Friday, January 13, 2017

My absolute favorite movies based on books: adult edition


Ahh movies, my loves. There are so many great ones based on books that I couldn't fit them all into one post! Last week I shared with you my favorite movies based on kids' books. This week, as promised, I'm back with my favorite movies based on adult (non-kid?) books! While I haven't actually read all of the books they're based on, I can definitely vouch for each of these films!


THE LORD OF THE RINGS


Say hello to my favorite movie(s) of all time! It hurt my heart not to include The Lord of the Rings in last week's list, so now I can breathe a little easier. Fun fact: I've only read The Hobbit and the first two LotR books. I know it's probably blasphemous to say, but I loved the movies so much more. I became totally obsessed with them in high school and it never quite let up! In fact, the majority of my tattoos are LotR (ahem, Galadriel) themed. I didn't think The Hobbit movies were nearly as good, so you won't find them on this list, although I still enjoyed them! 


PLANET OF THE APES


I almost used -that- gif. You know, the one that would totally spoil the ending. It's just SO chilling! I first watched Planet of the Apes at some point during my childhood because my mom and uncle both loved them. I've owned several editions of the complete saga and re-watch them probably once a year. Seriously, if you've never seen the originals, at least go watch the first one. I actually didn't even know that Planet of the Apes was based on a book until fairly recently, so now I'm on the hunt for the audiobook.


JURASSIC PARK


Another oldie, but goodie! My mom let me watch this movie when I was nine, alongside Jaws. This was pretty much the beginning of my love for killer animal movies (Killer Bees, The Birds, you guys know). I ended up loving all three of them, although I've recently watched the third again and realized that it was um... it was special. And yes, I even LOVED Jurassic World. It's totally possible that it was mostly nostalgia, but I can't wait for the next one and I kind of hope they never stop making these. This is yet another one I haven't actually read, but I do at least own it!


ATONEMENT


If you are searching for a movie to rip your heart out and stomp all over it, look no further! Atonement is a romance and a story about, well, atonement. You see, Cecilia's little sister Briony has gotten her boyfriend(?) into trouble and from there things unravel rather spectacularly. The rest of the film follows all three of their independent stories and Briony's attempt to atone for what she's done to her sister. This is yet another one that I didn't realize was based on a book until after it killed me for the second time (are you even shocked at this point?). I'm not sure I would actually read the book, but the movie has made my favorites shelf.  


THE SHINING


You may not believe it, but I've actually read The Shining! I even read the new(ish) sequel, Doctor Sleep! Stephen King is really hit or miss for me, but The Shining was a hit in both formats. It's one of the only classic horror films I've actually really enjoyed and one I do re-watch occasionally. There's something so terrifying about the slow unravelling of sanity at the Overlook Hotel that freaks me out more than most modern horror flicks. I definitely recommend checking out the book and the movie if you haven't already! (Maybe skip the sequel though, if we're being honest.)


WORLD WAR Z


Shockingly, I actually read this book too. I'm kind of scared to admit that I didn't actually like it at all though... In fact, I didn't finish it. But I got a chance to see World War Z in theaters and loved it so much I saw it again! This zombie movie is pretty unlike any others I'd seen before it and, um, Brad Pitt was in it. I love horror and I love movies about the end of the world, so it's no surprise that this one is on my list of favorites.



Are any of these movies on your favorites list?
Is there one that I'm missing and should know about? 
Let me know in the comments!