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Family and Friends is my everyday journal. Captain's Log is where I pontificate on religion and politics.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

WC 111120

 


This week the topic is Movies that were better than the books.

Talk about looking at things differently! I can name untold number of movies that mucked up a good book. It took a bit to think of some that were better than the book. Some did finally come to mind.


Twilight. We listened to it on audio tape. Isabella was so full of angst and self loathing that it's a wonder anyone, werewolf or vampire would want her other than as food. Halfway through the book my daughter said, "Turn it off." She loved the movies, but never wanted to read the books.



The Fellowship of the Ring. The trilogy as a whole was great reading, but there is one part in the Fellowship that sparks great debate on what is left out of all the movies. Tom Bombadil. Purists are outraged, but when reading the book at 15 I skipped it. It was nothing but some guy spouting poetry and really slowed down the story. I've re-read the book several times and only read that part once. On subsequent reading I skip it. Every movie version of Fellowship left it out for good reason.


The Three Musketeers. The movie version I'm referring to was the one made into two movies named The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers. It starred Charleton Heston as Richelieu, Michael York as d'Artagnan, and Faye Dunaway as Milady DeWinter. It stayed true to book, but added humor. The sword fights were played on various terrain, in the dark, on ice until the final one at the end. Extras mumbled funny things in the background. Constance, played by Raquel Welsh was clumsy making for pratfalls. By far the best version on the classic.


The Feast of All Saints. I read a lot of Anne Rice books. Her vamires, witches, body snatcher, mummy, Cry to Heaven about Castratos in medieval Catholic churches. I ate them up like candy. Then I hit this one. The first twenty pages describe a young man getting dressed, walking out of his house, through the front garden and down the street. Every article of clothing is described in minute detail, the house, the garden and the every house on the street get the same treatment. I couldn't go on. None of her other books were like this. I rather liked her description in Exit to Eden and her Sleeping Beauty books. This one was way too much. The book was made into a television mini-series. I enjoyed the TV mini-series. It's available on DVD and Netflix. It left out all the description.


12 comments:

Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer said...

I haven't see that Anne Rice book in tv movie form, so will have to check it out, but I agree she gets into detail sometimes and it's a bit much. Good post!

Judy said...

Good post. I loved The Three Musketeers and so many of the adaptations seem to miss a lot of the important character development in the book. I'll have to watch the Heston versions. Thanks for the heads up. My post is here: http://jhthomas.blogspot.com/2020/11/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge_11.html

Lydia said...

Lord of the Rings was on my list, too!

P M Prescott said...

She does, Megan, especially about New Orleans.

P M Prescott said...

Judy, it's by far the best take on the book.

P M Prescott said...

Glad we are in agreement, Lydia.

Tena Stetler said...

I agree with your choices Ann Rice and the Twilight Series. Couldn't get through the first book in Twilight series but the movies were ok. Thanks for sharing. Here's mine. https://www.tenastetler.com/movies-that-were-better-than-the-books-lsrs-blogging-challenge/

P M Prescott said...

Nice to know we are of like mind, Tena.

Marianne Arkins said...

So ... I had no clue THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS was made into a movie. I'll have to check it out. I pretty much agree with you on LOTR, though, and I know it infuriates the LOTR book groupies, but it is what it is ...

P M Prescott said...

I seem to have found some kindred spirits with LOTR here, Marianne.

Tanith Davenport said...

I'd have to agree on Lord of the Rings. I didn't get past Tom Bombadil.

P M Prescott said...

Tanith, a lot of people bogged down there.