Ridley Scott's The Martian

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I'm still cautiously optimistic. My caution is due mostly to Scott and Damon. I love the book, and expect to like the subject matter. It's just the direction and acting that worry me.

I expect this to be a 50%-60% score on RT, with 70% audience score. The rottens will hate the movie for being too technical with no character development (go read the negative book reviews on Amazon for a sampling).
 
Damon's a good actor, what the hell? Anyway this seems weirdly similar to his appearance in another recent spacefaring film.
 
I think the main reason I'm very optimistic about this is it's Goddard writing the script from a very well reviewed book.

I'm not even a big fan of Scott generally, but I get good vibes of this one.

Yeah well Steve Zaillian is considered a great writer and the story of Moses is from a pretty well reviewed story too so... that's where I'd have pause. I want this movie to be great because it looks great but we've been in the same exact positions when a Scott trailer is released. Knowing the patterns of what we've seen before, how is this thing going to be much different at this present time?
 
Yeah well Steve Zaillian is considered a great writer and the story of Moses is from a pretty well reviewed story too so... that's where I'd have pause. I want this movie to be great because it looks great but we've been in the same exact positions when a Scott trailer is released. Knowing the patterns of what we've seen before, how is this thing going to be much different at this present time?

Well, from what I can tell about the novel it wouldn't need a four hour film. I can guarantee you Exodus suffered the Kingdom of Heaven treatment of the movie having to gut 45 minutes to an hour of story out of it. It wont be the case with The Martian.
 
Well, from what I can tell about the novel it wouldn't need a four hour film. I can guarantee you Exodus suffered the Kingdom of Heaven treatment of the movie having to gut 45 minutes to an hour of story out of it. It wont be the case with The Martian.

Yeah but The Counselor didn't need to be four hours either and you had Cormac ****ing McCarthy writing that script
 
Yeah but The Counselor didn't need to be four hours either and you had Cormac ****ing McCarthy writing that script

The Counselor wasn't four hours and everything Cormac wrote appeared on screen. It's entirely possible Cormac should stick to books.
 
The Counselor wasn't four hours and everything Cormac wrote appeared on screen. It's entirely possible Cormac should stick to books.


At the very least he can write a pretty good stageplay, judging by The Sunset Limited.
 
At the very least he can write a pretty good stageplay, judging by The Sunset Limited.

I think The Counselor was a good film honestly. But not many others did because the script wasn't very cinematic.
 
The Counselor wasn't four hours and everything Cormac wrote appeared on screen. It's entirely possible Cormac should stick to books.

Of course I meant that pacing and length is kind of irrelevant when it just comes down to the script and Scott's handling of the material. Exodus didn't even seem like a hidden gem like Kingdom of Heaven and American Gangster when their director's cuts came out.

Believe me, I'm a fan of Goddard myself, but we don't know how much Scott affected it.
 
Of course I meant that pacing and length is kind of irrelevant when it just comes down to the script and Scott's handling of the material. Exodus didn't even seem like a hidden gem like Kingdom of Heaven and American Gangster when their director's cuts came out.

Believe me, I'm a fan of Goddard myself, but we don't know how much Scott affected it.

Honestly I thought American Gangster was a masterpiece even without added scenes. Hell, I really liked what I saw of Exodus. But it's clearly haphazardly edited.

I guess what I'm trying to say is with The Martian it doesn't seem like there's a long movie initially that gets cut down down for theatres.
 
I think the main reason I'm very optimistic about this is it's Goddard writing the script from a very well reviewed book.
The book answers my main concern about this movie, because Ridley Scott is a superb director on a technical level, so I have no doubt the movie will be well-made and, given the cast, well-acted. Scott's main problem is that he has very little story sense on his own, and is totally dependent on his screenwriters. In this case, the book is both good and very well-suited to a film adaptation.
 
this is good promotion. they did something similar with Prometheus.
 
Clip: "Storm Report"

https://youtu.be/s0V-kqIe4pw


Edit: Also saw this pop up on my tumblr dashboard

NASA Invites Media to Explore Mars Science Fiction and Fact in Cinema

Sep. 10, 2015
M15-139

NASA Invites Media to Explore Mars Science Fiction and Fact in Cinema

Media are invited to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday, Sept. 15 for a fresh perspective on the journey to Mars. Cast members from the soon-to-be-released 20th Century Fox movie “The Martian” will meet with NASA scientists and engineers to see the real technology and spacecraft being developed for future Mars exploration.

At 10:30 a.m. EDT, NASA Television will broadcast an employee technology roundtable with “The Martian” cast members Sebastian Stan, Mackenzie Davis, Johnson Center Director Ellen Ochoa and NASA scientists, engineers and astronauts.

NASA Television also will provide live coverage as the cast members visit the Mission Control Center from 3:30 to 3:45 p.m., and talk with astronauts living on the International Space Station. Participating media may follow along during briefings at the International Space Station training facility, planetary rovers and the Orion spacecraft, and visit the control center where flight controllers provide support for space station research and operations.

Also in the afternoon, Ochoa, NASA personnel and “The Martian” cast members will be available to answer in-person media questions about the movie and how the space station, Orion and technology development efforts in Houston are paving the way for human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Media must be at Johnson to participate. The day will conclude with a full-length screening of “The Martian” at a nearby theater.

NASA innovation is fueling the journey to Mars, and information about the cutting edge technology being developed by NASA is available at:

http://go.nasa.gov/1NqheRR

Registration is limited to U.S.-based media outlets and reporters. Media interested in attending must contact the Johnson Space Center newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 1 p.m. Monday, Sept.14, for accreditation and additional details.

For more information about NASA’s journey to Mars, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasas-journey-to-mars
 
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TIFF premiere reactions so far have been very positive! Crowd pleaser, entertaining, fun, sassy (lol), great performances, etc.

Mike Ryan ‏@mikeryan 1m1 minute ago
Matt Damon is kinda perfect for THE MARTIAN: We feel his solitude and horror without the movie being bleak. Strangely fun movie. #TIFF15

Jason LeRoy ‏@Jason_LeRoy 2m2 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN: A plucky Matt Damon wisecracks his way through Mars desertion. Feels like a summer movie. Only a tech awards contender. #TIFF15

Glenn Whipp ‏@GlennWhipp 2m2 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN is going to be Bill Nye the Science Guy's favorite movie. Geeky, smart and surprisingly funny. (Kristen Wiig!) #tiff

DrewAtHitFix ‏@DrewAtHitFix 2m2 minutes ago Toronto, Ontario
Dear Ridley Scott,
More like this, please.
Thanks,
Drew

Jordan Hoffman ‏@jhoffman 2m2 minutes ago
I was wrapped up THE MARTIAN from 1st launch. Ridley, your PROMETHEUS sins are forgiven. #tiff15

Adam Chitwood ‏@adamchitwood 1m1 minute ago
THE MARTIAN is a lot of fun. Slight and a bit silly, but supremely entertaining. Damon is pitch perfect casting. #TIFF15

Lou Lumenick ‏@LouLumenick 3m3 minutes ago
Matt Damon is better red than dead in THE MARTIAN, Ridley Scott's best in years. Reviewing upcoming. #TIFF15

Esther Zuckerman ‏@ezwrites 7m7 minutes ago
I don't think THE MARTIAN would work without Matt Damon, but his charm city performance sells a series of math problems #TIFF15

Linda Holmes ‏@nprmonkeysee 6m6 minutes ago
I give THE MARTIAN five out of five potatoes. #TIFF15

Joshua Rothkopf ‏@joshrothkopf 6m6 minutes ago
Ridley Scott is back in a big way with THE MARTIAN. Sci-fi adventure of consummate polish, on-the-fly invention, a hint of ALIEN. #tiff15

Jamie Graham ‏@jamie_graham9 2m2 minutes ago
Glad everyone seems to be liking The Martian at #TIFF2015. I loved it. Matt Damon will in the shake up for Best Actor noms

Sam Woolf ‏@S_Woolf 4m4 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN: 99% entertainment, 1% art, so a faithful adaptation. Jessica Chastain for M.O.D.O.K. #TIFF15

Gregory Ellwood ‏@TheGregoryE 4m4 minutes ago
The Martian is gonna be a big big hit. Major crowd pleaser. Matt Damon will get Oscar nod talk. #TIFF15

Sam Fragoso ‏@SamFragoso 6m6 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN: Surviving space to the sounds of disco. The rare sci-fi with a sense of humor. 3D = unnecessary, but Damon is dynamite. #TIFF15

Jake Howell ‏@Jake_Howell 54s54 seconds ago
THE MARTIAN is everything I wanted Interstellar to be (really, really, really good). #TIFF15

sarah ‏@skirzy 1m1 minute ago
Both Demolition and The Martian = LOVED. #tiff15

JoBlo.com ‏@joblocom 1m1 minute ago
#TheMartian was a ton of fun. Lots of kids are gonna want to become astronauts after seeing this. Very much in line with Apollo13. #TIFF15

Benjamin Lee ‏@benfraserlee 2m2 minutes ago Toronto, Ontario
The Martian is an amiably shaggy, less intense cousin to Gravity. Strong cast but never truly soars. Will be huge though #TIFF15

Richard Lawson ‏@rilaws 2m2 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN is fantastic. Nerdy, clever, beautifully built and cast, tense and thrilling. Plus Jessica Chastain does a lot of space #TIFF15

Noah Gittell ‏@ReelChanger 4m4 minutes ago
Leave your cynicism at the door. Feel like a kid at the movies again. Go see THE MARTIAN. Four stars. #TIFF15

DavidNathanWilliams ‏@dnwilliams 2m2 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN made me want to listen to disco way more than I expected walking in #TIFF15

Toronto Film Critic ‏@tofilmcritic 2m2 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN: Matt Damon is outta this world in this star-filled rocket ship to the Oscars! I once had shame. I once knew love. #TIFF15

ferdøsa ♔ ‏@ferdosa_ 2m2 minutes ago
Wow. This film is amazing. #TheMartian #TIFF15

ErikDavis ‏@ErikDavis 1m1 minute ago
THE MARTIAN (A): Matt Damon is at his best in a wildly entertaining story that's nerdy, riveting, funny & surprisingly emotional #TIFF15

Benjamin Lawrence ‏@benlawrence11 45s45 seconds ago
#TheMartian #tiff15 is "bold & beautiful"! A #fantastic #popcorn movie, unabashedly #proscience. #Apollo13- take two!

Adam B. Vary ‏@adambvary 1m1 minute ago
THE MARTIAN is the most free-spirited, fleet-footed, enjoyable film I've seen from Ridley Scott in I don't know how long. #TIFF15

Courtney Small ‏@SmallMind 56s57 seconds ago
The Martian was solid entertainment, plays like a botanist version of Macgyver, science nerds will love it. #TIFF15

josh lewis ‏@thejoshl 56s56 seconds ago
THE MARTIAN: ridley scott nails it. a sweet, effective space ode to the power of humanity. we conquer all - even mars. lots of fun. #TIFF15

tina hassannia ‏@atouchofthepoet 1m1 minute ago
THE MARTIAN: Boring science stuff tempered by humour makes this palatable & fun, but the humour is too self-indulgent & cute. #TIFF15

ErikDavis ‏@ErikDavis 2m2 minutes ago
THE MARTIAN just leaped into my top 3 favorite movies of 2015 so far. So many great things about this one. Little long but worth it #TIFF15
 
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I am hoping so hard that I like this film. I'm not a big fan of Scott as a filmmaker but this film looks so, so good, I do not want it to disappoint me.
 
YES! I knew Ridley could do it with the right script, and there was supposedly little to no meddling with Drew Goddard's script. HYPED.
 
If this is as good as the reviews suggest, it further solidifies the idea that Scott's films lives or dies based on the strength of the script.
 
Nice! Interesting to read Oscar talk for Damon. Wasn't expecting that from this film.
 
The good vibes grow and grow.

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Honestly I thought American Gangster was a masterpiece even without added scenes. Hell, I really liked what I saw of Exodus. But it's clearly haphazardly edited.

I guess what I'm trying to say is with The Martian it doesn't seem like there's a long movie initially that gets cut down down for theatres.

Haven't seen Exodus but I haven't seen a Scott film in theaters since Robin Hood and that was just plain bad.

I did like Body of Lies though when I saw that.

And judging by these responses I hope we can get a good Scott film again.
 
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