Comments on: Lewis Opposed Live Action Narnia?

By: Jerry Nora

Jerry Nora — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Somehow I don't think CGI was up-to-snuff when the good professor was alive.

By: howard

howard — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

That's what I was just thinking. In 1959, it probably would have been blasphemy, just like those old sci-fi flicks…

By: Maureen

Maureen — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I don't know about blasphemy. More like a mystery play. I'd like to see a Narnia mystery play.

Of course, in a Narnian mystery play, Puzzle playing Aslan would probably be played by a talking raccoon or something, which would lead to certain complications in costuming.

By: Publius

Publius — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'm a bit skeptical about the legitimacy of this. The author claims that honorifics have been dropped, but addresses the recipient by his last name and signs with his given initials.

Keep in mind that Lewis never actually earned a doctorate: he only had an honorary doctorate (perhaps more than one). It is perfectly intelligible that he would not want to be called Dr. for that reason but still wasn't chummy enough with the person he was writing to sign it as Jack Lewis.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Actually, in 1959 probably the best way to approach Aslan would have been with stop motion animation. Looking at the original 1933 KING KONG, you can see the suprising level of emotion and character that could achieved with the effect.

Basically, stop motion animation involves a puppet which is posed for each individual frame for film (24 frames in a second). Very intricate and precise work.

Ray Harryhausen, the master of stop motion animation, was at the top of his game at this point. If you have seen, for example, the skelton sequence in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, you can see his skill not only in animation, but in compositing his animation in with live actors, something that would be very important with NARNIA.

By: Cicero

Cicero — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Even if this was genuine, I don't think Lewis would have raised the same objection had he seen the special effects of today.