Underland - film featuring the underground coming soon

[BCA Membership]

Hi all,

BCA have been contacted by the team behind the 'Underland' film, an adaptation of Robert Macfarlane's book.
The film is out in cinemas 27th March.
You can watch the trailer here:
Underland Trailer

Or if you prefer stills I have included a few below! (scroll down for these)

The book features Mendip caves, North Yorkshire's Boulby Mine, plus Karst in Italy, Slovenia, Norway, plus Glacier caves in Greenland and the Paris Catacombs.
Unfortunately it doesn't sound like any of the film was shot underground in the UK but it does feature underground spaces in the Yucatan in Mexico, Greenland, Canada, the USA and Paris, France

From their marketing pack:
Robert Macfarlane's bestselling book 'Underland' arrives on the big screen.
Directed by Robert Petit, Underland takes viewers on a cinematic descent into the Earth's hidden depths - into scared caves, flooded tunnels, and melting glaciers, uncovering worlds shaped by time, mystery and human curiosity.

 

[Lankyman]

a cinematic descent into the Earth's hidden depths - into scared caves

Would that be Quaking Pot?

 

[BCA Membership]

Ops!
Think i meant sacred caves....

Having visited the bottom of Quaking I would be soooo impressed with anyone having the energy to also film their trip....

 

[David Rose]

There is no way Robert Macfarlane went down anything approaching Quaking Pot in terms of difficulty and seriousness. I think he did manage Swildon's, though, as I recall in the company of Linda Wilson.

 

[mrodoc]

He also did GB and Eastwater with Sean Borodale who was in the BEC. There is too much of this substitution going on for UK caves. His book was almost completely European if I remember correctly. It's as bad as those sensationalised YouTube films.

 

[John Gresty]

I was given a copy of this book. I wasn't impressed. Thought it was one of those books that the author is contracted to produce after several successful books, so a rushed compilation of what he already had. I actually added it earlier today to my next batch of books to[ go to the charity shop
John

 

[martinr]

There is no way Robert Macfarlane went down anything approaching Quaking Pot in terms of difficulty and seriousness. I think he did manage Swildon's, though, as I recall in the company of Linda Wilson.

This screenshot, from a different trailer (promoting a screening at Rheged, Penrith) appears to be the fold in Swildons streamway

 

[mrodoc]

Correct.

 

[David Rose]

He also did GB and Eastwater with Sean Borodale who was in the BEC. There is too much of this substitution going on for UK caves. His book was almost completely European if I remember correctly. It's as bad as those sensationalised YouTube films.

The book is indeed mainly European. All the cave detail in it is very hazy. I think he wanted to create the impression he'd done more than he really had. On pages 7 - 8 is a short section on the Thai boys' rescue. It's evocative but contains about six factual errors. I love his book Mountains of the Mind. I think it's beautifully written and profound. Underland, not so much.

 

[Lankyman]

It would seem from comments that Underland might actually be Underpants?

 

[martinr]

The book is indeed mainly European. All the cave detail in it is very hazy. I think he wanted to create the impression he'd done more than he really had. On pages 7 - 8 is a short section on the Thai boys' rescue. It's evocative but contains about six factual errors. I love his book Mountains of the Mind. I think it's beautifully written and profound. Underland, not so much.

And in 2019:

Book of the Week on Radio 4: Underland by Robert Macfarlane

The book has some beautiful, compelling writing, and covers many fascinating topics other than caving. And, I can reveal, there will be a copy offered as a prize in a special competition in the next BCA newsletter!

 

[cavingbiker]

I was given a copy of the book for Xmas, but only came around to reading it last month. I found the first half of the book interesting and fairly well written, It was interesting to work out the various caves written about. The second half of the book I found to be tedious and poorly written. In fact I'm not entirely convinced it was written by the same person. I eventually put the book to one side unfinished.

 

[me]

I didn't get past the first chapter ....

 

[martinr]

Reviewed in today's Guardian

‘Fear is good’: my scary subterranean journey into Underland, the film of Robert Macfarlane’s dazzling book

As the hit travelogue about the worlds beneath us becomes a film, its maker takes us on a voyage through Las Vegas storm drains and the caves of Yucatán – via Goatchurch Cavern in the bowels of Somerset

www.theguardian.com

 

[mrodoc]

Reviewed in today's Guardian

‘Fear is good’: my scary subterranean journey into Underland, the film of Robert Macfarlane’s dazzling book

As the hit travelogue about the worlds beneath us becomes a film, its maker takes us on a voyage through Las Vegas storm drains and the caves of Yucatán – via Goatchurch Cavern in the bowels of Somerset

www.theguardian.com

Beat me to it

 

[David Rose]

Such a scary place, Goatchurch. What a brave writer!

 

[Bobling]

Huh. I've had this book on the side for a while now and finally picked it up this morning for my read in bed before the day starts. I was trying to work out the caves in the Mendip bit so glad to hear that I picked GB and Eastwater correctly from the 'hazy' descriptions.

I've found some of the descriptions a bit woo, but so far I'm with him on the journey. I'll see how I go.

 

[mikem]

Dates and venues:

‎ Underland

www.underlandfilm.com

 

[cap n chris]

I managed four seconds of the cliché, sorry Trailer, before bombing out. Impatient, or discerning. Not sure.