Movies that were better than the books?

Contributor: mailroomorder mailroomorder
What movies have you seen that were actually BETTER than their preceding book?
04/18/2013
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Contributor: Gary Gary
It's not a movie... but I just finished the first Dexter book, 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter'. The first season of Dexter pretty closely followed the book, but they changed a few things and then added a lot of stuff. Granted, in 12 episodes you can cover way more ground than a 90 minute movie, but I think the show was a lot better.
04/18/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
I much preferred Fight Club, Interview with a Vampire, Lord of the Rings and A Clockwork Orange in their film versions. Either because the books were either too damn boring (LOTR & anything by Anne Rice) or convoluted (Fight Club or anything else by Chuck Palahniuk), or because I simply really liked the film (even if Anthony Burgess was extremely opposed to them making it the way that they did and even wound up regretting having written it in the first place). I also liked Silence of the Lambs better than the book, and Thomas Harris is actually one of my favorite authors. I just thought that Anthony Hopkins did a fan-fucking-tastic job as Lecter, and so the film manages to edge past the book in terms of which I like better. I also think that I liked Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb better than the book, because it was so much more satirical, which is right up my alley.

A couple of films that I liked at least as much as the novels are How to Train your Dragon, Shawshank Redemption (though I liked Stephen King's rendition of The Shining better, despite the movie having some great details), /maybe/ American Psycho (I really, really liked the book, but the movie was well done. Christian Bale is an incredible method actor. Interestingly enough, Brent Easton Ellis also hated that this film was made, and I can't really say that I blame him because all of the symbolism was completely lost on the big screen) and Howl's Moving Castle (I adore Diana Wynne Jones and read all of her books as a child, but Miyazaki is superb).

There are also a couple of movies that I really like but haven't read the books that they were based on. I know that's not exactly what you were going for, but I can't imagine the novelization of Who Framed Roger Rabbit impressing me more than the movie did. Though I hear that they're pretty different, so I could be wrong. Memento was based on a book as well, but was so great that I don't know if I even want to read the book. Hmm, I know that there are a few more that I could be listing, but I should probably stop yammering now - good thing that you didn't ask about books that I enjoyed more than their film adaptations, or we'd have been here for a year!
04/18/2013
Contributor: Sammi Sammi
A Clockwork Orange comes to mind - I love the book, but the movie is just awesome. Jaws is another one - the book isn't bad but the movie is so much better. Peter Straub's Ghost Story was better as a movie, as are any Stephen King non-horror novels (I find the reverse true for any of his horror novels - the movies just do not work for me). There's a few of Clive Barker's that I like the movies at least as well as the short story, if not a little better - Hellraiser and The Midnight Meat Train. And, of course, these movies over the books: The Maltese Falcon and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
04/18/2013
Contributor: rosythorn rosythorn
Interview with a Vampire and My Sister`s keeper. Anne Rice got too bogged down and I didn`t like how My Sister`s ended.
04/18/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by Sammi
A Clockwork Orange comes to mind - I love the book, but the movie is just awesome. Jaws is another one - the book isn't bad but the movie is so much better. Peter Straub's Ghost Story was better as a movie, as are any Stephen King non-horror ... more
Oh my gosh - Vinnie Jones in Midnight Meat Train... he is flipping terrifying.
04/19/2013
Contributor: GONE! GONE!
Stephen King's It.
04/19/2013
Contributor: Gary Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by Sammi
A Clockwork Orange comes to mind - I love the book, but the movie is just awesome. Jaws is another one - the book isn't bad but the movie is so much better. Peter Straub's Ghost Story was better as a movie, as are any Stephen King non-horror ... more
I never read the Midnight Meat Train, but that is sooooo good!
04/19/2013
Contributor: mailroomorder mailroomorder
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I much preferred Fight Club, Interview with a Vampire, Lord of the Rings and A Clockwork Orange in their film versions. Either because the books were either too damn boring (LOTR & anything by Anne Rice) or convoluted (Fight Club or anything else ... more
Fight Club (the movie) was SO amazingly executed. I agree that the movie is fantastic and really makes the book come alive. And with A Clockwork Orange..oh my god. The book was so hard to get through and so utterly confusing. The movie really made it more REAL and understandable for me. And LOTR....is just amazing. The movies are amazing.
04/20/2013
Contributor: Rokmai Rokmai
I always like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory better than the book... I'm referring to the 70's film, naturally.
04/20/2013
Contributor: hyacinthgirl hyacinthgirl
Big Fish... I felt like Tim Burton got the spirit better than the author did.
04/20/2013
Contributor: Mr. John Mr. John
Quote:
Originally posted by mailroomorder
What movies have you seen that were actually BETTER than their preceding book?
Lord of the Rings
04/20/2013
Contributor: ththpup ththpup
The Godfather.
04/20/2013
Contributor: tami tami
Quote:
Originally posted by mailroomorder
What movies have you seen that were actually BETTER than their preceding book?
The Twilight movies were better than the books and I liked the Interview with a vampire movie better than the book. Oh and the Harry Potter books are better than the movies
04/20/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by Rokmai
I always like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory better than the book... I'm referring to the 70's film, naturally.
That's another one where the author hated the film execution - he thought that Gene Wilder was horribly miscast. I am not at all sure what he'd think of Johnny Depp in the role.
04/20/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by tami
The Twilight movies were better than the books and I liked the Interview with a vampire movie better than the book. Oh and the Harry Potter books are better than the movies
It'd be pretty hard for the movies not to be better than the absolute drivel that Stephanie Meyer put to paper. That woman seriously needs to learn how to properly use a thesaurus.
04/20/2013