Anybody think of any other adaptations to film that are actually worthy of carrying the source material's title?
-Justin
Just what I remember hearing about the filming.
Oh, I thought of one that did it right. Crichton's DISCLOSURE. It followed the book pretty closely. They made one change that I didn't like -- the lawyer with the spanish surname was an anglo married to an hispanic. Annoying but not tragic. AND, they left one character -- the know-it-all professor or something -- and storyline out entirely which was an improvement over the book.
[This message has been edited by arriki (edited March 01, 2007).]
[This message has been edited by arriki (edited March 01, 2007).]
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited March 01, 2007).]
It's hard to think of a book I loved where I also loved the movie. "Gone With the Wind" is pretty much it. (I liked the "Lord of the Rings" movies.) Most works of immortal literature that I like I know from the film versions. Of things I'm well versed in (classic SF, say), there have been so few movies, and those that were filmed bore little resemblance to the stories, and were mostly no good.
I'll recommend "The Thing From Another World," from John W. Campbell's "Who Goes There?" (The 1950s version, not the 1980s remake.) Nothing like the story (which I read first), but good in its own right.
I have copies of (or have at least seen) and enjoyed several different versions of WUTHERING HEIGHTS, JANE EYRE, LITTLE WOMEN, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, HAMLET, TAMING OF THE SHREW, TWELFTH NIGHT, ROMEO AND JULIET, and so on. Some are better than others in some ways and some are better than others in other ways.
"Double Indemnity." The movie followed the same plot and characters, with a few alterations (in particular the ending), and it all hung together just fine.
"Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House." The book was fun, but essentially an intellectual stunt. The movie improved the characters.
"A Night to Remember." This is one of my top-ten-of-all-time movies. The book, of course, dealt with the real life events of the sinking of the Titanic, where the movie successfully dramatized these, better than any other version (I know of at least eight, most of which I've seen in part or in whole.)
In all these cases, I saw the movie before I read the book---in the case of "Mr. Blandings," about twenty years later.
*****
On Shakespeare and the movies---I just can't relate to Shakespeare on the printed page. I've read all of them (I think), but they only come alive when I've seen them, on stage (a few amateur productions, none recently) or on TV or in the movies (lots of them lots of times). Since Shakespeare intended his plays to be seen (apparently), rather than read, it's hard to feel much disappointment in not getting it when reading them.
But then, the book was VERY different from the movie.
I enjoyed them both.
RobertNowall, The list was of just comic book-based movies. And I was judging them by accuracy or integrity, not whether I approved of their idea.
I am looking forward to 300 this friday, though.
It'll be interesting to see if they make Kevin J. Anderson's Captain Nemo anything like the novel.
I liked LOTR, too, RobertNowall. And, Kathleen, I've liked quite a few versions of Hamlet, including Mel Gibson's portayal. If I was thinking on the lines of plays, I certainly would've mentioned Brighton Beach Memoirs--and its sequel--Biloxi Blues.
I will have a more complete list, now that I have comics out of the way.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited March 05, 2007).]
The Shawshank Redemption
Stand by Me
Goodfellas
The Godfather
The Sicillian
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fight Club
The Hound of the Baskervilles
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Outsiders
The Thirteenth Warrior (Eaters of the Dead)
Timeline
Ben Hur
Schindler's List (Schindler's Ark)
Bladerunner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)
Dangerous Liaisons (Les Liaisons Dangereuses)
Lord of the Flies
To Kill a Mockingbrid
A Time to Kill
The Da Vinci Code
A Christmas Story
The Count of Monte Christo
Searching for Bobby Fischer
The Last of the Mohicans
Forrest Gump
Jaws
The Jungle Book
Phantoms
Hideaway
The Prestige
Gangs of New York
The Postman
The World According to Garp
Jurassic Park
The Illisionist
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Non-Animated Versions
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited March 05, 2007).]
"InarticulateBabbler"'s list reminded me of a few more movies where I did read the book, usually before, sometimes after. ("Stand By Me," "The Hound of the Baskervilles," "Jaws," "The Postman," and "The World According to Garp.") One ("Hound") I liked better...one ("Jaws") I liked neither the book nor the movie...and the three others I thought the book was better.
At least two others, I've read the book, ("Shawshank Redemption" and "Blade Runner,") but I don't believe I've ever sat through the entire whole movie in either case. Life---and probably my attention span---is short.
And I don't know the genesis - but The Princess Bride is also one of my top 5, and an excellent book. I don't know if it's the case of a book written for/after the movie, though, I was introduced to both simultaneously.
Karen
It's not the same as the graphic novel, but its true to the integrity of Frank Miller's story. It's very well done, and portrays the Spartans admirably. Even the leading reseasrcher on the Battle of Thermopylae has given his approval--and with good cause. Frank Miller even approved of the director's separate but valid view of his work.
I was impressed. Even my wife was impressed--and that is truly surprising. She doesn't normally like those types of epics.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited March 10, 2007).]
I do still love both! I have a 5 year old boy and I always feel like the grandpa when I'm telling him about whatever book I'm currently reading - "True love, pirates, swordfights!" I retell him the story of the books I read - it keeps him entertained for countless hours in the car. I've retold Eragon and Inkwell most recently. It's exciting to think that he'll soon be a good enough reader to read the source for many of these books I've long loved. Or, gasp, even something I've written!
We've watched the movie The Princess Bride a few times lately. I was introduced to it when it was already on video - we lived overseas during the time it came out, otherwise I suspect I would have had the same experience you did. I think I might have to try reading that one aloud to the kids, hmm...hadn't thought to do that yet.
Karen
But the point is - I've got this quote in my head from Roeper and I want to write science fiction that could conceivably contain pastels. Which is why I'm focusing my current efforts on writing near-term sci-fi, often with young characters. My idea is that in living on the moon, space stations, or other planets, we'll find that some of the problems we face are the same as the ones we face now.
Anyway, random point of inspiration for me, and glad to have another good reason to plug the movie - it's a phenomenal movie. If you haven't seen it, you really should.
The only exception to the general run-of-the-future out of Hollywood was the "future" sequences in "Back to the Future Part II." An "alternate present" was grimy in the usual Hollywood way, but the "future" looked like some people were having a good time. ("Star Wars," as I recall, was set "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." And some scenes had their share of grime, too.)
And Florin is a real place too. Its over by Italy or something - I swear.
William Goldman is the owner of the Eiffel Tower in Paris France but is currently trying to sell it in order to raise cash to make another movie out of an S. Morgenstern book, The Silent Gondoliers. If your interested I handle many of his financial affairs.
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quote:
Nearly every movie set in the near future seems to be set in a depressing semi-Orwellian nightmare post-industrial kind of world---doesn't anything ever happen outside the ruined cities?
Demolition Man It showed a little of both, but made it a silly cliche.
The names are escaping me at the moment, but I have seen quite a few that show "bright colors", but, they are so loud and plastic when they are, that it seems more like a parody.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited April 23, 2007).]
Logan's Run and The Fifth Element both pop to mind, I'm sure there are others.
Also, Jaws is interesting because it was one of the few movies that was actually much better than the book it was taken from.