sci-fi

Kurt Vonnegut

What Vonnegut stories would you like to see turned into movies?

My friend Porcupine wants to see a Sirens of Titan movie made starring Johnny Depp, and I think would really like that!

I'm looking forward to 2081, based on the short story "Harrison Bergeron."

Another question: is most of Vonnegut's sci-fi work too "bookish" to make a good movie? I mean, is Cat's Cradle or Slapstick ideally experienced as a book and not as a film? Maybe Slaughterhouse-Five could make a good movie, but I thought Slaughterhouse-Five was lame. Do you think Timequake could make a good movie?

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

Okay, after reading this article I'm excited to see what Guillermo del Toro can do with Slaughterhouse-Five.

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

SkyPilot:

 

Much of Vonnegut's sci-fi work seems incredibly "bookish" to me. That is, something like Cat's Cradle or Slapstick is ideally experienced as a book and not as a film. Maybe Slaughterhouse-Five could make a good movie, but I thought Slaughterhouse-Five was lame.

 

I watched Slaughterhouse-Five in an attempt to inspire me to read some Vonnegut. But alas, I really couldn't get into it.

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

Player Piano, because it's not hard-core science fiction, could translate easily to a movie.  It's so dated now, so I'd like to see it actually set in a dystopian alternate version of the early '50s - keeping the gender, race, and religion inequality of the times, a la Mad Men.

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of my least favorite Vonnegut novels. My favorite is Breakfast of Champions, but to further my point above, I heard that movie wasn't so good.

Bluebeard was my second-favorite Vonnegut novel, so I'm looking forward to the 2009 movie.

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

SkyPilot:

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of my least favorite Vonnegut novels. My favorite is Breakfast of Champions, but to further my point above, I heard that movie wasn't so good.

Bluebeard was my second-favorite Vonnegut novel, so I'm looking forward to the 2009 movie.

If I've never read any Vonnegut novels before (and I haven't) would you recommend starting with Breakfast of Champions?

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

Risselada:

SkyPilot:

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of my least favorite Vonnegut novels. My favorite is Breakfast of Champions, but to further my point above, I heard that movie wasn't so good.

Bluebeard was my second-favorite Vonnegut novel, so I'm looking forward to the 2009 movie.

If I've never read any Vonnegut novels before (and I haven't) would you recommend starting with Breakfast of Champions?

I read part of Breakfast of Champions. I felt weird, so I stopped. I liked the pictures though.

Breakfast of Champions is Sci-Fi for Aliens; plus, who will play Kilgore Trout?

Risselada:

If I've never read any Vonnegut novels before (and I haven't) would you recommend starting with Breakfast of Champions?

Absolutely. I think it's his funniest book.

Breakfast of Champions is not sci-fi like some of his other books, but as I read the excerpt I got this impression that Breakfast is like a sci-fi book written for aliens. That is, if aliens were reading sci-fi about Earth, I bet it would sound a lot like Breakfast of Champions. 

You'll notice that a sci-fi writer named Kilgore Trout is a main character in Breakfast. Kilgore Trout is Vonnegut's alter ego, and when Kilgore pops up in Kurt's other novels, it's often unexpected and always fun.  

I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on Kilgore Trout. I remember him as a cross between Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi in  Ed Wood.

Kilgore Trout is exploding with ideas, but he's also like a magnet for sadness and sillines.

So who should play Kilgore Trout in any upcoming Vonnegut movies? I think Martin Landau would be perfect. Albert Finney played him in Breakfast of Champions, what do you guys think of his performance?

Re:Kurt Vonnegut

Tizzy:

Player Piano, because it's not hard-core science fiction, could translate easily to a movie.  It's so dated now, so I'd like to see it actually set in a dystopian alternate version of the early '50s - keeping the gender, race, and religion inequality of the times, a la Mad Men.

I haven't read Player Piano, but I like your idea. Are there any sci-fi movies that take place in dystopian pasts? Maybe there are a ton, but I can't think of any. The 1984 with John Hurt is the closest thing I can think of, but that was released in 1984.

Re:Breakfast of Champions is Sci-Fi for Aliens; plus, who will play Kilgore Trout?

SkyPilot:

Absolutely. I think it's his funniest book, and if you like this excerpt you will surely like the rest of the book, because the rest of the book is funnier. It is not 'just a political novel' by any means, though it may look like it from the opening pages.

Sadly that link did not take me to a specific page, but I will still take your word for it and probably start reading it soon!