what's popular with them. I refuse to read the Twilight books, but I watched Twilight the other day so see what the fuss is. (And then had to pause it and leave the room when Edward got sparkly. Really.) Thank crap I didn't pay for it.
I've had a few classmates say they liked Anita Blake until it degraded, now they won't admit if they still do read it, but I expect they do. >.> Is this something I should look into, or hope it just goes away?
I hate vampire type stories so I stay the hell away from them, but as I graduate in a few weeks and hope to be a teen librarian when a position opens up somewhere, I've slowly been catching up on what's popular with them. I refuse to read the Twilight books, but I watched Twilight the other day so see what the fuss is. (And then had to pause it and leave the room when Edward got sparkly. Really.) Thank crap I didn't pay for it.
I've had a few classmates say they liked Anita Blake until it degraded, now they won't admit if they still do read it, but I expect they do. >.> Is this something I should look into, or hope it just goes away?
AnaraWarren wrote:
This is the kinky werewolf/vampire sex thing I've been hearing about, right?
I hate vampire type stories so I stay the hell away from them,
I hate vampire type stories so I stay the hell away from them,
Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer for an NC-17 audience.
I've never ready Twilight but as bad as AB:VH has become, I'm betting its still a ton better than that teeny crap. I gave up on the very notion of Twilight when someone told me that the explanation they come up with for why vampires don't go out in the daytime? They sparkle. What, you mean like fairies? Yeah.
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I've had a few classmates say they liked Anita Blake until it degraded, now they won't admit if they still do read it, but I expect they do. >.> Is this something I should look into, or hope it just goes away?
They may be in the process of weaning themselves. There's usually one AB book published a year, each June, and it took me 2-3 books to move from "if the next book sucks, I'm done" to "it's finally over." But after reading the preview chapters (honestly, I would have found Jason, Anita and Nathaniel discussing what to order on their pizza sexier than the way in which they discussed having their upcoming threesome) I decided not to buy the last book and I have no intentions of buying the next one either.
The first 5-8 books were really extremely good. But the last truly plot oriented book was Obsidian Butterfly. After that, the story in each book basically became a vehicle that moved Anita from one sexual encounter to another.
Edited, Apr 8th 2009 7:31am by Ambrya
AnaraWarren wrote:
I refuse to read the Twilight books, but I watched Twilight the other day so see what the fuss is. (And then had to pause it and leave the room when Edward got sparkly. Really.) Thank crap I didn't pay for it.
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I've never ready Twilight but as bad as AB:VH has become, I'm betting its still a ton better than that teeny crap. I gave up on the very notion of Twilight when someone told me that the explanation they come up with for why vampires don't go out in the daytime? They sparkle. What, you mean like fairies? Yeah.
A lot of hate for a book series that neither of you have read! The movie, to be fair, was destined to be somewhat lame; it's not an action-oriented movie for the most part (in fact there's little action for most of the books; hell, the last book... well, read it and you'll see "inaction" at it's best).
The Twilight series isn't bad. It isn't good either, but it managed to do what so many "good" books couldn't do: tap into the popular mindset and give the people what they want (emo love story with supernatural twist. It's what makes Harry Potter popular too, although HP had MUCH less emo. Besides Order of the Phoenix). The writing isn't that great, but the characters are somewhat endearing, although I'm sure I wasn't the only one rooting for Bella to snuff it from book 1. And it does make you want to finish the series.
Also, despite the departure from the "traditional" vampire reasons for not going outside during the day, the Twilight vampires' reason makes perfect sense. If you walked down the street and saw the most attractive person you ever saw shining like he/she had diamonds embedded in his/her skin, you'd probably run away screaming or fall down sobbing too.
Anyway, never read AB, but I'll look into it. Anara's description of a "mature" Buffy series sounds neat. Hopefully it comes to television adequately.
AB was fantastic action/thriller/horror/romance/erotica all the way up until Obsidian Butterfly. And I think Obsidian Butterfly is a fantastic book, even though it's a book with friendship at it's center, not romance, and no sex, and I usually prefer having a romance. The extended action sequence of Anita and Edward getting into the base, doing what they have to do there, and getting out, is one of my favourite parts of the entire series.
Now I freely admit I merely read the rest of the series for the ****.
I also read the Meredith Gentry series which is also by Laurell K. Hamilton for the **** too.
Edited, Apr 9th 2009 6:42am by Aripyanfar
Now I freely admit I merely read the rest of the series for the ****.
I also read the Meredith Gentry series which is also by Laurell K. Hamilton for the **** too.
Edited, Apr 9th 2009 6:42am by Aripyanfar
Aripyanfar wrote:
Now I freely admit I merely read the rest of the series for the ****.
I also read the Meredith Gentry series which is also by Laurell K. Hamilton for the **** too.
For some reason, I can't read AB just for the PWP (**** without plot.) I think it has something to do with my annoyance over the paradigm shift from plot-centric mystery/horror shift to PWP, but whenever I encounter an AB book that rightfully should have come with a "plot sold separately" sticker on the jacket, I get pissed off. Then again, it could also be because I actually don't find some of her sex scenes very sexy. I mean, the SWAN KING? Also, I'm a bit annoyed with some of the shifts in the major characters. Richard's conversion from the great guy I was rooting for to the whiny emo jackass I would gladly see dead falls firmly in this category.
With Merry Gentry, however, that issue doesn't exist, because it's been **** from the get-go and never billed itself as being anything but.
Ambrya wrote:
Aripyanfar wrote:
Now I freely admit I merely read the rest of the series for the ****.
I also read the Meredith Gentry series which is also by Laurell K. Hamilton for the **** too.
For some reason, I can't read AB just for the PWP (**** without plot.) I think it has something to do with my annoyance over the paradigm shift from plot-centric mystery/horror shift to PWP, but whenever I encounter an AB book that rightfully should have come with a "plot sold separately" sticker on the jacket, I get pissed off. Then again, it could also be because I actually don't find some of her sex scenes very sexy. I mean, the SWAN KING? Also, I'm a bit annoyed with some of the shifts in the major characters. Richard's conversion from the great guy I was rooting for to the whiny emo jackass I would gladly see dead falls firmly in this category.
With Merry Gentry, however, that issue doesn't exist, because it's been **** from the get-go and never billed itself as being anything but.
See luckily for me I immediately fell in lust with Jean-Claude from the first moment I met him, and thus never was on Richard's side, since Richard wouldn't co-habit Anita's life with Jean-Claude. In fact, any dissatisfaction I have with the very latest books is that they don't have enough Jean-Claude in them. And of course, it's tiresome that Anita STILL hasn't let go of her Catholic guilt over having sex for fun and recreation, and multiple sex partners.
I always found Jean-Claude shallow and insincere bordering on smarmy. *shrug* But I like Micah a lot, so I have no issues with Anita being with other men besides Richard, and I think Richard is a, well, Richard, to keep blindly insisting that all his problems would be solved if Anita would just be monogamous with him, so I'm okay with him being out of the picture.
If I were still reading it, that is.
If I were still reading it, that is.
Ambrya wrote:
I always found Jean-Claude shallow and insincere bordering on smarmy. *shrug* But I like Micah a lot, so I have no issues with Anita being with other men besides Richard, and I think Richard is a, well, Richard, to keep blindly insisting that all his problems would be solved if Anita would just be monogamous with him, so I'm okay with him being out of the picture.
If I were still reading it, that is.
If I were still reading it, that is.
I guess I should say SPOILERSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! But it hardly seems to matter. There really are just truckloads of men in the end. Not just 6. We're probably talking 12 or 24. And forwarned is probably forearmed.
Interesting. It was kind of obvious, from a narrative trope perspective, that the first time that Anita met the "evil" Master of the City that she'd end up in some way or another with this male creature that she despised for what he was.
I always found Micah completely boring. Nathaniel, however, I like a lot. But however much I like Nathaniel, I love Jean-Claude and Asher more, and it makes me sad and put out that Anita lives mostly with Micah and Nathaniel, rather than with Jean-Claude and Asher. Micah kind of comes across as no more than Anita's errand boy to me. Someone who takes care of the paperwork, freeing her from that mess. He doesn't seem like an equal person to her, or equally interesting. So I don't find him worthy of her, or their relationship or sex interesting.
It's funny how different people can have such widely different tastes, isn't it?
My biggest complaint with the latest books are that there are just SO MANY different men. I really stop caring about any of the new ones. I'm just reading for sexual titillation, and hoping that Anita will get back physically to Jean-Claude at some stage. At least with the Merry Gentry books you had forewarning right from the start that the plot required she go through hordes of men, and it introduced you to a lot of them up front in the first book.
I had to wikipedia Anita Blake to check I had Asher's name right, and it reminded me of the plots of the books. I really miss the great detective/crime plots and scenes of the first half of the series.
Edited, Apr 10th 2009 1:47am by Aripyanfar
Aripyanfar wrote:
Interesting. It was kind of obvious, from a narrative trope perspective, that the first time that Anita met the "evil" Master of the City that she'd end up in some way or another with this male creature that she despised for what he was.
I agree it was obvious, but I always came at it from the "Jean-Claude's the guy you have the sleazy, torrid affair with before you marry someone decent" perspective, never thinking he'd be someone she'd fall in love with.
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I always found Micah completely boring. Nathaniel, however, I like a lot. But however much I like Nathaniel, I love Jean-Claude and Asher more, and it makes me sad and put out that Anita lives mostly with Micah and Nathaniel, rather than with Jean-Claude and Asher. Micah kind of comes across as no more than Anita's errand boy to me. Someone who takes care of the paperwork, freeing her from that mess. He doesn't seem like an equal person to her, or equally interesting. So I don't find him worthy of her, or their relationship or sex interesting.
It's funny how different people can have such widely different tastes, isn't it?
I suppose this is where personal perspective colors one's take on such things. Micah reminds me a great deal of Mr. Ambrya. Not physically, but in the "I'm gonna shut up and take care of business efficiently and without emoploding" kind of way. I emoplode enough for the both of us, if Mr. Ambrya did it too, our marriage would be completely non-functional.
So I like Micah. I think he brings an element of calm stability to Anita's otherwise very dramatic life, without adding more drama and angst to the mix. That's extremely important, because the last thing Anita needs is someone else turning into a whiny ***** on her.
But I agree with you, I love Nathaniel. At first I was uncomfortable with him because I agreed with Anita--getting involved with him while he was in a very needy, subservient state would have been tantamount to child molestation. But when he grew a backbone, I was totally there.
I also love Asher, and would have liked to see more of him back when I was still reading, but he borders on having a tendency to emoplode, so I was also a little afraid of what would happen if we DID see more of him.
Quote:
I had to wikipedia Anita Blake to check I had Asher's name right, and it reminded me of the plots of the books. I really miss the great detective/crime plots and scenes of the first half of the series.
Edited, Apr 10th 2009 1:47am by Aripyanfar
Yes. This.
I can't see it being good. I read the books up to obsidian butterfly, and there just isn't enough there. The first few books were not bad in terms of plot and pacing, but the books are really driven by the interactions anita has with people. Most of the interactions are with potential lovers though.
The actual cool parts were when they forgot the hell out of jean-stereotype and focused on people like edward, or her coworkers. Or when hamilton remembered blake was a necromancer and used it. Those grounded the book some, and balanced out her interactions with her various lovers.
TV sucks for that though, its hard to make a good ensemble show, so you'll probably see arcs just focused on blake and her sexual tension between two lovers of the day. Unfortunately thats what will draw people, especially if they include sex scenes-the plot will get forgotten.
The actual cool parts were when they forgot the hell out of jean-stereotype and focused on people like edward, or her coworkers. Or when hamilton remembered blake was a necromancer and used it. Those grounded the book some, and balanced out her interactions with her various lovers.
TV sucks for that though, its hard to make a good ensemble show, so you'll probably see arcs just focused on blake and her sexual tension between two lovers of the day. Unfortunately thats what will draw people, especially if they include sex scenes-the plot will get forgotten.
The Neispace of Doom wrote:
I can't see it being good. I read the books up to obsidian butterfly, and there just isn't enough there. The first few books were not bad in terms of plot and pacing, but the books are really driven by the interactions anita has with people. Most of the interactions are with potential lovers though.
Not necessarily. There was a lot of interaction with Dolph and Edward and Zerbrowski in the early books. Play that up, cut out some of the Jean-Claude and Richard interactions (which really are the only potential lovers until Narcissus In Chains) and you could have a pretty good supernatural mystery on your hands.
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The actual cool parts were when they forgot the hell out of jean-stereotype and focused on people like edward, or her coworkers. Or when hamilton remembered blake was a necromancer and used it. Those grounded the book some, and balanced out her interactions with her various lovers.
Precisely. These were the strengths of the early books, and any movie needs to focus more on these.
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TV sucks for that though, its hard to make a good ensemble show, so you'll probably see arcs just focused on blake and her sexual tension between two lovers of the day. Unfortunately thats what will draw people, especially if they include sex scenes-the plot will get forgotten.
Hard to make a good ensemble show, but not impossible. Buffy the Vampire Slayer did it extremely well. Yeah, you had one primary character, but the supporting characters were all quite crucial to the success of the shows and were frequently more popular than the heroine (mmmm, Spike!!!)
And a little sex doesn't mean the plot gets lost, there are a number of shows on premium cable that manage to have sex and plot and balance them successfully (True Blood, for example, since we're discussing vampire shows--that's a show that actually has MORE sex in the tv series than was in the book.)
I can see this having the potential to be quite good. But then, I can also see the potential for it to be quite bad. It all depends on how skillfully Morgan performs the balancing act, but in terms of sex/romance vs. plot and also in terms how heroine vs. supporting cast.
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