Ok, despite that I’ve actually seen this movie and apparently erased most of it from my mind, I still think it’s a fitting end to having finished The Golden Compass over on Mark Reads. (FYI: READ THAT BOOK. HOLY SHIT.) So, as I continue into the second book of the His Dark Materials trilogy, let’s take a moment to find a few things to appreciate about this cinematic version of a fantastic book!
Multiple liveblogs are planned for Mark Watches in the coming two weeks. We’re starting this weekend with The Golden Compass, and then next weekend we’ll do the final episode of Avatar on Saturday and then A Very Potter Sequel on Sunday, in preparation for the GREAT HARRY POTTER WEEKEND OF 2011.
Anyway, on to The Golden Compass!
This liveblog starts at 11:00am PDT on Saturday, July 2nd. Please consult a world clock to determine what time that is for you.
At 11:00am PDT, use the comments below as your own platform for commentary as we start the movie from the menu screen (or on your computer if you you’re using a digital file) right at that time. That’s it!
Hope you can join me for this online party!
Mark Watches The Golden Compass time chart, for easy personal scheduling. Just find a city in your same time zone to find when the livebloggy goodness starts for you.
yay! I know what I'm doing at 2:00 PM 😀
Thanks! Three in the afternoon for me, excellent timing!
Eight PM on Saturday, that should be doable.
thank you thank you!!!
Nice. By the way, Mark, ain’t funny that The Golden Compass, Harry Potter and Twilight had an Alexandre Desplat score?
Just a heads up: you said on the S3 prediction post you'd be doing a liveblog of the live-action TLA movie Sunday, July 10th. Which is where you're now scheduling AVPS.
(I think many people would be fine with the idea of skipping the TLA liveblog entirely.)
I was kind of wondering if his mind simply tricked him into thinking that he would be watching A Very Potter Sequel because the reality of what he'll be doing that Sunday is just too horrible to contemplate.
Certainly, it doesn't make any sense to start a "GREAT HARRY POTTER WEEKEND OF 2011" on a Sunday. I'm guessing he means the next Saturday or Sunday, since that would coincide with LeakyCon and the Deathly Hallows release?
Noooo, let's not skip the TLA liveblog! It's so much fun to make fun of and shout abuse at your TV/computer screen because the movie is so terrible! 😀
I might reschedule it because I am ALSO at LeakyCon that weekend. DAMN IT.
No problem! 🙂
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I thought the movie was very good, despite being marred by the excision of the ending and the switcheroo. Ooh, if only there was going to be a sequel!
Well, I was gonna go camping Friday/Saturday….. But Mark Watches Liveblogs trump nature.
Yay, I'm so glad we're doing this! I haven't seen the movie since it came out, and all I really remember is the plot happening in a stupid order, and the ending was completely fucked up, and not in a good way. I'm looking forward to groaning through it again with the support of my favourite book club.
Wait wait wait. We’re watching this so we can find things to appreciate about the movie? I might have to skip this one.
We are watching to commentate. You can make positive comments, neutral comments, or negative comments.
I just got the golden compass from the library! I be so prepared for this liveblog 🙂
Excited to hear Mark's thoughts on this! I wrote a college paper once on the differences between the novel and the film adaptation and why the film fails, so this liveblog will be fun to follow 🙂
I might not be here for this one. My friends and I are trying to get a trip to Carowinds set up for that day, and It'll probably be the last time (Sans the Deathly Hallow p2 Midnight show) that I'll see them before we all go our separate ways for college, so yeah, I love you Mark, but having one last hurrah with my buddies takes priority.
I haven't watched this since that weekend when (or before?) Mark went on his epic bicycle ride.
I'm excited. I hope my computer doesn't freeze. I'll lose my place and everything.
Drat…. I thought my netflix told me it had added it to my instant queue, but guess it's not for instant play and only for regular DVD. Seeing as how the liveblog is in 15 hours, I have no clue how I'm going to manage to get the movie by then. We'll see if I can work anythign out, but I may have to miss this one 🙁
maybe you can look on surfthechannel.com. I saw it there once. However, one time when I was on that website, I accidently clicked something and my computer got sick.
Use at your own risk is what I'm saying.
Or if you want to go the legal route, you can rent it from itunes for three bucks.
Eeep- Naw, I'm borrowing someone else's laptop right now, so sick computers is a no-no. Thanks for the itunes heads up though!
Got my copy from NetFlix. All ready to go! Nine more hours…maybe I should get some sleep.
I am also up a tad bit too early for the liveblog.
ONE HOUR TO GO!
I rented my copy from iTunes. PARTY IS A GO IN HALF AN HOUR.
I'm too lazy to go dig out my copy of the movie, but I've seen it several times so I'm going to try just following along in the comments. We'll see how that goes lol
Don't forget to use the bathroom before the movie starts everyone! 😛 And get those potato babies out of the oven/fryer/microwave!
When I was getting the Rifftrax for the Last Airbender I got excite because I saw one for this movie, but I clicked on it and it was a fan-made one (iRiffs, I think they're called?) with only one review and no sample clip. 🙁
ETA: And for some reason, clicking on "Last Activity" in this window isn't doing a darn thing unless I refresh the entire page.
It's a gorgeous, sunny Saturday morning in Seattle, and I am ready to watch me some Golden Compass!
15 minutes! And my plans fell through so I'll be here for it. Yay!
I'm so excited for this! I haven't had a chance to take part in a liveblog since AVPM!
It's at 8pm heare, so just the right time for a movie. Ooh, EXCITE!
Story Time! It was New Years right after this movie had come out. We had some family members come over, and my Uncle asked me if I watched it. I said no, but that I was planning to because it looked kind of cool. So he starts talking about the controversy and what not, and I ask him not to spoil the end of the movie for me because I want to see it. Well, he continues to talk about the movie, and I ask him again to stop. Again, he continues talking and ends up telling me all about the end of the movie. I was so mad at him, I ended up going into our basement to cool off for awhile.
I bring this up because this is the only thing I remember about this movie. Well, this story and the fact that I didn't like the movie. And I sort of remember polar bears, but not well.
OH CHRIST.
4 minutes! I'm having a stupid internet argument right now but I'm gonna try to wrap that up lol
HAHAHAHAHA.
"But Mark Watches, someone is wrong….on the Internet."
RIGHT, lol… so ridiculous and yet I am compelled to point it out, not sure what that says about me lol
Don't worry. That describes about 40% of my life right now.
Glad it's not just me lol
Two-browser solution ftw.
I'm doing laptop for the blog, and the movie is playing on my iPad. PARTY.
This is my first liveblog, I am excite! I have never seen this movie before either, so this should be interesting!
😀 Two-Laptops solution ftw
Play button/mouse at the ready…
Thus it begins.
Is the voiceover Serafina Pekkala?
That's what I'm sitting here, trying to figure out who's talking.
yes, I think so (at least it sounds like her)
Is that… the Oxford window? That we just read about in Subtle?
The effects are quite beautiful.
Oh god, this exposition is KIND OF IRRITATING. Thanks for spoiling EVERYTHING.
I know…. It took us so long to get these answers and they just answered every single question in the book. Not literally, but close enough.
And so here we run into our first problem with this movie. They straight up tell us the basics of Dust, even though THAT WAS ONE OF THE DRIVING POINTS OF THE STORY. Now we're stuck waiting for Lyra to eventually figure things out, but we've got the answer already.
Dear Chris Weitz, LEARN HOW TO TELL A STORY.
also, was I the only one who thought it was pronounced "Lee-Rah" rather than "Lie-Rah"?
Sorry… I'm a "Lie-Rah" girl
Yeah, I did not care for that beat-you-over-the-head exposition either.
I thought it was Lee-rah for the longest time, too.
but…but then we'd have to THINK while watching a movie!!! *faint*
dear god no NO
"Only one compass remains…" But in TSK Fra Pavel said that there are two.
There are six alethiometers.
But I thought that only 2 of them were let because the Church destroyed the other 4…
*left, damn typos!
Fra Pavel said that the Church ordered the destruction of the other ones, so that his is the only one aside from Lyra's.
the beginning with the voice over always reminds me of a poor man's LoTR :/
FUUUCK! My shitty computer froze on me!
So these child actors are very hit and miss.
I will say that they did the kids really well. So far. Also I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OF THIS FROM WHEN I WATCHED IT BEFORE.
Yeah… I'm glad they've got the kids still "child-like" and not a "16 year old pretending to be an 11 year old, but written with a 20 year old personality"
I've never really pinned down what I thought Pantalaimon would sound like, but it definitely isn't this.
Isn't his voice supposed to change with his form? It doesn't here.
I don't know if it's supposed to change or not- I never imagined it changing. However, his voice definitely does not match the image (sound?) I had.
well it was discribed as high when he was something small, but it always is. You are right anyway, it doesn't seem right.
I think when he was a moth he was described as having a "tiny" voice, but I took it as meaning that his voice was louder/softer depending on his size.
I quite like Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra.
Yeah, same here. I do feel like the casting is pretty good in this movie.
I didn't like her at first but she grew on me
"You know if you get smacked, I get hurt too."
Hello random statement that came out of nowhere. I'm sure we don't need to know that particular tidbit and you were just randomly saying it to say it.
(thanks for TELLING us instead of SHOWING us…. nice story telling there. *eyeroll*)
At least they cut the random scene where a cat tried to eat Mouse!Pan
Oh, and let's just have it be "The Magisterium" that does the poisoning. Not like that's important to The Master's character.
Wait, it's *not* the Master who poisons Asriel in this?! First WTF of the film. Unless we're counting the prologue.
For me that falls under the category of an okay change.
Except for the fact that it doesn't really make sense to have a representative of the Magisterium in that scene.
Just started, sorry i am late.
Watching this now…it's neat to see the poisoning of the tokay have a new context. They WERE trying to stop him from creating the bridge.
I will say they did a good job with the Steampunk elements of the TGC universe.
I agree!! So pretty! If only they put as much effort into the writing 🙁
Ice bears? Wow, this is all going too fast. The pacing is annoying.
Wait, show that picture again- I missed it… was there a child with him, or just a dog?
Just his daemon.
lol… oops, forgot what "universe" we're in. Of course it's his daemon and not just a dog 😛
Fra Pavel!?! But we didn't even meet him until the second book right!?
WELL THIS IS A LOT MORE BLATANT. LOL.
So they're just breezing through all the shit that takes time to develop in the books, aren't they? I imagine this is gonna feel like rush rush rush through plot, ACTION SCENE! back to plot blah blah Action scene!
Pretty much. *sigh*
I'll just appreciate the pretty. And Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter.
Well, at least Lord Asriel is still a total asshole.
I can't imagine how the magisterium will give him money in this version… I mean, he was just sitting there dreaming about a world without them in it… He was practically drooling over the thought.
I like that Lyra has stains on her clothes.
Oh yeah, since we've already explained Dust in the opening narration, let's just go ahead and BLATANTLY FORESHADOW the connection to Daemons too.
How did Lyra make the daemon-Dust connection just there?
I don't get it either, this is going to fast.
I know… I'm lost and I've seen this movie before and just got done reading the book. WHAT'S GOING ON
That was my thought exactly! I kind of hate this movie already because they're getting everything so wrong right from the beginning!
"NOBODY CAN MAKE ME A LADY." Fuck, Lyra is still a sassy badass. THANKFULLY SO.
So my stream messed so I'm skipping ahead to catch up but by the looks of the comments they've pretty much spelled everything out already. And there goes my stream again, dammit.
Wow, I forgot how wooden the kid who played Roger was.
Nice way of spoiling that Mrs Coulter his Lyra's mother, by making them look so alike.
do they look alike/related in the books or were those people at Mrs. Coulter's party in TGC just being polite?
I'm not sure but somehow having them sit next to each other here it makes it more obvoius.
I don't really think that counts as a spoiler.
HI MOMMY!!!
Ann Coulter's ancestor is introduced already.
"I disagree"
YOU ARE LIVING IN A HOUSE CONSTRUCTED SOULLY OF LIES.
YOU LIVE IN A GLASS CASE OF LIES.
YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES
I haven't seen this movie before, but there are certain scenes I recognize from fanvids I've watched. Case in point – hello, Coulter with her fairly awesome entrance.
AHHHH HE KNOWS SHE IS HER MOTHER. omg omg omg.
MRS COUTLER IS CREEPY!!!! O.O
Why would she tell Lyra that????
No, seriously, Nicole Kidman is FUCKING PERFECT as Mrs. Coulter. SERIOUSLY. So slimy and manipulative.
The casting is pretty good. It's just the pacing and exposition that's dreadful.
I know!!! She's exactly how I pictured Mrs. Coulter! Whenever I read the books I get so thrown off when they describe her with black hair o_O
I had pictured Catherine Zeta-Jones as Mrs. Coulter, but I was pleasantly surprised with Kidman.
ooooo!! she would have been good too!! Never would have thought of CZJ but I think I would have liked her
I hate that she just tells Lyra about how Ragnar wants a daemon right there.
So they've not only changed Iofur Raknison's name AND already told us that he wants a Daemon. We're not gonna have any plot twist left are we?
It was mentioned this early in the book as well. Lyra just didnt remember right away.
Yeah, that was because it wasn't spelled out for her that Iofur was a bear. We were just as confused as she was.
The monkey looks ridiculous.
AAAAAAHHHH!!! EVIL MONKEY! EVIL MONKEY!!!
Coulter puts me off from the very beginning.
She sort of puts you off in the book too from the very beginning.
I do really like how dæmons work and look in the movie.
you could see the servants with their dog daemons in the background of that last scene.
Derek Jacobi! What are you doing in this shitty movie?!
AND Christopher Lee?! I don't remember any of this!
Derek Jacobi is one of the best things about this movie lol
Derek Jacobi is one of the best things about almost everything he's in. He's just generally amazing. A few years ago, I was privileged to see him in a production of The Tempest. So awesome.
Wait, I missed something while looking down to comment. Why was Billy choking himself?
I mean… obviously he wasn't chokinghimself. I mean, how was taht happening?
His daemon was being choked. He can feel the same pain that she feels.
Golden monkey of evil was choking his rat daemon.
According to IMDb, the snake daemon is a real snake, defanged.
Oh my god Derek Jacobi and Christopher Lee! I didn't know they were in this movie!
I don't understand why they would involve their awesomeness in this crap.
maybe they were huge fans of the books and didn't bother to read the scripts? I mean, the book is so good! HOW COULD IT GO WRONG???
Well, the original script/intention for the movie wasn't utter crap. It's almost entirely New Line's fault this is so poor of an adaptation.
really??? :/ boooo, New Line I am disappoint
HOLY SHIT COUNT DOOKU IS IN CHARGE OF THE MAGISTERIUM.
oh let's explain why Dust is important in the first twenty minutes. awesome.
I wanted to see Lyra jacking the Costa's boat. :((((((
This movie moves much quicker than I remember.
It's a very pretty movie, at least.
Yeah, with this (and the HP movies) I pretty much regard them as pretty pictures to go along with the books.
Every time they say "Lie-rah" I feel dumber and dumber for pronouncing it the other way.
Also, that Zeppelin looks ridiculous to me.
When I first started reading the book I wasn't exactly sure how to pronounce it either, but I settle on how they say it in the movie. =)
Haha, I always imagined them floating around in World War era helium blimps…… but this makes a lot more sense 😛
Always the Magisterium; never the Church, and no mention of religion. This movie is completely GUTTED of all controversy!
cars!
So the carriage was run by a ball of lightning-like electricity?
Maybe that's how they imagin anberic power.
What was with that weird "mini-montage" when she arrived at Mrs. Coulter's house.
AND ANOTHER ONE RIGHT AFTER THAT.
Pacing. Movie, pacing.
I think I've seen this part of the movie before, when Lyra's with Mrs. Coutler, but that's all I'd seen before…
"Madonna-Lightning-Baby" were the symbols the alethiometer answered with for "what is Mrs. Coulter doing" on the gyptian boat, right?
+ elephant (Africa)
+ chameleon (air)
correct.
This movie keeps reminding me of stardust which I think is a better film…but i digress.
Stardust is totally superior to this. Especially Robert DeNiro.
I actually like some (small) bits of Stardust better then the book.
Ugh, Nicole Kidman, I love you.
You only see a montage + DO NOT GO INTO THIS ROOM WITH ME. Then Pan makes his "we're like prisoners here and we aren't allowed in some of these rooms!" comment.
I love Lyra's blue dress.
Lyra just threw her alethiometer, bad idea!
Nah, she hid it under her pillow before throwing the bag. She's a quick little thing. XD
She took the Alethiometer out of the bag before she threw it. You can see her putting it under the pillow.
she had put it under the pillow before she threw the sachel
"Indoors" versus "in your own home" seems like it was a big deal in the book. Oh, and she did say it, just not at the same place.
No really, the monkey looks ridiculous. I think it's the fur – it just looks so fake. Thinking about it, I think it reminds me of The Sims and flat-looking texture.