I think its an interesting idea. I am a big believer in release order being the right way to consume these series, but I think LW&W is just already so much better known than everything else in the series and with a relatively recent adaptation. To me makes sense that if you’re going to sign on someone like Gerwig you’d think giving her the chance to do something newer would be more of a value add that starting at the true first one that most people already know. She has only signed on to do 2 so I assume she does LW&W next to finish the Jadis story and then they bring someone else in to go through the rest of the series kind of like WB did with Potter.
In addition to being a publication order believer, I am also a believer that there is a lot of drek in this series and you can probably expedite your way through it with only 4 of the books, the first two and last two in the chronology. If you are really scraping for something else you can add Prince Caspian
I went to watch the documentary NAZA yesterday night, from the film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who also made the acclaimed movie No Other Land. If this movie happens to be screened in your area, go and watch it.
Incredibly well-made interviews of soldiers and members of the Israeli secret services, in relation to Gaza. They tell the story as it has unfolded and still unfolds, and not how the Israeli government would have us believe it. They unfold the technical aspects of the ongoing genocide and how it is done, very precisely and in detail. It’s a chilling lesson about the banality of evil, and the philosopher Hannah Ahrendt, who labelled that term, would be proud of it.
The movie won a big prize at the latest Venice film festival, very deservedly so. People having watched it during the first screening stood up and applauded the film-makers during a record 25 minutes, again deservedly so imo.
As a result of that success, the film-makers are now hiding somewhere outside Israel. Netanyahou and co publicly labelled them traitors to the country after they received the price, and now, their lives (and those of their families and friends in Israel) are in peril.
The film won’t be shown in Israel’s cinemas, but Israelis will still be able to see it on the internet from next month or so.
Here’s the wikipedia link if anyone wants to learn more about it:
Yes, its chronologically the first book of the Narnia series, although one of the last to actually be written. To my knowledge it has never been adapted for TV for film before.
So, for something like back to the future? You’d watch the first? then leave it?
if it is a continuation of a film that didn’t provide an ending as such? you’d watch that?
Star Wars it is the original 3 then balls to the newer ones?
I think Star Wars: A New Hope was the perfect movie from which to start the franchise because it can be seen as a complete story. I loved that original trilogy and can happily rewatch time and time again.
I get the original idea, 3 different sets of trilogies, 1 set based on Anakin, 1 based on Luke coming of age and coming into his powers and the last based on Luke gaining his full use of powers. So if Disney execs had half a brain between them, it would have been:
Prequel Trilogy:
Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones
Revenge of the Sith
Original Trilogy:
4. A New Hope
5. Empire Strikes Back
6. Return of the Jedi
Later Trilogy would have either been based on The Thrawn series or The Jedi Academy series. They screwed up and ignored so much great material to rewrite the cannon to establish a female hero.
Two films I’m very excited to see release on the same day over here in the UK, 23rd of this month. Wicker and Wildwood.
Wicker seems to be a darky and raunchy telling of the of retold Pygmalion myth. Got Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgaard in it so I trust that the script is of a decent quality in its dark/raunchy nature rather than pandering.
Wildwood is a labour of love from the studio Laika (Kubo, Coraline). It looks absolutely stunning and the early reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
Might be the first time in a long time I do a double viewing at the cinema
Last year the NYT did a list of best films so far this century and I stumbled across it yesterday. I was really surprised to see Zodiac not just on it but really high. I know I’ve seen it, I’ve just got no recollection of experiencing seeing it that you would expect of a film that supposedly good. So I was intrigued and gave it another go last night. I’m still none the wiser about this take. It’s a perfectly decent film, but don’t get what it was supposed to have to mark it out as this worthy of acclaim.
Sometimes films get an accepted wisdom as “great” films that are a mystery to the casual viewer. Citizen Kane probably falls into that category. It’s a very good film, but I could never work out why it constantly topped charts. I think it is more the technical innovation.