Do you watch the film or read the book? Rebecca. To Kill a Mockingbird. The Godfather. Rosemary’s Baby. Anything by Stephen King (except ‘Shawshank’ which no-one realises he wrote). What’s better? The book or the film?

Well why not be greedy and do both? You read a book (they always precede; any books that come out afterwards are just capitalising on what is normally rubbish) and then when the movie comes out, 5 years later, you go see that. Either out of curiosity, to see how it translates across the media, or because you forgot the book ten minutes after you finished it.

Because we now have so many companies producing their own content, many books go to series instead, on Netflix, Apple, Amazon. Or eeeeeven… The BBC! If anyone still uses that. As it’s either viewed today as a state-run anachronism or Hamas’ propaganda machine to Britain.

Many books translate into amazing movies. 90% of every brilliant movie you’ve ever seen started life as a book. Obviously it all depends on who is producing and directing it and whether they ‘read’ it as you did. And cast it well. Does the leading lady/murder victim/love interest live up to your expectations of gorgeousness? WHATTT!!!! THEY CAST HERRRRRR IN THAT ROLE??? Jack Reacher is 6 foot 5, let’s cast Tom Cruise, who’s 5 foot 6. But there ya go. All the taller actors were busy.

Then once in a while they make a movie/series from a brilliant book which is also simply brilliant. Good as the book. And totally perfect in its casting. And ‘speaks’ in the same voice as the one in your head when you read it. That’s when you discover Slow Horses. If you’ve read/watched then you know why the horses were slow. If you haven’t, I strongly suggest/beg/demand!, that you do so at once. Both. Read and watch. The scripts are just Mick Herron’s words cut and pasted onto the page. The stories are brilliant. But those characters. The dirty, sleazy, vile brilliance of Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb. The vicious icyness of Kristen Scott Thomas.

If you’ve watched the first three series (from the first 3 books, doh) on Apple TV, then the 4th has just started. If you don’t got Apple tv, get it. They don’t do yearly contracts, just long-as-ya-like at about 8 quid a month. And in one month, if you put your mind to it, you could do serious damage to the first 3 series and more. And that would be the best 8 quid you could spend. Unless you bought the book.

I haven’t started the 4th series yet because I want them to notch up a few episodes before I start. But I’m itchin’…

Watch it; you’ll thank me forever. And its all about me. Always.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx