The Book
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MicheleWilliams — 14 years ago(March 14, 2012 09:35 PM)
Oh no. Please do forgive me for not answering promptly, but you can understand how busy and complicated daily living can sometimes get?
Wow. You got to see the play "Deathtrap!" That's fantastic! I thought the movie was very good and just had to own the DVD a while back. Underrated
I did forget he wrote "The Stepford Wives" and did not even know Ira Levin authored "Sliver." I do remember the movie tanked, though. Despite the plot/premise.
TCM is featuring Michael Caine either today or this month, thus I had an "eye out" for "Deathtrap," as A.D.D. and O.C.D. are kind of taking over my collecting habits and I am currently "disorganizized" as to where the DVDs are "filed."
Thanks for the pre-reading tips, as well. Also, the Agatha Christie recommendation. I did buy the DVD, "Death on the Nile," this past decade and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've also enjoyed a few of her other "Murder Mysteries," and your taste and attitudes (about remakes and directors changing the book plots) resemble mine, so I can't wait to get "Endless Night," too!
Once more, your posts are very much appreciated, including the time you are taking out of your day to respond.
It's fab to find some cool people on IMDB!
"C'mon, Oscar! Let's you and me get drunk!" -
cookiela2001 — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 03:46 PM)
The book is fabulous.
There's three different sisters in it that Bud works his way through, taking on a different identity each time as he tries to worm his way into the Kingman family. The sisters' personalities are all different, so the 3 different sections of the book have varying tones, etc. (Making the Sean Young character a twin in this movie is a holdover from the book, so they could include a little of that.) -
MicheleWilliams — 14 years ago(March 14, 2012 04:08 PM)
It DOES sound fabulous. Ira Levin is one of my favorites, so this book is on my list to buy ASAP.
A little side story: A good friend of Levin's was one of my Dad's best friends. Sadly, as of recently, they now are both no longer with us. Not my father, fortunately, he's a bit younger than they were.
Unfortunately, though, I was too young to appreciate the "coincidence," and by the time I realized it, the friend had developed a chronic condition wherein he was unable to socialize much.
He would lend my Dad books Ira inscribed for him and such. Not that I would want to bother the friend about Levin, you know? Yet, it would have been fun to know (tactfully) some things about the people he worked with and other trivia.
Oh well!
"C'mon, Oscar! Let's you and me get drunk!" -
MicheleWilliams — 14 years ago(March 17, 2012 04:23 PM)
Hello, Vylar,
(now, THIS is a LONNNNG post!)
I've only just been able to finish it, due to lack of Internet time : ( AND using an OLD laptop (until I hook-up the new one), w/ it's SLOWNESS and "blue-screening" (just got a NOISY blue-screen w/ weird msg.[?]!). It's against multi-tasking, too.
Back to your post(s), no way! They aren't long at all. I'm grateful for being able to be one of the recipients of them (they're "normal" in size for an intelligent, prolific writer, as you are). Your words are a small token of your knowledge, experience, humor, etc.. As well as the generous gift of TIME you have chosen to contribute! I am thankful that you go to all the trouble, Vylar! So many don't bother.
Indeed, I can relate, because my posts really ARE [usually] much too long, as "brevity is the soul of IMDB." Often, insults are hurled about the length of them [um, particularly when the reader dislikes the content! ; ) ]. Yet, that's when one must "consider the source" of these silly criticisms, right?
In any event, it's great to have someone like you on IMDB. Especially when looking for TRUSTWORTHY information on a particular movie subject, etc.. One cannot depend on the majority of IMDB users' opinions and taste. Admittedly, it IS nice to actually get an email indicating "Vylar" replied to a message. A very welcomed change from the backlashing!*
I think that you being privvy to many movie/book tidbits is fascinating and interesting. *That's what this site should be about! Therefore, please do not give up on IMDB et al., because the world needs more "Vylars!"
It is rare to reply to someone on IMDB boards with whom I can relate on so many levels and (GASP!) agree with
While "dying" to read and respond to your other links, I FIRST wanted to let you know that your posts are fantastic and if anyone indicates otherwise, YOU'RE RIGHT, they just do not "get it!"
Here (due to a majority of immature 13-19 yr. olds), it seems that if one writes something "unpopular," or critical toward someone/something "beloved" to the masses on IMDBwatch out. It becomes a childish "war" which, to be 100% honest, there really is no use/time to engage in, nor is there any pay-off in the end. Also, what a waste, trying to "reason" with certain people. Naturally, no one agrees about EVERYTHING, but why not have a rational discussion about it, or keep mum? I post the TRUTH (with my perception of it), and I guess that hurts too much.
Then again, maybe some were just having a "bad day," (although, that's become a pretty popular excuse lately). Still, unless it's a glaringly important error, or issue, I'm not getting dragged into yet another grade-school ruckus.
So, I've also PERSONALLY experienced people not "getting it!" In addition to the dislike of my POV(s), it's obvious that when certain members attack the length of posts, all along they are actually EMBARRASSING themselves. That is, is the person not advertising their lack of ATTENTION-SPAN and/or comprehension?!
Vylar, I am looking forward to reading the rest of your replies and links in the next day or two.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! We'll be celebrating here, so, if you don't get a reply right away, know that it's ME, not YOU!
"C'mon, Oscar! Let's you and me get drunk!" -
JackForrester — 13 years ago(April 08, 2012 06:16 AM)
Hey people, completely forgot about this thread, sorry about that.
I'm really interested on the "Deathtrap" adaptation that Vylar commented. Will definitely look for it. Last week I watched on TCM "Sleuth" for the first time. To watch a very young Michael Caine sharing the screen with Laurence Olivier was such a pleasure. It's also based on a play and it's pretty intense. Enjoyed a lot.
Michelle, I agree with your comments regarding Polanski. He's a director that I very much admire, and I also won't judge a movie based on the director's personal life. And yes, Rosemary's Baby was a terrific screen adaptation. I never bothered to read the sequel, Rosemary's Son, as my friend said it was dreadful compared to the first one. But if you liked, I might give it a look
Regarding Sliver, I do enjoy it as a movie of its own. But compared to the book, it's painful to watch certain plot changes (as the change of the killer's identity). Also, the sexual scenes were a little bit excessive and not that important to the main plot. Thing is, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas became popular for his Basic Instinct script and decided to go with the "NC-17 thriller" again.
The casting also wasn't that great. Sharon Stone and Billy Baldwin had zero chemistry, and Tom Berenger is not a very good actor in my book, lol.
But overall, it's not that bad. I do enjoy a few scenes of it.
Now going back to A Kiss Before Dying (1991 version), Matt Dillon is just an average actor in my opinion, but I think he does a good job here. He looks very charming, I can definitely see him stealing Upper East Side girls hearts, and I liked how he combined that with cynicism. Sean Young looks bored and tired the whole movie. I was amazed she was given two parts to play, lol. And I really liked the supporting cast: Max Von Sydow, Diane Ladd, James Russo, they're all great actors. I wish they had more screen time.
Altough the director/screenwriter took a lot of liberties with the plot, I think the movie had some very good moments of its own. I love the scene of Jonathan killing Patricia Farren, chopping her off and then trying to leave the hotel with her body parts in a suitcase. Good black humour. And the final scene, Jonathan chasing Ellen thru his house to the train line was very heart throbbing for me. Also enjoyed his death a lot. Such an irony that he was run over by the train of the company he ached for so long.
Finally back to the book, I also think it's fantastic that all 3 sisters had different personalities, and Bud had to adapt himself to each one of them.
This should be adapted into a TV mini series (with all the 3 sisters, it annoys me how they keep excluding Marion). With a bigger lenght, all the three acts of the book could be fully enjoyed -
cookiela2001 — 12 years ago(January 09, 2014 11:38 AM)
A little more about the book:
One great twist is that you meet Bud in the first part, where he woos and offs the youngest sister, Dorothy.
Then in the next part, the second sister, Ellen, is investigating Dorothy's death, and corresponding with her loving boyfriend throughoutand he's urging her to come home, etc. The reader only realizes near the end of that section that the boyfriend is, again, Bud.
The personalities of the sisters give the different sections variety: Dorothy is a somewhat childish innocent, Ellen is a spunky Nancy Drew type, and the third sister Marion is kind of an insecure, reserved spinster.