Suvudu Universe

Do you love watching movies based on books? Or do you dread how much the big screen might butcher that novel you hold so dear?

This past weekend I went to a friend’s house and a group of us girls re-watched The Hunger Games movie. Now half of us had read the book, the other half had not, and then there was also a few that had not watched the movie or read the book at all.

While watching the movie we had quite a bit of chatter on the side. Some of us who had seen the movie couldn’t help but start muttering “DISCREPANCY” every time we saw something that wasn’t true to the book. Heck we said if we turned it into a drinking game we’d be totally inebriated one thirds in. Then there was all sorts of chat about, why this was happening, and what’s up with the hand salute, why this, why that, yadda yadda. You get what I mean.

Do any of you do that sort of thing when you’re watching the movie with a group of friends? (not chattering non stop in the actual movie theater of course) Now, don’t get me wrong I enjoyed The Hunger Games movie…well except for the shakey camera style portions those literally almost make me puke every time. But I thought they did a pretty good adaptation.

So what I’m really getting at is – I really can’t say I view the movie adaptations with the same mindset each time. I know that its a movie adaptation, ADAPTATION being the keyword, and that there is going to be some differences from the book. Some of these things can be great, some of them can suck, and then some I just wonder where they hell they got that from, or why the heck did they decide to change something that so easily could have been left the same. If it’s a book I particularly love I feel like I hold it more sacred and take more offense when the plot line and details deviate. I’m really trying not to though because a book that I LOVE will be made into a movie soon and the author has told me that hands down it’s going to be different. When I asked why, he said readers have already experienced the book so he wants them to have an entirely new experience when they watch the movie. So in a way I’m REALLY excited about that. I hope I can remember his words when I finally get to watch the film.

But I rant on and really need to get to the point. Do you think its better to try to wash your mind clean of the book before watching the movie and just try to enjoy it for what it is? – Or are y0u the type who likes to pick out the book to movie discrepancies? For instance I STILL haven’t watched World War Z because the book was one of my favorite zombie books and when I saw the trailers I was so disappointing in how it didn’t seem to even have any essence of the book except the same title.

With the The Hunger Games, I enjoyed it but I still pick at it. I adored most of the Harry Potter movies and really haven’t picked at them much in my head…ok well maybe a bit. Sometimes I think I’d almost rather not read the book until after I see the movie. I used to always want to read the book first. But lately I’m leaning in the other direction.

Also, are you the kind to stop the movie and explain every bit of the missing parts to your friend who hasn’t read the book? Heck I’ll explain if they want to know…if someone asks me I can’t help but want to explain hehe.

What are some of your favorite book to movie adaptations? Or what are some movies that have made you want to go back and read the book if you hadn’t already?

One book I plan to read this coming year because of the movie!: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. It is quite literally my favorite cartoon of all time!

The post Discussion: Book to Movie Discrepancies was written by the author Tabitha the Pabkins. © My Shelf Confessions