Onion Stinkers
The Onion has produced what is undoubtedly THE weirdest list of the 15 book-to-film adaptations that live up to their source material. And while I'll agree that Iron Giant deserves to be remembered I'm going to have to frown with great confusion at the inclusion of the 1973 Charlotte's Web. This may be the sole defense of that seventies monstrosity ever recorded. I far prefer my own personal favorite 21 films, but I'm vain like that.
posted by fusenumber8 @ 5:45 PM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
I agree with most of your list of 21, but I can't go with A Series of Unfortunate Events. I knew in the first five minutes they just didn't get it--starting with, as you pointed out, Klaus's glasses. The mood was off the whole way through--it's like different actors were in different movies. Meryl Streep got it right, but Jim Carrey was just wrong, wrong, wrong. I was so prepared to love that movie, and it just broke my heart.
Otherwise, your list? Word. Especially Millions. Didn't you love that movie to death?
See, the Carrey thing didn't get to me so much. The glasses was irresponsible and, had they attempted to film Book #4, laughably short-sighted. But the credit sequences were golden, Billy Connelly inspired, and the Olaf accomplices perfect. The film had flaws, yup. But it was also an interesting take on the books. I wouldn't call it the be all and end all of A Series of Unfortunate Events, of course. Someday CGI will get to the point where it become beautifully atmospheric. THEN we shall see a version worth loving even more.
Unrelated to the list (although when I saw Charlotte's Web on it I winced and thought of you)-- when I got off the subway today, there was a young man in a white shirt, old-style tan pants, red suspenders, and a cap, hawking the Onion old-time-newspaper-boy-style. I congratulate the Onion on running a promotion that actually made my day a happier one.
Where was this?
They should have done that for last week's issue. You know. When they were showing all kinds of faux Onion articles of the past. But what a fabulous idea. It's still the best paper in town. That drills the idea home.
Broadway/ Lafayette.
Yeah, when I saw it, I thought "Are they doing another old-time issue?" But it's back to the regular stuff this week. Perhaps this gentleman just recieved his instructions late.
I agree with Lizzy that "Babe" is a pretty good adaptation, however, I have to take issue with the introduction of the male border collie, Star, who saves the day near the end of the movie. In the book, there is no such character and the mother dog who nurtures Babe also performs the acts of heroism. It irritated me that the film makers felt the need to fall back on 1950s gender roles.
Another great adaptation is "Millions." Probably doesn't hurt that the original book was published by Miramax.
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