movies/books
- Joined: Dec 12th, 2006
- Posts: 1,216
there are many films based on books such as 'fear and loathing in las vegas'...
i usually find those type of films rather disappointing if i watch them after reading a book,
what does everyone think about it?
has anyone seen a film that was actually as good as a book?
for me: fear and loathing in las veags, one flew over cuckoos nest, forrest gump..and of course charlie and the chocolate factory(old one)
worst was 'like water for chocolate' i adore this book but the movie was just flat out disppointing,
alex the droog
Re: movies/books
Trainspotting did a pretty good job. wasn't better than the book, but came close.
admin
Re: movies/books
John Irving's books have a mixed record as films:
"The World According to Garp" was awesome as a film and a book
"The Cider House Rules" frankly blew compared to the book
"A Prayer for Ownen Meany" was the best book ever but the film was mediocre
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herojuana
Re: movies/books
Forrest Gump the movie was a horrible travesty. I saw the movie, thought it decent, then years later read the book and was shocked how much they familyfied the screen version.
In the book, he gets hooked on pot, goes into space, has an orangutan friend, lives in the jungle with headhunters....loads of better stuff than the rubbish they put in the movie.
Bah...
Books are always f***loads better than the movies. Most of Stephen King's movies are pants... but I though Cujo was not bad. Pet Semetary scared the hell out of me as a young one.
And It...that book was scary, so was the TV Movie. John Ritter, John Boy Walton....shudder... and tim curry as pennywise the clown...
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herojuana
Re: movies/books
"IT"
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asahi
Re: movies/books
just saw the celestine prochecy movie adaptation.
man, that was such a piss poor effort in every which way! that movie sucked so much ass and more!
although it's got me wanting to read the book again. anyone know if it is available in beijing?
herojuana
Re: movies/books
I eat your fear...
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Sununu
Re: movies/books
“Hilary and Jackie” for me. the movie's probably even better than the book 'coz the authors of the book aren't exactly great writers. but the movie really combined the extremely depressing story of Jacqueline Du Pre's life and her expressive and powerful music in such a magical way that it makes you cry your eyes out without even knowing why. (and no i don't think it's a chickflick)
it's a sad movie but so beautiful as well that i have to say until today it still remains on my all time favorite movie list.
"Communication is a miracle. Yet nobody holds the secret to it." ---Pedro Almodovar
Sinister Dexter
Re: movies/books
the shining works better as a film than a book imo.
Goodfellas was a perfect book to screen adaptation, the exorcist and the godfather also.
The worst one i ever seen was the film version of Iain Banks' Complicity. An excellent book but the film could only have been less enjoyable if it squirted sulphuric acid in your face whilst it played.
LuoDeFu
Re: movies/books
A Clockwork Orange - The movie is at least as good as the book. Can't think of any other one right now...
chai
Re: movies/books
i didnt know trainspotting and clock work orage were books
i love those movies i should read the books too
alex the droog
Re: movies/books
Silly me! How could I forget myself?!
chai
Re: movies/books
haha right you are alex from clock work orage...
anyone knows who wrote the book?
herojuana
Re: movies/books
I can't decide which is worse, the Bible or The Passion of The Christ...
It's gotta be the Passion.
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herojuana
Re: movies/books
The Ten Commandments, that's not a bad Bible-story movie adaptation.
Charlton Heston. Classic.
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herojuana
Re: movies/books
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Johnny Laowai
Re: movies/books
I think "The running man" is the greatest book to movie adaptation of all time.
Bizarro!
herojuana
Re: movies/books
Very good one, sir.
I heartily agree.
That Japanese hockey player guy in the movie was awesome...was his name "subzero" like the mortal combat character?
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Johnny Laowai
Re: movies/books
It was.
Then you had Dynamo, Nitro, Buzzsaw and (of course) Captain Freedom.
Here's my fave rave review of the film (don't worry! Communist-friendly website!)
http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/movies/long/runningman.html
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Johnny Laowai
Re: movies/books
"Are you ready for pain? Are you ready for suffering? If the answer is yes, then you're ready for Captain Freedom's workout!"
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admin
Re: movies/books
I really loved the book E.T.
8-)
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herojuana
Re: movies/books
Oh yeah, Jesse Ventura! How could I forget...
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Sununu
Re: movies/books
personally i liked the movie better than the book 'coz it's pretty touching in some parts. the book was a great read and cracking funny but to me it got a little too much. partially 'coz i'm not very familiar with the historical and cultural background there. so i probalby couldn't fully understand the brilliance of it.
and the movie Angela's Ashes isn't nearly as good as the book in my opinion. the book's depressing but very realistic and it's about the poverty that i could almost relate to. although the movie starred one of my favorite actresses Emily Watson.
and i almost forgot, "Farewell, My Concubine" is another great movie adapted from an excellent book. the taiwanese author Li Bi Hua's such a talented writer that almost all of her books have been adapted into movies. she can really manipulate the chinese language that she describes the deepest human emotions in the shortest sentences, it's amazing. the movie's not a perfect adaption of the book but it's close enough.
and "To Live" is good enough but didn't "dig" as deeply as the book did. very smooth narration though. i miss the time when the "fifth generation" of chinese film directors like zhangyimou and chenkaige still had strong artistic integrity before they sold out their soul to big money.
"Communication is a miracle. Yet nobody holds the secret to it." ---Pedro Almodovar
chai
Re: movies/books
farewell my concubine is my another all time favorite.
forrest gump: movie and the book are too different to even compare
the book was hilarious and the movie was also funny, yet touching
after reading the book, i realized that the movie version was too different that its almost like another story
i love both
ReneeWine
Re: movies/books
sometimes I am disappointed,but not usually.
I like Gone With The Wind（1939）
ReneeWine
Re: movies/books
Tess (1979), directed by Roman Polanski.
ReneeWine
Re: movies/books
Tess is not bad.
hemnrydevi
Re: movies/books
I have seen many films. I think that the following all movies are as like a books.
1. Hancock
2. Das Boot
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
4. The Caine Mutiny
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rebeleyer
Re: movies/books
I've heard a lot of positive reviews about 'Gone with the Wind' I think I'll have to watch it myself!
waitaitai
Re: movies/books
I think I read the book when I was in sixth grade and loved it. Loved the movie just as much. Also have read Vivien Leigh's, Margaret Mitchell's biograhpy's. Lots of great books about the making of the movie/ writing of the book and the stars who were in it.
I can think of a case where the movie was better than the book: The Devil Wears Prada...book was whiny, dragged and had the sour flavor of trying too hard, all characters unlikeable. Read it on a flight from BJ to GZ and left it on the plane.
Movie was funny, pretty and all the characters were likable.
I love to read and couldn't bear to watch a movie of any favorite book where the cast didn't match my mental depictions of the characters. Too disappointing.
I sort of feel the same way about this forum. I don't think I could meet anyone in person because I have people pictured a certain way in my mind.
pang duner
Re: movies/books
book...should read