Book Vs Movie: “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
The Margos Cover Roald Dahl (Again!)
One of the most covered authors on Book Vs Movie is also one of the most controversial and we discuss why in this episode dedicated to Roald Dahl and his 1970 children’s novel Fantastic Mr. Fox. The story about a smart fox, his loving family, and his cunning ways to feed them involves tricking the local farmers. The original illustrations were from Donald Chaffin and you can listen to Dahl read his own stories on Audible.
In 2009, director Wes Anderson directed a stop-motion animation version of the tale with George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Bill Murray among the big-name cast providing the voices. Director Noah Baumbach helped with the screenplay and the film was a critical favorite but had the misfortune of being released the same year as the movie Up.
So, between the book and the movie--which did we prefer? Have a listen and find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The life story of Roald Dahl
- The many changes between the original material and the film
- The outstanding soundtrack
- The cast: George Clooney (Mr. Fox,) Meryl Streep (Felicity Fox,) Jason Schwartzman (Ash Fox,) Bill Murray (Clive Badger,) Willem Dafoe (Rat,) Michael Gambon (Frank Bean,) Owen Wilson (Coach Skip,) and Wallace Wolodarsky as Kylie.
Clips used:
- Roald Dahl reads from Fantastic Mr. Fox (intro)
- Fantastic Mr. Fox trailer
- Mr. Fox meets with lawyer Clive Badger
- Psychotic Rat
- Mr. Fox meets the Wolf
- Fantastic Mr. Fox by Jarvis Cocker
Book Vs Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts
. 
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine
Book Vs Movie: “Argo”
The 2007 Wired Article Vs the 2012 Movie Adaptation
The Margos are on an adventure for this episode that is based on a true story--Argo. The 2007 Wired magazine article (“The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to RescueAmericans From Tehran”) by writer Joshua Bearman is thrilling as it talks about what is known as the “Canadian Caper” in 1979. After the siege of the U.S. Embassy in Iran, several American embassy personnel hid in a Canadian diplomat’s home.
The “caper” part is when CIA officer Tony Mendez (who wrote his own account in the book “The Master of Disguise” as Antonio J. Mendez) created a fake film crew for a movie called “Argo” and with the help of Canadian passports and some clever improvising, rescued those people on January 27, 1980.
Part of the project's success was creating a phony Hollywood company “Studio Six Productions” and makeup artists John Chambers and Robert Sidell helped create the faux publicity campaign with ads in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety magazines. Chambers was later awarded the CIA “Intelligence Medal of Merit” for his help in the rescue.
The Ben Affleck-directed uses many of the true elements of the film and adds a few select Hollywood flourishes (like casting himself as the lead) and a kickass rock soundtrack to make a thrilling ride of a film.
Soon after its release, several articles were talking about some of the most glaring omissions in the story, including the role of the Canadian embassy in the rescue. The film was nominated for several prestigious awards including Best Picture for the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes.
The cast is stellar with Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Kyle Chandler, and an uncredited Philip Baker Hall as CIA Director Stansfield Turner.
So, between the Wired article and the movie--which did we prefer? Have a listen and find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The backstory of the Iran Hostage situation and the Canadian Caper
- Major differences between the actual events and the Hollywood version of what happened
- What President Jimmy Carter thinks about the movie
- The cast: Ben Affleck (Tony Mendez,) Bryan Cranston (Jack O’ Donnell,) Alan Arkin (Lester Siegel,) John Goodman (John Chambers,) Tate Donovan (Robert Anders,) Clea DuVall (Cora Amber-Lijek,) Rory Cochrane (Lee Schatz,) Victor Garber (Ken Taylor,) Kyle Chandler (Hamilton Jordan,) and Richard Kind as Max Klein.
Clips used:
- Argo wins Best Picture (with Michelle Obama & Jack Nicholson
- Argo trailer
- Alan Arkin deals with “Max Klein”
- John Chambers answers the production office phone
- Ending chase scene
- Argo score by Alexandre Desplat
Book Vs Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts
.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine
Book Vs Movie: “The Little Prince”
The 1943 Novel Vs the 2015 Adaptation
The Margos say “Vive La France!” as we dive into the classic children’s book The Little Prince by author & illustrator Antoine de Saint-Exupery originally published in 1943. The author was a successful poet, journalist, and aviator for many years before he was lost on a WWII mission off Marseille in occupied France in July 1944. Previous to his assumed death, he was the recipient of many awards including the Legion of Honor (1930 & 1939) and the U.S. National Book Award (1940.)
Saint-Exupery was visiting America during WWII and felt passionate about saving France from German occupation. One of his friends at the time was Charles Lindbergh who was an ardent anti-interventionist and part of the hero of The Little Prince is based on the appearance of Lindbergh’s blonde son Land.
He and his wife Rose also lived in Quebec for a while where he was inspired by philosophers trying to make sense of war and how France can regain its independence and Democracy. Even though he was well in his 40s--Saint-Exupery served in the French Air Force and served in several missions before his plane disappeared.
The Little Prince would eventually become one of the most successful children’s books in the history of publishing translated into over 300 languages and adapted as a film, opera, radio theater, and ballet. The narrator begins the story by telling the audience he doesn’t trust adults as they do not receive things “normally.” He begins conversations by showing them a picture of a snake eating an elephant and the grownups always said it looks like a hat.
The narrator is an aviator who crashes his plane in the Sahara desert. With only a few days of supplies, he meets a little blonde boy (The Little Prince) who tells his life story beginning as an alien from another planet (an asteroid.) He talks about being in love with a “vain” rose and then leaving that planet to save others who need him.
This includes six other planets:
- One with a king with no subjects
- A man who needs to be admired all of the time
- A man who drinks to forget
- A rich businessman who can’t see the beauty of the stars
- A lamplighter
- An old geographer who teaches about “ephemeral” being
The Little Prince travels across planet earth and meets many creatures and people who help him grow as a person. (There are so many lessons here. It is hard to name them all!)
The 2015 animated film was directed by Mark Osbourne and features the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Bud Cort & Albert Brooks (!) and beautiful visuals throughout. It also has a young girl as our protagonist which is one of the major changes in the adaptation.
The movie did very well with critics and won the 2016 Cesar Awards for “Best Animated Film.”
So between the novel and the movie--which did we prefer? Have a listen and find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The biography of Antoine de Saint-Exupery
- The different adaptations over the years of the material
- The terribly sad "real" ending of the story and what we thought of it as children
- The cast: Riley Osbourne (Little Prince,) Mackenzie Foy (the little girl,) Jeff Bridges (Aviator,) Rachel McAdams (mother,) Marion Cotillard (the Rose,) Benecio del Toro (the Snake,) Albert Brooks (Businessman,) Paul Rudd (the Adult Prince,) Paul Giamatti (Academy Teacher,) Bud Cort (the King,) and Ricky Gervais (the Conceited Man.)
Clips used:
- The Little Girl meets The Aviator
- The Little Prince trailer
- The Little Prince meets the King
- The Little Prince meets The Conceited Man
- The Little Prince meets The Businessman
- The Little Prince meets The Rose
- The Little Prince soundtrack Hans Zimmer & Richard Harvey
Book Vs Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts
.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine
Book Vs Movie: “To Sir, With Love”
The 1959 E.R. Braithewaite Novel Vs the 1967 Sidney Poitier Movie
To Sir, With Love was a smash hit movie in 1967 making over $40 million at the box office and making singer Lulu an international sensation who not only stars in the film but sings the theme song. The Margos take a deep dive into the original work and how it came to be the voice of a generation in London during the “mod” movement.
The 1959 novel is based on the true-life story of E. R. Braithwaite, a Guyanese-born English/American writer who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and then gained his education at the City College of New York and his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge. Despite his exceptional skills and education--as a black man, he had a very difficult time finding a job in the work of his choosing. The racism of the time forced him to find work as a teacher in the East End of London.
Later he became a social worker and human rights advocate fighting racism and oppression. It is unclear how he felt about the 1967 adaptation which was written and directed by James Clavell who decided to jettison a subplot about interracial romance and focus more on the students.
The biggest reason for its film’s success was the lead actor Sidney Poitier who was one of the most bankable stars of the 1960s and never really got his due for his box office appeal. He would go on the make millions from this film when the studio gave up on creating a more rough tale that included a sexual assault and/or a “big fight.”
Poitier also appeared in the 1996 Sequel To Sir, With Love II.
So between the novel and the movie--which did we prefer? Have a listen and find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The biography of E.R. Braithwaite and his scholastic career
- The author’s experience in South Africa in the 1970s
- The changes between the novel set in 1947 and the movie set in 1967
- The cast: Sidney Poitier (Mr. Mark Thackery,) Judy Greeson (Pamela Dare,) Christian Roberts (Bert Denham,) Suzy Kendall (Miss Gillian Blanchard,) Lulu (Babs Pegg,) Geoffrey Bayldon (Mr. Theo Weston,) Patricia Routledge (Clinty Clintridge,) Edward Burnham (Mr. Florian,) and The Mindbenders (as themselves.)
Clips used:
- Behave like adults
- To Sir, With Love trailer
- Fight scene
- How ladies and men should behave
- Last scene with Lulu singing
- It’s Getting Harder All the Time performed by The Mindbenders
Book Vs Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine
Book Vs Movie: “Whip It”
The 2007 Novel by Shauna Cross Vs the 2009 Drew Barrymore-Directorial Debut
The Margos are feeling some badass girl energy and the need for speed so what is better than entering the world of women’s roller derby competitions to scratch that itch? The 2007 novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross gives us the fictional world of Bodeen, Texas, and our heroine Bliss Cavender. Bliss is 16. Her mother is a former beauty queen how dreams of her daughter being the queen of the local pageant. Bliss just wants to listen to indie rock and find ironic band shirts at the local thrift shop.
After joining the “Hurl Scouts” roller derby team in Austin, Bliss has her first fling with a bassist, alternately does well & then crashes at school, and ultimately comes to terms with her parents and their various goals for her. The book was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and on the list for the New York Public Library and author Cross based her own experience on her participation on the Los Angeles Derby Dolls.
In 2009, Drew Barrymore’s production company “Flower Films” bought the rights to the book and hired Cross to write the screenplay for the 2009 movie. It stars Elliot Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, and Barrymore who also directed the film.
So between the novel and the movie--which did we prefer? Have a listen and find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The backstory of writer Shauna Cross
- The world of roller derby
- Drew Barrymore and Flower Films
- The cast: Elliot Page (Bliss/Babe Rithluess,) Alia Shawkat (Pash,) Marcia Gay Harden (Brooke Cavendar,) Daniel Stern (Earl Cavendar,) Landon Pigg (Oliver,) Kirsten Wiig (Maggie Mayhem,) Eve (Rosa Sparks,) Carlo Alban (Birdman,) Andrew Wilson (Razor) and Jimmy Fallon (Hot Tub Johnny Rocket)
Clips used:
- Bliss’s first time as an official Hurl Scout
- Whip It trailer
- Rules of roller derby
- Bliss hangs out with Oliver
- Maggie Mayhem sets her straight
- Pot Kettle Black by Tilly and the Wall
Book Vs Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts
.
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine