With the Beowulf film out,what other epic poems do you want to see get film adapted ?

[BDuncan]

With the new Beowulf film (out next week in North America) apparently making even more innovative use of state of the art technology than the mediocre 300 film did (having also been all filmed in a studio), what other epic poems you admire (whether in English, or written in a foreign language and translated into English) would you like seeing film adapted (in either live
action or 3D animation) and please say why, for anything named.

[Virgil]

I would love to see Virgil's Aeneid or Dante's Devine Comedy. Why? I have seen other classics made into film but not those. Would be interesting. At least to me.

[Shalot]

i don't know. I wish Angelina Jolie wasn't in it for starters. It's a major literary work, and I don't think she's worthy of the part. Maybe some think that because it's a major literary work, a high profile actress deserves the part. A J is high profile but I don't like her at all... I'll check it out for sure but I will hate her going in and her performance probably won't change my opinion. In fact, I will be so distracted by her presence that little else will register. I hate AJ :flare:

[higley]

I heard the Beowulf film is actually based off a book by Neil Gaiman and some other dude, and not really the epic itself. I'm trying to think of epic poems, and don't know many I'd want to adapt that haven't been done already.

[Virgil]

I heard the Beowulf film is actually based off a book by Neil Gaiman and some other dude, and not really the epic itself. I'm trying to think of epic poems, and don't know many I'd want to adapt that haven't been done already.

I wonder if Paradise Lost would make a good movie.

[Petrarch's Love]

I heard the Beowulf film is actually based off a book by Neil Gaiman and some other dude, and not really the epic itself. I'm trying to think of epic poems, and don't know many I'd want to adapt that haven't been done already.

That would make sense, since a lot of the previews make it look like a pretty liberal adaptation of the storyline. For one thing, I can't for the life of me figure out what the Angelina Jolie character is. There seem to be advertisements with what look like steamy scenes with her and Beowulf and there are no such scenes in the epic. There are hardly any women at all in fact. I think the film looks like it's going to be pretty awful--like a highly polished version of Conan the Barbarian with the name Beowulf slapped on--but I hope I'm wrong about that. I'll have to see it because its something I teach, but I may wait for netflix unless my friends give it really good reviews.

I think epics seem like they would make good films, because there's a lot of action, but are really very hard to do well, which is why I would be hesitant to nominate any of my favorite epics. I'm afraid they'd come out looking really cheesy. I thought Peter Jackson did an unusually good job with The Lord of the Rings, and I think it's partly because he cast the people he thought would do well in the parts rather than necessarily big names (like Angelina Jolie), and he used that spectacular landscape in New Zealand with animated effects only where necessary instead of going for gimmicky graphics throughout. The reality of that larger than life landscape was exactly what a fantasy/epic needed. I've always thought some sort of adaptation of the Prose Edda and Volsunga tales would be neat to film in Yosemite with Wagner's Ring music as the background. I'd like to see a really good adaptation of the Odyssey, too, with filming on location along the actual journey through the Mediterranean. I like Virg.'s idea of Paradise Lost as a film too, but again I think the right casting and the right locations would be a must. It would be amazing to do the hell scenes near an actual lava flow, or to do Satan's journey to earth with actual footage of the earth as seen from space. Though there's the problem of your ratings being triple X because of all the nudity that would necessarily be involved during large parts of the film. :p

[kilted exile]

I am getting to the stage where I hope they dont make any other stories I like into films. They never get it right & I then get annoyed & walk out of the cinema halfway through. I dont hold any hope for this production either.

[pantagathus]

Paradise Lost could be amazing but would most likely disappoint

[Scheherazade]

I am getting to the stage where I hope they dont make any other stories I like into films.Aye.




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[manolia]

I always look for an adaptation after finishing a book. Most of them are disappointing, with a few exceptions. The most briliant example of an excellent adaptation is "Hellraiser" :D . But this was because Clive Barker (the author) directed the movie himself ;) . So if each time a good director (preferably a fan of the novel ;) ) and a big budget is provided the outcome can be good. I'd like to see "Weavenworld" by Clive Barker :nod: or a good Lovecraft adaptation ("Mountains of Madness" for example). They are not epic but certainly "poems" in a sense :D.

[stately,plump]

"Rape of the Lock," totally!! Bring a mock-epic to the screen already!

[higley]

I wonder if Paradise Lost would make a good movie.

Do you know, I was considering that one, and figured Hollywood wouldn't be up to it.

[crazefest456]

Paradise Lost would be awesome..I imagine beautiful graphics (lord of the rings-esque) and fun action scenes.

[Niamh]

I heard the Beowulf film is actually based off a book by Neil Gaiman and some other dude, and not really the epic itself. I'm trying to think of epic poems, and don't know many I'd want to adapt that haven't been done already.
Beowulf is based on the epic. Niel Gaiman helped write the script which posed some problems, and the felt like there were a few gaps in the actual story.

I am getting to the stage where I hope they dont make any other stories I like into films. They never get it right & I then get annoyed & walk out of the cinema halfway through. I dont hold any hope for this production either.

I agree but i'd still love to see (its not a poem but is an epic) An Tain Bo Cuailnge( The TAin/ Brown Bull of Cooley) done. :nod:

[JBI]

I would love to see the Song of Roland or The Poem of the Cid on video.

[bibliophile190]

Oh, I bet the Song of Roland would be fantastic. Hollywood would probably screw it up royally, but it's a nice idea.

[NickAdams]

I would like to see Canterbury Tales. Directed by Roy Andersson or a different director for each story. Why? It would be a pleasure to see a really creative director develope the story.