www.beyondbook.com

Movies That Authors Prefer To Their Books

admin — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

More often than not, you hear of authors who have gone to see the film version of one of their precious novels only to be drastically disappointed by a shoddy adaptation. When someone has put so much heart into a piece of work, it isnâ€™t hard to understand. However, there have been a few writers who have raved about the cinematic interpretations inspired by their books.

P.D. James, author of Children of Men. This film was seen as quite different from the novel of the same name when award-winning director Alfonso CuarÃ³n adapted it.The whole story can be found at http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/03/tom-was-lestat-for-me-authors-who-loved-the-film-versions-of-their-books/274415/ However, the post-apocalyptic story was a silver screen success and author James admitted that she was proud to be associated with it.

Anne Rice, author of Interview with the Vampire. When Neil Jordan signed on to direct this movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt there was some initial backlash over the casting choices. However, Rice has praised Cruise since the filmâ€™s release and has even professed a â€œpassionate loveâ€ for the movie.

Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief. While the adaptation of this book was appropriately entitled Adaptation, it was a very loose rendition of the novel. Orlean was at first scared of screenwriter Charlie Kaufmanâ€™s take on her book, but now loves the film and lauds its adherence to the themes of her story.

The Cultural Impact Of To Kill A Mockingbird

admin — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Life in rural Alabama in the 1930â€™s was simple, or so it seemed. The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama was a sleepy settlement where racism and prejudice were accepted as the norms of society. Everyone knew everyone elseâ€™s business in Maycomb, and no one hesitated to share the juicy details of each otherâ€™s lives with friends and neighbors.

When Tom Robinson, a black man in the community, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a poor white girl, the town is forced to think about the racial injustices that abound in their minds and in the court system. Tomâ€™s lawyer, Atticus, is a single father of two children, and is determined to prove his clientâ€™s innocence. Scout and Jem look to their father for answers to the questions that children of today still ponder. Why is it presumed that people from certain walks of life are guilty of crimes before they ever come to trial? The struggle between good and evil is an ongoing one. To Kill a Mockingbird examines the bigotry and peer pressure of a community, the moral climate in the courtroom, and the innocence of two kids, who watch their father struggle with the knowledge that he cannot help his client and that sometimes the forces of evil will win out over good.

The rape of a white woman by a black man forces the community to examine their collective conscienceâ€™s to determine whether prejudice can be overcome by righteousness. In the case of To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice triumphs.

The Important Lessons In Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

admin — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a classic remake of a film named Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, first released in 1971. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an updated version of the film released in 2005 starring Johnny Depp. The story focuses on a candy factory which is hosting a contest involving chocolate bars containing “golden tickets”. Finders of the golden tickets placed inside of a small amount of chocolate bars are invited on a tour of the chocolate factory only to find themselves in a world of chocolate, odd characters, and unpredictable events that will unravel throughout their day in the factory.This{{/tag} helps explain it more.

One of the major lessons of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is to be grateful for everything you already have in life, rather than acting privileged or ungrateful for what you already have in life that others do not. The movie focuses in on various character types during the afternoon at the factory, and you are able to see how negative and spoiled attitudes are not the key to true happiness by the end of the movie. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory still remain classics of a wonderfully colorful world with plenty of lessons to be learned within.

Metropolis: Light Years Ahead Of Its Time Even Today

admin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

At first glance, a futuristic story of a great city split between the pampered rich and the struggling poor ruled over by a ruthless businessman might seem like the story of modern day Manhattan. Instead, this is the plot of Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece “Metropolis,” whose cold and shadowy art deco style has influenced science fiction from “Brave New World” to “Twilight Zone” to “Blade Runner.” In this silent film, the imagery tells the story of Freder (Gustav Froehlich), the son of the dictator Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel) of the above ground Metropolis. One day, Freder sights beautiful Maria (Brigitte Helm) with a group of workers’ children, and realizes for the first time that there is a subterranean world that supports his pleasure-filled lifestyle.Never heard of this before? Get up to speed here. Eventually, Freder descends into that other world and joins Maria in rallying the people in the depths to revolt. Meanwhile, his father finds the brilliant scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to create a robot with Maria’s face. After they kidnap the real Maria, they use the robot in her place to mislead the workers. These classic characters will remind viewers of many movie moments: the heartless despot, the nave son, the mad scientist, the beautiful woman fighting for the oppressed. Every movie lover should take the opportunity to watch this elegant and influential film.

Why We Have To Love Scarlett O’Hara

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There are so many reasons that we have to simply love Scarlett O’Hara. She was a very determined woman. No matter what the situation was, Scarlett always rose to the situation and handled it. She was inventive and when she needed a dress to impress the man of her dreams she simply tore down the curtain and threw something together. Her desire for love sometimes overpowered common sense, however she was passionate and that is to be admired. Another reason that she is to be loved is that even though she lost everything that she ever loved and cared about, she arose from the ashes and began to rebuild her life. She did not let the little things in life keep her down. She never took no for a anwser and kept perservering to get what she wanted out of life. She may not have been morally correct in some of the choosing of her suitors, however she did what she needed to do to get by as a single woman. She also did not care what others thought of her, she carried herself with a high self esteem. In a society where reputation was important she overlooked the negative reactions of others and did what she needed to do to be happy.

Young Adult Fiction: Hijacked By Vampires

admin — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Long before Stephanie Meyers made them glam, vampires had been present in young adult fiction. Both Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine, the two biggest names in twentieth century YA fiction, had used variations on the undead beast in coming of age tales of terror. Lesser known books, such as Carl Laymon’s “Nightmare Lake,” had found scary and innovative uses for vampires. Then came “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.” Suddenly, vampires became cool. Young adult fiction discovered new love for the undead. The public ate up any vamp fiction it could find.

However, even the Buffy franchise’s success pales before Team Edward and Team Jacob’s rabid fan bases. Vampires are no longer simply cool; they have become glittery, rock star superheroes.

The Stephanie Meyers publishing phenomenon has brought about a whole new vampire invasion. New series stand alongside resurrected older books. All sport snazzy, cinematic covers and/or television shows. Among the welcome returns are L. J. Smith’s “Night World” and “The Vampire Diaries.” These romantic, dark adventures thrilled teens twenty years ago, and will continue to do so for the current generation. They deserve to see new readers. The slapdash Meyers pastiches, however, deserve to bake in sunlight until they are ash.Want to know more? Go ahead: Today’s Trend in Teen Fiction

Best Adaptations Out Now…

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

You may have been reading on your Satellite Star Internet that there are tons of movie sequels out this summer but did you realize how many movies adapted from books there are out currently? Here are a few of our must-see out and upcoming films adapted from books…
Harry Potter: The final installment of the series closes many a chapter written by the infamous J.K. Rowling. Potter fans can expect lots of action and a nice, clean break from their favorite characters and we recommend re-reading the novel before you head out to the theater.
Winnie the Pooh: One of the summer’s first G-rated movies, Winnie the Pooh is an adorable blast from the past. It’s witty enough that adults will love it and just as charming as it was when you read the books decades ago.
The Help: Adapted from an outrageously popular novel, The Help stars Emma Stone and speaks volumes about the cultural changes at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Take your mother and your daughter to catch this one.

James Bond: Better On Paper Or Onscreen?

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

James Bond is a culturally significant personality in modern media. He was created by Ian Fleming in 1953. Fleming took aspects of Bond from himself, personalities surrounding himself, and his own experiences. Bond passed from paper to onscreen with minor changes.

It may be hard to spot the differences between onscreen and paper as Fleming took aspects of Bond’s actors, such as Sean Connery’s Scottish traits, and worked those into his character’s background and personality as he continued his writing of Bond stories. As time passed and different actors filled the roles as well as different writers continuing Fleming’s legacy, some of that characterization has been left behind from novel to film.

Other aspects of Bond heightened in the film but not as relevant to the stories in the novels are his interactions with M’s secretary Moneypenny, his dependence upon high tech gadgets, the watches he uses, the liqour he consumes, his cars and the spectacular car crashes, as well as his womanizing habits. This can be readily seen in product placement and audience appeal to draw upon the desire to escape into Bond’s exciting, dashing persona from mundane reality. Bond on paper or onscreen is very appealing to audiences.

The World Of Dr.Seuss Onscreen

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Seuss is a staple in the world of children’s authors. Depictions of his books have been around for ages and ages. In the past, his stories were simplistically portrayed through simple cartoons. It was like a direct copy of the book transferred to the screen. Now, we see his books played by real actors out on the big screen. Seeing his stories being brought to life is interesting. In regards to Cat in the Hat, the viewer is thrown into a world of weirdness and color that just screams, DR.You can find a quick rundown here SEUSS! However, the enjoyable subtlety of Seuss’s rhymes are lost within the plot driven wackiness of the movie. It is the same with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. All of the designs and characters are identifiable but the “Seuss-ness” that should be there, has been suppressed. Granted, both movies are enjoyable for kids and adults alike. The emphasis on character creation and set is obvious. One can imagine just how difficult it is to bring these characters to life. Watching the films definitely puts you into the physical world of Dr. Seuss. Nevertheless, the essence and fun of Seuss’s words and rhymes are not accurately displayed in the films.

Dracula: The Worlds Most Famous Vampire Story

admin — Sat, 21 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When Bram Stoker penned his story in 1897 it is unlikely that he realized the far reaching influence it would have. He was writing a scary story with romance and action that would entertain his friends and bring him some cash to live on, not creating a subculture such as has happened from his efforts. Movies about vampires have ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime with stops all through this huge arc of storylines. The scary and unattractive nosferatu of the early movies led to the more urbane Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of the Count and on to the present day vampires of the Twilight world.

The Stoker novel was based on the real life character Vlad II of Wallachia who took the family name of Dracul after being invested in the Order of the Dragon in 1431. It became part of the public domain in the U.S. as soon as it was published because Stoker failed to take the proper steps to copyright his creation, thus when movies started being made this popular story was one of the first to be put into the cinematic form. It has been a success from the beginning because Dracula is inherently charismatic and fascinating.