Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 551747 times)

marjifay · « **Reply #4120 on:** December 13, 2015, 01:15:56 PM »

How many of you have read a book,
then watched a movie that was based on that same book?

Were you disappointed?
Or elated that they hadn't made any significant changes?
Or even surprised to discover the movie was even better than the book?

_______________________________

Books Into Movies Now on DVD
Recent Movies Based on Books
Books in a Series by Their Authors
Movies Based on the Book

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Your Discussion Leader: pedln

Nuts! 'Tis the season when they bring out all those dopey boring Christmas movies - and even Turner Classic Movie channel stops showing movies I like for those that I've seen sixty times or else so bad I don't want to watch, even for the first time.

There are some good ones, tho.' My favorite is The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. (Sadly I just read where Sullavan died in a hotel at age 51 of a drug overdose. She sure had a life most would envy - born in Virginia of wealthy parents and educated at Harvard - not many women went to Harvard back then. But you never know about people you think would be happy with their life, but for some reason or other, they have problems we can't see.)

Marj

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4121 on:** December 13, 2015, 03:08:44 PM »

Just back from seeing Carol. It is breathtaking, overwhelming and brilliant all at once. Cate Blanchett will surely sweep the board with her performance in this film - our cinema's catalogue rightly calls it 'devastating'. I still feel quite drained - but in a good way.

Rosemary

marjifay · « **Reply #4122 on:** December 14, 2015, 09:38:58 AM »

Wow, with that great recommendation, Rosemary, I'm going to have to see Carol. Thanks,

Marj

marjifay · « **Reply #4123 on:** January 01, 2016, 11:51:23 PM »

I got to watch one of my favorite movies shown today on Turner Classic Movie Channel, the 1979 film Time after Time, with Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen. H. G. Wells did marry a woman named Amy Catherine Robbins; Steenburgen's name in the movie was Amy Catherine. I knew that in real life she married Ted Danson (of the TV program Cheers), but I just saw where she married Malcolm McDowell in 1980 and was married to him for 10 years. I guess those passionate love scenes in the film were for real. Anyway it's a great love story.

marj

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4124 on:** January 02, 2016, 01:31:13 PM »

I am just back from seeing Bridge of Spies - what a fantastic film it is. Mark Rylance and Tom Hanks are superlative, and I was overjoyed to see Alan Alda pop up at the start.

The scenes in Berlin are so atmospheric and frightening, and capture the Cold War so well.

I get bored very quickly at the cinema, so I was amazed to find that over two hours had passed and I hadn't even noticed (it's 131 minutes in total).

Highly recommended - this and Carol are better than any of the other films I've seen in the past 12 months.

Rosemary

Frybabe · « **Reply #4125 on:** January 11, 2016, 09:05:26 AM »

Facing, what I thought was tough competition, The Martian and Matt Damon won Golden Globes. Yaaaaaaaahhhh!

The really strange thing was they lumped in it with Comedy or Musical. Really, really strange. There is certainly humor in the movie, but it is definitely not a comedy. However, if they had put it in with Drama, I don't think it would have held up to Leonardo and the Revenant. In looking at an article voicing not a few other articles and blogs, this is not the first time movies have been slotted into the comedy category that may have had humor in them but certainly not true comedies.

marjifay · « **Reply #4126 on:** January 14, 2016, 10:45:26 AM »

I'm looking forward to seeing The Revenant at a favorite theater today. Just got my hearing aids -- haven't been to the movies for awhile as I couldn't hear the dialogue. I also want to see The Martian; never could finish the book as it was too technical for me. I also couldn't figure out why The Martian was in the Golden Globes category of musical or comedy films. I watched the Golden Globes awards but never heard of most of the TV series that had been nominated. My favorite TV channel is ME TV that shows the good oldies like Gunsmoke, Bonanza and THE Riffleman (love his relationship with his little son.

I'm afraid I won't be seeing the film Carol until it comes out on Netflix. My son takes me to the movies, and there is no way he'd watch a movie about a lesbian relationship.

Marj

Marj

PatH · « **Reply #4127 on:** January 16, 2016, 06:47:40 PM »

Marj, the technical aspect of The Martian is downplayed in the movie, and it's very well done, really enjoyable.

PatH · « **Reply #4128 on:** January 16, 2016, 07:41:08 PM »

We've just lost one of my favorite actors, Alan Rickman. He was superb as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, highly entertaining as Alexander Dane, the Spock-like character in Galaxy Quest, and perfect as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies.

When we were reading the Harry Potter books as they were published, one of the burning questions was: Snape--was he good or bad or both, whose side was he really on? When the first movie came out, and Rowling, who had a fair amount of control over it, wanted Rickman to play Snape, I thought that was evidence that the character would turn out to be good.

marjifay · « **Reply #4129 on:** January 18, 2016, 10:43:20 AM »

I watched the film The Martian last night on our cable channel. Don't know how they got it so fast, as it's still in the theaters, but it cost me only about $6.00 which is cheaper than a theater.

And yes, Pat, thankfully the technical parts were fairly easy to understand, unlike the book; I really liked the film, but IMO they could have left out the last 1/4 of it, as it just seemed to drag it out. I guess they wanted to make a more suspenseful ending, but I had a hard time understanding what was going on.

Along with the exciting and suspenseful parts it did have some good humor (altho I would not at all call it comedy which was where Golden Globes categorized it.)

Next I want to see Bridge of Spies. I'm reading the book and it's very interesting.

Marj

PatH · « **Reply #4130 on:** January 18, 2016, 03:15:51 PM »

The last rescue bit is easier to understand in the book, where it's explained at length. It's also hard in the movie to catch all the relationships among the astronauts, and the personality conflicts of the scientists and bureaucrats back on Earth.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4131 on:** January 18, 2016, 04:13:00 PM »

Marjifay - Bridge of Spies is an excellent film (I am ashamed to admit I didn't even know it was based on a book...)

Rosemary

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4132 on:** January 18, 2016, 04:14:49 PM »

Pat - I was so upset about Alan Rickman's death, especially as it came in the same week as David Bowie's. Rickman was such a wonderful actor, and by all accounts also a wonderful human being, giving a huge amount of support to new actors - and to several charities. Gone too soon.

Rosemary

nlhome · « **Reply #4133 on:** February 07, 2016, 11:03:44 AM »

I don't really watch movies. We live in a town with one theater, so the opportunity is not there unless we drive into a larger city. This year for Christmas our granddaughter gave us each a book (I always give everyone on my gift list a book, and she wanted to do the same this year). She is 8, and I am guessing she and her mom found a movies into books display at a book store. My husband received The Martian, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and I suspect he would really like the movie. My book is Brooklyn, which I found interesting for the time and setting, but the main character seemed a little too passive. I read a couple of reviews and then reconsidered my impressions and got a bit more out of the book. I have not seen the movie advertised locally. Has anyone seen Brooklyn? What did you think?

PatH · « **Reply #4134 on:** February 12, 2016, 10:21:48 PM »

Nlhome, if your husband liked the book of The Martian, he would almost certainly like the movie.

FlaJean · « **Reply #4135 on:** February 13, 2016, 10:40:48 AM »

I saw Bridge of Spies the other night. It is an excellent movie.

ginny · « **Reply #4136 on:** February 13, 2016, 10:57:01 AM »

I haven't seen it yet. What did you think of Mark Rylance's performance?

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #4137 on:** February 13, 2016, 12:35:52 PM »

If Rylance was anywhere near as good in Bridge as he was in Wolf Hall, then he was wonderful! I fell in love with him watching WolfHall.
Those deep, sad eyes. Ohhhh!

FlaJean · « **Reply #4138 on:** February 14, 2016, 10:09:21 AM »

Mark Rylance was terrific in Bridge of Spies. I read somewhere that he said he was like a vintage car that no one had seen. I think he has a good chance for an Oscar as Supporting Actor.

ginny · « **Reply #4139 on:** February 14, 2016, 12:00:09 PM »

OH good. I haven't seen it yet but I do plan to. I'm like Tome, he's the MAN now after that incredible performance in Wolf Hall.

And he himself is quite unlike the Wolf Hall character. I need to see him in this one, it's on Pay on Demand on my TV, so it shouldn't be hard.

Dana · « **Reply #4140 on:** February 14, 2016, 03:40:49 PM »

oh I remember when Gary Powers was shot down. My father said he should have swallowed his suicide pill, and was a bit contemptuous of him I think. Mind you he was what they called a saboteur in the war so I guess he had a special view of how to behave on secret missions in enemy territory. Not that he ever would talk about it , just had nightmares.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #4141 on:** March 09, 2016, 04:59:59 PM »

Wow - I really think we need to know this - The work that is done to make this the site we have grown to trust and love needs to be told - we should not take for granted the volunteer effort by those who protect us from behind the scenes.

Message this morning from Ginny, Administrator...

Quote

I came in, tho, to tell you what Marcie has done which has made such a HUGE difference to those who have to go after the spammers. She's incorporated a captcha thing which forces the bot trying to register to choose photos in response to a text question or something, it's brilliant.

Since the day she put it up there has not been one more spammer@!!!!!! NOT ONE! It's a miracle to come in here and not see on the top left hand of the page the numbers of "people" waiting to be hand checked. And if you would skip a day it would take forever to clear them. And on holidays it was a nightmare.

Getting rid of these scumbags is a tiring job. They sometimes sneaked in anyhow and Jane has been patiently winnowing them out. So great is the difference that the check for Spammers thing no longer comes up and I can't see how many we have manually removed but it was something like 248,000 or something. Jane or Marcie may know how to access that check screen, I don't, and quite frankly I hope I never see it again, but isn't that marvelous?

A lot safer for us, too, since the bots can't see the emails unless they are registered.

So hooray for Marcie for doing this and for Marcie and Jane ALL THESE YEARS manually getting rid of these people who need a job instead of trying to cheat us all. The last bit was from Russia I think?

Jane, Administrator

Quote

Incredible...but the number now is:

266852 Spammers blocked up until today

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4142 on:** March 09, 2016, 05:45:58 PM »

I've seen Bridge of Spies and I agree, Mark Rylance was fab - but I also think Tom Hanks was pretty amazing. Such a good film.

maryz · « **Reply #4143 on:** March 12, 2016, 07:33:31 PM »

Just movies - nothing about books. But if you love the old musicals, you'll love this YouTube video. Turn up the volume and enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1F0lBnsnkE&ebc=ANyPxKqBr0BDJwzf7nRtTm5NaWQ8G1nlTasftYZ0zjXvQyOYL3DkLqjAoPYYrkVyrnAcpRxstlz9

marjifay · « **Reply #4144 on:** March 14, 2016, 08:54:33 AM »

I received a message from the TV channel KCET that the TV series Luther will be aired tonight. I think KCET is the name of the public TV channel here in Southern California. I rarely watch anything on that channel, as most of it looks pretty boring to me. But Luther gets a whopping 8.6 rating on IMDB (Internet Movie Database). The description says "A crime drama series starring Idris Elba as a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions. Anyway, this one sounds interesting. The message says it starts at 9 pm, but doesn't say what time zone that is, so I'll look in tonite starting about 8 pm and see if that is the time. Is anyone else planning to watch it? I put the book from which it is taken-- Luther; The Calling by Neil Cross--on hold at my library. The book gets an Amazon rating of 4+.

Marj

marcie · « **Reply #4145 on:** March 14, 2016, 11:29:55 AM »

Luther is quite "edgy" but very good. Idris Elba and the rest of the cast are great. Your library might have the DVDs. I think there are 4 seasons. I know I saw the first two seasons on BBC One. I can't recall if I saw the rest.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #4146 on:** March 14, 2016, 01:15:27 PM »

I was attempting to post something here yesterday, but my computer decided to take a "walkabout" even my printer went "wonky" later in the evening. Everything seems to be okay this morning (fingers crossed!)

Anyway, what I was trying to post was a recommendation for a movie (don't think it has a book tie-in). "The Intern" with Robert DeNiro an Anne Hathaway. A very sweet, clean movie, should appeal to those of us here who have a few years on us. I saw it in theatre, and then ordered it from Netflix so hubby could watch it. I probably will have to buy a copy for my collection of "movies I love". Last night watched "The Martian" (it is from a book). If you get the DVD, might I suggest that you have the book at hand, so you can keep up with the "Sols" which I translated to be hours of sunlight...maybe just days. Also, with the book handy you can read the steps he takes to get the small ship ready for flight. The author, Andy Weir, did great research with NASA to get this right. Loved the book loved the movie.

pedln · « **Reply #4147 on:** March 15, 2016, 11:26:25 AM »

Tomereader1, I just watched The Intern this past weekend and will echo your comments. It's delightful, entertaining, funny in parts. An enjoyable, feel-good film. I highly recommend it. Four Netflix stars.

Last week I also watched Bridge of Spies. Absolutely fantastic with superb jobs by both Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. There is something about these historical/biographical films coming out of Hollywood recently that is very appealing - both this year and last. Five Netflix stars.

PatH · « **Reply #4148 on:** March 17, 2016, 07:40:40 PM »

Tomereader, I agree with all you say about The Martian. Good book, good movie, and both the technical and personal relations parts are easier to understand in the movie if you've read the book. But the movie is good even if you haven't read the book.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4149 on:** March 20, 2016, 08:05:56 AM »

Also not really about books, but Madeleine and I have just watched Milk - what an excellent film. We had very sketchy knowledge of the events in San Francisco in the 70s before this (even though I had actually visited a friend in Berkeley around that time). Sean Penn was brilliant, we thought. In some ways the film is like Pride, which came out here last year, but Milk is much more serious. They both reflect historical events though - Pride takes place around the time of the miners' strike and the first Gay Pride marches in London. It's a great film too, very entertaining but with some serious bits.

Rosemary

mabel1015j · « **Reply #4150 on:** March 26, 2016, 11:18:22 AM »

I just saw the first of a series from HBO, Parade's End. The story is from aseries of novels set in England pre-WWI, by Ford Madox Ford. Benedict Cumberbatch is the lead actor. It was first broadcast in 2012, I think.

Like the beginning of Downton, the aristocracy is losing ground, but more interesting to me was, the female protagonist is a suffragette. It does some jumping back and forth in time, which is not my favorite kind of story, especially if it's confusing and this is a little. I watched it ondemand so I'll keep looking as long as it remains interesting.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parade%27s_End_(TV_series)

Jean

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4151 on:** March 27, 2016, 09:25:21 AM »

We have just started watching Dr Thorne, which is an adaptation of one of Trollope's Barchester books (not that I have read any of them). So far it's good, if predictable. It's been adapted by Julian Fellows (yes, he of Downton fame) so there are plenty of lovely dresses and lovely houses - but the acting is also good.

It's a little disconcerting to see Tom Hollander playing the thoroughly good Dr Thorne just after watching him play such a convincing thug in The Night Manager (of which we have the last episode tonight) but he does both extremely well. Ian McShane (whom I remember in Lovejoy, many moons ago) is also excellent as the new money railway baron.

Rosemary

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #4152 on:** April 08, 2016, 08:41:48 AM »

Loved Alan Rickman in The Barchester Chronicles - are they remaking that series Rosemary?

maryz · « **Reply #4153 on:** April 09, 2016, 07:56:35 PM »

Today was a movie day for me. I watched (on DVDs from the library) Philomena and Nebraska. I think both of these were based on books - both excellent movies. I know they aren't very new, but still very worth watching.

pedln · « **Reply #4154 on:** April 09, 2016, 09:06:28 PM »

MaryZ, I thoroughly enjoyed both of those movies, especially Philomena with Judi Dench. As for books, I couldn't find any related to Nebraska, but it seems there is more than one book about Philomena. If you have a chance, take a look at some of the Philomena reviews on Amazon. Apparently there is a bit of controversy there.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #4155 on:** April 10, 2016, 04:01:18 PM »

I'm watching a marathon, ondemand of The White Queen. The book was a Phillipa Gregory Tudor one. The costumes and the settings are marvelous. The story is mostly fighting and romance, but it's entertaining.

Jean

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4156 on:** April 17, 2016, 04:35:01 AM »

Barb - apologies for the delay - no, I don't think they are remaking all the Barchester books, and even Dr Thorne was over quite quickly, just 3 or 4 episodes I think.

Daughter and I are now watching Mad Men for the first time ever (having found the first two DVDs in a charity shop). Really enjoying it now I've started to work out who is who. What a time that was - hard to believe I was actually alive when all those attitudes were 'normal'. The world has changed, and continues to change, though maybe not quickly enough in some areas. Draper's wife (?Betty?) reminds me of the role Julianne Moore played in The Hours.

Rosemary

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #4157 on:** April 17, 2016, 05:45:19 AM »

Oh huh just could not take Mad Men - just could not take it - saw part of one episode and had to change channels - too many memories I would like to forget - had the impression they were glorifying the times and behavior - I shudder just thinking back...

Finally saw the Crying Game - not sure if I liked it or not but it sure stayed with me - saw two Italian movies that I really enjoyed with an actor new to me - Gianni Di Gregorio - a guy who goes around pleasing his mother and her friends - the first one was OK but the second one was wonderful - I loved it... the first one is called Salt of Life that has bits of his daughter and her friends and his wife - he is taking care of all of them and ends up not realizing he had taken some drug offered in the food when her daughter has a party - he takes a neighbor's (good looking young woman) dog with him to pick up more wine for the party and the drug does its job so that instead of returning quickly he is out sprawled on the street all night - its all done with humor.

However it is the second Mid-August Lunch - his mother and her friends end up for the typical Mid-August vacation time all packed into his apartment as his friends who are caretakers for their moms dump their mom or in-law-mom with promises of perks - the women are having a girls day and night out for several days and end up with him preparing a party for a holiday that is in the middle of this time - he ends up having as much fun as his mother's friends who are all at least in their late 60s and 70s

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #4158 on:** April 17, 2016, 06:40:30 AM »

So far I don't feel they are glorifying the 60s behaviour Barb. Madeleine and I sit there hurling abuse and gasping in shock about how things were - it's a real eye-opener for her, and even for me, as I was a small child at that time.

It also makes me realise how much my mother's attitudes have changed over the years. Back in the 60s she was a stay-at-home housewife who actually disapproved of married women working ('taking men's jobs so they can have pin money for their holidays'), now she is almost as strong a feminist as I am. I think the fact that my father died suddenly and young, and she had no choice but to go back to work, may have contributed to this - it was a very hard time for her, but I do believe mixing with all sorts of people and being out there in the world keeps your mind open.

I was just chatting to one of our clergy last week about people who insist on sticking with the old ways of doing things in the church - of course this is a fraught area and I have no desire to open a can of worms, but from discussing the way some people feel unable to take Communion from a woman we got onto the reasons why people are afraid of change in life generally, and our view that although not all changes turn out for the best, being open to them is what keeps you 'alive'.

I must say I've never had such interesting debates in any other workplace. Every day I thank my lucky stars that I am no longer obliged to spend my days in a law office!

Rosemary

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #4159 on:** April 17, 2016, 09:15:50 AM »

Oh yes, gloves and hat just to go grocery shopping - if you were pregnant you had to quit you job, as I did after only weeks on the job - women did nonsensical work so that they were low man on the totem pole and never did get to any position of leadership unless they were the bookkeeper and there for 25 years - it was teacher, nurse or airline stewardess and that was it.

No tampons - it was the monthly curse - no pill - no ability to open a bank account or take out a loan or buy anything that required a loan except to pay off some salesmen weekly for some household goods - not even could a woman alone pay off a washing machine or frig - now a vacuum cleaner yes, that was a door to door salesman who would come back each week for his payment hoping for another kind of payment to be thrown in.

Maternity clothes were a joke - a loose fitting top with a cute collar and a skirt with a hole in it with a cloth strap that slid onto the waistband - at least better than for my Mom when if you were pregnant you were housebound so here I was 5 years old doing the shopping and had to memorize everything since I could not read.

Nursing was discouraged - no help learning how to raise children or know if they had the measles or if the baby was teething except for one book - Dr. Spoke.

If the marriage was floundering it was the woman's fault - she was to have the house clean the children tidy and the supper on the table when in he came.

Women sewed everything - I didn't but some of my neighbors actually made sheets and pillow cases however, curtains and drapes were usual for all of us along with quilts and covers for the sofa and headrests to keep the back of chairs clean and later when plastic hit the shelves everything was covered in clear plastic.

But mostly it was the disrespect and if there was any kind of gathering or party the men got together and the women were in the kitchen - usual was oh she is a women driver and of course there was no walking down the street if you were a young woman - I could go on - but I think the show was more about the 50s however, I could be wrong and yes, I too thought woman's lib was over the top and not wearing a bra was beyond me.

We were concerned for our daughters though and as Girl Scouts we encouraged fathers to be a part of the troops to help our daughters learn how to plan and carry out events and camping trips with male leadership to ready them for the 'new' workplace environment.

Problem I had was I did not realize and know about all these rules to being a women and was always shocked to have these expectations that my husband simply expected - I kept thinking I was educated in the same classrooms learning the same things as these guys so what is going on... ah so ... just writing this and I feel like taking an aspirin or a glass of wine - grrrr - shudder - brrah

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Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 551747 times)