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27
A When a novel or play is adapted
for the screen it reaches a huge
new audience. Surely the main
point of story-telling is communi-
cation, so if more people can enjoy
a story by seeing it in a visual
form, what's wrong with that?
B A successful screen adaptation helps
to promote the original book and
increase its sales. Often, in fact,
recently filmed or televised books
(even nineteenth-century classics)
can become bestsellers all over
again. Two recent examples of this
in Britain were Stendhal's Le Rouge
et le Noir (Scarlet and Black) and
George Eliot's Middlemarch. After
being filmed by the BBC, both nov-
els entered the bestseller list.
C Pictures make stories more vivid
and lifelike – every five-year-old
child knows that. So, why should
adult literature be any different?
The simple fact is that screen adap-
tations give books a whole new
realistic dimension. They also make
stories where the language is com-
plex and old-fashioned much easier
for modern readers to understand.
D Without screen adaptations to
boost sales, the publishing industry
would be far less healthy than it is.
After all, we live in a visual culture
where relatively few people actu-
ally buy books. To put it bluntly,
literature needs TV and films far
more than TV and films need lit-
erature.
A Reading a book and watching a
screen are two completely dif-
ferent experiences. Reading is
active… your mind has to work
and create images. Watching is
passive… you just sit there and
all the work is done for you.
It's less satisfying.
B When you're reading a book
you're able to stop and start
whenever you like. The book
can become a part of your life
for a week – two weeks – how-
ever long it takes to read. With
a film or TV series, though, the
pace is dictated… you don't
have the freedom to stop and
think for five minutes before
you carry on.
C Screen adaptations are never as
subtle and complex as the
books or plays they're based
on. Characters are cut out,
scenes removed… that's be-
cause time is always a key is-
sue, especially for film-makers.
Producers, directors and
screen-writers constantly have
to ask themselves, 'How can
we fit the story into two hours?'
Is that any way to treat an au-
thor's work?
D Books can tell you what char-
acters are thinking. Films and
TV serials can't. They have to
use dialogue instead.
28
11.2 In an exclusive interview to Cinescape, the magazine of movies, televi-
sion and new media on the edge, best-selling author Dean Koontz lambastes
Tristar's film version of his supernatural thriller Hideaway.
• Read the beginning of Dean Lamanna's critical review Hide and go seethe
and find the reasons for Dean Koontz' scolding.
• What's your interpretation of the title of the review?
• Can you find another example when an author is in favour of a film ver-
sion of his/her book?
Adapting books for the screen can be treacherous. For every tome that has
made the transition successfully in the last 20 years (see Jaws, Carrie, The
Silence of the Lambs), there have been at least a dozen others that have fallen
flat on their fiber spines. Too often, as any disgruntled reader – or writer –
will attest, novels lose their atmosphere and their very essence as they bump
and scrape the constricting walls of that endless tunnel called "development"
en route to the screen.
Dean Koontz, for one, no longer will enter that tunnel blindly. The criti-
cally acclaimed creator of such best-selling genre titles as Dragon Tears,
Watchers and the current Dark Rivers of the Heart has become so frustrated
with the film industry's arrogance that he's now asking for both screenwriter
and director approval when selling screen rights.
"I have been involved in a campaign to get my name off the movie from
the day it started shooting last spring," says Koontz, who, unlike Stephen
King, generally has avoided public discussion of how Hollywood treats – and
mistreats – his work. "I've had bad pictures made before, but this isn't just, in
my estimation, a bad picture: It's sort of demeaning, dehumanizing… It takes
everything my work is about – everything I believe as a human being – and
turns it 180 degrees on its head."
The story of Hideaway, the movie, begins more than three years ago, when
Koontz sold the rights to the novel to TriStar's parent company, Sony pictures,
just prior to its January 1992 publication date.
"I was appalled", says the author, who found no less than 14 major holes in
the story. "I said [to TriStar], 'Aside from the fact that the tone of this is just
not at all what I do, there are all these incoherent elements in the storyline.'
The studio pretended to make some effort to be concerned, but it became
A When a novel or play is adapted A Reading a book and watching a for the screen it reaches a huge screen are two completely dif- 11.2 In an exclusive interview to Cinescape, the magazine of movies, televi- new audience. Surely the main ferent experiences. Reading is sion and new media on the edge, best-selling author Dean Koontz lambastes point of story-telling is communi- active… your mind has to work Tristar's film version of his supernatural thriller Hideaway. cation, so if more people can enjoy and create images. Watching is a story by seeing it in a visual passive… you just sit there and • Read the beginning of Dean Lamanna's critical review Hide and go seethe form, what's wrong with that? all the work is done for you. and find the reasons for Dean Koontz' scolding. It's less satisfying. • What's your interpretation of the title of the review? • Can you find another example when an author is in favour of a film ver- B A successful screen adaptation helps B When you're reading a book to promote the original book and you're able to stop and start sion of his/her book? increase its sales. Often, in fact, whenever you like. The book recently filmed or televised books can become a part of your life Adapting books for the screen can be treacherous. For every tome that has (even nineteenth-century classics) for a week – two weeks – how- made the transition successfully in the last 20 years (see Jaws, Carrie, The can become bestsellers all over ever long it takes to read. With again. Two recent examples of this a film or TV series, though, the Silence of the Lambs), there have been at least a dozen others that have fallen in Britain were Stendhal's Le Rouge pace is dictated… you don't flat on their fiber spines. Too often, as any disgruntled reader – or writer – et le Noir (Scarlet and Black) and have the freedom to stop and will attest, novels lose their atmosphere and their very essence as they bump George Eliot's Middlemarch. After think for five minutes before and scrape the constricting walls of that endless tunnel called "development" being filmed by the BBC, both nov- you carry on. els entered the bestseller list. en route to the screen. Dean Koontz, for one, no longer will enter that tunnel blindly. The criti- C Pictures make stories more vivid C Screen adaptations are never as cally acclaimed creator of such best-selling genre titles as Dragon Tears, and lifelike – every five-year-old subtle and complex as the Watchers and the current Dark Rivers of the Heart has become so frustrated child knows that. So, why should books or plays they're based with the film industry's arrogance that he's now asking for both screenwriter adult literature be any different? on. Characters are cut out, The simple fact is that screen adap- scenes removed… that's be- and director approval when selling screen rights. tations give books a whole new cause time is always a key is- "I have been involved in a campaign to get my name off the movie from realistic dimension. They also make sue, especially for film-makers. the day it started shooting last spring," says Koontz, who, unlike Stephen stories where the language is com- Producers, directors and King, generally has avoided public discussion of how Hollywood treats – and plex and old-fashioned much easier screen-writers constantly have for modern readers to understand. to ask themselves, 'How can mistreats – his work. "I've had bad pictures made before, but this isn't just, in we fit the story into two hours?' my estimation, a bad picture: It's sort of demeaning, dehumanizing… It takes Is that any way to treat an au- everything my work is about – everything I believe as a human being – and thor's work? turns it 180 degrees on its head." D Without screen adaptations to boost sales, the publishing industry D Books can tell you what char- The story of Hideaway, the movie, begins more than three years ago, when would be far less healthy than it is. acters are thinking. Films and Koontz sold the rights to the novel to TriStar's parent company, Sony pictures, After all, we live in a visual culture TV serials can't. They have to just prior to its January 1992 publication date. where relatively few people actu- use dialogue instead. "I was appalled", says the author, who found no less than 14 major holes in ally buy books. To put it bluntly, literature needs TV and films far the story. "I said [to TriStar], 'Aside from the fact that the tone of this is just more than TV and films need lit- not at all what I do, there are all these incoherent elements in the storyline.' erature. The studio pretended to make some effort to be concerned, but it became 27 28
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