In Contrast

The Colour Out of Space

In episode 11, Alan & Nisha once again visit with pod favorite H.P. Lovecraft to discuss his 1927 short story, The Colour Out of Space. Often cited as perhaps the favorite work of Lovecraft himself, this story has been adapted numerous times over the years and inspired countless more.
For the discussion, they also focus on two films: The 2019 film The Color Out of Space starring Nicholas Cage, and the lesser-known 2010 film Die Farbe (The Color), a low-budget German-language adaptation.
One of these was a fairly successful mainstream sci-fi, the other a work of love appreciated by dedicated fans. How do these films stack up against the original writings? Join us as we discuss this and more, including the rippling effects of this nearly century-old classic.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

In episode 10, Alan & Nisha tackle the well-known crime thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. Written by Patricia Highsmith and released in 1955, this novel kicked off a series of five books that would be published over the next few decades.
This first book has 3 major adaptations, all of which are discussed in this episode. Purple Noon is a French adaptation starring Alain Delon as Tom, released in 1960. The Talented Mr. Ripley, perhaps the most well-known film, was released in 1999 and features a young Matt Damon as Ripley. Finally, the book was most recently adapted as a TV miniseries released by Netflix in 2024, starring Andrew Scott in the title role.
This story has become a template for thrillers since the mid-century, but does it still hold up on its own merits? Each of its screen adaptations color the story with their own flair, but which ones capture it best? How does the story of Tom Ripley and its themes translate to modern day?
Join us to find out!

The Golden Compass

Happy 2025 from In Contrast!
Alan & Nisha are ringing in the new year by discussing a seminal work in modern young adult fantasy and a personal favorite of Nisha's: The Golden Compass. This book (also known as The Northern Lights) was written by Phillip Pullman and released in 1995. It is the first entry in the His Dark Materials trilogy, but this conversation specifically focuses on the first book and its adaptations.
The book was adapted into a feature length film released in 2007, and the entire trilogy was later adapted into the His Dark Materials TV series which premiered in 2019. Alan focused on the film and the first season of the series, which covers the events from the first book.
This series has faced some criticisms for its perceived anti-religious bent, but do these criticisms hold any water? The film is noted as a box office bomb, but is it as bad when compared to its source material? How did the series hold up to the same scrutiny?
Join us to find out!

To Kill a Mockingbird

In Episode 8, Alan & Nisha discuss one of the major classics of American literature: To Kill a Mockingbird.
They talk about the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel by Harper Lee, and compare it with the film adaptation released just two years later in 1962. This remains the only major adaptation of this book. How does the film deal with the large and sometimes scattershot story of its source material? How does the social commentary hold up from these works 60+ years later?
Join us as we explore these and other questions!

The Woman in Black

Spooky season is upon us! On Episode 7, Alan & Nisha discuss the 1983 gothic horror novel The Woman in Black, as well as its two film adaptations: The 1989 made-for-TV film and the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe.
The novel is considered a hallmark of gothic horror, even being taught as part of standard curriculum in the UK. How do these two film versions stand up? Join us to find out!

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Alan and Nisha are back in Episode 6 to talk about another classic: The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story was originally published as a novel by legendary science fiction writer H.G. Wells in 1896. It tells of a far away island and the mysterious doctor who lives there conducting strange experiments.
 
This novel had been adapted many times over the years, so Alan watched a total of four...yes, FOUR film adaptations to prepare for this discussion. First, the fairly well-regarded 1932 film The Island of Lost Souls, followed by the rather loosely based Filipino film The Twilight People (1972), the more straightforward Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), and the infamous 1996 adaptation starring David Thewlis, Val Kilmer, and Marlon Brando.
 
We weren't prepared for the absolute insanity of these adaptations, including a bizarre connection with another unlikely film franchise! Join us as we descend into the chaos and find out: Is the book really better than the movie?

No Country for Old Men

In Episode 5, Alan and Nisha discuss No Country for Old Men, looking at both the 2005 novel by legendary author Cormac McCarthy, as well as the film directed by the Coen Brothers just 2 years later in 2007.
The film is not only widely considered a great adaptation, but one of the Coens' best films in their critically lauded career. Does the source material hold the same place in McCarthy's similarly celebrated bibliography? What were the changes made when put to film, and how did they impact the story?
Also, we apologize that this episode has some issues with audio quality and contains some mic echo. We tried our best to edit around it but some of it remained!

The Phantom of the Opera

In Episode 4, Alan & Nisha delve into The Phantom of the Opera. Originating as a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux, this story has been adapted numerous times in different mediums, including one of the longest running stage productions of all time.
They discuss this cultural impact and focus on 3 versions put to film: The 1925 silent film featuring Lon Chaney, the wildly different 1943 film by Arthur Lubin, and the 2004 film based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
 

The Call of Cthulhu

In Episode 3, Alan & Nisha discuss the highly influential story by H.P. Lovecraft The Call of Cthulhu. Despite this work's strong footing in culture since its publication in 1928, it has only been directly adapted to film once.
How does this 2005 adaptation by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society stack up to its source material? Is this story truly unfilmable as it was once thought to be? Join us and find out!

Blade Runner

Alan and Nisha are back for Episode 2!
This time they discuss the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, as well as its 1982 film adaptation Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford. There is also some discussion of how the 2017 legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049 expands on these works.
Both the novel and the film were highly influential in their times to science fiction and can even be credited with developing and popularizing the subgenre of cyberpunk. How do these works stand up to their reputation, and how do they stack up against one another? Tune in to find out.