The Frank Darabont Script

Sankara

Guest
So, in Darabonts Sript wasn't a Son of Indy? Let's pray that there is no Son in the finally Script. Otherwise: "Indy IV" is doomed...
 

Niteshade007

New member
I am getting a little tired of Darabont's whining. We get it, you wrote a script, it didn't get used, let's move on. Seriously, you're a grown ass man, let's start acting like one.
 

Avilos

Active member
I am a big fan of Darabont's work but he does come off as a whiner. Scripts are rewritten all the time. Especially films of this size get many rewrites. If his ideas are a significant part of the film he should get a credit. But it does not sound like he really knows what is in the film or not. He's just hearing it second hand.

First he was complaining that he wasted a year...and now he is trying to take credit for it....which means he did not waste that year, huh???? I predicted he would do this when he last spoke on this subject!

I think it will be interesting to hear what Spielberg says about Darabont's script. HE is bound to be questioned intensely about that when he give interviews for the fan based press next year. He certainly will not say Darabont's was better than what they shot. I have always maintained that Lucas took the blame for this because he does not seem to care what anyone thinks of him, while Steven certainly does care. If he wanted to direct that version it would have happened and George would have gone along with it.
 

misnomer

New member
in all fairness, if id spent a year writing an indiana jones script that spielberg said was better than raiders, only for it to not get used and messed around with, Id be pretty miffed too.

as for the arbitration or whatever, I dont think darabont is actively hoping for a feud...he sounds more along the lines of "agh..here we go"
 

FordFan

Well-known member
I just hope that this new movie doesn't appear disjointed. "This has gotta be Darabont's foundation, and this has gotta be Koepp's polishing". "Lucas must've insisted upon this", or "So this is what they did to replace Sean Connery". I'm anticipating a seamless movie, where the story really is the best one possible.
 

commontone

New member
I agree with Misnomer...the guy spent a year of his life passionately working on an Indiana Jones script, which he seems to think is as amazing an opportunity as any of us would. Then Lucas vetoes it (apparently with total stubbornness and no good explanation). The press asks him how he feels about that, and he tells them, and his feelings are totally understandable.

He seemed despondent at first, but he's moved on to "professional disappointment." Now he finds out his ideas are being used to a significant degree. In his own mind he's probably like, "Son of a *****, lord knows I don't want to deal with this, but I've gotta do what I've gotta do and try and get some credit for my ideas they pillaged."

I don't see anything wrong with it at all.
 

Niteshade007

New member
I understand being upset. I would too. I just don't think that his responses towards it are very mature ones. Yes, they are in the sense that he is calling Lucas a doody-head, but he is STILL complaining about his work not being used. A more professional person would just stick to the last comments that Darabont made about Spielberg making a great movie or whatever it is that he said and not subject us yet again to childish remarks that his work would have been better or that they are stealing his work. If they are, then yes, I feel Darabont should get credit, but as he has not seen the movie nor read the script, at this point he shouldn't have much to complain about.
 

Sankara

Guest
I really like Darabonts movies - but his work on Indiana Jones.. I don't know.
He gave us a lot of VERY bad and lousy Episodes of "Young Indy". I'm very glad that DK is on board.
 

Eric Solo

Member
Sankara said:
I really like Darabonts movies - but his work on Indiana Jones.. I don't know.
He gave us a lot of VERY bad and lousy Episodes of "Young Indy". I'm very glad that DK is on board.

Weren't all episodes of Young Indy bad and lousy? Even the bit with HF in it was crap.
 

oki9Sedo

New member
I think people are a bit quick to praise Frank Darabont....The Mist doesn't exactly look like its going to change the face of cinema. That said, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile were two great films.
 
oki9Sedo said:
I think people are a bit quick to praise Frank Darabont....The Mist doesn't exactly look like its going to change the face of cinema. That said, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile were two great films.

I think you answered yourself there!

Compare and contrast with the facile nature of Koepp's work and you'll see why plenty around here were disappointed when Lucas vetoed the Darabont script and more than a little concerned about the likely ways in which a Nathanson/Koepp effort might have been more pleasing to Lucas...

This is the man who balked at the Henry/Indy/Elsa "love" triangle and wrote such memorably profound dialogue in the star wars prequels after all...
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
oki9Sedo said:
That said, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile were two great films.
One more reason for this constant surly comments from Darabont could be that making films like these has certainly inflated his ego quite a bit.

Along came Lucas, who popped it like a balloon.
 

bergstrom

New member
oki9Sedo said:
I think people are a bit quick to praise Frank Darabont....The Mist doesn't exactly look like its going to change the face of cinema. That said, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile were two great films.

Please please Stephen King, write one more prison movie so Frank can complete a prison trilogy.

Berg
 

torao

Moderator Emeritus
Moedred said:
He "wrote a couple of drafts."
He says "I had crystal skulls in mine, yeah, absolutely."
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1020447443067990731

Yeah, well...
Most interesting video on Indy IV thus far, I think.

I can't believe he actually put it in there, THE line... It's so funny (the fact that he put it in there, the line itself...doubtful). Especially how, in the interview he mentions it with such sweet emphasis, such fervor...

"The line" itself probably ranks at least on the #3 spot of most condemned potential Indy IV dialogue lines and scenes. It comes right after "I'm too old for this ****" and "Indy handing over the torch or ...fedora ...to Mutt".

I can imagine, though, that, if it's put in the context of the film, the conceptually rather cheesy line may turn out to be more poetic than if you read it on talkbacks or message boards. Maybe I'd sit in that theater and ...actually like it.

I remember the Berg and Cruise being on Oprah, promoting MINORITY REPORT and that Spielberg laughingly mentioned how Indy this time should say "It's not the mileage, honey, it's the years..."

As far as the arbitration is concerned:
1. We don't know to what extent Darabont's script has remained in all the Nathanson/Koepp drafts. That's a fact. We don't know.
2. I'd like to hear a perspective of someone who is a member of the WGA or knows the mechanisms of script arbitrations.

I can't really understand all the "he (Darabont)'s so full of himself" arguments on other Indy IV related boards. While I don't share that impression of Darabont it's as if people percieved Hollywood as an industry that is reigned by fairness and justice.
 
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Kingsley

Member
torao said:
I can't believe he actually put it in there, THE line... "It's not the mileage, honey, it's the years..."
Well, if Koepp stands true to his words, that line probably didn't made it to the final draft.
Darabonts name could probably appear in the credits in some way... just to let him happy and quiet.
But he is the only one who is speaking now! so let him be a little pissed for a while...
 

commontone

New member
I don't think Darabont seems like an arrogant whiner at all. He seems to have accepted what happened, though he was probably quite upset when it did. He seems reasonable.

Still, that line...and the scary thing is, I can totally imagine Spielberg--just from knowing his personality from interviews and everything--laughing at that line, saying, "Yeah, yeah! That's great! We gotta use that." Let's hope he has a voice of personal honesty deep down inside that tells him, "Admit it Stephen, that line is horse****."
 
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