Funny is in the Eyes of the Beholder
While I was away, the powers that be at my local radio station, decided to fire the morning crew, who I have been listening to for as long as I can remember, to bring in syndicated Shock Jock, Howard Stern. Now you may think it's no big deal because I can just listen to another station, except... I listen to Alternative music and it was the only station. Everyone else is Pop and Country, these guys played the old stuff and the new stuff. Echo and the Bunnymen, old INXS, The Smiths, The Violent Femmes, Blink 182, Greenday, all of it. Now I have this jerkface talking all morning. I'm not a prude. Trust me, on an Alternative station, the morning crew was not for the faint hearted. They were funny as all get out, but we're now the only local station that carries Howard. Looking for numbers I gather. Big Whoop de doo. I refuse to listen. I don't find him funny. At all. I find him crude and not the least bit humorous, not even in a 'Can you believe he actually said that!' kind of way. So over the next few weeks I will be going to my local music store and looking for some of the stuff I like on disk, to get me through the mornings. The Buzz was a good station. Leave it to the bottom line to destroy it.
I'll also be paying a visit to my local bookstore as I, Robot comes out this week and I have been saying I wanted to read it before it was released! John and Beth both recommended it as a book they loved and I don't want it to be ruined by the movie. (I can't find the right link to her blog post about the books. I ran through her archives, but it didn't pop out at me. So you have to believe me that they had it on their lists!) Movies are never as good as the books.
Blogging early today. Hoping to spend quality time with my spouse as I've not seen him in what seems like an eternity.
posted by Bou | 1:56 PM
6 Comments:
I haven't seen the movie yet, but those who have, and who have read the book, note that Asimov would only vaguely recognize the plot - which squares with my feeling from the previews.
We'll see!
Movies are NEVER as good as the books? *Cough splutter*. I beg to differ. The Shawshank Redemption? Better or worse than the book? Blade Runner? Having read "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" I think I know which I prefer... The Godfather? Much better than the book and I am sure that there are others. I personally find Issac Azimov books to be thoroughly dull and pedestrian and so cannot summon any enthusiasm for the film at all (sadly). It is a difficult skill to turn a book into a film of any note as it usually destroys the images you have in your head of the characters and scenes and inevitably disappoints but then you get bloated tomes like LOTR and see what masterful film making CAN do for even the most turgid of films.
Alex
Hmm... Alex, you have given me food for thought. You are probably right. I loved LOTR, the visuals were fantastic. I have no issues turning books to movies, I just prefer to read the books first. For instance, when they turned Prince of Tides into a movie, many loved the movie (I did enjoy it), but it is an impossible task to insert all the wonderful parts of the book into a movie. I spent a lot of time saying, "Wow! I can't believe they didn't include the part where such and such happens, it was so funny!". So I try to read the books first. And then sometimes liberties are taken with the movies and they are nothing like the books.
Sorry to hear about Stern getting dumped into your lap. Since I have a morning commute, myself, I know how nearly impossible it is to find a good morning show.
I can't picture an Asimov book making a good movie. His stuff is mostly cerebral and dialogue-driven. Movies are a visual medium, and just not designed for his brand of story-telling. But I'll wait & see.
Alex - re: Shawshank - probably the only Stephen King story that had a good trip to the movies.
And LOTR - I have never seen a more faithful adaptation. I felt like they peeked inside my head, looked at the mental images I had while reading the book, and put them directly on the screen.
The Lords of Discipline -- outstanding book and the movie sucked eggs -- for one particular reason. Beautiful, touching and gut-wrenching when Pignetti kills himself in the book. Very powerful image(s). The movie? Oh, they request his reinstatement into the Academy at the end of the flick. Hollywood wankers....
Toluca Nole
I'm just a little angry they're going to make a movie on Boudicca. I hope they get a group of smart women together to direct it. When men direct movies about women heroes the movie goes down the drain. Look what they did to poor Maid Marian.
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