*attempts Tarzan yell*

[cairistiona]

*voice cracks*
*coughing fit ensues*
*fails miserably*

BUT... my inner Saturday-afternoon-black-and-white-movie-watching, Edgar-Rice-Burroughs-book-devouring kid is over the moon at this:

Seriously. I have been waiting MY ENTIRE LIFE for a really good Tarzan movie (just as I'm still waiting on a good Robin Hood movie that matches my headcanon, and a good King Arthur movie with the same constraints). I had a set of all the Tarzan books, first editions no less that, alas, my mother gave to Goodwill when I went to college and they downsized. I read all the books, multiple times, and loved them to bits. So, watching this trailer, I am absolutely all in at this point. It looks beautifully filmed, has Samuel L Jackson, has some subtle snarky Lord Greystoke humor (watch for the tea-drinking scene), and just all around epicness that I hope/pray/beg/plead bodes well for the actual movie.

AND WE HEAR THE TARZAN YELL. THE YELL, Y'ALL.

*wiggles and squirms like a happy puppy hearing the treat box open*

The movie doesn't follow the books, from what I've read. It's not really an origin story so much as a 'revert to his origins' story, which sounds very intriguing. It'll be fun to watch a cultured Englishman tap into the beast within.

But I'm holding a wee bit back on this, because I remember getting very exciting at the first trailer for John Carter, another Burroughs' book adaptation, and it ended up being quite lame and meh.

So pleeeeeeeeeeease oh please be good, LoT!!

Comments

[imbecamiel.livejournal.com]

O.O Ooooh. If this turns out to be good I will be SO HAPPY. I haven't read all the Tarzan books, but I've read a lot of them and enjoyed them so much. Heh, they're decidedly one of my "Don't judge me, they're awesome" books. Everyone's got a perception of what Tarzan is (which, sadly, is generally "silly/lame", which may kill a lot of things before it even has a chance to get cool), but man those books are fun.

Reeeeally hope this actually proves to be good. I'm with you on the Robin Hood thing too. Everyone seems to want to reinvent things, and while that can be good too... what I really want is just Robin Hood.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

"Don't judge me, they're awesome" books

YES. I always endured no end of eye rolling and teasing over my love of Tarzan... and yet go figure, people do actually get excited when a new version comes out. Tarzan seems to be a guilty pleasure for a lot of people who think it's too 'out there' to be taken seriously.

Sad for them, really. Me, I get giddy about Tarzan, always have. Oh the hours I spent climbing trees pretending to be the Ape Man. *g* I never was the least interested in Jane... I always wanted to be Tarzan.

[imbecamiel.livejournal.com]

I knowwww. Every time a friend found out what I was reading... *sighs* But they are so much better than what springs to most people's minds when they hear what you're reading.

Baha, and I hear you on the "wanting to be Tarzan" thing. I mean, sure, there may always be that element of falling in love with the hero, but mostly... yeah. I totally wanted to be him. (I actually read a rather fascinating essay a while back, that discussed that very fact: that, more than being Great Literature, what the Tarzan books captured so beautifully was just that daydream that seems to be so common - wanting to be that kind of awesome, who cares about "realism" - and allowing us to enjoy it vicariously through him.)

I am now thinking nostalgically of our first pet hermit crabs. I named mine Tarzan. My brother, being quite young at the time and having apparently completely misheard the character names but wanting to get in on the theme, promptly named his James. So we had Tarzan... and James. The great unknown bromance, I guess. It gave our parents no end of amusement.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Baha, and I hear you on the "wanting to be Tarzan" thing. I mean, sure, there may always be that element of falling in love with the hero, but mostly... yeah. I totally wanted to be him.

I AM SO GLAD I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE!

So we had Tarzan... and James.

*dies of lulz*

[nefhiriel.livejournal.com]

*CANNOT CONTAIN SELF*

I HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS.

*SQUEEING*

Cami put it well: this is definitely one of my "don't judge me" fandoms. I devoured the Tarzan books when I was younger, and, like you, I've been waiting for a real person version that fully fits my headcanon. The Disney version is fun, but it's not the same as REAL PERSON AMAZINGNESS.

I'm such a starry-eyed idiot about legends like Robin Hood, and Ivanhoe, and Zorro, and Tarzan, and Superman, and it's embarrassing, but it's a long-time love that I refuse to disown just because I'm too old for that kind of thing. XD (I want to go see this with you and Cami, who understand why it's possible to imagine "silly" stories like this as being legitimately cool ^^).

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

(I want to go see this with you and Cami, who understand why it's possible to imagine "silly" stories like this as being legitimately cool ^^).

WE WOULD HAVE SO MUCH FUN!!!

Oh, imagine!! And really, count me in as a founding member of the Starry-Eyed Idiot Club. I *still* wave my Obsessive Fangirl banner high (as evidenced by by online activities). I have no intentions of stopping, especially now that I'm leaving the 'supposed to take life Very Seriously ages and heading toward if not squarely in the Whee Fun I'm Old Enough Not To Worry About What People Think era. *g*)

[nefhiriel.livejournal.com]

One of these days we need to at least get together for a movie marathon. :D

"I'm leaving the 'supposed to take life Very Seriously ages and heading toward if not squarely in the Whee Fun I'm Old Enough Not To Worry About What People Think era"

I'm gonna get there, I'm sure. I already look back at areas where I have been SO DEAD SRS, and I just shake my head (but at the same time I think there are stages of literal-mindedness that you can't get through until you're older - you just can't, until you've got perspective). I totally bow to your example of just embracing it all and having fun with it. ;D

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

(but at the same time I think there are stages of literal-mindedness that you can't get through until you're older - you just can't, until you've got perspective).

Yep. Perspective is everything in many cases, and there are things my 85 y/o dad could calmly endure that still have me tearing my hair out. :/

[mrowe.livejournal.com]

I'm not particularly invested in Tarzan either way, but a fun movie is always a good thing:-)

As for good versions of Robin Hood: as far as I'm concerned nothing can surpass the 1980s Robin of Sherwood ITV tv series (first two seasons Michael Praed, third Jason Connery) - which reminds me that there's another dvd set that's due a rewatch...

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I've never seen that version of Robin Hood... it dropped during my college years when I don't think I watched any television at all. Might have to do some digging to see if it's on YouTube or streaming somewhere.

[mrowe.livejournal.com]

I can highly recommend it:-) even if the hair's a bit 80s at times

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with 80s hair on the guys (so long as the mullet isn't TOO ridiculous). *g* On my OWN hair... yeah, had no end of problems during that era. *shudder*

[mrowe.livejournal.com]

*has flashback*

*shudders*

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

We can always hope, right?

I grew up on the old Errol Flynn movies which spoiled me for a lot of things. Robin Hood! Pirates! ::happy sigh::

Some "Robins" have been better than others but most tend to be not quite right. (Though I adored Alan Rickman as the Sheriff -- big surprise, eh? :) The 'Robin of Sherwood' was really good though. I have the box set that my cousin P. gave me for Christmas last year.

As for Tarzan... well, that can be really iffy. I just heard about it in the last day or so, and I wonder why we haven't see/heard a big publicity push for it earlier (because seriously, I'm not going to be tricked by SW after Ep. 1: TPM in '99, no matter what the publicity machine is putting out. Damn you, George Lucas!)

Also, on a slightly happier, more nostalgic note, my boyfriend in 1st grade was called Tarzan. :)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Alan Rickman was genius as the Sheriff! Best part of that entire movie besides the soundtrack, which I still love.

I've been following this Tarzan project since I first heard about the casting, however long ago that was. It's been quietly getting attention all this time but this trailer release seems to finally be generating some serious buzz. I just hope it holds up to the promise!

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, Alan Rickman as Sheriff was just perfection! :) Actually, there were some good parts in that movie. Sadly, Robin wasn't one of them. :(

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I hope it will be good. I love the books and want a strong, confident Tarzan (and even better, a very competent and self-reliant Jane). I grew up with the original TV series (the B&W one) and the Tarzan call is in my psyche. It's rather amazing that one TV show could put such a thing into the cultural milieu.

- Erulisse (one L)

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

It's a fascinating phenomenon, how fictional characters endure for so long. Romeo & Juliet, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Tolkien's characters, and now in the modern era, all the various superheroes... they've all become an integral part of storytelling.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I'm not an optimist about "being good"... many big action hit-movies are based only on action (and maybe CGI), and the rest is not that good. :/

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I'm still going to keep my fingers crossed.

[shirebound]

Thanks for the heads up! I hadn't heard about that yet.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I have all my fingers and toes crossed it's worthy of the Lord of the Jungle!

[mikononyte.livejournal.com]

I think I've seen every Tarzan movie known to man, except those horrid disnified pieces of ape poop... I loved them all. Yes they all had flaws, because really, NOTHING can capture what Burroughs and we, the readers, could put into our minds.

Still, this seems to have promise. One must wait and see.

And yes, I had the set, once upon a time. A long involved story of rain rain rain and trying to get home with the stupid things on a bus!!! haha I think before I left home I'd read nearly all of them. Remember them? ... hmmm not so much. Too much else has wiped the slate clean I fear. But the story, the idea of Tarzan, still runs in these veins I tell you!

*big grin* And no way would I try that yell. I'll leave that for the Big Guy Himself! LOL

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Remember them? ... hmmm not so much. Too much else has wiped the slate clean I fear. But the story, the idea of Tarzan, still runs in these veins I tell you!

You've described it exactly. I read them all as a kid/teenager and now I can only vaguely remember some of the details, but the idea of Tarzan was branded into my brain from the cradle, just about.

I remember attempting the yell when I was a kid. I don't think it would call even a kitten, let alone lions and great apes. More likely to scare them completely away. LOL

[ysilme]

:D It has Christoph Waltz in it (one of those "I'll watch everything with them"-actors for me), so I'll be definitely watching, and letting myself be surprised. My one or two Tarzan experiences haven't been good ones, I suppose I managed to see the less good filmings so far. *g*
("Tarzan" pronounced in English sounds so weird... *g* )

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

My one or two Tarzan experiences haven't been good ones, I suppose I managed to see the less good filmings so far. *g*

I'm not sure there's really been any truly *good* ones, especially by today's standards. I know so much of what I love about the Johnny Weismuller ones is simple nostalgia... I think I tried to watch one after I was an adult and I was sorely disappointed. LOL But as a kid, they were absolutely wonderful.

How is "Tarzan" pronounced in Germany? Admittedly, I assumed it'd be pronounced the same everywhere since it's a name in the fictional language of a fictional species of ape. *g* (And we thought only Tolkien did that sort of thing....)

[marta-bee.livejournal.com]

I hear you on the fear for a good adaptation. It's so tempting to be hopeful, and so hard when it falls short, isn't it? But I'm glad you have the hopefulness now, however it turns out.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Hope definitely springs eternal... or at least until the reviews roll in. LOL For now, I'm going to enjoy the anticipation.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Aahh, but it has Alexader Skaarsgard as Tarzan! I like him, not from True Blood but from that HBO miniseries Generation Kill. Looking forward to this movie, thanks for the heads-up!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I've never actually seen him in anything so I suppose I won't be carrying in any preconceived expectations... other than from the trailer. :)