If you think Lynch did a bad job, take a look at some of the visioms that didn’t made it. Jodorowski’s planned version had Paul committing incest with his mother – for no good reason! One version had H.R. Giger designing the sandworms so they looked like something out of Alien. You can read about these (and see the conceptual sketches) in back issues of Cinefantastique.
For all its problems. Lynch’s film ended up fairly close to the book, and I can’t fault the visuals (following John Schoenherr’s images of the sandworms and other things was the way to go).
Other films that could have ended up a lot worse, judging from what I’ve read, were Robert Heinlein’s Puppet Masters and The Thing (John Carpenter’s version). Heck – if you want to see how bad things could have gotten, read Robert Heinlein’s excellent essay Making Destination Moon.
If you think Lynch did a bad job, take a look at some of the visioms that didn’t made it. Jodorowski’s planned version had Paul committing incest with his mother – for no good reason! One version had H.R. Giger designing the sandworms so they looked like something out of Alien. You can read about these (and see the conceptual sketches) in back issues of Cinefantastique.
For all its problems. Lynch’s film ended up fairly close to the book, and I can’t fault the visuals (following John Schoenherr’s images of the sandworms and other things was the way to go).
Other films that could have ended up a lot worse, judging from what I’ve read, were Robert Heinlein’s Puppet Masters and The Thing (John Carpenter’s version). Heck – if you want to see how bad things could have gotten, read Robert Heinlein’s excellent essay Making Destination Moon.
Alot of the Clancy movies were not even close. Clear and Present Danger not too bad, but I wanted to see the helo land on a coast guard ship in a huricane.
Sum of all Fears was just bad. I don’t mind changing the terrorists to neo-nazis, but come on Jack and Cathy met way before he joined the CIA. He was a stock broker, and a history teacher before he joined the CIA. They could have gotten someone older to play Jack and made it much better. Also not having Greer was a bad move. I just got done listening to the Director overview of the movie that had the Director, and Clancy doing the voice over. First part the Director introduces himself, and then Clancy says “And I’m Tom Clancy the author of the book they ignored.” I had to pause it and laugh for several minutes.
Verhoeven wasn’t trying to do an adaptation of the book. His idea and concept for the film pre-dated the acquisition of the Starship Troopers license, and he openly admits that he didn’t like the book.
Andre Norton’s “The Beastmaster”: outside of the title and the animal sidekicks, the movie bore NO relation to the book. Even taken on its own terms, it was a crummy movie.
The movie with John Goodman? Why the hell did they feel the need to use the same title? It wasn’t the same story. At all. And in fact they changed it to add some lame-assed moral that was COMPLETELY not the message of the book (the book didn’t really have a message; god forbid they don’t put some sappy “Kids rule the planet” message in a Hollywood production.)
The Sci-Fi Channel has occasionally shown an “Extended” version, with footage not seen in either theaters or the DVD. For instance, there is a pivotal scene in the book
where Duke Leto is spat at during an important meeting with the Fremen. This scene shows the Duke’s leadership skills, and his diplomatic ability by interpreting what everyone else thought was an insult as a tribute. The culture shock introduced in the book by the gesture is vital in understanding the Fremen. It also underscores the religious significance to water.This scene was restored in the extended Sci-Fi channel version, which filled in lost or unfilmed scenes with a voice-over explanation and illustrations. It was no less interesting and important, but often scenes like that are lost during the editing process, when pacing and story create needs for editing decisions.
BTW: the Prophecy theme by Brian Eno is one of my all-time favorite musical pieces.
Anyone ever read the short story? The John Wayne movie version turns it completely on its head. You may not like stories that are somewhat transparently told to illustrate a point (your prerogative) but I kind of liked this one when it was given as a reading assignment when I was in grade school (being picked on by a few bullies during my student career may have been a factor) and the movie disgusted me.
The Shining. 'nuff said. Waste of celluloid medium.
Isaac Asimov’s “Nightfall”. Good god what a skunk of a movie.
They’ve never made a decent version of King Solomon’s Mines. The black and white version was pretty much “bwana goes on safari” and the more recent remake was just plain imbecilic. The original book is a GREAT story, and could be made directly into a movie that would even be politically correct today (the book jabs at the worst excesses of colonialism, and portrays the African natives very favorably).
They’ve never made a decent version of King Solomon’s Mines. The black and white version was pretty much “bwana goes on safari” and the more recent remake was just plain imbecilic. The original book is a GREAT story, and could be made directly into a movie that would even be politically correct today (the book jabs at the worst excesses of colonialism, and portrays the African natives very favorably).
Terry McMillan’s books - “Waiting to Exhale”, “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and especially “Disappearing Acts”. She writes so well and so personal, and they make movies that are just so superficial. I am sure they mean well but the movies just don’t do her writing style justice.
There’s a HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE difference between using scientific details to flesh out the story and just making up and combining random words to create some technological deus ex machina as star trek does.
I haven’t read the book, but as far as I know making someone invisible is impossible enough that there’s no convincing explanation. Thus imho the best route is to pass it off with a sentance of technobabble. The important thing is to understand what it does as soon as possible - can he see? do things he picks up become invisible? swallows? chemically incorporates into his body?
The problem comes when the babble comes at the end of the movie, and everything is wrapped up by something stupid.
In other news… Dune is quite a good visual of the book imho, but can’t make it as a film because they cut all the plot out. But if you have read the book it’s good to see an interpretation of it.
HP has a similar problem to a much lesser extent. The films were a lovely and pretty faithful adaption of the books, but some characterisation, etc, had to go. You don’t miss it if you know it, because you know who the people are, but if you don’t the film is missing something.
LOTR seemed to get it about right (FOTR more so than TTT), streamlining the plot enough without leaving anything important out.
The movie Lifeforce only barely resembled Colin Wilson’s novel.
When the movie came out, I was so attracted by the trailer that I went out and read the book first. The book was pretty good IMHO. I told my boss about the book and on my recommendation he went to see the movie.
It’s a miracle I wasn’t fired!
He kidded me about it for a long time.
And of course my movie recommendation credibility was destroyed!
And I didn’t get to see the movie until it wound up on HBO the following year - yikes!! (but Mathilda May doesn’t exactly hurt your eyes )
I love Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. There have been about half a dozen versions of it made (including cartoon versions). Not one approaches the original. Two were star vehicles shaped more by the lead actor than the material (Will Rogers and Bing Crosby). The PBS version – PBS, fer cryin’ out loud! – was worse than any of them, changing Merlin into a real wizard, when the whole point was that Hank Morgan’s real science trumped Merlin’s self-delusional “magic”.
I realize that Twain’s treatment of the Catholic Church could put a lot of people off a literal adaptaion, but, heck, you can completely skirt the issue. They did when they adapted The Mists of Avalon (not that they did a great job of adaptation there, either. But they avoinded Bradley’s nasty portrait of St. Patrick).
I’d like to see a good and faithful adaptation of ACYIKAC one of these days. Then more people could appreciate Twain’s imagination and wit.
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