I love history. I love movies. And I really like fictionalized novels based on real historical events. So when we put those three items together we get this week’s list of greatness.
All the films on this list were based in some way on a novel that it was in turn based on a real historical event that took place. Continue reading
When I wrote my latest book—detailing a few of the many, many ways our otherwise lovable husbands drive us apeshit crazy—naturally I hoped it would resonate with people. What I didn’t expect was to be accused of polygamy.
“Wait a minute. Are you married to my husband, too?” demanded one gal who saw the video trailer for If It Was Easy They’d Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon: Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-So-Handy Man You Married. Soon afterward, similar notes of support and commiseration began to pour in.
It seems like everywhere you look a new book is being remade into a movie (or a show) and you might not always hear about them, even the good ones. So because every month there are new and exciting remakes of books into movies and television, we will try to keep you updated.
Starting with the month of November! Continue reading
The one thing I really enjoy about reading the books that we will talk about on Optionated is that for the most part, they are books that people have heard of. You can often find yourself in a group of people and if you want to talk about this book you may have someone to speak with. Well I can tell you due to a power outage I was able to read the book in one sitting from start to finish and I just loved it. It was almost impossible to put down, but now that I go back and think about it I did have a few scenes that just did not feel great to me.
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I, as a young woman, love romantic stories (and yes, even supernatural romantic stories) so I spent my summer reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. It is book 1 of The Mortal Instruments book series and it is currently being made into a movie. The book is separated into three major sections so that is what sections I chose to break up my thoughts on the novel.
::::Spoilers Ahead::::
My first thoughts were, why the hell is a 15 year old going to club called, Pandemonium. That just seems dangerous and scary. I get it, there are bouncers and security measures, but she’s only 15 going to a dance club filled with ravers, goth kids, and the like. I know city life is a little different for teenagers but clubs seem like the something they should wait on. Right?
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I just saw “Real Steel” (http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/real-steel) in the theater and enjoyed the special effects quite a bit. As an engineer, I’m interested in how the robots were made, how much of the movie was CGI, and how the directors and editors mixed the two. After working on an article that will be featured in www.EntertainmentEngineering.com magazine soon, I had a more acute knowledge of what went on behind the scenes.
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Ok, so not every book to movie remake is going to be great, or even good yet they keep happening. Now I love to see my favorite books being made in a new medium but only if it isn’t shamed in the process (The Time Travelers Wife I’m talking to you). Either way, there are many great remakes in the world of books to film and you can’t overlook their magic. In my opinion, a good remake is one that takes a story you know and presents it to you in a way that makes you feel as if you are watching a whole new thing. You get emotional at parts you are supposed to and you laugh at parts that are funny even if they are things you’ve seen and heard before. Those are the reasons I picked the films below.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Not only is this one of my favorite films ever but it was also remade by my favorite director, Wes Anderson. The story was actually a children’s book written by British author Roald Dahl. He also wrote “Charlie and Chocolate Factory” but this, in my opinion, is his better story. Wes did a fantastic job adding to the story in appropriate ways to make it a feature length film and brought life to a story meant for children. I love this movie in every way and is my favorite book to film feature. It is heartwarmingly hilarious.
“Mrs. Fox: [to Ash] We’re all different.
[Points to Mr.Fox]
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