Screw Reading!

Jeremy Ordan

Jeremy Ordan

Major Contributor
So last night I got into bed and started searching for a film to fall asleep to and I stumbled upon one of my all time favorites: Field of Dreams. If you have read any of my posts regarding films and especially baseball films, this is one of my favorites of all time. The thing that really makes this a unique film though is the fact that the movie is at least 10x better than the book it is based on. I've read a lot of books that were later turned into a movie, and I've also read a lot of books after I saw the movie... My normal opinion is that the book is always better than the movie, but here is the question:

What books have you read that were turned into a movie where the movie is better than the book?

Ones that come to mind:
1. The Perfect Storm - The book he doesn't want to assume anything so from page 50 he is saying: "well they might be dead now, but we don't know. If not they are fishing". The book is completely crap, and even though the movie is crap, it is a lot better than the book.

2. Field of Dreams - The movie has this hippy turned farmer trying to bring back his emotionally distant deceased father's hero... The book? Well he knows from page 3 that he wants to bring his father back because they had a good relationship... The point? None, bad book.

That's it for right now but I'm sure I can think of a few others in a bit...

-Jeremy
 
Jeremy Ordan said:
What books have you read that were turned into a movie where the movie is better than the book?
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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep made into Blade Runner is the one that immediately comes to mind. The original book by Philip K. Dick was very good, but when Hampton Fincher and David Peoples adapted it to the screen, they made some truly inpsired choices, taking the movie to a whole new level of brilliance.
 
Simon Birch is a better film than A Prayer for Owen Meany is a book, just don't tell John Irving (one of my favorite novelists) I said so, because he disagrees.
 
Jaws.

The book is terrible.

And the film is well you know...

Ohh and American Psycho.

I dislike Brett Easton Ellis very intensely.
 
Because it's you i'm going to show some restraint.

Although there are prob some other folks on here who'd agree with you.
 
Honestly... I generally enjoy books... I love The Chronicles of Narnia, Pride & Predjudace, The Space Series (CS Lewis) and many other "classic" books.
 
Great choices guys !

Yes, Jeremy. I read The Perfect Storm and most of it is a lesson on the weather and fishing industry; here is a some trivia:

The USCG Captain in the book/film was my Captain on the 378' Cutter Chase I was stationed on. IN the film, they have him all huge and cool looking; in relaity, he was a little weeny arm asshat that everyone hated (He wouldnt even eat with the officers).

-

In the book JAWS, Brody's wife and Hooper's character have a brief affair for those of you that do not know.

My choices (Films better than Books):

I used to junkie on King

Misery
Cujo
Salems Lot (They just got this right)
Carrie
The Dead Zone
The Shining
 
The Lord of the Rings was a rambling epic and I never finished the last installment because it seemed like it would never end. The upside of this was that when I watched the last movie in the trilogy, I had no idea how it would end (and it still ended up going on forever).
 
I never read the books, nor was I familiar with the source material (Other than by name and subject matter). I loved the films.
 
In the book JAWS, Brody's wife and Hooper's character have a brief affair for those of you that do not know.
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Don't forget the whole stupid backstory with the mayor and the mob. And how they don't stay out at sea but come home every night.

And chief brody was a pathetic small town hick loser. which is why his wife cheats on him.

And benchley totally stole the ending from moby dick.


The Lord of the Rings was a rambling epic and I never finished the last installment because it seemed like it would never end. The upside of this was that when I watched the last movie in the trilogy, I had no idea how it would end (and it still ended up going on forever).
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Somehow in my gut i just knew H.L. was gonna agree with Brandon on this one.

The Dead Zone
Misery
The Stand

Three of my favorite King to movie adaptations.
 
I hated American Psycho the movie and loved the book... then again I'm a big Bret Easton Ellis fan...

Brokeback Mountain was based off a short story... never read it, so I guess I can't say that the movie is better than the book...

Ooooh... Three massive ones:

#1: The Omen - The book sucks donkey schlong, the movie was at least quick moving
#2: Rosemary's Baby - Even though the movie is a joke compared to the book the movie becomes Citizen Kane.

#3 and this is the big one: Hellraiser.

Here me out on this.

I am one of the biggest Clive Barker fans I know... I have read everything he has written and own everything in a first edition (many signed). I think he is one of the best writers of our time, but the book, or technically novella, that Hellraiser is based on is a joke. It just doesn't have the meat of Pinhead. Good book, amazing film.

-Jeremy
 
How about The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption. Seems like Stevie K.'s books are made for movie books. As are Clancy's.

And both the book and the movies of LOTR were excellent. But I grew up on them so I am biased.
 
The Machinist said:
Somehow in my gut i just knew H.L. was gonna agree with Brandon on this one.
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Not to self: become less predictable.

I enjoyed the series, but just stalled big time in the 3rd book. I still think they represent some of the best fantasy stories ever written. But I preferred The Hobbit. It wasn't epic. It was a big story about a little man and a big ass dragon. That's my kind of fantasy book.
 
But I preferred The Hobbit. It wasn't epic. It was a big story about a little man and a big ass dragon. That's my kind of fantasy book.
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Now that's a statement i can agree with.


Shawshank Redemption
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I think this is the best example so far.

I hated American Psycho the movie
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Wow Jeremy you're killing me. I think American Psycho has some of the greatest performances ever. Yes. EVER. Christian Bale is Bateman. For a film that isn't considered an American classic i can think of few films with a leading performance as solid and believable as this one.

But Barker. Man i would love to see Imajica brought to life. Can't possibly see how it could be done but damn i love that trilogy.
 
Christian Bale's performance was tremendous, but I absolutely hate that film.

Yet, I liked Rules of Attraction, the film.
 
Man i can't let this one go.

I don't get the lack of love for American Psycho.

It's one of my all time favorites. I can find very few if any faults with it.

Did it just rub you guys the wrong way?
 
I think the cynicism behind American Psycho is what rubbed me the wrong way. I also watched it as a late night cable movie, knowing nothing about it previously, so didn't know what to expect. Perhaps I should revisit, but if my reaction to Rules of Attraction is any indication I still won't like it.

It's funny. This is one of those situations where my gut might overrule my "on its own terms" judgment process.
 
It was very slow and uninteresting to me.... And the weird, dark, humor that was ingested into it just turned me off. I think it would've (for me anyway) faired much better with a director that didn't take it the humor, dark comedy, route... A director that played it very serious... But I never read the book so I don't know if that's the way the book was.

It's been awhile since I've seen it, I should give it another shot.
 
Rules of Attraction is any indication I still won't like it.
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I think it's a completely different kind of film from Rules. Style, tempo, performance.

I dunno i love the cynicism. Having grown up pretty poor in NYC in the 80s. I remember seeing these folks walking the streets of manhattan while waiting outside of the restaurant my grandfather worked in as a dishwasher.

It just appeals to me on a personal level i guess.

But i love the dark comedy.

This is my favorite movie to quote along with my crew of junkies and misfits.
 
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