Movies and their Books

[Nuzzolese]

Have you ever seen a good movie, then found out it was a book first? Did you read the book or just intend to? Or did you especially not want to?

I think I'd like to read Starship Troopers because the movie was so good.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

I knew it was a book first, but I watched Shopgirl before I read the book. I thought it was decent.

Then I read the book. I of course enjoyed the book much more, but I think it helped me like the movie a bit more because I could make some more of the connections that could not be portrayed in the movie.

Starship Troopers. Good choice ;)

[Freebasser]

I think that's only happened once before when I read Das Boot after watching the TV series.

The series was gripping and tense. The only thing gripping and tense about the book was me doing a shit while I read it (I read while on the toilet, mkay?).

I posted this review of the book once before:



Das boot is 600-odd pages long and they only fire their first torpedo with about 50 pages to go :/

DAY 1: Got in the submarine. Went to my bunk.

DAY 2: Sat in my bunk all day.

DAY 12: Still sitting in my bunk.

DAY 18: This bunk sure is comfy.

DAY 21: Stretched legs out in bunk a little bit. Not too much, I don't want to overexert myself.

DAY 35: Our first sight of the enemy! Later turned out to be a seagull. Was disappointed. Got back into my bunk.

DAY 53: My beard is really looking rather stylish at the moment. Bedsores developing.

DAY 77: Still in bunk. Looked at my beard in mirror for several hours.

DAY 96: At last, a real encounter with the enemy! I bravely wait in my bunk for the action to die down so that I may return to looking at my beard.

DAY 154: Fritz tells me that we may be docking soon! I can't wait to get out and stretch my legs! Still in bunk.

DAY 156: We've been under attack for several hours. I have been lying in my bunk waiting for the Captain to give us more information.

DAY 156 Part 2: We've been sunk! We're lying on the bottom of the straight of Gibraltar and all I can do is sit in my bunk and cry!

DAY 156 Part 3: We're ok! And my beard is still in one piece! Retired to my bunk to try and forget about the days events.

DAY 162: We fired our first torpedo! Unluckily for us the war was officially declared over 17 weeks ago and we sunk a container ship full of bunk beds! Oh, the humanity!

Still seems fair (y)

[countrymikedj]

I saw American Psycho without knowing it was a book. Then I read the book...wow. I loved it but that is some pretty evil stuff!

[Videodrome]

i saw the 25th hour then read the book.

[beastiegirrl101]

I saw the Informers last week, it sucked.

[countrymikedj]

I saw the Informers last week, it sucked.

Damnit, I have heard that from a few other people too. I love Easton Ellis. Was it just cheesy or what? From looking at the cast, it seemed a little overloaded with big names....

[Documad]

I can't think of a single example where I would read a book after seeing a movie. It happens a lot the other way 'round though.

If it was going to happen, I'd assume it would happen with non-fiction rather than fiction. But I can't think of a non-fiction example either.

I re-read Barbarians at the Gate last fall. I don't suppose that counts because I read the book, then saw the TV movie, then re-read the book a decade later.

[Dorothy Wood]

I read Bonfire of the Vanities, then watched the 80's movie a couple years later. then I had to read the book again to wash the taste of the movie out of my mouth.

I guess that doesn't count.

[mathcart]

Nobody's Fool.

The book was so damn good I mourned the loss of Sully from my life for a little while. Weirdly I saw the movie first (usually never do this) and despite the fact that the book was superior in every way (duh) was blown away (in retrospect) by how perfect Newman was (duh again).

[mathcart]

Plus I have high hopes for McCarthy's "The Road" - great book and good cast.

[DipDipDive]

I saw both Fight Club and The Virgin Suicides before reading the books. Those are two of my favorite movies, but I wish I had read the books first. I tried to read them after and didn't finish either of them, not because they weren't great reads, but because I was completely distracted by the imagery of the movies ingrained in my mind. Reading isn't fun for me without being able to create that imagery on my own.

[BBboy20]

Plus I have high hopes for McCarthy's "The Road" - great book and good cast.I think I'm gonna wait out on the film first; the imagery so far is captivating me that I'd rather use the film's look then my own imagination for some reason.

Though, the book's movie cover version is so well done.

[funk63]

I watched Lord of the Rings and tried getting into the book but I just couldn't because I already knew the story and its a tough read.

[paul jones]

I watched Lord of the Rings and tried getting into the book but I just couldn't because I already knew the story and its a tough read.

a tough read? It's about fucking hobbits and elves and shit.

the films warp the truth but don't panic, just don't ever try reading The Silmarillion(y)

[Nuzzolese]

I'd like to read the Harry Potter books now, and Legends of the Fall.

[Waus]

I think I'd like to read Starship Troopers because the movie was so good.

I heard that as a book on tape when I was a kid.

It's actually pretty wildly different from the movie, but I liked them both (for different reasons).

[monkey]

when i read the book before watching the movie, the movie inevitably disappoints because in my head i had imagined it in a more wonderful way.
when i read the book after watching the movie, the movie inevitably disappoints because there's always an element of the book missing. so for me, the movie will always disappoint. even if it's a great movie like fight club, the book will always be better.

(ps: this is most poignant with my experience with the babysitters club books and the stupid movie they made. ruined the experience for me. hahaha.)

[jabumbo]

i have been informed multiple times that the only time the movie was comparable to the book in quality was for "shawshank redemption"

[mathcart]

i have been informed multiple times that the only time the movie was comparable to the book in quality was for "shawshank redemption"

yeah, but...

while this is the exception its a total technicality. The movie is based on a short story, not a novel. While its a great short story its better as a movie because its so well flushed out and instead of the main character being a racist irish con he's Morgan frickin' Freeman. That alone would probably be enough but its very well done all around. But also fraudulent!
(n)

[beastiegirrl101]

Damnit, I have heard that from a few other people too. I love Easton Ellis. Was it just cheesy or what? From looking at the cast, it seemed a little overloaded with big names....

I'm a crazy Ellis fan myself and I probs should not have seen the movie. Lot's of big names but I do not feel the characters were developed at all. I did enjoy American Psycho and Rules of Attraction but nothing compares to his attention to detail in all of his works.

(Glamorama is my fav)

DDD Fight Club reads pretty much exactly like the book....I finished it in like 2 hours. The only Palahniuk adaptation that was good.

[countrymikedj]

I'm a crazy Ellis fan myself and I probs should not have seen the movie. Lot's of big names but I do not feel the characters were developed at all. I did enjoy American Psycho and Rules of Attraction but nothing compares to his attention to detail in all of his works.

(Glamorama is my fav)

DDD Fight Club reads pretty much exactly like the book....I finished it in like 2 hours. The only Palahniuk adaptation that was good.

Glamorama is awesome! He will never admit it, but Ben Stiller totally ripped that shit off for Zoolander!

[funk63]

a tough read? It's about fucking hobbits and elves and shit.

the films warp the truth but don't panic, just don't ever try reading The Silmarillion(y)

Well tough for me, at the time at least. It was also hard to stay interested because the movies ROCK! And words are boring..

[beastiegirrl101]

Glamorama is awesome! He will never admit it, but Ben Stiller totally ripped that shit off for Zoolander!

You're out of your mind...you cannot compare Zoolander to Victor Ward, it just can't be done.