The Official Paradise Lost movie thread

[Adam Balm]

Hyde Park Entertainment and Vincent Newman Entertainment have partnered to produce a feature version of John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost, based on an adaptation by Phil DiBlasi and Byron Willinger.

The book, published in 1667, tells the story of Lucifer's failed rebellion in heaven and subsequent role in Adam and Eve's fall from grace.

Variety says Fox will have first opportunity to distribute through Hyde Park's first-look output deal. DiBlasi and Willinger also wrote The Crossing, set up at Focus Features.


http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=11503

[burlivesleftnut]

Live action? CGI? WTF?

[doglips]

Knowing our luck, Lucifer will be Tom Hanks, directed by Zemeckis, In a style similar to 'that' train film............

[burlivesleftnut]

IPAMPILASH!

[doglips]

How is this going to happen though? Do we think it will go to someone like Minghella or an up and coming like Jonze or Ridley??

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

No F-ing way indeed man. Shhhheeeeeeeeeeeyeeeeeeeeeeeet, why don't I come up with these ideas? Movies about Heaven, God, the Devil, all that from the Bible? Never would have dared that studios would have made these films. Man I thought I had something when I had the idea of Indiana Jones and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Hollywood finally got some balls to tackle God and the Devil head on.

This film could well be the new big thing that we've all been waiting for, and start this trend of Biblical movies about the Heaven, Hell, the other side altogether.

If this film don't win Best Film will they both destroy the earth? What if one wins Best Actor Oscar over the other? Will that settle the fight once and for all?

Just gutted that I never thought that this would be a great idea or that anyone would think this too. Heaven, Hell? NO ONE would go there I thought!!!!!

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Knowing our luck, Lucifer will be Tom Hanks, directed by Zemeckis, In a style similar to 'that' train film............

With a film this big, charting territory not gone beforeto this extent (I think), it would be more effective to cast relative unknown but completely capable and astounding actors to play God and The Devil. They's be outraged if Tom Hanks played them. More fucking hurricanes and earthquakes will happen to this world.

Too many big stars in films like this take me out of the film anyway. God is now Tom Cruise. Fuck Off.

[MasterWhedon]

If this film don't win Best Film will they both destroy the earth? What if one wins Best Actor Oscar over the other? Will that settle the fight once and for all?

LOL!!

From what I've heard, Lucifer is the most interesting character in PL, so it would likely be a firey day in Oscarland.

[doglips]

Kirk are you feeling O.K.??????????........Or has staring at your avatar for too long sent you over the edge??????

[burlivesleftnut]

How is this going to happen though? Do we think it will go to someone like Minghella or an up and coming like Jonze or Ridley??

Joss Whedon of course. Although personally I have been hoping for years that Wes Anderson would tackle this project.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Kirk are you feeling O.K.??????????........Or has staring at your avatar for too long sent you over the edge??????

I'm never feeling OK. But what have I said to garner your reaction? What have I said??!!?!? Have I been talking like a gentleman again?

I'm just well up for this film, quite excited. I'm a God Fearing Christian too, by the way. I can't even talk about God or the Devil without getting nervous ticks and twitches on my face.

[doglips]

Whedon.....LOL.........Wes Anderson doing this????? Burl I may have to 'pleasure' myself at that thought.........

[Adam Balm]

Lucifer's the most interesting, but not the most sympathetic. He's not the hero, as some have said. Those who say that don't understand what Milton was trying to do. PL is the greatest anti-war book ever written, because it shows the most pointless war in western religious mythology. As much as God was a Struggling Background Artist, Satan's rebellion didn't accomplish shit. Like all wars.

[doglips]

CaptKirks 2Pay wrote

I can't even talk about God or the Devil without getting nervous ticks and twitches on my face.

Oh it must have been the twitches...........I can understand what you are on about again now..........However, I am not a god fearing Christian..........

[Keepcoolbutcare]

As much as God was a Struggling Background Artist, Satan's rebellion didn't accomplish shit. Like all wars.

QUA?

[Adam Balm]

Okay, here's the context. Those of you boys from across the pond know this better than me. Basically Milton supported the wrong side in the english civil war. They won their victory, but in the end, the monarchy was restored. You can't fight city hall, as they say. Milton was in the position of Lucifer and his army. So what Milton did is take the hero archetype in epic poems of Virgil and Homer, the imperialist hero which conquers and kills and wins the battle and gets the glory, and he turned it on its head, and shows the tragedy and pointlessness of war, as he experienced. War is not the answer.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

War is not the answer.

What are you Chamberlain? What solution would you of had to the Nazis? (and saying that WWI led to WWII is not an acceptable answer)

There are many wars that "accomplished shit". Is it a horrible situation that should be avoided at all costs...fuck yeah. But c'mon, many peoples have legitmately taken up arms to defend themselves...is that not an answer when some foreign jack-off is trying to place a flag on a place you've called home?

[Adam Balm]

War is not the answer.

What are you Chamberlain? What solution would you of had to the Nazis? (and saying that WWI led to WWII is not an acceptable answer)

Well, that's the thing about war. While you kill today's enemy, you're creating tomorrow's. So I'm sorry to be predictable, but yes, the nazis were created by WWI.

What's my solution? The thing about empires is that they're always economically unsustainable. They crumble because they're always deficit financing and it catches up with them. We took care of the nazis in short order, but another empire got the taste for blood, and was soon created.

But c'mon, many peoples have legitmately taken up arms to defend themselves...is that not an answer when some foreign jack-off is trying to place a flag on a place you've called home?

If we're talking about colonization and imperialism, then I'll just submit two trends, and you can draw your own conclusions.

The first is the realization that Israel has just come to grips with, that Palestinians birthrates are trending up, and their own are trending down. In 50 years, it would be very difficult for the state of Israel to exist as it is, with a jewish identity.

The second is the realization that asian and mexican populations are soaring in the US. Now, those that are migrating to the US are darker and have more native american blood. Some reactionaries in the US are saying we need to close the borders, we're being 'colonized by Mexico' and they're completely missing the point. America is being 'de-colonized.' The face of your average American will look decidedly more like the Clovis people, like those that crossed the Bering land-bridge tens of thousands of years ago.

The lesson? Natives prevail. Colonization is almost always temporary, and in the long run, in scales of time that aren't as small as our own lives, it's not much of a factor. People invade, empires rise and always crumble. Tyrants come and tyrants go, and as Gandhi said, for a time they can seem undefeatable. But in the long run, peace always wins out.

[MasterWhedon]

But in the long run, peace always wins out.

Hippie.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

I'm talking 'bout "war" and invaders in the sense that when a freakin' Mongol whorde comes to town, your women and children are being slaughtered, what the fuck are you supposed to do?

I'm talking 'bout the Greeks taking on Darius/Xerxes, Lincoln trying to keep his country together, the Chinese Nationalists and Communists putting their collective struggle aside to deal with some raping Japanese. I'm saying that if the Native Americans knew what the fuck was coming they might have formed an alliance to keep Europeans from wiping them out (yeah, reconciliation and "peace" did a good job in that case), I'm talking 'bout the Spanish Civil War (sure, the dictator finally died, you wanna take the BIG view on things sure war is pointless but people fighting for a way of life they believe in, fighting against tyranny is pointless...please).

But you're an idealist and I see your points as well.

[Adam Balm]

I try not to be an idealist. I don't like utopians much. I apologize to everyone, because I usually steer clear of political discussions, and try not to force my opinion on anyone.

I do somewhat agree with you, believe it or not, KC. I think you and I might be thinking the same thing, and just disagreeing on the level of degree. From where I stand, if the mongols come in and try to take everything you have, you don't stand there and watch. You fight them with everything you got. If you're under occupation, you resist the occupier from the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to sleep, and if you can, try and do it in your dreams too. If they want you to wear a badge with the star of david on it, you chuck it in the trash, and let them see you do it. If you're on the street and they tell you to move along, you stop and stare at them. I don't see this as necessarily idealism. You make it clear that it's simply not worth it to be there.

I suppose a better way for me to put it is that war is a trade off, and in the cost/benefit analysis, the net gain is always going to be negative. Peaceful resistance accomplishes the goal in the long run, with the fewest negative side effects. Because in war, every person you kill is going to produce a parent, a wife, a child, that will want to see you die now. This is the problem with the Iraqi 'resistance'. Every person they kill is an excuse for the US to remain there to 'keep the peace'. When you start killing, you have to be aware of the consequences, that you are starting a chain reaction that won't end with a withdrawl of troops or with a treaty.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Agreed.

I was just nitpicking a couple of blanket statements you made in hopes you would elucidate your thoughts on war.

And there's no way they get this movie right.

[burlivesleftnut]

This is hardly a political discussion, as you put it. It's a discussion on the nature of necessity of war. Jesus christ you are a smart one. How come you aren't a congressman or something.

But I have to ask you both... what if, like me, you just like killing people? Is war okay then?

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Violence never solve's anything does it?

Well it does.

No, no it doesn't.

Yeah it does.

Well name me a situation where it does then.

Well in a violent one.

ALI G. The 11 O' Clock Show. 2000.

Oh, that and the birth of Atomic Kitten. Those were the days. When they helped keep my sanity whilst writing a script about War, and the end of the earth. Before I finished it and went to Australia to become a Film Extra fighting in The Clone Wars on Star Wars 2.

For every action, there is a reaction. If someone throws an offence your way, it's no sin to throw a defence back to them.

The decision to attack, and find no other means necessary (when they surely must be), to resolve an issue, is the crime here.


'The efforts in trying to avoid war, are next to nothing, compared to the efforts in war itself.'

CPT KIRKS 2PAY, 01.53 11TH OCTOBER, 2005

[Keepcoolbutcare]

This is hardly a political discussion, as you put it. It's a discussion on the nature of necessity of war. Jesus christ you are a smart one. How come you aren't a congressman or something.

But I have to ask you both... what if, like me, you just like killing people? Is war okay then?

Dude, you're The Aquaf@g. As long as I can be your F@gmariner sidekick, you can kill whoever you want.

[burlivesleftnut]

Dude, that requires lots of butt fucking.

Of men.

studly men.

studly men who might resemble Bob Hoskins.

Think about it before you totally commit.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

Dude, that requires lots of butt fucking.

Of men.

studly men.

studly men who might resemble Bob Hoskins.

Think about it before you totally commit.

hey, I just wanted to polish the trident, wring out the suit and shave your areas to ensure a smooth glide through the water.

But I sort of look like Paul Walker crossed with Bob Hoskins, if that helps my case.

[burlivesleftnut]

Just take your clothes off and keep your mouth shut.


HAhHahHAH!HhHH!H3h21h21h2

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

You know they're gonna ask Pacino to play Satan.

[ThisIsTheGirl]

No F-ing way indeed man. Shhhheeeeeeeeeeeyeeeeeeeeeeeet, why don't I come up with these ideas? Movies about Heaven, God, the Devil, all that from the Bible? Never would have dared that studios would have made these films.

Just gutted that I never thought that this would be a great idea or that anyone would think this too. Heaven, Hell? NO ONE would go there I thought!!!!!

For someone with a supposedly longstanding appreciation of the film Solomon and Sheba, i find these statements surprising, to say the least - Hollywood was pretty much founded on Biblical epics; before the Hayes Code was abandoned, a biblical film was one of the only ways you could openly show debauchery and unbridled lust - which would of course be punished by God before the end of the film. The Ten Commandments has to be the Ultimate for this though - all those sluttly women having orgasms over the Golden Calf.

And Kirk - are you really a Christian? If you don't mind me asking - when was the last time you went to Church?

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

PARADISE, SHE'S A LOST for a the modern audience, eh?

OPENING SCENE: The camera she is a pointing uppa atta the sky... it is a the nice day, eh? Anna then, the audio, she fades in as a we hear a the painful scream getting louder anna louder, as a small speck uppa inna the sky, she gets a bigger anna bigger...

Finally, we see that it is a the Lucifer, eh? He's a being cast out of a the Heaven, along a with a the other angels who sided along a with him, eh? They alla falling... falling anna screaming...

... as a he falls past a the camera, the camera, she swings down a to watch a him recede inna the distance...

CUT TO: The ground... we see a the peaceful meadow anna trees anna such... anna them WHHAAAMMM!!! Lucifer SMASHES inna to a the ground, eh? Face a first... he's a much larger than a we expect... since a this is a the first time a we see him inna reference to a the trees, we see he's a the giant, like alla the angels, eh? Just a to mess a with a the audience, hehe...

But a the ground, she donna break a his a fall, eh? The force that a cast a him out inna the first place, she still a working onna him, anna he gets a pressed inna to a the ground... through it... it a looks a painful, eh? The earth around a him, she crumbles anna rumbles like a the quake...

FADE A TO BLACK...

As a the scene fades a back in... we find a we are inna the fiery depths of a the hell... anna we see a the bodies of a the ex-angels laying inna the fiery pools anna such... as a they alla slowly wake uppa anna come a to, senseless anna out of a the sorts, eh? Nice a time for a the opening credits as a the camera pans about a the scene...

Anna Lucifer... he slowly comes a to a the realization of a what he has a done... anna what it has a cost him.

[burlivesleftnut]

Sounds bad ass, you old fuck.

[burlivesleftnut]

And that's a cool name for thr lead: Anna Lucifer.

[Pacino86845]

Great synopsis, Dino... it's no accident that you're a bigshot producer, is it?

[Flumm]

Yeah, great imagery Dino. You should introduce yourself to these guys, invite them around to the villa or something...

I've never read the original, is it written in true poetic verse? I'm not sure I can imagine a mainstream Hollywood movie, doing a story about God vs The Devil, with a lyrical, impressionistic feel..., they will give it a more traditional structure and context I would have thought...

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Great synopsis, Dino... it's no accident that you're a bigshot producer, is it?

Shoot it! Print it! Inna the Can! OLD SCHOOL, BABY!!

[Pacino86845]

YESSSS!!!! I WAS WAITING FOR THAT!!!! OH MAN, Dino, you've made my day!!! That's two in a row for you, baby!

[Adam Balm]

Great synopsis, Dino... it's no accident that you're a bigshot producer, is it?

No, it's not. Dino owes his career to the dark one, the least he could do is give something back.

I say Dino should produce this movie.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

The casting process for a the Eve should a be "interesting," no?

[Adam Balm]

"Now, Eve. It's time for your a big scene, with a the snake, eh?"

*zip*

[oisin5199]

yeah, this won't be another Passion that the Right will adopt as their new Gospel. Despite its reputation in college lit courses for being boring (thanks Animal House!) Paradise Lost remains edgy and complex. In fact, the story of the battle between God and the devil has leaked into cultural consciousness, to the point that people sometimes confuse it with the Bible (like mentioning a certain scene from the Bible, when it actually comes from Paradise Lost). Lucifer was always kind of a bit player in the Bible to begin with, and most of what we "know" about the guy is through popular literature and folk tales. Adambalm, I appreciate your arguments and mostly agree with you, though I would add that de-colonization (or postcolonialism, depending on how you look at it) is never such a clean shift. The colonized are forever changed by the colonizer. Look at Haiti and the Vodun religion for example. The Catholicism (and Freemasonry) of the French colonizers left an indelible mark that is now a permanent part of this hybrid postcolonial culture.

[Adam Balm]

Another good example of the long term effects of colonization is in Guns, Germs, and Steel. Africa had never had malaria problems until the colonists came in. They lived in dry places away from the mosquitos, and they kept their food high above ground. Then the colonists came in, and genii that they are, they did stupid shit like build their settlements in swamps and by rivers where all the mosquitos are, and they turned malaria into a superdisease. Now it's mutated and killing Africans by the millions. Everyone knows how bad a killer AIDS is in Africa, but this seldom makes the news.

And that's just one example of the many ways that Africa is still suffering from the effects of colonization. Like I said, it doesn't end when troops are withdrawn.

You're absolutely right and I have to be careful making absolutist statements like that. I appreciate both KC and you taking me to task on that.

[oisin5199]

I guess I was also making the point that in some ways was agreeing with the tenor of your original comments. As in the Voodoo example, when the colonized often adapts and comes up with interesting ways to assimilate the influence of the colonizer. Not that I'm saying colonizing is a good thing, but that the effects can sometimes be more complex than the wholly negative (like the malaria example).

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

No F-ing way indeed man. Shhhheeeeeeeeeeeyeeeeeeeeeeeet, why don't I come up with these ideas? Movies about Heaven, God, the Devil, all that from the Bible? Never would have dared that studios would have made these films.

Just gutted that I never thought that this would be a great idea or that anyone would think this too. Heaven, Hell? NO ONE would go there I thought!!!!!

For someone with a supposedly longstanding appreciation of the film Solomon and Sheba, i find these statements surprising, to say the least - Hollywood was pretty much founded on Biblical epics; before the Hayes Code was abandoned, a biblical film was one of the only ways you could openly show debauchery and unbridled lust - which would of course be punished by God before the end of the film. The Ten Commandments has to be the Ultimate for this though - all those sluttly women having orgasms over the Golden Calf.

And Kirk - are you really a Christian? If you don't mind me asking - when was the last time you went to Church?

Knew someone would bring this up. What I meant by it's original sounding premise, is that I can't remember any film where the action takes place in Heaven completely with God and the Devil as major characters, and based totally on the Bible (or close).

I'm wondering whether or not people have the balls to sit through a big scary, dark, really distressing movie about the Apocalypse as in Revelations.

[Brocktune]

How is this going to happen though? Do we think it will go to someone like Minghella or an up and coming like Jonze or Ridley??

ridley?
ridley scott?
up and coming?!?!?

[Adam Balm]

I'd say Francis Ford Coppola, but I just wish we had the FFC of 30 years ago. Would have been perfect.

It's still unfilmable though. Unless they re-imagine it and set it in a highschool or something.

[RogueScribner]

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Contrary to what you've just seen, war is neither glamorous nor fun. There are no winners, only losers. There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: The American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars Trilogy. If you'd like to learn more about war, there's lots of books in your local library, many of them with cool, gory pictures." -- Bart Simpson

[Adam Balm]

God sure is getting alot of air-play here at the Zone...

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Much as I HATE to have big stars playing God and The Devil, and how I'd rather go with relative or complete unknowns, if I had to cast a star to play Lucifer/The Devil, I'd go with Edward Norton. Can do lot worse.

If they cast Mark Whalberg, I'll hill him myself.

Also Ed Norton knows a lot about his Bible. What with directing Keeping The Faith with Jenna Elfman. Mmmmmmmmmm. Jenna Elfman. Mmmmmm Jenna Elfman Google. Jenna Elfman Freeones search. Jenna Elfman Clebritywonder search. Sorrry guys, I, I can't continue this conversation any longer.

[doglips]

Brocktune wrote....

thedoglippedone wrote:
How is this going to happen though? Do we think it will go to someone like Minghella or an up and coming like Jonze or Ridley??


ridley?
ridley scott?
up and coming?!?!?

Yeah, Ridley has a lot to learn..........

Sorry should have been Minghella, Ridley Scott or an up and coming like Jonze......