Yes, I Am Legend was fantastic. But, that's really the only one I can think of.

Well, the Tom Hanks movie "Cast Away" and, of course, every movie made of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (the Pierce Brosnan version was particularly well done). But they weren't zombie flicks of course.

I am legend was awful. If they had stuck with the book it would be been great. As it was, just another hollywood botch job.

The walking dead gets a lot better and you have to expect some slow episodes to build the story into the good parts. If they stick this closely to the story, season 3 and 4 will be some of the best TV ever. A close second only to the Wire and the Sopranos i think.

As a general rule, books are always better than movies. What did you find so awful about IAL?

@BigZombieDude What's wrong didn't you get to play a zombie in the movie?;-). The movie I would not say it was awful, but not as good as the book that's true.

my opinion is that movies are actually better than books as a general, but that's just an opinion

be advised that i'm talking about the media of a book vs. a movie, not the reality, because there are more people involved in a movie, it can get coroporatized easily, a book is just an author and a publisher, but there are deviations from both norms,

nonetheless movies i think are a better medium for storytelling.

i will now watch a movie

Movies are limited to what they can recreate. Granted thos limitations have eased with the onslaught of CGI/digital technology, but still have limitations.

Books are only limited by the authors ability to relay his vision in words. The greatest authros don't have any trouble with this. They can do things that could never be done in a movie: whether it be Fleming describing 007's favorite breakfast, the exquisite detail that Tolkien put into describing the lands of Middle-earth, Dickens presentation of the time the story is set in (best run-on sentence in histroy!) or Victor Hugo's relaying Jean ValJean's thoughts and feelings as he suddenly has a revelation of his own crimes and desires nothing more than to return the coin to the child from whom he stole it.

Books spark the imagination to fill in the gaps as well. When yo look at a movie screen, if it isn't on it, you won't imagine it being there. But when you read a book, you develop your own image of the characters, places, items, and what happens - not some directors vision which may not even correspond with what the original author intended.

For instance, I tried watching David Tennant's Hamlet and it just didn't work for me. Shakespeare's original play is brilliant and Kenneth Branagh is, AFAIC, the penultimate, if not the ultimate, portrayer of the Prince as well as being in the same position as director of several of the Bard's greatest stories. But I still have an image in my mind of Prince Hamlet and Elsinore that has yet to be seen on screen. the same with 007 and Sherlock Holmes and Ebeneezer Scrooge. Despite the great actors and performances over the years, when I read a 007 novel or a Sherlock Holmes story or A Christmas Carol, I don't picture any of the actors who have played Bond, or Jeremy Brett, or Alastair Sims/George C. Scott/Patrick Stewart. I have an image in my mind of the character the way I was first introduced to him or her: as an image presented to me in writing and molded over the course of the story or even many books.

Draug +1

Additionally, because Movies are usually restricted to <3 hours, there is a limit to how in-depth of a story you can tell.

Books will, for the most part always be better than the film that's a given. The problem with IAL was that the book was sooo good that it was a travesty to even go by the same name. Omega man was better because it stuck closer the thread of the book.

The point of the book and indeed the title was for the main character to become the legend. He was the monster not those outside of his house. Given that perspective, to end the film with Will Smith finding more 'humans' totally took the point of the story and ruined it.
The build up of hope then destruction of depression and then hope again made the story strong. Talking to dummies in a video shop did not create atmosphere or make me feel the isolation of the character in his shoes.
The dog. The film starts with the dog. In the book, the dog is seen and over a few days/ weeks he gains the trust of the dog, his first taste of companionship in a very long time. It stops drinking, has a focus and when he lets himself go the dog dies and the cycle begins again. That's the strength of the story. The film could have gone by any other name and still been credible but once again, the industry takes a good story adds a nice happy spin at the end and watches the money roll in.

A case in point would the The Road. The road stuck to the book brilliantly and as a result of the totally depressing journey of the man and his son, the film produced less than average receipts. Had the ending been salvation and sunshine it would have done better, so i can understand why the industry does it...

That's just my opinion of course. You can argue anything i suppose but it struck me a shit film!

Interesting. Maybe I'll pick the book up.

That's how I feel about Fight Club. Fantastic book with a strong message that was completely ruined by the movie.

Thanks, abgemacht. It also applies to characters whom I first saw on screen, then later discovered the books or stories. For instance, the Saint on screen will always be Roger Moore to me, but I don't picture him when I read one of Leslie Charteris' Saint novels. Bond is similar in that I first experienced him in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (the movie), yet I don't picture Lazenby when I read a Bond novel. I don't even picture Connery or Craig or Dalton, or Brosnan. I picture a non-descript kind of character with a single lock of black hair that refuses to stay in place who carries a Burns Martin Triple Draw holster and a Walther PPK (or P9 in later novels) despite them not working together.

I read Dr. No before I ever saw it and was actually disappointed in the steam vent escape on screen. It is much more extensive and Bond nearly dies, barely saving Honey from being drowned/eaten by crabs. The movie could never have portrayed this because it was a good 30 minute read that would have been too long to portray along with every other lengthy scene in the novel.

The most ridiculous is Moonraker. In the book, Bond never goes into space, like the movie. Also, iirc, he doesn't get the girl in that book, either.

I need to read "I am Legend". I read a synopsis and it is a must read, for certain. I like the movie, but agree, even if just from a synopsis, it should have had a different name.

Yes, Moonraker was a travesty of a movie. The novel had an awesome cold war story, much of which was later used in the better (but still not great) A View To A Kill.

I dunno. The big thing I liked about the Daniel Craig version of Bond is that it shows that he's basically a government sanctioned psycho. :P

He's a genuine hard man, he kills people for a living, and it doesn't bother him. That was the interesting part about Bond versus Red Grant... its not difficult to imagine in a slightly different world their roles being reversed.

I read IAL, too, albeit, after seeing the film. I have to say that both were good, but the film strayed too far to keep the title. And, as a matter of fact, would've been much better had the film gone by any other name. I think the biggest flaw was that Will Smith just can't play an unlikeable character.

As for Fight Club, I haven't read the book (and really, don't want to). The Author claims that the film is better, so I'll take his word for it.

"Will Smith just can't play an unlikeable character. "

QFT

"The Author claims that the film is better, so I'll take his word for it."

He was probably paid to say that, or he's one of those angsty authors who never thinks his work is any good.

I totally recommend IAL. It really is a great read and will take you 2 days to finish. Its surprisingly small and the title of the book is the entire point to the story, so again the film was rubbish for many reasons but that one took the biscuit.

I should read Fight Club really. I actually really liked the film so maybe ill give that a go.

And of course, get the Walking Dead books. Dont go for the weekly comic release or the 'Volumes'. The books cover 12 months of story in a hardback cover and are compelling to read.

If they actually stick to the story so far the TV series will truly be great. Some awesome characters are coming and some real cut throat character development.

This show is great!

@BZD

We could start a book club. I'll read IAL, you read FC.

Well, can't find an ebook of IAL, so that chance of me reading it have just significantly decreased...

@Abgemacht. I have struggled greatly to find a decent book club online. There are many but not enough that have a similar taste in genre to my own. I will read FC and you should read IAL. It wont take you very long so i suggest you then read The Stand by Stephen King, but make it the extended version. It is a tour de force and very, very good.

IAL must be worth about $6 from Amazon and worth buying because you will read it twice. I may even send you a list of a few books that i recommend, if you would do the same.

Yeah, tomorrow I'll see if there's a copy at B&N.

If you like FC, I'd suggest A Scanner Darkly by Phillip K. Dick.

I didn't care for IAL the movie. Haven't read the book.

Movies are a good snack. Books are a meal.

The Road. Why did you have to bring up that horrible horrible movie. My god, the pain. My wife loves that sort of thing and had read the book and told me about it, so I knew what I was getting into. But I felt like I could take her to it and win brownie points. So not worth it. Excellently done movie and story. But why would I want to subject myself to that pain?

Sort of like the Pursuit of Happyness. Good but soul wrenching. No thank you. Seven Pounds on the other hand, I enjoyed watching that. A second time even. Frankly it is the kid that makes the difference. I can't stand to see a kid in pain.

Back to the subject at hand, my wife, eldest son, and I enjoy zombie stuff, so we'll have to check this out. Thanks.