At the Mountains of Madness

[Rust In Peace]

He should bring up the success of 300, it was rated R and made a butt load of cash. R rated films can do very well at the box office.

[FrighT MasteR]

He should bring up the success of 300, it was rated R and made a butt load of cash. R rated films can do very well at the box office.

And The Hangover films, which I believe are a couple of the most successful R-rated openers ever. But it's still too risky for big studios to invest so much money and possibly lose it. Hollywood's more interested in "sure things" than anything, hence why we see so many Twilight wannabes, and remakes and such instead of actual original material

[Pjwulfman]

He's a one trick pony, grin and then act all important sums up his entire oeuvre.

Learning that one trick turned out to be a smart investment for Cruise. You don't like him, you think he can't act, but you can't deny that he has succeeded in the profession he chose to pursue. How or why is beyond me.

[Pjwulfman]

The movie would've happened already had del toro not been so respectfully adamant on that R-rating. But I'm confident it'll happen eventually once he finds the right studio that isn't so scared to release a big-budgeted R-rated flick.

Of course this movie should be rated R. It's an H.P. Lovecraft story, undeniably one of his best, and the people making this should do everything in their power to deserve that "R". Right? How could anyone, at any time, believe otherwise

While in the middle of writing a comment thanking Fright for his acknowledgment of Toro's dedication, I suddenly found myself wondering "Would it be necessary to obtain an "R" rating?" I've never before imagined myself capable of such blasphemy!!! But then, totally against my will, I began to think about this question and the reasoning behind it.

Lovecraft was able to horrify and disgust using cerebral, not visceral, methods. In fact, I think his biggest strength was his ability to FORCE you to use your own imagination to draw a mental picture of the events taking place, allowing each person to experience the story in their own way. He sets the mood, gives you some hints, then points you in general direction he wants you to travel and lets you finish the story for him.
Just like the majority of Lovecraft's work, the horror of "At the Mountains of Madness" is not achieved through graphic violence or gore. In fact, he rarely mentions blood, or describes scenes of graphic violence in his writings (with a few notable exceptions). The power of this story comes from the anticipation of horror and the steadily declining refusal of the protagonist to accept the impossibility of his situation. His inevitable belief comes too late to allow him to escape.
My love of Lovecraft, and this story in particular, wants me to demand an "R" movie, but against my own wishes I'm now entertaining the possibility that Toro could pull this off with a PG-13. Please tell me what you think.

This story has always strongly affected me. And after spending some time reviewing my love and obsession with this story, I came up with the following progression of thoughts and emotions that someone might have experienced during their travels through the mountains.
You gain a sense that you have stumbled upon something so alien it is truly beyond your comprehension. Your primitive brain tells you to turn around, trying to prevent you from continuing down the path that you are on. Your logical ego fights to drown out its reptilian screams, unable to accept the fact that your modern intellect has encountered something beyond its ability to classify and explain. After a brief but brutal exchange, your desire for knowledge overcomes your instinct for survival. You just fought and won a skirmish in the never ending war between ancient and modern that exists in Lovecraft's universe, allowing you to continue your search for knowledge. Unfortunately, your victory seals your fate.

I don't know why I wrote all of that. It just started to flow, and I saw no reason to stop.

[lostforever]

It's absolutely ridiculous this film hasn't been greenlit. Guillermo del Toro had James Cameron backing him up, and they still said no. It's so stupid. And I like Tom Cruise. He's a good actor, and he takes his roles seriously. Not a lot of people would be crazy enough to climb the tallest building in the world (true he got like 25 million or something for doing it but still). I just love how Guillermo del Toro refuses to back down on the R-rating.

[walk]

At least, Cruise won't be involved in a project related to H.P. Lovecraft.

[lostforever]

If Cruise got them to bankroll it, I wouldn't mind. I just want to see it especially Guillermo's R-rated version.

[walk]

I can't stand this guy and most of the projects he's been part of are just pure crap. Very few exceptions so I'd rather wait for an other opportunity without him.

[Pjwulfman]

I can't imagine another director right now who would treat this story seriously enough. Which of his (not Hollywood) movies do you think are crap? Not trying to start a fight, just looking to open a dialogue.