My favorite Alan Rickman roles

More sad news from last week, as word that Alan Rickman passed away at the age of 69. Along with the loss of musical great David Bowie and metal  meister Lemmy from Motorhead, this was the third of our artistic Englishmen to leave our company so far this year.

It is almost too great of a loss to bear yet we are all the better for having the time and talent that they did share with us.

Rickman did a lot of theater work and BBC performances before becoming known to international audiences, his big break-out role coming to him at age 42, showing that your moment to make your mark can arrive at just about any time. As my salute to this amazing actor, here are a handful of my personal favorite film roles of Alan Rickman:

HANS GRUBER/DIE HARD: This was the part that made him a household name in many places and it was a role that he was initially reluctant to take.

As Hans, Rickman displayed many of his best aspects as an actor; a steely coolness combined with sharp intelligence, not to mention a sinister sense of humor. It did lead to more bad guy work, something that Rickman wasn't thrilled with as typecasting can be extremely limiting to an artist. Nevertheless, he did some of his best work being bad.

 One of the best scenes in the movie is when Hans and John McClane finally meet face to face, with Hans quickly whipping out an American accent and seeming to fool his troublesome foe with a bit of play acting. That little stand-off highlighted the very different approaches of both actors but also showed just how well they could work together:

COL.BRANDON/SENSE AND SENSIBILITY:  The more tender side of Rickman was amply displayed in the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's tale of emotional duality.

Having re-watched the film recently, it is amusing to note how younger sister Marianne wonders that her elder sibling Elinor can enjoy the "polite affections" of even tempered suitor Edward and yet after being burned by the change of heart in her flashy beau Wickham, she finds the subtle charms of supposedly "infirm" Col. Brandon to be  quite sufficient.

Rickman portrays this devoted man who would much prefer to suffer in romantic silence rather than interfere with the happiness of his beloved, even if she falls for someone that is truly unworthy, as a steadfast sort who is not without his moments of deep passion and despair. When he is at last welcomed into Marianne's heart, we share that bliss with him in a properly pleasing way:

METATRON/DOGMA: Kevin Smith's religious comedy had some of the most offbeat casting of any of his films yet having Alan Rickman as the voice of God was a truly divine decision.

Some of his best snarky humor came forth, as the angel who had to send the heroine of the piece,Bethany, out to seek the two wayward heavenly exiles before they inadvertently destroyed the world.

One of his best scenes is his initial entrance, being ticked off about Bethany's quick use of fire safety techniques yet having no idea of who he is. "You people..if there isn't a movie about it, it's not worth knowing, is it?"-a lament that, with a slight adjustment for the times, still applies today yet the dulcet tones of Rickman's voice gives that line much more of a sharp zing;

SEVERUS SNAPE/ HARRY POTTER SERIES: More than one movie going generation will remember Rickman best as the Hogwarts potions master who always seemed to have it in for Harry Potter and friends.

However, during the course of cinematic adaptations of J.K. Rowling's wizard saga, his true motivations behind his behavior were brought to light. In the end, Snape was understandably misunderstood yet his real merits were appreciated by the one person to whom it mattered the most.

Rickman's physical presence could be very menacing when he chose it to be and it was certainly a valuable tool in his acting kit when called upon to make Snape the central focus of any particular scene, such as Harry's first potions class. It was clear from the start that Rickman didn't intend to treat this part as merely a paycheck for a kid's movie but an actual role worth giving his all to:

These and so many other movie characters such as blase sci-fi actor Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest or the scene stealing Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, made Alan Rickman a joy to watch and a good sign of at least one engaging performance in any film.

I do hope that we won't have any more sudden departures from the pop culture stage to mourn for a little while there. Losing someone as incredibly talented and special as Alan Rickman is hard enough to handle as it is. By Grabthar's Hammer, he shall be missed indeed:

Taking A Winter's Respite of Reading

With the holiday weekend coming up, many of us will use that time to tackle a reading challenge or two and I intend to do so myself.

Beginning on January 18th, the Seasons of Reading midwinter readathon entitled A Winter's Respite will be underway, giving all of us who participate until the 24th to complete as much selected reading as possible.

Usually for these readathons, I stick to just one book but decided to challenge myself and take on three titles(it helps that one of them has a rather slender page count). If I complete at least one or two of them, that will be good enough for me but who knows, I might manage to finish them all. We shall see, I suppose, so here are my three AWR selections for your perusal:

THE NIGHT CIRCUS: I've heard great things about this debate fantasy novel by Erin Morgenstern and happened upon a Canadian paperback edition at a rummage sale last spring(which looks very similar to the US one) that has been sitting on one of my many TBR piles for awhile now.

Therefore, this readathon is the perfect opportunity to check out this fable of Celia and Marco,two star crossed lovers trained to battle each other with magic yet wind up falling under the spell of love. Add the circus environment that these two grow up in and this sounds like quite the enchanting literary treat:

THE SUN ALSO RISES: I did set one of my goals for the year to give Hemingway a chance and now that the book is here in my home, taking it up during a readathon seems the right time to give it a page turning whirl.

The story of Jake Barnes and his dissolute companions as they make their way through Europe is said to be a tragic love story as well as a look into the mind set of the Lost Generation, those disillusioned young people affected by the social changes brought about by WWI.

Either way, or perhaps both, the novel has held up for a good long while here and it's brisk pace should suit my literary needs this week. Maybe I'll even see the film version of it, if I can find it on Netflix, that is:

DARK PLACES: This book does have a film version that's in my Netflix queue but I want to read it first. This is an early novel of Gillian Flynn's(written just before Gone Girl) that has another offbeat leading lady at the helm.

Libba Day is known as the sole survivor of a family massacre, which her brother Ben was sent to prison for, due to her testimony. Twenty five years later, a group who call themselves The Kill Club contact Libba in order to get more information about the night in question.

They want to prove that Ben is innocent and she's willing to help them as long they pay her for her trouble. As Libba digs into that dark night of terror, she discovers things that she never knew before and finds an answer that may be more shocking than she or the Kill Club ever imagined. I am intrigued, to say the least:

That's my unlikely trio of AWR books,folks; wish me luck! I do think this will be a nice change of pace and a good way to settle into the post holiday season. My only small complaint is that we have no snow in my neck of the woods.

Mind you, I'm not asking for a blizzard or anything like that. Just a couple of solid inches that would allow for a snowball fight or a lovely sleigh ride(not that I have a sleigh, it's simply the idea of having that option available). Oh, well, perhaps my fellow AWR readers will enjoy some snowy goodness on their book journey this week and I can be happy for them as we all read together:

Sighing over the Oscars and not in a good way

The nominations for the 88th Academy Awards were announced this morning and as usual, not too many surprises both good and bad. As a longtime fan, I should know what to expect by now yet I can't help hoping for sweeping new changes and faces to crop up in certain categories.

While there were a few noms that pleased me greatly, there are also far too many exclusions and odd choices to balance that out properly. Sure, it's great news that The Revenant got 12 nominations(guess Leo will finally get that Best Actor award he's been wanting for so long) and we all knew movies like The Martian, Inside Out and Joy would be well represented here.

However, that doesn't excuse the Academy for yet another year of "what the hell?" type of nominees, especially since this list proves just how out of touch they are with audiences and critics alike:

THE GOOD NEWS IS...

Let's start off on a positive note, as there were a few nice surprises. I did anticipate that Saoirse Ronan would be included in the Best Actress category but not that her movie Brooklyn  would also earn a Best Picture nod as well as Best Adapted Screenplay. For a little movie like that, it's a huge deal.


 Also happy that Room was given four nominations, including Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, not to mention Brie Larson being a major contender in the Best Actress section.

 While I haven't seen the film yet, the novel by Emma Donoghue was an amazing read and not a story easily made into a movie, so for all involved, this is quite the artistic success.

Plus, I think that Larson has a real shot at winning the Oscar. Jennifer Lawrence already won one,as did Cate Blanchett recently, so no dire need to give either of them won. Charlotte Rampling is a grand actress but chances are that this will come down to either Ronan or Larson.

They're both wonderful character actresses but I do believe that Brie's performance, as a woman finally freed from captivity and struggling with living in the regular world along with her child, might edge Saoirse out:

ON THE OTHER HAND...

Once again, we have a batch of vanilla candidates in the acting categories and just as sugary white films under consideration as well. Why the love for Steve Jobs? Nobody cared to see it when it was out at theaters and for good reason, many of us don't feel sorry for or relate to a millionaire computer genius who's a reluctant dad.


Both audiences and critics connected better to films such as Straight Out of Compton(which was mostly overlooked) and Creed, that gained it's white co-star Slyvester Stallone a Best Supporting Actor spot but ignored leading man Michael B. Jordan.

 Don't tell me it's due to Jordan being in the summer flop Fantastic Four; if Eddie Redmayne can be up for both a Razzie and an Oscar(which he is) just like Sandra Bullock was when she won for The Blind Side, there is no real reason other than bias or Hollywood snobbery that caused Michael B. Jordan to be shut out of this category:

STILL NOT GETTING IT,GANG:

Mad Max: Fury Road  did get an impressive number of nominations, ten in all, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, most of the other noms were in technical categories and none for acting, much like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the latter didn't even get a Best Picture nod.


At the very least, Charlize Theron should have been up for Best Actress, as her performance as Imperator Furiosa was one of the most influential female roles this year. That character was widely debated, discussed and admired as a solid, strong woman who many felt was the true lead of the film, not Max.

I refuse to buy that's due to the film being science fiction sequel; Siqourney Weaver got a Best Actress nomination for Aliens back in '86, so there is president here. Come on, people, get with the program, seriously. This was one of the most celebrated roles of the year, pay some respect!:

SIMPLY SHAKING MY HEAD:

My other complaints about the Oscar nominations aren't as big, although The Peanuts Movie being left out of the Best Animated Feature race is a pretty big slight there.


One of my biggest fears came true; a song from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack is up for Best Song. Now, I know that "Earned It" by The Weeknd is probably not going to win since there happens to be a Bond movie tune up against it, but you guys couldn't let Megan Trainor's "Feel Better When I'm Dancing" get that spot?

 Yes, I'm bitter about the Peanuts Movie but come on, 50 Shades is a movie that's already garnered enough Razzie nominations that it may very well sweep those dubious honors without getting an Oscar nod in the bargain:

Well, I will still watch the Oscars and hope for the best, as much of it that there is. One thing is for certain and that is returning host Chris Rock certainly has plenty of material for his opening monologue this time out. I won't be the only person at home rooting for him to take all of Hollywood to town this time out, even more than he did previously. Yes, having Rock take the mike that night might make the show worth watching indeed:

The pop culture magic of David Bowie

A sad start to this week as well as to this year came as news of the death of David Bowie made the media rounds. At the age of 69, he was still going strong with his music, releasing an album,Blackstar, on his birthday that of this writing, is about to hit the top of the Billboard charts.

Bowie was more than just a singer, however; he was many things to so many people and whether you knew him as the Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust or Jareth, the Goblin King, he left an indelible imprint on the pop culture landscape that will never fade away.

Bowie's music and flair for outrageous fashion statements are what first caught the attention of  both the mainstream public and the counterculture, due to the fact that he was the type expected to show up in unexpected places. At first glance, someone with the unique creative style of Bowie would be the last person you'd expect to see doing a Christmas song with old school crooner Bing Crosby or be a headliner on Soul Train, yet he always seemed right at home wherever he went:

Bowie's talents also extended to film, where he became known for an eclectic number of roles such as the distraught space alien in The Man Who Fell to Earth, doomed vampire John Blaylock in The Hunger and Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ.

For many of us, his role in Labyrinth as the cruelly charismatic Goblin King is an all-time favorite. While the offbeat Jim Henson film wasn't popular in it's day, it has grown into a cult classic that continues to inspire audiences with it's magical use of creativity, not to mention being one of the few female driven fantasy pieces of that time period.

Bowie did a marvelous range of songs for the movie that still hold up on their own, from the closing credits number "Underground" to the haunting "Within You", and one of my personal picks is "Dance Magic", which is just flat-out toe-tapping fun:

Bowie also contributed songs for other movies such as The Falcon and the Snowman and Absolute Beginners(which he produced and had a minor role in). One of those songs was even reused for a particular scene in an Oscar winning film.

One of the few merits of the 1982 remake of Cat People was the soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder and it's theme song "Putting Out The Fire" written and performed by Bowie. The song was played over the end credits, which some thought was a bit of a throwaway for such a raw yet elegant melody.

Quentin Tarantino felt the same way and used that song for a sequence in his WWII set film Inglorious Basterds that highlighted the preparations of the story's unsung heroine Shosanna as she set the stage for revenge against the Nazi regime. The song,like many others in the film, was obviously not of the time period yet it was perfectly suited to the character and her mission to come:

Bowie's music has lent itself to meta use in other places, including TV where his song "Golden Years" was the theme for a short lived Stephen King series.

Most recently, two of his tunes were musical bookends for twisted chanteuse Elsa Mars in the fourth season of American Horror Story, subtitled Freak Show.

 That season freely took songs from other time periods despite it's setting in 1952 but with fitting irony, Elsa's finale had her performing "Heroes", which wrapped up not only her story but those of the remaining players in that strangely sad saga as well:

The loss of David Bowie is huge, especially to his family and personal friends, all of whom I and countless others out there send our deepest condolences. However, his artistry leaves a wonderfully weird legacy that all of us can appreciate and emulate.

 His collaborations with others, not just with his contemporaries like Mick Jagger and Freddie Mercury but new generation artists such as Trent Reznor and Arcade Fire prove what a generous person he was with his time and talent. That shows that he had character and didn't just play one on stage.

It is perhaps the destiny of David Bowie to leave this world but still remain among us as one of our pop culture muses who will always grant the gift of musical magic to those that truly seek it. As sorry as it is to see him go, David Bowie has certainly earned his final bow upon our stage and as much as we would love an encore, his rest from that is well deserved:

Booking a look at the teen cinematic scene for the Movie Trailer Park

As we begin the midwinter movie season, one genre that gets catered to at this time(right into early spring) is the teen book adaptation. While it's supposed to be for young adults,  it's no secret that plenty of us grown folk read these stories or at the very least watch the films with just as much interest as they do.

No need to pretend otherwise, not to mention that sometimes, they're way entertaining that what's meant for "adults", so let's take a gander at what's due at the multiplex for that PG-13 audience:

THE 5th WAVE: Based on the first of three books by Rick Yancey, Chloe Grace Morentz plays Cassie, a young women whose regular life has vanished thanks to an alien invasion that has stripped humanity down to it's bare essentials. Hoping to rescue her younger brother from a camp controlled by "the Others", Cassie joins up with Evan, a local rebel planning to fight back as best he can.

This sounds like a welcome change from the standard dystopian fare that we've been getting for this audience and having Hit Girl take on some space invaders could be a lot of angsty fun. Not to mention having another female focused sci-fi drama to engage with now that The Hunger Games are finished, in my opinion, all signs point to positive box office numbers for this film:

DIVERGENT:ALLEGIANT: Speaking of the usual genre fare, we do have the last chapter of Veronica Roth's series to look forward to, divided into two films. In this beginning of the end, Tris and company find out what is beyond the wall that's isolated their city for so long and discover that things may be even worse than they imagined.

I do like this story and willing to check out the conclusion but I do think it's safe to say that the gloomy futuristic teen tales could take a break both from the bookshelves and the movie screens there. If a great story in this vein is still out there, fine, but it is getting to be worn out around the edges:

 THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS: For something completely different, we have an adaptation of Katherine Paterson's award winning novel about a defiant girl in foster care who comes to love the family she's with just as her biological family comes to claim her.

The adult cast has plenty of star power, with Kathy Bates playing Trotter, Danny Glover as Mr. Randolph and Octavia Spencer as Gilly's teacher Miss Harris. I do dimly recall a made for television version of the book but that was quite a long while ago.

The book itself, I've read several times during my youth and it was a good story well told but I do wonder if this version has some modern day updates. I'm not too sure about how that might alter the plot points but glad to see Gilly get the big screen spotlight here:

PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES: Yes, I know, this isn't technically a "teen" movie but it is a universal truth that any feature film focused on fighting the living dead will draw a decidedly youthful audience to attend it.

Between teens who like Jane Austen and the ones that dig zombies, this could be their Reese's  Regency peanut butter cup of  gruesome delights. Seth Grahame-Smith's monster mash-up of P&P did invite newcomers to the Austen ranks and this movie certainly promises to create a fresh dose of Janeite buzz for a little while at least.

All I'm saying is don't count this one out just yet, especially since Lily James has escaped Downton Abbey to be our kickass Lizzie Bennet:

All in all, the teen book to screen scene should be entertaining for more than one audience but regardless of age, it'll be most helpful not to drop any book spoilers for the non readers in the crowd. Wait until the closing credits to get into any discussion about how this and that was changed from the book or no one will want to watch anything with you in the film going future:

Celebrating an After Holiday Book Haul

As much fun as it is to get presents(and give them) during the holiday season, it can be even more enjoyable to treat yourself to a sweet little spending spree during the seasonal shopping aftermath, especially if you have a gift card or two to burn.

Thanks to a nice gift card that I got in my holiday stocking, I was able to make my biggest purchase at Better World Books to date; six books and a DVD! I had no idea that they sold movies as well, such a nice surprise. My multimedia haul arrived this morning and it is truly a great way to begin your day by having a beautiful box of books to open up:

YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE: This Herman Wouk novel is said to be based on the rise and fall of author Thomas Wolfe, as it chronicles the instant literary success of the title character as he is wined and dined by both New York and Hollywood upon the release of his debut novel.

I've read Wouk before but this is one of his big books that I haven't gotten into (along with Marjorie Morningstar) and would really like to. There is a small following for this book as a small indie rock band is named after it and there was a film adaptation made in 1964, starring James Franciscus with Suzanne Pleshette as his leading lady.  It might be hard to find the movie but at least I have the book on hand to indulge myself in:

 BECOMING JANE: I chose quite a few writer themed books in this buying bout(included two Hemingway related titles) and the one movie I added in follows along those lines as well.

Granted, I know that Becoming Jane is far from an accurate portrayal of Miss Austen( the made for TV BBC film, Miss Austen Regrets is superior in that regard and I do have that one in my cinematic library).

However, Anne Hathaway does give a good performance as Our Dear Jane and her onscreen chemistry with co-star James McAvoy as Tom LeFroy is suitably sparkling. Yes, there is a blending in of Pride and Prejudice in the story line that is completely unnecessary and true, Austen never meet Anne Radcliffe, as they do here, but there are moments of sweet romance and times that Hathaway channels a bit of that sparkling Austen wit that we all know and love, so it is totally worth while to include Becoming Jane to the English Lit section of my DVD collection:

AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST: For something rather different, I went with the novel that Iain Pears first become notable for, this elaborate murder mystery set in 17th century Oxford, England around the death of a collegiate don.

The story is told from four differing viewpoints, each of which could be an unreliable narrator,  all of whom have different reasons for being involved in this case yet their sleuthing can not prevent  an innocent party being sentenced for the crime, or so it seems.

 Since I do have an advance copy of Pears' upcoming new novel Arcadia, this felt like a good time to try Instance as well. When it came out in 1997, the book was favorably compared to The Name of the Rose, another scholarly mystery that I recall well, so this should be an entertaining challenge to engage with:

A DOUBLE DOSE OF KATE MORTON:  Having nearly finished The House at Rivington, I am eager for more of Morton's solid story telling magic and was happy to gain two more of her titles for this haul.

The Distant Hours is centered around the finding of a long lost letter from one of three odd sisters living at Midlerhurst Castle during WWII. Edie, a London book editor, is surprised to learn that her mother Meredith stayed there as an evacuee during the war and even more so at her reaction to finally receiving that letter.

Turns out that there were a number of strange goings-on during Meredith's time at Midlerhurst, including the disappearance of a young soldier who was engaged to one of the daughters of the household. This story promises to be out and out Gothic, in the best sense of the term, and should be a wicked blast to read:

The Secret Keeper promises to be just as enthralling, with it's leading lady Laurel having witnessed a shocking crime in her youth that still haunts her to this day. Upon returning home fifty years later for a family celebration, Laurel is determined to discover the real truth behind what she saw back then and to learn more about the people from her mother's past who were part of it all.

I also have Morton's The Forgotten Garden(which I picked up elsewhere) and should be rather sated with her works until her newest one, The Lake House, arrives in paperback. In the meanwhile, I will be happily completing The House at Rivington in order to dive into another one of Ms. Morton's page turning delights:

Starting a new year with new books(even if they're old) is great but as they say, waiting was the hardest part. As convenient as it is to buy books online, keeping an eye out for the mail to drop off your literary goodies is something that all the advanced technology can't erase.

Not even drone deliveries will ease that special book lover's tension, it will probably add some new ones to the mix! Regardless, I am happy to have my books arrive safe and sound to snuggle on a shelf until their time comes to be read. Some things are definitely worth a little bit of wait worry:

What the Force has Awakened with me and others in this new chapter of Star Wars

Before this past year ended, I did my pop culture duty by seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens in order to have a fully formed opinion on this growing cinematic phenomenon. This was more of a pleasure than a chore, as J.J. Abrams and company did a truly remarkable job in recapturing the story telling magic of the first trilogy while breaking new ground with a more diverse set of characters.

I'll keep to a spoiler-free review but it's safe to say that the main focus of the plot is a map to the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker, who has exiled himself due to a betrayal from a Jedi trainee. The Republic(thirty years after Return of the Jedi) is now under threat from The First Order(this generation's version of the Sith), lead by the masked menace Kylo Ren(Adam Driver).

 Resistance pilot Poe Dameron(Oscar Isaacs)places the map within the circuits of a BB-8 droid and with the help of Finn(John Boyega), a storm trooper that wants no more part of the First Order and Rey(Daisy Ridley), a scrappy scavenger from the desert planet of Jakku, is trying to reach General(formerly known as Princess) Leia Organa with this vital information.

 More aid is given by the arrival of Han Solo and Chewbacca, with Solo becoming a bit of a mentor along the way. The acting in this film is spot on, with both the old and new characters blending together in a surefooted way that doesn't misstep at all.

The true standouts in the younger cast are John Boyega(who I happen to see in Attack the Block just before seeing TFA) and Daisy Ridley, both of whom bring a solid dose of realism  to their performances. Having not seen Ridley in anything before this movie, I was most impressed with her natural presence onscreen and her ability to covey a myriad of emotions with body language alone:

 Boyega's character had a strong arch that I hope is developed in more detail as the story line goes forward for the next two films.  Like Ridley, his on-screen time is never wasted and the bond that forms between their two characters is instantly believable.

I'm sure that some folks are speculating about a possible romance between these two but that really doesn't seem to be a consideration at this point in the plot, so let's just see what happens. Personally, I'm fine either way as Rey and Finn are a great team who have much in common, both being some what orphans of this intergalactic conflict.

  Finn's journey promises to be as compelling as Rey's is(no spoilers, still!) and seeing how both of them handle their challenges together and apart from each other should be amazing to behold:

 As for the returning players, Harrison Ford is excellent as always in this role and seeing Carrie Fisher bring her strengths to Leia, who is still fighting that good fight, is just wonderful.

Too bad there are some scruffy nerf herders out there who feel the need to lash out at Fisher both for looking older(as about as old as her co-star Ford, I might add) and for talking about how the studio urged her to lose weight for the part. One guy even had the nerve to say that the push for Fisher to drop about thirty five pounds was their way of "doing her a favor."

Excuse you? SHE is the one doing THEM a favor by returning to this iconic role, one that could not be played by anyone else at this point in the game. Not holding her male counterparts to the same standard speaks volumes about which side of the Force these jokers are on. Fortunately, Fisher is a savvy, confident woman who is very Janice in Accounting when it comes to comments like this. As for Leia, she's handled more impressive foes than these far out space nuts, that's for sure:

The Force Awakens has received a lot of positive fan love and praise from critics. Sadly, one of the current naysayers happens to be George Lucas, who expressed some regrets about selling his franchise to Disney.

In an interview with Charlie Rose, Lucas complained about the studio wanting to go with a fan-friendly film and compared his dismay over the creative direction that was taken to selling his children to "white slavers." Considering that two of the major players in TFA are people of color and the pivotal character is female, this choice of words was extremely poor indeed.

Lucas has since apologized for those remarks and while I can understand the misgivings of a creator to hand over his art to the control of another, he doesn't seem to realize that his fears over the "family" elements of the story being lost in the shuffle are baseless.

 Without giving anything away, there is a very crucial scene in TFA that involves the family dynamics that were set up from the original trilogy in a truly tragic fashion. What I think is really troubling Lucas is that he no longer has any input into Star Wars and that this first of the new films is getting the respect from the industry that his prior trilogy(prior to the justly derided prequels,that is)  did not receive.

Well, George, you need to get over that bitterness in order to honestly move on with other projects, as you claimed was your goal all along in making this deal. No one will forget that this all started with you but leaving a taste of sour grapes in your wake is not a good way to cap this legacy. Be honest with yourself; this franchise could've gone into far worse hands than these:

Granted, The Force Awakens does touch upon many of the plot markers that the first Star Wars movie did, with a cute droid carrying an important message, another Death Star type of weapon to fear and so forth.

 Since this is first part of a new trilogy, it only makes sense to acknowledge what has gone before and considering the newer elements added, I don't think that the upcoming films will simply be a retread of what has happened before. Let's give Part Two a chance before we cry foul on that one.

What The Force Awakens has in abundance is a renewed sense of wonder, which is really hard to reproduce and can only be accomplished by sincere effort, with little thought for doing just that. At this point, Abrams and all assembled have given us a fresh forum to revive our collective creative spirits in.

Bringing us a familiar fantasy that showcases a series of heroes,heroines and villains that reflect our reality more acutely than ever before is an artistic triumph and I hope that this cinematic celebration will carry forth into the Academy Awards(and not just the technical categories,either) this season. As someone who has seen all the films in theaters, this movie was truly a promise fulfilled and one that I look forward to seeing just how grand an adventure this will be for both my generation and others to come:

See what The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend for a good literary time

When Sara Lindqvist arrives from Sweden to visit her American pen pal Amy in the small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa, the first surprise that she gets is that her friend has passed away. Upon discovering her presence, the townsfolk insist that Sara spend her planned two month vacation at Amy's house, just as Amy would've wanted.

Having no better plans, Sara accepts this strange arrangement but before long, decides upon the proper way to repay her "hosts", who refuse to let her use any of her money for anything, including rent.

All of this leads to the set-up for Katarina Bivald's debut novel, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, in which Sara opens up a used bookstore in the dying out town, using Amy's home library as the start up stock. Sara and Amy became long distance friends due to book sharing over the internet and their correspondence lead to this trip. With Sara being a now unemployed bookseller, having this chance to share the one true joy in her life with those who knew Amy in person feels like a bibliophile blessing:

The citizens of Broken Wheel are not sure what to make of this idea but do let Sara go through with it, as Amy did have an abandoned store front as part of her property.

Once the shop,called The Oak Tree Bookstore, is ready for business, locals such as Jen, the overly cheerful writer of the town's newsletter, are eager to see it do well while others are much more cautious about it's prospects.

 Sara is happy just to be doing something useful, even if things are slow at first, and it's not long before her store begins to stir up the sleepy town:

From firing up a rivalry with the more prosperous nearby town of Hope to becoming an unexpected tourist attraction, Sara and The Oak Tree Bookstore unintentionally turn into focal points that all of Broken Wheel become emotionally invested in.

Part of that is due to some of Sara's book suggestions for people such as George, who misses his daughter and learns more about what women want by reading Bridget Jones, Caroline, whose straight laced world view is challenged by a book of gay erotica and Grace, the seemingly tough as nails diner owner who finds a true soulmate in the pages of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, soon enough sharing her battle cry of "Towanda!":

All too soon, Sara's travel visa is about to expire and the popular solution to that problem is to have Sara get married, preferably to Tom, Amy's nephew.

Tom and Sara have a bit of a relationship, based upon their mutual resistance to being set up by the town as an ideal couple. However much they want to say no to this potentially disastrous scheme, it becomes increasing hard to do so, as hard as examining their real feelings for each other.

As Sara and Broken Wheel turn to the final page of their story, will they find that happy ending or experience a more realistic finale?

I read this book(via review copy) over the Christmas holidays and it was a real treat to behold. Author Katarina Bivald happens to be a part time book seller in her native country of Sweden(the novel is translated for the US by Alice Menzies) and that knowledge clearly shows as her descriptions of many beloved titles and opinions about books and authors add some snappy spark to her leading lady.

She also has a flair for weaving together a seemingly simple narrative into a heartfelt intricate pattern of people and their lives as enhanced by books. Bivald's charming yet never cloying tale proves that reading with friends is an universal theme and that Sweden's literary scene has more to offer than the flurry of thrillers we've seen from that corner of the world.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend will be available at a bookseller near you by January 16 and this is a book that book lovers should relish with true and utter delight.

This fabulous fish out of water story is right up there with the likes of Cold Comfort Farm as a fine example of what wonderful trouble a book smart outsider can bring to a batch of oddly engaging new friends:

Some of my reading resolutions for 2016

Happy New Year to all of my fellow readers and pop culture enthusiasts out there, hope you are as eager to start 2016 with a few good resolutions in mind as I am.

Most of my plans for this brand new year will be reading related as well as blog connected, so this post is all about my major book reading goals for 2016. I do want to achieve other things, such as finish a novel that I'm working on, but books are a big part of my life(especially my TBR piles) and focusing on them is a good way to motivate myself even more:

 TRY HEMINGWAY: Late last year, I read Paula McLain's The Paris Wife, the novel about Ernest Hemingway's early years as a writer told from the view point of his first wife Hadley, and not only enjoyed it but longed to read The Sun Also Rises, which is a focal point for the story.

Granted, Ernest Hemingway was quite the jerk when it came to his wife(not to mention the other women in his life) but he still created some ground breaking books that changed the course of American literature. Part of what makes that work still relatable today are the deep character flaws of  Hemingway's protagonists, which are based upon him and his friends, some of whom were not too happy about the comparisons, I'm sure.

The only Hemingway book that I've ever read was A Movable Feast, about those days in Paris(I was on a Sylvia Beach kick back then) and was never assigned him in school, so while I know about his work, I haven't really experienced it for myself and it's time that I did.

So, while on a post-holiday buying binge, I added The Sun Also Rises  to my stack,along with a non fiction title called The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo, where a teacher of English uses The Old Man and the Sea to guide her class of war torn students. I haven't read OMATS either(that one I'll borrow) but reading how that book helped these people connect ought to be encouraging.

I don't know if this will lead to an extensive reading of Hemingway or not but I am willing to try and see what all of the fuss is about. Should be a fun challenge and even though the books are so well known, discovering them for myself could be rather surprising:

 TAKING A WINTER'S RESPITE:  Taking part in more online reading challenges is something I'd like to do for this year and my first one will be A Winter's Respite over at Seasons of Reading, which is from January 19 to the 24th.

There's no particular theme for this readathon but you are encouraged to discuss your book choices online. The main book that I will be reading for that week is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a novel that I've heard much about yet have not picked up until recently. I did plan to read it this winter and having a readathon to share my take on it with makes it more fun.

This story of two magical rivals who fall in love and face the wrath of their circus community for doing so really sounds like a delight and hopefully, a film version will arrive soon. What I am most anxious to see here is if the hype around this novel is well earned or at the very least, a nice prelude to another grand book waiting in the wings from this author:

LRG BOOK BOUTS: As an ongoing blog project, I will be having a series of "book bouts" where two books with a similar theme can face off against each other. Since I have to read each one(in some cases, reread), these literary matches will occur about once or twice a season throughout 2016.

Currently, I am preparing for Round One: Literary Insiders, where a pair of novels about publishing novels will step into the squared circle. In this corner, we have Olivia Goldsmith of The First Wives' Club with her down and dirty look at fictional publishing house Davis & Dash in The Bestseller. 

This page turning story of how five authors(some first timers, others seasoned pros) strive to reach the heights of the best seller lists is set in the 1990s, making it somewhat dated yet rather amusing in it's depictions of behind the scenes book warfare.

The challenger stepping into this ring is James Michener's The Novel, which takes a more sedate look at the realm of publishing as it focuses on one author and the last novel in his acclaimed series. The book is divided into four parts, starting with the writer, then from editor to critic and at last, the reader, that covers the journey of one novel to make it to the shelves.

The Novel is also set in the nineties, making that playing field a bit even with Goldsmith's Bestseller, and at this point, appears to be based on much of Michener's own personal experiences in getting his work out there. So far, so good but which one packs more of a publishing punch? Stay tuned for this and many more bookish battles to come:

Those three resolutions seem like a good start to me and hopefully the rest of my literary year will be a wonderful one. However, I am somewhat saddened that Downton Abbey begins it's final season this weekend.

I know that it's not based on a book yet it does feel like one of those lovely long saga novels that you hope never truly ends. On the bright side, there are new seasons of Poldark and Outlander(both of which I have some of the books for) to look forward to. Yet, saying farewell to Downton will be a bittersweet joy. Then again, all good stories must reach a conclusion and there will be many more to come as Downton Abbey sings it's swan song, I'm sure: