5. A Series of Unfortunate Events
Kicking off with a pretty recent literary phenomenon, we have Lemony Snickets darkly comic and gloriously off-kilter series of childrens novels. Centred around the three recently-orphaned Baudelaire children as they try to outwit their new guardian, Uncle Olaf, whose interest in the children extends only as far as their inherited fortune. Its no wonder the books were successful, as they were both entertaining and different, carrying on that great tradition of childrens novels that acknowledges the futility in talking down to a young audience, seeking instead to treat them as intelligent beings and tapping into that part of their imagination that enjoys a bit of twisted eccentricity and dark humour. The big-screen version of the first book came out in 2004, accompanied by the great fanfare and relentless marketing that showed just how much faith was being put in the franchise. It was beautifully put together, with a script that remained faithful to the novels whilst at the same time containing that spark needed to make the page-to-screen transition successful. Backed up by a visual style and flair that tapped into the gothic atmosphere of the books, and featuring a great cast Jim Carrey, Billy Connolly, Meryl Streep, Timothy Spall all clearly having a great time, the film won over fans of the books and critics alike, and the series seemed to be set for an Adams-family type run on the big screen. Alas, however, things just didnt work out. An apparent lack of broader appeal and the necessary box office meant that the series ended with the first instalment a real shame, given the first film showed so much promise. Id love to see them have another go, as as this list shows - its rare to see such a faithfully rendered and enjoyable literary adaptation.