In this creative context, writers were eager to work on exciting projects, especially if they could stay with the project as it moved toward becoming a film.
Tag: The Godfather
6 Movies You May Not Have Known Were Based On Books
What if I were to tell you that some of the most critically-acclaimed motion pictures of all time were actually adaptations of books?
You’ll Be Shook By What Books These Movies Are Based On
There’s a saying that no idea is original, that everything is borrowed or recycled to make something new. That is definitely the case with these movies and shows. Spoiler warning for all mediums listed.
- You (2018 – )
The captivating Netflix thriller is actually based on both You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes. Like all adaptations, there are a few ways that the show moves away from the events of the novel as a way to keep things fresh. A major, but common, shift is the addition of characters that never existed in the original novels. Characters like Beck’s creepy professor, Joe’s neighbors, and Annika (Joe’s influencer friend) don’t exist in the universe Kepnes created.
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- Sex and the City (1998 – 2004)
Based on Sex and the City by Candance Bushnell, the TV series differ’s greatly from the novel. Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda aren’t major characters; Carrie isn’t living a luxurious, financially stable life; and despite the show’s positive messages about female friendship, the novel was about the complete opposite. Bushnell’s Sex in the City had looming themes of isolation and alienation, where Carrie was struggling to make ends meets and competing with her “friends”.
image via amazon
- The Godfather (1972)
The notorious mafia film is based on The Godfather by Mario Puzo. A lot of the plot is similar between the Godfathers, but the biggest difference is in the details. Literally. Puzo’s novel gives readers the nitty-gritty details of many characters’ lives, but sadly, most of this detail was removed when making the 1972 classic. There’s a history to the characters that the movie just doesn’t have.
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- The Haunting of Hill House (2018 – )
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is the inspiration for the 2018 Netflix “adaptation”. I put adaptation in quotes because the two works are so different from one another. While Jackson’s original story follows a group residing in a haunted mansion as part of a para-psychological study, The Netflix version follows a modern family who used to live in the haunted mansion. Sure, the plot is heavily reliant on Jackson’s own work, but the show is definitely its own thing.
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- Pitch Perfect (2012)
This fun, bubbly film is inspired by Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin, a non-fiction novel. The film takes inspiration from the novel, but there are aspects of the film that just aren’t true. In collaboration with Entertainment Weekly, third-year A Capella group member, Drew O’Shanick, debunked what was real or fake about the movie.
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- True Blood (2008 – 2014)
The Southern Vampire Mystery series by Charlaine Harris is the driving inspiration behind this TV series. According to readers and viewers alike, both works are actually quite similar. The biggest difference noted among is the lack of depth in the show’s vampiric lore. Harris does a great job creating her own take on Vampirism, but the show lacks the details Harris embedded in her novels.
image via hanbooks
- Strange Magic (2015)
After watching George Lucas’ fairy musical, it’s hard to believe that it’s based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. The stories both follow young women who gives up on love to live a life of romantic solitude, but Lucas’ project brings a new message to the table about love. The movie, unlike Beauty and the Beast and Shrek, makes it know that ugly people can be in loving relationships with people who are considered “out of their league”.
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Eleven of the Most Beautiful And Awesome Book Covers
They say never judge a book by its cover but that’s not really true. The purpose of a book’s cover is to entice you into buying it and those that do a poor job of representing the book aren’t doing their job well. But book covers are an often overlooked piece that provides an intimate look at the contents before you even open them. Some of them are even artistic masterpieces in their own right. But what are the best? Let’s have a look at some of the best ones and marvel at their beauty.
11. ‘Jurassic Park’ by Michael Crichton
image via Amazon
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is utterly brilliant as a cover. It depicts a Tyrannosaurus Rex’s skeleton against a white backdrop, hinting at terrifying possibilities but nonetheless drawing the reader in for a wild ride. Its also gets bonus points for becoming so iconic.
10. ‘Get in Trouble’ by Kelly Link
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Get In Trouble by Kelly Link provides a marvelous and captivating cover. Her stories are offbeat and have a sense of offness to them, showcased by this strange cover. The upside down nature of a seemingly normal house provides an excellent preview of what you’re in for: the normal world turned literally upside down. Not to mention its a really cool visual piece.
9. ‘Heart of a samurai’ by Margi Preus
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Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus has an instantly captivating cover. The colors of the wave contrasted with the lovely sky, the boat riding atop the wave, and the whales beneath instantly make for a classic image. There’s a sense of adventure, danger, and even action from the cover alone, as it draws your eye in right away.
7. ‘the great gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has truly one of the great covers of all time. Created by Spanish artist Francis Cugat, this cover is a pretty work of surrealism and beauty. Every part of it is iconic: from the giant disembodied eyes and lips floating over the colorful, almost theme parking looking location below against the backdrop of the blue night sky, its a wonderful work of art that will always represent its book in the popular consciousness.
6. ‘Beowolf’ translated by Seamus Heaney
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Beowolf by Seamus Heaney is a new translation of the classic epic poem that instantly draws your eye through its simplistic but striking cover. All there is to it is a man standing in full chainmail with his back to the camera but it instantly captures the feeling of the poem. The image captures violence and strangeness through what it implies, becoming more the more you pay attention to it. A truly classic image for a classic poem.
5. ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo
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The Godfather by Mario Puzo is a classic, stark novel and its cover matches its iconic status. Created by S. Neil Fujita, conveys the rotten power Puzo examines, even as it intrigues the potential reader. It could just as easily be the cover to a horror novel—which isn’t actually that far off the mark, if you think about it. There aren’t too many book covers that create what’s essentially a brand logo, but that’s just what this one did.
4. ‘The hate u give’ by Angie Thomas
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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is another brilliant cover that’s more recent. It uses negative space in a bold way, drawing focus to its central character who holds up her sign and demands the looker’s attention. The lead character is both empowered and obscured by her message, an awesome showcase of the book’s themes in a simple way.
3. ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley
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Brave New World by Aldous Huxley’s cover combines the absurd and frightening tone of the story with a simple, bold approach that draws the eye and holds it tortuously. You try to figure out what you’re looking at, even as the sneaking suspicion that you don’t want to know creeps up on you.
2. ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus
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The Stranger by Albert Camus is a bit headache inducing to look at but a great image nonetheless. The stark lines converging to create a hidden optical illusion. Once you see it, you’ll never forget it; once you read the book, you’ll forever associate it with this powerful cover.
1. ‘A clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Burgess
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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is a disturbing cover for a disturbing novel. Supposedly banged out in a single evening, this cover referenced the iconic film, and conveyed the sense of society being broken all at once, showcasing a screaming face contrasted with a fire in place of the upper part of the man’s head. It’s brilliant on a level no other cover has quite been able to surpass.
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Top 5 Literary Dads
Dads do a lot from teaching us valuable children to giving us hope for the future. Take a look at some of the best dads from literature.
