LITERATURE ABUSE: AMERICA'S HIDDEN AFFLICTION

Ophelia · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Jales4, for looking up the answer to my question.

Constance963 · Intern Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 165 Gender:

[quote="MadArchitect"]Actually, if they're going to try and adapt an already worthwhile book, I'd rather they send the screenwriter in with a butcher's knife rather than try to render a straight adaptation of a book. What's the point of making the movie just like the book? I say, do something interesting with the source material, and if it sucks, we've still got the book. But the only way to get something better is to take some risks, right?[/quote]

I do see your point MadArchitect, there is definitely something to be said for artistic interpretation. But I can't help it Embarassed

I get protective as if I had written it myself.....LOL

evendeathmaydie · Eligible to vote! Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 15 Gender:

This is not funny, every single one of these is true of me except for 21 (my library's limit is 50 items, and even I couldn't handle that.) and 25. I have never once regretted loving books! I pity people who don't.

I feel the same way as MadArchitecht. I won't watch movies based on my favorite books anymore. "Because of Winn-Dixie" was the last movie that I saw that "followed the book perfectly," and of course it didn't really, because a book is an experience you have inside your head, and it can never be duplicated, especially by some guy in Hollywood who's never met you.
I don't mind movies like "Ella Enchanted" and "The Count of Monte Cristo," because they are so ludicrously different from the books they're *loosely* based on that they don't interfere with your memories of how a character looked and talked in your imagination.

Loricat · Graduate Student Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 446 Gender:

I'm with the crowd here...I tend to avoid based-on-a-book movies of books I've read. Although, if it's not Hollywood attempting it, it can turn out quite well. What most books require is time and loving devotion, to turn out a good visual rendition.

Bad = the first Harry Potter movie. I spent the whole time thinking "Okay, now we'll see chapter 2..."

Good = the British film "I Capture the Castle". Follows the book quite closely, but is lovely, and almost (dare I say) perfect...

Not too bad = "The Power of One". The story of the novel was too big for the movie, but they did capture a lot of the feel of the book...even if they did add the romance.

[Needless to say, LOTR was brilliant, but I'll leave that one out for now...]

The winners are the books that get the BBC mini-series treatment. Pride and Prejudice. Dune. Gormenghast. All lovingly treated, and rather delicious...

But then, they're not hollywood.

Ophelia · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:20 am Post subject:

Loricat,

I thought the Harry Potter films were OK, but could not replace the books . There were many excellent ideas, such as the location of the Dining Hall and the choice of some actors, such as the one who plays McGonegal.

I also admire BBC mini-series: Apart from Pride and Prejudice, I also love North and South, and MiddleMarch, and, the best for last Vanity Fair.
(absolutely brilliant).
I found out later that, alas, many BBC mini-series fall short of those standards ( the only way I can see them is by buying the DVDs, which are not cheap):
Emma is dreadful, the Charlotte Bronte series are old-fashioned and lifeless (in my opinion) for example.

Ophelia · Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:05 am Post subject: France is afflicted too.

Jan,

Someone in France has given me proof that the French were also afflicted.

This is from a website called La Bibliotèque d'Allie-- for the moment only for the reading of the bilingual among our afflicted BT members.

bibliophile_18 · Eligible to vote! Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 21 Gender:

So does being an LA mean that I should just let my fiance finance my 'habit' while I grow more and more rabid? j 0_o That would be nice, but I don't see that happening. And anyway...I prefer movies with no ties to books. The first Harry Potter movie was the only one that followed any sort of 'near-the-book' accuracy. Of course, this is Hollywood, so they're gonna focus more on the 'hero' of the story and not the developing relationship between Ron and Hermione like the books do, now will they? (As I have seen from movie five, there's no chance for that relationship to ever be settled into the series. and they're doing a two part-movie seven. What's the second part going to be called? Harry Potter and The Death of Voldemort?)

Yes, I'm a very serious LA, the only one that didn't apply was number 20. My libraries limit books to no more than 20 and I take about 30-45 depending on their thickness, level of difficulty, and how close the nearest book store is.


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