49. The Karate Kid

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we wax on, we wax off, and we get into the ring with The Karate Kid!

For this episode, we watched:

• The original movie from 1984, directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Robert Mark Kamen, and starring Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Elisabeth Shue, and William Zabka. Watch it on iTunes or Amazon.
• The 2010 remake, directed by Harald Zwart, written by Christopher Murphey, and starring Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, and Taraji P. Henson. Watch it on iTunes or Amazon.

Footnotes:

• The Karate Kid series: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994)
• My Cousin Vinny
• “Jackie Chan: How to Do Action Comedy” from Every Frame a Painting

48. Howards End

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss Howards End, E.M. Forster’s classic tale of class relations in turn of the century Britain.

For this episode, we read and watched:

• E.M. Forster’s original 1910 novel. Read it on iBooks or Amazon.
• The 1992 movie, directed by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant, written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and starring Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Helena Bonham Carter. Watch it on iTunes or Amazon.
• The 2017 miniseries, directed by Hettie MacDonald, written by Kenneth Lonergan, and starring Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Philippa Coulthard, Tracey Ullman, and Julia Ormond. Watch it on iTunes or Amazon.

Footnotes:

• A Room with a View, A Passage to India, and Maurice
• “Common People” by Pulp
• James Ivory accepting the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Call Me By Your Name
• James Ivory discusses Howards End at the Film Society of Lincoln Center
• “This Time Tomorrow” by The Kinks as used in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited
• “Blink” from Series 3 of the BBC’s Doctor Who reboot

47. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss the many incarnations of the classic tale of criminal ingenuity and intractable bureaucracy that is The Taking of Pelham One Two Three!

For this episode, we read and watched:

• The original 1973 thriller, written by Morton Freedgood under the name “John Godey.” Read it on iBooks or Amazon.
• The classic 1974 movie, directed by Joseph Sargent, written by Peter Stone, and starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, and Héctor Elizondo. Watch it on iTunes or Amazon.
• The 1998 TV movie, directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá, written by April Smith, and starring Edward James Olmos, Lorraine Bracco, Vincent D’Onofrio, Richard Schiff, and Donnie Wahlberg. There’s no real way to watch it other than getting an old DVD, but here’s a clip on YouTube.
• The 2009 theatrical remake, directed by Tony Scott, written by Brian Helgeland, and starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, James Gandolfini, and Luis Guzmán. Watch it on iTunes or Amazon.

Footnotes:

• The Adapt or Perish trilogy of “Books written by white dudes in the 70s who know a whole lot about one thing,” which includes The Godfather, Jaws, and now The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
• The Wikipedia list of ethnic slurs
• r/menwritingwomen
• An example of David Shire’s score for the 1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
• Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs
• Michael Ordoña’s take on the 2009 remake, from SFGate