Ravenloft: The Movie

[Jakob]

About a Ravenloft Movie, there's just ONE THING to say.

Absolutely filmed in black and white!

[Joël of the FoS]

Well perhaps not in black and white, but the color palette should indeed be mostly with darker colours, and shades of grey And a few bright spot in red or yellow for dangerous things.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Indeed,
I think the best example of a Ravenloft movie would be Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. The color scheme was perfect.
In New Tork city, everything was very brightly contrasted - big splotchy blacks, harsh whites.
In the country, while the credits rolled, you got some great picturesque shots of the beautiful, gloomy contryside. You could see the variety of colors and shades, but yet everything was muted - as if a shadow overhung everything.
Sleepy Hollow itself was muted and dulled; everything was old and worn and covered with dust.
In the end, when the evil is vanquished, the color scheme becomes brilliant and vibrant - nature is brighter and warmer, and the city of New York becomes a nearly blindingly bright city of marble.

[Jakob]

ScS spoke words of wisdom.
I humbly retreat.

PS: Something like a "Tim Burton's Ravenloft"? I'd simply love it.

[Undead Cabbage]

Something like a "Tim Burton's Ravenloft"? I'd simply love it.

One could only dream...

[Samael Hands of Stone]

Something like a "Tim Burton's Ravenloft"? I'd simply love it.

One could only dream...

Yeah, then again if it turned out anything like Burton's recent work, I'd rather pass. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was almost as bad as Planet of the Apes. And there's the fact that im Burton's style tends to be a bit much sometimes. The creepy-crawlies and macabre-everything approach is nice sometimes but overebearing at other moments. He's too much of a one-trick pony, and he hasn't even gotten that one tirck right as of late.

I'd much prefer the style of Ridley Scott (Aliens), Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects), Christophe Ganz, Alejandro Amenábar (The Others), Alex Proyas (The Crow), or Christopher Nolan (Memento/Batman Begins).

[Jasper]

The perfect theathrical style for a Ravenloft would be to copy that of The Brotherhood of the Wolf. I firmly stand by my stance that BOTW is as close to a 100% Ravenloft movie as has come out to date.

[Samael Hands of Stone]

The perfect theathrical style for a Ravenloft would be to copy that of The Brotherhood of the Wolf. I firmly stand by my stance that BOTW is as close to a 100% Ravenloft movie as has come out to date.

Wow I thought I was the only one...

[Jakob]

Alejandro Amenábar (The Others)

Oh, yeah... The mist-enveloped house, where no one can escape...
It'd make an excellent isle of terror.

[Ivana_Boritsi]

The perfect theathrical style for a Ravenloft would be to copy that of The Brotherhood of the Wolf. I firmly stand by my stance that BOTW is as close to a 100% Ravenloft movie as has come out to date.

No, I lot of people agree with this sentiment. Many Ravenloft fans liken Brotherhood of the Wolf to our favorite RPG setting.

I think Sleepy Hollow captures alot of the same feel. But I think that the one movie that comes closest to capturing Ravenloft 100% is In the Name of the Rose. Why? Because in the Name of the Rose is set in a medieval backdrop, where most of Ravenloft is set as well.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

A very valid point, Ivana.

Sleepy Hollow and Brotherhood of the Wolf capture the feel of the neuvau Ravenloft - the place where George Weathermay wears a tricorner hat and flintlocks and gunpowder are easier to get than a case of the white fever.

Name of the Rose may lack the supernatural angle, but it clearly represents the classic Ravenloft style.

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

The perfect theathrical style for a Ravenloft would be to copy that of The Brotherhood of the Wolf. I firmly stand by my stance that BOTW is as close to a 100% Ravenloft movie as has come out to date.

Wow I thought I was the only one...

Don't lie! You knew you were not the only one!

And Ivana - I couldn't agree with you more... It's totally perfect. And thoug the MOVIE has no supernatural elements, the place itself is STEEPED in superstition.

In fact, I may watch that movie tonight!

[alhoon]

*mental note* Brotherhood of the wolf. . .

Hmmm In the reviews it got 4/5 why if it such a good movie?

[Jasper]

While being visualy stunning and having superb acting BOTW has large plot hole about 2/3 of the way in concerning the main characters that keeps it from being a 5 outa 5 film.

If you watch it you will catch what I mean right off.

[Samael Hands of Stone]

*mental note* Brotherhood of the wolf. . .

Hmmm In the reviews it got 4/5 why if it such a good movie?

I did the review for it and I consider 4/5 in pretty damn high order. The movie's feel and pacing was dead-on for Ravenloft, as were the characters and the atmosphere. The only thing that kept it from being 5/5 (for me) were the slight discrepancies between the intrigue elements and the Hong Kong-style action.

I think what the director (C.Ganz) was attempting to create is an experiment between established period-piece French cinema, while blending a little Van Dam action into it and employing some music video cinematography. It almost felt like he was trying to show Hollywood "how its done". For the most part I believe he succeeded, but the experimental nature of BotW did make it feel disjointed at times (and unbelievably intense at others).