Messages

It's definitely a very interesting time to be alive.

Alright Dude , what's the name of band (any stuff on youtube? )golden year 1990 !

Lummox.  We were kinda trying to be Melvins but it came out more like Flipper doing Fushitsusha songs - very slow, repetitive and noisy.  We played in the States, New England mostly.  Played a few shows with Lubricated Goat and Babes In Toyland.  Opened for every Amphetamine Reptile / Sub Pop band to play in Portland / Boston.  We were horrendous about 90% of the time and friggin' incredible 10% the time (like most noise rock bands of the era, come to think of it).  We recorded, it sucked, never released it.

I've done more notable stuff in the past ten years, mostly bridesmaid type situations - I play with someone, they move or play with someone with better pop sensibilities than my own and become hot shit Pitchfork godheads.  A little frustrating, I'll admit, but that's my own deal for not playing pop music.

Whipped out - better than I expected, actually.

A story about the collapse of the American Empire  would make fascinating reading within a comic (just the juicy bits if contained within an exciting story , dosen't have to be bogged down by detail) dosen't neccessary need to feature Fargo as a major Character , I don't expect to see it in the next few monthes but maybe in a couple of years maybe Wagner will set set a tale within this time period. Watching the events in Tunisia and Egypt makes you wonder about the shapes of things to come.

Man, you are not kidding!

It's a bit suspicious that you've been here more than 24 hours and haven't told us how you could have made a better movie bike out of a Raleigh Grifter and some blu-tack - are you sure this forum is for you?

Welcome Tony.  Great contributions so far, keep it up.  

Oh that wasn't me!  I don't know a thing about motors!

welcome MarsHottentot - I may not see many of your posts 'cos I'm avoiding the movie threads, but hi!

Well, if I can contribute to some recent storylines that have been collected (much easier to get than a regular flow of 2000ad Stateside), I'll definitely be elsewhere.  I'm buying and reading like crazy.

Thank you all!

But the Judges were already a growing concern at the time of the Atomic Wars.  If the populace hadn't allowed them to rise to their position they could have never assumed control in the aftermath.

but there was still democracy at that time to counteract and when did any modern somnambulent populace ever take a direct involvement in the direction of their governance? Think US and the Patriot Act, the seeds of which had been planted during the Reagan era. They still believe they have a democracy when it's de facto Martial law. The Atomic War forced the issue and they had no choice.

Okay, that's a good point - but that's a great story right there.  Well, to me it is.

I can sort of understand the reluctance on that though - they're fighting against decades of 24 frames per second being film reality, and faster frame rates than that are equated with home video, daytime soaps etc.

Yeah, I've heard this argument as well, but somehow I don't think Martin Scorsese and Roger Ebert would be championing big screen video.  I mean, really.

So 'MA-MA' is a new villain - but she's not a new style of character.  Don't be surprised when she turns out to be a text book Fattie - belly wheel and all.

The impression I have got is that while Ma Ma will look quite disfigured and scary in the movie, she won't be a fattie.

I heard she was...  dammit internet, makin' me look dumb this early...

It wouldn't be a huge leap to suggest both Garland & Boyle had discussed High Rise at some stage or that High Rise may have influenced Garland while writing the screenplay for Dredd.

Great post - I bet you're right.

But as a look at how a society would willingly choose the iron fist of fascism over the mixed blessing of democracy, it could be fantastic.

I don't believe they willingly chose fascism over democracy but that the Judges were the only alternative, there was nothing else, no other organized/coherent body that could assume power. They knew it and the Judges knew it so it had to happen or the directioness/pampered populace would face urban chaos or the ravages of the Cursed Earth.

But the Judges were already a growing concern at the time of the Atomic Wars.  If the populace hadn't allowed them to rise to their position they could have never assumed control in the aftermath.

My point is, there is definitely a story to be told here and not just a retread of what we already have.

[Fargo era series]

At the risk of getting back on topic, I think that everyone has pretty good arguments both for and against idea of a Fargo era series.  Personally, I think a few one off stories every once and a while is a great idea.  I mean, these balloons alone could fill a years worth of tales:

"Fargo's new judicial system was harsh.  Mistakes were made.  But the citizen's were willing to overlook a few teething troubles.  They were tired of the country looking like a warzone."

"A huge construction programme got underway, forerunners of the Iso-Blocks.  The prison population soared, but thanks to automation, costs actually went down.  The citizens liked that."

"Justice Department rapidly grew into an arm of the government powerful enough to rival Congress itself."

To me, this is compelling.  Remember, too, that this Justice Department is nothing like what rules MC1 'now'.  They are not trained in anything resembling the Judges, they're likely not too much different than the militias like the 'Minute Men' - a bunch of people with good intentions mixed with a bunch of bigots and sociopaths.  People who couldn't make it in the military. Retired police.  Mercenaries.

Fargo himself is not much like Dredd.  Though his hometown is never actually placed on the map, judging from his museum film, he's probably from somewhere in the mid-west.  Probably a Christian of some stripe (it's almost impossible to consolidate serious political power here without Christ on your side) and - like Dredd says - he didn't have the benefit of the academy to keep him on the fascist's path of righteousness.

His final words before dying also display the fact that the man himself struggled with moral dilemma over what he had done.

Just as 'Origins' toyed with Robert L. Booth as a George W. Bush gone even more berserk, the tales could easily adapt what is happening in America (hell, the world) today with an embattled administration in over it's head, massive unemployment, and a wave of hard right leaning sentiment (the Tea Party) all but calling for the end of representative government.

So, yes, as a series, it could become quickly redundant if looked at as "Olde Timey Judgery" and just had the same types of stories as regular Dredd but with different window dressing.  But as a look at how a society would willingly choose the iron fist of fascism over the mixed blessing of democracy, it could be fantastic.

Or not.  Clearly, I'm biased.

Yeah, that's a great article.  The follow up about Maxivision48 (film process shoots at 48 fps versus the current 24.  "The most important innovation in cinema in the last half-century." - Martin Scorsese) is pretty depressing in that it will likely never happen.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/01/more_than_ever_the_future_of_f.html

Thanks all!  I've been thinking - the plot has Dredd and Anderson working their way through a block.  It would be a really clever device to have them start in the street (Low Life?) and, as they work their way up, things become less grimy / crime ridden, brighter, more livable and dignified on through to OTT hi-tech decadence that - design wise - mirrors the MC1 that we know from the comics.  

Looking at the subject matter 'Dredd''s filmmakers have done before, in addition to the locale in which they've chosen to film, this seems likely as it could be a subtle comment on our current global class system taken to it's ultimate conclusion - the elite few literally live upon the back of the destitute many.  Well, that's how I'd do it.

So 'MA-MA' is a new villain - but she's not a new style of character.  Don't be surprised when she turns out to be a text book Fattie - belly wheel and all.

For the record, the only thing I'm not crazy about on 'Dredd' is the 3D.  I'm getting old, my eyesight ain't what it used to be and 3D doesn't really do much but distract me.  Won't stop me from seeing it, though.

[Anthony Dod Mantle - Cinematographer]

Hello everyone!  This is only my second post (the first being in the Introductions thread), but I've been lurking all week reading most of these and feel like I can contribute.

First, I think the people they have working on the film are VERY capable and maybe of a higher caliber than one would expect for a pulp sci-fi / comic book adaptation.

Anthony Dod Mantle - Cinematographer.  Okay, first off - the man is an Oscar winner for his work on 'Slumdog Millionaire'.  He's done a LOT of gritty, intense work from Harmony Korine's skin crawler 'Julien Donkey-Boy' to the Idi Amin biopic 'The Last King Of Scotland' to Lars Von Trier's last adult horror 'Anti-Christ'.  Regardless of what you think of these films, they are visually stunning and wholly unique each one.  So visually it's a safe bet that 'Dredd' is going to look absolutely amazing and likely grim as all get out.

Mark Digby - Production Designer.  Also an alum of 'Slumdog Millionaire' as well as 'Dredd' producer / writer Alex Garland's '28 Days Later' and this years lite sci-fi Oscar bait, 'Never Let Me Go'.  He also did the brainy George Clooney action / drama 'The American'.  Hollywood mainstay this guy ain't.  I have a feeling his Id will just be let loose here.

"But Mars" you may be thinking "These people have their dark indie / art house credentials down, sure, but what about the Ultra Violence?"

Well, let's look at the assistant directors and see where they're coming from.

First assistant director Lee Grummet and second assistant director Jo Tew both worked on 'Sherlock Holmes'.  First assistant director: second unit Dale Butler and second assistant director: second unit Christo van Schalkwyk both worked on 'Doomsday'.  Certainly that's pretty capable in the boom / explode / exploding body part category, no?

I haven't seen anything by director Pete Travis, but the rest of the crew have a pretty impressive filmography.  I'm betting 'Dredd' is going to be HEAVY.

Okay, so onto the uniform and Lawmaster.  I think they're supposed to go hand in hand.  If you look at the original Judge Dredd - he's modeled after Frankenstein from 'Death Race 2000', whose gear was modified from the then modern motorcycle racers suits of the 1970's.  So for his day - completely makes sense.  The new gear is using that same mindset but applied to our modern era.  Dredd's 'riot gear' is just as equally 'motor sports'.  And not just any old races but the insane high speed races.

I think it's possible that the Lawgiver we see in this picture is being driven unlike how it's going to be portrayed in the film.  It certainly doesn't seem to be going very fast.  I think the driver in the film will probably be in a leaning forward position - and that the bike will be very fast - hence the scoop in the back of the body armor for the helmet to 'aerodynamically' rest.  No, it's not all that faithful to the original, but it will probably be pretty cool anyway.

I think it's important to note what Karl Urban said about the film when looking at the images that have leaked so far.  He said it was going to be ""gritty and realistic".  I think the realism comment is the important thing here.  What if the circumstances that brought about Mega City 1 and the Judges Justice System actually did happen?  Much like the comic it would be a hell on Earth, no doubt, but it probably wouldn't be very colorful and the technological advancements would likely only be available the the very top echelons of society.  Everyone else would have to make do with the leftovers from the world before - which is why you see the bog standard vehicles and whatnot.  Any advancements the Great Unwashed will get will only serve to keep them from rising up and destroying the rich.

Speaking of which, I imagine the political subtext will be pretty stated this go 'round.

Thank you all for your kind indulgence!

Hello all!  I'm Mars (Tony) coming to you from the bottom most reaches of Mega City 1.  I heard about the new Dredd film and was suddenly thrown back into high school when my 'Mad Max' mania led me to the Quality Dredd reprints.  I was only ever able to find a few, scored a few 2000ad's as well, but by 1990 I was in a band, touring, getting laid and all comics kinda just became not so important.  I have long since returned to fold, but for whatever reason, Dredd, Nemesis and Rogue Trooper only came back to my heart just recently - big time. 

While in the midst of a buying spree, I've been lurking here reading about your thoughts on the new film.  I've done my own research and feel like I can add my two cents and maybe change some minds about it.

I may subscribe to the digital 2000ad, or not, so I don't know how much discussion about current storylines I can engage in, but I'll soon be caught up on the 'bigger picture' of MC1.  Looking forward to getting into some Strontium Dog, which I pretty much missed the first time around...