Sepiatone Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Yeah, somebody had a thread like this before. But instead of me wallowing through pages and pages of archives to try and BUMP it, I thought I'd just START another one! There ARE probably several books, many of us may have read, where we think, "Geez! THIS would be a GREAT movie, if put in the right hands!" Now, I don't propose to suggest just WHOSE hands would be the "right" ones in any of my suggestions. Just that I think THESE books would have been good movies! DYNASTY: Robert S. Elegant---Beginning in 1900, it's the story of one MARY OSGOOD and her history after arriving in Hong Kong that year. The book actually begins in the year 1972, and Mary is the honored matriarch of a large powerful Eurasian family. KIN FLICKS: Lisa Alther----This story follows the tribulations of a girl, a child of the '50's through her earliest teen experiences, into the turbulent mid '60's and college life, to her first marriage and her trying to settle on some identity by the early '70's. while dealing with her mother's impending death due to some rare blood disorder. WINTERDANCE: Gary Paulsen-----Subtitled " the fine madness of running the Iditarod". Chronicles Mr. Paulsen's experience with sled dogs primarily for hunting and trapping to his decision to try and run the grueling Alaskan sled dog race. Paulsen's well stated prose conjures up vivid mental images, and would provide many a skilled cinematographer excellent opportunities for capturing stunning scenes on film. And enough drama and humor to entertain a wide variety of audiences. NAPOLEON: Kevin Brownlow----I found the story of Brownlow's years-long search and quest to obtain and put together all of Abel Gance's masterpiece as compelling as the movie itself! YOUR TURN TO COURTSEY, MY TURN TO BOW: William Goldman------I shoplifted this book from a discount store when I was 14 0r 15 because the girl drawn on the suggestive cover looked like a girl I knew was actually a good story. The first Goldman book I read, I thought IT would be an alright movie. SOMEONE AND FELICIA WARWICK: Raymond Mason------Another stolen book because the cover was "hot"---not great literature, but in the right hands could have been "tweaked" into an interesting flick. The first book I read that had any referrence to "pot". Written in 1962 Many other books I read have already been made into mediocre movies, or the movies from them exceeded the books in quality. And another, "Everything I need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum, would be difficult to adapt to film.( You'll just have to READ it to see what I mean!) Sepiatone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 (edited) The Devine Invasion by Phillp K. Dick. As with most Dick books a lot of the plot would have to be gutted for a movie but there are some very neat plot angles and twist that would make an interesting movie. PS: I believe I misunderstood the 'again' part and that this thread is about books that have already been made into a movie but where another movie should be made (I assume because the first one wasn't so good?). So my choice above doesn't fit the 'again' category. Edited November 25, 2014 by jamesjazzguitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Hurry Sundown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Well, I certainly hope nobody brings up a certain well regarded book by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a certain rags-to-riches fella in this thread. 'Cause as far as I know, they've made 4 movies based on that book and not one has ever seemed to "get it quite right". (...I think the thing just might be un-filmable...but I'm SURE they'll try again somewhere down the line) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoldenIsHere Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 There ARE probably several books, many of us may have read, where we think, "Geez! THIS would be a GREAT movie, if put in the right hands!" Now, I don't propose to suggest just WHOSE hands would be the "right" ones in any of my suggestions. Just that I think THESE books would have been good movies! DYNASTY Ah, yes! Here are two of my favorite scenes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joefilmone Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Ray Bradbury never saw a good film adapation of his books- "Fareheit 451" is dull, "The Illustrated Man", even duller both would make much better movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 The Devine Invasion by Phillp K. Dick. As with most Dick books a lot of the plot would have to be gutted for a movie but there are some very neat plot angles and twist that would make an interesting movie. PS: I believe I misunderstood the 'again' part and that this thread is about books that have already been made into a movie but where another movie should be made (I assume because the first one wasn't so good?). So my choice above doesn't fit the 'again' category. No, and you're right. Actually, this thread asks if you've ever read a book, one that HASN'T been made into a movie, but that you think would MAKE a good movie. NOT movies adapted from books that should be redone, and done RIGHT. THAT would also make for a lively thread! Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaytonf Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester. One of the best of the Metropolis-inspired dystopic future-visions. Of course, no adaptation would do justice to the book--unless I made it, naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SansFin Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book (1994) by Terry Jones and Brian Froud. Angelica is a little girl who is upset because no one believes that she sees fairies behind the potting shed. She is sitting there one day with her book for pressing flowers. When a fairy comes close: SNAP! She now has proof of fairies! Her sister warns her that Nanna will be punish her because the book is for pressing flowers and not fairies and so she vows to keep it secret and fill it with fairies. This is her pressing book with diary entries which explain how she caught each one. The text begins in her childish scrawl and grows into the fine script of a high-born lady. Her life is full of fairies but it is sad to say that fairies and a love-life do not mix. It was written by Terry Jones who is the cute one in Monty Python's Flying Circus. It was illustrated by Brian Froud who created the creatures for: Labyrinth (1986). I believe this book would make a wonderful movie as it has humor, innocence and gory little bodies of smushed fairies. The Misenchanted Sword (2000) by Lawrence Watt-Evans. A Medieval-fantasy warrior finds a wizard who is living in a swamp. The wizard gives the warrior an enchanted sword but the spell on it is not perfect because the wizard does not have all the proper supplies. This misenchantment complicates the warrior's life to an extreme degree. I believe this book would make a wonderful movie because it is close and personal story and is not sweeping epic of most current fantasy movies. Practical Demonkeeping (1992) by Christopher Moore. Travis is a pious young man who accidentally calls up Catch. Catch is a demon with an attitude and he likes to eat people. Travis seeks a way to send Catch back to the infernal place. I have read that this book was optioned for a movie by Disney but the movie was never made. I believe it would make a wonderful movie because it is zany humor mixed with profound questions of morality and mortality. Little Fuzzy (1962) by H. Beam Piper. A lonely miner on a distant planet is befriended by a little fuzzy creature. It becomes apparent over time that the little fuzzy is intelligent. This is a danger because the corporation which owns the planet would lose it if it is discovered that the natives are sapient. I believe that this book would make a wonderful movie because of its simple warmth and humor in juxtaposition with corporate greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 That's funny, Sans-----both my wives thought ERIC IDLE was the "cute" one! Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts