Literature
This weeks top ten hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is a very fun topic: the best movie adaptations of literary works. Here is mine:
- Why Do Dreams Need Guns?
I just finished watching Christopher Nolan's most recent film, Inception. I found this movie perplexing on many levels, not the least of which was its relentlessly derivative post-Matrix feel. This included all the fights and guns, which never cease...
- Marley & Me: What Is It?
When I went to Blockbuster yesterday afternoon, I had no intentions to write a post about Marley & Me. But this movie is such a curious oddity, in ways one might not expect from a film touted as "The Perfect Family Comedy!" (Mark Allen, CBS, DVD cover)....
- My Top 10 Books Tbr This Fall!
This is the first time that I am participating in the Top Ten Tuesday meme held by The Broke and the Bookish. I've decided to go back to school in September and with the heavy course load, it is doubtful that I will have the time to enjoy some leisurely...
- It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
I'm conforming to social protocol amongst the reader's blogging community hosted by Sheila at Book Journey so let's see how this goes. I managed to read three books last week, which is pretty darn impressive considering my inherent laziness:...
- A Clockwork Orange By Anthony Burgess
"What's it going to be then, eh?" O, my brothers, I viddy that A Clockwork Orange is a real horror-show! Having seen the wonderful Kubrick film adaptation a few years ago and finally getting around to reading the actual novel now, I...
Literature
Top Ten Tuesday: The Ten Best Movie Adaptations
This weeks top ten hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is a very fun topic: the best movie adaptations of literary works. Here is mine:
- A Scanner Darkly: A Keanu Reeves film that isn't cringe-worthy? You betcha. Richard Linklater is one of the most talented directors working today and here he somehow manages to adapt this wacky and complex science fiction masterpiece by Philip K. Dick, which I thought would be impossible to translate to the screen. The rotoscoping technique and psychedelic visuals compliment the story perfectly.
- Lord of the Rings: Epic and beyond anything I could have possibly imagined.
- High Fidelity: It doesn't matter that the setting is changed from London to Chicago, adaptations don't get much better than this one. John Cusack is the freakin' man.
- A Clockwork Orange: With this film, Kubrick proves again why he is one of the greatest directors and such a daring visionary. Controversial and banned for decades, he takes on the demanding task of adapting a difficult novel and although he makes significant changes, he keeps true to the spirit of the original source material. Plus, Malcolm McDowell as Alex is just perfect casting and his performance is legendary.
- The Third Man: Graham Greene + Carol Reed + Orson Welles + Zither = Film-noir masterpiece.
- Pride and Prejudice (2005): Joe Wright has proven to be quite the maverick when it comes to book adaptations. Even though I was initially skeptical of having Kiera Knightly playing Elizabeth Bennet, she quickly won me over and so did the entire film. I think Jane Austen would be proud.
- Barry Lyndon: Kubrick strikes again. He takes a mediocre Victorian novel and transforms it into a visual masterpiece. The cinematography, mise-en-scene and musical score is just breathtaking. It gets my vote for the most beautiful film ever made.
- Sin City: Sure, it's all green screen but Frank Miller's violent graphic novel finally gets the proper adaptation it deserves.
- Perks of Being a Wallflower: Stephen Chobsky decides to direct his own novel and delivers one of the biggest surprises of 2012. Hermione even pulls off a very convincing American accent.
- Atonement: It's rare to come across a film adaptation that is better than the original but Joe Wright manages to pull it off here. A great cast and stunning visuals (that long tracking shot on the beach is very impressive).
- Why Do Dreams Need Guns?
I just finished watching Christopher Nolan's most recent film, Inception. I found this movie perplexing on many levels, not the least of which was its relentlessly derivative post-Matrix feel. This included all the fights and guns, which never cease...
- Marley & Me: What Is It?
When I went to Blockbuster yesterday afternoon, I had no intentions to write a post about Marley & Me. But this movie is such a curious oddity, in ways one might not expect from a film touted as "The Perfect Family Comedy!" (Mark Allen, CBS, DVD cover)....
- My Top 10 Books Tbr This Fall!
This is the first time that I am participating in the Top Ten Tuesday meme held by The Broke and the Bookish. I've decided to go back to school in September and with the heavy course load, it is doubtful that I will have the time to enjoy some leisurely...
- It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
I'm conforming to social protocol amongst the reader's blogging community hosted by Sheila at Book Journey so let's see how this goes. I managed to read three books last week, which is pretty darn impressive considering my inherent laziness:...
- A Clockwork Orange By Anthony Burgess
"What's it going to be then, eh?" O, my brothers, I viddy that A Clockwork Orange is a real horror-show! Having seen the wonderful Kubrick film adaptation a few years ago and finally getting around to reading the actual novel now, I...