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Thread: The Goldfinch.

  1. #1
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    The Goldfinch.

    I am sure that the movie will not due the book justice. While this is one of my favorite reads (up there with The Catcher In The Rye, The Sun Also Rises, The World According to Garp, Atlas Shrugged and Shibumi), I'm afraid that the movie will be just meh.
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    Agreed. I don't have high expectations but the story actually might be better in a movie format. Especially if they can improve the Vegas arc; if she would have left out that entire bit, I would have enjoyed the book. Interesting and readable but could have been much better with a few hundred less pages.

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    This book was recommended to me by a lot of people. And it was fine. But I just didn't get the hype, it didn't do much for me. But it seems like a book that could be turned into a movie, as it follows a well-defined story arc.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
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    Weird, because I think the LV storyline was very important as a defining time in Theo's life. He carried that shit around with him for the rest of his days.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    I probably read each of those books over 10X....starting at age 14.

    But, I understand. I have friends who have read Dubliners, or Portrait of A Lady that many times, while once was enough for me.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    Atlas Shrugged was a decent story, if you learned how to read Rand. Which is to say, if you ignored/skipped the 30 page rants, skimming pages until you saw dialog/story and could start reading again.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

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    I think I enjoyed the book when I read it, but it certainly didn't stick with me very well. I totally forgot about the Vegas part until I just looked up the plot summary.

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    well ... reviews for both the movie (especially) and the book seem ..... mixed.
    Think I'll pass all around.

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    If you say so. In fairness, it did win a Pulitzer in 2014.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    This piece seems to paint a picture of the film being met with disdain at TIFF
    https://themuse.jezebel.com/everyone...nch-1837980829


    But I have seen some other pieces praising the film, as well...
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  11. #11
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    I thought The Goldfinch was great. I later read The Secret History, Donna Tartt's first novel, and it was good, although I'm not sure it warrants the cult status it has.

    Not really interested in seeing the movie.

  12. #12
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    After reading the reviews of this movie, I am prepared for it to be the worst adaptation of a great novel since Paddy Chayefsky's Altered States
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    Atlas Shrugged was a decent story, if you learned how to read Rand. Which is to say, if you ignored/skipped the 30 page rants, skimming pages until you saw dialog/story and could start reading again.
    I thought he must have mentioned it as a joke?
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

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    I thought that I should mention it, being that there are so many right wing maggots.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    Quote Originally Posted by schindlerpiste View Post
    I thought that I should mention it, being that there are so many right wing maggots.
    Nah.. not that many. They just make a lot of noise.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

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    I didn't think anyone over the age of 14 whose name wasn't Ron or Rand Paul took that book seriously (or that author, I guess). Not a good writer. Without libertarianism (our most unfortunate political ideology this side of the American Nazi Party) pretty sure no one today would have ever heard of it.
    [quote][//quote]

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki View Post
    I didn't think anyone over the age of 14 whose name wasn't Ron or Rand Paul took that book seriously (or that author, I guess). Not a good writer. Without libertarianism (our most unfortunate political ideology this side of the American Nazi Party) pretty sure no one today would have ever heard of it.
    I dunno...there's three (3!) Atlas Shrugged movies streaming on Amazon Prime...
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    He has a narrow view of the book. It is understandable; just look at the goodreads comments. People either give it a 1 or a 5. I don't think that there is a liberal in the world who could ever read, no less accept, the book. Having said that, A. Rand is very verbose.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    Quote Originally Posted by dookey67 View Post
    I dunno...there's three (3!) Atlas Shrugged movies streaming on Amazon Prime...
    I'd heard of zero of them until you posted...lotta 14 year olds with Prime subscriptions?
    [quote][//quote]

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by dookey67 View Post
    I dunno...there's three (3!) Atlas Shrugged movies streaming on Amazon Prime...
    The trilogy received predominantly negative critic reviews and average audience reviews[2] and the aggregate USA box office is just under $9 million (revenues do not include video and television). The first film, directed by Paul Johansson, stars Taylor Schilling, Grant Bowler, Matthew Marsden, Johansson, Graham Beckel and Jsu Garcia was released in April 2011 and had a USA box office of $4.5 million on a budget of $20 million.[3] Most of the marketing was done online. The second film, directed by John Putch, stars Samantha Mathis, Jason Beghe, Patrick Fabian, D.B. Sweeney and Esai Morales, and had a USA box office of $3.3 million on a budget of $10 million.[4] The third film, directed by J. James Manera, stars Laura Regan, Rob Morrow, Greg Germann, Kristoffer Polaha, Lew Temple and Joaquim de Almeida, and had a USA box office of $1 million on a budget of under $5 million.[5]

    Atlas Shrugged: Part I April 15, 2011 12% (51 reviews)[6] 28 (19 critics)[7] $20 million[8] $4,627,375[1]
    Atlas Shrugged: Part II October 12, 2012 4% (23 reviews)[9] 26 (11 critics)[10] $10 million[11] $3,336,053[1]
    Atlas Shrugged: Part III September 26, 2014 0% (10 reviews)[12] 9 (7 critics)[13] $5 million[14] $846,704[1]
    But you wouldn't want to watch them....
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by PNWbrit View Post
    But you wouldn't want to watch them....


    For some reason they keep showing up on my "Recommended" and "Trending" pop-up lists.

    Then again I keep getting recommended a ton of Indian Bollywood films and I've never watched a single one, so I don't know what the fuck their algorithm is doing...

    But back on topic, I'd never heard of The Goldfinch until I saw the trailer a few weeks ago (I believe it was running before Ready or Not, which is a pretty crappy movie, fwiw).
    The director, however, is hit/miss.
    I loved his early film Intermission (2003).
    The only other film of his I have seen is Closed Circuit, which was a pretty lame thriller.
    And he directed the 2 episodes of the crappy season of True Detective (Season 2), fwiw. Guessing he did those because of Colin Farrell, who was in Intermission (again, a great film).
    So, I dunno, dude's track record is mediocre, at best.
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  22. #22
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    This thread is beginning to resemble the B Movie thread
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  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by dookey67 View Post
    I loved his early film Intermission (2003).
    Kelly Macdonald give me a funny feeling in my trousers.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

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