TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Whoever "they" are, they are wrong. I believe it can be done in our version if we give the director the support, resources, and necessary time for the adaptation this time around.
Hey, Denis said that he could have done it like in the books, if he chose to do what he did with Jessica and Alia was because in movie former it worked much better...
The sam for the wierding way, even Lynch managed to adapt it in a different (if odd) way, and I think we can do it too in the movie. Because, the firdt movie says that the Fremen have suffered under Harkonnen occupation for over 80 years, so how the heck do they go from "we've suffered under the Harkonnens" to "We can kick their ass from here to beyond without any help" in under a year? Paul becoming their leader, fighting with hthem, ,and teaching them the Wierding Way was what played a part in their victories and in seeing him as the "Lisan Al Gaib". It is essential to the movie.
But I you read how that particular martial art worked in the books and how the Bene Gesserit used it in on their fights... Well, you have to admit that it would work in an over the top anime, not on a live action film...
We'll have to agree to disagree here then. I believe that Chani being ore of a fighter was an amazing addition in this version, but herAtheistic views, and her "Fremen must liberate Arrakis on their own" seem unfitting for the setting, and outright naive considering that tehy have gotten their ass kicked from here to beyond under the Harkonnens for nearly a century.
Furthermore, I think we can have the differing voice be one of the leaders of the Fremen who does not believe Paul to be the Lisan Al Gaib, after all, the book showed that there were many of them, and one even fought (and was killed by) Chani when trying to challenge Muad'Dib. A schism in the ranks would be dramatic and amazing while keeping Chani as the support Paul needs, and perhaps the one to solve it by herself.
The thing is that if you show a differing voice to one of the other leaders, it doesn´t work that well, it has basically no stakes and no dramatic weight and it is nothing more than an obstacle to pass over... From a narrative point of view having Chani here as the a differing voice works better IMO.
And let´s be honest the whole Bene Gesserit prophecy is sus AF, I liked to see how many Fremen didn´t buy into the propaganda
Hey, Denis said that he could have done it like in the books, if he chose to do what he did with Jessica and Alia was because in movie former it worked much better...
Yes...yes it was. I won't defend it. My point was, that even Lynch understood that it was a crucial aspect of the story to explain how the heck the Fremen went from "We're dying" to "We own you!" during the story.
But I you read how that particular martial art worked in the books and how the Bene Gesserit used it in on their fights... Well, you have to admit that it would work in an over the top anime, not on a live action film...
Just show the Fremen fighting as ambushers, and then Paul teaching them some martial art that grants them some extra perception, thus making them more deadlier. The point is showing that Paul's teachings are part of what ties him to them, as well as one of the reasons they accept them (not to mention their victories later on).
The thing is that if you show a differing voice to one of the other leaders, it doesn´t work that well, it has basically no stakes and no dramatic weight and it is nothing more than an obstacle to pass over... From a narrative point of view having Chani here as the a differing voice works better IMO.
I disagree. Personally, I felt no dramatic weight in the film from Chani's actions, only annoyance whenever she showed in the screen. But then again, I believe this is one of the points in which we will have to agree to disagree.
I think it undermined the entire competency of the Bene Gesserit to be honest. These are supposed to be master manipulators, beings that have mastered their body, emotions, that can read your intentions at a glance and cansee the inner parts of your beings and make you dance at the palm of your hand. To then see "oh, we know that what you say is bullshit" by Chani and the Fremen is just "what the heck?! These are the Bene Gesserit of legend?!"
I agree that my optimism when it comes to movies and the interpretation that the audience may have on them is one of my blind spots. However, this version can help in putting forth the idea that Paul is not completely a hero, and when the Messiah adaptation comes along truly show that this is not a hero's story, but the journey of a hero turned villain, with some spots of hope neaar the end.
I don´t think that it is enough, if we want Messiah to work, we have to show pretty clearly that Paul has already become a Villain by the end of the movie, a sympathetic one, but a villain nonetheless...
Just show the Fremen fighting as ambushers, and then Paul teaching them some martial art that grants them some extra perception, thus making them more deadlier. The point is showing that Paul's teachings are part of what ties him to them, as well as one of the reasons they accept them (not to mention their victories later on).
I think it undermined the entire competency of the Bene Gesserit to be honest. These are supposed to be master manipulators, beings that have mastered their body, emotions, that can read your intentions at a glance and cansee the inner parts of your beings and make you dance at the palm of your hand. To then see "oh, we know that what you say is bullshit" by Chani and the Fremen is just "what the heck?! These are the Bene Gesserit of legend?!"
The Sardaukarr gets nerfed hard, the Mentats get nerfed, the Bene Gesserit gets nerfed, the Space Guild gets nerfed and even the Tleilaxu gets somehow nerfed...
I don´t think that it is enough, if we want Messiah to work, we have to show pretty clearly that Paul has already become a Villain by the end of the movie, a sympathetic one, but a villain nonetheless...
In that case, we better show the death of his son, Leto II, and how that action aided in turning Paul into an even greater extremist, to the point he stated "there are no innocentss", leading to even greater massacres.
We can also show how the visions are slowly warping his mind, where he once appeared so optimistic about changing them, to his realization he could not see everything, to his taking the water of life and seeing everything, and from there realizing that every path, save the one leading to the Jihad, points to death for humanity.
He's still a villain afterwards, but a tragic one.
It's an example of what can be done. So long as Paul teaches them something (we can think on the details later) then we can explain how they went from defeat to victory with his aid.
The Sardaukarr gets nerfed hard, the Mentats get nerfed, the Bene Gesserit gets nerfed, the Space Guild gets nerfed and even the Ixians gets somehow nerfed...
Yes, but look against who they are nerfed against; the Fremen now armed with the Wierding Way, the Kwisatz Haderach, St. Alia of the Knife, God (Worm) Emperor Leto II, etc.
@overmind I know that we have to agree to disagree with the topic of Chani, But here is what the director has to say about why he changed things and I agree with his reasonings... Mostly because he is completely right that Frank Herbert had to write Dune Messiah (the worst book of the series) because the readers couldn´t wrap their heads around the true message of the novel and that was a good way of showing the film viewers an unmistakable message.
"When the first novel came out, Frank Herbert was disappointed the way the book had been perceived. He felt that the reader was thinking that Dune was a celebration of Paul Atreides, but quite the opposite. His intention was to make a cautionary tale, a warning towards messianiac figures... And in order to correct that, this perception of the first book, he wrote another book, Dune Messiah. It's almost like an epilogue where we understand what Paul really means to Frank Herbert."
"What I did is that I transformed Chani's character. I made her more prominent. In the book, Chani kind of disappears, dissolves into the shadow of Paul. She's in the background, she's a believer. There's nothing special apart that she's Paul's lover. There was a strong opportunity there, a character that could help me to have a distance, a critical distance with Paul Atreides... I love witness [characters] that are listening in corners or that you can just feel their presence without dialogue and understand what they are going through, and Zendaya is incredibly expressive with her eyes, and she brought that strength to the character that was required, I wanted to see in her the power of the youth and someone that wants to transform her world, that she doesn't believe in the old ways of seeing the world, and she's a free character.... Through her eyes we understand twhat paul becomes and in which direction he goes, which transforms the movie, not into a celebration, but as Frank Herbert was wishing, more of a warning."
@overmind I know that we have to agree to disagree with the topic of Chani, But here is what the director has to say about why he changed things and I agree with his reasonings... Mostly because he is completely right that Frank Herbert had to write Dune Messiah (the worst book of the series) because the readers couldn´t wrap their heads around the true message of the novel and that was a good way of showing the film viewers an unmistakable message.
I know, and I criticize how he did it. It does not mean I can't understand why he did it that waym or why he felt he needed to change the book or put it as it is. neveertheless, i think we can do a version that does not follow his, and still explain what Herbert was trying to do.
At the same time, we are going to do Dune: Messiah (the Script is read as well) so if anything, we can still have "Heroic Looking Paul" and then "Villain Paul" all explained and aquared away. Villeneuve may have felt he needed to do it this way, but we don't need to since we have the time, money, resources, and talent (Francis Ford Coppola can do Intrigue like no one before) to bring forth Herbert's vision without having to change who Chani is, or streamline the story so much that what it shows is less than one year rather than the four in the timeline.
Plus, I liked Dune: Messiah. The book was amazing in my opinion.
Well since we are dividing the first book into two parts it would make sense to do the first two movies at the same time... If only to make a more effective use of the props and make sure that the cast won´t have conflicting projects...
"What I did is that I transformed Chani's character. I made her more prominent. In the book, Chani kind of disappears, dissolves into the shadow of Paul. She's in the background, she's a believer. There's nothing special apart that she's Paul's lover. There was a strong opportunity there, a character that could help me to have a distance, a critical distance with Paul Atreides... I love witness [characters] that are listening in corners or that you can just feel their presence without dialogue and understand what they are going through, and Zendaya is incredibly expressive with her eyes, and she brought that strength to the character that was required, I wanted to see in her the power of the youth and someone that wants to transform her world, that she doesn't believe in the old ways of seeing the world, and she's a free character.... Through her eyes we understand twhat paul becomes and in which direction he goes, which transforms the movie, not into a celebration, but as Frank Herbert was wishing, more of a warning."
And here, I can understand what he was trying to do. Heck, from what I see that's how you interpreted it as well. But for me, i did not see that, nor did I felt what Villeneuve was trying to bring here. All I felt was annoyance whenever she appeared onscreen, I felt that it was so out of place, like why was she even acting this way? And I feel I'm not the only one who thought this way, just as there are as many people who thought like you did.
That's why I said we can agree to disagree, but we can have a version that gives Chani more screentime, but not follow Villeneuve's path for the character. We can do it a different way.
Well since we are dividing the first book into two parts it would make sense to do the first two movies at the same time... If only to make a more effective use of the props and make sure that the cast won´t have conflicting projects...
A balmy Los Angeles Saturday night was tinged with the smell of burning sticks and the sound of offbeat drums.
In desperation, a sharp Karate roundhouse kick gave Marc a bit of room to back off from his opponent. Tony grunted, his freehand taking the brunt of the damage, but that right hand of his was still a blur of motion, swinging around. Coming from around the side and now loaded for a counter.
Marc's longer legs gave him room but, is also a big target for that very follow up. He mentally braced, hoping his kick and angled stance gave him just enough coverage…
The air violently parted in a low hum without the tell tale thunk and scratch of his armor getting marked.
A whiff, by the barest of margins!
The iron grill of his mask steamed as he sighed in relief. His throbbing arms and the beatings on his chest are still complaining, but at least, it's proof that this kick can work. He'll just have to tweak on it a bit.
"And time." The drummer, GuroDan Inosanto stops the beat as he comes around. A round of cheers greeted Marc as he saluted, took off his kendo mask, and shook Tony's hands.
Coming here was everything he'd hoped for and more. The adrenalin, more importantly; the realism. In what most dojos eschewed the sparring aspect, here it was embraced. To test ones techniques against another's! Whatever the purists faction says, this is how the Arts should be done. Eric over there does his style's footwork, his friend and on and off teacher Sifu Paul off to the right pauses explaining the finer points of Chinese Tiger Claw style to give him the thumbs up.
Every class he gets to pick up something new and ponder how to make work!
To think all this hullabaloo about Bruce O'Brian and Bruce Lee's own son Brandon shaking up Jeet Kun Do. It drew every serious student of JKD, their friends (Marc himself included) and then some to see and learn from, the resolution of one of the known Schools within Martial Arts.
So far, it has been holding, an uneasy peace if you could look at Dan himself at the drums, you wouldn't see it. One of Bruce's first friends becoming both his teacher and student. The relatively smaller man was tanned and stocky, almost always smiling even when his large forearms delivered fast blows whether it came by straight punches or by sticks.
After conferring with the judges Dan proclaims;
"By point system, the winner is Tony." to another round cheers of those watching. Marc didn't let the decision faze him, he wasn't in it for the points. Besides, getting the HEMA tournament rules rigged for sparring in something else than what it was originally intended for was an interesting premise in of itself.
"The two of you take a break a bit. Now who's ready for the next spar? " asks the master of the Academy as he surverys the roster on the podium.
"You're pretty good at this. How long again have you been playing?" Tony huffed, his wet hair and moustache sticking to his skin.
"About a few months or so of practice." Marc flushed, bit of pride from the praise. "If you call that pretty good, then I'm guessing the average joe is usually a deer in the headlights type?"
The older Filipino man from Stockton laughed "Ha, you wouldn't believe the amount of new timers shutting down from a blitz. Even in wearing armor mind you. Something I'm sure a certain Hollywood actor is sure to cut those numbers down in the future." Tony Somera grinned before turning towards the coolers.
And wasn't that the conundrum? Marc thought. It's a sobering thought on a society unused and unprepared for violence.
He thought over it a bit- would Bruce 'O Brian have changed the game if he remained as Bruce O' Brian the Martial Artist or as a Boxer? Would he have a greater impact if he had honed that steel trap of a mind as Anti-Commie Bruce in his Fortress of Solitude?
He shook his head. In the end; it didn't matter, Bruce changed lives. And, he's willing to bet; a lot of people everyone here too.
His feet soon led him to Eric, now seating on the floor.
"So, what do you think?"
"Bit different from yours, not much on the stutter steps. And they're sitting a bit more in their stances. They've got quite a lot of good backhand techniques. I've gotta work on my faints a bit more…"
"Heh, don't you worry I can still go another round and see if I can work out your patented caveman of yours later. Still, not bad showing against one of Old Sarge's top fighter."
"Careful now, I'm pretty sure you're too soon for Sarge's inspection."
Old Sarge is shorthand for Sgt. Leo Girion, one of the few retired and surviving bolomen that the US sent a battalion of to the Philippines against Imperial Japan from the last great world war. A murder of student nurses in California had motivated him to teach back in the 70's. Then he met Dan Inosanto and now, every once in a while he'd come by with some of his fighters to train and mix up. Both he and Guro Dan hosted whenever compatriots that come up stateside. That includes Eric's weapons fighting teacher, Leo Gaje whenever he comes up for tours/seminars. Despite the ribbing from such similar names and their different approaches to weapons they both get along well- probably because they are all military men.
Not to say there wasn't any disagreements, because in any cliques such as theirs- it is a given.
"Is he now?" A thickly accented voice came from the side. Old Sarge walked up to them. Even as old as he is now, pushing 70, and his once black hair gone white. There's strength still in those forearms and the easy gait of his stance. It is the eyes however, that mark him. This is a man that has faced suicidal charges against the odds with his knife, company, and lived.
It is not hard to imagine what he once was, given his black and whites were up on the wall.
"Sir!" The old veteran waved his hands at them. "None of that, refer to me as Manong, or Mr. Girion. I am an old man now. Retired." He gestured at the sticks on the ground, still warm from practice. Before glancing back up at them.
"Just an old man with curiosity. Play with me for while will you?" From his case, he held his own stick, like most of them in the Inosanto Academy it is made of rattan, a wood vine. Made resistant to the constant rigors of sparring.
But unlike most, this one was thicker in diameter almost more of a club than a stick.
"You're both following Leo Gaje's style yes? It's quite distinctive. Do a bit of Amara, shadowboxing."
Now as Marc understood it, Philippine stick fighting, Eskrima, or Kali (as his Eric's teacher is labels it here) follows a pattern of movements, ranging from footwork, to each "response and a react" drill for both offense and defense. These altogether encompass a style; each one different in their scope, with the worst tending to die out pretty quickly in the old days.
All that's left are those that work… or those too fanciful to get rid of.
Amara is how one practices by themselves. It's a tool for smoothing out imperfections. Or in this case; with someone more experienced than you are tests if the style your using works.
And so it begins with the basics. The simplest of attacks forehand to backhand, thrusts to positioning and footwork. In the background of clacking sticks droned on. When it was over both men where left panting.
"Dan and Leo tells me you two and a few others here have sparred with the barest of equipment. A hockey mask at the least? Why would you do this?"
"Because I want to see what works when the brakes go off." Eric preempted.
The old timer silent, gestures him further
"I mean, I see people all the time claim. 'This technique can do this and that.' But can they, really? I want to see for myself if I can and not the bullshit, pardon my my French, that's been kept flying around."
Stark black eyes turned to Marc.
"And you Bronx-kid, Marc?"
"I like swinging sticks and knives. Mr. Girion."
It was a simple honest answer…maybe it's just enough for a man who once took up the the stick, the sword, and bolo as a hobby, see it grow in war and now fighting to see its place in peace?
…Maybe it was just enough.
"And what do you say about going to this Open Invitationals from that Bruce 'O Brian?"
-My first Omake in this quest and in ages since my last one! Yus! With Bruce, splashing the pond with HEMA and this Omake, I hope a lot of weaponry systems and styles come up- get recognition that we can see playing along.
-Damn writing AUs of living people, it gets me nervous. Any of the Dog Bros, Dan Inosanto and co. reading this, I am big fan! Keep up the good work!
-Sticks burning are because the material used for it- rattan, a fibrous vine wood, tend to heat up smoke even, as they clash. In exchange for not shattering through repeated contact and showering wood splinters everywhere like most woods, the numerous fibres individually splinter at the ends.
-If you're out of the loop in the weaponry circles, this omake pushes the start of the Dog Brothers. With its founders Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny, Eric "Top Dog" Knaus, Arlan "Salty Dog" Sanford (not written here) meeting up years early in Danny Inosanto's JKD Academy. OTL The Dog Brothers (whose name is amusingly inspired by the Conan the Barbarian books) are what we have the closest to UFC with weapons these days. Heck they even have a letter of denial from the UFC. No armor except the most necessary. Their annual gatherings (and you can check the highlights on youtube) will have its members pit with all sorts of weapons to test out, from blunted swords, spears, bucklers, to the exotics; like mancatchers, 3 section staves, nunchucks, etc. And just as its members practice different weapons, so to do they practice different schools not just Eskrima; practicing Krabi Krabong (Thai), HEMA, Kendo, Silat, Jijutsu/Bjj, especially any effective Wrestling style they could get their hands on. View: https://youtu.be/V9jS80DwUKA?si=FCJiBx9rQYXl5P8l
-This omake is of the Inosanto (progressives) faction of JKD that features more of Dan Inosanto's Filipino dabbling, to the point that it was sometimes referred to as the Kali Academy back then. But in reality they usually mix it up with other arts; other than brushing up on JKD, western boxing. By the early/mid 80's they'd start training Muai Thai and then Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ) with the Mechados in the late 90's.
-Bronx kid, Marc- It's said there's actually 4 other Marcs around back before he got the Crafty dog nickname and organised the first gatherings.
-By this time Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) referred either as (Arnis/Eskrima/Kali), informally as just stick fighting; had faded almost into a memory in most cities in the Philippines, with the exceptions of Doce Pares Club going strong in Cebu and Leo Gaje's Pikiti Tirsia Kali (PTK) in the military; most select families and schools were barely holding on. Each style practiced within their own family and friends and as time goes by, fewer members practiced as international martial arts gained more favour than local. If not for those two exceptions, international acclaim in movies (i.e.: Bourne Series and more recently DUNE), and the diaspora; it would have slowly gone out like HEMA's masters into obscurity.
-Most of FMA's old generation didn't bother to standardise their Art until recently; either you show proficiency through spars or you don't. As such most of them will refer to it as just play. It's also probably why the more business savy of them easily adopted belting systems to help delineate a growing number of practitioners.
-The stick, the knife, and sword. These three are the most common weapons practiced by Filipino Martial Arts but they are not limited to it. Situational usage of weapons and adaptability to take up arms are one of its strongest hallmarks as Doug Marcaida of Forge in Fire demonstrates. So some take up the spear, others on a lark, take up the whip for instance! There are concepts that are interchangeable and applicable between weapons and even within bareknuckle fighting and grappling. But as always, you gotta practice what's in question to gain proficiency.
Basil of Baker Street Directed by: John Musker and Ron Clements
Written by: Eve Titus
Produced by: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Production Studio: DreamWorks Studios
Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Drew Barrymore, Candy Candido, Diana Chesney, Eve Brenner, Alan Young
Budget: $20,000,000 Domestic Profits: $60,624,835 International Profits: $113,059,786
Total Gross: $173,684,621 VHS Sales: $285,808,701
"Just give it one last brush, aaand, there!" Said Catherine Powell.
Happy to break free and roam around, Sarah Powell jumped off her stool and twirled around in front of the bathroom mirror, her sky blue dress spinning in a fancy wave.
"I look beautiful mama, thank you!"
Cat giggled, "You're welcome sweetie, all those movie stars are gonna be stunned when they see the most beautiful girl in the world."
"That's not me mama, that's Aunt Carrie." Sarah argued.
Cat opened her mouth than shook her head, "Come on, there's fashionably late and then there's just tardiness. Don't want to miss any of the movie."
"We got two hours mama."
"Time flies fast on the red carpet sweetie."
Sarah Powell was not within her home, but at the house of her Uncle Bruce, Aunt Carrie and cousins. Tonight was the premiere of a movie that was adapting one of her favorite book series, Basil of Baker Street, a movie her Uncle Bruce's company made just for her! While it was a Thursday night, Sarah only having to deal with the third grade and having no tests or homework was allowed to attend and miss school the next day just this once, her parents were so awesome!
It would be her first time attending a movie premiere, and most definitely not her last when her mama had her own super cool movie The Black Cauldron coming out in October. Sarah was really lucky, her family was filled with all kinds of awesome movie people and they worked at the two best movie studios ever.
Sarah darted out the bathroom and made her way to the connecting living room and kitchen. In the living room, her baby brother and cousins were watching a VHS of Miraculous on the TV, (Kermit Box as it was called in the O'Brian household) while all the adults were talking and getting ready to leave in the kitchen.
Sarah ran into the kitchen, "There's my little girl." Said her father William, only for Sarah to ignore him and rush to Carrie.
"Aunt Carrie, Aunt Carrie! Don't I look pretty?" Sarah asked, jumping up and down and tugging on her Aunt's beautiful floral dress.
Carrie crouched down a bit and smiled at Sarah, "Like a fairy tail princess." She complimented, making Sarah very giddy and happy. After all, if Sarah was a princess then it meant she was just like Carrie.
"And I'm the dragon!" Mary added, interjecting herself into the scene with her usual spunk.
Sarah liked her cousin Mary a lot. She always wanted a little sister to be her best friend and while she liked Bruce, he was very much not the baby she asked for. When she moved to LA from Ireland, Mary became her little sister of sorts, always following Sarah around and wanting to play with her when their families were together and idolizing Sarah as a big girl. It was silly since Mary was already way smarter than Sarah would ever be, but it was nice.
"You look just like this beautiful young starlet named Debbie Reynolds." Bruce said.
"Oh stop it Bruce." Debbie said with a flush.
"Sorry to be a bother tonight, but Bruce doesn't like big crowds too much and he'd be too anxious to enjoy the movie." William said.
Debbie waved it off, "It's fine. I rather like Bruces and he's such a sweetheart with the twins, it won't be any trouble at all."
While Debbie Reynolds didn't share any blood with Sarah, she had for the past couple of years knew her as Aunt Debbie because if she was Aunt Carrie's Mom then she was family. She was always nice to Sarah and Bruce and liked to spoil them sweetly when they visited. Plus she was fun on nights where Sarah and Bruce stayed over and both O'Brian parent sets went on a double date. It was like having a third grandma.
Mary then walked over to her cousin Bruce and tapped him on the shoulder, "Bruce, you gotta be a good big boy for grandma and the littles. Be nice and have fun." She lectured.
"Okay Mary." Bruce absently said, too focused on the TV.
"Kermit O'Brian is watching you, so he will tell if you naughty and I will write letter to Santa." Mary warned, pointing to Kermit who was currently being hugged by Joseph while little Sarah was giving love pats to the pregnant Ginger.
The parents then said their goodbyes and escorted Sarah and Mary to the limo they would take, a real limo with comfy chairs and a mini fridge with coke! Unfortunately her mom wouldn't let her drink coke, said it might spill on her dress and stain it.
Sarah sat upward and gazed at the passing sight of Beverly Hills in awe as she spread her hands around the rich leather and kicked her legs in excitement for what was to come.
Mary poked Sarah, "Sarah, you da big girl but I movie night veterinarian. I teach you how to play carpet game."
"Huh?" Sarah asked, though Mary ignored her remark and continued with the rules.
"First, you gotta walk straight, not stop. Mom and Dad stop cause they movie people and need to talk on Kermit box or with Daily Planet people. There's lots of pictures, lots of pictures. We don't stop and say cheese, we smile and wave. Sometimes we talk to Mommy and Daddy friends like Superman. We go inside, then we get super jumbo popcorn and lots of snacks." Mary informed.
"Nope, that's not how we play the game Mary. You already had a big lunch." Carrie said.
Mary then tried to break out her best puppy eyes, "Pwease? It Sarah special movie night and she deserve good time." Mary pleaded, even going with the full on lip quiver.
Bruce crossed his arms, "How come when your siblings or cousins deserve nice things that you happen to get some of it?" He asked with a knowing raise of the eyebrow.
"Cause I'm a good girl and Sarah love me." Mary said, hugging Sarah sweetly.
Wanting to indulge her cousin, Sarah hugged her back, "Please Uncle Bruce?" She kindly asked.
Bruce sighed, "You get one large popcorn, but you have to share with Sarah and don't go crazy on the butter." Bruce said.
"Yay." Mary said enthusiastically.
They then arrived at the theater and Sarah got to walk on her first red carpet after Bruce and Carrie went out. It was a bit scary and intimidating, walking with all the cameras flashing and looking upon her, but Sarah was walking with one hand being held by her mother which gave her strength, and seeing Mary's example who was fearlessly walking and smiling and waving, helped Sarah be confident too.
When they got inside, Mary introduced her to all kinds of cool celebrities that she knew like Robin Williams and Michael Jackson. Mary was very nice and liked to introduce Sarah as her "cool cousin Sarah" and it was fun for Sarah to get to talk to so many famous people she only knew on TV and the movies.
Then they got inside the movie theater, where Mary was more focused on talking to her friend Wally, but Sarah had a lot of fun watching the new Tom and Jerry shorts, reminding her of some of the drawings and stories her mama was making for the Looney Tunes. Then the lights dimmed and the cool Dreamworks moon logo played.
One of your favorite perks of being the head of a film studio is that you could bring to life the films that were adaptations of treasured and beloved stories that were personal to you and those you loved. You got to do so early on with Conan, you helped support Flash Gordon for George, and here you fulfilled a promise you made to your then five year old niece when she was visiting that this wonderful book series you had both fallen in love with would become a movie. Four years and 20 million dollars later, and you had an amazing instant classic of an animated film that helped you remain as the cool Uncle and provided for a great movie night with Mary, making her very happy that you made another Lucasfilms kids movie for her.
An adaptation of the book series by the same name, Basil of Baker Street stars the titular Basil, a mouse version of Sherlock Holmes who lives and works in a mouse hole in the cellar of 221 Baker Street where the real Sherlock Holmes lives. When the mouse version of Watson, David Q. Dawsom returns to London he comes across a young girl named Olivia whose father was kidnapped by the fiendish and evil Professor Ratigan, a rat Moriarty. Believing that only Basil can help her, Olivia has Dawson take her to Basil who eagerly accepts the case as a chance to take on his wicked archnemesis, the trio being caught in the middle of Ratigan's scheme to take over the United Mousedom during the Mouse Queen's Diamond Jubilee. What follows is an hour and fifteen minutes of fun and thrills across Victorian London.
If you were to describe the film in one word, it would be fun. The movie from start to finish has a charming and immersive atmosphere that captivates you in a wonderful ride through Victorian London with fun characters, great comedy and high quality and crisp animation. The strength of the story is largely thanks to the books author, Eve Titus, being brought in to write the movie script with Eve managing to capture the sense of wonder, adventure and charm that were in the books while also doing a good job at balancing the comedic and intelligence elements for children and general audiences.
The best part of the story is the characters with the plot being mainly character-driven. Veteran Shakesperian Barrie Ingrham plays the bombastically brilliant Basil, having the air of an English gentleman mixed in with a mad genius with great comedy derived from his over the top deductions and snarky charm. Basil was a really fun character, having the brains of Sherlock but being more wild and flawed than the refined detective, making him funny and relatable while all the while having a sense of selflessness that shows he's a good guy deep down. Dawson, played by Val Bettin didn't deviate heavily from Watson like Basil but he played the role well and was good in grounding the film and providing a sympathetic audience perspective. Drew Barrymore as Olivia Flaversham is an adorable and brave young mouse who provides a nice surrogate from the children, adding some nice fluff and comedic relief without being a burden and being active in the story. Drew seems to be a pretty talented little girl who event at a young age displays a lot of the same screen presence and enthusiasm as her parents, a very good find from Steve and you look forward to her in Steve's movie ET.
But by far the star of the show who stole every scene he was in as his grand crime was the legendary Vincent Price as the evil Professor Ratigan. You were shocked when you heard that John and Ron managed to cast the legendary A-lister as you never saw him as voice actor material, but he said he had a good feeling about Dreamworks after working with Michael for Thriller and was a fan of John Henry. While the cast had overall pretty great performances, Vincent was in a clear league of his own, being a delightful brand of wretched villainy where he dominated every second of screentime and was so iconic and entertaining for being so repugnantly evil and proud of it. Rattigan reminded you of many of the great Disney classics such as Malificent, Cruella and Shere Khan although many of the audience like to say he was better. Being already given an excellent script, Vincent elevated his performance by giving his top acting and instead of just voicing out the lines, acted out his every single scene with blocking and elaborate mannerisms in the recording booth which Ron and John filmed to use as concept art for Rattigan's animation. It was actually the same as how you acted when you voiced Scirocco, and you had a feeling that Vincent's performance was gonna be the gold standard of Dreamworks VAs in the future. Overall top work and Rattigan was definitely going to be one of the company's most iconic villains.
John and Ron did an excellent job in their film debut, taking their experience with the first two seasons of Classical Tale and making a fun and unique variation of Sherlock Holmes. It was very good timing that the two were able to follow up vindication through the Classical Tale hearings with a high quality animated film showing Dreamworks emphasis on smart and high quality productions to be enjoyed by all ages. The animation style had a very clear Disney aesthetic which lined up with the Neo-Disney art that Don Bluth had invented, understandable considering the cast was talking mice. The two highlights to you were the incredible attention to detail and varied background animation that gave a lot of life and flair to Victorian London, making it very lived in and complimenting the setting while also having all of these cool and creative ways to show how the mice and other animals have their societies in it. The second strength is the animation being of a very crisp and fast pace that keeps the action vibrant and gives the characters a natural and organic way of movement and scale.
At the end of the day though, what critics and audiences were raving about and often mentioned as the highlight of the film was the movie's usage of CGI, making Basil of Baker Street have the distinct honor of being the first theatrical animated film to feature it. While Don may hate 3D animation as a supposed threat to the art, John and Ron were more open minded and were on good terms with Lasseter and Pixar. During the production, one of the animators suggested that they replace the ending sequence of Rattigan falling after smashing into Big Ben to instead Rattigan and Basil having a battle within Big Ben. Both John and Ron complied but they had a hard time doing story boards and trying to come up with animating the scene through a traditional cell process. Last October, they were discussing the issue with Lasseter and nearly canned the ending sequence, until Lasseter suggested using wire-frame graphics for the clock tower's interior to provide the appropriate sense of scale and weight. With Pixar being ahead of schedule on Tron, an animation team was free to do a two minute sequence for Big Ben, with the animation then being printed out and sketched over by Dreamworks artists in cell animation, thus 3D animation with a 2D shade.
While this process did mean that the film's production ran into the New Year and uncomfortably close for release, it was shown to be well worth it with Big Ben's interior serving as an awesome stage for the film's climax that fit the tone and enhanced the narrative stakes through its size, making it look realistic and titanic with Basil and Rattigan reduced to literal mice in a leviathan with every action critical and one wrong move could mean their doom. It was a beautiful sight that showed the sheer potential and power that could be done with 3D animation while at the same time respecting and integrating 2D. Most critics and audiences agree that Big Ben was their favorite scene and Dreamworks animators along with Sunrise are excited to further explore this new and revolutionary technique of "3D Shading" to see what kind of art can be made from the process, many calling it true living paintings. Even Don for all of his grumpiness to 3D admitted it was kind of "neat" and that if 3D films were made primarily from shading he could live with that.
Basil of Baker Street didn't come close to John Henry's billion dollar blockbuster status, keeping the tall tale as the king of animation for now, but it was across the board a great success in terms of finance and reception. The film made 173 million, technically the lowest grossing Dreamworks film, but it was out of three and still a performance that most films would kill for. It did well in capturing the family crowd domestically and had a small boost from early Summer performance though Mike wishes it could have premiered in June instead. He also for some reason thinks that it would have made twice as much if it was titled "The Great Mouse Detective", a notion that many at Dreamworks laugh at. It found a very receptive audience overseas with the simple and fun family plot doing well across all cultures and having a very good performance within Sherlock's native British isles were there was 30 million in sales for both the UK and Ireland.
While Basil may not have been a mega blockbuster, it's box office hid its greater overall worth as an icon of the family home with nearly 285 million in VHS sales alone. VCRs as a whole just started to become more affordable for middle class families and even the lower class if they saved enough. With most of Disney's collection still locked behind its vault and Dreamworks gaining lots of fans through its shows and movies but requiring PTVS, the renting of Basil was a must watch and it was a common sight to go to Blockbuster and see at least 5-10 copies of Basil of Baker Street constantly stocked. It was also highly popular for direct purchase as most Disney films were locked behind the vault and thus for families who wanted a guaranteed way to keep kids entertained and not rely on a TV schedule, they could just pop in Basil of Baker Street for a nice hour and a half. Thus many 80s kids grew up with Basil as a staple of the household and such was the case with your own family where in addition to Mary's enjoyment, Joe and Sarah had a great time when you brought home a VHS copy and had family movie night months after release.
Overall audiences and critics were both united in saying that it was a great film. Kids enjoyed the excitement and fun of the adventure, parents had a good laugh and experienced another charming rendition of Sherlock, critics gave high praise to the stellar writing and animation. Many believed that Basil of Baker Street was the right way to do a modern family animated movie and it was nice to flip the finger at the puritan assholes that Dreamworks was a studio that could make high quality art for all ages and animation didn't have to be dumb and simple. There was also plenty of hype for the future of 3D after Big Ben and Mike is looking forward to using Basil as groundwork for Tron's promotion.
In the animation war, Basil made more than Fox and the Hound so Dreamworks was now firmly in the lead. Basil's quality and performance shook Disney conservatives like Card who thought that maybe they could let Dreamworks handle all of the "mature" and unconventional animation while Disney sticks to its classic magic, and yet Dreamworks "Out Disney'd Disney" especially with many citing Basil as a superior film in every way to Fox and the Hound. Thus Disney can never be quite content and has to play innovator, though they're confident that Black Cauldron can be their Empire Strikes Back of animation as a counterattack. Meanwhile, Blue Sky learns a hard lesson that it's not that talking animals will inherently make for a bad movie, it's the story you tell that counts.
Within Dreamworks everyone was happy with another successful release and John and Ron were happy to finally have something other than Classical Tale under their belt. Everyone's also pretty eager to get back to a film production come next year with Don wanting to direct a NIMH film, though he's also having talks with Steve about another mice film they're cooking up. Eve Titus is pretty happy with the film and all the renewed interest that people had in her book series, with her next book in Basil, "Basil in the Wild West" reaching the New York Times Bestsellers list for seven weeks.
Lastly was some interesting stuff going on with Hanna-Barbera. As a way of saying thanks for the purchase and support, and most especially bringing Tom and Jerry back home, the studio worked on three all new Tom and Jerry film shorts with William and Joseph even returning to the directors chair for the special occasion, the first proper Hanna-Barbera Tom & Jerry shorts in 23 years. There was Lancatser and York, with Tom being a royal mouser at Buckingham Palace trying to steal Jerry from eating the food being prepared for a feast. Putt Putt Pussy Cat where Jerry interferes with Tom's date at a mini-golf course after being disturbed. Lastly was Tot in the Sun, a sequel to the last Tom and Jerry short Tot Watchers where Tom and Jerry join the family from the short on a cruise, but while the parents are out to play, Tom and Jerry do everything they can to keep the baby safe as he sneaks around the ship. All of the shorts were hilarious slap stick with Tom and Jerry being at their best in what audiences unanimously agree is a successful return to form for the cat and mouse duo.
The success of the new Tom and Jerry shorts and Dreamworks latest showcase has really raised the morale at Hanna-Barbera in the midst of work on Johnny Quest and Scooby Doo. The quality of Basil made William and Joseph confident that Dreamworks could handle a Scooby-Doo movie, especially if Ron and John are working on it. There's also some interest in a possible Basil tv series, though really any mystery show that doesn't copy the Scooby-Doo formula would be fine for them, though more in the long term than something that has to be done now.
Pretty good outcome and you were happy most of all to have helped create a nice night of family fun, "Did you enjoy the movie you asked Sarah as she crawled into the limo."
Your niece nodded enthusiastically, "It was so awesome and cool, just like reading the books. Thank you Uncle Bruce." She said, and gave you a great big hug.
"You're very welcome, always happy to make great movies for my favorite niece." You say, squeezing Sarah a little.
"But Mama's making an even better movie though, even better than John Henry." Sarah reminded.
"Sarah, no need to turn tonight into a competition. We're family, not rivals." Cat lectured.
You laughed at the talk, "It's okay, a little friendly competition is always good for Hollywood, gotta prevent the Justice Department from going at us for monopolies." You joked with Cat shaking her head.
"You can laugh all you want from the top of your throne now but Disney will show you why they're the best at animation." Cat teased. "Seriously Bruce, thanks for having us tonight."
"You're welcome."
"Daddy." Mary asked, poking Bruce, "Can you and mommy be cartoon actors? You got cool voices and I wanna see you in a dream movie."
"Well, I'm the villain in the new Gundam series that comes out next year." Although remembering your reading of Scirocco's lines, you don't know if Zeta Gundam was appropriate for Mary to watch, considering it was darker than the already intense Gundam, "If I find a really good role or movie I'll take it. Okay Mary?"
Bit sad that not all my picks for VA were taken, but oerall it's an amazing film that I'm sure its going to make history in the annals of DreamWorks. And seriously Mike, "The Great Mouse Detective"? That's such a silly and ridiculous idea that could only come up from the minds of old guard reactionaries like Disney!
Now,we need to look to the future! Don wants to do NIHM, so I say we let him. At the same time, with our new technology we should be able to make animation faster, so perhaps we can spread out our animators a bit more in order to make 3 movies instead of just two. Either that or hire more animators.
Hannah-Barbera made some amazing work with Tom and Jerry but it still needs some love. I say we let them do Atomic Betty and Fillmore in order to have them bring their new talent to bear.
As for future films, I would suggest NIHM, Treasure Planet and The Little Mermaid. We must show Disney they don't have a monopoly in princess' movies after all.
All in all, this was amazing @Kaiser Chris, and I'm very happy how it all turned out. Kudos!
Do you think Bruce would be interested in helping veterans living in the US Unincorporated Territories?
Apparently they are really poorly helped by the various veterans assistance programs, even those of the government,and that is aparently only one problem amongst others" View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CesHr99ezWE"
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Animated TV Pitch: Fantastic Four: The Animated Series (Season 1)
Out of all the animated Marvel shows I've watched, the first one I saw was both The Fantastic Four, and from there the Spider-Man animated series, followed closely by the X-Men animated series. Frankly, I love each of them, as well as the others I have yet to mention, and I think that besides making sure that Captain America becomes the beginning of the MCAU, I think the first family should be given the right to come right after that, if not at the same time.
I see the series being a mix of serialized and episodic nature, allowing episodes in between the arcs to give it some time to breathe, as well as to show the Fantastic Four going about their regular lives, dealing with little villains, you know, the same things that the comics showed them doing occasionally. Furthermore, I think that in this season we should try and introduce some of the villains, and leave Galactus and the rest for next season. Try and extend the length a bit so they can all be properly fleshed out.
Animated TV Pitch: Fantastic Four: The Animated Series (Season 1) GENRE: Action/Adventure/Comedy
SUBGENRE: Drama/Thriller/Science Fiction
FORMAT: Animated TV Series
Set Up: Based on the Marvel characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The story follows Reed Richards, Susan Storm (his girlfriend), Johnny Storm (Susan's brother) and Ben Grimm (Reed's best friend) as they go on a trip through space, where they are bombarded by cosmic rays and given superpowers. They form a dysfunctional, yet loving, family who now fight against crime and all types of menaces that threaten the world, while also trying to live their lives as normal as possible.
Animation: DreamWorks Studios Series Director: Tom Tataranowicz Writer: Glenn Leopold
Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic: He is a scientist and inventor. A Polymath with mastery of all the sciences including, electrical, mechanical, aerospace engineering, electronics, chemistry, physics, biology and beyond. Richards was exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation along with his best friend Ben Grimm, then girlfriend Sue Storm and her younger brother Johnny Storm, during a trip to space in the stolen rocket. The radiation mutated him and his friends, allowing him to stretch and mold his body at will. Reed is an extremely likable fellow who keeps a pleasant smile on his face and cares deeply about those he is close to, particularly his extended family. However, he does occasionally tend to overfocus on scientific projects or problems he can't solve (I.E. Ben's transformation) leading to ignoring his friends and family.
Played By: Peter Cullen Alternate: Beau Weaver
Susan Storm/Invisible Girl: She is an American superpowered adventurer. She was a college student before she was exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation when boyfriend and scientist, Dr. Reed Richards, took her with her younger brother, Johnny Storm and pilot Ben Grimm, into space in the stolen rocket. The radiation mutated her and her friends, turning her invisible and allowing her to create forcefields. Sue plays a central role in the lives of her hot-headed younger brother, her brilliant boyfriend, and her close friend. She is also romantically attracted to Namor the Sub-Mariner for a time, in the end remaining close friends. Though initially insecure in her powers and her position in the team, she would eventually grow more confident and assertive, exploring her abilities and finding new uses for them.
Played By: Melissa Gilbert Alternate: Adrienne Barbeau
Johnny Storm/The Human Torch: He is an American superpowered adventurer. He was a high school student before he was exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation when his older sister's boyfriend, Reed Richards, took them and pilot Ben Grimm into space in a stolen rocket. The radiation mutated the group, transforming Johnny's entire body into a fiery, plasma-like state. The youngest of the group, he is brash and impetuous in comparison to his reticent, overprotective and compassionate older sister. Johnny tends to be fun loving and avoiding responsibility, while also using his powers to have fun and fight against villains. Johnny is also a romantic, always going out with a girl, as well as enjoying the adventure of living.
Played By: Loren Lester Alternate: Cam Clarke
Ben Grimm/The Thing: He was an astronaut and former USAF test pilot. Grimm was exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation when his best friend, scientist Dr. Reed Richards took him and his friends Sue Storm and her younger brother Johnny Storm, into space in a stolen rocket. The radiation mutated him and his friends, turning him into a super-strong rock like monster with a "Heart of Gold". Aside from his rocky appearance, and superhuman strength, he also possesses a sense of humor as well as the battle cry and catchphrase "It's clobberin' time!". Ben usually gets in confrontation with Johnny over the most minor things, though he mostly considers him as an annoying little brother and friend. A key feature throughout his character arc has him struggling to accept his newfound powers,
Played By: Chuck McCann Alternate: Bill McKinney
Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom: He is a Latverian politician who serves as the Monarch and Supreme Leader for the Kingdom of Latveria. He was scarred from an accident and wears an iron mask and armor to hide his true face. He is considered one of the most brilliant minds and scientists on the planet Earth. He hopes to bring order and betterment to humanity through world conquest. Unequalled in ability, ego, and will power, he has come into conflict with Reed Richards and is the archenemy of the Fantastic Four.
Played By: David Warner Alternate: Jim Cummings
Namor the Sub-Mariner: He is the ruler of Atlantis. Born as a hybrid mutant son of a human father and an Atlantean princess, Namor's first interaction with the human world came when he joined the Invaders to fight against the Axis powers during World War II. After spending years as a homeless amnesiac, Namor was discovered by the Fantastic Four and reclaimed his identity and his kingdom. After trying and failing to conquer New York, he becomes recurring ally/antagonist to the team, as he falls in love with Susan Storm, beginning a love triangle.
Played By: Keith David Alternate: John Vernon
Harvey Elder/Mole Man: He is an American nuclear engineer and explorer. Elder was socially shunned due to a combination of his abrasive personality and his homely dwarfish appearance. Furthermore, his fellow explorers ridiculed him for his eccentric, crackpot theories regarding a Hollow Earth. During an expedition he fell into the underground realm of Subterranea, where he soon became the leader of the "Moloids" (Mole People), though he was blinded by the fall. Angry at the world above, he soon dedicated himself to its conquest.
Played By: Neil Ross Alternate: Ron Feinberg
Alicia Masters: She is a blind sculptor who is able to create incredibly lifelike representations of real people by touch and memory alone; her sculptures of the Fantastic Four and other superheroes are frequently depicted. A caring, sensitive woman, she is a romantic interest and confidante of The Thing, who is frequently ashamed of his monstruous figure.
Played By: Mary Kay Bergman Alternate: Iona Morris
Uatu The Watcher: He is a member of the Watchers, an extraterrestrial species who in the distant past stationed themselves across space to monitor the activities of other species. Uatu is the Watcher assigned to observe Earth and its Solar System. During the season. Uatu gives cryptic messages to Reed, warning him about a threat upcoming to Earth, with the final episode whispering a single name "Galactus".
Played By: Alan Oppenheimer Alternate: James Warwick
H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics): It is a robot built by Reed Richards to serve as an assistant. A modular type that can change its shape by adding and removing part, H.E.R.B.I.E. works also as an aide to all members of the Fantastic Four, and is also combat capable to fight when the situation calls for it.
Played By: Frank Welker Alternate: Michael Winslow
The Puppet-Master: He is an artist that can control people with puppets he creates in their image using special radioactive clay. He is also the step-father of Alicia Masters, and has an unquenchable hatred for The Thing for his relationship with his daughter.
Played By: Dave Coulier
Miracle Man: He is a stage magician with megalomaniacal desires, capable of convincing others through hypnosis that he has amazing powers. Later on he appears to obtain actual, significant superpowers that allow him to mentally control and rearrange matter, but this turns out to be yet another illusion.
Played By: Mark Hamill
Red Ghost and his Super Apes: Ivan Kragoff, a Soviet scientist, used the same technology as the Fantastic Four to recreate their trip to the moon in order to gains the same powers for himself and his trained apes. eventually facing them in a battle in the moon.
Played By: Gregg Berger
Karisma: Mary Brown was a former mousy chemical engineer who invented a cosmetic that could enslave men through radiation wavelengths. She used it to create her own gang to and try to take over the entire city.
Played By: Diane Pershing
Impossible Man: A Poppupian from the planet Poppup and has shape-changing abilities. Primarily used for comedy, he is portrayed as a lonely, attention-seeking alien that often annoys those around him, especially the Fantastic Four.
Played By: Robin Williams
The Skrulls: A race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters originating from the planet Skrullos and their empire is located in the Andromeda Galaxy. Their infiltration of Earth was foiled by Mister Fantastic, if only for a time before they came to try again.
A.N.: Alright, here' a new entry into the MCAU, but with some differences; mainly that I think that instead of putting the episodes themselves, I think adding the characters and opponents can help the writers better as they can let their originality and imagination fly altogether to make a better adaptation. Furthermore, I'm finding it a bit difficult to follow Orion's plan since it all seems to be too tied up together and thus it limits what could be done with the characters somewhat. Not to mention that it feels like it's trying too hard to make it seem all too connected. I think it would all work better by making shows for the characters themselves, and having occasional crossovers once they're better set up.
Well to be fair, it's not like Fox and the Hound is seen as a bad movie persay. It's still an overall good movie in the minds of most Disney fans, and I'm sure it will be remembered more fondly in the Disney canon. It's just that it's seen as of a lower quality than the brilliance of Basil of Baker Street in a comparable way to how one might say that Megamind is better than Inside Out, not to mention the very different stories the two movies told. This was also kind of my personal experience as I thought Great Mouse Detective is one of the best Disney animated films after watching it while Fox and the Hound was okay. Not to mention major difference in quality and reception.
But yeah, they're both good movies it's just that the public loves company fights.
Bit sad that not all my picks for VA were taken, but oerall it's an amazing film that I'm sure its going to make history in the annals of DreamWorks. And seriously Mike, "The Great Mouse Detective"? That's such a silly and ridiculous idea that could only come up from the minds of old guard reactionaries like Disney!
Now,we need to look to the future! Don wants to do NIHM, so I say we let him. At the same time, with our new technology we should be able to make animation faster, so perhaps we can spread out our animators a bit more in order to make 3 movies instead of just two. Either that or hire more animators.
Hannah-Barbera made some amazing work with Tom and Jerry but it still needs some love. I say we let them do Atomic Betty and Fillmore in order to have them bring their new talent to bear.
As for future films, I would suggest NIHM, Treasure Planet and The Little Mermaid. We must show Disney they don't have a monopoly in princess' movies after all.
All in all, this was amazing @Kaiser Chris, and I'm very happy how it all turned out. Kudos!
Sorry, I forgot about your VA list and everyone gave such fine performances OTL and the film is close enough in production that I thought it was okay to reuse them. I did however edit in Drew Barrymore being Olivia instead like you wanted because the OTL actor was like 3 when the movie was being made and I think this is a wholesome start for Drew and it can get her introduced to Lucasfilms and our child welfare system.
I think now would be a perfect time to let Don do NIMH and let him regain his place in the spotlight. NIMH and Treasure Planet would be good for next year but if we have three I guess I don't mind doing Little Mermaid if we have GI Joe be a Hanna-Barbera production under Noboru.
With Tom and Jerry, I figured it would make sense for William and Joseph to repay Lucasfilms kindness by producing more shorts, and they want to have some fun and revisit their beloved mascots after 23 years. Don't know if we'll have a Tom and Jerry short before every Dreamworks movie, but it would be fun to see them be regular again.
I don't mind doing Atomic Betty and Fillmore, the interest in Scooby-Doo or Basil was more of a mild intrigue as Hanna-Barbera sees the potential and they think it would be neat to do a mystery series that isn't just Scooby-Doo clone # 435. I do hope we can make the Nguyens next year though.
Do you think Bruce would be interested in helping veterans living in the US Unincorporated Territories?
Apparently they are really poorly helped by the various veterans assistance programs, even those of the government,and that is aparently only one problem amongst others" View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CesHr99ezWE"
I don't see any reason why the O'Reilly Foundation wouldnt' already include them in their mandate, especially since South Vietnamese veterans are considered to be eligible members. But if Magoose says not I wouldn't mind some dedication.
Out of all the animated Marvel shows I've watched, the first one I saw was both The Fantastic Four, and from there the Spider-Man animated series, followed closely by the X-Men animated series. Frankly, I love each of them, as well as the others I have yet to mention, and I think that besides making sure that Captain America becomes the beginning of the MCAU, I think the first family should be given the right to come right after that, if not at the same time.
I see the series being a mix of serialized and episodic nature, allowing episodes in between the arcs to give it some time to breathe, as well as to show the Fantastic Four going about their regular lives, dealing with little villains, you know, the same things that the comics showed them doing occasionally. Furthermore, I think that in this season we should try and introduce some of the villains, and leave Galactus and the rest for next season. Try and extend the length a bit so they can all be properly fleshed out.
Awesome addition to the MCAU. You know, I wonder if in Marvel lore if Doom was involved in the Soviet-Romanian War on the side of Romania. I could see Doom helping them pragmatically to get the Soviets away from Latveria's borders, and if the anthrax attacks spread to Latveria then he goes FULL DOOM and launches supervillain attacks on the Soviet Union to bitch slap them for daring to bring pestilence to Latveria.
Hopefully when we get to the MCU proper they'll have some good or at least decent movies.
Basil of Baker Street Directed by: John Musker and Ron Clements
Written by: Eve Titus
Produced by: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Production Studio: DreamWorks Studios
Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Drew Barrymore, Candy Candido, Diana Chesney, Eve Brenner, Alan Young
Budget: $20,000,000 Domestic Profits: $60,624,835 International Profits: $113,059,786
Total Gross: $173,684,621 VHS Sales: $285,808,701
"Just give it one last brush, aaand, there!" Said Catherine Powell.
Happy to break free and roam around, Sarah Powell jumped off her stool and twirled around in front of the bathroom mirror, her sky blue dress spinning in a fancy wave.
"I look beautiful mama, thank you!"
Cat giggled, "You're welcome sweetie, all those movie stars are gonna be stunned when they see the most beautiful girl in the world."
"That's not me mama, that's Aunt Carrie." Sarah argued.
Cat opened her mouth than shook her head, "Come on, there's fashionably late and then there's just tardiness. Don't want to miss any of the movie."
"We got two hours mama."
"Time flies fast on the red carpet sweetie."
Sarah Powell was not within her home, but at the house of her Uncle Bruce, Aunt Carrie and cousins. Tonight was the premiere of a movie that was adapting one of her favorite book series, Basil of Baker Street, a movie her Uncle Bruce's company made just for her! While it was a Thursday night, Sarah only having to deal with the third grade and having no tests or homework was allowed to attend and miss school the next day just this once, her parents were so awesome!
It would be her first time attending a movie premiere, and most definitely not her last when her mama had her own super cool movie The Black Cauldron coming out in October. Sarah was really lucky, her family was filled with all kinds of awesome movie people and they worked at the two best movie studios ever.
Sarah darted out the bathroom and made her way to the connecting living room and kitchen. In the living room, her baby brother and cousins were watching a VHS of Miraculous on the TV, (Kermit Box as it was called in the O'Brian household) while all the adults were talking and getting ready to leave in the kitchen.
Sarah ran into the kitchen, "There's my little girl." Said her father William, only for Sarah to ignore him and rush to Carrie.
"Aunt Carrie, Aunt Carrie! Don't I look pretty?" Sarah asked, jumping up and down and tugging on her Aunt's beautiful floral dress.
Carrie crouched down a bit and smiled at Sarah, "Like a fairy tail princess." She complimented, making Sarah very giddy and happy. After all, if Sarah was a princess then it meant she was just like Carrie.
"And I'm the dragon!" Mary added, interjecting herself into the scene with her usual spunk.
Sarah liked her cousin Mary a lot. She always wanted a little sister to be her best friend and while she liked Bruce, he was very much not the baby she asked for. When she moved to LA from Ireland, Mary became her little sister of sorts, always following Sarah around and wanting to play with her when their families were together and idolizing Sarah as a big girl. It was silly since Mary was already way smarter than Sarah would ever be, but it was nice.
"You look just like this beautiful young starlet named Debbie Reynolds." Bruce said.
"Oh stop it Bruce." Debbie said with a flush.
"Sorry to be a bother tonight, but Bruce doesn't like big crowds too much and he'd be too anxious to enjoy the movie." William said.
Debbie waved it off, "It's fine. I rather like Bruces and he's such a sweetheart with the twins, it won't be any trouble at all."
While Debbie Reynolds didn't share any blood with Sarah, she had for the past couple of years knew her as Aunt Debbie because if she was Aunt Carrie's Mom then she was family. She was always nice to Sarah and Bruce and liked to spoil them sweetly when they visited. Plus she was fun on nights where Sarah and Bruce stayed over and both O'Brian parent sets went on a double date. It was like having a third grandma.
Mary then walked over to her cousin Bruce and tapped him on the shoulder, "Bruce, you gotta be a good big boy for grandma and the littles. Be nice and have fun." She lectured.
"Okay Mary." Bruce absently said, too focused on the TV.
"Kermit O'Brian is watching you, so he will tell if you naughty and I will write letter to Santa." Mary warned, pointing to Kermit who was currently being hugged by Joseph while little Sarah was giving love pats to the pregnant Ginger.
The parents then said their goodbyes and escorted Sarah and Mary to the limo they would take, a real limo with comfy chairs and a mini fridge with coke! Unfortunately her mom wouldn't let her drink coke, said it might spill on her dress and stain it.
Sarah sat upward and gazed at the passing sight of Beverly Hills in awe as she spread her hands around the rich leather and kicked her legs in excitement for what was to come.
Mary poked Sarah, "Sarah, you da big girl but I movie night veterinarian. I teach you how to play carpet game."
"Huh?" Sarah asked, though Mary ignored her remark and continued with the rules.
"First, you gotta walk straight, not stop. Mom and Dad stop cause they movie people and need to talk on Kermit box or with Daily Planet people. There's lots of pictures, lots of pictures. We don't stop and say cheese, we smile and wave. Sometimes we talk to Mommy and Daddy friends like Superman. We go inside, then we get super jumbo popcorn and lots of snacks." Mary informed.
"Nope, that's not how we play the game Mary. You already had a big lunch." Carrie said.
Mary then tried to break out her best puppy eyes, "Pwease? It Sarah special movie night and she deserve good time." Mary pleaded, even going with the full on lip quiver.
Bruce crossed his arms, "How come when your siblings or cousins deserve nice things that you happen to get some of it?" He asked with a knowing raise of the eyebrow.
"Cause I'm a good girl and Sarah love me." Mary said, hugging Sarah sweetly.
Wanting to indulge her cousin, Sarah hugged her back, "Please Uncle Bruce?" She kindly asked.
Bruce sighed, "You get one large popcorn, but you have to share with Sarah and don't go crazy on the butter." Bruce said.
"Yay." Mary said enthusiastically.
They then arrived at the theater and Sarah got to walk on her first red carpet after Bruce and Carrie went out. It was a bit scary and intimidating, walking with all the cameras flashing and looking upon her, but Sarah was walking with one hand being held by her mother which gave her strength, and seeing Mary's example who was fearlessly walking and smiling and waving, helped Sarah be confident too.
When they got inside, Mary introduced her to all kinds of cool celebrities that she knew like Robin Williams and Michael Jackson. Mary was very nice and liked to introduce Sarah as her "cool cousin Sarah" and it was fun for Sarah to get to talk to so many famous people she only knew on TV and the movies.
Then they got inside the movie theater, where Mary was more focused on talking to her friend Wally, but Sarah had a lot of fun watching the new Tom and Jerry shorts, reminding her of some of the drawings and stories her mama was making for the Looney Tunes. Then the lights dimmed and the cool Dreamworks moon logo played.
One of your favorite perks of being the head of a film studio is that you could bring to life the films that were adaptations of treasured and beloved stories that were personal to you and those you loved. You got to do so early on with Conan, you helped support Flash Gordon for George, and here you fulfilled a promise you made to your then five year old niece when she was visiting that this wonderful book series you had both fallen in love with would become a movie. Four years and 20 million dollars later, and you had an amazing instant classic of an animated film that helped you remain as the cool Uncle and provided for a great movie night with Mary, making her very happy that you made another Lucasfilms kids movie for her.
An adaptation of the book series by the same name, Basil of Baker Street stars the titular Basil, a mouse version of Sherlock Holmes who lives and works in a mouse hole in the cellar of 221 Baker Street where the real Sherlock Holmes lives. When the mouse version of Watson, David Q. Dawsom returns to London he comes across a young girl named Olivia whose father was kidnapped by the fiendish and evil Professor Ratigan, a rat Moriarty. Believing that only Basil can help her, Olivia has Dawson take her to Basil who eagerly accepts the case as a chance to take on his wicked archnemesis, the trio being caught in the middle of Ratigan's scheme to take over the United Mousedom during the Mouse Queen's Diamond Jubilee. What follows is an hour and fifteen minutes of fun and thrills across Victorian London.
If you were to describe the film in one word, it would be fun. The movie from start to finish has a charming and immersive atmosphere that captivates you in a wonderful ride through Victorian London with fun characters, great comedy and high quality and crisp animation. The strength of the story is largely thanks to the books author, Eve Titus, being brought in to write the movie script with Eve managing to capture the sense of wonder, adventure and charm that were in the books while also doing a good job at balancing the comedic and intelligence elements for children and general audiences.
The best part of the story is the characters with the plot being mainly character-driven. Veteran Shakesperian Barrie Ingrham plays the bombastically brilliant Basil, having the air of an English gentleman mixed in with a mad genius with great comedy derived from his over the top deductions and snarky charm. Basil was a really fun character, having the brains of Sherlock but being more wild and flawed than the refined detective, making him funny and relatable while all the while having a sense of selflessness that shows he's a good guy deep down. Dawson, played by Val Bettin didn't deviate heavily from Watson like Basil but he played the role well and was good in grounding the film and providing a sympathetic audience perspective. Drew Barrymore as Olivia Flaversham is an adorable and brave young mouse who provides a nice surrogate from the children, adding some nice fluff and comedic relief without being a burden and being active in the story. Drew seems to be a pretty talented little girl who event at a young age displays a lot of the same screen presence and enthusiasm as her parents, a very good find from Steve and you look forward to her in Steve's movie ET.
But by far the star of the show who stole every scene he was in as his grand crime was the legendary Vincent Price as the evil Professor Ratigan. You were shocked when you heard that John and Ron managed to cast the legendary A-lister as you never saw him as voice actor material, but he said he had a good feeling about Dreamworks after working with Michael for Thriller and was a fan of John Henry. While the cast had overall pretty great performances, Vincent was in a clear league of his own, being a delightful brand of wretched villainy where he dominated every second of screentime and was so iconic and entertaining for being so repugnantly evil and proud of it. Rattigan reminded you of many of the great Disney classics such as Malificent, Cruella and Shere Khan although many of the audience like to say he was better. Being already given an excellent script, Vincent elevated his performance by giving his top acting and instead of just voicing out the lines, acted out his every single scene with blocking and elaborate mannerisms in the recording booth which Ron and John filmed to use as concept art for Rattigan's animation. It was actually the same as how you acted when you voiced Scirocco, and you had a feeling that Vincent's performance was gonna be the gold standard of Dreamworks VAs in the future. Overall top work and Rattigan was definitely going to be one of the company's most iconic villains.
John and Ron did an excellent job in their film debut, taking their experience with the first two seasons of Classical Tale and making a fun and unique variation of Sherlock Holmes. It was very good timing that the two were able to follow up vindication through the Classical Tale hearings with a high quality animated film showing Dreamworks emphasis on smart and high quality productions to be enjoyed by all ages. The animation style had a very clear Disney aesthetic which lined up with the Neo-Disney art that Don Bluth had invented, understandable considering the cast was talking mice. The two highlights to you were the incredible attention to detail and varied background animation that gave a lot of life and flair to Victorian London, making it very lived in and complimenting the setting while also having all of these cool and creative ways to show how the mice and other animals have their societies in it. The second strength is the animation being of a very crisp and fast pace that keeps the action vibrant and gives the characters a natural and organic way of movement and scale.
At the end of the day though, what critics and audiences were raving about and often mentioned as the highlight of the film was the movie's usage of CGI, making Basil of Baker Street have the distinct honor of being the first theatrical animated film to feature it. While Don may hate 3D animation as a supposed threat to the art, John and Ron were more open minded and were on good terms with Lasseter and Pixar. During the production, one of the animators suggested that they replace the ending sequence of Rattigan falling after smashing into Big Ben to instead Rattigan and Basil having a battle within Big Ben. Both John and Ron complied but they had a hard time doing story boards and trying to come up with animating the scene through a traditional cell process. Last October, they were discussing the issue with Lasseter and nearly canned the ending sequence, until Lasseter suggested using wire-frame graphics for the clock tower's interior to provide the appropriate sense of scale and weight. With Pixar being ahead of schedule on Tron, an animation team was free to do a two minute sequence for Big Ben, with the animation then being printed out and sketched over by Dreamworks artists in cell animation, thus 3D animation with a 2D shade.
While this process did mean that the film's production ran into the New Year and uncomfortably close for release, it was shown to be well worth it with Big Ben's interior serving as an awesome stage for the film's climax that fit the tone and enhanced the narrative stakes through its size, making it look realistic and titanic with Basil and Rattigan reduced to literal mice in a leviathan with every action critical and one wrong move could mean their doom. It was a beautiful sight that showed the sheer potential and power that could be done with 3D animation while at the same time respecting and integrating 2D. Most critics and audiences agree that Big Ben was their favorite scene and Dreamworks animators along with Sunrise are excited to further explore this new and revolutionary technique of "3D Shading" to see what kind of art can be made from the process, many calling it true living paintings. Even Don for all of his grumpiness to 3D admitted it was kind of "neat" and that if 3D films were made primarily from shading he could live with that.
Basil of Baker Street didn't come close to John Henry's billion dollar blockbuster status, keeping the tall tale as the king of animation for now, but it was across the board a great success in terms of finance and reception. The film made 173 million, technically the lowest grossing Dreamworks film, but it was out of three and still a performance that most films would kill for. It did well in capturing the family crowd domestically and had a small boost from early Summer performance though Mike wishes it could have premiered in June instead. He also for some reason thinks that it would have made twice as much if it was titled "The Great Mouse Detective", a notion that many at Dreamworks laugh at. It found a very receptive audience overseas with the simple and fun family plot doing well across all cultures and having a very good performance within Sherlock's native British isles were there was 30 million in sales for both the UK and Ireland.
While Basil may not have been a mega blockbuster, it's box office hid its greater overall worth as an icon of the family home with nearly 285 million in VHS sales alone. VCRs as a whole just started to become more affordable for middle class families and even the lower class if they saved enough. With most of Disney's collection still locked behind its vault and Dreamworks gaining lots of fans through its shows and movies but requiring PTVS, the renting of Basil was a must watch and it was a common sight to go to Blockbuster and see at least 5-10 copies of Basil of Baker Street constantly stocked. It was also highly popular for direct purchase as most Disney films were locked behind the vault and thus for families who wanted a guaranteed way to keep kids entertained and not rely on a TV schedule, they could just pop in Basil of Baker Street for a nice hour and a half. Thus many 80s kids grew up with Basil as a staple of the household and such was the case with your own family where in addition to Mary's enjoyment, Joe and Sarah had a great time when you brought home a VHS copy and had family movie night months after release.
Overall audiences and critics were both united in saying that it was a great film. Kids enjoyed the excitement and fun of the adventure, parents had a good laugh and experienced another charming rendition of Sherlock, critics gave high praise to the stellar writing and animation. Many believed that Basil of Baker Street was the right way to do a modern family animated movie and it was nice to flip the finger at the puritan assholes that Dreamworks was a studio that could make high quality art for all ages and animation didn't have to be dumb and simple. There was also plenty of hype for the future of 3D after Big Ben and Mike is looking forward to using Basil as groundwork for Tron's promotion.
In the animation war, Basil made more than Fox and the Hound so Dreamworks was now firmly in the lead. Basil's quality and performance shook Disney conservatives like Card who thought that maybe they could let Dreamworks handle all of the "mature" and unconventional animation while Disney sticks to its classic magic, and yet Dreamworks "Out Disney'd Disney" especially with many citing Basil as a superior film in every way to Fox and the Hound. Thus Disney can never be quite content and has to play innovator, though they're confident that Black Cauldron can be their Empire Strikes Back of animation as a counterattack. Meanwhile, Blue Sky learns a hard lesson that it's not that talking animals will inherently make for a bad movie, it's the story you tell that counts.
Within Dreamworks everyone was happy with another successful release and John and Ron were happy to finally have something other than Classical Tale under their belt. Everyone's also pretty eager to get back to a film production come next year with Don wanting to direct a NIMH film, though he's also having talks with Steve about another mice film they're cooking up. Eve Titus is pretty happy with the film and all the renewed interest that people had in her book series, with her next book in Basil, "Basil in the Wild West" reaching the New York Times Bestsellers list for seven weeks.
Lastly was some interesting stuff going on with Hanna-Barbera. As a way of saying thanks for the purchase and support, and most especially bringing Tom and Jerry back home, the studio worked on three all new Tom and Jerry film shorts with William and Joseph even returning to the directors chair for the special occasion, the first proper Hanna-Barbera Tom & Jerry shorts in 23 years. There was Lancatser and York, with Tom being a royal mouser at Buckingham Palace trying to steal Jerry from eating the food being prepared for a feast. Putt Putt Pussy Cat where Jerry interferes with Tom's date at a mini-golf course after being disturbed. Lastly was Tot in the Sun, a sequel to the last Tom and Jerry short Tot Watchers where Tom and Jerry join the family from the short on a cruise, but while the parents are out to play, Tom and Jerry do everything they can to keep the baby safe as he sneaks around the ship. All of the shorts were hilarious slap stick with Tom and Jerry being at their best in what audiences unanimously agree is a successful return to form for the cat and mouse duo.
The success of the new Tom and Jerry shorts and Dreamworks latest showcase has really raised the morale at Hanna-Barbera in the midst of work on Johnny Quest and Scooby Doo. The quality of Basil made William and Joseph confident that Dreamworks could handle a Scooby-Doo movie, especially if Ron and John are working on it. There's also some interest in a possible Basil tv series, though really any mystery show that doesn't copy the Scooby-Doo formula would be fine for them, though more in the long term than something that has to be done now.
Pretty good outcome and you were happy most of all to have helped create a nice night of family fun, "Did you enjoy the movie you asked Sarah as she crawled into the limo."
Your niece nodded enthusiastically, "It was so awesome and cool, just like reading the books. Thank you Uncle Bruce." She said, and gave you a great big hug.
"You're very welcome, always happy to make great movies for my favorite niece." You say, squeezing Sarah a little.
"But Mama's making an even better movie though, even better than John Henry." Sarah reminded.
"Sarah, no need to turn tonight into a competition. We're family, not rivals." Cat lectured.
You laughed at the talk, "It's okay, a little friendly competition is always good for Hollywood, gotta prevent the Justice Department from going at us for monopolies." You joked with Cat shaking her head.
"You can laugh all you want from the top of your throne now but Disney will show you why they're the best at animation." Cat teased. "Seriously Bruce, thanks for having us tonight."
"You're welcome."
"Daddy." Mary asked, poking Bruce, "Can you and mommy be cartoon actors? You got cool voices and I wanna see you in a dream movie."
"Well, I'm the villain in the new Gundam series that comes out next year." Although remembering your reading of Scirocco's lines, you don't know if Zeta Gundam was appropriate for Mary to watch, considering it was darker than the already intense Gundam, "If I find a really good role or movie I'll take it. Okay Mary?"
I loved everything about this in so many ways ~ Glad this movie got the love it deserves at least this timeline. Also really hoping to see a tv series spin off that'd be cool ~
Movie Pitch: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
With the current success of Excalibur, and John Boorman's strong performance as a director in said film, I feel more comfortable in trying to make a pitch for the Lord of the Rings without having Peter Jackson direct the movie. Thinking it over, considering how this was such a huge cultural moment for the 2000's, and nyet the 90's never seemed to have one, I feel that it's only fitting that we try and make this film during the beginning of the 90's, and have selected actors that can be used during said period.
Besides, the 2000's already have so many other moments, let's let the 90s have this one.
Hopefully, we're able to have the Hobbit begin production for a 1983 or 1984 release for the first movie, this would allow us to have enough time for the second part of the duology, then perhaps 5 years to prepare for the Lord of the Rings films. This kind of movies need careful attention to detail, not only of the source material, but of everything from locations, costumes, and near every little twig to give it the feel that Tolkien gave to every part of his book.
Also, we're doing it in New Zealand, I don't care how much Boorman argues for Ireland.
Thus, I give you:
Movie Pitch: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring GENRE: Fantasy/Adventure/Epic
SUBGENRE: Drama/Action/Supernatural
FORMAT: Movie (Part 1 of 3)
Set Up: Based on 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who seeks the One Ring, which contains part of his might, to return to power. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions (who form the Fellowship of the Ring) begin their perilous journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.
Director: Peter Jackson Composer: John Williams
Gandalf the Gray: An Istar (Wizard) who is as quick to anger, and equally quick to laugh. His deep wisdom and compassion clearly derived from the patience he learned in Valinor, just as his care for all creatures of good will must have come from his strong sense of compassion for the weak. Both his patience and sense of kindness were revealed again and again, extending even to the servants of his enemies. Gandalf is the one who discovers Bilbo's oddities, and his suspicions aid him in letting his friend abandon the ring, though his discovery of it being the One RIng leads to the eventual travels and adventures of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Played By: Christopher Lee Alternate: John Huston 2nd Alternate: Ian McKellen
Frodo Baggins: He is a hobbit of the Shire and nephew of Bilbo Baggins. He is also the Ring-bearer during the travels to Mount Doom to destroy the ring. Bilbo tends to be more adventurous and curious about the outside world, something not shared in the Shire, but he does have friends such as his gardener, Samwise Gamgee. Frodo inherits all of Bilbo's belongings after his disappearance, and then leaves taking the One Ring once Gandalf tells him of what it truly is. During his travels with his new friends, from Rivendell to Mount Doom, Frodo makes new memories, but also has to deal with the danger that being the Ring-Bearer carries with it, deciding in the end to travel alone with Sam to Mount Doom.
Played By: Ethan Hawke Alternate: Matthew Broderick
Samwise "Sam" Gamgee: He is a hobbit of the Shire. He is Frodo Baggins' gardener and best friend. Sam proved himself to be Frodo's closest and most dependable companion, the most loyal of the Fellowship of the Ring, and plays a critical role in protecting Frodo and destroying the One Ring. Sam shows deference to Frodo due to their rank, but there exists a bond of trust and brotherly love between them that runs deep. Though Sam does not wish to leave the Shire, it is his trust which makes him follow Frodo and aid him through it all, to the point that he's willing to give up his life to make sure he's safe.
Played By: Kenneth Branagh Alternate: Sean Astin
Peregrin "Pippin" Took: He is a hobbit of the Shire, and one of Frodo Baggins' youngest and closest friends. He is a worthy accomplice to Merry's plans, although he showed his age as well; he was a cheerful if not a sometimes-thoughtless Hobbit, and seemingly had a knack for doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, but throughout the adventure he becomes increasingly mature and courageous. Though travelling with Frodo and the rest more by circumstance rather than by choice, Pippin nonetheless goes forwards with nearly a carefree grin and with a happy disposition.
Played By: Sean Patrick Flannery Alternate: Rik Mayall
Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck: He is a Hobbit of the Shire and one of Frodo Baggins cousins and closest friends. He loves boats and ponies, has a great interest in the maps of Middle-earth, and is also one of the nine companions of the Fellowship of the Ring. Merry is very close with Pippin, having almost the same relationship as Sam and Frodo do with each other, both sides complimenting each other in their friendship, and always one is seen near the other. Merry is mostly used for comedic relief, along with Pippin, with his role remaining mostly similar to the role he plays in the book.
Played By: Hugh Laurie Alternate: John Cusack
Aragorn: He is a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of Arnor and Gondor. Aragorn is a confidant of the wizard Gandalf, and as a young man fell in love with the immortal elf Arwen, though he left her in order to follow the quest to destroy the one ring (and for fear of her abandoning her immortality for him). He took over the leadership role after the loss of Gandalf in the Mines of Moria, and when the Fellowship was broken, he tracked the hobbits Merry and Pippin with the help of Legolas and Gimli to Fangorn Forest.
Played By: Sean Bean Alternate: Daniel Day-Lewis
Legolas: He is a Sindar Elf who joined the Fellowship of the Ring. Legolas is a Mirkwood's prince, a messenger, and a master archer. With his keen eyesight, sensitive hearing, and excellent bowmanship, Legolas is valuable to the Fellowship in their journey across Middle-earth. He is well-known for becoming friends with the Dwarf Gimli, despite their long-held differences. During their entire travels, he is presented as an unstoppable fighter, performing dramatic feats of battle. Both he and Gimli occasionally get into contests during fights, in order to see who is able to kill the most enemies.
Played By: Cary Elwes Alternate: Guy Pearce
Gimli: He is the son of Glóin, a Dwarf of the House of Durin and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Unlike other Dwarves, he's willing to fight alongside Elves against Sauron (though not without some protest at first). In his subsequent journey he becomes good friends with Legolas, though his impressions on elves began to change after meeting Galadriel and realizing that not all elves were that bad. As the Fellowship passes through the Misty Mountains, it is Gimli's idea initially to travel through the mines of Moria, where they face against both the Orcs that had ransacked the hold, and eventually the Balrog.
Played By: Brian Blessed Alternate: John Rhys-Davies
Boromir: He is one of the sons of the Steward of Gondor (Denethor) who journeys with the Fellowship towards Mordor. Boromir is a noble character who believes passionately in the greatness of his kingdom and fought indomitably for it. His great stamina and physical strength, together with a forceful and commanding personality, make him a widely admired commander in Gondor's army and the favorite of his father Denethor. As a member of the Fellowship, his desperation to save his country ultimately drove him to betray his companions and attempt to seize the Ring, but he was redeemed by his repentance and brave last stand.
Played By: Liam Neeson Alternate: Gabriel Byrne
Sauron: He is the greatest subversive Maia, maker of the One Ring, renowned disciple of Aulë, and chief agent of Morgoth in the Elder Days. After Morgoth's ousting by the Valar, Sauron became the second Dark Lord and sought to conquer most of Arda through guileful trickery, with the Rings of Power or with overwhelming armies. He is briefly shown as a large humanoid figure clad in spiky black armor, but appears only as the disembodied Eye throughout the rest of the storyline.
Voiced By: Alan Howard Alternate: Tony Jay
Saruman the White: He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist, but eventually he desires Sauron's power for himself and tries to take over Middle-earth by force from his base at Isengard by allying with Sauron. After failing to contain Gandalf and prevent his escape, he builds an army of Uruk-Hai, improved Orcs to chase after the Fellowship and get the One Ring.
Played By: Alan Rickman Alternate: Richard Harris
The Witch-King of Angmar: He is the leader of the Nazgûl and Sauron's deadliest vassal. His precise identity is unknown, but he could be one of three noble lords of Númenor, who were corrupted by the Nine Rings of Power and thus became the undying Wraiths at the servitude of Sauron. The Witch-king returned to Mordor to facilitate Sauron's return to power, chasing after, and stabbing Frodo Baggins on Weathertop during the first months of his venture out of the Shire to Rivendell.
Played By: André Roussimoff Alternate: Christopher Lambert
Gollum: Originally named Sméagol (or Trahald) The name Gollum was derived from the sound of his gurgling, choking cough. His life was extended far beyond his nature by the effects of possessing the One Ring, but he had been deformed and twisted in body and mind by its corruption. Gollum is obsessed by the Ring, calling it his "Precious", speaking to it and himself, panicking and yelling when it disappears. Not appearing much save in talks, he's been stalking the fellowship in hopes of recovering its "Precious".
Played By: Andy Serkis Alternate: Steve Buscemi
Bilbo Baggins: A very friendly, quick thinking, and well-mannered hobbit fond of food, drink, a full pipe, his friends and good cheer, and was known for greeting strangers and friends with hospitality. Many years after his adventure, his life extended thanks to the One Ring, he finally gains the willpower to let the Ring go before going on his final trip to Rivendell in order to finish his book. The Ring has corrupted him however, a fact he knows and laments when he nearly harms Frodo to get it back.
Played By: Dudley Moore Alternate: Ian Holms
Arwen: She is the Half-elven daughter of Elrond and Celebrían. A capable rider and fighter, she searched for Aragorn and single-handedly rescued Frodo Baggins from the Black Riders at Bruinen, thwarting them with a sudden flood, summoned by an incantation. She tried to remain at Aragorn's side, promising to choose a mortal life rather than live eternally with their kin. Aragorn however refused to have her make that sacrifice, leaving with the Fellowship and leaving her behind.
Played By: Catherine Zeta-Jones Alternate: Robin Wright
Galadriel: She is the elven co-ruler of Lothlórien alongside her husband Celeborn. One of the greatest Elves in Middle-earth, she surpassed nearly all others in beauty, knowledge, and power. She speaks telepathically with Frodo and leads him to her mirror, in which he sees a vision of Sauron's victory. Galadriel warns Frodo that Boromir will try and take the One Ring, upon which Frodo offers the One Ring to her. In that moment, Galadriel herself is tempted by the Ring, but she is able to overcome the temptation and "pass the test."
Played By: Michelle Pfeiffer Alternate: Cate Blanchett
Elrond: He is the Half-elf Lord of Rivendell. A mighty Elf-ruler of old who's dwelt in Middle-earth from the First Age. He is the father of Arwen and is distressed at the thought of Arwen becoming mortal for the sake of Aragorn, initially suggesting she leave Middle-earth for Valinor. Though wise and virtuous, Elrond appears unconvinced that Sauron can be defeated after seeing how Isildur succumbed to the allure of the Ring. He nonetheless allows the Fellowship to take the Ring and try to destroy it, giving them one final chance.
Played By: Jeremy Irons
Isildur: He was the oldest son of Elendil and the brother of Anárion. In the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand, but refused to destroy it. Isildur was later killed by Orcs, and the Ring was lost for nearly 2,500 years.
Elendil: He was a Man of Númenor and the father of Isildur and Anárion. Elendil was killed alongside his friend, the High King Gil-galad, by the Dark Lord Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance.
Odo Proudfoot: He was a Hobbit of the Shire, and a cousin of Bilbo Baggins. He characteristically had exceptionally large and hairy feet. He is chastised by his wife for enjoying Gandalf's fireworks as Gandalf had been labeled as a disturber of the peace
Mrs. Proudfoot: She is a Hobbit of the Shire. She married Odo Proudfoot at some point, then their son Olo was born. Little to nothing else is known of her life, including when she died.
Otho: He is a Hobbit of the Shire. Otho was married to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. He adopted the name of both his parents, Longo Baggins and Camellia Sackville, effectively founding a new family.
Lobelia: A Hobbit of the Shire. Lobelia married Otho, and had a son, Lotho. Lobelia was known to be a covetous and grasping hobbit, and had designs on Bag End, as Otho was Bilbo's paternal first cousin and next of kin.
Mrs. Bracegirdle: She is one of the Bracegirdles from Hardbottle who, according to Bilbo Baggins, are block-headed. Nevertheless, the Bracegirdles are invited to Bilbo's birthday party, and Mrs. Bracegirdle greets Bilbo, who is surprised at the number of children she has.
Rosie Cotton: She is a Hobbit from the Shire. Rosie lives at 10 Bagshot Row and is employed as a barmaid. She barely speaks at all, but dances at Bilbo's party, eagerly taking Sam in her arms as he is encouraged to participate by Frodo.
Farmer Maggot: He is a hobbit farmer who lived at Bamfurlong, which was located in the Marish region of the Shire's Eastfarthing. He directs a Black Rider to Hobbiton when they arrive at his house in search of the Ring.
Gil-Galad: He was the last High King of the Ñoldor in Middle-earth. He formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men with King Elendil, and led the Elves to war against Sauron. His death in this war marked the end of the Ñoldorin Kingdoms in Middle-earth.
Celeborn: He is the Lord of Lothlórien and husband of Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood. He was said to be one of the wisest Elves in Middle-earth
Haldir: He is an Elf of Lothlórien, and a marchwarden who guarded the forest's northern borders. When the Fellowship of the Ring arrived in Lórien, he became their guide to Caras Galadhon.
Barliman Butterbur: He is a Man of Bree and owner of The Prancing Pony, a bar in the town of Bree. He was fond of Hobbits and knew Gandalf very well as he frequently came and stayed at the inn from time to time over the years.
Harry Goatleaf: He is a Gate-keeper of the West-gate of Bree, which was located on the great hedge surrounding the township of Bree. He lets both Strider, and the four Hobbits, in when they arrive.
Lurtz: He is the first leader of Saruman's scouts, the Uruk-Hai. He leads the hunt for the Fellowship, commanding his archers to shoot and kill Boromir as he rescued Frodo and Sam.
- Bilbo's birthday party is no longer a combined birthday party for himself and Frodo.
- The Hobbits' adventures on the way from the Shire to Bree, which occupy over five chapters of the novel, are drastically cut, implying that the journey took place over a much shorter period of time. This material includes: -- The Hobbits' interaction with Tom Bombadil, who is completely absent from the film, along with Goldberry. -- The time the Hobbits spend in Bree itself is also significantly shortened, and their acquisition of the pony, Bill, is missing. -- Also missing is an entire subplot in which Frodo pretends to be moving back to his ancestral home in Buckland, with the help of his Hobbit friends (who, in the book, turn out to be Sam's co-conspirators and are introduced quite differently).
- The character of Saruman has a more significant presence. His encounter with Gandalf is shown in full, also shown is how Gandalf and Saruman engage in a rather violent wizard duel which results in Gandalf's capture. Saruman is also credited with influencing the storm on Caradhras, which is more dangerous and almost results in the Fellowship's death.
- The character Radagast is absent, meaning that Gwaihir is summoned to Isengard by a different means; Gandalf communicates with a small moth which alerts Gwaihir.
- Old Man Willow is transplanted to Fangorn Forest and not present in this film.
- At The Prancing Pony, when Pippin exposes them, Frodo does not entertain the room or sing his song, but tries to reach Pippin, which still results in his fall and "disappearing act".
- Arwen Evenstar has a far greater role; she replaces the character of Glorfindel from the novel. Additionally, she is shown to have great power when she causes the river Bruinen to flood and wash away the Ringwraiths.
- The Council of Elrond is trimmed to focus only the matter of the Ring, rather than any of the history surrounding it. Gimili also tries to destroy the ring with his axe, but fails, with the Ring shattering his axe's blade. Glóin appears, but has no speaking lines.
- Sam Gamgee is treated as an adult at Bilbo Baggins' farewell party. Perhaps more significantly, Frodo appears much younger. The seventeen-year time period between the party and Gandalf's return to the Shire is significantly shortened. This tightening of the timespan occurs frequently.
- The characterization of Boromir is expanded somewhat, and his final stand at Amon Hen is included on-screen with the Uruk-Hai being who attack instead of Orcs, and the Uruk Hai who kills him is a character created for the purpose of the film, named Lurtz.
- Frodo informs Aragorn of his departure from the Fellowship. Also, he leaves in his boat in plain sight.
- Boromir's lust for the ring is made more evident, to the point where certain characters openly speak of his treachery. Galadriel directly warns Frodo that Boromir will attempt to take the ring from him.
A.N.: So, I know not many will vibe with my positions on the actors, I tried my best in finding those who would best fit for the characters, but I'm willing to entertain your arguments if you have a different actor for another role. Also, I think John Williams would make for a great composer for this epic, as I think Howard Shore might be a bit too green yet for this role.
So trying my first movie pitch,i use another movie pitch to have an idea of what i should place in but i will apreciate any advice of stuff i should add.
I think this is a good movie that didn't get the mediatic cover it would have desrved (and let's not talk about megaming 2 it's uter garbage and i can't believe dreamwork allowed that to exist) with amongst other thing a good lecon about "good guy vs nice guy"
Movie pitch: Megamind
Genre:Comedy/Action
Subgenre:Romance
FORMAT: Movie (Animation)
Lenght:1H35
PLOT:Supervillain Megamind and his archnemesis, the superhero Metro Man, are both aliens who were sent to Earth as infants before their planets were sucked into a black hole. Though both land in Metro City at the same time, Metro Man is raised in a mansion, while Megamind is raised in a prison. He goes to the same school as Metro Man, who is well-liked by his classmates. Megamind is bullied by everyone until he concludes his purpose is to be a supervillain, setting off a rivalry between him and Metro Man. As an adult, Megamind, aided by his fish-like companion Minion, frequently and unsuccessfully battles Metro Man for control of the city.
On the day of the grand opening of the new Metro Man Museum, Megamind escapes prison, kidnaps reporter Roxanne "Roxie" Ritchi, and lures Metro Man to an abandoned observatory to rescue her. Once there, Metro Man collapses, stating the copper-lined observatory roof weakens his powers before Megamind blasts him with a sun-powered death ray and is overjoyed to finally win. Megamind takes over the city and goes on a crime spree. However, he eventually becomes depressed and purposeless with no hero to fight.
Megamind decides to blow up the Metro Man Museum to forget the hero but sees Roxie there and dehydrates the museum's curator, Bernard, into a small cube. Disguised as Bernard using hologram technology, Megamind talks to Roxie, whose remarks inspire him to use Metro Man's DNA to create a new superhero to fight. Megamind perfects the formula, but during a fight between him and Roxie in his lair, he accidentally injects it into Hal Stewart, Roxie's cameraman who is infatuated with her.
Disguising himself via hologram as Hal's "Space Dad", Megamind offers to train Hal to become a superhero. Hal, seeing this as a chance to get with Roxie, accepts and takes on the name "Titan", though he misspells it as "Tighten". Megamind begins to date Roxie in the guise of Bernard, and he and Minion have a falling out over Megamind's apparent lack of interest in committing further crimes. Roxie rejects Tighten when he comes to court her, and Tighten later witnesses her on a date with "Bernard". After a heartbroken Tighten leaves, Megamind's "Bernard" disguise fails, and Roxie rejects him as well.
Megamind arranges to fight Tighten the next day, but Tighten does not show up. Megamind learns that Tighten is now using his powers to conduct a crime spree. Tighten offers to ally with Megamind, but the latter deliberately reveals his disguises and deceptions, hoping to goad Tighten into fighting. Angered, Tighten savagely beats Megamind in the fight. Realizing that Tighten has no interest in justice and means to kill him, Megamind traps Tighten in a ball of copper, assuming that like Metro Man, copper reduces his powers. However, Tighten easily breaks out. Megamind and Roxie escape to Metro Man's old hideout and discover that Metro Man is still alive, having faked his weakness and death to pursue his dream as a musician. Megamind attempts to enlist his help against Tighten, but he refuses. Metro Man tries to encourage Megamind to become the city's new hero by telling him that a hero will always rise to defeat evil.
Dejected, Megamind willingly returns to prison. Tighten goes on a rampage, and kidnaps Roxie when she tries to get through to him. On a televised message, Tighten holds Roxie hostage and demands that Megamind fight him. With Minion's help, Megamind escapes prison, where he goes to confront Tighten, using holographic disguises to make himself appear as Metro Man, and Minion as Megamind, to frighten Tighten away and rescue Roxie. However, Megamind's speech patterns give him away, and Tighten attacks Megamind, throwing him into the stratosphere. Dehydrating himself into a cube and landing safely in a fountain, Megamind re-hydrates next to Tighten and extracts the DNA from him, removing his powers. After Hal is arrested, Megamind and Roxie rekindle their relationship, while the city celebrates Megamind as their new hero. The museum is rebuilt in Megamind's honor, and a disguised Metro Man cheers for him at the grand opening ceremony.
In a mid-credits scene, the real Bernard is finally re-hydrated when Minion does the laundry.
