schmevil: (rosa)
schmevil ([personal profile] schmevil) wrote2008-11-10 06:58 pm

Fellow Preacher readers!

Sam Mendes is developing a Preacher film. Oh hell yes. For those out of the know, Mendes directed American Beauty, Jarhead and Road to Perdition. I don't think he'll have any trouble getting Preacher, though I suspect that all the sex, profanity and bodily fluids will be somewhat reduced. *g* I really have no problem with that - there's enough in the series that it can stand without the gross-out humor and swearing. There will be purists insisting that it's integral to the sensibility of the work, but honestly? Imho you could tone that stuff down about a thousand degrees before you made a significant impact on Ennis' artistic intent.

Mendes had this to say about the project, which is in the very earliest stages:

Nevertheless, Mendes did go into some detail about his attraction to the project, which in pure thumbnail terms, is about a rebellious preacher called Jesse Custer and his quest to find God and make him accountable for crimes against humanity.

“It's brilliant, it's an incredible twisted vision,” he said of the 66-issue story. “There's so much of it you couldn't possibly fit it all into one movie. It's just about what you keep and what you leave out, and how you structure the story. But just to have that toy set again, being able to paint on a big canvas and to say ‘I am gonna do crazy crane shots and massive action sequences again because I want to,’ it's exciting..”

Understandably, given the fledgling status of the project, Mendes isn’t too keen to talk about specifics, but we did ask him about one casting issue – namely, the frequent appearances of John Wayne, whose ghost acts as a counsel to Jesse throughout.

“That's an interesting one, I wonder what the John Wayne estate's gonna say about that,” teased Mendes. “We'll see, we’ll have to get them on side…”

Chris Hewett, Empire. Nov 7, 2008

Empire also has a primer. It's complete trash.

Why Should You Care?

If Watchmen is the Citizen Kane of graphic novels, then Preacher is the works of Sergio Leone and John Ford all rolled into one. It is epic in scope, a sprawling story covering the entire United States, and plays out like a classic Western. Ennis' themes are interwoven with the lifeblood of Americana, at once a poetic love song to the vast landscape of the great nation while also damning of everything she has let herself become. Preacher trudges through the debauched underbelly of civilization, as Ennis probes the motivations and dichotomies of the human psyche, the place of religion in the modern world and its effect on the subconscious of society, the power of love against all things, and ultimately, the death of the American Dream. Deep stuff, indeed.


Yeah, way to overstate. I'm rolling my eyes at you, Empire.

[identity profile] schmevil.livejournal.com 2008-11-11 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
I've seen a mini series floated as an alternative to a film. I could dig a mini. If they tried an ongoing it would almost certainly have to be on HBO.

I liked Saint of Killers! At least in the Ancient History trade. Why don't you like evil!John Wayne? (Although I tend to think of him as Clint). ;)

One good thing about it going to screen is that they'll tone down some of Ennis' usual excesses.

YES. I know there are people who read his work for those excesses, but I'm not one of them. There were times when liking Preacher took effort.
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[identity profile] deralte.livejournal.com 2008-11-11 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. I was impressed that HBO took on True Blood to be honest. They could totally do Preacher, but according to wikipedia HBO turned it down for being too religiously controversial. *shrugs* Maybe Showtime could do it? They are producing Dexter...

I just find him kinda dull. He's a walking cliche, and suffering through his backstory was something I saw as a price you paid for reading the rest of Preacher. I felt a lot like I was reading my twentieth Zane Grey novel at that point, which is not a good thing.

There were times when liking Preacher took effort.

I think he went too far with Herr Starr. You should never hurt your villain so much that your readers feel sorry for them.

Lots of other things were just gratuitous, but I freely acknowledge I don't find Ennis funny the way others do. I know people who would be laughing at scenes I read through and don't even change expression.

[identity profile] schmevil.livejournal.com 2008-11-11 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Are you watching True Blood? I haven't read the books yet, but I've somehow got sucked into following the show religiously. TB has the advantage of being a vampire show. They get to play the 'it's just fantasy' card if they like, or claim that critics are misinterpreting the show's metaphors, if they don't want a fight. Preacher, for all its fantastic elements, is a western/crime story first, I think. That makes it... a little closer to people, and easier to take seriously. So there's that.

Showtime is a possibility, though their shows tend to have a lower production budget.

I just find him kinda dull. He's a walking cliche

That's fair. I can actually sit through spaghetti Western marathons, so I'm not a good judge for these things. *g*

I actually agree with you about Herr Starr. Did you find the Arseface stuff funny? I found a lot of it tiresome and I kept getting the feeling that Ennis was reading over my shoulder, waiting for me to be delighted.
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[identity profile] deralte.livejournal.com 2008-11-11 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
True Blood has been a lot of fun, though I'm getting behind in my watching (I'm in the middle of episode 5 atm). I'm not one to usually read romance/girly novels like that, but the whole premise behind the True Blood universe is fascinating. I love the idea of introducing vampires to the world and then showing exactly how the world would realistically react. The books are typical supernatural dating cliches, but at least they're written with a lot of freshness and are fun. I do recommend them. (Have you read the free True Blood comic book on their website btw?)

I went through a Western phase when I was younger and read all the classics, mostly focusing on Zane Grey's novels, and then around book fifteen, I realized they were all the same and that I was sick of westerns. I can still watch them and read them (mostly in comic book format, it seems) but I don't tolerate them unless they have something unique going for them.

No, I didn't find Arseface funny at all. Tiresome? Yes. Tragic? Yes. Pitiful? Yes. I think the only thing that redeemed his story line was that he got a happy ending. I too got the feeling that I was supposed to find him funny - Jesse certainly spent a lot of time laughing at the kid - but it just didn't do anything for me. Like were we supposed to laugh every time someone threw up when they saw his face? I don't know.

[identity profile] schmevil.livejournal.com 2008-11-19 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
That's my favourite part of True Blood as well - the social impact of introducing vampires, and vampire blood. I'd even like to see more, maybe next seasons, from the Vampire Rights Movement. See exactly what they're fighting for, and how we might accommodate them.

I've got the books, thanks to [livejournal.com profile] dlasta (though I haven't read them yet), and have read the comic. I now want more True Blood comics. ;)

I can still watch them and read them (mostly in comic book format, it seems) but I don't tolerate them unless they have something unique going for them.

I have the same problem with most genre fiction, unless I'm really in the mood. Most westerns (and sf stories) are pretty bland, paint by numbers outings. I can still enjoy them, for the sake of conventions I like, if I don't watch them all the time. But yeah, something extra goes a long way.

No, I didn't find Arseface funny at all. Tiresome? Yes. Tragic? Yes. Pitiful? Yes.

I'm hoping he doesn't appear in the movie/show/mini-series at all, unless his whole story is included. A Preacher production that included Arseface for the lols, is not one I'd be interested in.