Lit to Lens

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER The guys discuss the film adaptation, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, based on the 1990 novel, VINELAND, by Thomas Pynchon. … Vineland is set in 1984, the year of Ronald Reagan’s reelection, but primarily told in flashback. The story follows several characters who provide remembrances of their revolutionary life in the late 60s during a time of “fascistic Nixonian repression” and how that had evolved to the 80s and the war on drugs. The main through-line, however, concerns four primary players: three revolutionaries–Zoyd Wheeler, Frenesi Gates, her daughter Prairie, and the federal agent Brock Vond, and the book’s main narrative concerns Zoyd, Prairie and Brock’s attempts to find Frenesi, who is in witness protection. Themes of American rot, the corruptive power of television and the goodness of weed feature prominently. … The film adaptation was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Texans Taylor, Sean Penn, Chase Inifiniti, Benicia del Toro and Regina Hall. … Topics of discussion include the reimagining of Thomas Pynchon’s novel, the postmodernist literary movement, the challenging aspects of reading Thomas Pynchon, the film’s Academy Awards chances come Oscar season, and whether or not Erik is a member of The Christmas Adventurer’s Club. … (0:41) Intro, fast facts, trivia … (15:27) A reading from the novel … (16:28) Studio pitch & novel breakdown … (35:47) A word from our sponsor … (36:16) Learn you something, differences from the book … (1:52:32) Coming up next, and outro … Coming up next: HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell which was adapted into the new film by Chloe Zhao. So keep an eye out for that! … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the classic film noir adaptation, IN A LONELY PLACE, based on the 1947 noir fiction novel by Dorothy B. Hughes. … In post World War II Los Angeles, Dix Steele is a former service member who roams the city at night, maybe or maybe not strangling women who cross his path. After reconnecting with his friend from the army, Brub, who is now a police detective, Dix offers to help him solve the case of a serial killer—risking revelations he may want to hide. Eventually, Dix’s neighbor, an actress named Laurel Gray and Brub's wife Sylvia become suspicious of Dix and they aid the forces of justice to close in on the killer without him being aware of it. Themes of gender relations, male loneliness in the wake of World War, and boozy cocktails feature prominently. … The film adaptation was directed by Nicholas Ray and written by Andrew P. Solt and Edmund H. North. The film stars Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame and Frank Lovejoy. The film is considered to be one of the major influences on the film noir genre, with a major performance from its main star. … Topics of discussion include the feminist approach to noir fiction, the limitations effects of the Hayes Code, California post-WWII and its affect on the characterization of Dix Steele, and whether or not Humphrey Bogart is actually 5’8”. … (0:00) Intro, fast facts, trivia … (13:46) A reading from the novel … (15:42) Studio pitch & novel breakdown … (35:05) A word from our sponsor … (35:44) Learn you something, differences from the book … (1:26:03) Coming up next, and outro … Coming up next: OIL! by Upton Sinclair which was adapted into the Paul Thomas Anderson film, There Will be Blood. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the classic film noir adaptation, THE BIG SLEEP, based on the 1939 pulp detective novel by Raymond Chandler. … The Big Sleep is the first novel in Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe series. The novel follows private investigator Marlowe as he’s hired by the old but wealthy General Sternwood to stop a blackmailer involved with his daughter, Carmen. Marlowe soon uncovers a web of blackmail, murder, and crime, involving both Sternwood's daughters, Carmen and Vivian. As Marlowe delves deeper into a case that various people don’t seem to want him to solve, he encounters various criminals and faces dangerous situations, ultimately uncovering secrets that he chooses not to reveal to the General to preserve his peace of mind. The corrosion of wealth, the connectedness of family, and the follies of women feature prominently. … The film adaptation was directed by Howard Hawks and written by Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, and William Faulkner. The film stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The film is considered to be one of the big influences on the film noir genre. … Topics of discussion include the complexity of the mystery, the Hayes Code, the Bogie-Bacall phenomenon, the elevation of Vivian’s character, and whether or not it’s a good idea to drink your brandy with a side of champagne. … (0:00) From the book … (1:10) Fast facts, recap, trivia … (15:45) A word from our sponsor … (16:13) Studio pitch & novel breakdown … (38:02) Clip … (39:19) Learn you something, differences from the book … (1:23:00) Coming up next, and outro … Coming up next: KISS ME DEADLY by Mickey Spillane … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film adaptation, NICKEL BOYS, based on the 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Colson Whitehead. … Nickel Boys tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a black teenager growing up outside Tallahassee, Florida in the 1960s. One day, as he attempts to hitchhike his way to a historically black technical school to take courses for college credit, he unknowingly catches a ride with a wanted thief. When they’re pulled over shortly thereafter, Elwood is found to be an accomplice to the crime and sentenced to spend the rest of his teenage years at the Nickel Academy, a reform school for boys based on a real school called the Dozier School (which itself only shut down in 2011). Of course, this school is more than meets the eye. And though he meets a friend, Turner, he faces all forms of abuse, humiliation and racism until it all comes to a head. Themes include: finding hope in the hopeless, reclaiming identity, and affecting change in an unchanging society. … The film adaptation was directed by RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening), written by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, and stars Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, David Diggs, Jimmie Fails and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The film has been nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Picture and most importantly (for our purposes) Best Adapted Screenplay (Ross, Barnes). … Topics of discussion include the differences from the novel, the sentient perspective and its potential in future filmmaking efforts, the climax and how it’s handled differently between media, the incredible metaphors (especially in the film), and how to run away from an alligator. … (0:00) From the book … (1:05) Fast facts, recap, trivia … (13:42) A word from our sponsor … (14:09) Studio pitch & novel breakdown … (27:20) Trailer … (28:35) Learn you something, differences from the book … (1:05:34) Coming up next, and outro … Coming up next: MICKEY7 The science fiction novel by Edward Ashton gets a big-screen adaptation from Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, The Host, Snowpiercer) that tells the story of Mickey, who has signed up to be an “expendable”: a disposable employee on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous — even suicidal — the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of its memories intact. The film will be released on March 7th and stars Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo. Get the book at your local bookstore or library! Stay tuned for that episode! … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

In an adapted recap of 2024, the guys discuss their favorites from the past year of cinema, literature, and (self-indulgently) themselves. … Top 3 films we saw this past year (that were also released in 2024) Top 3 books we read this past year (can be released before 2024) And our favorite Lit to Lens episode from this past year … Happy New Year! We are looking forward to a big 2025, and we hope you are too! … Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Richard Harris novel, CONCLAVE, which is the story of when after the pope dies of a heart attack, the College of Cardinals gathers in seclusion for a papal conclave to choose the new pope. It has been adapted for the screen by Edward Berger and stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and Jon Lithgow. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film adaptation of THE OUTSIDERS, which is based on the 1967 novel written by S.E. Hinton. … THE OUTSIDERS tells the coming-of-age story of Ponyboy Curtis, a greaser living in Oklahoma in the 1960s. After his parents die in an automobile accident, Pony and his two brothers work to survive in a town divided on class lines. Gang and class conflict, friendship, cigarette smoking and paperback versions of Gone with the Wind feature prominently. … The film adaptation was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Kathleen Rowell, and stars a future all-star cast in C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Leif Garrett. … Topics of discussion include the two film versions of the adaptation, the holes in the story, why the book is so popularly taught in English classes across America, and whether or not Francis Ford Coppola fell off after Apocalypse Now. … (0:00) From the book ... (1:08) Fast facts, recap, trivia ... (17:20) A word from our sponsor ... (17:47) Studio pitch & novel breakdown ... (42:16) Trailer (43:21) Learn you something, differences from the book ... (1:03:00) Coming up next, and outro … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the new film from Francis Ford Coppola, APOCALYPSE NOW, which is NOT directly based on any source material such as a novel or play. But, the release of MEGALOPOLIS fits nicely within our season on Francis Ford Coppola, and this may be the last opportunity to witness an opening release for the acclaimed director. … MEGALOPOLIS tells the story of a conflict between Cesar, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. … The film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who has directed THE GODFATHER trilogy, THE CONVERSATION, THE OUTSIDERS, and THE RAINMAKER, among many others. The script was written by Francis Ford Coppola, while the film stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Robert Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voigt, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter and Dustin Hoffman. … Topics of discussion include the chaotic narrative, the lack of clarity and context around the world and actions of characters, where this leaves Francis Ford Coppola as well as the actors involved, and whether or not roundabouts are a more sustainable solution to traffic lights. … (0:00) Trailer (2:08) MEGALOPOLIS discussion (55:00) Coming up next, and outro…. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the new MAX series THE SYMPATHIZER, directed by Park Chan-wook based on the Pulitzer Prize winning debut novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen. … THE SYMPATHIZER tells the story of The Captain, a North Vietnamese mole working undercover for the South Vietnamese army. The story traces his escape from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, his acclimation to Los Angeles and working in Hollywood, to his grappling with the competing ideologies of his friends and foes, and the moral lines he must cross to save his life and those of the ones he loves. … The series adaptation was directed by Park Chan-wook, who has directed acclaimed films such as OLDBOY and DECISION TO LEAVE. The series, streaming on MAX (formerly HBO) stars How Xuande, Robert Downey, Jr., Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan, Day Nguyen, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Phanxinê, Kieu Chinh, Alan Trong, Sandra Oh, with special appearances by John Cho and David Duchovny. … Topics of discussion include how the book felt like homework, the minor changes made to the show, a history lesson on Operation Frequent Wind and why maybe this series didn’t gain more traction with audiences. … (0:00) From the book… (1:56) Fast facts, recap, trivia… (18:03) A word from our sponsor… (18:26) Studio pitch & novel breakdown… (40:34) Trailer (42:50) Learn you something, differences from the book… (1:38:53) Music outro … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film AMERICAN FICTION, the Cord Jefferson adaptation from the Percival Everett novel ERASURE. AMERICAN FICTION, follows Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, a frustrated novelist of general fiction, who decides to write a “Black” book full of tired and offensive tropes to profit off the publishing industry’s possibly misguided demand for those stories. He uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, which rockets up the bestseller list and into the madness of the book publishing world. At the same time, there is also a gripping family drama threatening to overwhelm the Ellison household. … The film adaptation stars Jeffrey Wright, Trace Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Adam Brody, and Keith David. The film was released on December 15, 2023 and was written and directed by Cord Jefferson in his debut film. … Topics of discussion include the origin of Monk’s pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, the experimental structure of the novel with its embedded narratives, the unfortunate news of BARBIE getting moved into the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the Academy Awards, and whether or not Brad Pitt liked Adam Brody’s 2003 film, GRIND. … Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book. … (0:00) From the book… (0:55) Fast facts, recap, trivia… (12:45) A word from our sponsor… (13:30) Studio pitch & novel breakdown… (32:36) Trailer (35:09) Learn you something, differences from the book… … Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Matin Amis novel, THE ZONE OF INTEREST, which was directed by Jonathan Glazer and stars Christian Friedl and Sandra Hüller. The film’s wide release is set for January 19, 2024. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film adaptation of POOR THINGS, the Yorgos Lanthimos adaptation from the Alasdair Gray novel of the same name. The book follows the account of Archie McCandless, a Scottish public health officer, who falls in love with a strange woman named Bella Baxter, created by his medical friend Godwin Baxter by implanting her unborn child's brain into her lifeless body. Bella is animated by a desire to see and experience the world, and all of the book is related second hand whether through letters to Archie which are printed in his narrative, Bella’s own postscript to whoever is reading this decades later, and the author’s own notes on both narratives. … The film adaptation stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ray Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley. The film was released on December 15, 2023 and was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, with the screenplay written by Tony McNamara. … Topics of discussion include the shift away from the book’s story within a story structure, the focusing on Bella Baxter, the Greek Weird Wave, some films that were inspirations for the crew, and whether or not the guys can pull off a Scottish accent. … Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book. … (0:00) From the book… (1:31) Fast facts, recap, trivia… (16:36) A word from our sponsor… (17:14) Studio pitch & novel breakdown… (36:06) Trailer (36:28) Learn you something, differences from the book… … Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Perceival Everett novel, ERASURE, which has been adapted for the screen as AMERICAN FICTION and directed by Cord Jefferson and stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown. The film’s release date is set for December 15, 2023. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film adaptation of FOE, the story of Junior and Henrietta, a married couple living on a remote farm in the near future. One day, a mysterious man named Terrence arrives. Terrence works for an aerospace corporation called OuterMore and tells Junior he’s been selected to travel to the Installation, a large space station that orbits around earth, to test its livability for human life. What follows is the domestic fallout from this visit, as Henrietta and Junior both come to terms with the opportunity and the replacement Junior the corporation plans to have live with Henrietta while he’s gone. Themes of isolation, identity, and AI feature prominently. … The film adaptation stars Satires Ronan, Paul Mescal and Aaron Pierre. The film was released on October 6, 2023 and was directed by Garth Davis, with the screenplay written by Garth Davis and Iain Reid (also the author of the novel). … Topics of discussion include the importance of a plot twist, the symbology of a horned beetle, the different types of unreliable narrators in literature, and whether or not you could live with another AI version of yourself. … Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book. … (0:00) From the book… (1:21) Fast facts, recap, trivia… (12:13) A word from our sponsor… (13:01) Studio pitch & novel breakdown… (37:19) Trailer (39:24) Learn you something, differences from the book… … Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the David Grann’s NYT best-selling nonfiction novel, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, which is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Brendan Fraser, and Jesse Plemons. The film’s release date is set for October 20, 2023. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the series adaptation of WOOL, a science fiction novel written by Hugh Howey, that tells the story of a dystopian future where generations of survivors live together in a subterranean silo. The society is stratified into blue and white collar workers and governed by strict regulations designed to protect the residents from the perceived horrors of the outside world. But when a small group of residents start to believe that all is not what it seems, they threaten to unravel the stability of the silo. … The Apple TV+ series adaptation stars Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, and Tim Robbins. The series was developed by Graham Yost, consists of ten episodes in Season 1 and debuted May 5, 2023 on Apple TV+. The series was renewed for a second season. … Topics of discussion include the tonal shift in the show, the expanded roles of Sims and Judicial, where the series ends in comparison to the book, and whether or not there would be accents in the silo. … Listen to the episode to find out how the show stacks up to the book. … (0:05) From the book… (1:27) Fast facts, recap, trivia… (16:55) A word from our sponsor… (17:23) Studio pitch & novel breakdown… (38:43) Trailer… (40:12) Learn you something, differences from the book… … Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel, POOR THINGS, our first episode of this year’s upcoming season on 2023 Oscar Bait. The film is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Margaret Qualley. The film’s release date is set for September 8, 2023. … The episode following POOR THINGS will be on the film adaptation of David Grann’s NYT bestselling nonfiction book, THE KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, which is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Brendan Fraser, and Jesse Plemons. The film’s release date is set for October 6, 2023. … If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com … Or reach out on social media: twitter.com/littolens instagram.com/littolens