Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
02-12-11, 03:11 PM
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
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The film adaptation of Ayn Rand's massive novel Atlas Shrugged is coming to theaters in April. This is part one of a planned trilogy about the collapse of society after government control over business forces industrialists to withdraw from activity.
Always listed as one of the best-selling and most influential books of the second half of the 20th Century, plans for a film version of the Rand novel have been around for decades but none have come to fruition. Over the last decade, there was speculation that Angelina Jolie's casting as the idealized heroine Dagny Taggart would be the push necessary to get the movie made. One obstacle to the production was the acknowledgment that to do justice to the story, the project would have to be either a TV mini-series or a multi-part film series like The Lord of the Rings.
The version of Atlas Shrugged to be released this April is a decidedly different affair than the one envisioned by Rand fans. The film's budget is just $15 million (estimated) and there are no big names attached to the project.
The role of Dagny Taggart is played by actress Taylor Schilling, best known (if at all) for starring in the NBC hospital drama "Mercy".
The film's director is Paul Johansson, one of the stars of "One Tree Hill" who has directed episodes of that TV series.
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Atlas Shrugged premiered its movie trailer at the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington D.C. this week, and the film's producers have associated themselves with the Tea Party group Freedom Works. (Note that the premiere date is Tax Day April 15th.)
By aligning the film with the political right wing are the producers self-marginalizing what ought to be something with broad appeal?
Atlas Shrugged was one of the most read books of the last 50 years.
Why treat it like Kirk Cameron's Left Behind movies?
The film adaptation of Ayn Rand's massive novel Atlas Shrugged is coming to theaters in April. This is part one of a planned trilogy about the collapse of society after government control over business forces industrialists to withdraw from activity.
Always listed as one of the best-selling and most influential books of the second half of the 20th Century, plans for a film version of the Rand novel have been around for decades but none have come to fruition. Over the last decade, there was speculation that Angelina Jolie's casting as the idealized heroine Dagny Taggart would be the push necessary to get the movie made. One obstacle to the production was the acknowledgment that to do justice to the story, the project would have to be either a TV mini-series or a multi-part film series like The Lord of the Rings.
The version of Atlas Shrugged to be released this April is a decidedly different affair than the one envisioned by Rand fans. The film's budget is just $15 million (estimated) and there are no big names attached to the project.
The role of Dagny Taggart is played by actress Taylor Schilling, best known (if at all) for starring in the NBC hospital drama "Mercy".
The film's director is Paul Johansson, one of the stars of "One Tree Hill" who has directed episodes of that TV series.
*
*
*
Atlas Shrugged premiered its movie trailer at the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington D.C. this week, and the film's producers have associated themselves with the Tea Party group Freedom Works. (Note that the premiere date is Tax Day April 15th.)
By aligning the film with the political right wing are the producers self-marginalizing what ought to be something with broad appeal?
Atlas Shrugged was one of the most read books of the last 50 years.
Why treat it like Kirk Cameron's Left Behind movies?
02-12-11, 03:14 PM
#2
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
I read The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged when I was 19 or so and quite got into them, but in the years since it seems like every time I hear them mentioned it's been hijacked as some right-wing cause. I tried rereading the Fountainhead a year or two ago (I'm 40 now) and found it didn't hold up very well for me. Maybe Rand's stuff you need to read when you're young. I read a bio of her a few years ago too and found her a pretty terrible human being myself.....
02-12-11, 03:22 PM
#3
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
Surprised to see so many familiar faces. It actually looks better than I expected from a movie embraced by the right.
02-12-11, 03:30 PM
#4
Banned by request
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
02-12-11, 03:32 PM
#5
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Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
I liked the "yeah, but you shouldn't say it" line. The rest of the trailer looks and feels like a Funny or Die sketch.
02-12-11, 03:37 PM
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
The acting and production qualities look about on par with those religious movies that get released and laughed at -- I guess this will be the Tea Party equivalent.
I've never read the book, but the content looks better than the movie can afford. It also kind of looks like Wall Street 3: Train Boogaloo.
I've never read the book, but the content looks better than the movie can afford. It also kind of looks like Wall Street 3: Train Boogaloo.
02-12-11, 03:46 PM
#7
DVD Talk Hero - 2023 TOTY Award Winner
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/atl...movie-preview/
What Joyner and others watched was four extended scenes from the film, if I am not mistaken. So not a complete review, but hardly a ringing endorsement.
Last night, the CPAC Bloggers Bash attendees were “treated” to an excruciatingly long preview of the forthcoming “Atlas Shrugged” movie, which will hit a theater near you on April 15. Actually, it’ll just be Part I. Like the Lord of the Rings, this will be a trilogy.
Judging by the preview, I can fully understand why it took more than two decades to find a studio to produce the flick. This is quite possibly the most boring film ever made — and I include documentaries that are shown in grammar school so that children can request to view them backwards.
Put it this way: I simply do not know enough expletives to adequately express how truly horrible this film was. I would rather be subjected to the “Clockwork Orange” treatment than sit through one part of this. I might well prefer death to enduring the trilogy.
Judging by the preview, I can fully understand why it took more than two decades to find a studio to produce the flick. This is quite possibly the most boring film ever made — and I include documentaries that are shown in grammar school so that children can request to view them backwards.
Put it this way: I simply do not know enough expletives to adequately express how truly horrible this film was. I would rather be subjected to the “Clockwork Orange” treatment than sit through one part of this. I might well prefer death to enduring the trilogy.
02-12-11, 03:59 PM
#8
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
Aren't sitting through this & the "Clockwork Orange" treatment exactly the same thing?
02-12-11, 06:12 PM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
I'm sure it will make a nice double feature with Kirk Cameron's firman movie.
02-12-11, 06:18 PM
#10
Banned by request
02-12-11, 06:53 PM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
I understand that in the contemporary political landscape that fact that right-wingers have embraced the book means that left-wingers must attack it.
But it's a novel. It's not the far-right equivalent of the collected writings of Karl Marx. It's a story about rich people fighting and fucking.
I'm not denying the philosophical foundation of the book, but I doubt that the millions of people who read it (usually when they were young) and loved it, were (or are) hard-core ideologues. They were drawn to the romanticism of the story of idealized men and women falling in love and changing the world.
Money. Power. Sex. Love. Even people who vote Democratic --or don't vote at all, like to go to movies about those things.
02-12-11, 07:04 PM
#12
Banned by request
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
To me, the book's ideology is inextricably linked with its turgid tale. But even then, it's not a left or right issue, to me it's that Rand was a terrible and horribly overrated writer whose popularity still confounds me.
02-12-11, 07:17 PM
#13
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
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Poor old lady. Getting picked on by Phil Donahue. Won't somebody please step in and help her!?! Oh, wait.
02-12-11, 07:21 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
A turgid tale based on an inexplicably popular book. No one can make a successful movie out of that!
02-12-11, 07:42 PM
#17
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
02-12-11, 08:42 PM
#19
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
Ayn Rand's ideas have already been adapted as good as we'll ever get or could hope for in the form of BIOSHOCK.
02-12-11, 09:29 PM
#20
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
Looks like it's going to be certified piece of shit in the tradition of "The Omega Code" and "Left Behind: The Movie."
On the plus side, expect it to sweep the Razzies.
On the plus side, expect it to sweep the Razzies.
02-12-11, 09:32 PM
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
...and by the way, did anyone else think They killed mah Cooter! whenever Hank Rearden was onscreen? 
02-12-11, 10:37 PM
#23
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
The trailer looks OK, not my normal type of movie, but perfectly average. Based solely on the trailer I can't understand the hate. I can only assume it is politically motivated. No surprise.
02-12-11, 11:07 PM
#24
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
Maybe, it's because the trailer looks like a low budget piece of shit with terrible acting? Naw, it must be politics.
02-12-11, 11:20 PM
#25
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", Part One of Planned Trilogy [4-15-11]
... and this is why the liberals will continue to run Hollywood. Thank you a very much.