Book vs. Movie: The Beach

I recently picked up The Beach, by Alex Garland, out of a neighbor's free book box on the curb. And once I started reading it, I couldn't really put it down.

On the surface, this is a book I would never normally choose. The themes (backpacker culture, travel, Asia, drugs, insanity) are not my usual cuppa. But I always figure if a book inspired someone to make a film out of it, it can't be that bad.

And it wasn't bad, it was great. It was complicated, so much so that I wished I were back in college to have a literature professor help me understand it all and a class full of peers to discuss it with.

After finishing it, I was desperate to see the movie. I raced to the library to get there before it closed, and they didn't have it! (Shouldn't that be against library rules? If there is a movie based on a novel, the library should be required to carry that movie, no?) Don't worry, I got it at the local video store.

So, the movie. SUCKS. No, not really, but compared to the book? Well, I guess I should know better. Had I seen the movie first, maybe. Maybe I would've thought, "Hm, what an interesting movie. I should go read the book!" But it never works that way. Once I've seen the movie I cannot work up a single ounce of interest in reading the book.

I understand that changes must be made to fit a novel-length story into a couple of hours. But the changes in this movie were so egregious and unnecessary and untrue to the spirit of the book... it was just not forgivable. I was curious about the author's opinion of the movie and he's been quoted as saying, "It's shit."

I should also mention that I kind of super love Leonardo DiCaprio. I know, he looks like he's all of twelve years old, but whatever, shut up, I loooove him. So if I'm still saying the movie is bad? Well, I'm sorry Leo, but it is.

Since I don't make it to the movies nearly as often as I would like (read: never) I guess it's good thing that the books are almost* always better.

*Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men being a ginormous exception.

I Smurf the Eighties

Southern California. 1987. Three twelve-year-old girls play volleyball outside in the sun during third period PE at Oak Crest Junior High. We called ourselves "the Smurf club."Left to right: Natalie, Amy, and me in all our Junior High glory.

Amy was the ringleader. She was the cool girl, the pretty girl. So naturally, she was Smurfette.

I was the red(ish)head, so I was Sassette. Natalie was the funny girl, the crazy girl and, well, shorter than Amy and me. Baby Smurf's gender was unknown, but we decided she was a girl and Natalie became Baby Smurf. Our PE teacher, Mr. Krantz, was straight out of central casting. He was a grumpy old man, still bulgy with muscles, who wore his polyester gym shorts too tight. Everyday he yelled, "Hit the bricks!" (I still don't know what bricks he was talking about or why we were supposed to hit them.) We tortured him by refusing to wear the required PE clothes, refusing to run during the mandatory mile runs, refusing to do much else other than talk and laugh and generally act like preteen girls.

20 years later.

All three of us Sun-In soaked, So-Cal girls have landed in the northeast. Amy and Natalie both live in NYC and I'm here in Boston. The two of them have gotten together in New York, but since I have two different girls keeping me busy at home, the full Smurf club reunion has yet to take place.

And then Amy sent me this: http://perezhilton.com/2008-06-10-smurfs

A Smurf movie?! And I thought Fraggles were exciting! If this doesn't demand a reunion, then I don't know what does.

Dance Your Cares Away! (Clap, Clap!)

Down at Fraggle Rock!

How. Rad. Is THIS?
My best friend from junior high just sent me a heads-up about this:
http://www.variety.com/VR1117985529.html

Seeing as Chelsea was scared of the (totally not scary) Curious George movie, it may be a while before she gets to see any movies, even a live-action Fraggle Rock. Me, however? I'm so there.

As a child of the 80s, Fraggle Rock was right up there on my list of favorite shows with Pee Wee's Playhouse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I even dressed up as Red Fraggle one year for Halloween. In eighth grade. My friend Steve (hi, Steve!) calls me Red to this day.

I just looked at the Variety article again and saw that this is not only going to be live-action but a musical!!?! Could it GET any better?

(thanks, Amy!)