What movies did you recently watch?

Discussion in 'The Living Room' started by Hybrid Soldier, Jun 29, 2003.

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  1. Jeff

    Jeff WORSHIP LPA Addicted VIP

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    That happens a lot with a book made into movie. They tend to cut off a lot of important events that happened in the books, which is why it tends to be a downer when you are a fan of a book series that is made into a movie.
     
  2. Omar

    Omar Administrator LPA Super Member

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    American Gangster (2007)

    I bought it for $1.80. Hadn't seen it in a few years. There's a strong movie in there somewhere, but I still enjoyed it.
     
  3. Benjamin

    Benjamin LPA team LPA Super VIP

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    That's why you do what I do: Don't read books :awesome:
     
  4. TannerWolf

    TannerWolf It's High Voltage, You Can't Shake the Shock

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    I hate it >.>

    I mean Harry Potter was okay

    But dude, the movie for LOTG wasn't even barely on the plot of the books.
     
  5. SuperDude526

    SuperDude526 Well-Known Member

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    I'm a writer and my dream has always been to see a book of mine turned into a movie. What they did to HP I don't mind, but I would like it if Hollywood writers and directors wouldn't deign to "adapt" the script to screen so heavily.
     
  6. Gman2887

    Gman2887 Well-Known Member

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    But that's just it. As screenwriters, they don't owe the creators of the source material, fans or anyone a single thing. Now recently there's been a stipulation amongst Hollywood to faithfully adapt material for fans, i.e. Harry Potter, superhero flicks...etc... But that's a recent development and something I can't see hanging around forever. So everyone should enjoy it while it's there.

    Screenwriters have a duty. To write a script that is easily translatable to the screen. From there they can muck up whatever characters, story and setting they want. Jaws and Jurassic Park are almost unrecognizable when you go back to their novel counterparts, but they made great movies regardless.

    Faithful adaptations are nice, but just because they're close to home doesn't mean they will make great stories on screen. (Example: Watchmen.)
     
  7. Agent

    Agent Formerly known as Agent Sideburns LPA Über VIP

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    ^ My thoughts exactly. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I too shake my head while watching the movies because they often miss out certain details. But at the end of the day if the movie delivers as an entertaining watch and hits certain notes it gets a pass in my books.

    Also, lately I've been seeing a lot of people bitching about The Social Network not hitting the mark on the true events. Who the fuck cares? Those changes worked to create an amazing film!
     
  8. Jeff

    Jeff WORSHIP LPA Addicted VIP

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    The only real problem I had with The Social Network was that they made Zuckerberg's lines almost too perfect, but I agree that it was an awesome movie.
     
  9. Dean

    Dean LPA Addict LPA Addict

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    Douglas Adams had the right idea making the various versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy different to each other. Being faithful to the spirit of something is more important than being faithful to the letter.
     
  10. travz21

    travz21 Muscle Museum LPA Super Member

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    I'm pretty sure if the creator of the source material doesn't like what the screenwriters are doing, they can basically just say they aren't making the movie then. Unless they sign a contract and then let Hollywood do whatever they want with it, which is what might happen actually haha.
     
  11. Dean

    Dean LPA Addict LPA Addict

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    It pretty much depends on who ends up with the rights/clout to decide whether or not it happens, as far as I know.
     
  12. Omar

    Omar Administrator LPA Super Member

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    Actually, that's exactly what happens. Most authors, such as those who write novels, pretty much always retain copyright to their works, even when published. So they have say in whether or not to sell the adaptation rights. However, once you sell those away, the adaptation owner is/are free to do as they wish.

    Being a film aficionado, and a would-be screenwriter myself, I have enormous respect for the craft of screenwriting. Most of the time, a movie doesn't go wrong because one thing doesn't work (e.g. the script alone). It fails because several aspects don't mesh well together.
     
  13. dereklp

    dereklp :Not here:

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    Tremors. Classic.
     
  14. Omar

    Omar Administrator LPA Super Member

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    The Ladykillers (2004)

    Is this the first (and only) time Tom Hanks has played a villain, so to speak?
     
  15. Jeff

    Jeff WORSHIP LPA Addicted VIP

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    He was a mob hitman in Road To Perdition and a bit of an asshole on You've Got Mail if those count :lol:
     
  16. dereklp

    dereklp :Not here:

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    Wasn't he the bad guy in " you've got mail? " I mean, he did shut that chicks store down! Rude.
     
  17. Moridin

    Moridin Death Contagious Deity

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    :lol: ^

    I watched Leathal Weapon 1 through 4 last week. Classic action flicks, highly enjoyable.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2011
  18. Gman2887

    Gman2887 Well-Known Member

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    90% of the time this is exactly what happens. Often the "creator" doesn't have a say in it. Money and rights speak louder than what the maker wants. In rare cases, either out of respect or money, a book's or comic book's author will be brought along as a creative consultant, but that's it.

    Alan Moore didn't want Watchmen made. Too bad. Noriaki Yuasa was shown the door not long after he was asked to be a creative consultant for the 1990s Gamera reboot. He created the character? Big deal, the studio wanted to go another direction. Bob Kane didn't want nipples on the Batman suit when Joel Shumacher took over the franchise. We all wish he had the power to stop him, but he had little to none.

    The bottom line is unless the creator is the producer, director or head of a studio, they have little to no say in the project. In many cases they won't even be contacted for the project. Like I said, a screenwriter owes them nothing.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2011
  19. Dean

    Dean LPA Addict LPA Addict

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    It's more prevalent with comic related films because in that area it was/is standard procedure for the publisher to end up owning the rights in the first place, so if the publisher wants a film made it gets made.
     
  20. Snail

    Snail LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    Wall Street - 8/10

    I loved it. Can't say that I was intelligible enough to discern the discrepancies and lingo that was implemented in terms of the stock market, but the characters and progression of the story really kept me invested. Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen were great!

    Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - 5/10

    A sequel that falls flat on it's face I think. Blatant symbolism, tiresome shots and pans of the city. Also, the resurgence of Gekko in his full fledged glory was hammy, and short-lived. In the first film, I felt as if I was able to learn something from it; I was pulled in by the prospects of living off the buying and selling of others, and living a life that Bud Fox enjoyed. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps simply reinstates that the most important commodity in life is time (I agree) , but then unfortunately spends the rest of the film re-iterating and emphasizing that idea in a dragged out process. If anything, I suppose that this sequel provides for closure upon the life of Gordon Gekko and Bud Fox twenty years later. Glad I didn't waste my time in the theater, and waited for rental.
     
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