"Atlas Shrugged" out on Friday!

[Kerr Avon]

Ayn Rand's masterpiece is being adapted to a trilogy of movies and the first part is coming out on Friday, April 15th, for the obvious political reasons. It's been getting more and more theatres, right now up to 277, so even Hollywood can't keep it completely squashed. You can find out more about it if you haven't seen anything at Atlas Shrugged Movie - The Official Atlas Shrugged Movie Web Site

Anyone else planning on seeing this?

 

[DarkHelmet]

It's about time. I'm there.

Would have loved it to be a TV mini series though. Would have been better served that way. I bet it would have ranked up there with Roots, Shogun, Rich Man Poor Man and The Thornbirds.

The Fountainhead is still one of my favorite movies and adaptations of Rand's.

 

[Kerr Avon]

Yeah, but sounds like Hollywood is just too shy for such a conservative minded work. Too bad for them, but hey, we're still going to get a good 6 hours or so out of this when it's done I hope!

Trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W07bFa4TzM&feature=player_embedded

 

[Ozymandius]

Seriously? It looks like an 80's made-for-tv movie or a bad fan fic. :lol

I respect Rand as a writer, but her philosophy was just egomaniacal drivel.

 

[darth_myeek]

Jeff, I loved the fountainhead.:love

 

[Kerr Avon]

Seriously? It looks like an 80's made-for-tv movie or a bad fan fic. :lol

Eh, it was made pretty cheaply at about $15 million I think, but the material doesn't need a $150 million dollar budget. Because it doesn't have the budget other movies has doesn't diminish how good it migh be.

I respect Rand as a writer, but her philosophy was just egomaniacal drivel.

And yet, the very collapse she predicted in the book is happening now across the world in countries similar to the one in her book.

 

[CB2001]

I'll pass.

 

[jlee562]

Atlas Shrugged :: Objectivism
Battlefield Earth :: Scientology

 

[TheStig]

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
—John Rogers

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

Hey folks,

just a reminder, cut any political talk out. Ayn Rand is a very controversial figure, as is her philosophy of course. Discussing her philosophy has to take place outside of the board.

If the movie can´t be discussed without her philosophy, then I guess this thread will have to be locked.
Be aware that inciting such a discussion, can be seen as a violation of the member guidelines.

Let´s see how far this thread can go.

Michael
RPF staff

 

[Nwerke]

......sorry!

 

[Ozymandius]

just a reminder, cut any political talk out. Ayn Rand is a very controversial figure, as is her philosophy of course. Discussing her philosophy has to take place outside of the board.

Wait a minute? Since when did anyone bring up politics here? We were all talking philosophy.

Granted, Objectivism is favored by a portion of conservatives, but it is in no way synonomous with conservatism. The two are in fact seperable and, from what I've seen, everyone on both sides so far has maintained a healthy and respectful distance from actual political talk.

And if we move on to banning all talk of philosophy or anything else that people can respectfully disagree on, then this board is going to wind up as nothing but a bunch of middle-aged geeks telling each other how much they like Star Wars and comic books.

For god's sake, let us have at least one thing we can have an adult conversation (and a little fun) about.

 

[Ozymandius]

But back to the subject at hand...

Eh, it was made pretty cheaply at about $15 million I think, but the material doesn't need a $150 million dollar budget. Because it doesn't have the budget other movies has doesn't diminish how good it migh be.

Actually, what struck me as chintzy in the trailer was not so much the cheap production values (although the cinematography was pretty bad) was how 1 dimensional and cartoonish the characters came off as. And for that to be noticable in a trailer is not a good sign. I mean, even Michael Bay can make his characters look interesting in the trailers.

Even though I disagree vehemently with Rand's philosophy, the one thing you can't call her is a bad writer. Dagne Taggert (sp) is a damn interesting character and the blonde we saw in the trailer just seemed like a monotone charaicature of her. And the politician/villain in the clip was even worse. All the nuance and subtelty just seemed stripped away, leaving only a cardboard cutout spewing cartoon cliched lines.

And that's why I said it looked like a fanfic. They've taken the most superficial aspects of each character from the book and made it the ENTIRE character. No depth, no intrigue, just talking cardboard puppets.

 

[Ozymandius]

And yet, the very collapse she predicted in the book is happening now across the world in countries similar to the one in her book.

Can't really see where you're getting that from. :confused

If I recall correctly the world collapsed in 'Shrugged' after the gifted and elite pulled out from society.

But in the real world it was that very same "gifted and elite" (sarcasm implied) of the economic world that caused the economic collapse by gambling recklessly with other people's money.

Again, staying away from politics here. Rand's philosophy is not Conservatism and a rebuke of one is not a rebuke of the other. I know plenty of liberals that buy into Objectivism too.

 

[cayman shen]

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
—John Rogers

Wow, yeah, that about nails it. Reading Rand, I had to ask how she even whipped up enough charity in her soul to bother sharing her own ideas with other people.

 

[pennausamike]

Wow, yeah, that about nails it. Reading Rand, I had to ask how she even whipped up enough charity in her soul to bother sharing her own ideas with other people.

I'd agree with this^

Atlas Shrugged did a great job of pointing out the flaws of Marxist Communism
(the community that collapsed because it denied basic human nature)
but the philosophy she offers in the alternative can only work in a fictionally constructed world.
Like Marx, Ayn Rand denies basic traits of human nature.
She glorifies greed as a positive force by denying the ugliness that usually accompanies it;
the backstabbing, the cheating, the butt-kissing, the ladderclimbing.
Most noble accomplishments are soon swallowed up by corporations filled with people of meager talents and massive ambition.
And often, even the "noble accomplishments" aren't that noble.
("Social Network", anyone?)
The "elites" are rarely any more or less boorish than the "masses".
People...Are...People

Mike

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

Wait a minute? Since when did anyone bring up politics here? We were all talking philosophy.

Please re-read a few posts the OP made, linking Ayn Rand´s "philosophy" already to current events. The discussion of those events would mainly consist of politics. Hence my request to keep any political talk out of this discussion, including Ayn Rand´s "philosophy".

Granted, Objectivism is favored by a portion of conservatives, but it is in no way synonomous with conservatism. The two are in fact seperable and, from what I've seen, everyone on both sides so far has maintained a healthy and respectful distance from actual political talk.

You are already starting to discuss what and what not Ayn Rand´s philosophy is and whether it is separable from a political direction or not.
In doing so you already started to bring politics into this thread.

And if we move on to banning all talk of philosophy or anything else that people can respectfully disagree on, then this board is going to wind up as nothing but a bunch of middle-aged geeks telling each other how much they like Star Wars and comic books.

Ayn Rand´s "philosophy" is all about how to live one´s life, which is the basic question of many religions.
We can´t discuss religion and faith here, which are also forms of philosophy.
So, in conclusion, we can´t really discuss her "philosophy", sorry.

For god's sake, let us have at least one thing we can have an adult conversation (and a little fun) about.

That´s the reason why this thread is still open, but with a warning.
We´ve had our share of discussions that started harmlessly but turned ugly pretty soon. There are topics that I personally would never have thought could turn into a heated debate with mudslinging and name calling, but you never know.

So instead of closing this thread I gave a fair warning to tread lightly.

If there are any questions about this, feel free to pm me.

Regards,
Michael
RPF staff

 

[Nwerke]

Agh damn, did it again, sorry, disregard.

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

Agh damn, did it again, sorry, disregard.

See, this topic´s already messin with a member, not a good sign :lol

 

[Wes R]

This is the perfect hollywood movie. A greedy industry making a movie about greedy people.