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On what to adapt...

Posted by: NeoAdamite 12:32 pm EST 11/20/14
In reply to: re: HONEYMOON IN VEGAS last night (longish) - Logan69 12:23 pm EST 11/20/14

Assuming the base story is solid, with a clear protagonist and clear antagonist, it's easier to adapt mediocre source material, because you get more flexibility. Some of the best moments in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS -- the ones with Nancy Opel -- are moments that are not in the movie.

Conversely, great source material tends to be tightly coupled to its medium (there are exceptions, of course).


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re: On what to adapt...

Posted by: JohnPopa 04:10 pm EST 11/20/14
In reply to: On what to adapt... - NeoAdamite 12:32 pm EST 11/20/14

I think recently many of the movie adaptations stick too close to the source, not because of quality per se, but because of a perceived-familiarity. It creates that feeling that the stage show is just the movie where they pause for songs, instead of feeling like something being thoroughly adapted for the stage.

(Haven't seen 'Honeymoon' to see how it skews so no judgement on that show at all.)


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re: On what to adapt...

Posted by: MikeR 04:38 pm EST 11/20/14
In reply to: re: On what to adapt... - JohnPopa 04:10 pm EST 11/20/14

That does typically seem to be the case, especially in recent years. But Honeymoon in Vegas doesn't strike me as an automatically bankable title. I don't have the perception that the movie is well-loved (I actually thought it was a lot of fun, but I saw it once, when it first hit home video). It's not the kind of movie that's shown endlessly on TBS or TNT. It doesn't seem to have any cult status.

All that to say my first reaction upon hearing that JRB was making a musical out of it wasn't "I can't believe he's trying to cash in on that title" (which is how I felt about Bridges of Madison County); it was "Huh, that's an unexpected choice."


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re: On what to adapt...

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 01:46 pm EST 11/20/14
In reply to: On what to adapt... - NeoAdamite 12:32 pm EST 11/20/14

"Assuming the base story is solid, with a clear protagonist and clear antagonist, it's easier to adapt mediocre source material, because you get more flexibility...Conversely, great source material tends to be tightly coupled to its medium (there are exceptions, of course)."

This has been said many times, and I generally agree, but of course there are exceptions -- like MY FAIR LADY.


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re: On what to adapt...

Posted by: NeoAdamite 04:39 pm EST 11/20/14
In reply to: re: On what to adapt... - Michael_Portantiere 01:46 pm EST 11/20/14

of course there are exceptions -- like MY FAIR LADY.

And a grand exception that is! But remember that no less than Rodgers and Hammerstein tried that one too, and gave up.


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