This makes life difficult, because, as the dialogue scenes unfold in "real time", the stories last forever. And descriptive passages turn into lengthy voiceovers, so the whole shape of the novel is lost. Nevertheless, it all seems to me quite vivid, and the "music scores" develop as I read.

As a composer (Someday, I'll score a big film, just you wait and see), I like to think of music as I read. It's good practice, seeing as I have to do the same thing when I score the "Student Films" that I get scripts and tapes from.

And I don't see anything wrong with reading as such! It's the BEST way to read!

When I was much younger, I'd think of EVERY book I read in terms of a potential movie, but now I think I'll be better off making my own material, for the most part. Still, there are a few books I've read that present some irresistible challenges. It'd be nice to make a decent version of A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN -- the original Hollywood version is hopelessly bowdlerized and sentimentalized, and the 1973 TV version is even worse (just an hour and a quarter long, and so obviously a TV pilot that it's quite retch-worthy, despite a Goldsmith score, although I can't remember a note of it.)

I could just SEE Gary Oldman as Dr Kreiszler, in a Dracula sort of way.

Then again, a really, really great book is one which I will enjoy immensely but at the same time not be able to visualize cinematically... that makes it a true piece of WRITING. That's one of the things that makes Lewis Carroll so attractive to me, and also the reason that a good version of Alice in Wonderland has never been made. It seems impossible to adapt (and I would never even CONSIDER attempting it).

I haven't yet read the Harry Potter books (although Stephen King just wrote a rave in the NYTimes Book Review for the latest one, and for the series as a whole), and probably wouldn't want a crack at them myself -- but then again, were I so lucky, I would accept the assignment just to rescue them from Chris Columbus. Ugh, ugh, ugh, and to think that the author fell out with Spielberg because he wanted to cast Haley Joel Osment as Harry. At least Osment is an excellent actor! Now Columbus has contravened the author's wishes and cast one of the brats from MRS. DOUBTFIRE (or was it STEPMOM?) in the role of Harry, insisting that there were no British child actors suitable for the role. (The original casting director quit because of this. It was widely reported. Way back at the time of GREMLINS, Spielberg said of Columbus, "You could drop a stone into the well of Chris's imagination and never hear it hit bottom." I think it's more accurate to say that you never hear anything hit bottom in a vacuum.)

Tim Roth is supposed to be up for the villain's role in "Harry Potter," but it would conflict with playing Zaius (or someone like Zaius) in PLANET OF THE APES, which he's also up for. He hasn't picked which one he prefers yet. If APES is starting as soon as I think it is, he might be able to do both ... well, this is not my problem. I find this more interesting: if Roth is playing Zaius or, at least, a tormenting ape of some kind, that suggests that the story is being completely rethought -- which I say is a good thing (I do NOT want a pro forma remake of APES, and I'm glad Tim Burton is directing, since it suggests we're going to get something very different from the original.)

I've fantasized for years about filming Stephen R. Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" (a pair of trilogies), although I now recognize that what makes the books special won't really translate to film -- at least, I can't figure out how. It would have to be a miniseries at the very least, and a gigantic one at that. These days, the more difficult effects COULD be done, even for television, but what I'd had in mind was an animated epic, with Michael Caine doing the voice of Covenant (in fact I made very specific notes about who should do which voice), but now I'm not sure such a project should be done, either animated or live. Donaldson's work is extremely internal, and I'm not sure one could be true to his writing AND make a satisfying production, in the same breath. Some books should just stay books. (So what do I do with the music I thought up to go with some of the lyrics Donaldson included? Well, none of it is necessarily THAT great, but I can't see it fitting in anything else I want to do ...)

I love to read, but I don't read cinematically. I just let it all happen.

First Blood holds a special place in my heart as a film. I was amazed at what a HORRIBLE job the film version did at adapting the novel, although I enjoyed the movie. Morrell is one of those authors could write an intense shopping list. I'll read anything he puts out simply on faith. My favortie of his, to this day, is THE LEAGUE OF NIGHT AND FOG and don't think I'd love to adapt THAT one into a film...wow...

In the past decade, however, Morrell’s books, for me at least,
have disintegrated into cliché ridden espionage novels. I read his latest,
BURNT SIENNA, last week and “yawned” my way through it. Wish
he’d go back to his rather novel action roots. I also love THE RED
DRAGON and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. I was horribly disappointed
with HANNIBAL and could well understand Jodie Foster’s exit from a
remake.