Great books that were even better movies:
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GreyHunter — 19 years ago(February 16, 2007 08:44 PM)
I understand. Perhaps my primary problem is that I consider the voice clumsily implemented even for a very proper butler, Stevens' first-person monologue sound stilted to me, as if the narrative was trying too hard in its exposition. But, of course, de gustibus.
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jg67 — 19 years ago(December 14, 2006 05:36 PM)
Apt Pupil
The Hours
How much did you put out to get in?
http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=5642503 -
jeffhowardmeade — 19 years ago(January 12, 2007 10:08 PM)
Okay, I've got a new one. "Children of Men" by P.D. James, was a very good book. It was hard for me to admit this, because I wrote almost exactly the same story into a novella back in the eighties, then $#!+ canned it because I'm not exactly Hemingway (or P.D. James). James elevated a teenager's wan storyline into a work of art.
That said, the movie version blew my effing socks off.
I often see movies that had so much potential, but squandered it, and I wonder how I would improve them. Event Horizon and Whipped are two which spring to mind. I read books like When We Were Orphans or Never Let Me Go and imagine how I would have written them, if I were actually good at that sort of thing and had a few hundred free hours (for the record, eliminate the whole subplot with his Japanese friend from the former and get rid of most of the cottages section of the latter).
Cuarn, it seemed, took the book and asked himself "what can I do to make this story flow better" (though he probably did it en espaol).
The changes he made were absolutely for the better. -
jeffhowardmeade — 18 years ago(April 14, 2007 11:09 PM)
Just finished reading Our Lady of the Forest by David Guterson. That reminded me of his book Snow Falling on Cedars, so I rented the movie on Netflix. It surpassed what I thought was a great novel by leaps and bounds. Hiding the fact that Ishmael is an amputee until late in the movie was a brilliant move, whereas the book gives it up right away. Fight Club (another one mentioned on this thread as a better movie) does the same thing.
It's always a nice surprise to receive a nice surprise. -
VoodooChicken — 18 years ago(April 19, 2007 08:25 AM)
Forrest Gump. The book version was not a sympathetic character at all.
I'm on the fence about Watership Down. I think the book and movie need to be sold together in all instances as they complement each other perfectly.
Around the World in Eighty Days. Both film versions were excellent (only thing I really didn't like about the 2004 version was Mark Addy's cameo)
I will get in trouble for preferring the simpleness of Simon Birch over the 20lb Prayer for Owen Meany.
Look behind you! A THREE-headed monkey!!!!!! -
jeffhowardmeade — 18 years ago(June 16, 2007 11:41 PM)
Just got finished reading "The Prestige".
The movie was SOOOOOO much better than the book.
Okay, I read that last line out loud and I sounded like a thirteen year old girl with a smoker's voice.
Really, though, The Prestige was a very good book, and the movie was ten times better. -
moon-light — 17 years ago(January 30, 2009 04:05 PM)
I am sorry but I have to disagree about Howards End and A Room with a View, although great films the books how brilliant E M Forster is my favourite writer.
I am big film fan and enjoy books, some say I am book worm. I like films that come from books but I always enjoy the book better. -
faville-1 — 17 years ago(December 29, 2008 07:34 PM)
Here's a neat exception to the usual routine. Graham Greene actually wrote the screenplay for The Third Man [1949], during shooting, as an original. It only came out as a book of fiction after the movie was released! "Soon to be a best-selling novel!"
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Fripitto — 17 years ago(January 11, 2009 02:47 PM)
- The Godfather (although that wasn't all too difficult, considering the book was not a masterpiece, which the film of course is)
- The Bourne Ultimatum
- Apocalypse Now
- Trainspotting
- The Shining
- LA Confidential
- Sin City (if you consider a graphic novel a book)
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faville-1 — 17 years ago(January 20, 2009 04:49 PM)
Well, Stephen King is certainly the exception. I don't know any critics who believe he's a talented writer of literary masterpieces. But then, neither was John D. MacDonald, his idol.
Some of the plots translate well to the cinema. Carrie. The Shining. Shawshank Redemption.
Ditto with James Ellroy.