Ink to Film

Sci-Fi author Mark Niemann-Ross joins the podcast for episode 106 to discuss Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life." The conversation surrounding this story gets philosophical, scientific, abstract, and even bizarre at times. The tale is an unusual one that leads the group down some intriguing pathways in their analysis as they wrestle with concepts like the "variational principle" in physics and "Ferm...

The Losers Club made a promise to go back when Pennywise returned, and so did Luke & James. Well, the time has come for their final visit to Derry, Maine. Episode 105 delves into the second Stephen King film by Andy Muschietti comparing both to the classic novel and the original miniseries. Spoilers begin: 36:29 Topics include: The IT supercut fans want, surprising cameos and Easter eggs, CGI magi...

Return to Derry for the project that started it all this week with Tommy Lee Wallace' 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's It. With "It Chapter 2" on the horizon, Luke & James round-out their exposure to the material by watching and weighing in on the Tim Curry performance as Pennywise that people still rave about today. But does this bit of nostalgia hold up? Find out in episode 104. Topi...

Snow White is the ultimate throwback project, so Luke & James went all the way back to the source to read "Little Snow-White" collected by the Brother's Grimm, then compare it to the animated Disney-classic that launched an empire! From the violent details of the old fairy-tale to the behind the scenes brilliance of Walt Disney's revolutionary animation, episode 103 of Ink to Film is loaded with h...

Watch out for meteor showers! This week on episode 102, Luke & James are tackling Barry B. Longyear's Enemy Mine and Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation at the same time. From the story's still-relevant allegories to the mainline of 80s Sci-Fi nostalgia, this cult-classic starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. gives them plenty to discuss. Questions include: Was the film ahead of its time? When di...

Grab a flashlight and pull the covers over your head--it's time for some scary stories! Luke & James read all three of Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell's classic collections for episode 101, including  Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and  Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones.  They also watched the documentary from 2019, as well as the Guille...

Luke Elliott and James Bailey set out to answer the question once and for all: What is the greatest adaptation of all time? But first, they set the stage with discussions over upcoming adaptations they and the Ink-to-Film community are excited about, and even make some picks for books deserving adaptations of their own.  Listeners and friends of the podcast alike chime in for this celebratory epis...

Jonathan Nolan's short story "Memento Mori" formed the basis for his brother Christopher Nolan's MEMENTO--a film that came out prior the story it was adapted from! Learn how that came to pass and more in this discussion of some of the early work of the iconic Nolan Brothers. The film stars Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. Topics include: the neo-noir influence on the film, structu...

How does Stanley Kubrick's Cold War satire hold up for a modern audience? Join Luke & James as they discuss all the behind the scenes stories, social themes, dark comedy, and brilliant acting of this legendary film adapted from the novel "Red Alert" by Peter George. Note: This episode is a Jukebox Hero commission funded by the generosity of Steven E. through Ink to Film's Patreon. Visit  Patreon.c...

Did you know that "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" was based on a novel by a former member of the British Royal Air Force? Before Stanley Kubrick's classic film, Peter George (a. k. a. Peter Bryant) wrote a deadly serious thriller about escalating tensions brought to a boil when one man goes rogue in an attempt to start World War III. Originally published as T...

Alfonso Cuarón's apocalyptic masterpiece CHILDREN OF MEN is a modern classic starring Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, and Michael Caine. His adaptation of P. D. James' novel of the same name differs significantly but stands on its own as breathtaking art and perhaps even rises above.  Topics: The horrors of U.S. detention centers, the effect of the long take "oners",...

Theo joins the dissident group called the "Five Fishes" and is on the run from the law with the fate of the world in the balance in the second half of THE CHILDREN OF MEN by P. D. James (a. k. a. Phyllis Dorothy James). Topics: Their reaction to all of the Christian symbols and references, an appearance by the famous dramatic principle of Chekov's Gun, an absurd dance, "eugenics are bad", the juxt...

P. D. James (a. k. a. Phyllis Dorothy James) wrote her classic dystopian tale of a world dying a slow death in the 90s that led to an iconic film adaptation more than a decade later. In THE CHILDREN OF MEN, the reader follows Dr. Theodore "Theo" Faron as he navigates the new political and theological questions of a world without a future. Luke & James explore the questions raised by the first half...

The four horsemen ride to start the Apocalypse and to meet the Antichrist (Adam Young) in the last 3 episodes of Neil Gaiman's feel-good TV series about the end of the world. Join Luke & James as they discuss the second half of the show, before putting a bow on their coverage. Topics include: overall takeaways from the project, Michael Sheen & David Tennant's potential to pull off each other's rol...

Neil Gaiman serves as writer & showrunner for the adaptation of his own work in Amazon Prime's GOOD OMENS TV miniseries! Luke & James have seen half the show and discuss what it's like watching a show so lovingly made to honor the late Terry Pratchett. Topics include: the Terry Gilliam movie we almost got instead, Michael Sheen & David Tennant's charisma, the story behind Jon Hamm as the angel Gab...

The End is now! Join Luke & James as they finish out the 2nd half of Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett's GOOD OMENS in preparation for the brand-new Amazon Prime Video series premiering soon. If you would like a refresher on the classic novel before the series begins, this episode has got you covered! Topics include: Alternate names for the Other Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Crowley's secret weapon, Az...

Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, much like Crowley & Aziraphale, joined forces once upon a time to write an absolute landmark fantasy novel. That book has finally found a home on Amazon Prime Video for its upcoming adaptation with show-runner Neil Gaiman himself at the head. This week, Luke & James team up to cover the first half of the novel and speculate on what it must've been like for these lege...

THE TWILIGHT ZONE is an iconic piece of television history, and this Richard Matheson short story provided the basis for one of its most legendary moments. Several versions of this tale have been put to screen, but we focus our discussion on the 1963 episode from the original run starring William Shatner and the 2019 Jordan-Peele-helmed reboot episode starring Adam Scott. Spoilers for 2019 episode...

The Battle of Helm's Deep set the standard for medieval warfare put to screen, but there's a lot else in The Two Towers that's worth revisiting. Peter Jackson's masterwork continues with part two of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the difficult-to-do middle movie in the epic trilogy. Luke & James discuss all the ways it succeeds and its occasional missteps along the way. Topics: Andy Se...

Sam, Frodo, and Gollum head into Mordor to traverse the high path and battle the fearsome spider Shelob this week as Luke & James finish out The Two Towers, part two of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.  Topics: The unique relationship between Frodo & Sam, the trustworthiness of Faramir, Oliphaunts vs elephants, a potential influence for Patrick Rothfuss, the "Shadow of Mordor" video game...

The battle of Isengard and Helm's Deep both rage this week while Frodo and Sam pickup an unexpected companion on their trip to Mordor. This episode covers the second 3 rd of The Two Towers, part two of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Topics: Trees vs caves, not weed but also not not-weed, consulting scripture for our allegories, the power of a wizard's voice, Gollum the Great, the Dark...

Middle Earth prepares for war as Luke & James return to a beloved series to continue where they left off all the way back in episode 39. So, grab some Lembas bread, put on your running shoes, and head into the forest to commune with some immortal trees! This episode covers the first 1/3 rd of The Two Towers, part two of The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.  Topics: The choice to begin the novel w...

Stoker-Award-nominated horror writer Sara Tantlinger joins Luke & James to discuss the new Pet Sematary adaptation! Filmmakers Kevin Kölsch & Dennis Widmyer take some liberties with Stephen King's source material, and the hosts weigh in on which ones worked and which fell short. How does the Creed family come across in the new adaptation? Does John Lithgow do Jud Crandall justice? They start with...

Climb over the deadfall this week with Luke & James as they return to Pet Sematary for the second half of the novel by Stephen King (which includes "Part Two: The Micmac Burying Ground" & "Part Three: Oz the Gweat and Tewwible"). In this half, tragedy comes for Louis Creed and his entire family in the most horrific ways possible. Also, Ink to Film is partnering with Scribner Books to giveaway 3 co...

Often touted as Stephen King's most frightening novel, Pet Sematary is the next title in the King Renaissance up for a modern adaptation. Join Luke & James as they read the iconic novel leading up to the new movie directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. This episode covers "Part One: The Pet Sematary" of the 3-part novel. In this section, readers are introduced to the Creed family: Louis, Rac...