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This has been one of my favorite book series since I was a tot. With the movies coming out next year, it seems sega has signed on to create the video games based on the film. These films are very high in production value and are New Line Cinema's largest current project in the vein of Lord of the Rings. I really really really really hope sega does at least a respectable job with the games but know that with their track record with licensed material I shouldn't expect much.

Seeing as how the book series is about two 12-year olds who fall in love complete with sex, and are aided by two gay fallen angels in a quest to kill God who is an evil corupt tyrant trying to keep the souls of the dead in a concentration camp and neuter and lobotmize people - these things are going to be butchered to levels never before known to man.

His Dark Materials should have started and ended with Northern Lights a.k.a. The Golden Compass. The Subtle Knife was okay though Will seemed to be edging towards Gary Stu territory, but The Amber Spyglass was a mess.

I've also heard that they were downplaying the anti-religious aspect of the books in the movie.

Again, that's the whole theme of the three books. It'd be like removing the religious aspect of Narnia (which is the AntiHDM and vice-versa).

Zeta wrote:Seeing as how the book series is about two 12-year olds who fall in love complete with sex

Wait, hang on, they have sex?

Well, people can interperate it that way in the context of the book.

The series takes place mostly in a world where humans have sort of an outer soul of conscience that takes the form of an animal called a dæmon. People can touch their own dæmon since it is a part of them, however it is a big taboo to touch another person's dæmon.

In the last book, the two protagonists (suddenly) fall in love, utter urple dialogue, kiss and actually touch the other's dæmon and found it pleasurable.

...It was one of the worst love scenes I have ever read.

Now that I think about it, this series was pretty messed up for a collection aimed at kids.

they do not have sex. They kiss. It is not sudden.
It's no more messed up than Narnia was for targetting kids.

Exactly, they're both messed up for children.

The irony is, that at the time these were first released, more Christians were complaining about Satanism in Harry Potter. When these books were right next to them in the children's section feauturing Satan and his Freedom Fightin' angels rebelling against the mad tyrant God.

Religion is fun.

they do not have sex. They kiss.

Sure, keep telling yourself that.

Will there be EXTREME SENATORIAL ACTION?

With BRIBERY?

And TOTALLY EXTREME POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE?

And CELL PHONE FRAUD TO THE MAX?

I remember being pretty sure they had sex when I read it. Granted, this was like eighth grade, but you don't forget something that weird very easily. There was something along the lines of the two 'commiting again the original sin' or something, and given the interpretation of the church's policy on sexuality in the book it seemed pretty obvious that they were having pre-pubescent relations. I'm also with Ngangbius in that it should've ended with the Golden Compass. That was some good stuff, but things got sort of complicated and stupid as the series went on, and I remember the logic that ended up separating the two main protagonists in the conclusion as being unbelievably contrived and stupid. Also, was God killed, or was it just the Metatron?

god died peacefully when his transport vessel was discovered by the children. He was so old by then that he had lost any trace of his former self.

One of the weirder things about the book was that it was loosely implied that when two people had sex, their daemons would too. Which would lead to very awkward situations. Like well, the slightly more real equivalent of Baba's avatar - Hot Skitty on Wailord action. Can't you just imagine how awkward it would be to have a terrier daemon and try to hit on some chick with a horse and having your own soul in animal form tell you "No fucking way in hell".

and if you recall, the daemon of a witch doesn't always have to be nearby. As such I suppose a situation would arise where a witch who had taken a human man to be her lover would leave that man's daemon with nothing to do but watch. But I suppose its like that in real life with pets anyway.

Should I feel ashamed for the fact that this is the first time I've even heard of this series of books and therefore I have no idea what you're all on about?

Well, other than premarital, underage sex with bestial and/or furry undertones in the form of those "daemons".

Locit wrote:I remember being pretty sure they had sex when I read it. Granted, this was like eighth grade, but you don't forget something that weird very easily. There was something along the lines of the two 'commiting again the original sin' or something, and given the interpretation of the church's policy on sexuality in the book it seemed pretty obvious that they were having pre-pubescent relations.

I'm not convinced of that. I'm pretty big on the whole original sin deal (which is part of why I love the His Dark Materials so much), and I think the manner in which Pullman refers to it isn't explicitly (or implicitly) referring to sexual intercourse. Rather, 'original sin' as envisioned by Pullman is instead an emotional and sexual maturity-- ie, that which Adam and Eve discovered in betraying God, according to Pullman (an angle I must admit I find wholly convincing)-- which doesn't necessarily have to involve cock-in-catflap action. The children discover their attraction to one another, that's all.

Locit wrote:I remember being pretty sure they had sex when I read it. Granted, this was like eighth grade, but you don't forget something that weird very easily. There was something along the lines of the two 'commiting again the original sin' or something, and given the interpretation of the church's policy on sexuality in the book it seemed pretty obvious that they were having pre-pubescent relations. I'm also with Ngangbius in that it should've ended with the Golden Compass. That was some good stuff, but things got sort of complicated and stupid as the series went on, and I remember the logic that ended up separating the two main protagonists in the conclusion as being unbelievably contrived and stupid. Also, was God killed, or was it just the Metatron?

Holy Shit. Holy Shit. Holy Shit.

A movie and a video game. God damnit, I'm so behind the times. I've never heard of this till now.

And considering how much SEGA has been raping the Sonic series, I've got a bad feeling developing in the pit of my stomach about how they're going to handle this book series, one which I've read at least three times (three times per book, in order) and liked very much.

I do believe they did not have sex, but instead just realized the feelings they had for one another. It goes with the Original Sin theme, especially considering that the lobotomizing being performed in the book (where the daemon is seperated from his/her human) essentially made both the human and daemon emotionless and soulless. Thus the church was trying to destroy emotions/love, which was why the Lyra and Will falling in love was such a bad thing to them.

Nor did I think the ending/explanation for why they couldn't be together was contrived. The golden dust particles were what kept the universe in working order. Even having one slit breaching the borders of two worlds would be bad and whittle away the already low supply of dust. I thought it was very responsible of them to sacrifice being together for the sake of the universe.

Now that I think about SEGA destroying the series, and considering the themes involved, I'm now also worried about how the movies are going to turn out.

They're video games made to tie-in with the release of a theatrical movie. Have any of those kind of video games ever been good (and this is before you add in how much SEGA has fallen in recent year in game design and fun)?

Tsuyoshi-kun wrote:Have any of those kind of video games ever been good?

<i>Aladdin</i> and <i>Toy Story</i> for the Genesis were.

I only agree with the former. Toy Story was clunky to me.

Zaranth wrote: Nor did I think the ending/explanation for why they couldn't be together was contrived. The golden dust particles were what kept the universe in working order. Even having one slit breaching the borders of two worlds would be bad and whittle away the already low supply of dust. I thought it was very responsible of them to sacrifice being together for the sake of the universe.

I'd agree with you if they didn't keep another slit open to let shades out into the multiverse from their prison. If I remember correctly, they could keep one and only one portal open, and that just bugged me for some reason. I probably ought to reread the trilogy again to get a firmer grasp on it.

Tsuyoshi-kun wrote:They're video games made to tie-in with the release of a theatrical movie. Have any of those kind of video games ever been good?

I quite enjoyed Golden Eye in multi-player mode.

You think this game will follow the Custer's Revenge philosophy?

One point per thrust, ten points for every slap to the ass, and advancement to the next round for successfully performing a backflip without leaving the vagina.

Sega making licensed games has made me sad. Ever since The Matrix Online, was it? It doesn't seem coincidental that their quality has been sliding since around the same time.

They didn't develop TMO, they just published it.

Are they publishing or developing Charlotte's Web? The fact that this was the only DS game they announced for the US instead of say Sonic Rush 2 or even a new Chu Chu Rocket is pretty discouraging. =/