Oh, I thought the book was WAY better.
February 3, 2010 12:03 PM Subscribe
I’m a sucker for reading the book before seeing the movie (yes.. I’m “that guy”). What should I add to my list?
Movies that haven’t come out yet are ideal. A good example of what I'm looking for is Blood Meridian, I read the book and that movie is supposed to come out sometime in 2011.
Movies that haven’t come out yet are ideal. A good example of what I'm looking for is Blood Meridian, I read the book and that movie is supposed to come out sometime in 2011.
The film's already come out, but I can't recommend The Informant enough.
posted by dhammond at 12:11 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by dhammond at 12:11 PM on February 3, 2010
No Country for Old Men.
posted by Lobster Garden at 12:11 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by Lobster Garden at 12:11 PM on February 3, 2010
...which, obviously, was already released a while ago.
posted by Lobster Garden at 12:13 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by Lobster Garden at 12:13 PM on February 3, 2010
David Cronenberg is adapting Don DeLillo's Cosmopolis, which, if you've read Cosmopolis, you'll realize is quite a feat.
posted by Sticherbeast at 12:14 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by Sticherbeast at 12:14 PM on February 3, 2010
Oh yeah, seconding Shutter Island. But be sure to go into it cold, do not let anyone try to tell you what it is about. Awesome experience.
posted by jbickers at 12:14 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by jbickers at 12:14 PM on February 3, 2010
The film of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go is coming out in November. Avoid spoilers.
posted by bgrebs at 12:20 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by bgrebs at 12:20 PM on February 3, 2010
Upcoming book-to-movie adaptations, via IMDB
posted by mkultra at 12:21 PM on February 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mkultra at 12:21 PM on February 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Cormac McCarthy is a good one for this - Blood Meridian, All the Pretty Horses, especially The Road. (Even though two of these have already come out.)
Also The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (movie's due out in 2012, so you have lots of time).
posted by bookgirl18 at 12:24 PM on February 3, 2010
Also The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (movie's due out in 2012, so you have lots of time).
posted by bookgirl18 at 12:24 PM on February 3, 2010
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) looks like the next YA movie series.
Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp just came out starring Michael Cera.
I Love You Phillip Morris is an upcoming Jim Carrey / Ewan McGregor movie.
The Last Song is the next Nicholas Sparks book to movie, starring Miley Cyrus.
posted by smackfu at 12:26 PM on February 3, 2010
Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp just came out starring Michael Cera.
I Love You Phillip Morris is an upcoming Jim Carrey / Ewan McGregor movie.
The Last Song is the next Nicholas Sparks book to movie, starring Miley Cyrus.
posted by smackfu at 12:26 PM on February 3, 2010
nth-ing Shutter Island. Some of the best dialogue I've ever read and it just made me more excited to see the movie.
posted by Coffeemate at 12:31 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by Coffeemate at 12:31 PM on February 3, 2010
If they ever get around to making the film adaptation of "A Walk in The Woods", definitely read the book first.
posted by deadmessenger at 12:35 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by deadmessenger at 12:35 PM on February 3, 2010
Also The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (movie's due out in 2012, so you have lots of time).
Do you have any more details about this? I thought that it's been stuck in development hell.
posted by elsietheeel at 12:35 PM on February 3, 2010
Do you have any more details about this? I thought that it's been stuck in development hell.
posted by elsietheeel at 12:35 PM on February 3, 2010
Every Nick Hornby book seems to get made into a movie. Read A Long Way Down and Juliet, Naked to stay ahead of the game.
posted by rocket88 at 12:37 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by rocket88 at 12:37 PM on February 3, 2010
If you like animation or children's literature, the next Studio Ghibli movie will be an adaptation of The Borrowers.
There might be a movie adaptation for Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel. Seconding Never Let Me Go.
If you are into comics/graphic novels, The Losers and the Scott Pilgrim series (I love this one!).
posted by clearlydemon at 12:43 PM on February 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
There might be a movie adaptation for Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel. Seconding Never Let Me Go.
If you are into comics/graphic novels, The Losers and the Scott Pilgrim series (I love this one!).
posted by clearlydemon at 12:43 PM on February 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Both the book and the movie were released over a decade ago, but read Angela's Ashes and then don't ever see the movie. Some books are so intimate and evocative that they can live much better in your own imagination than they can on the screen.
posted by amyms at 12:47 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by amyms at 12:47 PM on February 3, 2010
Old great movie from a great book: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Push was a hard book to read (sad) but very good. Haven't seen Precious yet.
+1 Children of Men
posted by greensalsa at 12:52 PM on February 3, 2010
Push was a hard book to read (sad) but very good. Haven't seen Precious yet.
+1 Children of Men
posted by greensalsa at 12:52 PM on February 3, 2010
It violates your not-yet-out requirement, but the books of James M. Cain that were made into movies are great, and so are the movies: Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, The Postman Always Rings Twice are my favorites.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:55 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by mudpuppie at 12:55 PM on February 3, 2010
Seconding Scott Pilgrim.
posted by martinrebas at 1:20 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by martinrebas at 1:20 PM on February 3, 2010
Watchmen (yes, I know it came out a while ago now...)
When I was reading the graphic novel of Watchmen, I concluded no film could approach the level of philosophical discourse contained in the book.
I still haven't seen the film.
After reading the book, I'm not sure I want to...
posted by thermonuclear.jive.turkey at 1:49 PM on February 3, 2010
When I was reading the graphic novel of Watchmen, I concluded no film could approach the level of philosophical discourse contained in the book.
I still haven't seen the film.
After reading the book, I'm not sure I want to...
posted by thermonuclear.jive.turkey at 1:49 PM on February 3, 2010
Since you said movies that haven't come out yet are ideal (but not required?) I'll throw out Fight Club. Have you seen or read it? I read it before the movie came out and I found the movie remarkable. One, because I couldn't imagine it adapted well, and it was. Two, because a huge portion of the narration and dialogue was verbatim from the book.
posted by peep at 1:56 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by peep at 1:56 PM on February 3, 2010
In my experience, nearly every book is a better than the movie. The one exception that always comes to mind for me is "About A Boy" by Nick Hornby. Wasn't a big fan of the book, but loved the movie.
I love Dennis Lehane, but Shutter Island is my least favourite novel of his - I think the movie looks pretty decent, however (big Ruffalo fan, too).
posted by backwards guitar at 2:13 PM on February 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
I love Dennis Lehane, but Shutter Island is my least favourite novel of his - I think the movie looks pretty decent, however (big Ruffalo fan, too).
posted by backwards guitar at 2:13 PM on February 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Blindness came out a little while back.
posted by kickingtheground at 3:23 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by kickingtheground at 3:23 PM on February 3, 2010
I'm going to second Fight Club. Both the book and the movie are fascinating and arguably flawed works, but the movie is one of the few adaptations that I've felt improves on the book. The other movie that ranks up there for me is Return to Oz which incorporates material from the next two books following the Wizard of Oz.
If James Cameron ever actually finishes the Battle Angel movie that's he's been talking about for years, that is currently in pre-production, and that supposedly will use the new CGI technology from Avatar then you should definitely read the manga first.
posted by CheshireCat at 4:55 PM on February 3, 2010
If James Cameron ever actually finishes the Battle Angel movie that's he's been talking about for years, that is currently in pre-production, and that supposedly will use the new CGI technology from Avatar then you should definitely read the manga first.
posted by CheshireCat at 4:55 PM on February 3, 2010
ENGLISH PATIENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by Large Marge at 5:04 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by Large Marge at 5:04 PM on February 3, 2010
i thought the movie Hombre really improved upon the book. Oddly though, another one of Elmore Leonard's works 'Rum Punch" was better than the movie it spawned, Jackie Brown
posted by cali59 at 6:31 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by cali59 at 6:31 PM on February 3, 2010
This year's Sundance Grand Jury winner is based on an excellent novel.
posted by gnomeloaf at 7:07 PM on February 3, 2010
posted by gnomeloaf at 7:07 PM on February 3, 2010
The Princess Bride is great as a book and as a film, if you like things that are bizarre.
posted by teraspawn at 2:36 AM on February 4, 2010
posted by teraspawn at 2:36 AM on February 4, 2010
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The book is hillarious! And the plot, silly though it is, is followable, interesting, and makes some sense.
The recent Disney movie? Not so much.
posted by Vorteks at 7:45 AM on February 4, 2010
The recent Disney movie? Not so much.
posted by Vorteks at 7:45 AM on February 4, 2010
Water for Elephants is about to be adapted. The book was *fantastic* but the casting for the movie has me worried.
Another great book coming out as a movie in the next couple years is We Need to Talk About Kevin. The casting on this one so far is promising... I just don't know how they will pull off the movie.
A different type of recommendation - read Revolutionary Road, but skip the movie.
posted by getawaysticks at 8:02 AM on February 4, 2010
Another great book coming out as a movie in the next couple years is We Need to Talk About Kevin. The casting on this one so far is promising... I just don't know how they will pull off the movie.
A different type of recommendation - read Revolutionary Road, but skip the movie.
posted by getawaysticks at 8:02 AM on February 4, 2010
Another great book coming out as a movie in the next couple years is We Need to Talk About Kevin. The casting on this one so far is promising... I just don't know how they will pull off the movie.
Seconding We Need to Talk About Kevin as an amazing book. I'm not sure a movie is really a good idea.
posted by just_ducky at 4:15 PM on February 4, 2010
Seconding We Need to Talk About Kevin as an amazing book. I'm not sure a movie is really a good idea.
posted by just_ducky at 4:15 PM on February 4, 2010
An old movie/book, but Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's a fairly short read, and it's interesting how much they changed Holly Golightly for the movie. (It made me understand why Truman Capote wanted Marilyn for the part instead of Audrey).
posted by girlmightlive at 6:17 PM on February 4, 2010
posted by girlmightlive at 6:17 PM on February 4, 2010
The next Coen brothers movie is a new adaptation of the Charles Portis novel True Grit.
posted by barjo at 7:20 AM on February 5, 2010
posted by barjo at 7:20 AM on February 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jbickers at 12:08 PM on February 3, 2010