Yes - Day Eleven and still going! At some point I need to do this a little earlier so I don't fall asleep mid-sentence. Thankfully, you can't see the drool on the keyboard, so all is well.
I was thinking more about the book to movie adaptations that failed. One in particular comes to mind (because I really worried that The Hunger Games make the same mistake) - The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials) -
The books were cleverly written and definitely on the dark side. The movie was a farce and "prettied" up for audiences. To be fair to the filmmakers, certainly put a lot of work into creating Lyra's world, but the true sense of the novel was completely missing. Although it's been a while, the one big change that didn't seem to make sense from the books to film - why change the name of the armoured bears to ice bears?
Okay, if I'm going to point out these changes - Why on earth did the name get changed from Northern Lights to The Golden Compass, anyway? There's a good explanation, I'm sure, but I figure it's because deep down, the UK feels Americans are just too dense to get some of the subtleties of British words (see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone).
I guess I just don't like change...
That really started as a child - even younger than the Freaky Friday incident. I could blame more directors, screenwriters, or even Hollywood or the audiences - but really, it's all of these things that just boil down to one thing in particular - money.
I mean, I get there are people out there making these decisions - but seriously - I wish directors/producers/screenwriters and actors would stop one minute to consider the integrity of the novel - it doesn't have to be bigger and grander - you've got the audience built up - especially on the bigger selling novels.
So this whole thing came about because I really hoped The Hunger Games film would meet or even exceed my expectations after having read the book. I will be buying the movie when it's out - with pleasure.
So, in writing this, I find the movie Avatar running through my head, but I will leave that conversation for another day.
I liked your blog, but you have an error in the second to last paragraph. I know you meant that you hoped it would be a good movie after you read the book...but you have "read the movie."
ReplyDeleteNo movie will ever live up to it's novel counterpart. Unless it's a short novel, every adaptation would be an insanely long movie if kept true to the book. While you can enjoy a good book for weeks on end, no one would want to sit through a week long movie.
There is also the conundrum of what people consider "important." While some may consider some things trivial, others my put importance on them. (In terms of plot, dialog and characters.) Thus the term...artistic interpretation. No one will ever be 100% satisfied with an adaptation, so it's all just varying degrees of acceptable suck.
Keep on bloggin on!
Well, Anonymous, I certainly appreciate you pointing out my error! I have really got to stop posting so late and falling asleep.
ReplyDeleteI agree - and thought I'd continue that conversation tonight - Thanks for reading and stop by again (I really need an editor, too, so keep catching those mistakes;)
T
It's not a problem. I like your blog! I don't mean to be one of "those" people who just pick out errors. I know I would rather be told right away so I don't find it myself and go...AHHH!!!No one told me!
ReplyDeleteBe one of "those!" - I'm totally good with that because I do blog so late that I'm not kidding when I say I'm snoring by the end of it. I just type it and look back the next day after work. Corrections are ALWAYS welcome.
ReplyDelete