tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post4768343196173330104..comments2024-03-29T04:19:43.461-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: Weekend Weigh-in: What's the Best Film Adaptation of a Book?Patrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-65168845526653994732013-05-14T09:34:12.883-05:002013-05-14T09:34:12.883-05:00As I was reading people's great responses whic...As I was reading people's great responses which took all of the best answers, I thought I might be the only one to put forth <i>The Road</i> but Corbin got it in there towards the end. It's not THE BEST adaptation out there but it does the best it can with some relatively difficult source material and is a rare bleak and depressing film that I regularly revisit.Sol O.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-3119277808502926772013-05-13T06:58:50.714-05:002013-05-13T06:58:50.714-05:00The Harry Potter movies are pretty sketchy and it ...The Harry Potter movies are pretty sketchy and it didn't help that they started production on the movies before the book series was complete. <br /><br />In a lot of the movies, things that seemed insignificant at the time were cut to streamline the narrative, but those details played a larger part later on. <br /><br />To me, the movies feel at best, a surface level interpretation and at worst, an oversimplification of the series. (although it is entirely possible that I'm just REALLY picky about these things...)Gilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-62631912098150376622013-05-13T03:54:36.178-05:002013-05-13T03:54:36.178-05:00A few more good based-on-a-book movies I thought o...A few more good based-on-a-book movies I thought of before we move on to greener pastures:<br /><br /><b>THE RELIC (1997)</b>: A decent page-turner gets turned into an above-average monster movie by Peter <i>'anybody got a light'</i> Hyams. And, as a Chicago-based blogspot, F This Movie has to appreciate that the main setting of the museum being moved from NY to Chicago actually improves the movie.<br /><br /><b>THE IDIOT (1951)</b>: Kurosawa's adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel suffers greatly from being only 166 min. long (an additional 1/3 of the movie was taken out by the studio, never to be found again). Even in butchered form it's a remarkable faithful adaptation. Japan's snowy island of Kadema along with ice cold performances by Setsuko Hara and Toshirô Mifune make this uber-depressing movie something Dostoevsky would have been proud to call his own.<br /><br /><b>L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997)</b>: Except for that God-awful final scene with you-know-who in the car this is as good an adaptation of James Ellroy's pulpy novel as they come.<br /><br /><b>GET SHORTY (1995), JACKIE BROWN (1997) & OUT OF SIGHT (1998)</b>: There was something in the air in the 1990's about Ellroy and Leonard book-into-movie adaptations. Sonnenfeld, Tarantino and Soderbergh each tackled an Elmore Leonard novel and, while not 100% true to their source material, each is an excellent cinematic representation of the spirit of the source.<br /><br /><b>CONTEMPT (1963)</b>: Alberto Moravia's novel is barely present in skeleton form in Jean-Luc Godard's screen adaptation, which is saying something since this is the closest Godard came to flirting with mainstream storytelling. Again though, judging the final movie and not its faithfulness to the source material, "Contempt" ranks high as best movies adapted from a book.<br /><br /><b>CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982)</b>: It has way more of John Milius' mythical self-aggrandizing bravado than the Robert E. Howard source material. But, given how crappy the sequel and remake turned out (and the fact Schwarzenegger was perfectly cast and ripped like a marble statue), the original "Conan" looks better and better with age and distance even though it's a few continents away from being faithful to Howard's books. <br /><br />And I'm spent. BTW, I haven't read any of them or seen the movies, but how faithful are the "Harry Potter" movie adaptations compared to Rowlings' books? Are all the movie adaptations faithful to the source or are some better than others? Just curious. J.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-68476640861243043412013-05-12T21:38:03.789-05:002013-05-12T21:38:03.789-05:00Just thought....Nosferatu qualifies too.Just thought....Nosferatu qualifies too.Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-35783154352600362132013-05-12T21:31:43.977-05:002013-05-12T21:31:43.977-05:00A Clockwork Orange is another one. I remember read...A Clockwork Orange is another one. I remember reading the novel and loving the slang that Burgess uses. It's been a while since I saw the Kubrick film, but it felt he captured the reckless and dnagerous hoodlum's perspective. And who can forget the eye-opening rehabilitation scene.Greg_Talbothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401630835576874239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-13457926629870806922013-05-12T21:27:07.762-05:002013-05-12T21:27:07.762-05:00No Country for Old Men. The book was great, but I ...No Country for Old Men. The book was great, but I think the movie is a vast improvement. It's almost like the Coens filled out a sketch.Greg_Talbothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401630835576874239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-76985886314478345372013-05-12T17:39:55.659-05:002013-05-12T17:39:55.659-05:00To Kill a Mockingbird
good call, probably the most...To Kill a Mockingbird<br />good call, probably the most classic <br /><br />Fight Club <br />I miss the bananas last chapter<br /><br />The Road<br />probably my favorite of late<br /><br />One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest<br />going on a limb, better adaptation (not better movie) than the other Nicholson vehicle <br /><br />Lord of the Flies<br />still holds upAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13216491646543142615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-6991430243545331532013-05-12T10:21:11.964-05:002013-05-12T10:21:11.964-05:00I wonder what Dahl himself would have thought of t...I wonder what Dahl himself would have thought of the Tim Burton version. If I recall the information correctly, he hated "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," or was at least displeased with it.<br />John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-68397125471593666422013-05-12T10:11:11.940-05:002013-05-12T10:11:11.940-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-70157232958234156722013-05-12T09:01:26.184-05:002013-05-12T09:01:26.184-05:00See my comments about The Shining and Carrie below...See my comments about The Shining and Carrie below... :-)<br /><br />And for that matter there's been two movies made of "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" - one very faithful the other took liberties.<br /><br />Saw a quote from Gene Wilder that people keep coming up to him and saying, "Yours was better".Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-44579610526375563122013-05-12T08:55:18.964-05:002013-05-12T08:55:18.964-05:00By that logic, The Shining is right out of there.
...By that logic, The Shining is right out of there.<br /><br />And, according to PJ Soles in an interview, so is Carrie (DePalma told them, "Don't read the book. It has nothing to do with this." just after he banned King from the set)Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-79544194112176119782013-05-12T02:26:57.804-05:002013-05-12T02:26:57.804-05:00I am gonna say Star Wars, I know I have seen that ...I am gonna say Star Wars, I know I have seen that as a book right?<br /><br />In all seriousness all the titles that have been listed are awesome one that is surprisingly missing is the cable rerun favorite of all time The Shawshank Redemption. That movie was doing Morgan Freeman voiceovers before it was cool.<br /><br />As for worst that goes to K-Pax. I loved that book (and its sequels) but man that movie please go back into space and be locked in the phantom zone thank youTom Bartmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-43122516767779465452013-05-11T22:58:01.723-05:002013-05-11T22:58:01.723-05:00To go with some recent movies... Life of Pi and Cl...To go with some recent movies... Life of Pi and Cloud Atlas are pretty decent movies considering that they were initially considered unfilmable.<br /><br />Other movies to consider: The Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Oz... but I think both have made significant deviations from the source material that I don't really consider them an adaptation of the book.Gilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-8673418533853752192013-05-11T21:14:38.433-05:002013-05-11T21:14:38.433-05:00(slaps forehead) :-((slaps forehead) :-(J.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-73289350098064865312013-05-11T21:14:03.343-05:002013-05-11T21:14:03.343-05:00Kathy, I thought long and hard about the Fleming 0...Kathy, I thought long and hard about the Fleming 007 novels but the movies and the source material are so wildly different (the Bond producers were never really faithful to the books except for inspiration) that I honestly think of them as totally separate. Of the Fleming 007 novels that I've read though I'd say "From Russia With Love" comes the closest to being pretty faithful to the book and a terrific Bond movie.J.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-5544383209283001592013-05-11T18:59:05.015-05:002013-05-11T18:59:05.015-05:00That's a really good point. I think the movies...That's a really good point. I think the movies have taken on such a life of their own that they exist almost completely separate from the books, but you're right it's definitely surprising that they haven't come up.JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17867827164062216789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-2194454687232990352013-05-11T16:47:39.669-05:002013-05-11T16:47:39.669-05:00It's early still but...interesting...no James ...It's early still but...interesting...no James Bond films mentioned. :-)Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-59590010043956829192013-05-11T16:20:02.597-05:002013-05-11T16:20:02.597-05:00So many to choose from, but I'm narrowing it d...So many to choose from, but I'm narrowing it down to a couple:<br /><br />Rosemary's Baby<br />A Room with a View<br />Jurassic Park<br />The Exorcist<br />The Color Purple<br />Goodfellas<br />The Silence of the Lambs<br />A Simple PlanLeonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-19026301203603051752013-05-11T15:13:45.002-05:002013-05-11T15:13:45.002-05:00Um...I meant Hostel, not hotel. I blame autocorrec...Um...I meant Hostel, not hotel. I blame autocorrect.JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17867827164062216789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-82659188152490448982013-05-11T15:10:25.270-05:002013-05-11T15:10:25.270-05:00No Country For Old Men. I liked the book (though M...No Country For Old Men. I liked the book (though McCarthy's refusal to use quotation marks strikes me as an irritatingly useless affectation, despite whatever reasoning he may have behind it) but the movie is a straight-up masterpiece. Frightening, funny, meditative, and decidedly adult, it works on every level. Javier Bardem is a terrifying revelation(at least to me, as I wasn't terribly familiar with his work before this one) and Tommy Lee Jones is engaged with the material in a way that's increasingly rare for him (not counting Under Siege, of course). <br /><br />It's odd to consider a Best Picture winner underrated, but that's how I feel since it seems to have dropped out of the conversation over the past couple of years. Great movie.<br /><br />Honorable mention to The Ruins, which took a silly concept (killer vines that talk...sort of) and built a strongly unsettling horror movie that was unfairly dismissed as another vacationing-teens-in-peril movie in the wake of Hotel & Turistas. If you haven't seen it (and judging by box office and such you probably haven't) it's very much worth seeking out. The book (by Scott B. Smith, whose only other novel was the also very well adapted A Simple Plan) is pretty great, too.JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17867827164062216789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-4471516765704164712013-05-11T09:40:43.482-05:002013-05-11T09:40:43.482-05:00Great answers! So I'll just add some more.
Th...Great answers! So I'll just add some more.<br /><br />The Shining<br />The Last of the Mohicans<br />Ghost World(graphic novel)<br />Road to Perdition(graphic novel)<br />Blade Runner<br />Carrie<br />To Kill a Mockingbird<br />The Princess BrideShannon Briggsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-17024250127742045022013-05-11T09:37:40.873-05:002013-05-11T09:37:40.873-05:00Haha, it seems we each had one missing from the ot...Haha, it seems we each had one missing from the other's choices that definitely deserve to be included. I freakin' love To Kill a Mockingbird.John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-82621526414328672312013-05-11T09:31:55.274-05:002013-05-11T09:31:55.274-05:00Oh! I forgot Misery. Yeah, Misery is really great,...Oh! I forgot Misery. Yeah, Misery is really great, too. For me, personally, it's the best King adaptation.John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-63952547823509429212013-05-11T09:29:14.024-05:002013-05-11T09:29:14.024-05:00Mockingbird....how did I miss that!Mockingbird....how did I miss that!Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-27966247835334797162013-05-11T09:26:55.441-05:002013-05-11T09:26:55.441-05:00Gone With The Wind
The Wizard of Oz
2001
Frankenst...Gone With The Wind<br />The Wizard of Oz<br />2001<br />Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein<br />Island of Lost Souls<br />Phantom of the Opera (1925)<br />Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory<br />The Day The Earth Stood Still (although technically that was a novella)<br />The Thing - both versions (again, a novella)<br />All The President's Men<br />Misery<br />Christine<br />Stand By Me (it was part of a book)<br /><br />Honorable Mentions: Dracula 1931 (which was based on a play but the play was based on the book) and Ed Wood (which would could have been even more of a spectacle if they had stuck closer to the book).<br /><br />I'd even risk saying that GWTW and Christine are made better by their movies because of the changes. GWTW left out the KKK among other things and Christine finally decided what the source of the evil was and stuck to it. (King can't make up his mind from act to act)Kathynoreply@blogger.com