I thought I've seen it all and nothing could shock me anymore. I've endured the atrocious treatment Hollywood gave to great Russian classics like "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina". I've gritted my teeth and suffered through their dumb fictionalizations of great literary works of antiquity. I wailed in despair at the rape of Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot", and cried my eyes out when Soderberg's intellectually disemboweled version of Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris" hit the screens. I hoped to God it would stop there. But it didn't. The talentless hacks of Hollywood have laid their greedy clutches on what is undoubtly the greatest science fiction novel of the 20th century- the novel which inspired that century's most breathtaking movie.
I am, of course talking about "Roadside Picnic". I kid you not, they are filming it. And they are casting John Travolta as the Stalker.
If you do not know this novel, I hereby revoke your illegally obtained license of a science fiction fan. If there is one true classic among the many sci-fi works written since the dawn of print, "Roadside picnic" is it, and it must be made into required reading. If you have not watched "Stalker", you are missing out on one of the most incredible cinematic experiences one can possibly hope for. If you have read the novel and/or have seen the film, you will be as furious as I am.
Seriously, what the hell are these idiots thinking? That this Jacobson fellow can match up to Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the greatest film directors of all times? That's like having Danielle Steel write "War and Peace". Or can anyone seriously believe that Travolta is even remotely capable of pulling off the role of the Stalker? Notice the synopsis, by the way: you can already see how they are demolishing the very heart of the original novel. In their version, the Stalker goes to the Zone because his daughter is getting sick, not the other way round. Oh and the Stalker doesn't serve as a guide for the hope-deprived people seeking the Golden Circle or the Room anymore; he "leads a band of treasure hunters"- can you feel the fetid odor of an approaching B-grade action flick in this sentence?
I implore all of you- DO NOT watch this atrocity when it comes out.
I am, of course talking about "Roadside Picnic". I kid you not, they are filming it. And they are casting John Travolta as the Stalker.
If you do not know this novel, I hereby revoke your illegally obtained license of a science fiction fan. If there is one true classic among the many sci-fi works written since the dawn of print, "Roadside picnic" is it, and it must be made into required reading. If you have not watched "Stalker", you are missing out on one of the most incredible cinematic experiences one can possibly hope for. If you have read the novel and/or have seen the film, you will be as furious as I am.
Seriously, what the hell are these idiots thinking? That this Jacobson fellow can match up to Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the greatest film directors of all times? That's like having Danielle Steel write "War and Peace". Or can anyone seriously believe that Travolta is even remotely capable of pulling off the role of the Stalker? Notice the synopsis, by the way: you can already see how they are demolishing the very heart of the original novel. In their version, the Stalker goes to the Zone because his daughter is getting sick, not the other way round. Oh and the Stalker doesn't serve as a guide for the hope-deprived people seeking the Golden Circle or the Room anymore; he "leads a band of treasure hunters"- can you feel the fetid odor of an approaching B-grade action flick in this sentence?
I implore all of you- DO NOT watch this atrocity when it comes out.
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