Conan
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Post by Conan on Jan 11, 2007 4:09:23 GMT -5
They are alot of books that get turned into movies. Talk about what movies are better than there book counterparts and vice versa. First one I would like to talk about is The Shining.
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Post by Jen on Jan 11, 2007 13:42:33 GMT -5
In my opinion, very FEW movies are as good as the books they are based on. Movies usually just can't do a book justice, a novel typically has better plotting, and better characterizations.
I found that to be the case with The Shining. Not a huge fan of the movie for this reason, it is a solid film, with some truly blood chilling moments, and Kubrick was a great director, but he didn't do the book the film was based on justice. It put so much emphasis on the insanity of Jack Torrance, who seems crazy from the beginning rather then showing the character's slow descent into madness that takes place in the novel, his becoming infected by the Overlook hotel. I know it is Kubrick's version, but I love the book so much, I can't seperate it in my mind, like I may be able to with other adaptations.
Now, a movie that I think is better than the novel it was based on? Jaws. The characters were more likeable, more sympathetic, and it was far more suspenseful. Benchley just isn't a great writer.
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Conan
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Post by Conan on Jan 11, 2007 17:52:28 GMT -5
Good point Jen. If you watch both shining movies then they both together do some justice to the book, and Jaws I have not read yet.
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Post by Jen on Jan 11, 2007 19:43:11 GMT -5
I would recommend that you do, if you have the time, just to compare the two. But its not a very good book. The best thing to come from the book is the movie... The changes that were made from book to film were good decisions, and usually I wouldn't say that. Another movie that is better than the book it is based upon, in my opinion, is Psycho. And I am a Bloch fan, Hitchcock just took it to a new level.
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Conan
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Post by Conan on Jan 12, 2007 16:10:59 GMT -5
I had the Psycho book, I think. I know its a old one but Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a pretty good book to movie.
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Post by Nobody on Jan 12, 2007 20:56:49 GMT -5
I love Stanely Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, but the book is just infinitely better. Not to mention Kubrick left out the last chapter in the film since the full novel wasn't published yet in the U.S.
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Post by Jen on Jan 12, 2007 21:22:40 GMT -5
I love A Clockwork Orange as well, one of my favorite novels, but I actually didn't care for the final chapter. It felt false to me, even though I know that was his original version, it just didn't resolve the novel in a realistic way for me. However, I agree, the book is far better than the movie, though I love both. I just like the ending of the movie and the original US publication of the book better. But I am glad I got to read it as a whole as well.
Frankenstein is my favorite novel of all time, so I actually didn't like the original films much for years, I appreciate that they are great films, but I can't get past the portrayal of the monster. Too many changes there for my taste. Kenneth Branaugh's film actually hit it closer, but it was a tad over the top. I really appreciated the effort though.
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Conan
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Post by Conan on Jan 12, 2007 22:13:21 GMT -5
Thats the Frankenstein I was talking about. I should have made that more clear. I did not know that A Clockwork Orange was a book. I am going to have to find that.
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Post by Nobody on Jan 13, 2007 10:44:08 GMT -5
Definitely. ACO is an awesome book man.
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Conan
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Post by Conan on Jan 13, 2007 12:52:50 GMT -5
I got to find it. I loved the movie, so the book will just be cool to read.
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Post by Jen on Jan 14, 2007 12:36:23 GMT -5
Its kind of a hard book though, just to warn you. I have a friend that loves to read, but never finished it, gave up in frustration...lol. But if it turns out that way for you, stick with it, it is definitely worth it.
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Conan
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Post by Conan on Jan 14, 2007 18:31:37 GMT -5
If I can find it, I will read it. I love the story.
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Post by razors on Jun 7, 2007 19:20:54 GMT -5
The Harry Potter books whoop the movie's asses!
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HNT
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Post by HNT on Jun 8, 2007 7:07:09 GMT -5
The only examples of superior movies that I can think of are THe Godfather, Jaws, and The Exorcist.
Both Jaws and The Godfather were pulpy cheese mnade into arresting cinema. THe Exorcist was not a bad book, and was in some ways superior to the movie, but the movie gets a lot of credit from me for refusing to tone down any of the more controversial elements of the book. Showing those things visuslly in a movie is more rare and controversial than discusing them in print, and it deserves some recognition and respenct
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Canetoad
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Post by Canetoad on Jun 8, 2007 21:31:12 GMT -5
All good choices HNT. I'd also go so far as to say Midnight Express surpassed the book, and would be prepared to mount a similar case for Papillon.
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