Neuromancer

[kabuki]

If there's one book that influenced my taste in music, style, art and everything else it must be William Gibson's Neuromancer. I don't know how many times I have reread it. And still a shiver runs down my spine when I come across lines like 'The bartender's smile widened. His ugliness was the stuff of legend. In an age of affordable beauty, there was something heraldic about his lack of it.
Words you can't express in a movie. You just can not.



But obviously somebody is trying hard to do so. At IMDB Neuromancer is announced for 2011.

I'm pretty skeptic about it. Back in 2007 it was already a rumor - and we remember Johnny Mnemonic? A great movie if you're into sci-fi trash (and I admit I am) - but it has nothing not much in common with the short story by Gibson except for the names of the main characters. Keanu Reeves looks good, Takeshi Kitano is as cool as usual and that's it. The special effects are cheap and overdosed, the scenery could be taken out of a TV-Series produced in the early 90's.
But maybe there's hope. My favorite movie is based on a novel too. And Ridley Scott did hell of a good job with Blade Runner. , 27 years later the concept design is awesome. And I'm pretty sure, I'm not the only one who believes it was a visual milestone for cinematography.


Back in 1984 lots of the stuff described in Neuromancer sounded futuristic. With 'a mash of punk, technology, noir and metaphysics' the book was ahead of it's time.
Today cyberpunk is surrounding us, is part of our daily life. We're so used to stay connected with people all over the world, twitter what we're doing (even if we're in the middle of a bank robbery), and know what an AI is.
So maybe - just maybe - it's already too late for Neuromancer to hit the big screen. And I'm only afraid that one of the books which had this great personal impact on me ends up as just another generic Soon-to-be-real-movie.

Originally published at Solokuenstler.

Comments

[kor-shirou.livejournal.com]

Neuromancer is still my #1 table book. Gibson's stories are something.

As to "it's too late", I think it depends on the plot. If they'll create "almost exact" copy - it'll be the great movie. But if we'll receive something like LOTR - crap as a result. (imo)

P.S.
By the way, what brought you to my LiveJournal, and why you added me to your watch-list? I'm just curious.

[kabuki-chan.livejournal.com]

Your artwork - and the comment you made to the coffeemug-post ^.^

Love your b/w images

[kor-shirou.livejournal.com]

I see. Well, I LOVE big cups (yes, in poth meanings)).

Thanks. )

[kabuki-chan.livejournal.com]

XD

And concerning Neuromancer - I really hope it's only the first book. And not the whole sprawl-triology. It would be too much.

[kor-shirou.livejournal.com]

You're right - it'll be total mess with no clear plot. If they'll try to stick trilogy in, they won't succeed. That's my opinion.

Pity, but I almost sure that they _will_ make three movies if the first one bring them enough cash/fans. And I will not be surprised if they'll make the fourth one to earn a little more.

[kabuki-chan.livejournal.com]

If they end up w/ the same shit like Johnny Mnemonic I'm afraid not much cash will be made.

On the other hand - turning Neuromancer into something commercial will be damn tough.

For a lot of people it's too ordinary. It's 2009 - the story was written back in 1984 and not so many people will be aware of the fact that People like Gibson and Sterling 'created' the terms, we use today in our everyday life.

[jediwonderboy.livejournal.com]

As a big Gibson fan myself, I can only cross my fingers, and hope the translation is a good one.

[kabuki-chan.livejournal.com]

I hope so too - Do Androids dream of electric sheep is a tough book to translate to a movie. And Scott did hell of a job.