Category Archives: Atlas Shrugged Movie

“It is we who move the world”

- Filed under: Atlas Shrugged Movie

Cross-posted from the Atlas Shrugged movie blog:

A couple of reviewers — Richard Gleaves and Fred Cookinham — who saw the ten minute sneak peak of the Atlas Shrugged movie in New York City noted that the phrase “It is we who move the world” from Ayn Rand’s novel had been changed to “It is us who move the world.”

The change was not well received. Cookinham, for example, wrote:

Language has also fallen apart since 1957. In the clips, Rearden says to Dagny, â??It is us who move the world, and itâ??s us who will pull it through.â? The â??usâ? should be â??we.â? It is â??weâ? in the novel, and all the screenwriter had to do was copy it. But apparently he found it necessary to dumb down the language from 1957â??s English to 2010â??s pidgin.

Ouch!

Good news, though — the producers say it’s going to be fixed. See this exchange with screenwriter Brian O’Toole from the movie’s Facebook fan page:

Teresa Summerlee Isanhart: I really disagree that replacing “we” with “us” is a “dumbed down” effort. Honestly, I just don’t think Rand would have a problem with a change like that. …

Atlas Shrugged The Movie: â??@Teresa – Interesting enough, the US instead of WE was a choice made by the actor and so was not delivered as written but I guess it’s easiest to blame the writer. :) I believe the line is scheduled to be fixed during the ADR session with the actor. Thanks for the continued support! Best, Brian O’Toole

This is wonderful news to those of us who enjoy the classicism and elegance of Rand’s original phrasing.

Let a thousand Atlas Shrugged movies bloom?

- Filed under: Atlas Shrugged Movie, Culture

If you’re not already familiar with it, check out ARI’s “Atlas Shrugged Video Contest.” I think this kind of contest is brilliant, and I salute their innovative efforts here.

It also reminds me of a comment a friend of mine made recently on Facebook, concerning the new Atlas Shrugged movie:

[I've long thought Aglialoro should] encourage the production of multiple versions, with a variety of artistic interpretations, styles, production qualities, of Atlas Shrugged as a movie.

I actually think the control that Aglialoro, or any other producer, wants to exert over the film is the biggest obstacle. They want it to be great. Naturally, we sympathize with them, and applaud them for this. This has been the obstacle keeping the movie from being made for so long.

It’s ultimately pointless: How much can Aglialoro affect the quality of the film? He’s pretty much limited to choosing the director and other essential staff. This is large, but… he also needs to ask how great he is at choosing, influencing, controlling artistic interpretation. Or for that matter, his directors or any other key creative contributors.

If instead of clutching the rights to make the movie, he made them free and invited all comers… we could see multiple versions made. I think this would stimulate much greater discussion of the interpretation of the book and the creative merits of each movie, and it would be a discussion which would last for years not just the few weeks or months that the feature film hits the box office. … Keep reading »

Read the rest of this post on our blog for the Atlas Shrugged movie.

Announcing the Atlas Shrugged movie blog

- Filed under: Atlas Shrugged Movie, Site Announcements

Hans Schantz and I have launched a new blog exclusively devoted to covering the Atlas Shrugged movie, at Atlas-Shrugged-Movie.com.

For those not already familiar with Hans, he has done some excellent work already covering the Atlas movie, including interviewing screenwriter Brian O’Toole and creating an excellent Atlas Shrugged chronology, outlining the dates of major events in the novel itself. I’m pleased to have his help covering the movie.

The Atlasphere’s meta-bloggers will continue covering any major developments in the movie, but this new blog will become our primary repository for Atlas Shrugged movie news and discussion.

Recent posts there include a preview (in text and photos) of the Atlas Shrugged movie, an interview with screenwriter Brian O’Toole, and a post with a link to the new official Atlas Shrugged – Part I movie website (a splash page, for now, enabling you to sign up for announcements).

Comments are enabled on this new blog and we look forward to hearing your thoughts as more and more information about the new movie becomes available.

If you’re as excited about the movie as we are and would like to join Hans and me as a co-blogger at the Atlas Shrugged movie blog, let me know.

Interviews with the creators of the new Atlas Shrugged movie

- Filed under: Atlas Shrugged Movie

In addition to our own new interview with Atlas Shrugged movie producer John Aglialoro, also check out this interview with screenwriter Brian Patrick O’Toole.

One noteworthy exchange:

Ã?therCzar: The production of Atlas Shrugged has been criticized for its relatively low budget and lack of famous acting talent. Do you believe these factors have compromised your ability to bring Ayn Randâ??s story to the screen?

Brian Oâ??Toole: Why is it that everyone on the Internet, when talking about our production of ATLAS SHRUGGED-PART ONE, seem to fixate on the â??low budgetâ?? It puzzles me. Five million dollars is still a lot of money.

We made ATLAS SHRUGGED-PART ONE independently â?? in every sense of that word. John Aglialoro personally financed the film so that the story could be told without studio executive pressure to make the story more Hollywood-friendly, which I believe he encountered in his past dealings to have the book brought to the screen. I think itâ??s heroic that someone would put up their own money to finance something that obviously means a lot to them. Itâ??s something to be respected. To me, thatâ??s the story people should be focusing on, not who the actors are and how much the movie cost.

As for the lack of star power behind the names in the film, I think itâ??s a bit ridiculous. I canâ??t believe audiences would rather say â??Wow, Julia Roberts did a great job portraying Dagny Taggartâ? than be involved in the journey that the character takes in the story as portrayed by a very gifted actress like Taylor Schilling.

There was a story in the Los Angeles Times recently about a television production that was paying each of its writers $200,000 a week and yet they were not required to write a single word until Spring 2011. This is a good example as to why Hollywood productions are out of control.

When you use money efficiently and wisely, and you hire a crew that is imaginative and thinks out of the box and not from the checkbook, youâ??ll be surprised by the quality you can get up on the screen. In my opinion, the budget was exactly right for this film, so, please everybody, stop worrying how much the film cost to make and enjoy the show.

See the full interview for much more.

“Atlas Shrugged: The Making of a Movie” event in NYC on December 7, 2010

- Filed under: Atlas Shrugged Movie, Events

Want to see a ten-minute clip from the Atlas Shrugged movie, including the first scene from the movie? If you’re in New York City, you’ll get your chance on December 7th.

An announcement from the Atlas Society:

The Atlas Society is proud to present Atlas Shrugged: The Making of a Movie. After years of anticipation, John Aglialoro has completed filming Part I of what will be a trilogy. David Kelley, Atlas Society founder and CEO, consulted on a script that is true to the characters and philosophy of Ayn Randâ??s epic novel.

The program will feature a ten-minute, first-time viewing of an Atlas Shrugged film clip, which will include the first scene from the movie. Youâ??ll hear special remarks from producers John Aglialoro and Harmon Kaslow, Kelley, and select cast members. The event will be followed by a general cocktail reception. There will also be a VIP reception with an opportunity to meet and mingle with the producers and cast members.

Donâ??t miss this opportunity to celebrate the cinematic achievement of Aglialoro, Kaslow, and their team in bringing Randâ??s great literary achievement to the screen. Join us in the historic Hudson Theatre for an evening to remember.

See the full announcement for more information and registration details.

PS. Ed Hudgins sends the following information for Atlasphere members: Those who want to receive our lower member price can get an intro membership for $50 which will get them our quarterly, The New Individualist, newsletters, event discounts, and other goodies.