Movie Adaptions of Books

As much as I love movies, I have to admit something. Whenever a movie is made that is based on a book, it is never as good as the book. Sometimes the movie is downright awful and a humiliation to the book and sometimes the movie is great, but still does not land on par with the book.

Here are what I think are the best movie adaptations:

1.The  Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. Gone With the Wind
3. To Kill a Mockingbird
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
5. Silence of the Lambs

Here are the worst:
1. Gulliver's Travels
2. The Time Traveler's Wife
3. The Scarlet Letter
4. Alice in Wonderland
5. My Sister's Keeper

Westerns

Although western films were in their prime during the 1950s and 60s, they are still around today. They are not as popular now as they were when actors such as John Wayne were alive, but nevertheless westerns, in many ways have influenced the American cinema.

I am going to talk about two westerns; The Searchers, which is one of the most classic westerns ever made which influenced many directors in the making of their movies, and Django Unchained, the most recent popular western in America.

The Searchers directed by John Ford (1956) has all the aspects of a great western; the wild west, a young girl getting captured by Indians, and of course a gallant cowboy played by none other than John Wayne. The film is about a civil war veteran, Ethan Edwards (Wayne) who comes home to Texas after fighting for the confederacy. He believes he will settle down with his family until his young niece, Debbie, is captured by Indians. Edwards, who has a prejudice toward the Indians, spends years and years using his logic, skills, instinct and incredible bravery searching for Debbie. However his reasons for finding her soon become jaded as his prejudice for the Indian tribe begins to pass to Debbie as well.

The Searchers set the tone for what is expected in a western. The film did not lack action, drama, or violence which many westerns have followed. Directors have been influenced by the story, drama and filmmaking techniques in the film, including Martin Scorsese and the making of his film Taxi Driver. 

Django Unchained is a 2012 western directed by Quentin Tarantino.While the film is extremely different from The Searchers, it has some similar characteristics, and has the same dynamics of a classic western.

Django takes place before the civil war. The story involves a freed slave, Django,  (Jamie Foxx) who allies with a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) all in an attempt to find his wife, who he was separated from when they were sold to different owners.

Django, although different from The Searchers and any other classic western, shares many of the same characteristics. There is a gallant hero who fights through trials and tribulations for a noble cause. He encounters enemy after enemy and beats them all. There is violence (much more violence than any other western I have ever seen) that sets the drama, tone and dynamic of the film. In many ways, Django was influenced by The Searchers. 

A western captures the spirit and the struggle of the time. Western heroes are cowboys, bounty hunters, or gunslingers. Both The Searchers and Django Unchained meet this criteria, but come across in two extremely different lights. The experience of watching the films contrast, but that is only indicative of the era they were made.

Overall The Searchers is a better western than Django. While the latter may be considered more entertaining to watch, the former is a masterpiece. It was the first of its kind to create a film with such a profound influence on future movies.

Westerns have influenced the American cinema from the beginning. The difference between two western films from two different eras show how much the genre has changed, but also how much they have stayed the same.

R.I.P Roger Ebert

This week the world said goodbye to one of the greatest film critics of our time, Roger Ebert. 

After a 46 year career at the Chicago-Sun Times, hundreds of movie reviews and a 10 year battle with cancer Ebert passed away on Thursday April 4 at the age of 70. 

His death marks the end of a generation. Ebert changed the way of film journalism. He brought his whit of movies into our homes. 

Although he lost his lower jaw and his voice to cancer, he still managed to keep his voice present on social media, blogs and of course his movie reviews up until the very end.

Roger Ebert will be missed by all movie buffs including me.

A lot can be learned from someone who lived his life with two thumbs up. 

R.I.P

The Wonderful World of Disney Cartoons

If one thing can be said of Disney, it is that its cartoon movies have not lost a hint of charm since its beginning to today. From Mickey Mouse, to Toy Story, and everything in between Disney has not failed to keep audiences of all ages in love with the magical movies and characters it creates.

The first full length motion picture that Disney released was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Although this was before most of our parents were born, young girls have most likely seen and fallen in love with this movie today along with other Disney princess movies like Cinderella (1950) and The Little Mermaid (1989). However these same kids may have gone to see the newest DisneThe Princess and the Frog (2009) and loved it just as much.
y princess movie

Critic John C. Flinn Sr. from Variety said about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: “So perfect is the illusion, so tender the romance and fantasy, so emotional are certain portions when the acting of the characters strikes a depth comparable to the sincerity of human players, that the film approaches real greatness.”

76 years later critic Eric D. Snider said of The Princess and the Frog “Somehow, the result is both magically old-fashioned and wonderfully modern, the natural evolution of the heartwarming, rib-tickling, toe-tapping Disney treasures of yesteryear.”

With Disney, the age of the film simply does not matter. Although the effects and technology may be improved from movie to movie, the experience of each movie remains the same. Kids enjoy each film as much as the generation before them.

Movies like Lady and the Tramp (1955) and The Lion King (1994) remain as some kids favorite movies today in 2013. In fact Lady and the Tramp made AFIs top 100 love stories of all-time list along with one other animated movie, Beauty and the Beast, another Disney movie!

While these older cartoons remain as kids favorite films today, that does not mean that Disney has slowed down in their new films. Not at all. Disney is still going strong, especially with its Pixar movies. Films like Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Up, Tangled and Brave have all received positive reviews with audiences. In fact just won the Oscar for best animated film in February.
Brave

Disney has not lost its magic, or its achievement to create children’s and critics favorite movies. After decades of creating hundreds of films, Disney cartoons are still the best cartoons.

To see the full list of Disney movies organized by release date click here.
Which ones are your favorites?

Top 100 Movies of All Time

Below is a list of the top 100 films that the American Film Institute has deemed the best of all time. 

Take a look and see what you think.

How many have you seen?

# MOVIE YEAR 1 CITIZEN KANE 1941 2 THE GODFATHER 1972 3 CASABLANCA 1942 4 RAGING BULL 1980 5 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN 1952 6 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939 7 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962 8 SCHINDLER'S LIST 1993 9 VERTIGO 1958 10 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939 11 CITY LIGHTS 1931 12 THE SEARCHERS 1956 13 STAR WARS 1977 14 PSYCHO 1960 15 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 1968 16 SUNSET BLVD. 1950 17 THE GRADUATE 1967 18 THE GENERAL 1927 19 ON THE WATERFRONT 1954 20 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946 21 CHINATOWN 1974 22 SOME LIKE IT HOT 1959 23 THE GRAPES OF WRATH 1940 24 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1982 25 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962 26 MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 1939 27 HIGH NOON 1952 28 ALL ABOUT EVE 1950 29 DOUBLE INDEMNITY 1944 30 APOCALYPSE NOW 1979 31 THE MALTESE FALCON 1941 32 THE GODFATHER PART II 1974 33 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST 1975 34 SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS 1937 35 ANNIE HALL 1977 36 THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI 1957 37 THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES 1946 38 THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE 1948 39 DR. STRANGELOVE 1964 40 THE SOUND OF MUSIC 1965 41 KING KONG 1933 42 BONNIE AND CLYDE 1967 43 MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969 44 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 1940 45 SHANE 1953 46 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 1934 47 A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 1951 48 REAR WINDOW 1954 49 INTOLERANCE 1916 50 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 2001 51 WEST SIDE STORY 1961 52 TAXI DRIVER 1976 53 THE DEER HUNTER 1978 54 M*A*S*H 1970 55 NORTH BY NORTHWEST 1959 56 JAWS 1975 57 ROCKY 1976 58 THE GOLD RUSH 1925 59 NASHVILLE 1975 60 DUCK SOUP 1933 61 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS 1941 62 AMERICAN GRAFFITI 1973 63 CABARET 1972 64 NETWORK 1976 65 THE AFRICAN QUEEN 1951 66 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 1981 67 WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? 1966 68 UNFORGIVEN 1992 69 TOOTSIE 1982 70 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE 1971 71 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 1998 72 THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION 1994 73 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID 1969 74 THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 1991 75 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 1967 76 FORREST GUMP 1994 77 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN 1976 78 MODERN TIMES 1936 79 THE WILD BUNCH 1969 80 THE APARTMENT 1960 81 SPARTACUS 1960 82 SUNRISE 1927 83 TITANIC 1997 84 EASY RIDER 1969 85 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA 1935 86 PLATOON 1986 87 12 ANGRY MEN 1957 88 BRINGING UP BABY 1938 89 THE SIXTH SENSE 1999 90 SWING TIME 1936 91 SOPHIE'S CHOICE 1982 92 GOODFELLAS 1990 93 THE FRENCH CONNECTION 1971 94 PULP FICTION 1994 95 THE LAST PICTURE SHOW 1971 96 DO THE RIGHT THING 1989 97 BLADE RUNNER 1982 98 YANKEE DOODLE DANDY 1942 99 TOY STORY 1995 100 BEN-HUR 1959 Congratulations to our 60th Primetime Emmy Award nominees Outstanding Nonfiction Special Gary Smith, Executive Producer Frederick S. Pierce, Executive Producer for AFI Dann Netter, Producer Bob Gazzale, Producer Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming Barry A. O'Brien, Editor Debra Light, Editor Marlise Malkames, Editor AFI's 100 YEARS...100 MOVIES - 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2007) List of the 400 nominated films with key information on each List of the 100 greatest films with built-in comparison to the 1997 edition Click here to go to the list downloads page

Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe in the movie The Seven Year Itch

--> Although it has been 51 years since her death, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most iconic movie stars to date. Everyone recognizes her platinum blonde hair and her curvaceous body. In fact a film about her came out in 2012 titled My Week With Marilyn, starring Michelle Williams which highlighted a brief time of her life. Audiences ran to the theater eager to get a glimpse on the fascinating star's life.

 There remains as much fascination today as there was while she was alive. Maybe even more. College students still put posters of her up on their walls. She has 118,573 followers on twitter and Macy’s is even introducing a Marilyn Monroe clothing line. The same cannot be said of any other star of that time.

For an actress who was in Hollywood for a fairly short time, she only starred in 14 movies between 1952 and 1961, it is interesting that she remains such a vibrant icon even after her untimely death. The big question is why? Why does Marilyn Monroe stand out among all the other Hollywood stars of the 20^th century?

Many would argue that Monroe’s image is just that…an image. Born with the name Norma Jean Mortensen, she had brown hair and a troubled life. She spent her childhood going back and forth between foster homes because her mother was mentally unstable.

After being discovered by a photographer, Norma Jean began modeling and found herself on the cover of magazines throughout the country. It is at this time, when she was becoming a star, that she changed her name, died her hair platinum blonde and started making movies.

Monroe started out making films that failed. In fact, many did not believe she was talented enough to make it, but believed her beauty was enough. Her first noteworthy film was Don’t Bother to Knock, in which she ironically played a mentally unstable woman. Her most famous films include Gentleman Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop and Some Like it Hot. 

One thing that all of these films have in common is not that Marilyn plays the part of a dumb blonde. Rather they all share the whim and energy that Marilyn manages to bring to the screen.

As Bosley Crowtherof the New York Times says of the film Gentleman Prefer Blondes
"There is that about Miss Monroe that keeps you looking at her even when she has little or nothing to do. Call it inherent magnetism. Call it luxurious coquetry. Call it whatever you fancy."

In my opinion, the same can be said for all the other movies mentioned.

Here is what I would like to know. Have Monroe fans today actually watched these movies, or are they fans simply because of the sensation surrounding her?

She became a star virtually over night, she married Joe Dimaggio, and then Arthur Miller. She had an affair with President John F. Kennedy and was investigated multiple times by the FBI. If this is not enough to make her a subject of interest then I don’t know what is. But still, this was decades ago. Why is she still so infatuating today?

This is what I think. Most fans today have not seen her movies. Nevertheless Marilyn Monroe was the first big sex symbol in Hollywood. There was no one like her. She brought something to the screen that made people wonder about the girl behind the breathy voice and curvy body. There was a vulnerability to her that caused people to become interested in who she really was. Since she died at the young age of 36, the image of her as a beautiful, young actress has not been tampered with. We never saw her age, or become anything less than what she appeared to be.

That image of a young, vibrant woman is etched into everyone’s memories, whether or not they have seen her movies or not.

Hitchcock

We’re in a Hitchcock moment. “Hitchcock,” the movie starring Anthony Hopkins, was recently in theaters. “The Girl,” which focused on the directors “thing” for cool blondes, was on HBO. And check out the classic movie channels. There always seems to be a Hitchcock movie showing.

It’s been 37 year since Alfred Hitchcock directed his last movie, “Family Plot.” But I’m not the only one who can’t get enough of him.

Why? Because he made scary movies that were truly frightening without tons of Hollywood blood. 

Today, the idea of not showing a monster or a murder on screen is unheard of. Most people would wonder what's the point of not seeing the horror in a horror movie? But that very idea is what made director, Alfred Hitchcock the master of horror and suspense.

Hitchcock, who was the mastermind behind films such as Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, The Birds, North by Northwest and Dial M for Murder, used genius techniques revolutionizing scary movies.

For example in Rear Window he shot the entire movie in one room, using the camera to serve as the eyes of the protagonist, Jimmy Stuart. We only saw what he saw. This caused suspense and made the audience feel as though they were experiencing his situation.

In his most credited film, Psycho, Hitchcock created the famous shower scene. This is one of the most notorious scenes to ever be filmed in cinema's history, and yet we never see the victim (Janet Leigh) get stabbed. We see a knife being brought down to her body, but the camera cuts away before we see the outcome. After three minutes the audience is shown blood running down the drain. Unlike horror movies today, we can imagine what happened but we will never see it.

Critic Bill Gibron said "Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho set the standard and post-modern horror has been hobbling to catch up ever since."

The decision not to show the actual stabbing is not the result of 20th century cinema values. The effect of cutting away before we see the stabbing is a method of suspense and horror. It makes viewers never want to take a shower again. The camera cuts and angles make it appear as if the camera is our eyes in that horrific situation. The viewer feels as if they are in that shower.

"All those who still get a chill every time they step into a hotel shower, say aye. That, you see, is the power of Psycho." said critic Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon.com. 

The planning and filming of Psycho are appreciated and depicted in the 2012 movie Hitchock. 

The sad truth is, that we rarely see this methods in today's scary movies. The directors of recent films such as Cabin in the Woods and Silent Hill seem to believe that as long as blood, guts, monsters and murder are on screen, the audience will be scared and entertained. Rather than build suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats, the graphic pictures are enough to entertain and satisfy today's audience.

Today's movies rely on graphic images rather than nail biting, edge of your seat suspense. This may be enough to satisfy some people, but not me. There has to be some sort of build up to all the horror, otherwise it becomes repetitive.

Here is the infamous shower scene in Psycho. Try not to be scared the next time you take a shower.