Books You'd Like To See Made Into Film - Page 4 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

soundmotor · #46 03-21-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk

I don't know -- I loved the book, but I think I would be disappointed with any film that was made out of it, I just don't picture it translating to the screen well. Ditto Neuromancer.

And to keep on the Niven/Pournelle theme -- how about my personal favourite, The Legacy of Heorot (w/Steve Barnes)? I love the fact that some of these people used to be the smartest ever, and got stupid as a result of suspended animation. They better not leave it out of the movie. (Or was that Beowulf's Children?)

After seeing 300, I believe anything is possible image-wise.

No, it was in Legacy of the Heorot first. I have not read the sequel, Beowulf's Children.

Along those lines, anyone read "The Deathworld Trilogy" by Harry Harrison? Plenty of fun in there for the big screen.

soundmotor · #47 03-21-2007, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piece-it pete

It means (pick one):

A) We are smart, thoughtful people.

B) We are dreamers of dreams.

C) We are complete sci-fi geeks playing with stories and stereo equipment.

When I saw this thread title I thought Foundation. But they'd have to do it as well as the Lord of the Rings, or it would stink as bad as "Enemy Mine".

Pete

Years back at an ADS Christmas party, quite a few of the engineers, sales people, techs, etc. were putting a few back and the topic of sci-fi came up. As I discovered, we'd all read most of the same stuff and I thought that rather amazing and said as much. One of the sales guys laughed and stated, "How do you think we all got in this business?".

Yup.

#48 03-22-2007, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundmotor

After seeing 300, I believe anything is possible image-wise.

Oh, I'm sure it could be represented, I'm just not sure I'd like it. For example, without voiceover narrations, how does one get into the thoughts of a character? Similarly, how does one represent abstract concepts, like the main character figuring out something without explicitly stating what it is they've figured out.

scolba · #49 03-22-2007, 08:04 AM

Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 or pretty much any Clive Cussler book....except its has to be well done...not the crap that has been done in the past...

shrinkboy · #50 03-22-2007, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk

Oh, I'm sure it could be represented, I'm just not sure I'd like it. For example, without voiceover narrations, how does one get into the thoughts of a character? Similarly, how does one represent abstract concepts, like the main character figuring out something without explicitly stating what it is they've figured out.

voiceover is the clumsiest way in film to reveal a character's thoughts. good writers, directors and actors can convey this through a characters actions depicted in response to other actions. since a screenwriter can't write something the camera cannot see, the art of screenwriting has much to do with showing the invisible through the visible.

i am in the middle of writing my second screenplay. the discipline of 'showing without telling' is an exacting one, but when you get the hang of it, it improves your ability to compose fiction as well, because you have become adept showing what is going on, rather than telling it.

#51 03-22-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrinkboy

voiceover is the clumsiest way in film to reveal a character's thoughts. good writers, directors and actors can convey this through a characters actions depicted in response to other actions. since a screenwriter can't write something the camera cannot see, the art of screenwriting has much to do with showing the invisible through the visible.

First of all, I agree completely.

But...

I was not talking in the general, I was talking about the two specific books that I said that I did not think would make good films.

Don't get me wrong -- I think there are William Gibson stories that would make good movies (Pattern Recognition comes to mind), just not Neuromancer. But then again, I'm not sure I understand the ending to Neuromancer, so that's part of the problem right there.

Another concept that is very difficult to convey in film is cyberspace, especially the non-anthropomorphized versions that we are living with today. IMHO, the film that came closest to representing what was going on in that kind of cyberspace was the climax of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, but even that one took several iterations of viewing to "get" completely. Especially without completely disrupting the pace of that sequence, very "action". I can't imagine Man-Machine Interface being made into a movie -- a good third of it would just be the one character sitting there, with her arm falling off somewhere in the middle.

Anthropomorphic cyberspace is fairly easy, and we've seen it done several times -- my favourite being Avalon. I'd like to see that kind of completely over the top treatment with Snowcrash.

soundmotor · #52 03-22-2007, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk

I think there are William Gibson stories that would make good movies (Pattern Recognition comes to mind),

Yes, reliving on the big screen our heroine obsess about rips in her Japan-retro-chic nylon bomber jacket or where she can do her pilates routine in private fills me with desire......

Then again, it might make a better movie than a book. Seeing someone like Callista Flockhart in her anorectic phase have a nutty about the Michelin man could be quite amusing to watch.

(I am poking fun you know!)

#53 03-22-2007, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundmotor

Then again, it might make a better movie than a book. Seeing someone like Callista Flockhart in her anorectic phase have a nutty about the Michelin man could be quite amusing to watch.

(I am poking fun you know!)

Yes! You could have one of those discordant comedic moments in an otherwise serious movie. It would go over terribly with the critics, but the hipsters would love it.

Sandy G · #54 03-22-2007, 12:24 PM

"Callista Flockhart"- That always sounded like the name of some sort of fungus or something equally dreadful..."Myron ! Th' Doc tol' me I have Flockhart ! The Callista strain, too !!" "Oh, Dear God, Sadie ! How are they gonna treat it ? Chemo or amputation? How long-GULP !- do they think you have ?!?"

electronjohn · #55 03-22-2007, 02:25 PM

Soundmotor: Thanks for bringing up "The Deathworld Trilogy"!! Absolutely AWESOME book...fun, fun, fun to read. Now...who to cast as the intrepid Jason dinAlt????

soundmotor · #56 03-23-2007, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electronjohn

Now...who to cast as the intrepid Jason dinAlt????

Jason dinAlt was an interesting character. A libertine, reasonably smart, & reasonably fit. No huge names came to mind but a few smaller ones did like Paul Walker, Barry Pepper, Michael Biehn, & Tim Roth. They all sort of fit the mental picture I had of dinAlt when I read the book the first time through. As an aside, there are several other books about the Pyrrhans & dinAlt that follow the arc of trilogy. I read that one of them isn't even in English!

soundmotor · #57 03-23-2007, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy G

"Callista Flockhart"- That always sounded like the name of some sort of fungus or something equally dreadful..."Myron ! Th' Doc tol' me I have Flockhart ! The Callista strain, too !!" "Oh, Dear God, Sadie ! How are they gonna treat it ? Chemo or amputation? How long-GULP !- do they think you have ?!?"

When Ally McBeal was on, I'd endure several of my office mates droning on & on about CF. I could never quite get a handle on the whole deal. I mean she's OK looking and can sometimes be pretty hot. Usually though she just looks startled & underfed.

Sandy G · #58 03-23-2007, 08:05 AM

Exactly. She's cute 'n' all, but a good butter bean fart would knock her down...I just never "got" the attraction of her.

WhiteSE · #59 03-23-2007, 08:33 AM

Ally McBeal?? I think she is kinda ugly...there are many actresses that if you saw them walking down the street without the veil of media and fame, we wouldnt give them a second look.

in that list I would include also: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, whats' her face, the actress from MY Best Friend's Wedding and the Mexican movie with Brad Pitt..., the girl opposite Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire and in Chicago..,
Penelope Cruz, Jessica Parker something from Sex In..., and many others...

They are good actors, but in looks, just like a million out there..

Sandy G · #60 03-23-2007, 09:29 AM

Renee Zingerdinger ? Yeah, she's sposed to be The Hottest Thing On Wheels-Sorry, Charlie. I loved Queen Latifah in Chicago- And wouldn't she be FABULOUS in the Butterfly McQueen role if they remade "Gone W/the Wind"? Can't you just see her in a doo-rag, throwin' her hands up, screechin' "I don't know nothin' about birthin' no babies..!!" Hehehehehe...Ain't I a Stinkah ?!?