Ink to Film

Season 8 of Ink to Film comes to an end with a retrospective on the year that was 2024. In episode 332, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they reflect on the ups and downs of an emotionally taxing year, try to compare masterful adaptations to one another across eras, recap the conventions they attended, appraise how the podcast is doing statistically, and look to the challenges ahead in 2025. Th...

Richard Donner's dark comedic take on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is an over-the-top nostalgic ride, but is it the best version of this holiday classic? In episode 331, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they get visited by three strange ghosts, react to Bill Murray hamming it up, debate whether Frank Cross is worth redeeming, question Claire's taste in men, and finally cast their vote o...

Charles Dickens is arguably the most celebrated author of the Victorian period, but is his reputation deserved? How about Ebenezer Scrooge—should we grant forgiveness to greedy CEOs if they show enough generosity? In episode 330, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they chat about Luke's experience at Dragonsteel Nexus 2024, what people mean by "Dickensian," and how effective Dickens was at showin...

In this former Patreon-exclusive Luke and James explore a time b efore video game adaptations were the hot, billion-dollar franchises we see today. With this film a married couple of directors tried to bring Nintendo iconic plumbers to life with an infamous bob-omb at the box office. Come along as Luke and James relive a bizarre moment in film history, discuss the 30 mins added by an unlicensed "M...

Legendary director Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller continues to shock and enthrall audiences to this day, but does it work well as an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel? In episode 329, join writer Luke Elliott & filmmaker James Bailey as they geek out about film preservation, try to untangle metaphors around fire and water, appreciate an all-star cast, examine how the US deals with viol...

Author Dennis Lehane is well known for the high-profile adaptations of his work, but none more than his book SHUTTER ISLAND which went on to be adapted by the legendary Martin Scorsese—but how does the novel hold up on its own? In episode 328, join writer Luke Elliott & filmmaker James Bailey as they revel in gothic vibes, learn about a surprising connection to "The Wire," learn not to trust a man...

Did you know John Carpenter's classic "They Live" was based on a short story called "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" by Ray Nelson? How do they compare? In episode 327, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they put on their special glasses and see through the lies, learn about the origins of the propellor beanie, have a five-minute brawl with a familiar face, tack "Nada" back to a comic adaptation, a...

Was this adaptation of Junji Ito's masterpiece cursed by the spiral? In episode 326, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they try to make sense of what happened, heap praise on a promising first episode, commiserate over a steep decline in quality, and try to put the whole thing into context in an industry where animators are overworked and underpaid. They finish by casting their votes on which wa...

Junji Ito is renowned for being a master of modern horror, and there's no better example of why than his magnum opus, "Uzumaki." In episode 325, Join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they discuss what compels them to seek out upsetting, disgusting, and unnerving horror, what the band Tool has to do with spirals, the unique strengths of comics in horror, who influenced Ito more than anyone, his backg...

After covering both the book and the new Guillermo del Toro version, Luke & James tackle the original Disney adaptation of the classic novel. But how does the original groundbreaking animation hold up today? Join them for this former Patreon-exclusive episode filled with childhood nostalgia and legendary music as they ultimately answer the question: what's the best version of Pinocchio?   Vote on...

Author Ted Chiang (EXHALATION, STORIES OF YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS) joins the show to reflect on having his work adapted by director Denis Villeneuve into the 2016 film "Arrival." In episode 324, Luke Elliott & James Bailey add to their "Creative Conversations" series where they discuss adaptations previously covered on Ink to Film with someone directly involved in their creation. Topics include the o...

Director Brian Helgeland explores Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" in an unconventional adaptation that might have been ahead of its time. In episode 323, join Luke & James as they react to an iconic needle drop, speculate about what it would be like to work in sound design, take a crash course in the life of Geoffry Chaucer, get typecast as villains, and mourn Heath Ledger's career that could hav...

It all comes down to this: Which version is ultimately best, the book WOOL or the show that's based on it, Silo? In episode 322, Join Luke & James as they finish out the book with parts 4 & 5, chase bubbles for air, learn the secret truth behind what happened to the world, fall in love with Lukas the IT guy, and poke holes in Bernard's theory that the current system is the way it must be to surviv...

In lieu of a classic villain, the system itself is the main antagonist of Graham Yost's Silo. In episode 321, Join Luke & James as they learn to fear the man who knows everything, try to muster up the courage to speak to Rebecca Ferguson, try to survive a fall down a garbage chute, and speculate on where Juliette might end up after the events of the season. Join them next week when they finish rea...

Rebecca Ferguson stars in this Graham Yost high-concept dystopian sci-fi series that was based on WOOL by Hugh Howey, but how does it compare to the book? In episode 320, Join Luke & James as they hunt for relics, learn about the power of cranking it at the right time, play numbers games with Tim Robbins, and try not to get too attached to any one character.   Episode 1 "Freedom Day": 00:22:56 Epi...

Is it worth seeking out this largely forgotten sequel to one of the most famous films of all time? To find out, Luke & James ride the river back to Oz with Walter Murch's directorial debut. This overlooked 80s dark fantasy Disney film has lots of surprises, including a talking chicken, the terrifying Wheelers, Tik-Tok the wind up robot army, and a pumpkinhead that would inspire The Nightmare Befor...

Before "Silo" hit Apple TV it began as a short story, and that story became the novel WOOL, which author Hugh Howey went on to self-publish to great success even before having it optioned for the screen. In episode 319, join Luke & James as they discuss the value of dystopian storytelling, authors as a class destroyed, a different sort of tragic romance, and what worldbuilding details really sell...

After covering most of Guillermo Del Toro's horror anthology series, Luke & James return for the other three episodes they skipped over in this former Patreon-exclusive. There were some extremely interesting entries to discuss, with stories told by some talented directors with notable past hits that might surprise you. Vote on Quarterly Polls!  https://www.patreon. com/inktofilm Get any of the sou...

Comics editor Jasmine Amiri joins the show to compare Terry Zwigoff's adaptation to the original comic by Daniel Clowes. In episode 318 Luke, James, and Jasmine discuss the value of supposedly "empty" entertainment vs what's deemed as "important," find out what studio meddling would have ruined the movie, celebrate Steve Buscemi's selfless actions during the aftermath of 9/11, and debate the impli...

Editor Jasmine Amiri (School Library Journal) joins the show to revisit an influential comic by Daniel Clowes from the 90s that spawned the cult classic film. In episode 317 Luke, James, and Jasmine revisit gen X cynicism, try to understand Clowes dislike of the term "graphic novel," explore how rubylith is used for the color design, and debate the meaning of the in-world title: Ghost World. Join...

Andrei Tarkovsky is a legendary filmmaker whose seven feature films changed the medium, but how does his vision stack up to the brilliant novel by Stanislaw Lem that he's adapting? In episode 316, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they explore classical symbolism, experience time through cinema, debate whether great adaptations must be faithful, explore the loss of home, fall in love with a memo...

Stanislaw Lem was one of the world's most widely read science fiction writers, so why don't people talk about him more? In episode 315, Join Luke Elliott and James Bailey as they take their first visit the truly alien world of the novel, see the differences in translations first hand, learn about Lem's attitude towards American SciFi of the time, consider humanities reason for space exploration, a...

The filmmakers behind the adaptation of Winston Groom's novel all contend that Forrest Gump is "apolitical," but watching it today puts that claim into serious question. Besides, was it ever really true? Join Luke Elliott & James Bailey in episode 314 as they discuss Tom Hanks running his way into American hearts with a more wholesome version of the character from the novel, what Jenny represents...

Winston Groom's original character is markedly different from the Tom Hanks version that won over the world. In episode 313, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as the wonder what drew Robert Zemeckis to this version of Gump, wrestle with an orangutan named "Sue," break down what makes satire effective, and try to understand the purpose of the off-putting nastiness at the heart of this version of the...

Christopher and Jonathan Nolan pulled off one of the greatest magic tricks in film history with their ambitious adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel. In episode 312, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they try to crack the code, get philosophical about duplication, let Christian Bale teach them about sacrifice, marvel at Hugh Jackman's showmanship, hold Cutter accountable for safety failures,...