The books I'd most love to see filmed...

[shadowkat]

I swiped this from someone else on the correspondence list, which books would I most like to see filmed?

There's all these book series that are filmed that I've no interest in or have film rights, that I've even less interest in. Or one's that have been done over and over again, *cough*Austen*cough* and sigh Turn of the Screw and Haunting of Hill House, although those may be due to either public domain or the apparently easy acquisition of secondary film rights.


Here's mine:

1. The Chronicles of Lymond by Dorothy Dunnett - this would make an excellent series. Following the exploits of a classical but deeply flawed hero, and his various family members during the 16th Century in Scotland.

2. The Sparrow and Children of God by Maria Doria Russell - another interesting mini-series could be done from these science fiction novels, with their layered characters and political themes.

3. The Vicky Bliss Mysteries by Elizabeth Peters - about an art historian and museum co-director in Germany, who solves mysteries with a Gentleman Art Thief, who she pursues as a thief but also falls for.

4. Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Rider's of Pern Series or her Crystal Singer Series

5. Agatha Christie's Curtain

Comments

[shadowkat]

I don't know - there are some novels that I really don't want to see a film version of - and you have managed to pick three of them. I don't think Camus, Sartre or Kafka work in a film medium. I saw someone try a comic book version of Metamorphosis once - and just no. That works because you are inside the character's head, so it becomes less about gross-out and more about the horror of losing control over one's body. The problem with a lot of Croenberg's films is I can't watch them. The Fly is unwatchable for me - so I lose all of the great metaphors. I'm too caught up in being grossed out.
That's not brilliant film-making - so much as just shock for shock's sake?

My niece wisely stated at the age of 9 that certain things work better in books, because you are engaged with the ideas not the shocking and painful visuals.

I know Jorges Borges, and the writer of the Unbearable Lightness of Being, often went out of their way to write unfilmable books. They wanted to remain forever in the theater of the mind, not the senses?

[cjlasky7]

I think No Exit is especially ripe for cinematic interpretation. (Isn't Season 1 of The Good Place basically No Exit as a sitcom?) You get three great actors in one room and it could be spectacular.

I love Cronenberg. The Fly works as straight body horror or as a metaphor for AIDS. I don't see why a film version of Metamorphosis can't be effective on literal and metaphorical levels as well. (Although I do admit-- you need a strong stomach for Cronenberg.)

[shadowkat]

I'm guessing you don't have a visual memory? In that you can vividly recall in complete detail what you've seen? I mean can draw someone from memory and often a whole scene, recreate all of it. I rarely re-watch movies because I can just replay it in my head. As a result, gross horror movies - I can't watch. The visuals stay with me. And body horror? Forget about it. I can read it, but I cannot watch it.

Also the appeal of Cronenberg has always been lost on me.

And it's probably worth noting that I kind of fast-forwarded through 90% of S1 of the Good Place? It bored me. The only good episode was the first and last ones. I'm also not a fan of Beckett plays - which I'm guessing you are?

So you can go watch those if they ever get made, I'm going off to watch Crystal Singer. ;-)