Movie Monday #9: Pangborn and Blackwell
We are just over a year away from the theatrical release of ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ and the hype for the adaptation of the internationally best selling series by Cassandra Clare will only continue to grow as the release draws nearer.
I’ve banded together with other ‘Mortal Instruments’ fansites (TMI Institute, Mundie Moms, TMI Examiner and TMI News en Espanol) for a new weekly feature called Movie Monday.
Each Monday leading up to the August 23, 2013, release of ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,’ we will take a look at a scene, moment, detail, etc. and give our opinions on how we think it will be interpreted in the big screen adaptation.
Week 9: PANGBORN AND BLACKWELL
Alyssa, TMI Source: While their characters only make a couple of appearances in the book, Pangborn and Blackwell both play significant roles in City of Bones. Valentine’s evil henchmen duo first make an appearance in Chapter 8: Weapon of Choice, where they try to get information out of Luke about the location of the Mortal Cup. This is such a pivotal scene for the book where we learn several things: 1) These are the men that “killed” Jace’s father (or so we believe at the time), 2) Luke’s past with Valentine and the Shadow World, 3) The danger of this world that Clary has suddenly entered.
With film adaptations come new visions and perspectives. It’s entirely possible that they could play a more significant role–in their screen time–if Harald Zwart decided he wanted to show some of the evil Shadowhunters plotting to obtain the Mortal Cup. Guess we won’t know until August 23, 2013.
The casting of Kevin Durand and Robert Maillet, as Pangorn and Blackwell, respectively, will only benefit these characters and this movie. Just looking at them sends chills up your spine. I can’t wait to see what they bring to this movie!
Amber, TMI Institute: “All the myths are true,” said Pangborn, and Clary felt a small shiver go up her spine. “Or have you forgotten that?” There are a few things that the interaction between Luke and Valentine’s henchmen, Pangborn and Blackwell, do in the plot. It gives Clary, Jace and Simon the key to know who sent the Ravener demon after her mom. It also shows history between Luke and the Shadowhunter world. Finally, it provides proof that although Luke seems uncaring, he is ultimately trying to protect Clary from Valentine.
I’m thrilled that seasoned actors Kevin Durand and Robert Maillet are playing Pangborn and Blackwell. They can deliver menacing performances that will leave TMI with chills of fear and anticipation for what’s to come next.
Katie, Mundie Moms: The fact that Kevin Durand and Robert Maillet are cast as Pangborn and Blackwell is awesome! I think these two will be able to deliver on the chills and fear factor that both of these characters have in the TMI series.
These two characters aren’t people/creatures you’d want to meet on a dark street late at night, or even in the middle of the day time. Their presence alone is one that sends shivers down the spines of those in the Shadowhunter world. Their scene with Luke in COB is an important scene to leave in the movie, because 1) we see that though Luke escaped Valentine’s hold long ago, he still has ties to the Shadowhunter world, and he can’t completely “escape” Valentine’s hand. 2) We see just how powerful Valentine is, and that he’s definitely not a guy to mess with. Anyone who has henchmen like Pangborn and Blackwell is not a guy to cross. 3) Luke is a stronger guy than we think he is, and we realize. Especially if he stands up to these two guys. 4), Most importantly we not see get to see what Clary, Jace and Simon are up against, but we also get a glimpse into what kind of person Clary’s father is, and that he is in fact the person who sent the Ravener demon after her mom.
I’m looking forward to seeing how all this plays out on the big screen.
Natalie, TMI Examiner: I too am thrilled that Kevin Durand and Robert Maillet will be bringing there experience of “being bad” to ‘City of Bones.’ They do play key roles in helping Clary piece together some of the answers she seeks. I am also looking forward to seeing Jamie Campbell Bower’s performance when he shares that they were who “killed” his father. I love that scene at Luke’s house and believe it will really help pace the story along and really introduce the new fans to Luke’s caring side and history. Now I can’t wait to know who will play Valentine and lead this villainous duo!
Tita, TMI News en Espanol: So in chapter 8, with the aparition of Pangborn and Blackwell at Luke’s we discover a lot of new things about what’s going on with Jocelyn, we learn about Jace’s past and what happened with his father. Necessary for the movie? Absotutely, we need to know about all these things. It’s going to happen exactly as it is in the book, well, why not?. But, they can do this scene a little bit different and it’s not going to change the curse of the movie that much, but we need to meet these 2 bad guys, learn the effect they have in Luke and the stuff that’s going on!
What are your thoughts? Are you excited to see Durand and Maillet in their respective roles? Join in on the discussion!
Check back next Monday for the next edition of Movie Monday.
TMI Source 
I think that the two will be great! And also, one of my favorite quotes/scenes is when Jace tells Clary the story about the boy with the falcon, and when he says, “The boy learned that to love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be he one destroyed,” because we get a glimpse of Jace’s past and his soft side. That must be in the movie. It is very touching.
I’m looking forward to seeing Pangborn and Blackvwell. Given the actors they’ve cast who are known for playing villains and when they were announced I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that they’ve significantly increased their role in the films. Perhaps they will be the main antagonists alongside Valentine rather than the various demon encounters we meet during the early parts of the book. I think that this would be a good idea as it would stop the rather episodic feel of the early parts of the narrative of the book, increase the stakes for Clary and Jace and, no doubt, save on budget for the film!
Question: Can we have a Movie Monday about what you DON’t want to see in the film? CoB was significantly flawed as it was Cassandra Clare’s first novel and there are quite a few things I don’t think work well in the book and would translate even more poorly to screen. Personally I’d love to see them get rid of the flying motorcycle which doesn’t really add anything to the plot (pretty much every scene involving the bike could be substituted by something else and reach the same outcome) and would look rather hokey on screen.
i think the motorcyle is important as it shows another element of the shadow world
They can show different elements of the Shadow World without the trip on a flying motorcycle. It really doesn’t add anything to the plot. Heck, the scene where they crash they could easily have them fall through an unexpected portal or messing up a rune spell or something (I’m sure they can make something up for the movie). I just can’t see the flying motorcyle looking anything but ridiculous in a film.
I currently have the feeling that Blackwell and Pangborn are going to play a very important role on the movie. They are a first sight to the evil behind the Shadowhunters history and Valentine.
i agree with real that we should have a movie monday onwat we dont want to see. but not evry bike scene should go away. the one where clary and jace crash……well neverming. a flying motor cycle looks cheesy on screen
i think pangborn and blackwell’s importance will be amped up even more so in the movies. scenes where they and other shadowhunters are plotting stealing the mortals instruments will be acool as it would be a cool build up to cog(if there is a movie for that one). perhaps valentine could be there(but be in shadow, and then be revealed in the scene in the instuite’s libray when Hodge’s secrets are revealed and jace is kidnapped or. or maybe the first part of valentine being there wouldn’t work
I’ve got to reread the books because I cannot remember who these two are