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Open Letter to Doom Fans from Script Writer
HomeLAN has a reprint of a letter written by Doom movie script writer Dave Callaham. In it he (wittily) attempts to explain why the Doom movie is going to be so unlike the game, and what his role in the creation of the film has been. From his letter: "The screenplay I wrote DOES differ in a number of ways from the games. I want to be very honest and forthcoming in saying that, and I know that I won't make any friends amongst the fans of the game in doing so. But it should be mentioned that it was never the goal of anyone involved in this film, from myself and the producers to the studio to the guys at id, to make a direct film adaptation of the game(s)."
Demons... and space marines. Tada! We're all happy.
The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
He basically says: "Hollywood wouldn't let me make the good Doom movie you want, and forced me to make a crappy movie that they think will sell well enough to make a profit. I'm trying real hard not to sound bitter."
The movie is called "Doom" solely to raise press awareness of what otherwise would be a non-event. Like "Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest," which had nothing at all to do with "Final Fantasy," but used the name as market leverage.
(Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest was the second worst game ever, aside from ET)
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I don't think fans of the Doom games (myself included) are looking for a "direct adaptation" of the games. However, when you take out Hell, Demons, Mars, and Space Marines, it isn't even Doom anymore.
"Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs. We have a protractor."
As usual, they've commented on it already:
Penny-Arcade on Doom Movie
"Moderate drinking can help prevent amputated limbs" -- Abigail Zuger, NYTimes, 12/31/02
Without all the things that makes DOOM what it is then all you really have is Resident Evil. Think about it:
- virally-altered humans (i.e. zombies)
- not on Mars or its moons
- no hell demons
- SWAT team
If that's not a Resident Evil flick, I don't know what is.
"Apparently so, but suppose you throw a coin enough times. Suppose one day, it lands on its edge."
...that the themes and elements that you love about Doom are ALL represented strongly in the film...just with some new twists
...uh... I'm drawing a blank for any original or non-overkilled movie themes here. Just in the last year we've had Dawn of the Dead, AvP, Resident Evil 2....
Hmmm what themes are we looking at here:
Monsters
Violence
Weapons
Thank you for letting us know exactly how you plan to bastardize this great game by making it have nothing to do with the game at all. You have told us that we all had expectations of how the film should be made, and even though you've removed them and now it's nothing at all like Doom it will still be a great game. To that, I say thank you. However, do allow me to let you know that I understand your expectations of how I will watch said film by paying 10 dollars at the local theatre. I had orinally planned on doing this, but as my involvement in said movie came along things slowly changed. Allow me to comfort you that even though I shall not be watching this movie the way you planned, you will still love it when I download it for free. Yours truly.
Doom 3 expands a bit on it by adding such nicesties as in game story to the mix. It adds a "bad guy" or something.
Now after years of talk someone is trying to turn the Doom game into a movie. We get a list of staff that belong neither on the A-list or the cult list. It screams direct-to-video.
Then all we hear is about things they are going to change. I could understand if this guy was a Steven Spielberg but surely he can't be that deluded? You are a nothing given a ready made universe. USE IT. MILK IT. We hear things like cost being bandied about but how expensive is a mars base anyway? Geez this is the age of CGI. Hell you got the sets in Doom3. Rerender and keep the shots very short. This guy is only showing how crap he is by complaing about budget. Exactly how much did the shot in Star Wars cost that firmly set luke on an alien planet? I am not a photographer but what is the cost of a double exposure nowadays? All you need for a mars exterior is a sand desert with a red filter. The BBC can do it for a docu/drama.
Now he is complaining that the fans are upset because he is taking all the doom out of doom. Note that he doesn't actually refute any of the changes that are rumored.
Learn something from better movie makers. learn something from every goddamn suckass bad game license movie that came before. You got a very simple frame work in wich you can make one hell of an action movie. All you need to do is have the hero be a marine, set it on mars and the bad guys are demons or possesed humans. The rest of the story is up to you. You can make it an alien or an aliens. You can make it pure horror or comedy. You can add a love interest JUST AS LONG AS IT IS ON MARS, HAS MARINES AND DEMONS.
What the fuck is this guy problem. I would very much like to know what the people at ID are thinking. Are they paid a huge amount for the license or have they never watched any of the other game license movies. I don't think a new Doom is planned so are they planning to really sink the license once and for all?
The guy seems to have a George Lucas attitude that the fans will just have to swallow what ever he makes. One problem George Lucas got big before his ego swelled. The current George Lucas has with the new star wars movies not repeated the success. The first three movies are a part of culture. The new ones are not. Just make a proper Doom movie then use your fame to make your virus swat team movie.
Oh well maybe Half-life will get a proper movie. Oh, they wanted a love interest for Freeman? Never mind.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
The "I, Robot" movie had very little to do with the book either. Yet more proof that Hollywood is creatively stagnant. Blade Trinity is a stinker as is Oceans 12. Bleh.
I look forward to when the game based on Doom: The Movie comes out. It should be fun to play a generic fps where you run around shooting zombies.
Then again, an fps wouldn't show off the lead actor, so it will probably be a straight platformer.
The only thing I hate more than hypocrites are people who hate hypocrites.
I agree with most of your arguments.
But nobody would really expect a one person movie.
Maybe a group of scientists who need rescuing? Or how about some H. P. Lovecraftian myth. Maybe the eternal fight between good and evil? Many old concepts and cliches you could incorporate and maybe also some new things.
Take a look at Soldier, Pitchblack, Predator, Rambo, Octalus, Braindead, Screamers, Tremors, Ghosts Of Mars, The Thing, Bodysnatchers and so on.
They share common ground in which Doom would fit in.
Most of them (if not all) are trashy, but this is really only because of the profit calculation made by studios and the resulting stress on budget, plot, cast, set and crew.
I am thoroughly surprised as how people still seem to react against violence, sex and religion in movies (Exorcist).
May I ask if the majority thinks that movies need to be controlled/censored?
I would have paid to see Doom as an interpretation of Dante's Inferno or even a social- and/or political critical movie (Mars Base, Megacorps, Two or more fractions on Mars, maybe even artifacts and an alien civilization a la 2001 and so on). Maybe even a movie completely about religion (Dogma).
Or an interpretative dialogue (A Boy and His Dog) that (in between the slaughter) "explores the depths" of Mr. Grunt's personality (really). A talented writer could pull that of, maybe.
Avantgarde? Experimental?
But yes something like that will never happen (maybe for the best).
So what remains is to make a movie that will serve as some sort of propaganda? A gadget of political and social manipulation in which Romeros zombies get resurrected to personify the "satanic" nonconformists and nonbelievers, the one, big, evil enemy of society?
Or will it have an aspect of reflection and be open enough?
Because Doom is world wide and not everybody thinks or sees things the same.
The worst case? If it would understand itself as serious work.
Have a nice day
Without all that Doom 2 makes almost no sense. A movie goer with no Doom 1 info would end up asking himself this :
1. Who is this guy? (Hes a marine who got shipped to Mars for striking his superior officer.)
2. Where/how did demons get to Earth? (see Doom 1.)
3. Why is he so badass and everyone else fell to the demons? (Because he's been through hell and back, hes prepared, he has the element of surprise, hes skilled and hes nothing less of a 'veteran' against demons at this point.)
4. If hes so good, why aren't the other Marines so good (see Doom 1, originally he got left behind so he was more 'shoot now, figure out when they're all dead' and not 'lets figure this thing out peacefully before filling it full of holes.'
Answer: Never. Because they say "Fuck you" and people still happily go and pay for it.
Until there is a universial "Fuck you" right back at them, why should they give us what we want?
They try to make a movie about Doom, and they completely miss the point. They look at a game for inspiration and there's a perfectly good book. A TRILOGY. Forgotten. Prize-winning literature, forgotten.
And don't get me started on the comic.