Childhood's End

[LordFerret]

One of my favorite books by Arthur C. Clarke is coming to tv apparently, or rather an adaptation of his book that is. The show is a 3-part miniseries starting this December 14th on the SyFy channel. I can't help but have doubts about it, as I don't see how it could compare to the book... but I'll hold them in reserve until seeing it. So, I'm looking forward to this. How about you?

Childhood's End - SyFy

[KerbMav]

Havent read this book, only know THGTTG and the two about Dirk Gently.
I liked the BBC version of THGTTG.

Seeing the pics it looks quite dark for his rather ironic-funny stories that I know?

Edited December 3, 2015 by KerbMav
brainfart

[LordFerret]

Umm... wait... Clarke didn't write Hitchhiker's, that was Douglas Adams. Clarke's big one you'd recognize was 2001: A Space Odyssey. But, yes, the story is kind of dark, the book actually somewhat shocking as I recall reading.

[Cydonian Monk]

"Cautiously optimistic" best describes how I feel about it. I won't get to see it until it hits the streaming services / dvd market (no cable at the hacienda), but I'm still mildly interested. Even if it's terrible.

Given that Clarke himself is quoted as saying he was unhappy with some of the supernatural bits he put in the first half of the book, I won't be too broken up if they drop that angle entirely. There are certain key parts to the story I really hope they don't change. (And if there's a cameo by a human-skin-wearing race of space lizards that need heavy sunglasses, well, ok.)

[adsii1970]

I always get very concerned when the SyFy channel takes a good science fiction book and makes a movie out of it. Their version of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune (by Frank Herbert) really, really didn't do the books justice, but then again, should we be surprised by it when the same production staff brings us junk such as Sharknado and Absolute Zero...?

[Cydonian Monk]

Chapterhouse? When did SciFi/SyFy do Chapterhouse Dune? Furthest I remember them going was Children. Personally I liked their version of Dune, not so much Messiah and Children. 

[adsii1970]

15 minutes ago, Cydonian Monk said:

Chapterhouse? When did SciFi/SyFy do Chapterhouse Dune? Furthest I remember them going was Children. Personally I liked their version of Dune, not so much Messiah and Children. 

I misspoke; you are right. I quit watching after Children of Dune... In my opinion, the original movie, Dune, released in 1984, will always be my favorite. 

[Gojira1000]

It'll have explosions in it and it will make me really angry. Or so I expect.

[Shpaget]

I like that book and generally speaking I don't like film adaptations. They always seem to omit too much.

[LordFerret]

I'm interested in seeing how they handle the end, when the Overlords meet their masters.

[adsii1970]

3 hours ago, Gojira1000 said:

It'll have explosions in it and it will make me really angry. Or so I expect.

And with it being SyFi Channel, don't be surprised if male characters are changed into blonde female characters...

2 hours ago, Shpaget said:

I like that book and generally speaking I don't like film adaptations. They always seem to omit too much.

Yes, always. It is as if they sacrifice storytelling for special effects and the like...

7 minutes ago, LordFerret said:

I'm interested in seeing how they handle the end, when the Overlords meet their masters.

Don't hold your expectations too high...

[Vanamonde]

SyFy Channel productions of actual science fiction have tended to be pretty lousy. I will feel compelled to watch this because I love the book, but I expect to be disappointed. 

[adsii1970]

34 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

SyFy Channel productions of actual science fiction have tended to be pretty lousy. I will feel compelled to watch this because I love the book, but I expect to be disappointed. 

Yeah, for some reason, we are drawn to those really, really bad SyFy channel movies; alas, I know I will watch it too. After all, how many of us KNEW that Sharknado and the remake of Dune would have really bad CGI, poor acting, blonde women, dopey men who were supposed to be key figures, and big explosions and sci-fi effects, yet we watched the movie anyway!

[Vanamonde]

I mean, these twits in the floppy chef hats are what SyFy did to the sardaukar. 

 

Embarrasing. 

[adsii1970]

And my biggest complaint... Starbuck went from  to
 I prefer the old Starbuck...and uniforms!

[KerbMav]

15 hours ago, LordFerret said:

Umm... wait... Clarke didn't write Hitchhiker's, that was Douglas Adams. Clarke's big one you'd recognize was 2001: A Space Odyssey. But, yes, the story is kind of dark, the book actually somewhat shocking as I recall reading.

You are absolutely right of course!!!

5 hours ago, adsii1970 said:

And my biggest complaint... Starbuck went from  to
 I prefer the old Starbuck...and uniforms!

As much as I would agree with you in the case of making the Ghostbusters an all girls team, I think this one actually worked - for me at least, but then again I have watched The real Ghostbusters and both movies whenever I could and the old BSG not as often. On the other hand she really was (stereotypically speaking) almost like a guy with ... attributes.

 

[Vanamonde]

I must point out that this thread is getting off-topic, which is a little embarrassing in retrospect, since I'm the one who off-topicked it. While I scold myself, please get back to discussing Childhood's End. 

[LordFerret]

1 hour ago, Vanamonde said:

I must point out that this thread is getting off-topic, which is a little embarrassing in retrospect, since I'm the one who off-topicked it. While I scold myself, please get back to discussing Childhood's End. 

What?!?!! +2 scolding points for you!

It's all good.

I actually agree with you. In fact, one of my big disappointments about the SyFy channel is that most of their programs aren't even SciFi!... more like zombies and supernatural haunting stuff. There's so many science fiction movies that they could show, like great old obscure stuff from the 1950's would be great even... lots of rockets and space adventure in that.

[pxi]

I doubt it will be good, but I'll watch it.

I need to know how bad it is, after all.

[Dispatcher]

I think Childhood's End inspired "V".  I'm curious about how the Childhood's End production turns out compared to the story and to both "V" series (and no rats please).

[Vanamonde]

Shoot. I forgot to watch this. Is it any good? 

[NovaSilisko]

I am... thoroughly disappointed in the Overlord costume/makeup. It's just a typical "aliens-with-forehead-ridges" sort of deal. Compare to, for instance, Wayne Barlowe's art of an Overlord:

[Randazzo]

8 hours ago, NovaSilisko said:

I am... thoroughly disappointed in the Overlord costume/makeup. It's just a typical "aliens-with-forehead-ridges" sort of deal. Compare to, for instance, Wayne Barlowe's art of an Overlord:

I've had to rewrite this a couple of times as I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but they look the way they look for a specific reason. The picture above doesn't illicit the intended psychological/sociological connections.

[AngelLestat]

I read the book long long time ago, I watch the first chapter yesterday, it seems "pretty" accurate.
Of course you will have a lack of details as always, the only thing that I did not like from the series (but I dont remember how exactly was in the book) is that all solutions just seems like socialist measures. In this matter I guess Arthur was kinda more serious in all economics and strategic measures to solve the world's problems.

But well, the series seems pretty well done.. I am waiting to see the next two chapters.

By the way, the book is not so big, so 4 hours of filming seems ok for the adaptation.

 

Spoiler

PD: In my head, the description of the overlords was with smaller wings, because in their home planet the gravity was low.

 

Edited December 16, 2015 by AngelLestat

[Vanamonde]

Randazzo, that illustration was done by an artist famous to adhering to author descriptions, so it is pretty authentic. Though you're right that they're trying to make something clear to the tv audience, visually, which sometimes forces things to be more blatant.