No! Come on!



Surely they cannot do this? No Kerouac adaptations for decades, then two at once?
I don't like having "my" Kerouac displayed for teeny boppers and movie critics...
I just pray to Burroughs that Ebert refuses to review either!

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I agree with that to some extent, although it will be interesting to see what these films turn out like. Probably bad, but there you go. I actually prefer Big Sur to On The Road and I like the cast for this one, so we'll see, eh?

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Yes, the cast is better. I am a big admirer of Lew Welch, and tho the actor looks the part, I am very protective of him, hehe :)
But we'll see, yeah

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his is a very will made film and alot of atention to detail was done. All the actors look the part and are great. I can not wait to see it when it comes out.

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What other Kerouac movie are you reffering to? Do you mean "Howl"?
Personally, I don't care for Josh Lucas, but he looks an awful lot like Neal. That can be anyone, though. Maybe this will be Lucas' big break for the critics--? Of course, I'm being optimistic.
**I think Burroughs would be amused by your statement about him!

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I'm talking about "On the Road"...

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Howl is about Allen Ginsburg, not Kerouac.

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Michael Polish is a smart filmmaker and I don't think his target audience will be teeny boppers. I'm looking forward to Big Sur.

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Exactly! Have you seen his recent movie "For Lovers Only"?

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Theres actually a third Kerouac movie coming out this year as well called "Kill Your Darlings"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1311071/

My Top Films of 2011: http://www.imdb.com/list/cu7YQTnGwlU

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I don't like having "my" Kerouac displayed for teeny boppers and movie critics...

"Your" Kerouac's contemporary audience was made up almost entirely of people who were indeed "teeny boppers" at the time. Why wouldn't you want a new generation to be exposed to him, even if it's only in movie form at first?

Otterprods, to keep those aquatic Mustelidae in line.

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Well, hey, if this is anything like On the Road then I guess no one will see it anyway.

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Don't get me started on On the Road...
Like everyone I feel that Kerouacs books should be treated with more respect and care (which is not what was done in the tv-movie-like On the Road...)
"Kill your darlings", "Howl", maybe "Queer"... it's too much. And it has to stop.
Do ONE huge and well-made Beat-movie and then leave it alone...

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@Theodor-Birch: You might find this review written by Jerry Cimino, owner and founder of the Beat Museum interesting:

by Jerry Cimino


Director Michael Polish and Kate Bosworth at The Beat Museum. (Kerouac’s jacket in background)
I was meeting with movie director Michael Polish on a long, sprawling road called Highway One, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The road had been absolutely devoid of automobile traffic for the previous thirty minutes. That never happens in real life, and I found that warped reality to be a little unnerving. All that could be heard was the sound of the Pacific as Polish’s crew set up the shot where Jack Kerouac was attempting to hitchhike without much success up to San Francisco. The California Highway Patrol had stopped all traffic along the Coastal Highway so the director could get his shot for his upcoming film Big Sur, which is based on Kerouac’s novel of the same name.

But it was what Polish said to me at that precise moment that was even more unnerving than the empty road I was witnessing along that great ocean highway.

“Eighty-five percent of Big Sur will be voiceover narration.”

Did I just hear him right? I wondered. I tried not to let my face show my surprise. I’m sure I said something like, “Really?” as my mind instantly started sorting through every movie I’d ever seen and tried to remember which, if any, were 85% voiceover.

I tried to give Michael Polish the benefit of the doubt. He makes movies. You don’t. And then I tried to rise above it all. Allow the filmmaker his vision. But deep down I couldn’t help but give in to my concern. I hope he knows what he’s doing…

As it turns out, Michael Polish did, indeed, know what he was doing. Big Sur is an absolutely stunning film. The performances are terrific. The scenery (as you might expect) is unrivaled. All the little details that a true Kerouac fan might hope for are included, from the little spiral notebooks in Jack’s shirt pocket, to interior shots of Vesuvio, Tosca and City Lights. We see ‘Alf the Sacred Burro’ walking the cold and lonely beach at Bixby Canyon, and watching the scene where Jack plays hide and seek at the hospital with his friend Albert Saijo (Trip Trap) was just as much fun as it was the first time I read it in the book.

I really think Polish nailed it. As mentioned, I’ll freely admit I was extremely wary when he told me on set that day along Highway 1 that the majority of the film would be voiceover narration. I’m not aware of any other movie I’ve ever enjoyed that relied so heavily on VO but as so many of us know much of Jack’s impact comes from the language he uses. No screenwriter could ever possibly hope to match Jack’s words, so in my opinion Polish made the right choice here. He made that point perfectly in the film as well, when Jack & Michael McClure are in the cabin and Kerouac says to McClure, “You’re a big idea man. I’m a language spinner.” In my opinion, that simple statement in Jack’s own words validates the voice-over decision.

There were a lot of other elements I really liked about the film:

The clip from Kerouac’s performance on the Steve Allen show at the very beginning (in black & white, very effective) to introduce us to Kerouac (in shadow), then John Marc Barr suddenly appears on screen.
The visual imagery was absolutely stunning—as anyone who has ever been to Big Sur would expect it would be. Such an important part of the story (a man in the most breathtaking place in the world, taken down by his inner demons). When I saw the shot of the fog swirling into Bixby Canyon it took my breath away! I’ve spent a lot of time in Bixby but I’ve never seen that.
Josh Lucas was masterful as Neal Cassady. The scene where he’s recapping tires was worth the price of admission all by itself! He captured Neal’s energy so brilliantly.
Radha Mitchell plays a terrific Carolyn Cassady and comes off as the perfect, prototypical 1960s wife sitting in her Las Gatos home.
Jean Marc Barr was superb; an excellent choice for the role of Kerouac. To see his portrayal of a sad faced Jack amidst the exuberance of all his companions came across as heartbreakingly real for those of us who know the story well.
Kate’s Bosworth’s portrayal of Billie was wonderful. When she was first cast I thought she might come off as too gorgeous for the role, but her vulnerability and down to earth demeanor shined through.
I think one of the most effective moments of the film was toward the end: Jean Marc Barr delivers his narration in such a rapid pace, I could just picture Jack pounding out those words on his typewriter at lightning speed as he neared the end of writing the book, still hoping and believing in the Golden Eternity he loved and knew ties us all together. The pace of it held the audience mesmerized as it all played out into the ending of “There’s no need to say another word.”
All in all, and in all sincerity, I’m very impressed by what Michael Polish and his team delivered, and I’m glad to see Jack’s legacy get such a positive boost (and from a story that could have easily drifted into an extremely dark place). This movie does all of us Kerouac fans proud.
http://www.kerouac.com/blog/2013/05/big-sur-film-review/

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Great review, ta for posting it. I was looking forward to watching this, but sadly there's nothing on the radar for UK cinemas. Hopefully we won't be forsaken when the BluRay comes out.

Note to film producers and distributors; there is genuine interest in Kerouac beyond the US, as there is for Steinbeck, Thompson, Heller...

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Maybe you shouldn't have wished for that.

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Adaptations don't change the original source. I don't understand your concern. Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings saga hasn't changed the original Tolkien's material, if you conform with Peter Jackson's version that's your problem. Same thing happens here.

I still don't understand your point of view, you don't want adaptations or you don't want them to be popular, or you don't want them to be seen? Maybe you would prefer this to be an indie movie with unknown actors? Let me break it to you, if there's a popular novel, there's someone in Hollywood thinking of making an adaptation, because they lack originality.

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I'd prefer it to have been adapted in the 60s, with the authors involvement, and seen today on grainy footage, like "Pull My Daisy".
I do NOT want to see Kerouac's and Burroughs' and Ginsy's vision made a mockery of by Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe and whosthat from Breaking Bad or some teenybopper from some Disney show.
Have Radcliffe "felt the spirit" of Ginsberg in New York? Do they even know these guys? Do they even know?
No. Most likely they've been hired by excecs who haven't "had the spirit" either.

At least Johnny Depp have met Burroughs, at least he was a close-ish friends with Ginsberg (and Thompson). At least he knew them, and can continue some "lineage" as Ginsberg always talked about. Lineage. Heritage. Connexion.
Depp can do Beat because he knew them.
Harry Dean Stanton can do Beat because he knew Bukowski. There are fragments of lineages there. Patti Smith.

Radcliff? Viggo Mortensen? To quote: "No! Come on!"
No! Come on!

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