Viewing Thread:
"A lament for books"

That get made into movies.
Always seems to ruin it in my eyes.
Lord of The Rings might be ok, they're taking it seriously but still...

Books allow you to put your own pictures to things, imagine how the character looks and create the worlds utilising your imagination.
But the moment it's set onto celluloid, then that's it.
That character has a face, or you didn't like the movie or it ruined the book for you.

There are hundreds of decent screenwriters out there, all struggling to come up with decent plots etc, but it's easier to gut a book and use that.
And usually to the detriment of both movie and book.

My biggest "Oh god no" is the Harry Potter movie coming soon.
I remember when that book came out and exploded all over the world.
I was so happy to see that.
Lines of people sleeping outside stores over-night for a book.
Children were excited and really happy because a book was published.
In the age of video-games and movies and other ready-made entertainment, I was so pleased to see so many kids going mental for a book.

Reminded me of when I was a kid and reading Roald Dahl etc. Fantastic Mr Fox, The Iron Giant, Aesop's Fables..so many good books.
And they do stimulate you more than a video-game or movie can, simply because it requires imagination and input.
(I'm not slamming video-games and saying they make you stupid at all, just saying a book stimulates you more by making you work at the images and situations yourself)

When my girlfriend and I were walking down to the river, we saw a kid's party. Fancy dress and it was a Harry Potter them.
The front of the house was done out with a big "Hogwarts" sign and the dad dressed like a wizard or something.
That made me smile from ear to ear that kids were taking such an interest in a book.

Sorry to sound like an old geezer moaning about the good old days, but I can't remember the last time there was a craze like this for something positive.
Usually Cabbage Patch dolls, Buzz Lightyears or other toys that will entertain but get discarded.
A book can be revisited and re-read so many times, it gives so much pleasure.

And it's proven that reading increases your vocabulary and general communication abilities.
And kids were bombing off to read these things for themselves, or have them read to them.
What a wonderful thing to see, not charging down to the toyshop and screaming for the latest toy.

They rushed to bookstores.

But now it's a movie.
Why read the book when you can see the movie?
Or buy the posters? Or the bedspreads, or the video game or the lunch-box or....you get the picture.

Something that kids found for themselves, went out and made the effort to find and discover.
But now it's been redesigned, pre-packaged and sold back to them, but not as a book.
As a "multi-media experience"

And that makes me sad.
Because for a while, I saw kids overjoyed at having a book in their hands, reading aloud to each other and creating worlds in their heads.

Now you can pay £5 and have it shoved down your throat with no effort on your part.

Ant wrote:
I loved the Philip Pullman series, and I think that
> would be ruined by a movie.

Awesome series of books, the Subtle Knfe was the best.

But as you say, most movies from books don't
> work. The Green Mile did, although I read the book second and it
> restricted my imagination a little.

Although the book was brilliant and allowed for a much deeper look at the characters themselves I preferred the film because of the raw emotion it made me feel. I cryed when John was executed.

I agree there...

I'm not the biggest Harry Potter fan, but it was good to see people getting hyped over a book, rather than a movie or video game.

I loved the Philip Pullman series, and I think that would be ruined by a movie.

Animorps was a book series that I've always liked, and the TV series was very poor, and has put off many possible readers.

But as you say, most movies from books don't work. The Green Mile did, although I read the book second and it restricted my imagination a little.

Books are for the imagination. When I was young, and even now to be honest, when I go to bed I like to imagine myself in a book I've been reading...how would I cope?? That sort of thing.

Anyway, nice topic Goatboy.

Thanks for reading, Ant.

That get made into movies.
Always seems to ruin it in my eyes.
Lord of The Rings might be ok, they're taking it seriously but still...

Books allow you to put your own pictures to things, imagine how the character looks and create the worlds utilising your imagination.
But the moment it's set onto celluloid, then that's it.
That character has a face, or you didn't like the movie or it ruined the book for you.

There are hundreds of decent screenwriters out there, all struggling to come up with decent plots etc, but it's easier to gut a book and use that.
And usually to the detriment of both movie and book.

My biggest "Oh god no" is the Harry Potter movie coming soon.
I remember when that book came out and exploded all over the world.
I was so happy to see that.
Lines of people sleeping outside stores over-night for a book.
Children were excited and really happy because a book was published.
In the age of video-games and movies and other ready-made entertainment, I was so pleased to see so many kids going mental for a book.

Reminded me of when I was a kid and reading Roald Dahl etc. Fantastic Mr Fox, The Iron Giant, Aesop's Fables..so many good books.
And they do stimulate you more than a video-game or movie can, simply because it requires imagination and input.
(I'm not slamming video-games and saying they make you stupid at all, just saying a book stimulates you more by making you work at the images and situations yourself)

When my girlfriend and I were walking down to the river, we saw a kid's party. Fancy dress and it was a Harry Potter them.
The front of the house was done out with a big "Hogwarts" sign and the dad dressed like a wizard or something.
That made me smile from ear to ear that kids were taking such an interest in a book.

Sorry to sound like an old geezer moaning about the good old days, but I can't remember the last time there was a craze like this for something positive.
Usually Cabbage Patch dolls, Buzz Lightyears or other toys that will entertain but get discarded.
A book can be revisited and re-read so many times, it gives so much pleasure.

And it's proven that reading increases your vocabulary and general communication abilities.
And kids were bombing off to read these things for themselves, or have them read to them.
What a wonderful thing to see, not charging down to the toyshop and screaming for the latest toy.

They rushed to bookstores.

But now it's a movie.
Why read the book when you can see the movie?
Or buy the posters? Or the bedspreads, or the video game or the lunch-box or....you get the picture.

Something that kids found for themselves, went out and made the effort to find and discover.
But now it's been redesigned, pre-packaged and sold back to them, but not as a book.
As a "multi-media experience"

And that makes me sad.
Because for a while, I saw kids overjoyed at having a book in their hands, reading aloud to each other and creating worlds in their heads.

Now you can pay £5 and have it shoved down your throat with no effort on your part.