Book Vs Movie Podcast
356 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 192 ratingsBook Vs. Movie is the podcast that ponders the question: "Which was better...the book or the movie?" We spoil away the details, uncover the plot points, discuss casting choices and shower with praise (or pummel with snark) as we see fit. Hosts are Margo P. (She's Nacho Mama's Blog) and Margo D. (Creator of Brooklyn Fit Chick.com) and we are not afraid to tell it like it is!
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Episodes
Gone Girl (2014) Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, David Fincher, & Gillian Flynn (2020 replay)
January 26, 2024 10:55 - 58 minutes - 80.2 MBBook Vs. Movie: Gone Girl The 2012 book Vs. the 2014 movie(From the Book Vs. Movie Vaults!) The Margos take an oldie but a goodie out of the vaults this week!! Gone Girl is a thriller by Gillian Flynn. The story follows the disappearance of Amy Dunne, a woman who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary. As the investigation unfolds, the story becomes more and more complex, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The novel was so successful that it was later adapted into a movi...
JAWS (1975) From our vaults! Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfus, & Steven Spielberg
January 21, 2024 19:41 - 1 hour - 85.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: Jaws The 1974 book Vs. the 1975 movie (From the Book Vs. Movie Vaults!) The Margos take an oldie but a goodie out of the vaults this week!! "Jaws" is a classic thriller that originated from Peter Benchley's novel and was later transformed into a blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg. The novel was published in 1974, and unfortunately, it is not very good. You will soon find out the reasons why! However, Spielberg's adaptation, which was released in 1975, focuses more ...
Priscilla (2023) Sofia Coppola, Cailee Spaeny, and Jacob Elordi. Based on the Priscilla Presley 1985 book
January 14, 2024 22:24 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: Priscilla The 1985 Memoir Elvis & Me Vs. the 2023 Sofia Coppola Adaptation The Margos covered Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, pairing it with the 1988 TV movie starring Susan Walters and Dale Midkiff. We loved the fact that she was able to share her truth despite the long-standing canonization of her ex-husband, who died in August 1977. Elvis's pill-popping and extracurricular activities with other women were brought up, as well as how they met when she was ...
An American in Paris (1951) Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, George & Ira Gershwin
January 07, 2024 22:06 - 1 hour - 92.7 MBBook Vs. Movie: An American in Paris The 1928 “Symphonic Poem” Vs. the 1951 Classic Movie The Margos are starting the New Year with a symphonic poem by George Gershwin that evokes France during the Annees Folles (the 1920s era). The piece was also inspired by Maurice Ravel's "unusual chords." After visiting Paris in 1926, Gershwin sought out teachers, but they all told him that there was no one better than Gershwin himself. He told a reporter that this work was an American's first time in ...
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine (Replay of 2019 ep!)
December 30, 2023 10:25 - 59 minutes - 82.2 MBBook Vs. Movie: "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) (The Margos are taking this week off for the holidays. Please enjoy this 2019 replay!) At Book Vs. Movie, whenever people say, "Duh--the book is always better than the movie!" the Margos would say, "Yeah--have you ever read Jaws?" Well, now we have another book-to-movie adaptation that features a horrible, racist, sexist, homophobic, and misogynistic novel that became a fun hit film. Sportswriter Paul Gallico helped many stories become excell...
O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" & 1978's "The Gift of Love" Marie Osmond & Timothy Bottoms
December 23, 2023 23:26 - 1 hour - 117 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Gift of the Magi and The Gift of Love The Original O’Henry Shorty Story Vs. the 1978 TV Movie O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi is a timeless short story that teaches us the true meaning of love during the holidays. The story follows Della Dillingham, who has only $1.87 to buy a Christmas gift for her husband, James. She decides to sell her beautiful hair to buy him a chain for his watch. However, James has sold his watch to buy her a fancy hair comb. The story shows that ...
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn
December 17, 2023 22:21 - 1 hour - 110 MBBook Vs. Movie: Miracle on 34th Street Valentine Davies’s Story Vs. the 1947 Classic Film "Can you say classic?" In the almost ten years that we have been putting on this show, we somehow missed "Miracle on 34th Street" as one of the most famous adaptations of holiday films. With a story by beloved writer Valentine Davies and direction by his friend George Seaton, the film (released in May of 1947 for some baffling reason!) became a massive hit with filmgoers. Starring Maureen O'Hara as a f...
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020) Christine Baranski, Treat Williams, Jenifer Lewis, & Josh Segarra
December 11, 2023 17:51 - 1 hour - 89 MBBook Vs. Movie: Christmas on the Square Dolly Parton’s 2014 song Vs. the 2020 Netflix Movie "Christmas on the Square" is a 2020 movie based partly on Dolly Parton’s 2020 “Blue Smoke” album with the track “Try.” Directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen. The story revolves around a “Scrooge” character, played by icon Christine Baranski, who seeks to evict everyone in her hometown and sell off to Corporate Mall Overlords. Parton plays the angel prepped to save her and be a source of inspirat...
Bell, Book and Candle (1958) James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs & Elsa Lanchester
December 03, 2023 18:40 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBBook Vs. Movie: Bell Book and Candle The Original 1950 Play & the 1958 Film "Bell, Book, and Candle," released in 1958 and directed by Richard Quine, is a romantic comedy that intertwines the ordinary and the supernatural. The movie revolves around Gillian Holroyd, a beautiful and free-spirited witch who resides in Greenwich Village, New York. Her magical world turns unexpectedly when she develops feelings for her neighbor, Shepherd Henderson. This story takes place on Christmas Eve, making ...
Home for the Holidays (1995) Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Jodie Foster & Chris Radant
November 26, 2023 22:03 - 1 hour - 115 MBBook Vs. Movie: Home for the Holidays The Short Story by Chris Radant & the 1995 Jodie Foster Film The Margos are getting into the holiday spirit with the cult classic Home for the Holidays, based on a 1991 short story by Chris Radant, directed by Jodie Foster. Radant’s short story appeared in the now-defunct Boston Phoenix and is based on her experience dealing with family issues during the holiday season. (You can listen to it at this clip from the storyteller Kelley Hazen: https://soundcl...
The Old Man and the Sea (1958) Ernest Hemingway, Spencer Tracy, & Felipe Pazos, Jr.
November 19, 2023 21:17 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Old Man and the Sea The 1952 Short Story by “Papa” & the 1958 Spencer Tracy Film In this episode, the Margos review Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novella "The Old Man and the Sea" and its 1958 film adaptation featuring Spencer Tracy. The story revolves around an aging Cuban fisherman, Santiago, who embarks on a challenging battle with a massive marlin in the Gulf Stream. The novella has been adapted into several films, the most notable being the 1958 movie directed by John Stur...
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Ernest Lehman, & Clifford Odets
November 13, 2023 17:29 - 1 hour - 101 MBBook Vs. Movie: Sweet Smell of Success Ernest Lehman was an accomplished writer and adapter of material for the screen, known for his work on movies such as Hello Dolly!, The King and I, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In 1950, he wrote an original short story, "Tell Me About It Tomorrow,” published in Cosmopolitan magazine. This story became the basis of Clifford Odet’s screenplay for the 1957 classic film Sweet Smell of Success, starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis and directed by ...
The Gambler (1980) Kenny Rogers (as The Gambler), Bruce Boxleitner & Lee Purcell
November 05, 2023 21:51 - 57 minutes - 79.9 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Gambler The 1978 Song & Kenny Rogers as The Gambler TV Movie Yee ha! The Margos' latest episode is all about the Kenny Rogers classic "The Gambler." The song was written in 1976 by Don Schlitz, who was only 26 years old at the time. It took two years before Rogers made it a number 1 hit. The song's lyrics tell the story of a chance encounter on a train between the narrator and a seasoned gambler. The gambler imparts his wisdom about life and gambling to the narrator, of...
Misery (1990) Stephen King, Kathy Bates, James Caan & special guest Alex Steed "You Are Good"
October 29, 2023 21:51 - 1 hour - 136 MBBook Vs. Movie: Misery The 1987 Stephen King Novel Vs. the 1990 Classic Movie The Margos and special guest Alex Steed of the You Are Good film podcast discuss one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever--1990’s Misery. In both the novel and the film, the characters of Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes are central to the story. However, there are notable differences in their portrayals. In the book, readers get a more in-depth look at the internal struggles of Sheldon, whereas the film focu...
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) The Lois Duncan novel vs. the Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar movie
October 22, 2023 21:36 - 1 hour - 117 MBBook Vs. Movie: I Know What You Did Last Summer The 1973 Lois Duncan YA Novel Vs. the 1997 Movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer" revolves around a group of friends, Julie, Helen, Ray, and Barry, who accidentally hit a stranger with their car on a dark, lonely road. In a panic, they make a harrowing decision to hide the accident, believing they can escape the consequences. However, one year later, their lives unravel as they receive ominous messages from a mysterious figure who knows their...
Carrie (1976) Piper Laurie(RIP) Sissy Spacek & Amy Irving (Replay of 2018 episode)
October 18, 2023 17:08 - 1 hour - 103 MBIn honor of the recent passing of Piper Laurie, we are replaying our 2018 episode that revisits a classic Stephen King tale--Carrie, which we originally covered in 2014 (using the old, old way we recorded back in the early days.) This is not only King's first movie adaptation but also based on his first published novel. There are so many changes between book & movie that we wanted to give it a modern treatment (meaning better sound and lots of clips!) Just how different is the original nove...
House of Usher (1960) Vincent Price, Roger Corman, Richard Matheson, & Edgar Allen Poe
October 16, 2023 18:02 - 1 hour - 109 MBBook Vs. Movie: House of Usher The Edgar Allen Poe Short Story Vs. the 1960 Vincent Price Movie The Margos continue our month of scary movies with the 1839 short story, The Fall of House of Usher, by Edgar Allen Poe, and how it was adapted by Roger Corman in 1960 for the Vincent Price classic House of Usher. The story of the Roderick family, consisting of siblings Roderick and Madeline, is a gothic tale about their shared traumatic experiences that haunt them in their home. The narrator, wh...
Wait Until Dark (1967) Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, and Frederick Knott
October 08, 2023 22:19 - 1 hour - 114 MBBook Vs. Movie: Wait Until Dark The 1966 Richard Knott Play Vs. the 1967 Audrey Hepburn Film The Margos kick off "Scary Movie Month" by discussing Wait Until Dark, both the play by Frederick Knott and the 1967 Audrey Hepburn film. The movie features one of the best jump scares in cinema history. The original production starred Lee Remick and Robert Duvall as Susy and Roat, respectively. The story revolves around Susy, a blind woman who lives alone in her Greenwich Village apartment, and Ro...
Ghost World (2001) Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Terry Zwigoff, & Daniel Clowes
October 01, 2023 22:32 - 1 hour - 94.9 MBBook Vs. Movie: Ghost World The 1997 Daniel Clowes Graphic Novel vs. the Terry Zwigoff 2001 Film The Margos are feeling very moody and isolated, discussing the 2001 film Ghost World starring Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson as best friends Enid and Rebecca, who are perfect early 00’s angsty and unimpressed with the world and was catnip for audiences and critics alike. Based on chapter five’s “Hubba Hubba” by Daniel Clowes, the original 1997 graphic novel series Eightball, the story of t...
The Lorax (2012) Dr. Seuss, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito
September 25, 2023 16:51 - 56 minutes - 77.6 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Lorax The Dr. Seuss 1971 Children’s Book Vs. the 2012 Adaptation The Margos close out “Banned Books Month” with a visit with Dr. Seuss and The Lorax, a tale of environmental conservation and the dangers of rampant deforestation. Theodore Seuss Geisel was known for his colorful characters, accusations of racism, and having some of his books pulled for outdated notions or controversial take on capitalism. The Lorax (first published in 1971) was written after a recent trip...
Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, & Katherine Paterson
September 17, 2023 17:06 - 1 hour - 97.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Bridge to Teribithia The 1977 Classic YA Novel Vs. the 2007 Adaptation Bring out your tissues! The Margos continue Banned Books Month with the 1977 classic by Katherine Paterson--Bridge to Teribithia. The story of Jess Aarons, a fifth-grade kid who grows up lonely and poor but with an artistic temperament that helps him imagine other places and realities. His life changes when he becomes friends with a new kid, Leslie Burke, a fellow dreamer and misfit who encourages his...
Fahrenheit 451: The Ray Bradbury 1953 Novel Vs the 2018 Michael B. Jordan & Michael Shannon Film
September 10, 2023 21:48 - 1 hour - 113 MBBook Vs. Movie: Fahrenheit 451 The Ray Bradbury 1953 Classic Novel Vs. the 2018 HBO Adaptation The Margos turn up the heat (get it?) with a look at the 1953 literary classic Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury--a banned book for decades. Inspired by the Cold War and the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigating actors, artists, and writers claiming communism, Bradbury’s work has been controversial since its publication over its depiction of an America that embraces book burni...
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (2023) Judy Blume, Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, & Kathy Bates
September 04, 2023 09:35 - 1 hour - 109 MBBook Vs. Movie: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret JUDY BLUME Y’ALL!!!!! The Margos begin our annual “Banned Books Month” as always, loving the books and hating why we must feature them. Judy Blume is one of the most successful authors of all time, and her books, some of the most requested to be removed from libraries, make our hearts hurt and fill us with rage! Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret is a story about an 11-year-old girl, Margaret Simon, who is dealing with issues many of...
Smoke Signals (1998) Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, & Sherman Alexie
August 27, 2023 21:42 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBBook Vs. Movie: Smoke Signals The Sherman Alexie Short Story Vs. the 1998 Movie In this episode, the Margos delve into the acclaimed indie film Smoke Signals, released in 1998. This film was based on a series of short stories by Sherman Alexie in 1993, titled The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The story follows two young men, Victor Joseph and Tom Builds-the-Fire, who grew up on a Spokane Indian Reservation. It explores the interconnectedness of their families, the perception of...
Three Days of the Condor (1975) Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, & Sydney Pollack
August 20, 2023 19:14 - 1 hour - 125 MBBook Vs. Movie: Three Days of the Condor The James Grady Book Vs. the Robert Redford-Starring Movie The Margos talk about the paranoia-soaked 70s with a discussion about the novel & film Three Days of the Condor starring a dreamy Robert Redford and a luminous Faye Dunaway. The story is about a man who loves to read and works for the CIA and gets sucked into a life-threatening chase between himself and outside forces of the government. Published in 1974 (the same year Richard Nixon resigned...
"But Have You Read the Book?" Special Guest: Kristen Lopez
August 13, 2023 19:11 - 56 minutes - 55 MBBook Vs. Movie: Special Guest, Author Kristen Lopez "But Have You Read the Book?" Our special guest, Kristen Lopez, is the film editor for The Wrap and the author of But Have You Read the Book? In this episode, we talk about her favorite book-to-movie adaptations, how she came across this fun project, the latest on the SAG AFTRA strike, the world of Turner Classic Movies, the hotness of Ben Mankiewicz, and the Warner Brothers private collections. Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podca...
The Exorcist: (1973) RIP William Friedkin 1935-2023 (Replay of DEC 2018 ep.)
August 07, 2023 19:14 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBBook Vs. Movie “The Exorcist” RIP William Friedkin (1935-2023) Replay of the DEC 2018 episode. The Margos revisit the 1971 novel The Exorcist written by the very interesting William Peter Blatty. Based on a true-ish story about a boy possessed by a demon in the 1950s, Blatty changed some key details to create this fiction classic. Director William Friedkin in 1973 just came off an incredible spate of box office successes, including 1971’s The French Connection earning him an Academy Award ...
The Red Shoes (1948) Hans Christian Anderson, Moira Shearer, "The Archers" & guest Dale Bridges
August 07, 2023 17:29 - 1 hour - 75.3 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Red Shoes The Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tale vs. the 1948 Classic Film The Margos (and a special guest star!) put on their dancing shoes with the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Red Shoes” along with the 1948 adaptation that is considered a ballet/film classic with some of the most beautiful sequences along with a meditation on “art versus life.” Published in 1845, The Red Shoes appears in “New Fairy Tales” and tells the story of Karen, a vain and selfish gi...
The Swimmer (1968) Burt Lancaster, Joan Rivers, John Cheever, & Marvin Hamlisch
July 30, 2023 22:48 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Swimmer The 1964 John Cheever story vs. the 1968 Burt Lancaster Film Burt Lancaster always claimed that his 1968 film The Swimmer was his best work, and we are here to show you exactly why! The John Cheever short story that appeared in the July 18, 1964 issue of The New Yorker is a surrealistic tale of an alcoholic man (Neddy Merrill) who journeys to his home through suburban New York via swimming pools. Along the way, he realizes that the life he thinks he is leading (h...
Ode to Billy Joe (1976) Bobbie Gentry, Robby Benson, Glynnis O'Connor, and Max Baer, Jr.
July 24, 2023 15:54 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBBook Vs. Movie: Ode to Billy Joe The 1967 Song Vs. the 1976 Movie It was a hot and steamy summer day when we recorded this episode, so we decided to go as far south as we could get here in the USA with the tale of Billie Joe Macallister (named Billy Joe for the movie adaptation) and why he may have jumped to his death off the Tallahacthie Bridge. Mississippi native Bobbie Gentry wrote the song in 1967 for her first album, and it became a huge sensation. The song is written from the view...
The Killers (1946) Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Ernest Hemingway
July 15, 2023 22:14 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Killers The 1927 Ernest Hemingway Short Story Vs. the 1946 Classic Film The Margos are discussing Ernest Hemingway for the first time on the podcast after nine years of producing, which is shocking! His 1927 short story, The Killers, was first published in 1927 for Scribner’s Magazine and is a return of his character Nick Adams who appears in several short stories. Set in Summit, Illinois, Adams has to deal with a couple of hitmen looking to take out a boxer named “Ole ...
Valley Girl (1983) Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Martha Coolidge, and Frank & Moon Zappa
July 09, 2023 22:58 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: Valley GirlsThe Frank & Moon Zappa Song Vs. the 1983 Classic Film We know that Frank Zappa did not authorize using the song Valley Girl (co-written with his 14-year-old daughter Moon Unit in 1982.) But we had to cover this movie because if there was ever a song that influenced the culture of the early 80s --this was it. Moon Zappa is the oldest child of the late Frank Zappa, and after spending most of her childhood waiting for her dad to make time for her, she reached out t...
Rumble Fish (1983) Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, & Nicolas Cage
July 05, 2023 17:48 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBBook Vs. Movie: Rumble Fish The 1975 Novel Vs. the 1983 Movie Rusty James is a 14-year-old kid in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who lives a troubled life in 1975’s Rumble Fish, written by former teen sensation S.E. Hinton who published her first work (the YA classic The Outsiders while a freshman in college in 1967. James spends his days getting into fights, hanging out with best friend Steve, trying to find time for his girlfriend Patty, and, most of all, idolizing his older brother, The Motorcycle B...
The Children's Hour (1961) & These Three (1936) Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, & Lillian Hellman
June 26, 2023 19:25 - 54 minutes - 78.3 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Children’s Hour The 1934 Play Vs. the 1936 ("These Three") & 1961 Adaptation Lillian Hellman’s first play, The Children’s Hour, caused a sensation in 1934 when it debuted on Broadway with the tale of two schoolteachers accused of being lesbians when homosexuality was illegal in much of the U.S. The show was so scandalous that a Chicago run was canceled. Hellman always stated that the play's moral was about the power of lies and how they can affect an entire community. I...
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, & Tennessee Williams
June 19, 2023 17:24 - 1 hour - 74.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof The 1955 Play Vs. the 1958 Classic Film The Margos are feeling very Southern in this episode devoted to the work of Tennessee Williams and his personal favorite work--Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The 1955 play was based on his 1952 short story “Three Plays of a Summer Game” and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama during its Broadway debut. The story of the Pollitt family in the Mississippi Delta and their personal grievances and torturous secrets was considered i...
Strangers on a Train (1952) Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, & Patricia Highsmith
June 12, 2023 18:25 - 1 hour - 71.6 MBBook Vs. Movie: Strangers on a Train The 1950 Novel Vs. the 1951 Classic Film The Margos return to Alfred Hitchcock with his classic thriller Strangers on a Train, based on Patricia Highsmith’s debut novel. The story of two men meeting up and deciding to commit double murder in just a few hours may strain credulity--but it is a fun story ride! In the novel, budding architect Guy Haines meets wealthy gadabout Charles Anthony Bruno (called Bruno throughout the book) on a train ride to Texas. ...
The Last Picture Show (1971) Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Cybill Shepherd, Peter Bogdanovich & Larry McMurtry
June 05, 2023 17:15 - 1 hour - 75.7 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Last Picture Show The Larry McMurtry 1966 Novel Vs. the 1971 Peter Bogdanovich Film The Margos put on a Texas-sized episode of Book vs. Movie with The Last Picture Show--both the 1966 novel by Larry McMurtry and the 1971 film by Peter Bogdanovich. Both tell the tale of lonely people living in a forgotten Texas city with barely enough room for their hopes and dreams. McMurtry was a native of Archer City, Texas, born in 1936. When he was young, his family did not own man...
Blow-Up (1966) David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, The Yardbirds, & Michelangelo Antonioni
May 29, 2023 21:40 - 1 hour - 70.3 MBBook Vs. Movie: Blow-Up The Julio Cortazar Short Story Vs. the Michelangelo Antonio Movie The Margos are feeling very mod today with this particular episode. We talk about Michelangelo Antonini, one of the most revered directors of the 1960s & 1970s, with a Palm d’Or, the Golden Lion, the Golden Bread, and the Golden Leopard among his film accomplishments. 1966’s Blow-Up is his biggest English language hit, and it captured the New Wave movement in modern filmmaking. The original story is ...
RIP Tina Turner (1939-2023) What's Love Got...I, Tina REPLAY EP MAY 2023
May 24, 2023 19:37 - 56 minutes - 78.4 MBBook Vs Movie: “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (1993) Tina Turner’s 1986 Autobiography “I, Tina” Vs. the Angela Bassett Film RIP Tina! (1939-1983) With Tina Turner finally being nominated for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination as a solo artist--the Margos decided now was the time to take a look at her life story (up to the age of 46) with her 80s bestselling autobiography (co-written by Kurt Loder!) “I, Tina” and compare it with the 1993 film “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Anna Mae Bu...
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) Vs. "Be Water, My Friend" Jason Scott Lee, Lauren Holly, & Shannon Lee
May 20, 2023 21:45 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: Dragon: The Bruce Lee StoryThe Shannon Lee Book/Memoir Vs. the 1993 Biopic Bruce Lee is one of the biggest martial artists of all time and created the style Jeet Kune Do, which caused controversy within the martial arts community. As a Chinese-American, he wanted to spread the word to anyone eager to learn and not keep secrets. He also believed in pushing himself to the limit in everything he did, which caused friction in Hollywood and Hong Kong film communities. Born L...
Laura (1944) Gene Tierney, Vincent Price, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Otto Preminger & Vera Caspary
May 15, 2023 23:36 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBBook Vs. Movie: Laura The 1943 Novel Vs. the 1944 Classic Film The Margos continue with the 1940s with the film noir genre--Laura starring the gorgeous Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, and Vincent Price. Based on the 1943 novel Ring Twice for Laura by Vera Caspary, the story of the mysterious Laura Hunt, who is found murdered (or was she?), was initially serialized in Collier's magazine in October and November 1942. It became a hit novel and was released as an Armed Services Edi...
The Thin Man (1934) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan, Cesar Romero & Dashiell Hammett
May 08, 2023 15:57 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Thin Man The Dashiell Hammett Novel Vs. the 1934 Classic Film The Margos are looking for actors with chemistry and witty banter, so we had to dive into the fabulous world of Nick and Nora Charles and The Thin Man. What began as a feature in Redbook magazine in December 1933 turned into a best-selling novel by one of the most important writers of the 20th Century--Dashiell Hammett. We discussed Hammett when talking about The Maltese Falcon, and for several reasons, The T...
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) William Wyler, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Virginia Mayo, & Fredric March
May 01, 2023 17:26 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Best Years of Our Lives The MacKinlay Kantor Novel Vs. the 1946 Classic Film The Margos continue their journey through post-WW2 America with one of the most celebrated movies of the 20th Century--The Best Years of Our Lives. The film was based on the novel Glory for Me by MacKinlay Kantor, who wrote the story of wounded GIs dealing with trauma in blank verse form. He started as a war correspondent in London and flew in some bombing missions. Glory for Me was an unglamo...
The Little Foxes (1941) Bette Davis, William Wyler, Herbert Marshall, & Lillian Hellman
April 23, 2023 22:03 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBBook Vs. Movie: The Little Foxes The Lillian Hellman 1939 Play Vs. the 1941 Bette Davis Film Playwright Lillian Hellman is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century who had a complicated life filled with love affairs and massive success and was the toast of Broadway for works such as The Little Foxes, The Children’s Hour and Watch on the Rhine. She was also a House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) pariah and was called a liar by author Mary McCarthy on The Dick Cavett...
Octopussy (1983) Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Ian Fleming, Louis Jordan, & Steven Berkoff
April 15, 2023 21:58 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBBook Vs. Movie: Octopussy The Ian Fleming Short Story Vs. the 1983 Roger Moore Bond The Margos are feeling very Bond--James Bond that is with 1983’s Octopussy based on a short story by Ian Fleming in the posthumously released Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Fleming, a former British Agent and the creator of Bond, passed away in 1964; he had left several short stories and novels that helped to continue the brand, including comic strips printed in newspapers worldwide. (We can’t promise no...
Rear Window (1954) Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, Grace Kelly, & Cornell Woolrich
April 10, 2023 17:22 - 1 hour - 97.6 MBBook Vs. Movie: Rear WindowThe 1942 Short Story Vs. the 1954 Classic Film The Margos are swooning throughout this episode for one of the greatest movies of all time, adapted from a short story by a very interesting (and prolific) author. Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is one of his finest works based on the short story; It Had to be Murder by Cornell Woolrich. Woolrich is considered one of his generation's best mystery/suspense writers, with dozens of titles making it to movie adaptation...
Touch of Evil (1958) The Film Noir classic directed by Orson Welles starring Charlton Heston & Janet Leigh
April 05, 2023 17:23 - 1 hour - 61 MBBook Vs. Movie: Touch of Evil The 1956 novel Badge of Evil Vs. the 1958 Film Noir Classic The Margos dive right back into one of our favorite genres--film noir! The 1958 Orson Welles’s directed film Touch of Evil is based on a 1956 novel by Whit Masteron titled Badge of Evil. The book sold reasonably well at the time, but at the time, the movie was given mixed reviews due to Welles not staying until the final edit process. In 1998, a “re-cut” of the film was based on a 58-page memo Welles...
Kinky Boots (2005) Vs the Broadway Musical (2013) Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joel Edgerton, Billy Porter, & Matt Henry
March 28, 2023 21:20 - 55 minutes - 55.8 MBBook Vs. Movie: Kinky Boots The True Story Behind the 2005 Movie & 2013 Broadway Musical (and the 2019 movie!) The “Month of Musicals” concludes with Kinky Boots, the true story of a footwear company in Earls Barton, North Hamptonshire, UK--WJ Brooks. The factory was in Steve Pateman’s family for decades when in the 1990s, they started losing money to the cheaper, faster competition. Pateman appeared on BBC’s Trouble at the Top documentary showing how his company switched to creating boots ...
La Cage aux Folles Vs. The Birdcage: The early film/musical & the Robin Williams, Nathan Lane 1996 film
March 20, 2023 17:35 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBBook Vs. Movie: La Cage Aux Folles & The Birdcage The Original Film and Broadway Musical Vs. the 1996 Film The “Month of Musicals” continues with the 1996 film The Birdcage, which took its influence from the play turned into Broadway musical La Cage Aux Folles. The original 1973 french play takes place in Saint-Tropez, where a gay couple meets an ultra-conservative family member. It was a huge hit in Paris, playing for over a year in 1973, and was made into a film in 1978. Originally wr...
John Waters "Hairspray" 1988 and 2007 (Baltimore Magazine article adapted into two films)
March 12, 2023 22:02 - 1 hour - 108 MBBook Vs. Movie: Hairspray The 1988 John Waters Movie Vs. the 2007 Adaptation “Musicals in March” The Margos continue their look at “Musicals in March” with the John Waters classic Hairspray, which started with the 1988 movie starring Rikki Lake, Divine, and Debby Harry. Based on his experiences of being a fan of the 1957-1964 Baltimore teen dance TV program--The Buddy Deane Show, Waters was a huge fan of R&B music. On the Buddy Deane show, the dancers were integrated, unlike Dick Clark’s Ame...