Told me not to worry you were just a shooting star
I finished reading The Children of Men the other day. Wow, it was very different from the movie. I guess I liked the book, but I definitely liked the movie better. I always try not to compare the book with the movie, but it is basically impossible for me. I wonder if I would have liked the book better if I hadn't seen the movie first. I wonder the opposite too - if I would have liked certain movies better if I hadn't read the book first.
I don't usually read the message boards at imdb.com, but I was looking at the ones on the Children of Men page because I wanted to see if people were talking about the movie vs. the book. There was one discussion about it. One person kept saying that you cannot compare books and movies because they are totally different. I think they said it would be like comparing steak with music. I completely disagree. Obviously there are differences between the two, but they are not so different that you cannot compare them. In both, you can look at things like plot, characterization, dialogue, etc. However, like I said earlier, I try not to compare and try to look at each as separate entities. Just because a book is being adapted into a movie doesn't mean that it has to follow everything in the book. That would be impossible. Still, I know what it is like to really like a book and then be disappointed by the adaptation. It sucks when your favorite parts/characters have been changed or cut out, or when they add in things that never would have happened in the book. There are times when great movies can come from not so great books, but I'm having a hard time coming up with some examples right now.
I was trying to think of other times when I saw the movie first and then read the book. The only ones I can remember are Howl's Moving Castle, the first Lord of the Rings, and the first three Harry Potter books. With HMC, the book and the movie are really different. The beginnings are similar, but after that, the two go in different directions. I liked both the movie and the book, but prefer the book. With LOTR, I don't really prefer one over the other and like each on its own. Although, if I had the choice, I would probably rather watch the movie than read the book. With Harry Potter, I only saw the first three movies because my sister was a fan and needed someone to see them with her. I didn't really like the first two movies, but I enjoyed the third and that's what got me to read all the books. I don't really care for the first two books or the first two movies. I like the third movie, but I prefer the book.
On a totally unrelated note, here's that iTunes meme that has been going around lately. I had to use my sister's iTunes library because hers is on this computer, while mine is on my laptop. I have basically all the same songs that she has, and I'm responsible for the majority of the music she has. However, while she has only 1000 songs, I have over 7000.
* Opening: "Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell" - The Flaming Lips. Starting in Hell? That's probably not a good thing.
* Waking Up: "Sweet Adeline" - Elliott Smith
* First Day of School: "The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny" - Lemon Demon
* First Date: "Let's Get Lost" - Elliott Smith. Another Elliott song! Well, I did put all of my Elliott Smith CDs onto her iTunes hoping that she would become a fan.
* First Kiss: Burndt Jamb - Weezer. I don't know what burndt jamb is, but the lyrics fit:
if i only
once could
kiss you
i'd be happy
for one moment
of my lifetime
* Falling in Love: "Red Rain" - The White Stripes
* Fight Song: "Narc" - Interpol. This one doesn't really work.
* Breaking Up: "The Transfiguration" - Sufjan Stevens. Am I breaking up with God?
* Prom: "Passive Manipulation" - The White Stripes. I never went to prom, but I bet a lot of horny teenagers are trying to manipulate there way into someone's pants.
* Life: "Sleeping In" - The Postal Service. Ha! I do love sleeping in, but that's probably not a good way to live your life.
* Mental Breakdown: "Meet Me In The Bathroom" - The Strokes. I probably would have a breakdown in a bathroom because it is one of the only places where you can really be alone.
* Driving: "Adam's Song" - Blink 182. Hmm, if I was driving to this song, I would probably crash the car into a building and kill myself. Okay, not really, but the song is about suicide. And sadly, I loved this song in 8th grade. In fact, I loved Enema of the State, and Blink 182 was my favorite band. Shh, don't tell anybody.
* Flashback: "Perfect Situation" - Weezer. It would be good to flash back to a perfect situation.
* Wedding: "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" - Snow Patrol. That fits pretty well. Once you get married to someone, you don't plan on falling in love with anyone else ever again.
* Birth Of Child: "Just A Ride" - Jem
* Final Battle: "Easier To Lie" - Aqualung. Yeah, lying is easier than battling.
* Death Scene: "I Won't Be Left" - Tegan & Sara. True!
* Funeral Song: "Rita Skeeter" - Harry and the Potters. LOL. This would be a terrible funeral song. The song mainly consists of this line being repeated over and over again: Rita Skeeter better shut her mouth before she gets in trouble.
* End Credit: "Give Me Novacaine" - Green Day. Novacaine would be good at the very end.
* Your Theme Song: "Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head" - Gorillaz. Awesome title, but I don't think I have ever listened to this song before.
I don't usually read the message boards at imdb.com, but I was looking at the ones on the Children of Men page because I wanted to see if people were talking about the movie vs. the book. There was one discussion about it. One person kept saying that you cannot compare books and movies because they are totally different. I think they said it would be like comparing steak with music. I completely disagree. Obviously there are differences between the two, but they are not so different that you cannot compare them. In both, you can look at things like plot, characterization, dialogue, etc. However, like I said earlier, I try not to compare and try to look at each as separate entities. Just because a book is being adapted into a movie doesn't mean that it has to follow everything in the book. That would be impossible. Still, I know what it is like to really like a book and then be disappointed by the adaptation. It sucks when your favorite parts/characters have been changed or cut out, or when they add in things that never would have happened in the book. There are times when great movies can come from not so great books, but I'm having a hard time coming up with some examples right now.
I was trying to think of other times when I saw the movie first and then read the book. The only ones I can remember are Howl's Moving Castle, the first Lord of the Rings, and the first three Harry Potter books. With HMC, the book and the movie are really different. The beginnings are similar, but after that, the two go in different directions. I liked both the movie and the book, but prefer the book. With LOTR, I don't really prefer one over the other and like each on its own. Although, if I had the choice, I would probably rather watch the movie than read the book. With Harry Potter, I only saw the first three movies because my sister was a fan and needed someone to see them with her. I didn't really like the first two movies, but I enjoyed the third and that's what got me to read all the books. I don't really care for the first two books or the first two movies. I like the third movie, but I prefer the book.
On a totally unrelated note, here's that iTunes meme that has been going around lately. I had to use my sister's iTunes library because hers is on this computer, while mine is on my laptop. I have basically all the same songs that she has, and I'm responsible for the majority of the music she has. However, while she has only 1000 songs, I have over 7000.
* Opening: "Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell" - The Flaming Lips. Starting in Hell? That's probably not a good thing.
* Waking Up: "Sweet Adeline" - Elliott Smith
* First Day of School: "The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny" - Lemon Demon
* First Date: "Let's Get Lost" - Elliott Smith. Another Elliott song! Well, I did put all of my Elliott Smith CDs onto her iTunes hoping that she would become a fan.
* First Kiss: Burndt Jamb - Weezer. I don't know what burndt jamb is, but the lyrics fit:
if i only
once could
kiss you
i'd be happy
for one moment
of my lifetime
* Falling in Love: "Red Rain" - The White Stripes
* Fight Song: "Narc" - Interpol. This one doesn't really work.
* Breaking Up: "The Transfiguration" - Sufjan Stevens. Am I breaking up with God?
* Prom: "Passive Manipulation" - The White Stripes. I never went to prom, but I bet a lot of horny teenagers are trying to manipulate there way into someone's pants.
* Life: "Sleeping In" - The Postal Service. Ha! I do love sleeping in, but that's probably not a good way to live your life.
* Mental Breakdown: "Meet Me In The Bathroom" - The Strokes. I probably would have a breakdown in a bathroom because it is one of the only places where you can really be alone.
* Driving: "Adam's Song" - Blink 182. Hmm, if I was driving to this song, I would probably crash the car into a building and kill myself. Okay, not really, but the song is about suicide. And sadly, I loved this song in 8th grade. In fact, I loved Enema of the State, and Blink 182 was my favorite band. Shh, don't tell anybody.
* Flashback: "Perfect Situation" - Weezer. It would be good to flash back to a perfect situation.
* Wedding: "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" - Snow Patrol. That fits pretty well. Once you get married to someone, you don't plan on falling in love with anyone else ever again.
* Birth Of Child: "Just A Ride" - Jem
* Final Battle: "Easier To Lie" - Aqualung. Yeah, lying is easier than battling.
* Death Scene: "I Won't Be Left" - Tegan & Sara. True!
* Funeral Song: "Rita Skeeter" - Harry and the Potters. LOL. This would be a terrible funeral song. The song mainly consists of this line being repeated over and over again: Rita Skeeter better shut her mouth before she gets in trouble.
* End Credit: "Give Me Novacaine" - Green Day. Novacaine would be good at the very end.
* Your Theme Song: "Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head" - Gorillaz. Awesome title, but I don't think I have ever listened to this song before.