Topic: The REAL Castlevania Movie

[Valtiel]

So you're saying that game adaptations are supposed to have game quality acting? Sorry, but in a game, the gameplay is all important, and in a movie, writing and acting are all important. No cross over. Plus making a bunch of stuff up is uncecessary, expanding the existing canon to fill 90 minutes of screen time is though.  So what if the classic games have about 30 minutes worth of story combined, talented film makers should be able to use their imagination without making a horrible mess of it.

Point is, as I said above, that the source material can't sustain the narrative of a movie. And if the film makers add so much that the original elements fall in the background, the fans call it a rape of the source material.

Look at the Silent Hill movie: it added quite little to the original story, while featuring essentially all the original elements... and people still hated it.

The core problem here is that you could put ALL the CV elements in a single movie and still the stuff you'd add would take the front seat compared to that. A movie is mostly made of dialogue and character interaction, and that's nowhere to be found in the game. What's the personality of Simon, or Alucard, in the games? Let's say we make a movie with them. We need to "make up" the characters and we'll inevitably end up displeasing some fans because Alucard is too manly/too girly and Simon is too serious/too young/too buff/too thin etc. Or if they just keep them as they are people will complain the movie is terrible and the characters are cardboard thin and they don't live up to those complex shakespearian characters our imagination built over the pixelated sprites.

Anyone who had to work on a CV movie would have VERY little to work on; the potential for displeasing fans is enormous.

[thernz]

Oh yeah I agree. Castlevania doesn't really have that substantial of a story to build off on. I mean, I guess, if a movie was made, the most successful adaptation without changing elements would be LoS. But I really don't find a lot of layers or character interaction in any of them. I mean, there may be potential to build off of Castlevania III with Sypha, Grant, and Alucard, than all the dynamics between the Belmonts and the Church, or witches and the church, ALUCARD AND DRACULA.
But in the end, it will just end up as some popcorn flick, and I rather not have one made then.

[X]

What's the personality of Simon, or Alucard, in the games? Let's say we make a movie with them.

I say that Simon's personality is similar to Conan the Barbarian. As his early CV art would imply.

-X

[Munchy]

Point is, as I said above, that the source material can't sustain the narrative of a movie. And if the film makers add so much that the original elements fall in the background, the fans call it a rape of the source material.

Look at the Silent Hill movie: it added quite little to the original story, while featuring essentially all the original elements... and people still hated it.

I think people hated the Silent Hill movie because the writing was terrible and took all the mystery out of it. (At least, that's what I hated about it. Looked great, though.)

[Nagumo]

Does anyone remenber that poster from about a year ago for the offical film? Was that guy on the poster supposed to be Trevor or what?

[Richter]

What's the personality of Simon, or Alucard, in the games? Let's say we make a movie with them.

I say that Simon's personality is similar to Conan the Barbarian. As his early CV art would imply.

-X

They are generally stoic archetypes, with a black and white motivation usually to vanquish; evil be it for revenge, love or simply to put themselves apart those who abuse their supernatural gifts/curses. Pretty standard even for a movie storyline. Humourless perhaps, but that's the point - this isn't Devil May Cry. What kind of personality would be carved by a lifetime of monster killing or a father who insists on persecuting the innocent? To be honest this leaves all sorts of good writing opportunities. Vampire mythos itself has plenty of stereotypes due to the nature of the human mind, something not built to withstand immortality. Building on a character with adding a lot of random BS is not so difficult.

[Belmonto]

I must perform a research about Castlevania fans, and complete it until the next year
(because in early 2011 they will start to write a screenplay)
Of course, there is already a LOT of information at the Castlevania forums,
polls "best Castlevania game", "favorite Castlevania character" etc.
But there are some things that are not easy to find out.
So, I'm going to ask you several questions.

The first question is:
What do you think about old directors like Toru Hajiara (Symphony of the Night director)
Koji IGA Igarashi, and director Yamashita from Castlevania 64?

[CristopherLee]

Hi:

I'm Enrique, from Spain (sorry my english). I used to watch this forum in order to find news and interesting opinions about my favorite franchise... this is my first post.

Well, the idea of a Castlevania movie is IMPORTANT for me. I love this franchise since i was 8 years old.

I really want to see that live action movie that was planned since 2006. And i wish you the best of lucks in your fan-project, of course.

What do you think about old directors like Toru Hajiara (Symphony of the Night director)
Koji IGA Igarashi, and director Yamashita from Castlevania 64?

I really HATE the work of Igarashi. I don't hate him because he is a human being and, actually, I don't know him in person... but I think that most of his ideas during the years was AWFUL. The GBA and NDS Castlevania games are, in my opinion, a hideous piece of crap. I hate his stories and I hate his characters.

I don't know anything about Toru Hajiara. Well, I played Symphony of the night, of course, that is a great game... but not my favorite. that's all.

Castlevania 64 was a big dissapointment. I sold the game.

So, actually, no one of this three directors are a reference for me.

I really think a movie must go back into the roots of this saga: the idea of a lineage of bad-ass heroes destiny to fight the Greatest Evil (Count Dracula itself!!!). Simon were even cooler when we don't have a clue about the previous vampire hunters. And the Lord of the Undead must be a tiranic bastard, not a tragic anti-hero or something like that.

And, please, stop with origin stories. Origin stories are BORING. Only Christopher Nolan did it great in "Batman".

[Valtiel]

Hi:

I'm Enrique, from Spain (sorry my english). I used to watch this forum in order to find news and interesting opinions about my favorite franchise... this is my first post.

Well, the idea of a Castlevania movie is IMPORTANT for me. I love this franchise since i was 8 years old.

What do you think about old directors like Toru Hajiara (Symphony of the Night director)
Koji IGA Igarashi, and director Yamashita from Castlevania 64?

I really HATE the work of Igarashi. I don't hate him because he is a human being and, actually, I don't know him... but I think that most of his ideas during the years was AWFUL. Most of the GBA and NDS Castlevania games are, in my opinion, a hideous piece of crap. I hate his stories and I hate his characters.

I don't know anything about Toru Hajiara. Well, I play Symphony of the night, of course, that is a great game... but not my favorite. that's all.

Castlevania 64 was a big dissapointment for me. I sell the game.

So, actually, no one of this three directors are a reference for me.

I really think a movie must go back into the roots of this saga: the idea of a lineage of bad-ass heroes destiny to fight the Greatest Evil (Count Dracula itself!!!). Simon were even cooler when we don't have a clue about the previous vampire hunters. And the Lord of the Undead must be a tiranic bastard, not a tragic anti-hero or something like that.

And, please, stop with origin stories. Origin stories are BORING. Only Christopher Nolan did it great in "Batman".

Hello and welcome onboard!

[X]

Welcome to the forums 

What do you think about old directors like Toru Hajiara (Symphony of the Night director)
Koji IGA Igarashi, and director Yamashita from Castlevania 64?

I wouldn't let IGA do any of the CV movies. At all. He'd mess'em up like he did with our CV VG franchise *Cough!* Mathias *Cough!* SotN was an awesome game so coodos to the director. CV64 I also enjoyed. Maybe not back in the day but definitly now. So this director is also a favorable choice.

-X

[Vampirvania1096]

Hey guys maybe you don't understood Belmonto topic, he said:
Which directors do you prefer of old Castlevania, so not means like IGA or Toru, Or others must be the director movie, is different attention.
As for my self as director game I prefer IGA, and Toru, but please not Lords of Shadow, cause is not Castlevania I already finished and I'm very disappoint, the style is different in some point when you climb the wall is like Prince of PErsia, when you ride the beast is like Golden Axe, when you use a combo is like God of War, music soundtrack is not like Castelvania style, so not Michiru Yamane, the location aren't dark the last boss is Satan and not Dracula, the are an Horse and an Eagle who speaka lot, the graphic seem like Prince of PErsia Ps3 first version, sorry by Mercurysteam made another game not Castlevania, so I hope that this guys for fan film don't shoot like LOS or will be a bad movie.
That's my opinion and very castlevania fans I think they knows.

[CristopherLee]

Valtiel, X, thank you very much

but please not Lords of Shadow, cause is not Castlevania I already finished and I'm very disappoint, the style is different in some point when you climb the wall is like Prince of PErsia, when you ride the beast is like Golden Axe, when you use a combo is like God of War, music soundtrack is not like Castelvania style,

AGAIN with that??

C'mon people. "Lord of Shadows" is the first REAL Castlevania we have since "Rondo of blood". Everyone is speaking about the fealing of the game. But when I play LoS I actually can feel the Castlevania style... when I played "Aria of Sorrow" I only feel PAIN.

[Vampirvania1096]

I know you are spanish and for you is good think Mercurysteam, and I didn't says that LOS isn't a bad game cause is a good game for other kind, but honestly is not Castlevania.
don't take as a personal feeling is just a discussion

[CristopherLee]

I don't love LoS because it is spanish. I must like flamenco and toros too? That's an absurd statement.

I love LoS because it is an AWESOME videogame. And because it reminds me of that old 8 bit epics.

Yes, it is Castlevania. It have action, adventure, good against evil, hordes of monsters, a Belmont, a whip, Carmilla, Death and the best origin story for Dracula in the whole saga. Of course it is Castlevania.

[Vampirvania1096]

I hope for fan film, don't realize like LOS, cause isn't like Castlevania series!