Every week in /Answers, we attempt to respond to a new pop culture-related question. This week’s edition asks “Which book do you most want to see adapted into a movie?” As always, we have submissions from the /Film writing crew and podcast team. If there’s a book you’d like to see to adapted (especially if you know who should star […]
The post Great Books That Hollywood Needs to Adapt Into Movies appeared first on /Film.
The post Great Books That Hollywood Needs to Adapt Into Movies appeared first on /Film.
- 3/21/2017
- by /Film Staff
- Slash Film
Editor's Note: RogerEbert.com is proud to reprint Roger Ebert's 1978 entry from the Encyclopedia Britannica publication "The Great Ideas Today," part of "The Great Books of the Western World." Reprinted with permission from The Great Ideas Today ©1978 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
It's a measure of how completely the Internet has transformed communication that I need to explain, for the benefit of some younger readers, what encyclopedias were: bound editions summing up all available knowledge, delivered to one's home in handsome bound editions. The "Great Books" series zeroed in on books about history, poetry, natural science, math and other fields of study; the "Great Ideas" series was meant to tie all the ideas together, and that was the mission given to Roger when he undertook this piece about film.
Given the venue he was writing for, it's probably wisest to look at Roger's long, wide-ranging piece as a snapshot of the...
It's a measure of how completely the Internet has transformed communication that I need to explain, for the benefit of some younger readers, what encyclopedias were: bound editions summing up all available knowledge, delivered to one's home in handsome bound editions. The "Great Books" series zeroed in on books about history, poetry, natural science, math and other fields of study; the "Great Ideas" series was meant to tie all the ideas together, and that was the mission given to Roger when he undertook this piece about film.
Given the venue he was writing for, it's probably wisest to look at Roger's long, wide-ranging piece as a snapshot of the...
- 2/12/2015
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Above: Bill Siegel and Khalilah Camacho-Ali
Unlike other films about the controversial boxer, the recent documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali makes no pretense of telling Ali’s whole story. It presumes that most of us in the audience already know it and those of us who don’t can easily fill in the gaps with the wealth of other movies, books, and TV specials devoted to his legend. Produced by Chicago-based documentary company Kartemquin Films, Trials focuses on Ali’s conversion to the Nation of Islam and the controversies associated with his religious and political convictions. These subjects are addressed in Michael Mann’s Ali (2001) and referenced in other documentaries about him, but Trials examines them in greater depth, generally neglecting his athletic achievements to better focus on his radicalism.
We took some time to speak with the film’s director, Bill Siegel, whose first film was Kartemquin-produced The Weather Underground...
Unlike other films about the controversial boxer, the recent documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali makes no pretense of telling Ali’s whole story. It presumes that most of us in the audience already know it and those of us who don’t can easily fill in the gaps with the wealth of other movies, books, and TV specials devoted to his legend. Produced by Chicago-based documentary company Kartemquin Films, Trials focuses on Ali’s conversion to the Nation of Islam and the controversies associated with his religious and political convictions. These subjects are addressed in Michael Mann’s Ali (2001) and referenced in other documentaries about him, but Trials examines them in greater depth, generally neglecting his athletic achievements to better focus on his radicalism.
We took some time to speak with the film’s director, Bill Siegel, whose first film was Kartemquin-produced The Weather Underground...
- 12/17/2013
- by Ben and Kathleen Sachs
- MUBI
These days, it’s hard to find a movie based on a completely original idea. More than likely, you’re going to find movies that have been adapted from pre-existing stories, with books as the most popular medium. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: books being made into movies has been a staple of the cinema scene since forever. Many movie classics were based on books, and in some cases, the movie ends up being better than the book, or at least better well-known: I’m looking at you The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption.
Still, sometimes it’s better to just let the books remain as books. The movie adaptation formula doesn’t always work, and more often than not, we get adaptations that pale in comparison to the original written works. And I’m not just talking about leaving a movie thinking: “That was good, but the book was better.
Still, sometimes it’s better to just let the books remain as books. The movie adaptation formula doesn’t always work, and more often than not, we get adaptations that pale in comparison to the original written works. And I’m not just talking about leaving a movie thinking: “That was good, but the book was better.
- 9/27/2013
- by Adam Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
The best writing from around the movie website-o-sphere. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya? “Uwe Boll’s Misspelled Kickstarter: Sad Reality Or Brilliant Joke?” — Vince Mancini pulls a muscle rolling his eyes at Boll’s $500,000 request and explains why a man who’s always been terrible is now so hard up for cash. “‘Who’s Smokin’ The Reefer?’ A Visit to Peter Bogdanovich’s Squirrels to the Nuts” — Speaking words Germans can’t pronounce, Mike Ryan goes unnoticed on the set of a legend making his return. It’s a family thing. “The Newsroom, Season 2, Episode 7: ‘Red Team III’” — Snappy titles aside, John Hendel finds the perfect parallel for the latest episode of Aaron Sorkin’s show about God knows what at this point. (Hat tip to Nick Robinson for the link.) “Nothing Funny About Life of Brian‘s Jesus Joke” — From the Guardian’s archives, a...
- 8/30/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The following article is provided by Rolling Stone.
By Ryan Reed
Pete Townshend has responded to One Direction fans furious over an Internet rumor that the Who were pursuing legal action over the boy band's "Best Song Ever," which bears more than a passing resemblance to "Baba O'Riley." Not true, Townshend said yesterday in a statement.
Link: Rolling Stone’s List of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: Pete Townshend
"No! I like the single. I like One Direction," Townshend said. "The chords I used and the chords they used are the same three chords we've all been using in basic pop music since Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry made it clear that fancy chords don't mean great music – not always. I'm still writing songs that sound like 'Baba O'Riley' – or I'm trying to!"
Link: Rolling Stone’s List of the 500 Greatest Albums of all Time: ‘The Who Sell Out’
In fact,...
By Ryan Reed
Pete Townshend has responded to One Direction fans furious over an Internet rumor that the Who were pursuing legal action over the boy band's "Best Song Ever," which bears more than a passing resemblance to "Baba O'Riley." Not true, Townshend said yesterday in a statement.
Link: Rolling Stone’s List of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: Pete Townshend
"No! I like the single. I like One Direction," Townshend said. "The chords I used and the chords they used are the same three chords we've all been using in basic pop music since Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry made it clear that fancy chords don't mean great music – not always. I'm still writing songs that sound like 'Baba O'Riley' – or I'm trying to!"
Link: Rolling Stone’s List of the 500 Greatest Albums of all Time: ‘The Who Sell Out’
In fact,...
- 8/19/2013
- Huffington Post
The history of filmic video game adaptations could, at this point, be characterized as disgraceful. In fact, here is a list from Wikipedia. Notice that the Rotten Tomatoes Fresh Ratings for the nearly 30 movies listed range from a high of 35% for the recent “Prince of Persia” movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal to 0% for the 1994 attempt at “Double Dragon.” The adage that “Great books make mediocre movies, and mediocre books make great movies” doesn’t apply to video game adaptations evidently, as making a mediocre one is still too high a bar to clear. But Hollywood keeps trying. “Assassin’s Creed,” with Michael Fassbender, is in the works, for some reason. “Uncharted” has been kicking around for a while, and David O. Russell was attached to direct there for a second. But let's talk “Need for Speed” with Aaron Paul. “But ‘Need for Speed’ is just a racing game,” you say. “It’s ridiculous!
- 10/30/2012
- backstage.com
Here's as much as I gleaned from the final episode of The Newsroom's first season: Will is an angry, great journalist because he survived an ulcer, started ripping out his IV tubes in the hospital, and stormed off as the triumphant opening notes of "Baba O'Riley" played. Maggie and Jim deserve each other because of their similar age and frowns. MacKenzie is histrionic enough to be mistaken for a hare in a pencil skirt. Sloan has a hard time balancing intelligence and needing to talk about how intelligent she is. And best of all: Jane Fonda makes everything better -- even if its so hard to love anything about a show whose characters argue like high school freshmen in a pathetic Great Books discussion every single week. Unsatisfying and the same old bowlful'a pretension we've come to expect. Hiss.
But anyway, good news: Jane Fonda made her third and...
But anyway, good news: Jane Fonda made her third and...
- 8/27/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Look Here's a bruised and battered Ryan Gosling in this behind-the-scenes photo from Only God Forgives, his next film with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. [Fsr] Christian Bale and Natalie Portman fool around on a beach while filming Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups. [Daily Mail] Currently Reading Your Summer Reading Guide: 16 Great Books About To Become Movies [CinemaBlend] Pixar's 'The Good Dinosaur' will warm up a prehistoric reputation [24 Frames] Ten Reasons To Love: Ridley Scott'S Alien [Twitch] How did 'Battleship' escape the 'John Carter' flop furor? [Lat] News Alan Horn is leaving Warner Bros., where he oversaw some of the biggest film franchises of all time (including Harry Potter) to become the new...
Read More...
Read More...
- 5/31/2012
- by Erik Davis
- Movies.com
A year ago in Sundance we interviewed Telefilm Canada’s Carolle Brabant who had taken the reins of Telefilm the previous March. While often the Canadian films are waiting to premiere at Cannes or Toronto. This year the number of upcoming greats which might make it to Cannes include Xavier Dolan’s latest Laurence Anyways (Isa: MK2), and Deepa Mehta’s Midnight's Children, based on a 1981 book by Salman Rushdie that deals with India's transition from British colonialism to independence and the partition of India. It won both the Booker Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1981 and was awarded the "Booker of Bookers" Prize and the best all-time prize winners in 1993 and 2008 to celebrate the Booker Prize 25th and 40th anniversary. It was also added to the list of Great Books of the 20th Century, published by Penguin Books.
Also coming up is the uncharacteristically quickly produced latest from of David Cronenberg,Cosmopolis, based on Don DeLillo’s novella and starring Twilight’s Robert Pattinson, a study of capitalism that takes place in a billionaire’s limo in a slightly futuristic New York metropolis, which since Cannes, Kinology has already presold for Canada to eOne, France to Canal+, Hong Kong to Tomson, Switzerland to Ascot Elite and the Ukraine to Top Film Distribution. 7 other Canadian features are also in the works.
From micro_scope, the producers of Incendies and Monsieur Lazhar (which makes this their second year in a row as an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film) comes ’Inch’Allah directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette and which will star Evelyne Brochu as one of three women in a clinic in Jordan for Palestinian refugees.
The Canadians have already exceeded their Oscar nominations from last year where they had 4 nominations: Incendies for Best Foreign Language Film, Barney’s Version in the Makeup category (Adrien Morot). This year in the Best Foreign Film category, they have 2 films: Monsieur Lazhar and Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness which began as a Polish/ German/ Canadian co-production and received most notably development funds from Telefilm Canada. There was no production financing because to have that the film must be in French, English or Inuit.
They also are proud of Christopher Plummer who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Howard Shore, nominated for Best Original Score, David Giammarco for Sound Mixing for Moneyball. One of the producers for Beginners is Canadian Miranda de Pencier, born and raised in Toronto. Graduate of Canadian Film Centre. And finally there arer two animated shorts from National Film Board of Canada (Dimanche/ Sunday) from Quebec and The Wild One. All that is missing is any mention of David Cronenberg’s brilliant brainy movie A Dangerous Method (Isa: Hanway).
This Year of the Dragon looks very propitious, even more so because Carolle Brabant herself was born in the Year of the Dragon. Speaking of Chinese, Telefilm Canada is also launching a new initiative with China, China Gateway, which will take place this year at the Whistler Film Festival. Of their 57 co-production treaties the one with China will be emphasized this year.
What a difference a year makes. So much has been accomplished since our interview last year at Sundance. All we need to do now is wait and count the prizes. Inch'Allah, Ojala, Kine-Hora and ptu-ptu-ptu.
Also coming up is the uncharacteristically quickly produced latest from of David Cronenberg,Cosmopolis, based on Don DeLillo’s novella and starring Twilight’s Robert Pattinson, a study of capitalism that takes place in a billionaire’s limo in a slightly futuristic New York metropolis, which since Cannes, Kinology has already presold for Canada to eOne, France to Canal+, Hong Kong to Tomson, Switzerland to Ascot Elite and the Ukraine to Top Film Distribution. 7 other Canadian features are also in the works.
From micro_scope, the producers of Incendies and Monsieur Lazhar (which makes this their second year in a row as an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film) comes ’Inch’Allah directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette and which will star Evelyne Brochu as one of three women in a clinic in Jordan for Palestinian refugees.
The Canadians have already exceeded their Oscar nominations from last year where they had 4 nominations: Incendies for Best Foreign Language Film, Barney’s Version in the Makeup category (Adrien Morot). This year in the Best Foreign Film category, they have 2 films: Monsieur Lazhar and Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness which began as a Polish/ German/ Canadian co-production and received most notably development funds from Telefilm Canada. There was no production financing because to have that the film must be in French, English or Inuit.
They also are proud of Christopher Plummer who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Howard Shore, nominated for Best Original Score, David Giammarco for Sound Mixing for Moneyball. One of the producers for Beginners is Canadian Miranda de Pencier, born and raised in Toronto. Graduate of Canadian Film Centre. And finally there arer two animated shorts from National Film Board of Canada (Dimanche/ Sunday) from Quebec and The Wild One. All that is missing is any mention of David Cronenberg’s brilliant brainy movie A Dangerous Method (Isa: Hanway).
This Year of the Dragon looks very propitious, even more so because Carolle Brabant herself was born in the Year of the Dragon. Speaking of Chinese, Telefilm Canada is also launching a new initiative with China, China Gateway, which will take place this year at the Whistler Film Festival. Of their 57 co-production treaties the one with China will be emphasized this year.
What a difference a year makes. So much has been accomplished since our interview last year at Sundance. All we need to do now is wait and count the prizes. Inch'Allah, Ojala, Kine-Hora and ptu-ptu-ptu.
- 2/10/2012
- by SydneyLevine
- Sydney's Buzz
Colin Meloy always has fancied himself an author. And as frontman for The Decemberists, indie rock’s most well-read band, he’s been forever flogged for it. The blows often get low, but because those throwing them are typically more bookish than your average 2.0 troll, he’s gotten plenty pithy barbs like “Great Books snob,” “Huckelberry huckster,” or my favorite, “little Lord Fauntleroy.” And while I, myself, haven’t always cared for everything Meloy’s done—Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey was surely a guilty plea in 2005—I’ve never really questioned his intentions. He’s just that sincere. Sticking with those cover records though, the following year’s...
- 8/30/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
Big-screen inspiration for your big day Inside the new Google Music Beta Details on Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri's Food Network show Gma's Summer Concert Series lineup including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and more! The most adorable baby swans The best Summer dresses for under $100 Video: Alexa Chung shares style secrets at Madewell Ten wedding manicure ideas Great books for children with working moms Nate Berkus shares his resources for color inspiration Watch the hilarious trailer for Horrible Bosses Want to win goodies from Chanel, Hermes, or Rolex? Play our new PopSugar 100! Ten vegan dessert recipes Seven budget beauty tips for a glowing bride A delicious recipe for chocolate peanut butter cupcakes...
- 5/12/2011
- by PopSugar
- Popsugar.com
Ah, summertime. For us, that means two things: great cookouts and awesome movies. But since this isn't nexthotdog.com (though we would totally bookmark that site if it existed), we're focusing our energy of all the terrific sequels, blockbusters, superheroes and comedies that are poised to make this one of the best summers in years.
In fact, we're so focused that we've evaluated and ranked every single movie coming out over the next few months so we can better prioritize our moviegoing time. The result? Our list of the 25 Most Anticipated Movies of the Summer. Enjoy -- and pass the relish.
25. 'The Change-Up'
Release Date: Aug. 5
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde
The Scoop: Hollywood has been making body-switching films for years -- think "Freaky Friday" or "18 Again" or, you know, "Body Switch" -- but never quite like this one. Here's the distinctly adult premise behind "The...
In fact, we're so focused that we've evaluated and ranked every single movie coming out over the next few months so we can better prioritize our moviegoing time. The result? Our list of the 25 Most Anticipated Movies of the Summer. Enjoy -- and pass the relish.
25. 'The Change-Up'
Release Date: Aug. 5
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde
The Scoop: Hollywood has been making body-switching films for years -- think "Freaky Friday" or "18 Again" or, you know, "Body Switch" -- but never quite like this one. Here's the distinctly adult premise behind "The...
- 5/2/2011
- by Scott Harris
- NextMovie
Plus Scott Thompson gets graphic, The Kids Are All Right enrages the far right, and just how many men share Wallace's bed?
Jane Lynch spruces up a pelican from the Gulf oil spill.
Above you can see how Jane Lynch goes above and beyond simply washing an oil-covered pelican in Dawn detergent for the Do Something Awards, airing live on VH1 tonight at 9pm Edt. This is in marked contrast to how her alter-ego Sue Sylvester reacted to the Gulf oil spill. We love a sense of whimsy in the AfterElton.com offices, we express it via Silly Bandz. Out Canadian funnyman Scott Thompson is turning his Danny Husk character into a graphic novel. Husk was a former adult film star turned corporate executive whose natural musk can cause world peace. Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has just inked a four-year deal with Fox that will net him a minimum of $24 million,...
Jane Lynch spruces up a pelican from the Gulf oil spill.
Above you can see how Jane Lynch goes above and beyond simply washing an oil-covered pelican in Dawn detergent for the Do Something Awards, airing live on VH1 tonight at 9pm Edt. This is in marked contrast to how her alter-ego Sue Sylvester reacted to the Gulf oil spill. We love a sense of whimsy in the AfterElton.com offices, we express it via Silly Bandz. Out Canadian funnyman Scott Thompson is turning his Danny Husk character into a graphic novel. Husk was a former adult film star turned corporate executive whose natural musk can cause world peace. Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has just inked a four-year deal with Fox that will net him a minimum of $24 million,...
- 7/19/2010
- by lostinmiami
- The Backlot
Last week, there was a wonderful essay in The New York Times about a leadership program created by the old Bell System back in 1952. The all-powerful telephone company worried that its executives needed a broader perspective, not just on business but also on society, even life itself. "A well-trained man knows how to answer questions," one sociologist explained. "An educated man knows what questions are worth asking."
Working with the University of Pennsylvania, Bell launched the Institute of Humanistic Studies for Executives--a 10-month program in which businesspeople read and debated the Great Books, visited museums, and studied architecture. The "capstone" of the program was a series of eight three-hour seminars devoted to Ulysses. Can you imagine? Twenty-four hours devoted to the discussion of a single (and famously vexing) novel!
As I finished the Times piece, I lamented how little time any of us has to think deeper, look broader, and...
Working with the University of Pennsylvania, Bell launched the Institute of Humanistic Studies for Executives--a 10-month program in which businesspeople read and debated the Great Books, visited museums, and studied architecture. The "capstone" of the program was a series of eight three-hour seminars devoted to Ulysses. Can you imagine? Twenty-four hours devoted to the discussion of a single (and famously vexing) novel!
As I finished the Times piece, I lamented how little time any of us has to think deeper, look broader, and...
- 7/2/2010
- by William Taylor
- Fast Company
How did people get book deals before there were blogs? I don't know, but that seems to be the way to go about it these days. Some of my favorite bloggers have either wrapped up manuscripts or inked new deals in 2008, and I'm excited for the chance to give my Google Reader a break and read their words and see their pictures on the page for a change. ...
- 12/7/2008
- Pastemagazine.com
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