Book/Movie Comparison: An Artsy Piece

           Last December when I was seeing one of the latest movie releases I saw a trailer for a movie that I was instantly sold on seeing just because of the cast. The trailer included a note that it was based on a book so I decided then that it would be on of my book to movie comparisons for this year. The book is The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History written by Robert M. Edsel. The movie version was directed by one of my favorite actors George Clooney.

           Before I get in to my feelings on the book too much I need to preface it by saying I am a history buff and always enjoy learning about it. Having said that, I am not a fan of this book. The book read more like a textbook. There was a story that it followed for a bit but the majority of the book felt like a history lesson more than anything. There are a number of men in the Monuments Men group and the book seemed to jump back and forth between them and time periods so it was harder to follow along. The history of the war and the art that was stolen & found was really interesting to learn about but I thought it could have been presented better if they were looking to tell the story as an adventure.

           After finishing the book I was a bit hesitant about seeing the movie. I was worried that it would be slow and a bit boring like I found the book to be. Thankfully the movie was easy to sit through and enjoy. While not the best movie in the world it kept me entertained throughout and presented art history in a fun way. The last time I tried to sit through an art history lecture was while touring my first college. I dozed off about 10 minutes into the 90 minute lecture, it was a nice nap. The movie was a big draw for me because it featured some of my favorite actors from George Clooney and Matt Damon to Bill Murray and John Goodman. the characters played well off of each other and all had some good one liners.

           As with any movie adapted from a book things get changed around to flow better and fit better in a Hollywood style. Some of the characters presented in the book are brought in to play earlier or play a different role altogether. The primary focus of finding and preserving famous works of art though are the same in both the book and the movie. The Ghent Altarpiece is regarded as one of the most important pieces being searched for in both the book as well as the movie. I do wish the movie would have been a little bit longer because as it got closer to the conclusion the movie felt a bit rushed and in turn more things from the book were adjusted to fit within the movie timeline. Overall I prefer the movie to the book because of how it was presented and the actual pace of it. If I was more in to art history itself I could see myself preferring the book instead.

Daily Special: Week 8

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Book/Movie Comparison: A Fighting Chance

For my next book to movie comparison I went with Fight Club after my friend Sarah mentioned it to me. Fight Club was written by Chuck Palahniuk and later turned in to a movie and directed by the great David Fincher. I have seen the movie numerous times over the years but this was my first time checking out the book.

Chuck Palahniuk did a great job writing a book about two different people and how their lives intertwine. After their paths first cross on an airplane they soon become almost inseparable in their day to day lives. Wait, I think that’s what happened. This book does a great job throwing you for a loop or what is real and isn’t real. The narrator’s insomnia is something I can relate with to a point, I have bouts of insomnia but nothing that extreme. I really liked the details that Palahniuk went in to setting the perfume bottle scene.

David Fincher is a great director and except for maybe Alien 3 he hasn’t totally messed up yet. He took a great book and made a really solid film. The supporting characters were pretty spot on from their descriptions. The movie flowed really well and the “Cigarette Burns” sprinkled throughout were a nice touch. Ed Norton and Brad Pitt were phenomenal in bringing the Narrator and Tyler Durden to life.

The book and movie are very similar and of the three book/movie comparisons I have done this year it is also the most accurate. The main problem I have with the movie though is how fast the ending came about. In the book the narrator’s breakdown was a bit more drawn out and more clues about who Tyler Durden really was were included.. The very end of the book was not adapted for the movie and I wish it was. The movie also skipped over some of Tyler’s unethical work activities. Both the book and movie had good scenes involving the Narrator and Marla which I wish were included in both versions. Though I have some problems with the movie in comparison to the book they are truly just minor in the grand scheme of things. I would highly recommend people to check out both the book and movie.

Daily Special: Week 7

The biggest downfall to convincing one of your friends to watch the entire Fast & Furious movie series is they then say you have to watch the entire Twilight series. My Twilight movie watching began this week and I am ready for it to be over. This week also saw 11 new movies that I did not watch last year at all.

Below are my movies of the week:

February 9

               Fight Club (Directed by David Fincher) David Fincher is one of my favorite directors and he delivered big time with this movie. The characters were cast perfectly and the story was told so very well. Ed Norton and Brad Pitt playing off one another was fun to watch.

               The Mist (Directed by Frank Darabont) This movie started out pretty strong and was building off of an interesting plot but by the end it completely fell apart. It felt like Darabont rushed the ending. I did like the brief moment when the actresses that play Carol and Andrea from The Walking Dead were in a scene together.

               Talhotblond (Directed by Barbara Schroeder) This documentary was a suggestion from the Get Up On This podcast and the first thing that comes to mind is WOW. When watching this documentary it reminded me of a cross between NBC's Dateline and the movie Catfish.

February 10

               Bushwhacked (Directed by Greg Beeman) I remember seeing this movie after it came out on video. I always liked Daniel Stern from the Home Alone movies and his character in this movie was similar, except for he wasn't a real criminal.

February 11

               20 Feet from Stardom (Directed by Morgan Neville) My friend Lexi suggested this to me and I am glad she did. This documentary focused on the voices of the background singers we have heard in songs going back decades. Fame is a lot different for the women standing behind the lead singers. I recognized a few of the backup singers including Judith Hill who was recently a contestant on NBC's The Voice.

February 12

               Oldboy (Directed by Chan-wook Park) This has been in my queue since the day I joined Netflix. It is hard to explain this movie without giving much away but I will say it is very intense and has some great fight scenes.

               Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director's Cut) (Directed by Steven Spielberg) I do not remember ever seeing this movie before, and I have a good memory. I am bummed more than a little it took me so long to finally watch it. It is a great Sci-Fi as well as Spielberg movie.

February 13

               McHale's Navy (Directed by Bryan Spicer) After a long day at work I went with this mindless "masterpiece" to give me a few laughs to help me unwind. I got my laughs and a bit more by the time this movie was over.

February 14

               Blue Jasmine (Directed by Woody Allen) From early in this movie I was not happy with the tone of the movie and the main character. As it went on I had a hard time trying to finish it. By the end of the movie I was happy with the outcome because my view of the main character hadn't changed a bit.

February 15

               Fast & Furious 6 (Directed by Justin Lin) I will gladly watch Fast & Furious movies well in to the double digits. I like the ever changing cast dynamic and the high octane (pun intended) action. It also doesn't hurt to have The Rock as one of the stars.

               The Twilight Saga: Twilight (Directed by Catherine Hardwicke) I really want to know where to get the invisible ketchup that everyone was using in the diner throughout the movie. Is it like Crystal Pepsi? I use to love that as a child. Also #KendrickCrush

               The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Directed by Chris Weitz) Why did they have to make the most boring book in the series so long? This movie was too drawn out and could have lost at least 20 minutes without losing much of the story.

Days Watched: 46

Movies Watched: 73

Daily Special: Week 6

This week included a number of movies that reminded me that while I am almost 32, I am still a child at heart.

Below are my movies of the week:

February 2

               Groundhog Day (Directed by Harold Ramis) Still a favorite of mine to watch with my dad every year. Similar to our yearly Christmas Vacation viewing we still find new things to point out each time that make us laugh.

February 3

               The Spectacular Now (Directed by James Ponsoldt) Miles Teller is going to be a big time actor in the near future. This is a very well written and told story. There is nothing flashy about it, just a really solid movie.

               The Mask (Directed by Chuck Russell) This is still one of my favorite Jim Carrey movies. Thank you Amazon Instant for letting me revisit my childhood for a little while.

February 4

               Drive Angry (Directed by Patrick Lussier) If you didn't know better you might think this is a 70's action movie with cheesy acting and lots of gun fire. Then you realize it isn't after Nic Cage delivers his classic Cage-isms.

February 5

               D2: The Mighty Ducks (Directed by Sam Weisman) The quack attack is back jack. This is my favorite movie from the Mighty Ducks trilogy. This is also the first time I really noticed that Disney liked to reuse the same child actors in a number of their movies.

February 6

               Welcome to the Jungle (Directed by Rob Meltzer) This Jean-Claude Van Damme direct to video film is not very good but it has its moments. I decided to watch it because I am a fan of Adam Brody. It took me most the movie but I finally figured out where I knew the lead female was Megan Boone the lead on NBC's The Blacklist.

February 7

               Philomena (Directed by Stephen Frears) This was the last Best Picture Oscar nominee that I had to see. I saved one of the best for last. I don't see it winning best picture but it definitely deserves the nomination. The one part I had a hard time with was realizing that it is a true story.

February 8

               The Lego Movie (Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller) Growing up I loved to play with Lego's. Who am I kidding? I still love to play with Lego's. This movie was very fun and thought provoking at the same time. The humor was good for all ages. Everything is Awesome!!!

               Oblivion (Directed by Joseph Kosinski) After a few rough years Tom Cruise has been making some good movies lately and this is one of them. While not preferable to everyone I still enjoy the story and plot twists. I am still waiting for the graphic novel to get released though.

               Cool Runnings (Directed by Jon Turteltaub) One of my childhood favorites as well as one of the best Olympic themed movies ever. I still get shivers as I watch the final run for the team and its outcome.

Days Watched: 39

Movies Watched: 61

Daily Special: Week 5

Good collection of movies watched this week. Finished the week off with a comic book triple feature. DC, Marvel and Dark Horse were all represented.

Below are my movies of the week:

January 26

               Underworld (Directed by Len Wiseman) The first movie in the better of the Vampire and Werewolf movie series has some great action sequences. The story left open the possibility to sequels and they made plenty of them.

               Wanted (Directed by Timur Bekmambetov) This action movie based on a graphic novel about a secret society of assassins is fun to watch. The slow motion fight scenes and crazy trick shots suck you in.

               G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Directed by Jon M. Chu) Spoiler Alert: Channing Tatum dies early in the movie and is pretty much replaced with Bruce Willis. This Joe movie had more action and didn't include the unnecessary love story as seen in the first one. For a second sequel I would like to see new characters added and mixed with some of this cast and if any are still "alive" some characters from the first G.I. Joe movie.

               Nitro Circus: The Movie (Directed by Gregg Godfrey & Jeremy Rawle) First watched this movie last fall and since then it is one of my favorites to watch if I want to see some good action and laugh at the same time.

January 27

               Invictus (Directed by Clint Eastwood) Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon were exceptional in this movie about Nelson Mandela shortly after taking office and South Africa hosting the Rugby World Cup. Ever since I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 on this same subject I have been looking forward to watching this again.

               WALL·E (Directed by Andrew Stanton) This futuristic Pixar film might not have a lot of dialogue but it is still one of the most heartfelt movies. I wonder if Alfonso Cuarón is a fan of this movie because he incorporated a certain scene with a fire extinguisher in to his movie Gravity.

               Pitch Perfect (Directed by Jason Moore) Thanks to my friend Meghan and her love of this movie when I finally watched this movie I became a fan. The song selection is great because a number of them are from when I was growing up. On top of it all, it stars Anna Kendrick.  #KendrickCrush

January 28

               This is the End (Directed by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen) I enjoyed watching this movie more than I did the first time. I still am not a big Franco fan but I enjoyed the rest of the cast even crazy McBride.

January 29

               Rock of Ages (Directed by Adam Shankman) I like this movie way more than I really should. I don't care though. I love the music and the cast is great. I really would like to see the live show of this one day.

January 30

               Bio-Dome (Directed by Jason Bloom) Who doesn't enjoy a bad Pauly Shore movie from time to time? It had been a few years since I watched one of his movies and I was reminded why. Pauly Shore is an acquired taste that is for sure. I kind of want to watch more of his movies now.

January 31

               Goon (Directed by Michael Dowse) Seann William Scott and Jay Baruchel are hilarious in this comedy about a bouncer turned hockey thug. There isn't much that I don't love Baruchel in.

               In & Out (Directed by Frank Oz) Kevin Kline is hilarious in this comedy about a high school teacher that comes out of the closet after a former student of his wins an Oscar and announces it to the world. The dance scene where Kline tries to be manly is my favorite part of the entire movie.

Movies watched in 31 of 31 Days. 48 Total Movies in January

February 1

               Daredevil (Directed by Mark Steven Johnson) This movie has moments of being a good comic book movie but then you get scenes like the first date gymnastics routine on a kids playground. I am not an expert on the history of Daredevil but what I do know about him I like. I look forward to the series that Netflix is doing about him,

               Hellboy (Directed by Guillermo del Toro) When I originally saw this movie I had never read any of the comics or knew much about the character, but I soon became a big fan. Ron Perlman is perfect as Hellboy just like Robert Downey Jr. is perfect as Iron Man.

               Man of Steel (Directed by Zack Snyder) Snyder knows how to make a comic book movie. This is darker version of Superman than what we have previously seen and I think that works, especially after the most recent Batman movies.

Days Watched: 32

Movies Watched: 51

Book/Movie Comparison: The Z Word

            For my second book to movie comparison I decided to go with World War Z which was suggested to me by my friend John. The book was written by Max Brooks and the movie was directed by Marc Foster. I am still unsure of the format I want to use for these but for now I am going to follow what I did last time.

            This book is not what I expected it to be about. Based on the title I was expecting to read a book about a war against zombies in one form or another. While there is a battle against the undead it isn’t played out in the book. The book features a number of interviews with different people from around the world and what they saw and experienced during the war. All of the stories told come years after the war has ended. I really enjoyed the different interviews conducted in the book because it told the story from multiple perspectives and showed how different people were affected. I think the book would make for a really good TV Mini-Series adaptation because Mr. Brooks does a great job of using his words to help the reader visualize the different environments.

            Marc Foster’s World War Z is the definition of summer popcorn flick in my book. Right from the get-go the battle against the undead begins. The zombies featured in this movie were not like ones previously seen. These zombies were much faster especially compared to me and that speed made them more dangerous. Brad Pitt does a good job as the hero of our movie trying to figure out what started the war and also a way to stop it. I read that the movie had to be rewritten and scenes reshot because people were not happy with the original cut of the movie. I would like to see the original cut though because I am sure it would help explain why Matthew Fox was in the helicopter transport. I also have a feeling that the original cut was a lot darker than the movie we ended up getting.

            The most important thing that the book and movie have in common is their title. That is also the only thing they have in common. These two versions of World War Z are completely different, but in my opinion very good. Both versions of the story work for me and while the movie was action packed I’d much rather see a true adaptation from Brooks’ work. I think that people come down so hard on movies adapted from books because of movies like this. Hollywood took an interesting story and instead of turning it in to a movie they took the initial concept and made their own thing. That is fine and all but don’t give it the same title as the book.