I like to use Remains of the Day as an example that show how some thing work better in film and other work better on the page. In the book there is a great internal monologue where the main character is considering whether humor is an appropriate task for a butler in these modern times. OTOH there is a scene where the main character is CRUSHED by rejection, but he refuses to show it or even admit it to himself, and Anthony Hopkins pulls that off very well, in a way that would be difficult to pull off in a first person book. It is also a good example because it is such a short book, so when making the comparison, you’re not distracted by all the cuts required to get the movie down to a reasonable length.
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A scanner darkly would be my choice as well, being a great film and adaptation. Not that there’s any worthwhile competition given the dren released that was adapted from his work.
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I agree. The production was disappointing. I enjoyed the first episode, but it was straight downhill from there. On a scale of 1-10, I give “Good Omens” a 4 --mediocre, but not unwatchable.
The Voice of God was a cheap trick, no more than an expository narrator shamelessly filling in details. And why is anyone impressed that God was played by a woman in 2019? Alanis Morissette was God in “Dogma” in 1999. Whoopi Goldberg was God (effectively, too!) in a Muppets Christmas special back in 2002. Of course in those instances, as in this one, God is made female to be cheeky and irreverent. So this isn’t quite feminism, is it?
As for updating to the present day, it’s superficial, and maybe “Good Omens” would have worked better if left thirty years in the technological past. The tape-recording answering machine was obviously anachronistic. More importantly, the gang of four kids riding around on bikes and making up fun games in the woods seemed like something pulled straight out of the 1980s. They had no hint of the net-connected lives that are normal for children today, and they made no references to modern cultural contexts.
Perhaps worst of all, for something attempting to be a comedy, it wasn’t terribly funny. There were cheap, familiar jokes, like to Noah, “Hey your unicorn is getting away… Ah well, you’ve still got one”. Ha. Yeah. Creative.
And what was up with the stunt casting: Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Satan? Was that supposed to be hilarious?
Finally, I was just astounded that “you’re not my real dad” was the thought that was supposed to have defeated Pure Evil. I mean, come on!
Thread.
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That’s another thing that made me roll my eyes really hard. The entire point of that scene is supposed to be that Adam, who doesn’t want to be the Antichrist and have all that responsibility on his shoulders, pretty much decides that Satan is not his dad. Mr Young is. And him deciding this makes it real. The scene is pretty great in the book - it’s fairly understated but clear, it doesn’t have Satan showing up (we know he’s coming but then Mr Young appears in his place), there’s no debating or anything. The “omg you’re not my real dad, you have never been there for me” crap the show did just makes no sense and it turns a clever scene into something that is a pile of clichés, both visually (seriously, that is how Satan looks? how… original, especially considering how the demons look) and writing-wise.
Good Omens is mildly entertaining, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not by any means “amazing”. Not even close. If you want amazing, Firefly would have deserved a healthy run of at least eight seasons 
, like so much obviously “meh” stuff seems to get these days. Sigh.
Well thanks for that. And thanks for assuming my gender wrongly, btw…Because I have autism, it’s difficult for me to know how to phrase or pitch comments in public forums. That particular one, now edited, just ended up being my stream of consciousness re Gaiman and Pratchett, a build up of the frustration of being recommended their works innumerable times, and being contradicted of my own opinion (usually by men, because I am a woman and therefore obviously don’t know my own mind) when I say I don’t like them.
I looked up ‘meta-comment’ because I hadn’t encountered the term before…so guessing you meant it with all the sarcasm you could muster, I’d just like to say thanks again, and that I probably won’t return to post here again if I am going to make such obvious faux pas.
It’s OK to not like Pratchett’s books. I’ve never warmed to them, either. (I don’t remember reading anything by Gaiman yet, so perhaps his stuff is better.)
From the comments here, it sounds like people who read and enjoyed the book tended to like the show, while a lot of the commenters who didn’t like it also mentioned that they either hadn’t read the book or read it a long time ago and can’t remember it. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising – the whole time I was watching it, I found myself thinking “wow, this really sticks very close to the source material” – but it’s probably informative.
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Me too, usually. I made the mistake of getting a degree in Film & Digital Media, and I’m ruined for watching most things. I now look at other movies as “how someone else see it” and usually chose not to watch their vision based on the trailers. Except LoTR, which is such a family favorite that I seen parts of it several times.
Disclaimer: Good Omens is one of my favorite books. I’ve read it, handed out copies (4 so far) to people who “borrowed” it so I could aquaint them with Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, or both, and then got the audiobook so we could listen while we worked or drove. (The audiobook, narrated by Martin Jarvis, Is OK by me; the husband loves the reading. Either way, not as good as the radio play.)
I love this adaptation. It captures most of the story’s wit and charm. It has David Tennant slinking around, it has Anna Maxwell Martin as Beelzebub buzzing, it has Josie Lawrence chewing up the Medieval scenery and Michael McKean chewing up all the other scenery doing the accent right out of the book. I’m recommending it to people who don’t read.
Nitpicks: I didn’t like the casting of Adam, and apparently someone else was supposed to be Satan & chose not to be in the thing so they got Benedict & he was OK but Smaug. I hate the angels’ makeup, although I love their costumes.
Big problem for me: I miss the other horsemen. The casting that could have been done!!!
@petzel: Crowley wasn’t really evil, he just “sauntered vaguely downward.” Aziraphale wasn’t totally good, either,; he disobeyed God early on by giving the sword to Adam & Eve. And Dirk Gently is another weirdly good adaptation.
I totally understand. I took just enough media classes in college to basically always be speculating about what’s happening behind the camera. It usually doesn’t fully pull me out of a scene but I often find myself running dual narratives. The ocean scene in Roma was the most recent one that really hit me. It’s such a powerful scene, but the whole time I was imagining all of the underwater support personnel they had to have had with extra scuba gear and anchors to pull the actors under. It’s weird though, because I can’t really say that it diminished the experience. To get that scene, and all in one shot is just mind blowing. I honestly don’t think he gets enough credit. His work is consistently genius.
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I worked in special effects for a number of years and I’m glad I don’t let that shit get in the way of enjoying something. At least these days good effects will try to get out of the way of the story. I do have my cringe points watching things and watching a series I will tend to wonder how they budget effects per episode and meta crap like that.
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