Brokeback Mountain is sweeping awards all over the place and I'm already waiting to get tickets to see it. Just read it's based on a short story by Annie Proulx (who I've only recently discovered btw and for some strange dyslexic reason read as "Prolux" for the longest time!)...It's always such a treat when books are tastefully made into movies. I mean, it's such a thin line and so easy to dash people's expectations, especially readers.

I still think it's better to read first and then watch, because you give your imagination that much more room to play and grow (and soar! if you're lucky). Like with TLOTR. You have to read it, watch it, re-read it, re-watch it. And you could do that again and again, and you'd still not be bored. Peter Jackson's vision totally complements god's (that is Tolkien's)and hobbits everywhere cheered that whole endeavour.

I recently evolved from one of those frumpy, grumpy, dumpy "movies made on books totally suck" people (though secretly watching as many as I could, all agape and sucked straight into that magical world of technicolour) -- in my case, it was basically a pose, but there are so many people who do believe this and stick to it..more power to them, I say.

But when it's done well, and you've read and loved the book, it's such a treat...It just gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling.

Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which again, I only just got around to watching)...it blew me away. Not only was Johnny Depp brilliantly manic as Wonka, but the script was perfect and it was as good as the first movie (which I saw as a kid and loved!) and a perfect take on the book.

No, you can't REALLY compare movies and books and one definitely can't replace the other, but they both hit that same pleasure centre in your brain, it looks like. And both just make life worth living, don't you think?

Now bring on Heath Ledger on that horse!