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UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Apr 02 2011 11:46 pm

Too many times I hear the phrase "Oh, the book was better!" I think it's time for the motion picture arts to get a little payback. Let's find some movies that kicked the ass of their source material. Here's the three I came up with.

-Fight Club. Almost everyone I spoke to agrees the short story is interesting, but the movie is just plain awesome.

-The Princess Bride. The movie works well because it's not really taken seriously, it's portrayed as a light-hearted subverted fairy tale, complete with snarky kid. The book plays it sort of straight (though Goldman frames it as an "abridged version" of an even longer and more boring book), and it doesn't work nearly as well.

-The Neverending Story. Yeah, it's a real book, and it covers the events of the first and second movies. I'll be honest, I haven't read the entire book, but my wife has, and she says it's just plain awful.

Feel free to add on.

Posted: Apr 03 2011 12:48 am

Video Quality Sucks but the Audio is still very Applicable.

Posted: Apr 03 2011 03:11 am

Shawshank Redemption.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

My personal opinion but;

Forrest Gump

Joined: Jun 29 2010 Posts: 1818

According to many of my friends (but not me), Scott Pilgrim is one.

Joined: Mar 08 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 131

Dreamcatcher - Stephen King. The book was interesting almost but the movie definitely was more fun to sit through.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Apr 03 2011 10:35 am

Doddsino wrote:

My personal opinion but;

Forrest Gump

Yeah, that's another one my wife read and said wasn't very good.She said Forrest came off as kind of an asshole.

Posted: Apr 03 2011 02:03 pm

I'm not sure I agree with Shawshank. The movie is a masterpiece, no question, but the short story is equally fantastic (albiet fantastic in a different way.) I'm not sure one is better than the other; they're wonderful in different ways.

Title: Titlating Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 5042

Forrest was kind of a dick in the book, and a druggie.

Posted: Apr 03 2011 05:54 pm

I never read "The Body", but I'm going to say that Stand By Me was better and I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Posted: Apr 03 2011 11:23 pm

SoldierHawk wrote:

I'm not sure I agree with Shawshank. The movie is a masterpiece, no question, but the short story is equally fantastic (albiet fantastic in a different way.) I'm not sure one is better than the other; they're wonderful in different ways.

Both are fantastic. I also felt the short story was better. In fact, I think it's the best piece of fiction King's written.

Posted: Apr 03 2011 11:41 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

I never read "The Body", but I'm going to say that Stand By Me was better and I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Now this, I'm more inclined to agree with than Shawshank. King has a real knack for capturing childhood, and the bond between kids, in that era, and the story was wonderful...but there was something about the movie that is extremely special. I think it has to do with the cast, and the way the personalities just gelled so seamlessly.

On the other hand, the depiction of childhood and friendship in IT is far, far stronger and more moving in the book than in the movie. (I'd call IT one of the quintessential books on childhood, friendship and the 50s, in fact. Masterful.)

Posted: Apr 03 2011 11:53 pm

I'm convinced that Forrest Gump was intended to be a comedy. Just look at the plot to the sequel, for gods' sakes. Plus, neither his mom or Jenny died in the book.

Gallery 2 · Posted: Apr 04 2011 01:44 am

Sehkmaenzo wrote:

According to many of my friends (but not me), Scott Pilgrim is one.

My wooden sword would like to have a word with your friends.

Posted: Apr 04 2011 03:42 am

Jack Slater wrote:

I'm convinced that Forrest Gump was intended to be a comedy. Just look at the plot to the sequel, for gods' sakes. Plus, neither his mom or Jenny died in the book.

The fuck... really? Those were like major points to the movie...

I have to read this book now, it sounds way different.

Posted: Apr 04 2011 05:12 am

SoldierHawk wrote:

Syd Lexia wrote:

I never read "The Body", but I'm going to say that Stand By Me was better and I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Now this, I'm more inclined to agree with than Shawshank. King has a real knack for capturing childhood, and the bond between kids, in that era, and the story was wonderful...but there was something about the movie that is extremely special. I think it has to do with the cast, and the way the personalities just gelled so seamlessly.

On the other hand, the depiction of childhood and friendship in IT is far, far stronger and more moving in the book than in the movie. (I'd call IT one of the quintessential books on childhood, friendship and the 50s, in fact. Masterful.)

Most King books don't translate well into movies, because his full length novels tend to be quite long. IT was what, like 1200 pages long? You can't translate that into a movie. Same thing with The Shining. The Kubrick movie is fantastic, but I don't think it's fair to say it's better, because there's so much awesome stuff in the book that was either cut or changed for the movie. King's short stories tend to translate better to film, but those don't always succeed either.

Posted: Apr 04 2011 09:03 am

While we're on King, I would say the Night Flier was far superior in movie/tv form.

Posted: Apr 04 2011 12:02 pm

Missed two of the most obvious ones:
Jaws
Men in Black

Posted: Apr 04 2011 12:30 pm

1984

Posted: Apr 04 2011 03:52 pm

The Ten Commandments

Posted: Apr 04 2011 03:52 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

The Ten Commandments

I almost chose this myself, but the book is really, really entertaining, too.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

American Psycho, without a doubt. Let the shitstorm commence.

Posted: Apr 04 2011 04:46 pm

joshwoodzy wrote:

American Psycho, without a doubt. Let the shitstorm commence.

Posted: Apr 04 2011 05:39 pm

haha. an actual shitstorm smiley

Posted: Apr 04 2011 05:42 pm

UsaSatsui wrote:

The Princess Bride. The movie works well because it's not really taken seriously, it's portrayed as a light-hearted subverted fairy tale, complete with snarky kid. The book plays it sort of straight (though Goldman frames it as an "abridged version" of an even longer and more boring book), and it doesn't work nearly as well.

I disagree. The Princess Bride was an awesome book, and there is a lot more to it. There are many things in the book, that the movie couldn't do, due to budget and effects of the time. Like the multi sub-layers of Humperdink's zoo. Which you only got to see one room of. (Hint: The secret room were Wesley was being tortured.) Plus, the humor in the book was just as good as the movie, and there was a lot more of it.