Lost in Imitation: Difference between revisions

{{quote|"''[[Dracula (novel)|Dracula]]'' would make a marvelous movie. In fact, nobody has ever made it... all the movies are based on the play."|[[Orson Welles]]}}

 

 

Usually started by a [[Trope Codifier]]. May involve [[Dueling Movies]], where [[The Film of the Book]] of an imitator inspires a studio to film the original. Also often a result of [[Adaptation Displacement]].

 

 

A common cause of the [[Unbuilt Trope]]. Compare [[Ret Canon]], [[Seinfeld Is Unfunny]], [[Ink Stain Adaptation]].

** In the comics, the Juggernaut is Professor X's step-brother and isn't even a mutant, getting his powers from a magic gem, and he originally worked alone or with one partner. Since he's one of the X-Men's most iconic villains he tends to be one of Magneto's henchmen in adaptations, usually not mentioning the nature of his powers and his relationship to Prof. X or actually making him a mutant and/or not related to Xavier at all. It's even partially made it back to the comics: while he's still Xavier's non-mutant stepbrother, writers more familiar with the adaptations than the comics often have him mention being a former member of the Brotherhood. He finally did appear as a member of a short-lived incarnation of the Brotherhood, albeit one largely unconnected to previous versions aside from using the same name; this hasn't stopped artists from drawing him fighting alongside Magneto (which he has never done) in flashbacks.

* In [[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|Spider Man]], [[The Symbiote]] originally had minimal influence over Peter's mind at best - the reason he gave it up was because it had a habit of taking his (sleeping) body out at night to websling and because he discovered it was alive and planning on merging with him on a genetic level- which freaked him out. In fact, the original comics symbiote had no emotions of its own, but developed them as a result of spending so long bonded to Spider-Man, even sacrificing itself (well, almost) to save its former host after being rejected. Though Eddie Brock, who hated Spider-Man, was able to use it to go against him as Venom, the symbiote still tried to jump ship and return to Spider-Man when Spidey made the offer. In [[Spider-Man: The Animated Series|the 90's animated series]], the Symbiote was portrayed as having its own, extremely aggressive personality, which was starting to overwrite Peter's as the bond grew stronger, and all adaptions since have taken this up.

* Some adaptations of [[The Joker]] since ''[[Batman: The Animated Series|Batman the Animated Series]]'' have drawn from Mark Hamill's performance as the character, particular either the high pitch, slight rasp or both, and definitely the laugh.

* Most people would not know that the original [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]] all wore red bandannas and had tails; those two details were altered when the first action figures were made, and have since become standardized. It wasn't until ''[[Turtles Forever]]'' that the original characters designs were seen outside the comic books.

* A [[Disproportionate Retribution|major]] complaint from Tolkien fans about ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' movies was that Gimli's more comical and somewhat cruder depiction borrowed more from the [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same|accumulated exaggerated stereotypes of dwarves in modern fantasy]] than Tolkien's 'original' dwarves.

** Even so, Gimli was [[Older Than They Think|the butt of a joke or two in the original]]. Gimli and Legolas keeping score of their kills at the Battle of Helm's Deep comes straight from the books.

* ''[[Dracula]]'' is claimed to be the origin of all modern vampire stereotypes and the definitive line between the vampires of folklore and the vampires of literature, film, and fiction, but most of his archetypal image - slicked black hair with a [[Villainous Widow's Peak|widow's peak]], black high-collared stage cape, tuxedo, off-tempo Eastern European accent - is 100% Bela Lugosi, compounded by endless imitations. In the book, Dracula was a gaunt old man with dead-white hair and skin, a hawky face, and a flowing moustache, who grew young when he drank blood and spoke almost flawless English. Also, the origin of sunlight killing vampires outright was introduced by the silent German film ''[[Nosferatu]]''. In ''Dracula'', the only difference it makes is that they can't use their powers during the day.

** Jesus Franco's rather unfortunate Dracula movie is one of few in which Dracula maintains his original mustache and de-aging.

** Dracula's signature cape has its origins in ''stage'' adaptations of the story, added simply so the Count could twirl it dramatically to cover up his mystical exit by theatrical trapdoor. Needless to say, it stuck.

*** It was an Episcopal clerical funeral cloak. The "cape" portion of the cloak was flipped up in a collar so the actor's head couldn't be seen as he disappeared.

*** Ironically, legal research for Universal later established that the novel was never copyrighted in the U.S..

** [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s [[Bram Stoker's Dracula|film adaptation]] was possibly the most loyal to the original story, most notably Dracula's frequent appearances during daylight. The thick Eastern European accent introduced by Lugosi remains, though the character's Transylvanian origin makes this a bit justified. The film's major departures from the book and most other adaptations comes from making Dracula's character and backstory much more sympathetic.

 

== Western Animation ==

** In ''[[The Tenth Kingdom]]'', Virginia (who knows the child-friendly versions) has to have originals explained to her to understand what's going on.

*** And, including the 1987 live-action movie and [[wikipedia:The Legend of Snow White|one animated series]], this remains one of only three works that included the stepmother's other attempts on Snow White, including the poison comb.