Best Book to Movie Adaptations

Valerie Thomas: I guess we thought that maybe Susan Orlean and Leroche could fall in love, and...

Charlie Kaufman: Okay. But, I'm saying, it's like, I don't want to cram in sex or guns or car chases, you know... or characters, you know, learning profound life lessons or growing or coming to like each other or overcoming obstacles to succeed in the end, you know.
I mean... The book isn't like that, and life isn't like that. You know, it just isn't. And... I feel very strongly about this.
~ (from the 2002 film Adaptation staring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep)

I love this quote from Adaptation because it embodies the struggle that screenwriters go through in adapting a book to a film. I've attempted an adaptation before and it was alot harder than I thought it would be. You can't just pull chapters verbatim from the book and set them in scenes. So much more goes into an adaptation, like:

• the emotion that the character will convey
• establishing the background for a character
  
• conversion into a classic three act type structure
• making the screenplay dummy proof (suitable for the common man) with appropriate exposition and establishing scenes without spelling everything out and ruining the mystery or storyline.
• worrying about writing "Spec" (technically correct and easily sellable to Hollywood) so you won't be made fun of or rejected outright.
  
• worrying about how close you should stick to the classic three act story structure and Campbellian Monomyth

There are definitely more issues that screenwriters have to deal with but those would be beyond the scope of this blog. (Hopefully I haven't lost most of you by now ;-).

To move on, I've been reading adaptations for a long time and they are some of my favorite types of books. I just love comparing the differences in the film and the book and then finding the hidden story lines and subplots that didn't make it into the film adaptation. So, as promised, here are some of my favorite adaptations:

• Jurassic Park- by Michael Crichton
• The Da Vinci Code - by Dan Brown
• The Lord of the Rings - by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Forrest Gump - by Winston Groom
• Dreamcatcher - by Steven King
• Fight Club - by Chuck Palahniuk
• The Shawshank Redemption- by Steven King
• The Club Dumas (The Ninth Gate) - by Arutro Perez-Reverte
• Harry Potter series - by J.K. Rawling
• The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - by C.S. Lewis
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?(Blade Runner) - by Philip K. Dick
• Johnny Mnemonic (a short story from the book Burning Chrome) - by William Gibson

Next time you go watch a new movie, check and see if its an adaptation then pick up the book. Result=increased enjoyment!

(photo by Andrei Z from Flickr)

Josh Self is the writer and editor for The Horse, The Wedding PhotogBlog, Storycrafter, and a writer for The Terminal, Birmingham's most popular hyper-local blog. He always watches the movie first and then reads the book...

Movie trailers for winter 2008 and summer 2009

~ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ~

I remember seeing a teaser for this during the Olympics. This is coming out Christmas day 2008. Adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards... right up my alley!



~ Angels & Demons ~

According to IMDB the official release date for the new Dan Brown movie based on the best seller is going to be May 15th 2009. As you all may know, I'm a HUGE DB fan and I've been anticipating this movie since the rumor started shortly after Da Vinci Code came out.

Super sneaky secret website! I heard a rumor about this so I investigated and found it. Apparently one of the trailers for A&D has the words "Altars Of Science" hidden in the Illuminati logo. If you Google that phrase you'll find a paid link (the first link) that will lead you to the hidden website. I'm not going to give you the link here because that would ruin the fun. But definitely go check it out if you're a fan to find a video feed.

Still no official word from Brown or Doubleday (Brown's publisher) about his new manuscript tentatively tittled The Solomon Key. The subject matter will deal with the history of the Freemasons and their influence on our founding fathers in the U.S. and possibly Skull and Bones or other secret societies. Robert Langdon will return as the main character as well.


~ Valkyrie ~

Also releasing Christmas Day 2008. This is going to be a tough choice. I'm also a huge Tom Cruise fan... and I love "based on a true story" movies. This looks great! Well acted, filmed and great production design and costuming.

Other upcoming films of interest to me are:

Terminator Salvation (Terminator 4)
Watchmen (based on the classic graphic novel)
(trailers by Comingsoon.net)

Revolution Pictures releases Jake Owen - "Don't Think I Can't Love You" music video.

(the link for the video above is here: Jake Owen - Don't Think I Can't Love You
YouTube has disabled embedding for this video)

Revolution Pictures has released the music video for Jake Owen "Don't Think I Can't Love You" to the internet (YouTube) and their website, revolutionpictures.com. The video was shot on 35mm film earlier this year in the parking lot behind the Alabama Theater and in the top floors of Playhouse (the best costume and props shop in Birmingham). I worked crew for the video as a PA (Production Assistant) and driver. It was a long day but we got it all done in one day. Revolution Pictures is out of Nashville, TN and usually puts up their crew in a hotel for the night. This time the crew ate at The Cheesecake Factory the night before and I happened to be working so it was a strange coincidence.

Apparently you can now catch the video on CMT and the other top Country cable stations, but I bring it to you here... right from The Horse's mouth... (...via YouTube) ;-)

Kelly Clarkson sighted at Cheesecake Factory

Hot medium-rare celebrity gossip coming from The Horse today!

Original American Idol winner and super diva rock star Kelly Clarkson was sighted at The Cheesecake Factory this afternoon as she was out shopping with her "posse" at the Summit in Birmingham, AL. According to Reba.com, Clarkson and Reba McEntire will play Birmingham's BJCC tonight (probably as I'm writing the blog) as part of McEntire's "2 Worlds 2 Voices" tour.
As a noteworthy detail, Clarkson left (my friend) Matt a $50 tip, a very noble gesture and Clarkson gets top rank in my books as "nicest celebrity". (She's hot too! :-)

Most of you know that I work at The Cheesecake Factory and we are known as somewhat of a hub for celebrities when they come into our humble town. Not to brag too hard or anything but, anyone who's anybody comes to eat at Cheesecake. The reasons why are technical and I won't go into it here but, we have been mentioned on more than a few sitcoms. Ones that I know of are: Big Bang Theory, Friends, and King of Queens. Oprah Winfrey regularly visits our Chicago store and raves about our food.


photo by Josh Self, Dullas, VA featured on Schmap.com

I have personally hosted and waited on John Cena, Kenny Chesney and members of the Washington Redskins. We also get locals like Charles Barkley, Mayor Langford and Representative and Obama staff shortlister Artur Davis is a regular. (He's in at least twice a week).

So, stop by for lunch one day... You never know who you might be eating with!

Josh

Remembering Michael Crichton

November 6, 2008 by Michael Hickerson

Best-selling writer Michael Crichton has passed away at the age of 66 according to the Associated Press. Crichton had been privately battling cancer according to his family.


Crichton wrote a string of New York Times best-selling novels including "Jurassic Park," "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere," and "Timeline." Many of Crichton's novels were turned into movies with several of them being huge hits. "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World" are among the most succesful films in Hollywood history and spawned a franchise for Universal Pictures.

Crichton also helped create the long-running televison series, "ER."

"Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," his family said in a statement.

"While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes."

He's even had a dinosaur named for him, Crichton's ankylosaur.

"Michael's talent out-scaled even his own dinosaurs of `Jurassic Park,'" said "Jurassic Park" director Steven Spielberg, a friend of Crichton's for 40 years. "He was the greatest at blending science with big theatrical concepts, which is what gave credibility to dinosaurs again walking the Earth. Michael was a gentle soul who reserved his flamboyant side for his novels. There is no one in the wings that will ever take his place."

John Wells, executive producer of "ER" called the author "an extraordinary man. Brilliant, funny, erudite, gracious, exceptionally inquisitive and always thoughtful.

"No lunch with Michael lasted less than three hours and no subject was too prosaic or obscure to attract his interest. Sexual politics, medical and scientific ethics, anthropology, archaeology, economics, astronomy, astrology, quantum physics, and molecular biology were all regular topics of conversation."

Crichton's novels were designed to spark debate and controversy, from his exploration of sexual politics in "Disclosure" to his examination of global warming in "State of Fear." Crichton was working on a final novel that was scheduled for publication next month by Harper Collins. At this time, the book has been postponed.

Crichton was married five times and had one child. A private funeral is planned.

----------

Crichton was probably the author I read the most in my lifetime and will continue to read until I've read everything he's written. His books were intelligent, scientifically accurate, well written, entertaining, intriguing, and he wrote characters that made us think that he was talking about real people! As a bonus, his books always made me investigate and question things. Now that he's gone... the world will be missing that careful blend of sci-fi, true science, storytelling and that eternal "what if" that he seemed to inject into each story. Needless to say, this geek will miss you sir...


Josh

PS. Crichton books I have read so far: Jurassic Park (2 times), The Lost World, Congo, and Timeline...

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Wahlberg to star in Shyamalan film

Wahlberg to star in Shyamalan film
'Happening' set to happen June 2008
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Mark Wahlberg has been set to star in 20th Century Fox thriller "The Happening," which M. Night Shyamalan will direct in August in Philadelphia.
Fox has carved out plans to release the film with a day-and-date worldwide bow on Friday, June 13, 2008.
"Friday the 13th has very distinctive, global connotations, which make it the ideal launching pad for this frightening thriller," 20th domestic distribution president Bruce Snyder said in a statement.
Wahlberg will play a man who takes his family on the run when a cataclysmic natural crisis threatens to end the world.
Shyamalan set a spec deal for the spooky apocalyptic pic at the studio earlier this month (Daily Variety, March 7).
When he made the deal, Shyamalan brought back his "Unbreakable" and "Sixth Sense" producer Barry Mendel to produce with Sam Mercer. He also brought with him a co-financier in India-based UTV, which committed 50% of the film's $57 million budget, with Fox distributing worldwide except in India.
When Shyamalan made his deal with Fox, he'd already been making inroads to get Wahlberg aboard the film.
"Mark has a unique blend of charisma, humanity, authenticity and skillfulness as an actor," Shyamalan said, "all of which coalesced at this moment in his career, making him the perfect person to take on the role of Eliot Moore, the science teacher at the center of this event."
The actor, who just opened in "Shooter," is also getting in the ring with Matt Damon and director Darren Aronofsky on Paramount film "The Fighter."
Pic is the third that UTV has recently co-financed at the studio, after the Mira Nair-directed "The Namesake," and the Chris Rock starrer "I Think I Love My Wife," both distributed by Fox Searchlight.

Charles Barkley

This is Charles Barkley, leaving the Cheesecake Factory in Birmingham after lunch with his publicist. BTW, he lives in Birmingham to be close to his family.

CNN.com - Pink Floyd legend Syd Barrett dies - Jul 11, 2006

CNN.com - Pink Floyd legend Syd Barrett dies - Jul 11, 2006: "Pink Floyd legend Syd Barrett dies
Musician a major influence on British psychedelia
Tuesday, July 11, 2006; Posted: 11:04 a.m. EDT (15:04 GMT)



Pink Floyd in 1967: Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Richard Wright.
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Syd Barrett, the eccentric guitarist who founded Pink Floyd but later left the music business to live quietly and somewhat reclusively, has died at the age of 60, according to a spokeswoman for the band.
A spokeswoman for Pink Floyd told the Press Association: 'He died very peacefully a couple of days ago. There will be a private family funeral.'
The singer and guitarist, born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6, 1946, founded the band in 1965 with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. (Its name was derived from two American bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.)
He wrote many of the early hits for the avant-garde rock band, including the 1967 album 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' and the band's first hit singles, 'Arnold Layne' and 'See Emily Play.'

Mo Rocca visits to add punch to 'Piece of Cake'

al.com: Search: "Mo Rocca visits to add punch to 'Piece of Cake'
Sunday, June 25, 2006
BOB CARLTON
News staff writer
Comedian Mo Rocca, all dressed up in his groomsman's tux, walked up to the bridesmaid and pulled up a chair.
'You're a knockout,' he told actress Alison Britt. 'Would a really hot chick want to dance with a dork?'
She said yes, and they hit the dance floor while the Birmingham band Silk E Smooth and a couple of dozen extras swayed to a disco beat in the background.
The bespectacled Rocca, formerly of Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' and currently a correspondent on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' is in Birmingham this weekend shooting scenes for the independent short film 'Piece of Cake.'
It's a comedy about the events leading up to and surrounding a wedding, and Rocca plays Gordon Stints, the brother of the bride. Friday, he filmed the wedding reception scene at Park Lane in Mountain Brook.
'I'm a lawyer with the social limitations that oftentimes come with being a lawyer,' Rocca said between takes. 'I know a lot of unhappy lawyers. Any story involving a lawyer with a happy ending is very special.'
Birmingham filmmaker Jennifer West, the film's writer-director, said she wanted Rocca to appear in her picture after seeing him perform earlier this year at the Alys Stephens Center.
'I've always been a fan of Mo's,' West said. 'I went to see his show to see if he would be approachable. I definitely wanted a name actor to kind of propel this for (film) festivals.'
Rocca - who's also a panelist on the National Public Radio quiz show 'Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!' - joked that he must have impressed"