Our first vlog in which our Adaptation hosts present our top choices for books that we would love to see in movie-form. We think the big screen is ready for Jack the Ripper ghosts, cryogenic time travel, and Sith backstory. If some smart movie-maker bigshot happens to listen to the wisdom imparted here, take heed!
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Eon by Alison Goodman
The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanaghan
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
New York trilogy by Paul Aster
After taking some time to cool down after seeing Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, the hosts are able to see the merits of the new installment in the series, despite their original outrage at its variances from the novel. Listen as they discuss their favorite parts (and actors) and how the film will lead into the next one.
In this rather late episode, our hosts discuss the first Mortal Instruments installment by Cassandra Clare, City of Bones. They all seem to love the exact same characters, and find the others a little less than bright, while rolling their eyes at how none of them realize that they are stringing someone along. And the ending makes some love the book more, while others feel it’s too reminiscent of another beloved series.
The Adaptation team rehashes their favorite and least favorite storylines from Once Upon a Time season two, discussing what stories are (or should be) crossing the line, how this season compares to the first and what tales we can’t wait to see more of next season.
Taking full advantage of another chance to moon over a Joss Whedon film, Jess and Kendyl rehash Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and reel at the depth of understanding the film presented, from the line delivery to the filming to the background action.
I recently came across the 1995 film The Scarlet Letter. Knowing that this is a story that is required reading in most US high schools, I was honestly surprised I had never seen it before (nor known about it). It stars Demi Moore as Hester Prynne, Gary Oldman as Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale and Robert Duvall as Roger Chillingworth (aka, Prynne). Overall, I enjoyed the film. The sex and birth scenes were a bit long, and I wasn’t keen on Pearl narrating, but as a film on it’s own it was pretty good. It sure made me wonder how well I knew the book!
In anticipation of the new Percy Jackson film, the hosts talk about the second book in the series, what they thought of the first film and how its shortcomings could effect Sea of Monsters.
Quickly becoming zombie connoisseurs with our fifth zombie related podcast, the hosts discuss Marc Forster’s film adaptation of World War Z and whether it’s really an adaptation or just a zombie movie in its own right.
Kendyl is accompanied by Jess, Jenn and Dorin’s extensive notes to discuss William Joyce’s children’s book The Leaf Men and the film Epic by Chris Wedge. The girls discuss the adaptation in terms of expanding on an already created world, matching voice actors to characters and the beauty of the animation.
In this episode, Kendyl and Dorin discuss World War Z by Max Brooks and applaud the plausibility. With everything from social politics to war tactics to black market organs, the girls agree that this book covers all the angles of a zombie apocalypse and it’s after-math. And then they discuss where they would run if the book became reality.
Jess, Ryan and Kendyl talk about Baz Luhrmann’s film The Great Gatsby. While the spectacle was enjoyable, they wonder if all the cinematography was in the film’s best interest. And even in concluding that it was a faithful adaptation, they wonder if seeing the characters on screen made them more likeable and question where Nick ends up.
Finally the second part of the interviews that Kendyl did at the 2012 
It is a truth universally acknowledged that any post referencing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice—no matter how minute the reference—should include some adaptation of said novel’s opening sentence.
What?! After a year of Mondays and Thursdays spent in anticipation of a new episode, our Austen-inclined hosts discuss Hank Green and Bernie Su’s The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and its whole new level of audience immersion. We gush over our love for most of the characters, seethe over our hatred for others and sit in awe of the realization that they all had depth that we weren’t initially expecting from this Pride and Prejudice adaptation.
Our hosts agree that Andrew Niccol’s The Host was a tough movie to make, with source material that had both too much and too little to fit into two hours. While they enjoyed the film, they also feel like it went too far in some areas and not far enough in others.
After seeing Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful, the hosts finally know which witch is which and some now have gloating rights. They also discuss the film from a visual standpoint, their opinions on the Wicked Witch’s transformation and the Land of Oz in comparison with the original novel and 1939 film.
Discussing Stephenie Meyer’s The Host gives our hosts plenty to analyze, from the difference between body and mind to the believability of Wanderer’s selflessness and Ian’s understanding. And of course, the Twilight comparisons are inevitable.
Episode #36 covers Richard LaGravenese’s film Beautiful Creatures and the hosts were less than impressed. After timidly discussing the movie on its own, the book comparisons come out in full force making the hosts wonder why the movie removed dramatic situations only to add in non-canon ones. And we make a few more hipster jokes…
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