RedKnight

Hey everybody,

I just looked up the "Dark Is Rising" series. When I saw the poster for the upcoming movie in the cinema last weekend, I thought I was looking at a quickly thrown-together fantasy flick designed sto cash in on the success of LOTR, HP, etc. You can't imagine my suprise when I found out that the movie is actually based on a quite well-known and well-liked series of books!

Can any of you elaborate on what to expect from the books? From what I've gathered, it sounds like a fun (if somewhat clichée) fantasy adventure story. I've also noticed that many among the readership seem rather appaled by the trailers for the movie, which i thought looked quite good (if, again, rather clichée ).

So, who here has read the books, and what do you have to say on the matter?

Stabering

i read the book a while ago and dont really remember it, so it couldnt have been too good.

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TheSmilingGoat

i have the book never read it though, read the first few pages and it didnt really grab me

Joshua1181

I read that whole five book series as assigned reading back in elementary school, and absolutely loved every page. Of course, I have very fond memories of some video games that I wouldn't want to ruin by ever playing them again.

Svalbard

Read the books years ago and I really enjoyed them. I have seen the trailers and I am a bit down hearted at the look of them. It seems Hollywood has gone and ruined another adaption.

RedKnight

So -- without geting to spoilerific, if possible -- in what way does the movie seem to differ from the books? Are the novels less clichée than the film looks to be?

Arin

The Dark is Rising Sequence is one of my favorite series (fantasy and otherwise) of all time. The film trailer that I saw makes the book look cliche and much like all other fantasy adventure movies that have come out recently. The first glaring difference I saw was that it didn't seem to take place in England, which is a crucial aspect of the series, and a pointless omission on the part of the filmmakers. Other than that, I cannot tell you what exactly they've changed. The books, however, are simply but captivatingly written. The author, Susan Cooper, has a real nice knack for weaving the past and the present together---they are often mixed in the books---and really delicately examining people's struggles in a changing and dangerous world, all the while keeping it in the young adult level. For me, there are many breathtaking moments. I know I am drooling all over it, but I read the series (which starts with Over Sea, Under Stone) several years ago as a kid, and now I am almost 17 and it hasn't lost its touch. I advise you to read the books before you see the movie. Who knows what kind of butchering they'll do with the plot? There are easy, but entrancing reading. And that is my long tirade---you sparked my passion.

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The brightest heaven of invention,
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And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!

dedhorse

I'm a lot older than Arin, but I totally agree. I first read them years ago when I was in grade school. Then I ran across them again a couple years ago and read them all again and they are really excellent. Lots of Celtic based mythology. The last book wasn't that great but the other books are really interesting, especially if you're a young fantasy fan.

That said, I didn't even know they were making a movie about and don't care. Just like the Wizard of Earthsea movie. Don't care. The studios are just cashing in on the LotR craze by ransacking whatever fantasy series they can get their hands on.