Books that should be films.

posiview

posiview

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I've read all Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books and recently finishes listening to his first book.

I always thought any films that were made based on the books would either be fantastic or really rubbish, I think with a decent director and actors would make a cracking film.

Although his Make Room! Make Room! was made into the film Soylent Green, I am surprised no Stainless Steel Rat films have not been made.

I'd highly recommend reading them.

Anymore nooks you think should be made into films?

Cheers.
 
I'm not sure about this. I read a lot, and don't watch many films, but I do think that people are often disappointed by a film that follows a book. They have preconceived ideas about the storyline, which has usually been changed, what the main characters should look like and so on.
 
Anne McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern could make a great franchise for film - there are enough books in the series! BUT, they could ruin the stories too. I know what the characters look like in my imagination and my ideas probably wouldn't match those of a producer or casting director!

I'm looking forward to the 50 Shades of Grey film and hoping that it'll be more of a love story than softcore porn but have a feeling that she salacious aspects will be exploited because sex sells.
 
I know of a few books I would like made into films but I fear the result would not measure up to my imagination and I think that is the important thing.

When we read we all construct the look of the world the characters inhabit and the characters themselves in our own minds. That is the best interpretation for us and any film is going to have to work hard to compare. There is also the problem that, in most cases, films have to be a certain length (around 160 minutes) and it is not possible, IMO, to do justice to almost any book in that time.

The best book to film conversion I have seen is the Lord of the Rings, which did not attempt to squeeze the whole story into a very limited time.

If it was done well I'd like to see a film version of Neuromancer by William Gibson, but it would not be half as good as what is in my head.

I think some books are just too complex and rich to be filmed, eg Margaret Atwood's - The Blind Assassin.

Dave
 
+1 for the Stainless Steel Rat. :plus1:
Any of these books made into film which could capture not just the absurd action but the humour would be a great franchise.
 
Nod said:
Anne McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern could make a great franchise for film - there are enough books in the series!
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+1 from me, I started (or so I thought) reading this series of books in my 20's. It was only when I got to The White Dragon, that I realised I'd actually read that book before as a teenager. Not read her books in years so didn't realise there had been more in the series.
Another series of books I'd like to see as films are The Spellsinger series by Alan Dean Foster.
 
Desparate Voyage by John Caldwell. A true story and one of the best books I have read.

In May 1946 John Caldwell set out to sail from Panama to Sydney to reunite with his wife who he hadn't seen for more than a year. Eager to reach his destination and unable to secure any other form of transport, he had to resort to singlehanded seamanship. After an ignominious scene in the harbor, where a tangled anchor led him to take an early dip, he spent ten days learning the rudiments of navigation and sailing from a book, before embarking on the 9,000 mile journey aboard the 20-foot Pagan. Ahead lay a mission that was to reveal in him elements not only of astounding courage and determination, but also of incredible foolhardiness. Within 500 miles of Panama John Caldwell had already been shipwrecked once and had his boat's engine and cockpit destroyed by an angry shark. Indefatigable, he decided to press on towards his goal.He endured the terrors and discomforts of life on the high seas and enjoyed the triumphs of fighting and winning against the elements. This is more than an exciting tale of sea-adventure. It is as compelling and unpredictable as a thriller. It is the story, witty and moving, of a man, motivated initially by love, and ultimately by his own fierce determination to survive.
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- review from Amazon.


Steve.
 
I would of liked to see a version of Clive Cussler's Sahara that stuck to the story line of the book instead of the version we got. I've read the book a few times, both before and after the film, and the film leaves out loads of the books plot. Another one of Cussler's books that I'd like to see made into a film is Valhalla Rising, which is another book I've read a few times, and quite a few others would make good action films too.

I'd also like to see a few of Graham Masterton's novels turned into films, however I think some of the scenes would still be too graphic for the censors. A few scenes in Ritual, which they were planning to make a while back, would never make it and that would end up spoiling the film anyway. I'd like to see faithful versions of The Hymn and Devils Of D-Day and a few others too.
 
Be nice to see something like Notes From The Underground or One Hundred Years of Solitude in film, the first would be pretty serious viewing!



MWHCVT said:
One of the biggest recent disappointments of book to film has to be the Reacher film :(
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I quite liked the merge, worked for me, but then I not much of a knowledge of Childs full character I guess, so their we go.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Be nice to see something like Notes From The Underground or One Hundred Years of Solitude in film, the first would be pretty serious viewing!





I quite liked the merge, worked for me, but then I not much of a knowledge of Childs full character I guess, so their we go.
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If I hand read all of the books some a couple of times I'd probably have enjoyed the film as it was specifically bad but in comparison to the book it was about as far removed as it could have been :(
 
Reacher the film was dire....catastrophic character representation. I like Cruise in general but for Reacher he should be smacked upside the head. And because he now owns the rights it's not going to get any better.
 
MWHCVT said:
If I hand read all of the books some a couple of times I'd probably have enjoyed the film as it was specifically bad but in comparison to the book it was about as far removed as it could have been :(
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viv1969 said:
Reacher the film was dire....catastrophic character representation. I like Cruise in general but for Reacher he should be smacked upside the head. And because he now owns the rights it's not going to get any better.
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Who, which actor, would you have chosen instead guys? ...who would be closer kinda thing.
 
modchild said:
I would of liked to see a version of Clive Cussler's Sahara that stuck to the story line of the book instead of the version we got. I've read the book a few times, both before and after the film, and the film leaves out loads of the books plot. Another one of Cussler's books that I'd like to see made into a film is Valhalla Rising, which is another book I've read a few times, and quite a few others would make good action films too.

I'd also like to see a few of Graham Masterton's novels turned into films, however I think some of the scenes would still be too graphic for the censors. A few scenes in Ritual, which they were planning to make a while back, would never make it and that would end up spoiling the film anyway. I'd like to see faithful versions of The Hymn and Devils Of D-Day and a few others too.
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Clive Cussler didn't like how the film Sahara turned out, so I doubt he'll be easily swayed for another book to be made into a film. Although, money does talk....
 
Someone more like Gerard Butler springs to mind personally
 
viv1969 said:
Reacher the film was dire....catastrophic character representation. I like Cruise in general but for Reacher he should be smacked upside the head. And because he now owns the rights it's not going to get any better.
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That - The film wasn't too bad if you ignored the fact that it was based on a lee child book and just regarded it as a generic tom cruise vehicle , but as a representation of 'one shot' it sucked like a ten dollar whore. And why the hell they started with 'one shot' is anyone's guess - of the reacher books I'd have gone with die trying for unremitting action or echo burning for building tension with an explosive release.

Forbiddenbiker said:
Who, which actor, would you have chosen instead guys? ...who would be closer kinda thing.
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more or less anyone - reacher is supposed to be 6'4 with a 50 inch chest and sandy blonde hair - tiny tom could win an "actor least like jack reacher" contest hands down . As to the ideal jack reacher that is a hotly contested point - Vigo Mortensen if he was a bit younger , Chris Hemsworth if he was a bit older , Hugh Jackman if he wasn't type cast as wolverine , Ryan Gosling (as per 'only god forgives' ) if he was a bit rougher looking ... me if I could act ? - the choices are legion and any of the above (except maybe the last ;) ) would have been more convincing than tiny tom
 
posiview said:
I've read all Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books and recently finishes listening to his first book.

Anymore nooks you think should be made into films?

Cheers.
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I'd love to see the Stainless Steel Rat made into a series of films, likewise all Larry Niven's Known Space series, especilaly Ringworld (CGI could manage a great Peirson's puppeteer).

Julian May's Golden Torc should be good. Also probably a bit old now, but A.E. van Vogt's Voyage Of The Space Beagle would be a fascinating if niche film, and likewise The Pawns Of Null-A.
 
John Scalzi's 'old man's war' would make an epic film if done well (and the other two of the trilogy - ghosts brigades and the last colony as follow ups)
 
I don't know how they are going to make 50 Shades of Grey into a film. It's just going to be one long porno.
 
Moose....like him or loathe him....look at the thread title
 
I've re-read the Stephen Clarke "Merde" trilogy and thought it would make a good film. Lots of French mademoiselles :D and gentle pokes at Frenchness could make a good guy flick. (Don't know the equivalent of chick flick!!)
 
I wonder how important the disconnects between the characters in a book, and the way they're portrayed in a film, are if you haven't read the book and have no idea what they're supposed to look like? I'm thinking about the Lee Child/Reacher example. I've only read one of the books - it bored me witless - and I haven't seen the film, but Reacher's height and powerful build seemed pretty central to the character. Would this still matter?
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Who, which actor, would you have chosen instead guys? ...who would be closer kinda thing.
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As has been said already Chris Hemsworth I think. Maybe Chris Evans from Captain America, Gerard Butler but I think Hugh Jackman would be about the best choice. Are you listening Tom? Give up starring in them and hand the role over.
 
Its more his phycotic nature I remmember from the odd book Ive read, it's that twisted turmoil thing he has going on and I enjoyed seeing cruse do something diffferent, a bit like Jackman, I agree he'd fit for me too, loads of fat charisma, and Butler too, I think maybe its that fat charisma that filled the void in height for me, dunno, but I didn't really notice untill you've all mentioned it now.
 
MartynK said:
I wonder how important the disconnects between the characters in a book, and the way they're portrayed in a film, are if you haven't read the book and have no idea what they're supposed to look like? I'm thinking about the Lee Child/Reacher example. I've only read one of the books - it bored me witless - and I haven't seen the film, but Reacher's height and powerful build seemed pretty central to the character. Would this still matter?
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I do think reading the books makes a big difference to how you see the film equivalent - I used to love the game of thrones series until I read the books, but after that the plot and character inconsistencies really spoiled it for me, same with Rebus - love the rankin books , can't abide the TV series , and as to Messiah (by Boris starling) not only did they completely mutilate the charecter but they changed the ending to make a series possible thus completely destroying the point of the development of the character in the first place ( In the book the policeman struggles with an inner violence all the way through, and at the end over reacts to being attacked by the serial killer (who believes himself to be the next messiah) and crucifies him - and goes to jail for it , right at the end he's happy that he's in jail because his violence is contained and he's no longer a threat to society)
 
big soft moose said:
( In the book the policeman struggles with an inner violence all the way through, and at the end over reacts to being attacked by the serial killer (who believes himself to be the next messiah) and crucifies him - and goes to jail for it
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<makes mental note not to read that book now>
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Its more his phycotic nature I remmember from the odd book Ive read, it's that twisted turmoil thing he has going on .
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nah Reacher doesn't have a psychotic nature - he's not really tormented at all, he just see's himself essentially as he did while in the service as a special investigator as a righter of wrongs and protector of the weak, he has a very stronger inner centre based on principal and doing what is right - hence the title line for the second book "Die Trying" where his ex boss from the army says " you can be certain of one thing, Jack Reacher will do the right thing, or die trying "

You are right that Cruise did play him has struggling with inner demons, but thats just another thing he has totally wrong to the books, and the character he plays is pretty much the antithesis of who Jack Reacher is supposed to be.

As i said its not a bad film per se - if you ignore that its supposed to be based on a Lee child book
 
big soft moose said:
I do think reading the books makes a big difference to how you see the film equivalent ............ same with Rebus - love the rankin books , can't abide the TV series
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I liked the Rebus books too, and I wondered if someone would bring them up. I know Edinburgh, and most of the places Ian Rankin writes about - including the pubs - well, and I served in Lothian and Borders Police a long time ago. My wife also lived in Marchmont, quite close to Arden Street, before we were married, so the stories have some resonance for me.

Unlike Lee Child, Ian Rankin doesn't describe his characters in detail. He just gives hints and leaves it to the reader to picture them in his own mind, but the TV interpretation fell short of just about everyone's expectations. It just didn't work.
 
Neuromancer (William Gibson).
Excession (Iain Banks).
The saga of the pliocene exiles (Julian May).
Men of good fortune (vol.4 of The Dolls House by Neil Gaiman)
 
MartynK said:
I liked the Rebus books too, and I wondered if someone would bring them up. I know Edinburgh, and most of the places Ian Rankin writes about - including the pubs - well, and I served in Lothian and Borders Police a long time ago. My wife also lived in Marchmont, quite close to Arden Street, before we were married, so the stories have some resonance for me.

Unlike Lee Child, Ian Rankin doesn't describe his characters in detail. He just gives hints and leaves it to the reader to picture them in his own mind, but the TV interpretation fell short of just about everyone's expectations. It just didn't work.
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It didnt help that they cast first john hannah and then ken stott who are both massively over exposed.

I'm waiting for them to make the skinner series (quintin Jardine) although its a virtual certainity that they'll b****r them up into fomulaic scottish crime drama - where nearly every series seems pretty much the same and interchangeable with any other
 
big soft moose said:
I do think reading the books makes a big difference to how you see the film equivalent - I used to love the game of thrones series until I read the books, but after that the plot and character inconsistencies really spoiled it for me, same with Rebus - love the rankin books , can't abide the TV series , and as to Messiah (by Boris starling) not only did they completely mutilate the charecter but they changed the ending to make a series possible thus completely destroying the point of the development of the character in the first place ( In the book the policeman struggles with an inner violence all the way through, and at the end over reacts to being attacked by the serial killer (who believes himself to be the next messiah) and crucifies him - and goes to jail for it , right at the end he's happy that he's in jail because his violence is contained and he's no longer a threat to society)
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Yep, Messiah was a great book, I tend not to watch films of books that I have read.I tend to find them very disappointing.
 
Im surpised no Harry Bosch(Michael Connelly) films have been made yet. Although the Dennis Weaver-esque moustache he sports in the books probably a non starter these days.
 
DorsetDude said:
Im surpised no Harry Bosch(Michael Connelly) films have been made yet. Although the Dennis Weaver-esque moustache he sports in the books probably a non starter these days.
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A couple of his books have been made into movies....though not HB ones. But he has written a drama for amazon called Bosch.
 
viv1969 said:
A couple of his books have been made into movies....though not HB ones. But he has written a drama for amazon called Bosch.
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Yeah, Blood Work and the Lincoln Lawyer spring to mind.
 
MartynK said:
I'm not sure about this. I read a lot, and don't watch many films, but I do think that people are often disappointed by a film that follows a book.
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This. ^^

They rarely live to up expectation. The only time it works is if the book is very short, or a novella; Shawshank Redemption springs to mind. Or when the book is turned into a series, such as Game of Thrones.... except "Under the Dome" was so bad it beggars belief.. that's what you get for just plagiarising the Simpson's movie though. :)

Condensing a whole novel into a 120 minute film usually sucks.
 
Any Clive Cussler book would make a great trashy action film.

I have always wanted more of the Terry Pratchett books converted to the screen.
 
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