Cool News
Peter Weir Will Enter THE KEEP!
Nordling here.
No, not that KEEP. Michael Mann's KEEP, while flawed, is still pretty effective and creepy, and I've been waiting for an extended cut of that movie for years. No, Peter Weir's KEEP is based on the 2006 novel by Jennifer Egan, according to Variety, in which two cousins decide to come together and make a go at opening a vacation getaway in a European castle that turns out to be haunted. Knowing Weir's work, there will probably be some severe psychological trauma involved, and this sounds very inspired from Stanley Kubrick's work on THE SHINING.
I'd love to see Peter Weir's career have a resurgence - I watched MASTER AND COMMANDER recently and wow does that film hold up. in fact, I'd say it's one of the best of the last decade, with performances that are across-the-board spectacular and an epic sweep that blockbusters today rarely achieve. Weir going into "haunted caslte" territory sounds extremely promising, and I'm excited to see him return to filmmaking after THE WAY BACK failed to garner much attention. He's a master filmmaker, who never compromises his vision, and hopefully THE KEEP will be a real return for him.
Readers Talkback
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I thought is was THAT Keep!
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He had a great run of movies there for a bit...even Randy Newman says so.
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Is one of the great historical adventure films of all time. The acting, dramatic sweep, and cinematography (not to mention the beautiful classical score) are top notch. I always hoped he would continue to make more Master and Commander films since there are many novels in the series. I would like to revisit the characters of Lucky Jack and his Irish surgeon again...Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany brought their A games to their roles. Peter Weir is a fantastic director with a unique visual style that will lend itself nicely to a film about a dark and foreboding castle.
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Some credit should be given to John Seale's beautiful cinematography as well
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..that's a real headscratcher. Better than any Avatar movie.
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There is simply no way to make THAT Keep any good, and I didn't want to see Peter Weir throw himself against it. Still, this Keep will be inevitably compared to that Keep, which won't do its buzz any favours.
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That fact that it didn't spawn sequels really stung me. Loved that soundtrack to death. I'll check out anything by Weir.
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May 21, 2012, 1:08 p.m. CST
That Keep fucking sucked. I even read the book, not the new Keep, the old The Keep and it fucking sucked too.
by phifty2
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I'm too lazy to check imdb. Weir's great though. That barn dance scene from Witness contains the single greaest piece of acting Harrison Ford ever did. The subtle awkwardness and sexual tension brimming under the surface is just electric. It's a masterful show of subtle direction and performance. Incredible. One of the greatest scenes ever filmed. Yeah, fuck you all too. Cunts.
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May 21, 2012, 1:11 p.m. CST
With Picnic At Hanging Rock and The Last Wave, this sounds right up Weir's alley.
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Lets not forget The Mosquito Coast when bringing up Weir's greats, also.
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That is one of my favorite films. The book series which it is based on is very good and quite expansive. I never understood why crap movies can get financed yet something as awesome and well put together as Master and Commander cannot get a sequel. It has a rich and vibrant world to draw from in the books. They get into a lot of epic adventures. Bah. Fuck Hollywood.
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Such a great flick. I don't see how it could ever not "hold up" considering they just went all out and made it for real. There's not a lot of CGI in there if I recall. Just a great story, great characters, acting, everything,
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May 21, 2012, 1:18 p.m. CST
after Fearless i´m always interested in Weir´s work. -playmo.tv is the shit
by Bjarni
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Something about a pool and a tower. I think there's kind of a metafiction thing going too.
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May 21, 2012, 1:31 p.m. CST
Add me to the list of those who think Master & Commander is outstanding
by kevred
An utterly fantastic film in all respects. Would have loved to see more adventures with the same creative team and actors. Cinema, for the most part, has been thin in comparison to that film since.
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May 21, 2012, 1:35 p.m. CST
i watched M&C again recently... WHO thought this would make ANY money?
by antonphd
movies like as excellent as this don't make money. movies with robots that turn into cars make money. movies like M&C make studio ceo's unemployed. so, um, any studio ceo's tired of their job? i want a goddamn sequel!!
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I didn't bother to catch it on the big screen because frankly I'm not into that stuff, but this year we bought it on DVD and now I regret it. (Not having seen it when it came out) Wonderfully intense film, and yes, they SHOULD go for a sequel in that case.
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May 21, 2012, 1:58 p.m. CST
I'm glad we don't have to wait 5 to 10 years for his next film this time
by SifoDyasJr
I thought the acting performances in The Way Back were brilliant, but the film really did feel like you were wandering around aimlessly in nature for 3 hours, so I was disappointed overall. Even with that, the percentage of Weir films in my all time top 20 is pretty high.
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This will be amazing. The rock sequence of Picnic at Hanging Rock is absolutely terrifying.
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One of the ten best films of the 2000s. I love that film so much, and I'm so disappointed that we haven't had any more of them. The Way Back was really good too. I can't wait to see whatever Weir does next.
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Master & Commander made just under 94 million. That's not bad at all. Unfortunately the film cost 150 mil to make. But, with worldwide gross, it did turn a profit! A few years ago while Rome was in its second season, there was some news here about Max Pirkis (who was in both Master & Commander and Rome) that Fox was considering doing further films in the series. It seems that a large part of the cost of the first film was in creating the H.M.S. Surprise. Since the ship is already built, they'd be able to reuse it rather than having to build another one. Presumably they're taking very good care of it even now, nine years later. I haven't read the books, but as I recall from reading synopses years ago, large parts of them occur on land in Europe during the Peninsular War. If they were to make another film and have it take place half on land and half at sea, they could probably make another for quite a bit less.
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Fucking even bring in another cast... Those stories are bad fucking ass.
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But you can watch the whole thing on youtube
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ok not this story but Michael Manns' somewhat flawed masterpiece is still a brilliant film and crying out for a restoration and directors cut! its got nazis vs a badass demon what more could you want?
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Jesus, look at the box office. That's the simple truth. It didn't make enough for the studio heads to take another risk at a sequel. By the way, I love Master and Commander. Great characters, story, vfx, everything is perfect in that film. But Weir always does great work. Even The Way Back was well made.
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.....just watched it a few months ago. Love the soundtrack and Duke Leto in the lead role.
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May 21, 2012, 2:59 p.m. CST
Mann's The Keep was great.... until the guy in the rubber suit showed up.
by v3d
Until that, it was very atmospheric and suspenseful. The stories, the mysterious deaths, weird sounds. But man, that muscle man rubber monster suit was like something from another movie.
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Beautiful ending.
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What a great, low-budget but memorable flick. One of my favorite flicks I saw as a kid, right up there with Bermuda Depths... Mmmmmm, Hot and Spicy Connie Sellecca number...... Gotta say though, I do recommendThe Keep book series by F. Paul Wilson over the movie. Just sayin.
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May 21, 2012, 3:18 p.m. CST
I actually liked The Way Back, though the ending feels a bit rushed
by kidicarus
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May 21, 2012, 3:19 p.m. CST
Oh count me in on the "Master & Commander is one of the top 10 films of the decade"...group
by kidicarus
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Who should star? I suppose Gosling would be today's 'go to' guy..... Wish they could get those made.
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One of my absolute favorites. Sad times we live in when brain dead horse shit like Transformers draws in enough cash to get 3 big budget releases and a masterpiece like M&C struggles to turn a profit.
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Tangerine Dream made a bunch of memorable, trippy film scores - most notably this film and “Sorcerer.” Like some others, the movie intrigued me enough to track down the book – which I then realized was part of a series outlining a longstanding feud between the two main protagonists. Unfortunately, the book was not compelling enough to keep going with the series……
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May 21, 2012, 3:57 p.m. CST
Witness, Year of Living Dangerously, Gallipoli, Truman Show, The Mosquito Coast - A Truly Great Filmmaker
by THX1968
Weir never really went away. Hollywood has systematically destroyed the market for adult entertainment, instead pandering to the sniveling fanboys with mega-expensive super heroics (which I unabashedly love) or chintzy rom-coms (which I loathe). There isn't much left in the coffers to make anything else. If the mega expensive super hero flick flops, the studio has their asses covered with some stupid Rachel McAdams horseshit. Which brings me to the impeccable Mr. Weir. A truly great filmmaker, and the only one living that holds a candle to the great David Lean (sorry Spielberg - you don't come close). He knows how to tell any kind of story in the most effective way. No spastic shaky cam or exposition shot and cut around actors trapped in a circle of dolly track (even Nolan does that shit), no useless work that lacks confidence. No cheap shit from Weir at all. J.J. Star Trek just popped into my head, and the terrible camera work in that film comes to mind in contrast to Weir's total confidence. Yeah, I could use a Peter Weir movie right about now. We all could.
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So much more story to tell. I also regret not seeing it in the theatre and pine for sequels
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Things are either incredibly expensive high concept spectacle or low budget romantic comedies. There are no in-between films anymore.
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May 21, 2012, 5:13 p.m. CST
THAT "Keep"....now that's a film I'd like to see rebooted!!!
by marineboy
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Couldn't Jennifer Egan think of something different to The Keep which has already been used?
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Along with Spielberg. Think of your own titles you lame fuckers!
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It's so heartening to see so much love for that film here. It's in my top 5 of all time. I thought THE WAY BACK was pretty underrated, too. Not a masterpiece like MC, but a pretty solid survivalist flick. Certainly yards better than that overhyped duff THE GREY.
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May 21, 2012, 6:23 p.m. CST
Shit! Shit shit shit! I was hoping it'd be a remake of the Mann film.
by AlienFanatic
I really loved the vibe of the Mann film, though the book was miles better. I'd love to see the film redone to be closer to the book. Of all the remakes out there, lord at least that one would be deserving. Oh well.
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May 21, 2012, 6:32 p.m. CST
Master and Commander is the best Star Trek movie, EVER!!!...
by schizoschizo
...followed by Galaxy Quest.
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and M&C one of my favourite movies, so i find it heartening that so many feel the same way. And I don't care how often I have said this, but i'd sell my left testicle for a Weir directed Dune...
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Another writer should take stab at it. The book was so fascinating. You had Nazis and this age-less evil. Mann's film had a lot of great things going for it but how they rendered in concept the demon/spirit/energy was very amatuerish. Also the story should stayed closer to the source material.
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M&C is a great premise for a Star Trek flick! BTW, agree with all the love for M&C - really played to Russell Crowe's strength portraying a leader of men. And Bettany has never been better.
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Sorry, but it is not effective and creepy. It is a travesty of the novel by F. Paul Wilson. It was the script that was abysmal. I mean, you've got Sir Ian McKellen, Jurgen Prochnow, Gabriel Byrne, and Scott Glen in the cast. How could that possibly bomb? But it did. The Keep definitely needs to be remade. The novel takes place in the same universe as Wilson's later novels starring Repairman Jack. Stephen King (yes, that Stephen King) styles himself as the president of the Repairman Jack Fan Club.
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...I like Ben Foster for the part.
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Yeah I clicked on this topic excited at the prospect that Weir was going to be doing a reboot on F Paul Wilsons book. Great book but the movie just missed badly. And as you mentioned managed to fail with a pretty impressive cast. Hopefully some day someone will revisit it and do a better job.
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One of those rare times in my life where I immediately fell into the story from the very first minutes. Forgot I was sitting in a movie theatre. The credits rolled and I gently returned to reality. Haven't left a movie theatre feeling that good in a long time. Just damn fine storytelling and craftsmanship. Like a great bedtime story.
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There are about a dozen or so films that are on my regular viewing rotation. If anyone in Hollyweird is listening, this is one of few excuses you have to avoid original content.
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Great filmmakers who only make a new movie every 5+ years are pretentious. Get ta work, ya bums...!
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I still have the laserdisc because the DVD was mastered in crappy pan & scan. Please, someone tell me a Peter Weir collection is coming out on Blu-ray, including a remastered Fearless in widescreen. It *is* a forgotten masterpiece, and it's my all-time favorite movie. I wish WB would treat it with a bit more respect.
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It would have been FAR better than what we got, which was a ridiculous perversion of the source material.
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The movie that the Michale Mann was based on that? Great series of books better than the movie.
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(1) He hates the screenplay format. No, really, he says it all the time in interviews, possibly even while talking with Kermode in the UK. He prefers writing his own 'scripts' in a more novelistic fashion, even past tense, just to get at more depth, he says. He then lets the ProdMgr work out the scheduling. That's balls, y'all. The only other writers who did things like that were also directors -- Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby" script is something like 160 pages. And Coppola -- Francis (can't believe I have to delineate that, but there goes) -- even preferred working from the books he adapted with his notes around it. Whereas, someone whose story instincts are well-planted (sometimes pejoratively) like Spielberg, he actually has his writers color-code their pages, for humour/suspense/scares/violence/etc. (2) He plays music on set. Famously, he played a lot of Pink Floyd during the shooting of "Fearless." Okay, just the fact that Peter Weir appreciates Pink Floyd that much, is enough to put on this list. (3) He made a romantic comedy -- and I liked it. Say what you will, but "Green Card" is a romance for adults, in tone, in style, in writing, in performance, and -- ta DA -- music choice. And uh, if you remember... he uses Enya's music. That's right. Peter Weir somehow made ENYA suitable for one of his films. It WORKS. But don't trust me. Watch it. That's only happened one other time and Fincher was using it ironically. Anyway, that's just 3. There are probably, really, actually, 167 reasons to like him. I wanted to elucidate 3 of the least remembered.
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Its a Weir film after all so im probably going to see it anyway he`s made a few films i can re-watch all the time, but bugger me if it had been F Paul Wilson's(one of my fave SF writers) The Keep then it would have been a must see for me.....
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Enjoyed that one as a kid, even if the third act was wonky. There was a great Nickelodeon special right before the movie came out that's never come out on DVD that dealt with questions not answered in the movie. Everyone was in character and it gave you a better grasp of how much they let him know about the world and how much they didn't.
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May 22, 2012, 7:48 a.m. CST
Boo. Thought that was Peter Weller. For the old Keep remake. Need more decent low budget sci fi horror.
by higgledyhiggles
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May 22, 2012, 8:25 a.m. CST
Master and Truman get played every few years. Both masterpieces
by UltraTron
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May 22, 2012, 8:27 a.m. CST
Master is the best star trek ever done. Crowe is the best captain EVER. Jarvis is the best Bones
by UltraTron
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But, as much as I would love to see Wier, Crowe, Bettany, even that one hobbit back aboard the Surprise, I do not believe that Wier ever intended it to be a franchise. They pick and chose from pretty much all of the twenty completed books to put together one story that would encapsulate the world of the books, and did a remarkable job. For example, while I would have loved to see the doctor go off ship for a mission as an agent for the crown, the look that passes between Crowe and Bettany when they are discussing Bonaparte's spies in England was more than enough to convey that the doctor was much more than he appeared. That was it. One loaded statement with a knowing look and the audience knew all it needed to know about the doctor's dual role on the ship. Again, remarkably well done.
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I tell people about it all the time, and most have never heard of it.
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I walked out about 10 minutes before the end because I just couldn't take the pain any more. I 'm glad M&c did so poorly at the box office. If this film had good word of mouth that would pretty much mean the estroginization of the modern male was complete.
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I don't normally attack people for their taste in movies, as everyone is different, but saying that you "despised" Master and Commander pretty much makes you an idiot. Walking out 10 min before the end makes you an insufferable idiot.
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Most people agreed with me. M&C was awful, Bettany's character was almost unwatchable, and the word of mouth was so poor there won't be any sequels. It doesn't happen a lot but now and then the majority gets it right.
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May 22, 2012, 11:29 a.m. CST
Dang it! I thought it was a remake too. Yeah, The Keep should be a full-on horror.
by Mr Nicholas
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Yes, Weir did confirm that he doesn't do sequels. He also mentioned in the same interview that the budget was enormous because of the cost of the CGI. Crowe is perfectly cast and Bettany, though completely fine in the film, doesn't quite live up to O'Brian's reptilian description. There is tons of material for more films. Besides the epic sea battles, Maturin's work as an intelligence agent could work as it's own film.
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May 22, 2012, 11:56 a.m. CST
In the UK this will be known as "The Keep Assembles"
by DrManhattansUnit
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May 22, 2012, 11:57 a.m. CST
The love for M & C shown here brings a happy tear to my eye!
by Neil Peart
<p>Thank you all for making this O'Brian geek's day! A glass of wine with you! Mr. Garga, I observe the bottle stands by you!</p> <p>By George, there absolutely should be a sequel! I know Mr. Weir doesn't like sequels but perhaps someone else could take the reins. Please!</p>
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Christ, just how great is that film. Wier puts your right on that ship, its like spending a couple of hours in a maritime museum, you can smell the gunpowder and sandlewood in some of those scenes. Fantastic stuff.
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"A covert glance showed that he was a small, dark, white-faced creature in a rusty black coat – a civilian."
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May 22, 2012, 8:06 p.m. CST
9000rpm: the point is you haven't the slightest indication what makes for a good movie.
by UltraTron
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Oh, it's in my top 5 of all time. I bet the following year at the Academy awards was a good time for Billy Boyd. He was in both M and C and ROTK and they both had 10-11 noms a piece. M and C would have swept everything in any other year. B
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was the balls. Just a great movie.
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One of those movies you will always come back to and just find it has aged like a fine wine. It is also one of those movies you know in your heart thank god hollywood didn't force a sequel out of it! I will stand on it's own forever!
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It's criminal it never spawned a sequel.
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