The Bearded Trio; Creative Babble; Disney, Indiana Podcast; The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones; The IndyCast 6. This will be on the test: The book Atonement is based on another book, Henry James's What Maisie Knew. This will be on the test: Three of the film's stars—Damon, Paltrow, and Law—later appeared in Contagion. Back cover blurb: Elio (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17-year-old, falls for Oliver (Armie Hammer), his father's 24-year-old graduate assistant, during one whirlwind summer in Italy. These lists are important: They affect the types of movies that self-proclaimed cinephiles and casual viewers alike seek out and watch, and they help define our ideas about whose perspectives matter. Joe Wright's film externalizes these inner workings with a spare, lush cinematic language. James' 1992 dystopian thriller. Based on: Ian McEwan's 2001 metafictional novel. Our goal is to change the way readers think about the history of movies—and to keep the conversation about black storytelling going long after the #OscarsSoWhite fury has dissipated. Based on: Solomon Northrup's 1853 memoir. For Kesari, I sourced books written by Britishers: Director Anurag Singh Kesari director Anurag Singh reveals that he tried to read and watch all the available content on the Battle of Saragarhi. He invites his grandchildren and some scientists to tour the facility in advance of its opening. Key difference: The book delves even deeper into the inner lives of the women in Celie's life and paints a more complex picture of the relationships they share. Based on: Patricia Highsmith's 1955 thriller, part of a Ripley series. Consider the many widely regarded lists of the “best films”: the prestigious Sight & Sound once-a-decade critics’ poll, the American Film Institute’s eight different 100 Years … lists, or Richard Corliss’ top 100 for Time. Of the hundreds of movies based on books, here are the 19 best, in no particular order. Back cover blurb: Ambitious high schooler Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) wants to be student body president but is sabotaged by her teacher (Matthew Broderick). This will be on the test: Fontane was reportedly based on Frank Sinatra. The Book also emphasises on the end of the economic growth. Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. Key difference: The Marauders and their map play a huge role in both the book and the movie, but their backstory and the ways the map is used differ slightly on-screen. Based on: Tom Perrotta's acerbic 1998 novel. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. A genius of modern Russian cinema and one of our favorite directors here at Lights Film School, Andrei Tarkovsky is esteemed for his intensely personal creative vision. Based on: Alice Walker's searing, seminal 1983 novel. Most notable, however, is the character Meredith Logue (Cate Blanchett) who is pivotal to the film but doesn't appear in the novel. It’s like a two-hour advertisement for your book.” She added, “we loved the writer, we loved the director, we loved the producer, we loved the cast. Back cover blurb: Kansas farmgirl Dorothy (Judy Garland) is transported by tornado to a magical land where she immediately murders someone and steals her shoes. Steven Boone: film critic Back cover blurb: New student Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) tries to navigate the complicate social strata of a new high school as she is taken under the wing of Regina George (Rachel McAdams), "queen bee" of a trio of mean girls known as The Plastics. We must recognize that even with the financial and systemic odds stacked against them, black filmmakers have long been creating great and riveting stories on screen. Based on: Rosalind Wineman's 2002 non-fiction self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes, about high school social dynamics. ALLIES. Robert Townsend: director (Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats) Why you should read it: Most filmmakers starting out have no money, and it’s music to the ears to learn you can still make it big if you’re going the indie route. Key difference: Though they still author the Amazing Amy books in the film, Amy's parents play a much smaller role in David Fincher's film. This will be on the test: Christopher Lee actually met J.R.R. All rights reserved. I Outed My Mom for Joining a Pro-Trump Protest, 30 Black-Owned Handbag Brands We Hold Dear, Harris Reed is Creating a MAC Beauty Line For All. The academy’s failure may have inspired a memorable hashtag, but that failure is deeply linked to the way nearly all movie fans remember cinematic history. Based on: A 1992 novella by Stephen King entitled "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.". Theo (Clive Owen), a cynical former activist, is conscripted by his ex-wife (Julianne Moore) into helping to secretly transport a pregnant refugee (Clare-Hope Ashitey). But books remain the most frequently visited well for cinematic inspiration. Films like Daughters of the Dust, Killer of Sheep, Tongues Untied, and Fruitvale Station deserve to be considered alongside the artistic masterpieces of the past century in cinema. Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Affect Facial Fillers? Ava DuVernay: director (Middle of Nowhere, Selma) Based on: Jane Austen's classic 1811 novel. Dana Stevens: Slate film critic It ultimately went to Michael Gambon. Despite everything, black filmmakers have produced art on screen that is just as daring, original, influential, and essential as the heralded works of Welles, Coppola, Antonioni, Kurosawa, and other nonblack directors. ELLE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Back cover blurb: Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) writes letters detailing her often painful life in rural Georgia; her separation from her sister, Nettie (Akosua Busia); her relationships with her husband's son's wife, Sofia (Oprah Winfrey); and her husband's sometimes-mistress, Shug (Margaret Avery). Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. Read, watch our video supercut, stream an unfamiliar movie or two, argue, and recognize the names on our list for the great filmmakers they are. Back cover blurb: After experiencing sudden destitution, Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) and her sister Marianne (Kate Winslet) try to change their fortunes through courtship. Back cover blurb: Hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) finds himself in possession of the One Ring, a powerful force being sought by many, including the villainous wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee). Based on: J.R.R. Back cover blurb: Westley (Cary Elwes) must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) from Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Key difference: Red is an white Irish man in the book; in the film, Freeman's character jokes that he is Irish. Key difference: Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay, played up the wealth the Dashwood family once had so the sisters' drastic change in economic stability would be more apparent to modern audiences. Based on: André Aciman's 2007 coming-of-age novel. But you should also consider this list an argument for a broader notion of what constitutes a “great” film—after all, many of the movies that have shaped black culture (and the broader American culture) don’t easily fit into the templates of auteurist, art house, or studio “quality” favored by the typical list-makers. Dan Kois edits and writes for Slate’s human interest and culture departments. Julie Dash: director (Daughters of the Dust) Henry Louis Gates Jr.: historian Paula Massood: film scholar To many Godfather fans, film director Francis Ford Coppola significantly improved on the book and took out a lot of material written by Puzo that was not particularly relevant to the main story. The result: Slate’s Black Film Canon. Best case scenario here is you sell your movie idea and make maybe $50K. The 50 Greatest Films by Black Directors. Briony misinterprets what's happening, setting in motion a tragic chain of events that changes the characters' lives. Key difference: Dorothy's iconic ruby red slippers were silver in the book. He's counseled by fellow prisoner Red (Morgan Freeman in an Oscar-nominated performance). Back cover blurb: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) spends his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry tracking the mysterious story of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), an ally of He Who Must Not Be Named and a prisoner in Azkaban. This will be on the test: Michael Fassbender plays an alcoholic so, in a Method flourish, he asked the makeup artist to paint his mustache with alcohol so that it would trigger a response when other actors smelled it. Inspiration for movies comes from many places: plays, songs, true stories—even the occasional app can inspire a screenwriter and motivate a studio. Thus begins the director’s gut-wrenching autobiography, initially published in 1971, but as powerful today as it was then. When Kathryn Bigelow collected her Oscar trophy earlier this year, she did so as only the fourth woman ever nominated in the director category. Through that I found out about Renoir's and am gonna read that next. Carl Franklin: director (One False Move, Devil in a Blue Dress) This will be on the test: This is Amanda Seyfried's first film role. A remake of the 1932 film of the same name, it tells the story of Cuban refugee Tony Montana (), who arrives penniless in 1980s Miami but would go on to become a powerful drug lord. This will be on the test: The horses in Emerald City were colored with Jell-O crystals. #OscarsSoWhite wasn’t—isn’t—only about a stuffy institution failing to recognize work by people of color. Key difference: In Gerwig's 2019 adaptation, Alcott's structure is rearranged in a way that modernizes the narrative and restores Alcott's original ending. In this series of articles I will be focusing on the books written by a few of the actors, directors, and others that work behind the scenes of our favorite horror films. This will be on the test: In 2020, Aciman published a sequel to the novel titled Find Me. Stephane Dunn: film scholar I recently read Akira Kurosawa's autobiography and it was really enriching. Nick & Nora’s was a “small” movie. Key difference: Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay, adjusts the framing story and removes himself from it. Floyd Webb: producer (Daughters of the Dust) and director. Keith Corson: film scholar Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits W. Kamau Bell: comedian and podcaster (Denzel Washington Is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period) When productions are adapted from sources such as books, directors often have to make decisions about what will work in the production and what needs to be changed from the original book version. Guillermo del Toro was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. If you can keep a level head… The first film book I ever bought – or nagged my parents to buy me – and still a model of genre history/criticism, teasing out bigger narratives from the mosaic achievements of individual films. Back cover blurb: Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) has a seemingly perfect suburban life and the seemingly perfect childhood—as illustrated in a successful line of books written by her parents. So, without further delay, let’s shine a light on the hidden talents of a few of these unexpected authors. About Mansoor Khan Mansoor Khan is an alumnus of IIT-Mumbai, Cornell University and MIT, Boston and Bollywood film Director. MARK FROST - novelist, television/film writer, director, Producer Based on: Louisa May Alcott's wildly popular 1868 novel. Key difference: In the hands of director Anthony Minghella, Damon's Ripley is less calculating than he is in the book. But the Academy certainly isn't the only organi… The Wizard of Oz is based on a book written by L. Frank Baum by the same title. But even in a year where a woman took home the Academy Award for best director (for the first time), female filmmakers still aren't getting the same recognition or opportunities that male directors do. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The 50 Greatest Films by Black Directors ... of The World Only Spins Forward, a history of Angels in America, and is writing a book … Aisha Harris is a Slate culture writer and host of the Slate podcast Represent. In our never-ending conversation—or argument—about which films deserve to be remembered, which films are cultural touchstones, which films defined and advanced the art form, we habitually overlook stories by and about black people. Nick's dad, who also has a big role in the book, is barely seen onscreen. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. 6. Things, uh, do not go well. Ada M. Babineaux: co-founder of The Black Filmmakers Network Raised by his Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed an interest in filmmaking in his early teens. Based on: Susan Orleans' 1998 non-fiction book The Orchid Thief. 96 on AFI’s 2007 list) would ask, “How come there ain’t no brothers up on the wall?”. The first literary adaptation by cult writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen, this chilling film follows McCarthy’s bleak novel almost to the letter. Key difference: Many characters in James' novel are changed or omitted, including Julianne Moore's Julian, who is a combination of two novel characters. And it helps cement the expectation that whiteness is somehow as “universal” in art as so many believe it to be in life. 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