Bonus! The debate over Ang Lee's changes to Brokeback Mountain

Way late to the conversation on this, but my quintessential pick for "movie that is better than the book" has to be Double Indemnity, which I had no idea was adapted from a novel in the first place until I learned about it in a film class. The novel is extremely noir pulp, but the film really elevates the material.

The weirdest thing I ever heard from my friends that went to “pray away the gay camp” was that in response to one young man who raised his hand and asked how he could physically perform the act with a woman if he wasn’t attracted to them at all. The counselor told him that “men can have sex with anything. If a farmer can have sex with a sheep you can have sex with a woman”.

I have always thought that the movie "Beautiful Creatures" was better than the book. The characters are much more coherent in the movie, with one example being that the whole story occurs in South USA and the two teenager protagonists have lived their whole lives in the south, their families are from the south, one of their moms had been a historian of south history, but for some reason they were purposefully taught to not have an accent. I believe it was an attempt to cater to what teens and tweens at the time (early 2010s) would think was cool. This is also clear when comparing the movie costumes and book descriptions. I can't say much about the actual story, as I have read it a long time ago, but the movie is absolutely one of favourites of all time.

Small correction — the conversation in the movie takes place the day (or a few days) after their encounter at the motel. It’s the same trip, when they head up the mountain right after having found each other. So it’s still in the same overall encounter.

Matt, I want to thank you so much for your words and perspective on this film. The passion with which you spoke about your changed views jolted me. Having opinions and perspectives on other people’s lifestyles and identities can feel icky and dangerous and media and politics are always there muddying the waters and tipping the scales of how we see other people. I heard your message of “love as a human right” ringing loud and clear through your words, reminding me that everything outside of that is a distraction. I want to dig deep here and be really honest and say that my identity as a person of color and descendent of Native Americans sometimes feels at odds with other people’s fights for justice, and worrying about who’s going to get more support, attention, or “more free from oppression” first. Your words brought me back into seeing that it is all one fight, regardless of people‘s heritage or skin color. I didn’t know I needed that. Thank you.

I think the absolute granddaddy of the "film is better than the book" thing has to be Metropolis.

Thanks! I'm glad you liked the clips! You know after watching this video, it occurred to me that the Brokeback Kong video is really offensive. I mean, I don't think they were trying to be offensive, just stupid. But the trope of being likened to monkeys/gorillas has been used forever to dehumanize people of color and people who are different. I thought of Cabaret and "If you could see her through my eyes." And, of course, our dear leader has referred to many different groups of minorities as "animals!"

Yes, Talk Soup was that cringeworthy at the time.

Currently loving Poker Face, can't wait to go back in time with NL next video.

To answer the question you asked at the start of your video Matt, other examples of the movie being better (in my opinion) are Jaws (50 years old, and still the best horror movie blockbuster ever), Silence of the Lambs, The Shawshank Redemption, High Fidelity, The Princess Bride, Big Fish, Starship Troopers, Misery, Casino Royal, Blade Runner, Holes, and arguably Jurassic Park (the book gets into way too much of Malcolm's chaos theory, plus they kill off Hammond, which just seems mean). I would also put The Lord of the Rings on there, but I won't, because i don't want to start a riot in the comment section. Also, very happy to hear that you will be covering ...But I'm a Cheerleader, definitely the most gloriously campy movie I've ever seen this side of John Waters. If your ever looking at a more straight version (so to speak) of this kind of story, I would suggest checking out The Miseducation of Cameron Post, a little seen 2018 movie starting Chloe Grace Moretz. It also was based on a really good book, but in this case, I also think the movie was better meaning that it can also be safely added to the list above.

I LOVE both Natasha Lyonne and But I’m a Cheerleader. So excited. That clip at the end is part of why.

I had a more than a twinge of national pride when my country officially made Conversion Therapy illegal in early 2022. It's such an insidious practice, literally putting people at war with their own identities, and it's history is littered with grifters, snake oil, and thousands upon thousands of broken lives. There seems to be two main schools of "treatment" in the U.S., the explicitly religious, best exemplified by the now defunct Exodus International, and it's replacement, the Restored Hope Network, and the explicitly psychological, best exemplified by the now defunct NARTH and it's replacement, the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity. Of course, there has been tremendous overlap between people and techniques in the two schools, as well is how many founders and prominent people in both came out as ex-ex-gay and now speak out against their former organizations. I'm guessing that from your description Matt, one of the more ridiculous treatment that you will be referencing is going to be Richard Cohen's touch therapy. This is where gay men are touched, held and cuddled by counsellors (who are almost also always other gay men who are pretenting to not be gay men) to basically get your need for male touch quota met without resorting to sex. Plus, they also do punch a lot of pillows. My favorite example of where this "treatment" has been used has been in the Journey into Manhood weekends, where a bunch of Queer men, head off into the woods to basically non-sexually touch each other (a lot), while engaging in some vaguely Freudian group therapy sessions, and play acting Jack and the Beanstock - Where they are Jack, the Beanstock is a giant penis, the Giant is gayness, and the Gold egg is their preferred selves (i.e straightness). Here's some clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exy7UBemYfs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw1_oxgtncM And of course, David Matheson, one of the founders of this weekend, and featured in the first clip, came out as gay (again) in 2019 and now repudiates it. Because of course he did...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDME5MhRKyM

There's no inherent advantage between books or films, it depends on how well the artists use the medium. Books have the power of language and what the reader's mind fills in. Films have cinematography and actors, and actors can do an incredible amount with very little. Heath Ledger's silences say more than ten pages could get across. I can't WAIT for But I'm a Cheerleader! This will be so much fun now that we're in Natasha Lyonne's best era.

Oh, Matt... I'm so sorry you've never seen Jake G. in any musicals. He is a TREMENDOUSLY GOOD musical performer. That SNL song was funny, but a little too spoofy to be taken seriously (though his arms did look FABULOUS in that sleeveless gown! 😋) . But in 2015 he played Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS for NY City Center's ENCORES! series, co-starring the one-and-only original Audrey, Ellen Greene. He, she and it were all spectacular. Then in October of 2016, Jake did a 4 performance benefit concert for NY City Center appearing as George in Sondheim & Lapine's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, co-starring Annaleigh Ashford. That was such a success that the production transferred to Broadway in the spring of 2017. Again, Jake was simply BRILLIANT. Since 2015, I have wished that Jake would originate a big, juicy, new Broadway musical. Nothing so far, but I keep on hoping... 😍😉😘

Jake was on Broadway in Sunday in the Park With George! He’s very underrated.