- Aug 21, 2015
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It's a cliché that the book is always better. Have you ever seen a movie (or series) that was better than the book?
- Aug 21, 2015
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Off the top of my head:
"Blade Runner"
"Blade Runner" and "Do Androids Dream..." by Philip K Dick are essentially different stories, but because the film was loosely based on the book, credit was due. It's disappointing that there isn't a more in-depth, book version of the movie.
"Practical Magic"
The movie has more magic, foreshadowing, and energy. The movie is more fun, and the characters are more interesting than the book by Alice Hoffman.
The movie is about a family of witches with a rich history living off the coast of Massachusetts. The protagonist tries to deny her powers because she wants to be normal, while her less talented sister's rebellious life leads to trouble. They live with their witch aunts, who are super fun, and the women in the town are hilariously catty. When something goes wrong, it all makes perfect sense why things unfold as they do.
The book is a sleepy story about a suburban mom (in NY State) trying to live a normal life despite her witchy family and the trouble her sister brings to her doorstep. There is hardly any magic or anything supernatural. The plot and outcome surrounding the crime are murky and morally gray. Instead of focusing on the women's strengths, the book hyper-focused on how the women look, on their relationships with men, and overused the word "fuck" as if there are no synonyms. I'm not against swearing, but it got silly and felt out of place.
"Bridget Jones's Diary"
I'm not sure how I managed to watch the movie and read the book because they are both trash. (The book was at my job and work was slow that afternoon. Proof I'll read anything?) The book manages to be even more ridiculous than the film. I get that people love trashy romance novels, but I thought the movie had a better plot and a better ending. The cast also enriches the film.
"True Blood" vs "The Southern Vampire Series"
I liked the first few seasons of True Blood. It was entertaining. The characters were fun and lively. (I stopped watching it, though.) Tara and Lafayette were especially entertaining.
A few women I wanted to be closer friends with were exchanging the books, so I asked if I could join in. I made it halfway through the first before I gave the book back to the owner. It was the worst book I've ever read. I need to stop there because anything else I say will be mean.
"Children of Men"
The movie is a gritty dystopian action film that takes place in a warzone. The books read like I was on tranquilizers being forced to listen to Jesusy solicitors standing at my doorstep. (It's very heavy on the Christian message and lacks the thrilling combat.) My husband threw the book across the room when he realized how it was going to end. Bonus points: I read this book because someone left it on top of my trashcan.
"Fight Club"
I liked both, but many critics swear the movie is better than the novel. Do you agree?
"Silence of the Lambs"
This is another film critics claim was better than the source material. I never read the book. Thoughts? (I don't usually read or watch horror. It's one of the few horror movies I like.)
"Blade Runner"
"Blade Runner" and "Do Androids Dream..." by Philip K Dick are essentially different stories, but because the film was loosely based on the book, credit was due. It's disappointing that there isn't a more in-depth, book version of the movie.
"Practical Magic"
The movie has more magic, foreshadowing, and energy. The movie is more fun, and the characters are more interesting than the book by Alice Hoffman.
The movie is about a family of witches with a rich history living off the coast of Massachusetts. The protagonist tries to deny her powers because she wants to be normal, while her less talented sister's rebellious life leads to trouble. They live with their witch aunts, who are super fun, and the women in the town are hilariously catty. When something goes wrong, it all makes perfect sense why things unfold as they do.
The book is a sleepy story about a suburban mom (in NY State) trying to live a normal life despite her witchy family and the trouble her sister brings to her doorstep. There is hardly any magic or anything supernatural. The plot and outcome surrounding the crime are murky and morally gray. Instead of focusing on the women's strengths, the book hyper-focused on how the women look, on their relationships with men, and overused the word "fuck" as if there are no synonyms. I'm not against swearing, but it got silly and felt out of place.
"Bridget Jones's Diary"
I'm not sure how I managed to watch the movie and read the book because they are both trash. (The book was at my job and work was slow that afternoon. Proof I'll read anything?) The book manages to be even more ridiculous than the film. I get that people love trashy romance novels, but I thought the movie had a better plot and a better ending. The cast also enriches the film.
"True Blood" vs "The Southern Vampire Series"
I liked the first few seasons of True Blood. It was entertaining. The characters were fun and lively. (I stopped watching it, though.) Tara and Lafayette were especially entertaining.
A few women I wanted to be closer friends with were exchanging the books, so I asked if I could join in. I made it halfway through the first before I gave the book back to the owner. It was the worst book I've ever read. I need to stop there because anything else I say will be mean.
"Children of Men"
The movie is a gritty dystopian action film that takes place in a warzone. The books read like I was on tranquilizers being forced to listen to Jesusy solicitors standing at my doorstep. (It's very heavy on the Christian message and lacks the thrilling combat.) My husband threw the book across the room when he realized how it was going to end. Bonus points: I read this book because someone left it on top of my trashcan.
"Fight Club"
I liked both, but many critics swear the movie is better than the novel. Do you agree?
"Silence of the Lambs"
This is another film critics claim was better than the source material. I never read the book. Thoughts? (I don't usually read or watch horror. It's one of the few horror movies I like.)
Not that the book was supposed to be very deep, but Fantastic Mr. Fox.
- Sep 28, 2008
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Just finished up the AppleTV series (season 1) Foundation (Isaac Asimov) and while the books are great,
the show compiles the narrative in a much more engaging way and feels properly updated for current times.
the show compiles the narrative in a much more engaging way and feels properly updated for current times.
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I agree with Blade Runner and Fight Club.
I’ve never once thought of Silence of the Lambs as a horror film. That said, I agree there too. It is better as the film.
I’ve heard it argued that The Kite Runner is better as the film, but I (weakly) do not agree.
I think Requiem for a Dream is much better as the film. I found it profoundly affecting.
Cheers,
Ian
I’ve never once thought of Silence of the Lambs as a horror film. That said, I agree there too. It is better as the film.
I’ve heard it argued that The Kite Runner is better as the film, but I (weakly) do not agree.
I think Requiem for a Dream is much better as the film. I found it profoundly affecting.
Cheers,
Ian
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That movie is so good. My boss at the time had to teach his children that eating in the style of Mr. Fox was inappropriate. They kept imitating the movie where the animals shove food into their faces. LOL.
Ohhhhhh.
I need to watch this. Our Apple device is super old and won't work anymore, so I'll put it on our list.
You agree that the movie "Fight Club" is better?
I don't consider "SofL" a horror movie, either, but it technically is. The same with "Jacob's Ladder", which is one of my favorite films.
"Kite Runner"? Really? I thought the book was better.
I've never read "Requiem" or seen the film, but a lot people say the film is better.
What about "Trainspotting"? I'm on the fence about this. It may be because it is the only Irvine Welsh novel I enjoyed. I'm not a big fan of his writing despite recognizing his talent.
Yes, I do, because the medium allows for a more visceral depiction of altered states of consciousness. Part of that is the pacing. The book is wonderful for other reasons though.
Jacob’s Ladder is a great film. Sadly, it has been some years since I have seen it.
Yes, I think the book is better, which is why I disagree with the widely-held assertion the film is better.
As a former drug addict, the film is startling and harrowing in a way the book is not.
Cheers,
Ian
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That makes sense.
Same! It is such a curious film, too, because depending on one's personal experiences, the viewer will perceive the plot one way or another.
JRR Tolkien wrote well, and the movies following were handled well. Lord of the Rings
Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining > Stephen King's book The Shining
The entire film version oozes of Introverted Intuition, so of course I'm going to be personally biased. But ultimately, it comes down to one being a spooky horror novel, and the other is a meticulously crafted cerebral tour through the horrors of the Mind swirling down the drain of insanity. It's a cinematic exercise in some of the most clearly demonstrable masterpieces of movie technical craft. And all of the ghostly visual metaphors haunting the hallways, the elevators, and the ballrooms revealing the horrors of the past(,e.g. genocide, slavery, cannibalism of
the early American West's frontiersmen who starved, manifest destiny leading to war and genocide, etc.),haunts the psyches of those who repressed those notions in their cosmic unconscious shadows. "Being able to shine means being able to communicate with others using the mind, and gives people the ability to see things that have happened in the past, or will happen in the future."
The entire film version oozes of Introverted Intuition, so of course I'm going to be personally biased. But ultimately, it comes down to one being a spooky horror novel, and the other is a meticulously crafted cerebral tour through the horrors of the Mind swirling down the drain of insanity. It's a cinematic exercise in some of the most clearly demonstrable masterpieces of movie technical craft. And all of the ghostly visual metaphors haunting the hallways, the elevators, and the ballrooms revealing the horrors of the past(,e.g. genocide, slavery, cannibalism of
the early American West's frontiersmen who starved, manifest destiny leading to war and genocide, etc.),haunts the psyches of those who repressed those notions in their cosmic unconscious shadows. "Being able to shine means being able to communicate with others using the mind, and gives people the ability to see things that have happened in the past, or will happen in the future."
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@Jexocuha – I haven't read the book, but I believe you. I've seen few horror movies, but "The Shining" is one of them. Everything you described rings true for me, too. I know I should read King, but after reading "Pet Sematary" (for a class) I was done.
^ May as well toss in Carrie then.
Unlike the book, the movie is in chronological order, and told through Carrie's eyes, which makes the emotional turmoil much more real and immersive.
That movie makes you feel awful and it stays with you for years.
(There's also a thing as too immersive and too real, which this movie is.)
Unlike the book, the movie is in chronological order, and told through Carrie's eyes, which makes the emotional turmoil much more real and immersive.
Don't watch it, unless you enjoy the sensation of throwing up in your mouth.
That movie makes you feel awful and it stays with you for years.
(There's also a thing as too immersive and too real, which this movie is.)
This is not hyperbole. She’s not overstating.
I was in serious dysphoria for days, and the shudder has remained ever since.
FML,
Ian
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Yup, Kubrick definitely pulled this magic trick off like he was Gandalf's goddman overpowered father if such a character ever existed.
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- Aug 21, 2015
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Thanks for the input. Based on your input and my life experiences, I'm unsure if it would make me sad or if I'd be desensitized.
I've never seen or read Carrie, either. I've seen a few Stephen King movies, and my SO tells me the books are typically much better. People think "Shawshank" is better as a film, too, though.
I used to have the attitude I could witness anything because I had witnessed enough to be shell shocked and jaded and burnt out. Kind of numb. Nothing could faze me.
I was so fucking wrong.
In part because it knew exactly which scabs to pick at and rip off.
Do you know what I mean when I say there’s nothing more life-affirming than something traumatic?
There’s dark, and I like dark, but that’s a film where all the other lights have gone out.
To be fair, by the time I was four, I had experienced parental abandonment, a variety of illicit substances, and had been sexually assaulted dozens of times. Later, as an adult, I was raped and spent fifteen years as a drug addict. So I was set up to fail at the hands of that film.
So, yeah.
I know you will do as you will do, as is your right. But I care about you, even if I do not know you well. And I do not want you to hurt.
Well Wishes,
Ian