Books you'd like to see made into good movies

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anarky
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Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by anarky »

First, if you're going to bitch about this thread, you can suck my ass, Negative Boy.

What books have not been made into movies (or, worse, made into bad movies) that could make great films?

First from me, and I know EP will second this: The Prydain Chronicles. Great fantasy based loosely upon Welsh mythology, done right these could easily rank up there with LOTR and Narnia (as the books already do). An embarassingly bad cartoon called The Black Cauldron came out about 20 years ago, surprisingly enough based upon The Book of Three and not the novel The Black Cauldron, but the less said about it, the better. I tend to forgive a lot of bad Disney 'toons, but no way can this one be seen as anything but bad.

Gurgi would have to be CG, but I'm hoping not nearly as doglike in the old 'toon. No thoughts on the rest of the cast. But it has to be freaking epic to really work.

Second, Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. Don't make it a kiddie movie, because the guy was the most cynical son of a bitch to ever live, and this one's a book that's not already got too strong a misconception as a kid's book. Make it a pull-no-punches satire of conditions in 1500s England, the way it was written to be. Get two actors who look similar enough to pass for one another, but under no circumstances do the stupid "one actor, two roles" bullshit. And make sure he looks like Edward VI, for God's sake! (Same goes for Henry VIII, Elizabeth, and all other actual historical figures.) Treat it as an historical drama, with touches of satire. Just not another fucking watered-down kiddie movie adaptation of anything by Mark Twain, please. Ever. (That would go for everything the guy wrote. If I see another happy, jolly adaptation of Huck Finn, I swear I'll kill someone.)

And finally, if there's a way to make them into full-length movies without padding the stories too badly, Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away. Anything by this woman. She was the most cynical daughter of a bitch to ever live.
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Post by kidhuman »

I will still be waiting for a good version of The Apt Pupil. Also wouldnt mind seeing The Tailisman
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Post by Eternal Padawan »

I've said these so many times, so forgive me if it starts to reek of dead horse in here.

The Prydian Chronicles! I agree!! A CGI Gurgi would give Gollum a run for his money, and for some reason I see Eric Idle as the bard guy.

Ender's Game. Ender's Game. Ender's Game!! ENDER'S GAME!! This thing has been in "Pre" production for so long. I'm not so afraid that it won't get made, as that it won't get made PERFECTLY. And if it's below my expectations than it's just going to make me sad for a whole decade. And while they're at it, film Ender's Shadow simultaneously. And release it six months later.God damn it, people, if you have not read this book...so help me. Seriously. Just go read it. It's my favorite book. Like, ever. Give me your address and I will ship you a copy.

A really, really cool CGI/live action adaptation of Mrs Frisby and the rats of N.I.H.M. Secret of NIHM was kind of kiddified. And it's twenty+ years old. This would really handle the morality of the rats.

Piers Anthony's early Xanth novels starting with A Spell For Chameleon. Witty reparte, lots of almost nudity and sexual innuendo, tons of visual puns, action, comedy, romance. It could be the Princess Bride of the 21st century!!
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Post by anarky »

Since you brought up Stephen King, KH, I think the Dark Tower series should be made into a two or three year animated miniseries on HBO or another station that can leave the language, violence, and sex intact.

Of course, they need to bring someone in to write a new Book VII.
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Post by Diabolical »

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Best book I have ever read. When I finished it I was depressed, not because of the story but because I had no more to read. I wanted MORE. I felt the same as I did when I finished watching Firefly.
The movie is in pre-pre-pre-production, but I doubt it'll be as good as I want it to be. There is far too much that would need to be cut. Although, Michael Chabon himself has done a draft of the script, so there is still an outside chance it could make a great movie.
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Post by anarky »

I only skipped that on my list because I knew the film was in the works. :)

Michael Chabon rules.
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Post by mabudon »

There's a few HP Lovecraft stories that should be done right, "The Shadow out of Time", "At the Mountains of Madness", "The Call of Cthulu" and "The Whisperer in Darkness" could ALL be done, be nothing like one another, and would be FUCKING AWESOME films, despite the fact that likely none of you have read even one of them titles (and you SHOULD, honestly) I know that most folks here would probably dig them if they were done right


Philip K Dicks "A Scanner Darkly" was on this lit for me, but it got made (just saw it a few days ago, it was pretty good but not quite what I'd hoped)
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Post by kidhuman »

surprised Mabs didn't say The life and times of Motorhead.
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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by anarky »

Going After Cacciato: The great absurd novel of the Vietnam War. It is to Vietnam what Catch 22 or Slaughterhouse-Five are to World War II. This would make a fucking brilliant movie.

Minor spoilers: About 90% of the book takes place in the mind of the main character, who's on watch and imagining the adventures of a misfit soldier named Cacciato who's gone AWOL. In the imaginary storyline, the entire platoon has to follow Cacciato on foot, and they wind up in Paris.

Come to think of it, have any of Tim O'Brien's books ever been adapted to films?
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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by Sleazer »

I want to see this book made into a movie...but only if mabs plays the role of the gentleman who wrote the forward:

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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by anarky »

"Huhszpan"?

I know that's not the dude you're referring to, but that is one fucking metal name there.
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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by RoIIo Tomassi »

I think that's Bukszpan. Which is also very metal.
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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by RoIIo Tomassi »

Double post! Eat it, Grimmy!


I forgot the name of the book, but there was this paperback written 10-15 years ago. This guy wakes up one morning and everybody in his life, his wife, his boss, his friends just start trying to kill him and he has no idea why. I think it was optioned as a movie at some point, but nothing ever happened with it. It would make a good brainless summer movie.
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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by anarky »

The Dain Curse. Given how many of Hammett's novels and stories have been made into movies, I'm surprised this one hasn't gotten more love, as it's the best one I've read.

The main character (a recurring character in many of his stories, only ever referred to as the Continental Op, for the name of the detective agency he works for) is investigating what seems to be a mundane diamond theft on behalf of an insurance company. It becomes one of the most insanely convoluted mysteries ever, involving kidnapping, French criminals, a wacky cult, morphine withdrawal, and a family curse, before wrapping up in a way that ties everything together surprisingly well. And the term "red herring" could've been coined for this story.

Get fucking Bruce Willis to star before he's too old to pull off this role.
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Re: Books you'd like to see made into good movies

Post by Slicker »

Shadows of the Empire...
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