From Page To Picture

With The Return of the King we conclude The Lord of the Rings, and our time in Middle Earth!Join Lucy and George as they discuss the differences between book and film as the fellowship makes its final push to destroy the one ring. They also explore The Lord of the Rings as a whole against Peter Jackson’s trilogy.

Jumping back into the wonders of Middle Earth, George and Lucy talk all about Tolkien’s Two Towers and how they compare in film vs books.From chronological mixups, missing characters and bromance to rival Twilight, picking between book and film has never been harder!

Lucy and George are back with the next leg of their journey through Middle Earth! For Episode 21, they look at the first instalment of J.R.R Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings with The Fellowship of the Ring. Join them as they dive into tonal and narrative differences, controversial cuts, and character performances all in an attempt to answer the question... Book or Film?

For Episode 20, George and Lucy set off on an epic adventure, joining a wonderful hobbit called Bilbo Baggins and his company of dwarves through the misty mountains of Middle Earth! Diving into The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and its film counterparts by Peter Jackson, this episode discusses the impact on the story and characters when adapting a children's book into 3 VERY LONG adult fantasy films, the introduction of new characters and the removal of fan favourites from page to screen alongside picking apart the epic fight sequences! Peter Jackson makes a fair few bold changes between page and screen so we're curious, what's better? Book or Film?

This episode includes discussion of rape, assault and suicide, please listen at your discretion. For Episode 19, George and Lucy delve into the beautifully crafted The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and compare it to its 2007 film adaptation to determine which is more worthy of your attention. Exploring how women are depicted in both book and film to the influence of the West in the depiction of an Afghanistan story, there is a lot to discuss in this tale before you can answer the question... Book or Film?

Possibly the biggest episode to date, for episode 18, Lucy and George dive into the sci-fi epic of DUNE, comparing the 1985 novel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 and 2024 film adaptations! Discussing brilliant casting (Duncan Idaho, we love you!), politics, religion, the phenomenal cinematography and of course, lots of worm discourse, they try to answer the question of which is better, book or film?

For Episode 17, Lucy and George look at the tragic but comedic high school tale Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, comparing the 2012 book to the film of not only the same name but the same writer! Discussing brilliant casting, patchwork styles and life after death, they try to answer the question of which is better, book or film?

Happy New Year! Lucy and George are kicking off 2024 by covering Inkheart by Cornelia Funke and its 2008 film adaptation starring Brendan Fraser! In this episode, Lucy and George dive into their disappointment in both the book and film's execution of what could have been an excellent plot, alongside exploring their likes and dislikes with the casting choices. Lucy and George disagree on whether the film's change to the ending is good or bad and discuss who they would want to read out of literature, if they had Mo's power! So, what's better, book or film?

In Episode 15, Lucy and George dive into the Roald Dahl classic: Matilda and its two film adaptations: the 1996 film and the 2022 musical! They discuss the creative choices each film adaptation makes to the source material, from the characters to the locations. This episode compares the casting across the 1996 film and the 2022 musical and the addition of songs to the story. So, which is better, book or film or musical?!

In Episode 14, Lucy and George dive into a literary and cinematic classic: The Princess Bride! They discuss the book’s unique narrative devices and how these translate to the big screen, the differences between abridgement and adaptation and the pros and cons of cutting characters’ back stories in the adaptation process! Hear about Lucy and George’s favourite characters and scenes in both the book and film, too! So, which is better – book or film?

In Episode 13, Lucy and George spice things up by discussing the wonderful Dead Poets Society and its book adaptation that, confusingly, is a book adapted from the film! They cover how this different form of adaptation is not always a good thing while diving into the brilliant casting choices of Ethan Hawke and Robin Williams, the thought-provoking themes of poetry, books and adventure alongside providing some exciting facts about the filming process! So, which is better - book or film?

Lucy and George are back after an accidental hiatus (oops!) but they’re back with a bang for 2023! In episode 12, we dive into the sci-fi horror Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer and its 2018 film adaptation. We discuss the Lovecraftian tropes in the book and how this translates to cinema, the representation of Area X and the many differences Alex Garland makes in adapting the characters and the crawler from page to screen.   So, which is better – book or film?

TW: Sexual Assault, Racism In episode 11, Lucy and George trade the far-flung future for an age-old classic, To Kill A Mockingbird. Discussing the 1961 book from Harper Lee that has dominated classrooms around the world since its release and the film released a year after, we discuss just how influential this film is, the importance of an honest protagonist and one of the most perfect castings we've come across yet. So, which is better – book or film?

In episode 10, Lucy and George discuss Andy Weir’s sci-fi classic The Martian and its film adaptation starring Matt Damon. They cover the change from the book's non-chronological structure to the film's linear timeline alongside laughing about the many problems protagonist Mark faces in both. This episode discusses the differences in Mark’s character, specifically his wit, or lack thereof, from book to film and the portrayal of science from page to screen. So, which is better – book or film?

The From Page to Picture podcast is BACK!   After a long hiatus, Lucy and George sit down to discuss the pinnacle of Gothic literature and horror: Bram Stoker’s Dracula and its 1992 film adaptation by director Frances Ford Coppola. In this episode, the representation of the Count is discussed alongside how the film adapts the eerie and tense moments of the book. This episode also touches on the sexualisation of women from book to film and the role of the secondary characters such as Steward and Renfield.   So, what’s better - book or film?

It’s episode 8 and Lucy and George are back with another animated classic: How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Possibly the most different in terms of adaptations that they’ve covered thus far, in this episode, tune in to hear discussions on the changes that were made from book to the big screen such as the relationship between Vikings and dragons and the depiction of everyone’s favourite dragon, Toothless.   So, what’s better, book or film?

After a long hiatus, Lucy and George are back and for the first time ever, they are joined by a special guest star, a Florence Pugh enthusiast and Little Women expert, Hattie Metcalfe. In this episode, we discuss Louisa May Alcott’s 1800’s novel Little Women and its 2019 film adaptation by Greta Gerwig, exploring the impact of Gerwig’s decision to adapt both Little Women and its sequel, Good Wives to the representation of benevolent sexism. This episode is jam-packed with discussions of feminism, character development and costume design.

In episode 6, Lucy and George take on one of the most famous and influential coming-of-age books and its 2012 film adaptation: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. In this episode, we look at the epistolary based nature of Chbosky’s narrative form, the nostalgic soundtrack and colour palette of the film, the relatable nature of the characters and the representation of male mental health issues on both page and screen. So, what’s better, book or film?

It’s episode five and Lucy and George are back after a little (unintentional) break with Gillian Flynn’s crime thriller novel Gone Girl and the 2014 film of the same name, directed by David Fincher. Discussing how successful Fincher is in adapting the tension and suspense from the page to the screen, this episode explores casting choices, score, and whether or not as readers we feel sympathy for Nick and Amy. This episode also touches on what we loved in the book that sadly didn’t make it to the film and tangents on the marvel cinematic universe, film marketing and trailers. So, what’s better, book or film?

For episode four, Lucy and George take on their first-ever Jane Austen novel – Emma, comparing it to the 2020 film adaptation starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Bill Nighy.   Discussing how Autumn de Wilde re-creates the 1800s novel for a 21st century, modern audience, this episode explores female empowerment, character development and costume and set design!   So, what’s better, book or film?