Gotta say, it’s very encouraging to those of us who walk these often-obscure frontier trails to see so much quality cinema exploring “our” territory. “The Revenant” was a real-deal, big-time hit. And there’s more to come:
• Netflix just released the first stills from the upcoming series “Frontier,” which is still filming in Newfoundland. It’s set during the 18th Century Canadian fur trade and stars Jason Momoa — who does menacing as well as anyone…
Apparently Momoa’s character is a knife guy.
• AMC has ordered up a series based on Philip Meyer’s “The Son.” The book is a multi-generational saga, starting with a Comanche abduction in 1859.
From Variety:
“Philipp Meyer’s epic novel ‘The Son’ is storytelling at its finest, chronicling the engrossing lives of a Texan family over six generations and serving as an incredible foundation on which to build an equally gripping television series,” said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV.
The series is being billed as “an oil drama,” which makes me think it will focus on the latter-day elements. Hope we get some Comanche action, perhaps from ancient Eli’s memories…
• FP reader Wayne Williams kicked up this in-depth Smithsonian story on “The Free State of Jones,” which is soon to be released as a major motion picture. The Free State of Jones was one of several secessionist movements against the secessionist Confederacy. (West Virginia seceded from Virginia during the Civil War). Many upland, backcountry regions of the South were skeptical at best about the Cause, and there was a lot of skirmishing between Home Guard units and bands of bushwhackers, who were often Confederate deserters. Eastern Tennessee and eastern Kentucky saw a good bit of this conflict, which was of the nasty guerrilla night-rider variety, often set up and fueled by interpersonal feuds. The Free State of Jones had more political (and racial) content than most of these episodes. I’ll be in the theater seat for this one — and on the couch for the others.
Annie Pick says
Thanks for the heads up on these. I think I might like these two, even though I wasn’t a Revenant fan. Netflix and AmazonPrime both put out some great original programming.
JimC says
Some GREAT storytelling going on with these 10-ep cable/streaming programs.
Wayne says
Stephen Harrigan’s Remember Ben Clayton is another novel I want to see as a film. The book weaves the story of a 19th century Texas frontier boy who was taken by Comanche raiders, his son who died in the trenches in WW I, and the sculptor casting a bronze tribute statue of the dead son in early 20th Century Austin, TX. It’s a superb work of fiction, with excellent prose, and several major surprises.
JimC says
****Bangs head on desk…****
Another wheelhouse book… They’re trying to kill me…
Matthew says
Not really having anything to do with Frontier Partisans, but in the sit-com My Name’s Earl, the fictional town of Camden seceded from both the North and the South to form “the Middle.” Their forces were completely annihilated by both sides.
Wayne says
A typo in my last message. That should be “early 20th Century Austin, Texas.”
JimC says
Fixed.
Matthew says
There’s an article about the Free State of Jones in the March issue of Smithsonian magazine.
deuce says
Kinda tangential, but… Did any of y’all see REIGN OF FIRE? If so, who amongst you thought that McConaughey needed to play some crazed Confederate colonel in a Leone/Peckinpah-style flick? Me n’ all my buds sure thought so. “Jones” may be the closest we get.
Actually, BLOOD MERIDIAN is in developement. MM could be great as the Judge. If not him, then maybe Daniel Day-Lewis.
We can always hope.
JimC says
Whatever they do with the Judge is going to require some Hollywood magic — he’s gotta be unnaturally tall and hairless. McConaughey can certainly do crazed and DLD in his “There Will Be Blood” mode hits some of the right notes — but I don’t envy a “Blood Meridian” casting director. (Except we’ve already established that Tom hardy is JJ Glanton).
lane batot says
Hey Deuce, I LOVED “Reign Of Fire”–just recently got a cheapo DVD copy and rewatched it! Sink-wren-aucity! Being the Animal Geek, some of the implausible Dragon biology aggravated me a bit(but, well, it’s about DRAGONS, of course!)–I’d have tried to be a bit more “realistic” had I been in charge–BUT–great dragon movie, even so! And great performances–McCaughnahey definitely blatantly STOLE every scene he was in!….And I’ll definitely go to the big theatre to see “Free State Of Jones” do it come to my town. It does sound a lot like the Henry Berry Lowry incident, which I can thank “Frontier Partisans” for inspiring me to check out more thoroughly–now THERE’S an obscure American historical tale just MADE to be filmed for modern audiences, though it is easy to understand WHY it might have been somewhat suppressed in the past! I mean uppity mixed race people(Indian, black, and white) challenging rich(and ABUSIVE) land owners and successfully pulling off one “Robin Hood” incident after another for YEARS–NOT something you want to inspire the peasants with! The book I read(so far) is titled “To Die Game”–EXCELLENT comprehensive, well-written account. I hope someone someday does film it. They have had an outdoor drama of it done by the Lumbee Indians in Robeson County, N. C. for decades……
JimC says
Think I’ll pick up “To Die Game.”
lane batot says
You WILL NOT be disappointed! I got mine “used” off’n Amazon purty cheap. I got 3 other books on the subject as well(all of those cheap, too!), and I’ll havta let you know my opinion about them as I read them. So’s you can add to that book tower of Babel yer constructing, you know!