Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies  (Read 550674 times)

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4160 on: April 19, 2016, 09:30:49 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?



Join us in an ongoing discussion of this very popular subject right now.
Pull up a chair, take off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and join in!

Your Discussion Leader: pedln



Oh Barb, I  can remember a teachers' room when teaching at an English speaking school in Puerto Rico.  One of our teachers, a Gringo (from the US) was telling that she was getting her tubes tied.  Her husband had already signed the papers, giving his permission for the procedure.

Aren't we glad things have changed.

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4161 on: May 17, 2016, 10:37:30 PM »
A new Jane Austen movie is just coming out--Love and Friendship.  It's based on Lady Susan, a novel left in its early embryonic form and not published by Austen.  It sounds like it will be a good job; the director, Whit Stllman, is an Austen nut, which is what you need to do it right.

It's one of those limited release films.  It's opening here Friday, but I haven't figured out where.

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4162 on: May 21, 2016, 06:21:08 PM »
After you find it Pat, let us know how you like it.

Limited release?  Do they make DVDs of them, eventually?

Has anyone seen Brooklyn, based on the Colm Toibin novel?  I just finished the book, set in Brooklyn and in Ireland, and liked it, the first I've read by that author.  His Nora Webster has been sitting on my bookshelf, waiting.  I hope to watch the Brooklyn DVD sometime this week.

I hate to confess, all this political stuff on TV has really cut into my reading and sensible viewing time.

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4163 on: May 21, 2016, 08:16:26 PM »
It's showing here at some of the artier movie complexes, including one that I can easily get to by public transportation (I've stopped driving) but I won't be able to go until sometime next week.  I'll definitely give a review after seeing it, and I'm sure it will come out on DVD.

nlhome

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4164 on: May 22, 2016, 03:28:27 PM »
I read Brooklyn this winter and enjoyed it. I heard there was a movie, but I'll wait.

evergreen

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4165 on: May 22, 2016, 07:57:19 PM »
I watched the movie Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago on our local cable television station.  Since I haven't read the book, I don't know how the two compare.  I enjoyed the movie.

The book Nora Webster was mentioned above.  I read it some time ago, and it really stayed with me.  At the time I read it, I thought it was an honest portrayal of a not especially likeable  character.  In my opinion his writing is lovely.

maryz

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4166 on: May 28, 2016, 07:58:51 PM »
I don't think this was a book first, but a play.  I'd never heard of "My Old Lady" (2014) with Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith, and Kristin Scott Thomas.  I picked the DVD up at the library because of the cast.  An excellent, offbeat movie.  Check it out.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2908856/?ref_=nv_sr_1
"When someone you love dies, you never quite get over it.  You just learn how to go on without them. But always keep them safely tucked in your heart."

Dana

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4167 on: June 27, 2016, 02:47:17 PM »
I have been watching some interesting docudramas recently, on netflix and amazon.....Spotlight,(RC exposure in Boston) Conspiracy (Nazi final solution meeting with Branigan et al) and Edgar,(Hoover....with Judy Dench as his Mom, one felt rather sorry for him!)........also watched Marseilles....not really good but I enjoyed the French (with subtitles of-course!) and Deperedeau (?) stole the show, worth seeing for him.....

marcie

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4168 on: June 28, 2016, 01:41:51 AM »
Thanks for the recommendation of MY OLD LADY, maryz. I got it from my library and I too found it an interesting quirky film with a great cast.

FlaJean

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4169 on: June 28, 2016, 06:00:27 PM »
I watched Spotlight on Netflix last night---an excellent film.  I also watched Hoover.  Thought it was well done.

Dana

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4170 on: June 28, 2016, 07:37:54 PM »
Weren't they both? So I bet you might like Conspiracy too, it's on amazon prime.

marjifay

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4171 on: July 15, 2016, 12:07:03 PM »
 Darn, I could not find the film Spotlight on Netflix.  All they had were some old Loony Tunes cartoons grouped under that name.

I watched the Stepford Wives last night on the Turner old movies channel..  Had seen it before but had forgotten how scary it was.  Now I want to read some of Ira Levin's books.  Have ordered his This Perfect Day, which looks like a good sci-fi story. Am surprised it was never made into a movie as so many of his other books have been (Rosemary's Baby, The Boys from Brazil, A Kiss Before Dying).

Marj
"Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."  Barbara Tuchman

maryz

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4172 on: July 15, 2016, 12:34:17 PM »
I watched Spotlight on DVD, checked out from my library.  Excellent movie - tough story.
"When someone you love dies, you never quite get over it.  You just learn how to go on without them. But always keep them safely tucked in your heart."

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4173 on: August 08, 2016, 04:38:12 PM »
I attend the OLDER, WISER, LEARNING Classes every October in my retirement village, often taught by OSU  professors.  I will be listening when a professor in art history and world cinema teaches a course in BOOKS MORPHED INTO MOVIES.  The books include, but not limited to, the Legends of the Fall, The Help, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dr. Zhivago.  To be discussed -

[How can we describe the relationship between literature and cinema.  Is cinema dependent on literature for its effect.

Is literature enhanced in any way through film adaptations?

Can novels be adequately transferred to the screen?

Why do many of us believe that a film does or does not live up to its literary progenitor?

Can a film adaptation of a  particular novel be more successful than the novel in telling its story?

What exactly are the differences between reading a story and watching a movie











CallieOK

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4174 on: August 08, 2016, 08:32:20 PM »
Ella,  how interesting!   I know how I would answer the questions!

mabel1015j

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4175 on: August 09, 2016, 12:17:09 PM »
I, just by chance, saw "Infamous", on tv over the weekend. Its the story of Truman Capote's writing on In Cold Blood. It got "lost" because it was made at the same time as "Capote" and came out after Capote. I thought Toby Jones did a much better Capote than Phillip Seymour Hoffman who won the Oscar for his portrayal.

It also had Sigourney Weaver as Babe Paley and Sandra Bollock as Nelle Harper Lee. I thought it was very good.

Jean

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4176 on: August 15, 2016, 06:46:18 AM »
I also posted this to the non-fiction site.

This book will be released at the beginning of September. I look forward to reading it or watching the movie to be released in January 2017.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race  – September 6, 2016
by Margot Lee Shetterly (Author) http://margotleeshetterly.com/hidden-figures-nasas-african-american-computers/


IMDB info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4177 on: August 31, 2016, 12:26:37 PM »
Jean, I'd like to see Infamous.  Do you know if it's On Demand?  I've not had my current cable/TV set up for long, and am not adept at finding titles.

Coming this Friday -- a film I hope will prove to be excellent, as the book was great -- The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. Set on the Australian coast during post WWI. Good people making bad decisions.  I have to wait for a subtitled DVD, but look forward to your comments if you see it.


JeanneP

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4178 on: August 31, 2016, 04:16:02 PM »
"The Light between the Oceans " I read the book last month and enjoyed. Would now like to watch a DVD of it. Not seen if it is out yet.

Tomereader1

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4179 on: September 01, 2016, 12:07:04 PM »
It hasn't even opened in theatres yet.   This Friday, I think.  Long time for DVD to come out.
The reading of a fine book is an uninterrupted dialogue in which the book speaks and our soul replies.


André Maurois

rosemarykaye

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4180 on: September 18, 2016, 02:04:49 PM »
Your class sounds SO interesting, Ella - I would love to learn more about all of those things.

MaryZ - I saw Spotlight at the cinema - brilliant film, certainly deserved all the awards it won. I was impressed by how it stuck to the journalists' story, and didn't just throw sensationalist footage at us.

Rosemary

marjifay

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4181 on: November 20, 2016, 05:31:43 AM »
I watched the PBS-So.Cal film documentaru.(here in Southern California) today.  The title is Plymouth; American Experience.    My son was watching it and called me to see it, so I only got to watch about half of it.  They are going to show it again tomorrow on their internet website, and also on Friday after Thanksgiving, I believe, so I will get to watch all of it.  Just wonderful, but very sad how so many of the original Mayflower passengers who got here in the winter when it was so cold, and many of them were already sick from the long sea voyage.  Over half of them died during their first couple of months here; at one time two or three were dying each day.  They buried their dead at night, so an Indian tribe would not know they were losing so many of their group.  William Bradford's manuscript was shown as they narrated what happened; he kept a diary of everything that happened.  His wife fell (or maybe jumped overboard  from the Mayflower as it was moored off shore and she died from drowning.  I guess people are still uncertain if it was an accident or if she committed suicide (altho' they were very religious and suicide was not condoned.  If you get a chance, watch it.  It is very different history from what I had always heard, and a fascinating account.

Marj
"Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."  Barbara Tuchman

rosemarykaye

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4182 on: January 03, 2017, 12:47:18 PM »
I am not sure if this has already been discussed, but this week we finally saw 'A United Kingdom' the film based on the life of the first president of Botswana Seretse Kharma and his English wife Ruth Williams.

I did not really know anything about this story beforehand, but my mother remembers the events surrounding Seretse and Ruth's marriage very clearly (especially as Ruth was born in Eltham, a part of south London where my mother grew up). Their union caused a major political incident in both countries, and huge pressure was brought to bear on both of them not to go ahead with the wedding - but go ahead they did, and they lived happily together in Botswana until their deaths.

The film is wonderful, both in its depiction of Seretse and Ruth's relationship and in its revelation of the politics and prejudices of the time. Ruth Williams was just an office worker from London, yet she made the huge transition to living in a fledgling - and very poor - African country, even having her first child there with the assistance of local midwives rather than travelling to S Africa to be cared for by white doctors, as recommended by the ghastly diplomatic wives of the colonial service). Seretse was from a royal tribe that had previously sought the protection of the UK to avoid being annexed by South Africa - but he made a stand against the British government and led his country to independence in the face of South Africa's concurrent introduction of apartheid. Both Seretse and Ruth (eventually - at first the people were appalled at their future king bringing a white woman home) were adored by the Botswana people. It was especially interesting to learn so much about the birth of this country after reading and seeing the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which is of course fiction but which (perhaps especially in the TV series) shows so much of Botswana's beautiful countryside and wildlife.

The acting in the film is outstanding - Rosamund Pike is brilliant as Ruth, a woman who knows her own mind and is prepared to do anything to stay with the man she loves, and David Oyelowo is fantastic as Seretse, a man with fierce loyalty to his people and a determination to take them into independence as an open, peaceful and unsegregated nation.

It's also both interesting and shocking (though why i should be shocked I do wonder) to see how badly the UK government behaved to get its own way; the double-dealing and lies were appalling, as were the snobbishness, greed (they wanted S Africa's - and later Botswana's - vast mineral resources, so did not want to upset S Africa) and self-importance of some of the politicians involved. Some of course were better and helped Seretse to win through - notably Tony Wedgewood Benn.

Highly recommended if you have the chance to see it.

Rosemary


Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4183 on: May 30, 2017, 06:04:38 AM »
Another interesting blog from ManyBooks.net, I was particularly interested in what was written about Graham Greene's book of short stories and the movie Donnie Darko which I have never seen. http://manybooks.net/articles/5-books-that-were-featured-in-movies

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4184 on: July 23, 2017, 04:23:16 PM »
For all you Madeleine L'Engle fans, her A Wrinkle in Time is set to release sometime in the spring. Oprah is in that one and it does look colorful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4U3TeY2wtMA Wrinkle in Time i

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4185 on: July 23, 2017, 09:33:54 PM »
That book is a real challenge to bring to the screen.  Can't tell from that bit how well they do at capturing its strangeness, but it looks promising.

craigpoff

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4186 on: July 25, 2017, 10:17:51 AM »
Color me "old school" then, but once a decade, I re-read "Gone With The Wind" and have just started back, revisiting Tara again, Scarlett, Ashley, Gerald O'Hara and Rhett Butler.  The historical accuracy remains amazing and while being able to write about Southerners as other than evil incarnate is also something that is "gone with the wind", there is much to be learned, at least, about the Southern mindset.  1936 or 2017, people will read into books the pre-conceived notions that they opened the book with, but the Black Characters in Gone With the Wind carry the most personal dignity.  Even Rhett Butler admits that the only person who's genuine respect he truly coveted, was that of Mammy.   Its about the best selling novel of all time, but very few of its copies, I imagine, have been sold in the past 20 years....not since that nonsense about a sequel ("Scarlett") came out.  I hope others have enjoyed it over the years.

Craig
Beaufort, SC
Craig Joseph Poff, Esq.
www.pofflawoffice.com
Beaufort, South Carolina
Certified Family Court Mediator

BarbStAubrey

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4187 on: July 25, 2017, 12:46:18 PM »
Welcome Craig - I remember for years it was an annual read for me - never did like the movie - Scarlett was depicted as more a hysterical female than as I read her - never have read the sequel and just cannot bring myself to read it - but you remind me it has been years and years now since I read Gone With the Wind - need to find it and read it again.   
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

Mkaren557

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4188 on: July 25, 2017, 12:53:48 PM »
Welcome Craig,
GWTW is my favorite all-time book. My first time through was as a fifteen year old girl on a Maine beach.  It was magic to me. I have reread it several times and seen the film several times  I really never understood why Scarlet preferred Ashley Wilkes to Rhett Butler. A discussion of this book would be great fun. There are so many approaches that could be used in that discussion:  historical accuracy, book v movie, the southern women, etc, etc.  Thank you for reminding me once again
Karen

CallieOK

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4189 on: July 25, 2017, 01:28:26 PM »
Craig,  I read my mother's Second Edition copy of GWTW every summer while I was in high school.   Later on, I discovered that the dialogue of the movie is almost a word for word copy of the dialogue in the book.

Karen,  I heartily disliked the movie characterization of Ashley Wilkes.  I've always thought Leslie Howard got the role because he was considered a romantic movie figure of the late 1930's - and, of course, was a direct contrast with " romantic bad boy" Clark Gable.  I don't think anyone else could have - or ever will - play Rhett Butler as well as he did.
I also thought Olivia deHavilland's portrayal of Melanie was just too too...... (in southern parlance,  she was "just precious - bless her heart"  ;) )

 

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4190 on: July 29, 2017, 02:49:03 PM »
My sister has of a sudden gotten interested in virtual reality. She mentioned that Samsung has a series of travel VR. She likes to travel but can't afford to go all the places she wants to, so she sees this as an interesting alternative. She'd like to see the headgear a little less bulky than it is now, and she is concerned about buying something now only to have newer stuff come out right away that she might like better. That is the way the tech has been going, so I guess at some point she will just have to jump in.

I think I'll look into it to see if they have any book/movie related VR. Bet there is.

rosemarykaye

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4191 on: July 30, 2017, 07:52:17 AM »
I have to admiut that I have never read Gone with the Wind, nor seen the film. I have my mother's copy of the book, and I know she adored the film when it came out too. My elder daughter has also read it and seen it. I think I had better rectify my ignorance. I know practically nothing about the politics of the American Civil War (when I first read Little Women as a child I didn't even know which war they were referring to). My GCE History covered the American War of Independence then stopped. It's the same with British history - it is taught woefully badly in school, with a few episodes rammed into our heads to enable us to pass the exams - it's only as an adult that I've gradually realised that other things were happening at the same time, not just in the UK but all over the world. Embarrassing!

Ay other novels/films anyone can recommend to fill the vast lacunae in my knowledge?

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4192 on: July 30, 2017, 08:59:56 AM »
Quote
it's only as an adult that I've gradually realised that other things were happening at the same time,

Same here Rosemarykaye. It turns out that what we learned was just a bare bones history with occasional highlights, and some of it, it turns out, was slanted or inaccurate. I was so bad at remembering dates of various world events. The only D I ever got was in a World History class because of the teacher's penchant for matching names/events with dates.

There are/were an incredible number of African American educators, inventors, scientists and others that never even got a mention. I only remember learning about Frederick Douglas and George Washington Carver.

Not only that, our expansion across the continent was somewhat lopsided regarding the Native Americans. While we learned major events in Western Civilization's history, Eastern nations were almost totally ignored except where the US or Britain came in conflict with them over trade.

mabel1015j

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4193 on: July 30, 2017, 01:55:16 PM »
There is so much good history being written now and much of it is very inclusive of minorities and women. So many letters and journals are available to writers via internet, or just in general. Because of digitization they are much easier to search for the topics the writer is interested in, so therefore they can use many more sources in much less time.

What time period are you looking for Rosemary? The Invention of Wings is a wonderful novel about the Grimke sisters who were born on a slave plantation in South Carolina and refuted their family's life style to become Quaker abolitionists and the some of the first women to speak in public, pre-Civil War.

Jean

BarbStAubrey

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4194 on: July 30, 2017, 03:45:08 PM »
It helps to read a more recent bio of Lincoln - there were two wars fought and your viewpoint is affected if you lived and were educated in the north versus, the other war the South was fighting that is shared now in homes since the schools have a national curriculum - One war was about slavery, that Lincoln added as a cause after the war was well started and the other, that started the war was about States Rights, with the majority of southern soldiers coming from areas that had no plantations, many soldiers not having ever seen a plantation. The burying of that aspect of the war, States Rights, is still being fought over again, based on your viewpoint.

Unfortunately, to this day folks who are mention States Rights are accused of being pro-slavery and those who see the war as human rights do not like to acknowledge their role in promoting slavery for profit and their desire for cotton, which included keeping slavery alive for a couple of years after the end of the war, to open rebellion against fighting in the war, nor knowing how to deal with national leaders living in the north who had slaves. The issues are confusing and to this day passions are easily pricked according again, to where you live and where you were educated.
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4195 on: December 19, 2017, 05:39:32 AM »
My sister called on Sunday to let me know that HBO is running a three part BBC program called Gunpowder which is about the Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Of course I fell asleep and missed the first episode last night. Did anyone see it?
I expect they will run it again or I might be able to get it on On Demand.

CortezNil

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4196 on: March 10, 2018, 02:17:16 AM »
Don't worry, both of those things will happen. They'll run it again and it'll be on demand. It was great btw. Well worth the watch.
I found this amazing NordVPN review that explains it all.

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4197 on: March 10, 2018, 12:43:31 PM »
Welcome, CortezNil.  It's good to see you here.  Have a look around and see what discussions you like.  If you introduce yourself in Introductions,

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=46.760

others can welcome you too.

Tomereader1

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4198 on: April 13, 2018, 11:05:51 AM »
I've been "missing" here, but I'm back...just don't get notifications anymore.
The reading of a fine book is an uninterrupted dialogue in which the book speaks and our soul replies.


André Maurois

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #4199 on: January 17, 2019, 08:00:51 AM »
I just found out that Ridley Scott is producing Empire of the Summer Moon, the book by S. C. Gwynne, that we discussed a few years back. Since it is in pre-production there is not much info available. The director is one that I am unfamiliar with, Derek Cianfrance. He directed the movie The Light Between Oceans. I haven't seen it.