The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising's Recent Activity

list The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising's Recent Activity - Spout http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising's Recent Activity - Spout http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 Film:The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising http://www.spout.com/films/The_Seeker_The_Dark_Is_Rising/295274/default.aspx

Title: The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising
Year: 2007
Director: David L. Cunningham
Plot: Producer Marc E. Platt brings author Susan Cooper's popular series of children's fantasy books to the big screen with this tale of a young boy (Alexander Ludwig) who discovers that he is the latest in a long line of immortal warriors. When the forces of darkness, led by the villainous Rider (Christopher Eccleston), threaten to overpower the forces of light, the young chosen one must venture out into the world to realize his destiny and ensure that evil is defeated. Ian McShane and Frances Conroy round out the cast. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 18
Number of Lists: 4
Number of blog posts: 3
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:00:49 GMTThe Seeker: The Dark Is Rising2007David L. CunninghamProducer Marc E. Platt brings author Susan Cooper's popular series of children's fantasy books to the big screen with this tale of a young boy (<a href="/players/P___485915/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alexander Ludwig</a>) who discovers that he is the latest in a long line of immortal warriors. When the forces of darkness, led by the villainous Rider (<a href="/players/P____21084/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Eccleston</a>), threaten to overpower the forces of light, the young chosen one must venture out into the world to realize his destiny and ensure that evil is defeated. <a href="/players/P____48063/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ian McShane</a> and <a href="/players/P____14588/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Frances Conroy</a> round out the cast. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide18Tag Target (>10)4313http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s295274.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Seeker_The_Dark_Is_Rising/295274/default.aspxFilm Spout Post: The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007) http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/6/30739.aspx

Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2008 4:01:01 PM
Body: In a world of franchises which rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, every studio wants one sure fire franchise. Paramount recently bought "Shrek" with its DreamWorks acquisition; Warner Brothers has the very profitable "Harry Potter;" a Warner sister company, New Line, broke records with "The Lord of the Rings." Fox is home to the "Fantastic Four," granted, but with the "Alien" and "Predator" hybrid "Alien vs. Predator" spawning only one sequel since the 2004 installment and last year´s "Eragon" coming up DOA at the box office, the studio tries its hand with another book-turned-hopeful-movie-franchise with "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising," based on a series of novel´s by Susan Cooper. On his 14th birthday, Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) is introduced to a seemingly fantastical myth: the Light Ones and the Dark Ones battled for years until six signs were tossed throughout time. Now, the seventh son of a seventh son is destined to find the signs and squash the Dark´s power once and for all. That seventh son turns out to be Will, thanks to some shenanigans involving a twin brother he never knew about. As Will and his gang of Old Ones--immortal warriors charged with teaching him about his powers--collect the signs, he is stalked by The Rider (Christopher Eccleston), whose power is growing stronger and stronger in a bid to take over the world. Perhaps it´s unfair for "The Seeker" to be compared to the other boy with magical powers. The "Harry Potter" series has spawned seven books and five movies (so far). If you´ll recall the initial Potter film, "The Sorcerer´s Stone," that production turned out to be light and breezy, allowing an introduction to the world of Hogarts and muggles. This approach, and the somewhat fluffy jeopardy plot, let viewers not be overwhelmed by this new universe. At 152-minutes, enough time was given to setting up Harry´s backstory without causing the audience whiplash. With a running time of just 94 minute, "The Seeker" jerks the audience around in an effort to introduce characters, mythology and provide a dark plot worthy of "The Prisoner of Azkaban," not "The Sorcerer´s Stone." And that remains its greatest detriment, an entirely too short running time seemingly designed to maximize the number of showings each theater could get in. After the initial set up in a new school, the siblings and parents are introduced with no real method or thought process other than "get it done." One brother, who is in the military, is glimpsed for only seconds on a internet chat. Two other brothers are unruly twins; another, Max, has dropped out of college and returns home, the fifth blends into the background. But wait, you´ll ask yourself. Will is the seventh son. Only five boys have been mentioned. Absolutely right, which brings a dead twin into the story, Thomas. A brother none of the older kids know about. A son the parents have repressed in the very back of their memories. A human being with no discernible footprint in the house, except in boxes in the attic. A simple line somewhere in the production explaining how the kids don´t know about Thomas would have made the ending--the typically happy ending--just a little more realistic. Lets go back to the attic for a moment. In a nod to "Potter," Will is abused and picked on by the entire family, save his sister Gwen. He´s relegated to the attic during an English Christmas. The twins hit him with a ball. No one seems to care the boy disappears at night and shows up back home. This isn´t parents being negligent; this is parents being stupid and unrealistic. Yet with another 10 or 15 minutes tacked on the movie, these discrepancies could have been patched up. The actual quest for the signs, pieces made out of different elements which give the Dark its power, is fairly by the numbers. Will senses them randomly, the group narrowly gets the sign before the Rider does. Wash, rinse, repeat. For six signs. I´m sure there are subplots and characters cut from the book in the translation to the screen. Surely some of them would have fleshed out the moments between sign quests. Because all the movie turns into is a waiting game: wait for Will to see the sign symbol, have the camera spin around him quickly and BAM! We´re in a new time period with a flood of snakes or some other menace chomping at the bit (no pun intended). There´s no soul in "The Seeker." Subplots with a double agent and Max dropping out of college are forgotten nearly as quickly as they are introduced. The final battle comes to a conclusion too quickly and resets the entire story back to essentially square one. The actors are likable enough, I guess, in the instances we´re allowed to get to know them. Taking center stage there is Ludwig, who gets the lion share of screen time. Child actors have a notoriously hard time doing anything other than reciting lines, but he elicits most of the movie´s charm and warmth just by being genuine to his feelings. A talented group of actors are assembled around Ludwig, chief among them Ian McShane ("Deadwood") as a mentor of sorts and Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under") as McShane´s boss. Both pull off English aristocracy a step or two below Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench, but what they lack in gravitas is made up in a lack of pretension. I normally don´t mention the director unless something stands out as particularly heinous or outstanding. Here, director David L. Cunningham uses an assortment of camera moves--all of which nauseatingly screaming "look at me"--to tell the story. If it´s not spinning to signify the changing of time periods, upside down camera shots of an incoming Rider or high angle canted views of locations feel like they´re pulled from the 1960´s "Batman" television series and not a movie like "Lord of the Rings." They´re cheap and self-congratulatory. "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" was most likely designed to be the first in a series of films. It, like "Eragon," is dead on arrival. There are parts I´d recommend--some of the individual sign quests are quite interesting--though on the whole it never achieves what it sets out to achieve. In a world where Frodo and Hermione rule, Will needed to be beefed up and given time to breath in his first theatrical adventure. I´m willing to bet there is a longer cut of "The Seeker" on a shelf over at Fox. The finished product certainly suggests this possibility. The theatrical cut, though, rates a 5 out of 10. Good looking effects and locations, solid acting all for naught because the story had to fit into 94 minutes.
]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:01:01 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/6/2008 4:01:01 PMIn a world of franchises which rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, every studio wants one sure fire franchise. Paramount recently bought "Shrek" with its DreamWorks acquisition; Warner Brothers has the very profitable "Harry Potter;" a Warner sister company, New Line, broke records with "The Lord of the Rings." Fox is home to the "Fantastic Four," granted, but with the "Alien" and "Predator" hybrid "Alien vs. Predator" spawning only one sequel since the 2004 installment and last year´s "Eragon" coming up DOA at the box office, the studio tries its hand with another book-turned-hopeful-movie-franchise with "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising," based on a series of novel´s by Susan Cooper. On his 14th birthday, Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) is introduced to a seemingly fantastical myth: the Light Ones and the Dark Ones battled for years until six signs were tossed throughout time. Now, the seventh son of a seventh son is destined to find the signs and squash the Dark´s power once and for all. That seventh son turns out to be Will, thanks to some shenanigans involving a twin brother he never knew about. As Will and his gang of Old Ones--immortal warriors charged with teaching him about his powers--collect the signs, he is stalked by The Rider (Christopher Eccleston), whose power is growing stronger and stronger in a bid to take over the world. Perhaps it´s unfair for "The Seeker" to be compared to the other boy with magical powers. The "Harry Potter" series has spawned seven books and five movies (so far). If you´ll recall the initial Potter film, "The Sorcerer´s Stone," that production turned out to be light and breezy, allowing an introduction to the world of Hogarts and muggles. This approach, and the somewhat fluffy jeopardy plot, let viewers not be overwhelmed by this new universe. At 152-minutes, enough time was given to setting up Harry´s backstory without causing the audience whiplash. With a running time of just 94 minute, "The Seeker" jerks the audience around in an effort to introduce characters, mythology and provide a dark plot worthy of "The Prisoner of Azkaban," not "The Sorcerer´s Stone." And that remains its greatest detriment, an entirely too short running time seemingly designed to maximize the number of showings each theater could get in. After the initial set up in a new school, the siblings and parents are introduced with no real method or thought process other than "get it done." One brother, who is in the military, is glimpsed for only seconds on a internet chat. Two other brothers are unruly twins; another, Max, has dropped out of college and returns home, the fifth blends into the background. But wait, you´ll ask yourself. Will is the seventh son. Only five boys have been mentioned. Absolutely right, which brings a dead twin into the story, Thomas. A brother none of the older kids know about. A son the parents have repressed in the very back of their memories. A human being with no discernible footprint in the house, except in boxes in the attic. A simple line somewhere in the production explaining how the kids don´t know about Thomas would have made the ending--the typically happy ending--just a little more realistic. Lets go back to the attic for a moment. In a nod to "Potter," Will is abused and picked on by the entire family, save his sister Gwen. He´s relegated to the attic during an English Christmas. The twins hit him with a ball. No one seems to care the boy disappears at night and shows up back home. This isn´t parents being negligent; this is parents being stupid and unrealistic. Yet with another 10 or 15 minutes tacked on the movie, these discrepancies could have been patched up. The actual quest for the signs, pieces made out of different elements which give the Dark its power, is fairly by the numbers. Will senses them randomly, the group narrowly gets the sign before the Rider does. Wash, rinse, repeat. For six signs. I´m sure there are subplots and characters cut from the book in the translation to the screen. Surely some of them would have fleshed out the moments between sign quests. Because all the movie turns into is a waiting game: wait for Will to see the sign symbol, have the camera spin around him quickly and BAM! We´re in a new time period with a flood of snakes or some other menace chomping at the bit (no pun intended). There´s no soul in "The Seeker." Subplots with a double agent and Max dropping out of college are forgotten nearly as quickly as they are introduced. The final battle comes to a conclusion too quickly and resets the entire story back to essentially square one. The actors are likable enough, I guess, in the instances we´re allowed to get to know them. Taking center stage there is Ludwig, who gets the lion share of screen time. Child actors have a notoriously hard time doing anything other than reciting lines, but he elicits most of the movie´s charm and warmth just by being genuine to his feelings. A talented group of actors are assembled around Ludwig, chief among them Ian McShane ("Deadwood") as a mentor of sorts and Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under") as McShane´s boss. Both pull off English aristocracy a step or two below Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench, but what they lack in gravitas is made up in a lack of pretension. I normally don´t mention the director unless something stands out as particularly heinous or outstanding. Here, director David L. Cunningham uses an assortment of camera moves--all of which nauseatingly screaming "look at me"--to tell the story. If it´s not spinning to signify the changing of time periods, upside down camera shots of an incoming Rider or high angle canted views of locations feel like they´re pulled from the 1960´s "Batman" television series and not a movie like "Lord of the Rings." They´re cheap and self-congratulatory. "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" was most likely designed to be the first in a series of films. It, like "Eragon," is dead on arrival. There are parts I´d recommend--some of the individual sign quests are quite interesting--though on the whole it never achieves what it sets out to achieve. In a world where Frodo and Hermione rule, Will needed to be beefed up and given time to breath in his first theatrical adventure. I´m willing to bet there is a longer cut of "The Seeker" on a shelf over at Fox. The finished product certainly suggests this possibility. The theatrical cut, though, rates a 5 out of 10. Good looking effects and locations, solid acting all for naught because the story had to fit into 94 minutes. Spout Post: The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising http://www.spout.com/blogs/fb2/archive/2007/12/27/23262.aspx

Post By: fb2
Post To: FB2 Movie Blog
Post Date: 12/27/2007 6:15:16 PM
Body: I've read quite a few negative reviews about this movie, so it was a surprise to enjoy this quite good fantasy movie. I loved Eccleston as the Rider. I'll see if I can find the books as well.
]]>Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:15:16 GMTfb2FB2 Movie Blog12/27/2007 6:15:16 PMI've read quite a few negative reviews about this movie, so it was a surprise to enjoy this quite good fantasy movie. I loved Eccleston as the Rider. I'll see if I can find the books as well. Spout Post: Childrens Movies and the Literary Tradition http://www.spout.com/groups/I_Love_Childrens_Movies/Childrens_Movies_and_the_Literary_Tradition/372/21505/1/ShowPost.aspx

Post By: indieabby88
Post To: I Love Childrens Movies
Post Date: 11/7/2007 12:10:48 PM
Body: Hey, group! I've been thinking recently about some movies coming out recently (or scheduled to come out) that are based on well-known childrens books, and thought this might be a good topic to discuss. Last month "The Dark is Rising" came out, and December will see the release of "The Golden Compass." I'd say I've been anticipating this movie's release since I heard it was being made, but that would be an understatement. I've bee waiting for "The Golden Compass" since the tender young age of ten, when I first read the book.Are there any childrens book-to-film adaptations you've enjoyed recently? Are there any you eagerly look forward to? Any thoughts on the recent surge of popularity in childrens' fantasy movies? Share them here!
]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:10:48 GMTindieabby88I Love Childrens Movies11/7/2007 12:10:48 PMHey, group! I've been thinking recently about some movies coming out recently (or scheduled to come out) that are based on well-known childrens books, and thought this might be a good topic to discuss. Last month "The Dark is Rising" came out, and December will see the release of "The Golden Compass." I'd say I've been anticipating this movie's release since I heard it was being made, but that would be an understatement. I've bee waiting for "The Golden Compass" since the tender young age of ten, when I first read the book.Are there any childrens book-to-film adaptations you've enjoyed recently? Are there any you eagerly look forward to? Any thoughts on the recent surge of popularity in childrens' fantasy movies? Share them here! Spout Post: To Raise a Youth-Pastor, Sit the Child Down in front of *-The Dark Is Rising-* http://www.spout.com/blogs/mythman/archive/2007/10/14/20848.aspx

Post By: mythman
Post To: Watch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good
Post Date: 10/14/2007 11:06:00 PM
Body: I feel I can say that, because another movie about the fate of an entire world depending on a small child inspired me to become a reader.My logic goes, "The Neverending Story taught me that childlike-reading (i.e. reading aloud-like) keeps The Nothing from destroying your hope, just as The Dark Is Rising would teach that self-reliance dissolves The Darkness."Granted, some kids might be too scared to watch the movie through to Will's triumphant victory, and the beginning might have been a little too disconnected to sit through; but if your mind is open enough to wait until the story really starts, you're in for some inspirational gut-feelings!
]]>Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:06:00 GMTmythmanWatch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good10/14/2007 11:06:00 PMI feel I can say that, because another movie about the fate of an entire world depending on a small child inspired me to become a reader.My logic goes, "The Neverending Story taught me that childlike-reading (i.e. reading aloud-like) keeps The Nothing from destroying your hope, just as The Dark Is Rising would teach that self-reliance dissolves The Darkness."Granted, some kids might be too scared to watch the movie through to Will's triumphant victory, and the beginning might have been a little too disconnected to sit through; but if your mind is open enough to wait until the story really starts, you're in for some inspirational gut-feelings! Spout Tag:family http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
Number of films tagged: 6288

Number of people who tagged: 226

Number of times used: 1138

]]>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:09:21 GMT62882261138Tag Spout Tag:Good http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Good/MemberTagFilms.aspxGood
Number of films tagged: 97

Number of people who tagged: 71

Number of times used: 113

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:00:47 GMT9771113Tag Spout Tag:evil http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/evil/MemberTagFilms.aspxevil
Number of films tagged: 885

Number of people who tagged: 42

Number of times used: 79

]]>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:19:10 GMT8854279Tag Spout Tag:fighting http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fighting/MemberTagFilms.aspxfighting
Number of films tagged: 292

Number of people who tagged: 33

Number of times used: 97

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:44 GMT2923397Tag Spout Tag:time-travel http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/time-travel/MemberTagFilms.aspxtime-travel
Number of films tagged: 36

Number of people who tagged: 33

Number of times used: 61

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:00:48 GMT363361Tag Spout Tag:adaptation http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adaptation/MemberTagFilms.aspxadaptation
Number of films tagged: 126

Number of people who tagged: 25

Number of times used: 137

]]>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:17:59 GMT12625137Tag Spout Tag:inspirational http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/inspirational/MemberTagFilms.aspxinspirational
Number of films tagged: 20

Number of people who tagged: 25

Number of times used: 29

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:28:37 GMT202529Tag Spout Tag:endearing http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/endearing/MemberTagFilms.aspxendearing
Number of films tagged: 23

Number of people who tagged: 20

Number of times used: 32

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:29:19 GMT232032Tag Spout Tag:destiny http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/destiny/MemberTagFilms.aspxdestiny
Number of films tagged: 114

Number of people who tagged: 18

Number of times used: 20

]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT1141820Tag Spout Tag:warrior http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/warrior/MemberTagFilms.aspxwarrior
Number of films tagged: 446

Number of people who tagged: 17

Number of times used: 22

]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:03:15 GMT4461722Tag Spout Tag:immortality http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/immortality/MemberTagFilms.aspximmortality
Number of films tagged: 210

Number of people who tagged: 15

Number of times used: 23

]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:48:03 GMT2101523Tag Spout Tag:search http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/search/MemberTagFilms.aspxsearch
Number of films tagged: 2111

Number of people who tagged: 13

Number of times used: 40

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:00:49 GMT21111340Tag Spout Tag:good-vs-evil http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/good-vs-evil/MemberTagFilms.aspxgood-vs-evil
Number of films tagged: 19

Number of people who tagged: 10

Number of times used: 21

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:00:48 GMT191021Tag Spout Tag:powers http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/powers/MemberTagFilms.aspxpowers
Number of films tagged: 9

Number of people who tagged: 5

Number of times used: 10

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:43 GMT9510Tag Spout Tag:clue http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/clue/MemberTagFilms.aspxclue
Number of films tagged: 209

Number of people who tagged: 2

Number of times used: 2

]]>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:02:07 GMT20922Tag