It may be summer movie season but we're still getting some hints of fall film offerings and one of the newest trailers is for Bohemian Rhapsody, a bio-pic of the band Queen and their iconic lead singer Freddie Mercury.
The movie is set for November and honestly, I'm surprised that it took this long to make a Queen movie, especially since their music is incredibly cinematic. Let me give you a neat quartet of fine film examples of that:
FLASH GORDON: Queen created the soundtrack for this now camp classic from 1980, with the theme song "Flash" becoming an international hit on the music charts. The music is what instantly comes to mind when anyone brings up this movie and for good reason; it was well tuned to the overall goofy nature of the film yet enjoyably epic in it's own right:
HIGHLANDER: The band contributed several songs to the 1986 soundtrack for yet another cult favorite,although this one launched a good number of sequels and a TV series.
The songs wound up becoming a separate album for Queen entitled "A Kind of Magic" and one of them "Princes of the Universe" was not only the theme song for the original film(not to mention the original title!), it was also used for the TV show theme as well.
Granted, I have not seen Highlander(need to do that at some point in the future) but these songs are rather well known to me and countless others. There's just something about Queen that easily lends itself to fantasy and science fiction, a gorgeous operatic vibe that they fully embraced:
SHAUN OF THE DEAD: Appreciating the music of Queen does allow for a sense of humor,thankfully, which is why one of the best sequences in this 2004 "zom-rom-com" is set to one of their songs.
It helps to have a jukebox set on random in the bar where our human heroes are holed up from the awaiting zombie hoards in order to naturally introduce the song.
The choice of song was clearly not random as the action in this scene is perfectly timed to "Don't Stop Me Now" from the flickering lights outside to the trio of friends whaling on the now undead owner of the place.
Getting the rights for a song can be tricky,especially for a small movie like this but it was well worth it indeed. There are plenty of great moments in this film but this one is most memorably funny and fun:
WAYNE'S WORLD: There's no way I could do a proper Queen filmography without highlighting this 1992 SNL skit based comedy. Leading man Mike Meyers was bound and determined to use "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the opening credits sequence, to the point of threatening to quit the project.
Fortunately, Freddie Mercury himself was able,despite ill health, to see that scene and give his approval for the song's use. Mercury passed away before the movie's release and that combined with the popularity of the film brought the song back to the record charts, reaching number two in the US alone.
I'm glad that Meyers held fast to having Bohemian Rhapsody for that sequence. It nicely ties into the humor of the characters and makes for a grand entrance for these silly cinematic shenanigans to follow:
As for Bohemian Rhapsody the movie, I'm really looking forward to it. The teaser trailer alone focuses on the music and particularly on their main man, with Rami Malek bearing a striking resemblance to the late great Freddie Mercury.
The musical legacy of Queen is important as this was a group of artists whose talents inspired many and helped to redefine cultural norms, especially for the LGBTQ community. It's rather ironic that many of the people who did(and probably still do) object to their music proudly sing "We Are The Champions" and "We Will Rock You" at sporting events. You know those are Queen songs, right?
Hopefully by the time this movie is in theaters, we'll be seeing a glimmer of hope on the cultural horizons for all. In the meantime, we do have this cinematic tribute to look forward to with infinite pleasure:
Yes, it's "officially" summer(according to the calendar) and we're close to another major holiday ,so now is the time to make those escape from the heat pop culture plans! July and August are always warm weather days, ideal for staying in the pool or under a shady umbrella there, if you ask me.
I prefer indoor plans myself and the best way I know how to enjoy those lazy,hazy days in front of a good a/c is to have a nice pile of new books on hand. Hardcover, paperback, e version or audio, great summer reads come in all flavors and give your imagination plenty to savor:
SMALL TOWN SISTERHOOD:
Louise Miller follows up her charming debut novel, The City Baker's Guide to Country Living, with a fresh slice of hometown fiction. The leading lady of The Late Bloomers' Club is Nora Huckleberry, whose life dreams were set aside to help raise her sister Kit and run the family diner.
Upon learning the news that a neighbor left the girls her property,which a large chain store wants to buy to build a new branch, Kit comes home from the big city with big ideas about how to spend her share of the profits.
Nora, however, isn't so sure about selling the land, especially when she finds out about other responsibilities attached to this inheritance. In addition, the town is divided over whether or not to let such a corporate entity set up shop in their midst.
Miller has a flair for heartfelt stories with a foodie flavor, plus a pinch of Gilmore Girls goodness which should make this story a sweet summer recipe to enjoy(July):
ONE WOMAN'S TIMELY TALE: In Clock Dance, Anne Tyler takes us through several points in the life of Willa Drake, a woman long used to making things easier for everyone else but herself.
At the age of 61, Willa gets an unexpected opportunity to shake up her status quo when Denise, the former girlfriend of her son, is injured and mistaken for Willa's granddaughter. Called on to help, Willa takes a plane to Baltimore, with her cranky husband Peter in tow, and winds up getting involved in the various dramas surrounding Denise and her neighbors.
Anne Tyler's works are seemingly low key affairs, with calm characters ready to display their inner moxie when needed. Clock Dance certainly sounds like one of her usual stories but no doubt, there will be a hidden surprise in store for readers and fictional folk alike(July):
DOWNLOADING A READING LESSON: One of the biggest changes and challenges to the world of books has been the digital age and in Reader,Come Home by Maryanne Wolf, these concerns are engagingly addressed.
Written as a series of open letters, Wolf talks about the difference between reading physical material vs. a computer screen and how that can affect the way the brain obtains information. Furthermore, she discusses the merits of deep reading, which adds greatly to the development of empathy and critical thinking.
This is certainly food for thought and then some. Whether you want to keep your wits sharpen over the summer vacation season or bolster an argument for the need to have tangible literature, Wolf is ready to welcome you in(August).
A TRIO OF TRICKY THRILLERS:
Historical fiction meets spy thriller in Karen Brooks' The Locksmith's Daughter, set in the Elizabethan era. Mallory Bright was an apt pupil in learning the art of lock picking from her renowned father, not the most ladylike skill to possess.
However, once her reputation is ruined by a scandal, that talent is in demand from Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I. Mallory turns out to also have a knack for code breaking and other languages, all of which makes her a valuable asset to the royal spy ring.
Her loyalty is tested, however, when several actions occur that force Mallory to make moral choices as well as patriotic ones. This mix of history,mystery and adventure certainly sounds the ultimate tale of derring-do indeed(July):
A London policewoman in modern times also has to confront some unpleasant truths that hit close to home in Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear. Cat Kinsella is looking into the murder of Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn't get out much. Due to a mysterious phone tip, Alice's death is linked to a missing girl from eighteen years ago in Ireland, an event that Cat recalls all too well.
She and her family met that particular Irish girl while on vacation and it appears that her father has something to hide about that. Is he connected to Alice's death as well or is Cat about to open up some ugly wounds that may never heal?
Word of mouth has been grand for this UK debut and any smartly written story has international appeal,so this should be one to watch out for on US bookshelves near you(August).
In Christina Dalcher's futuristic tale, Vox, women are allowed to speak only a hundred words a day. To say anything more gives them an electric shock via wristband, a rule established by Reverend Carl, a presidential advisor who is clearly the power behind the Oval Office.
This stringent law is most painfully to Dr. Jean McCellan, once the top cognitive linguist in her field. She and other women are no longer are allowed to study science, hold jobs or control their own money. However, when the president's brother is in a serious accident that requires the language portion of his brain to be healed, Jean is demanded upon to offer her services.
At first, Jean uses her position to increase her own word count but it's not long before she has a chance to do more for the growing rebellion against Reverend Carl's reign. It is a risk to not just Jean but her children as well yet worth to reclaim true freedom for all. I have a feeling that this novel is going to prove to be rather timely, especially this year (August):
Summer reading is something to look forward and especially during tough times as we are facing right now. Keeping an eye on current events and speaking up is important but you do need to take a break from the constant chaos every now and then.
Reading is a good form of self care, not to mention a healthy way to lift your troubled spirits and find renewal and inspiration for what lies ahead. So, let a good book give you a literary song in your heart this season and let's all plan to make our real world as promising as our fictional ones:
The Great American Read series on PBS,which offers readers the chance to vote for their favorite bit of fiction(so far, a million votes have been cast), has inspired me to tackle a few of the nominees for my personal TBR.
Out of that small selection, the first one that I've completed is Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, a classic stand alone from her best known detective fare. It's gone through a few title changes(for good reason) and has been adapted for film,TV, the theater and even a video game!
What inspires so much interest in this sinister story? Well, the set-up is deceptively simple; a group of ten strangers all receive invitations to stay on a remote island off the English shore. Whether for work,play or hidden agenda, each one makes their way over and grows a bit acquainted with their new companions.
On first meeting, each person seems to be the average sort; a former governess, a retired general, a doctor, a judge, a glib rich boy. However, it's not long before you realized that all of them have one thing in common-they all have truly gotten away with murder. Nevertheless, everyone gets along rather well in the beginning:
The amiable mood shifts quickly once a phonograph record is played that announces all of their crimes and ends ominously with "Prisoners at the bar, what do you have to say in your defense?"
As each guest dies, one by one in accordance with an old nursery rhyme(my edition called it "ten little Indians" but I do believe later versions have it as "ten little soldiers.") that is posted in every bedroom and accented by a set of figurines upon the dining room table whose number grows smaller with each death, suspicions and accusations abound.
It's not too long before the remaining guests realize that the person behind all of this is in their very midst. Despite taking what precautions they can and making what alliances are available to them, the death count keeps ticking down and there is no outside help to rescue them:
Agatha Christie wrote in numerous formats but the stage was one of her great loves and that affect shows in the theatrical elements of the story.
From eating their meals together to locking themselves in their bedrooms at night, the closed room tension steadily builds for the dwindling set of characters performing for us on the page.
One chapter begins by describing the few still there as various creatures in their state of fear; a nervous bird, a twitching tortoise, a wolf flashing his sharp teeth. It's not a question of rooting for someone to survive(all of them are terrible people,trust me) rather, it's more about who is doing this and for what reason? Not to mention how and is anyone else in on this death trap with the secret killer?
Christie really goes full dark on this story, something that for 1939 and a popular woman author was mostly unheard of. She relies on suspension and the careful layering of plot points/misleads to keep the reader following this deadly trail of bread crumbs to it's bitter end. You would think this sounds unbearably bleak yet it's coated with a good amount of intrigue that makes this a truly hard to put down book.
The influence of And Then There Were None can be seen across many genres, some of them satirical and others a light hearted homage. One thing is for certain-Christie certainly did pave the way for other mainstream artists to get as grim as they needed to be:
This is the first Agatha Christie that I've read that doesn't involve either Poirot or Miss Marple and it does inspire me to check out some of her plays as well. Her firm hand at the literary wheel is well established yet it takes being on such a finely tuned thrill ride as this for yourself to make you fully appreciate the art of her craft.
The next book on my GAR list to read is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, as part of the High Summer readathon that I'm joining in on this July. Looking forward to that and the rest of this particular TBR indeed, except for one that I've already seen the movie version of.
This has certainly been a scary start to my little literary adventure here but it's one that I, unlike the unlucky guests upon the island, made it through all the better for it(the following video is spoiler-ish for those who haven't read this book,you have been warned!):
The Sci-Fi Summer readathon(hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading) officially ended the other day but I must confess that I finished up a couple of days early.
Upon completing Red Clocks by Leni Zumas, I wasn't in the proper mood for diving into Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood. Don't get me wrong, Red Clocks was good,however going from one scary future scenario into another was perhaps not the best idea.
In Red Clocks, the not too distant future in America has passed a "Personhood Amendment" which outlaws abortion and a host of other new laws from a rather populist president are making other child bearing options difficult for anyone not already in the traditional marriage set-up.
How the general state of things is affecting women is reflected in four characters starting with Ro, a teacher working on a biography of a forgotten female Arctic explorer and trying to be a single mother before the final legal barrier is slammed down in front of her and then to Mattie, one of her students who finds herself pregnant and is unable to even flee to Canada for an abortion due to the "Pink Wall" at the border.
This quartet is rounded up by Susan,a frustrated housewife wanting to end her miserable marriage but not wanting to make the first move and Gin, an eccentric herbalist accused of a crime she didn't commit.
The story is told in segments, identifying the characters as "The Mender", "The Wife","The Daughter" and "The Biographer"(excepts from the work in progress biography are featured during chapter breaks as well). Granted, it's not the typical liner style but that is a strength rather than a weakness here. Sort of like if Virginia Woolf wrote dystopian lit.
Zumas adds a poetic quality to her prose at times, making the raw unspoken feelings of her leading ladies dance for us on the page. It may not be a beat that everyone can or will groove to yet her writing is powerfully wrought and well worth checking out indeed:
As one readathon ends, the page turns to the next and I'm in the midst of planning my TBR for Seasons of Reading's High Summer, which will be for the entire month of July.
First up is Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, a mother-daughter tale set in Brooklyn. Kimberly Chang and her mother were able to settle there upon emigrating from Hong Kong before Chinese rule was in full effect.
Kimberly's intellectual gifts enable her to attend a posh private school yet she still helps her mom out at the garment factory, a job that demands twelve hour shifts. While wanting to please her mother yet be a part of the American dream, Kimberly is faced with a myriad of choices that pull her in too many directions to follow.
I've heard great things about this book since it was first published in 2010 and considering the current debate over immigration lately, the time to read this is rather timely. A good novel opens the gateways of compassion and empathy, paths that certain spokespeople clearly are avoiding at all costs. Too bad we can't assign reading to those that truly need it:
Another book in that category that is on my High Summer list is Cristina Henriquez's The Book of Unknown Americans. This story follows a pair of immigrant families(one from Mexico, the other from Panama) who find themselves neighbors in Delaware and share similar problems adjusting to American life.
Both families have young people who connect with one another; Maribel Rivera, who is recovering from a head injury that motivated her parents to make the move to the US for her sake and Mayor Toro, whose family settled in America sooner than Maribel's yet still struggling to make ends meet.
Their relationship is marked with suspicion by both sets of parents, not to mention the local immigrant community. However, a threat from the outside proves to be much more of a concern to all involved. The praise for this novel has been mighty, to say the least, and should be a good companion to Girl In Translation. More importantly, it will be a good book based upon it's own merits:
Simply for fun, I'm going to try what I'm calling a Double Decker Reread of Northanger Abbey. Yes, the original Jane Austen novel and the Val McDermid modern take on that slim satire will be side by side repeats for me.
Northanger Abbey is a good summer story as it's unlikely heroine Catherine Morland is given a chance to see the world beyond her country mouse life. Granted, she mostly gets as far as Bath but still, that is big city enough!
Learning a few life lessons as well as falling in love, Catherine's journey in NA is pretty much the mold for many a young lady's coming of age tale, from Dirty Dancing to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants(okay, I didn't see TSOTTP but still,...).
Out of the four retellings slated for The Austen Project, Val McDermid's version of Austen's posthumous mock Gothic novel was a real success, along side Curtis Settenfeld's Eligible. I did read all four books and only two are worth going back for more, in my opinion.
McDermid does keep to the original framework but updates wisely such as sending her Cat Morland to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, which sounds amazing to behold! Bath is a lovely place to visit(yes, I've been there) but the social scene these days is very much different from Austen's time. This will be a nice staycation read to be sure:
I still have time to prepare for High Summer, so a few more books will be added on to this particular pile before the calendar page has to be changed there. Also need to finish up a few other reads as well. Those TBR piles do seem to have a life of their own at times, don't they? Oh, well, at least it's a friendly form of life that gives as much as it gets... or does it?!:
Summer reading is the perfect excuse for indulging in a few of your favorite genres and mystery is the ultimate classic comfort food for any literary menu.
By mystery, I mean a good old fashioned whodunit and/or a story length skein of scheming to be unwound by a very wily detective type. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the challenge of a plot twisting thriller or a slyly done suspense tale but sometimes, you just want a solid bit of sleuthing to follow.
A prime example of that is The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey, an author whose has won several awards for her Rei Shimura mysteries. This new series takes us to Bombay in 1921, where Perveen Mistry is the first female lawyer in the city as well as one of the first in India during that time period.
Her work at her father's law firm brings Perveen to a case involving the inheritance of a trio of widows, whom she suspects are being cheated out of their full share of their mutual husband's money,possibly at the hands of the trustee. As she pursues the matter, a murder occurs that only confirms her concerns but raises the stakes that much higher.
Word of mouth has been excellent for this book, which inspired me to reserve it at the library(I'll be picking it up this week!), along with critical acclaim and here's hoping that we are only at the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Perveen Mistry:
When it comes to modern mystery writers with a flair for the old school, Ruth Ware's name crops up quite often and for good reason. Her latest fare, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, is a blend of Agatha Christie plotting with Daphne du Maurier atmosphere.
Harriet "Hal" Westaway simply goes through the motions of tarot card reading in order to make some sort of living, not to mention pay off a persistent loan shark. When a letter from an attorney arrives on her doorstep that says her previously unknown to her grandmother has died, Hal is suspicious but willing to see if she can claim some of what sounds like a nice big inheritance.
Upon reaching the family estate of Trepassen House, Hal finds herself among several unwelcoming uncles, plus a sinister housekeeper to boot. She also stumbles upon an old legend about a former resident or rather captive of Trepassen that could lead to the truth about her place in this family but not without some dire consequences to possibly pay.
I did read Ware's acclaimed The Woman in Cabin 10 and it was a cracking good read, as they say. The Death of Mrs. Westaway promises to be just that with a hint of next level writing that advances her literary game:
If these hardy hardcovers may not seem to fit snugly in your beach bag, you do have the option of a worthy paperback as Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders is now readily available in that format.
When editor Susan Ryland finds herself enthralled by the new Atticus Pund mystery manuscript from contentious author Mark Conroy, she is shocked to discover that the last half of the book is missing.
Upon contacting her boss about this, Susan learns that Mark Conroy has just died, leaving more than one unsolved mystery behind him. In searching for the rest of the book as well as the truth, she becomes all too aware of some hidden secrets that could be more dangerous than any foe the fictional Atticus Pund ever faced.
This was one of the best books that I read last year and if you've been waiting for the paperback release, your patience will be well rewarded indeed:
Whatever genre you choose to dive into this summer season, a good book is your best bet against any glitches in your entertainment system. If the wi-fi is down, along with the cable and your battery level is low, all you need is a little bit of light and a savvy storyteller to keep the page turning party going :
The first week of the Seasons of Reading Sci-Fi Summer has ended and with one more to go, I'm happy to report that half of the books on this particular TBR pile are nearly done.
In the first weekend, I was able to finish Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, the first in her YA fantasy series entitled The Legacy of Orisha. Orisha is the mythical West African kingdom that our leading lady Zelie lives, a country that used to know and respect magic until King Saran found a way to break the mystical connection that those who practiced it(known as Diviners) needed.
Zelie's mother was among the many adult Diviners executed by royal decree and even though she possesses the flowing white hair that marks her as a being of power, she and many other are unable to activate their magic. Thus, they and their loved ones lead lives of despair, called "maggots" by those in power who overtax,harass and find a way to send them into enforced labor.
While Zelie despairs of ever living a peaceful life as well as keeping her father and brother Tzain from suffering for her mistakes, an unexpected run-in at a local marketplace leads her down a path that could bring magic back to Orisha. She winds up protecting Princess Amari, who witnessed the death of her only friend,Binta who was also a Diviner, at the cruel hands of her father.
Amari steals a forbidden scroll that ignites the untapped magic of any Diviner who touches it and Zelie's powers rise to the forefront, inspiring her to give her people the same ability to defend themselves from oppression:
The journey is far from easy, as two other sacred items are needed to perform a renewal ceremony on a remote island during the next solstice. If they do not make it in time, that opportunity is lost for good.
Zelie,along with Amari and Tzain, face many obstacles along the way from potential friends and enemies alike,including Prince Inan who finds himself changed by this pursuit of his sister in more ways than one.
Adeyemi's debut novel is vividly written, bringing these characters and their beautifully wrought world to nearly 3-D life, highlighting the glory and the peril of their harrowing quest. She also wisely uses a multi-character narrative to showcase the emotional impact and growth that Zelie, Amari and Inan experience through the course of the story. The family connections, particularly between the two sets of siblings, are key to the heart of the motivations both for and against magic, adding a good dose of complexity to the mystical elements here.
This is truly a stay-up-all-night type book, the kind that you have to make yourself stop reading in order to get some sleep,eat or do anything else in the real world. A second book is set for 2019 and it's going to be hard to wait for it, particularly with that cliffhanger of an ending! Yet, I shall be patient, I promise.
Word of mouth has been wonderful for Children of Blood and Bone, not to mention critical acclaim as well, which is vital for any new YA fantasy series to stand out amongst the numerous ones on the shelves. It's also hoped that this series will pave the way for other fantasy stories not set in the usual Western culture realm.
Based on it's own merits, I would love it if Orisha became just as potent a fictional locale as Hogwarts for readers of all generations and then some. Time will tell but I do believe in the magic of writing and Tomi Adeyemi is quite the enchanting practitioner of the pen indeed:
After I finished that, I went right to Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl. I'm familiar with her earlier intended-for-adults work such as Night Film but this is her first novel in the Young Adult category and it's pretty good so far.
Our heroine is Beatrice, who is still not over the mysterious death of her boyfriend Jim and impulsively decides to reunite with their mutual boarding school friends a year later. Upon attending a concert at a nearby bar, she and her pals wind up in a car accident and land in the title realm, a purgatory of sorts.
They are informed by a strange man who calls himself The Keeper that they are caught in this eleven hour time frame until a group decision is made about which one of them will return to the living world.
Their reactions are varied, with wild girl Whitley acting out her frustrations through violent fits and teaming up with partner in crime Cannon for some "we can do anything we want" hijinks while Southern charmer Kipling and moody Martha seek out their own personal escapes from this seeming eternal reality on repeat.
Beatrice tries to deny this limbo trap for awhile as well but ultimately comes to the conclusion that what will make the final vote for survival decisive is finding out the truth about Jim's death:
I'm close to the finish line with this book and it's quite the engaging read. Pessl offers up some interesting observations about the nature of reality along with dealing the consequences of keeping secrets and true feelings hidden.
This is the kind of book I would imagine Rory Gilmore reading and passing on to her friends(Paris would hate it but in the end, side with Martha's scheming there). Whether or not you're a Gilmore Girls fan, Neverworld Wake is a solid riveting tale of otherworldly reckonings and I am eager to see how this story eventually ends:
I should be done with Neverworld Wake before the weekend is over, allowing me more time with such adult lit fare as Red Clocks by Leni Zumas and Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood to complete my readathon goals. I am in the midst of Red Clocks at the moment and since it's a library book, the need to finish it is imminent.
This science fiction/fantasy reading is a good way to kick off the summer season and it's also a good way to discover that not all stories in these genres are in need of the same old,same old style. A compelling character with a mission of the heart is always the best bet for a great story in any literary realm:
It's become a tradition here at LRG to make August the home of Bad Movie Month, where each week, I highlight a "why did I spend my money on this?" flick to see just how badly it failed.
Our theme this year is "Badly Done,Brits!",featuring some of my favorite English actors and sadly, I'm doubling down on a true personal favorite, Colin Firth.
Mind you, he is and was one of the best Mr. Darcys to be found in a Pride and Prejudice adaptation, not to mention an engaging talent in other films from The King's Speech to Kingsmen. However, he has made his fair share of cinematic clunkers and that includes both of the Bridget Jones sequels.
Bridget Jones:The Edge of Reason is actually based on a second book about the title character by Helen Fielding(which the third movie both is and is not, which I'll get to shortly) yet most of the movie simply tries to rehash what audiences liked in the original movie.
It completely abandons the plot threads that were based on Jane Austen's Persuasion from the source material, settling for slapstick of all sorts from Bridget tumbling down a ski slope to Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver reprising their fight outdoors in a public fountain(which is soggy in more ways than one). I do happen to own this movie but rarely watch it,except of course to do my blogger duty by reliving this sad story slump:
After that, I'll be checking out the fresh hell of Bridget Jones's Baby, which has a pretty complicated set-up before the cameras started to roll.
The studio had been trying for years to get a third movie going but with no agreement on script but did agree not to use Helen Fielding's third Bridget book, Mad About the Boy, because(spoiler alert 1) she kills off Mark Darcy, a decision that many fans were decidedly against.
Well, the movie (spoiler alert 2) kills off Hugh Grant's character instead and has Bridget getting pregnant and having to figure whether her former love Mark or new American romance Jack(yes, that's McDreamy himself!) is the father. Weirdly enough, Fielding wrote a fourth book called Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries where(spoiler alert 3), Daniel Cleaver is still alive! Quite the alternate reality there,to say the least.
Sure, the movie that they did finally make doesn't sound too horrible at first but the trailer alone gives this turn of events such a textbook sitcom vibe that I might be better off watching that two part episode of Friends where the gang goes to London for Ross' wedding. Even with Emma Thompson on board, I have a bad feeling about this:
Meanwhile, Hugh Grant managed to escape the realm of Bridget Jones yet not another bad romantic comedy. While Did You Hear About the Morgans? was made back in 2009, perhaps this stale story sandwich should have had Grant seriously reconsider being Daniel Cleaver again a few years later.
He and Sarah Jessica Parker play a New York power couple on the verge of divorce due to Grant's infidelity(insert past scandal joke here). When the Morgans just happen to witness a mob related murder, it's off to Wyoming they go to deal with red state stereotypes!
Yeah, those seem like the good old days at this point but that doesn't excuse this movie from lame "let's fall in love again in this quaint country setting" routines and Hugh exiting, pursued by a bear:
For a bit of the old school, we turn to Michael Caine, whose list of bad movies is as nearly as long as his good ones. To go even further back, I'm signing up for 1979's Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, a disaster movie sequel that has no equal!
Caine plays a tugboat captain who, along with Sally Field and Carl Malden, sets off to salvage the sunken luxury liner while running into another salvage crew run by Telly Savalas looking to loot some plutonium and dealing with ship survivors Peter Boyle,Shirley Knight and Slim Pickens. Yes, this is what they use to call "Love Boat casting" and for good reason.
This movie did so badly that the idea for a third one was shelved(and later became the premise of the Sylvester Stallone movie Daylight!). Michael Caine did make plenty of over the top epics in that era and this promises to be some good old fashioned snarky fun:
An additional movie may be included later, in honor of my sister's birthday that month(we shall see) but I do hope that my fellow British actor fans can find a few laughs to share with this list. As much as we delight in that stiff upper lip, our English gents are not above being caught out in their goofy movie moments there:
With June officially here, the need to escape with summer entertainment is most pressing indeed. Fortunately, there is a way to combine two of the best forms of hot weather relief as this quartet of new TV shows coming up are based on books.
In the case of the Stephen King inspired Castle Rock, set to debut on Hulu in July, several of the horror master's works are referenced in this series set in one of his mythical New England towns. Characters that have appeared in more than one book show up such as retired Sheriff Alan Pangborn(Scott Glenn), who has seen plenty of strangeness before and after his time on the police force.
Newer characters are also on the scene like Henry(Andre Holland), a death row attorney returning to his home town to face some personal demons and his adoptive mother Ruth(Sissy Spacek), whose memories are fading , which could prove fatal. Both Stephen King and J.J. Abrams are on board for this project and it could be quite the staycation spot for streaming this summer:
For a bit of comic book fun outside of the multiplex, Freeform has Marvel's Cloak & Dagger ready to roll this month.
The show is set within the MCU but how much that will connect with the current films is yet to be seen. Our pair of heroes are teens Tandy(Olivia Holt) and Tyrone(Aubrey Joseph), who discover that they possess super powers that match up well together.
Using her ability to sense the hopes of others and fight with light daggers, Tandy is drawn to Tyrone,whose powers are teleportation and ability to feel the fears of those around him and they both learn of a prior connection that perhaps marked their destiny.
This does sound like fun and if this dynamic duo happen to show up in the next Infinity War movie, you'll certainly have a one-up on the rest of the audience in knowing who they are firsthand:
In the grown-up realm, we have AMC sending us to Dietland in June with a menu of real world satire.
Based on the 2015 novel by Sarai Walker, our heroine is Plum Kettle(Joy Nash), who works for a major fashion magazine and is frustrated with her ghostwriting gig for bitchy editor Kitty Montgomery(Julianna Margulies).
Plum is also tired of trying to fit in with society's notions of what an attractive woman is and winds up being recruited by a radical underground movement who takes their goals deadly seriously.
To say that this story is topical is quite the understatement and it will be interesting to see what the end results will be. Definitely one to keep an eye out for:
Meanwhile, HBO is offering up another female lead miniseries with Sharp Objects, based on Gillian Flynn's first novel(well before Gone Girl). Amy Adams stars as Camille, a reporter recovering from a nervous breakdown who decides to return to her home town in pursuit of a big story.
Reconnecting with her mother Adora(Patricia Clarkson) and half sister Amma is not the best thing for Camille's emotional healing process but it does allow her a good opportunity to look into the disappearance of two local girls that might have a more personal tie to her own troubles.
I have read this book and while I liked it, I didn't love it(Dark Places, which came after this one, is a stronger book). Nevertheless, with Amy Adams as the headliner and Marti Noxon producing(she's also behind the scenes on Dietland), we might get a truly inventive slice of Southern Gothic to savor here:
Having a bit of bookish TV is a nice two for the price of one deal. While it doesn't mean that you should neglect that growing TBR pile by your bedside, watching a couple of these shows might make your vacation packing a little lighter perhaps. Granted , they could also lead to getting more books but holding off until fall might be made easier as well:
