The guys discuss one of the film adaptation of THE OUTSIDERS, which is based on the 1967 novel written by S.E. Hinton.… THE OUTSIDERS tells the coming-of-age story of Ponyboy Curtis, a greaser living in Oklahoma in the 1960s. After his parents die in an automobile accident, Pony and his two brothers work to survive in a town divided on class lines.…

The guys discuss one of the all-time classic film adaptations, THE GODFATHER, which is based on the 1969 best-selling novel written by Mario Puzo.… THE GODFATHER tells the story of the Corelone family, one of the largest and most powerful crime families operating in the New York City area circa 1946. When Don Vito Corelone refuses an offer to parti…

The guys discuss the new film from Francis Ford Coppola, APOCALYPSE NOW, which is NOT directly based on any source material such as a novel or play. But, the release of MEGALOPOLIS fits nicely within our season on Francis Ford Coppola, and this may be the last opportunity to witness an opening release for the acclaimed director. …MEGALOPOLIS tells …

The guys discuss one of the all-time classic film adaptations, APOCALYPSE NOW, which is based on the century-old (also) classic British novella, HEART OF DARKNESS.… HEART OF DARKNESS tells a story within a story, following Charlie Marlow, who recounts his adventure to a group of men onboard an anchored ship. Although his job was to transport ivory …

The guys discuss the new MAX series THE SYMPATHIZER, directed by Park Chan-wook based on the Pulitzer Prize winning debut novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen.… THE SYMPATHIZER tells the story of The Captain, a North Vietnamese mole working undercover for the South Vietnamese army. The story traces his escape from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, his acclim…

The guys discuss the film THE ZONE OF INTEREST, the Jonathan Glazer adaptation from the Martin Amis novel of the same name. THE ZONE OF INTEREST, the fourteenth novel from British writer Martin Amis, is set among a group of German commanders at an unnamed concentration camp, taken to be Auschwitz. The story traces the fall of the Third Reich from t…

The guys discuss the film AMERICAN FICTION, the Cord Jefferson adaptation from the Percival Everett novel ERASURE. AMERICAN FICTION, follows Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, a frustrated novelist of general fiction, who decides to write a “Black” book full of tired and offensive tropes to profit off the publishing industry’s possibly misguided demand for…

In an adapted recap of 2023, the guys discuss their favorites from the past year of cinema, literature, and (self-indulgently) themselves. …Top 3 films we saw this past year (that were also released in 2023)Top 3 books we read this past year (can be released before 2023)And our favorite Lit to Lens episode from this past year…Happy New Year! We are…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of POOR THINGS, the Yorgos Lanthimos adaptation from the Alasdair Gray novel of the same name. The book follows the account of Archie McCandless, a Scottish public health officer, who falls in love with a strange woman named Bella Baxter, created by his medical friend Godwin Baxter by implanting her unborn child…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, the Martin Scorsese adaptation from the bestselling David Grann nonfiction novel of the same name. It tells the story of the investigation of a series of murders that took place in the early 1920s in Osage County, Oklahoma. After big oil deposits were found under their land, the Os…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of FOE, the story of Junior and Henrietta, a married couple living on a remote farm in the near future. One day, a mysterious man named Terrence arrives. Terrence works for an aerospace corporation called OuterMore and tells Junior he’s been selected to travel to the Installation, a large space station that orbi…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of THE LONG GOODBYE, a classic hard-boiled detective fiction novel written by Raymond Chandler, that tells the story of Philip Marlowe, a private detective living in Los Angeles, who is pulled into a mystery when both his friend Terry Lennox, and his wife, turn up dead, the latter by murder and the former by sui…

The guys discuss the series adaptation of WOOL, a science fiction novel written by Hugh Howey, that tells the story of a dystopian future where generations of survivors live together in a subterranean silo. The society is stratified into blue and white collar workers and governed by strict regulations designed to protect the residents from the perc…

The guys discuss the series adaptation of DAISY JONES & THE SIX, a novel written in an oral history format by Taylor Jenkins Reid, that tells the story of a rock n’ roll band in the 1970’s, and details their meteoric rise to the top of the charts and their chaotic fall to oblivion. The series adaptation stars Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterho…

In this episode, the guys make their picks for the top eight categories for the 95th Academy Awards airing this Sunday night, 3/12. Picking favorites to win as well as who they will be rooting for. The categories are listed below:• Best Picture• Best Director• Best Actor• Best Actress• Best Supporting Actor• Best Supporting Actress• Best Original S…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH, a novella written by Leo Tolstoy that tells the story of the monotony and purposelessness of one man’s life as he struggles to find meaning before his ultimate demise. The most recent film adaptation, LIVING, stars Billy Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp and Tom Burke. The screenplay…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of WOMEN TALKING, a novel written by Miriam Toews that tells the story of colony of Mennonite women who are victims of obscene and grotesque crimes, meet in secret to decide their response and ultimately their future. The film adaptation received a limited release in theaters in December 2022 and stars Rooney Ma…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of WHITE NOISE, a postmodern novel and winner of the 1985 US National book Award. Written by Don DeLillo, it tells the story of Jack Gladney, a Hitler-studies professor at the College-on-the-Hill, and his family who encounter an airborne toxic event, spinning their lives into unforeseen circumstances. The film a…

One last conversation before we bid adieu to 2022, a year that had a lot of great adaptations, and great content overall.We get together to discuss our Top 3's of the year. We reveal each of our three favorite movies that were released this year, our three favorite books that we read this year (regardless of the year they were released), as well as…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of BONES & ALL, a young adult novel, written by Camille DeAngelis, which tells the story of a girl named Maren, who attempts to navigate her way in society while controlling her urges to devour human flesh. The film adaptation was released in theaters on November 18, 2022 and stars Taylor Russell, Timothée Chala…

The guys discuss the film adaptation of SHE SAID, the book about the reporting behind the New York Times article bringing the sexual harassment and assault allegations against prominent Hollywood film producer, Harvey Weinstein, to light. The book was written by the two reporters of the New York Times article, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, but tell…

The guys discuss the adaptation of THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER (starring Zac Efron, Russell Crowe & Bill Murray) and how the film compares to the eponymous novel from Joanna Molly and John “Chickie” Donohue about a man who travels to front lines of the Vietnam war to deliver beers to his buddies from his neighborhood back in New York City. ---------…

The guys discuss the adaptation of BULLET TRAIN (starring Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Hiroyuki Sanada, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, Logan Lerman, and Sandra Bullock) and how the film compares to the novel (originally titled “Maria Beetle”) from the author Kōtarō Isaka. The conversation begins with the light-heart…

The guys discuss the adaptation of THE GRAY MAN (starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas) and how the film compares to the eponymous novel from the author Mark Greaney. The conversation begins with the struggles of reading a particularly predictable plot and what draws readers to these kinds of stories (12:52). Then we breakdown the dif…

The guys discuss the adaptation of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, and how the film compares to the worldwide sensation from author Delia Owens. —The conversation begins with the seemingly obvious reasons why this novel was adapted for the big screen, whether the book lived up to the hype or not, and if the storyline is even al…

The guys discuss the recent Netflix adaptation, SPIDERHEAD, starring Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller and how it compares to the George Saunders short story it was based on, ESCAPE FROM SPIDERHEAD (available for free online from The New Yorker). The conversation begins with the short story and why Hollywood might want to adapt it for the big (or in…

In this episode, the guys discuss part three in our trilogy of episodes for ‘Pachinko’ (episodes 6-8), an Apple TV+ series adaptation of the very popular and critically-acclaimed Min Jin Lee novel.The series was created by Soo Hugh and directed by both Kogonada (‘Columbus’, ‘After Yang’) and Justin Chon (‘Blue Bayou’) and stars Soji Arai, Jin Ha, J…

In this episode, the guys discuss episodes 2-5 for ‘Pachinko’ (2021), an Apple TV+ series adaptation of the very popular and critically-acclaimed Min Jin Lee novel.The series was created by Soo Hugh and directed by both Kogonada (‘Columbus’, ‘After Yang’) and Justin Chon (‘Blue Bayou’) and stars Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Jun-woo Han, In-ji Jeon, Min-ha Ki…

In this episode, the guys discuss the pilot episode for ‘Pachinko’ (2021), an Apple TV+ series adaptation of the very popular and critically-acclaimed Min Jin Lee 2017 novel.The series was created by Soo Hugh and directed by both Kogonada (‘Columbus’, ‘After Yang’) and Justin Chon (‘Blue Bayou’) and stars Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Jun-woo Han, In-ji Jeon,…

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ (2021), an adaptation of the very famous William Shakespeare play ‘Macbeth’ (1623).The film was written and directed by Joel Coen (‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’, ‘No Country for Old Men’) and stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Mellin…

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘After Yang,’ an adaptation of the Alexander Weinstein short story 'Saying Goodbye to Yang' in the collection 'Children of the New World' (2016).The film was written and directed by Kogonada ('Columbus') and stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Maela Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson.T…

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘Nightmare Alley,’ an adaptation of the William Lindsay Gresham novel (1946).The screenplay was penned by Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan and and the film directed by del Toro. It stars Bradley Cooper as the ambitious mentalist, Stanton Carlisle, who rises the ranks of the carney circuit. Also in the film is Cate…

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘The Power of the Dog,’ an adaptation of a Thomas Savage novel.The novel was written by Thomas Savage and published in 1967. Annie Proulx (author of 'Brokeback Mountain') is quoted as calling it a "literary artwork" and wrote the Afterword in the 2001 edition (and subsequent) of this novel.The film was written and …

One last conversation before we bid adieu to 2021, a year that wasn't much better than the previous. But nonetheless, we discuss our Top 3's of the year. Our favorite movies released this and books we read this year (regardless of when they were released).Cheers to 2021, may 2022 be infinitely better!Happy New Year to all you LTLiens out there!Give…

In this episode, the guys introduce the tenth (10) season of the podcast: 2022 Oscar Bait. What does that mean? Well, this season we'll be reading and discussing the (likely?) Best Adapted Screenplay nominees for the 2022 Academy Awards.The adaptations include 'Dune', 'Drive My Car', 'The Power of the Dog', 'Nightmare Alley', and 'The Tragedy of Ma…

In this episode, the guys discuss ‘Drive My Car,’ an adaptation of a Haruki Murakami short story.The short story was written by Haruki Murakami and published in in 2014 (Japan) in 'Men Without Women,' a short story collection by Murakami. The collection was well received and ended up on Barack Obama's best books list of 2019.The film was directed b…

In Episode 1 of Season 10: Oscar Bait, the guys discuss the adaptation of ‘Dune’.The novel was written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965, winning both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for that year, and becoming a timeless classic of the Science Fiction genre.The novel has had the stigma of being “unadaptable” attached to it for over four decades du…

In Episode 3 of Season 9: The Beat Generation, the guys discuss the adaptation of 'Big Sur' and whether or not bringing this story to the screen really makes sense.The book was written by Jack Kerouac, published in 1962, and was adapted for the screen in 2013.The film was written and directed by Michael Polish, and stars Jean-Marc Barr, Josh Lucas,…

In Episode 2 of Season 9: The Beat Generation, the guys discuss the most famous of all Beat poems: "Howl"The poem was written by Allen Ginsberg, published in 1956, and adapted for the screen in 2010.The film was written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, and stars James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff …

In this episode, the guys discuss the new film, "The Green Knight".The film was based on the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" written by an unknown individual, who has been referred to as the "Pearl Poet", in the 14th century. The film was written & directed by David Lowery ("A Ghost Story", "Ain't Them Bodies Saints", "The Old Man & The Gun"…

In Episode 1 of Season 9: The Beat Generation, the guys discuss the most famous of all the Beat books: "On the Road."The book was written by Jack Kerouac, published in 1957, and was adapted for the screen in 2012.The film was directed by Walter Salles and written for the screen by Jose Rivera (who both worked on "The Motorcycle Diaries" together), …

In this episode, the guys introduce the newest season of the podcast: The Beat Generation. What does that mean? Well, this season we'll be reading and discussing the books the shaped the Beat Generation from 1950's America.The adaptations include 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac, 'Howl' by Allen Ginsberg, 'Big Sur' by Jack Kerouac, and 'Naked Lunch' b…

In this episode we were lucky enough to interview Lane Shefter Bishop. Lane is the Founder + CEO of Vast Entertainment, a production company focused on book-to-movie adaptations. Lane is also a Director and Producer and has been in the film industry for decades. She is the author of the book "Sell Your Story in A Single Sentence: Advice from the Fr…

In episode five of the "2021 Oscar Bait" season, the guys discuss "The Father".The play, written by Florian Zeller and first performed in 2012, was adapted for the screen in 2020.The film was directed by the playwright himself, Florian Zeller, and written for the screen by Zeller and Christopher Hampton (who also translated the play into English). …

In episode four of the "2021 Oscar Bait" season, the guys discuss "News of the World".The book, written by Paulette Jiles and published in 2016, was adapted for the screen in 2020.The film was directed by Paul Greengrass and written by Greengrass and Luke Davies. It stars Tom Hanks and newcomer Helena Zengel.The conversation ranges from the book's …

In episode three of the "2021 Oscar Bait" season, the guys discuss "One Night in Miami...".The play, written by Kemp Powers (screenwriter of "Soul"), was first performed in 2013, was adapted for the screen in 2020 by the playwright himself. The film was directed by Regina King in her feature film directorial debut, and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ma…

In the second episode of our "2021 Oscar Bait" season, the guys discuss "Nomadland". The nonfiction book, written by Jessica Bruder and published in 2017, was adapted for the screen in 2020. The film, written and directed by Chloé Zhao, stars Frances McDormand and debuted at the Venice and Toronto Films Festivals in September 2020. The conversation…

This is a broader discussion of social sciences methods/lit review construction for everyone, but especially my spring 2021 course.

In this episode, the guys discuss "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," the first episode of our "2021 Oscar Bait" season. The play was written by August Wilson and debuted at the Cort Theatre on Broadway in 1984. The film was directed by George C. Wolfe, written for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and stars Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. The convers…

In this episode, the guys introduce the newest season of the podcast: 2021 Oscar Bait. What does that mean? Well, this season we'll be reading and discussing the (likely?) Best Adapted Screenplay nominees for 2021.The adaptations include 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', 'Nomadland', 'One Night in Miami', 'News of the World', and 'The Father'.The convers…