Laura Rider's Masterpiece creates a beautiful disaster for it's characters

When we first meet Laura Rider,she's a seemingly happy wife and co-owner of Prairie Wind Farm,a thriving garden nursery in a small Wisconsin town,with her dreamy eyed husband Charlie.

While Laura and Charlie still manage to get along after twelve years of marriage,even though the two of them have closed the door on their sex life(due to Laura's being overwhelmed by Charlie's amorous appetite),things are not quite right between them.

Laura may have no more interest in love making but she's in search of something to quench her thirst for stimulation,so she decides to become a writer. Reading has been a recent passion of hers,due in part to listening to the Jenna Faroli radio show which often focuses on books and authors. Laura admires Jenna greatly and often imagines the two of them forming a student-teacher relationship.



Jenna is a local celebrity of sorts and has even run into Laura once or twice but the close relationship that develops is between Charlie and Jenna,who meet by chance and start up an impromptu e-mail correspondence.

Laura openly encourages Charlie to get friendly with Jenna,even helping him to write some of the e-mails to her. Her main intent is to see if a little romance between them can give Laura some material to help her write a love story for the "Every Woman".



Turns out that despite their very different backgrounds,Jenna and Charlie have more in common than they realized at first and their feelings go much deeper than anyone intended.

Charlie evens tries to hide their affair by setting up another e-mail account to secretly communicate with Jenna but Laura is still sending out letters to her,supposedly written by Charlie from the old one. Several small misunderstandings crop up from this until a big one unexpectedly erupts all over their private and public lives.



Jane Hamilton's knack for realism lightly laced with whimsy is well displayed here,giving a sympathetic glow to characters who,in other hands,would come off as modern day horrors.

She does slip a few sly digs at the trendiness of book clubs and the presumptions of those who think that taking up writing is as easy as pie,but her main intent is to showcase the irony of someone who seeks insight and validation via the world of literature but can't or won't read the clues to her own downfall that are written large upon the wall.

Laura Rider's Masterpiece is a short,sharp look at love,manipulation and the consequences of indulging your personal take on things way too far. Art and literature can open your eyes to the human condition but it's just as capable of showing just how blind you are to the reality around you,of the past and the present:

My Movie Night with American Idol's Top Seven

The theme for tonight's round of American Idol is Songs from the Movies,with special guest mentor,Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino has been on the show before,as a judge,and fans of his films know that his taste in music is as offbeat and interesting as his taste is for genre films.

While I have no doubt that Quentin will encourage the Top Seven to go for some unusual tunes(or at the very least,try to talk one of them into doing a personal favorite of his), it's hard to resist going "what would I have each of them sing tonight?". So,without any foreknowledge of the song choices,here are my selections for American Idol's Night at the Movies:



DANNY GOKEY: I'm putting these picks in the order that I would want the performers to go on in(which means saving Adam Lambert for the last song of the night)and since Danny tends to enjoy heartfelt numbers,my choice for him would be "Take Me To Love" from the Bride & Prejudice soundtrack.

The song goes into a duet mode towards the end but you can sing the early half of it solo. Another plus is that the lyrics are suitable for either a male or a female singer-no need for those annoying gender word changes! It's incredibly romantic and Danny should be more than able to eat this up with a spoon:





ANOOP DESAI: Anoop seems to really like doing songs with swagger,which work out sometimes as with "My Prerogative",and ballads that also have the same yo-yo effect with the voting audience and the judges. I think that "I Can Dream About You" from the 1984 film Streets of Fire combines the best of both worlds for him,along with being an instant crowd pleaser:





LIL ROUNDS: Lil had a lot of trouble with a Tina Turner song last time out but I think that it may be a Tina number that can save her. The theme from the Bond film Goldeneye(Pierce Brosnan was an excellent Bond,btw)is smooth and sultry,which her rich voice can handle if fully focused.

Lil,instead of acting like Tina on stage,act AS Tina does and use your powerful vocals as a platform to showcase your personal style. A major advantage in picking this song is that it's not as iconic as other Bond themes,like Goldfinger or Live and Let Die,for example. You can really make this song your own:





ALLISON IRAHETA: Someone's bound to do a Disney song here,so it might as well be Allison,who needs to catch that "youthful" tone Simon tends to harp about when contestants under the age of 21 belt out big numbers.

With that in mind,"How Does She Know" from Enchanted should be perfect. It's sweet but not cloying,has a set of sturdy lyrics for her to show that she can memorize a long song and allows her to have a pretty princess moment for once.

Not to mention that she certainly has the patented Giselle red locks for it and with the right color coordinated outfit,Allison could really shine here:





MATT GIRAUD: To be honest,folks,he's one of my least favorite contestants this season;nothing personal,I just find him very forgettable most of the time and have trouble remembering what song he sang less than an hour after hearing him.

I do recall that he fancies himself a hipster type of guy,going for the Justin Timberlake vibe,so if Matt wants to really be hip,"Come On,Bring It" from Snakes on a Plane should do the trick.

Normally,I hate it when an inadequate singer does a song that I truly enjoy but I'm willing to give him a chance and bonus points will be awarded if Matt has the nerve to quote that infamous Samuel L. Jackson line at the beginning:





KRIS ALLEN: Another "Why is he still here?" contender,Kris just strikes me as a guy that a couple of decades ago would do very well on a mall tour with Tiffany. With that in mind, "Catch Me(I'm Falling)" from 1987's Hiding Out should work for him. He certainly can't do any irreparable damage to it.

In an odd way,Hiding Out is rather timely since the plot is about a Wall Street guy on the run from criminals(bet Bernie Madoff wishes he could pass for a teenager these days,huh?)and Jon Cryer is still going strong on Two and a Half Men. Plus,this is a fun little song that deserves some serious retro love:





ADAM LAMBERT: The best for last,and he's the only one of the bunch that I would trust with a Queen song. Freddie Mercury's wondrous music has been used and vocally abused on American Idol in the past but Adam can redeem those former follies with a performance that makes his "Ring of Fire" bit look tame in comparison.

The theme from the cult classic Flash Gordon(a movie that I saw in 1980 with my dad right after watching Raging Bull in another theater on the same day,I kid you not)is not a subtle song to be sure,but it would certainly make a hell of an impression and a truly amazing finale to boot:



Hopefully,Movie Night on Idol will be worth watching for all of the right reasons and just one suggestion,if I may,to the producers;don't let Quentin choreograph any of the performances. His idea of fancy footwork is definitely not family friendly prime time viewing,trust me on this:

For a revealing look at romance,go Beyond Heaving Bosoms

One of the most maligned literary genres,romance novels have become a mainstay of the publishing world and a steady source of comfort during these hard economic times(no pun intended,I swear!). There are a goodly number of websites that regularly chronicle the ever changing trends and new authors who arrive on the romance scene but none so popular as Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books,run by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan.

Sarah and Candy's tongue in cheek,no holds barred approach to romance novels has not only given those who were made to feel embarrassed by enjoying the books that they loved in secret a place to call home,but elevated the playing field for discussion between the literary reader and the commercial fiction lover:





The Smart Bitches' fame is no longer contained on the internet;out and about at many places where books are sold is Beyond Heaving Bosoms:The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels,which showcases their fabulous thoughts on the subject in all of their glory.

Beyond Heaving Bosoms opens up the floor on several topics,such as the difference between Old Skool style of writing(which frequently used the Luke and Laura method of bringing the hero and heroine together)and newer,more modern takes due to major changes in how certain women's issues became viewed by society.

Another talking point is the genre cliches that fans love to hate,such as virgin widows,convenient bouts of amnesia and Big Misunderstandings that only serve to stretch out the story line in order to fill more pages:





Other subjects include the rise and fall(or readjustment,if you will)of the Alpha Hero,the various types of heroines,newer sub genres like paranormal romance and various controversies such as the Cassie Edwards plagiarism scandal,which caused a wave of backlash against the SB site from folks who thought it was "mean" to expose long standing shenanigans like that.

There is a good amount of playfulness included,with a Mad Libs section that lets you write your own mock version of a favorite romance genre and a Choose Your Own Adventure chapter that is guaranteed to getting you giggling(the paranormal portion read like most of the later entries from both of Laurell K. Hamilton's sexed up series).



Cover Snark,a well loved feature on the website,is also lovingly gone over,with an interview from a former male cover model(no,not Fabio)and some reservations about the newer designs(computer generated artwork is neither art nor work. Discuss).

Speaking of reservations,those of you who are unfamiliar with the SB site may be a little startled at the salty yet saucy style of speaking about certain subjects in romance novels in this book.(yes,I mean sex) Don't be too taken aback,folks;this book is for grown-ups and should be as bold and brassy as any Oprah segment,only in smarter and funnier terms.

So,if you're looking for a current overview of the romance genre that's smart,sassy and celebrates the power of Lurrve,Beyond Heaving Bosoms is the titillating tome for you(Okay,that pun is sort of intended). Don't just take my word for it,four of five romance writers recommend it for their readers who chew this stuff up:

Flipping Out with Lomax and Biggs

Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs have been partners and friends on the LAPD for quite a long while,even good enough buddies to share living space with until the contracting work on Mike's new house is finished with(hopefully sooner than later). However,the newest murder case to hit their desks hits close to home in more ways than one.

The victims are a group of wives who have made house flipping a rather profitable sideline business that may have also gotten them a few enemies in the bargain. One of the main connections between the ladies is that they are all married to police officers,including Terry's own wife Marilyn,who he fears may be next on the deadly to do list.

The leader of the pack(and possibly main suspect)is Nora Bannister,a best selling mystery author whose less than successful poet daughter is married to a detective friend within Lomax and Biggs' circle. Nora not only has upped her literary earnings by making each of the flipped houses the setting for a series of tie-in books of hers,she's rather eager to add her two cents on the investigation:





The list of suspects grows as the number of victims multiply,with more and more odd avenues opening up that lead down some dark roads of revelation about folks that both detectives thought they knew so well. Not to mention the public pressure from the media and the politicians to catch the killer as soon as yesterday and wrap everything up nice and neat.

Lomax and Biggs strive to do just that,but like many things in life,some situations are meant to be messy. The question is,how much of a mess is this and can the worst of it be cleaned up before the spillage destroys too many lives.



This is the third book in Marshall Karp's Lomax and Biggs series and it's quite the charmer. Unlike the first two,the story is strictly narrated by Lomax which keeps the focus and the tension on an intensely even keel.

Don't feel intimidated if you haven't read the earlier books from trying this one out for size;background info on the characters is provided when needed and the fast paced tone of the writing catches your ear easily and keeps you intent on following the trail with almost as much emotional investment as Mike and Terry have to set things right.

As tense as things can get in these books,a steady sense of humor(mostly from Terry Biggs,who can't resist slipping in a subtle wisecrack in when it's not the best time to do so)anchors the flow of obstacles in the path of our leading men and steadies them on the course.

It's the friendship between Lomax and Biggs that makes the reader want to tag along beside them,to see whether their moxie and mirth will take the two of them closer to finding justice for all. Marshall Karp has created a truly classic team of smart talkers who not only can verbally joust with the best of fictional detectives but are just as buddy-buddy as any old school comedy couple on the block:

Heroes finds a focal point,Rescue Me returns and Idol moves from eight to seven

American Idol's Top Eight had the old chestnut of "Song from the year you were born" this week,and very few of them managed to really pull this off(not for lack of trying,however).

Lil Rounds wound up in the Bottom Three,for her rendition of "What's Love Got To Do With It." I thought it was just me,but even Paula called her out for the painfully obvious Tina impression and when Paula can make a good call about your act,that's a bad sign.

I wasn't surprised to see Scott join her,since he's been doing too many Lite FM numbers to stick around any longer(they did take too long to tell him good bye-this Judges' Save thing is such a gyp!)but shocked that Anoop was there with them.

He was safe in the end but Kris Allen should've been in his place. Kris is a boring pretty boy who turned Don Henley's snarky pop political song into a frigging Jonas Brothers concert-ick! Well,he's not getting out of the Sanjaya Award here:

ALL HE WANTS TO DO IS SHOW OFF FOR THE GIRLS



THIS IS HOW YOU PARTY TO THE BEAT






Rescue Me returned for a fifth season,with Tommy mourning his father in anger and getting ready for a Section Eight hearing while his ex Janet dates a rather sarcastic dude(Michael J. Fox)and his oldest daughter is dating one of his fellow firefighters.

This show has been known for it's off color blend of humor and pathos,not to mention taking an unflinching look at tough topics. With the arrival of a French writer looking for some personal accounts on 9/11 for a book she's writing,things are going to heat up in more ways than one:





One of the biggest complaints folks have regarding Heroes is the show's occasional plot meandering but I have to admit that Bryan Fuller's return seems to have had a strong settling effects on the storyline direction.

While the Sylar stuff always has something to please me(HRG was so not smart to try and outplay Danko and Sylar's mind games),it's good to see the rest of the crew start to put some pieces of the puzzle together as well.

Also nice to see Hiro and Ando get along again,even if that means Ando has to keep a silly face on to mellow out Baby Matt Parkman so that his Touch and Go ability doesn't slow them down. Wonder if they'll wind up going to Coyote Sands to join in with unearthing of a rather sinister secret project from the sixties:



RANDOM NOTES:

THE OFFICE: Two new episodes are on tonight,with the premiere of Parks and Recreation sandwiched between them. It looks like P&R may be a good fit there,and that things at Dunder Mifflin will still be interesting,even without Michael Scott at the helm(especially if Kevin keeps on manning the phones):

Will the Wolverine movie be worth all of this fuss?

Over the last couple of weeks,there has been a lot of clamor about the leaked footage of the upcoming X-Men Origins:Wolverine film online. One guy has lost his job due to reviewing the movie at the Fox news website(not smart,my man) and many fans are outraged over reports of changes made to one of the characters,Dead Pool.



I can understand the concerns of the fans-tweaking a well loved comic book character's abilities and/or altering their costume is not a step to be taken lightly. The trailers have shown a clip of Emma Frost(a telepathic villianess who took part in a number of bad guy groups within the X Men realm)whipping out some diamond coating power,which made me pause. I did a little research and it turns out that she does have that in her bag of tricks(a "secondary" ability,if you will).

Based on that,I'm wondering if the info about Dead Pool is accurate. From what little I have read about the movie,part of the plot involves a mutant called Weapon XI,who has been given various powers from others of his kind due to a bout of mad scientist tinkering. Maybe some of the folks who saw the raw version of the movie had trouble telling him apart from Dead Pool(the special effects were not fully applied to the leaked edition of the movie).



Then again,this isn't the first time that the X Men movies have played fast and loose with some of the characters. We've had Mystique running around stark naked,Rogue falling in love with Ice Man and don't get me started on what happened to Lady Deathstrike,I beg of you.

Yet,the saving grace has always been the quality of the films(pretty debatable for X3,I grant you)and perhaps that may turn the tide here. If the Wolverine movie truly gives the audience some excellent bang for their buck,questions such as "How come Liev Schreiber replaced Tyler Mane as Sabretooth?" and "Why is Cyclops in this movie when according to the time line,he hasn't met Wolverine yet?" will either be answered or not a big deal by the time the end credits roll.

Hopefully,this will sort itself out at the box office as it should be. Not that making money makes a troubled film any better,but seeing the legitimate version of a highly anticipated one can settle many of these disputes. Of course,playing nice has it's downside as well,even in the pop culture world:

What was on the radio the year you were born,American Idol fans?

Tonight's American Idol theme is a familiar one, pick a song from the year you were born. Judging by the youth of the current crop of Top Eight contenders,expect to hear quite a few tunes from the late eighties and the early nineties,folks.

However,it did get me to wonder what was hot on the music charts during the year I was born(1968,and yes,my birthday is around the end of April),so with the help of a trusty search engine and the good people who provide clips to YouTube,you can get an idea of what popular tunes may or may not have influenced me in the cradle.

SITTIN' ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY: I was delightfully surprised to find out that this Otis Redding classic came out in '68,since it's been a long time favorite of mine. Not as surprising as seeing how young Redding was when he first sang it-his voice held the strong cadences of an older,sadder yet wiser man. Many folks have done remakes of Dock of the Bay but Sara Bareilles really does it justice:



HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.: This song inspired both a hit film(made in 1978)and a TV series starring Barbara Eden as a modernized mom who gleefully turned the tables on the snooty locals who dared to look down on her way of life. It's a spunky little story song and I love the whole telling off the phonies off in public deal,particularly because I can easily picture my own mom doing the same thing:



VALLERI: I always did dig The Monkees,and while this wasn't on my personal pick list(Daydream Believer is number one in my heart),Davy Jones does the lead vocals here and as any Marcia Brady wannabe knows,he was the dreamiest:



MESSAGE TO YOU: While this performance clip is from 1973,the Bee Gees did record this song in 1968,first in England and then it appeared on their third U.S. album called Idea. The Brothers Gibb were major players in the musical background of my youth and now it's easy to see how those early seeds were planted:



HONEY: According to the Billboard charts,this Bobby Goldboro tune was at the number one slot for several weeks,including the actual week I was born. I've never heard of this song before and since it's rather depressing,kind of glad that I didn't sooner. A prime example of pop culture tastes changing over time(as well as hair styles):



DANCE TO THE MUSIC:Fortunately,I can round this up with a much livelier musical number,courtesy of Sly and the Family Stone. While there were many big songs out and about during 1968 from the Rolling Stones,The Doors and the Beatles,this one set the stage for large scale R&B pop music that took off big time during the 1970s. Much thanks and praise must be given to the Family Stone for bringing folks together,at least on the dance floor:



Please feel free to mention any of the songs from your own year of birth and don't be ashamed-after all,age ain't nothing but a number as they say!

Let's see who will be Flipping Out about winning this book!

I hope that everyone had a nice weekend and will have a great week ahead of them,especially the winner of the Flipping Out contest. My thanks to all who participated and please feel free to stop by anytime.

Okay,time to announce the winner...(drumroll)...and the signed copy of Flipping Out goes to...(the suspense is killing me,I hope it will last!)....MARY K FROM L.A.!!!
(confetti flies free,noise makers go off)

Congratulations,Mary K and to collect your prize,please send me an e-mail at livingreadgirl@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I'll have the prize committee at St. Martin's ship your book out to you pronto.

To further celebrate this victory and as a runner up set of prizes,I've gathered a few clips of detective teams and home improvement shows mentioned in your comments this weekend. While the crime fighters outnumbered the house hunters here,it was fun and interesting to check out these fan favorites:

First up is Cagney and Lacey,a strong favorite and a show that I have fond memories of as well. Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly not only paved the way for more realistic approaches to policewomen on TV,they are still two acting dynamos today. Gless has a reoccurring role on Burn Notice and Daly is currently working on a TV biopic of Georgia O'Keeffe. You go,girls:



Another contender in the detective duet category is Veronica Mars and her dad,Keith(who is now starring on the CBS series,Flashpoint). Keith and Veronica did have a great working relationship that nicely blended in their strong father-daughter bond as well. It's a real crime that the show wasn't granted a fourth season:



I've never watched PBS Mystery but after looking at this tribute to Inspector Lynley and Sgt. Havers,I'm beginning to regret that quite a bit. Brit wit is very addicting:



On the home improvement front,This Old House is still the standard bearer. While there is a more modern version of the show on the air,I suspect that folks prefer the old school edition with Bob Villa:



Renovation Nation is a show that I'm not familiar with but have no doubts about it's popularity due to the eco-friendly focus on home remodeling. This clip features a couple getting a system to recycle shower water and setting up a compost heap run on canine waste products. Very circle of life indeed:



Thanks again to everyone who entered this contest and please keep an eye out for my full review of Flipping Out on April 11,which will be part of author Marshall Karp's blog tour. To round this post out,I decided to find a tribute clip for Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum,a huge favorite of many folks here. While there hasn't been a film version made just yet,most seem to agree that Sandra Bullock would be the ideal choice as the leading lady in question:

Flipping Out over Marshall Karp's new book

The latest entry in the Lomax and Biggs mystery series,Flipping Out,has been released and plenty of the fans are as pleased as punch with this one,I'm sure. I know that I am and not just because it's a funny,fabulous read.

Marshall Karp is doing a blog tour to promote the book and one of his stops will be at Living Read Girl on April 11,where I will be reviewing it in full. Yes,that's a Saturday(LRG tends to take the weekends off)but for a great book like this,an extra post will be well worth it.




In addition to that,I'm holding a giveaway for a signed copy of Flipping Out this weekend to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment at this post with either one of these topics: your favorite detective team or your favorite home improvement show. The winner will be announced on Monday and I'll have the good folks at St. Martin's Press send you your prize.

Now,some of you might be saying "Gee,that's great,Lady T but I didn't read the first two books in the series,so maybe I should pass on this one." Let me reassure you guys-one of the strengths of the Lomax and Biggs books is that you can read them out of order and/or as stand alones. Enough background info on the characters is supplied when needed,plus the humor and camaraderie of Mike and Terry is incredibly infectious,in a good way.

Since Flipping Out has house flipping as a major part of the murder mystery that the fellas have to solve this go-around,it only made sense to me to have a double dose of contest comment themes. You can mention your favorite fictional detective duo(cop show or sleuths for hire)who work hand in hand to catch the bad guys,with bonus points for creativity:



Or,you can talk about a home improvement show or movie that you really like. To make things easier,feel free to mention just mention a scene that has a redecorating premise one way or another. It's best to have things as uncomplicated as possible:



Have a good weekend,folks,and looking forward to sharing this great book with one of you. Home design may not seem that exciting a setting for a mystery but it can be very dramatic and just as suspenseful as the usual suspects:

Idol downloads a theme,Mel and Mike leave The Amazing Race and a set-up for more sinistersweet Sylar action

American Idol's alleged theme this week was iTunes downloads,sort of a lazy choice there in my opinion. You could tell that not much thought was given to it and it showed in many of the performances.

It wasn't a total surprise to see that Megan got the boot after that sad rendition of Bob Marley's "Turn Down The Lights" but it was a tad harsh of Simon to flat out tell the girl that there was no chance in hell of her getting a Judges' Save,so her Song of Survival turned back into a Song of Shame,like Cinderella's coach after midnight.

Megan was acting a tad wacky there,which makes me wonder if she took a sip out of Paula's glass(that stuff is not for amateurs,hon!).

Since Megan is on her way home there,I'll take more pity on her than Simon did and hand this week's Sanjaya award to Allison. Nothing personal,dear-you did try your best on "Don't Speak" but the song slipped out of your grasp during the bridge. Also,when the judges are talking more about your outfit(a Cyndi Lauper goes anime look)than your vocals,it's not good:

DON'T WEAR THIS DRESS AGAIN:



NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS ONE:






While Claire and Nathan shared some bonding time in Mexico and Angela and Peter both tried to find God on Heroes,our bad boy Sylar found himself a new buddy to play with. Teaming up with Danko to hunt down more of his kind is a rather sneaky master stroke of villainy there.

As Danko pointed out,Sylar could wind up being the only super powered being in town if their little scheme works out well. That's the type of evil worthy of a James Bond nemesis,it seems to me:





It was the end of the road for Mike and his father Mel on The Amazing Race,as the two of them lost steam in Thailand by getting lost on their way to a clue. That set them back for the rest of the leg pretty much.

Too bad they had to go,they seem like such nice guys and have a very nurturing father-son relationship. Jamie and Cara are truly working my nerves with their constant nastiness towards the locals and complaints about no one speaking English(hello,you did know this was a race around the world,right?).

Oh well, at least Mel and Mike had a memorable experience and took away some positive feelings from their time on TAR:



RANDOM NOTES:



ANITA BLAKE,THE SERIES?: Reports abound online that Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake books will become a cable TV series by 2010. IFC has made a deal with Lionsgate to bring Anita to the small screen,focusing on the earlier titles in the series(which are not as oversexed as the current crop).

With the success of True Blood on HBO,it appears that vampires have no choice but to go the pay cable route to get some love. I've fallen out of love with LKH's work but perhaps a decent version of her first few Anita books could remind me of what I liked about her in the first place. We shall see,folks:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,oh my!

It may be April Fool's Day but please trust me when I tell you that the high level of entertainment attained by reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is no joke.

As re-imagined by Seth Grahame-Smith(who shares the author spot with Jane Austen here),The Bennett family has more to contend with than just finding suitable husbands for the girls.

All of England has been overrun by zombies,with London being divided into patrolled sections and burning pits for the recently dispatched "unmentionables" becoming part of the local sights of the countryside.

All of the Bennett sisters are skilled in the deadly arts,thanks to their father's insistence on having them train at the Shaolin temple in China and the girls are fully dedicated to eradicating the unholy menace whenever it shows up,even at a ball,until they are married.



The story does keep to the original plot points of the text,with a mixture of zombie related twists and turns written in.

The Netherfield ball,for example,has the same amount of romantic tensions and moments of social mortification with the added inconvenience of Mr. Darcy having to clean up the kitchen due to an unfortunately ill timed attack upon the staff by what he refers to as "manky dreadfuls".

There are other bits of off color humor slipped in as well,which oddly suits this classic horror remix to a T. Zombies are also rather appropriate here,since the herd mentality amongst the middle and upper levels of polite society held strong sway during this time period. The feisty independence of Elizabeth Bennett is well channeled into battles with the living dead,yet perhaps Mary's singing would be just as effective against zombies as a well placed kick to the head:





The book also has a number of illustrations,in the manner of C.E. Brock(who did some of the better known artwork for a popular edition of P&P back in 1895). They are delightfully gruesome and fully enrich the zombie hijinks on display.

A few liberties are taken with minor characters but nothing that a good natured Austen fan can't endure as well as have a good laugh over. After all,is it really hard to imagine Lizzy knocking Darcy across the room during that first rude marriage proposal?

I've always pictured that major showdown between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine to be a sword fight of sorts,so having ninjas attend Her Ladyship here is not too much of a stretch:





Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has gotten quite a bit of publicity,with talks of a sequel already in the works. It's pleasing to report that this bold blend truly lives up to the hype and then some. The book is on sale now and if this timely little tome manages to bring in new readers to Jane Austen as well as amuse those fully devoted to her charms,it will be quite the accomplishment.

Thank you,Seth Grahame-Smith and company,for making Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the ultimate rom-zom-com classic of the year. May your reign of humor and horror keep folks smiling for a long time to come:

Sing a song of sorrow for Andy Hallett

Very sad news today,folks-one of the most popular co-stars from the Buffy The Vampire Slayer spin-off series Angel,has passed away. Andy Hallett was only 33 years old and had been battling congestive heart disease for the past five years.



Hallett came to the show in it's second season,playing the proprietor of a underworld karaoke bar called Caritas. Caritas was a neutral zone for demons and other various supernatural beings to hang out at,with the added bonus of being given guidance by The Host,who could see a person's inner dilemma and potential future when they sing:



At first,The Host was just a go-to guy for Angel and friends to get some psychic advice from but he didn't work exclusively for them. Even the evil lawyers from Wolfram and Hart(the Big Bads of the show)were encouraged to strut their stuff once in a while:



As the series went on,The Host became more of a major player and more was known about him. His true name was Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan(called Lorne for short)and Pylea,his demon dimension of origin was the setting for the second season finale:





Even when Caritas was gone,Lorne still managed to find a way to use his musical talents,even making it out to Las Vegas as a headliner. Unfortunately,he was being used by a crooked casino owner to steal the fates of people in his audience but Angel managed to save him from that little hell on earth.

Despite his sinister set-up,Lorne put on a great stage show,complete with his own showgirls called The Lornettes:





Andy Hallett was best known for his work on Angel,which include contributing two of his songs performed on the show to the official Angel soundtrack. He made numerous appearances at Buffy related conventions and also appeared in an indie film made by another Buffy alumnus,Amber Benson, called Chance in 2002

Lorne,aka The Host,was a well loved character on Angel and thanks to the talents of Andy Hallett, he gave the show some real heart and soul. It's a crying shame that someone so young and gifted had to leave this world so soon,but at least he was able to make it a better place by sharing his love of music and enhancing the lives of many who were moved by his excellent acting skills.

I'm sure that I am not alone in sending my condolences to Hallett's family and friends during this sad time. His legacy may be a brief one but it will survive in the hearts of Angel fans for a long,long time:

To 3-D or not to 3-D? That is becoming the box office answer to the question

The big money maker at the multiplex this past weekend was Monsters Vs. Aliens,which raked in 58 million and counting. A part of the success of the movie is being attributed to it's 3D effects,which makes the folks at Dreamworks happy as clams who easily managed to not be put on the menu at Red Lobster.

3D has been making a comeback in the last several years,with not only Dreamworks but Pixar jumping on the bandwagon as well. It's interesting to note that this visual gimmick is once again sliding back into cinema's good graces during a time of severe culture upheaval. The 1950s and early sixties were the heyday of 3D,using it for horror and sci-fi films just like we are doing now.



While I do recognize that it's an obvious gimmick,3-D is not without it's charms. Like spicy condiments and moments of clarity from Paula Abdul,a little goes a long way.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released in IMAX with 3-D,which I got to see with my sister last year,and it was visually amazing. The 3D portion was done during the major showdown sequence at the Ministry of Magic,where it enhanced the action rather than distracted from it.

The bonus of viewing that section of the film on such a ginormous screen to boot was the extra sprinkles on the movie cupcake:





When used in the right way and in moderation,3-D can rock but ever looming overhead is the inevitable overkill which turns this technology into a mock worthy trick. Horror movies are notorious for this,from the classic House of Wax(not the one with Paris Hilton) to the sixth Nightmare on Elm Street flick called Freddy's Dead:The Final Nightmare-as if!

Most of the current 3-D mania is being targeted at kids' movies but horror is not immune from it. As recently as January,gore fans were offered up a remake of My Bloody Valentine in 3-D(the original didn't have that feature,by the way)which didn't set the world on fire or the box office but not for lack of trying:





All of the potential blame for 3-D over exposure can't be placed on fright flicks' doorstep,however. There's an awful lot of animated movies being given third dimensional upgrades lately,some set to appear in a theater near you this upcoming Christmas.

Hopefully,these films are good enough to stand on their own and can be worth watching with or without those funky red and blue glasses. Of course,it will be the quantity of profit rather than the quality of the work that will determine the fate of 3-D films(as it was in past)but it would be cool to have a bit of both.

Alas,I fear that we'll be getting more of the likes of Journey To The Center of the Earth:3D instead of Harry Potter level material-with any luck,I'll be proven wrong:

Some Frivolous Friday videos

Since these are tough times that try the very end of men and women's souls,I thought it might be fun to have my own blog version of Casual Friday once in awhile. Nothing fancy,just a few interesting pop culture odds and ends that don't quite fit into a major post but are worth mentioning(or at least having a laugh about)

So,this new feature will be called Frivolous Friday and if you like it,let me know and I'll even take suggestions on things to highlight for future FF posts. Ok,let's get this party start,shall we?

THE RED CURSE OF THE TAMPAX PEARL

I've been noticing this new series of TV ads for Tampax's Pearl line,with Mother Nature showing up like an annoying aunt cheerfully handing over that special "monthly gift" to perky young gals on the go. Yes,it's somewhat funny but having your womanhood treated like an unwanted fruitcake being forced on you by an aging shrew doesn't go down too smoothly there.

The latest one has a romance theme,with a seafaring dream setting and a come on line that Homer Simpson would love:



SHE'S A SURVIVOR,ALL RIGHT

One of my late night guilty pleasures of late has been watching reruns of Reba on Lifetime;I didn't know that Reba McEntire was so funny! The show's kind of hokey at times but it can be a real hoot,especially when Reba and family have to endure the hyperactive antics of Barbara Jean,her ex-husband's wife who persists in becoming every one's best buddy. Melissa Peterman played that zany sidekick gal very well indeed:



THE ULTIMATE BAD MOVIE,PART I

The movie Troll 2 would appear at first to be just another one of those senseless sequels that you can find in the bargain bin of any video store and is so bad enough that they'll actually pay you to take it off their hands.

However,a rather strong cult following has sprung up around this freaky little flick that the need for a documentary to be made about it has been fulfilled. Currently,The Best Worst Movie is hitting the film festival circuit,starting with the South by Southwest(SXSW)and may be lurking towards a theater near you. I have to admit that I haven't seen Troll 2 but this fervent fan love sure makes me want to:



THE ULTIMATE BAD MOVIE,PART II

A major contender for the Worst Movie Ever crown is The Room,a favorite amongst such Hollywood folks such as Kristen Bell and the fellas at Tim and Eric's Awesome Show. My sister managed to see this sucker and swears that it is beyond horrible(and she's seen Halle Berry in Catwoman so she knows the depths of cinematic badness).

I've seen plenty of stinkers but not sure that I have the inner strength to withstand this monument to self indulgence that even Ed Wood himself would be floored by:



WATCHMEN VS. WOLVERINE,PART 3

To wrap things up,here is the newest installment of It's Just Some Random Guy's look at Watchmen and the upcoming Wolverine movie. This round,Logan throws down with The Comedian and finds very little to laugh at. Hope you all like this clip and perhaps we'll have some more Frivolous Fridays in the future:

Heroes takes a chill,A.I. goes to Motown and Little Dorrit on PBS

American Idol's theme last night was Motown and on hand to provide some mentoring was Smokey Robinson(along with an appearance by Berry Gordy)who seemed to be on automatic pilot at times.

He certainly was for Megan,when she really needed some good advice about singing "For Once In My Life" with a cabaret flair. Megan,don't you know that Simon HATES that style more than life itself?

Even without Simon's prejudice,her rendition of the song was all over the place,with the main problem being that you need a strong personality to pull it off and her approach was just too laid back. Sorry,hon,but I have to give you another Sanjaya Award this week:

FOR ONCE ON THIS SHOW,SHE NEEDS TO BE LESS PERKY



SOCK IT TO ME,STEVIE



There were several good performances(some that I feel were better than the judges deemed to be so,in between pulling out crayons from underneath Paula's tutu-ick!)but once again,Adam Lambert stopped the show by taking it down a notch. His unplugged version of "Tracks of my Tears" did the song justice and let him stay true to his own sense of style(he looked a little like Kurt Russell when he played Elvis onscreen). Go,Adam,go and if you want to put that black nail polish back on,you do that:





Heroes returned this week,revealing the identity of Rebel(not too surprised to see that it's Micah)who was nearly betrayed by Tracy,due to a back door deal with HRG.

She finally managed to showcase the extent of her freezing ability to save Micah from capture,along with a bit of redemption there for her past selfishness. Since there is supposed to be at least one more sister left in the bunch,this may not be the last we see of Ali Larter on this series. She certainly went out with style this time around:

THE ICE QUEEN COMETH





Masterpiece Classic continues their Tales of Charles Dickens with a new miniseries of Little Dorrit beginning this Sunday night. Claire Foy stars as Amy Dorrit,the young lady of the title,who must make her own hard way in the world amidst odd characters and a troubling family mystery.

This should be quite a treat,especially since Andrew Davies adapted the screenplay and there are a slew of old school and fresh faced English actors on deck for this production. Should be a very comforting way to spend a Sunday night,indeed:



RANDOM NOTES:

THE NUMBER ONE LADIE'S DETECTIVE AGENCY: Just a friendly reminder that the adventures of Mma Ramotse also begin this Sunday night. I know it will be tricky to try and see this show along with Little Dorrit(which you can view online at the PBS website the day after the first episode airs)or whatever else is your usual weekend fare but the effort will be well worth it:

Foreign horror films that are universally fearful

Coming next on my Netflix queue is the Swedish vampire film,"Let The Right One In". It's considered by many to be the anti-Twilight,with the main characters being teens that are slightly younger than Bella or Edward(one of them,at least)in a love story that's way darker and much bloodier.

Let the Right One In starts with Oskar,a boy being the main target of the local bullies,who takes out his frustrations by stabbing trees. This action catches the eye of Eli,another outsider who has her own issues to deal and a rather gruesome way of handling them:





Now,I'm not of the opinion that just because something artistic was made outside of the U.S.,that automatically makes it superior(a theory that is just as annoying as "only indie movies are real,therefore better").

However,there are some damn interesting horror films out there that give folks an interesting look at another culture via one of the strongest emotions that all of us share,fear. It's merely a matter of shifting thru the various cinematic offerings to find those that click with your inner scaredy cat and sharpen your perspective to boot.



With that in mind,I thought that I would share with you some of the foreign fear flicks that I've come across which have given me some chills both outward and inward.

To start with,let's look at The Stendhal Syndrome that stars Asia Argento in a story about a traumatized cop who is afflicted by this phenomenon that causes a person to vividly hallucinate around major works of art. The movie was directed by Dario Argento,(yes,he's her dad)a well known master of the giallo genre in Italy and the fearlessness of this family neatly counterbalances the terrors the two of them unfold onscreen:






Night Watch is an adaptation of the first of a dark fantasy series by Russian author Sergei Lukyanenko,about folks who are keeping up an ancient battle between the forces of good and evil(called the Light and the Dark)by seeking a new player in the game who may be claimed by either side.

The second film,Day Watch, has already been made and hopefully the last two books will become movies as well. It would be a shame to have such an amazingly creative world snapped shut just as it was reaching it's maximum potential. At least this delay does give me time to click into Day Watch and see more of this hauntingly metahuman mythos unfold:






Brotherhood of the Wolf combines historical drama with a bit of real history along with some werewolf hijinks. Think of it as Last of the Mohicans meets Wolfen,with French accents.

A rash of violent killings in the countryside of pre-Revolutionary France causes the authorities to send a pair of unusually experienced men to investigate. Their findings are strange and deadly,on more than one level,with a trail that leads to a nest of sinister secrets and horrors yet to come.

The story is loosely based on a legendary reign of terror by the Beast of Geveudan back in the mid 1760s which is still debated about to this day. This is rather an epic version of a monster movie,but one that actually pays off:




With any luck,Let The Right One In will actually live up to the hype that's been just as pervasive as the clamor for Twilight has been. In truth,I think that both movies would make quite the double feature-how do you like your vampires,Miss,sweet or savory? Variety is the spice of life,even for the undead: