My latest MSN movie gallery uses the arrival of “Youth in Revolt” to explore other adaptations of cult novels. And yes, pretty much everything you’d expect to see in there is in there.
Sadly, as the definitive film version of “A Confederacy of Dunces” — directed by Steven Soderbergh, and starring Patton Oswalt as Ignatius P. Reilly — only exists in my head, I couldn’t include it.
Someday, though. Someday.
Wanna lay any odds as to whether Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged” will ever end up on screen? I keep hearing rumours that various people want to film it, and it definitely meets the “cult” label in a couple of ways, just like “Battlefield Earth” does…both in its continuing popularity and the people who take its “philosophy” way too seriously. Besides, mentioning it, even though I find it fairly repellant, gives me an excuse to offer one of my favorite book quotes (have never found an attribution for it):
“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of couse, involves orcs.”
@ Chris — I know that quote too. Ellison, maybe? Or possibly King?
As for “Atlas Shrugged”, I dunno. Brad Pitt’s company was supposed to be developing it for the screen, but I suspect it’ll be one of those things that keeps coming together and falling apart until everyone loses interest. Of course, they said that about “State of Play”, too …
I would doubt the quote is from Ellison. It’s a bit too muted.
As for dear Ayn Rand, the less broadcast the better. Though the thought of Jan de Bont directing a screen adaption of Rush’s 2112 – in which all characters wear 70’s-style prog-rock fashion – makes me snicker.
Aside from this, it is clear that hipster boomer counter-culture lit is horrible to adapt to film sucessfully (ie. Portnoy’s Complaint, Candy, Even Cowgirls get the…, Fear and Loathing…, Breakfast of Champions). Nonetheless, I would love to see Richard Brautigan’s ‘Hawkline Monster’ done up. It’d likely be a beautiful mess.
I’m one of the few to defend ‘Fear and Loathing’ as both an above-average Gilliam film and a decent rendition of Thompson’s madness. Terry’s not lost in his own brain (a la Tideland) and the ugliness of Hunter’s story isn’t lost in the drugged-up wackiness. Give it a few more years and it’ll be seen as a portrait of restrait.