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?

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

cannot come up with who should play either Rapp

The one critical factor I feel Hollywood will take 'creative license' over is that Mitch Rapp has a Middle Eastern look about him. If he grew out his beard, he could drop into any sand box nation and blend right in. It's a large part of makes him such an effective Middle Eastern operative. Knowing Hollywood, though, they're almost sure to choose a "white guy" for the role.

Having made my criticism, I now offer my solution. An excellent candidate for Mitch Rapp would be actor Alexander Siddig. He played Doctor Bashir in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. He also played a terrorist in one season of Fox's hit show 24. He has the right look, he's an excellent actor, and though he was a bit thin on DS9, has since bulked up nicely, and would make an excellent Mitch Rapp.

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

You should never underestimate Hollywood's capacity to miscast leading characters according to how they are portrayed in the original books. Lee Child's 'Jack Reacher' is a case in point. In the books he is portrayed as 225lb and well over six foot, but for some reason the diminutive Tom Cruise will play Jack in the upcoming film ‘One Shot. Even Lee Child seems to have sold out by making lame excuses why TC will be suitable.

I have read all the Rich Rapp books and agree he would make a great film character. Along the same lines would Daniel Silva’s ‘Gabriel Allon’, and possibly Stephen Leather's Spider Shepard. I also think that Barry Eisler's Tom Rain would be right up there.

I love my Kindle. A thriller costs NZ$38 in New Zealand, but only a third of that on the Kindle. My only reservation is that I once tried to read the book notes for a title I was half way through, and bought a second copy with an errant click.

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

John T Smith

Community Expert

The entire "In Death" series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts writing under an alias) would be a great (monthly or quarterly?) series

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