Godfather is a famous example.
Early: Where'd she go? Simon: I can't keep track of her when she's not incorporeally possessing a space ship. Don't look at me.
'Objects In Space'
Buffista Movies 7: Brides for 7 Samurai
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
bon bon - Oct 31, 2009 10:30:31 pm PDT #4773 of 30000
It's five thousand for kissing, ten thousand for snuggling... End of list.
Juliebird - Nov 01, 2009 12:45:10 am PDT #4774 of 30000
I am the fly who dreams of the spider
The only instances of movie superiority are where I saw the movie first, so I don't know how fair that is. Jurassic Park the book bored me to tears, as well as many other of his books. The 13th Warrior was so much better than Eaters of the Dead.
Seska (the Watcher-in-Training) - Nov 01, 2009 12:54:17 am PDT #4775 of 30000
"We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?"
I vote for Galaxy Quest over Memento! The former is such a fun movie.
The drive-in was really cool, although they didn't come to our car to offer refreshments as promised. I remembered that The Shining is not a great movie, plot- and character-development-wise. It's stunning and effective from a visual point-of-view. I must re-read the book to remind me whether the original story makes any more sense than the film's version. Jack turns up in 1921 how exactly? Random.
Anne W. - Nov 01, 2009 2:38:30 am PST #4776 of 30000
The lost sheep grow teeth, forsake their lambs, and lie with the lions.
Can anyone think of other examples of movies that were major improvements on the books they were based upon?
The Manchurian Candidate is the first one to come to mind that I can attest to from personal experience. The movie is one of my favorites, ever, but the book was a piece of crap.
Amy - Nov 01, 2009 2:59:47 am PST #4777 of 30000
Because books.
I must re-read the book to remind me whether the original story makes any more sense than the film's version. Jack turns up in 1921 how exactly? Random.
The ending of the book is completely different. And, imo, makes a lot more sense.
Jessica - Nov 01, 2009 3:26:31 am PST #4778 of 30000
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
I found Fight Club to be nearly unreadable, but it's one of my favorite movies.
Lee - Nov 01, 2009 3:42:36 am PST #4779 of 30000
The feeling you get when your brain finally lets your heart get in its pants.
I liked Princess Bride the book, but LOVE Princess Bride the movie.
Sophia Brooks - Nov 01, 2009 3:45:17 am PST #4780 of 30000
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here
Many of you will now stone me, but I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies more than I enjoyed the books (that I have never been able to get through).
I think Fried Green Tomatoes is an both a good book and a good movie, and I liked them both, although they are very different in tone.
I also think that the John Grishom books are OK books that make OK movies-- they are both enjoyable, although IIRC the movies tend to add a little more romance.
I tend not to become outraged at movies that are very different from books, even if I loved the books (except that third Anne of Green Gables movie, because it just made no sense).
Also, a book that does not translate well to the screen-- Clan of the Cave Bear. First, half of the fun of those books is the purple prose (Jondalar's Giant Womanmaker) and the world building. The other reason is that 3/4 of the book is Ayla with Neaderthals who can't speak but communicate in grunts and sign language, and have a signal that means a woman needs to bend over and prepare to be mounted!
Amy - Nov 01, 2009 3:54:22 am PST #4781 of 30000
Because books.
Many of you will now stone me, but I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies more than I enjoyed the books (that I have never been able to get through).
::sits with Sophia::
For me, Rosemary's Baby is equally good as a book and a movie. Which might have to do with how incredibly faithfully Polanski adapted it, actually.
Matt the Bruins fan - Nov 01, 2009 3:57:01 am PST #4782 of 30000
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand
I think John Carpenter's The Thing is superior to Campbell's "Who Goes There?"