The title of this post may be self-explanatory to some. I am sure we have all heard someone say, or even been the someone saying it, those dreaded words that haunt Directors like David Yates (Final four Harry Potter films) in his sleep. The Movie (or tv show, anime, etc) was terrible! It was nothing like the Book (comic-book, manga, etc).
So which side are you on? You won't find any judgements here. (pls don't mistake my personal thoughts as personal attacks, the whole internet goes crazy when we do that) I relate to the frustration of feeling like something you REALLY passionately wanted to see taken from a book you like and put on screen was left out, given half-effort, or worse...Jon Snow I am sorry you had to go through all that baby...BUT, humor me a moment, if I may?
Let's see if ice cream can solve this dilemma shall we? We shall ;)
Have you ever been hangin out with the fellas (homies, ladies, furbabies, Grateful Dead) eatin some tasty ice cream sandwiches while your pal spoons his out of a bowl and then out of NOWHERE your homie throws a curveball, like straight at your brain casket, and says "Ice cream sandwiches are terrible! They are nothing like ice cream. Ice cream is creamy and smooth and should be eaten with a spoon. Ice cream sandwiches make your hands messy and the cookie part is always mushy."
Ya know why you've probably never heard someone say that? (If you have, I don't...know...what...to do...anymore) Because If you had a friend like this douche you wouldn't be reading this awesome blog ;) by me a totally sweet, happenin, non-douche persons, sorta, maybe. But on a serious note, it's because an ice cream sandwich is just an expression (perspectively translated extension) or "version" of ICE CREAM. ITS STILL ICE CREAM.
No one gets up in arms over whether his buddy likes ice cream cones and hates ice cream bars, just like no one argues for hours over whether or not you can call banana splits a sundae or not. Sure you may have friends who kid around over their food preferences (I am excluding the mud slinging of vegans and meat eaters, most of you are awesome and mature, but you others, you know who you are lol).
When a movie is made because a book INSPIRED it, that is the key word, the movie then takes on a brand new life of it's own. Just as a child born to parents may have some original DNA, same eye color, hair what have you...but the child's essence is something different, unique, a NEW expression of it's parents, an expanded, progressive version of humanity a generation ago. (And if you're a Buddha lovin Hindu Taoist like me ;) haha) Even an expression of divine love.
The directors, producers, actors, staff members, sound engineers, visual editors, screenwriters, etc are all working their asses off, trying to create an expression of something that inspired them (sometimes the studio, or maybe they think it will make a lot of money and they want to tap that market a little) but whether their intentions be "saintly" pure to the all-perfect deity that was the book (comic-book, manga, etc) or not matters little. The movie (tv show, anime, etc) is it's own artistic expression and deserves that consideration.
I try to see movies before I read books as often as I can, I find it lessens the blow and sometimes increases my love for the story. But even when I can't, I have made a certain peace with these two warring factions, and brought even more enjoyment of these things into my life. Are their bad movies based on books? Yep. But I just don't think it has anything to do with whether they did EXACTLY what was in the book. Bad acting, choppy screenwriting, awkward or unbelievable dialogue, strained and forced direction with little explanation, I could go on. Those are reasons a movie throws me off, never because they didn't hold to the book word for word.
I actually like if an anime or tv show or movie takes a bold leap and becomes it's own telling of a powerful story, it is a reflection of how each of our stories are smaller sparks of flame dancing around in the much bigger story, the fire.
And we have to stop acting like we are all academy award winning directors who know what's best for everyone else's art. Art is not made for you my friend, it's not made for me either. Art is never tailor made to the one observing the art, it is tailored to the one creating it. I know in a world full of customize-this and convenience-that, where art has been turned into an industry that gives you "what you want" and you actually believe it haha, it's difficult to fathom that we are not to be demanding artistic expression to express only as we express, but instead to express itself in as many ways as is possible in this world, and in that freedom we get set free! I may sound preachy, but let me say I look at how the world treats art in all it's distressing disguises. (Mother Teresa had an amazing quote that I sorta just plagiarized, Google it ;) )
And what I see are a bunch of whiny, everyone agree with me, everyone feel, think, and act like me, like what I like, hate what I hate, robots on both side of any argument, touting their PREFERENCES as some sort of holy law lol #TeamEdward?! #TeamJacob?! LOL Do we all remember that insanity? ( I am literally snort-laughing right now guys, so let's all stay friends. I am not nearly as full of myself as just reading my random thoughts on the internet would suggest, scouts honor ;) )
Friends I am not attacking anyone, just pointing out how all of us can be self-centered, pety, shiny little turds sometimes. I demand my way most of the time, then every so often I see a piece of art, or read a book, or watch a storyline unfold in an anime and something speaks to me. Something completely new yet familiar strikes my gong, the call of expansion, of knowing, feeling, experiencing, understanding, sensing something new about my own self. The artist connects with me on a primal level, a place where we both happen to be at the same moment in time...there may be others there with us, but in that brief blip I am one with the artist, because I embraced his expression of my own nature, though he knew me not in body, he knoweth my spirit well. (It's late, I get poetic, and a little wine drunk when it's late, don't judge.)
Even Prince understood that we should embrace art, music, the arts in all the ways they can be understood and expressed, it's why he is considered an artist and not just an entertainer.
So with all this being said will I be posting reviews of media on this page and critiquing that which I "dislike" and that which I "like" about said media? Uh, duh. lol ;) But I will do so with a reverent spirit, for the art's right to express in all the ways it can and for the unexpressed in me, waiting to be struck like a gong by some piece of art, manga, comic, or movie based on a book I like,that boldly took it's own take to the screen; knowing that as my disclaimer for this section so correctly assessed If you don't like my opinion, don't sweat. It will probably change. ;) Basically I will keep an open mind, as I encourage you to also ;) Namaste
Till we meet again #riverreaders
--- Wes
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