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Robynmarie
Veteran Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 527
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 03:25 pm: | 
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I am listening to "Blood Diamonds" on CD (I am totally hooked on books on tape/CD) However, after hearing this story, I view those rocks in a whole new grusome light. I want to see the movie, but I am not sure I could handle hands being cut off, and the other butchery that went on in Sierra Leone that the author describes.
This made me think about books that are made into movies: is the book always better than the movie? Can you think of a movie that was acutally better than the book? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9566
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 03:55 pm: |
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I think the movie "Waiting to Exhale" was a pretty faithful version of the book and, as such, made for a fairly good picture. The same for "The Color Purple". Toni Morrison's "Beloved", however, didn't translate to well into a movie. Or do I think Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" was very impressive as a movie, but - some books just don't lend themselves to be reproduced on the screen because it hard to portray nuance. "Gone With The Wind" was classic example of a movie that was better than the book. |
Jmho
Regular Poster
Username: Jmho
Post Number: 240
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 07:19 pm: |
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I just saw the movie, Their Eyes, for the first time, this summer, and if you never read the book, I thought you'd think better of it, than if you had. Which is why I think I thought the movie, How Stella Got Her Groove Back was okay, I couldn't read the book.
However, I can't bring myself to watch the movie, Beloved. |
Emanuel
Regular Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 343
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 09:42 pm: |
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Whoo, that's a tough one. I don't believe I've ever seen a good movie then turned around and read the book. Once I know the story from beginning to end, I'm usually not motivated to experience it again through another medium. Usually when I see a movie adapted from a book I happened to have read, the book is usually better because so much from it gets edited out for the movie. Two of my favorite books were made into movies but I've never seen them, including "Their Eyes Were Watching God," and "Portnoy's Complaint."
I struggled with "Beloved" because of Morrison's writing style. When I saw the movie, I was like 'WTF? I don't remember that in the book.'
I purchased "Roots" in book form long after the mini-series was first aired but never got around to reading it.
Some of my favorite books that will probably never be made into movies include "Invisible Man," "Nowhere is a Place," and "Blood on the Leaves."
I was just reading that fewer and fewer books are being optioned by movie studios, and the ones that are optioned don't always get made. I imagine that goes double for books written by African-American authors. |
Emanuel
Regular Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 344
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 09:53 pm: |
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Oh yeah. I think Spike Lee's "X" was slightly better than "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Haley, although I'm not sure if that was an adaptation. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2182
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 08:39 pm: |
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I think the movie "Silence of the Lambs" was at least as good as, if not better than, the book. I had even read the book long before seeing the movie and none of the characters were as I had pictured them. (Plus I was not pleased at how Jodie Foster's character's Black roommate was shortchanged in the movie, but that is a whole other story.) It must be because of the excellent performances, the wonderfully creepy direction, and skillful execution of a couple key scenes that did it.
(The two follow-ups, however, were incredibly lacking, IMO. This last one both the book and movie seemed like they were completed in a couple of days.)
I had a similar reaction to the movie "The Shining." Again, great performances, direction, and handling of key scenes may have been what swayed my opinion. (Again, however, a shortchanging of a key Black character...hmmm...)
I recently finished "Casanegra," BTW. That book seems tailor made for a film adaptation! It even seems as if they are planning a whole series of books, making for a ready film franchise.
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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5053
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 10:32 am: |
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They do different things. Have different effects. Different audiences. Movies appeal to a wider demographic
Some movies have been better than the books. This was even when the books were pretty good. What I find most often is that a book will be popular, a great book. Tom Wolfe's "Bondfire of the Vanities" for instance (though I must admit though it was tolerable, I didn't think it was that great).
But a movie is made which is "faithful" to the book. Keep in mind you like your movies--what, no longer than two and a half hours.
Ninety minutes is fine for me with most stuff.
So, you spend, 10-12 or more hours with a book (usually broken up--your novella would take five or six hours at least--reading)
So some things that work well in a book make bad movies. |
A_womon
Veteran Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 1807
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 12:37 pm: |
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Stephen Kings books translate well. They are great books and usually the movies don't disappoint
Terry Mc Millan's books also translated well to screen |
Robynmarie
Veteran Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 534
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 05:06 pm: |
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Yes, Stephen seems to be writing directly for the movies these days-even if the work starts off as a novel.
I would like to see more of Walter Mosley's books on film. "A Man in My Basement" is very cinematic in the telling and had all the elements of a good film: intrigue, a believable villian, a great love story and good sex.
I am not a fan of "The Color Purple" but it did translate to film well and apparently it is pretty good on stage.
The trend is towards making nonfiction books into movies, like "Fast Food Nation" which I have not seen. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9581
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 07:17 pm: |
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I forgot about James Patterson's books. They make the transistion to film pretty good, too, although I didn't think Morgan Freeman was such a good choice to play Alex Cross in "Along Came A Spider". |
A_womon
Veteran Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 1812
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 10:35 pm: |
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Oh I loved Morgan Freeman in the role. Especially in KiSS THE GIRLS.Although I admit he doesn't really fit the book's description of Alex Cross, except for his height |
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