Lit to Lens Lit to Lens

The guys discuss the new MAX series THE SYMPATHIZER, directed by Park Chan-wook based on the Pulitzer Prize winning debut novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
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THE SYMPATHIZER tells the story of The Captain, a North Vietnamese mole working undercover for the South Vietnamese army. The story traces his escape from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, his acclimation to Los Angeles and working in Hollywood, to his grappling with the competing ideologies of his friends and foes, and the moral lines he must cross to save his life and those of the ones he loves.
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The series adaptation was directed by Park Chan-wook, who has directed acclaimed films such as OLDBOY and DECISION TO LEAVE. The series, streaming on MAX (formerly HBO) stars How Xuande, Robert Downey, Jr., Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan, Day Nguyen, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Phanxinê, Kieu Chinh, Alan Trong, Sandra Oh, with special appearances by John Cho and David Duchovny.
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Topics of discussion include how the book felt like homework, the minor changes made to the show, a history lesson on Operation Frequent Wind and why maybe this series didn’t gain more traction with audiences.
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(0:00) From the book…
(1:56) Fast facts, recap, trivia…
(18:03) A word from our sponsor…
(18:26) Studio pitch & novel breakdown…
(40:34) Trailer
(42:50) Learn you something, differences from the book…
(1:38:53) Music outro
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If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com
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The guys discuss the film THE ZONE OF INTEREST, the Jonathan Glazer adaptation from the Martin Amis novel of the same name.

THE ZONE OF INTEREST, the fourteenth novel from British writer Martin Amis, is set among a group of German commanders at an unnamed concentration camp, taken to be Auschwitz. The story traces the fall of the Third Reich from three interweaving perspectives: Angelus Thomsen, an officer at the camp; Paul Doll, his commandant; and Szmul Zacharias, a Jewish death camp prisoner. The stories and characters intersect due to the nature of their work and Thomsen’s attempts to attract Paul’s wife, Hannah. Themes of the power of memory, survivors guilt, navigating right and wrong, and society building feature prominently. The novel was shortlisted for the Walker Scott Prize in 2015.
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The film adaptation was written and directed by Jonathan Glazer and stars Christian Friedl and Sandra Hüller. It made its premier on May 19, 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Prize. It was released in the US on December 15, 2023 and has been nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best International; Feature Film and Best Sound.
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Topics of discussion include the stripping of the book’s characters and narrative structure, the film’s refocusing of the story on banality of evil and its emphasis on sound, what the Cosmic Ice Theory is all about, and whether or not we need anymore movies about the Holocaust.
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Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book.
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(0:00) From the book…
(1:00) Fast facts, recap, trivia…
(12:09) A word from our sponsor…
(12:47) Studio pitch & novel breakdown…
(34:08) Trailer
(35:24) Learn you something, differences from the book…
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If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com
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Or reach out on social media:
twitter.com/littolens
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The guys discuss the film AMERICAN FICTION, the Cord Jefferson adaptation from the Percival Everett novel ERASURE.

AMERICAN FICTION, follows Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, a frustrated novelist of general fiction, who decides to write a “Black” book full of tired and offensive tropes to profit off the publishing industry’s possibly misguided demand for those stories. He uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, which rockets up the bestseller list and into the madness of the book publishing world. At the same time, there is also a gripping family drama threatening to overwhelm the Ellison household.
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The film adaptation stars Jeffrey Wright, Trace Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Adam Brody, and Keith David. The film was released on December 15, 2023 and was written and directed by Cord Jefferson in his debut film.
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Topics of discussion include the origin of Monk’s pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, the experimental structure of the novel with its embedded narratives, the unfortunate news of BARBIE getting moved into the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the Academy Awards, and whether or not Brad Pitt liked Adam Brody’s 2003 film, GRIND.
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Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book.
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(0:00) From the book…
(0:55) Fast facts, recap, trivia…
(12:45) A word from our sponsor…
(13:30) Studio pitch & novel breakdown…
(32:36) Trailer
(35:09) Learn you something, differences from the book…
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Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Matin Amis novel, THE ZONE OF INTEREST, which was directed by Jonathan Glazer and stars Christian Friedl and Sandra Hüller. The film’s wide release is set for January 19, 2024.
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If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com
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Or reach out on social media:
twitter.com/littolens
instagram.com/littolens

In an adapted recap of 2023, the guys discuss their favorites from the past year of cinema, literature, and (self-indulgently) themselves.
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Top 3 films we saw this past year (that were also released in 2023)
Top 3 books we read this past year (can be released before 2023)
And our favorite Lit to Lens episode from this past year
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Happy New Year! We are looking forward to a big 2024, and we hope you are too!
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Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Percival Everett novel, ERASURE, which has been adapted for the screen as AMERICAN FICTION and directed by Cord Jefferson and stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown. The film is not in theaters.
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If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com
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Or reach out on social media:
twitter.com/littolens
instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film adaptation of POOR THINGS, the Yorgos Lanthimos adaptation from the Alasdair Gray novel of the same name.

The book follows the account of Archie McCandless, a Scottish public health officer, who falls in love with a strange woman named Bella Baxter, created by his medical friend Godwin Baxter by implanting her unborn child's brain into her lifeless body. Bella is animated by a desire to see and experience the world, and all of the book is related second hand whether through letters to Archie which are printed in his narrative, Bella’s own postscript to whoever is reading this decades later, and the author’s own notes on both narratives.
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The film adaptation stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ray Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley. The film was released on December 15, 2023 and was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, with the screenplay written by Tony McNamara.
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Topics of discussion include the shift away from the book’s story within a story structure, the focusing on Bella Baxter, the Greek Weird Wave, some films that were inspirations for the crew, and whether or not the guys can pull off a Scottish accent.
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Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book.
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(0:00) From the book…
(1:31) Fast facts, recap, trivia…
(16:36) A word from our sponsor…
(17:14) Studio pitch & novel breakdown…
(36:06) Trailer
(36:28) Learn you something, differences from the book…
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Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Perceival Everett novel, ERASURE, which has been adapted for the screen as AMERICAN FICTION and directed by Cord Jefferson and stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown. The film’s release date is set for December 15, 2023.
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If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com
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Or reach out on social media:
twitter.com/littolens
instagram.com/littolens

The guys discuss the film adaptation of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, the Martin Scorsese adaptation from the bestselling David Grann nonfiction novel of the same name.

It tells the story of the investigation of a series of murders that took place in the early 1920s in Osage County, Oklahoma. After big oil deposits were found under their land, the Osage people were awarded headrights to the profits made from the oil deposits, but a complex plot is hatched by a number of white locals to kill the Osage inheritors and receive the headrights themselves.
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The film adaptation stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro and Lily Gladstone. The film was released on October 20, 2023 and was directed by Martin Scorsese, with the screenplay written by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese.
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Topics of discussion include the shift in story framing, the Tom White backstory that didn’t make it to the screen, the different types of full moons, and whether or not intermissions should be allowed in movie theaters.
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Listen to the episode to find out how the series stacks up to the book.
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(0:00) From the book…
(1:05) Fast facts, recap, trivia…
(16:51) A word from our sponsor…
(17:28) Studio pitch & novel breakdown…
(35:41) Trailer
(38:04) Learn you something, differences from the book…
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Our next episode will be on the adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel, POOR THINGS, which is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. The film’s release date is set for December 8, 2023.
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If you would like to get in contact with us about anything regarding the show, feel free to shoot us an e-mail: littolens@gmail.com
…

Or reach out on social media:
twitter.com/littolens
instagram.com/littolens