Screw Reading!

I'll definitely give it another try. I saw it before I moved to NYC so that could change my POV drastically.
 
I can't believe how much better I enjoyed the films for LA Confidential and Fight Club than the novels. Both seemed to really develop and execute the main plots much better.
 
I'm with you, Machinist. "American Psycho" immediately came to mind when I read Jeremy's first post. It made Christian Bale one of my favorite actors. I liked the book, too, but I LOVED the movie. I really love the way the film emphasizes the satire of the eighties.
 
Jeremy Ordan said:
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.
-Jeremy
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The movie is a lot better than the book?
Did you get past page 2?
The book is an amazing research document on storms, rescue, weather and forensics... Absolutely entertaining!
Of course you need a certain level of scientific curiosity to enjoy it. Maybe if it had some baseball in it you would have felt more at home : P
 
The Machinist said:
Ohh yea you don't come off as an elitist European snob.
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LOL
Another baseball movie fan!!! haha, Did you enjoy The Waterboy also?
These films are SO popular in the US!
oh man, then he says SAW was bad....
Dude, you're sooo easily offended. Time to take a break from watching movies and get some fresh air!




PS: Im from Florida,
 
OK Machinist... let me elaborate on American Psycho the movie versus American Psycho the book...

Bret Easton Ellis I think is a great voice of the 80's culture, hypocrisy, and loss of connection with his fellow man. His character in American Psycho is on a path of excess and self destruction, seeking out the thrills of murder in order to feel something. The graphic nature of his crimes as detailed in the book are shocking to the reader and lead you with a sense of being there and experiencing these events yet turning the page to find out what could possibly happen next (the rat & PVC pipe come to mind). Ultimately the book ends with the feeling that this man is still out there, still at large, and still on his nihilistic endeavor to experience life. I think it is a great analogy for the shallowness and self serving that is the 80's NY Yuppie culture (especially with reference to drugs). Finally, also his complete shallowness with complete chapters on Whitney Houston, Genesis, & Huey Lewis and the News..It was the psychosis of the character that you enjoyed. The movie touches on these but never to the depth of the book (obviously) so therefore I think that is just pales in comparison. Regardless of Bales performance, which was remarkable, I just think that he couldn't recreate the magic of the book.

I hope that sort of explains my stance with American Psycho.... I know I typed enough for it to.

Now for the Perfect Storm... Yeah, it is a complete hypothetical account of true events because the author specifically doesn't wish to 'assume' what happens on the boat. Therefore immediately he tells us that they might be dead but if they aren't they could be doing...

Dude, you can say that this is great with science, meteorology, or human struggle, but I just see someone filling 400 pages with hypothetical assumptions that have no affect on anything what so ever. I have the weather channel for that.

Finally, be careful with the baseball comments, no to mention, there was baseball in the Perfect Storm, both the book and the movie... They are in New England, Red Sox nation. That might be why I hate it so... Regardless, research before you throw rocks from your glass house.

-Jeremy
 
Ogrus said:
LOL
Another baseball movie fan!!! haha, Did you enjoy The Waterboy also?
These films are SO popular in the US!
oh man, then he says SAW was bad....
Dude, you're sooo easily offended. Time to take a break from watching movies and get some fresh air!




PS: Im from Florida,
Click to expand...

You know what. I'm not going to waste anymore time on you. Good day sir.


OK Machinist... let me elaborate on American Psycho the movie versus American Psycho the book...

Bret Easton Ellis I think is a great voice of the 80's culture, hypocrisy, and loss of connection with his fellow man. His character in American Psycho is on a path of excess and self destruction, seeking out the thrills of murder in order to feel something. The graphic nature of his crimes as detailed in the book are shocking to the reader and lead you with a sense of being there and experiencing these events yet turning the page to find out what could possibly happen next (the rat & PVC pipe come to mind). Ultimately the book ends with the feeling that this man is still out there, still at large, and still on his nihilistic endeavor to experience life. I think it is a great analogy for the shallowness and self serving that is the 80's NY Yuppie culture (especially with reference to drugs). Finally, also his complete shallowness with complete chapters on Whitney Houston, Genesis, & Huey Lewis and the News..It was the psychosis of the character that you enjoyed. The movie touches on these but never to the depth of the book (obviously) so therefore I think that is just pales in comparison. Regardless of Bales performance, which was remarkable, I just think that he couldn't recreate the magic of the book.

I hope that sort of explains my stance with American Psycho.... I know I typed enough for it to.
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Great analysis of the book Jeremy. Maybe i should go back and reread it. I think the voice of the character in the book was really annoying and offensive to me however that's a sign that Ellis succeeded in his mission.

I would argue though (in terms of the differences between the book and movie) that this is just a result of the differences between the two mediums since in a novel its okay to deal in the kind of rambling stream of consciousness that pervades American Psycho and from what i can remember glamorama and rules of attraction.

Whereas if you were to try and replicate that in a film well you'd end up with something that's pretty nonsensical and probably a bit boring to the audience. I mean who would want to listen to a voiceover of Bateman's 4 page Whitney Houston diatribe in a theater?

And you could never show that level of violence in a theater.

I think what i like so much about the movie is it took that confusing mess of greed and excess and made a sensible engaging story out of it.

You're right in that it doesn't go as deep on alot of the themes as the book but if it were to try that then i think the film would have been a failure. When you think about the complexity of the original text the film is a brilliant adaptation since the spirit of greed, excess, and especially paranoia is still there.
 
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I do agree that the movie does succeed in certain areas of conveying the greed, selfish nature, drug culture, and introverted thought offered within the book, and I will aknowledge that there is a strong liklihood that I am completely subjective because I really love this book... at the same time when the movie was announced I was amazed because it was such an extreme topic. I think it is a case of what is there versus what could be there. Now, regarding Witney Houston... it's not four pages but like 21 pages! I agree it would be impossible to implement that into a film, but I wish that they would have tied more elements together. The violence in the book is so extreme to illustrate the point that this man feels nothing and needs these extremes in order to feel an ounce of sensation... The movie doesn't convey that cold nature completely to me, although Bale does come close.

Now I want to read the book again...

-Jeremy
 
Hairy Lime said:
I think the cynicism behind American Psycho is what rubbed me the wrong way.
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Yeah, there's a reason Hollywood tries to paste an upbeet veneer and tack a happy ending onto most movies.

Speaking of cynical, what did you think of Fargo?

I personally love a good cynical movie, because once the "team" gets done contributing, most cynical movies have been toned down to where they're just about realistic.



And for the best movie from a book I suppose I'd say Hunt for the Red October.

Most TC books just don't translate credibly, but that one was was so well done that I think it easily eclipsed the book.
 
I didn't read all of Fight Club, though I enjoyed what I read. Reportedly the author thinks the movie is better than the book though.

On the other hand Cheaper by the Dozen is a book both hilarious and warm by turns, and the movies by the same title butchered it.
 
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