"Straw Dogs (2011 film) Straw Dogs is a 2011 American psychological thriller/action film directed, produced, and written by Rod Lurie. It is a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film ""Straw Dogs"", itself lightly based on the Gordon Williams novel ""The Siege of Trencher's Farm"". It stars James Marsden and Kate Bosworth. Scriptwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) and his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) relocate to rural Mississippi where Amy grew up. They are going to live in the house of Amy's recently deceased father and to allow David to finish a script. While in town one afternoon, David meets Amy's ex-boyfriend"
"in the context of his other works."" ""Variety"" wrote, ""The script (from Gordon M. Williams' novel ""The Siege of Trencher's Farm"") relies on shock and violence to tide it over weakness in development, shallow characterization and lack of motivation."" ""Entertainment Weekly"" wrote that the contemporary interpretation was that of a ""serious exploration of humanity's ambivalent relationship with the dark side"", but it now seems an ""exploitation bloodbath"". Nick Schager of ""Slant Magazine"" rated it 4/4 stars and wrote, ""Sitting through Peckinpah's controversial classic is not unlike watching a lit fuse make its slow, inexorable way toward its combustible destination—the taut"
"been wholly unfair; so dazzled are the film critics by their icon."" Williams' agent George Greenfield had planned for Roman Polanski to direct an adaptation, but he was unavailable. For the 1971 film adaptation, writers Sam Peckinpah and David Zelag Goodman changed several aspects of the novel's story while keeping the overall plot. Peckinpah said ""David Goodman and I sat down and tried to make something of validity out of this rotten book. We did. The only thing we kept was the siege itself"". Williams was ""horrified"" by the film and publicly denounced it; he did not approve of the"
"that year, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was adapted as a film directed by John Ford, starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad; Fonda was nominated for the best actor Academy Award. ""Grapes"" was controversial. Steinbeck's New Deal political views, negative portrayal of aspects of capitalism, and sympathy for the plight of workers, led to a backlash against the author, especially close to home. Claiming the book was both obscene and misrepresented conditions in the county, the Kern County Board of Supervisors banned the book from the county's publicly funded schools and libraries in August 1939. This ban"
"of his favorites. His alienation from Warner Brothers once again left him with a limited number of directing jobs. Peckinpah traveled to England to direct ""Straw Dogs"" (1971), one of his darkest and most psychologically disturbing films. Produced by Daniel Melnick, who had previously worked with Peckinpah on ""Noon Wine"", the film's screenplay was based on the novel ""The Siege of Trencher's Farm"" by Gordon Williams. It starred Dustin Hoffman as David Sumner, a timid American mathematician who leaves the chaos of college anti-war protests to live with his young wife Amy (Susan George) in her native village in Cornwall,"
"subject matter of Stowe's novel was judged too sensitive for further film interpretation. In 1946, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer considered filming the story but ceased production after protests led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. A German-language version, ""Onkel Toms Hütte"", directed by Géza von Radványi, was released in 1965 and was presented in the United States by exploitation film presenter Kroger Babb. The most recent film version was a television broadcast in 1987, directed by Stan Lathan and adapted by John Gay. It starred Avery Brooks, Phylicia Rashad, Edward Woodward, Jenny Lewis, Samuel L. Jackson and Endyia Kinney."
"discussion of Blaise Pascal. But they are divided by the differences of their faith: Vigot is a Roman Catholic and Fowler an atheist. The novel was popular in England and over the years has achieved notable status, being adapted into films in 1958 and most recently in 2002 by Miramax, featuring Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser and earning the former a Best Actor nomination. However, after its publication in the United States in 1956, the novel was widely condemned as anti-American. It was criticised by ""The New Yorker"" for portraying Americans as murderers, largely based on one scene in which"
"has cited William S. Burroughs and Vladimir Nabokov as influences. Perhaps the best example of a film that straddles the line between his works of personal chaos and psychological confusion is Cronenberg's 1991 ""adaptation"" of ""Naked Lunch"" (1959), his literary hero William S. Burroughs' most controversial book. The novel was considered ""unfilmable"", and Cronenberg acknowledged that a straight translation into film would ""cost 400 million dollars and be banned in every country in the world"". Instead—much like in his earlier film, ""Videodrome""—he consistently blurred the lines between what appeared to be reality and what appeared to be hallucinations brought on"
"overruled by the advisory committee, which elected not to give a drama award at all. The two members of the jury, John Mason Brown and John Gassner, subsequently resigned in protest. An Academy Award-winning film adaptation of the controversial play was released in 1966 starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis. In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ""culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"". According to the New York Times, Albee was ""widely considered to be the foremost American playwright of his generation."""
"recesses of its characters' – and its readers' – minds. This is perhaps why it remains the definitive haunted house story"". In 2018, two of thirteen writers polled by ""The New York Times"" identified it as the scariest book of fiction they have ever read. The book has been adapted to film twice, in 1963 and again in 1999, both times under the title ""The Haunting."" The 1963 version is a relatively faithful adaptation and received critical praise. The 1999 version, considerably different from the novel and widely panned by critics, is an overt fantasy horror in which all the"
"combination of historical kidnap victims William Hamm and Edward Bremer whom the Barker gang kidnapped in 1933 and 1934 respectively. Prior to playing Ma Barker in this film, Winters played ""Ma Parker"", a villain inspired by Barker, in the 1960s ""Batman"" TV series. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: The film was initially banned in the UK, France, and New Zealand, although these bans were subsequently lifted. Screenwriter Robert Thom's novelization of the film was also banned by New Zealand's Indecent Publications Tribunal in 1971, but 40 years later (in 2012) the ban was overturned"
"of World War II, with primary villain Hygatt (Hitler) and his henchmen Gribbles (Goebbels) and Gerrett (Goering) plotting to take over the Franson Ranch, the Poling Ranch, and so on. The screenplay was deemed too political by MGM studio executives and was shelved, and the film was never made. ""Storm In the West"" was finally published in 1963, with a foreword by Schary detailing the work's origins, the authors' creative process, and the screenplay's ultimate fate. Sinclair Lewis had been a frequent visitor to Williamstown, Massachusetts. In 1946, he rented Thorvale Farm on Oblong Road. While working on his novel"
"True Grit (1969 film) True Grit is a 1969 American western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kim Darby as Mattie Ross and John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. It is the first film adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Marguerite Roberts. Wayne won his only Academy Award for his performance in the film and reprised his role for the 1975 sequel ""Rooster Cogburn"". Historians believe Cogburn was based on Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas, who brought in some of the toughest outlaws. The cast also features Glen Campbell,"
"published ""The War of the Roses"" and ""Random Hearts"". ""The War of the Roses"" was adapted into a feature film starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito in 1989. ""Random Hearts"" was adapted into a film starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas in 1999. There was a bidding war in a Hollywood commission for his unpublished book ""Private Lies"". Newsweek reported, ""TriStar Pictures outbid Warner Bros and Columbia, and purchased the film rights to Private Lies for $1.2 million. …the highest sums yet paid in Hollywood for an unpublished manuscript."" Adler also wrote ""The Sunset Gang"", produced by"
"into other genres as well, including several films dealing with the Second World War (notably ""The Longest Day"" and ""In Harm's Way)"". Wayne made some of his most prominent films during this period, including John Ford's ""The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"" (1962) with James Stewart. Wayne's political views came under harsh attack from film critics with the release of ""The Green Berets"" (1968), which Wayne produced and co-directed as well as starred in. The following year, however, he would be praised by critics for his performance in ""True Grit"", which would earn him an Academy Award for Best Actor."
"bestsellers list, 28 weeks for the hardcover edition and 28 for the paperback. The novel received a negative review from the ""New York Times"", as opposed to positive reviews from ""TIME"" and ""Publishers Weekly"". Vonnegut himself was unhappy with the novel, and gave it a C grade on a report card of his published work. However, it remains one of Vonnegut's best-known and most-influential works. In 1999, the novel was made into a film of the same name, starring Bruce Willis, Albert Finney, Nick Nolte and Omar Epps; ""see"" ""Breakfast of Champions (film)"". The movie was widely panned by critics"
"most controversial novel. In recent decades, historical context and allusions have featured prominently in criticism as has a growing awareness of Austen's sophisticated psychological characterisations. Two notable film versions of the novel were released: Frances O'Connor starring in the lead role in the 1999 version co-starring Jonny Lee Miller and followed by Billie Piper starring in the 2007 version for ITV1 co-starring Blake Ritson. Frances ""Fanny"" Price, at age ten, is sent from her family home to live with her uncle and aunt in the country in Northamptonshire. It is a jolting change, from the elder sister of many, to"
"The film was retitled The Conqueror Worm in the United States in an attempt to link it with Roger Corman's earlier series of Edgar Allan Poe-related films starring Price—although this movie has nothing to do with any of Poe's stories, and only briefly alludes to his poem. Director Reeves featured many scenes of intense onscreen torture and violence that were considered unusually sadistic at the time. Upon its theatrical release throughout the spring and summer of 1968, the movie's gruesome content was met with disgust by several film critics in the UK, despite having been extensively censored by the British"
"Charles Dickens novel ""Oliver Twist"". After directing several contributions to the BBC's ""Wednesday Play"" anthology series, Ken Loach began his feature film career with the social realist ""Poor Cow"" (1967) and ""Kes"" (1969). Meanwhile, the controversy around Peter Watkins ""The War Game"" (1965), which won the Best Documentary Film Oscar in 1967, but had been suppressed by the BBC who had commissioned it, would ultimately lead Watkins to work exclusively outside Britain. American studios cut back on British productions, and in many cases withdrew from financing them altogether. Films financed by American interests were still being made, including Billy Wilder's"
"book was adapted as a screenplay by Marguerite Roberts for the Western film ""True Grit"" directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kim Darby as Mattie Ross, Robert Duvall as ""Lucky"" Ned Pepper, Glen Campbell as LaBoeuf, Jeff Corey as Tom Chaney, and John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn (a role that won John Wayne Best Actor at the Academy Awards). A film sequel, ""Rooster Cogburn"", was produced from an original screenplay in 1975, with John Wayne reprising his role, and Katharine Hepburn as an elderly spinster, Eula Goodnight, who teams with him. The sequel was not well received, and the plot"
"Their adaptation focuses more on Mattie's point of view, as in the novel, and is more faithful to its Oklahoma setting. Hailee Steinfeld portrays Mattie Ross, Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, and the cast also includes Matt Damon as La Boeuf and Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney. True Grit (1969 film) True Grit is a 1969 American western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kim Darby as Mattie Ross and John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. It is the first film adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Marguerite Roberts."
"woods. Several critics pointed to this as a dangerous perpetuation of a traditional Southern justification for lynching. Despite the controversy, the novel was a runaway critical and financial success, and won both the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the William Dean Howells Medal in 1970. Styron's next novel, ""Sophie's Choice"" (1979), also generated significant controversy, in part due to Styron's decision to portray a non-Jewish victim of the Holocaust and in part due to its explicit sexuality and profanity. It was banned in South Africa, censored in the Soviet Union, and banned in Poland for ""its unflinching portrait of"
"colflection of satiric work by 47 writers, and a unique poetry and film tribute to ""The Three Stooges"" comedy team. In 1978, one of his poems, ""The Three Stooges at a Hollywood Party"", from his book, ""Loading the Revolver with Real Bullets,"" provoked outrage in some Republican members of the California State legislature who claimed the poem libeled actor John Wayne. Published by Second Coming Press and funded by a grant from the California Arts Council, lawmakers used this as a reason for denying Jane Fonda's appointment at the time to the California Arts Council by Jerry Brown during his"
"However, each of these instances came after the release of Stanley Kubrick's popular 1971 film adaptation of ""A Clockwork Orange"", itself the subject of much controversy. ""The Sunday Telegraph"" review was positive, and described the book as ""entertaining ... even profound"". ""The Sunday Times"" review was negative, and described the book as ""a very ordinary, brutal and psychologically shallow story"". ""The Times"" also reviewed the book negatively, describing it as ""a somewhat clumsy experiment with science fiction [with] clumsy cliches about juvenile delinquency"". The violence was criticised as ""unconvincing in detail"". Burgess dismissed ""A Clockwork Orange"" as ""too didactic to"
"foreign environment, as in the books of Alan Williams"". Bestselling author Robert Ludlum was a devotee. He especially admired ""Holy of Holies"", insisting that it ""will glue you to your chair with suspense."" ""The Pink Jungle"" is an adaptation of ""Snake Water"". The film, which starred James Garner, Eva Renzi and George Kennedy was neither a critical or financial success. Williams deemed it the worst film he'd ever seen in his life. He complained that the film-makers took the characters' names and nothing else from his novel. Dirk Bogarde had hoped to make a film of ""Barbouze"" co-starring Orson Welles"
"the majority residents in the central Mohawk Valley at the time, and William Caldwell. It also features such historical events as the Battle of Oriskany and the Attack on German Flatts (1778). The novel was a commercial and popular success, remaining on the bestseller list for two years. In 1939, the book was adapted for a Technicolor feature film of the same name directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Edna May Oliver, Ward Bond, and John Carradine. Historian Edward Countryman has argued that, while the film incorporates characters, plot, and dialogue from the novel, it differs"
"and ""The Hot Spot"" (1990), directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Connelly. Both are also available on Blu-Ray. Additionally, the French production ""Vivement dimanche!"" (""Confidentially Yours"") (1983), directed by François Truffaut and starring Fanny Ardant and Jean-Louis Trintignant, is currently available on US video. While Williams is little known presently by the general American public, between 1960 and 1990 twelve of his novels were adapted for cinema or television in the United States, France, and Australia: Of the preceding, Williams wrote the screenplays for ""Don't Just Stand There!"" and, with Nona Tyson, ""The Hot"
"in Port-Cartier, Quebec. On May 10, 2012, the Canadian Forces announced that it had made a ""terrible mistake"" by publishing a booklet with a photograph bearing the likeness of Williams in the background, and ordered 4,000 copies of the book destroyed. The photograph was incidental to the subject matter of the book, but the image was felt to be offensive. A television movie adaptation of the Williams case, entitled ""An Officer and a Murderer"" and with American actor Gary Cole in the lead role, was premiered on Lifetime Network on July 21, 2012. The Movie Network premiere was planned in"
"in the 1967 film adaptation of ""Valley"") as agent Annie Laurie Williams. The film was not well-reviewed, with ""Variety"" writing, ""None of the storied genius that Susann exhibited in promoting herself along with her books is much in evidence. ... [it is] a movie that broadly captures all of the famed author's flaws but none of her essence."" ""Scandalous Me"" was followed in 2000 by the theatrical film ""Isn't She Great"", based on a ""New Yorker"" profile by Michael Korda, with Bette Midler and Nathan Lane. The film was not well-received critically and was a box office bomb, with a"
"as being part of a ""hatred campaign"", and ultimately did not run for election. In an article for the ""New York Post"", former White House Communications Director Pat Buchanan criticized the adaptation for deviating from the book, and concluded by calling Stone a ""propagandist"". Democratic State Senator Nancy Larraine Hoffmann, who took part in Syracuse University's 1970 peaceful protest of the Cambodian Campaign, was critical of the film's depiction of Syracuse police as ""faceless people brutalizing peaceful protesters"". Following the film's wide release in January 1990, Stone wrote a letter apologizing to the city of Syracuse and its police officials."
"the ""New York Times"" in 2010 called it ""potty-mouthed"". It carried the warning: ""It may not be for those who could find a frank discussion of sexual and religious matters not to their taste."" It was a West End hit and was made into a film in 1972 as ""It's a Two-Foot-Six-Inch-Above-the-Ground World"", later retitled ""The Love Ban"". His 1994 play ""The Missionary and Other Positions"" is about sex. Other later plays include ""Never So Good"" (1976), in which a bomb-wielding terrorist visits a group of black squatters, and ""Adam Redundant"" (1989), which reverses the roles in the Garden of"
"""The French Connection"", and ""Dirty Harry"", the film sparked heated controversy over a perceived increase of violence in films generally. The film premiered in the U.K. in November 1971. Although controversial at the time, ""Straw Dogs"" is considered by some to be one of Peckinpah's greatest films. A remake directed by Rod Lurie was released on September 16, 2011. After securing a grant to study stellar structures, American applied mathematician David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) moves with his glamorous young British wife Amy (Susan George) to her natal village of Wakely in the Cornish countryside. Amy's ex-boyfriend, Charlie Venner (Del Henney),"
"Review"" wrote that it is a ""striking and consummately well-written novel,"" praising its powerful emotional impact and epistolary structure. Though the novel has garnered critical acclaim, it has also been the subject of controversy. It is 17th on the American Library Association's list of most frequently challenged or banned books. Commonly cited justifications for banning the book include sexual explicitness, explicit language, violence, and homosexuality. The book received greater scrutiny amidst controversy surrounding the release of the film adaptation in 1985. The controversy centered around the depiction of black men, which some critics saw as feeding stereotypical narratives of black"