Lit To Lens

The guys discuss the recent Netflix adaptation, SPIDERHEAD, starring Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller and how it compares to the George Saunders short story it was based on, ESCAPE FROM SPIDERHEAD (available for free online from The New Yorker). The conversation begins with the short story and why Hollywood might want to adapt it for the big (or in this case, small) screen (12:55). ------------------------- We are introduced to George Saunders, the short story King, and what makes his style of writing so unique (35:45). ------------------------- Then we get a breakdown of the film adaptation and whether it was able to strike the same tones as its source material (41:15). ------------------------- Other topics include Hollywood’s recent admiration for short stories, Miles Teller’s rebound into the mainstream, and whether or not Erik is a home wrecker. ------------------------- We hope you enjoy and don’t be shy to let us know what you think at our socials below: Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens -

In this episode, the guys discuss part three in our trilogy of episodes for ‘Pachinko’ (episodes 6-8), an Apple TV+ series adaptation of the very popular and critically-acclaimed Min Jin Lee novel. The series was created by Soo Hugh and directed by both Kogonada (‘Columbus’, ‘After Yang’) and Justin Chon (‘Blue Bayou’) and stars Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Jun-woo Han, In-ji Jeon, Min-ha Kim, Lee Min-ho and Jimmi Simpson. The conversation ranges from the problems with the narrative structure, the show’s relationship with America, THAT Koh Hansu episode, and whether or not Erik sticks around for the whole episode. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens 
Instagram: @littolens
 Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com
 Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss episodes 2-5 for ‘Pachinko’ (2021), an Apple TV+ series adaptation of the very popular and critically-acclaimed Min Jin Lee novel. The series was created by Soo Hugh and directed by both Kogonada (‘Columbus’, ‘After Yang’) and Justin Chon (‘Blue Bayou’) and stars Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Jun-woo Han, In-ji Jeon, Min-ha Kim, Lee Min-ho and Jimmi Simpson. The conversation ranges from the seemingly slow pace of the TV show, where the story could take us in subsequent seasons, and whether or not Erik even has a subscription to Apple TV+. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens
 Instagram: @littolens
 Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com
 Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss the pilot episode for ‘Pachinko’ (2021), an Apple TV+ series adaptation of the very popular and critically-acclaimed Min Jin Lee 2017 novel. The series was created by Too Hugh and directed by both Kogonada (‘Columbus’, ‘After Yang’) and Justin Chon (‘Blue Bayou’) and stars Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Jun-woo Han, In-ji Jeon, Min-ha Kim, Lee Min-ho and Jimmi Simpson. The conversation ranges from the differences of the adaptation’s narrative structure, what a Pachinko is, and whether or not Apple TV+ is the new premier streaming platform. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens 
Instagram: @littolens
 Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com
 Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ (2021), an adaptation of the very famous William Shakespeare play ‘Macbeth’ (1623). The film was written and directed by Joel Coen (‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’, ‘No Country for Old Men’) and stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Brendan Gleeson, Kathryn Hunter, Stephen Root and Ralph Ineson. The conversation ranges from the film’s (minor?) differences from the source material, why the play is considered to be cursed, and whether or not Ross is an agent of chaos. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens
 Instagram: @littolens
Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com
 Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘After Yang,’ an adaptation of the Alexander Weinstein short story 'Saying Goodbye to Yang' in the collection 'Children of the New World' (2016). The film was written and directed by Kogonada ('Columbus') and stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Maela Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson. The conversation ranges from the film's expansion from the source material, a distinct visual style and aesthetic from the director, and whether or not we really need Showtime in our streaming lives. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens
 Instagram: @littolens 
Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com
 Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘Nightmare Alley,’ an adaptation of the William Lindsay Gresham novel (1946). The screenplay was penned by Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan and and the film directed by del Toro. It stars Bradley Cooper as the ambitious mentalist, Stanton Carlisle, who rises the ranks of the carney circuit. Also in the film is Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Defoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman and David Strathairn, The conversation ranges from the heavy material presented in the book, what Tarot cards are all about, and whether or not geekin' is right for you. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens
 Instagram: @littolens 
Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com
 Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘The Power of the Dog,’ an adaptation of a Thomas Savage novel. The novel was written by Thomas Savage and published in 1967. Annie Proulx (author of 'Brokeback Mountain') is quoted as calling it a "literary artwork" and wrote the Afterword in the 2001 edition (and subsequent) of this novel. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion (The Piano.) The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The conversation ranges from the subtle difference in subtlety of the story's subtext between book and movie, how leaving out an important character from the book influences the family dynamics and motivations of one character, and whether or not you should wash your hands after handling a dead animal. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Fin

One last conversation before we bid adieu to 2021, a year that wasn't much better than the previous. But nonetheless, we discuss our Top 3's of the year. Our favorite movies released this and books we read this year (regardless of when they were released). Cheers to 2021, may 2022 be infinitely better! Happy New Year to all you LTLiens out there! Give it a listen! If you have time, please rate and review! We want to find more listeners like you! Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys introduce the tenth (10) season of the podcast: 2022 Oscar Bait. What does that mean? Well, this season we'll be reading and discussing the (likely?) Best Adapted Screenplay nominees for the 2022 Academy Awards. The adaptations include 'Dune', 'Drive My Car', 'The Power of the Dog', 'Nightmare Alley', and 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'. The conversation ranges from why we chose this season, what we are most excited to read and watch, why IMDB has such horrible synopses, and whether or not Erik is a kleptomaniac. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘Drive My Car,’ an adaptation of a Haruki Murakami short story. The short story was written by Haruki Murakami and published in in 2014 (Japan) in 'Men Without Women,' a short story collection by Murakami. The collection was well received and ended up on Barack Obama's best books list of 2019. The film was directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Wife of a Spy, Storytellers) and written by Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe. The film stars Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tōko Miura, Masaki Okada and Reika Kirishima. The conversation ranges from the how the film built upon and expanded from the 40-page short story, whether Murakami adapts easily to the screen, ghosts and a brief word from our new sponsor. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for

In Episode 1 of Season 10: Oscar Bait, the guys discuss the adaptation of ‘Dune’. The novel was written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965, winning both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for that year, and becoming a timeless classic of the Science Fiction genre. The novel has had the stigma of being “unadaptable” attached to it for over four decades due to failures of the adaptations during that period of time. Originally, the novel was almost adapted in mid-1970’s by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and was successfully adapted by David Lynch 1984 but failed at the box office and panned by critics, as well as a miniseries in 2000. And now Hollywood takes another shot at adapting the unadaptable in 2021. The film was directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Sicario, Prisoners, Enemy) and written by Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth and Villeneuve. The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Ba

In Episode 4 of Season 9: The Beat Generation, the guys discuss the adaptation of 'Big Sur' and whether or not bringing this story to the screen really makes sense. The book was written by Jack Kerouac, published in 1962, and was adapted for the screen in 2013. The film was written and directed by Michael Polish, and stars Jean-Marc Barr, Josh Lucas, Radha Mitchell and Kate Bosworth. The conversation ranges from the unique reading experience of a Beat novel, the very literal nature of the adaptation, the dark nature of the ending, and Erik teaches us all Free Verse. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the novel or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com

In Episode 3 of Season 9: The Beat Generation, the guys discuss the most famous of all the Beat poems: "Howl" The book was written by Allen Ginsberg, published in 1956, and was adapted for the screen in 2010. The film was written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, and stars James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels. Passions run high in this episode where we learn what an anaphora is, Erik gets heated, and we discuss whether or not the prosecutor (David Stratharin) is the dumbest character in all of film history. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the novel or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode, the guys discuss the new film, "The Green Knight". The film was based on the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" written by an unknown individual, who has been referred to as the "Pearl Poet", in the 14th century. The film was written & directed by David Lowery ("A Ghost Story", "Ain't Them Bodies Saints", "The Old Man & The Gun", "Pete's Dragon") and stars Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, and Joel Edgerton. The conversation in this episode ranges from the structure of the poem, the difficulties of telling a medieval story to a modern audience, the change in Gawain's motivation between poem and film, and whether or not A24 should build a King Arthur Universe to battle the MCU. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the novel or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Insta

In Episode 1 of Season 9: The Beat Generation, the guys discuss the most famous of all the Beat books: "On the Road." The book was written by Jack Kerouac, published in 1957, and was adapted for the screen in 2012. The film was directed by Walter Salles and written for the screen by Jose Rivera (who both worked on "The Motorcycle Diaries" together), and stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst, and Viggo Mortensen. The conversation in this episode ranges from the struggles reading the novel's diaristic flow, the sad (not upbeat) tone of the film adaptation, the miscasting of Dean Moriarty, and whether it even makes sense to adapt a novel like "On the Road." Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the novel or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content -

In this episode, the guys introduce the newest season of the podcast: The Beat Generation. What does that mean? Well, this season we'll be reading and discussing the books the shaped the Beat Generation from 1950's America. The adaptations include 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac, 'Howl' by Allen Ginsberg, 'Big Sur' by Jack Kerouac, and 'Naked Lunch' by William S. Burroughs. The conversation ranges from why we decided to take on this season, what the significance of the Beat Generation writers, and whether or not they are the original hipsters. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the book or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com

In this episode we were lucky enough to interview Lane Shefter Bishop. Lane is the Founder + CEO of Vast Entertainment, a production company focused on book-to-movie adaptations. Lane is also a Director and Producer and has been in the film industry for decades. She is the author of the book "Sell Your Story in A Single Sentence: Advice from the Front Lines of Hollywood" available in paperback and online. The conversation ranges from Lane's passions of pursuing a career in filmmaking, the difficulties of finding work as a female director, the ins and outs of pitching projects in Hollywood, keeping authors involved in the adaption process, and why certain adaptations don't work out. We hope you enjoy! We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@

In episode five of the "2021 Oscar Bait" season, the guys discuss "The Father". The play, written by Florian Zeller and first performed in 2012, was adapted for the screen in 2020. The film was directed by the playwright himself, Florian Zeller, and written for the screen by Zeller and Christopher Hampton (who also translated the play into English). It stars Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. The conversation ranges from the play's unique structure, the adaptation's few differences from the play, the incredible performances, and whether or not Anthony Hopkins is the greatest of all time. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the play or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com

In episode four of the "2021 Oscar Bait" season, the guys discuss "News of the World". The book, written by Paulette Jiles and published in 2016, was adapted for the screen in 2020. The film was directed by Paul Greengrass and written by Greengrass and Luke Davies. It stars Tom Hanks and newcomer Helena Zengel. The conversation ranges from the book's unique prose, the adaptation's odd and confusing changes, the hype around Helena Zengel's performance, and whether or not Tom Hanks' career is now on a decline. Listen to the episode for yourself and let us know which you enjoyed more, the play or the movie. We want to find more fine listeners like yourself, but we can't do it without your help. All you have to do is listen, rate, & review! Find us elsewhere on the internet for more content --> Twitter: @littolens Instagram: @littolens Blog: www.littolensblog.wordpress.com Email: littolens@gmail.com