I was excited to see this challenge hosted by Two Dollar Cinema where to participate, simply choose the top 4 of anything cinematic and explain why it should be carved into the side of a mountain forever. Remember, these are real people carved into imaginary rock - so choose wisely! I decided to chose the best book to movie adaptations, and since this is Mount Rushmore I have to pick faces from these movies to go on the mountain. By the way as a side note, I have been to Mount Rushmore and it is an amazing place to visit.
So... in no particular order let's give this a go! I would love to hear what you think are the best book to movie. The ones I am going to list are books I have actually read and movies I have actually seen. So there may be better adaptations out there I just haven't read or seen them yet. Honestly as I sit here thinking about my list it is so much easier to think of the worst book to movie.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson foreign film (2009). If you watched the American film and not the Swedish film then I am sorry for you. The foreign film is amazing. I would totally put Lisbeth Salander on Mount Rushmore. I am still sad that Larsson passed away after writing this series. It is fantastic and I am sure he would've continued with more great novels.
Blade Runner or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick is a wonderful book!!! The movie is an amazing piece of Science Fiction film. Dick passed away before the film was released but did read the screenplay and enjoyed it. I don't get a chance to read a lot of Sc-Fi so I am always glad when I come across a good one. Harrison Ford on Mount Rushmore.. PERFECT!
Lord of the Rings of course. I really do think these are great books and great movies (unlike the Hobbit). Lord of the Rings does a really good job of bringing the books to screen. Of course there are changes and fangirls like myself will complain, but I can't see how this film could be any better. So which character on Mount Rushmore?? Gandalf of course!
The Wizard of Oz film based off the Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. After reading the book I realize what a great movie this is. Yes the ruby slippers are actually silver but really I can see why the color was changed. So who should go on Mount Rushmore? The Wicked Witch of the West. What a neat character for the mountain.
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This was pretty fun!!! I enjoyed thinking about the new faces for Mount Rushmore!
I have heard so much amazing praise for the Swedish version of The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. I don't know if I could watch that movie though. The book was more intense than I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices! I haven't seen either film version of Dragon Tattoo though I loved the books! I think I'm just scared to see how disturbing it will be to watch all that. :) I haven seen Blade Runner either which I really want to, so I should get on that! For me I would pick the most recent Jane Eyre film because I have to fit JE in everywhere. I would also pick Lord of the Rings too because it is truly amazing adaptation!
ReplyDeleteNice choices; I haven't read/seen a lot of these. I like the idea though...I can't really think of what I'd want included. Maybe Ponyboy from The Outsiders, or someone from Brave New World.
ReplyDeleteLauren from www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
I have only seen the Swedish version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that was a deep/intense/crazy movie!
ReplyDeleteThe Swedish movie is very different from the American version. Very dark... Sweden doesn't censor as much as America so much more violent.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of Anne of Green Gables!! Very very good. I did think of The Secret Garden though, that one almost made the list!
ReplyDeleteI remember when LOTR first came out I was unsure. But then I was like WHA!!!!! Blade Runner the movie is VERY sci-fi... so be ready for some odd-ball stuff. Like the original Total Recall.
ReplyDeleteThe Outsiders is another good one. I have only seen the movie though and not read the book.
ReplyDeleteOH yes!! Even the sexual activity is crazy. I remember seeing the second movie in the theater with a lot of older people and a guy friend of mine and I was so uncomfortable!
ReplyDeleteLovely list Angela! I love your choices. I initially wanted to add 'The Shawsank Redemption' or 'The Green Mile', but then I realized that I've yet to read either book. Just on the top of my head I'll go with 'The Social Network' then.
ReplyDeleteThat would be so awkward. I feel for you :/ I was watching it alone and then my husband came in, he thought he caught me watching creepy porn.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I couldn't watch the violence or sexual abuse.
ReplyDeleteThis was a topic I considered too, but just couldn't wrap my mind around it enough while I was in the mood to write. You made some good choices!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I would include American Psycho (though that's a case of I loved the movie and didn't care for the book at all), or do comics count?
Fun list.
Okay, now I'm imagining Lisbeth's face on Mount Rushmore. Lol. But I agree it was a FANTASTIC movie. And yes so sad. Although, I've heard rumors about a fourth unpublished book... And I'm a Philip K. Dick "fan" so I definitely like your second pick as well. And yes to Gandalf and the Wicked Witch of the West too. <3
ReplyDeleteI was going to do video game movies but then thought it wouldn't relate to a lot of the audience my blog has. I would've picked Doom, Mortal Kombat, Lara Croft, and Resident Evil. Really though I discovered there aren't very many video game movies like I thought there were.
ReplyDeleteI know... it was hard. Do I put the author's face on Mount Rushmore or the actors in the movies? Since this was a movie meme I went with the actors. Had this been one where I put authors on the mountain I would've had to pick a Stephen King movie for sure to get his face on there! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI heard there is some sort of 4th book too. But the wife (or live in wife I should say) won't release it since the son got all of the author's money. The wife didn't get it since they weren't legally married though they lived together like 25 years. Just nuts!!
OH yea! I forgot about the sexual abuse till you said that. That was hard to watch, very uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteWhile I actually wasn't the hugest fan of The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo (I liked it, but I'm not crazy fangirling for it), but I thought the Swedish adaption was absolutely fantastic!
ReplyDeleteYou weren't a fan of the books or the movie? The Swedish films are really the only film I count. Though the American version is easier to watch (sex/violence).
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of best book movie adaptions.
ReplyDeleteI too thought the Swedish Dragon Tattoo was better. Even with all the intense abuse and violence.
And I love the idea of Wizard of Oz. Funny but I've never read the book, but I should!
I also liked The Help book and movie.
Cheers :)
I think I can't shake my lingering anger at the first book, and it's coloured my feelings on the series. I originally thought THE SCENE was unnecessary and exploitive, and I spent a long time being angry about it...until I finished the trilogy and I understood why it made sense in the context of the trilogy of the whole. So really my not fangirl love of the series are more personal issues I have with subject matter than the way they were written. But I thought the Swedish version did such a fantastic job adapting the novel - in ways that I don't think it could be done in America. I watched the first half of the American and it was ok *shrugs*, the Swedish ones are a real work of art though.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! LOTR really is one of the best books to movies out there. I really liked We Need To Talk About Kevin too. The format was different from the books, but I thought is transitioned well. Have you seen that one?
ReplyDeleteI loved both Girl With the Dragon Tattoo versions (and books the most, of course), very glad it made the cut!
ReplyDeleteI can see what you are saying. I am so used to books saying this is what happened and using my own imagination. Like the Lovely Bones. In fact, this is why I like horror books as opposed to horror movies. In horror books my own imagination pictures what is going on. In the movies I have to watch it. I suppose that these kind of rapes do happen but I have been privileged to live a life without it happening to me. Have you seen the show "I Survived"? Watching that show makes me realize it does happen to people and what to do to try to prevent it.
ReplyDeleteI love the Help book and movie too!! I think that movie does a great representation of the book. Really good stuff! The Oz books are good, well the first one at least. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I didn't continue in the series after that though I have read all the Marvel Oz comics which follow the stories really well.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen or read that but I have a lot of goodreads friends that talk about both all the time. I really need to read it/watch it.
ReplyDeleteThe American version wasn't bad... it was just American films censor a lot more then Sweden. I will say though in the second movie at the beginning I almost felt like I was watching a porno! Am I prude?
ReplyDeleteThere's plenty more... Silent Hill, Hitman, Max Payne... More will come to me as soon as I post this comment.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I googled it myself there should be way more then there is.
ReplyDeleteAngela-- What a great idea for Mount Mushmore list. My favorite is 'Wizard of Oz.' I just love that movie and the book. The book is a little different, but it's similar enough. Thanks for your comment on my site as well!
ReplyDeleteI liked Swedish movie based on Dragon Tattoo but the American version was amazing, much better and I think Rooney captured Lisbeth even better than Noomi.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Most people I talk to like the Swedish version. I would like to see the trilogy finished in the American version... I wonder what the hold up is for the next two films??? Do you know if they are even going to make the next two?
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen either of the Dragon Tattoo movies but have heard good things about both in general. The other three are very nice picks. I think another good one though I haven't read the original book is Perks of Being a Wallflower.
ReplyDeleteOh yes. Perks of Being a Wallflower both a great book and movie. Everyone is also talking about the Fault in Our Stars both the book and movie. I haven't read the book yet because I don't love books that make me cry. So I have sort of avoided it.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for participating, and I imagine that this monument will be up for debate for ever. A very difficult topic to narrow down for sure.
ReplyDeleteAs for what did make your Mt. Rushmore, I have either read the book or seen the movie, but not both for any of the four. Damn.
If I could something that I have book n' movied, not that anyone says that, I would go with one of the better Harry Potters, only because i think the cast was flawless. Or like someone said, The Green Mile.
I did think of Harry Potter... in fact.. I REALLY wanted to add Harry Potter. But then I thought I would either pick Harry Potter or LOTR and went with LOTR. I also wanted to do Superhero movies since I really love comics but thought that wouldn't really be thinking outside the box since comics are so popular right now.
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