2007 Shi The Motion Picture Update

[BillyTucci]

I'm starting a new thread here because the older ones have so many posts...

Okay, I spoke with Kevin and niether of us have heard back from Mimi concerning my notes on what "we made up" in our screeplay for the Shi film. 

She hopes the film to go into production in August with January being the latest , but I gave her so many great ideas (very detailed treatments if you remember — I checked and they're not on the forum anymore) and just last week had to write down just what in our script is based on Japanese history and mythology and what “we made up.” Well it seems that something like 90% is what we made up all based on my very researched and very true sources. The fact is that the real history and mythology blows ours away, but what can you say? I’m not in charge as long as she holds the option until next March. To be fair the script would make a cool movie, just not as good as it could be and very detached from the original comic, (which people say is too close to Oran Ichi’s story in “Kill Bill”  . Ugh!

This is all very frustrating, and I know she's trying but feel she doesn't have much respect for me as a storyteller (at least when it comes to movies).  Here are my notes to her on our last script -- again, forgive me and the departure from the comic but I'm trying to follow her lead (and since she's paying the bills on the film, she's in charge) and at least make a cool  film.

ADV Films expressed interest in doing Shi in Anime, but Mimi has the rights for it so she must be involved too.  But I'm still hoping to figure out away to get her onboard with them and make the animated version the same as the comic.  Next post will be my notes to her. Please feel free to ask any questions.
B

[BillyTucci]

Our Script and how it pertains to Japanese Culture and Mythology or what’s exactly based on Japanese culture and lore and what we just made up…

The Obon Festival

In earlier drafts we focused more on the actual Obon Festival in Japan.  That was all cut out.  I have the original scenes if Kevin doesn’t.  It explains Obon and is much more visually exciting, which I think is important to land a strong director.  We need to give him/her something to enticing.

Benkei the Sohei

Benkei was never married or had children.  So, since he’s like Paul Bunyan, Robin Hood or Buffalo Bill to the Japanese, he’s too famous in history to use.  I don’t think they’ll like that name.

Ana’s Naginata

Page 71, I made the weapon retractable in comic book.  But fully extended it’s about 7ft. long, the blade itself is about 3 feet long.  We have her pulling it out of her handbag.  I don’t remember seeing this, so sorry it’s so late, but we just have to change that it’s in her coat or something as it’s too big for a handbag.

The Monastery Monks

The Buddhist Monks dripping wax onto the dead man’s closed eyes.  I can’t find that anywhere.  I think we made that up.  It’s also not very convincing that Arashi could buy the Temple.

Ana’s language skills
We should make her purposely speak Japanese poorly instead of her have forgotten it.  Unless she lived in the United States since childhood., so if she’s biracial and we have her live here for a long time it would work.

The Japanese Lanterns

I don’t think it’s real convincing that these spirits inhabit Yoshitora’s lanterns.  I know during the Obon festival the lanterns represent the departed spirits, but the ghosts wouldn’t scream when the lanterns are ignited and flee into Ana the way we have it.  It would work if the spirits constructed the lanterns themselves before they were killed.  This way we have lanterns that are hundreds of years old and host each individual spirit.  Once they are destroyed by fire, the spirits need to find another host.  Because Ana is a direct descendent of the original fellowship of corrupt priests, they go into her.  

But once, twenty years or so ago, a lantern was used at Obon by Yoshitora.  We have  him too busy to construct one for himself, so he (not totally believing the mythology taught him by his father) brazenly takes one of the “sacred” lanterns.  Once the toro catches fire, the spirit finds its way to Yoshitora.  It does not want to go to Yomi.

Ghosts in Japanese Mythology
Our ghosts or “Yurei” can work, but they usually have ulterior motives and need a bit more background (see Tengu and Oni).  According to Japanese lore they’re also more successful at possessing women than men.  What’s cool is that they usually go in through the breast or under the fingernails, could make for really cool visuals.  

Contemporary horror films are set in a largely a-religious environment or, increasingly, are remakes of successful Japanese films that are largely derived from the Shinto religion.   This could work for us as know one has yet. A dominant element of Shinto is the role and appeasement of the spirits of the dead, of the ancestors. Ringu and Ju-On, for instance are based on Japanese ghost stories. And in Japanese ghost stories, the ghost almost always wins.  We should do more with this.
Also, in this latest cinematic trend, innocence affords no protection against evil. Neither does good intent. One of the more terrifying aspects of The Ring lies in the central character’s belief that she is bringing peace to the spirit of a murdered child. In fact, she’s unleashing the dead girl’s full malevolence. That she had no involvement in the child’s murder does not make her any less a target. Her innocence is no defense; neither is the innocence of her own son - nor is protecting him the wisest course of action. She has fulfilled the ghost’s basic requirement (watching a VHS tape with occult properties) and followed the embedded clues to disastrous ends. Now only by making copies of the tape - to spread the evil like a virus - can she save herself and her son. She has to sin to save – and that’s really fucking cool!

[BillyTucci]

Tengu and Oni
The monster really is too large for a tengu.  But that’s not really a big deal but his origin for murdering Ana’s family wouldn’t banish him to become a Tengu.  If we’re to stick close to true Japanese mythology, then he is closer to an “Oni.”  If Arashi is truly a villain (and not a wronged priest), then an Oni, though less original is more appropriate since it’s simply a demon.  It’s great visuals how his hand and skin harden and blacken, but just not in tune with Japanese mythos.

The history of the tengu is that they were priests murdered unjustly – not that they were murderers.  But Arashi can be a Tengu if the ghosts actually were truly the evil ones. The idea I had a couple of years ago was based on and want to use in the comics prelude is based on this.  We go back 900 years and Arashi is murdered by his fellow sohei.  The sohei were primarily masterless samurai (ronin) who were ordained as monks to fill the ranks of a monastery.  The monasteries had lots of power and were threatening to other warlords and even the emperor himself, threatening warfare and using the power of the faith to rally the common people.  Hence, they were far from pious and notoriously corrupt.  So we have this priest murdered by his fellow sohei, his body his then buried on Arashiyama were he is reborn a Tengu.  Arashiyama is a mountain in Kyoto known for its Tengu; it translates to “Storm Mountain.”  

Also the dust he inhales has nothing to do with any type of Japanese mythology – especially with him being a Tengu.

Arashi’s henchmen seem a bit too much like the Joker or Riddler’s henchmen in the old Batman TV show.  We should make them more menacing.  Are they tengu too?  If they are, or better yet, if they’re women (his brides if you will) it would prove more chilling and visually more exciting.  I believe Director’s will dig this and find it interesting.

The Lanterns
 
After reading the script again, I think we took out too much on the toro lanterns and misinterpreted them according to how they’re used at Obon and in mythology.  
Norinaga, a famous Shinto theologian, concurred that Hell was a stinky place. At their death, he stated, all humans go to the underworld, the land of Yomi, and “an exceedingly filthy and bad land." Yomi is the Hades-like land into which the goddess Izanami descended, as graphically described in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki (sort of our Garden of Eden).   It’s truly a nasty place and one that our ghosts wouldn’t want to go to.

Japanese ghost needing a host or will be sent to Yomi.  Only a host who’s directly connected to the spirits (descendents of the original Kyoto monks) is suitable.  This isn’t part of Japanese lore in particular, but we can set it up that way.

Yoshitora’s sacrifice

Shinto allows one to believe that Here's a sad yet hauntingly beautiful Japanese folk tale which centers on the profound admiration and appreciation of the beauty and value of Nature itself, depicted here in the form of an elderly man's aged cherry tree. Intermingled with this are core spiritual intuitions involving Shinto animism (which regards all animate and inanimate objects as possessing a soul/spirit) and traditional Japanese beliefs regarding the inherent value of noble suicide.  So that’s all good, but we just have to build the idea up more earlier, so the audience understands it better when it happens.

In closing (I always wanted to write that)

The biggest problem connected with Japanese mythology is the ghosts and the tengu.  If the lanterns burn, the ghosts are sent to the other world.  However, when they’re constructed (and only during Obon is seems) they can take on Ana as a host.   This really isn’t in tune with Japanese lore.  

Again, Arashi’s more of a “Oni” than a Tengu. I’ve got ideas and solutions, but that’s for us to sit and talk about and you only asked for what’s in our script that follows Japanese history/culture and mythology.  So please let me know if any of this helps.
Thanks!
Billy

[Delvie]

So, is she afraid of using historical & mythological emphasis, or pushing for more?

[BillyTucci]

So, is she afraid of using historical & mythological emphasis, or pushing for more?

She likes her ideas better.  Which don't make sense to me at all...

Delvie,  can you add some appearence dates on the home page?

[Delvie]

We talked about that. I've not been given the door to get in, yet. You were going to talk to maida, then call me.... way back when... ;) As soon as I am, I will do whatever you need me to do, though.

[BillyTucci]

Okay, I'm calling Maida now.  I dropped that ball didn't I?  She's not in, so I'll email her too.

Also, I just got off the phone with Andrew from ADV who is really psyched about doing a Shi Anime.  I'm going to act as the go-between for him and Mimi.  Perhaps do a double pronged attack with both a live action and animated feature at the same time.  I know Marvel's doing that.  I'm also sending him "Mag 7" and "Gremlin Effect" both which I think would make great films too if I may say....

[Delvie]

I've been harrassing Peter Jackson about doing a Gargoyles movie based on the original series.

[BillyTucci]

Are you stalking him?

[Delvie]

Are you stalking him?

Kinda...  but in a nice way, I assure you... 

[sllamky01]

I think having a movie and an animated thing works they did that with Spawn

[sllamky01]

And have you ever gotten to talk to the other investors or is it just MiMi talking to them. what is there oppion

[california69gs]

Anima/cartoons are pretty hot right now, Superman, Teen Titians, the constant onslaught of Batman and also the more teen adult aimed Witchblade, Hellboy, Spawn, and as of most resent the 300 million weekend grossing Teenage Turtles.  It would certainly be a direction to look.  Then you wouldn't have to worry about acting ie Electra, Ghost Rider or a cheap budget and violent/alcholic actresses ie Witchblade TV series...putting a damper on the story line. Not to mention the language barrior is easy to overcome with cartoon/anima flicks making it an easy international anima....the new Witchblade is making "HUGE" money in Japan.