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Post by maxwellperfect on Aug 22, 2018 22:05:00 GMT
Two of my favorite novels as a young man had very unsatisfying movie adaptations. The movie version of Edward Beach's 'Run Silent, Run Deep' mangled the novel's story, drastically altering the dynamic between the two main characters. The movie adaptation of Clive Cussler's preposterous but exciting 'Raise the Titanic' seemed to studiously avoid any drama and badly miscast the "Dirk Pitt" role.
Which movie adaptations disappointed you the most?
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Post by amyghost on Aug 22, 2018 22:14:37 GMT
The Aldous Huxley adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is possibly one of the worst adaptations of a famous novel by a famous author I know of. Amongst its other sins, it includes a nearly middle-aged Greer Garson as Lizzie Bennett, and inexplicably shifts the time period to the wholly inappropriate Victorian era (allegedly because the studio liked the idea of the elaborate period costumes). And the sprightly love story was hardly the type of material attuned to Huxley's authorial sensibilities.
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Post by mikef6 on Aug 22, 2018 22:20:38 GMT
Alan Drury's Pulitzer Prize winning (1960) novel of hard ball politics, "Advise and Consent," was true page-turner of a political thriller. It had a plethora of relatable characters, inspired outrage at the bad guys' maneuvering, and came to a satisfactory conclusion. The movie from 1962 was considerably watered down and flabby (even though it includes what may be the first ever appearance in an Hollywood production of a scene in a gay bar).
The film is now often spoken of with praise so I suspect that it may seem much better than it is to anyone who had not experienced the book.
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 22, 2018 22:20:50 GMT
Both movie versions of The Great Gatsby are crap.
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Post by amyghost on Aug 22, 2018 22:22:17 GMT
Both movie versions of The Great Gatsby are crap. The Alan Ladd one isn't just bad, it's downright embarrassing. |
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Post by bravomailer on Aug 22, 2018 22:24:14 GMT
Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead is a truly great war novel. The Raoul Walsh movie is only so-so.
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 22, 2018 22:24:25 GMT
Both movie versions of The Great Gatsby are crap. The Alan Ladd one isn't just bad, it's downright embarrassing. I haven't even heard of that one. I meant the Mia Farrow version and the Leonardo Dicaprio version. The former is just dull and the latter is headache inducing hyperactive over-stylized nonsense. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2018 22:26:43 GMT
The worst adaption i have ever seen was a Danish mini series from 1984 that was an adaption of the book Niels Klim's Underground Travels written by the Norwegian author Ludvig Holberg in 1741.
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Post by kolchak92 on Aug 22, 2018 22:32:08 GMT
Brian DePalma's The Bonfire of the Vanities is certainly up there.
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Post by amyghost on Aug 22, 2018 22:39:49 GMT
The Alan Ladd one isn't just bad, it's downright embarrassing. I haven't even heard of that one. I meant the Mia Farrow version and the Leonardo Dicaprio version. The former is just dull and the latter is headache inducing hyperactive over-stylized nonsense. Sam Waterston and Bruce Dern are the only redeeming features of the Seventies version. And if you hadn't seen the Ladd one, be thankful--it's cringeworthy.
I couldn't bring myself to endure the DiCaprio film.
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Post by amyghost on Aug 22, 2018 22:41:34 GMT
Brian DePalma's The Bonfire of the Vanities is certainly up there. That one is utter crap, and the PC stunt casting of some key roles didn't help. |
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 22, 2018 22:43:18 GMT
I haven't even heard of that one. I meant the Mia Farrow version and the Leonardo Dicaprio version. The former is just dull and the latter is headache inducing hyperactive over-stylized nonsense. Sam Waterston and Bruce Dern are the only redeeming features of the Seventies version. And if you hadn't seen the Ladd one, be thankful--it's cringeworthy.
I couldn't bring myself to endure the DiCaprio film.
I don't understand what is so difficult about making a good movie out of this story. |
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 22, 2018 22:45:04 GMT
Dracula 2000.
Does that count?
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Post by amyghost on Aug 22, 2018 22:54:23 GMT
Sam Waterston and Bruce Dern are the only redeeming features of the Seventies version. And if you hadn't seen the Ladd one, be thankful--it's cringeworthy.
I couldn't bring myself to endure the DiCaprio film.
I don't understand what is so difficult about making a good movie out of this story. Agreed. It should be very simple, but it seems each attempt has wanted to place its own 'interpretive spin' on the material, one that never fits well with Scott's story. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2018 3:36:52 GMT
F. Paul Wilson's The Keep is maybe the best horror novel I have read. The Michael Mann 1983 film was a big disappointment.
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 23, 2018 3:57:09 GMT
F. Paul Wilson's The Keep is maybe the best horror novel I have read. The Michael Mann 1983 film was a big disappointment. I have always thought that movie had an interesting and creepy idea that it didn't do anything interesting with and in turn just comes off as nonsensical. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2018 4:03:56 GMT
F. Paul Wilson's The Keep is maybe the best horror novel I have read. The Michael Mann 1983 film was a big disappointment. I have always thought that movie had an interesting and creepy idea that it didn't do anything interesting with and in turn just comes off as nonsensical. Yes, that's a very good description! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2018 8:24:47 GMT
Fried Green Tomatoes. A classic example of lesbiaphobia in Hollywood taking a Lesbian Romance novel and making it into a friendship movie where one pines over the other character's dead brother instead of being in love with each other. 
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Post by Marv on Aug 23, 2018 8:33:15 GMT
World War Z was a piss poor adaptation. Not terrible on its own but compared to the novel it was shite!!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2018 8:41:14 GMT
I won't mention the many King novel adaptions. That fruit hangs too low.
The Island of Dr. Moreau, the Val Kilmer version--That's a novel due for a decent interpretation.
I Am legend--I like the Will Smith movie, but that was not I Am Legend as much as loosely inspired by it.
The Host--The Stephanie Meyer book was quite good. That could have been a great scifi movie, but meh.
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