#AtoZChallenge The Dead Zone

THE DEAD ZONE

This Stephen King book has been adapted into a television series and a movie. The movie was more true to the book, but I enjoyed the television series more. I like the character Bruce Lewis, who is not in the book. Part of the reason for this is that Bruce plays a moral conscience role, keeping Johnny from dealing with his villain the way he intends to in the book. I feel that the other reason Bruce's character exists is to get the audience "out" of Johnny's head, saving the audience from "stream-of-thought" narration, which is rarely done well in a television drama. (Possibly because tv comedy has used it enough that we anticipate the voice-over to be funny.) While third-person-omniscient works well in books, it doesn't always work on screen. Bruce gives Johnny someone to talk to and also makes him less of a lone wolf. He can feel more like a "good" protagonist. 

The Dead Zone is the first time in a novel Stephen King featured the fictional town of Castle Rock, though the tv show tends to refer to the characters as living in "Penobscot County in Maine," which is a real place. In the book, Johnny is about 28-years-old when he wakes up from his coma. Christopher Walken, who plays Johnny in the 1983 film, was over 40-years-old when the film debuted. Anthony Michael Hall was 34-years-old when the television show aired in June 2002. 

In the novel, the "dead zone" is the part of Johnny Smith's brain that is damaged beyond repair, causing dormant parts to awaken in order to compensate, leading to psychic abilities; when information in his visions is obstructed, Johnny says it exists in the dead zone. In the movie adaptation starring Walken, a "dead zone" is a blind spot that only appears in precognitive visions, representing that the future can be altered. In the TV series starring Hall, the "dead zone" is not his brain damage but instead the previously dormant part of Johnny's brain that awakens and activates his psychic abilities.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Smith_(Dead_Zone)

A major flaw in the book and television show is that there isn't actually a part of the brain that is dormant or unused. 

Magnetic resonance imaging shows that most of the human brain is active most of the time. In the course of a day, you use just about every part of your brain.

- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-much-of-our-brain-do-we-use#percent-of-brain-used 

Eighty years of studies confirm that every part of the brain is active throughout the course of a day. Save those who have suffered serious brain injury, we use all of our brains, all of the time.

https://nautil.us/heres-why-your-brain-seems-mostly-dormant-3611/ 

Is that what went wrong with the television adaptation? That a "dead zone" couldn't actually be a dormant part of a brain since there's no such thing? 🧠

No. It's that, behind the scenes, there weren't enough dedicated people to fight for it, and there wasn't enough money to keep it going as it could have and should have been. 
https://www.reddit.com/r/stephenking/comments/qduo06/the_dead_zone_tv_series_why_did_it_fail_a/

Proof that even if the adaptation is from a book by Stephen "best-seller" King, budgets can still be slashed, characters added or removed, storylines shifted, and story arcs altered. 

What do you think, should there be "bookslappers" to keep adapted stories closer to their print form?

Our usual posting schedule will resume in May. The next Pass or Pages is June/July. Thanks for visiting!

#AtoZ Challenge - Fiction to Film - The Martian

Y is for The Martian by AndY Weir

The Martian was published in 2011.  Andy Weir actually wrote it several years before then, and posted it on his blog because he wanted readers to help him get the science right.  Eventually he self-published it on Amazon, where it was seen by an agent and picked up by a major publisher.

Mark Watney is a botanist accompanying an exploration team on a month-long stay on Mars.  On day 6, a massive wind and dust storm threatens to topple the Ascent Vehicle and strand everyone on Mars.  During the evacuation, an antenna blows free and impales Watney.  He is then blown out of sight.  The rest of the crew presumes he died, and leave Mars without him.

Except he didn't die.  The rest of the story details how he survives and NASA's efforts to retrieve him.

I first tried to read it in e-book form from my local library, but the science descriptions bogged me down and really slowed the pace.  I couldn't get past chapter 5.  But the movie was coming out soon, and I'd heard good things about it, so I tried again.  At the time, I worked in an office about 35 miles from my house, and my commute time was over an hour each way.  So I checked out the audio book from my library.

I specifically remember one day I had to pull over on the side of the freeway because I was laughing so hard I couldn't see where I was going and almost crashed my car.

J here on OA told me that because I read the book on audio, I missed some of the visual laughs in the book.  He gave me this sample.

The movie came out in 2015 and starred Matt Damon as Mark Watney. 

The movie is mostly true to the book, but has condensed science descriptions and fewer f-bombs.  Viewers know what's going on without boredom or slow pacing.

I would definitely read the audio book again AND watch the movie again.  What about you?  Tell us in the comments!

 

#AtoZ Challenge - Fiction to Film - Murder on the Orient EXpress

X is for Murder on the Orient EXpress by Agatha Christie

Possibly the most famous of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries, the story was written in 1934.  The real-life kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's son in 1932 inspired the set-up for the story.  

Poirot travels by train in winter from Istanbul to London. During the night while traversing Yugoslavia, the train encounters an avalanche and cannot move forward until the snow is cleared.  The following morning, a passenger, Mr. Ratchett, is discovered dead with 12 stab wounds.  The murderer must still be on the train because the surrounding snow is too high for escape plus there are no footprints.

Poirot interviews the passengers and collects the clues, and arrives at the solution.  However, he presents the passengers with two possible resolutions.  After hearing them both, they know option 2 is correct but everyone chooses option 1 as the official story.  Poirot reports option 1 to the local police after the train is able to move forward again.

The BBC produced Masterpiece Theater 1989-2013 with actor David Suchet as Poirot.  

In my not-so-humble opinion, there is NO better actor for that role!  I've seen all of the Poirot adaptations, plus all of the Miss Marple ones too.  Excellent series, and the intro music is amazing.

The recent movie version was released in 2017 with Kenneth Branagh as Poirot. 

He doesn't even come close to Suchet.  Sorry.  Johnny Depp was Ratchett.  The movie was reasonably true to the basic story line although it did take some liberties.  But I couldn't really get into it because Poirot was NOT Poirot.

Have you seen the BBC production and the 2017 movie?  Did you like the new Poirot?  Tell us in the comments!

 

#BookToFilm of What's Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges #atozchallenge

 

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I first watched the film and then read the book after being recommended to watch the film in 2012. I immediately fell in love with the film (1993), and then read the book. While I love both versions, I am more likely to watch the film due to not owning a physical copy of the novel. Yet. It is on my "to buy and own" list.

The protagonist is Gilbert Grape, who works at the grocery store as a clerk while caring for obese mother Bonnie, sister Amy, sister Ellen, and younger brother Arnie. Gilbert works, takes care of his family, and makes repairs on the house. Their father died by suicide, which impacted every family member. A young woman, Becky, and her grandmother, are going through town and need to make repairs before they can move on. Gilbert and Becky fall in love, and Gilbert learns about who he is and who he wants to be.

The characters are just wholesome and real. They could be people I'd encounter in the sleepy little town where I currently live. 

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The story is emotional, and I usually cry near the end, so I won't spoil it. There are moments of humor throughout, and times where I wonder where the emotion wheel is so I can find all the layers of emotion that I feel when engaging with the story.

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I equally prefer the book (minus one change to Becky's age) and the film. I simply cannot choose.

Do you have a go to story that makes you cry in a cathartic way? Do you have a story that you love the book and the screen version equally?

Our usual posting schedule will resume in May. The next Pass or Pages is June/July. Thanks for visiting!

 

#AtoZ Challenge - Fiction to Film - One for the Money

 V is for One for the Money by Janet EVanoVich

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series began in 1994 with One for the Money and is now on book #28 Game On.  Book #29 is scheduled for release near the end of 2022.

I've read the entire series, and several of the books more than once.  I love a humorous mystery!  Stephanie Plum is in "bond enforcement", tracking down folks who bail out of jail on a bond written by her cousin Vinnie and who subsequently fail to show up for a court appearance.  Since Vinnie wrote the bond, failing to appear [FTA] means Vinnie has to pay the entire bail amount to the court unless he can find the fugitive and haul him/her back to jail.

Stephanie is a novice on better days, and inept the rest of the time.  But she has no fear and does what needs to be done to nab her quarry.

In One for the Money, Stephanie lost her job as a lingerie buyer and is on the edge of eviction.  She needs a job, and Vinnie has one - find the FTAs and bring them back to jail, and he'll pay her 10% of the bond value.  Because she has no experience, he wants to give her the easy, "low bond" folks.  But Stephanie needs the money so she wants Joe Morelli, a cop who the paperwork says shot an unarmed man.  He's also Stephanie's ex-flame from high school.  His bond is $500,000 which means if Stephanie can bring him in, she gets $50,000.

I laughed so hard the first time I read this book, and even on subsequent reads I'm still laughing.  The dinner scene with Grandma Mazur and the chicken is hysterically funny.

The movie was released in 2012, starring Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum.  It doesn't 100% track the book but is reasonably true to the story.  The aforementioned dinner scene made it into the movie, but doesn't have near the laugh factor as it does in the book.

I found the movie moved too fast.  The book takes the time to develop the characters and their relationships, without bogging down or moving too slowly.  The movie seems to move way too quickly.  I know a movie audience won't tolerate a slow pace, but I bounced from one scene to the next without enough time to appreciate the cause/effect relationships between the scenes, never mind the characters.

The movie has a bonus feature containing interviews with actual bail bond recovery agents, which I found really interesting.

It's still a fun movie and I'll watch it again.  But if you've only seen the movie, do yourself a favor and read the book!

Have you done both?  Did you like the book better?  Let us know in the comments! 

#BookToFilm of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera #atozchallenge

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I was introduced to the book during a modern fiction course during my undergraduate years of studying Creative Writing way back in the day. It is a gorgeous novel with repetitive passages and beautifully written and lyrical moments with philosophical themes. Tomas is a surgeon and intellectual who marries Tereza. Tomas considers sex and love to be separate. He has sex with many women, but he only loves Tereza. Sabina is one of Tomas's long time mistresses, who has an affair with Franz, a Geneva professor. Karenin is Tomas and Teresa's dog, who if you can't tolerate the death of pets in stories and films, you have been warned and this is the only spoiler I will provide.

Warning: there is sex in the book and in the film. 

There is only one film, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988). I watched it for this post, and I can't wait to own a copy. My initial impression was full of doubt when I found it, because how could the beautiful novel I remember be translated to the screen with any justice?

Am I glad my initial impression was wrong.

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The music was amazing, and the length of the film, while longer than I prefer, was an experience. I do not see how the film could be made shorter. I watched the extras like I usually do for films I adore. It was amazing for me to see how the filmmakers worked together to bring the characters and story to life.

When the story was being filmed, the book was banned in Milan Kundera's native Czechoslovakia, so the story was filmed in France. Kundera did consult on the film, and in a note to a later Czech edition of the book, Kundera said that the movie had little of the novel's spirit or characters, which influenced his decision to not allow any adaptations of his work. The film must be viewed with the book as inspiration, according to Cattrysse Patrick.

The filmmakers showed the film to native Czechs who were astounded that the film was made in France because it looked so much like Czechoslovakia. Some film crew members even went to Czechoslovakia to bring to France native beers and food so the scenes had additional authenticity. Movie magic.

I am not a film guru beyond enjoying films as a consumer, but the graphic novel and comics artist in me is excited when I see how filmmakers have chosen to transition scenes, point of view, and moving the camera (Russian Ark filmed in one take, hello 96 minutes). The Unbearable Lightness of Being film had scenes of archival footage depicting the Soviet invasion combined with new material shot in Lyon. The color transitions and transportation back in time is something I do not have the words to describe. You will just have to experience it for yourself.

Hands down, one of my favorite films. Of all time. I highly recommend reading and watching the story with TW of pet death and sex.

Is there a novel/film that impacts other parts of your life, like the film here influencing how I draw comics? Now I'm wondering if one of my works is adapted to screen, will I have a similar stance to Kundera? What do you think, will you let your work be adapted or is it a no go?

Our usual posting schedule will resume in May. The next Pass or Pages is June/July. Thanks for visiting!

#atozchallenge Twilight

Of the book's 19,713 global ratings on Amazon, Twilight has 14,983 that are five stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ So yeah, it has some fans.
Even director Catherine Hardwicke has a book out about directing the movie. (Edward catching that apple! 🍎👐)

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But ask most people about the book to film adaptation, and what's the first thing they mention?
✨✨✨✨✨🧛
Sparkling vampire skin.



Do some stones, such as marble, reflect light? Are there crystals or diamonds that sparkle when exposed to light? Could the skin of a vampire be structurally different from that of a human?

Screenrant suggests the real reason is that it's a plot device to allow these vampires to blend with humans in dark, rainy towns like Forks, thus allowing Bella and Edward to meet.
There's a biologist who argues against this fiction being scientifically possible. 
A marble business, no connection to the Twilight franchise, does have an article about marble and how the sun impacts it. 

"[Marble] gently reflects light..."
Author Stephenie Meyer has tried to better explain the skin:

Not everyone is obsessed with how the visual effects departments portray vampires in sunlight.

Other buzz about the adaptation includes:

• Waylon Forge! A friend of Charlie's who is prey for James... but only in the movie, because he isn't in the book. 
• Cullen Crest and the jewelry are never mentioned in the books.
• 🐒 Is "spider monkey" or "monkey man" in the books anywhere?
• 🌵 That pretty little cactus plant doesn't get a mention in the book pages, either.
• Poor Alice, her backstory is mostly cut from the films. Only those who read the books know the big connection between Alice and James. 
• 🍕 Edward could take a bite of food but not enjoy it, and would need to 🤮 get it out later because vampires can't digest food. The movies skip all that.
• The hilariousness of Bella not being able to handle the sight or smell of blood. 🩸
• Newton's store? University of Alaska? Never really got screen time mentions.
• 💋 First kiss-- woods or bedroom? 
• Did Bella's reveal of suspecting Edward is a vampire happen in the woods or in the car? This also depends if you saw the movie or read the book.

Overall, it's a pretty minor list compared to other book-to-movie adaptations. 



Have you read the first Twilight book? Seen the first Twilight movie? Read Life and Death? Care to share your feelings with us on the sparkle subject?


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#AtoZChallenge Stephen King's The Shining

Time to visit the Overlook Hotel. Room 237 for fans of Stanley Kubrick, room 217 for Stephen King fans. 
(Oregon's Timberline Lodge, a hotel used for exterior shots, didn't want to scare guests away from room 217. Interior shots were mostly done at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England. The Stanley Hotel in Colorado was the inspiration for King's book.)

It's called THE SHINING, but what is that? Basically, “shining” is a combination of telepathy and clairvoyance. (Though Clairvoyance is just about visions, and Danny seems to have a few more ESP/ Clair senses. Also, he sees mostly past events, but also psychic premonitions.) 

There are two big flaws Danny has to endure with this. One, he's a child, so getting people to believe he sees, hears, feels, or knows anything is basically impossible, much less when it comes to supernatural stuff. Two, he's a child, so his powers and senses are underdeveloped. Dick Hallorann's character is absolutely crucial to the development of Danny's character. (As far a character type, Dick is a Sage.)

Here's something to ponder:
Is failing writer Jack Torrance the main character? Or is it his five-year-old son Danny Torrance?
Give that a search, and you'll find the Internet is torn! Some say Danny is the protagonist. Others argue that Jack is the protagonist and the antagonist (person-vs-self). 

Jack starts off wanting to change into a better husband, father, and writer. By the end, he's about as bad as one can be at all three.
Kubrick was most interested in Jack's battle with sanity, which puts the focus on that character. But also made him more of an antagonist from the start, who is less interested in becoming a better person. In the movie, a bad guy turns into a worse guy, which isn't much of a change or transformation.

If a protagonist is required to change or transform, Jack certainly qualifies in the book. 
It's also argued that Wendy could be the protagonist because she's weak at the beginning (and especially in the movie), but becomes strong in the end by surviving and helping her son survive. 
Evidence that Danny is the protagonist is largely based on his defeat of the antagonist, his father. There is room to argue that Danny at the opening could not stand up to Jack and would not allow him to die (by fire or frost), which Danny at the end does, showing character growth as self-preservation.

If you've only read the book, you might wonder who Jack is. John Daniel Edward "Jack" Torrance is the full name, as Jack is a nickname for John. (President Kennedy famously went by both John and Jack.) He also doesn't type page after page of "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," instead writing a story about a family staying in a haunted hotel. (Hey, that sounds familiar... 😉)  And the "“Here's Johnny!”" line was from the actor as a nod to a late-night talk show. 

A big adaptation annoyance comes when the Overlook hotel manager tells Jack and Wendy that the hotel is built on an Indian burial ground. That doesn't happen in the book.  
👧👧 What about the Grady ghosts? Afraid the book doesn't have Danny seeing twin girls. 
Thanks to CGI, there is a bloody elevator in the movie that isn't in the book. Because of CGI, there is a hedge maze instead of animated topiaries turning into monsters. 

🪓 Axe the axe! The book has a croquet mallet. 

REDRUM is in both. 🔎 Grab a mirror if you don't know what that's about.

There's an interview (http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/interview.ts.html) in which Kubrick discusses why he decided the book and movie should have different endings. 🔥🧊

Do you like the book or movie more? Prefer King or Kubrick? Would you stay in Timberline Lodge's room 217 (if the number wasn't changed to 237 in the movie)?


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#BookToFilm of Rumble Fish

 

“The book was better,” people always say.  And in most cases, that is correct.  Books can give much more detail and get deeply into a character’s thoughts and perceptions.  But in a small number of cases, the film adaptation of a book is, in fact, better than the book. 

Rumble Fish is one of those rare beasts.

Based on S. E. Hinton’s slim novel, Francis Ford Coppola’s surreal, dream-like film was shot back-to-back with his adaptation of Hinton’s wildly successful The Outsiders and used many of the same cast and crew.  Yet the two films could not be more different in style, tone and look. 

Shot almost entirely in black and white (only the titular rumble fish or Siamese fighting fish are in color), this film shows a darker, grittier side of Tulsa.  Against the backdrop of stylised urban decay Matt Dillon’s Rusty James struggles to find his place in the world.  Mickey Rourke plays the older brother he idolises, an enigmatic figure known only as The Motorcycle Boy.

The film focuses more intently on the relationship between the brothers than the book which explores Rusty James’s dependent friendship with Steve alongside his hero-worship of his brother.  In the film, Steve is still present, but is more a sidekick than a central figure.  But his role in pointing out The Motorcycle Boy’s flaws remains the same in both.

The question of The Motorcycle Boy’s sanity is brought up time and again throughout the film.  Rusty James isn’t sure what to believe about him, while Steve grows to believe he is unstable. The cop who is out to get both brothers is convinced he’s mad, but the boys’ drunkard father (played with delightful roguishness by Dennis Hopper) believes The Motorcycle Boy just sees the world differently to others. With less context to the film's ending than the book gives us, the central question of The Motorcycle Boy's mental state is left to the audience to decide.

This uncertainty about one of the central characters is heightened by the film’s production design and cinematography which create weird shadows and angles, time sped up in places and slowed down in others.  There is a constant sense of unreality even when what is playing out on screen is mundane and all too real.  This is underscored by Stewart Copeland’s eerie soundtrack which adds to the disorientation that permeates the film.

Essentially an art film, Rumble Fish is filled with symbolism to highlight its themes.  Clocks spinning wildly suggest that time is running away from these characters.  And the titular fish evoke the world these teens live in – a world in which they will fight to the death for their place in it.  There is a sense that they are trapped, like fish in a bowl, fighting for space to survive.

I love this film and would not hesitate to suggest that it is Mickey Rourke’s finest on-screen performance.  He has swagger and charisma, yet manages at the same time to be enigmatic and unapproachable.  His relationship with Rusty James swings between bemused affection and total disinterest and can change on a dime.  This too adds to the unsettling nature of the film – a wildly unpredictable character can keep the audience on edge.

This is my favorite adaptation of an S E Hinton novel even if it doesn't fit comfortably into either the teen movie genre or that of the art film.  Have you seen this film?  What did you think?  Better than the book or not?

Our usual posting schedule will resume in May. The next Pass or Pages is June/July. Thanks for visiting!

#BookToFilm of The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis #atozchallenge

I wrote a review of The Queen's Gambit previously on OA for #AtoZChallenge 2021. Check it out here.

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As for the TV miniseries, I adore all 7 episodes. I read the book first and then watched the series on Netflix. The story follows Beth, who is an orphan, growing from not knowing how to play chess to winning tournaments. 

The visuals in the series and the brief scenes from Beth's life before adoption give enough backstory to set the tone for Beth's life as an adolescent and adult. The miniseries focuses on the drug and alcohol addiction, though the pills and alcohol are ever present in the book.

What is amazing about the miniseries is winning 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, and The Queen's Gambit was the first show on a streaming service to win Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Anya Taylor-Joy, who played Beth Harmon, won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. 

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I absolutely love how chess was depicted in the film, especially with Beth's visualizations on the ceiling.  

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Practice some chess tactics here for a free rating, learn chess definitions and tactics information here, and grab a copy of The Complete Book of Chess Strategy here. Can you compete with Beth Harmon?

Check mate. Your move. What is your favorite scene in the miniseries? Or what is your favorite chess move? What is your history with chess?

Our usual posting schedule will resume in May. The next Pass or Pages is June/July. Thanks for visiting!

#BookToFilm of The Princess Bride

 

William Goldman adapted his own novel, The Princess Bride, for the screen.  And as befits someone who basically wrote the guidebook for screenwriting (or at least, one or two of them), it is a near-perfect adaptation.

It is also a near perfect film, according to many, including yours truly.  Few films manage to perfectly balance fantasy, satire, action and romance.

The book is, as you might expect, very similar to the film, but in distilling the story down to 98 minutes, Goldman manages to capture the book’s best moments and still have time for a framing story about a sick boy and his grandfather that adds depth and meaning to the fairy tale. 

And it is a fairy tale with all the fairy tale tropes – damsel in distress, poor farm boy with eyes for a woman above his station, an epic journey, giants and dwarves and evil princes.  Yet even while it follows the form and structure of a fairy tale, it pokes gentle fun at them.

The film launched the careers of then-unknown Robin Wright and gave Carey Elwes his first comic role.  Filling out the cast are acting greats like Mandy Patinkin and Wallace Shawn, joining such comic geniuses as Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane and Peter Cook.  Much of the dialogue has become lexicon, especially Inigo Montoya’s oft-repeated statement of revenge:

                                “My name is Inigo Monoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

But that’s just one example.  There are myriad others, each as giggle-inducing as the next.  I’m sure everyone has their own favourite – mine is Miracle Max declaring Westley only “mostly dead”.  Or maybe Vizzinni’s lisped misuse of “inconceivable”.  Or perhaps the romantic chorus, “as you wish.”

Initially only a modest success at the box office, The Princess Bride has become something of a cult with the film appearing on numerous “best of” lists in recent years.  Fans are so protective of the film that any rumoured remakes or musicals based on the film have been quickly squashed before they were fully developed.

Unusually for a cult film, the cast all seem to have remained close friends in the years since release and meet up to celebrate significant milestones.  In 2020 a fan-made recreation of the film was released.  Produced during the COVID-19 lockdown, an ensemble cast filmed themselves recreating scenes from the film at home.  Director Rob Reiner even made an appearance, in the role of Grandfather, initially played by Peter Falk. His father, the legendary Carl Reiner also stepped in to play this role with his own grandson standing in for the Fred Savage role.  The cast reunited later the same year for a table read of the original script that was broadcast online.

I recently caught the end of this film again, after not having seen it for several years and was once again sucked into the story.  Like the sick little boy being read the book, I can dive back into the story time and time again.  And this is one I believe is just as good as the book it is based on.  Maybe even better...

What do you think?  Better than the book or not?

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AtoZ Challenge: Fiction to Film: On Stranger Tides

 On Stranger Tides is the name of the 1987 novel by Tim Powers

and the 4th installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean Series, Pirates of the Caribbean:On Stranger Tides

And honestly, that is pretty much where the similarities end. The novel is said to be the inspiration for the movie, and while the movie is based around a journey to find the Fountain of Youth, and Black Beard makes an appearance, there is nothing else to suggest that the two have anything to do with one another.

So as adaptions go, I would call this one a failure. 

On the other hand, the movie, while lacking some of the magic of the previous Pirates of the Caribbean movies, was still entertaining and fun to watch.

The book, I was pleasantly surprised to find, was also delightful. I listened to it on Audible and it kept me entertained and invested for the entire 10 hours it took me to make it from beginning to end. I liked it so well, that I will be picking up other Tim Power's books to read and enjoy. So that's a win.

Have you read or watched On Stranger Tides? Did you pick up on similarities I may have missed? Do you think both would have been better if there were more fanged mermaids? Share in the comments below.