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Great Books that Should Be Made Into Movies and Which Actors Would You Cast?

spikeyli

spikeyli

New Member
In light of the recent Da Vinci Code movie (which I thought was a bad idea), which books do you think makes great movies? Personally I thought they should make Angels and Demonds into a movie instead of Da Vinci Code. There's just too much explaining necessary for Da Vinci Code to really have it be a good movie. Angels and Demons have a lot of action and the audience can follow along nicely. I felt like the audience needs to have a reference book in hand to understand Da Vinci Code.

Harry Potter books make good movies too, again thanks to the action. I think looks wise the kid who played Harry is great, he just needs a few years of practice on his acting skills. I love the girl who plays Hermoine Granger. I didn't care for the Chronicle of Narnia, both books and movie.

I hear there's talk of a movie being made on Stephanie Plum based on the Janet Evanovich series, most likely starring Sandra Bullock. I also hear there's talk of a movie on Betsy the Vampire Queen based on the Undead series by Mary Janice Davidson. It'll be in the range of maybe Resident Evil but I do those movies. Can't wait to see who gets cast.
 
spikeyli said:
In light of the recent Da Vinci Code movie (which I thought was a bad idea)
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You thought the movie was a bad idea? I thought it was a great idea. The reason? People curious enough could get through the story in a couple of hours and not have to suffer the turgid prose that highlights Brown's inability as an author.

which books do you think makes great movies?
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Atomised by Michel Houillebecq (or however you spell it) would be a great movie. As long as they didn't bother with all that plot stuff then I'd watch.
 
Well Stewie,

having read the book, I thought there would be too much detail behind everything for it to be a decent movie. People watching it will be completely lost because of the background information that's needed to understand the things happening. So I thought that was the one book that would suck as a movie. There are limitations on how much you can convey through a scene. There are many great books that don't translate into good movies, Pelican brief will be one of them.

Now there are great movies that make lousy books as well. I personally liked Underworld but I don't see it being a great book, and I liked Wedding Crashers, but I think the movie will out shine a book version.
 
The definition of a great book is really based personal preference, same as movies. And since this thread is about what books people will think make good movies, I don't think it matters what my taste in books is. I happen to think any book that I enjoy and feel entertained is a great book, regardless if the author is well known or generally considered a hack. I tend not to judge a book by its cover, or in this case a book by its author's reputation.
 
Well, I'll have to think on this one, but of the ones I have read recently that I thought might make a great movie (agree with the action statements) is The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer. It would probably be a good Harrison Ford movie or someone along those lines, as he is an older character or maybe John Travolta, just because I think he would look yummy! ;)

I had another idea pop in my head, but it left as quickly as it came, so I'll have to think for a bit, especially on books I haven't read in a while. There are so many great stories out there, I don't understand the need to keep remaking the same old story/same old plot!
 
Are we talking about the young Travolta or the old? The young version I can see, but the older version is lost on me. But I like my guys tall dark scruffy and oozing bad boy appeal, so Travolta won't make my list anyway. You know who is one hot older man? Al Pacino, he can light my fire any day;) Christopher Walken ain't so bad either, I'd rock his world any day :D

I love the look of Vin Diesel, I just mute all his movies and enjoy the visuals:D Heck sometimes I turn the volume down so I can't make out what he's saying but I get to hear that sexy voice of his.

I've read the Tolkien books and although I enjoyed the books, I loved the movies (probably had something to do with the handsome Viggo Mortensen:p ). I read the Hobbit and wasn't too crazy about it, the LOTR series was better.
 
the "old" travolta. i think he looks great, even better older - more filled out. the main character for the book i mentioned is an older man with grown children, so it has to be an older guy. i mentioned harrison ford, but feel he is so overused. i don't see al pacino as this character, although i find him sexy.

i liked the movies better, too, in some ways, but the books for some of the hidden elements that they didn't transfer (but i can see why they didn't put these elements in the movie, as they wouldn't transfer well to screen). i love playing inside of my imagination in reading these books! i also liked the trilogy better than the hobbit, but he meant for the trilogy to be more mature, too. the hobbit was fun, though. i do hope they get the all-clear to make the movie, especially while ian mckellan still look reasonably the same and is ALIVE! and the other ian to do bilbo.

i can't say i agree on christopher walkin. he is a bit on the weird-side for me. i just don't see the sex appeal! vin diesel is sexy and could be a better actor in better roles. he just doesn't know how to pick 'em. the rock is pretty nice to look at, too! i could see "The Rock" playing the lead in the book i mentioned, although i am afraid they would dumb down the movie OR people would think it was dumbed down because he was in it.
 
spikeyli said:
Are we talking about the young Travolta or the old? The young version I can see, but the older version is lost on me. But I like my guys tall dark scruffy and oozing bad boy appeal, so Travolta won't make my list anyway.
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did you not see pulp fiction? travolta was oozing with bad boy sex appeal!

he wasn't bad in face off either.

oh, and i agree about viggo. he is a hottie and he was perfect for Aragorn. can you imagine if they had let stuart townsend stay in the role? just can't see it - no way!
 
I agree Harrison is over used, and honestly I think there are better older actors out there (Pacino, De Niro, etc) than him. Christopher Walken has that weirdo thing that I like, but I somehow regard him as a knock off Pacino, does that make sense?

LOL at getting Ian McKellan while he's still alive, I definitely second that. Same goes for the X-Men movies, I know they're not exactly brain teasers but I do enjoy them. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, hell yeah baby;)

Vin is supposedly a good actor and smart man, but he's so type cast and he made some bad choices because of his dumb ego. I loved the way Vin looked in Pitch Black, he has the look of a guy I'd always want to date (but not marry) when I was single. I think The Rock got the movie role formula right, he knows he's the tough guy and he's going with it. I just can't really get into the tweezed brows thing, not that I'd kick him out of bed though:D
 
roflmbo! you are my kind of girl (edited to add - whoops! read your profile and it says you are male or was that just an accident because you haven't filled one out?), although i disagree with walkin. he would give me the creeps or the giggles (thinking of champagne man from SNL)! LOL

i like many of the others you mentioned, but am just trying to think of the best character to fit the man from Eleventh Commandment. Have you read it? it is a pretty fast read and i think would make a great blockbuster. political, spy thriller, intrigue, action-packed, etc.

i love hugh jackman as well! yum! van helsing was a bit dumb and a huge disappointment, but easy on the eyes! ;)

i agree about vin. he needs a better agent or something. he and the rock are both unsung talents that i think could get better roles and movies.
 
lady.cordelia said:
did you not see pulp fiction? travolta was oozing with bad boy sex appeal!

he wasn't bad in face off either.

oh, and i agree about viggo. he is a hottie and he was perfect for Aragorn. can you imagine if they had let stuart townsend stay in the role? just can't see it - no way!
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I saw Pulp Fiction, I didn't find Travolta that bad in it, he was more slimy than anything else. But it's a matter of opinion. I like my bad boys to be cover with tattoos and brimming with shirt ripping muscles (ahem Vin Diesel;) ).

No way can Stewart Townsend can pull of Aragon, heck even Viggo couldn't pull off Aragon if he didn't dye his hair brown. He just looked so noble and in need of a good bath (given by me:D ) in LOTR. What are your thoughts on Orlando Bloom? I thought he looked the part (except the black eyebrows with the blond wig :rolleyes: ) as an Elf, but I didn't really like him outside of LOTR and Pirates of the Carribean. I think he's more of a Romeo type than an action hero. Johnny Depp however is the man!

Did you catch Sin City? I thought Elija Wood did a good job playing the psycho canibal, although the whole time I kept looking at his feet expecting to see hairy toes.
 
spikeyli said:
I saw Pulp Fiction, I didn't find Travolta that bad in it, he was more slimy than anything else. But it's a matter of opinion. I like my bad boys to be cover with tattoos and brimming with shirt ripping muscles (ahem Vin Diesel;) ).

No way can Stewart Townsend can pull of Aragon, heck even Viggo couldn't pull off Aragon if he didn't dye his hair brown. He just looked so noble and in need of a good bath (given by me:D ) in LOTR. What are your thoughts on Orlando Bloom? I thought he looked the part (except the black eyebrows with the blond wig :rolleyes: ) as an Elf, but I didn't really like him outside of LOTR and Pirates of the Carribean. I think he's more of a Romeo type than an action hero. Johnny Depp however is the man!

Did you catch Sin City? I thought Elija Wood did a good job playing the psycho canibal, although the whole time I kept looking at his feet expecting to see hairy toes.
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i so agree on almost all parts (except i would be giving the bath to viggo ha), but haven't seen orlando in much else yet. remind me what else he has been in? i want to see elizabeth town, but haven't rented it yet.

oh, and i haven't seen sin city, so can't say either way.
 
Well I never filled in my profile, but your initial thought was right, I'm a girl. I just have this screen name bc it's my dog's name. If you read my other posts you'll know I refer to my husband as Mr. Spikey:D

No I hadn't read the Eleventh Commandment, but I'm going to look into it, after I finish reading Deception Point. I still have a few of the Stephanie Plum books I need to read, as well as one Mary Janice Davidson book. I just love MJD, she's not refined as a writer but she's freaking hilarious.

Yeah I don't know what Van Helsing was about, the ending was so lame. And Hugh just don't look right without his Wolverine mutton chops and claws;) Now Kate Beckinsale makes me wish I was a dude, it ain't right for a woman to look that good.
 
Next time someone asks me what is a good example of a Great American Novel then I will most certainly point them in the direction of The Da Vinci Code or The Pelican Brief.
 
spikeyli said:
Well I never filled in my profile, but your initial thought was right, I'm a girl. I just have this screen name bc it's my dog's name. If you read my other posts you'll know I refer to my husband as Mr. Spikey:D

No I hadn't read the Eleventh Commandment, but I'm going to look into it, after I finish reading Deception Point. I still have a few of the Stephanie Plum books I need to read, as well as one Mary Janice Davidson book. I just love MJD, she's not refined as a writer but she's freaking hilarious.

Yeah I don't know what Van Helsing was about, the ending was so lame. And Hugh just don't look right without his Wolverine mutton chops and claws;) Now Kate Beckinsale makes me wish I was a dude, it ain't right for a woman to look that good.
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LOL! I have only been on this site for a few days, so haven't read many posts yet.

I'll have to check out Mary Janice Davidson. Do you like the Kinsey Millhone stories (A is for Alibi, etc.)? I think those are pretty fun, too.

I loved Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold. I like him with and without claws! ;)
 
Well Orlando was in Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, and Elizabethtown. I think he needs to get away from the period movies. I like seeing him in a leg baring skirt as much as the next gal, but it's really limiting his roles. I absolutely dislike him in Troy, he was such a weasel but I guess that's what the character is supposed to make you feel. I just think he should make people sympathize with his character Paris for being so in love that he stole a bigger man's wife. But the whole time I just want to throw rocks at him. Now Eric Bana, hubba hubba. I didn't like Bana in Hulk but he was all man for me in Troy. Didn't care for Brad Pitt either, I don't go for guys who's prettier than me.
 
Stewart said:
Next time someone asks me what is a good example of a Great American Novel then I will most certainly point them in the direction of The Da Vinci Code or The Pelican Brief.
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And for a great American movie, how about I Still Know What You Did Last Summer? Jennifer Love Hewitt can't act for shit, but... damn.
 
lady.cordelia said:
LOL! I have only been on this site for a few days, so haven't read many posts yet.

I'll have to check out Mary Janice Davidson. Do you like the Kinsey Millhone stories (A is for Alibi, etc.)? I think those are pretty fun, too.

I loved Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold. I like him with and without claws! ;)
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ha, I just joined this forum 3 days ago, so I'm new as well. But what I lack in length of membership I make up with long postings and rants:D

I hadn't read any Millhone books, but there are so many writers out there I often feel like I've been so limited in my reading. I try to go for the best sellers but the ones I like most I happen to stumble across. Like Angela Knight (who can write the best romance smut IMO), I came across her when I was reading some of MJD's short stories. And I came across Janet Evanovich when I was doing searches for MJD genre books. I came across Dan Brown while doing book searches for my father in law.

By the way, some of the most noted writers bore me to tears (James Patterson for one) and I don't see how they ever got to be so famous. But then again I have weird tastes.
 
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