Keep up the good work. I enjoy your videos. You got me started on Stephen King and wheel of time. I finished Carrie and am almost done with the great hunt. Thanks for the discussion.
A more abstract adaptation: "O' Brother Where Art Thou?" - I love when writers adapt stories into new times and locations, causing them to think about how those new cultures and laws of the land would affect the story. Taking The Odyssey and putting it in Depression Era Mississippi is something inspired. Add in the period music produced by T-Bone Burnett and this film has tone and mood usually reserved for short bursts like music videos...but for an entire film. A more literal adaptation: "No Country for Old Men" - I'm just now realizing these are both Coen-brother movies. Either way...this film stays nearly loyal to the novel, changing only in small parts, thus allowing the Coen brothers to utilize the cinematography in a way O Brother doesn't.
The two adaptations that I would add are "The Big Short" and "Moneyball." Both books are awesome, but the simple fact is that they're both pretty statistical and wonkish, and don't represent the type of material that would lend itself well to film adaptation. The fact that the filmmakers were able to pull both of them off was awesome, and I recommend both the books and movies whenever I can.
A little surprised Philip K Dick didn’t sneak onto the list. So many of his have been done. Blade Runner, Total Recall, Paycheck, The Adjustment Bureau, Minority Report to name a few. Though my favorite for staying true to the book is Screamers.
I think Stardust (Gaiman) is the only one I thought of not on your list. I totally agree with Princess Bride, Fellowship and Jurassic Park, those were my first thoughts. Plus a shout out to Hook as a "spin off" from Peter Pan. Do you plan to do a TV adaptations video too?
I'm so glad to see some love for The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. It was the first novel I've ever read in English. The movie was done well and Edmund's portrail was spot on! I would love to hear you talk more about movie adaptations in future videos.
@@mikesbookreviews By the way, we'd love to hear about your experience of The Fellowship of the Ring in theaters. Seven times! That's real devotion. Like so many others, I only read the novels after watching the movies. I get goosebumps imagining a real Tolkien fan seeing the movies for the first time. It must have been a very emotional experience.
Some I would've personally included: The Neverending Story, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Scott Pilgrim, Alice in Wonderland (the animated version), and The Exorcist. If we were doing one Stephen King, I would've picked Shawshank
Glad Narnia was mentioned. It’s the series that made me fall in love with books as a little guy, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was very well adapted.
Yes, they ONLY THING WRONG with it in my opinion....and it is unknown if you haven't read the books...is that Jadis, the White Witch, was SUPPOSED to be a drop-dead-gorgeous seductress in the manner of oh say, a Victoria's Secret model. They chose to make her ugly and frost-bitten instead.
I was in middle school and high school when I read lord of the rings/hobbit... and when I finished RotK, I literally prayed that they would make a movie of the books! Like, I prayed once a month probably. (I’m not religious...). A year and half later, the trailer dropped. ...You’re welcome! 😇
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Watership Down ( 1970's animated version), The Big Sleep, L.A. Confidential, Killer Inside Me (by Jim Thompson), Maltese Falcon, and The Woman Chaser, a 1999 film based on the book by Charles Willeford
Watership Down is my favourite book and I think they did a really good job staying true to the story in the 78 animation. Don't see it as a kids book and defo not a kids film, scariest pg rated film I've ever seen!
Pride and Prejudice, and, sticking to Jane Austen, I love Clueless as a remake of Emma. Fight Club and The Godfather. Howl’s Moving Castle, for sure! 100% agree re: LOTR. I grew up in the middle of nowhere with no internet and not a lot of awareness of media, and one of my most vivid memories is being in the theatre and having a preview for The Fellowship play. Instant goosebumps. Such an amazing adaptation.
Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies. Took me years to read the books, but I loved them, to. Two I’d suggest for the list are “The Martian”, which is a very faithful adaptation, though the book as usual is better. Also, Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” it’s actually a biography, with the movie focusing on the fist 3/4 of the book. They made the right call as it’s almost a short story tacked onto the novel. Robert Redfor and Nick Knolty are great. I’ve watched both movies multiple times.
Mike's Book Reviews I’ve heard this is one story where experts say they got it right with the science. I hate when I know a lot about a subject and the author gets even the basics wrong. It might be cool to see you do a video where authors “get it right”. Even if it’s just one aspect of the story. My biggest pet peeve is how many fantasy authors screw up horses. They are the main mode of transport in most instances, and they treat them like cars. Get on, gallop them hundreds of miles, jump off and go to bed. When I see an author who even attempts to take them into account in the story, I really enjoy it. I’m sure there are many other cases like this where people notice when the author “gets it right”.
Mike's Book Reviews, add me to the list of people who are hounding you to read it. It’s amazing. I read it on release day, thinking it would be a throwaway space adventure novel. It wasn’t. It was brilliant, irreverent, and hilarious. At your reading speed, you’ll finish it in 2.5 hours. It’s a very quick read.
I love all the movies mentioned here that I have watched. I watched the Count of Monte Cristo before reading the book. I loved that quote about life so much that I went to buy the book and read it. Really surprised that despite the number of pages it never gets boring. And yes, Princess Bride is brilliant and one of my favourite movies. I rewatched Interview with the Vampire so many times because it is so funny xD
Another idea for a video might be favorite miniseries adaptions of books, like The Queen's Gambit. I think a miniseries can do a better job and go more in depth with adapting a novel. The Sinner season one is another one that I liked, although I haven't read the German novel. Nowadays miniseries are so well done they're like movie series.
Just finished The Martian. The audiobook is phenomenal and it's my favorite book I've read this year. You dive in super deep into this story even with it being done in a log style reporting. So good. Haven't seen the movie but if it's half as good as the book that's one I want to see.
The movie is good!!!! The book is better, but the movie is a really good adaptation/they change the right things, and I know people who never read the book and enjoyed it.
The Road was such a wonderful movie adaption! Also, the Fellowship of the Ring has such a nostalgic feel for me. I watched it twice with my dad in the cinema and then read all the books, both in German and in English.
Yeah... I loved "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". "Prince Caspian" was a huge let down. But contrary to the opinions of many, I actually really liked "Dawn Treader" (even though it was no longer Disney). I was excited and hoping that they'd pick up steam from there and finish it up. Yeah, you're right. They totally blew it. They had the road paved by LOTR (the second best film trilogy of all time), but they got lost. Great pick with "Count of Monte Cristo". One of my favorite films, and a great adaptation (I actually like how they trimmed the fat. The book is too bloated (as are ALL of Dumas' works. He's got the ideas and the action, but he can overwrite with the best of them).
The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan. The book is good, but the movie just cuts away all the irrelevant stuff and focuses on more interesting aspects. Takes the story to a whole new level, while still staying true to the characters and themes.
It is my FAVORITE Nolan film by far, and one of my favorite films of all time. It's also the first movie since Empire of the Sun (and the last, sadly) that convinced me that Christian Bale was worth his salt and not overrated. I never knew there was a book though. Thanks for the info.
Man, I read The Prestige about a year ago after doing a rewatch of the movie for like the 10th time. I noticed for the first time that it was based on a book. The novel is insane. Way darker than the movie. I wish the movie delved more into the machinations of that Tesla machine tho, which was basically the fulcrum of the novel. But yes, the movie is incredible. Easily my favorite Nolan flick
The Princess Bride is the movie that surpasses the book. And here I thought I was the only one who loved the 02 version of Count of Monte Cristo. Yes, they fudged the ending and made it too short. But it captures the spirit of the book perfectly. And the cast was superb. And I agree Fellowship was the best of the movie adaptations. My wife and I saw it 5 times. Two Towers actually let me down slightly in changes I found unnecessary. And I'm going to say something controversial: The problem with the last Conan movie was *not* Jason Mamoa. He's actually a more authentic Conan, in appearance and demeanor, than. Arnold. The problem was everything else. Bad script. Bad production. Bad casting for everyone else. And a failure to adapt the depth of the Hyborean Age. But I would watch Mamoa as Conan if done by people who respected Howard. Tidbit, Tolkien actually enjoyed the Conan stories.
I did love arnold as conan, but i grew up with that. I was excited for mamoa to do it, and i agree, him personally was great, script was mostly trash. I still have trouble finishing that movie. I would love a reboot with him in it.
Caviziel is outstanding in the roll... and having the Future Superman as his son... Always a favorite, and fun when you catch the small reference in Person of Interest
Funny thing is, when I watched CoMC I thought Cavill looked like a great replacement for Tom Welling should he ever leave Smallville. So I was blown away when he got cast as Superman.
There was one movie that, when I saw the trailer, I thought, "Wow!" Then I saw it and my heart shattered. The book was so good that I finished it in one night in college. The movie adaptation got it so wrong that I almost cried. The book, at least the first one (the sequals of it were entirely unnecessary) was Jumper by Stephen Gould.
I'm just today finishing my first read of Peter Pan, but I think I'm close enough on my way through to declare the 2003 film a fantastic adaptation of it as well as just a fantastic movie. Loyal to the text but willing to tell things differently sometimes when needed, and they understood the characters well enough to write great scenes for them. Glad you called out Narnia as that's a favorite of mine too - and I thought Prince Caspian turned out great, maybe better then tLtLatW - bigger liberties were taken, but many of them unavoidable with how the book is structured. But that third movie, ouch, they really dropped the ball Voyage of the Dawn Treader - the makers didn't understand the book at all seemingly and thought they had to invent a formulaic save the world narrative - lamely inserted - to justify it's existence, rather then make something new and special about exploration and self-discovery. Bridge to Terrebithia is also really faithful and heartfelt. Made by Walden Media, the same production house as the Narnia films.
Such a fun video - and I was so glad to see the classics here (Conan!!). I read the book after watching the movie as well so that movie with all its cheese has a special place in my heart.
I remember going to see FotR when I was 14... it blew my mind. I didn't know anything about the books, but I immediately got the book the following week and devoured it. Stand By Me is a classic, though Shawshank is my favorite movie. Agree with Prisoner of Azkaban. By far the best movie, and my second favorite book from the series. Unfortunately, my favorite book was the worst movie with Half Blood Prince. I like Dracula, but Keanu was a little distracting, for me. Gary Oldman was fantastic. The Princess Bride... you really don't need to say anything about it. I love the Count of Monte Cristo. Very rewatchable and a fun movie. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was an absolutely fantastic adaptation of the book. The battle scene along with the score is amazing. I would love for them to do more of the books. I know there are many 'woke' people who hate on it, but The Horse and His Boy is still one of my favorite stories of all time. On Jurassic Park, I remember going to the movies with my parents and brothers when I was 6. It's so hard to explain to younger people how much hype there was behind seeing these dinosaurs on screen for the first time. Fight Club is the only one I can think of, off the top of my head, that I would add to your list. I too have never read the Godfather, though it is in my top 10 movies of all time. This may not be a popular opinion, but I was more entertained by Ready Player One, the movie, than I was by the book. I thought the book was okay, but not as great as others did. Also, growing up, my brothers and I all loved Sphere. Though, now being older and having the read the book several times, I can say it is not that great of an adaptation. Sphere is my favorite Crichton book.
The three Narnia movies they made were all insanely good. Nostalgia galore, watched them long before I knew they were books. I know a few people who absolutely hate those movies for some reason, but I always loved them, especially the first one. I understand why people wouldn't like the two following ones, I always thought Prince Caspian was slightly boring when I was little, but I have never not loved the 3 movies. (As somebody who hasn't read the books yet, I say that btw, so I don't fully know the faithfulness) And I thought the cast for everybody, particularly the first movie was beyond perfect. Could not have done better with those characters imo.
I completely agree about The Fellowship of the Ring. I think I have made this comment before on a previous video, but the first time I saw the Mines of Moria battle, was a special moment. "They have a Cave Troll" just gave me chills. Seeing Legolas come to life was just amazing. Stand By Me was a special movie that I watched with each of my boys. It is an all-time movie.
Oh I totally agree about Jurassic Park, Dracula, and Lord of the Rings. The original film version of The Ring I thought was fairly faithful to the book ( from what I can recall). The most recent film version of Emma by Jane Austen has to be my favourite book to screen version of that classic. They may have taken some small liberties with the story, but they absolutely nailed the principle characters (I've always been a little disappointed with previous versions where one or other of the key characters is not quite right).
Haven't read it in a long time, but I remember the book and movie being fairly different for One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. Hmm. I suppose it was only different in the way The Princess Bride was different. Never mind lol
@@mikesbookreviews Clancy's Jack Ryan is one of my favourite characters. The whole series is excellent, though I would recommend stopping after The Bear and the Dragon as more authors came on board and just diluted the legacy in my view.
"We Were Soldiers" is an awesome movie based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young". I know I am no longer supposed to like Mel Gibson, and I do not support some of the things he has said, but I still enjoy many of his movies.
Great list. Haven’t seen or read them all, but I’ve experienced a nice chunk of them. Godfather novel is great. Haven’t read the road, but I read Blood Meridian. That was an experience! Wish I was a fan of Narnia. I tried.
Lol, you're so right about reading Blood Meridian being "an experience." I love McCarthy, but that was just too much muchness. All the Pretty Horses is better suited to my tastes (also like No Country For Old Men, and to a lesser degree The Road).
This is veering as close to the line as the Salem's Lot suggestion, but the original 1989 television movie adaptation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black. The ending's no more faithful to the book than the Daniel Radcliffe movie, but it's got such a great atmosphere. One of the essential supernatural productions from here in the UK. It's been out of circulation for years - not even a DVD release - but as it happens the brand-new Blu-ray restoration fell through the letterbox this morning. I now just need to decide if I can face watching it in the middle of a heatwave or if I can hold out until halloween! And, yes, The Martian. That had no right being as good on screen as it was in print. And for the most part it was proper science fiction rather than science fantasy. Terrific entertainment in either version.
My all-time favorite book 📖 to film adaptation is Shutter Island! Dennis Lehane is my favorite author and even I have to admit how true it is to the source material while even adding a better ending, IMO 🥰
Hey Mike, I forgot but, HAPPY BIRTHDAY brother!!!!!! So close to that 20k. Can't wait to see you continue to grow. From a fan, fellow fantasy need, and huge Jon Gwynne Fan.
1st time commenting - BTW, not sure how I came across your channel, really enjoying your shows! All right, kudos for GWTW shout out, especially given the current brouhaha surrounding the book! Count of Monte Cristo, hmmmm, did not like the contraverted ending at all, esp after watching the director commentary who said quote " I can't believe Dumas never thought of that!"??? One more for the list should be Gone Girl - terrific & mostly faithful to the novel. Thanks for the thoughtful & entertaining vids- you're a pleasure to watch.
TKAM was my favourite book and Gregory Peck remains one of my favorite actors of his time. I first saw him in Roman Holiday but his performance as Atticus in the film adaptation left such an impression on me that I had to own it on blu-ray. What a great soundtrack, too!
The L.A. Confidential book is exponentially better than the movie. The movie is still great, but the book is so much more sprawling and complex. A complete masterpiece. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Great video Mike. Just sitting here in my library i can see a few of my favourites. By the way, i absolutely do NOT need a film to be loyal to the source material to be worthy, let the art flow freely. The Prestige Children Of Men The Time Travellers Wife Watership Down Das Boot American Psycho Perfume Starship Troopers I concur with your selection of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Road and Apocalypse Now and my absolute favourite Stephen King adaptation has to be Misery. Obviously you've already watched my "Solaris Week" videos where i review the book and both films and I'm in the planning stages of "Blade Runner Week" where i review, well, you know........(shameless plug) More videos like this please
I'm hoping to be able to do more "Reading Break" vids where I talk about other forms of media I enjoy. Misery was a very close 2nd. Other than a few tweaks and a sledgehammer instead of an ax, it was incredibly faithful.
Mike's Book Reviews This faithful business just mystifies me. Each to their own but i don’t understand why films are judged by how close the adaptation is to the source material. There is a whole video of arguments right there, if you don’t make it, i will. Or i’ll just copy the best bits from your video.....,
I've always loved Coppola's Dracula: chilling horror and my favorite love story - except, I don't think there was a love story in Stoker's Dracula - save for the strong friendship between the hunters. Now I've only heard an abridged audio book on Dracula - I'll be reading it properly in a couple months - but I always thought Coppola was a bit cheeky putting the author's name on this title - while yes they did do an amazing job trying to capture how otherworldly the horror in the book could be - stuff that never made it into the *many* other adaptations - but at the same time make Mina and Dracula the most thrilling, romantic (consensual) love story ever (& got Annie Lennox to sing about it :D). It *works* though, and I always point to this as an example of it being OK for straying from faithful adaptations (especially when Dracula has taken so many pop culture forms already). I wonder though why you allowed this as a good adaptation but not the Shinning, but I'll know the book better within a couple months also. Kubric is another who, while being partially faithful, will put his own stamp on his adaptation of your book - I think I'd be honored if it were my book but that's impossible to say.
For me, it would have to be the adaptations of 'The Godfather' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.' They're incredibly faithful to the source material while still standing on their own as great films.
Love your shirt!!! To kill a mocking bird was great. I love Gregory Peck! He'll always be Atticus Finch to mr for sure. The Green Mile is my fave Stephen King book adaptation. Have you seen and read One Flew Ovee the Cucko's next? Great video!
I haven’t seen a lot of older movies (and I lived through the Eragon and Percy Jackson adaptations, and Artemis Fowl...) but my favorite is the Martian. I can’t decide whether or not I like the book or the movie more. The Fellowship of the Ring movie was my gateway to fantasy, which made me want to read the books. I’ll have to watch all your picks though because I’m not a big movie person so I take your recs highly.
If you're going to read more Cormac McCarthy, make Blood Meridian your first stop - it's my favourite of his. The Road is great, first time I read it was before I was a parent and I enjoyed it, but the 2nd time was after my son was born and it had much more impact.
As far as a movie that is THE MOST FAITHFUL to the book I have EVER seen...it would be "The Outsiders". To Kill A Mockingbird was so dominated by the superb Gregory Peck performance, and those of the kids that portrayed Scout and Jem...that people often over look the amazing performances by Brock Peters, who was heart-wrenching as a hopeless Tom Robinson, and Collin Peters as non-rape victim Mayella Ewell.
I still haven't seen the Sweedish versions of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.... but I really loved the books, I need to watch those versions. The prisoner of Azkaban was a great movie, and it was one of my favorite books in the series as well. Fully 10000% agree with the Princess Bride! The amount of quotes from this movie that happens at my office is amazing. We call our design room the Pit of Despair even haha I love the Count of Monte Cristo movie, honestly, I like the movie better than the book... Guy Pierce was great and Jim Caviezel was perfect I thought. and I mean Luiz Guzman can really do no wrong haha
I actually really like the newer version of the time machine. Maybe because I saw it when i was a kid and it stuck with me. Nostalgia will cause you to overlook imperfection.
A good list overall. I think The Prisoner of Azkaban is only middling for Harry Potter book ranking, but it is hands down the best movie by far. A really good adaptation that shows what matters is not being page for page identical but being faithful to the mood, characters, and themes and making a quality work in the medium you are choosing is more important. I also enjoyed both the Swedish and US adaptations of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy (the Millenium series), but also agree the Swedish was the better of the two. Some other possible good choices might be Blade Runner or Arrival or Howl's Moving Castle or Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet or Starship Troopers or The Perks of Being a Wallflower or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
What always comes to my mind with faithful adaptations is the Godfather. it might be a bit of tinted glasses as its been a while but I cant recall any changes really apart from maybe a few cuts for time
I'd say when it comes to Crichton, Rising Sun may be a better choice. Excellent novel, excellent movie. The changes made (including the killer and the race of the main character) make sense in the context of the movie.
I like the Tobe Hooper version of ‘Salem’s Lot. I watched the Blu-ray a few months ago and i think it still holds up. Granted it’s a tv mini series but it counts in my book.
Fantastic list, agree with almost all of them, your Stephen King choice was good, but if miniseries were allowed I would choose the Shining. What did you think of the Mist, I loved it especially after I heard King preferred that ending to his book.
Disney's 1967 adaptation of The Jungle Book, the 1954 version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (also Disney), Cosgrove Hall's 1983 adaptation of The Wind in the Willows and the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (which I think does a similar job of Gene Wilder = Willy Wonka as Conan did for Arnie).
I think that the Shawshank Redemption movie expands and improves the original source material. That's what makes it better than the novella, and one of the best adaptations overall.
I really don't think the Princess Bride could be adapted better. For one thing, Goldman himself wrote the screenplay, so he got all the best bits down. You MUST read the Martian. Just must. It's a quick read, and for someone in such dire circumstances, it's also a really fun and funny read. You'd be done it in no time flat. I know Ready Player One as a book gets a lot of flack, but I adore the book. The film is hot garbage, though. Spielberg didn't manage to find the heart of that book. Not sure it was really straight adaptable, though. When I first saw Jurassic Park, I'd already read the book, and I thought the film was a great adaption, but I preferred the book. I recently reread it, and rewatched it, and they have flipped over time for me. I now find the movie gets to the heart of the matter much quicker and more directly, and many of Ian Malcolm's rantings which had seemed so cogent to me at 20 now seem overwrought to me at 50. I know it's not a straight adaption of the Time Machine, but Time After Time is my favorite derivative from the Time Machine. HG Wells and Jack the Ripper battle each other in 70s San Francisco. That's just glorious to me.
The Shining was redone (I.e., not the Kubrick version). If you haven’t seen it, I’d recommend it. I thought The Andromeda Strain was the best adaptation of a Michael Crichton movie. I agree with your take on Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The Swedish movie was much better. The other two books are great, too.
I like the novels for Total Recall, Little big man (way different than the movie) and terminator 2. I want to read the first terminator but it's very expensive. One of the weirdest ones I read was 1983 Scarface by Paul Monette. There's some odd stuff in there.
What a great list! Agree all around. I am going to call out a few more. Slaughterhouse Five, a largely unwatched classic film better then book. Check it out. Also, The 13th Warrior (eaters of the dead), Of Mice and Men (90s version), Clockwork Orange and Shawshank Redemption. Can’t fault picking stand by me though. Something that really fascinated me was The Martian Chronicles with Rock Hudson. It was a mini-series but had me reading the book. I found it on UA-cam, interesting watch with current landing happening.
There was a French miniseries version of The Count of Monte Cristo starring Gérard Depardieu that aired in the US on Bravo before the Jim Caviezel movie.
Funny story about The Time Machine. We watched it in my HS sociology class. One of the girls in the class actually asked how Wells predicted WWII and WWIII so accurately. After hearing me groan my teacher let me...explain it to her
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Dune 1984 vs Dune ‘20/21 when the new one comes out. Also the Christopher Lee Hammer Films Dracula series is great! Count Dooku as Dracula... yes!
@@locutusdborg126 Yeah, Im not too big of a Spielberg fan, but I am 19 and didn't grow up with a Spielberg childhood, although I will Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones etc. Lynch, who made the 1984 Dune is also a genius but the studio screwed him over and made him cut so much from his Dune screenplay.
I figured long ago to never expect a movie to be exactly like a book you've already read. Absolutely nothing bad to say about to kill a mockingbird. Book or Movie.
Wait a minute. Conan? Yeah, the movie tossed in a bit of stuff from the stories but was hardly what I would call faithful to the original REH work. Conan's background was completely different. Red Sonja was never in an REH Conan story. Thulsa Doom was a char in the Kull stories not the Conan ones. The plot of the movie was very different than anything Bob Howard wrote. Loved the novel and movie versions of To Kill a Mockingbird. Simply amazing. Probably my #2 Gregory Peck flick. #1 would be Arabesque because, well, Sophia Loren, hehe.
I haven't read the book (my small experience with Anne Rice thus far wasn't good), but we're lucky we got the Interview with a Vampire that we did. Lot of behind the scenes crap and development hell with that one. I'm not sure the cast really enjoyed themselves enough to want to return. Brad Pitt apparently in particular was particularly resentful.
@@mikesbookreviews I think he's just great. Also, just found your channel last night and love it, man! I've been really slowing down on the reading over the past handful of years and can't wait to get into it.
The Hunt for Red October was a great book, and they made a great movie... which was nothing like the book. The Martian was a great book, but I just didn't like Matt Damon as Mark Whatney. The Whatney character in the book was kind of a geek. Like an everyman sort of guy, where Damon is an action hero. I agree with another poster here that the Godfather novel was the lesser work on a few levels. Mario Puzo was kind of a novice when he wrote it, I think, and his writing got better later in his career. Jaws was another mediocre novel that was made into a great movie. Love the topic Mike! Great video as always!
Great list. Lot of variety you restrained yourself from all Stephen King and horror lol. I didn't like Jurassic Park the movie, probably because I read the book before it came out. It was just much more suspenseful and intelligent and Spielberg always makes things cheesy imo.
Would definitely love to see you do favorite sci-fi TV series. Would you just keep to sci-fi? would you incorporate fantasy, or would you make that a separate list?
Hey bookworms and couch potatoes! These are a handful of the movies I love based off of books that I enjoyed. Let me know your picks below.
We need to get Mike’s channel up to 30,000 by the end at the least. He deserves it.
Seems things are slowing down. But the channel has exceeded even my wildest expectations so I'm not mad.
Keep up the good work. I enjoy your videos. You got me started on Stephen King and wheel of time. I finished Carrie and am almost done with the great hunt. Thanks for the discussion.
A more abstract adaptation: "O' Brother Where Art Thou?" - I love when writers adapt stories into new times and locations, causing them to think about how those new cultures and laws of the land would affect the story. Taking The Odyssey and putting it in Depression Era Mississippi is something inspired. Add in the period music produced by T-Bone Burnett and this film has tone and mood usually reserved for short bursts like music videos...but for an entire film.
A more literal adaptation: "No Country for Old Men" - I'm just now realizing these are both Coen-brother movies. Either way...this film stays nearly loyal to the novel, changing only in small parts, thus allowing the Coen brothers to utilize the cinematography in a way O Brother doesn't.
Also - Thoughts on the Sphere adaptation? I like both the film and the novel.
Happy Birthday by the way. Congrats on being the answer to life, the universe, and everything
The two adaptations that I would add are "The Big Short" and "Moneyball." Both books are awesome, but the simple fact is that they're both pretty statistical and wonkish, and don't represent the type of material that would lend itself well to film adaptation. The fact that the filmmakers were able to pull both of them off was awesome, and I recommend both the books and movies whenever I can.
A little surprised Philip K Dick didn’t sneak onto the list. So many of his have been done. Blade Runner, Total Recall, Paycheck, The Adjustment Bureau, Minority Report to name a few. Though my favorite for staying true to the book is Screamers.
A Scanner Darkly was quite accurate to the book also
I think Stardust (Gaiman) is the only one I thought of not on your list. I totally agree with Princess Bride, Fellowship and Jurassic Park, those were my first thoughts. Plus a shout out to Hook as a "spin off" from Peter Pan.
Do you plan to do a TV adaptations video too?
I'm so glad to see some love for The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. It was the first novel I've ever read in English. The movie was done well and Edmund's portrail was spot on!
I would love to hear you talk more about movie adaptations in future videos.
I'm planning to branch out a little bit to more media. Lightly.
@@mikesbookreviews By the way, we'd love to hear about your experience of The Fellowship of the Ring in theaters. Seven times! That's real devotion. Like so many others, I only read the novels after watching the movies. I get goosebumps imagining a real Tolkien fan seeing the movies for the first time. It must have been a very emotional experience.
Some I would've personally included: The Neverending Story, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Scott Pilgrim, Alice in Wonderland (the animated version), and The Exorcist. If we were doing one Stephen King, I would've picked Shawshank
Neverending Story assassinated me as a kid. God dang Swamps of Sadness.
Glad Narnia was mentioned. It’s the series that made me fall in love with books as a little guy, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was very well adapted.
Folks who don't like Narnia aren't people.
Yes, they ONLY THING WRONG with it in my opinion....and it is unknown if you haven't read the books...is that Jadis, the White Witch, was SUPPOSED to be a drop-dead-gorgeous seductress in the manner of oh say, a Victoria's Secret model. They chose to make her ugly and frost-bitten instead.
Prisoner of Azkaban the movie got me into the Harry Potter books.
I was in middle school and high school when I read lord of the rings/hobbit... and when I finished RotK, I literally prayed that they would make a movie of the books! Like, I prayed once a month probably. (I’m not religious...). A year and half later, the trailer dropped.
...You’re welcome! 😇
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Watership Down ( 1970's animated version), The Big Sleep, L.A. Confidential, Killer Inside Me (by Jim Thompson), Maltese Falcon, and The Woman Chaser, a 1999 film based on the book by Charles Willeford
Yes! Love the 70’s Watership Down, but it definitely freaked me out as a kid!
Very much looking forward to rewatching Something Wicked with my kid this Halloween.
Watership Down is my favourite book and I think they did a really good job staying true to the story in the 78 animation. Don't see it as a kids book and defo not a kids film, scariest pg rated film I've ever seen!
@@staygoldponyboy8881 Watership Down is def in my top ten books of all time.
Pride and Prejudice, and, sticking to Jane Austen, I love Clueless as a remake of Emma. Fight Club and The Godfather. Howl’s Moving Castle, for sure!
100% agree re: LOTR. I grew up in the middle of nowhere with no internet and not a lot of awareness of media, and one of my most vivid memories is being in the theatre and having a preview for The Fellowship play. Instant goosebumps. Such an amazing adaptation.
I don't see any movie ever bringing those emotions out of me ever again. I just don't think they could keep as many surprises now.
If you could splice Judy Dench into the 1995 miniseries Pride and prejudice would be near perfect
Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies. Took me years to read the books, but I loved them, to. Two I’d suggest for the list are “The Martian”, which is a very faithful adaptation, though the book as usual is better. Also, Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” it’s actually a biography, with the movie focusing on the fist 3/4 of the book. They made the right call as it’s almost a short story tacked onto the novel. Robert Redfor and Nick Knolty are great. I’ve watched both movies multiple times.
The Martian is one folks have been on me to read for awhile now.
Mike's Book Reviews I’ve heard this is one story where experts say they got it right with the science. I hate when I know a lot about a subject and the author gets even the basics wrong. It might be cool to see you do a video where authors “get it right”. Even if it’s just one aspect of the story. My biggest pet peeve is how many fantasy authors screw up horses. They are the main mode of transport in most instances, and they treat them like cars. Get on, gallop them hundreds of miles, jump off and go to bed. When I see an author who even attempts to take them into account in the story, I really enjoy it. I’m sure there are many other cases like this where people notice when the author “gets it right”.
Mike's Book Reviews, add me to the list of people who are hounding you to read it. It’s amazing. I read it on release day, thinking it would be a throwaway space adventure novel. It wasn’t. It was brilliant, irreverent, and hilarious. At your reading speed, you’ll finish it in 2.5 hours. It’s a very quick read.
Happy weekend reading to u!! 😊📖
I love all the movies mentioned here that I have watched. I watched the Count of Monte Cristo before reading the book. I loved that quote about life so much that I went to buy the book and read it. Really surprised that despite the number of pages it never gets boring.
And yes, Princess Bride is brilliant and one of my favourite movies.
I rewatched Interview with the Vampire so many times because it is so funny xD
Funny? Huh. Interesting.
The road is amazing, I've never read the book but seeing the film at the cinema was alomst harrowing.
Another idea for a video might be favorite miniseries adaptions of books, like The Queen's Gambit. I think a miniseries can do a better job and go more in depth with adapting a novel. The Sinner season one is another one that I liked, although I haven't read the German novel. Nowadays miniseries are so well done they're like movie series.
As soon as I saw the video title, I knew TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD had to be included. Possibly the most faithful book-to-film adaptation ever!
It's brilliant.
The Outsiders is even MORE faithful. They changed almost nothing, except Dallas being a "towhead" whereas Matt Dillon was a brunette.
Just finished The Martian. The audiobook is phenomenal and it's my favorite book I've read this year. You dive in super deep into this story even with it being done in a log style reporting. So good. Haven't seen the movie but if it's half as good as the book that's one I want to see.
I will read it eventually, for sure.
The movie is good!!!! The book is better, but the movie is a really good adaptation/they change the right things, and I know people who never read the book and enjoyed it.
The movie is more than worth it, trust me....but ONLY if you like Matt Damon, because that movie is a whole LOT of Matt Damon.
The Road was such a wonderful movie adaption! Also, the Fellowship of the Ring has such a nostalgic feel for me. I watched it twice with my dad in the cinema and then read all the books, both in German and in English.
Every time I watch the LotR (about once per year) I still choke up about 2 dozen times. Incredible achievement that will never be duplicated.
Yeah... I loved "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". "Prince Caspian" was a huge let down. But contrary to the opinions of many, I actually really liked "Dawn Treader" (even though it was no longer Disney). I was excited and hoping that they'd pick up steam from there and finish it up. Yeah, you're right. They totally blew it. They had the road paved by LOTR (the second best film trilogy of all time), but they got lost.
Great pick with "Count of Monte Cristo". One of my favorite films, and a great adaptation (I actually like how they trimmed the fat. The book is too bloated (as are ALL of Dumas' works. He's got the ideas and the action, but he can overwrite with the best of them).
Dawn Treader nailed Reepicheep.
The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan. The book is good, but the movie just cuts away all the irrelevant stuff and focuses on more interesting aspects. Takes the story to a whole new level, while still staying true to the characters and themes.
I didn't even know it was a book until about a year ago. Very cool movie.
It is my FAVORITE Nolan film by far, and one of my favorite films of all time. It's also the first movie since Empire of the Sun (and the last, sadly) that convinced me that Christian Bale was worth his salt and not overrated.
I never knew there was a book though. Thanks for the info.
Man, I read The Prestige about a year ago after doing a rewatch of the movie for like the 10th time. I noticed for the first time that it was based on a book. The novel is insane. Way darker than the movie. I wish the movie delved more into the machinations of that Tesla machine tho, which was basically the fulcrum of the novel. But yes, the movie is incredible. Easily my favorite Nolan flick
About the Three Musketeers. If you haven't seen the 1973 adaptation, I highly recommend you watch it. Much, much better than the Disney-version.
The Princess Bride is the movie that surpasses the book.
And here I thought I was the only one who loved the 02 version of Count of Monte Cristo. Yes, they fudged the ending and made it too short. But it captures the spirit of the book perfectly. And the cast was superb.
And I agree Fellowship was the best of the movie adaptations. My wife and I saw it 5 times. Two Towers actually let me down slightly in changes I found unnecessary.
And I'm going to say something controversial: The problem with the last Conan movie was *not* Jason Mamoa. He's actually a more authentic Conan, in appearance and demeanor, than. Arnold. The problem was everything else. Bad script. Bad production. Bad casting for everyone else. And a failure to adapt the depth of the Hyborean Age. But I would watch Mamoa as Conan if done by people who respected Howard.
Tidbit, Tolkien actually enjoyed the Conan stories.
I did love arnold as conan, but i grew up with that. I was excited for mamoa to do it, and i agree, him personally was great, script was mostly trash. I still have trouble finishing that movie. I would love a reboot with him in it.
Along with The Princess Bride, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas surpassed the book.
Momoa certainly wasn't the problem. I should have clarified. No one could have saved that shit script.
Caviziel is outstanding in the roll... and having the Future Superman as his son...
Always a favorite, and fun when you catch the small reference in Person of Interest
Funny thing is, when I watched CoMC I thought Cavill looked like a great replacement for Tom Welling should he ever leave Smallville. So I was blown away when he got cast as Superman.
There was one movie that, when I saw the trailer, I thought, "Wow!" Then I saw it and my heart shattered. The book was so good that I finished it in one night in college. The movie adaptation got it so wrong that I almost cried. The book, at least the first one (the sequals of it were entirely unnecessary) was Jumper by Stephen Gould.
Ha ha, Jumper was so cringe.
@@mikesbookreviews Mike, read the book, It was AWESOME!
I'm just today finishing my first read of Peter Pan, but I think I'm close enough on my way through to declare the 2003 film a fantastic adaptation of it as well as just a fantastic movie. Loyal to the text but willing to tell things differently sometimes when needed, and they understood the characters well enough to write great scenes for them.
Glad you called out Narnia as that's a favorite of mine too - and I thought Prince Caspian turned out great, maybe better then tLtLatW - bigger liberties were taken, but many of them unavoidable with how the book is structured. But that third movie, ouch, they really dropped the ball Voyage of the Dawn Treader - the makers didn't understand the book at all seemingly and thought they had to invent a formulaic save the world narrative - lamely inserted - to justify it's existence, rather then make something new and special about exploration and self-discovery.
Bridge to Terrebithia is also really faithful and heartfelt. Made by Walden Media, the same production house as the Narnia films.
Such a fun video - and I was so glad to see the classics here (Conan!!). I read the book after watching the movie as well so that movie with all its cheese has a special place in my heart.
The soundtrack is God tier.
Hell yeah. To Kill a Mockingbird is just awesome. Stand By Me is sooooo good. Mike keep killing it dude!!!
I remember going to see FotR when I was 14... it blew my mind. I didn't know anything about the books, but I immediately got the book the following week and devoured it.
Stand By Me is a classic, though Shawshank is my favorite movie.
Agree with Prisoner of Azkaban. By far the best movie, and my second favorite book from the series. Unfortunately, my favorite book was the worst movie with Half Blood Prince.
I like Dracula, but Keanu was a little distracting, for me. Gary Oldman was fantastic.
The Princess Bride... you really don't need to say anything about it.
I love the Count of Monte Cristo. Very rewatchable and a fun movie.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was an absolutely fantastic adaptation of the book. The battle scene along with the score is amazing. I would love for them to do more of the books. I know there are many 'woke' people who hate on it, but The Horse and His Boy is still one of my favorite stories of all time.
On Jurassic Park, I remember going to the movies with my parents and brothers when I was 6. It's so hard to explain to younger people how much hype there was behind seeing these dinosaurs on screen for the first time.
Fight Club is the only one I can think of, off the top of my head, that I would add to your list. I too have never read the Godfather, though it is in my top 10 movies of all time. This may not be a popular opinion, but I was more entertained by Ready Player One, the movie, than I was by the book. I thought the book was okay, but not as great as others did. Also, growing up, my brothers and I all loved Sphere. Though, now being older and having the read the book several times, I can say it is not that great of an adaptation. Sphere is my favorite Crichton book.
People that hate on Narnia can jump in a lake. It's a wonderful children's story.
Arrival, adapted from a Ted Chiang short story. Phenomenal.
Arrival is an incredible movie.
The three Narnia movies they made were all insanely good. Nostalgia galore, watched them long before I knew they were books. I know a few people who absolutely hate those movies for some reason, but I always loved them, especially the first one.
I understand why people wouldn't like the two following ones, I always thought Prince Caspian was slightly boring when I was little, but I have never not loved the 3 movies. (As somebody who hasn't read the books yet, I say that btw, so I don't fully know the faithfulness)
And I thought the cast for everybody, particularly the first movie was beyond perfect. Could not have done better with those characters imo.
I completely agree about The Fellowship of the Ring. I think I have made this comment before on a previous video, but the first time I saw the Mines of Moria battle, was a special moment. "They have a Cave Troll" just gave me chills. Seeing Legolas come to life was just amazing. Stand By Me was a special movie that I watched with each of my boys. It is an all-time movie.
Oh I totally agree about Jurassic Park, Dracula, and Lord of the Rings. The original film version of The Ring I thought was fairly faithful to the book ( from what I can recall). The most recent film version of Emma by Jane Austen has to be my favourite book to screen version of that classic. They may have taken some small liberties with the story, but they absolutely nailed the principle characters (I've always been a little disappointed with previous versions where one or other of the key characters is not quite right).
Agree with you on Emma. Sense and Sensibility w/ Emma Thompson is great too
Two that came to mind were One Flow Over the Cuckoos Nest and The Hunt for Red October.
Haven't read it in a long time, but I remember the book and movie being fairly different for One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.
Hmm. I suppose it was only different in the way The Princess Bride was different.
Never mind lol
Haven't read either, but I enjoy both movies.
@@mikesbookreviews Clancy's Jack Ryan is one of my favourite characters. The whole series is excellent, though I would recommend stopping after The Bear and the Dragon as more authors came on board and just diluted the legacy in my view.
"We Were Soldiers" is an awesome movie based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once, and Young". I know I am no longer supposed to like Mel Gibson, and I do not support some of the things he has said, but I still enjoy many of his movies.
I cried. Didn't read it though.
Great list. Haven’t seen or read them all, but I’ve experienced a nice chunk of them. Godfather novel is great. Haven’t read the road, but I read Blood Meridian. That was an experience! Wish I was a fan of Narnia. I tried.
Lol, you're so right about reading Blood Meridian being "an experience." I love McCarthy, but that was just too much muchness. All the Pretty Horses is better suited to my tastes (also like No Country For Old Men, and to a lesser degree The Road).
Narnia has to be read as a kid. I really should read Godfather one day.
This is veering as close to the line as the Salem's Lot suggestion, but the original 1989 television movie adaptation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black.
The ending's no more faithful to the book than the Daniel Radcliffe movie, but it's got such a great atmosphere. One of the essential supernatural productions from here in the UK.
It's been out of circulation for years - not even a DVD release - but as it happens the brand-new Blu-ray restoration fell through the letterbox this morning. I now just need to decide if I can face watching it in the middle of a heatwave or if I can hold out until halloween!
And, yes, The Martian. That had no right being as good on screen as it was in print. And for the most part it was proper science fiction rather than science fantasy. Terrific entertainment in either version.
The Martian seems to be the #1 answer as far as ones I haven't read.
The Big Sleep 1946 (Humphrey Bogart and his wife Lauren Bacall), book by Raymond Chandler, screenplay by William Faulkner, directed by Howard Hawks.
thanks for the recommendations!
My all-time favorite book 📖 to film adaptation is Shutter Island! Dennis Lehane is my favorite author and even I have to admit how true it is to the source material while even adding a better ending, IMO 🥰
That graphic of Jurassic Park that you show is one of my favorites of all time in any movie. The T-Rex with the banner falling is just awesome.
So much symbolism in one image!
Yaaaayyyy I can see the Stephen King pop! Totally forgot about Green Mile till you mentioned it, but yeah, Stand By Me is perhaps the best choice
Any movie that has dialogue as great as "you four-eyed pile of shit" is an immediate classic.
Hey Mike, I forgot but, HAPPY BIRTHDAY brother!!!!!! So close to that 20k. Can't wait to see you continue to grow. From a fan, fellow fantasy need, and huge Jon Gwynne Fan.
*nerd
1st time commenting - BTW, not sure how I came across your channel, really enjoying your shows! All right, kudos for GWTW shout out, especially given the current brouhaha surrounding the book! Count of Monte Cristo, hmmmm, did not like the contraverted ending at all, esp after watching the director commentary who said quote " I can't believe Dumas never thought of that!"??? One more for the list should be Gone Girl - terrific & mostly faithful to the novel. Thanks for the thoughtful & entertaining vids- you're a pleasure to watch.
TKAM was my favourite book and Gregory Peck remains one of my favorite actors of his time. I first saw him in Roman Holiday but his performance as Atticus in the film adaptation left such an impression on me that I had to own it on blu-ray. What a great soundtrack, too!
No Country For Old Men. Movie and book.
The L.A. Confidential book is exponentially better than the movie. The movie is still great, but the book is so much more sprawling and complex. A complete masterpiece. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Yeah, I've been told that a lot.
Great video Mike.
Just sitting here in my library i can see a few of my favourites.
By the way, i absolutely do NOT need a film to be loyal to the source material to be worthy, let the art flow freely.
The Prestige
Children Of Men
The Time Travellers Wife
Watership Down
Das Boot
American Psycho
Perfume
Starship Troopers
I concur with your selection of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Road and Apocalypse Now and my absolute favourite Stephen King adaptation has to be Misery.
Obviously you've already watched my "Solaris Week" videos where i review the book and both films and I'm in the planning stages of "Blade Runner Week" where i review, well, you know........(shameless plug)
More videos like this please
hey moid :)
@@krb23 Hey
I'm hoping to be able to do more "Reading Break" vids where I talk about other forms of media I enjoy. Misery was a very close 2nd. Other than a few tweaks and a sledgehammer instead of an ax, it was incredibly faithful.
Mike's Book Reviews This faithful business just mystifies me.
Each to their own but i don’t understand why films are judged by how close the adaptation is to the source material.
There is a whole video of arguments right there, if you don’t make it, i will.
Or i’ll just copy the best bits from your video.....,
I've always loved Coppola's Dracula: chilling horror and my favorite love story - except, I don't think there was a love story in Stoker's Dracula - save for the strong friendship between the hunters. Now I've only heard an abridged audio book on Dracula - I'll be reading it properly in a couple months - but I always thought Coppola was a bit cheeky putting the author's name on this title - while yes they did do an amazing job trying to capture how otherworldly the horror in the book could be - stuff that never made it into the *many* other adaptations - but at the same time make Mina and Dracula the most thrilling, romantic (consensual) love story ever (& got Annie Lennox to sing about it :D). It *works* though, and I always point to this as an example of it being OK for straying from faithful adaptations (especially when Dracula has taken so many pop culture forms already).
I wonder though why you allowed this as a good adaptation but not the Shinning, but I'll know the book better within a couple months also. Kubric is another who, while being partially faithful, will put his own stamp on his adaptation of your book - I think I'd be honored if it were my book but that's impossible to say.
Yeah, they sexied it up to get the romance dollar. I can't blame them. It worked.
For me, it would have to be the adaptations of 'The Godfather' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.' They're incredibly faithful to the source material while still standing on their own as great films.
O man! Bram Stoker's Dracula is the best! Gary Oldman is my favorite actor based mainly on that movie.
Love your shirt!!!
To kill a mocking bird was great. I love Gregory Peck! He'll always be Atticus Finch to mr for sure.
The Green Mile is my fave Stephen King book adaptation.
Have you seen and read One Flew Ovee the Cucko's next?
Great video!
Seen Cuckoo, but never read it. And I challenge anyone to watch Green Mile and not bawl like a baby.
I haven’t seen a lot of older movies (and I lived through the Eragon and Percy Jackson adaptations, and Artemis Fowl...) but my favorite is the Martian. I can’t decide whether or not I like the book or the movie more. The Fellowship of the Ring movie was my gateway to fantasy, which made me want to read the books. I’ll have to watch all your picks though because I’m not a big movie person so I take your recs highly.
Hope you enjoy!
Wow when you reminded me of the Dracula cast, now I want to watch it again
Ha ha same! I thought I’d wait until October and watch again after my re-read. That cast was sick.
If you're going to read more Cormac McCarthy, make Blood Meridian your first stop - it's my favourite of his. The Road is great, first time I read it was before I was a parent and I enjoyed it, but the 2nd time was after my son was born and it had much more impact.
As far as a movie that is THE MOST FAITHFUL to the book I have EVER seen...it would be "The Outsiders".
To Kill A Mockingbird was so dominated by the superb Gregory Peck performance, and those of the kids that portrayed Scout and Jem...that people often over look the amazing performances by Brock Peters, who was heart-wrenching as a hopeless Tom Robinson, and Collin Peters as non-rape victim Mayella Ewell.
Great shout out to the Time Machine.
Absolutely awesome list.. couldn't agree more
Sweet list. I like hearing you talk movies. LotR forever!!
I still haven't seen the Sweedish versions of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.... but I really loved the books, I need to watch those versions.
The prisoner of Azkaban was a great movie, and it was one of my favorite books in the series as well.
Fully 10000% agree with the Princess Bride! The amount of quotes from this movie that happens at my office is amazing. We call our design room the Pit of Despair even haha
I love the Count of Monte Cristo movie, honestly, I like the movie better than the book... Guy Pierce was great and Jim Caviezel was perfect I thought. and I mean Luiz Guzman can really do no wrong haha
He was a really good spin on Jacopo.
I actually really like the newer version of the time machine. Maybe because I saw it when i was a kid and it stuck with me. Nostalgia will cause you to overlook imperfection.
A good list overall. I think The Prisoner of Azkaban is only middling for Harry Potter book ranking, but it is hands down the best movie by far. A really good adaptation that shows what matters is not being page for page identical but being faithful to the mood, characters, and themes and making a quality work in the medium you are choosing is more important.
I also enjoyed both the Swedish and US adaptations of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy (the Millenium series), but also agree the Swedish was the better of the two.
Some other possible good choices might be Blade Runner or Arrival or Howl's Moving Castle or Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet or Starship Troopers or The Perks of Being a Wallflower or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
What always comes to my mind with faithful adaptations is the Godfather. it might be a bit of tinted glasses as its been a while but I cant recall any changes really apart from maybe a few cuts for time
I think the Cloud Atlas film is underrated. It's not perfect but it was ambitious and the ending was so powerful.
I'd say when it comes to Crichton, Rising Sun may be a better choice. Excellent novel, excellent movie. The changes made (including the killer and the race of the main character) make sense in the context of the movie.
Time Machine from the 1960's is one of the best of all time.
It is SO GOOD!
I like the Tobe Hooper version of ‘Salem’s Lot. I watched the Blu-ray a few months ago and i think it still holds up. Granted it’s a tv mini series but it counts in my book.
It is still spooky, too.
Is that the one with David Soul?
@@Ytnzy250 yes it is!
Really enjoy your content Mike. Fun attitude.
Fantastic list, agree with almost all of them, your Stephen King choice was good, but if miniseries were allowed I would choose the Shining. What did you think of the Mist, I loved it especially after I heard King preferred that ending to his book.
I liked The Mist movie better than the book. That ending was insane.
Disney's 1967 adaptation of The Jungle Book, the 1954 version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (also Disney), Cosgrove Hall's 1983 adaptation of The Wind in the Willows and the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (which I think does a similar job of Gene Wilder = Willy Wonka as Conan did for Arnie).
I think that the Shawshank Redemption movie expands and improves the original source material. That's what makes it better than the novella, and one of the best adaptations overall.
I really don't think the Princess Bride could be adapted better. For one thing, Goldman himself wrote the screenplay, so he got all the best bits down.
You MUST read the Martian. Just must. It's a quick read, and for someone in such dire circumstances, it's also a really fun and funny read. You'd be done it in no time flat.
I know Ready Player One as a book gets a lot of flack, but I adore the book. The film is hot garbage, though. Spielberg didn't manage to find the heart of that book. Not sure it was really straight adaptable, though.
When I first saw Jurassic Park, I'd already read the book, and I thought the film was a great adaption, but I preferred the book. I recently reread it, and rewatched it, and they have flipped over time for me. I now find the movie gets to the heart of the matter much quicker and more directly, and many of Ian Malcolm's rantings which had seemed so cogent to me at 20 now seem overwrought to me at 50.
I know it's not a straight adaption of the Time Machine, but Time After Time is my favorite derivative from the Time Machine. HG Wells and Jack the Ripper battle each other in 70s San Francisco. That's just glorious to me.
It drove me crazy how much everyone loved RP1 the movie. It was TRASH.
The Shining was redone (I.e., not the Kubrick version). If you haven’t seen it, I’d recommend it.
I thought The Andromeda Strain was the best adaptation of a Michael Crichton movie.
I agree with your take on Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The Swedish movie was much better. The other two books are great, too.
I love your video. I hope to see the Dune movie. We can do the worst( or that you don't love) adaptation books to move. Like you did books.
I like the novels for Total Recall, Little big man (way different than the movie) and terminator 2. I want to read the first terminator but it's very expensive. One of the weirdest ones I read was 1983 Scarface by Paul Monette. There's some odd stuff in there.
Completely agree with you on the vampire chronicles adaptations
What a great list! Agree all around. I am going to call out a few more. Slaughterhouse Five, a largely unwatched classic film better then book. Check it out. Also, The 13th Warrior (eaters of the dead), Of Mice and Men (90s version), Clockwork Orange and Shawshank Redemption. Can’t fault picking stand by me though.
Something that really fascinated me was The Martian Chronicles with Rock Hudson. It was a mini-series but had me reading the book. I found it on UA-cam, interesting watch with current landing happening.
There was a French miniseries version of The Count of Monte Cristo starring
Gérard Depardieu that aired in the US on Bravo before the Jim Caviezel movie.
I also like the version with Richard Chamberlain, which also stars Tony Curtis and Donald Plesance as two of the bad guys.
Bullseye! All what i thought at first this channel would be. Great episode, Sir 🖖
Funny story about The Time Machine. We watched it in my HS sociology class. One of the girls in the class actually asked how Wells predicted WWII and WWIII so accurately. After hearing me groan my teacher let me...explain it to her
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Dune 1984 vs Dune ‘20/21 when the new one comes out. Also the Christopher Lee Hammer Films Dracula series is great! Count Dooku as Dracula... yes!
One word: genius. Denis Villneuve is a genus. And Spielberg is a Disney-style director, whereas Denis and Chris Nolan are certified geniuses.
@@locutusdborg126 Yeah, Im not too big of a Spielberg fan, but I am 19 and didn't grow up with a Spielberg childhood, although I will Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones etc. Lynch, who made the 1984 Dune is also a genius but the studio screwed him over and made him cut so much from his Dune screenplay.
I figured long ago to never expect a movie to be exactly like a book you've already read. Absolutely nothing bad to say about to kill a mockingbird. Book or Movie.
I did love the count of Monte Cristo book and movie.
Wait a minute. Conan? Yeah, the movie tossed in a bit of stuff from the stories but was hardly what I would call faithful to the original REH work. Conan's background was completely different. Red Sonja was never in an REH Conan story. Thulsa Doom was a char in the Kull stories not the Conan ones. The plot of the movie was very different than anything Bob Howard wrote.
Loved the novel and movie versions of To Kill a Mockingbird. Simply amazing. Probably my #2 Gregory Peck flick. #1 would be Arabesque because, well, Sophia Loren, hehe.
Yeah, I know. I admit that one was very much nostalgia based since I saw it as a young man before I read any REH.
Speaking of Cormac McCarthy. I recently read No Country for Old Men and liked it even better than the movie. Both are great, though!
I haven't read the book (my small experience with Anne Rice thus far wasn't good), but we're lucky we got the Interview with a Vampire that we did. Lot of behind the scenes crap and development hell with that one. I'm not sure the cast really enjoyed themselves enough to want to return. Brad Pitt apparently in particular was particularly resentful.
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy is an absolute must.
I do want to read more CMac.
@@mikesbookreviews I think he's just great. Also, just found your channel last night and love it, man! I've been really slowing down on the reading over the past handful of years and can't wait to get into it.
The Hunt for Red October was a great book, and they made a great movie... which was nothing like the book. The Martian was a great book, but I just didn't like Matt Damon as Mark Whatney. The Whatney character in the book was kind of a geek. Like an everyman sort of guy, where Damon is an action hero. I agree with another poster here that the Godfather novel was the lesser work on a few levels. Mario Puzo was kind of a novice when he wrote it, I think, and his writing got better later in his career. Jaws was another mediocre novel that was made into a great movie. Love the topic Mike! Great video as always!
Make whatever content you want brother.
Heck yeah Stand By Me is so good.
Great list. Lot of variety you restrained yourself from all Stephen King and horror lol. I didn't like Jurassic Park the movie, probably because I read the book before it came out. It was just much more suspenseful and intelligent and Spielberg always makes things cheesy imo.
You gotta be kidding me. The Shining is too far removed from the book but Apocalypse now is fine? :D
Would definitely love to see you do favorite sci-fi TV series. Would you just keep to sci-fi? would you incorporate fantasy, or would you make that a separate list?
I got lists for lists ha ha
Have you seen the 6 hour version of The Count of Monte Christo? It's made by the French, available here on youtube with english subs
I'm sure everyone else in the comments are saying this too, but they already remade The Princess Bride this year. It's on Quibi.
I'll pass.
if you were to choose a director to make John Gwynne's the faithful and the fallen series into a movie who would it be?
Lotr ,m.a.s.h, clockwork orange,Amityville horror.one flew over a cuckoos nest