Rawr Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I have a galaxy. Back off, it's all mine! As for another film example hmm. Not specifically based as such, but I thought Van Helsing was ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 For the series, how an actually pretty good adaptation can be turned into the worst adaptation of all time through mindless 1. chopping 2. dubbing: The most recent (I think) TV version of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserabl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 That is too bad about the version with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush, but me, I am thinking those two alone were magnificent in feelings and nuances and so I loved it very much.And I am sorry about the death of his beloved Natasha, my condolensces to he and the little boys for loss of mama. I did not like in many ways either versions of Charlie and the Chocolate factory. The first too silly, the oompa loompas made me sick in my stomach. The next with Johnny Depp was bordering on the macabre and mean spirited I am thinking. so no stars for either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 That is too bad about the version with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush, but me, I am thinking those two alone were magnificent in feelings and nuances and so I loved it very much Indeed they were magnificient (I really like both as actors), so I was particularly dissappointed that the rest of the film wasn't as good (apart from the complete lack of an ending, silly historical mistakes were made such as having black students in the riots - in 19th century France?!); however John Malcovich was in my opinion unsurpassed as a screen Javert. I really must find an Italian video of that production... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookworm44 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 For me it's either Twilight or PS I Love You, both are terrible adaptions imo lexiepiper, I couldn't agree with you more!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I know I know that everyone will shout "Genevieve you are imbecile" but me I did not like Gone with the Wind. Non, I thought Vivien Leigh maybe was okay, but the rest of the cast they seemed too forced, too cartoonish, especially the male lead, ah me what is his name. He bothered me and the little black maid, she seemed a little offensive, too charicature of the African American, even for back then. I cannot explain, it was for me not great. Bookjumper, do you ever feel in your heart, Geoffrey Rush, he seems sad for real? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitra Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Firstly, I haven't watched the film yet, but you have to keep in mind that it is a 70-years-old film and back then, what was considered good acting was a lot different from today. However, I see what you mean, I don't like it very much either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 You might love it, all my friends think it is charming. But I mean, having travelled a great amount and interacted with peoples of every kind, I felt in my heart and embarrassment from some of the ways the characters were portrayed with their speech and actions. I have been to the south of United States and oui, the accents are slow and langorous, and oui, the class distinction was there and conceit in some. But still there is such exaggeration, this I feel strongly. I have seen other movies from even the 1930's that seem from only yesterday, so I don't think it is that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binary_Digit Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Eragon -Christaphor Paloni Seconded. My wife and I both love Paolini's Eragon series, but the movie was just awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) Bookjumper, do you ever feel in your heart, Geoffrey Rush, he seems sad for real? His acting in Les Mis was indeed very good and moving. Just to my mind, John Malcovich's stony face is perfect for the pre-revelation Javert than any I've ever seen. The "Eragorn" film was, I concur, unwatchable, to the extent it put me off reading the book. But if you all promise it was nothing like it, then I might have to give it a go. A film I actually quite enjoyed at the movies which was completely ruined for me when I discovered how the book originally ended, was "I am Legend" with the very good Will Smith. The book ends with the protagonist realising that, far from him being the hero who hunts down the evil vampires, he is the monster that terrorises the vampire community, the bogey-man figure which vampire mothers use to scare children. Whoa, what an ending, and what a feat of acting such a realisation would have been. Personally I believe Will could have pulled it off. However, in the film he discovers the "antidote" to the vampire virus, manages to deliver it to a last community of men that did not exist in the book, and thus he becomes a legend for the mankind he has saved - rather than the legend of awe and terror he symbolised for the vampires in the book. How depressing, flattening, mainstreaming, chickening an change is that?! /rant. Edited March 22, 2009 by BookJumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo-Bridge Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 I watched other Boleyn Girl last night which was a pretty poor adaptation but I think the worst for me was "The Beach" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binary_Digit Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 The "Eragorn" film was, I concur, unwatchable, to the extent it put me off reading the book. But if you all promise it was nothing like it, then I might have to give it a go. A film I actually quite enjoyed at the movies which was completely ruined for me when I discovered how the book originally ended, was "I am Legend" with the very good Will Smith. The book ends with the protagonist realising that, far from him being the hero who hunts down the evil vampires, he is the monster that terrorises the vampire community, the bogey-man figure which vampire mothers use to scare children. Whoa, what an ending, and what a feat of acting such a realisation would have been. Personally I believe Will could have pulled it off. However, in the film he discovers the "antidote" to the vampire virus, manages to deliver it to a last community of men that did not exist in the book, and thus he becomes a legend for the mankind he has saved - rather than the legend of awe and terror he symbolised for the vampires in the book. How depressing, flattening, mainstreaming, chickening an change is that?! /rant. Bookjumper, Your assessment of I am Legend is spot on! I can vividly remember how I felt after reading the novella for the first time. Unbeknownst to me, the book I purchased also included a collection of short stories. It may seem like nothing, but this one fact had sinister implications. Imagine if you will, that you are holding a book which you believe to be one novel. The going is getting tough for the protagonist, but you've still got over 100 pages to read, or so you think. Suddenly, before you realize what's happening, the story is OVER! It couldn't have been more perfect. It give me a unique opportunity to be totally surprised/amazed by the conclusion. I'll never be able to experience the story that way again, but I'll also never forget it. It was such a witty and poignant message about perspective, and good and evil. While I felt the movie was entertaining, it had none of the depth and wittiness which infused the novella. After watching the film, I felt certain that Matheson must have hated how it turned out. Thanks to some quick wikipedia and goggle research I learned that multiple "adaptations" have been made from I am Legend. The Omega Man, and The Last Man on Earth, if you can believe it, are "film adaptations" of I am Legend. Given how far these movies strayed from the subject, my perspective changed a bit, and when I learned of the alternate ending to the movie, which is true to the original story, I had to rent the DVD and watch the movie again. On the topic of Eragon, I would definitely recommend the book to any fan of Young Adult Fiction. If you're looking for good read (nothing high-brow here) you'll love the Eragon series. Paolini is a gifted story-teller, and Eragon is a real page turner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimmy619 Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 I really didn't like the Golden Compass film - I was really looking forward to watching it and felt really let down. Although, I did like Nicole Kidman in it. Not too bothered if I see the next film! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissi Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 The "Eragorn" film was, I concur, unwatchable, to the extent it put me off reading the book. But if you all promise it was nothing like it, then I might have to give it a go. Please do, the books are fantastic. I actually quite liked the film when it came out (hadn't read the books) but I just watched it again couple of weeks ago. What a pile of rubbish that is Still like that blond actor though, he is one cute guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I really didn't like the Golden Compass film - I was really looking forward to watching it and felt really let down. Although, I did like Nicole Kidman in it. Not too bothered if I see the next film! I thought it was awful too! And it stopped in the wrong place (for convenience I guess). I don't think they're making any more of them - I thought they'd been axed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 when I learned of the alternate ending to the movie, which is true to the original story, I had to rent the DVD and watch the movie again Ooh I didn't know they'd filmed the original ending to "I am Legend" (and then not included them, 'cos they're silly that way), I'd quite like to see Will Smith try his hand at that. I might have to acquire the the DVD as well! I really didn't like the Golden Compass film - I was really looking forward to watching it and felt really let down. Though I haven't read the books myself yet, I remember my fourterrn year old cousin going on a rant about how much they dared change the book for the worse, which QED-ed that books are better than their films - that conversation restored my faith in the future of mankind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimmy619 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I thought it was awful too! And it stopped in the wrong place (for convenience I guess). I don't think they're making any more of them - I thought they'd been axed? Didn't know that they have been axed!! you have made my day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Worst film adaptation has to be Harry Potter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I thought the first two Harry Potter films were quite good. Trouble starts with "The Prisoner of Azkaban", where the new director cuts many vital plot devices to save time which he then uses for pretty but not-really-contributing-to-the-narrative endless landscape sequences. I would not have known what was going on with the map had I not read the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 And they made Dementors fly! Dementors don't fly! I actually bought a copy of order of the pheonix on DVD because I remembered it being better than it was, possibly because Luna was actually good and I had been ready for a let down, when I watched it again though I regretted spending the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRobinson Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Bonfire of the Vanities. Had almost nothing to do with the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelygirl18 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 this couldn't have been a better topic to discuss as I just watched "The Tenth Circle" which is a movie based on Jodi Picoult's book. I read the book first and, obviously, I was thoroughly impressed. But, I regretfully downloaded this movie, thinking it would put a picture to the book I read, and it was a mistake on my part thinking that. The movie was terrible! The acting was poor and the scenes were choppy (just went from one to the next). The movie was only an hour and 35 mins long and that's when I should have known that the movie was going to suck! If anyone has seen this "lifetime" movie, then definitely read the book because you will be suprised at how much it blows the movie away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I totally agree with you BookJumper. In the book I liked how the map was created by Messrs Prongs, Padfoot, Mooney and Wormtail which we later find out are the nicknames for James, Sirius, Lupin and Peter Pettigrew . It's just a small detail but I would've liked to have seen it added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 In the book I liked how the map was created by Messrs Prongs, Padfoot, Mooney and Wormtail which we later find out are the nicknames for James, Sirius, Lupin and Peter Pettigrew . It's just a small detail but I would've liked to have seen it added. I don't even think it's a small detail to be honest; it is pretty key to the understandability of the whole plot of "The Prisoner of Azkaban" - had I not read it, I would have sat in the darkened cinema thinking, wha? is going on here... which is why I find it ridiculous that a director would cut it in favour of showing us pretty views of the CGIed English countryside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimmy619 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I don't even think it's a small detail to be honest; it is pretty key to the understandability of the whole plot of "The Prisoner of Azkaban" - had I not read it, I would have sat in the darkened cinema thinking, wha? is going on here... which is why I find it ridiculous that a director would cut it in favour of showing us pretty views of the CGIed English countryside. I agree - this is a key point in the plot which shouldn't have been missed. This also explains why Harry's patronus is a stag which is very important in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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