Mamacita says: Very few musicals translate well to film.
Even when the film – The Sound of Music, for example – is wonderful, it’s still not as good as the stage play. Often – as in The Sound of Music – it’s barely even the same story. Or songs. Or characters.
Sometimes I wonder why the scriptwriters even bother to keep the show’s name, when they’ve changed everything else.
Oh, and you really don’t want to get me started on favorite books made into films. Occasionally, someone will do it right, but even then they leave out too much. coughcoughharrypottercoughcough
I LOVE those films, but far too much was left out. I WANT PEEEEEEEEVES! And an explanation of why and how Lupin knew about the Maurader’s Map would have helped people who didn’t read the book first, which is beyond my comprehension, but I know such beings do exist. How boring they must be! How infinitely and everlastingly boring. . . . .
I mean, don’t these movie people understand that someone who truly loved the book will pay even more to sit through a four or five hour film fest, if it means nothing important is left out?
People with miniature bladders: sit on the aisle in the back, if you would, please. That’s only good manners anyway.
Eat dinner before you come to the theater, that’s a good girl/boy.
And shut up. I love the previews, too, and people who talk when the movie screen is flickering are scum.
Those mean ushers who threw the talkers out the door? I wish they’d bring those back.
Theater etiquette: Sit still, shut up, watch, and listen. If you can’t do all of those, stay home.
Eat and pee before you leave your house.
Why, no, I’m actually NOT in a bad mood. I really do believe it ought to be this way. I’d pay MORE to watch a movie in a theater with rules like this.
Are you listening, Kerasotes?
Regarding Harry Potter, even more troubling is the fact that they totally dropped the whole SPEW storyline, and hello????– that was really important later…..
Just sayin’.
I would say that the movie that is closest to the book for me is To Kill A Mockingbird.
The worst atrocity? Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein! And they made SEQUELS!!!!!! AUUGGGHHH!!! Do NOT mess with The Master.
But I thought LOTR was a fantastic achievement, although of course they left things out. But for those of us who saw the previous misbegotten, horrifying, barf-inducing incarnation back in the 70s– well, how could you even compare?
Regarding Harry Potter, even more troubling is the fact that they totally dropped the whole SPEW storyline, and hello????– that was really important later…..
Just sayin’.
I would say that the movie that is closest to the book for me is To Kill A Mockingbird.
The worst atrocity? Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein! And they made SEQUELS!!!!!! AUUGGGHHH!!! Do NOT mess with The Master.
But I thought LOTR was a fantastic achievement, although of course they left things out. But for those of us who saw the previous misbegotten, horrifying, barf-inducing incarnation back in the 70s– well, how could you even compare?
Hear hear. Don’t get me started on the Lord of the Rings films, not that I didn’t like them, they were great, but Arwen was NOT a main character *grr*
Bring back Glorfindel!
Hear hear. Don’t get me started on the Lord of the Rings films, not that I didn’t like them, they were great, but Arwen was NOT a main character *grr*
Bring back Glorfindel!
Mama C., the problem with speaking to Kerasotes is that they don’t care about viewers having a good theater experience. They only care about filling the seats. That’s why I object to their monopolistic practices, like the time they actively worked at keeping the old Von Lee Theater over in Bloomington from becoming a second-run or classic film venue.
For Lord of the Rings II, my friends and I were forced to wait in line outside, in the rain. And recall that the movie released to theaters in December. Did the management care? Noooooooo.
The problem is that Kerasotes is the ghetto of theater management.
Look, I know that your point is not theater management, but customer etiquette. Yes, that bothers me too, to no end. But appealing to Kerasotes to try to employ good-citizen rules is futile; they just don’t give a damn. As long as you get your ticket at the door, they’re not going to do anything to risk their repeat customers from coming back, and unfortunately that means not interfering with bad conduct. We’re just walking wallets to them. They have no interest in improving the moviegoing experience, and I cannot stand them because of that. It used to be an uplifting experience to go to the movies, but no more, and so much of it can be attributed to Kerasotes, as well as customers ghettoizing the moviegoing experience.
This is why I concentrate more on having a decent home viewing experience. That’s a big loss – some movies are meant to be watched in epic grandeur on a screen measuring in feet, with a large audience. But times have changed, and all too often that audience is juvenile, declassé and rude because the theater chain refuses to set the tone and encourage a higher-class of movie experience. It’s a shame. But that’s modern life. I wish it would change, but I’m not holding my breath.
Mama C., the problem with speaking to Kerasotes is that they don’t care about viewers having a good theater experience. They only care about filling the seats. That’s why I object to their monopolistic practices, like the time they actively worked at keeping the old Von Lee Theater over in Bloomington from becoming a second-run or classic film venue.
For Lord of the Rings II, my friends and I were forced to wait in line outside, in the rain. And recall that the movie released to theaters in December. Did the management care? Noooooooo.
The problem is that Kerasotes is the ghetto of theater management.
Look, I know that your point is not theater management, but customer etiquette. Yes, that bothers me too, to no end. But appealing to Kerasotes to try to employ good-citizen rules is futile; they just don’t give a damn. As long as you get your ticket at the door, they’re not going to do anything to risk their repeat customers from coming back, and unfortunately that means not interfering with bad conduct. We’re just walking wallets to them. They have no interest in improving the moviegoing experience, and I cannot stand them because of that. It used to be an uplifting experience to go to the movies, but no more, and so much of it can be attributed to Kerasotes, as well as customers ghettoizing the moviegoing experience.
This is why I concentrate more on having a decent home viewing experience. That’s a big loss – some movies are meant to be watched in epic grandeur on a screen measuring in feet, with a large audience. But times have changed, and all too often that audience is juvenile, declassé and rude because the theater chain refuses to set the tone and encourage a higher-class of movie experience. It’s a shame. But that’s modern life. I wish it would change, but I’m not holding my breath.
Agreed with all of your points.
I find it amusing hour our Kerasotes theater has a little blurb before the movie where they do the usual asking people to turn off their cell phones, not to talk during the movie, don’t kick each other and then conclude with, “We are always around. Disruptive patrons will be asked to leave.”
The first time I heard it, that sounded like a threat. Now I think it’s just a joke because there could be a riot in the theater and nothing would happen.
Agreed with all of your points.
I find it amusing hour our Kerasotes theater has a little blurb before the movie where they do the usual asking people to turn off their cell phones, not to talk during the movie, don’t kick each other and then conclude with, “We are always around. Disruptive patrons will be asked to leave.”
The first time I heard it, that sounded like a threat. Now I think it’s just a joke because there could be a riot in the theater and nothing would happen.
I cannot remember the last time I was in a theatre. I just know that every time I went I was “blessed” to sit in front of or behind a “Polly Preview”…you know this person…they have seen the movie and have to tell the person with them what is going to happen next. I am now happy to have “On Demand” through my cable company…so I can watch movies in my jammies, curled up on the couch…with a glass of wine. Heaven!
I cannot remember the last time I was in a theatre. I just know that every time I went I was “blessed” to sit in front of or behind a “Polly Preview”…you know this person…they have seen the movie and have to tell the person with them what is going to happen next. I am now happy to have “On Demand” through my cable company…so I can watch movies in my jammies, curled up on the couch…with a glass of wine. Heaven!
Mamacita, I am going to have to disagree with you about Harry Potter. Yes, the movies left out a lot. But I think they did an excellent job of capturing the most important parts without changing the feel of the book. And while you and I might not mind sitting through a 5 hour film adaptation, we are definitely among the minority there.
Take the Lord of the Rings films. They also left quite a bit out and changed the order of some things. However, they captured the essence of the trilogy, and they were outstanding.
I TOTALLY agree with you though on movies that completely change things around in the book. I like the movie version of Jurassic Park, but ONLY because of the special FX. If you have never read the book, it is SO much better and more involved.
There is a Tom Clancy book called Clear and Present Danger. It is one of my favorite Clancy books. I HATED the movie though, because almost everything is changed. Jack Ryan is in places that he was not supposed to be, characters lived that died in the book, and vice versa. And yet when I went to see it in the theaters, I was sitting behind a couple of guys who had a conversation that went like this:
Moron 1: You read the book! Is this anything like it?
Moron 2: This is EXACTLY like the book!
Mamacita, I am going to have to disagree with you about Harry Potter. Yes, the movies left out a lot. But I think they did an excellent job of capturing the most important parts without changing the feel of the book. And while you and I might not mind sitting through a 5 hour film adaptation, we are definitely among the minority there.
Take the Lord of the Rings films. They also left quite a bit out and changed the order of some things. However, they captured the essence of the trilogy, and they were outstanding.
I TOTALLY agree with you though on movies that completely change things around in the book. I like the movie version of Jurassic Park, but ONLY because of the special FX. If you have never read the book, it is SO much better and more involved.
There is a Tom Clancy book called Clear and Present Danger. It is one of my favorite Clancy books. I HATED the movie though, because almost everything is changed. Jack Ryan is in places that he was not supposed to be, characters lived that died in the book, and vice versa. And yet when I went to see it in the theaters, I was sitting behind a couple of guys who had a conversation that went like this:
Moron 1: You read the book! Is this anything like it?
Moron 2: This is EXACTLY like the book!