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Movies Based on Books: January to March 2012
(1. One for the Money 2. The Woman in Black 3. Big Miracle
4. The Secret World of Arrietty 5. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax 6. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
7. Mirror Mirror 8. Hunger Games 9. The Pirates! Band of Misfits)
January 20
Coriolanus
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, and Brian Cox
(Limited Release — Rated R)
January 27
The Grey
Based on the short story “Ghost Walker” by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
Starring Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, and Frank Grillo
One for the Money
Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich
Starring Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, and Daniel Sunjata
Albert Nobbs
Based on a short story by George Moore
Starring Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, and Aaron Johnson
(Rated R)
In Darkness
Based on In the Sewers of Lvov by Robert Marshall
Starring Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Fürmann, and Agnieszka Grochowska
(Rated R)
February 3
The Woman in Black
Based on the novel by Susan Hill
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, and Ciarán Hinds
Big Miracle
Based on Freeing the Whales by Thomas Rose
Starring Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, and Kristen Bell
February 17
The Secret World of Arrietty
Based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki
Starring the voices of Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, and Will Arnett
March 2
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Based on the book by Dr. Seuss
Starring the voices of Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
Loosely based on the story by the Brothers Grimm
Starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, and Peter Stormare
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Based on the novel by Paul Torday
Starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Amr Waked
(Limited Release)
March 9
John Carter
Based on the novel John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, and Willem Dafoe
The Raven
A fictionalized account of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe’s life, in which the poet pursues a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer’s stories.
Starring John Cusack, Alice Eve, and Luke Evans
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Based on the novel by Deborah Moggach
Starring Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith
Think Like a Man
Based on the book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey
Starring Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union, and Kevin Hart
March 16
Mirror Mirror
Loosely based on the Snow White tale by the Brothers Grimm
Starring Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, and Armie Hammer
March 23
Hunger Games
Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth
March 30
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Based on Gideon Defoe’s Pirates! series
Starring the voices of Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Piven
December 29th, 2011 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ No Comments »
Movies Based on Books: November to December 2011
(1. Breaking Dawn Part 1 2. The Descendants 3. Hugo
4. Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows 5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 6. The Adventures of Tintin
7. We Bought a Zoo 8. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 9. War Horse)
November 4
My Week With Marilyn
Starring Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, and Kenneth Branagh
Based on the books My Week with Marilyn and The Prince, the Showgirl and Me by Colin Clark
(Limited Release)
November 18
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner
Based on the book by Stephenie Meyer
The Descendants
Starring George Clooney, Judy Greer, and Matthew Lillard
Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings
November 23
Hugo
Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Christopher Lee
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
A Dangerous Method
Starring Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, and Viggo Mortensen
Based on A Most Dangerous Method by John Kerr
December 2
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, and Ezra Miller
Based on the book by Lionel Shriver
(Limited Release)
December 9
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy
Based on the novel by John le Carré
December 16
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Jared Harris
Based on characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
December 21
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara
Directed by David Fincher
Based on the book by Stieg Larsson
The Adventures of Tintin
Starring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, and Daniel Craig
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Based on the comic book series by Hergé
December 23
We Bought A Zoo
Starring Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, and Thomas Haden Church
Based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee
December 25
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Starring Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, and Sandra Bullock
Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer
War Horse
Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, and David Thewlis
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo
October 24th, 2011 ♥ Movies ♥ No Comments »
Movies Based on Books: August to October 2011
1. The Help 2. One Day 3. Conan the Barbarian
4. Drive 5. I Don’t Know How She Does It 6. Moneyball
7. What’s Your Number? 8. Rum Diary 9. Three Musketeers
August 10
The Help
Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer
Based on the book by Kathryn Stockett
August 19
One Day
Starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess
Based on the novel by David Nicholls
Conan the Barbarian
Starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, and Rose McGowan
Based on the stories by Robert E. Howard
September 16
Drive
Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Bryan Cranston
Based on the book by James Sallis
I Don’t Know How She Does It
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, and Kelsey Grammer
Based on the book by Allison Pearson
Straw Dogs
Starring James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, and Alexander Skarsgård
Based on the novel The Siege of Trencher’s Farm by Gordon Williams
September 23
Moneyball
Starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, and Jonah Hill
Based on the nonfiction book by Michael Lewis
Killer Elite
Starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro
Based on the novel (previously published as The Feather Men) by Ranulph Fiennes
September 30
What’s Your Number?
Starring Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, and Chris Evans
Based on the novel 20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak
October 14
The Thing
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, and Ulrich Thomsen
Based on Who Goes There?, a novella by John W. Campbell, Jr.
The Skin I Live In
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, and Jan Cornet
Based on the novel by Thierry Jonquet
The Big Year
Starring Owen Wilson, Jack Black, and Steve Martin
Based on the book by Mark Obmascik
October 21
The Three Musketeers
Starring Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen, and Ray Stevenson
Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas
October 28
The Rum Diary
Starring Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and Aaron Eckhart
Based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson
July 28th, 2011 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ 2 Comments »
Movies Based on Books: Summer 2011
(1. Something Borrowed 2. Thor 3. Priest 4. X-Men: First Class 5. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer 6. Mr. Popper’s Penguins 7. Monte Carlo 8. One Day 9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 10. Winnie the Pooh 11. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 12. Cowboys & Aliens)
Literary adaptations continue to be hot commodities for the summer movie season. Besides the eagerly awaited conclusion to the Harry Potter movie franchise, there are lots of comic book interpretations, several children’s books coming to the big screen, and a few popular novel adaptations coming out in the next few months. What are you or your library users looking forward to?
May 6
Something Borrowed
Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, and John Krasinski
Based on the novel by Emily Giffin
Thor
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, and Natalie Portman
Based on the Marvel comic book character
Everything Must Go (Rated R)
Starring Will Ferrell
Based on the short story “Why Don’t You Dance” by Raymond Carver
May 13
Priest
Starring Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, and Maggie Q
Based on the manhwa series by Min-Woo Hyung
June 3
X-Men: First Class
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence
Based on the Marvel comic book characters
Submarine
Starring Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, and Paddy Considine
Based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne
June 10
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
Starring Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham, Jaleel White, and Preston Bailey
Based on the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald, who co-wrote the screenplay
June 17
Green Lantern
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Peter Sarsgaard
Based on the DC Comics character
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Starring Jim Carrey
Based on the book by Richard Atwater and Florence Atwater
July 1
Monte Carlo
Starring Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy
Based on the novel Headhunters by Jules Bass
July 8
One Day
Starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess
Based on the novel by David Nicholls
July 15
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint
Based on the book by J.K. Rowling
Winnie the Pooh
Featuring the voices of Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, and John Cleese
Based on the books by A.A. Milne
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Starring Bingbing Li, Gianna Jun, and Vivian Wu
Based on the book by Lisa See
July 22
Captain America: The First Avenger
Starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Samuel L. Jackson
Based on the Marvel comic book character
Sarah’s Key
Starring Kristin Scott Thomas
Based on the novelby Tatiana de Rosnay
July 29
Cowboys & Aliens
Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde
Based on the graphic novel created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
April 28th, 2011 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ 2 Comments »
Little Red Riding Hood: Book and Movie Adaptations
With this week’s release of the film Red Riding Hood, a post on literary and film adaptations of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale with teen appeal seemed apt. Coming from oral stories told as early as the 14th century, most modern day retellings are based on the written versions popularized by Charles Perrault in 17th century France and the Grimm Brothers in 19th century Germany. The tale centers on a young girl donning a red cape who must venture into the woods to deliver food to her sick grandmother. A predatory wolf discovers her destination, beats her there, eats the grandmother, and lies in wait for Little Red Riding Hood to arrive. In most versions, the wolf then swallows her whole. A hunter arrives to save her and the grandmother by cutting them out of the wolf’s stomach and then filling him with stones, to his death. Little Red Riding Hood learns to never again take the shortcut through the woods and they all lived happily ever after. Modern-day adaptations and retellings relish in subverting fairy tale tropes and calling out their inherent sexism and didacticism.
Red Riding Hood, starring Amanda Seyfried and helmed by Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke, combines elements of the traditional tale with the increasingly trendy werewolf mythology. Seyfried’s Valerie had planned to run away with the town woodcutter to escape an arranged marriage, but her plans are cut short when her sister is killed by a werewolf. While her town is ravaged by the threat, Valerie learns she has a unique connection to the wolf that makes her both the target of suspicion from the town and from the wolf himself. The movie opens on nearly 3,000 screens Friday, March 11.
Sarah Blakley-Cartwright and the film’s screenwriter, David Leslie Johnson, wrote a novelization of the movie that is available now, though apparently the final chapter will only be available online after the film’s release. Check out a review over at The Compulsive Reader.
(Poppy, 2011; 329 p.)
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce tells the story of two sisters, Scarlett and Rose, who hunt down the wolves that killed their grandmother, attacked Scarlett, and continue to prey on young girls, with the help of red cloaks and Silas, the woodsman’s son. Check out reviews at Galleysmith, Steph Su Reads, and Abby the Librarian.
(Little, Brown, 2010; 336 p.)
Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde comprises eight wry versions of the tale, sending up and twisting many fairy tale conventions.
(Marshall Cavendish Children, 2010; 128 p.)
In Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie, Ruth tends to her grandmother, banished to the woods for her supposed witchcraft. It is during this time that she encounters the mysterious William, a noble with cursed wolf blood running through his veins, and must confront her feelings for him.
(Simon Pulse, 2004; 157 p.)
The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block, a collection of nine fairy tale retellings, includes “Wolf,” an interpretation of the Little Red Riding Hood story. Kirkus Reviews called “Wolf” a “harrowing tale of incest and sorrow.”
(HarperCollins, 2000; 229 p.)
Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer is a contemporary romance that follows Sophie as she travels to her grandmother’s house in Florida. On her way there, she meets bad-boy Jack, who seems much more appealing than her predictably boyfriend of three years.
(Speak, 2009; 288 p.)
Red Rider’s Hood by Neal Shusterman gives us a male perspective on the tale. Red Rider visits his grandmother in his red mustang, only to discover she is a wolf-hunter being terrorized by a gang of werewolves. Red joins the gang as a spy at first, but finds his loyalties shifting.
(Dutton Children’s Books, 2005; 181 p.)
Are you intrigued by the upcoming movie adaptation? Do you have any favorite interpretations of the story? Let us know in the comments!
March 9th, 2011 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ 1 Comment »
Movies Based on Books: Winter 2011
(1. From Prada to Nada 2. The Eagle 3. I Am Number Four 4. Beastly 5. Jane Eyre 6. Red Riding Hood 7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules 8. Miral 9. Water for Elephants)
January 14
Barney’s Version
Starring Paul Giamatti
Based on the novel by Mordecai Richler
January 21
The Way Back
Starring Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell
Inspired by The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
January 28
The Rite
Starring Anthony Hopkins
Based on Matt Baglio’s The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist
From Prada to Nada
Starring Camilla Belle and Alexa Vega
Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
February 11
Gnomeo and Juliet
Animated film with the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt and Maggie Smith
Based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
The Eagle
Starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland
Based on The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
February 18
I Am Number Four
Starring Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron
Based on the book by Pittacus Lore (aka Jobie Hughes and James Frey)
Unknown
Starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones
Based on Out of My Head by Didier Van Cauwelaert
March 4
Beastly
Starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer
Based on the novel by Alex Flinn
The Adjustment Bureau
Starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt
Based on the short story “Adjustment Team” by Philip K. Dick
March 11
Jane Eyre
Starring Mia Wasikowska
Based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte
Red Riding Hood
Starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight)
loosely based on the folk tale Little Red Riding Hood
A novelization of the film by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright and David Leslie Johnson is available now
Mars Needs Moms
Animated featuring the voices of Seth Green, Joan Cusack and Dan Fogler
Based on the book by Berkeley Breathed
Kill the Irishman
Based on To Kill the Irishman by Rick Porrello
March 18
Limitless
Starring Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel and Abbie Cornish
Based on the novel by Alan Glynn
The Lincoln Lawyer
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe
Based on the novel by Michael Connelly
March 25
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules
Based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Miral
Starring Freida Pinto
Based on the novel by Rula Jebreal
April 15
Soul Surfer
Starring AnnaSophia Robb
Based on the memoir Soul surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board by Bethany Hamilton
April 22
Water for Elephants
Starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz
Based on the novel by Sara Gruen
April 29
What’s Your Number?
Starring Anna Faris, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans
Based on the novel 20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak
January 20th, 2011 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ 1 Comment »
Movies Based on Books: Fall 2010
(1. Never Let Me Go 2. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole 3. Howl 4. Social Network 5. Let Me In 6. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 7. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest 8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 9. Tangled 10. Miral 11. Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader 12. Gulliver’s Travels)
September 15
Never Let Me Go
Based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro
Starring Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield
September 24
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Based on the books by Kathryn Lasky
Howl
Based on the life of poet Allen Ginsberg, including an animated re-imagining of the poem “Howl”
Starring James Franco as Ginsberg
October 1
The Social Network
Based on The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich
Let Me In
Based on Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Freakonomics
Documentary based on the nonfiction book by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
October 8
Secretariat
Based on Secretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack
It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Based on the YA novel by Ned Vizzini
Starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Roberts
October 15
Red
Based on the comic book series of the same name created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner
October 27
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
Based on the third book in the Millenium series by Stieg Larsson
November 5
Fair Game
Based on the memoir Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House by Valerie Plame
Starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn
November 19
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Based on the book by JK Rowling
November 24
Tangled
Based on the fairytale Rapunzel by the Grimm Brothers
Animated film produced by Disney with the voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi
Love and Other Drugs
Based on the non-fiction title Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by Jamie Reidy (being rereleased as Love and Other Drugs to coincide with the film release)
December 3
Miral
Based on the novel by Rula Jebreal
I Love You Phillip Morris
Based on the book by Steve McVicker
Starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor
December 10
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Based on the book by C.S. Lewis
December 22
Gulliver’s Travels
Based on the book by Jonathan Swift
Starring Jack Black
December 25
True Grit
Based on the novel by Charles Portis
Directed by the Coen Brothers
September 20th, 2010 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ 2 Comments »
Box Office Preview: August 20 and 27
The Box Office Preview features movies with teen and tween appeal opening soon. For the most part I won’t feature R-rated films, but occasionally there will be R-rated movies on teens’ radar and the rating will be noted. Limited release movies will be featured the week they get a wide release.
August 18
With Twilight’s popularity, a vampire romance parody was inevitable. Vampires Suck skewers the whole genre, but appears to take aim primarily at the Twilight franchise. This will be an adequate summer diversion for vampire-haters and Twihards who don’t mind being poked fun at.
August 20
Emma Thompson is back as the inimitable Nanny McPhee in Nanny McPhee Returns. Young moviegoers and their families should flock to this movie, as it’s the first family-friendly film to open this month.
Lottery Ticket stars Bow Wow (he’s not Li’l anymore) as a young man who wins a multi-million dollar lottery and must deal with the money-grubbing hijinks of his friends and family. This broad comedy should attract a teen audience, especially those who are fans of Bow Wow, T-Pain, Ice Cube and the other rappers who star in it.
In The Switch, a guy named Wally (Jason Bateman) drunkenly spills the sample from his best friend Kassie’s (Jennifer Aniston) sperm donor and replaces it with his own. Seven years later, he finally meets his son and must confront the situation. While this will mostly appeal to an older audience, teens who are fans of Aniston or Bateman will likely be interested.
Piranha 3D (Rated R) is the latest remake of the 1978 B-movie Piranha. This horror flick stars a host of familiar names including Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, and Richard Dreyfuss and features lots of gratuitous blood, gore, and nudity, all in 3D.
August 27
Based on the middle grade novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, Flipped gets a wide release this weekend after a limited release earlier this month. It tells the story of the budding romance between Bryce and Juli from second grade through junior high. Early reviews are mixed, but this looks like an endearing film adaptation that will appeal to younger audiences and families.
Moviegoers looking for something more action-packed should check out Takers, a gritty crime thriller about a group of professional bank robbers reuniting for a big heist.
The Last Exorcism presents itself as “found footage” of a disillusioned minister performing an exorcism. This has been making the film festival circuit and looks like a must-see for horror fans.
What movies are you or your teens most looking forward to this month?
August 17th, 2010 ♥ Box Office Preview, Movies ♥ No Comments »
Everything You Need to Know about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World opens this Friday, Aug. 13. The movie is based on the six-volume graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, though the plot will not follow the books exactly as the last volume was just released in July. So, what do you need to know about the movie and the books?
- Scott Pilgrim is an underachieving 23-year-old who lives with his gay best friend Wallace, plays bass in Sex Bob-omb, and is dating 17-year-old Knives Chau. But when he encounters the mysterious Ramona Flowers, first in his dreams, and then in real life, he ditches Knives for a shot with Ramona. The only catch? He has defeat her seven evil exes before they can date.
- It’s packed with video game references that will delight even the most casual gamer. See a comprehensive list at UGO.
- Music also plays a big part. Scott’s in a three-piece band, Sex Bob-omb, with Kim Pine and Stephen Stills, and several scenes take place at music clubs. Beck wrote the music for the band in the film and members of Broken Social Scene composed the songs for a rival band, Crash and the Boys.
- The series takes place in Toronto and features many local institutions. Several fans have tracked down the sites and the movie was shot on location.
- The Toronto Reference Library is featured in two scenes in the graphic novel. Scott first sees Ramona in real life there and Knives Chau fights Ramona in the library’s main room.
- According to WorldCat, 401 libraries have the first volume cataloged and 236 have the series cataloged. (Including the Toronto Public Library, natch)
- Director Edgar Wright is also responsible for Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and the British tv series Spaced (available on Hulu!).
- The movie’s groundbreaking interactive trailer is played like a video game and includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and other tidbits of information. You can also create your own avatar.
- The comics were also adapted into a downloadable video game for the PlayStation Network and XBox Live Arcade.
Have you read the books? Planning to see the movie? Let me know in the comments!
August 12th, 2010 ♥ Books, Movies ♥ No Comments »
Box Office Preview: August 6 and August 13
The Box Office Preview features movies with teen and tween appeal opening soon. For the most part I won’t feature R-rated films, but occasionally there will be R-rated movies on teens’ radar and the rating will be noted. Limited release movies will be featured the week they get a wide release.
August 6
The Other Guys features Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as two incompetent NYC cops who find themselves hot on the tail of some of the city’s biggest criminals. This buddy cop comedy from Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) may have the right combination of star power and broad humor to knock Inception from its box office throne.
The latest installment in the popular dance franchise, Step Up 3D looks to be its most extravagant venture yet. The plot in this is secondary to the all-out dance battles, which should be fantastic and the dance crews are packed with alums from teen favorites So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew.
August 13
Julia Roberts stars in the big-screen adaptation of the Elizabeth Gilbert bestseller Eat Pray Love, which opens this weekend. A recent divorcee heads off on a journey to find herself in Italy, India, and Bali through food, spirituality, and romance. Though primarily for an older demographic, this will likely appeal to many older teen girls especially with Glee’s Ryan Murphy directing.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, stars Michael Cera as a lovable doofus who must defeat the seven evil exes of his new love interest before dating her. Chock full of video game references, hip music tracks, and epic fight scenes, this film is made for the teen and twenty-something set and is being heavily marketed to them. (This is my most highly-anticipated movie of the summer, and maybe even the year!)
The Expendables (Rated R) is an action movie for action movie fans. Directed by Sylvester Stallone and starring himself and other action movie veterans like Jet Li, Steve Austin, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie focuses on a team of mercenaries sent to overthrow a South American dictator. But the plot hardly matters in this kind of mindless summer escape, which is perfect for older teens looking for a distraction.
Best bets
Maybe I’m being optimistic after a summer of so-so movies, but most of these actually look tolerable. My heart’s with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, though, and I think lots of teens will fall for it as well.
Coming up
Paranormal romance parody Vampires Suck, Nanny McPhee Returns, the sequel to the 2005 kid’s charmer, Lottery Ticket, a comedy starring Bow Wow, The Switch with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, horror remake Piranha 3D (Rated R), the film adapation of the middle-grade novel Flipped, action thriller Takers, documentary-style horror film The Last Exorcism, and Going the Distance (Rated R), with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long
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