Dear Thursday: Page to Screen
One of my abs favorite things to do is to hold off on seeing a movie until I’ve read or listened to the book that it’s based on. I’ve done this with so many books that it’s. Impossible to recount them all, but some of my most memorable read-then-watch moments include Circle of Friends, Children of Men, Twilight, and right now, Blindness.
I like to read the book first, b/c in most cases the movie doesn’t compare — though I have been surprised in a few cases: Like Water For Chocolate was equally wonderful on page and screen, and I 
thought Children of Men way surmounted its source material In both depth and diversity.
Blindness after a bit of a slow start is building up into an extremely resonant and thoughtful read. And though the movie got mixed reviews, I’m looking forward to watching it after I finish the book.
But what about you? Are you a source material first reader or do you prefer to see the movie first? And either way, what have been your favorite page-to-screen transitions? Let us know in the comments.
So often it's the movie that gets seen first – sadly. Though I have to admit that the reading experience is always more comprehensive & pleasurable. The exception would probably be Michael Cunningham's THE HOURS – while I loved the movie (which I saw first, by the way), I found the book to be unstructured, rambling & erratic. I think David Hare did a magnificent job taking an unfilmable book & turning into a cinematic experience. The same could be said of Curtis Hanson for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.
So often it's the movie that gets seen first – sadly. Though I have to admit that the reading experience is always more comprehensive & pleasurable. The exception would probably be Michael Cunningham's THE HOURS – while I loved the movie (which I saw first, by the way), I found the book to be unstructured, rambling & erratic. I think David Hare did a magnificent job taking an unfilmable book & turning into a cinematic experience. The same could be said of Curtis Hanson for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.
Alive – the story of the rugby team that crashed into the snowy mountains and the survivors had to eat the dead to stay alive. The book was so gruesome in a way that the movie tastefully stayed away from. It was so gross and morbidly fascinating, I loved it. I'm sick like that though.
Alive – the story of the rugby team that crashed into the snowy mountains and the survivors had to eat the dead to stay alive. The book was so gruesome in a way that the movie tastefully stayed away from. It was so gross and morbidly fascinating, I loved it. I'm sick like that though.