Best and Worst Book to Movie
So what are the best changes from books to movies? Already we know that Dragons of Autumn Flame is headed to the “big screen” (well if you have a home theater), and we’re itching to pour some kudos on Stardust for making a “grown up” fantasy movie. But what else has transitioned, in the sci fi/ fantasy genre’s from the paperback to the box office? What’s your favorite? What’d you hate?
September 13th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
In order to examine the best and worst book to film adaptations of all time, certain criteria must be established. I believe the book by itself should be accepted by most to be a first-rate piece of literature. The decisive factor on what makes the adaptation good or bad should be based on how good or bad the film is. So, this is my list of good books turned into good movies. Best: 1. The Shining 2. Fight Club 3. Requiem for a Dream
Worst 1. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 2. The Da Vinci Code 3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
September 14th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Offhand, I can’t think of many sci-fi/fantasy books that I have read have actually been made into movies, other than a long line of mediocre Stephen King TV movies (assuming you’d count Stephen King as sci-fi). However, that’s not to say that I don’t have an opinion:P
It seems that the majority of books made into movies turn out that way. Switching mediums is not an easy task. First of all, things will always be eliminated. Slimming a 300, 400, 1000 page book into a movie script is bound to disappoint some people. Also, a book forces you to use your imagination. I know that I can become very attached to the images in my head concerning a favorite book. Watching the way someone else has imagined things can be quite disconcerting to someone like me. Of course, sometimes they just take the characters & the basic plotline and re-imagine the entire thing. That rarely goes over well with book fans. And of course there’s this whole elitist “the book was better” thing. It seems like some people don’t want to like the movie just so they can stick their nose up in the air and recite that phrase. I admit it; I’ve used it too.
I’m amused that Steve mentioned The DaVinci Code. Did anyone like this movie? It seems like no. Of course, who hasn’t read it? Who? My boyfriend, that’s who. He LOVES it. We own it. And I’d like to admit to a geek sin; I have never read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I liked the movie though. Interesting to consider. Is having read a book a detriment to enjoying the movie?
All that said, even when the movie version of a favorite book is not so great, I usually enjoy watching it anyhow. Despite differences, poor acting, or whatever else, it’s nice to revisit the places & people of a well-liked book.
As for my favorites & least favorites: I like The Princess Bride & Interview with the Vampire. It seems to help when the author of the book writes the screenplay (assuming they know HOW to write a screenplay). My least favorite is The Handmaid’s Tale. The narrative & non-linear style or the book made it difficult to do it justice in movie form. Of course, a movie version of my absolute favorite book was held to very high standards. Though that makes me wonder, assuming there is one, does anyone approve of the movie version of their favorite book?
Thanks for reading my babble!
September 14th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
It seems more and more that reading a book makes it hard to like the movie. It’s the “awww.. they cut my favorite part!” effect.
Still some interesting comments. I’ll save my thoughts for the ‘cast.
-Rorlins
September 16th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I have to say, the worst book into a movie, in my opinion, is Eragon. That is an amazing book, even if it is somewhat of a LOTR/Star Wars clone, but that movie was just terrible! Blech!
September 17th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I would have to say that the worst book to movie transition i’ve ever experienced is Starship Troopers. I actually enjoyed the movie for what it was. Pure action, horrible acting, and a big excuse for special effects explosions and whatnot. Just don’t even try to take it seriously. I read the book a couple of years later thinking “Wow, the movie might have been interesting if only they had incorporated the book into it.”
October 9th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Is that ‘Dragons of Autumn Twilight,’ or something else?
October 9th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Dragons of Autumn Twilight would be the first Dragonlance novel and the first movie, hopefully out this holiday season.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Hrmm. (I was nitpicking ‘Dragons of Autumn Flame.’ ‘Summer Flame’ is a psuedo standalone psuedo book 4 .
)
I have to say that I’m surprised. A while back I picked up the annotated /Chronicles/ and was surprised to see a note from (I forget which author) saying that reading back over it she was sort of embarassed at how bad it was.
Mind you, I don’t disagree with her, but I do think that DragonLance started with a bang and went downhill pretty rapidly afterwards.
So on the one hand they can’t possibly make a movie because the books don’t deserve it, but on the other hand they can’t POSSIBLY make a movie of it because it was the first fantasy I ever read and therefore it remains dear to my heart despite being (objectively) bad literature.
(Listening to the episode now: As indicated on LJ from time to time I hate Catholic … um … haters.)