What does it take for a movie adaptation to transcend its source material? Many a filmmaker uses a book as a blueprint (whether or not they read it in its entirety) but take creative license to put their own unique stylistic and/or thematic spin on what is necessarily a much more visual story than the original one on the page. Often that’s taking a key character—whether a comic book antihero or an unnamed book protagonist—and giving them an entirely new backstory or quest. Or choosing a different point of view that opens up new storytelling avenues. In some cases, book and movie follow the same premise but diverge wildly at the end… or they do reach the same narrative conclusion, but on radically different paths that will leave you with very different emotional reactions as a viewer.
Here are eight great movies based on books that...
Here are eight great movies based on books that...
- 2/1/2024
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
The title of the 1982 film Blade Runner is taken directly from a book. Well, from two books: the 1979 novella Blade Runner (a movie) by William S. Burroughs, which, in turn, was based on the 1974 novel The Bladerunner by Alan E. Nourse. Both of those books are science fiction stories set in the near future, but have nothing to do with escaped androids. Instead, the movie’s plot is based on the 1968 novel by Philip K. Dick called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It’s tempting to say that Ridley Scott’s science fiction masterpiece took the name Blade Runner and slapped it on a Philip K. Dick story, but the truth is, Blade Runner succeeds because it’s not really an adaptation of anything.
On June 25, 1982, Blade Runner hit theaters for the first time. The reception was less-than-stellar. However, largely thanks to smart science fiction fans and an arthouse revival in the 1990s,...
On June 25, 1982, Blade Runner hit theaters for the first time. The reception was less-than-stellar. However, largely thanks to smart science fiction fans and an arthouse revival in the 1990s,...
- 6/25/2022
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
One of the many reasons "Prometheus" was eagerly anticipated by so many was the director's track record in the sci-fi genre. Ridley Scott had only made two science fiction pictures before this year's blockbuster, and both are considered classics (and arguably his best two films). The first was 1979's "Alien," the direct inspiration for "Prometheus." And the second? 1982's "Blade Runner," the noirish mystery adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep," which has been one of the most talked about and influential science fiction films of all time, particularly in terms of its grim look at Los Angeles in 2019.
The film, which follows Harrison Ford's "blade runner" Deckard as he's tasked with tracking down four murderous "replicants" (life-like robots) who've escaped from an off-world colony and are hiding out on Earth, wasn't a success when it first arrived, partly thanks to the tumultuous,...
The film, which follows Harrison Ford's "blade runner" Deckard as he's tasked with tracking down four murderous "replicants" (life-like robots) who've escaped from an off-world colony and are hiding out on Earth, wasn't a success when it first arrived, partly thanks to the tumultuous,...
- 6/25/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Did you know Dustin Hoffman was the original choice to play Deckard in the movie? Well he was, but he couldn't wrap his mind around the need to play the role as macho. Another fun fact is that the movie is loosely based on Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", but the title was bought by Ridley Scott. He acquired the title from Alan Nourse's book called "The Bladerunner." There aren't any really meaty details about the sequel. We don't even know how far in the future the movie will be from the originals 2019 date. Excerpt from the Wall Street Journal: In an interview with Speakeasy, Scott said he is on board to direct a “Blade Runner” follow-up and has been interviewing writers who can help him with the screenplay. Scott says the new project is “liable to be a sequel.” “I think I’m...
- 11/4/2011
- ComicBookMovie.com
Ridley Scott is finally returning to science fiction with the Alien prequel-thing Prometheus. That alone is almost enough to erase the vinegar-spag after-taste of A Good Year from our collective memories. That Scott will be returning to the world of his iconic Blade Runner is even better news. We’ve examined the possibilities in great depth already, but what about the Philip K. Dick book which inspired it? That’s where I come in.
Let’s discuss the great sci-fi writer with that hilarious last name for a minute. Philip Kindred Dick and his twin sister Jane were born six weeks premature in Chicago. Dick’s sister died six weeks later. The loss of his twin affected him profoundly – indeed, the motif of a “phantom twin” shows up often in his fiction. His family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and Dick attended Berkeley High School with fellow future...
Let’s discuss the great sci-fi writer with that hilarious last name for a minute. Philip Kindred Dick and his twin sister Jane were born six weeks premature in Chicago. Dick’s sister died six weeks later. The loss of his twin affected him profoundly – indeed, the motif of a “phantom twin” shows up often in his fiction. His family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and Dick attended Berkeley High School with fellow future...
- 9/5/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
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