Christopher Eccleston and The Dark is Rising...

[fajrdrako]

You may have noticed that I love, absolutely love, Christopher Eccleston as Claude in Heroes. Not as much as I loved him as the Doctor, but hey, nothing could match that. And there's a new episode tonight - great! Last week distressed me by not featuring Claude and Peter at all. This week, I live in hope.

But I keep seeing news items about Eccleston's role in "The Dark is Rising". And I keep trying to feel confident about this, but really, every item I hear makes it harder to fight my dismay.

First of all - and I think this may be heresy, considering how many people recommended this book to me - I didn't much like The Dark is Rising. It was... not terrible. But it didn't match the standards of Diana Wynne Jones for British fantasy. Considering the recommendations I'd heard, it disappointed me.

Secondly, it is clear they have made a lot of changes to the characters and updates to the themes - making the main characters Americans, for example. The updates might make me like the story more. But it annoys me. Why adapt a book as a movie if you're going to change everything? Why not just make an original fantasy movie about American kids in Cornwall? (Er... it was Cornwall, wasn't it?)

Thirdly, this does not bode well for Eccleston having a long tenure on Heroes, which is too bad, since I like Claude so very much.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Worse with "The Borrowers".

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What did they do to "The Borrowers"?

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

It was set in the U.K., but there were porcupines, skunks, and American brand names visible. (If I see one more American movie set in the U.K. with skunk gags, there will be violence.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It was set in the U.K., but there were porcupines, skunks, and American brand names visible.

Eeek! Sounds as if they weren't even trying.

I hate it when they don't care.

When I think of the efforts I go to, to make my fanfic sound authentically British - or authentically American, when it's set in the US - well, if I can do it, so can they. I don't always succeed, but putting the effort in at least ensures that the most egregious mistakes (like skunks) don't appear.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

There were also raccoons in the live-action 101 Dalmatians...

We may have been invaded by grey squirrels, but not raccoons!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm sure raccoons would like to find a way to invade, but they can't swim that far.

Do you have black squirrels and red squirrels? I'm always confused as to who has squirrels and who doesn't. I've seen Australians fascinated by our ubiquitous squirrels but I know there are squirrels in Europe.... I guess I should look it up.

What astounded me in Scotland was the number of rabbits. We have rabbits, but you don't see them in quantity like that. Like squirrels!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

The only indigenous squirrel breed we have in the UK is the red squirrel, but it is now rare and endangered, thanks to the decline of its habitat and the spread of squirrel pox, to which the greys are immune. The grey squirrels were introduced from N America in 19C as a novelty species in parklands. They have since gone wild and taken over most of the country. All 'my' squirrels are greys - we don't get red ones in Glasgow (or in Hull). Some people regard them as vermin to be killed, but they are highly entertaining, cute, and funny.

Rabbits are all over the UK. I find them far less entertaining. On the other hand, they are great with red wine and garlic...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

they are great with red wine and garlic...

I couldn't agree more!

I've always liked squirrels, which are pretty harmless and relatively clean (compared to pidgeons and rats, say), and definitely cute. I used to tame them with peanuts as a kid. I also recall how much excercise and entertainment they offered my dog, chasing them.

I don't know what our proportions of grey and black squirrels are - you see both all the time. Red squirels are more rare, but you still see them.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I've never seen a black squirrel - we don't have those at all!

From my window, I can sometimes see the squirrels hurling themselves from tree to tree, like lemurs!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes - squirrels are almost as quick and acrobatic as budgies, but they don't have wings to help them out. And they aren't as colourful. In fact, Logan tells me firmly, budgies are entirely superior, but squirrels do have their share of agile cuteness factor.

I'd have said we have more black squirrels than grey ones but I really have no idea which is more common.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Indeed, budgies are superior in all things (please assure him of that from me!), but the squirrels are cheeky and funny, with their big dark eyes and dainty, dextrous little paws. One tried to mug me once - jumped up on the back of my coat, because I was carrying a bag of vegetables!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, they're greedy and bold, too! Lucky thing they're too small to do much real harm, and haven't mastered the use of weaponry.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

There have been cases of them jumping on people and biting.

Russian black squirrels can turn vicious - there was a recent report from the Russian Far East of a mob of them attacking and killing a dog.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good heavens! I never heard of squirrels biting living creatures, except maybe each other, or unless they were rabid. I thought their teeth weren't suitable for it - though I suppose if they crack open nuts, they must be plenty strong. Scary thoughts! Killer squirrels!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Sometimes they are so used to people giving them treats and nuts, that they will get stroppy and bite if there is nothing for them.

The Far East case re: the dog was in an area where they were starving due to a failure of their usual nut supply in winter.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I guess any animal (or person) will attack if starving.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

P.S. In the matter of rabbits: I don't think I am confusing reality with Wallace and Gromit and the Were-Rabbit.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

What about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when they kept talking about "candy"? It totally screwed up my enjoyment of the movie.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Are you referring to the Johnny Depp version? That wasn't very enjoyable anyway, even if they'd got the rest right.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Luckily, I only saw the BBC serialisation some years ago: Ian Holm and Penelope Wilton as Pod and Homily.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know about that one.