Spider-Man 3

[Ben]

Apparently, it's not three hours. The Sun here in the UK did a "we've seen it exclusive" thing, without spoilers, and said it came in around 2.5 hrs.

[ShyViolet]

Hmmm....oh well, I'm sure it will still be good!


*******************************************************


Also:


JOY!!!!!!!!


If you loved Peter David's paperback adaptations of Spidey 1 and Spidey 2....rejoice, he's doing 3 as well!!


http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-3-Pete ... 502&sr=1-1
I read all of 1 and the beginning of 2. I know movie adaptations are mostly horrible nowadays, often with Superhero films (the Batman Begins adap was basically the BB script re-printed) but Peter David is a well-known YA writer and always did a great job with Spidey. Believe me, he knows how to do Spidey.


(I'd hold off on reading those reviews of the book however--bound to have spoilers. And of course, the book itself. )






********************************************************
Here's the BB book:

Others felt the same!


http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-TM- ... 829&sr=1-1

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Reads Like A Screenplay, August 24, 2006
Reviewer: Voodoo Weasel (California) - See all my reviews
Quick confession before I really begin: I have not read the entire book. I actually have about ten pages to go before it is finished, but I'm sure the very ending of the book will be just like the rest of it; bland.

This book is like reading a screenplay for a movie, only a typical screenplay at least gives you an idea of the emotions of the characters. I bought this book hoping for a sort of inside into the mind of Batman, of Rachel or even Alfred. This book delivered nothing.

Whole chunks of dialoged go by where the characters are just simply speaking. There was no, "Bruce winced" or "Rachel's eyes turned stony and her next words were cut sharp..." It was just plain dialoged. The reader was left to fill in the gaps with what the characters were doing, what they looked like while talking in the movie because the author filled us with none of it.

The whole impression I got was that the author was given a screen play and told to write a novel off of it and was not allowed to delve into the characters minds. With the exception of Alfred saving Bruce from the house fire or the journal entries of the main bad guy we are given zero insight into how these characters think, how they move, why they do what they do, or even what they look like.

Take the Scarecrow. I thought the character was intriguing. He had makeup around his eyes in the movie making him seem almost pretty. Some of the shots clearly pointed to this in the film. It was made obvious and I wondered why the actor wished to portray him that way. In the book? Nothing. Just, "Jonathan Crane unfolded his long legs and stretched out." or something. In the entire book, that is what you are given to picture one of the main bad guys.

You have to have watched the movie to get any idea about what the characters are about, and their motives because this book provides none of it. I don't even know why Alfred decided to help Bruce on his quest to develop and become Batman. Well, I do get an idea from it from the movie but from the book... he just does it.

Even Alfred's snarky comments fall far short of funny because there is no comedic pause. There's just a list of dialoged. There is no writing telling the reader what the reactions of the other characters are to even tell you it was a joke.

So here is my summery. If it is floating around somewhere, get the screenplay if you are that interested in the movie. Either this author was too afraid to develop the characters or simply was not allowed to do so. Or better yet, watch the movie again. You will find more depth and less eyestrain in that film then you will in this book.

The whole reason I even wanted the BB paperback in the first place (which I ended up NOT purchasing) was to get more background on Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, particularly the movie version who runs Arkham Asylum.

Silly me, I actually thought the book might even have a glimpse into the bullying he endured as a child....needless to say, it didn't take me long to figure out there wouldn't be any of that.

[Meg]

I haven't read Spidey 2 yet, but the first one was great.

I really need to get my hands on number two!

[ShyViolet]

I really need to get my hands on number two!

Ditto Meg!!


I had it for a while, (and I had the Spidey 1 book forever) but they've both pretty much disappeared into the Twilight Zone since then...


PS: I pray they get someone good to do Batman: The Dark Knight....Chris Claremont (or maybe even Frank Miller, if he wanted to do it) would be great.

Now if they could ONLY re-write that horrible Batman Begins adap....


(I also looked through, but didn't buy, the Superman Returns adap....it explains things a lot more than the movie and has all the stuff the movie cut out.... Seemed like a pretty good adaptation, or in this case, IMPROVEMENT. )



*************************************************


I also used to collect the Dr. Who paperback tie-ins years ago. (now you can't find them anywhere.)

My faves were Castrovalva, The Curse of Fenric (still love this book) and Black Orchid. These were some of the standouts.


They were all reasonably well-written, except for maybe the very early ones in the 70's that had pictures in them.... Well, even those weren't that bad, but not very challenging.

Now if you look hard you can find some of the VERY COOL original novels that deal with the newer Doctors (and some of the older ones too)....these books are always amazingly written...much better than any Star Wars original paperback.

However, it's next to imposable to find the paperbacks based on the original show from the 70's and 80's.

I mean in a bookstore, I know you can find them on-line if you look.


This was my favorite one!!! (original stories, not based on any episodes.)

http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_dec1.htm



Just FYI: "The Book of Shadows" was hands-down the best one.

[ShyViolet]

Fake trailer for Spidey 3:

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/advertising/ ... railer-not

It wasn't the "fake trailer" (really tired of those ) that got my interest, it was the blurb that said that Spidey 3 went way over budget, and had to compensate by using lots of product tie-ins.

Is that true?

[Ben]

No, Vi.

It's a set up for that joke trailer. Did you watch it?

It's not a "fake" trailer but a JOKE one. They've photoshopped in a ton of products in a fun way.

[ShyViolet]

No, Vi.

It's a set up for that joke trailer. Did you watch it?

Oops....sorry by "fake" I meant "joke trailer."


Meaning, that OF COURSE, it's fake.


Yeah, I watched it. Kinda funny....

(I just meant I was tired of fake/joke/re-cut trailers in general--but that one was pretty funny. )


Tobey: I love you so much...


(talking to Coca-Cola)





Harry: (as Green Goblin wearing Nike swish) Just DO it, Pete!


ROFL!!!!!

[ShyViolet]

Made the cover of "Summer Movie Preview" EW issue!


http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035326,00.html


(So cool, in '02 and '04, Spidey was on the cover both times!!)

[Daniel]

Yup, got that on Saturday! Good article about Spidy, likewise for a lot of other movies.

[ShyViolet]

Tobey interview!!!


http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/2007 ... 02000.html

[ShyViolet]

James interview!!!


http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=5550

Beware: S-p-o-i-l-e-r-s!!!


This part is spoiler-free however:

Superhero Hype!: What are you going to do in Spider-Man 4?
James Franco: Aaaa…ballroom dancing?

SH: Have you been waiting through the whole series to get these action moments?
Franco: Well, I kind of expected it. I mean, in the comic books Harry does take over for his father. And the way they ended part I—I assume it's—that would happen. I actually thought it would happen in part 2 until I saw that he was just left hanging at the end. So, I was pretty sure that he would come in part 3 and…you know…my feelings toward the movies have really changed. When I signed on to the first one I…well I love Sam and I love working with him but I didn't know what kind of movie it would be—I knew it was going to be a big blockbuster but I didn't realize the hear that he would put into it, and the emphasis that he would put on the characters in developing the characters and the story. And, so, in the beginning I might have, you know before I'd seen the first one, I might have been reluctant to be a super hero because it would seem cheesy, but, after realizing what the movies were really like, I was happy to do it.

[Kinoo]

In 8 hours I'll be watching SPIDEY III!!!

The last two evenings I watched the first two movies to be right in the mood! Can't wait!

[Meg]

Luckeeee.

[ShyViolet]

Yup, got that on Saturday! Good article about Spidy, likewise for a lot of other movies.

I got it too and like it, but it's a pale imitation of how they used to do it.


Way back when, when summing up these little previews,they used to comment at the end of each one about how much money it might take in, and whether or not they think it will do well, medium, bomb, etc....

They had Upside/Downside at one point. I learned a lot from it...

Ex:

Shrek 3:
Upside: Second film did HUGE numbers, lots of positive buzz.
Downside: Hard to compete in a crowded summer, also, some say characters are getting a bit thin.

(just an example )

That's the kind of stuff they'd have. Then they just had a "Buzz-o-Meter" of how much, um,"buzz" a film was receiving, from 1 to 10.

Now they don't have anything....guess that's because it would make it awfully hard for these studios/corporations to plug their films......


Ugh!!!

Oh, EW...... Wherefore art thou....

[Daniel]

If it bothers you so, why don't you send them feedback? Never hurts.