# Bad movies from good books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612 "2011-03-05T20:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/61 "2011-03-09T12:34:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Wait, what “good book” did this ruin? Comparing Edgar Rice Burroughs to Arthur Conan Doyle? And you call yourself a writer! Read _The Annotated Lost World_ and get back to us. > **[The Annotated Lost World: Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir: 9780938501237: Amazon.com:...](https://www.amazon.com/Annotated-World-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/0938501232)** > > The Annotated Lost World \[Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Annotated Lost World > [@](#): > > An enjoyable book. An important book. Not a good book. _Definitely_ a Good Book. Our perspectives clearly differ. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/62 "2011-03-09T12:43:57Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > When are they going to do _Finnegan’s Wake?_ Heh. It turns out that the same director’s _Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ isn’t bad at all. A much more film-ready book, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/63 "2011-03-09T16:33:47Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > It turns out that the same director’s _Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ isn’t bad at all. A much more film-ready book, obviously. I really enjoyed Strick’s _Ulysses_, and think it was a triumph. It does a good job of conveying a little of the flavour of some parts of Joyce’s novel, and is a nice companion to it. More of a pet than a real companion, maybe.. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > When are they going to do _Finnegan’s Wake?_ It will be [filmedagin in humpteensicksdeesicks](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7zGNWhVJzU). Anna eggsalient adhumpt idwas for shadows by the film folk, tu. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/64 "2011-03-09T17:44:44Z")
I hope they do a good job with _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies._ The book was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/65 "2011-03-09T23:50:49Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > For those of us who haven’t read the Starship Troopers book the film was amazing. 🙂 Haven’t read the book. Really liked the movie. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/66 "2011-03-10T00:29:44Z")
> [@Rucksinator](#): > > Haven’t read the book. Really liked the movie. :smack:xx ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/67 "2011-03-10T01:55:09Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > …ly bad. Thread winner! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/68 "2011-03-10T02:01:53Z")
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. AWESOME comic. HORRIBLE movie. Just horrible. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/69 "2011-03-10T05:42:29Z")
Scarlett. UGH! (well technically it was a mini-series). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse movie made from an enjoyable book. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/70 "2011-03-10T05:50:09Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > For anybody on here who says it sucked, I’m sure I could find 2 people elsewhere who, like myself, liked it. I liked it. Not high cinema or anything (whatever the standard is, that critics insist “bad” movies never reach, I’ve never seen it, but whatever), but entertaining, campy and fun. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/71 "2011-03-10T06:33:25Z")
I recall when I saw the movie version of “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn,” it was horrible. The casting was awful, they had to combine the characters to get them in the movie, they changed the personalities of some of the characters etc. The problem was the book covered so much time it spanned the 17 years of Francie and had a back plot extending before. You simply couldn’t cover the book in 90 minutes or less. So they focuses on select parts of the book and the messages didn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/72 "2011-03-10T07:09:43Z")
“Watership Down”. AAAAAAAUGH!! What was with that awful hippie song “Bright Eyes”?? I am still hoping the company that produced “Babe” will make Watership the same way. Not animated, but still bloody. Hey, they’re rabbits not Disney bunnies! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/73 "2011-03-10T07:53:35Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I give you [Exit to Eden](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109758/). > > The movie revolves around two detectives (Rosie O’Donnell and Dan Aykroyd) who follow a jewel thief to what turns out to be an S & M island (complete with Rosie in leather! :eek:). > > The book has _no such plot_! The book is Anne Rice in one of her erotica moods writing about the island itself. No cops. No jewel thieves. > > What do I win? I’ll give that movie some credit for two things- best Dana Delaney performance\* and best looking Rosie O’Donnell. \*For the same reason GIA was Angelina Jolie’s best. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/74 "2011-03-10T08:44:25Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I’ll give that movie some credit for two things- best Dana Delaney performance\* and best looking Rosie O’Donnell. > > \*For the same reason GIA was Angelina Jolie’s best. I’ll give you the Dana Delaney comment. Rosie, though? I wouldn’t fuck her with a stolen dick (of course, since I’m male, chances are that I’ll never have to find out). ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/75 "2011-03-10T08:56:47Z")
Oh my God, I can’t believe I’ve been reading this thread for days and just now remembered _The Lords of Discipline._ I loved this book so much when I read it, and I had high hopes for the movie. But I was let down hard. The film got some things right - the casting was pretty good - but butchered the story. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/76 "2011-03-10T14:43:21Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > “Watership Down”. AAAAAAAUGH!! What was with that awful hippie song “Bright Eyes”?? > > I am still hoping the company that produced “Babe” will make Watership the same way. Not animated, but still bloody. Hey, they’re rabbits not Disney bunnies! 😃 The animated adaptation of Peter S. Beagle’s _The Last Unicorn_ also rather . . . . disappointed. There was some talk a few years back of a live-action adaptation (starring Alan Arkin as Schemdrick) but it has been stuck in Production Hell like forever. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/77 "2011-03-10T15:24:45Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Scarlett. > > UGH! (well technically it was a mini-series). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse movie made from an enjoyable book. Scarlett was a good book? It’s one of the few books I’ve try to read but could not finish. ---
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/78 "2011-03-10T16:12:47Z")
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It’s so bad I wonder if Clint Eastwood had actually read the book. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/79 "2011-03-10T16:20:36Z")
_Eight Million Ways To Die_ bears only a superficial resemblance to the Lawrence Block novel, and is a crappy movie besides (apart from a memorable screaming match which I believe still holds the cinematic record for most "FUCK YOU!"s in a short sequence). I don’t think there’s ever been a good movie made from a Block novel. Similarly, there have been at least two Travis McGee movies made from John MacDonald novels, both crummy B-pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612/80 "2011-03-10T16:26:42Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. > > AWESOME comic. > HORRIBLE movie. Just horrible. Comic? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-movies-from-good-books/573612.md?page=5)