ahembree Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I remember being very disappointed by the Jim Caviezel (sp?) version of The Count of Monte Cristo. It may well have been an entertaining movie on its own, but it essentially butchered a very intricately orchestrated revenge tragedy. I love the BBC Sherlock (why aren't there more episodes?!) as well. For some reason I couldn't finish Everything is Illuminated. I may have actually misplaced it. After seeing the film I wish I had, as I really enjoyed it. Also I thought Tom Hanks was spot on for Thomas Schell in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I recently saw Ian McKellan's Richard III on Netflix, which I thought was a pretty cool character study on his part.
Stately Plump Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Better question: When has the film been better than the book!? Not "literature" and not a movie, but the Game of Thrones HBO series is far, far superior to the book. The book is pretty much garbage beach reading, and it is so poorly written (the story is decent, hence the superb adaptation, but the writing, my goodness) that there have been times when I literally (I mean, literally) lol'd at the words on the page. I would also argue that both the Swedish and the American versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo are better than the book (well, they are better than the American translation of the book; I haven't read the book in Swedish [i don't know Swedish]). The translations--which many people seem to love--are terrible! True story: I opened the book to five separate pages, and on each page, I found a sentence that was poorly translated. Example: second page, "The fact of its being so rare a flower..." Was there really no better way of saying that? The fact of its being? Really?
Stately Plump Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I love the BBC Sherlock (why aren't there more episodes?!) They're coming! They're out in the U.K.! And you can find them online, if you search hard enough ahembree 1
perrykm2 Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Not "literature" and not a movie, but the Game of Thrones HBO series is far, far superior to the book. The book is pretty much garbage beach reading, and it is so poorly written (the story is decent, hence the superb adaptation, but the writing, my goodness) that there have been times when I literally (I mean, literally) lol'd at the words on the page. YES! I tried to start reading the first book, and within a few chapters George R.R. Martin used the phrase "her down-there place." YOU MEAN A VAGINA?1 What is wrong with you?
Mistral Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Hitchcock's The Birds and Rebecca are better than Daphne du Maurier's stories!
perrykm2 Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I love the BBC Sherlock (why aren't there more episodes?!) as well. Because of The Hobbit!!! ahembree 1
athousandlemmings Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) I recently saw Ian McKellan's Richard III on Netflix, which I thought was a pretty cool character study on his part. I agree! There have been some pretty cool Shakespeare film interpretations recently. That one and Anthony Hopkin's Titus (the Marcus/Lavinia scene especially was interesting) have been my favorites. Edited February 17, 2012 by athousandlemmings ahembree 1
perrykm2 Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Yes, the Julie Taymor version. It's very smart, smarter than the amount of credit it receives. I've been wanting to see her version of The Tempest with Helen Mirren as Prospero.
ahembree Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I agree! There have been some pretty cool Shakespeare film interpretations recently. That one and Anthony Hopkin's Titus (the Marcus/Lavinia scene especially was interesting) have been my favorites. I LOVE Anthony Hopkins. He was perfect for the role. I also remember enjoying Colin Firth's Iago in Othello, but that was ages ago.
athousandlemmings Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 And while on the Shakespeare topic, NEVER watch the film Prospero's Books by Peter Greenaway (unless, I suppose, you're interested in overly artsy interpretations). Had to watch it in a class, and the tempest at the beginning of the film is caused ... by a 7ish-year-old boy swinging naked over a pool and urinating on a toy boat. :/
fredngeorge Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 Better question: When has the film been better than the book!? Sorry in advance for angering any Tolkein fans, but I, for one, think the Lord of the Rings movies far surpass the mediocre (at best) books. As someone suggested about Game of Thrones, the books have much in the way of plot, not so much in the way of great writing.... Generally, though, I really enjoy even less-than-great adaptations because I like seeing the book in a new way. I'm definitely not someone who approaches movie adaptations with a prejudice against directors/writers who change "too much." I think this explains the joy I find in totally reworked/reimagined interpretations of books like Clueless (Emma), 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew), She's the Man (Twelfth Night), Apocalypse Now (Heart of Darkness), etc.
Jbarks Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 And while on the Shakespeare topic, NEVER watch the film Prospero's Books by Peter Greenaway (unless, I suppose, you're interested in overly artsy interpretations). Had to watch it in a class, and the tempest at the beginning of the film is caused ... by a 7ish-year-old boy swinging naked over a pool and urinating on a toy boat. :/ Peter Greenaway is crazy. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover-- I sat for two hours with my mouth hung open. The soundtrack is pretty good, though.
marlowe Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 I think this explains the joy I find in totally reworked/reimagined interpretations of books like Clueless (Emma), 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew), She's the Man (Twelfth Night), Apocalypse Now (Heart of Darkness), etc. Don't forget "O"! Never saw it though.
DorindaAfterThyrsis Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) Worst has to be the Ethan Hawke Hamlet. Julia Stiles should be criminally charged for her work in that film. I second (third?) the votes for the BBC Sherlock series as being awesome, and I am very picky about my Sherlock's. I've been a Holmes fiend since I was nine, so I take adaptations rather personally, and I must say that while I normally love Robert Downey Jr, we are currently not on speaking terms because of his portrayal in the recent films. Give me stodgy, brilliant Jeremy Brett any day. *sigh* Edited February 17, 2012 by DorindaAfterThyrsis
Jbarks Posted February 17, 2012 Posted February 17, 2012 In general, BBC does phenomenal things. Another reason I wish I were British.
marlowe Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 In general, BBC does phenomenal things. Another reason I wish I were British. Except their 'series' (also known as 'seasons', to Americans) are far too freaking short. Six episodes does not constitute a season of television! (or in the case of Sherlock, three!)
thestage Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 Better question: When has the film been better than the book!? No Country for Old Men
veniente Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 No Country for Old Men One of the most 'faithful' filmic adaptations of a novel that I've seen. It's basically lifted word for word, scene for scene. I think both are excellent, but I would say that if you've watched the film you hardly need read the book, and vice versa.
pinkrobot Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 I know Clueless was mentioned, but I actually also really like the BBC's Emma with Romola Garai.
Silent_G Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 I thought the film adaptation of Brokeback Mountain was...not necessarily better than the book per se, but it certainly took it to a whole new level. Then again, the book was quite short, so making it into a film would require some embellishing.
stratofanatic Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 (edited) Movies better than the book?' Forrest Gump would head my list! Worse adaptation? A Passage to India. I don't care how many Oscars it win or was nominated for, film just couldn't capture what prose had created. Edited February 19, 2012 by stratofanatic
Katia_chan Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 I really, really just have to second/third/millionth the props for BBC Sherlock. The first season was amazing, and the second blew my freaking mind. It's probably been one of the best things I've seen in the last few years (I may or may not be a little obsessed, take this commendation as you will). Otherwise North and South was really fantastic, and the LoTR movies took over my entire summer.
marlowe Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 You've already seen the second series!? WEAK. I must see it. I've probably been through the first series at least four times. I am a huge Holmes fan though - read 'em all and seen almost every television and film iteration.
Stately Plump Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 You've already seen the second series!? WEAK. I must see it. I've probably been through the first series at least four times. I am a huge Holmes fan though - read 'em all and seen almost every television and film iteration. You can find them online if you look hard enough I believe (I could be mistaken) they are coming to the U.S. this fall.
marlowe Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 You can find them online if you look hard enough I believe (I could be mistaken) they are coming to the U.S. this fall. I figured as much, and I will probably end up streaming them. I figure I'll pick up the series when I head over to the UK this summer (but I'll have to figure out how to get around that international coding problem on DVDs).
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