I am sure we all are on the same page when it comes to books being translated to movies; this rarely, if ever, works. Which of Ray’s movie translations do you think have worked? Fallen short? Failed? Why?

I will start with one well-kept secret; a movie I think worked, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. All of the elements from the book were brought over to the big screen. (Actually to the little screen since this was Disney’s first direct-to-video live action movie.)

Well directed by Stuart Gordon…who still keeps in touch with Ray. The movie is superbly acted. The cast includes Edward James Olmos, Joe Mantegna, Esai Morales, Gregory Sierra, Liz Torres and Sid Caesar among others. You will not recognize Olmos, as Vamanos, until the very end of the movie.

For some unknown reason, Disney has put the movie on DVD but it is only available to members of Disney’s Video Club. I had to get a friend with little ones to order the DVD for me. Disney does not even stock this video in the employees’ on-the-lot company store. (I know because I looked a month ago.)

quote:

Originally posted by jkt:
For some unknown reason, Disney has put the movie on DVD but it is only available to members of Disney’s Video Club.

It's not even there anymore.

In fact, I can only find it for 59.95$!

Of course, if you don't mind the VHS, it can be had much more cheaply.

Other than The Magic White Suit, none have really lived up to potential. I had always thought Something Wicked was a fairly successful adaptation, until I just re-read the novel. (I'm going to have to have a word with Ray about that).

Hoping Darabont does a good job with FH 451 - he hasn't let down Stephen King in the past.

Although not a movie, I reiterate that The Burning Man is the best adaptation I've seen yet.

Had I gotten the job of scripting Dandelion Wine last year, it would have been just right - alas, the Russians got the option!

Fallen short? Tobias Andersen did a better job as The Illustrated Man live onstage last month than Jack Smight did at the helm of the dreadful 1969 film. Ray's plays seem to work better than his films. I'm hoping to help change that.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Spaulding:

quote:

Originally posted by jkt:
For some unknown reason, Disney has put the movie on DVD but it is only available to members of Disney’s Video Club.

It's not even there anymore.

In fact, I can only find it for 59.95$!

Of course, if you don't mind the VHS, it can be had much more cheaply.

It have never been THERE. You have to call their toll-free number and insist they look it up manually. How sad.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Spaulding:
Other than The Magic White Suit, none have really lived up to potential. I had always thought Something Wicked was a fairly successful adaptation, until I just re-read the novel. (I'm going to have to have a word with Ray about that).

Hoping Darabont does a good job with FH 451 - he hasn't let down Stephen King in the past.

Although not a movie, I reiterate that The Burning Man is the best adaptation I've seen yet.

Had I gotten the job of scripting Dandelion Wine last year, it would have been just right - alas, the Russians got the option!

Fallen short? Tobias Andersen did a better job as The Illustrated Man live onstage last month than Jack Smight did at the helm of the dreadful 1969 film. Ray's plays seem to work better than his films. I'm hoping to help change that.

To paraphrase Mr. B when at the Disney Studio's screening of Something Wicked a few weeks back, "It was not a great movie but a good movie." And that was after he re-edited the first two reels and had them re-shoot the third reel...under his direction.

I know.

Reel is a good word.

I agree that Ice Cream Suit is a good adaptation, although I happen to not be very fond of the story in the first place.

I quite like The Electric Grandmother, although it is rather twee and sickly for British tastes!

The Burning Man (for The Twilight Zone (1980s version)) was pretty good, and deserves to be better known.

Most of the others have been disappointing. F451 has some lovely bits, but is rather clumsily executed. SWTWC also has some terrific bits, but has too many non-scary fake scares and a not very clear resolution. Not surprising, given the troubled production history.

Some of the RBT episodes were good. I particularly like The Lake.

I was re-watching The Martian Chronicles the other day, and decided that it could work reasonably well if it was better edited. It's just far too slow. If I had the time, I'd re-edit the damn thing myself to test my hypothesis.

Good points all.

The Electric Grandmother was a fine adaptation, indeed, as was I Sing the Body Electric on TZ, way back in the sixties.

The Coffin was one of the best of RBT.

Twee is a good word.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
I agree that Ice Cream Suit is a good adaptation, although I happen to not be very fond of the story in the first place.

I quite like The Electric Grandmother, although it is rather twee and sickly for British tastes!

The Burning Man (for The Twilight Zone (1980s version)) was pretty good, and deserves to be better known.

Most of the others have been disappointing. F451 has some lovely bits, but is rather clumsily executed. SWTWC also has some terrific bits, but has too many non-scary fake scares and a not very clear resolution. Not surprising, given the troubled production history.

Some of the RBT episodes were good. I particularly like The Lake.

I was re-watching The Martian Chronicles the other day, and decided that it could work reasonably well if it was better edited. It's just far too slow. If I had the time, I'd re-edit the damn thing myself to test my hypothesis.

You are spot-on about Martian Chronicles. Taking what was a mini-series on the tellie (sp) and tightening up the editing would greatly improve the movie.

F451 has one of the best endings in movie history, will makes me forgive adding the girlfriend and other French alterations to the novel that needed no changes.

Spot-on is a good term.

That's telly!

What I had forgotten about MC on the telly is that it was a British-American co-production, with most of the studio material filmed in the UK (and Martian scenery provided by location shooting in Malta and Lanzarote).

This does explain some of the poor production values, and some of the strange accents of the secondary characters. There is, however, something just right (spot-on, if you will) in the Martians being played mostly by English actors.

The section based on "The Martian" worked quite well, I thought, particularly when the Martian is caught up in a crowd and appears as a different person to each human. "Mars is Heaven", though, is a disaster, completely lacking suspense. This episode was much better done on RBT.

There was also an excellent adaptation of ANY FRIEND OF NICHOLAS NICKELBY'S IS A FRIEND OF MINE for television, starring the late Fred Gwynne. I have a copy on VHS; I don't know if it was ever released on DVD.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard:
There was also an excellent adaptation of ANY FRIEND OF NICHOLAS NICKELBY'S IS A FRIEND OF MINE for television, starring the late Fred Gwynne.

Yes - wonderful. As was the great Fred Gwynne.

I see that CD Universe has Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby is a Friend of Mine for sale on DVD for $15.05
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7068268

Amazon also has it on DVD for $17.99