I had no idea Sofia Coppola was in Frankenweeny. I didn't know who she was back when I saw it. Lost in Translation is one of my favorite movies. Didn't see Marie Antoinette though because it looked pretty bad.
I had no idea Sofia Coppola was in Frankenweeny. I didn't know who she was back when I saw it. Lost in Translation is one of my favorite movies. Didn't see Marie Antoinette though because it looked pretty bad.
Agreed on Lost in Translation, such a fantastic film; it's one of those I have a compulsion to fish out and watch whenever it comes up, so thanks, I know what I'll be doing at some point this weekend. Marie Antoinette is certainly worth watching as well. The one that I just can't get into is her earlier film, The Virgin Suicides.
Twitter is a good place to throw your nonsense. Wii FC: 8378 9716 1696 8633 || "How can mushrooms give you extra life? Get the green ones." -
Wario, don't let the film put you off: the original novel that Virgin Suicides is based on is pretty wonderful. The followup by the same author (Jeffrey Eugenides) is called Middlesex, and it's probably one of the 10 best books I've ever read. Hugely recommended.
Heh, I think I'll be doing the same, Wario. Maybe I'll rent Antoinette while I'm at it. Virgin Suicides was good but unremarkable, I thought. I never understood why it was so praised.
@Chicken Julius I have heard nothing but good about Middlesex. Someday I'll get around to it, I'm sure.
Wario, don't let the film put you off: the original novel that Virgin Suicides is based on is pretty wonderful. The followup by the same author (Jeffrey Eugenides) is called Middlesex, and it's probably one of the 10 best books I've ever read. Hugely recommended.
It turns out that I know this quite well, due to my girlfriend being enormously fond of that writer; she's also fond of the film, and I've tried but just couldn't see what she sees in it (and it's not just that she's reading the book into the film, for it was her love of the film that made her begin to follow that author to begin with).
It turns out that I know this quite well, due to my girlfriend being enormously fond of that writer; she's also fond of the film, and I've tried but just couldn't see what she sees in it (and it's not just that she's reading the book into the film, for it was her love of the film that made her begin to follow that author to begin with).
I was disappointed in the film when I finally saw it, but that's okay. I'm not one of those who believes a bad film "ruins" the book it was based on. That's preposterous...the book is still there, and you still have the option to read it instead of watching a sub-par adaptation. (That said, it's hugely rewarding when you encounter a GOOD book to film adaptation. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, for example. Or Of Mice and Men. And...um...surely there have been others...?)
I actually got to meet Jeffrey Eugenides a few years ago, when I was still living up north. He gave me advice on finding a literary agent, and we talked about Gravity's Rainbow for a while. (One of his inspirations for Middlesex, though you'd never know it.) He was giving a reading at the college I went to...he was wonderful. One of my professors took me aside a few days later and said, "He asked about you." I said "Really? Why?" She said, "You impressed him."
I'd like to say that there's more to the story than that...but there isn't. Which is fine...that's more than enough for me.
Now I did read Gravity's Rainbow, and greatly enjoyed much of it, although I must admit that I have enough of a problem remembering names in real life and there were so many times that I wasn't sure who was who across the course of all those endless minor characters.
Twitter is a good place to throw your nonsense. Wii FC: 8378 9716 1696 8633 || "How can mushrooms give you extra life? Get the green ones." -
That said, it's hugely rewarding when you encounter a GOOD book to film adaptation. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, for example. Or Of Mice and Men. And...um...surely there have been others...?
No Country for Old Men is the best movie adaptation I have ever seen. It helps that the novel reads almost like a screen play. I never read Oil!, but There Will Be Blood somehow turned out to be a great movie, too, despite being very different from the book (from what I'm told, the flash forward ending is entirely the creation of the screenwriter... and it's the best part!). If you're counting adaptations written by the original author, Woman in the Dunes, Persepolis, and Requiem for a Dream also fit the bill. I think adaptations get a somewhat unfairly bad rap. Quite a few good ones out there. Hopefully we can add The Road to the list soon.
Now I did read Gravity's Rainbow, and greatly enjoyed much of it, although I must admit that I have enough of a problem remembering names in real life and there were so many times that I wasn't sure who was who across the course of all those endless minor characters.
Out of curiosity, did you only read it once? I had the same trouble the first time through (it's also very difficult to keep the fantasy sequences separate from reality, much of the time), but each subsequent read gets clearer and clearer until you're left with one of the most beautifully-cohesive novels in the language.
...hey, how did "Are there any chicks around??!" turn into the most literate thread we've ever had?
@Adam: Yeah, chalk up No Country, definitely. Haven't seen There Will Be Blood or the others though.
I'm not really a big fan of adaptations, to tell the truth. They interest me in the same way that somebody's essay on a particular book or story interests me: you get to indulge in somebody else's interpretation for a couple of hours. Beyond that I don't really expect much more, which is probably why they so infrequently disappoint me. It's also probably why I'm so happy when a truly great one comes along that shines as a work of art on its own.
I had a real thrill a few years back when a film student found my website (which is no longer online) and read some of my writing. He wrote and asked me if he could adapt one of my stories into a short film as his senior project. I told him absolutely he could, as long as he didn't try to consult me for advice or approval. I wanted to see how it would turn out, and play the role of "hot shot author" for a while. It came out pretty well, I have to confess. He missed the mark on a few things, but handled other scenes better than I probably did. Definitely one of the highlights of my creative life.
Any chance this video is available online for our viewing pleasure?
Actually, I think the director has it uploaded somewhere in its entirety...let me check with him and get back to you. Stay tuned.
Oh, another one to potentially add to the list of great adaptations: Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is being directed by Wes Anderson and will, therefore, be worth watching 10 or 11 times even if it's not very good.
Indeed, I only read it once, and my problem keeping track of names was certainly compounded by the fact that I was busy with many other things at the time, and often there would be gaps of a week or more between readings. I actually started reading his latest novel, Against the Day, a couple months ago, and made it about a third the way in before putting it aside for a while to go back to some other novels on my list; I need to return to it, but then I'll be back to the problem of having to retread a great deal of pages in order to make sure I still remember names and other details. I do greatly admire Pynchon's writing, but I suppose I should start keeping notes in order to make sure I can keep track of everything between readings when there is a gap; either that, or don't allow a gap, but I end up not wanting to be limited to only his text for all that long. Reading different works in parallel is usually fine but doesn't end up going so well when I can't keep track of a billion names. As you could guess, the only Pynchon novel I read for which these difficulties were nonexistent was The Crying of Lot 49.
Twitter is a good place to throw your nonsense. Wii FC: 8378 9716 1696 8633 || "How can mushrooms give you extra life? Get the green ones." -
Let me catch up on what I've been missing: I like double chocolate fudge ice cream, cake is nice, I didn't participate in the NPC thread myself although I remember reading some of the comments, I hardly ever read books.
Anyways... @Twilight Crow @theblackdragon@Token Girl so... you're all females, eh? Might it be so rude as to ask is you're from jolly old England, and if so, might I ask your age as well? In particular, Token Girl, since you sound a bit feisty.
Anyways... @Twilight Crow @theblackdragon@Token Girl so... you're all females, eh? Might it be so rude as to ask is you're from jolly old England, and if so, might I ask your age as well? In particular, Token Girl, since you sound a bit feisty.
And remember ladies, this entreaty is coming from the sensitive, modern gentleman who voiced, a few posts up, his aesthetic reservations about IGN's Babe of the Day.
Wiiloveit wrote:
Not enough breast.
Twitter is a good place to throw your nonsense. Wii FC: 8378 9716 1696 8633 || "How can mushrooms give you extra life? Get the green ones." -
Indeed, I only read it once, and my problem keeping track of names was certainly compounded by the fact that I was busy with many other things at the time, and often there would be gaps of a week or more between readings. I actually started reading his latest novel, Against the Day, a couple months ago, and made it about a third the way in before putting it aside for a while to go back to some other novels on my list; I need to return to it, but then I'll be back to the problem of having to retread a great deal of pages in order to make sure I still remember names and other details. I do greatly admire Pynchon's writing, but I suppose I should start keeping notes in order to make sure I can keep track of everything between readings when there is a gap; either that, or don't allow a gap, but I end up not wanting to be limited to only his text for all that long. Reading different works in parallel is usually fine but doesn't end up going so well when I can't keep track of a billion names. As you could guess, the only Pynchon novel I read for which these difficulties were nonexistent was The Crying of Lot 49.
My personal advice when reading Pynchon is NOT to take notes, and rather to read entirely through the book once (whether or not you become helplessly lost) and follow it up with a second reading at some point later on. You'll find that you retain more knowledge than you thought, in terms of what happens in the story, and your second time through (because you know what to expect) it will be easier to keep track of which characters are doing which things.
I approach a Pynchon novel with the intention of reading it once as a sort of recon mission, and every subsequent time for enjoyment. That said, not everybody has the time (or desire) to read 700 page books that way, so, of course, I defer to whatever works best for you.
Lot 49 is certainly the easiest of his books, but have you read Vineland? Also very short, and a pretty narrow selection of characters to keep track of. It's also his funniest (IMHO), and the cultural touchstones are much more recent to those of our generation. (I'm assuming we're at least approximately equal in age.)
Against the Day has its moments, but it's much too long. There's a whole character who could be cut from that with no problem, and the most interesting plot thread sort of fades out into nothing rather than getting a proper resolution...but it's still quite good. I'd probably rank them this way: Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland, The Crying of Lot 49, Mason & Dixon, Against the Day, V. And the only one that I don't like very much is V.
Also, I am a female, and I have big, nice hooters. I have a webcam and I will bend over for money, but you need to send me the money first.
Wow,you guys make me so proud to start this thread. This is the greatest thread ever!! @Wiiloveit-I think you are a gentleman stalker. @ChickenBrutus-You are a female? I thought you were a chicken.
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