Under The Skin
Science Fiction has been a standout film genre over the decades, as a whole host of terrific films have hit the big screen.
So many of those great sci-fi films have been adaptations of terrific novels. So we take a look at some of the books that have been given the big screen treatment over the years: and boy are there plenty to choose from.
- Under The Skin
Under The Skin is the latest sci-fi novel that has been given the silver screen treatment, and will be released this week.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Michel Faber, which was released back in 2000.
Scarlett Johansson will take on the central role of Laura, an alien in alien form. Part road movie, part science fiction, part real, it’s a film about seeing our world through alien eyes.
Under The Skin is a film that has already set the festival circuit alight, and I doubt we are going to see any other film like this hit the big screen this year.
This is also the type of role that we have not seen Johansson in before, and I can't wait to see her get her teeth into something new.
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
It is hard to believe that 2001: A Space Odyssey was released back in 1968, as it remains one of the greatest films in the sci-fi genre.
On top of that, it is also one of Stanley Kubrick's finest directorial moments.
The movie is based on the short story The Sentinel by Arthur C. Clarke, and together Clarke and Kubrick adapted it for the big screen.
Together they have created a cinematic masterpiece that not only looks beautiful, but also explores humanity's relationship with technology, violence, and sexuality.
Over forty years alter, 2001: A Space Odyssey is still the sci-fi masterpiece it was when it was released and it is one of the most influential movies of all time.
- Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park celebrated its twentieth anniversary last year and remains one of the best movies in this genre.
Jurassic Park was based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton: he teamed up with David Koepp to successfully adapt the novel into a screenplay.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park was a critical and box office smash when it was released back in 1993, as it thrilled and terrified a generation of children.
Spielberg used groundbreaking imagery by Industrial Light & Magic as well as life sized animatronic dinosaurs to bring the pre-historic world to life like we had never seen it before.
Over the years, those special effects have not dated, and Jurassic Park is as thrilling to watch now as it was back then. It is still one of the jewels in Spielberg's directing crown.
- Blade Runner
When you hear the name Ridley Scott, one of the films that you immediately think of is Blade Runner: which was released back in 1982.
Blade Runner was based on the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick - this is one of a whole host of Dick's books to be adapted over the years.
There are some major changes between the book and the movie: Dick delivered quite a dialogue packed and chatty novel, while Scott's book can be quite silent in places.
Despite the differences, Scott delivered a sci-fi film that really is difficult to forget. This is a movie that really doesn't seem to age, and the world that Scott has created still feels like the future.
Blade Runner was a movie that really did help introduce the work of Philip K. Dick to Hollywood, and now we are regularly seeing adaptations of his work on the big screen.
- 1984
A great British sci-fi book adaptation came in 1984 and was the adaptation of 1984 by George Orwell.
Michael Radford was in the director's chair for the film, and adapted Orwell's book into a screenplay.
The film follows the life of Winston Smith in Oceania, a country run by a totalitarian government. John Hurt took on the role of Smith, and was joined on the cast list by Richard Burton and Suzanna Hamilton.
1984 is a chilling reminder of how easy it is for totalitarian ideas to creep into society and take a firm grip, and director Radford really does ram home that fact.
The movie went on to win Best British Film of the Year award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards, and remains one of the best adaptations of this infamous novel.
- The Hunger Games
More recently, we have seen Suzanne Collins' trilogy The Hunger Games adapted to the big screen with huge success.
The story is set in a dystopian world where every year a boy and a girl from each district must take fight in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death.
Gary Ross was in the director's chair, while Jennifer Lawrence took on the central role of Katniss Everdeen.
The Hunger Games is a great adaptation of the book - however, it has had to cut the violence back to get its rating, which is a shame.
It is great to see a movie lead by such a fascinating and strong female character - Lawrence really does deliver an even greater performance in Catching Fire.
Two more movies are to be released with Mockingjay Part 1 and Mockingjay Part 2, and are set to bring the franchise to a triumphant close.
Under The Skin is released 14th March.
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