In episode 18, Alan and Nisha ring in spooky season with one of the classics... The Exorcist.
The 1973 film, based on a 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, has become the stuff of legends. Directed by the great William Friedkin with a screenplay adapted by Blatty himself, the film helped bring horror to the mainstream and revolutionized the genre for years to come.
When it released, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Theaters experienced long lines that often turned to half-empty auditoriums by the end of showtimes. Audiences had arguably never before experienced the daring levels of grotesque special effects and heavy subject matter in a mainstream film. Coupled with strange occurrences on and around set leading many to believe the film was cursed, it looms large as a major cultural touchstone.
How does such a shocking piece of media hold up over 5 decades later? How did the film approach adaptation with the book's author at the helm? Could the film really be cursed?
Join us as we discuss this and much more on In Contrast!
In episode 17, join Alan & Nisha as they discuss The Wild Robot, first a book published by Peter Brown in 2016. The rights for a film adaptation were bought almost immediately by Dreamworks Animation, and the film was released in 2024 to critical acclaim.
Brown's novel explores some familiar themes, but does so in creative ways that do not shy away from the realities of nature. How does an even more visual medium manage to remain kid-friendly while maintaining these heavier concepts?
Join us as we discuss this and much more!
NOTE: We had some audio issues while recording this episode. While most of it seems to have been fixed in post, we do apologize to you and your ears if there are any issues!
In episode 16 of In Contrast, Alan & Nisha do the one single thing you're not supposed to do.. talk about Fight Club.
Fight Club was the debut novel of author Chuck Palahniuk, originally published in 1996 and adapted to film by David Fincher in 1999. Both the book and film have remained a solid piece of the cultural zeitgeist ever since.
Why has this story remained so popular since its release? What about it draws so many people to its orbit? How does each medium communicate its at times complicated message, and how do audiences receive it?
Join us as we tackle one of the most famous (or maybe infamous) explorations of masculinity and societal ennui at the eve of the 21st century.
In episode 15, Alan & Nisha have their first foray into the timeless mysteries of Agatha Christie with 1934's Murder on the Orient Express. Among Christie's most well-known novels, this story finds longstanding detective Hercule Poirot wrapped up in a bizarre murder mystery aboard a stranded train.
This and other Christie stories have been adapted in numerous forms over the years, but we stick with the major film adaptations for this discussion. First, the 1974 film directed by Sidney Lumet, as well as the 2017 film directed by and starring Kenneth Branaugh.
These films both get an excellent chance to make use of an ensemble cast to give life to its characters, but how do they fare? Are they able to properly capture the brilliance and odd tendencies of Poirot? How does the mystery and its ultimate reveal translate to screen?
Join us to find out!
In Episode 14, Alan & Nisha discuss the much-acclaimed psychological thriller Shutter Island ! They talk about the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, and the 2010 film adaptation directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
At the time of publishing this book, Lehane was already well-known for his crime mysteries, but how did he inject a new psychological twist into his typical work. The story relies on misdirection and confusion, so how did Scorsese manage to capture this on screen?
Join us as we discuss this and much more!
World Dracula Day is this month!
To celebrate, Nisha put together a special bonus episode where she talks about 10 of the weirdest people characters Dracula has appeared with across the years.
Welcome to Episode 13, which means we are kicking off our second year of In Contrast!
For this episode, Alan & Nisha discuss Nisha's birthday pick: Water for Elephants! They discuss the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and its 2011 film adaptation by the same name.
Join us as we delve into this period piece romance and discuss how Gruen's own character are evident in her writing.
In episode 12, Alan & Nisha discuss another classic of gothic horror: Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death! They marvel at how well this story holds up even 180 years later, and even still has some notable parallels to our modern world.
For the film adaptations, they focus on the most well-known version put to film: the 1964 film of the same name, as well as the early 1919 silent film The Plague in Florence. The first film is one of many Poe adaptations directed by Roger Corman and starring the legendary Vincent Price, while the latter was notably an early writing credit for Fritz Lang!
With the most recent version of this tale being over 60 years old, how do these stories hold up? Why has Poe remained such a celebrated figure in writing? Join us as we discuss these and other topics!
In episode 11, Alan & Nisha once again visit with pod favorite H.P. Lovecraft to discuss his 1927 short story, The Colour Out of Space. Often cited as perhaps the favorite work of Lovecraft himself, this story has been adapted numerous times over the years and inspired countless more.
For the discussion, they also focus on two films: The 2019 film The Color Out of Space starring Nicholas Cage, and the lesser-known 2010 film Die Farbe (The Color), a low-budget German-language adaptation.
One of these was a fairly successful mainstream sci-fi, the other a work of love appreciated by dedicated fans. How do these films stack up against the original writings? Join us as we discuss this and more, including the rippling effects of this nearly century-old classic.
In episode 10, Alan & Nisha tackle the well-known crime thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. Written by Patricia Highsmith and released in 1955, this novel kicked off a series of five books that would be published over the next few decades.
This first book has 3 major adaptations, all of which are discussed in this episode. Purple Noon is a French adaptation starring Alain Delon as Tom, released in 1960. The Talented Mr. Ripley, perhaps the most well-known film, was released in 1999 and features a young Matt Damon as Ripley. Finally, the book was most recently adapted as a TV miniseries released by Netflix in 2024, starring Andrew Scott in the title role.
This story has become a template for thrillers since the mid-century, but does it still hold up on its own merits? Each of its screen adaptations color the story with their own flair, but which ones capture it best? How does the story of Tom Ripley and its themes translate to modern day?
Join us to find out!
Happy 2025 from In Contrast!
Alan & Nisha are ringing in the new year by discussing a seminal work in modern young adult fantasy and a personal favorite of Nisha's: The Golden Compass. This book (also known as The Northern Lights) was written by Phillip Pullman and released in 1995. It is the first entry in the His Dark Materials trilogy, but this conversation specifically focuses on the first book and its adaptations.
The book was adapted into a feature length film released in 2007, and the entire trilogy was later adapted into the His Dark Materials TV series which premiered in 2019. Alan focused on the film and the first season of the series, which covers the events from the first book.
This series has faced some criticisms for its perceived anti-religious bent, but do these criticisms hold any water? The film is noted as a box office bomb, but is it as bad when compared to its source material? How did the series hold up to the same scrutiny?
Join us to find out!
In Episode 8, Alan & Nisha discuss one of the major classics of American literature: To Kill a Mockingbird.
They talk about the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel by Harper Lee, and compare it with the film adaptation released just two years later in 1962. This remains the only major adaptation of this book. How does the film deal with the large and sometimes scattershot story of its source material? How does the social commentary hold up from these works 60+ years later?
Join us as we explore these and other questions!
Spooky season is upon us! On Episode 7, Alan & Nisha discuss the 1983 gothic horror novel The Woman in Black, as well as its two film adaptations: The 1989 made-for-TV film and the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe.
The novel is considered a hallmark of gothic horror, even being taught as part of standard curriculum in the UK. How do these two film versions stand up? Join us to find out!
Alan and Nisha are back in Episode 6 to talk about another classic: The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story was originally published as a novel by legendary science fiction writer H.G. Wells in 1896. It tells of a far away island and the mysterious doctor who lives there conducting strange experiments.
This novel had been adapted many times over the years, so Alan watched a total of four...yes, FOUR film adaptations to prepare for this discussion. First, the fairly well-regarded 1932 film The Island of Lost Souls, followed by the rather loosely based Filipino film The Twilight People (1972), the more straightforward Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), and the infamous 1996 adaptation starring David Thewlis, Val Kilmer, and Marlon Brando.
We weren't prepared for the absolute insanity of these adaptations, including a bizarre connection with another unlikely film franchise! Join us as we descend into the chaos and find out: Is the book really better than the movie?
In Episode 5, Alan and Nisha discuss No Country for Old Men, looking at both the 2005 novel by legendary author Cormac McCarthy, as well as the film directed by the Coen Brothers just 2 years later in 2007.
The film is not only widely considered a great adaptation, but one of the Coens' best films in their critically lauded career. Does the source material hold the same place in McCarthy's similarly celebrated bibliography? What were the changes made when put to film, and how did they impact the story?
Also, we apologize that this episode has some issues with audio quality and contains some mic echo. We tried our best to edit around it but some of it remained!
In Episode 4, Alan & Nisha delve into The Phantom of the Opera. Originating as a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux, this story has been adapted numerous times in different mediums, including one of the longest running stage productions of all time.
They discuss this cultural impact and focus on 3 versions put to film: The 1925 silent film featuring Lon Chaney, the wildly different 1943 film by Arthur Lubin, and the 2004 film based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
In Episode 3, Alan & Nisha discuss the highly influential story by H.P. Lovecraft The Call of Cthulhu. Despite this work's strong footing in culture since its publication in 1928, it has only been directly adapted to film once.
How does this 2005 adaptation by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society stack up to its source material? Is this story truly unfilmable as it was once thought to be? Join us and find out!
Alan and Nisha are back for Episode 2!
This time they discuss the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, as well as its 1982 film adaptation Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford. There is also some discussion of how the 2017 legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049 expands on these works.
Both the novel and the film were highly influential in their times to science fiction and can even be credited with developing and popularizing the subgenre of cyberpunk. How do these works stand up to their reputation, and how do they stack up against one another? Tune in to find out.
Welcome to our very first episode!
In episode 1, Alan and Nisha discuss the 1977 novel The Shining by Stephen King, as well as its 1980 film adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Both King and Kubrick are among the most lauded in their respected fields, so which one was able to capture this haunting story best?
Welcome to In Contrast! On this show, Alan & Nisha talk about movies and the books they are based on. Nisha reads the books and Alan watches the screen adaptations, and through discussion of comparison and contrast, they attempt to answer the age-old question: Is the book better than the movie?