I've said before that I like detective stories, mysteries...well written stories full stop.
I haven't seen the above film for ages but I'd love to see it again. I've read the book and the film does justice to it. In my previous post some of my regular blog correspondents mention the subject of good/bad/indifferent book to film treatments.
I had a think and I can come up with my own nominations (so far) on good book to film treatments:
(In no particular order - original films e.g. 1963 - Lord of the Flies etc.):
Howards' End
Room with a View
Trainspotting
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Lord of the Flies
...so how about it? I've got the ball rolling.....What are your nominations please?
I'd love to hear your views/likes/dislikes and comments..........................so come on then! Procedite! Proceed!
P.S.: Some programmes to look out for:
Gladiator - The True Story (Channel 5) - already broadcast but on C5's version of i-player
Neil Oliver - Celtic Britain - programme 3 (BBC2) on i-player:
"3/4. Neil Oliver reaches the moment when Celtic Britain was ripped apart by the Roman army."
Neil Oliver - Celtic Britain 4/4 to be broadcast on:
Tuesday, April 26th April 21:00 on BBC Two
4/4. Neil Oliver completes his epic journey with the modern marvels of Rome. He also takes a look at the Vindolanda wooden writing tablets. That is according to Alison Graham in the current edition of The Radio Times...
P.P.S.: ITV have made a version of a superb novel "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicherer"...it airs 9pm tomorrow evening (Easter Monday) . It's based on a real story. It's a fantastic book, superbly researched...fingers crossed they've made a good job of it!
P.P.S.: ITV have made a version of a superb novel "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicherer"...it airs 9pm tomorrow evening (Easter Monday) . It's based on a real story. It's a fantastic book, superbly researched...fingers crossed they've made a good job of it!
11 comments:
I like historical novels, sorry but I enjoy series such as Sharpe etc. I would love to see a series of Simon Scarrow's books of the roman period. I do enjoy mystery novels, but usually Agatha Christie, and even Jeeves and Wooster which I hated years ago I find funny now. Lord of the flies I had to read for school, hated it then and it has put me off for life.
Hi Sage,
I like Sharpe too. Simon Scarrow - must try again. I've read them a long time ago (& forgotten!). Agatha Christie...I have tussles with. Jeeves & Wooster (Fry & Laurie) I adore. Lord of the Flies is so well written I think. This is making think of other stuff like George Orwell & Dickens (always a favourite)....Many thanks for jogging my memory and your recommendations. Must try Scarrow again........... :)
The Bridges of Madison County was a much better film than book. Bridget Jones' Diary did the book justice I thought.
The Other Boleyn, on the other hand, didn't even follow the book. And wasn't that good.
Yes...I like Bridges of Madison County too. Bridget Jones' Diary was funny too. I'm not sure I've seen "The Other Boleyn". . . I've thought of some other films I like:
Great Expectations (the David Lean one) and "The Big Sleep".....with Humphrey Bogart and the 70's "I Claudius" (BBC adaptation)...this last one - I must have seen billions of years ago. I have the DVD set on my shelf and must watch it again soon.
Forgot to say "hello expatmum!" How rude of me!!! But you know what I am like.....if you are over again for the Summer, expatmum, maybe we could meet up again for another beer albeit..three years apart!!! ;)
Adaptations will always be imperfect. It is the nature of building on an existing base. As such you can't gripe about an imperfect book-movie transition any more than you can complain that all stretches of Hadrians wall are not equally scenic. He built on the hills that were there.
Greatest recent book to movie--Lord of the Rings. Sure, it ran out of gas a bit in part 3, but pitch perfect casting and locations, and 90% of perfect on a grand scale.
Best adaptation to my tastes--The Princess Bride. Few have read the original book, but it was a very complicated thing. The story narrative and several parallel stories including the author trying to relate to an alienated son and get a movie made in a hostile Hollywood.
The movie takes the story and runs, and grafts in the narrator/grandfather trying to relate to his grandson.
And so very quotable!
Tacitus2
Detritus of Empire
Thank you for that Tacitus2! I think I have seen bits of the Princess Bride...there is a scene where the hero and the princess are in an unusual rock area fighting off various demons. I was more intrigued by the landscape than the storyline to be honest. I wondered where they filmed it. It looked like bits of Spain I've visited...so I was trying to place the scene - North or Southern Spain?
Just looked at the website (IMDB) and the filming locations are in Ireland and GB. That proves me wrong.
Will look at it again with fresh eyes. My 7 year old daughter bombards me with all things princessy (bless her) and I have a tendency to glaze over... ;)
The Remains of the Day is as good a film as book - and both are brilliant.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was I think better as a film than as a book
Hi Mark,
I liked 'Remains of the Day' too. Must read the book. I've not seen 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' although the book is lying around here somewhere so must read it some time. I like Javier Bardem as an actor. I'd like to see more of his stuff. I tried to watch 'No Country for Old Men' but I am such a wuss...I couldn't cope with the violence. It's amazing I like detective stuff as I tend to switch off at the merest hint of something horrible happening.
I nearly did it twice with "Vera" but am glad I hung on as it turned out not to be that bad. Northumbriam scenes and Newcastle sights in "Vera" on the whole...very good! :)
I rambling on about this as I went to hear Ann Cleeves speak at the local library a couple of years ago. She must be well chuffed that her books are getting to the small screen....
I've just realised that I've mixed up two books with two films...Javier Bardem is in "The Sea Inside" (Mar Adentro)....which deals with a Spanish ship mechanic (Sampedro)'s paralysis as a result of a diving accident. 'The Diving Bell & The Butterfly' is by a French man/author (Bauby)and a French film was made about that starring M. Amalric as Bauby. All of them (books and films) look equally fascinating....
Must write this one down: 1973 film with James Fox - "The Day of The Jackal". Good cast. Maybe I'll read the book one day. I finally got to see "the first half" as I'd kept missing it for years.
Love watching it for how UK & France "used to look". The whole plotline would fall by the wayside now with the advent of mobiles and computers. . .
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