loogthan
Adventurer
A true career inspiration in the arts to a refined film analyst and screenwriter.
Posts: 62
|
Post by loogthan on Mar 14, 2007 20:35:43 GMT -5
Currently I’m taking a film adaptation course and I had a paper assignment to write about a novel and its cinematic adaptations. I chose “Around the World in 80 Days” because I love the mini-series and decided to compare it to the 1956 movie version. I just finished watching it and must admit I’m really disappointed after hearing a great deal of praise about it (especially in comparison to Pierce’s version). Cinematically it is brilliant in its focus on the picturesque settings; however, the characters are not well-developed. The time constraint prevents the addition of adventures covered in the mini-series. David Niven’s portrayal of Fogg seems to be the same throughout the story, unlike Pierce who gradually depicts the changes within the character as he continues on his journey. Furthermore, the use of medium shots on the characters (particularly Fogg) and the lack of close-up shots with reaction shots distance us from them. This definitely made me prefer the usage of the fullscreen’s advantages in the mini-series. Most importantly, the romance between Fogg and Aouda is extremely lacking in the movie; one of the reasons I loved the mini-series is because of the love story. I’m planning to reread the novel to see which scenes were taken from it and which ones were created by the screenwriters of the adaptations.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Mar 14, 2007 22:55:33 GMT -5
The 1956 version won an Oscar for best film and while not an awful film -- I find it awfully boring and one of the weakest winners ever. While the nature of the story is episodic this version is exceedingly so. As you said there is NO character arc for Fogg, the romance is non-existent -- so there is no emotional connect to any of the characters. Everything is just them going from one set piece to another with yet another set of cameos by stars all to show off the new trumpeted TODD-A-O Vision. The purpose of the film seems mostly about the visual look and wowing audiences away from TV. It's pretty to look at (though the impact on TV is not the same as when it premiered in theaters 50 years ago) but it goes on and on and I find it awfully dull.
I think the Pierce 1989 Mini-series is far more enjoyable watching.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Mar 14, 2007 23:02:07 GMT -5
I posted this before-- pre accidental purge and I agree that what drives the mini-series and keeps it merely from being episodic are Pierce's marvelous Fogg, the engaging romance with Julia Nickson's wonderful Princess Auoda and the friendship with Idle's great Passpartout. Times: TV VIEW; SOLID CASTING HELPS KEEP THIS PHILEAS FOGG ALOFTBy JOHN J. O'CONNOR Published: April 16, 1989 LEAD: Produced by Mike Todd, one of the more irrepressible hucksters in show-business annals, the 1956 film version of ''Around the World in 80 Days'' won a number of Academy Awards, including one for best picture, one for Victor Young's score and another for best script. S. J. Perelman was among the writers. Produced by Mike Todd, one of the more irrepressible hucksters in show-business annals, the 1956 film version of ''Around the World in 80 Days'' won a number of Academy Awards, including one for best picture, one for Victor Young's score and another for best script. S. J. Perelman was among the writers. I admit right here that I found the all-star extravaganza, running for nearly three hours, a monumental bore, its elbow-in-the-ribs spoofing generally tedious. The spectacle of sniffy David Niven being seduced by Shirley MacLaine's ridiculous Indian princess had its obvious limitations. So, the prospect of still another ''Around the World in 80 Days'' being produced for television was something less than invigorating. But . . . . NBC's ''Around the World in 80 Days'' lasts six hours - all right, five hours without the commercials. It is being broadcast in two-hour installments over three consecutive nights, beginning this evening at 9. Adapted by John Gay (''Fatal Vision'') and directed by Buzz Kulik, this version of the Jules Verne novel - filmed handsomely on locations in England, Macao, Hong Kong, Thailand and Yugoslavia - has decided to opt for integrity and stick close to the original source. Considered by many to be the father of modern science fiction, the French writer Verne (1828-1905) managed to transmute his keen interest in science and geography into a series of very successful adventure stories: ''Five Weeks in a Balloon,'' ''A Journey to the Center of the Earth,'' ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.'' Published in 1873, his now best-known work originally appeared in English as ''The Tour of the World in Eighty Days.'' This television version has one fairly consistent virtue. It assumes that the Verne story is something more than a glitzy vehicle for guest-star actors. It's not that there aren't an unusual quota of ''special appearances.'' Lee Remick pops up as the great actress Sarah Bernhardt, complete with a zeez's-and-zoez's accent. Robert Wagner puts in an appearance so brief that one can only assume the pay was irresistible. And the supporting roles are filled by names ranging from distinguished - Sir John Mills and Robert Morley - to reasonably familiar - John Hillerman, James B. Sikking and Jill St. John. But now for the good news. Pierce Brosnan (''Remington Steele'') plays Phileas Fogg in a slyly attractive manner that makes it easy to see why this Irish actor was once a top candidate to become James Bond. Handsome, almost pretty, Mr. Brosnan takes the clever approach of ignoring his looks and, with a bow in the direction of Cary Grant, showing with considerable charm that he isn't afraid to look silly. The aristocratic Phileas is, after all, very much the cold fish, the finicky perfectionist who will no doubt do tomorrow what he's done today. Headwaiters can set their watches by his arrival and departure. Finding himself falling in love, the emotionally crippled Fogg works himself into a tizzy to confess: ''If I may say so, you are quite remarkable.'' Mr. Brosnan, without compromising for an instant, comes up with a Fogg who is decidedly odd yet always appealing. Then there are the other principal players. Eric Idle, once one of the regular ''Monty Python'' players, employs a very thick French accent to tackle the character of Jean Passepartout, the servant who is willing to put up with Fogg's idiosyncrasies and even accompany him on the demanding around-the-world trip that has grown out of a gentlemanly bet made at London's exclusive Reform Club. Passepartout proves so loyal and useful that Fogg eventually declares, in an uncharacteristic spurt of feeling: ''I have found your service satisfactory, and I would recommend you to anyone.'' As for the Indian princess, the one Fogg saves from death in a suttee cremation ritual, Aouda is depicted here by Julia Nickson (''Noble House''). Far from being a caricature in the style of Ms. MacLaine, this Aouda is as thoughtful and intelligent as she is beautiful. In Hong Kong, she wonders aloud to Fogg about ''the English practice of invading and occupying countries other than their own.'' With her own strange melancholy, she is the perfect object of Fogg's accelerating affections, making all the nearly-kissing, nearly-declaring-one's-love scenes perfectly acceptable. Steadily supporting the core trio of Fogg, Aouda and Passepartout is the problematical character of Detective Fix, hired by the Bank of England to arrest Fogg as the primary suspect in a bank theft. Stumbling after, and eventually with, Fogg on his world travels, Fix is portrayed by Peter Ustinov, who, unlike Mr. Idle, invariably goes for the broadest of brush strokes. Mr. Ustinov seems determined to make the rest of the cast, even the off-camera crews, collapse in giggles. With the singular exception of Mr. Morley, he offers a performance that would not have been out of place in Mike Todd's elaborate sendup. There is still in ''Around the World in 80 Days'' the element of Verne anticipating some of the 20th-century's scientific and technological achievements. Clumsily getting across the Alps in a hot-air balloon prepares us, certainly, for the inevitable appearance of Concordes and spaceships. The whole idea of 80 days being an accomplishment sets the stage for further advancements. But these historical details are not likely to mean much in an age when high-school students reportedly place Nicaragua, if they've heard of it at all, someplace in Africa. What still holds this romance together is not the plot, which is riddled with improbable twists. It's the character of Fogg, always pushing forward no matter the obstacles and finally realizing that his life has been a total waste, that he has become little more than a punctual machine. His ultimate epiphany: ''There has to be more to life than membership in the Reform Club.'' And it's precisely here that this production, and Mr. Brosnan, succeed best.
|
|
loogthan
Adventurer
A true career inspiration in the arts to a refined film analyst and screenwriter.
Posts: 62
|
Post by loogthan on Mar 15, 2007 19:44:51 GMT -5
I really like this review from the NY Times, Ace. Do you have any more reviews of the mini-series? I'm having difficulty locating them because every time I search on-line the reviews I found were written for the 1956 version.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Apr 17, 2007 18:26:17 GMT -5
Deep Discount DVD is selling it for $4.99 (alas with some truly non fitting cover art)
|
|
|
Post by karen on Apr 23, 2007 14:17:09 GMT -5
I am having absolutely no luck trying to watch this movie. Arggh!! I saw the first part via Netflix and just can't seem to get the 2nd disc from them. The first time they sent it, it was the David Niven version labelled incorrectly, then the second one got destroyed in shipment (jammed into my mailbox while on vacation). With all the delays I just can't wait to see the end of this anymore and am trying to purchase it. I checked Deep Discount and there are actually 4 versions out there at all different prices. I'm trying to figure out what the diff is between them besides cover art. I checked the special features sections to see what that might reveal. Here's what I'm seeing:
1 - $4.99 with the funky cover you mentioned Ace. It just says "Region (Unknown)" and that's it. 2- $8.99 says it's a 2 disc set (aren't they all??) with Region (Unknown). 3 - $19.94 - Region1, Keep Case (what does that mean? Not disposable??) Same cover art as the $8.99 one above, by the way. 4 - $21.95 - Region 0 Encoding, Keep case
They all appear to be English versions, same running time, etc. Just wondering if you might point me in the right direction of what to look out for. I don't know a lot about DVDs.
TIA! Karen
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Apr 23, 2007 14:45:38 GMT -5
I think DDD is ONLY currently selling the $4.99 version. When you click on the alternate versions there's no "Buy Now" option which shows they're older editions that are out of print 9and I think released by different studios). The $4.99 version with UPC code: 692865176336 is the same one selling at Barnes & Noble and Amazon (for about $10)
Not all editions are 2 discs. The one I bought is a flipper -- like the RS DVDs. All though seem to have the same amount of extras (none) and run the same amount of time (270 min)
Keep cases are the plastic cases most DVDs come in as opposed to the carboard click cases that some studios (like warner Bros) this use.
Looks like the $4.99 is the only current option and the one way to go (but sheesh what is with the weird photo shopped head from the wrong decade when there's so much actual gorgeous cover art avaialable?)
|
|
|
Post by karen on Apr 23, 2007 15:45:55 GMT -5
Duh! I didn't even think to look to see if it was available to be bought right now. I saw the different releases and was trying to be so careful which one I bought that I missed it. Thanks for pointing it out. Guess that's the one I'll go with. Thanks! And of course there's the flipper discs, rather than 2 discs. I'd forgotten that was an option. Not sure how when I swear at them every time I watch RS episodes! Ugh.
The cover art is pretty disgusting isn't it? I'd almost be willing to pay extra just to have something better. At least we get to see the real thing on screen when watching it.
Thanks again Ace. Karen
|
|
|
Post by Yuliya on May 16, 2007 19:22:58 GMT -5
I somehow missed this thread when at first. Back to comparison between Noven's movie and PB's miniseries - let's not forget both a screen versions of a book. I read it when I was a kid, but didn't remember much beyond the general idea. So, after watching PB's miniseries, I went back to the book, anticipating the same enjoyable ride I had in the movie.
Alas, all the charm, the romance, and even characterization and the character development are the invention of the series. The book is a dry travelogue that describes the countries Fogg passed through and the local customs. There isn't a hint of romance between him and the princess; the proposal at the end comes rather as a surprise. There isn't much humor. There isn't even Millie - Mr. Fix did his duty because he had to do it, not because he needed the money to marry.
I like the series for what was added even more than for what they kept from Verne's book. However, I wouldn't blame Niven's movie for not having what was not in the book.
Looking back at Verne's books, of which I read quite a few - certainly all the best ones - I can't remember much in the way of characterization, character development, or even great humor. They're not totally devoid of humor, but not sparkling, either. Verne's strength was elsewhere, but they're probably best read in certain age.
|
|
|
Post by Yuliya on May 16, 2007 20:24:46 GMT -5
Insidentally, Around the World in 80 Days is a rare case of movie being better than the book it's based on. I'm sure there must be a few others in that category, but can't think of any now.
|
|
loogthan
Adventurer
A true career inspiration in the arts to a refined film analyst and screenwriter.
Posts: 62
|
Post by loogthan on May 18, 2007 13:00:13 GMT -5
I would definitely suggest that Noble House certainly surpasses its original literary text. It was a very long novel and at times it felt tiring to read through all of the subplots and to go into detail about minor characters. I started to read the novel first but kept postponing to continue with it, yet when I finally saw the mini-series I was completely captivated and watched the first five hours in one night. (On the other hand, the shorter-length novel, Taipan, was a more enjoyable read--much preferred over the horrendous film adaptation). Once again, although the romance does not exist between Ian and Casey in the novel, I loved its existence in the mini-series. It heightened tension along with the other conflicts within the story. Personally, I would rank this relationship with the Laura-Remington romance because the courtship seemed old-fashioned and yet passionate. My favorite scenes are the ones between them: such as the dinner on the boat when Casey reveals she is only involved with Linc on a professional level and their final scene together before their parting. Besides the additions and changes which enhanced the story to a better level, I loved the cinematography of the scenes, particularly those of Pierce (the use of panning and tracking shots in camera movement seemed to gracefully glide with Ian which is symbolic of his character). The musical themes were especially self-reflexive in the cinematic medium; I loved how it depicted the grandeur of the role of Taipan of the Noble House as well as the romance of the setting and the couples. I always wondered about the film stock used for this mini-series. I remember reading about how Pierce had to wear brown contact lens for his role in The Deceivers; in Noble House his eyes appear to be light green--did he wear contact lens for this role or is it just the condition of the tape (fading color)? This reminded me of the days when we had to watch Remington on PAX and his eyes appeared brown. Isn’t it wonderful now that we have the series on DVD and can finally see those blue eyes?
|
|
|
Post by Yuliya on May 18, 2007 16:58:16 GMT -5
I haven't read Noble House, so I can't say anything here. I keep meaning to, though, because I read Shogun and particularly enjoyed the ride, maybe even more than the destination - all those details, subplots, all the things that are hard to put into a movie or even miniseries.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on May 18, 2007 17:39:11 GMT -5
I read Noble House about 20 years ago and can barely remember it though I recall liking it. The mini series has so taken it's place in my consciousness. As opposed to Tai-Pain a good book (not as good as NH) which I can recall quite well because of the odious film made from it is best forgotten, and Shogun which as a novel surpasses all his others IMO remains vivid even though it's mini-series was memorably brilliant.
I don't think Pierce wore any contacts for NH, especially since he has a phobia about putting things in his eyes which is why he almost didn't do Deceivers. For The Deceivers it was necessary, not for NH. It's hard to tell with the quality of the current print I have and looking at photos I have from the film I still cant tell and they often just look dark like on RS. So it may have been the lighting. He did have dyed streaks in his hair though, I assume they were supposed to be grey to make him look older but they come off looking blond.
Great point about how the camera glides when following Ian and how it reflects his character. Powerful and yet seemingly effortlessly so.
Ace
|
|
|
Post by sparklingblue on May 20, 2007 4:01:44 GMT -5
I have never read Around the World in 80 Days; it's on my bookshelf, but I haven't gotten round to it yet. Ditto for Taipan. I'm currently reading Noble House, though, and I think it's very good. There are a lot more stories in in than in the series, some interesting because they shed more light on what is in the series, some interesting for themselves and some less interesting. I agree it's hard work to read it because it's very long (I'm only about 1/4 through), but it's worth it. I still like the mini-series better because it has the wonderful romance between Ian and Casey. In the book there is a little attraction between them, but as Dunross is married, it never gets past of finding the other person attractive.
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Oct 2, 2007 10:47:22 GMT -5
On This Day in History: October 2 Phileas Fogg’s Wager Day
by Brooklyn Eagle published online 10-02-2007
LONDON — On October 2, 1872 a famous wager was made by Phileas Fogg at the Reform Club in London on which Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” was based. Fogg’s prediction was: “As today is Wednesday, the second of October, I shall be due in London, in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the twenty-first of December, at a quarter before nine p.m.; or else the twenty thousand pounds .. will belong to you.” Then he and his ‘man Friday’ left the club for their famous trek around the world. True to his prediction, Fogg walked into the Reform Club announcing “Here I am, gentlemen!”, exactly 79 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds after starting his trip “around the world in 80 days.”
Verne’s book was written in 1872 and in 1956 Mike Todd’s film Around the World in 80 Days was released with an all-star cast and won Oscars for best picture, best adapted screenplay, best color cinematography, and best musical score. David Niven played Fogg and Cantinflas played his manservant. Mike Todd was killed in the crash of his private plane, Lucky Liz on March 22, 1958. The Todd AO movie theaters in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, where the film was showing, closed their doors on March 25 as a sign of mourning for the producer. A TV adaption of the story was made in 1989 with Pierce Brosnan as Fogg.
|
|
|
Post by sparklingblue on Nov 13, 2007 6:50:23 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Nov 13, 2007 11:54:27 GMT -5
That's such a beautiful photo and cover. Lucky Poland.
I wish the mini series was filmed widescreen (even if just latter cut down for TV then it would exist now for the DVD) because they went to such fantastic places and had marvelous sets and costumes. But it was the 80s and I think only the miniseries 'V" did that then.
Ace
|
|
|
Post by xcully on Nov 29, 2007 9:31:13 GMT -5
Wow, I'm happy, finally I have my dvd!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Ace on Oct 2, 2008 14:58:51 GMT -5
On This Day in History: October 2 Phileas Fogg’s Wager Day[/url] On October 2, 1872 a famous wager was made by Phileas Fogg at the Reform Club in London on which Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” was based. Fogg’s prediction was: “As today is Wednesday, the second of October, I shall be due in London, in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the twenty-first of December, at a quarter before nine p.m.; or else the twenty thousand pounds .. will belong to you.”
|
|
|
Post by guest on Dec 25, 2008 6:11:44 GMT -5
hello and a very merry christmas to everyone! i know there exists a making of 'around the world in 80 days', at least one that was shown on american tv. i've been looking for it on the net for ages. does anyone know if it is available online and where i could find it? thanks a lot!
|
|