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8 Amazing Movies Spawned By Equally Awesome Books

This article is over 10 years old and may contain outdated information

Today we give you eight unforgettable movies that were inspired by some equally unforgettable books. Take a look and maybe read the inspiration for your favorite movie.

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The script and book 2001: A Space Odyssey were created at the same time. Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke collaborated on both projects, probably making them both even better.

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Irvin Welsh’s 1993 novel Trainspotting was made into a 1996 film of the same name by Danny Boyle. The film didn’t have to make too many changes to the story, which helped to make the movie even better.

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Mary Harron’s 2000 film American Psycho is based on the 1991 book of the same title by Bret Easton Ellis. In both the movie and book you follow the titular Patrick Bateman around as he goes insane.

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Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic The Godfather was made from Mario Puzo’s novel. This classic follows the Corleone family through some seriously tough times. If only they had decided to sell heroin.

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Full Metal Jacket, the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece, was based on The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford. Much like the film the book takes us from boot camp to Vietnam, giving us all a look into what makes a warrior.

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Steven Spielberg’s Munich was based on the 1984 book titled Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team, thankfully he came up with a shorter title. Both the book and movie take place in the wake of the Munich massacre of the Israeli Olympic team.

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Martin Scorsese’s 1990 film Goodfellas is based on the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family by Nicholas Pileggi. Pileggi went on to co-write the screenplay for the movie, a good way to make sure that the source material is well represented.

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Shane Black’s modern noir thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is based on the pulp novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The source book for this film is obscenely hard to find, so if you get your hands on a copy, read it.


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