So many tv shows and books have made the transformation onto the silver screen. Do you guys like the idea? Which ones worked? Which ones didn't?
Books/TV shows into movies
- Thread starter getitin
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 5,239
- Reaction score
- 1,017
The only movie that ever came really close to matching the book (that I've watched) was "Dreamcatcher" (Book by Stephen King).
They did an EXCELLENT job of sticking to the book right up until the end where they completely and totally trashed everything in the final few minutes.
Another disappointing book-to-movie was "Cider House Rules" (Book by John Irving). The book was excellent and the movie was subpar. They had to cut too much of it out and made some major plot changes that really made the movie bad.
They tell me that "I am Legend" completely messed the movie up too, but I've never read the book.
They did an EXCELLENT job of sticking to the book right up until the end where they completely and totally trashed everything in the final few minutes.
Another disappointing book-to-movie was "Cider House Rules" (Book by John Irving). The book was excellent and the movie was subpar. They had to cut too much of it out and made some major plot changes that really made the movie bad.
They tell me that "I am Legend" completely messed the movie up too, but I've never read the book.
I really like the book The Kite Runner, but i totally didn't come out good when it got transferred to film. For the most part I prefer books over their movie counterparts.
I'm a complete sucker for those murder mystery/crime investigation movies and books. I read a book a few years ago that was incredible. It was about how this one cop that spent twenty years tracking down The Green River Killer, and finally helped catch him with the help of Ted Bundy.
I'm trying to get excited about it coming out as a movie, but I'm just hoping that it doesn't totally get hacked up like the rest of them.
I'm a complete sucker for those murder mystery/crime investigation movies and books. I read a book a few years ago that was incredible. It was about how this one cop that spent twenty years tracking down The Green River Killer, and finally helped catch him with the help of Ted Bundy.
I'm trying to get excited about it coming out as a movie, but I'm just hoping that it doesn't totally get hacked up like the rest of them.
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 43,746
- Reaction score
- 8,654
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Website
- www.amazon.com
Kite Runner the film was mediocre at best.
Atonement, on the other hand, is an awesome adaptation. No Country for Old Men as well as There Will be Blood (albeit only part of the book), too.
Shawshank Redemption -- although I don't know how faithful it is to the story; didn't read it. But the movie is great.
Atonement, on the other hand, is an awesome adaptation. No Country for Old Men as well as There Will be Blood (albeit only part of the book), too.
Shawshank Redemption -- although I don't know how faithful it is to the story; didn't read it. But the movie is great.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2005
- Messages
- 23,708
- Reaction score
- 10,661
- Location
- In a world of my own making
- Website
- shadowferret.wordpress.com
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 5,239
- Reaction score
- 1,017
I keep meaning to read this one. It's a very short story too (by Stephen King for those who might not know).
They say the book is ALWAYS better than the movie. If that's the case, then the book must be absolutely fantastic.
The Shawshank Redemtion is, in my opinion, a mediocre novella. I love Stephen King, but there's not much to that story.
The movie, on the other hand, is great.
So that's one example where the director got a lot out of pretty small source. There are all kinds of plots and subplots that Darabont used that are either nonexistent or given one sentence in the novella.
I also think the Dexter television show -- which I've only watched a couple of times -- is better than the novel. Lindsay's original novel is pretty good, but it doesn't have the intensity of the TV show.
The movie, on the other hand, is great.
So that's one example where the director got a lot out of pretty small source. There are all kinds of plots and subplots that Darabont used that are either nonexistent or given one sentence in the novella.
I also think the Dexter television show -- which I've only watched a couple of times -- is better than the novel. Lindsay's original novel is pretty good, but it doesn't have the intensity of the TV show.
It's actually a novella. About 150 pages or so.
I gave it to my students once. Had them read King's "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemtion" and then we watched the film. My question was, simply, "Which do you think is better, and why?"
Everyone in the class chose the film, and I had quite a few voracious readers.
Sarpedon
Banned
Well, my favorite conversion has to be the Lord of the Rings.
When I heard they were doing it, I was afraid it would be a disaster.
It wasn't...It was really, really good.
And one thing made me really appreciate it; that they knew when to stick to the source material, and when to digress.
The digressions added to the product by heightening tension and increasing characterization.
But while they were hashing out the script, they surveyed people about what scenes in the books were most memorable; those scenes they didn't touch, and put in the movie exactly as they appeared in the book. Scenes like; The hobbits hiding under the log while the ringwraith was sniffing around. Eowyn's confrontation with the Witch-king. The final scene in the crack of Doom (though they streamlined the dialogue a bit)
I thought that was extremely well done.
When I heard they were doing it, I was afraid it would be a disaster.
It wasn't...It was really, really good.
And one thing made me really appreciate it; that they knew when to stick to the source material, and when to digress.
The digressions added to the product by heightening tension and increasing characterization.
But while they were hashing out the script, they surveyed people about what scenes in the books were most memorable; those scenes they didn't touch, and put in the movie exactly as they appeared in the book. Scenes like; The hobbits hiding under the log while the ringwraith was sniffing around. Eowyn's confrontation with the Witch-king. The final scene in the crack of Doom (though they streamlined the dialogue a bit)
I thought that was extremely well done.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 57
- Location
- Too far north
- Website
- dreambyday-hollan.blogspot.com
L.A. Confidential is an awesome movie, but I've yet to read the book so I don't know how they compare.
I also thought they did a pretty good job w/ Interview with the Vampire. Cruise's Lestat was right on. And Dunst was an excellent Claudia. Pitt was only so-so as Louie, and someone else should have played Armand, but what are you gonna do?
Oh, and for TV show, Transformers anyone? J/J ^_^
I also thought they did a pretty good job w/ Interview with the Vampire. Cruise's Lestat was right on. And Dunst was an excellent Claudia. Pitt was only so-so as Louie, and someone else should have played Armand, but what are you gonna do?
Oh, and for TV show, Transformers anyone? J/J ^_^
The Big Sleep. Great job hiding the porno and homosexual references without chopping down the plot
Stardust. I am reading it and I thought they did a great job
Stardust. I am reading it and I thought they did a great job
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2005
- Messages
- 2,764
- Reaction score
- 120
Silence of the Lambs
Manhunter (from Red Dragon)
Lord of the Rings -- as good in its way as the book
The Big Sleep
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Prestige
The Sweet Hereafter
Manhunter (from Red Dragon)
Lord of the Rings -- as good in its way as the book
The Big Sleep
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Prestige
The Sweet Hereafter
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 3,942
- Reaction score
- 965
- Age
- 74
The film version of This Island Earth was superior to the novel.
But to flip that, the film version of Raise the Titanic was a travesty. Miscast, muddled, ham-handed, and too short.
But to flip that, the film version of Raise the Titanic was a travesty. Miscast, muddled, ham-handed, and too short.
I know. But instead of trying to put a souless word by word adaptation, they put the spirit of the story on the screen
Except for character names, locations, and a couple of plot points, they are two very different animals. However, James Ellroy's novel is expansive (it covers eight years, while the movie pars it down to about four months) and has over two hundred named characters (yes, I researched this for a school paper many, many years ago). To make a truly faithful adaptation would probably take a thirty-part miniseries.
That said, it won Best Adapted Screenplay for a reason. The film stays true to the heart of the book and does a fantastic job of reducing it into palatable bites. It has been my #1 movie for eleven years and counting (Lordy, has it really been that long?).
I heartily recommend the book, as well as the others in the L.A. Quartet (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere and White Jazz).
I didn't like Dreancatcher. An old dude crapping aliens was just...dumb. Green Mile was done well.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 3,904
- Reaction score
- 863
- Age
- 68
- Location
- Canada
- Website
- www.williammeikle.com
A couple of older TV Shows were made into movies that worked
The Untouchables
The Fugitive
And some didn't
Wild Wild West
Dragnet
The Untouchables
The Fugitive
And some didn't
Wild Wild West
Dragnet
I've never read the Green River Killer (is that what the book is called). Is it any good?I usually like to read the books before I seem them as a movie, but I think this is a different instance because its something that happened in real life. I think i'll check it out. I mean what else really am I doing at 8pm on a Sunday night beside dreading going back to work?
I know a lot of people disagree with me on this, but I really liked the film version of The Stand.
And I say that as someone who loved the book.
And I say that as someone who loved the book.
One I didn't like, though, was the movie version of High Fidelity. It just didn't work for me. I guess I couldn't get over them Americanizing the film - all of the great humor disappeared.
ETA - On the other hand, I liked About a Boy quite a bit.
ETA - On the other hand, I liked About a Boy quite a bit.
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2005
- Messages
- 3,126
- Reaction score
- 768
- Location
- Near Cincinnati
- Website
- www.allensedge.com
I really liked King's story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. I thought it was clever and plotted very well. OTOH, the movie was great, too. (One big change was making Red's character black. Red had red hair in the book.) At least the movie answered my question: how did Andy Dufresne escape the prison and just "disappear?" I mean, beyond Red's theories. Where did his clothes come from? Shoes? Ready money?
I won't get into The Shining. It's been discussed and discussed and discussed. I will say this: loved the novel. Loved Kubrick's version. HATED the TV movie.
MASH. The novel was okay. It wasn't written by a "novelist" and it showed. The writing IMHO was subpar and lacking. Robert Altman's movie was incredible. BUT, the movie was based on Ring Lardner Junior's screenplay. Altman used the screenplay as kind of an outline and created his own vision of MASH. Ring Lardner Junior, upon seeing the film told Altman: "Well, you've ruined my movie." Roger Ebert said in his review that he read the screenplay. He said it was terrible. If Altman had directed it like the screenplay, the movie would have flopped. I personally love it. It's one of my top five favorite movies of all time.
allen
I won't get into The Shining. It's been discussed and discussed and discussed. I will say this: loved the novel. Loved Kubrick's version. HATED the TV movie.
MASH. The novel was okay. It wasn't written by a "novelist" and it showed. The writing IMHO was subpar and lacking. Robert Altman's movie was incredible. BUT, the movie was based on Ring Lardner Junior's screenplay. Altman used the screenplay as kind of an outline and created his own vision of MASH. Ring Lardner Junior, upon seeing the film told Altman: "Well, you've ruined my movie." Roger Ebert said in his review that he read the screenplay. He said it was terrible. If Altman had directed it like the screenplay, the movie would have flopped. I personally love it. It's one of my top five favorite movies of all time.
allen
Lord of the Rings is one of the few great film adaptations of a book. I was so blown away by how it turned out.
By some fluke occurance I got some actual alone time last night and decided to just relax and watch some TV. I ended up turning this on and getting completely hooked. I did miss the very beginning so if anyone watched it please fill me in.
I really am hating how LMN put me in suspense though. I wasn't expecting to watch this last night and now i'm sucked in for another night because its a miniseries. I might have to TiVo this because 8pm on Monday is terrible for me but I don't want to miss it.
It was around that point when I stopped watching it. Green Mile, on the other hand, was really good.
The one that sticks in my mind out of those I've both read and seen is The Shining. There's a lot in the book that didn't make it onto the screen, but the movie really captured Jack's mental breakdown.