In Contrast

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.

The Shining

Welcome to our very first episode!
In episode 1, Alan and Nisha discuss the 1977 novel The Shining by Stephen King, as well as its 1980 film adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Both King and Kubrick are among the most lauded in their respected fields, so which one was able to capture this haunting story best?

Introducing: In Contrast

Welcome to In Contrast! On this show, Alan & Nisha talk about movies and the books they are based on. Nisha reads the books and Alan watches the screen adaptations, and through discussion of comparison and contrast, they attempt to answer the age-old question: Is the book better than the movie?