Inspiring

Question

books that should be movies

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
July 20, 2011
10 replies
26757 views

You know how sometimes you read a book that is sooooo good you wish it was also a movie ? Of course some books just should stay books cause they cant be improved by being a movie. But given the right treatment etc sometimes a really good book can also be a really good movie.

Most good books that get made movies have to introduce characters or voice over or something so that what characters only ' THINK TO THEMSELVES ' in the book can be delivered to the audience of the movie. Thats kinda tricky.

Anyway, this book I'm reading now would be a great movie if it could be treated well re: the above problem.

It is " The Mouse In The Moon ". It's the same author who wrote " Beware The Mouse " and " The Mouse That Roared ". The Mouse That Roared got made into a movie ( I think with Peter Sellers in it ? ) and was hilarious.

The Mouse In The Moon ( copyright about 1962 ? ) happens after the mouse that roared...

Grand Fenwick ( a little country started by some wayward Englishmen back around 1400 maybe ) which is between the Swiss and the French , sorta in a little valley between mountain ranges, needed some money in " The Mouse That Roared", so they decided to attack the United States with their Longbows and their small army of about 12 guys. So they sailed to NYC and attacked with the intention of LOSING quickly, so that the U.S. would then spend a ton of money to rebuild the country they defeated... kinda like Germany and Japan after WW2 etc etc.

Plans went awry however, because the little group found some professor who had just invented the Q-bomb and the plot thickened... and Grand Fenwick ended up winning the " war ".

Well, in the book " The Mouse In The Moon" , Grand Fenwick is applying for some financial aid from the U.S. to buy their Queen ( equiv of a Queen, as they are sorta Medieval even in modern times but with a parliment of sorts ) a fur coat ( Russian Sable )... and the professor who lives in Grand Fenwick now ( inventor of Q bomb ) is studying rocket fuel problems re: sending a man to the moon which the Russians and Americans are in a race to do ... and which threatens to "politicise" the moon territories, and space in general. Eg. If the Russians get there first will the moon be Russian ??

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the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Well, looking at current events in Iran, it appears that Vince Flynn called things pretty closely, and several years ago?

Wonder what IS happening, and if any of us will ever really know?????

Hunt

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Well, and thanks to Jim Simon's recs., I am not about to finish the Mitch Rapp (plus an tangiential book) series, after having done the full Scot Harvath series from Thor. Whew! What a wild, strange ride it's been.

I am now awaiting the new Mitch Rapp book from Vince Flynn. It's actually #2 in the series, and is a prequle to the first published book. Not due out until 02/2012, so I might want to read a bit more slowly, so that I can just transition into it. As fate would have it, Flynn started with what is Book 3, in the chronological order, and then just did Book 1. I broke off the series, and grabbed it for some background, and then took the series up, where I had left it. Got to references to some characters and a story, and grabbed that tangiential book, just to fill in some blanks with the Mitch Rapp series. Worth doing, but wish that I had seen some sort of a "tree," and known to read it before what appeared to be the "next."

I also see that movie rights to Mitch Rapp have been sold. Have not read of any production, but at least someone see the potential. Somehow, I could see Clint Eastwood producing, and maybe even directing, but that is just me. Charlton Heston would have been a likely producer candidate, but, well the time is not right...

On film, I enjoyed the Borne Trilogy, though I did have a few issues with the films, and also with the main attraction's political views. Still, I put my mind into neutral, and sat back and just plain enjoyed. I could see Mitch Rapp, or Scot Harvath doing even better, though maybe not with some in Hollywood, as certain aspects of our society are NOT painted in black, as with most endevors nowadays.

I would vote both of those series as "top contenders," for movies.

Hunt

PS - again, thank you Jim, as your suggestions were followed, as well as I could, and I appreciated some things more, because of it.

PPS - cannot come up with who should play either Rapp, or Harvath - any ideas out there?

able123Author

Inspiring

Rapp : Jeff Bellune

Eileen Kennedy: Ann

NSA Director: Bill Hunt

U.S. President: Curt Wriggley

U.S. Chief Of Staff General: Harm

U.S. Secretary Of State: Stan

FBI Director: Colin

hehe... " nothing but the facts ! " ( crack myself up sometimes )

Director Homeland Security: Jim Simon

U.S. Congressional Budget Office Director: John T Smith

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Well, and with Jim Simon's guidance, I finished the Brad Thor books - all of them. I greatly appreciated the suggestion to do so, in order, plus The Athena Project.

Now, I am off to the Mitch Rapp series, and am enjoying things greatly.

I have rediscovered ficton (or maybe "faction"), and have been reading a book per week, or even more quickly.

Hunt

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

Oh, you're in for a treat with Mitch. He's one bad ass mofo that even Navy Seals have a 'healthy respect' for.

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Jim,

So far, it's been an exciting ride with Mitch!

I had forgotten how much fun fiction ("faction?") could be.

Thanks for all the pointers!!!!!

Hunt

Mitchell_Lopez

Participating Frequently

Here’s the problem with “research”:

Initially an issue is black and white (good/bad, more expensive/less expensive, etc.) when first presented.

Once you begin to research, you begin to see shades of gray. The issue now becomes more complex. The answer/solution may become less obvious.

Ultimatly, knowledge is paralyzing.

But getting back to books to movies, I just finished reading Tom Clancy’s new book, “Against all enemies”. That should be made into a move. (And maybe I should play the lead character?)

This book in not part of the Jack Ryan saga. It has all new characters. However, it is just as exciting as the other series.

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

Issues only become more complex when you haven't found the real Why of something.

Once you have that, things invariably get simpler.

John T Smith

Community Expert

Not (quite) on the order of international spies and assassins, but I've read a few articles about Rupert Murdoch and the spying his newspaper(s) have done in the UK and maybe in the US and other places

Now that the lid has been taken off what was happening, it's like watching ants scurry about when you lift a rotten log to expose their nest

Pretty much like some of the political scandals here in the US... rich/powerful men (mostly... a few women, I guess) thinking they can do anything they want, and all "surprised" when they are found out

The Mitch Rapp novels are (???) a bit on the extreme side of showing political corruption... or maybe not extreme at all... but the books SEEM true to what often comes out of US politics, so it may very well be that there ARE politicians that ARE that corrupt... anyway, the books are a good read (I'm now on #4)

S

Sarahj11-shiIp6

Participant

I would love a book that I have just read to be turned into a movie. Woman Vs Womaniser "This is the Book Men Do Not Want Women to Read' The book is the best book I have ever read. I stumbled on it last month here - www.womanvswomaniser.com

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Welcome to the forum.

Have not heard of that, but then being a guy, perhaps my wife has kept it hidden from me, especially considering the sub-title?

Hunt

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Glenn Beck's The Overton Window.

Hunt

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

Brad Thor's Full Black.

Hunt

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

Brad Thor's Full Black.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take a step back there, Tex.

You wanna go that route, you need to start at the beginning with Lions of Lucerne.

able123Author

Inspiring

hehe... " Tex "... that was funny....

dont know if it will "stick" though...somehow 'wine snob' and 'tex' just seem like opposites....

is there such a thing as a cowboy with a big stetson drinking fine wine ??

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

I do not believe that a movie has ever been made of Absalom - Absalom by William Faulkner.

Hunt

able123Author

Inspiring

==============

Back to the question - I always thought that Thomas Pynchon's V would make a good movie. However, then the temptation would be to do a prequel film of The Crying of Lot 49, and a sequel with Gravity's Rainbow. That would be tougher than Harry Potter and LOR rolled into one. The latter book makes reading James Joyce like a walk in the park.

===============

I would rather have a sharp stick in my eye than have to re-read " The Dubliners".

Having checked out the reviews of the above books by Pynchon, I realize this is proof positive that friends can exist despite their exceedingly bizarre taste in books.

the_wine_snob

Inspiring

I would rather have a sharp stick in my eye

For a moment, I though that you were using a reference to V... [Gotta' read it to understand the reference.]

... I realize this is proof positive that friends can exist despite their exceedingly bizarre taste in books.

Hunt, whose Joycean days are now far behind him.

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

"Rogue Wave" by Boyd Morrison would make a terrific summer blockbuster. You'd hardly even need a screenplay, the director could almost work directly from the novel.

able123Author

Inspiring

Oh... Forgot to mention the whole POINT of this tread...which is

What do YOU think would be a good book made into a good MOVIE ?? and why , how etc...like any ideas how to help it become a movie instead of a book ??

put on your script writing hats

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

The entire series by Vince Flynn, whose main character is Mitch Rapp, a badass American CIA operative whose so good at being an assassin that even Seal Team 6 is afraid of getting on his bad side and not even a turncoat Senator is safe from his wrath.

able123Author

Inspiring

But fiction and movies are skewed to "fit" the mindset and box office. That's why so many movies are " games " ( pirates of carribean, batman, superman, ironman, bourne supremacy, harry potter, etc ) . that should have no influence on culture re: real life trust and politics. Its just entertainment. ( comic books turned into movies ).

Probably fodder for another thread "Games, Disney Rides and Comic Books," that made good films... but I do see the trend here. Now, Potter was a series of novels, so not sure that it would count.

Not sure how many more comic book heros can be squeezed into the mix, but we might find out.

BTW - Did Spiderman ever re-open on Broadway?

Just curious,

Hunt

apparently you are not a "spidey" fan yet....or you would know...

yes, it re-opened about 10 times ... following every death defying flying stunt circus act ...that went "wrong".

not unlike cirque de whatever at radio city now...basically bringing the "circus" to legit theatre.

makes me wonder ( I dont know about you fellow culture vultures like me ) whether legit theatre has any marrow in it's bones anymore....

You can break it down into 2 categories.. and do it in 2 cities.

London, NY

musical, drama

that's it.

the circus is a new phenomenom (sp? ).... and is inherently dangerous... due to lots of changes ( scenery and lighting ) and being " live " ( audience waiting for the changes ).

But, in ans to your question, yes, spiderman is happening and in full " swing ". It is a comic book brought to legit , and it has as much depth and action ... as a ( need I say it ??? ) a comic book.

The only thing worse would be bringing back more re-makes... to legit... maybe scott rudin will come back to ny theatre with the banks behind him to do something like " the stepford wives ". Sorry scott.

it is truly not easy to figure out what will work and draw a crowd ( succeed ). AND be appreciated in the culture ( good reviews ). Its the nature of the thing...and I love that it is still possible to keep the business of this happening.. for 2 reasons.

1) it makes it possible to work and make money myself as a worker in this business

2) it sometimes says cool stuff about life and living and reality .. or sometimes is just beautiful in other ways ( like dance or music or other stuff people do ).

I love " art " in that sense... and it is important to realize we are part of that process. I dont mean 'the story' ...but the process of making the story have access to the audience.. let people judge the worth with ticket sales.. but at least give them a good " choice " to begin with... IMO

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