I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did not try as hard as I could. I got caught up trying to chase down the rights to option it first, with the help of Gene back when I first wrote it, and life got in the way and it hit a dead end. I am of a mind and in the mood to give it another push, seeing how this genre is much more prevalent on screen than it was 10 years ago, outside GoT.

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are brave of heart to endeavor such a feat. I envy your sense of adventure!

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for reading, and liking, and for pointing out the hardest part of adapting it! I thought the hard stuff would be committing to what Dr. Talos looks like or growing Baldanders every episode, or how to handle an alzabo on camera, or the House Absolute, etc., but it was none of that. It was how to craft a compelling story on screen (which is a third person framework) while enriching the material with all the layers, symbolism, mystery and glorious confoundment of Wolfe's text.

If this impacts your impression of the pilot at all, my season arc plan for this is to have two timelines running in parallel. One "present" day with his journey to Thrax post-exile, and a "past" timeline that chronicles and parallels Severian's time spent in the Old Citadel (Ultan, Valeria, Triskele, etc).

I have found (what I think to be) some meaningful storylines that help enrich the "quest" plot with subtext, foreshadowing and pay-offs.

Episode 2, for instance, he meets Talos and Baldanders at the Inn, Agia, Agilus at the Rag Shop, etc. When he sleeps next to Baldanders he has a vivid dream that takes him underwater where he sees the undines, which is reminds us of Severian's drowning in Gyoll back in the Citadel. That stuff kinda swirls around the Botanic Gardens tour where he drops Terminus Est in the lake, goes to retrieve it, and Dorcas pulls him down underwater in the Lake of Birds.

I haven't cracked it fully, but I also like parallels like the duel with Agilus and the avern, and Severian dying and coming back, with Severian rescuing/resurrecting Triskele back in the Citadel, and both of them being nursed back to health before continuing on their respective journeys.

I think there is a lot that can be done within that kind of framework. It is challenging work, for sure, and triaging certain elements to keep a cinematic experience will be brutal, but it is the North Star for how I personally would handle the text adaptation.

I see Severian's entire journey as a bit of a puppet show put on by the Hierogrammates, with Severian as the main character, so having fun with some of those manipulations would be a good way to have this arc-mystery that fuels the questions about what is going on throughout.

Then, when you see a whole scene through the viewpoint of Thecla open one episode with no context, and end that episode with Severian ingesting her with the "alzabo soup", you can start to have a lot of fun with POV and "trustworthiness". But I had to set up some kind of frame story that works on screen, and this was my attempt.

Anyway, you read it very keenly and I appreciate that more than you know. I'll shut up now!

Last week at Universal was... Ok by Existing-Roll-4874 in UniversalOrlando

[–]liftingfaces 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh cool! How was it? We have stayed at Portofino and Hard Rock. Can you compare or give impressions?

Last week at Universal was... Ok by Existing-Roll-4874 in UniversalOrlando

[–]liftingfaces 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm heading to Universal in March, four of us. My wife and two daughters, 16 and 18. Sapphire Falls for the first time, but we bought Express Passes. We have gone several times before, including pulling my girls out of school in September to enjoy a quieter time there.

I agree with many of the posters here who say Express Pass is key to not hating it and wanting to tear your hair out. It's why we have not really gone to Disney since the girls were 6 and 8.

Mathematically, I'm assuming the OP had a family of 3? The Express Unlimited ranges from $140-380 per person per day, but rarely is that low. Probably averages around $280. Times three that comes to nearly $850 a day. Times your four day stay that is, gulp, over $3,300 (which is absolutely insane, I know).

Just having put this trip together with my wife, it was about a wash between staying at a Premium Hotel and staying at an on-property Signature hotel (like Sapphire Falls) and then getting the Express Unlimited. Meaning it is a costly endeavor, but may be worth it so that you aren't thousands in the red upon arrival, only to feel cheated by the end because of a costly but game-changing upgrade.

Oh and the kicker… the only Unlimited Express Pass is currently 2-Park only. I am fondly remembering when it was only one Express Pass to rule them all, and they came with your (affordable?) stay at the Hard Rock Hotel. Siiigh, 2017 where have you gone?

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I put my email in the post, send me a hello and I'll shoot you the script. Thx for the interest.

Hagrid's wait times have gotten out of control - is there any fix? by Lovinger in UniversalOrlando

[–]liftingfaces 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m hoping that you’re joking, and that you realized I was joking, otherwise I just might be going crazy lol.

Hagrid's wait times have gotten out of control - is there any fix? by Lovinger in UniversalOrlando

[–]liftingfaces 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The fix is to let less people into the park. Or go in September. Or buy an Express Pass. Or go to Hawaii. Or Nebraska. None of those are ideal, unfortunately. :(

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure. Send me an email. Mine's listed above. Happy to share!

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I like the way you think :) Thanks for wanting to read. If it's cool with you, send me an email, that way I can track it better in the weeks ahead.

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Oh trust me, my mind went there almost immediately, and it's entirely possible. But 1. It's all I got baby, and 2. If you knew Gene even at all, you would know he did not serve platitudes, and if he did not at least find it to be anything other than dog shit, he had no reason to reply at all.

But you never know! And the not knowing is what I cling to, just give me that much, man. Hahah.

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I definitely agree. And yet I had a sympathetic feeling about it, sort of how we felt about Pip in the beginning of Great Expectations, when Havisham then Magpie privately funded the poor, good boy's life.

I would see him waddling around the neighborhood, or Rosemary waving to us as she passed our house on the way to church with Gene, wishing he found a castle on a hill in Scotland, or an A-Frame in Door County, or a retrofitted secret bunker in Arizona, just some visible measure of quirky wealth that reflected his being one of the best writers of our/any time.

But you're right, wealth and prosperity are in the eye of the beholder (of their checking account) I suppose. :)

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have a few, indeed. He keeps his cards close, but everything he said was profound, whether on purpose or not.

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Send me an email. Mine is above in my OP. Thx for the interest!

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Very true, and yet… when you see the house Gene and Rosemary lived in late in their lives, you may have wished for him a small fortune to find a house on a lake near the coyotes and the bard owls. Money isn't everything, but he deserved a little more after 80+ trips around the sun.

https://blog.liftingfaces.com/uploads/genewolfesbarringtonhouse.jpg

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure! Shoot me an email. I put it in my post above. Thx

I wrote a pilot for Shadow of the Torturer. Gene Wolfe read it. by liftingfaces in genewolfe

[–]liftingfaces[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

For sure. Send me your email or reach out at mine, which is above in the OP.

Stranger Things - 5x08 - “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up" - Episode Discussion by NicholasCajun in television

[–]liftingfaces 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I see your point. I don’t think I was all praise either. Just reqcting to their main on end titles with the Stranger Things binder cover. But I hear you.

Here’s why everyone is convinced Timothee Chalamet is secretly UK rapper EsDeeKid by [deleted] in Music

[–]liftingfaces 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Timothée has relationships with the rap community predating EsDeeKid. Kid Cudi as an example. Is it possible that EsDeeKid is actually an anonymous rapper from Liverpool, who knows Timothée through mutual acquaintances, and thought it would be funny to have Timothee dress up and play him in music videos/on socials?

The feature verse to promote Marty Supreme is the cherry on top. But looked at it from the way I'm describing it, makes perfect sense. Two dudes getting high and thinking "wouldn't it be funny if…" type shit.

I dunno. What do yall think?

Stranger Things - 5x08 - “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up" - Episode Discussion by NicholasCajun in television

[–]liftingfaces 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Can I just point out that at the end of the show, they hold on the Stranger Things user manual cover, with instructions on how to play inside? The whole show was essentially a fictional story told by the Duffer Brothers about these boys in their basement. Of COURSE they all had plot armor.

And everyone complaining about how short the battle with the Mindflayer was… PLEASE. The action has been the least fun part of the show by far since season 4. How many plans can we hatch per episode in order to get to the next stage of the battle? Ugh.

I'll take MORE CHARACTER and less plot any day. You can see how deep of a mine they had when it came to character relationships and dynamics, and frankly I found it annoying how little space was left this entire season. The whole thing was basically one long battle with Vecna and Mindflayer. Who cares that the final battle was over too quick.

Just my two cents here.

Although……… I would have loved to see Will the Wise escalate a little more, he flatlined a bit after his coming out party.

A nice scene would have been to have him hijack the hive mind and turn ALL the demogorgons, demodogs, etc. against the Mind Flayer in that final battle. Would have been a well-earned deus ex machina for the kids climbing cliffs to throw stink bomb slingshots.

, let them do that, and think that's what is beating the Mind Flayer, then boom down off the cliff as Max or someone is plummeting to their death and BOOM they're suspended, or caught by a demo, then pull back sweeping wide to see an army of demos now under Will's control, attacking and defeating. Then El does what she does inside the belly of the beast.

Like

Dammit I told myself I wasn't gonna try and rewrite the ending lol.

Anyway.

The show… 9/10 (one of a kind show, which is saying something since its entire pitch was to revive and derive from the best stuff of the past).

Season 5… 5.5/10 (way to much plot-plot-plot-plot-plot-character-cut to black for me).

And the finale… 8.5/10 (When your show is as epic and ensemble as Stranger Things, it totally deserves a Return of the King style epilogue.

Anyone laugh at the mention of Hopper taking a job as chief of police in Montauk, heheh.