Fincher's "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

I haven't read any of the novels you mentioned -- precisely because I had heard the movies were much better than the books. I agree entirely that some movies greatly outshine novels, particularly in the case of pulp fiction (the genre). I cited A Clockwork Orange as the most obvious exception to the rule that I've read and seen because I love both the movie and the book. I've heard similar things about Fight Club and Silence of the Lambs, Mizzou.

I still haven't seen either big Michael Lewis book-based movie, though. I haven't watched Eight Men Out since reading the book. I saw (and loved) No Country for Old Men and went out and bought The Road and the border trilogy (I had read Blood Meridian years before), but I refuse to read No Country for Old Men.

I prefer my method for two reasons above all else:

1. There are too many good movies and way too many good books. You're never going to get to them all, so why overlap?
2. One of the two mediums will almost certainly outshine the other. It mostly will be the book. Books take longer to read. If you've seen and enjoyed the movie, why take away from potential second viewings? If you've read and enjoyed the book, there's not a very good chance you'll like the movie as much.

I'm probably way more of a stickler on this than just about anyone who regularly reads and regularly watches movies. Even some critically acclaimed books/movies have fallen short for me in one of the mediums. I really didn't like 12 Angry Men as a movie, but it's one of my favorite plays. The Maltese Falcon is regarded as one of the greatest crime novels of all time, but I read it for a class in college and thought the movie told the story significantly better.

 

Movies that are good enough that it's a legitimate debate about whether they're better than the book.


1. High Fidelity (Although the woman who plays Laura sucks.)

2. Election

3. Wonder Boys

4. The Virgin Suicides

5. The Shawshank Redemption

Movie that are definitely better than the book:

Princess Bride

 

The Godfather, no?

 

I think NCFOM is close to equal, book and movie.

 

I've never actually read that book, so I don't want to pretend. But that is certainly my understanding.

 

I don't recall the Asperger's mention, but it has been a while since I read the books.
The character has definitely been traumatized, and the narrative makes it pretty clear that she suffered more than is told to the reader.

Someone can be hot, sexy or attractive without being pretty. That's my take on it.
That's why the original actress is so perfect. She has a magnetism and attraction without being pretty.
As I said, Rooney seems too pretty to me, but I haven't seen the remake, so I could be way off.

There's a scene in 'Kissing Jessica Stein' in which they discuss the concept of sexy-ugly. I'm not trying to call the original actress ugly, because she isn't. But I think that's the concept I'm thinking about.

 

This movie has rehabilitated Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song in many people's minds ... a strike against it. (Not really, but I hate that song)

Haven't seen it yet, don't have a strong desire to yet.

And once you got past the idea that Alien 3 wasn't going to be the all-action ass-kicker that Alien 2 was, it's actually a pretty damn good movie. Much closer to the spirit of Alien, that's for certain.

 

I think that is one of the best movie trailers I have ever seen.

 

Disappointing. Had no intention of seeing it, but sis and bro-in-law were going, so I went. I haven't read the books, but had read two reviews.

Product placement was annoying. Seemed like they were trying to cram too much exposition in short machine-gun snippets. All the "scenes" seemed really short. Had an ADD feel to it, with all the computer hacking flashes and photo analysis.

They build up to this big mystery being solved, and then when it is, it turns into another movie, Lisbeth clearing the reporter's name, etc. and keeps going forever, but again in quick-hit mode -- throw on a wig, do all this banking stuff, take off the wig, burn the passport, and on and on.

Rooney Mara does a professional job, but it's pretty much one note, the stone-faced, resolute, revenge-seeking victim.

The one benefit was that it made me appreciate two movies that I love, the original "La Femme Nikita" and "Silence of the Lambs," all the more, so there's that. I'd still be interested to see the Swedish version of "Tattoo."

 

But those books aren't exactly great fiction.

 

You're right about the ending -- I told my wife it felt like the coda to a live Allman Brothers song, just kept going and going.

I hadn't read the books, fwiw, and was pretty underwhelmed by the movie.

 

I mentioned The Godfather. Read it when it was first published. Giant piece of badly written shlock.