Here is the age-old debate concerning great books and how they are turned into or not turned into great movies:
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=384806§ion=news

Opinion:

In the right hands, a great book can transition brilliantly to the screen i.e. East of Eden, To Kill a Mockingbird (as stated in the article). In the wrong hands, it becomes a failure, i.e. watered down plot or sexed-up and indiscriminate violence added or woefully miscast actors or poor screenplay adaptation, etc.

I disagree with a quote in this article that says that all writers today write with a screenplay in their heads. What a sad thought. Maybe the greedy ones do, but the inspired writers like Bradbury are always led by their imaginations and passion. At least, that is my perception.

Interesting that Ms. Werdnik was quoted in the above article as saying the film version of MOBY DICK "lit up the screen." As many of the users of this message board undoubtedly know, the screenplay for John Houston's film of MOBY DICK was written by none other than...Ray Bradbury.

While I agree that I don't think Bradbury writes with a screenplay in his head, his thoughts on the adaptation of his stories to the screen are interesting:

". . . various students have come up to me and said, 'Can we make films of your short stories?' I say, 'Sure, take them. Do it. But there's one restriction I put on you. Shoot the whole story. Just read what I've done and line up the shots by the paragraphs. All the paragraphs are shots. By the way the paragraph reads, you know whether it's a close-up or a long shot.' So, by God, those students, with their little cameras and $500.00, have shot better films than the big productions I've had, because they've followed the story. All my stories are cinematic. The Illustrated Man over at Warners Brothes a couple of years ago (1969) didn't work because they didn't read the short stories. I may be the most cinematic novelist in the country today. All of my short stories can be shot right off the page. Each paragraph is a shot."

(ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING. Ray Bradbury. Joshua ODell Editions, Santa Barbara, CA. 1996. p. 131)

He writes based on his imagination, but is well aware that the nature of his writing is easily adaptable to the screen -- if filmmakers will just follow his writing.

Once in a while, I go to the Movie Trailers on the internet to see what's playing at the local theaters. I was watching one recently, in wide screen, and afterwards I said, "Good Grief! You CAN make a short movie and put it on the internet!"
Anyone can.
And many do.
So think about that!
It can only mean one thing: There is going to be a flood of films on the internet and some are going to be exceptional. This is the new frontier that must happen. Too many people who had no other avenue for expression than what we are using at this very moment, the internet, will find an audience. But something sitting in your head or the closet is sure not as good, as putting it on the web,no matter how crowded it is...
So what am I saying?
THIS:
The continuing complaint of Ray's works is that it is really poetry and not truly transferrable to the screen. I say there are up and coming bright visionaries who are going to come closer to that objective than ever before, even by those who don't know any better than to accomplish such an event.
I say, get ready to see incredible artistic endeavors of expression and translation of great works than you ever hoped to see before....and all Right Here!!

Nard: I agree. My concern is: What will the funding mechanism be? Who will pay for these forays into the new types of entertainment media?

I am not worried so much about the funding, but the renditions, or various interperations. Although I could see a web site specifically for Bradbury streaming in the future. All some one would have to do would be willing to set up a capable server.
The software already exists, a University could support this endeavor. Also act as a repository for archival media materials. UCLA
may have the where withall. Someone would just need to seed the project. Right now Ray is a favored native son, of Los Angelos, much less a fine crystal needing preservation. I only think it is fitting now while he is living.. than ever that his work would stay online, or accessable
from a firm data base. For public access. It is hard to burn the internet.. "F-451"
Nothing like " Living Forever " in the ether of cyber-space, Ray might even chuckle at the chance to be a ghost in the machine. Even if he still types on an IBM selectric.

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 10-16-2003).]

uncle & Mr. Dark:

Many things are relative.
For instance, the printing of the first books.
Good God in Heaven.
Do you know what this must mean? Inferior scriptings may have a seat at the printing press. And what many there are. Myriad of oceans of things are out there. And what oceans indeed, filled with things like plankton, that Ray likes to refer to as what Whales live on.
Same with recordings, personal tapes stuck in dresser drawers as limited pressings in wax or vinyl.
Years ago I was waiting for another "media' sort of thing to come around to take it's place with radio, television, movies, the press, etc. Here it is, as far as I'm concerned. The internet snuck in as a tool for person to person contact in the event of nuclear war... and lands on our 'desk' today in tangible form....

Nard, Mr Dark, Frank, etc. Now that the internet is in so many homes. The issue I would wish would languish in cyber-hades, but raises it's own hoary head is Filtering, or "sifting" of factual/creative expression data. I understand to bring to light such wonders of electronic brilliance that there have to be shadows cast. I just don't know the to whom it may concerned viewers may be? I've Loved so many websites, and I still live with the aftermath of my Daughters mistepping into cyper-porn. There is alot to be said for cyber discretion as we have witnessed on this
BB. Yet what a Media..., AND what a Massive audience! Think of a "Ray Bradbury's Electric, Pandemonium Cyber-Revue". Kind of an online homagefest in Multimedia!!! Ray's work is so accessable to visual/sensual/pretendable, universal self identification that in the right hands it could be a joy to behold, and only a click away!? Think of the Possibilities...

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 11-07-2003).]