'The Snowman' (Jo Nesbo Adaptation)

[Serge]

First trailer now released:

Here.

Have to admit that it doesn't really grab me. I'm bearing in mind that trailers can often be misleading, but Fassbender looks like he's sleepwalking through the role. And I really hated Alfredson's 'Tinker Tailor' adaptation, so I'm going to go into this with expectations duly lowered.

First person to mention Raymond Briggs or Aled Jones forced to eat snow until they piss themselves.

[BritishHobo]

It looks beautiful but aye, not too sold yet. It could come off as a very generic American take on Scandi-noir, which would be a real shame.

I posted this in the other thread, but it's relevant here too; Blood on Snow is going to be adapted by Tobey Maguire in his directorial debut. I'm not as arsed about that, but it's a bit sad to think this especially didn't even get the chance to be a Norwegian film first, before its inevitable American version.

[Serge]

It could come off as a very generic American take on Scandi-noir, which would be a real shame.

Aye, true - I'd forgotten how bad the American version of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' was.

[mothman]

Another reboot? The Snowdog was bad enough.

[BritishHobo]

Talking of Blood on Snow, I had an interesting chat with a Norwegian fella on Reddit, who told me that Nesbo had a whole plan in motion with a fake history for Tom Johansen (he was to be an American pulp author, whose books were popular in the 1970s - which may go some way towards explaining their flaws), a Wikipedia page mocked up for him, an actor hired to be Tom in photos for the book jacket and such... only for the publisher's lawyers to tell him it was illegal in several countries under marketing laws to sell the books as the works of someone else, from the 70s (possibly they were planning a marketing campaign which pitched them as reprints?), and so he scrapped the idea; but, apparently, is still working on The Kidnapping. So that's something.

[Serge]

That seems strange....surely plenty of authors have written books under other names and not got into trouble for it? Stephen King for a start. And it's a popular ruse in music - look at the case of Jürgen Müller, who released a soundtrack album in the '70s called 'Science Of The Sea', which was reissued in 2011 and became a bit of a cult favourite. Except....Jürgen Müller didn't exist, the record had actually been recorded in 2011, and was the work of Norm Chambers, who usually records as Panabrite.

I did get that 'Blood On Snow' and 'Midnight Sun' were meant to be flawed books, but when you take that back story away, it means people who read them without knowing it will just think that all of Nesbo's books will be like that. It's a shame he wasn't allowed to see his plan through.

[Mini]

I've really enjoyed Jo Nesbo adaptations from Scandinavia, Headhunters and Jackpot, because they were funny and strange. This just looks shiny and boring.

[BritishHobo]

That seems strange....surely plenty of authors have written books under other names and not got into trouble for it? Stephen King for a start. And it's a popular ruse in music - look at the case of Jürgen Müller, who released a soundtrack album in the '70s called 'Science Of The Sea', which was reissued in 2011 and became a bit of a cult favourite. Except....Jürgen Müller didn't exist, the record had actually been recorded in 2011, and was the work of Norm Chambers, who usually records as Panabrite.

I did get that 'Blood On Snow' and 'Midnight Sun' were meant to be flawed books, but when you take that back story away, it means people who read them without knowing it will just think that all of Nesbo's books will be like that. It's a shame he wasn't allowed to see his plan through.

Aye - in fact JK Rowling got a bit of flak from about two internet commenters for impersonating a war veteran while writing as ex-army Robert Galbraith, but the only legal issues were with the solicitor who rumbled her when he gave the big secret away to his wife.

I'd say maybe the lawyers were just jumpy, but he's such a bankable author in several other countries that I can't see how he'd have been scared off so easily.

[Serge]

I've really enjoyed Jo Nesbo adaptations from Scandinavia, Headhunters and Jackpot, because they were funny and strange. This just looks shiny and boring.

Yeah, 'Headhunters' is great. It's the same thing with the Stieg Larsson books - the original Swedish adaptations of the Millennium trilogy are fantastic, even if they did make a bit of a bodge of the third one by trying to cram too much in (it's about a third as long again as the two previous novels), and they piss all over the Hollywood version from a great height. I would also recommend seeing the extended TV versions of them, where each book is covered in two 90 minute episodes. Sadly, the excellent Michael Nyqvist, who played Blomkvist, died recently at the ridiculously young age of 56.

[Glebe]

To echo BH, yes, it certainly looks beautiful, but otherwise it looks like a sensationalist ITV drama, and this and this made me laugh. It's only a trailer, but I have to agree with Serge that Fassbender looks like he's just (snow!) drifting through it. Is the book any good?

Aye, true - I'd forgotten how bad the American version of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' was.

I've had the Blu-ray steelbook for ages, still haven't watched it.

Sadly, the excellent Michael Nyqvist, who played Blomkvist, died recently at the ridiculously young age of 56.

Yep, very sad news.

[Serge]

To echo BH, yes, it certainly looks beautiful, but otherwise it looks like a sensationalist ITV drama, and this and this made me laugh. It's only a trailer, but I have to agree with Serge that Fassbender looks like he's just (snow!) drifting through it. Is the book any good?

Heh, the first bit you've linked to there is one of the best scenes in the book. The second I don't remember being in the book.

The book is fantastic, though bear in mind that it is the seventh in the Harry Hole series (and does give away the identity of the killer from 'The Bat', the first in the series).

[Glebe]

though bear in mind that it is the seventh in the Harry Hole series

Well I like Harry Hole, but I also like Harry Hill... so who's best? There's only one way to find out...

[Bazooka]

Aled Jones is doing the music correct?

[Mr Brightside]

Who's playing the snowman?

[Bad Ambassador]

I read a synopsis of the book, and it looks like the most generic crime fiction possible. I struggle to see who this is going to appeal to when it has so little in its favour as a USP.

[Mr Brightside]

Yeah, I reckon this might get a frosty reception.

[Serge]

I read a synopsis of the book, and it looks like the most generic crime fiction possible. I struggle to see who this is going to appeal to when it has so little in its favour as a USP.

Yes, it's hard to imagine why a film based on a book by an author who has sold 33 million books worldwide is even being considered, isn't it?

[Bad Ambassador]

Yes, it's hard to imagine why a film based on a book by an author who has sold 33 million books worldwide is even being considered, isn't it?

OK, that's the obvious point I should have acknowledged. But what is there to attract people unfamiliar with the material, or those who demand something more than apparently bland supermarket-level literature?

[Serge]

Well, I would have thought that tapping into that market alone would have ensured healthy returns. Though (anecdotal evidence ahoy!) I do have a few friends on Facebook who are excited about this film who have never read (or possibly even been aware of) the book. I guess Tomas Alfredson also has a following - the friends I'm talking about are certainly massive fans of 'Let The Right One In' and may be coming from that angle?

[Glebe]

Here's a real snowman's reaction to those scenes of violence:

[Mr Brightside]

Is Snowman one of the Marvel characters?

[BritishHobo]

Well, this is getting thoroughly trashed.

[phantom_power]

I've really enjoyed Jo Nesbo adaptations from Scandinavia, Headhunters and Jackpot, because they were funny and strange. This just looks shiny and boring.

Headhunters is brilliant, really didn't go where I was expecting it to. I haven't seen Jackpot so will try to track it down

[Serge]

Well, this is getting thoroughly trashed.

Is it? I'm off to see it early next week, so maybe I'll be joining in that chorus before long.

[greenman]

Is Fassbender in danger of going a bit Nick Cage?

[BritishHobo]

Aye, one and two star reviews pretty much across the board.

I'm away til Sunday so am hoping to catch it sometime next week. My enthusiasm's gone right down but it's still Harry Hole, so I gotta give it a go.

[Serge]

Well, my opening post to this very thread shows that my expectations were already pretty low....! If the film comes in lower than that, well, what can I say?

Just looking at some of them, and fuck me, Peter Bradshaw actually opens his review with a joke about the Raymond Briggs 'Snowman', the cunt.

Christ! Even 'Empire' only give it two stars. They'll give a rave review to any old shit these days, so it must be bad.

[BritishHobo]

The puns are the most excruciating part. There's one, possibly that Guardian one, where the critic references Alfredson's work on Let The Right One In and says this is more a case of Let The Wrong One In. Mate.

Bloke on Radio 1's interviewing Fassbender right now and said it's his favourite film of the year. Fair fucks, guy.

[mothman]

Maybe an eminent failure will make it more likely there'll be a decent TV show of the series, either Home-grown or made in English with Brit (etc.) actors. Just not Branagh! Trying to think of a good actor who could do it...

[Head Gardener]

I will see it next week but i'll probably only get to the bit where Fass says "cutting it up into little pieces, that's what a child does to establish order"