Hola, mighty Sneakers! This week on Sneaky Dragon Ian and Dave have a couple of beefs about Tim Horton’s; we are unfair to U2; Ian has an important public service announcement that neither he nor Dave will follow (the hypocrites); we know we asked for them, but David and Ian are now complaining that they have too many questions, but just for that, we are recommending that you send even more questions; Ian made another appearance on Caustic Soda’s The Lesser of Two Evils and quizzes Dave on his affection for his own arms; Dave talks about his grad reunion and we take a trip down Old Tangent Lane to a couple of disgusting stories; they dry out their markers discussing Doodle Art; Ian maintains that sitcoms never end happily; Dave doesn’t understand The Outsiders, but that required high school reading money would sure come in handy; the show takes a controversial turn when Dave names five films that he thinks are better than the books they were based on.
Think Dave is wrong? Let us know what films you think are better than the books they were based on. Or maybe you have some questions to ask for the 150th episode. Drop us a line via the comments section below, our Facebook page, Twitter or email. Every question gives you a chance to win a Sneaky Dragon t-shirt!
Don’t forget: Ian’s show Write Club will be at The Little Moutain Gallery on Saturday, October 11 at
Thanks for listening!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I *enjoyed* the grisly stories, gentlemen! CSI: Lulu Island should be contacting you shortly 😀
Films better than the books they’re based on. A rare beast indeed:
* ANGEL HEART (far better than Hjortsberg’s FALLING ANGEL)
* THE ENTIRE TWILIGHT SAGA (the books are unreadable, save at gunpoint; the films are awesome, for the homoeroticism, shirtless guys and liberties they take with vampire mythos)
* 30 DAYS OF NIGHT (if you count graphic novels) worked better as a film than as a comic. The less said about the sequel (in either media) the better though.
* MISERY (far better than the King book, in which Annie is too crazy too quickly to build suspense. VIOLENTLY disagree with Dave about THE SHINING though; adore the book, hate the Kubrick film (and the miniseries)
* EXORCIST III (far superior to Blatty’s book, LEGION- indeed, in my view, far superior to the original film too!)
Nice local reference, Gavin! You’ve been boning up on Vancouver and its environs.
I’m sure you are right about the films/books you have referenced, but I have not read the books so I can’t say…except…
It’s been a while, but I thought Angel Heart was a very corny film with a twist that everyone could see coming from a couple of miles away. So the book must be terrible! (What was Robert De Niro’s name in that film? Mr. Stoffalees?)
MISERY!!! That was the other book I had been thinking about, but when I went to write up my list I couldn’t remember. (So dumb!) I never read the book except for the bit where Annie attacks the sheriff with a lawnmower. After seeing and enjoying the film, I noticed my brother was reading the book and gave it the once over, thinking I might have to revise my opinion of King as a ham-fisted writer with a tin ear, but then I read that scene and had to put the book back down. No, I was right.
I wish I could have remembered that one because even I think with A Clockwork Orange, I was off the mark a little bit. If anything, it’s a tie between the movie and the book. I just needed a list of five!
I’ve seen your many mentions defending Exorcist III so I’ll have to check it out. I truly doubt it’s as great as Exorcist II. 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts.
PS. I know that De Niro’s character was named Lou Cypher or something like that. Ugh.
While I like _Misery_ the film, I prefer the book, and further, it’s one of my favorite Stephen King novels. But comparisons are tricky, because the book is so rooted to its medium that the film HAD to be very different. King didn’t just churn out a plot about a kidnapping and torture. He deeply explored one man’s struggle with his own creative crisis, beyond the immediate physical peril Paul was suffering. Paul’s internal monologue and psychological battles would be difficult, at best, to show on film. On top of that, it’s the most in-depth examination of the writing process outside of _On Writing_ that King has published (although I’ve not read much King in recent years, so I’ll defer if there’s a better, newer one). The layered story and themes and the book-within-a-book approach made it fascinating and riveting.
My question for Episode 150: What is your earliest memory?
Thanks for your question, Joe! I’ve added it to our “book” of questions! 🙂
Congratulations Sneaky Dragon podcast on your landmark 149th show! It’s quite a feather in any podcast’s podcap to reach such lofty heights! Only 148 shows earlier, you were tense and nervous, and now, 148 shows later, you exude “mad skillz”, as the kids used to say when I was in my Forties. 149! 149! Shout it from the rooftops: “SNEAKY DRAGON PODCAST HAS REACHED THE PREVIOUSLY-UNTHINKABLE 149 MARK!” Today (well, not today) you are 149 podcasts old! Take a moment and quietly congratulate yourselves on this numerical achievement! Now, nose back to the grindstone and onward and upward to the next prime number: 151!!!!!!