Movies of Your Favorite Books

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by tompe

Well, all versions before the film were funny. The changed in the film was no problem, the problem was that they removed the humor.

I guess we'll have to disagree, then. My wife and I both enjoyed it and thought it was funny.

[live2win]

Among my favorite ones:

-Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
-Love in the Time of Cholera
-Lord of the Rings
-Harry Potter

[Pax]

TV/mini series

Shogun - Written by James Clavell
Both versions are just great, I love it. Highly Recommended!

[garrybuck]

I thought Chocolat, Like Water for Chocolate and Room With a View were very well done and true to the book.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by dacattt

When rights get sold, ya never know what the producers will do with a well loved book.

Yes, I do.

Universal bought the rights to Clarke's Childhood's End... and we got V.

I wish I could rattle off the number of favorite novels that were made into excellent movies... but I just can't. I will name:

2001: A Space Odyssey (though, technically, a movie made from a short story, and the resultant novel written in conjunction with the film)
The War of the Worlds (Spielberg-Cruise)
Blade Runner
V for Vendetta
and, if we can include animated features, Akira.

[Timoleon]

TV/mini series:

I thought the television adaptation of Titus Groan was almost a miracle.

I didn't think it could be done.

[orlok]

For me Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources were two of the most wonderful film adaptations I have ever seen (and the second was not hurt in the least by the involvement of the delectable Emmanuelle Béart).

I remember coming out of the theatre after seeing Manon des Sources and not being able to speak for a good half-hour, so overcome with emotion was I.

[mrsquash]

I usually don't care much for movies based on books I've already read, but some notable exceptions to this were The Godfather, The Exorcist and The Shining, along with many of those already mentioned. The key seems to be having a gifted director in charge.

[VicLavigne]

Steven King books seem to do fairly well in film. I think it's because he puts more into the movie than authors who have their work hijacked into a movie script.

[elcreative]

Good list but got to disagree with War of the Worlds... still think the George Pal was far superior, better FX don't make a better film...

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Yes, I do.

Universal bought the rights to Clarke's Childhood's End... and we got V.

I wish I could rattle off the number of favorite novels that were made into excellent movies... but I just can't. I will name:

2001: A Space Odyssey (though, technically, a movie made from a short story, and the resultant novel written in conjunction with the film)
The War of the Worlds (Spielberg-Cruise)
Blade Runner
V for Vendetta
and, if we can include animated features, Akira.

[Rainmaker]

Bumping this thread. (i know its old, but i though it wasn't worth creating a new one)
Just to update it.


Runaway Jury - Book by John Grisham
I liked the book, the movie quite good. Not a deep plot, but its fast paced (movie).

Hart's War - Book by John Katzenbach
I 've read that Katzenbach wasn't really happy with the adaption of his novel, because they removed some dramatic and violent scene which he thought made an impasse on the story of some of the characters.
He also mentioned that he mostly inspired by his dad's anecdotes from the WWII. His father never talked about the war with anyone, not until (i think) Katzenbach was in his 30s.
One of the scenes (don't know if it wasn't shot or was deleted), is when American soldiers shoot a convoy, which they though to be German (actually American convoy).


The A Song of Ice And Fire Series:
Game of Thrones - Book By GGR Martin
I felt a little disappointed about the adaption; I was prepared for a medium budget, but still, there were many characters omitted, scenes deleted or reduced. I think there is a real difference between someone who has read the books and someone who hasn't. Specially because Martin tends to flip the board every few chapters.

Spoiler:

Ned Stark execution, and coming the Red Weeding at the Frey Towers

Also the books are written from different Points of View (POV); but the movie feels different. (like a story telling, fairy tale)

Blindness - Book by José Saramago
I was more impressed by the book. The description of situations is better described in the book. I think the movie lacked showing the evolution of isolation of the quarantined population. In the book, you feel how it evolves.
When they are initially a small group, sleeping in one room, everyone close to each other; and how that turns out into 2 and then more separate rooms, how the organized; food supply, body's burrial, disposing of trash, etc.

Das Parfum (Perfume) - Book by Süskind
Again, the movie lacks character development; which really rich in the book.
The movie reduced the infancy and early years of Grenoullie (probably misspelled that).
Still a pretty good movie, maybe a little too long.
I found the book to be a little slow paced through the middle, where you wish something happened. (right after he quits the apprenticeship and goes on his own)

[Stephen_Melling]

On Stephen King adaptions, I think Carrie the movie was far better than the book. Though some didn't fair so well. Firestarter, for instance. And I wonder has anyone seen the old adaptions of King's Night Shift stories The Bogey Man and The Woman In The Room? May have even been Frank Darabont. Saw in VHS many, many moons ago.

[xg4bx]

no love for The Road or No Country For Old Men?

[mgmueller]

Just saw the movie "Limitless" (*) a few days ago. Then read the book (had been released some time before and had been somewhat successful). Then saw the movie again.
The book was good enough, but actually the movie was "smoothing some edges" and adding some details.
I found both interesting, but slightly prefer the movie.

This rarely happens. Usually I prefer the book, especially over gigantic blockbuster productions...

(*) Interesting topic. A writer receives pills, which awaken the brain's full potential. From 10% we're actually using to the full 100%. The possibilities are limitless. So are the side effects. For how long can you burn the candle from both ends? And what would be your life choices?
I found this especially interesting. I'm in the middle of changing jobs. And in today's (western) society, you don't need some pills. The options already are more or less limitless. But what to make out of it?

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

no love for The Road or No Country For Old Men?

Oh I loved the movies, haven't read the books yet. I did find The Road a little hard emotionally to get through as at the time I watched it as I kept thinking about my own children.

I really enjoyed reading 1984 and then watching the movie it felt like they threw the book on the table and made a movie. Was really good and quite refreshing that there are movies created from a book, not loosely based upon a story which shares the same title.

Also as mentioned the Tom Clancy movies. Clive Cussler's Sahara was disappointing (good movie, but I was expecting to enjoy it as much as I did the book). The godfather takes the cake. I think when the author is involved with a movie it turns out quite well.