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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

The Fountain (Aronofsky)

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Keith, like a scientist

18:09 / 08.11.05

I was shocked to discover that Barbelith didn't have a thread anticipating Darren Aronofsky's forthcoming film The Fountain. It appears to take place in the past, present, and future, using the same actors. The main thrust of the film revolves around the Fountain of Youth (or Tree of Life).

The first teaser is supposed to be hitting the web this week, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Some useful links:

Official Site

Comic-Con presentation: SPOILERS AHOY

New interview with Aronofsky

I don't have much to discuss yet, but I was hoping others can share their thoughts on this and perhaps provide some ancilary details about it's subject matter.

18:25 / 08.11.05

This is the film I'm most looking forward to right now. It's sounded amazing ever since he first started talking about his 'post-Matrix' sci-fi movie back in 2000, and it's great that after all the problems he finally got to make it. This film seems to be touching on territory that no film since 2001 has, and I love the huge scope and reach of the thing. So, hopefully it'll be out early next year, between this and A Scanner Darkly it could be a banner year for intellectual sci-fi at the cinema.

19:57 / 08.11.05

I'm intruiged but have no idea what to expect.

18:46 / 09.11.05

I'm a little frustrated by the constant delays with this one as I've been waiting for five good long years for it and something keeps happening. I'm not sure if I'm excited there will be a teaser soon because a release date isn't even anounced.

Keith, like a scientist

01:24 / 10.11.05

Oh

My

God

TEASER TRAILER

14:46 / 10.11.05

I was about to post that. I'd given up on this.

Now I am very, very excited.

22:03 / 10.11.05

My reaction is just the same as Keith's.

Still breathless.

Keith, like a scientist

23:51 / 10.11.05

I can't put my finger on just why this movie excites me, but there is something about the concept and the mythological SF aspect to it. I was showing the trailer to people all day today and going "gi gi giggididy!" like Quagmire.

02:01 / 11.11.05

I get a broken icon and my Quicktime 6.something can't find elements to do an upgrade. are there other options elsewhere?

what's wrong with me, oh, almighty Steve Jobs, am I not a human?

02:19 / 11.11.05

You might need Quicktime 7, which is apparently out. It made me download iTunes. Death to Quicktime 7.

Keith, like a scientist

03:29 / 11.11.05

i dunno..i generally install all the updates, and haven't had a problem. it does look like most of their trailers need QT7 now...which looks amazing, to be honest.

03:52 / 11.11.05

thanks, Bill, Keith. I saw people at Imdb, AICN and some other places with the same problem.

only thing is I run on ME [slow machine, don't ask] and Quicktime 7 only runs on 2000 and XP. I'll wait for the WMP version.

no sweat; I noticed the broken icon this week while trying to see KING KONG's trailer, but it was so much better to watch it on the theater.

but man, isn't Apple stupid.

Charlie's Horse

08:07 / 11.11.05

I really want to see this, which is why I don't like the '2006 - at some point' release date. Ah well. This looks so damn sweet. Life, death, transcience, and immortality. And Hugh Jackman. Is there anything else?

I really liked the first few moments of editing, where we go from his 'Castaway' look, to something modern, to some future-Buddha-in-PJs look. I wonder if the stories will proceed serially or in parallel? Or if they'll interconnect and constantly affect one another - wait, that's not a question. My money says that's a certainty.

19:43 / 11.11.05

The tree of life image is glorious and despite the crappy bits that WB needed to sell the teaser (1 MAN, 1 LOVE...) it really promises to become the most memorable image since the star child at the end of 2001.

I have hated Hugh Jackman since Xmen and I'd never thought I'd be dying to see his ugly mug.

19:48 / 11.11.05

Well you obviously have no appreciation for rugged good looks combined with self-depricating class, a lovely singing voice, some fantastic body hair patterns and just an eensy little toe still in the closet.

19:56 / 11.11.05

Reading of people's QuickTime hassles here I thought I'd point out the Quicktime Alternative. All the functionality of QuickTime, including browser plugins that allow you to play the latest trailers like the one for The Fountain linked further up the thread, but no bloody fucking bundled iTunes download or that irrititating as all hell "Why Go Pro?" reminder. And it doesn't install the pointlessly resource consuming tray icon that the real QuickTime seems to love either.

Keith, like a scientist

20:46 / 11.11.05

despite the crappy bits that WB needed to sell the teaser (1 MAN, 1 LOVE...)

Except, of course, that the "crappy bits" you cite form the actual core of the film's story, and I would be surprised if it was something that "WB needed," rather just trying to get across the idea of what the film is about.

20:30 / 12.11.05

/Except, of course, that the "crappy bits" you cite form the actual core of the film's story, and I would be surprised if it was something that "WB needed," rather just trying to get across the idea of what the film is about./

Keith mate have you ever seen an Indian film? Their trailers? We both know there are better ways of getting that across without using sledgehammers. Which like I said are a necessity to sell a movie Aronofsky himself is said is a hard sell as far as WB is concerned.

Keith, like a scientist

04:10 / 13.11.05

I can understand that. I guess it just didn't bother me much, and it fit the rigid structure and rhythm of the teaser. I get what you are saying, though.

Seen Indian films, not their trailers, though. Could you elaborate or point me to one maybe? I'm curious to check out the differences.

09:16 / 13.11.05

"A story so grand, one medium couldn't contain it"

The graphic novel of The Fountain arrives November 16th

19:44 / 13.11.05

I don't think you could find those online, they're incredibly cheesy and samey. I've seen them growing up in Pakistan on cable television.

I'll wait for the softcover not only because it's expensive but I want to see the film before the comic because the ending might be the same and I don't the ending of the film spoiled.

22:01 / 17.11.05

The graphic novel came out yesterday and I read it last night. I don't know how close it is to the movie, but for those of you that are worried about that, it says on the back the graphic novel is different from the movie, though still tied in to it.

The art was fantastic, Kent Williams is really at the top of his game here (I'm so glad they decided to make this an oversized printing) and the story is pretty great too. The ending was familiar territory, but they make it, and as a whole I definitely have to recommend this book.

Has anybody else read this yet?

09:37 / 01.12.05

DC have finally put a preview online:
here

Keith, like a scientist

15:54 / 15.07.06

I'm in love.

09:23 / 17.07.06

I have a feeling that this'll be very "2001:space... by Morrison". Don't know why. I think it's all those tree of life, yoga-boosting, She-God, Fountain-Cup-Core-God, azteky, oh God...

Maybe I'm just seeing things...
(truly love. I'm expecting this one on top, then Scanner Darkly, then The Prestige)

11:49 / 17.07.06

Wait, wait, wait. I thought he was going to direct the movie version of the Watchmen?

Keith, like a scientist

12:32 / 17.07.06

about 80 years ago he was, hahaha. he was also going to direct an episode of Lost last season and never did.

Sparrow, your list looks right, except I would switch Miami Vice for A Scanner Darkly... Michael Mann is the greatest.

08:18 / 18.07.06

Mann is damn fine (I got hooked on Heat). But he always miss some key notes I wish he had got it right the most. I went to see Collateral twice just for that cab drive with Groove Armada on the background (and most of the initial scenes, the whole "L.A. filmCab-tour"). If most of the film was in that mood, it'd be my favorite film of the year -- altough the coolkillah SantaClaus would be mostly lost.

But the Fountain I've been looking foward to like hell. I'm not a big Aronofsky fan (I think Pi is quite cool, but I'm not a big fan of Requiem -- altough I see it as a effin genious masterpiece...). But this one feels like it's going to be Bradburryish + 2001ish + LightMorrison, this big scifi-cosmic love epic that'll leave it's taste on my mouth for decades... And THAT is something I can look foward to!

Without mentioning that it sounds like it'll be this great odyssey-hunt into an alchemical royal union chasing down the GodCore/SheImortal. And that is ALWAYS welcome!

Keith, like a scientist

05:45 / 22.07.06

Moriarty at AICN seems to think it's a bit SPOILERISH, but Oh sweet sweet gods of film here is a new full trailer

saw it tonight in front of Lady In the Water and was bouncing with glee.

13:08 / 22.07.06

What's the UK release date?

Henningjohnathan

13:52 / 29.08.06

Originally, the FOUNTAIN was supposed to be released in the US on October 13 (I think) and in the UK on March 2, 2007, but since the October got pushed to November 22, I wonder if there is going to be the same gap in the UK.

I wonder if this film will parallel SOLARIS (the Soderbergh version) in some ways.

18:33 / 29.08.06

It definitely sounds like there's some similar themes as Solaris, though the multiple time periods are a new addition. I loved Soderbergh's Solaris, it's one of those unfortunate films that's fantastic, but totally fails to connect with either critics or an audience. It's so moody and beautiful.

Henningjohnathan

04:21 / 01.09.06

By the way, as a side note, I read this in an interview with Aronofsky

"DRE:You came really close to directing Watchmen.

D. Aronofsky:I got involved and I got that setup at Paramount and then they fired me. Well they didn't fire me, but they wanted to go now. They wanted to be in pre-production in January and I've been working on this for six years and I clearly have a hard time doing two things at once. I can do one project well so I couldn't really do it. As soon as we setup, they got really excited and wanted it in the summer of '06 and I was like, “This isn't a film you can rush because if you fuck it up there's going to be a lot of angry people.” The funny thing is that when I went to meet Bowie[For music on THE FOUNTAIN], one of the first things he said was, “Oh, are you doing Watchmen?" It turned out that he was developing an opera out of Watchmen. I was like, “If I do this film and I fuck it up, I'm going to piss David Bowie off.” The reason that I got involved is because David Hayter’s script and I thought that it was a great adaptation. I thought that it was better than any of the Sam Hamm scripts. I wish them all the best luck but I can't do it that quick. I have to take my time."

Is Bowie really doing a WATCHMEN opera?

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

16:14 / 01.09.06

Wow, this looks absolutely fucking gorgeous. SUMPTUOUS!

21:53 / 01.09.06

Yeah, I'm so waiting for it too, looks absolutely wonderful. Gotta score me some LSD at the time, though

Wait, is Bowie really doing a WATCHMEN opera????

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