Movies That Are Better Than the Book

**Frownland** · 09-09-2013, 10:40 AM

There's probably already a thread on this but I couldn't find it when I searched it.

What movies do you consider to be better than the novel/story that it is based on? We always seem to hear people saying the reverse but there are a few that break the mold so to speak. A few examples I can think of are

Fight Club
There Will Be Blood (based off of Upton Sinclair's "Oil!")
Begotten (loosely based off of Genesis)
The Godfather
The Shawshank Redemption

Can you think of any others? I'm sure that there are more out there.

djchameleon · 09-09-2013, 10:49 AM

Blade Runner
The Mist
Interview with a Vampire

Just a few off the top of my head excluding the ones you mentioned.

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 09-09-2013, 10:55 AM

Big Fish.

Surell · 09-11-2013, 08:25 PM

The Shining isn't really better (Kubrick's I mean) but its approach is totally rad.

**Frownland** · 09-11-2013, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surell

The Shining isn't really better (Kubrick's I mean) but its approach is totally rad.

I feel the same way about a lot of Stanley Kubrick's films. Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange" and Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" are two great works, but in their own way. I'd say it's a wash on that film. However, I was very underwhelmed by the novel "2001: A Space Odyssey" but the film is fantastic. I haven't yet read The Shining but I do love the film. I didn't like the television version of The Stand nor did I like the novel, it's just too cheesy tbh.

scrapfriends · 09-12-2013, 02:27 AM

5 Movies That Improved the Book :

#1. Blade Runner Kills, Saves Philip K. Dick
#2. Agatha Christie the Playwright Hated Agatha Christie the Novelist
#3. Interview With the Vampire Casts Tom Cruise as the Villain
#4. Fight Club Emphasizes the Romance Angle
#5. The Mist Completely Changes the Ending

Christine_Blackwell · 09-17-2013, 08:06 AM

I find this hard to answer, seeing as I love to read and write myself so it would be hard to see that people prefer to watch over reading...but "Secret Window" was pretty good. I loved both the book and novella separately, and I didn't think that I would, but I think I kind of liked the movie better than the book after it was all said and done.

FRED HALE SR. · 09-17-2013, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I feel the same way about a lot of Stanley Kubrick's films. Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange" and Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" are two great works, but in their own way. I'd say it's a wash on that film. However, I was very underwhelmed by the novel "2001: A Space Odyssey" but the film is fantastic. I haven't yet read The Shining but I do love the film. I didn't like the television version of The Stand nor did I like the novel, it's just too cheesy tbh.

Another King movie adapted from novel that was better was Stand By Me. I'd throw One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest on my list. Kesey is hit or miss for me, and I felt the Screenplay adaptation was unbelievable. Nicholson is Gold.

Paul Smeenus · 09-17-2013, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I feel the same way about a lot of Stanley Kubrick's films. Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange" and Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" are two great works, but in their own way. I'd say it's a wash on that film.

IMO A Clockwork Orange is the most faithful-to-the-book movie I've ever seen, just ahead of James Dickey/John Boorman's Deliverance. There's two elements to the movie that set it apart from most movies for me 1. That if was made so brilliantly on such a shoestring budget, literally financed through a passing-of-the-hat 2. The abuse Malcolm McDowell undergoes in the movie, and I don't just mean the cinema scene. Notice the scene where Dim dunks Alex in a barrel of water. There are no cuts in that scene.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

However, I was very underwhelmed by the novel "2001: A Space Odyssey" but the film is fantastic.

Absolutely 100% lockstep agree with this

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I haven't yet read The Shining but I do love the film. I didn't like the television version of The Stand nor did I like the novel, it's just too cheesy tbh.

I like the book a million times better, and I don't really care for most of Stephen King's work and am a major major Kubrick fan. The problem I had with the movie, other that the plot changes (I fecking loved the hedge animals in the book, the maze was a serious letdown by comparison) was that I really didn't care for the two actors Danny Lloyd or Shelley Duvall, I didn't believe either one of them. Nicholson totally carries that movie.

Agreed on The Stand, esp the hokey TV series

bob. · 09-18-2013, 11:23 AM

but the maze works better for Kubrick's vision.....personally i don't think in any way shape or form the two are comparable...there is Steven king's The Shining and there is (the better) Stanley Kubrick's The Shining

also i don't think it's fair to compare 2001: A Space Odyssey considering the book came out after the film....and was written at the same time as the script....plus the book offers more insight as to what is "going on"....whereas the film has a very ambiguous ending

could you imagine how shitty David Lynch movies would be if he actually explained them?

so in honor of Elmore Leonard i finally decided to read the book which was the inspiration for one of my favorite movies.....Jackie Brown....the book Rum Punch

i have to say the book really held up but i think the movie is better....mainly because of Pam Grier and Tarantino's mixture of the source material and homage to Blacksploitation films....the character in the book is Jackie Burke and is white

still the book is awesome and it makes me wonder if i had read the book before seeing the movie....i think i might actually hate Jackie Brown

also i agree 1 billion percent with Stand By Me Fred.....seriously good call

but not with One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest....you're right the movie is sooooo good...but there is something about the internal monologues of Chief in the book that really carry it for me....much like Rosemary's Baby....movie was amazing....but reading her thoughts as she seriously goes batshit crazy is just something that is impossible to bring to the screen

09-09-2013, 10:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Movies That Are Better Than the Book There's probably already a thread on this but I couldn't find it when I searched it. What movies do you consider to be better than the novel/story that it is based on? We always seem to hear people saying the reverse but there are a few that break the mold so to speak. A few examples I can think of are Fight Club There Will Be Blood (based off of Upton Sinclair's "Oil!") Begotten (loosely based off of Genesis) The Godfather The Shawshank Redemption Can you think of any others? I'm sure that there are more out there. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

09-12-2013, 02:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
scrapfriends Groupie Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Austalia Posts: 6	5 Movies That Improved the Book : #1. Blade Runner Kills, Saves Philip K. Dick #2. Agatha Christie the Playwright Hated Agatha Christie the Novelist #3. Interview With the Vampire Casts Tom Cruise as the Villain #4. Fight Club Emphasizes the Romance Angle #5. The Mist Completely Changes the Ending __________________ [link removed by mod, no advertising]

09-18-2013, 11:23 AM	#10 (permalink)
bob. Still sends his reguards. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Trying to get out of the cat town.... Posts: 5,039	but the maze works better for Kubrick's vision.....personally i don't think in any way shape or form the two are comparable...there is Steven king's The Shining and there is (the better) Stanley Kubrick's The Shining also i don't think it's fair to compare 2001: A Space Odyssey considering the book came out after the film....and was written at the same time as the script....plus the book offers more insight as to what is "going on"....whereas the film has a very ambiguous ending could you imagine how shitty David Lynch movies would be if he actually explained them? so in honor of Elmore Leonard i finally decided to read the book which was the inspiration for one of my favorite movies.....Jackie Brown....the book Rum Punch i have to say the book really held up but i think the movie is better....mainly because of Pam Grier and Tarantino's mixture of the source material and homage to Blacksploitation films....the character in the book is Jackie Burke and is white still the book is awesome and it makes me wonder if i had read the book before seeing the movie....i think i might actually hate Jackie Brown also i agree 1 billion percent with Stand By Me Fred.....seriously good call but not with One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest....you're right the movie is sooooo good...but there is something about the internal monologues of Chief in the book that really carry it for me....much like Rosemary's Baby....movie was amazing....but reading her thoughts as she seriously goes batshit crazy is just something that is impossible to bring to the screen __________________ A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism. Reach out, pierce the fine fabric of the sheltering sky, take repose.

09-09-2013, 10:55 AM	#3 (permalink)
~~Sansa Stark~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Eyrie, Vale of Arryn, Westeros Posts: 3,234	Big Fish.

09-17-2013, 08:06 AM	#7 (permalink)
Christine_Blackwell Groupie Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 9	I find this hard to answer, seeing as I love to read and write myself so it would be hard to see that people prefer to watch over reading...but "Secret Window" was pretty good. I loved both the book and novella separately, and I didn't think that I would, but I think I kind of liked the movie better than the book after it was all said and done.