Bad Book - Better Movie?

[Quigley Brown]

I'd have to say that the early James Bond films were better than the books.

 

[Flitcraft]

"Ditto" to Da Vinci Code

Interesting concept- poor execution.
Really a shame, the idea would seem to be a good subject for a novel, but the actual finished product was very disappointing.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I'd have to say that the early James Bond films were better than the books.

Except for CASINO ROYALE, a film that was so different from the book, no comparative evaluation can be made.

 

[Doh!]

Here's another: "Psycho."

Everything that's in the movie was pretty much already in the book, but Hitchcock was able to take a dime novel and turn it into a masterpiece.

Sort of the same thing with "The Godfather" -- the book's a good enough read, but the movie is much more special.

 

[The Wolf]

in defence of The DaVinci Code

I enjoyed the book (look for qualifier) for what it was.
I thought it was a fun pulp treasure hunt.
I didn't think it was believable or great writing but I liked the following the clues, trying to get to the prize before the other guys, police are after you but you can't tell them. See, pure pulp writing. Just long is all.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[LeFonque]

THis is a tough one and I know I will get some criticism but I think the Godfather movie was better than the book. The whole caste was brilliant.

 

[Jack Scorpion]

-I like Blade Runner better than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
-I like The Long Goodbye, Farewell, My Lovely and Murder, My Sweet better than their corresponding novels.
-I am SURE Kiss Me Deadly is better than the book, though I haven't read it.
-I'm guessing that I'd like M*A*S*H the movie better.
-I'm guessing that I'd like The Getaway w/McQueen better.
-I'm guessing the Die Hard's are better movies than novels.
-I agree w/the early Bond movies statements.

And NO, the Rocky III photonovel was MUCH better!

 

[scotrace]

But Was it a Book?

Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

 

[Quigley Brown]

Except for CASINO ROYALE, a film that was so different from the book, no comparative evaluation can be made.

Certainly a spoof, but I just don't see why Casino Royale can't considered an official 'James Bond' film. The plot was just as rediculous as the newer Bond films. Plus it definetly had the best cast and soundtrack and poster.

 

[JoyfulGirl]

The Godfather is such a classic in both the movie and book worlds that it's hard for me to say that one's better than the other. I love them both. I'm also one of those people who really liked the book of Fight Club just as much as I liked the movie. It's funny, I majored in film and I'm almost always of the opinion that the book will be better than the movie!

Here's one, though: I would have to say that About a Boy was better as a movie than as a book.

And from what the critics say, the Da Vinci Code won't even be a very good movie. I definitely agree, Wolf, I enjoyed the Da Vinci Code for what it was - a entertaining story with mediocre writing.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I've heard that the movie version of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY was much better than the book.

 

[Roger]

The Great Gatsby. I liked both the book and the movie. My favorite line; :"I forgot it was my birthday"

 

[Doh!]

"Frankenstein" -- the movie is much more powerful than the book (unless you're really into travelogues).

"Dracula" on the other hand, is a far superior novel than film (pick a version).

 

[Rosie]

AI was better than Super Toys Last All Summer Long, and The Shawshank Redemption was better than Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, though those were short stories, does that count?

 

[Senator Jack]

Most of you probably already know that Casino Royale was presented on tv in the 50s with Gene Barry as an American James Bond and Peter Lorre as LeChiffre. When they remade it with David Niven, the producers only had rights to the title and couldn't use anything from the plot, thus they came up with that four-director nuttiness only held together by the brilliant Burt Bacharach score. At least there was something good that came out of it.

As for The Da Vinci Code, I couldn't even make it past the first page. I shook my head at the writing, wondering how supposedly intelligent people could be recommending this book to me. If I were the author, I'd have been embarassed to have that read in front of a fifth-grade writing class, much less have it read by friends, family, and colleagues. Plus, there wasn't anything about it that wasn't done before by Umberto Eco. Don't know much about the plot, but it seems like it's a cross between Foucault's Pendulum and The Name of the Rose, with the secret of the latter being changed from Christ's laughing to his being married.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Somewhere in the book, Brown does actually tip his hat to Eco; in a brief moment of truth he acknowledges his source. Or maybe he was just cocking his snook at Eco? Who knows. I wonder why they never made Pendulum into a movie.

I forgot about the first page of the Code. At the time i recall being shocked.

I can't wait to see if the "code" in the movie is as bad as the one in the book.

bk

 

[Serial Hero]

"The Thin Man" was better than the book

 

[Jack Scorpion]

"The Thin Man" was better than the book

Disagree.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Most of you probably already know that Casino Royale was presented on tv in the 50s with Gene Barry as an American James Bond and Peter Lorre as LeChiffre.

If you get the DVD of the 1967 "Casino Royale," that Barry Nelson/Peter Lorre TV version is included as an extra. It's pretty darn good, for a TV movie. The only oddball thing is James Bond has been transformed into an American. Peter Lorre is brilliant, although he was looking old and tired.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Haven't seen it yet but the DaVinci Code has got to be better on film than paper.

Actually, they were talking about this today on the radio. I have neither read the book nor seen the movie yet, so I can't judge. But from what they were saying, in the movie, it's hard to get past the point that the characters have no problem breaking into the basements of museums, libraries, cathedrals & the like all over Europe, and taking apart or stealing artifacts - as one was saying "Ever tried walking up to a Da Vinci in a museum in Europe and ripping it out of the frame? I barely brushed up against a display case and I was bodily carried to a security office by three security guards before I really realized I'd done it." But she said both her daughter & husband loved the book and found the movie disappointing on many points.