Shannon Hale's "Austenland" was adapted for the screen as an independant film, which screened this week at the Sundance Film Festival where it was enthusiastically received and scored a distribution deal with Sony Pictures.
For those who don't remember my book review (which I wrote before I became a true Shannon Hale fan), "Austenland" is basically a Jane Austen theme park... wherein guests live according to 18th century norms - clothes, manners, chamber pots and all! And of course, actors are hired to make the experience complete, with a Mr. Darcy look-alike to complete the illusion.
I had mixed feelings about the novel, but I do believe it was made to succeed in cinematic form. Plus there is quite the talented cast bringing the story to life! Anyhow, keep your eyes open for upcoming details!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Downton Abbey 3.4
(Originally published in October, 2012. Due to episodes 1&2 being aired together in the US, this is considered the 3rd episode during the American airing.)
Spoiler Alert!!!
So... what do we think of this episode?
Personally, I felt the Sybil/Branson bit was kind of a let down after last week's hype. It should have been drawn out more. But... it's still intense. Branson's been up to stuff that even Sybil doesn't know about. What does this mean for their marriage? Will they stay at Downton? Will they settle someplace nearby? Or will Tom try to make it back into Ireland and force a court case? Who knows. At any rate, Baby Branson is coming soon. Next week?
Edith! Man, GO EDITH! The fandom has been hoping for awhile that she would turn into a writer and it looks like we're finally getting our wishes! I loved how Violet told her "You're a woman with a mind and ability, stop whining and find something to do!" Harsh, but effective!
Ethel... I thought her storyline was wrapped up last season. Why did they bring her back? What is the point? *sigh* But oh, her baby boy is SO ADORABLE. I just wanted to cuddle him forever.
Poor Daisy. Can the girl just have some happiness for once? Alfred needs to get his head out of the clouds and realize she's sweet on him!
New Footman is too sleezy to really be attractive. Not sure where that's going (other than that Thomas obviously has a thing for him).
Carson and the toaster. HA!
Matthew found out that Downton has been mismanaged... WELL THAT EXPLAINS A LOT. But why is Lord Grantham so reluctant to talk about it?
Bates and Anna - c'mon. Can something happen there? They've barely had a storyline at all. It's getting ridiculous.
Spoiler Alert!!!
So... what do we think of this episode?
Personally, I felt the Sybil/Branson bit was kind of a let down after last week's hype. It should have been drawn out more. But... it's still intense. Branson's been up to stuff that even Sybil doesn't know about. What does this mean for their marriage? Will they stay at Downton? Will they settle someplace nearby? Or will Tom try to make it back into Ireland and force a court case? Who knows. At any rate, Baby Branson is coming soon. Next week?
Edith! Man, GO EDITH! The fandom has been hoping for awhile that she would turn into a writer and it looks like we're finally getting our wishes! I loved how Violet told her "You're a woman with a mind and ability, stop whining and find something to do!" Harsh, but effective!
Ethel... I thought her storyline was wrapped up last season. Why did they bring her back? What is the point? *sigh* But oh, her baby boy is SO ADORABLE. I just wanted to cuddle him forever.
Poor Daisy. Can the girl just have some happiness for once? Alfred needs to get his head out of the clouds and realize she's sweet on him!
New Footman is too sleezy to really be attractive. Not sure where that's going (other than that Thomas obviously has a thing for him).
Carson and the toaster. HA!
Matthew found out that Downton has been mismanaged... WELL THAT EXPLAINS A LOT. But why is Lord Grantham so reluctant to talk about it?
Bates and Anna - c'mon. Can something happen there? They've barely had a storyline at all. It's getting ridiculous.
OUAT 2.12 - "In the Name of the Brother"
SPOILER ALERT
I'm surprised at the lack of enthusiasim over this episode thus far. Sure it wasn't earth-shattering, but it was a well constructed episode, with great character and some really beautiful dialogue and acting.
Some will say that the pacing was too slow, and that the Dr. Whale exposition should have been placed earlier in the season. But I disagree. I thought it was extremely astute of the show headliners to place it now, during an episode that focuses heavily on parental/children relationships - an ongoing theme this season to be sure, but this was the long anticipated Cora/Regina reunion episode! Why is it so appropriate? Because the main theme of Frankenstein (the book) is the influence parents have on their children, and especially the devastating cost of abandoning one's child (the Monster in the tale stands as Frankenstein's child). Frankenstein's father really was an insensitive man, who drove his son away by his actions. Of course, the monster wasn't his brother, but for the purpose of the show, it worked well.
However in contrast, we now have a definite lead on Bae's whereabouts. Although... is it just me, or did the blood globe seem to indicate that Bae is in Maine??? And... Cora and Rumple kissing wasn't such a shock to me, as I am certain she was the "Miller's Daughter" in the original tale and that they had a romantic connection.
I like that the show is not afraid to give the characters hard choices. Deciding whether or not to let the stranger die and save Storybrooke was not a place I thought they'd be willing to go... and it looks like there will be a price for making the moral choice.
Cora's reunion with Regina was so frustrating... part of me thinks she is sincere in saying she loves Regina, she has afterall been very steadfast with that line throughout the season. Still, she clearly does not yet understand what it means to really love, selflessly, and that is going to be scary to watch...
Fun glimpse into Regina's secret room. I liked seeing that she had carried her fantastical wardrobe over, as well as the beautiful jeweled apple tree.
I'm also thrilled that they've given Ruby more to do this season. She's a supporting character, but she manages to have good bits or full scenes in every episode. This week of course we got to see her show off superspeed, and then 'monster bonding' with Frankenstein. And who loved how everyone *cough*Emma*cough* reacted to meeting another kind of fictional character?
Looks like there is a lot to look forwards to in the coming weeks, and there seem to be more surprises this season than last... hurrah for that!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Attack of the Sour Patch Kids
I guess I've never had Sour Patch Kids before, because I ate a small pack of them yesterday and then my tongue felt like hell. It still feels like it's recovering from a burn, nearly 24 hours later.
I ran a Google search and found out that this is fairly common... and now I feel quite silly for not knowing this. But I've had sour candies before and never experience the tongue burn, so many Sour Patch Kids are super extreme?
Remedies suggested were ice cream, baking soda, milk, etc. Basically things to neutralize the acid. I tried some different ones, but I think I tried them too late and the damage was already done.
Ah well, tongue cells heal quickly, one of the miracles of the human body.
I ran a Google search and found out that this is fairly common... and now I feel quite silly for not knowing this. But I've had sour candies before and never experience the tongue burn, so many Sour Patch Kids are super extreme?
Remedies suggested were ice cream, baking soda, milk, etc. Basically things to neutralize the acid. I tried some different ones, but I think I tried them too late and the damage was already done.
Ah well, tongue cells heal quickly, one of the miracles of the human body.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Philippa Gregory and Good Historical Fiction
I recommend a lot of good historical fiction. However, I have some favorites that I don't feel I can write reviews about on this blog, because they contain sex scenes and I wouldn't want to encourage anyone to read that stuff if they're not already up for it.
In this instance, I'm talking specifically about the works of Phillipa Gregory. Although her earlier works ("Other Boleyn Girl" I'm looking at you) have some definite research flaws, her historical accuracy really is improving with each book. In fact, she recently wrote a non-fiction book on the women of the Wars of the Roses.
But that's besides the point because even when she gets the facts sort of kind of wrong, she still has a gift for getting the characters right. And that's what Historical Fiction does best - characters. Non-Fiction is about the facts, about different suppositions, about remaining as unbiased as possible. Historical Fiction gets to say, okay, I see your facts, I see your suppositions, how would they work in a narrative? If I string them all together, do they make a plausible person? A person we can believe in?
I just finished rereading Gregory's "The Boleyn Inheritance" which I think may be her finest work. Certainly she takes three women whom history usually passes by or only bothers to understand one dimension of, and makes them into living, breathing people. Anna of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Jane Rochford. Each women tells her chapter in her own voice, first person present. Normally this would be very hard to pull off, and yet Gregory does it with perfection. Each woman is so distinct, her voice so clearly her, that you almost don't need the chapter headings to identify the current narrator. It is very, very rare that any book has even one character so clearly developed, much less three, and far, far less in historical fiction.
The best part? It's believable I speak as a long-time Tudor Enthusiast, and when I read the voices of these women, their words match up with the facts and pictures I have of them from other sources. And I like them. Okay, I don't like Jane Rochford, but I can stand to read in her voice, and that's saying a lot for one of the most despicable women to come out of that court. I also find Kitty Howard endearing, which again, is a challenge when our clearest picture of her is of a very stupid young woman. And yet we understand her. She isn't smart, but she has her own way of seeing the world and it is entertaining to read until it goes so horribly wrong.
Okay, this has turned into a review. Let me say again. I'm not telling you to go read this unless you're already okay with sex scenes. BUT, if you are, if history interests you, and if you are interested in a finely crafted historical novel (despite the sex scenes, which actually are all of vital historical importance so they're not nearly as gratuitous as they'd be in another setting), by all means, this is one to head the list.
In this instance, I'm talking specifically about the works of Phillipa Gregory. Although her earlier works ("Other Boleyn Girl" I'm looking at you) have some definite research flaws, her historical accuracy really is improving with each book. In fact, she recently wrote a non-fiction book on the women of the Wars of the Roses.
But that's besides the point because even when she gets the facts sort of kind of wrong, she still has a gift for getting the characters right. And that's what Historical Fiction does best - characters. Non-Fiction is about the facts, about different suppositions, about remaining as unbiased as possible. Historical Fiction gets to say, okay, I see your facts, I see your suppositions, how would they work in a narrative? If I string them all together, do they make a plausible person? A person we can believe in?
I just finished rereading Gregory's "The Boleyn Inheritance" which I think may be her finest work. Certainly she takes three women whom history usually passes by or only bothers to understand one dimension of, and makes them into living, breathing people. Anna of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Jane Rochford. Each women tells her chapter in her own voice, first person present. Normally this would be very hard to pull off, and yet Gregory does it with perfection. Each woman is so distinct, her voice so clearly her, that you almost don't need the chapter headings to identify the current narrator. It is very, very rare that any book has even one character so clearly developed, much less three, and far, far less in historical fiction.
The best part? It's believable I speak as a long-time Tudor Enthusiast, and when I read the voices of these women, their words match up with the facts and pictures I have of them from other sources. And I like them. Okay, I don't like Jane Rochford, but I can stand to read in her voice, and that's saying a lot for one of the most despicable women to come out of that court. I also find Kitty Howard endearing, which again, is a challenge when our clearest picture of her is of a very stupid young woman. And yet we understand her. She isn't smart, but she has her own way of seeing the world and it is entertaining to read until it goes so horribly wrong.
Okay, this has turned into a review. Let me say again. I'm not telling you to go read this unless you're already okay with sex scenes. BUT, if you are, if history interests you, and if you are interested in a finely crafted historical novel (despite the sex scenes, which actually are all of vital historical importance so they're not nearly as gratuitous as they'd be in another setting), by all means, this is one to head the list.
Monday, January 14, 2013
OUAT 2.11 - "The Outsider"
My apologies for once again being a day late with this review... I had a commitment as soon as the show ended and couldn't get it up last evening. However I took notes while watching, so all of my initial reactions were at my finger-tips to edit this into a coherant review!
SPOILER WARNING
First of all, a question for you. Who is the titular "Outsider"? Is it Hook? Is it Belle? I think cases could be made for either.
Overall this is, imho, one of the strongest written episodes of the season thus far. It had a lot of beautiful moments, poignant dialogue, and character growth, and yet the episode didn't seem too busy, at least to me.
We got to see the really dark side of Hook in this episode without Cora to overshadow him, and it was downright frightening. But more on that in the end.
I really, really loved getting to see more on Belle in this episode. Emilie de Ravin is a fantastic episode and there was a lot for her to do here, from her confrontation with Hook, to her exhortions to Rumple. Still, the best part was getting to see Belle's intellectual side shine, not just knowing what books say, but showing that she can put the dots together and act on the facts. It was brilliant to see a heroine win the day not by brawn, but by her brain. I hope we get to see her carry this out further over the course of the season.
Also fantastic were the several nods to the Disney movie, with the teasing of her book reading and the subsequent tossing of the book into the mud being the most obvious. (Some awesome gif sets setting up the parallels are on tumblr). Another parallel that made me squeal was Mulan's reference to "something worth fighting for."
Speaking of which, it was delightful to see a younger, more innocent Mulan appearing to befriend and assist Belle. Plus the introduction of Phillip. Exactly what I wish we'd gotten about six episodes earlier!
I also appreciated that they finally recognized the danger posed by the modern world around them, and the fact that some (or all?) of them would like to get back to the Enchanted Forest. Surprisingly, (or not so much?) Snow isn't at all keen on this, and we get an outright fight between her and David. But, ah well, we've gotten so many sweet scenes between them that it was high time they had a little fuss.
Just about no Regina in this episode, but instead we were able to focus on Henry's side of the dilemma, which was good. Also bringing Pongo over to be Henry's dog. I think that was a great choice. I wonder if they will ever talk about Pongo's history, or if it's just going to continue to be a subtle tribute?
It's really almost a shame that all of these fantastic elements were overshadowed by the insanely intense ending. I certainly understand why they wrote it in, but oh man, talk about fan torture! Especially for those of us on the Rumbelle ship. Oy vey!
What do you think will be happening next? Who is the mysterious stranger in the car? What was the importance of that Pennsylvanian license plate?
Next week we get Frankenstein and more Cora...
SPOILER WARNING
First of all, a question for you. Who is the titular "Outsider"? Is it Hook? Is it Belle? I think cases could be made for either.
Overall this is, imho, one of the strongest written episodes of the season thus far. It had a lot of beautiful moments, poignant dialogue, and character growth, and yet the episode didn't seem too busy, at least to me.
We got to see the really dark side of Hook in this episode without Cora to overshadow him, and it was downright frightening. But more on that in the end.
I really, really loved getting to see more on Belle in this episode. Emilie de Ravin is a fantastic episode and there was a lot for her to do here, from her confrontation with Hook, to her exhortions to Rumple. Still, the best part was getting to see Belle's intellectual side shine, not just knowing what books say, but showing that she can put the dots together and act on the facts. It was brilliant to see a heroine win the day not by brawn, but by her brain. I hope we get to see her carry this out further over the course of the season.
Also fantastic were the several nods to the Disney movie, with the teasing of her book reading and the subsequent tossing of the book into the mud being the most obvious. (Some awesome gif sets setting up the parallels are on tumblr). Another parallel that made me squeal was Mulan's reference to "something worth fighting for."
Speaking of which, it was delightful to see a younger, more innocent Mulan appearing to befriend and assist Belle. Plus the introduction of Phillip. Exactly what I wish we'd gotten about six episodes earlier!
I also appreciated that they finally recognized the danger posed by the modern world around them, and the fact that some (or all?) of them would like to get back to the Enchanted Forest. Surprisingly, (or not so much?) Snow isn't at all keen on this, and we get an outright fight between her and David. But, ah well, we've gotten so many sweet scenes between them that it was high time they had a little fuss.
Just about no Regina in this episode, but instead we were able to focus on Henry's side of the dilemma, which was good. Also bringing Pongo over to be Henry's dog. I think that was a great choice. I wonder if they will ever talk about Pongo's history, or if it's just going to continue to be a subtle tribute?
It's really almost a shame that all of these fantastic elements were overshadowed by the insanely intense ending. I certainly understand why they wrote it in, but oh man, talk about fan torture! Especially for those of us on the Rumbelle ship. Oy vey!
What do you think will be happening next? Who is the mysterious stranger in the car? What was the importance of that Pennsylvanian license plate?
Next week we get Frankenstein and more Cora...
Downton Abbey 3.3.
(Downton Abbey's third episode was broadcasted as the second in America, due to the first and second episodes being combined. This review was originally posted September 2012.)
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Opps. Spoiler warning.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I know everyone was theorizing that something bad was going to happen at Edith's wedding, but I honestly did not think that Strallen would LEAVE HER AT THE ALTER. SERIOUSLY DUDE?
You don't do that. You don't even get within a week of the wedding and not call it off. (My family's been through that this year, it's incredibly hard, so my gut is just punched over this, too close to home.)
I used to like Strallen. I think he and Edith would be happy. And it just kills me that Edith had that torn away from her at the last possible second.
So that was the bad. Um...
Mary and Matthew were great in this episode though. I love that Mary read the letter anyhow. I did suspect that she'd written it, but I'm glad Matthew didn't, not for an instant. and when Daisy collaborated the story... oh it was almost too easy, but still, it was beautiful. Downton is saved!
Not enough Sybil and Branson, but looks like we'll get tons of them next week!
Every week I think it's not possible to hate Thomas more, and every week he proves me wrong. How can he be so malicious? O'Brian generally cared about him, and he couldn't stand her caring about her nephew as well. So fed up with him.
But aren't Carson and Mrs. Hughes the most adorable thing ever? I know the showrunners have said that no romance was intended between them, but the fans have shipped it so hard, and now in this episode I think we have a hint that Carson may have some unacknowledged romantic feelings towards Mrs. Hughes.
Poor Edith. That was just brutal.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Opps. Spoiler warning.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I know everyone was theorizing that something bad was going to happen at Edith's wedding, but I honestly did not think that Strallen would LEAVE HER AT THE ALTER. SERIOUSLY DUDE?
You don't do that. You don't even get within a week of the wedding and not call it off. (My family's been through that this year, it's incredibly hard, so my gut is just punched over this, too close to home.)
I used to like Strallen. I think he and Edith would be happy. And it just kills me that Edith had that torn away from her at the last possible second.
So that was the bad. Um...
Mary and Matthew were great in this episode though. I love that Mary read the letter anyhow. I did suspect that she'd written it, but I'm glad Matthew didn't, not for an instant. and when Daisy collaborated the story... oh it was almost too easy, but still, it was beautiful. Downton is saved!
Not enough Sybil and Branson, but looks like we'll get tons of them next week!
Every week I think it's not possible to hate Thomas more, and every week he proves me wrong. How can he be so malicious? O'Brian generally cared about him, and he couldn't stand her caring about her nephew as well. So fed up with him.
But aren't Carson and Mrs. Hughes the most adorable thing ever? I know the showrunners have said that no romance was intended between them, but the fans have shipped it so hard, and now in this episode I think we have a hint that Carson may have some unacknowledged romantic feelings towards Mrs. Hughes.
Poor Edith. That was just brutal.
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