tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post1934697206717870885..comments2024-03-14T18:09:09.667-05:00Comments on Do Some Damage: Does the movie ever do the book justice?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-8882471596227845722012-03-26T11:28:51.525-05:002012-03-26T11:28:51.525-05:00Books and movies are different media, so it's ...Books and movies are different media, so it's often not possible to be faithful to the book and make a decent film. And some movies are so much better than the book. "Bladerunner" is one of my favorites films but I thought "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," on which it was based, was pretty clumsy and dull.<br /><br />If Hollywood wants to take a crack at my little opus, they can do whatever they want to it -- turn the protagonist into a medieval magician from Moravia for all I care.Steven J. Wangsnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14846516529180802046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-19609809000406542322012-03-26T09:56:36.998-05:002012-03-26T09:56:36.998-05:00I was blown away by the movie version of "To ...I was blown away by the movie version of "To Live and Die in L.A." and read the book, which disappointed after such a good movie. <br />Great gritty noir for those with a taste for such.Dale T. Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14792295949745520240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-13548773224036256422012-03-26T09:05:47.872-05:002012-03-26T09:05:47.872-05:00I really liked the Hunger Games movie - I generall...I <i>really</i> liked the <i>Hunger Games</i> movie - I generally go in with an open mind to book-to-movie-movies because I've never expected them to be perfect, but I thought they did a fantastic job.<br /><br />For me, the moment a movie succeeds as a book-to-movie translation is when I walk out of the theater and realize that the stuff they left out didn't leave a "hole" in the movie for me. <br /><br />As far as favorites, <i>The Lorax</i> comes to mind despite the obvious embellishments, and...well, <i>The Hunger Games</i>. I loved it.<br /><br />I just can't compare books to movies. I can't. I can try to see what I would have done differently, but for me their two totally different mediums to be enjoyed in two totally different ways.Mandarifichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10115769201195719964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-89611617989051750372012-03-26T09:00:38.352-05:002012-03-26T09:00:38.352-05:00Speaking as someone who talks daily to a child rea...Speaking as someone who talks daily to a child reading the Hunger Games, I can't imagine how the movie can compare. Sounds like an intense read for the youngsters. I'm sure there are older folks reading it and enjoying it. I've heard of high schools completely taken over by the book. Maybe the most fun children's book since Catcher in the Rye.<br /><br />As for books turned into stinky movies -- Hitchhiker's Guide comes to mind.Steve Weddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03876211586767139613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-88611211351336721572012-03-26T08:55:23.996-05:002012-03-26T08:55:23.996-05:00Movies better than the books: THE GODFATHER, JAWS....Movies better than the books: THE GODFATHER, JAWS.<br /><br />Worst movie adaptations I can think of of the top of my head(It's a much longer list): THE LONG GOOD-BYE, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN, BONFIRE OF THE VANITIESDana Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350344882342624735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-86830152616639965202012-03-25T15:30:13.929-05:002012-03-25T15:30:13.929-05:00Among a few other films that I think are better th...Among a few other films that I think are better than the books--because they either distill their essences or shed new light on the texts: The Exorcist, All the President's Men, Godfather I & II, Jaws, and Lord of the Rings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-17623637193235242852012-03-25T15:29:27.129-05:002012-03-25T15:29:27.129-05:00I preferred the movie version of No Country For Ol...I preferred the movie version of <i>No Country For Old Men</i> to the book. I had my doubts about <i>The Road</i>, but, while different, the movie holds up as well.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10070278104646895235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-31790908735083253302012-03-25T14:51:44.237-05:002012-03-25T14:51:44.237-05:00One movie that was just as good as the book was, &...One movie that was just as good as the book was, "The house of the Spirits" by Isabelle Allende. The movie is in my top 5, and the book is in my top 20 (but only because I've read way more books than I've seen movies). I'm really looking forward to seeing THG. I read the books and can't wait!Gabihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15048658444536489511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-41011915946278941732012-03-25T14:47:20.168-05:002012-03-25T14:47:20.168-05:00So often I feel like the movie never does the book...So often I feel like the movie never does the book complete justice. The one that really did so I feel like was Lord of the Rings. Those movies, especially the extended editions, are pure brilliance. <br /><br />More often than not I am so disappointed, such as with the Eragon movie, which was laughable.<br /><br />I thought Hunger Games fell up there along with Harry Potter where it was a good adaption, but I still wasn't completely satisfied.Ericahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09702562351328503338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-72362894601287040522012-03-25T13:34:34.690-05:002012-03-25T13:34:34.690-05:00There are good examples, though not as many as bad...There are good examples, though not as many as bad ones.<br /><br />DIE HARD, JAWS and THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 are better (in my opinion) than the books they're based on. <br /><br />I think L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is equal to the book, they're very different but they complement each other well.Jay Stringerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08764183157841848163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-4455290071082879592012-03-25T06:59:30.368-05:002012-03-25T06:59:30.368-05:00I generally go into a book-based movie knowing tha...I generally go into a book-based movie knowing that being faithful to the book will actually make for a bad movie.<br /><br />However, by the time my wife and I went to see The Hunger Games, we already knew that some fans weren't happy with what was cut. Since neither of us have read the books, we actually saw it for what it was, a really great movie. (Of course, Woody Harrelson got an added bump for us after watching Game Change the day before.)<br /><br />That said, sometimes an adaptation doesn't work even without reading the book. Jurassic Park 2 was a 2 1/2 mess that I only hope covered Jeff Goldblum's expenses nicely. He looked embarrassed. So did the dinosaurs.<br /><br />On the other hand, I actually liked The Firm better than the book because of how Tom Cruise tricks Paul Sorvino into throwing the law firm under the bus. "Because it's my job. As your lawyer." I also liked Casino Royale on the screen better than the book, but then CR had to bow to 50 years of movie mythology on top of the original.<br /><br />Basically, if you know that there's no way you can get the entire book into a 2-3 hour movie without confusing the audience and alienating all but the most hardcore readers (I swear I'm taking hostages the next time someone whines about Arwen being to butch in LOTR.), then it's easier to watch.<br /><br />As long as they don't do something stupid like strip the title and characters and slap them onto a script someone couldn't sell without them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-66282442057884214352012-03-25T06:59:29.823-05:002012-03-25T06:59:29.823-05:00I generally go into a book-based movie knowing tha...I generally go into a book-based movie knowing that being faithful to the book will actually make for a bad movie.<br /><br />However, by the time my wife and I went to see The Hunger Games, we already knew that some fans weren't happy with what was cut. Since neither of us have read the books, we actually saw it for what it was, a really great movie. (Of course, Woody Harrelson got an added bump for us after watching Game Change the day before.)<br /><br />That said, sometimes an adaptation doesn't work even without reading the book. Jurassic Park 2 was a 2 1/2 mess that I only hope covered Jeff Goldblum's expenses nicely. He looked embarrassed. So did the dinosaurs.<br /><br />On the other hand, I actually liked The Firm better than the book because of how Tom Cruise tricks Paul Sorvino into throwing the law firm under the bus. "Because it's my job. As your lawyer." I also liked Casino Royale on the screen better than the book, but then CR had to bow to 50 years of movie mythology on top of the original.<br /><br />Basically, if you know that there's no way you can get the entire book into a 2-3 hour movie without confusing the audience and alienating all but the most hardcore readers (I swear I'm taking hostages the next time someone whines about Arwen being to butch in LOTR.), then it's easier to watch.<br /><br />As long as they don't do something stupid like strip the title and characters and slap them onto a script someone couldn't sell without them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com