50 Shades Movie -- suggested changes

[PennLady]

I found this on Slate.com today and it made me laugh.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_facto...here_s_our_advice_on_how.html?wpisrc=obinsite

For one thing, the second point about Gray and Ana meeting is something I thought of immediately when I read part of the book. I could not believe that the roommate sent someone so ill-qualified to the interview. I mean, hell, if the roommate is the editor of the school's paper, why not send someone else from the paper?

Other suggestions just made me shake my head because they're asking for -- and this is not at all a bad thing -- things that would have made the book and entirely different and likely better read in the first place. I haven't read the books, just skimmed some, and even with that little bit, I was unable to finish.

 

[LWulf]

I wouldn't expect much.

They have tried to translate to film, many bdsm books before and fail miserably. Most noteworthy flop was "Exit to Eden".

 

[PennLady]

I wouldn't expect much.

They have tried to translate to film, many bdsm books before and fail miserably. Most noteworthy flop was "Exit to Eden".

Oh indeed. The article flatly states that the movie should be NC-17, otherwise what's the point, but I have a hard time thinking it'll happen. The studio (whichever it is) might go for R, but they hate NC-17. And with good reason. A lot of theaters won't show NC-17 movies.

 

[slyc_willie]

Oh indeed. The article flatly states that the movie should be NC-17, otherwise what's the point, but I have a hard time thinking it'll happen. The studio (whichever it is) might go for R, but they hate NC-17. And with good reason. A lot of theaters won't show NC-17 movies.

Assuming, of course, that the film will actually be made and not go straight to video. The director (Sam Taylor-Wood) hasn't done much; her portfolio is fairly scarce. I'm guessing she was willing to work for pennies on the dollar (or pound, in this case). Similarly, I would assume most of the actors and actresses in it will all be fairly unknown (except for a token cameo by someone who was begged to pop in, just to give the film some credibility) due to the demands for nudity.

All in all, I don't think there's much promise for the film. It'll probably fall into the definition of "cult classic" at some point, if it's finished. But hey, I could be wrong.

Going through the comments on the article, I found it amusing that one read (paraphrasing), "asking for an editor at this point is a waste of time. What this book needed was a writer."

 

[PennLady]

Assuming, of course, that the film will actually be made and not go straight to video. The director (Sam Taylor-Wood) hasn't done much; her portfolio is fairly scarce. I'm guessing she was willing to work for pennies on the dollar (or pound, in this case). Similarly, I would assume most of the actors and actresses in it will all be fairly unknown (except for a token cameo by someone who was begged to pop in, just to give the film some credibility) due to the demands for nudity.

All in all, I don't think there's much promise for the film. It'll probably fall into the definition of "cult classic" at some point, if it's finished. But hey, I could be wrong.

Going through the comments on the article, I found it amusing that one read (paraphrasing), "asking for an editor at this point is a waste of time. What this book needed was a writer."

Don't get me wrong -- I don't expect much out of the film, either, if it even gets made. The source material appears so weak, that only serious changes will help it, but those serious changes would probably be what result in an NC-17 rating and all. An unrated, direct-to-video movie may be all that's possible.

LOL Good comment, and I have to agree. I'm surprised the publisher (Random House, I think) let this go without more editing. I just couldn't get through even the first half of book one. And since it began as Twilight fan fiction, that makes me think I wouldn't get through those books, either.

 

[TE999]

Making a movie out of '50 Shades' IMO is like polishing a turd. I tried reading it and gave up; it was a literary train wreck.

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." H.L. Mencken.

 

[RjThoughts]

Making a movie from "50 Shades" would be on par with "Sharknado": Not a very classical film

 

[slyc_willie]

Making a movie from "50 Shades" would be on par with "Sharknado": Not a very classical film

But at least "Sharknado" was more or less free to watch and didn't pretend to be something it wasn't

 

[RjThoughts]

But at least "Sharknado" was more or less free to watch and didn't pretend to be something it wasn't

So true! SyFy makes their own versions of the 1940s and 1950s B sci-fi movies, and makes no bones that they're not "Haute Cinema".

If a studio does make the "50 Shades" movie, I hope someone will make a true-to-reality movie on BDSM, slapping this Ana and Christian "relationship" in the face.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I think the most likely route will be to make a film with the same name and themes, and even characters with the same names, but based only tangentially on the source material. Just because the studio bought the rights to the book is no reason to believe the movie will involve the same story. Let's face it, this isn't a literary classic with that is discussed and dissected ad nauseum in contemporary literature classes, nor is it a blockbuster with legions of fans attached to the characters and demanding sequels. It's relative popularity is due primarily to the taboo subject matter, and not so much the subjects themselves. I predict a movie that that resembles the book in it's broad themes, but with a plot that is almost unrecognizable from the book. Cf, World War Z.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I think the most likely route will be to make a film with the same name and themes, and even characters with the same names, but based only tangentially on the source material. Just because the studio bought the rights to the book is no reason to believe the movie will involve the same story. Let's face it, this isn't a literary classic with that is discussed and dissected ad nauseum in contemporary literature classes, nor is it a blockbuster with legions of fans attached to the characters and demanding sequels. It's relative popularity is due primarily to the taboo subject matter, and not so much the subjects themselves. I predict a movie that that resembles the book in it's broad themes, but with a plot that is almost unrecognizable from the book. Cf, World War Z.

We can but hope.

 

[RjThoughts]

We can but hope.

Damn it, how many times do we on Lit have to tell you:

Go write the script!!

 

[D_Lynn]

LOL Good comment, and I have to agree. I'm surprised the publisher (Random House, I think) let this go without more editing. I just couldn't get through even the first half of book one. And since it began as Twilight fan fiction, that makes me think I wouldn't get through those books, either.

The parallels between this series and the Twilight series are very weak and superficial. Stephanie Meyer and E.L. James aren't even in the same league as writers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge fan of either author, but I made it through the Twilight series without a problem, whereas I only got through 1/2 of the second book of the 50 Shades series.

And I'm a BDSM author who doesn't read teen fiction, so you know it wasn't due to content.

 

[D_Lynn]

We can but hope.

LOL

At least the article got this part right:

Talking to someone who knows more about the BDSM community might help make the movie's sex scenes hotter...without demonizing BDSM or encouraging women to see abusive and controlling behavior as acceptable or romantic.

Somehow, I doubt this is going to happen.

 

[PennLady]

The parallels between this series and the Twilight series are very weak and superficial. Stephanie Meyer and E.L. James aren't even in the same league as writers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge fan of either author, but I made it through the Twilight series without a problem, whereas I only got through 1/2 of the second book of the 50 Shades series.

And I'm a BDSM author who doesn't read teen fiction, so you know it wasn't due to content.

Actually my issue with Twilight in general is that it's a teen-girl angst thing, at least as far as I can tell, and that has never had much appeal for me, even when I myself was a teenager. I skimmed a bit of the first book in the library and it hit the two buttons that turn me off -- first-person narration in the present tense. So that made me even less interested in reading it. Now I realize The Hunger Games is written the same way, but that I did read and enjoyed a lot. So THG obviously had something that Twilight didn't.

Like I said, I found so many things off-putting about 50SOG that had nothing to do with the sex or BDSM. I can only hope, as Stella said and others have noted, that any movie would share only the title and basic framework.

 

[Lady_Fiona]

Burn it
Bury it
Pretend it never happened

That would improve it beyond imagination

 

[RjThoughts]

Actually my issue with Twilight in general is that it's a teen-girl angst thing, at least as far as I can tell, and that has never had much appeal for me, even when I myself was a teenager. I skimmed a bit of the first book in the library and it hit the two buttons that turn me off -- first-person narration in the present tense. So that made me even less interested in reading it. Now I realize The Hunger Games is written the same way, but that I did read and enjoyed a lot. So THG obviously had something that Twilight didn't.

Like I said, I found so many things off-putting about 50SOG that had nothing to do with the sex or BDSM. I can only hope, as Stella said and others have noted, that any movie would share only the title and basic framework.

We can hope, but this is Hollywood, and common sense and profit are never mutually inclusive.

 

[slyc_willie]

Somehow, I doubt this is going to happen.

No, if they want it to be accepted mainstream, they would probably go with the BDSM = bad, immoral, and abusive angle and focus on a more romantic one. We're not talking Story of O here.

 

[RjThoughts]

No, if they want it to be accepted mainstream, they would probably go with the BDSM = bad, immoral, and abusive angle and focus on a more romantic one. We're not talking Story of O here.

Go with the "He loves me so much he changes" crap?

 

[slyc_willie]

Go with the "He loves me so much he changes" crap?

Either that, or the "tragic end since all people who indulge in BDSM are demented perverts" crap.

 

[RjThoughts]

Either that, or the "tragic end since all people who indulge in BDSM are demented perverts" crap.

I think it could be the combination of both.

That's unless someone with BDSM experience writes the script, then who knows.

 

[slyc_willie]

I think it could be the combination of both.

That's unless someone with BDSM experience writes the script, then who knows.

I think, at best, there would be BDSM "consultants" on hand during the scriptwriting process, and most of their suggestions would come across as being either too extreme or too complicated for the majority of viewers . . . especially considering the audience that is currently raving about Shades and wants to see the movie.

 

[RjThoughts]

I think, at best, there would be BDSM "consultants" on hand during the scriptwriting process, and most of their suggestions would come across as being either too extreme or too complicated for the majority of viewers . . . especially considering the audience that is currently raving about Shades and wants to see the movie.

I can't wrap my mind around why so many married women fell in love with this piece of poorly written and largely false "romance" novel series. I've read better fanfiction on the internet that should have been novelized.

Oh well, shows what a few people on the internet can do.

 

[slyc_willie]

I can't wrap my mind around why so many married women fell in love with this piece of poorly written and largely false "romance" novel series. I've read better fanfiction on the internet that should have been novelized.

Oh well, shows what a few people on the internet can do.

The answer is hype. Someone was paid to promote it, and other people were encouraged to do the same. It got to the point where it was lauded as some kind of wonderful success, and the lemmings bought into it. They like it because, for whatever reason, it's the current fashion to like it.

But I think even that is dying down. The lemmings are looking for the next soup du jour.

 

[RjThoughts]

The answer is hype. Someone was paid to promote it, and other people were encouraged to do the same. It got to the point where it was lauded as some kind of wonderful success, and the lemmings bought into it. They like it because, for whatever reason, it's the current fashion to like it.

But I think even that is dying down. The lemmings are looking for the next soup du jour.

Tell me about it. I have people at work that tell me I need a Kindle, because it's the best way to read books, and Amazon always promotes the best novels. I just shake my head and remind them that I don't like any of the books ever promoted by Amazon.