When You Aim For The Stars And Really Miss

[AlinaX]

Watched the film first, so that is probably a factor.

Hannibal is interesting. I hated the end when I read it the first time, and no doubt that's why the film screwed it up completely, but after I thought about it for a while I understood just why it ended the way it did.

The Poseidon Adventure, otoh, I hate with an enduring passion.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Thanks! Interesting how we all have different cultural references. I know very little about Lee Childs or the Bourne books and movies. Stephen King: he's prolific, but he's kind of sloppy as a writer at times. Not exactly the modern version of Poe. But, he seems to be having a good time and he's making a ton of money, so good for him!

I like plenty of King and think he’s very consistent.

However Jo Nesbo is very hit and miss.

Hits are Cockroaches, The Redbreast, The Redeemer, Snowman, The Leopard and Police (the last Harry Hole book)

However, The Bat, The Devils Star and Nemesis are pretty flat and miss the landing.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Watched the film first, so that is probably a factor.

Hannibal is interesting. I hated the end when I read it the first time, and no doubt that's why the film screwed it up completely, but after I thought about it for a while I understood just why it ended the way it did.

The Poseidon Adventure, otoh, I hate with an enduring passion.

The Film with Gene PAC-MAN? Yeah, it’s pretty annoying.

The 70’s were a huge period for tragic disaster films with Earthquake and The Towering Inferno both taking place during that period as well as all the Airport films (Roger! Huh?! ).

 

[AlinaX]

The Film with Gene PAC-MAN? Yeah, it’s pretty annoying.

The 70’s were a huge period for tragic disaster films with Earthquake and The Towering Inferno both taking place during that period as well as all the Airport films (Roger! Huh?! ).

No no no, I hate the book. The film's a classic.

 

[alohadave]

A book that aces the end is THE BOURNE IDENTITY as it really drags the reader through the mud and then provides a satisfying ending.

I read the series in high school and loved them. I tried reading Bourne Identity a few years ago, and it was so bad. Just really bad writing.

And how he kidnaps a woman and she instantly decides to help him and falls in love with him, it was a little, eh.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I read the series in high school and loved them. I tried reading Bourne Identity a few years ago, and it was so bad. Just really bad writing.

And how he kidnaps a woman and she instantly decides to help him and falls in love with him, it was a little, eh.

That’s how I met my wife and we’ve never looked…

…Hang on, where’s she gone?

 

[gunhilltrain]

Watched the film first, so that is probably a factor.

Hannibal is interesting. I hated the end when I read it the first time, and no doubt that's why the film screwed it up completely, but after I thought about it for a while I understood just why it ended the way it did.

The Poseidon Adventure, otoh, I hate with an enduring passion.

The Poseidon Adventure: do you mean the 1972 original or one of the later versions? The first one was just your basic 70's disaster movie. Relatively entertaining, but no big deal beyond that.

 

[AlinaX]

The Poseidon Adventure: do you mean the 1972 original or one of the later versions? The first one was just your basic 70's disaster movie. Relatively entertaining, but no big deal beyond that.

The original 1972 film is a fairly faithful adaptation of Paul Gallico's 1969 novel, but the ending of the book leaves a bitter taste.

 

[gunhilltrain]

The original 1972 film is a fairly faithful adaptation of Paul Gallico's 1969 novel, but the ending of the book leaves a bitter taste.

I don't even remember the ending of the book. It did strike me as being a bit gruesome in places (like the upside-down kitchen scene) which was softened a bit for the movie. Of course, only the three younger women in the movie had to take their skirts off, which Shelley Winters didn't have to do. Winters did do her own stunt of swimming underwater; apparently she learned to swim at some Brooklyn high school (Eastern District, I believe).

 

[YDB95]

When it comes to music, the all time champ in this department is "You're Having My Baby". By most accounts, Paul Anka intended it as a heartfelt ode to women and how amazing they are. That...is not how it was received.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Stephen King knocks Coppola!

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/francis-ford-coppola-movie-stephen-king-calls-incoherent/

Has anybody here actually seen Dementia 13? Godfather Part III was a let-down after the first two, but it's still better than a lot of what has come out since. That seems to the extent of King's opinions.

Well, yeah, Quentin Tarantino has sort of become a legend in this own mind. You can blame Harvey Weinstein for much of that.

 

[Blind_Justice]

R.A. Salvatore, with every Drizzt Do'Urden novel since the "Hunter's Blade" trilogy. The early novels had great characterization, thrilling action and the right mix of relateble drama and fantastical plot points. And suddenly the heroes get clobbered with a crowbar so the plot can be brute-forced into action. All that was left were unlikable wraiths pretending to be the people he spent almost 20 years writing about and incomprehensible combat sequences.

After suffering through said trilogy, I stopped touching anything with Salvatore's name on it for... hm, about fifteen years. He was involved in writing the fiction which advanced D&D from 4th to 5th edition and I decided to have another look. So... "The Companions". Same exact shit. I did not recognize any of them. None of their altered personalities had been properly set up. Apart from one party member, their worst traits had been emphasized and I found it incredibly hard to empathize with them. To see Wulfgar, Bruenor, Cattie-Brie and Drizzt like that... the only analogon would be to turn The Fellowship Of The Ring into drunk gambling addicts stealing each others' women. Or Luke Skywalker into the next Imperator. I've never seen an author miss the mark with his own created heroes this badly.

 

[SimonDoom]

Stephen King knocks Coppola!

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/francis-ford-coppola-movie-stephen-king-calls-incoherent/

Has anybody here actually seen Dementia 13? Godfather Part III was a let-down after the first two, but it's still better than a lot of what has come out since. That seems to the extent of King's opinions.

Well, yeah, Quentin Tarantino has sort of become a legend in this own mind. You can blame Harvey Weinstein for much of that.

I've never seen Dementia 13, but I agree about Godfather 3. It's a movie that never should have been made. Godfather 2 brought the saga of Michael Corleone to a perfect ending. The Michael Coreleone of Godfather 3 seemed, to me, like a completely different character. The movie had nowhere near the depth or technical mastery the first two did.

It's always surprised me how few good movies Coppola has made, considering how great the first two Godfather movies were. I've always been so-so on Apocalpyse Now. It had some entertaining scenes but to me feels bloated and contrived, and I couldn't stand Brando's performance.

King is a very, very opinionated guy. You don't have to agree with him about everything to be entertained by his comments about movies or books or writing in general.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've never seen Dementia 13, but I agree about Godfather 3. It's a movie that never should have been made. Godfather 2 brought the saga of Michael Corleone to a perfect ending. The Michael Coreleone of Godfather 3 seemed, to me, like a completely different character. The movie had nowhere near the depth or technical mastery the first two did.

It's always surprised me how few good movies Coppola has made, considering how great the first two Godfather movies were. I've always been so-so on Apocalpyse Now. It had some entertaining scenes but to me feels bloated and contrived, and I couldn't stand Brando's performance.

King is a very, very opinionated guy. You don't have to agree with him about everything to be entertained by his comments about movies or books or writing in general.

The Conversation, The Outsiders and Rumblefish are all excellent. Cotton Club, Peggy Sue Got Married and Tucker are flawed but pretty good.

And while I would not argue that it's a great or even very good movie, I have a soft spot for One From the Heart.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I've never seen Dementia 13, but I agree about Godfather 3. It's a movie that never should have been made. Godfather 2 brought the saga of Michael Corleone to a perfect ending. The Michael Coreleone of Godfather 3 seemed, to me, like a completely different character. The movie had nowhere near the depth or technical mastery the first two did.

It's always surprised me how few good movies Coppola has made, considering how great the first two Godfather movies were. I've always been so-so on Apocalpyse Now. It had some entertaining scenes but to me feels bloated and contrived, and I couldn't stand Brando's performance.

King is a very, very opinionated guy. You don't have to agree with him about everything to be entertained by his comments about movies or books or writing in general.

There is a "making of" documentary about Apocalypse Now, which was partially filmed by Coppola's wife Eleanor. This version has later commentary by both Francis and Eleanor. He seems to have always known that he was out of control, especially with his handling of Marlon Brando (who was never the easiest person to work with). Lesson one: don't start filming without a completed script.

Hard to believe that there has been talk of a reboot of The Godfather; I don't think a director has been chosen yet.