Lost City of Z

Z dweller

Well-known member
According to the IMDb, the movie is now in pre-production.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212428/

WRT books, I strongly recommend "Exploration Fawcett: Journey to the Lost City of Z", which is based on Fawcett's own manuscripts and offers much more detail on the Colonel's expeditions than the Grann book.

A truly fabulous read. (y)
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
Pale Horse said:
This is the archaeology movie we've secretly been hoping Indy would be.
Interestingly enough, Col. Percy Fawcett was no archaeologist, although he had a keen interest in the subject.

Let's see if the upcoming movie truthfully showcases his explorer/adventurer side, and sheer determination, which was truly unique, or adds some kind of academic background which in reality the good colonel never had.

A funny thought: since Fawcett was 57 when he disappeared looking for Z, Ford might have conceivably been a suitable candidate to play the part*.



*Some might even say that at this stage he'd be better suited to play Fawcett than Indy...
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
The first trailer, which made a brief appearance on internet a few weeks ago, then disappeared, is again available here.

Charlie Hunnam definitely looks the part, and overall the trailer is very promising, despite the fact that clearly some aspects of the story were modified to fit the expectations and sensibilities of modern moviegoers, as is often the case with this type of adaptation.

Count me in. (y)
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Thank you, Z Dweller!(y) I cannot believe this movie is nearly upon us. FINALLY!

The guy with the topi helmet looks a heck of a lot more like the real Fawcett than C.Hunnam does but I'm not complaining. The film looks much classier than I thought it would be.

Bring it on! :D
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
Stoo said:
Thank you, Z Dweller!(y) I cannot believe this movie is nearly upon us. FINALLY!

The film looks much classier than I thought it would be.

Bring it on! :D
Pleasure, Stoo. :hat:

As you can probably gather from my chosen Raven name, I am a huge Fawcett fan.
I am also looking forward to this movie, and like yourself was pleasantly surprised with the trailer.

However, having read both the Gann book and "Exploration Fawcett", as well as watched many documentaries about the Colonel, I know that part of me will inevitably be disappointed with the way his personality and adventures are likely to be portrayed in a movie aimed at today's popcorn crowd.

Fawcett ≠ Indy...

At the same time, I accept that there are constraints and limitations inherent to the movie medium, so yes, bring it on.
I was always going to watch it anyway! ;)

Stoo said:
The guy with the topi helmet looks a heck of a lot more like the real Fawcett than C.Hunnam does but I'm not complaining.
Could be worse though, we could have got Brad Pitt with a fake British accent, now THAT would have definitely put me off!
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Z dweller said:
As you can probably gather from my chosen Raven name, I am a huge Fawcett fan.
Don't know why I never made the connection before!:eek: Cool name. So...being a Z dweller, are you a redhead?:p

I haven't read Grann's book yet but did read his lengthy article in "The New Yorker" and all of the expeditions to find Fawcett, including his own, are just as fascinating. Without a doubt, this film will boost sales of his book (& "Exploration Fawcett").

Yes, it looks like certain aspects have been sensationalized (one glaring example is Fawcett as an infantry officer in WW1 instead of artillery) but I don't really mind because I'm just glad this thing was finally made. Overall, it appears to be treating the subject matter with respect. We'll have to wait & see...
Z dweller said:
Could be worse though, we could have got Brad Pitt with a fake British accent, now THAT would have definitely put me off!
Agreed. Even though Brad Pitt is a worthy actor, he doesn't fit. Too bad the Benedict Cumberbatch announcement didn't follow through because he looks the part much better.

Indiana Jones (& "Star Wars") connection: Ian McDiarmid is in this.
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
Stoo said:
So...being a Z dweller, are you a redhead?:p
I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you. :dead:

However, a clue to the identity of those you speak of can be found hidden in this riddle (along with a couple of red herrings, just for good measure).:p

beL●evE me y●U may, Or ●●u maY no●, but mas is mOre and cero iS na●●ht



I wonder if the answer will actually feature in the movie? We shall see…
 

IndyBuff

Well-known member
I read the book when it came out and couldn't put it down. I even read Fawcett's journal afterward and it shed even more light into who he was and all of his exploits. I'm typically not a fan of films like this because they tend to downplay the history in favor of the usual Hollywood tropes, though I remain hopeful they can do this one justice.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
The first reviews are trickling out of the New York Film Festival, and they are starting off quite positive. From The Hollywood Reporter:


Todd McCarthy said:
The compelling and quixotic true story of a British army officer who, a century ago, ventured into uncharted realms of South American jungle in search of a presumed ancient civilization, The Lost City of Z is a rare piece of contemporary classical cinema; its virtues of methodical storytelling, traditional style and obsessive theme are ones that would have been recognized and embraced anytime from the 1930s through the 1970s. Whether they will be properly valued by more speed-minded modern audiences will only become known when this immaculate production is released next spring, a half-year after its world premiere as the closing night attraction at this year's New York Film Festival.

Full review: 'Lost City of Z': NYFF Review

Variety: 'The Lost City of Z' review from the New York Film Festival

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x9GoM3xAu9k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There's also an official release date: The flick will make it's debut stateside on 21 April 2017. Polish up the pith helmets and square your compasses!
 

Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
Amazon Studios comes full circle.

BizarroAmazonWEB.jpg
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
The first reviews are trickling out of the New York Film Festival, and they are starting off quite positive. From The Hollywood Reporter:
...
There's also an official release date: The flick will make it's debut stateside on 21 April 2017. Polish up the pith helmets and square your compasses!
Can't wait for April 21st! :) This was comforting to read from The Hollywood Reporter:

"It also refrains from going in other possible directions, such as inventing adventures that didn't happen or attaching a fashionable modern ideological agenda about the white man's incursion into a native population's turf."

---
Speaking of pith helmets, here are some screengrabs of Albert De Winton from the serial, "King of the Wild" (1931). Three years after it was released, he would disappear in the Brazilian jungle while searching for Fawcett:

AlbertDeWinton_zpsjcylqqfb.jpg
 

curmudgeon

Well-known member
Trailer.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OUNKEmVz3Q4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Definitely looks interesting. Cool to see in Ian McDiarmid in something again, too. I'd love to see him in more movies.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
It's probably going to bomb too now that the MPAA has slapped the dreaded R-rating on the picture. I don't imagine a lot of adults scampering to their local cineplexes for this one unless there's a healthy dose of the preternatural hidden amongst the Brazilian rainforest.

Full article: Brad Pitt's 'Lost City of Z' loses appeal to overturn R Rating

There's not much detail in the article regarding the whys and what fors, but the ratings board felt its R-rating was deserved because of "brief violence". The producers and director were unable to convince them otherwise.

The-Lost-City-of-Z-6-620x414.jpg


The-Lost-City-of-Z-16-620x414.jpg
 
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