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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2013 16:23:44 GMT
Are any of you like me and find that if anyone makes a film based on a book its usually very disappointing? Despite throwing thousands sometimes millions of ££££s at a production it rarely seems to work! For instance 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris is a great book but the film is dull, despite the appearance of the gorgeous Johnny Depp! The TV drama 'The White Queen' has been disappointing and very confusing because they combined 3 books into one series and didn't create the excitement of the books.
Recently I read 'Before I go to Sleep' by SJ Watson, a brilliant story and I understand they have made a film of it, I won't be watching, it will spoil the visions I have in my head!
Do you have a favourite book that has been made into a disappointing film or TV programme?
Ann
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Post by Kelly on Aug 24, 2013 16:52:23 GMT
The Narnia films come to mind - I loved the Narnia Collection as a child (and still do, lol) and the films didn't even come close - and so much was left out. Same with the Harry Potter Movies - the books are way better - I think so anyway.  |
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Post by LadyAnemone on Aug 25, 2013 2:23:03 GMT
I think part of the problem is that one just can't cram all that is in a good book into a 2-3 hours movie.
I didn't find the Narnia movies that bad, but they aren't as good as the books certainly.
I think one of the worst examples ever is the third Anne of Green Gables movie. I have actually refused to watch it, because out of the entire movie, there is almost nothing in it based on the books - it is so far off canon, it is absolutely maddening! Particularly as the first two movies were actually quite well done, and did an excellent job of translating the first four books onto the screen. But to have Anne & Gilbert the right age to be involved in WWI in the third movie, when WWI quite clearly takes place in book 8(the last) of the series when their CHILDREN are the ones involved in WWI is just pure stupidity. And it is too bad, as I do like Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie as actors. The third movie could have been so much better! I mean really, 4 books (half the series!) to draw on for stories and they couldn't manage to make a decent movie!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2013 7:51:46 GMT
I think the movie "The Da Vinci Code" was absolutely DIRE whilst I found the book riveting! Lord of the Rings was another HUGE disappointment as I'd read the books that many times and knew what I expected the characters to look like ..... and, of course, they didn't.
Like Lady Anemone I haven't found the Chronicles of Narnia too bad but am wondering how they are going to deal with the last one in the series
Of course the books have to go in to more detail, to allow you to build the "set" in your head but so much of that detail would make many films DULL (DULL DULL!) and are less necessary because they visualise the set for you ..... even though it's often not as you "saw" it. A rule of thumb is probably .... "If you loved the book then you'll hate the movie"!!!
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martingale
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Post by martingale on Aug 25, 2013 13:24:52 GMT
I have to admit, I usually hate films made of books. Like Kathy, I found Lord of the Rings just awful. I had read that book well over 10 times from the time I was a little girl, so I had very clear pictures in my mind of what the characters looked like. I also got really annoyed that they had 'jazzed it up' for Hollywood, and added a prominent love interest. I refuse to see the Hobbit - I am not going to have that one ruined as well.
I also don't like having seen a film first. I loved the Game of Thrones series, and I have just started reading the books, but I now find that every character I meet in the book I am thinking 'so, which one was that in the series?' It's like my imagination isn't being given a chance.
There are only two films I have seen which I thought were as good as or better than the book. Bridget Jones' Diary (I found Bridget a far nicer character in the film) and Charlotte Grey (the ending of the film was what I wanted the ending in the book to be).
I also don't like books which have a film shot as the cover. Makes me sound like such a curmudgeon, but again, it means my own imagination doesn't get a chance!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2013 13:46:17 GMT
And imagination is a good thing to have, Nancy
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2013 14:48:52 GMT
I agree about Lord of the Rings, I had a picture of the characters in my head and they didn't match up at all, most disappointing. I have watched The Hobbit and thats even worse, goodness knows how they are going to create 3 films out of this story. I won't be watching them!
Ann
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Post by juliebookworm on Aug 25, 2013 17:59:02 GMT
its true i think that any films from books are all ways going to be disappointing because most are either not got the endings like the books or dont follow much of the book any how.
i do know that hollywood have already announced if your expecting the second in the hunger games trilogy to be like the book its not (already screening have proved awful).as for the white queen i didnt see but i know due to bad viewings/reviews there wont be another series which was going to still be called red queen but bbc have already decided to axe.
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Post by LadyAnemone on Aug 26, 2013 22:47:10 GMT
its true i think that any films from books are all ways going to be disappointing because most are either not got the endings like the books or dont follow much of the book any how. i do know that hollywood have already announced if your expecting the second in the hunger games trilogy to be like the book its not (already screening have proved awful).as for the white queen i didnt see but i know due to bad viewings/reviews there wont be another series which was going to still be called red queen but bbc have already decided to axe. Which is too bad. I've not read the books or seen the first movie, nor do I have interest in doing so. But I question the "brains" in Hollywood when they take what is clearly an already successful story & alter it all out of recognition for a movie. Why?!? If it ain't broke, don't fix it! |
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martingale
Not too shy to talk
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Post by martingale on Aug 28, 2013 13:30:03 GMT
I completely agree about what you say 'if it ain't broke' and all that. But I guess they 'fix it' for those people (and it is a growing number, apparently, especially among younger people) who don't read and therefore only get the story through the film.
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Post by babzbear on Aug 28, 2013 19:50:37 GMT
It's very rare that I'll watch a film if I've already read the book, because I've been disappointed by all film conversions! They either miss out huge chunks of the story (usually the part I most enjoyed!) or just fabricate whole new plots - and you end up missing half the film because you're sitting there saying "that wasn't in the book"!
I don't like seeing the film first either, bcause as others have said, you tend to visualise the actors who played the characters, rather than being able to use your imagination. I'm bad enough just now, as I'm reading one of Val McDermid's books that "Wire in the Blood" is based on, and every time Dr Tony Hill is mentioned I've got Robson Green in my mind's eye! Then again, that's not entirely a bad thing ... so long as he doesn't sing! 
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Post by catherinesparemoment on Aug 28, 2013 20:14:34 GMT
I don't tend to watch films after I have read the book as I often find them disappointing.
However after just watching the series on BBc 1 about "The White Queen" I can honestly say it was just as fabulous as reading the book was!!!
x catherine
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Post by maribeth2 on Aug 28, 2013 20:17:03 GMT
Watching the movie version first almost always spoils the book for me ! I won't read a book if I have seen the movie version of it first. BUT ...I will watch the movie if I've read the book first. The only thing is , I'll sit there and pick out all the parts of the movie that differ from the book ! And I'll sit there saying stuff like , " THAT didn't happen.... ?! "
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Post by maribeth2 on Aug 28, 2013 20:17:52 GMT
I don't tend to watch films after I have read the book as I often find them disappointing. However after just watching the series on BBc 1 about "The White Queen" I can honestly say it was just as fabulous as reading the book was!!! x catherine Hi Catherine , I loved The White Queen and am looking forward to seeing the movie version. |
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Post by catherinesparemoment on Aug 28, 2013 20:20:41 GMT
It was a series over here Maribeth and it ran for 10 weeks on a sunday night. if you get a chance to see it I promise you will love it!!
x catherine
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