what are some book to movie adaptations that intrigue you? ones that you would like to see done or ones that are already done that you really like.
i recently read beloved and then saw the movie. i think demme did a good job with it but have no idea how anybody could watch that movie without having read the book. i don't think it would make much sense. the movie felt like a companion to the book, rather than an adaptation, because it was so faithful to the material.
another really good adaptation is roald dahl's the witches, directed by nicolas roeg who made movies like walkabout and the man who fell to earth before this one. i haven't seen any of his others, but the witches is just plain awesome. i think it's angelica huston's best performance ever.
there's also 2001, of course, but i never read the book (has anybody?).
right now i'm reading palahniuk's invisible monsters. this would be one fucked up movie, i hope it gets made in 10 years or i'm scaring up a budget and buying the rights (wishful thinking, eh?). it's an incredibly quick read, too.
that should be enough to get your noodles going. discuss...
I liked what Coppola did with Apocalypse Now from the book Hearts Of Darkness (I believe that's the name ofthe book).
Mine is listed here:
http://xixax.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1364
oh...
That other thread is going nowhere and has a lame title besides, so:
The book I've longest cherished the fantasy of adapting and directing is Them by Joyce Carol Oates. Now, I think this is a truly fine book in its own right, but it also has all the "raw materials" you would need to make a good movie. It really suggested itself to me when I read it, and as I've been going through my recent Fassbinder phase, I keep dipping back into the book and thinking of all the Fassbinder-esque things that could be done with some of the stuff there...
A book needn't be good to make a good movie, of course, or vice versa; that's why I take pains to point out that, aside from being a good book, it could also make a good movie.
I thought The Hours did a pretty remarkable job of turning an interior-monologue based novel into a movie almost entirely free of voice over. Also, one that no one usually mentions is Eyes Wide Shut -- the adaptation of Dream Story stayed close to the source material, but the few changes that were made are rather fascinating. Welles' adaptation of The Trial is also awesome.
The one adaptation I want to make, a dream project of mine, would be Cormac McCarthy's 'The Crossing' (which follows 'All The Pretty Horses' in a literary trilogy by McCarthy). It's one of the most raw, elemental stories I've ever read. I also would love to make 'To The White Sea,' but I think I'd love it even more if the Coen Brothers got to it first.
Quote from: GhostboyI thought The Hours did a pretty remarkable job of turning an interior-monologue based novel into a movie almost entirely free of voice over. Also, one that no one usually mentions is Eyes Wide Shut -- the adaptation of Dream Story stayed close to the source material, but the few changes that were made are rather fascinating. Welles' adaptation of The Trial is also awesome.
The one adaptation I want to make, a dream project of mine, would be Cormac McCarthy's 'The Crossing' (which follows 'All The Pretty Horses' in a literary trilogy by McCarthy). It's one of the most raw, elemental stories I've ever read. I also would love to make 'To The White Sea,' but I think I'd love it even more if the Coen Brothers got to it first.
I wanted so bad for Thornton's
All the Pretty Horses to remain unsullied by grubby Weinstein hands, but it was not to be; you can actually see the gaps they left, as if there's a reel missing. :(
Seriously. I think Billy Bob's disowned it, which is good.
Oh, and taz, I read 2001 a long time ago. I think it was written in conjunction with the movie, if I remember correctly. Anyway, it's the same story but without all the trippy stuff.
i liked Lord of The Flies
Quote from: Bankyi liked Lord of The Flies
Peter Brooks or Harry Hook?
Hook
more elmore leonard novels should be turned into movies. Also, a book titled "The Day They Stole Mona Lisa", it's one of the coolest heist stories I've read.
2001, the novel, was written in conjecture with the film.
My own personal dream project of book adaptation would be Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a horror novel. Kubrick had interest in it and almost did it. I'm glad he didn't. The little of theme that is in the novel, does fit Kubrick's repetoire of interests in movies, this an outsider being disguised as something else in order to fit into a world. My fear would be that Kubrick would propel this to dominate the entire movie. It would miss oportunities of what can be accomplished in the novel and cliche for him.
I have problems with the horror genre in general, but this would be in my interest in attempting pure realism in a world of a killer. The movie would be superficial, but intensely focused on everything this man did. Symbolism gone. Just trying to create the most unique of world and trying to just show the scariest mother fucker alive in the best way possible without having movie cliche riddle into it and give off comparison to a Jason or something.
~rougerum
2001 was based on a Clark short story called "The Sentinel" which was basically just the part on the moon.
Anyway, the best movies based on books: All of Kubrick's movies (The Killing onward), Apocalypse Now, and Rashomon.
The Conformist
Raging Bull (based on the ghosted autobiography of LaMotta)
Pickpocket
One day I'll scrounge up some money and do a real version of either Great Expectations or David Copperfield, both of which have been butchered at every attempt. Before anyone freaks out, yes, the Lean version of GE was wonderful... until the 3rd act, when it dragged itself down into the shit heap.
Seeing as I loved Wonder Boys so much I'm eager to hear more about the adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay. I'm sure it would make a fantastic movie. Last I read, Chabon wasn't happy with the first screenplay and so set to work to write one himself?
No, he actually wrote the first draft himself. A few script reviews popped up online about a year ago...they were decidedly mixed. I think the story is too huge to be successfully adapted, but I hope I'm proven wrong. Sydney Pollack was originally going to direct, and then Stephen Daldry became attached.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetMy own personal dream project of book adaptation would be Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a horror novel. Kubrick had interest in it and almost did it. I'm glad he didn't. The little of theme that is in the novel, does fit Kubrick's repetoire of interests in movies, this an outsider being disguised as something else in order to fit into a world. My fear would be that Kubrick would propel this to dominate the entire movie. It would miss oportunities of what can be accomplished in the novel and cliche for him.
Actually, Kubrick never had interest in directing it, it was Patrick Suskind who wanted
only Kubrick to make his novel into a film, and even his family encourage him to do it but he unfortunately never did. There's no doubt in my mind that he would have done an amazing film with it, as he did with everyone of his films.
Quote from: ®edlumSeeing as I loved Wonder Boys so much I'm eager to hear more about the adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay. I'm sure it would make a fantastic movie.
Hear, hear!
Daldry would be... okay, I guess. I would love to see Curtis Hanson do it. He did so well with
Wonder Boys, and
L.A. Confidential proved that he can do period, so... A lot of it would be in the casting, too.
Back when Pollack was on board, Jude Law and Ben Stiller were the frontrunners. I'd personally like to see Adrien Brody and...someone else.
Hmm I can see Jude Law, but Ben Stiller is too well built for Clay.
If this was made as a film, (aslong as they dont screw with it) it would be so diverse. It would make such an amazing film. Look at all the different sections, The Escape from Prague, The Boyhood comic book dream, the Romance between Rosa and Jo, Bacon and Clay, The War, Joes brother, Joe flying over to kill that scientist and the whole part in the air hanger, and then the whole two fathers ending.
I dont see why it couldnt be done. Volume 1 & 2?
I loved both the book and the film for The Thin Red Line, definatly a must read and the film stays pretty faithful to it also.
High Fidelity was great also, loved how they used most of the funniest lines in the book during the times John is talking to the camera, i was afraid they would not use them.
Quote from: GhostboyBack when Pollack was on board, Jude Law and Ben Stiller were the frontrunners. I'd personally like to see Adrien Brody and...someone else.
Law as Joe and Ben as Sam? That could work... I bet Stiller could do introversion if given a chance. He would really need to be directed to settle down, though. The other way around, I'm not sure if that would work so well. Physically, they could both be right, and they both can be good actors.
There are definitely other possibilities, though. Brody would be great if you're thinking of him as Joe, 'cept it would be awfully close to what he did in
The Piano, at least for a significant stretch...
Quote from: FernandoQuote from: The Gold TrumpetMy own personal dream project of book adaptation would be Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a horror novel. Kubrick had interest in it and almost did it. I'm glad he didn't. The little of theme that is in the novel, does fit Kubrick's repetoire of interests in movies, this an outsider being disguised as something else in order to fit into a world. My fear would be that Kubrick would propel this to dominate the entire movie. It would miss oportunities of what can be accomplished in the novel and cliche for him.
Actually, Kubrick never had interest in directing it, it was Patrick Suskind who wanted only Kubrick to make his novel into a film, and even his family encourage him to do it but he unfortunately never did. There's no doubt in my mind that he would have done an amazing film with it, as he did with everyone of his films.
Perfume is one of my favourite books ever! But i never heard about any connection with Kubrick till now....in fact , I always knew Süskind never wanted his books to become movies and being honest I didn't wanna to see as a film as well...it is richly described in a way that i still cannot imagine transformed in images...
Quote from: EEz28High Fidelity was great also, loved how they used most of the funniest lines in the book during the times John is talking to the camera, i was afraid they would not use them.
Source: Los Angeles Times
The "Avenue Q" producers are developing a musical based on "High Fidelity," using both the Nick Hornby novel and its 2000 movie adaptation for inspiration, co-producer Kevin McCollum says. The score is by composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Amanda Green. David Lindsay-Abaire ("Kimberly Akimbo") has been hired to write an adapation of the story about a record-store owner.
Hahaha! Sounds great.
Chabon was asked about Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay at BNAT5.
From AintItCoolNews:
QuoteI managed to ask about the status of the film adaptation of Kavalier and Clay. His answer was, "Its a Dead Shark. It aint movin'." If it does take place, he mentioned that the idea was to have the Antarctica section presented visually as a comic book, but without animation (he didn't seem quire sure how this would be done). This guy is damn cool though and a great writer, if you haven't checked out Kavalier and Clay you owe it to yourself to seek it out.
Bummer :?
i'd like to see Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett made into a film.
Isn't Gilliam doing that one?
Quote from: ...& IIsn't Gilliam doing that one?
If I am not mistaken I thought he is going to do it.
QuoteMYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH GETS SUMMER FILMING START
Sunday, February 19, 2006, 7:00 PM ET
Source: LA Times
The film adaptation of Michael Chabon's "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" will go before camera lenses this summer, the LA Times reported Friday.
Oscar-nominated producer Michael London's company, Groundswell Productions, will finance the film, to be directed by Dodgeball writer-director Rawson Thurber.
London (Sideways) will produce along with Pete Chiarelli and Jason Mercer.
Shooting kicks-off in July on-location in Pittsburgh, Thurber's site says.
More at the LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-fi-london17feb17,1,7103461.story?coll=la-headlines-business-enter)
Seeing as Kavalier and Klay is dead I'm very happy about this. In fact I just picked up Mysteries of Pittsburgh to read again last night which rekindled my desire to see it as a film. Not sure about the Director though, I'd feel much happier with Curtis Hanson handling the Chabon universe again.