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From: mcq@druxt.UUCP (McQueerRL)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Roll-your-own SF Films
Message-ID: <966@druxt.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-May-84 13:23:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: druxt.966
Posted: Tue May  8 13:23:37 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 9-May-84 02:34:20 EDT
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One of the mistakes movie makers seem to make, at least in my opinion,
is attempting to do movie versions of LONG novels and series of novels.
I await the Dune movie with a great deal of trepidation for this reason.

"Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke impressed me as perfect for a good
movie.  The only rub would be getting a screen writer to do the ending as
intended.

Some of John Brunner's stuff might make good celluloid, if done carefully.
"The Sheep Look Up", and "Stand On Zanzibar" especially.  Longer works,
but I think enough of the bulk is external description - that sort of thing
translates well to film and compresses.  I think a movie could do a lot for
depicting Brunner's extrapolation of disturbing future societies.  If
done badly they could be really awful, though.

An atrocious adaptation was done of Zelazny's "Damnation Alley".  This was
a shame because the novel is one which should have made a good movie.
Note that this is not one of my favorite novels, or even one of my favorite
Zelazny novels.  I'm just noting that it should have been good movie material.

Most of the novels I've really liked would NOT make good movies.  Oh well.

			Bob McQueer
			ihnp4!druxt!mcq