| 29 APR 2010 at 10:50pm |
Mr Innocent.Journeyman
Posts : 1317
Joined: 15 JAN 2008
Location: GR
Status : Offline | Keeping in mind that I wasn't thrilled by the TV series adaptation of the Dresden Files, would the fans still recommend the books?
On topic, I have moved on with the times and prefer digital downloads for games for some time now, even though I hated the very idea when they first came out. I still have caveats, such as full disclosure of used DRM so I can decide if it is acceptable by my standards (which means, either no DRM, or Steam style with the game tied to my account, not my current rig).
As Augustin pointed out, the deplorable decline of content in modern DVD-style boxes (most don't even include a printed manual these days, but someone told me that this is a practice specific to Europe and Americans can still enjoy a printed manual?) has been a huge factor on my change of heart (so has the fact of Greece finally getting affordable, quality broadband connections for home users, lagging five to ten years behind the rest of Europe, as per usual :).
|
| 29 APR 2010 at 11:50pm |
Lady KestrelGuild Master
Posts : 4038
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, NJ
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By nik2008ofs (29 APR 2010 10:50pm)
Keeping in mind that I wasn't thrilled by the TV series adaptation of the Dresden Files, would the fans still recommend the books?
I liked the tv series okay, but the books are much, much better.
"Where is the fountain that throws up these flowers in a ceaseless outbreak of ecstasy?"
-Rabindranath Tagore
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 12:06am |
Mr Innocent.Journeyman
Posts : 1317
Joined: 15 JAN 2008
Location: GR
Status : Offline | Thanks LadyK, I suspected that might be the case... btw, in case you haven't heard, a Mac version of Steam is in beta and should be released soon, which is definitely good news as far as Mac gamers are concerned.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 12:40am |
AlienBZJourneyman
Posts : 877
Joined: 14 JAN 2008
Status : Offline | Staying on topic, here's what I do - I prefer to buy all my older games either thru Amazon.com, ebay, from a forum member on one of the gaming message boards I belong to or do a trade - for physical CD/DVD copies. Free games like the "free games galore" on GB, I don't mind d/l. Curtain games (like Free Space 2, Feeble Files, Beneath a Steel Sky) I don't mind d/l if the physical copies are like $50 on Amazon, hard to find, or are free since I got Free Space 2 and Feeble Files for $5.99 each and Beneath a steel sky for free on gog.com. Any newly-released games like Black Mirror 2, Puritas Cordis, Dark Fall Lost Souls, I'd rather wait until they come out on a disk and the price goes down or if I can trade for it instead of rushing to my computer to buy a d/l of these games.
I'm all for stand-alone, physical copies of games - let's keep this alive and going strong for many years to come!
btw - do you realize that I've been a member here at JA for 2 years already? Time sure flies - am doing Warp 9.99!
Doin' Warp 9 to the Great Kingdom of Adventure Games of Outer Space
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 1:42am |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | I've been a member here, under this name, since 11/2006. That says something not only for this site, but for all of you wonderful people.
I love downloads. However, if all the games were available in stores upon release, I'd have shelves full of them.
About Dresden--TV show is horrible. Worse, even, than the movie of The Shining, one of my favorite horror/supernatural books of all time, next to The Stand and Shadowland.
_________________
Exercise your vision.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 3:52am |
StilerJourneyman
Posts : 1464
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, TN
Status : Offline | Did you just say the shining was a bad movie?
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 4:08am |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | The remade miniseries was a huge letdown, actually.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 8:46am |
| Deleted User | Originally Posted By Stiler (30 APR 2010 3:52am)
Did you just say the shining was a bad movie?
I think he probably meant that the movie did not compare favorably to the book, in his opinion.
Now me, I had not read the book, see, so I found the movie quite good. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
One day when I have time, I might read the book, and I'll understand what Halcyon meant. Since I'm currently doing a course that deals with the adaption of books to movies, I do know that a movie can never be a faithful reproduction of a novel though, simply because the different media pose different challenges.
Please excuse the off-topic. :
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 9:11am |
TechnoSpikePrivate Detective
Posts : 581
Joined: 26 APR 2005
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Having read the book, seen the movie and the TV series my opinion goes a little like Halcyon. I don't hate the movie ("Here's Johnny!!!", mainly because of the great (in my opinion ) interpretation of Jack Nicholson, but I remember I preferred that some elements of the book were in the movie.
As for the TV series, I wasn't overly impressed with the acting... so as it goes, between both, I would have to flip the coin to see which one I would like better!
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 12:48pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | OK, here goes my two cents and surely the beginning of a legendary battle:
Stephen King's books suck. Every single movie I've seen based on his works turned out being much better than the book.
IT? Terrific movie with just a ridiculous ending. The book? Ridiculous all the way along.
Pet Sematary? Nice horror story. The book? Nice horror story with an added layer of nonsense.
And don't get me started with Misery, Carrie or The Dead Zone... In fact, I didn't like the newer Shining series because they were too faithful. Fortunately, Kubrick had the sensibility to adapt the essence of the good story without King's trademark nonsense (which is why he didn't like the adaptation).
So there goes -- I tried many times alright but I'm done with King. His short stories were outstanding though.
Now we're back to our regular programme
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 12:56pm |
| Deleted User | Ok, just another quick off-topic interjection: I agree with Agustin that Stephen King's horror stories just suck, and I hated Pet Semetary so much that I put the book down, and decided not to finish it - a rare decision for me.
...but when he started turning to fantasy he got better, IMHO. I like his books from The Dark Tower series and onwards.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 2:18pm |
TechnoSpikePrivate Detective
Posts : 581
Joined: 26 APR 2005
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Heh, with these 2 posts I'm recalling that although I own a few of King's books I can't seem to recall exactly not only what the stories were about but, more important, I can't recall what were my impressions of the books!
My most recent memories seem to be of the recent TV mini-series "Nightmares and Dreamscapes", adaptions of short stories, which I liked.
I guess I'll have to take a look at the Wikipedia page to see if I recall not only reading the stories but watching their adaptions...
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 2:19pm |
TechnoSpikePrivate Detective
Posts : 581
Joined: 26 APR 2005
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Traveller and Agustín, now you have made me curious... what were the books (and movies/ TV series) of Stephen King that you read/watched?
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 3:25pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TheTraveler (30 APR 2010 12:56pm)
...but when he started turning to fantasy he got better, IMHO. I like his books from The Dark Tower series and onwards.
Actually, I believe The Dark Tower series is the very best thing that King ever wrote...
You do realize that we should get together, right?
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 3:29pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TechnoSpike (30 APR 2010 2:19pm)
Traveller and Agustín, now you have made me curious... what were the books (and movies/ TV series) of Stephen King that you read/watched?
Lots really... Movies, most of them: in addition to those I mentioned, Christine, Tommyknockers, Dreamcatcher (which was basically IT in a forest), Storm Of The Century... trust me, I've seen nearly all King's adaptations.
Books: also Dragon's Eye (think it was called that), Dark Tower, Thinner, The Dark Half, Bag Of Bones (which I HATED) and some more.
Movie-wise, the very best King adaptation remains Kubrick's Shining IMO. Book-wise, The Dark Tower is his best.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 7:11pm |
JKingSchattenjger
Posts : 2349
Joined: 4 MAY 2008
Location: 0
Status : Offline | Keeping things off-topic, I find that some of King's best work ended up being those things which he wrote under Richard Bachman. The Long Walk in particular is a favourite of mine.
You can't kill someone in a studio.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 8:45pm |
colpetSchattenjger
Posts : 1630
Joined: 12 APR 2003
Status : Offline | Continuing OT, I loved the Dark Tower books as well (the only Sephen King I ever read since I don't like horror). I saw this today:
http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/
Occasionally visiting Uru Live (KI 0063722 .&&
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 10:59pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Rael (30 APR 2010 12:47pm)
OK, here goes my two cents and surely the beginning of a legendary battle:
Stephen King's books suck. Every single movie I've seen based on his works turned out being much better than the book.
IT? Terrific movie with just a ridiculous ending. The book? Ridiculous all the way along.
Pet Sematary? Nice horror story. The book? Nice horror story with an added layer of nonsense.
And don't get me started with Misery, Carrie or The Dead Zone... In fact, I didn't like the newer Shining series because they were too faithful. Fortunately, Kubrick had the sensibility to adapt the essence of the good story without King's trademark nonsense (which is why he didn't like the adaptation).
So there goes -- I tried many times alright but I'm done with King. His short stories were outstanding though.
Now we're back to our regular programme
LOL, I couldn't disagree more. His movies don't match the books at all. The Shining is probably the worst. Granted, King can't write up to the standards of Peter Straub, for instance, but King doesn't pretend to be literary (until he tries to, and then he really does come up short). But for sheer, melodramatic horror like it should be written, King is one of the best. Clive Barker is amazing, too.
I agree about his short stories, excellent, and the Dark Tower very good.
Sorry about the off-topic sub-thread.
_________________
Exercise your vision.
|
| 30 APR 2010 at 11:26pm |
GonchiSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 337
Joined: 24 SEP 2007
Status : Online | Well, I for one liked the books and the film adaptations. I even played the Dark Half game through twice, so I probably didn't hate it as much as I should have... I guess I might be a closet King fanboy. Or perhaps I just have no taste.
In summary, and in an attempt to maintain the pretence of an on-topic discussion;
Physical media - Yay!
Digital distribution - Nay!
The Dark Tower - Great!
But I'm not so complicated as to flee, &&or stand here in silence. &&But I'm not so simple as to not caution, &&that there aren't three minutes, or a hundred words, that could define me.&&&&[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlR-6Tw-5bE]Brief description of my person[/url] - Cuarteto de Nos
|
| 1 MAY 2010 at 5:44am |
StilerJourneyman
Posts : 1464
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, TN
Status : Offline | Speaking of King movies/books.
IMO the best guy that adapts them is Frank Darabont. He did the great ones like Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and the Mist (Even with it's changed ending, which I felt was better).
|
| 1 MAY 2010 at 9:26am |
| Deleted User | Originally Posted By TAS (30 APR 2010 10:58pm)
Originally Posted By Rael (30 APR 2010 12:47pm)
OK, here goes my two cents and surely the beginning of a legendary battle:
Stephen King's books suck. Every single movie I've seen based on his works turned out being much better than the book.
IT? Terrific movie with just a ridiculous ending. The book? Ridiculous all the way along.
Pet Sematary? Nice horror story. The book? Nice horror story with an added layer of nonsense.
And don't get me started with Misery, Carrie or The Dead Zone... In fact, I didn't like the newer Shining series because they were too faithful. Fortunately, Kubrick had the sensibility to adapt the essence of the good story without King's trademark nonsense (which is why he didn't like the adaptation).
So there goes -- I tried many times alright but I'm done with King. His short stories were outstanding though.
Now we're back to our regular programme
LOL, I couldn't disagree more. His movies don't match the books at all. The Shining is probably the worst. Granted, King can't write up to the standards of Peter Straub, for instance, but King doesn't pretend to be literary (until he tries to, and then he really does come up short). But for sheer, melodramatic horror like it should be written, King is one of the best. Clive Barker is amazing, too.
I agree about his short stories, excellent, and the Dark Tower very good.
Sorry about the off-topic sub-thread.
You are a horror fan? Then why don't you come and join us here and here ?
That would be nice Oh, and any other horror/SF/fantasy fans from JA who would be interested too, of course, - come and join in!
@Technospike: Traveller and Agustín, now you have made me curious... what were the books (and movies/ TV series) of Stephen King that you read/watched?
In my case, pretty much the same as Agustin, with the inclusion of Cujo - the movie of which I had actually found pretty good. (-well, it got me jumping a few feet, a few times )
Other movies adapted from King that I had enjoyed was The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.
|
| 1 MAY 2010 at 3:57pm |
TechnoSpikePrivate Detective
Posts : 581
Joined: 26 APR 2005
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Interesting to read / hear more fans and their opinions on the subject... perhaps moving the hijacking to a thread in Offtopic would be a good idea?
Other movies adapted from King that I had enjoyed was The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.
Those are some of my favourite adaptions too!
You are a horror fan? Then why don't you come and join us here and here ?
That would be nice Smiley Oh, and any other horror/SF/fantasy fans from JA who would be interested too, of course, - come and join in!
Hum... those seem nice and interesting places? Can a "not much fan of writen SF, but fan of High-Fantasy and Horror" and "latelly more into Crime-Stories than other kind" join in?
Well, after reading the Wikipedia I came to the conclusion that although I don't recall much, I've seen some adaptions of King's works...
Carrie (don't remember much about it...)
Christine (liked)
Storm of the Century (it was OK, I guess...)
Graveyard Shift (don't recall much about it.... but I remember that it featured some "gross" elements,so to speak)
The Shawshank Redemption (great, great movie)
DreamCatcher (Reaction to this: "WTH?" I remember seeing this at the cinema... it felt "meh" to me and, to top it off, it managed to scare off two friends who went to see the movie because I convinced them to do so! It caused such an impact that in the end they said that didn't want to read / watch anything King related in the near future!)
1408 (very good)
These ones I watched and read:
Misery (OK)
The Green Mile (great movie)
Secret Window,Secret Garden (liked Depp performance, but I prefered the book story)
The Shining (good movie, OK TV series)
Desperation (OK)
In the global, I think I would say my favourite adaptations would be The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, 1408 and The Shining.
As for the books itself, I'm really not sure... I've read more thant I've watched, but it has been ages since then... and since my memory isn't what I used to be, I really can't say what I felt about them...
|
| 1 MAY 2010 at 4:22pm |
| Deleted User | Right, I took it upon myself to copy and paste this last page of the thread to Off-topic, so we can continue the discussion here: http://justadventure.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1272730593/0#1
@Technospike
Hum... those seem nice and interesting places? Can a "not much fan of writen SF, but fan of High-Fantasy and Horror" and "latelly more into Crime-Stories than other kind" join in?
..but of course, Techno! You'll give Jelena good company there on Goodreads. She seems to love crime fiction, and I sometimes read it too. I'm quite certain you'll find a lot of good suggestions there and on the site in general, I am sure!
Join Goodreads here, and ignore the Facebook nonsense if you wish. I'll send you a "friends" invite if you give me your details once you have joined.
|
| 3 MAY 2010 at 1:25am |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Trav, I've worked for many years inside the publishing industry, as well as across the table as an author. I'm a big fan of genre fiction of all kinds.
Thanks for the links--you'll be hearing from me. Are you familiar with the works of the late Michael McDowell? Great reads. Stephen and Tabitha King were big fans and supporters. His novels (in various genres) are great, and his Blackwater series of books (although watered down by spreading them out ) and wonderful.
I'll move to the other thread, with thanks
_________________
Exercise your vision.
|
