Books That Should Be Movies

I love movies, and I love to read. Every time a movie comes out that is an adaptation of my favorite book, I get very excited. A perfect example is "The Hunger Games," which comes out in March of 2012. The book is fantastic, and from everything I have seen so far, it looks like the movie will live up to the terrific book. The following is a list of books that I think should be turned into movies, in no particular order. Enjoy!

• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card: In high school, I never read the books that I was assigned to read. I have this problem where I won't read a book if someone tells me that I have to read it. Even if they know it is going to be my favorite - I just can't do it. But it was senior year and it was the last book we were reading, so I decided to give it a shot - and I loved it. For those of you that have never read it, Ender's Game tells the story of a boy named Ender who is training to be a soldier in the inevitable war with an alien species known as "the Buggers." Ender is a loner and isn't good at making friends, but he excels at training school and quickly becomes the leader that helps win the war. But the book is so much more than that - it is a commentary about what atrocities man will commit to win a war; it looks at middle schoolers and high schoolers and deals with their issues. It is a book that will have you horrified, sad, enraged, and excited - all at the same time. This movie has almost been made several times, but for some reason it has just never happened. I think it is because people have a hard time translating the gritty, gory tale of kids in war to the big screen. But, if it is done right, it could be a fantastic movie. Just, please, don't dumb the movie down. Make it just as adult as the book is.

• Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card: Part sequel, part it's own story, this novel tells the story of Ender's number 2 soldier, Bean. It follows Bean before he enrolls in training school, follows the events of Ender's Game through Bean's perspective, and sees what happens after the war is over. While I don't love all of the sequels that live in the Ender's Game universe, this is one that I loved almost more than the original. And, I have a really cool concept for the film. I think they should film both films during the same time. Two different movies, two different directors. And for the scenes that involve both Ender and Bean, I think that both directors should film those scenes. One from Bean's perspective, one from Ender's perspective. Something like this has not been done before, and I think, if it is done correctly, it could be pretty cool.

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy, The Silver Chair, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis: I know, the first three books in this series have already been made into movies - but I love these books and I love the movie franchise even more. This franchise is the one rare instance that I think the movies are better than the books. If you've ever read them, I think you'll understand where I am coming from - they are written for children. They are very bare bones and very matter-of-fact, and don't go any deeper into details. The movies do a good job of fleshing these things out. I loved "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," I liked "Prince Caspian," and I thought "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" was a step in the right direction. I am glad that the movie franchise is out of Disney's hands (their loss), and I really hope that the rest of the books turn into films. They really are great stories and I think that, now that Harry Potter is finally done and Twilight is wrapping up, they could finally find their time to shine. No more competition! I am going to be VERY disappointed if the rest of these do not get made...

• Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers: I made fun of my wife for reading this book. Then my best friend from college started reading it, and I made fun of him too. I finally decided to give it a try, because both of them would not stop talking about how fantastic the book was. I have never cried reading a book. I cry in movies and TV shows all the time, but never in a book. Until I read Redeeming Love. The book is hands down the greatest love story ever told - one filled with romance, terrible sorrow, heartache and undeserving grace. It tells the story of a man who is told by God to marry a prostitute, and pursue her no matter what. He marries her and saves her from her whore house, and gives her a better life. But she continually returns to the life she once knew, not able to forgive herself for the things she has done in the past. Francine Rivers is at the top of her game with this book - she hooks you in from the first paragraph and doesn't let you go until long after the book is already over. Based on the story of Hosea from the Bible, Redeeming Love is not so much a story about a man's love for a woman, it is a story about God's love for his creation. But to those who don't care about that, it really is a great love story. I'd love to see this movie done right - please stay away from it, Kirk Cameron! 

• The Circle Series (White, Green, Red and Black) - Ted Dekker: After I had read "The Hunger Games," I was looking for something else to read and I stumbled upon the first book in this series. Or was it the third? Or the fourth? That's the beauty of The Circle Series - you can start at any one of the books and then read them in order (0, 1, 2 then 3; or 2, 3, 0, then 1 etc). Part modern day sci-fi thriller, part rural allegory of the Christian story, the pace never stops in these books. They center around Thomas Hunter, a man who lives in our time, but when he falls asleep he dreams he is in the future - a future where everything has become very rural. When he falls asleep in his dreams, he wakes up in our time, and he can't tell which one is the dream and which one is the reality. But in one of the "dreams," the world is about to face a deadly virus that will wipe out the majority of the planet, and in the other "dream," tensions are arising in the epic final fight of good verses evil. Thomas spends all four books using what he learns from both dreams to help him save both lives. I think, in the hands of the right director, this could be a fantastic series. I even took a crack at writing the script, and it starts with the last scene of the entire series, then goes back to the beginning. This might be the one book that I want to see become a film the most.

• Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - Daniel Handler: I know they have already made one Lemony Snicket movie, but I really loved it. I thought it was the perfect outlet for Jim Carrey's zaniness, and the rest of the cast was fantastic as well. The movie clearly was intended to be followed up by more - what really happened to the orphan's parents? Will Count Olaf get his fair punishment for tormenting the orphans so? Who is Lemony Snicket? However, for some reason, a sequel was never made. I hope they make a sequel to this, and I hope that Jim Carrey is in it, because he has a tendency to not appear in sequels to his films ("Evan Almighty," "Son of the Mask," "Dumb and Dumberer," "Batman & Robin," to name a few).

• Jesus and His apostles - God: I would love to see a film that explores the relationship between Jesus and the 12 men that followed him so closely during the most pivotal time in human history. Even though I am a Christian, I want to see one that veers away from the "Christian-ness" that a story like this is bound to have, and just see how these guys lived together during the three years that they did. I could see it being a very epic "Band of Brothers" type movie, with a compelling cast. I want to see how these guys interacted when they were making miracles happen and when they were mocked. I want to see the break down of the relationship between Judas and Jesus. I want to see the events that lead up to "The Passion of the Christ." The Bible is one of the greatest stories ever told, but people tend to stay away from telling those stories on the big screen. Let's face it, every story that is being told today has its counterpart in the Bible. I'd like to see a big name director and big name stars take on this project. Will it ever happen? Probably not. But I'd love to see it.

• Animorphs - K.A. Applegate: Before you start laughing and skip this entirely, hear me out. I loved these books ground up. Sure they were ridiculous and sure they were a little childish, but if they were given a modern, more grown up retelling, I could see this being the next big franchise. Especially right now when teen novels and superheroes are so popular - this is a mixture of both. Animorphs was a set of 50 something books that told the stories of 5 regular teens who were given the power to change into any animal they could touch by a dying alien. They band together to fight the secret invasion of a bunch of nasty, evil aliens, all on their own. In my movie writing days, I wrote a treatment for a trilogy of films based on the best story lines from this series. Again, give someone talented the reigns to make this film. Don't kiddie it down either - this series is first and foremost about war. I don't need to see Miley Cyrus in this film. And please, don't make it anything like the TV show. I want to forget that ever happened. 

• Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan: Again, I know they already made a movie based on the first book in this series. But that movie was a Percy Jackson movie in name only. It very loosely followed the plot of the book and was an embarrassment to the source material. I would like to see a literal take on this book. Sure, Harry Potter started out very childish - but the books matured with Harry as he grew older. The same is true for Percy's adventures. So start out the movies as pretty childish. Then have them mature as Percy starts to face real dilemmas. I don't love the word 'reboot' but PLEASE REBOOT THIS!!!

• The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K. Rowling: This is a book that came out after Harry Potter was over. It features five wizard versions of fairy tales, one of which was featured heavily in the final Harry Potter film. I would love to see all five of the stories become a feature length animated film. And who would I want to do these movies? Disney. They have been doing fairy tales right forever, and they need a new well to pull from. Use these inspired tales, Disney! I think that The Fountain of Fair Fortune could become an animated musical of the caliber of "The Little Mermaid," or "Beauty and the Beast." Will it ever happen - probably not, seeing as Warner Brothers owns Harry Potter and not Disney. But man, would that be fantastic.

So there you have it. The ten books I would love to see movie adaptations of. Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think!

DVDs I am Eagerly Anticipating

If summer is the time to go to the movies, the fall is definitely the time for DVD releases. Here are the ten DVDs that I am excited for, in no particular order:

• "Community: Season 2" (September 6th) - This show is quickly becoming my favorite show on TV. It is at least tied with another show on this list (see a few below). My favorite thing about this show, besides the silly characters, is the homage that they constantly pay to different movie genres. It's pretty fantastic that they can do what they do on just a sitcom's budget. Standout episodes include "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons," "Paradigms of Human Memory," and "A Fistful of Paintballs."

• "The Office: Season 7" (September 6th) - While this show is not as great as it used to be, season 7 is a lot better than some of their more recent seasons. Why? Because they had a clear plot line - Steve Carrell leaving the show. While he will be sorely missed, I am hopeful that it will breath new life into the series. The few episodes after he had left still felt like classic Office, which is a sign of good things to come. Standout episodes include "Threat Level Midnight," "Garage Sale," "Goodbye, Michael," and "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager."

• "X-Men: First Class" (September 9th) - I am a huge fan of the X-Men film series. Sure, some of them are better than others, but I still really enjoy them. Even the 'bad' ones. This movie, however, is by far my favorite of the bunch. I think it is pretty incredible that the fifth film in a franchise can be better than all of the other ones. I love the cool 60s vibe, the actors are fantastic, and the effects are second to none. I can't wait for this to come out on DVD.

• "Thor" (September 13th) - Initially, I was very skeptical about "Thor." He isn't really a superhero and didn't really fit in with the realistic world that had been set up in "Iron Man." However, I am really interested to see what Marvel is going to do to set up next year's "The Avengers," so I decided to check this film out. I was very, very pleasantly surprised. Given the subject material, it was a fairly grounded film, and Chris Hemsworth was fantastic as the Norse God of Thunder. Anthony Hopkins as Odin and Tom Hiddleston as Loki were phenomenal as well. It was so good, in fact, that I am more excited for it's sequel than I am for "The Avengers." But I'm still pretty pumped for "The Avengers."

• "Bridesmaids" (September 20th) - This has to have been the biggest surprise of the summer season. I am a huge fan of Kristin Wiig, but there is a difference in being funny for a five minute scene on SNL and holding an entire movie. Wiig did that and more in this movie. The supporting cast does a great job here as well. I liked this movie so much that I saw it twice in theaters - pretty rare for a movie not about superheroes.

• "Modern Family: Season 2" (September 20th) - TV shows are never great at their beginnings. Pilot episodes typically only serve as a foot in the door. When you are done watching the pilot episode, you should want to learn more about these characters, despite the faults of the show. It typically takes the entire first season for a show to really know who they are and start to hit their stride. There are only three shows that I have ever seen in which the pilot episode ranks up there as the best episode of the series. The first was the under-appreciated "Alias," second was "Lost" and third was "Modern Family." This show knocked it out of the park from episode one and has not lost its stride since. I can't wait for more from the Pritchet/Dunphy clan. Standout episodes from this season include "Halloween," "Chirp," and "Slow Down Your Neighbors."

• "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (October 18th) - Say what you will about the Pirates franchise, but I love them. They are just plain fun. Sure, this movie is nowhere near the brilliance of the first, but it is still Johnny Depp as the captivating to watch Jack Sparrow - what more could you ask for? Furthermore, this movie isn't bogged down with Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and a ton of mythology - it is just a good, old-fashioned swashbuckling film. I could, and would, watch 10 more of these movies. Here's hoping they make some more.

• "Batman: Year One" (October 18th) - For the past few years, DC has been releasing three animated feature films involving their most popular superheroes per year. While not all of them have been fantastic, none of them have been out right bad, and I get very excited for each new release. The films that have been the most successful have been the ones revolving around the Caped Crusader himself, and I am sure that "Batman: Year One" will be no different. Based on the groundbreaking comics by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, "Year One" tells the story of how Batman became Batman. Wait a minute - didn't we see that in 2005 with "Batman Begins?" Yes and no. While it is still a story about Batman, the main character is really Jim Gordon. The story looks at this rookie cop and how he develops a relationship with the Dark Knight. It is a fascinating story and one I can't wait to see play out on my TV screen. 

• "Cars 2" (November 8th) - Okay, I'll just come right out and say it: this is the worst Pixar film to date. That being said, it is still better than most of the movies that are out there right now. Sure, there was no real character development, and the subtler moments that Pixar does so was were lacking, but the action sequences were great, as was the animation. Here's hoping that Pixar's next sequel, "Monsters University," takes some cues from Pixar's first 'disappointment.'

• TIE: "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" (Sometime this fall) - I was looking forward to "Captain America" more than I was for "Thor," but I was more impressed with the latter. Sure, "Captain America" was a fun film and Chris Evans did a great job as the main character, but I just felt like something was lacking. I still enjoyed it, however. Same thing goes for the final Harry Potter film - Part 1 was phenomenal, in my opinion, so I had high hopes for the conclusion to the blockbuster franchise. I have to say, while it delivered on most aspects, I still felt like something was lacking. Maybe that's just me being super picky. I did really enjoy the film, though.

There you have it folks. In no particular order, the ten DVD/Blu Ray releases I am looking forward to. Mark your calendars!

Top Ten Reasons Why I am Nervous and Excited for "The Dark Knight Rises"

What I am nervous about:
1. Anne Hathaway. I know, I know, I was nervous about Heath Ledger and he gave an Oscar-winning performance as Batman's greatest enemy, but that still doesn't mean that I can't be nervous. If Christopher Nolan has any faults it is that he is not the best at casting women - just look at Katie Holmes in "Batman Begins" and Scarlet Johansson in "The Prestige." I'm not saying that either of them were horrible, but when compared to the rest of the movies that they are in they just don't stack up. Furthermore, at this point in the timeline of filming for "The Dark Knight," reports were pouring in about Ledger's groundbreaking performance. Everyone, from the director to cast mates to the crew could not stop talking about what a phenomenal job Ledger was doing in bringing this iconic villain to life. Those same reports have not really been pouring in for Hathaway. This doesn't mean that she is not doing a good job, but it does mean that she is not doing a great one.

2. Doesn't live up to TDK. TDK is one of my all time favorite films. Not because it is a Batman film, or a superhero film - it really and truly is just a fantastic film. It stands on its own two legs without feeling like another cliche driven superhero flick. And that is one of the reasons why I like it so much, and why it was received so well by audiences worldwide. One of my biggest fears is that TDKR just won't live up to the greatness of TDK. Don't get me wrong - it will still be one of the greatest comic book films. But I worry that is all it will be, when TDK was so much more. If anyone can top it its Nolan, but I am still very nervous about this.

3. The teaser trailer. Nolan has long impressed me that he doesn't give into fads or clichés. When every other filmmaker is making all of their movies in 3D, Nolan sees the fad for what it is and decided to not tarnish his films with it. A wise choice, in my opinion. However, that first teas trailer is riddled with so many clichés that it makes me a little worried that he might be loosing his focus. Using title cards, describing it as epic... this might not seem like a big deal to some of you but it just shows me that Nolan is human just like the rest of us and he is capable of making mistakes. Will those mistakes translate to the final product? Only time will tell.

4. There's too much going on. TDKR has been filming for almost three months already, and they just added someone else to the cast a few days ago. Already they have Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hardy, Liam Neeson, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman - and those are just the heavy hitters! Granted, TDK had several characters in it, and it definitely was a complicated film, but I felt Nolan did a good job balancing all of the characters and all of the plot lines. Even so, can lightning strike again?

5. The end of Nolan's Batman. As the teaser trailer boldly states, TDKR is the final chapter in the current Batman saga. WB has already come out to say that after this film they will be quasi-rebooting the franchise with Nolan and his wife serving as producers. What does that mean for the character of Batman? I think it means that Batman is going to die, which I would be fine with. But will it be handled well? Even though I think that something like killing off Batman is unprecedented territory, I still am worried about it. How will most people take the main superhero dying off? Will it be cheesy? Will Gotham be in ruins after it's only defender is gone? And if Batman doesn't die, how is this going to be the end of the legend? He can't just give up being Batman, can he? How are you going to handle this, Nolan?!?!? Also, why does such a great thing have to end? I don't want to see any other interpretations of Batman - I've waited a long time for this one. Do we need another "Batman & Robin" somewhere down the line? I'm not saying that Nolan has to continue directing them forever, but I would be all for future installments building on this starting trilogy. Is that going to happen?

Five things I am excited about:
1. Anne Hathaway. I know, I know she was one of the things I was nervous about, but I am also really excited to see what she can do. She already has an Oscar nomination underneath her belt (as did Ledger before he was cast as the Joker), and I feel like she has something to prove. If this movie goes well for her, people will see her in a different light. They wont automatically think of her as the girl from "The Princess Diaries," but she will finally be considered a legitimate actress. And I am sure that is the thought that is constantly running through her head as she films this movie. Also, I know that I said that reports weren't pouring in about her performance, which is true, but they have been trickling in about her dedication to the physicality of the role. In fact, one story claimed she gave a stunt man a black eye during a fight scene because she got so into it! While dedication doesn't make for a fantastic portrayal, it is definitely a step in the right direction.

2. Tom Hardy. Hardy was my favorite actor in "Inception." he was super cool and super suave and I just really liked him. So I was ecstatic that he was cast in TDKR and I was even more thrilled when we found out that he was going to be Bane. I think we are in for one of the greatest villain portrayals when this movie hits theaters next year. And from what I've heard, Hardy is fantastic in the film "Bronson," which I have not seen yet. Supposedly it is a very similar role, physically, to Bane - and his acting was given rave reviews. I am very much looking forward to seeing him beat the crap out of Batman - and then cheering Batman on as he beats the crap out of him right back. It's going to be fantastic!

3. The return of Ras al Ghul. When they announced that the main villain in "Batman Begins" was going to be al Ghul, I was very excited. Sure I wanted to see Batman square off against the Joker, but I have always been fascinated but the relationship between al Ghul and Batman. In the comics, al Ghul singles Batman out to take over the League of Shadows for him and Bruce has to seriously weigh the options because he agrees with al Ghul's longterm goals. He just doesn't agree with his methods and therefore has to do whatever he can to stop him. I feel like they did a really good job with the character in "Batman Begins," but I am looking forward to delving into who he is more in this third film. And in what capacity will he return? We know that Josh Pence will play him in flashbacks, but Neeson was recently confirmed as part of the film's cast as well. Whether we get to know more about his past only or if we get to see him deal with Batman again, I am very, very excited for his return to the franchise.

4. The return of Wayne Manor and the Batcave. In "Batman Begins" we got to see a very primitive and early version of the famous Batcave, but then tragedy struck in the form of the League of Shadows and Wayne Manor was burned to the ground. I really liked the way Wayne Manor was depicted - covered in sheets and dust, barely lived in except for one or two rooms. It really set the tone that the real mask was Bruce Wayne and the true man was Batman. And as for the Batcave in BB, i really liked how it was carved out of the earth and was something that had already existed underneath the house. All Bruce had to do was add to the foundation that was already laid by his ancestors. Sure, there was really only one computer and there were no cool gadgets, but the guy was just starting! And then he got super technical with his bunker style Batcave in TDK, which featured more computers and more of the detective tools that fans of Batman are so used to seeing, in a stark white space. I am very much looking forward to them combining both interpretations of the Batcave in TDKR: an actual cave that is filled with state of the art computers and forensics tools to aid Batman in his crime fighting endeavors. And I'm ready, as I am sure Bruce and Alfred are, for them to return home.

5. Christopher Nolan! Really, the biggest reason why I am excited for this film is that out of all of Nolan's seven films, I have not been disappointed yet. Even his first film, the wildly underrated "The Following" is a great movie and better than most of the crap in cinemas these days. Each of his films is uniquely different and yet each of them has that same underlying tone of greatness that ties them all together. Try to imagine "Inception" directed and written by anyone else - it would have been a jumbled mess of things. But under the careful and watchful eye of Nolan, it was a near masterpiece. And, though it might not top TDK, I think that when it is all said and done, TDKR will be up there as one of the best films not only of 2012, but one of the best films of all time. Here's hoping, at least.