You Must See The Prestige

[durkada]

It's VERY hard to capture a full book in a movie. Think about how long it takes you to read a book as opposed to watch a movie.
There's so much description in a book. I've been listenining to the audio version of "Snow Crash" (only the first hour so far) and I can't imagine how they would even capture all the detail and personallity in a movie.

The only movie I can think of that even came close to the book (IMO) was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. They did a really good job on that one...

It can be very difficult to condense a book into a movie. In the case of the Prestiege, less difficult than most. With the Prestige, the story elements which were not carried over from the book were filled with melodrama on the screen. The only major issue with the book would be the contemporary element -- which could have been reworked to victorian times with exceptional affect.

Conversely, some books are exceptionally simple to do -- Fight Club, the book, read like a screen-play. The movie carried the book almost scene-for-scene.

Never saw LW&W, nor did I read the book.

[neohx_7]

It's VERY hard to capture a full book in a movie. Think about how long it takes you to read a book as opposed to watch a movie.
There's so much description in a book. I've been listenining to the audio version of "Snow Crash" (only the first hour so far) and I can't imagine how they would even capture all the detail and personallity in a movie.

The only movie I can think of that even came close to the book (IMO) was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. They did a really good job on that one...

I hope they never bastardize anything Neil Stephenson into a movie.

[sotu]

I watched it last night here at home and it's quite a remarkable movie, although I'll have to watch it again to understand the ending. Bale's my fav actor right now, Harsh Times was awesome also.

[alexkidd]

It's VERY hard to capture a full book in a movie. Think about how long it takes you to read a book as opposed to watch a movie.
There's so much description in a book. I've been listenining to the audio version of "Snow Crash" (only the first hour so far) and I can't imagine how they would even capture all the detail and personallity in a movie.

The only movie I can think of that even came close to the book (IMO) was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. They did a really good job on that one...

I agree, there is too often a wish among fans that a movie be EXACTLY like a book in order to be good. This is nearly impossible for most books. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe that you mentioned is very detailed, but also very light in word count, allowing for a long epic movie to do it justice. Most other books it's just not going to happen. There's also a stigma that a movie can never be as good as the original book. I have no problem admitting that I like the film of certain books better than the book. IRobot by Isaac Asimov I thought was a pretty avg. sci fi book. The movie took huge liberties that had most fans hating it, but I actually think it's better. I also like the film The Outsiders better than the book.
There are other books like Watership Down, where I feel like the film only tells half of the story and that can be dissappointing (I haven't read the book the Prestige is based upon so maybe tthis is the case).

Look at LOTR, I had read those books 4 times growing up and knew every word by heart. The extended versions of the film contains as much info as possible in a feature film, but still had to leave stuff out, and a part of LOTR book fans still critisized it. For me there was a slight feeling of loss that the character's I've known and loved for two decades of my life were suddenly pop culture icons that every mall chick even knew about. I think lots of people get that feeling when they see their favorite books go into main stream films, and that's actually part of the common dissappointment.

BTW... I thought the Prestige was awesome too, I'm a huge Bowie fan so when I saw him that really pushed it over the top, even though I was already really into it.

[lordofduct]

Look at LOTR, I had read those books 4 times growing up and knew every word by heart. The extended versions of the film contains as much info as possible in a feature film, but still had to leave stuff out, and a part of LOTR book fans still critisized it. For me there was a slight feeling of loss that the character's I've known and loved for two decades of my life were suddenly pop culture icons that every mall chick even knew about. I think lots of people get that feeling when they see their favorite books go into main stream films, and that's actually part of the common dissappointment.

I don't know if it is shallow of me or not. But I get a bad taste for films and books when a book/movie I love becomes that "cult classic" known by all or that pop craze everyone knows about. I immediately stop liking the title... I'll never read or watch it again probably. Of course this happens with movies more often then books.

For instance: Clockwork Orange, I watched this back in the early 90's as a kid. My mother is weird... I thought the movie was really cool and I become obsessed with Kubrick. When I got to highschool in Florida all I heard from everyone is how great the movie is. By the year 2001 when I graduated I had people demanding I watch the film because of how great it is and they knew I liked other strange films.

Ok I have to say one thing... I never once thought it was an AMAZING film. It was fun, it was strange and off the cuff. A shock flick that grabs your attention... it isn't fucking amazing. That and I had seen it nearly 8 years prior! But despite my telling them this they would spend all this time describing scenes to me and telling me "it's based on a book ya know" and other nonsense. It drove me mad.

It happend with 'Labyrinth', 'pulp fiction', 'Pi'... and others that have been so devalued in my head I can't remember them. Except Terry Gilliam films; I still love those no matter how much people blab on about em' (beside that stupid fear and loathing crap... I hate drug movies).

BTW... I thought the Prestige was awesome too, I'm a huge Bowie fan so when I saw him that really pushed it over the top, even though I was already really into it.

Definately!


[EDIT] Oh and if you want to see a shock film and begin the derailment of my enjoyment for a film watch "A boy and his Dog". It's old, very old, and kinda B movie. But it is fun to watch.

And also check out the new Gilliam film "Tideland"... twisted... weird... and the disclaimer Gilliam gives just before the film must be heard and followed.

[alexkidd]

[EDIT] Oh and if you want to see a shock film and begin the derailment of my enjoyment for a film watch "A boy and his Dog". It's old, very old, and kinda B movie. But it is fun to watch.

And also check out the new Gilliam film "Tideland"... twisted... weird... and the disclaimer Gilliam gives just before the film must be heard and followed.

Thanks for the reccomendations, I'll check them out. I recently watched Fellini's "8 1/2" for the first time, every person I've recommended it to has either been blown away or pissed that I wasted their time. HAHA. Sounds like you'd like if you haven't already checked it out.

The neighborhood in Chicago I live in is full of the type of people you describe (the same clockwork orange cult happeneed at my highschool lol). It's cool to be surrounded by artists and musicisians, but many of them are all trying to be different by wearing the same clothes and watching the same films, quite the contradiction.