Shadowing Practice: 5 Books Better Than The Movie - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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There's a lot of debate about which movies are better than the book,
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There's a lot of debate about which movies are better than the book,
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but some adaptations are universally considered to have missed the mark.
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Here are five books that were definitely better than the movie.
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Number one, The Lovely Bones.
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The Lovely Bones tells a story of a murdered teenage girl named Susie Salmon.
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It's told from the point of view of the murdered girl
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as she watches from the great beyond as her family and friends mourn her and try to move on with their lives.
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Her actual death is covered in the opening chapter,
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with the rest of the book describing how her family and friends deal with the loss,
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which is the story's biggest strength.
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The mistake the movie makes is that it dedicates nearly half the screen time to the girl's death.
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Of course, Hollywood would ratchet up this part of the story,
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but it meant there was less screen time for the friends and family's stories,
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which is what the readers loved about the book.
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Susie's mother, father, sister, friends,
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and even the killer himself have their stories told in the book as she watches on.
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Since the movie focuses on the who,
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what, and where of the death,
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it has little time for these characters to be flushed out.
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And the director Peter Jackson ramped up the special effects,
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which shifted viewers' attention from the family and friends to what heaven looks like in this particular story world.
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Movie critic Roger Ebert went so far as to call this movie deplorable,
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and he didn't even read the book.
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He's judging it as a standalone movie.
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The Lovely Bones is a deplorable film with this message.
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If you're a 14-year-old girl who has been brutally raped and murdered by a serial killer,
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you have a lot to look forward to.
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You can get together in heaven with the other teenage victims of the same killer
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and gaze down in benevolence upon your family members as they mourn you and realize what a wonderful person you were.
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Sure, you miss your friends,
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but your fellow fatalities come dancing to greet you in a meadow of wildflowers,
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and how cool is that?
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He goes on to say,
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It's based on the bestseller by Alice Sebold that everybody seemed to be reading a couple years ago.
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I hope it's not faithful to the book.
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If it is, millions of Americans are scary.
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That's a pretty bold critique.
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Ebert was an avid reader.
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I think he would have been pleasantly surprised if he had read the book.
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It's noted, though, that Saoirse Ronan's performance as the dead girl was widely praised even by critics of the movie.
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And yes, I had to look up how to pronounce her name correctly.
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Number two, The Golden Compass.
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His Dark Materials was the original name of the book.
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In America, it was released under the name The Golden Compass
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and later turned into a movie to capitalize on the success of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies.
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The book brought a fresh story world to readers
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when it was initially released in 1995 with its distinctive idea that the characters have mystical animals who accompany them in life.
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The book alludes to theology,
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physics, and philosophy through its story elements,
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and some have called it an atheist's answer to C.S.
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Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series.
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For this reason, the book has been criticized as anti-church,
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and the author, Philip Pullman,
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has made no secret of his disdain for the Chronicles of Narnia.
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He called it a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic, and reactionary prejudice.
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But of love, of Christian charity,
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there is not a trace.
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I need to do a video about writers' feuds.
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That would be kind of fun.
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Philip Pullman's story involves children abducted by church members known as gobblers who use them for experiments.
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Go ahead and draw your own conclusions on what that metaphor represents.
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When the movie was released,
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the filmmakers toned down the anti-church rhetoric, angering fans greatly.
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The movie did okay worldwide,
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but failed at the North American box office,
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probably because moviegoers were tired of wizardry and were moving into Twilight territory.
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The director, Chris Weitz, said he was at odds with new cinema to produce a family film,
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so he had to tone down the anti-religious material that drew readers to the book in the first place.
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This turned the movie into a mediocre fantasy picture
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that left many of the philosophical elements of the book on the cutting room floor.
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Ironically, the Catholic Church called for boycotts of the movie despite the fact
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that the studio caved in and removed the anti-church material.
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In 2008, what was going to be a series of movies was put on indefinite hold.
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Number three, Cloud Atlas.
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Cloud Atlas is a novel
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that tells six stories in six different time periods from the 1800s to the future where humans exist in a post-apocalyptic world.
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It's an ambitious story that succeeds greatly in what it's set out to do.
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The book came out in 2004 and the Wachowskis made it into a movie in 2012.
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The novel structures its six stories in a unique way,
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it splits each one in two for a total of 12 sections.
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The first half of each story is told in chronological order,
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one through six, and then the second half of each story is told in reverse chronological order,
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going from six back down to one where we started.
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The stories are united in a few common themes of how we treat people,
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reincarnation, and humankind's yearning to be free.
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The movie was polarizing among critics and audiences,
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with some saying it was the best film of the year and others saying it was the worst.
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Some audiences found it hard to follow since it jumped around in time
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and some critics found the project to be a highly self-indulgent
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project with actors showing off their ability to be covered in makeup and speak in different accents.
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My own opinion though is I thought the movie failed for the simple reason
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that they abandoned the more linear format of the book and allowed it to jump around sort of pulp fiction style.
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One technique the book employs is that each of the six stories builds on the previous story,
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sort of like one of those Russian nesting dolls.
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The 1-2-3-4-5-6-6-5-4-3-2-1 format was perfect for that storytelling technique.
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The choice to abandon this format in the movie
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and jump around between the six stories actually made the movie more confusing for me,
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despite the fact that I read the book.
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I have to imagine audiences who didn't read the book would be even more lost and confused.
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I think the movie would have been better
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if they had just stuck to the more linear format to the book but I still appreciate the Wachowski's efforts.
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The movie is an achievement of artistic endeavor.
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I'd rather see an ambitious failure than a safe formula any day,
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but I understand why audiences might be turned off by it.
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I still own the Blu-ray and watch it every now and then.
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Despite its flaws, the movie deserves to be seen simply because it exists.
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Number four, The Scarlet Letter.
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Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is about a woman suffering after being
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caught as an adulterer in a strict religious community in 17th century Boston.
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The story explores themes of sin and guilt and was made into a much hated by critics movie back in 1995.
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The movie's main sin is probably related to the casting of Demi Moore back
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when she was considered the hottest actress in Hollywood.
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At the time, she was known for sexually charged movies like Indecent Proposal and Disclosure.
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The movie is shot with an obvious nod to grocery store paperback eroticism.
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The movie adaptation drops the themes of sin and guilt to highlighting hypocrisy of religious zealots,
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which might be an admirable theme,
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but it's not what Hawthorne's story was trying to do.
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The book starts at her trial,
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but the movie recounts the events leading up to the trial,
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since that's where all the eroticism would take place,
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and thus capitalizing on the bodies of these great-looking actors.
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In Roger Ebert's scathing one-and-a-half-star review,
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he wrote, The great inconvenience of the scarlet letter from a Hollywood point of view is
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that the novel begins after the adultery has taken place.
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This will not do.
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If you haven't figured it out yet,
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I was a huge follower of Roger Ebert,
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so you're going to see quite a few quotes of his in my videos.
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Fans of the movie will point out that the movie should be seen as standalone from the book,
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with some praising to me more in Gary Oldman's performances,
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while followers of the book consider the movie to be an injustice to an American classic.
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Number five, Atlas Shrugged.
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Atlas Shrugged has earned its place as a literary classic,
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although it has its share of critics.
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Even if you are not a subscriber of Ayn Rand's philosophy of objectivism,
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many have said the book is too long and repetitive in its themes,
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and that Miss Rand should have employed a manuscript editor to trim some of the fat.
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I read the book a few years ago and agree with those criticisms,
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but I still think that launching a philosophy through fictional storytelling is a monumental achievement in literature.
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With that said, the movie adaptation is awful.
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For years, there was an effort to bring this story to the big screen,
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but the holders of the book's rights insisted that the core message of objectivism and the long speeches remain in the script.
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Ayn Rand did manage to get one of her books turned into a movie,
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which was The Fountainhead.
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It was said that she hated the results as the message of individual freedom was somewhat muddied in the film version.
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This likely led to a lifetime of skepticism and handing over the creative decision-making for Atlas Shrugged to Hollywood.
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The book was turned into a trilogy back in 2011 at a time
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when the message of the book might be better received at the height of the Great Recession,
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but it was largely panned by critics who either thought it was bad or just plain dull.
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The book has several scenes of internal dialogue which outline the logic behind objectivism.
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However, it's difficult to film internal dialogue unless you use intrusive voiceover like Dexter or Narcos,
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so to someone not familiar with the tenets of objectivism,
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the movie's message is somewhat vague.
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One departure from the book that the movie makes is
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that it's set in present times and alludes to the 2008 economic collapse,
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but still focuses on the rail industry.
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It of course explains why rail is still important to our economy,
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but not very convincingly.
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It would have been better to have just left it in the 1940s.
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Most likely this was a budgetary concern that led to this decision.
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Also, for some reason, the filmmakers decided to cast different actors in the roles for each of the three installments.
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Three different actors to play Dagny,
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three different actors to play Hank Reardon,
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three different actors to play Jim Taggart.
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What an odd choice.
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But then again, I guess the James Bond franchise got away with this.
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Not that my opinion matters,
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but if I had my way,
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I would have the movie take place in the 1940s like the book,
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and I'd add a touch of magical realism.
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The book is a perfect candidate for steampunk.
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Remember that movie Sky Captain in the World of Tomorrow?
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I think that sort of look would be perfect for Atlas Shrugged rather than trying to piggyback it on the 2008 recession.
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I hope someday someone gives it another shot for adaptation.
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A 10-part miniseries might be a better route to take.
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And I remember when I saw Atlas Shrugged in the theater,
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the movie got an applause from the sparse audience.
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The applause was very subdued golf clap.
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I think they were clapping at the fact that it finally got done after 50 years of development purgatory,
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not because it was a good movie.
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So I do hope they get a second shot to get this adaptation right.
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If you're an Atlas Shrugged fan,
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how would you film the book and capture the ideas of objectivism on film?
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It's quite a challenge for the medium of film.
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As a former filmmaker, I'd love to hear your ideas.
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That's it for this week.
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Please check out my own book,
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Grand Portage, about a man who drags a nuclear aircraft carrier across northern Minnesota.
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It's available on Amazon and paperback and Kindle.
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Thanks for watching and never stop reading.
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Context & Background
The video titled "5 Books Better Than The Movie" dissects various film adaptations of popular literature, showcasing instances where the original written work surpassed its cinematic counterpart. The discussion highlights the weaknesses in film narratives and character development, particularly focusing on poignant stories that captivate readers through deep emotional exploration. For learners of English, this content not only provides an engaging context for language practice but also introduces critical thinking through literary critique.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Better than the movie” – A phrase to express preference for written narratives over their film adaptations.
- “Missed the mark” – Used when something fails to meet expectations or standards.
- “Dedicates nearly half the screen time” – Refers to a significant portion of time spent on a specific part of a narrative.
- “Flushed out” – A term meaning to develop or elaborate on a character or idea.
- “Widely praised” – Indicates that something, such as a performance, received positive reviews from many people.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the shadowing technique based on this video, follow these steps to enhance your English speaking skills:
- Initial Listening: Listen to the video without distractions. Familiarize yourself with the context and themes discussed. Pay special attention to the phrases for daily communication highlighted earlier.
- Transcription: Transcribe a short segment of the transcript verbatim. This exercise will help you grasp the nuances of English syntax and vocabulary.
- Shadow Speak: Play the video again and repeat the phrases you transcribed immediately after the speaker, imitating their intonation and rhythm. This technique will aid in improving your English pronunciation.
- Focus on Difficult Words: Identify and practice any challenging words or phrases. Break them down into syllables if necessary and repeat them until you feel comfortable.
- Record Yourself: Using a voice recorder or your phone, record your shadow speech. Compare your recording with the original audio to note areas where you can improve.
- Engage in Meaningful Conversation: Try to incorporate phrases from the video into your daily conversations. This will not only enhance your vocabulary but also help in retaining what you’ve learned.
By consistently practicing with the shadow speech technique, you will not just learn English with YouTube, but also develop a more natural speaking style and confidence in communication.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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