Top five meme answers #2

[altariel]

No, I haven't forgotten, just taking my time.

katlinel asked for my top 5 SF&F hats

1. The Horned One is upon us! Herne the Hunter from Robin of Sherwood.
2. Tom Bom, Jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!
3. Jayne's bobble hat.
4. The art deco robot masks from the Doctor Who story 'Robots of Death'.
5. All of the hats in the Dune miniseries.


aervir asked for my top 5 reasons to love Doctor Who 2005

1. Robert Holmes was credited on the first episode, which made me sniffle.
2. The writing was effervescent, it bubbled up from a deep well of good humour, generosity, compassion.
3. Television for me is a participation sport. It felt like the whole country was watching Doctor Who with me.
4. All of that, all of that - and a bloody regeneration too!
5. Captain Jack!


sallymn asked for my top 5 Books Which Should be Made into Films

1. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer: I think this would make a fabulous romcom.
2. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold: And I welcome casting suggestions.
3. The Hobbit: I think it's time someone had a crack at it. Just so long as the colours are like Tolkien's illlustrations.
4. Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban: I'm sure it's one of those books that people would say was unfilmable, but it delivered several very strong images into my optic nerve.

I'm going to cheat with the last one, because this is something I'd like to see done on television, as one of those Sunday evening, six part family series:

5. The Islanders by John Rowe Townsend: A children's novel about a community on a very remote island (Pitcairn-like), whose stability is undermined by the arrival of a boy and a girl in a canoe. Like all really good children's novels it's a metaphor for, er, something or other. Anyway, I've wanted to try to do a script version of this for years; might even do it one day. Oh, let's throw The Guardians by John Christopher in for good measure, in the same format. (Do two telly series add up to one film? Humph, much more, in this journal.)


jhall1, I am going to have to admit defeat on your request for my top 5 books which should never have been filmed - I just can't think of any! Please feel free to ask for another top 5!

Oh, while I'm on the subject of books made into films, I thoroughly enjoyed the version of The Lives and Opinions of Tristram Shandy that's in the cinema right now, A Cock and Bull Story, starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.

popehippo, mrs230, ms_manna, espresso_addict: your top fives are in progress.

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, good one, let me have a think...

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

jhall1, I am going to have to admit defeat on your request for my top 5 books which should never have been filmed - I just can't think of any! Please feel free to ask for another top 5!

I'm surprised, as my experience is that if a favourite book is made into a film or TV series it's almost always a disappointment. Having said which, I concede that the LotR films had more good points than bad, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Narnia film.

Asd a substitute, I'll use my "standard" question, which I don't think that anyone else has yet asked you. What are your 5 favourite SF and/or fantasy books.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I think I'm just too easily pleased! I loved the film version FotR to bits - I had 'issues' with the last two, but much rather they had been made than not. The only thing that would come into my mind was the opposite - a film that improved on the book (The Remains of the Day).

Will start thinking about the new 5 - thanks!

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I loved the film version FotR to bits - I had 'issues' with the last two, but much rather they had been made than not.

That's very much how I felt as well. And I would have forgiven them an awful lot for the beautiful way that the final leave-taking at the Grey Havens was handled.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

They did a wonderful job in that scene. I didn't think the ending to the radio play could be overwritten in my head, but they came extremely close with that scene. Mind you, first time I saw RotK I was low-level weeping from about forty minutes in.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Um, I guess you mean this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Holmes) Robert Holmes, the creator of Autons...? (I love Google and Wiki.)

Effervescent is a beautiful, beautiful description. But not as beautiful as Captain Jack.

And if you should ever write the script for a TV series based on The Guardians, I'd hereby solemnly swear that I would buy the DVD at once.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I should have thought of posting a link explaining who Bob Holmes was. In terms of Doctor Who, I think he was more than just creator of the Autons - he wrote for Who from the end of the Troughton period to the end of Colin Baker's period and was the script editor during the grand, gothic early Tom era. He invented a lot of the 'canon' - Gallifrey not least. It was just so right for him to be the one acknowledged on the new show.


And if you should ever write the script for a TV series based on The Guardians, I'd hereby solemnly swear that I would buy the DVD at once.

;-D Thanks! Do you like that book?

[aervir.livejournal.com]

He wrote for five different doctors? Now that's what I call stamina.

John Christopher was indeed one of my favourite children's book authors when I was about ten. I know that I read The Guardians at least three times back then. But strangely enough, I can only remember that it's some sort of dystopian novel and that I've always wanted to see it as a film at that age.

I think it's definitely one of those many children's books that I should reread some day.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The Guardians is the one about a society split between the Conurb (urban dystopia) and the County (rural paradise), and a teenage boy who runs away from the first to the second, to find that all is not well in paradise. It's really, really good.

One day I'll get the Tripods books again. And the Prince in Waiting books! Years since I've read those. Oh, and Empty World! Damn, I forget how much I like John Christopher.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Now I dimly remember more about The Guardians. Wasn't there some sort of seemingly benevolent country squire among the minor characters?

And don't mention the Tripods, please. They must be among my defining childhood traumas...

[altariel.livejournal.com]

There's a quite passive country gentleman, father of a boy the lead character (Rob) is befriended by, and another more patrician character.

Oops, no more Tripods!

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Hm, I must have confused these two characters in my rather rudimentary memories then.

Damn, now I really want to reread John Christopher. Even the dreaded Tripods. Or that weird story about the planet with the Lotus Caves. Now.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer: I think this would make a fabulous romcom. A lot of hers would (complete with pretty costumes, scenery etc) but yes, I do think this would be one of the best (and hysterically funny...)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It's just so well paced and lively, I could imagine paying to see it at the cinema and coming out feeling cheerful and smiley.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

I'm generally credited with a fair imagination, but I can't quite imagine how Riddley Walker could be filmed and still retain even a hint of the linguistic mastery it contains.

As a post-apocalyptic tale, it's plenty strong and original, and maybe, just maybe they could convey some of the savour/saviour, wud/would/wood, heart/hart genius, but...

Well, I'd be more than willing to be astonished, surprised, thrilled. Wonder who could direct such a thing. (It's my unconfirmed opinion that Joss gave Wash the name "Hoban" as a tribute, by the way.)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I can't quite imagine how Riddley Walker could be filmed and still retain even a hint of the linguistic mastery it contains.

That would absolutely be the challenge of it. What lines could be picked out as dialogue, which bits would you have as narration, what would the accents be like... ooh, I can hear it in my head now! (I must get round to getting a RW icon.

It's my unconfirmed opinion that Joss gave Wash the name "Hoban" as a tribute, by the way.

I was wondering about that just today! (I've been reading kradical's novelization.)

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

was wondering about that just today! (I've been reading kradical's novelization.)

I did that too. It was a bit of a slog, but there were some fun background bits not found elsewhere. *Wonders why all novelizations and licensed novels can't be as good as yours.*

It's not hard to imagine Joss having run across, at an impressionable young age, The Lion of Boaz-Jachin (etc) and Riddley Walker and being entranced by them.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I loved finding out Fanty and Mingo's real names, and the reason for them.

Riddley Walker is the only Hoban I've read - which should I try next?

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

To be honest, The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz was the only other Hoban novel I've ever gotten through--it's quite beautiful, and written in more of a "plain English" style than Riddley. Some say Pilgerman is even better than Riddley but you couldn't prove it by me.

And yeah, Fanty and Mingo's real names--and Mr. U's connection with Wash--were wonderful bits to learn.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking hard!