Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 552906 times)

Steph · « **Reply #280 on:** August 15, 2009, 09:35:37 AM »

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?

_______________________________

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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 Pedlin, I did love that.. I can imagine their faces.
By the way we went to see Julia-Julie.. Meryl Streep is a wonder indeed, but Amy is too sweet to be Julie.

Frybabe · « **Reply #281 on:** August 15, 2009, 06:46:44 PM »

I was just cruising the lists of recent books into movies.

Where the Wild Things Are must be a musical. Hope it does well.

I bought the book, The Alchemist, but haven't read it yet. I didn't see a release date on the movie.

The Last Templar as a movie was a bit weak, I thought. I think that is the book I bought several months back, still on my TBR pile.

maryz · « **Reply #282 on:** August 15, 2009, 09:59:35 PM »

We just finished watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, #2 in the series. We're working our way through the movies, on loan from our library. They're such fun.

Babi · « **Reply #283 on:** August 16, 2009, 08:51:14 AM »

I think everybody feels that way about Harry Potter, MARY. So what if it
is all about kids and magic; the books and movies are thoroughly enjoyable.
I'm eagerly waiting for the latest Potter movie to be released to DVD so I can
watch it.

Steph · « **Reply #284 on:** August 16, 2009, 09:54:29 AM »

Babi, I am with you. I will get the latest Harry Potter, watch it and then I send it on to my grandson who is almost 8 and loves them..

maryz · « **Reply #285 on:** August 16, 2009, 12:17:14 PM »

Our Jean was planning to see the new HP in I-max on Friday. I'll be "chatting" with her (via gmail) shortly. I'll post a review later.

maryz · « **Reply #286 on:** August 16, 2009, 01:14:12 PM »

Jean's only comment about the new HP movie was "very good". That's pretty high praise from her.

Babi · « **Reply #287 on:** August 17, 2009, 07:16:42 AM »

My grandson, STEPH, is in his late twenties, a fact which never ceases to
amaze me. All three of my grandchildren are old enough to have children of
their own, but not a one does. On the one hand, I am pleased none of them
rushed into marriage too young. On the other hand, I'm not getting any
younger and I'd love to hold a great-grandchild.

Steph · « **Reply #288 on:** August 17, 2009, 07:38:16 AM »

Our sons both married late.. 30's rather than 20's.. One son has two children, but did not have them right away, So he is in his 40's with a 13 and an 8 year old. The other son did not want and does not have children.. So I would guess I will not get any great grandchildren..

Babi · « **Reply #289 on:** August 18, 2009, 08:19:12 AM »

Enjoy the grands while you can. For most of their lives, mine have been far
away and I only saw them...or see them now....all too seldom. But they have
their lives to lead, and I'm proud of all (3) of them.

Steph · « **Reply #290 on:** August 18, 2009, 08:30:18 AM »

By the way,, any of you that saw Julia-Julie.. I loved the small insert of her sister and her courtship.. The woman who played the sister is truly a funny lady. I have seen her in a number of small parts. She gave you with such a small part, the meaning of love and not having to do with who is tall and who is not.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #291 on:** August 23, 2009, 08:11:39 PM »

I saw a great show on TCM today, Geo Clooney's father - sorry i don't remember his first name - did an hour interview w/ Angela Lansbury and they talked about and showed clips from all her movies and her Broadway shows. It was really terrific. TCM than broadcast a marathon of her movies, Gaslight, her first movie when she was 17 is on right now, 8pm my time. i looked to see if they were repeating the interview, but i don't see that they are. I'm sure some of her movies came from books - maybe Manchurian Candidate?................jean

pedln · « **Reply #292 on:** August 23, 2009, 08:40:48 PM »

That sounds interesting, Jean. Was/is the senior Clooney an actor too? Or involved in the film industry? I've always enjoyed Angela Lansbury. How old is she now? She certainly doesn't look aged.

Why am I thinking Gaslight was a silent film starring Charlie Chaplin? Was it?

maryz · « **Reply #293 on:** August 23, 2009, 09:45:17 PM »

Here's the IMDb link for Gaslight.

PatH · « **Reply #294 on:** August 23, 2009, 10:02:25 PM »

According to imdb, Angela Lansbury was born in 1925, so she's 84.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #295 on:** August 23, 2009, 10:25:42 PM »

AL was only 17 when she did Gaslight and got a nomination for best supporting actress. I'm not sure how to read the chart in IMBd. I don't think she won. oh, yeah took another look, no she didn't win. The senior Clooney was in radio and local tv, i believe. .....................AL's mother was an actress for a few years before she had children and was apparently very supportive and helpful in AL's career.................AL was just so positive and kind in every comment she made about the various people Clooney asked her about that she had worked with...............The senior Clooney does many interviews on TCM and seems to have a wonderful grasp on movie history..................jean

pedln · « **Reply #296 on:** August 23, 2009, 11:01:29 PM »

George’s father Nick Clooney has been a journalist, columnist, politician, in Kentucky and Ohio, and hosted the ABC game show The Money Maze. His sister is Rosemary Clooney. He spent the 2008-09 academic year at DC’s American University as the “distinguished journalist in residence.”

Has anyone read his 2002 book, Movies That Changed Us? No wonder he knows so much about movies.

And I don’t know my lights. Charlie Chaplin starred in Limelight.

Netflix has Gaslight, which has both captions and English subtitles. There are two Gaslights -- one in 1940 and the Joseph Cotton, Ingrid Bergman, A. Lansbury one in 1944.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #297 on:** August 24, 2009, 12:45:33 AM »

Thanks Pedin - interesting info.................yes, "Nick," I should remember that...........jean

Babi · « **Reply #298 on:** August 24, 2009, 08:34:40 AM »

I saw that 'Gaslight' was on TV this weekend. I had no idea that it was part
of an Angela Lansbury film marathon. I didn't even realize Lansbury was in "Gaslight"; I only remembered Ingrid Bergman. I'll keen an eye on that
series; I imagine I will want to watch some of those old films.

Steph · « **Reply #299 on:** August 27, 2009, 01:02:09 PM »

Angela Lansbury was so young in Gaslight. A totally different face when young..

Babi · « **Reply #300 on:** August 28, 2009, 08:12:32 AM »

What channel is presenting the Lansbury film series? I haven't seen them
listed, but I haven't checked the late night shows. Maybe that's where they are.
Meanwhile, I see she is going to be doing a Broadway musical, "A Little Night
Music", with Catherine Zeta-Jones. A Broadway show, at 83!!! Heavens, the
stamina the woman must have!

maryz · « **Reply #301 on:** August 28, 2009, 10:12:23 AM »

John's reading The Treasure of Sierra Madre. I don't think I knew that had been a book before it was a movie.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #302 on:** August 28, 2009, 09:34:39 PM »

Angela Lansbury was 17 when she made Gaslight. .................. The program about her and the marathon of her movies was on TCM, i think that stands for Turner Classic Movies......................jean

Babi · « **Reply #303 on:** August 29, 2009, 08:59:56 AM »

Thanks, JEAN. Now I need to check and see if TCM is freely available or is one
of the Premium pay channels. Lansbury has had such a long career, but it seems she just missed being a big name star. I can't think of a movie in which
she starred, other than the 'Bedknobs...' one, that has survived as a classic.
I see from Netflix that she was in "The Harvey Girls", but she wasn't the star.

Steph · « **Reply #304 on:** August 29, 2009, 09:42:47 AM »

Lansbury until the tv series was always considered more of a character actress. Very pretty, but never given much work.. I think she might have been the Mom in a picture.."The Manchurian Candidate" but not quite sure.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #305 on:** August 29, 2009, 01:17:05 PM »

TCM is a standard, basic cable channel. Should be able to get it if you have cable or satellite.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #306 on:** August 29, 2009, 05:00:06 PM »

yes, she wasa the Mom in Manchurian Candidate, altho she was only 4 or 5 yrs older than her "son," Laurence Harvey. She was also in The Picture of Dorian Gray and Death on the Nile and did the voices for a couple of very good animation movies. She had her best success, at least as awards go on Broadway in Mame, Gypsy and Sweeney Todd and others.
Here's a good bio.

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001450/bio

Jean

Steph · « **Reply #307 on:** August 31, 2009, 07:28:06 AM »

I thought I remembered her in the Manchurian Candidate.. And did remember that she and the star were roughly the same age.. Still as I remember she looked right in it.

pedln · « **Reply #308 on:** September 09, 2009, 11:22:28 AM »

It’s been a little quiet here, but here’s a film from a book that may surprise you, and a link to an article that will tell you all about it.

2009 is the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his “On the Origin of Species.” Lots of stuff going on in celebration of this. One that applies to us here is the world premiere of Creation, the first full-length film about Darwin for the big screen. And it’s based on a book called “Annie’s Box: Charles Darwin, his Daughter, and Human Evolution,” by Randal Keynes. Keynes is one of Darwin’s great-great-grandsons.

Quote

“Unlike most biographies of Darwin, its central event is not the publication of the “Origin,” but the death of Darwin’s adored eldest daughter, Annie, at the age of 10. She died in 1851 after nine months of a mysterious illness; at the time of her death, she was not at home, but in the English spa town of Malvern, where she had been sent for treatment.

Annie’s death is also the central event of this beautifully shot film. For “Creation” is not a didactic film: its main aim is not the public understanding of Darwin’s ideas, but a portrait of a bereaved man and his family. The man just happens to be one of the most important thinkers in human history.

At the same time, we see his view of nature — a wasteful, cruel, violent place, where wasps lay their eggs in the living flesh of caterpillars, chicks fall from the nest and die of starvation, and the fox kills and eats the rabbit. “

From the NY Times.

The Creation of Charles Darwin

Babi · « **Reply #309 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:13:42 AM »

Violent, undoubtedly. Survival does depend on a feeding chain among the wild.
It would be a very slanted approach, in my view, to portray only that aspect
of nature. However, if that was Darwin's view, it's only honest to say so.
I don't think I'd care to watch it, tho'.

pedln · « **Reply #310 on:** September 11, 2009, 12:09:16 PM »

I think the focus of the film is not limited to his views of nature, but also about his family life and the impact of his daughter's death. She was his eldest and his favorite.

Have you all been watching the series about Inspector Lewis -- Inspector Morse's former seargent? They're excellent, and while not written by Colin Dexter, they're making me want to reread and view some of his works.

Another film from a book -- The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller. I'm not familiar with either book or film which is now showing at the Toronto International Film Festival. The lead is Robin Wright Penn, wife, now in the process of divorce, from Sean Penn. Miller is also the director of the film.

And here’s another book/film from the Toronto Festival – An Education, from a memoir by British journalist Lynn Barber, the screenplay written by Nick Hornby. Reviews are comparing the lead, Carey Mulligan, to Audrey Hepburn

What films are you reading these days?

mabel1015j · « **Reply #311 on:** September 11, 2009, 02:33:05 PM »

I recently saw an interview w/ Carol Higgins Clark on NJ PBS, she and her Mother Mary Higgins Clark have written some "Christmas mysteries" together. Her Mother lives in NJ and Carol grew up in Saddle River, which is why she was a show titled NJ Notables.
She said that the last Christmas book has been optioned for a movie and will be out for C-mas 2010. ........I wonder what happened to a movie of the Evanovich Plum series? Five or six yrs ago Evanovich said that she had an option for a movie and had on her website requests for who her fans tho't should play the various characters and that's the last I heard of it. I immediately tho't of Sandra Bullock to be SP. ............ hope it hasn't fallen thru..........altho it would be a great tv series. ....... jean

Babi · « **Reply #312 on:** September 12, 2009, 08:47:15 AM »

Anyone who is being compared to Audrey Hepburn has my immediate interest,
PEDLN. Such a wonderful actress and gracious lady. I would love to see
her like again.

I'm also an admirer of Sandra Bullock. I will happily watch anything she is in.

pedln · « **Reply #313 on:** September 12, 2009, 11:31:04 AM »

Jean, I'll bet there are a lot of books that give birth to movie rumors. A Mary Higgins Clark (and daughter) film ought to be good. I've read some of MHC, but not daughter. Did not know there was a film in the making.

Earlier this year there was something about The Lovely Bones coming out in film -- I think Bookmarks mentioned it. But I have not heard anything since.

What I'm really waiting for is the supposedly forthcoming production of Erik Larson's The Devil in White City -- about the 1893 Chicago Exposition and the serial murders that occurred at the same time.

Does anybody know?

One film, long anticipated (by some, a few

) that is now on reel is Elmore Leonard's Killshot. I'm not a Leonard fan, but my f2f group read it a few years back because parts of the proposed film were to be shot in Cape Girardeau. There was much hoopla here, of course, when Hollywood came to town, but then everything came to a halt. Now supposedly someone has a tape of it or can get it, and the f2f group is going to view it at her house in December. We shall see. While reading the book, my group was quite impressed with the research Leonard had put into the town, especially the use of barges on the Mississippi.

Gumtree · « **Reply #314 on:** September 12, 2009, 12:42:48 PM »

Would you believe I just spent the evening watching a film 'Anne of Green Gables' on TV. I thought it was excellent - haven't a clue who the actors were but they all suited their parts perfectly. Hadn't read the book since I was a girl and had never seen the film. Enjoyed it immensely. Nostalgia I guess.

Steph · « **Reply #315 on:** September 15, 2009, 08:30:56 AM »

I saw a preview of Lovely Bones, so it must be coming sometime in the future.. I loved the book

pedln · « **Reply #316 on:** September 15, 2009, 10:09:14 AM »

I did too, Steph, and remember when our late DL Lorrie led a wonderful discussion of it.

Last night I watched a film that I am not recommending -- Autumn Hearts, with Christopher Plummer, Susan Sarondon, Max von Sydow, from a book Emotional Arithmetic by Matt Cohen. (Have never heard of him or it) A group of former Holocaust victims are gathered together for a small reunion. The acting was fine, but it was one of those films where y ou needed a lot more background and past history of the characters, which may or may not have been in the book. I'm giving it two Netflix stars (which means didn't like it) -- it was okay, but there was something lacking. This was a Canadian film, and most certainly an Indie film. It reminded me of those films that use "lay" actors who don't have a script.

The NYT had an interesting article this morning about where films and the film industry, especially the Indie films, are heading.

Exploring New Routes to the Indies

elizabeth84 · « **Reply #317 on:** September 16, 2009, 10:53:38 AM »

Speaking of Darwin's anniversary, Pedlin, here's another one: One thousand years ago this year, Al Hakim reduced the Church of the Most Holy Sepulchure in Jerusalem to rubble--ground level. The church foundation is believed to cover the site of Christ's crucifixion and burial. I can't think of a recent movie that celebrates (ahem) the event.

Steph · « **Reply #318 on:** September 17, 2009, 08:41:36 AM »

Poor Jerusalem.. The religions have spent years tearing apart each others holy places.. The sins committed in the name of religion are numerous and horrible.

pedln · « **Reply #319 on:** September 17, 2009, 11:13:58 AM »

Elizabeth, welcome to Books into Movies. We're glad you found your way here. An interesting anniversary that you spoke of. I didn't know that.

Steph, I think I'd have to agree with you about the sins committed in the name of religion.

News:

Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 552906 times)