Movies better than the book

[Obiwanshinobi]

(Tarkovsky's) Solaris

This is effectively an argument that Tarkovsky is a better director than Lem is an author.

Nah, Solaris just isn't one of his best books. Lem was pretty fond of shit literature (Nabokov, Dick) and in some of his works that fondness infected his own style (not saying those two exact authors did in case of Solaris; just shit literature in general). There are two faces of Lem's writing: on is the stuff he was actually good at, the other being wannabe "adult" writing. Solaris is somewhere inbetween, The Cold is utterly on the "wannabe" side, The Cyberiad is pure awesomness. And so on.
The most striking (to me) example of said bifurctaion is one wee fragment of Return from the Stars - an embarrasingly "wannabe" novel getting rather good for the twinkling of an eye, then coming back to being bad, but I'm not gonna spoil that fragment for those few poor souls who may care.

[xbl0x180]

But "more stuff" also doesn't equal "better".

It does in this instance since books do not have music scores, sound, acting, set designs, and photography. Even if I were to rank the worst movie's qualities from 1 to 10 and give each category a "1," this would still be more than what a book has, which would be "zero"

[GaijinPunch]

Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Most def.

Apocalypse Now / Hearts of Darkness

Uh... yeah, can't agree w/ this one. The movie was more or less inspired by the book. Different setting, different time, different generation... apples & oranges. I will say this though, that it's pretty boring as fuck until the last 10%.

Trainspotting

Also no. Great book, and the movie isn't quite an interpretation of it as it's more of a reimagining. No main character in the book... and yes, Welsh can ramble. I've not read it for (gasp) like 15 years though, so I'm forgetting a lot.

[Ex-Cyber]

The Princess Bride

[rancor]

Apocalypse Now / Hearts of Darkness

Uh... yeah, can't agree w/ this one. The movie was more or less inspired by the book. Different setting, different time, different generation... apples & oranges. I will say this though, that it's pretty boring as fuck until the last 10%.

No doubt it's different, but the topic is which is better. Apocalypse Now is completely filled with some of the most important scenes and quotes in the history of movies -

"Charlie don't surf"
"I Love the smell of napalm in the morning"
"The horror.. The horror."
"Saigon... shit; I'm still only in Saigon"

Not only that, but it has memorable scenes such as Martin Sheen raising up from the mud, the forest near the village getting napalmed, the bull getting "the chop", and several more. Sorry, but I think most would agree that the movie is way better. If not only for the fact that the first 90% isn't shit.. haha..

Trainspotting

Also no. Great book, and the movie isn't quite an interpretation of it as it's more of a reimagining. No main character in the book... and yes, Welsh can ramble. I've not read it for (gasp) like 15 years though, so I'm forgetting a lot.

As for this one - yeah my memory is a bit fuzzy as well. I remember starting on it and it was just completely impenetrable, and I just didn't have the patience for it. I may have to concede this title if others chime in, because I honestly don't know. I enjoyed the movie. I didn't enjoy the book.

[GaijinPunch]

"Charlie don't surf"
"I Love the smell of napalm in the morning"
"The horror.. The horror."
"Saigon... shit; I'm still only in Saigon"

Yeah I just don't see Conrad putting 1-liners into his literature. So, I stand by my apples & oranges. I wouldn't say it's 90% shit. It's just maybe the longest build up in story telling history.

As for this one - yeah my memory is a bit fuzzy as well. I remember starting on it and it was just completely impenetrable, and I just didn't have the patience for it. I may have to concede this title if others chime in, because I honestly don't know. I enjoyed the movie. I didn't enjoy the book.

That being said, I enjoyed the movie way more as I've seen it many, many times. But, the book shouldn't be shat on.

On a similar note, I'm now reading The Hobbit and this will be the 2nd time ever I can say, "I read the book first." First time was The Road -- movie a very faithful adaptation, although not quite as gory in a few parts.

[Moniker]

"Charlie don't surf"
"I Love the smell of napalm in the morning"
"The horror.. The horror."
"Saigon... shit; I'm still only in Saigon"

Yeah I just don't see Conrad putting 1-liners into his literature.

As an FYI: Kurtz's valediction, "The horror, the horror..." is actually the linchpin of the entire novel. There's also one unforgettable image from the book (towards the beginning), where a battleship just off the coast is firing blindly into the jungle. And while you can hear the booming violence and the falling trees, the jungle never changes. This always struck me both on its own for being almost prescient, and for Coppola capturing the notion so well on film.

The novel really is incredible. Dense, yes, but so poignant and enduringly relevant, as AN proves. Everyone should read it.

[rancor]

Yeah I just don't see Conrad putting 1-liners into his literature.

Actually, he did:

One night Marlow happens upon Kurtz, obviously near death. As Marlow comes closer with a candle, Kurtz seems to experience a "supreme moment of complete knowledge" and speaks his last words: "The Horror! The Horror!" Marlow believes this to be Kurtz's reflection on the weight of the terrible actions he took in his life.

edit: aargh! Moniker beat me by literally seconds..

That being said, I enjoyed the movie way more as I've seen it many, many times.

.. So then basically, we agree.

[drauch]

Was discussing Starship Troopers the other day with a co-worker. I certainly do enjoy the movie better, but really, they are far too different to really even be the same "thing". The only similarities the book has with the movie is the title and a similar alien menace. I enjoy both quite a bit, but I'd sooner watch the film before I read the book again. And Paul Verhoeven rules.

[Ghegs]

The Princess Bride

I'm a big fan of the movie but didn't read the book until recently and I'd somewhat have to agree. It's just so ironic that the book is the "Good Parts" version and then the movie is even better because it removes some of the stuff.

Was discussing Starship Troopers the other day with a co-worker. I certainly do enjoy the movie better, but really, they are far too different to really even be the same "thing". The only similarities the book has with the movie is the title and a similar alien menace. I enjoy both quite a bit, but I'd sooner watch the film before I read the book again. And Paul Verhoeven rules.

Yeah, they're way different in what they're aiming for. Both enjoyable, but for different reasons. There's also an anime version of Starship Troopers which is a bit more faithful to the book, worth checking out.

[drauch]

^Yeah! I've actually got that OVA but I've yet to watch it. I've only heard good things.

[Obiwanshinobi]

The Princess Bride

Cripes. Just like with The Third Man, I haven't watched the movie, but I can't imagine it to be any worse than the book (which was awful). You think Harry Potter is fucking Nazi? Try this one.

[GaijinPunch]

That being said, I enjoyed the movie way more as I've seen it many, many times.

.. So then basically, we agree.

Not necessarily. I'm saying I enjoyed it more... not that it's better than the book.

The Princess Bride

Ouch -- this was on my "too read before I die list" only b/c I've seen the movie about... fuck me in the goat as... 100 times at least. Pure brilliance, for the whole family!

[Pharos]

Jurassic Park
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

[Skykid]

Jurassic Park
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I'm pretty sure all the Harry Potter books are better than the films. Not a difficult achievement.

[blackoak]

I thought Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast and Picnic at Hanging Rock were both better than their respective books.

Totally disagree about Solaris, though I like the Tarkovsky film. Comparing Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness is also like asking whether I want a really good apple or a really good orange.