I just noticed this was just released on DVD. Has anyone seen it? Was it as good as the book?

I have seen this, and thought that it was very well done.  If you do a quick google search, there are a number of reviews posted already.  As you know the story is very horrific in what is going on and the depiction of details.  The movie is the same way, but they went the route of suggesting what was happening as opposed to showing it.  Some of the subject matter is the same as Hostel, but you won't be seeing much of the action.  This is definitely not for kids and/or teens.  The ending of the movie is slightly changed.  The end result is the same, but I prefer the book just a bit more.  Cameos to look out for:  in the beginning when the hit and run occurs, the crowd surrounding the victim are friends of Ketchums, as well as authors in their own right, Monica O'Rourke, Gerard Hoaurner, and a few others.  When Meg and David get on the Ferris Wheel, the guy unlocking the gate to the wheel is Ketchum, but you can barely see him.  I was not able to see TGND on the convention rounds, but I did see Ketchum's other film, The Lost, last year and that was really good.  Hopefully if TGND does well, Anchor Boy will pick up The Lost as well.

Hmm thanks for the heads up.Im going to see if I can get my hands on it from dvd swap:)

Netflix has it , although it says it is a long wait. I checked swapa DVD and they don't have it either. have to put it on wish list I guess.

I just read in an interview that The Lost, Ketchum's 1st film, will be out on DVD in March of 2008 from Anchor Bay.  I've seen it once at a convention, but I am looking forward to this more than I did TGND.

--steve

I rented it, not knowing about the story, by the end of the movie I was numb, when I googled the story it seemed like the movie strayed from the actual case.

Amber, the book is more "inspired by" the Sylvia Likens case, rather than a fictionalization of it.  As an adaptation, the movie was pretty dead on.  Now picture this, the original cover of The Girl Next Door (1989) was of a skeleton in a cheer leader's costume.  As with most larger publishing houses, the author had no say on the cover of the book.  I have read an interview somewhere where Ketchum had gotten some hate mail because someone's teen son or daughter had bought the book thinking it was a generic horror novel, and the parent flipped when she saw what the kid was reading. 

I've rarely come across any horror that was too much for me, but I could barely finish this book.   I'm not sure why it affected me so strongly; maybe it's because I knew it was based on a true story.  It was well-written, but I've been afraid to try anything else by Ketchum.

i read the book a year ago and it stuck with me a LONG time - it was a good book. Then I seen this thread so, I rented the movie over the weekend - WOW - that is when i learned this was based on real events. It was hard to watch - I am sure the movie will stick with me awhile as well. This is one movie I would not let my teenager's read or watch.

it was SAD :(

I read it and had no idea that it was inspired by a true event.  It doesn't surprise me though.  I found this to be one of the hardest books to finish and I put it down a few times because I found it just too upsetting.  I wouldn't read another one like it - I know evil like that exists, but I'd rather read about the made-up monsters.

I just rented that movie from a local place here a few weekends ago, and I was actually a bit disappointed.  It was WAY too slow in the beginning IMO, at a certain point i remember thinking to myself, well, this isn't nearly as brutal as I heard it was going to be.  But near the end, it definitly ups the shock/violence and becomes quite interesting.  I'll read the book, but I wish I read it BEFORE I saw the movie.

Wow, I didn't know this was based on a true story. Have not seen the movie but have the book on my TBR pile, I may have to move it up on my list.