Some After Christmas Austen reading

Most of us who get books(and most particularly,want to be given books) during the holidays try not to read them too fast. Like a fine box of chocolates or a splendid bottle of wine,you want the pleasure to be as prolonged as possible.

Then again,there are so many books and such little time,as the saying goes,so I dove into two of my Christmas literary presents,a pair of Jane Austen themed books with one being a nonfiction account of modern day Austen fans and the other a retelling of Pride & Prejudice from a very different viewpoint.

Since both of these books have been out and about for some time now, my reviews of them will be brief but full of my first impressions of each one. Starting with Among The Janeites,  author Deborah Yaffe takes a very spirited tour of the world of Austen admirers fueled by the current interest in the various film adaptations as well as those who prefer a more scholarly approach to the works of Jane.

 Yaffe interviews a great number of active Austenites,such as professor Devoney Looser,who not only teaches the works of her favorite writer but has taken her name as her roller derby persona and Sandy Lerner,a former computer CEO who played a great part in raising the funds to renovate Chawton House(which was the home of one of Austen's brothers and is now a retreat for scholars).

 She also covers the blog scene where Austen folk such as Vic Sanborn and Laurel Ann Nattress flourish and attends a JASNA AGM( Annual General Meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America) in full Regency gear,something that makes her nervous and excited all at once:

I have to say that this book gave me great joy as it brought back so many pleasant memories for me. I was fortunate enough to visit England with the Republic of Pemberley(one of the best known JA websites,which is also highlighted here) a few years ago as well as attend a few other Austen gatherings and Yaffe really captures the spirit of Jane Austen fandom  well.with it's many diverse and amiable members who might quarrel over a few details from time to time yet are united when it comes to enjoying the literary legacy of our dear Jane.

Whether you're very familiar with the Austen fan landscape or curious to see what all of the fuss is about,Among the Janeites is an excellent guide into that garden of many delights. To paraphrase Emma's Mr. Knightley, it is very well done,indeed!:

Jo Baker's Longbourn shows a behind the scenes look,if you will, of Pride and Prejudice as the story is mainly focused on the staff of the Bennet household run by Mrs. Hill, a steady on her feet sort with a secret that connects her to the family in a most intimate way.

The leading lady of this book,however, is Sarah,the young housemaid who winds up having two suitors,one being Ptolemy, the manservant of Jane Bennet's Mr. Bingley and the other James Smith,a newly appointed footman looking to avoid contact with the local militia as much as possible.

Many have called this book "P&P meets Downton Abbey" but to me, it's more accurate to call it "The Upstairs,Downstairs edition of Pride and Prejudice". The depiction of life for the staff not only at Longbourn but other estates such as Pemberley and Rosings Park is fully realistic to the time period and engagingly authentic,with at times moving portrayals of the lives of those meant to serve is more in line with the original 1970s TV series than the glossy take that Downton sometimes has of those particular social classes:

As Sarah struggles to make the choices that best suit her happiness and heart,Mrs. Hill endeavors to reflect upon what future may bring for the household. One of the more amusing sections of the book is Mr. Collins' visit as his impressions of the housekeeping are vital in ensuring that there are no changes to the staff when he inherits Longbourn upon Mr. Bennet's demise.

I know that many people find certain plot lines with Mr. Bennet in this story very disagreeable and speaking as someone who thinks of him as one of the better natured parents in any of Austen's work(not the best parent,mind you,in terms of providing guidance and security for his loved ones), his actions in Longbourn do ring true to me.

 Without giving anything away, I must and will say that he would not be the first man in his social station of that day to do as he did and his attitudes towards that situation are in character with what Austen wrote to some extent. If anything, Mr. Bennet always struck me as completely human in his manner and faults,which makes him the memorable father figure that he is and Baker's take on him does not blemish that at all.

Longbourn is a powerfully rendered tale placed in the Regency era that would even engage the attentions of those who have never read P&P(it might even bring in a few new readers into the fold). It sincerely compliments the original work that inspired it and adds a fresh nuance to that work as well as the genre of Austensque literature:

I do have a couple of other Christmas books left to read(along with many others coming forth in this new year) but starting 2014 off with a little Austen always makes the season right. Of course, any sort of Austen is good all the days of the year but seeing those two books under my Christmas tree did make the holiday that much brighter:

Chilling out with some fear flicks in the midwinter section of the Movie Trailer Park.

As we begin to recover from the polar vortex(which was the work of super villains,in my opinion) and snow storms of the post-holiday season, one of the best places to warm up is your local movie multiplex.

This being midwinter,however, leaves you with two basic choices; catch up on potential award show nominees or delight in the B movie fare that the studios are willing to slap into theaters this time of year. Horror is a much relied upon genre for filling those seats in the dead of winter,so let's look at the upcoming fear fest for your cinematic consumption:

DEVIL'S DUE: This is pretty much Rosemary's Baby meets Paranormal Activity, as a happy young couple(Zach Gifford and Allison Miller) chronicle the upcoming birth of their first child who happens to be the next Antichrist! This movie might be somewhat better than expected,since a few of the gang from the V/H/S anthology series are on board here, but for the most part, any seasoned horror fan will be clued in from the get-go. Either way, definitely not a movie to show to a Lamaze class:

I,FRANKENSTEIN: Aaron Eckhart stars as the title monster(yes, I know Frankenstein is the name of the doctor,not the monster but let's just accept the concept that our Mr. Gruesome took his daddy's last name,okay?) who is dragged into a war being waged between demons and gargoyles.

There are some rather well known names in the cast such as Miranda Otto as the Gargoyle Queen( which does sound cool) and Bill Nighy,plus one of  the screenwriters Kevin Gravioux(whose graphic novel this film is based on) has a small part to play as well.

Judging from the trailer, there's a lot of CGI being thrown around yet this could be some simple popcorn movie fun, if you have the spare time and money to check this when it hits the big screen later this month:

VAMPIRE ACADEMY: There's clearly a fang in cheek approach being taken to the film(based on the popular YA series of books by Richelle Mead) as director Mark Waters got his brother Daniel( best known for the dark comedy classic Heathers) to adapt the screenplay.

The general plot has a pair of teen gal pals heading to a special school for their kind(think Hogwarts for bloodsuckers). They would rather live amongst humans but are made to get their supernatural education in order first.

 Rose( Zoey Deutch) is a half human/half vampire known as a Dhampir who is assigned as the protection/occasional meal of Lissa( Lucy Fry), a vampire princess of a clan that prefers to keep their liquid diet preferences on the down low. The two of them are drawn into a battle between the "let's blend into mortal society" vamps and the "humans are only good for one thing" types. Combine that with the usual high school drama and you have a possibly post-modern Buffy situation a-brewing.

I haven't read the books and not certain what the fans of this series will think of the humorous tone being put forth here. However, this does look like a good time had by all,so we'll see:

Hopefully when spring arrives, a higher quality of fright fare will come long. Although,the most promise I see in that arena so far is the third V/H/S movie and Angelina Jolie getting her bad fairy on(she so needs to play a vampire queen at some point):

Curling up on the cinematic couch with Pride,Prejudice & Popcorn

Fans of the website Smart Bitches, Trashy Novels are rather familiar with Carrie Sessarego(aka Carrie S) and her pop culture contributions to the romance genre conversation. Even if you are not, her new ebook entitled Pride,Prejudice & Popcorn, is an excellent introduction to her lively point of view.

A blogger in her own right, Carrie has complied a series of observations regarding the numerous silver screen/small screen adaptations of three classics of English literature considered to be the most romantic; Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and her sister Emily's one and only completed book Wuthering Heights.

 Each book is given a rundown of the plot,with a list of key elements that make an adaptation of it work best following after. The movies are then grouped into either theatrical or made for TV editions, with reasonably high standards applied to each format.

 When it comes to P&P, it was a book that Carrie grew to appreciate due to the film versions. As much as she approves of the 1995 miniseries with Colin Firth, Carrie also enjoys the merits of many of the modern updates such as Bride and Prejudice, Lost in Austen and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries with it's strong emphasis on the sisterly bonds between the Bennet girls.

 For sheer romantic bliss,however, she does adore Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadeyn's rendition of Lizzy and Darcy in the 1995 big screen version of P&P(and who can blame her? Like her, I totally love that walking in the mist scene,even if it's not what Austen wrote):

When it comes to Jane Eyre,that is a book that Carrie has embraced in her childhood and still loves to this day even with the many emotional attacks Jane endures from Rochester(I read JE alot as a kid,too but for some reason have had trouble rereading it as an adult).

Naturally, she has high expectations for any adaptation of Jane Eyre, with the 1943 Orson Welles/Joan Fontaine film being the set standard for most fans. Her utmost favorite,however, is the 2006 Masterpiece classic miniseries,with Toby Stephens as Rochester and Ruth Stephens playing Jane and she even gives credit to the 1970 take on it with George C. Scott and Susannah York.:

Wuthering Heights,however,is a different matter altogether. Carrie sees that story as a tale of what not to do in love(and I'm right there with her!) and more of a Gothic tale in the sense of horror rather than romance.

She does have respect for certain depictions of the story such as the well known Laurence Olivier/Merle Oberon pairing and considers the worst of the lot to be the modernized MTV version,the kind "they make you watch in hell"-I haven't seen that one but her description certainly sounds right about that!

The one adaptation that Carrie feels gets the most important aspects of WH right is the 1998 BBC TV version,starring Orla Brady and Tom Cavanah. The main element that satistifes her is not just Heathcliff and Cathy but rather the love connection between Hareton and the next generation Cathy(aka "Cathy 2.0"), who are being made to pay for the sins of their elders yet who find together the true and lasting meaning of love that has eluded those who came before them:

Other features of this ebook include bios of the original authors,trivia regarding them and their film adaptations and even a musical playlist. Pride,Prejudice & Popcorn is the first release in the new ebook series of pop culture themed essay collections from HarlequinPop! and it's certainly gotten off on a good foot with this delightful download.

Not only do you get an engaging set of insights into these very well known books and films, you also have excellent suggestions for your viewing pleasure(thank you,Carrie,for making sure the movies mentioned here are readily available either online or rental). I have quite a few Bronte themed flicks to add to my Netflix queue after reading this book and if you've think you have seen everything in either Austen or the sisters B, you may want to reconsider that notion.

Pride,Prejudice and Popcorn is now available at many online retailers and if you're in need of some heartwarming romance during this season of intense cold, there are plenty of sweet selections that this entertaining ebook can offer you:

Top Chef's culinary culture clash,the return of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and how the Crawley girls cope on Downton Abbey

Top Chef had a number of renowned culinary masters on deck this round,starting with the legendary Jacques Pepin at the Quickfire Challenge. He gave a demo of a fish dish(Dover sole with artichoke and asparagus) that they each had to reproduce.

Nicholas won immunity for his version,which lead to a rather dramatic conclusion as we soon shall see.

Once that was done,Padma announced the Elimination challenge and it was a team one that invoked the infamous TC knife pull. One team would cook five French dishes and the other Spanish,going head to head and including certain ingredients such as almonds,olives and chicken.

Each team had a mentor,with the French one being Dominique Crenn and for the Spanish side,Julian Serrano. They did a good job for their groups but did get a little feisty during the sit-down dinner with the judges and other special guests.

Team Spain,with Carlos,Brian and Nina, won this round and demonstrated some pretty good teamwork there.

All of the dishes turned out well and the arroz con pollo(chicken with rice) that both Brian and Carlos collaborated on pleased most of the diners but Dominique did insist that the chicken tasted dry.

She was the only one with that opinion,however,but Julian had something to say about a chicken dish she suggested to her team that ruffled quite a few feathers there.

Mean while, Nina was declared the overall winner of her team. She had some serious doubts about her opening course, a potato salad with olives but everyone adored the perfect simplicity of the dish.

She also did well with a later course of ajo blanco that had almonds and cherries with shrimp. Nina was delightfully relieved that her food came out better than she expected.

The downfall of the French team was due to Nicholas,whose two courses were utter failures. Bad enough that his almond flan was tasteless but his chocolate chicken with a corn silk nest(suggested by Dominique but it was clear before service that the nest was a mess) was so bad it caused a fight at the table.

Julian Serrano was disgusted by the very notion of chocolate with chicken and sniped at Dominique about it. That was somewhat petty but it didn't help matters that the whole plate was overwhelmed by chocolate and that Judge Tom compared the corn silk nest to hair clogged in a drain.

The judges broadly suggested to Nicholas that he bow out of the competition,since his team mates Shirley and Stephanie didn't make any major missteps with their food.

Even the dish both ladies worked together on, a chicken mousse with a roasted chicken broth, was a particular favorite of the meal. However, Nicholas refused to fall on his sword so it was Stephanie who had to pack her knives for Last Chance Kitchen here. I hope she gets a chance to come back into the competition and Nick,buddy, you just bought yourself a bag of bad karma for your pantry. Good luck with that!

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returned this week and I was quite shook up when Coulson caught a major memory glimpse at the procedures used to bring him back from the dead. His team pulling together to find him was nicely done as well(liked Skye going solo) but the big twist was in ripping the mental facade of his time in Tahiti,which is so not a magical place for him anymore, away.

That whole exposed brain being jump started by an alien robot device that had the man pleading for the sweet release of death was more than I expected for a network show and Clark Gregg's most moving scene of the season thus far. Top that with an end credit reveal of a character thought to be dead but in deep trouble and I'm still watching this show. I know some are still not satisfied but hey, grab yourselves a Snickers while the rest of us keep tuning in:

The long awaited fourth season of Downton Abbey arrived, with most of the family and staff doing what they could to recover from Matthew's death. Mary was still stuck in deep mourning for most of the two hour premiere but with the aid of brother-in-law Branson and the ever resilient Countess Violet, she began to perk up and start taking an interest in the world again.

A good deal of that revival is due to discovering a letter that Matthew wrote before he died that expressed his wishes for Mary to be the heir of the estate,something that dear old daddy Grantham is less than thrilled about.

 Considering that the family finances are in the sad state they're in due to his financial fumbling, you'd think he would be relieved to let someone else shoulder that burden, but oh, no!  Between wrestling with her father over how to run Downton and the arrival of a couple of new love interests, Mary is certain to be a busy lady this season with no more time for sorrow:

On the other hand, younger sister Edith is finally coming into her own as a stylish and sophisticated lady. It's good to see her blossom and break out of her Jan Brady setting but I do wish that Edith would give up on her married boyfriend.

This whole "I need to become a German citizen in order to divorce my mentally incapacitated wife" idea is an alarming notion,indeed. Edith, please back out of this while you still can-that man is not worth leaving England for!:

RANDOM NOTES:

AHS:COVEN: Stevie Nicks made her much anticipated appearance last night but that was nothing compared to what happened to Nan(fare thee well, dear) or how Madison tricked Misty into an open coffin for above ground burial. Yep, the race to be the Supreme is off and running,promising quite a body count before all is said and done:

Humming along with the list of Best Song nominees at the Golden Globes

With the 71st annual Golden Globes due to be presented on January 12, many movie followers will be eagerly watching and taking note on the winners as the odds for them nabbing an Oscar nod become even greater with a victory here.

A category I like to keep track of is Best Song,which has been receiving the short end of the Academy stick over last few years. While the Globes are not as rigid with their rules or their choices as the Oscars are, they do set a standard for others to follow.

One song that is sure to be on the Oscar radar is "Let It Go" from the animated Disney flick Frozen. It's actually a great number that allows the character(who was originally intended to be a villain) blossom into a bit of an antihero by celebrating the freedom to explore the true potential of her powers without fear.

 I do hope that when it is performed on Oscar night that Idina Menzel is the one who sings it on stage since she's the voice of Princess Elsa after all(Sorry, Demi Lovato,cover version or not,you can't hold a candle to a real Broadway diva!):

Next up is a tune from the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack,courtesy of Coldplay. "Atlas" is suitably moody for this second chapter in this futuristic saga and with it being one of the four songs that are actually heard in the film,it's chances are pretty good for a win.

However,it has the cross to bear of being a Coldplay song and I don't think they have enough gravitas or of the moment flair for an Oscar nom. Yes, they have honored more modern music during the last decade or so but I just don't see them being included this time out:

Also up for a Golden Globe here is a Taylor Swift song from a British movie called One Chance( "Sweeter Than Fiction" certainly sounds sugary enough) and U2's contribution to the soundtrack for the recent Nelson Mandela biopic but let's talk about the musical movie that most of Hollywood is concerned with, Inside Llewyn Davis.

The Coen Brothers' tribute to the folk music movement has garnered plenty of critical praise as well as audience approval and is destined to gain some Oscar notice. However, most of the music for this film comes from standards in the folk music genre which makes it hard to qualify as Best Original Song.

While the gang at the Globes did put up "Please Mr. Kennedy" from ILD, even that song is not eligible for an Oscar nomination due to it's being a parody of two parody songs from that era(one of which happens to be titled Please Mr. Kennedy).  In a sense,that may be for the best. After all, the heart of this story is about the emotional impact of that music upon those who considered themselves dedicated artists of that craft and that theme can be much better served with a more meaningful song,if possible, than a dated parody of a novelty song:

Ironically enough, the biggest winner in the future Best Song race at the Oscars this year might from one of the biggest losers(critical wise, that is).While Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby made a nice chunk of change at the box office, many of the reviews were less than charitable about it.

However, a good deal of the music for the movie,especially it's sound track, was originally created and that means those songs are major contenders to be chosen for Oscar glory. A strong contender is Lana Del Ray's "Young and Beautiful", which was not selected for the Globes but could easily be a front runner with the Academy.

While I haven't even seen this version of Gatsby yet( still on the fence about that one), this song is a gorgeously elegant salute to the melancholy mood of the twenties with a post modern twist of lyrical lime. Perhaps Lana will be singing this at the Kodak Theater this spring and if we can get her and Idina to perform live, that will be a real musical victory worth applauding. Good luck,ladies!:

Some Mansfield Park reads to keep in mind

Last year, Jane Austen fans had a year long celebration of Pride & Prejudice,due to it's bicentennial anniversary and for 2014, we have another reason to rejoice as it's the 200th birthday of Mansfield Park which is considered the most controversial of the lot.

While many of debates surrounding MP are about politics(social and otherwise) and morality, the main bone of contention is found with Fanny Price, the quiet heroine of the story. Many find Fanny's internal struggles and low key nature to be rather off-putting while others see the inner strength of her character shining through the follies of her relations.

For that reason most of all, Austen themed fiction that focuses on Mansfield Park is not as abundant as P&P is, or even Sense and Sensibility(Persuasion,my personal favorite,does have a respectable number of modernized/re-imagined/sequel books there). However, there are some and I will be reading them throughout the year and if you'd like to follow along, here is my list of Mansfield Park themed novels to explore:

 EDMUND BERTRAM'S DIARY: Author Amanda Grange has a whole series of  Austen themed diaries that tell those familiar tales from the point of view of the major male characters and I'm really looking forward to see what insights into Fanny's beloved cousin can be found.

Many people find Edmund to be annoying but his flaws make him that much more endearing, I find. Yes, he does delude himself into thinking Mary Crawford is a far better person that she truly is but what young person in love is not prone to that at one time or another?

 Edmund's charms are strong enough to earn him the love of more than one woman and seeing how he came to realize the true worth of his dear Fanny will be a journey worth taking as well as turning the pages for:

THE MATTERS AT MANSFIELD: This is part of Carrie Bebris' Mr & Mrs. Darcy mystery series which means that several P&P characters are on board here, including Lady Catherine and her daughter Anne.

 Lady Catherine is bound and determined to marry her only child off to a wealthy nobleman but her girl has some gumption as it turns out and runs off with another man. Since this book is subtitled "The Crawford Affair", I do believe you know who that particular fellow is.

Yes, it's Henry Crawford who still has a penchant for seducing engaged ladies and who winds up at the wrong end of a pistol during a duel. More than meets the eye is going on and fortunately,the Darcys are in fine detective mode to save the day and the honor of Anne DeBourgh. This will be a reread for me but don't despair of this if you haven't read any of Bebris' books before. All you need to know is that Henry Crawford is trouble with a good looking grin attached to it:

MURDER AT MANSFIELD PARK: Lynn Shepard's suspense story has two of the leading ladies of MP switch roles,as Fanny Price in this book is an arrogant heiress while Mary Crawford bears the brunt of her neighbor's ill will.

When Fanny is found dead in a manner that decries foul play, it is Mary who embarks upon the path to solving the mystery with a rather dubious cohort along for the ride. Since many MP readers would prefer Mary to be the true heroine of the story(and I will admit,she does have an engaging wit and way with words), this alternative universe version of the book should be interesting to check out.

Myself, I enjoy seeing Mary Crawford as one of the villains of this piece but changing things up can be quite illuminating in more ways than one:

MANSFIELD PARK REVISITED: Joan Aiken,who has written a number of Austen sequels, took up where the original book leaves off and sends a newly married Fanny and Edmund off to the Caribbean,leaving younger sister Susan Price at MP to take up the role of companion to Lady Bertram.

Susan does run into the Crawfords and has her other Bertram relations to deal with and she is more than equal to the challenge. Since Susan is a livelier character and was meant to replace Fanny at Lady B's side anyway,this set-up sounds quite suitable indeed.

I personally wouldn't mind a sequel that showcases the deeper love between Fanny and Edmund,a passion based on a lifelong friendship, but I do not despair of seeing that come to life in any literary form-stranger things have happened!:

 My own contribution to further Mansfield Park adventures,entitled Fanny Price,Slayer of Vampires, is due to arrive next month and I only hope that my attempt to amuse other Austen fans with a warrior maiden version of Fanny is agreeable to as many of her admirers as possible.

 In the mean time, we can all find something worth talking about in regards to Mansfield Park in 2014 and one fun topic might be the hope of another film version(my preference is for the 1983 BBC miniseries) that will capture the true spirit of the story. At the very least, Fanny should inspire a few new looks at her world and maybe a new friendship or two along the way:

Beginning the Year of Freddy Fear with the original Nightmare on Elm Street

Welcome to my yearlong look at the Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise,in celebration of the first movie in that scary series,A Nightmare On Elm Street,having it's 30th anniversary in 2014.

While that film was actually released in November of 1984, I thought it would be best to get the show started with the one that started it all. I didn't see NOES in theaters back then but do remember watching it with my dad on VHS(back in ye olde days of home video) and we both really enjoyed. Horror in general was a genre that was introduced to me early on,with repeated viewings of Boris Karloff films and scarier stuff as I got older.

What my father and I quickly responded to in this film was the initial concept of being literally haunted by your dreams. That creative element alone set the movie apart from most of the slasher fare that dominated the eighties horror scene.

 Earlier that same year,the dreams as real life menace notion was played out in a sci-fi film called Dreamscape(starring Dennis Quad and it's a pretty good movie) and even years later in 2000's The Cell but those involved technology and psychic ability while Freddy Krueger was strictly a dream demon out for revenge against the wrathful parents who delivered some fiery street justice to this twisted child killer.

By having those potential young victims being hunted down as teenagers,the indirect motive for their deaths was placed squarely in the "paying for the sins of the elders" category rather than the typical Friday the 13th mode of "sex,drugs and drink" punishment mode. Not to mention that sleep is one of the few safe havens against the harshness of life and something that for most people is truly unavoidable,whether it's at home in bed or dozing off during class.  

The chilling cherry on top of this scary sleepy time sundae is that jump rope song where kids sing out their doom with "one...two...Freddy's coming for you..."(I think you know the rest of the words). That image of chanting children has become as iconic to this film and it's follow-ups as much as Freddy's finger knives glove and almost as creepy as those two twin girls from The Shining:

Equally as iconic is Nancy(Heather Langenkamp), the first of many female protagonists to defeat the Krueger boogeyman.

 While she was not the only "final girl " in horror cinema of that time to destroy her would-be destroyer, Nancy made several leaps and bounds over the other ladies by being willing to accept what was happening and using her brain power to save the day(night in this case).

I'm sure some people can see her as an early example of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer heroine but in my mind, she's more of a Veronica Mars. Let's look at these connecting facts: both have bonds with a police officer father, a flighty mother, a girl friend who dies under mysterious circumstances, another friend accused of a crime he didn't commit and who needs his name cleared and each one recruits a male partner into helping her trap the real murderer.

 Add in both gals live in towns with honking big secrets to keep and share a flair for setting up gadgets and you have a solid sisterhood of the terrified pants here:

Of course,the ultimate draw of this film and the others to come was Freddy himself. Actor Robert Englund set quite the high bar for this character,who starts out as a brutal beast with a sick sense of humor but is not the sinister quipster that many fans came to know during his sequel years.

The 2010 remake of NOES(which I will NOT be including in this retrospective) tried to tap into that first fearsome incarnation of Freddy but despite the best efforts of Jackie Earle Haley(a good choice,I do admit), that uneven and overwrought retread just couldn't match the low budget chills that  made the dream stalking sequences of the original film so intensely thrilling.

 Writer/director Wes Craven made excellent use of the shadows and lighting,along with the special effects at his disposal, to enhance the vicious nature of Freddy's nocturnal assaults. Having such a capable performer to bring his imaginary monster to cinematic life was an extra special bonus there:

 

The only truly awkward moment is the ending,which was a source of contention between Wes Craven and the folks at New Line Cinema. Three different finales were shot and audience tested,with varying reception and the end result was a combination of all three stitched together.

Since Craven never intended for this film to launch a franchise, he wound up making peace with the much labored ending but didn't return to the NOES films until the third movie and as we will see in the second movie,there was a major difference in f/x and plot focus. Nevertheless, A Nightmare on Elm Street turned into a box office dream come true and a new movie monster was born:

Altho my dad didn't continue being a Nightmare on Elm Street fan, I happily took up that menacing mantle(yes, I do own a Freddy glove and even dressed up as Krueger one Halloween) and still a fan to this day.

My father passed several years ago but the memories of watching the original NOES with him are pleasant to recall and I'd like to think he might have gotten a kick out of Freddy Vs. Jason,which will be last film covered in my series.

Along with the eight NOES films,other fear fare starring Robert Englund will be spotlighted in my Year of Freddy Fear and next month has Valentine's Day,so for a gruesomely romantic treat, I'll be looking at Englund's turn as Phantom of the Opera in 1989 where he makes some murderous music of the night.

 Hope this first look into the beginnings of Freddy mania doesn't give you any bad dreams but instead, awakens an appreciation of the gritty genius of that frightening film:

 

Top Chef gets a little fishy,Downton Abbey's latest debut and Rachel Vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-off contenders

Happy New Year,folks and welcome back to TV Thursday where a new Top Chef is front and center. Also front and center is John Besh,back again to set up another Quickfire Challenge.

The chefs were tasked to make a French dish known as "etoufee"(which means,as Padma pointed out, to smother) using craw fish.

Unfortunately for one of the contenders(Stephanie), she was allergic to shellfish so properly forming the flavors of her dish was an extra challenge. She did ask Nicholas to taste it for her and while I don't think he would deliberately sabotage her, his plate didn't please the judges too well either.

Most of the chefs did their own thing here,especially Carlos who claimed not to understand what "smother" meant(I am so not buying that) and that didn't work out for any of them.

Shirley,however, won immunity due to going traditional and making rice for her Singapore style of chili crab etoufee with a crawfish stock.

After a lovely dinner at John Besh's home,the chefs then prepared for their next Elimination challenge. They make to make enough food to serve 200 people at an event for the Louisiana Fish Council and use two different type of fish.

The most important element of this challenge was to showcase the flavor of each fish,something that some did much better than others.

Brian was called up to the Winner's Circle this time,partly due to the fact that he was one of the few that offered up a warm fish plate(a lot of people played it safe with the cold cerviche route).

His grilled swordfish with shrimp and onion puree really hit the sweet spot for many of the LFC guests and the judges. Brian has been doing really great things for the last couple of rounds and he may turn out to be a surprise lead as the race gets down to the wire.

Nina was right next to him,having wowed the judges with her pick of wahoo(a fish familiar to her from her homeland) and tonnato,the latter being made into a sauce that complimented the marinated main protein perfectly.

 She is definitely one of my best bets for making it to the finale and while I don't want to jinx Nina, it's hard to imagine how badly she'd have to screw up to get shipped off to Last Chance Kitchen at this point.

Yet it was Stephanie who won this round,making her inability to taste her fish less of a hindrance. Nice going there!

 Granted, it did take awhile for her to set up the fried oysters with tuna and pickled mushrooms but apparently it was worth the wait.

Stuck in the Bottom Three,Nicholas was still seething over Carlos,who tried to sandbag him in the last big challenge and bugged him during this one by pestering Nick for one of his knives.

Nick finally let him have it but was pissed to find that blade after service just lying on Carlos' station all dirty and coated in fish scales.

 Dude, when you borrow something like that, you should clean it up right away and return it promptly,you don't need to be a professional chef to know that! On the other hand, Nicholas needs to keep his head in the game as the foamy champagne with his onion leek soup was a total taste turn off and did nothing for the amberjack in his dish.

Carlos,meanwhile, did a poor job of slicing up the amberjack for his ceviche(even with Nick's knife) and the shrimp was buried under the peach in the relish on the side.

I don't why he decided recently to start gas-lighting Nicholas,who is a good chef but not one of the main threats on deck in my opinion,but if they both keep this small rivalry brewing, it might boil over into something big that could end the game on both sides.

 Carrie was the one who had to pack her knives for LCK,however, since her choice to make a flounder croquette displeased the judges greatly. Judge Tom seemed to take it personally but I have noticed that for certain chefs, misusing a protein is a cardinal culinary sin.

Plus,it didn't help that oyster emulsion underneath the croquette was pretty dense. Well, at least we got a savory beginning to our new year and best of luck to the remaining chefs left.

 Speaking of savory beginnings,a new season of Rachel Vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off is set to start next Monday on Food Network.

Quite a number of D-List entertainers are on board for this competition(surprised that Kathy Griffin hasn't done this yet and I mean that in a good way),including some friendly faces such as Florence Henderson,Mrs. Brady herself. Joining her on Rachel's team is snarky magician Penn Jillette,comedienne Judy Gold and Jake Pavella,a former Bachelor lead.

On Guy's side, there's SNL alum Chris Kattan,football great Herschel Walker and a pair of pop music icons from the nineties. Never thought I'd see the day when Tiffany and Vanilla Ice team up to do anything together(other than a SyFy channel movie) and yes, during a promo for this show, you can see and hear a certain someone say "rice,rice,baby!"

Since this is all for charity, checking out this culinary cheese fest is not a bad way to spend these midwinter nights with and who knows, maybe one of them can actually cook(my best bet would be Florence Henderson):

For many of us, a new year means a new season of Downton Abbey beginning this upcoming Sunday.

 Season Five has a number of questions to answer such as "How will Mary cope with the loss of Matthew?" and "What's to become of Edith?"(that's my vested interest in this saga,as I really root for her to find the best for herself out there) and most important of all, "What does the Dowager Countess say?"

Since it has been confirmed that a fifth season of Downton will be arriving in 2015, any of the love triangles that are still ongoing or about to be started up for this go-round should have a long life as things go forth and the ratings stay high. I have to admit, having a season of DA for the long winter months makes my heart warm with delight indeed:

RANDOM NOTES: 

AMERICAN MASTERS: Believe it or not, the PBS series highlighting American artists has chosen to air the controversial documentary Salinger on January 21. Don't know whether or not if I will watch this hot mess but it would probably go down better with a little bit of MST3K help:

Dance your way into 2014 with some old school and new class of tunes

Happy New Year's Eve,everyone and I hope you all celebrate with joy and splendor(plus,safety!). As we tend to do here at LRG, on this occasion we like to leave you with a few songs for your holiday party soundtrack and dancing numbers are in rotation on this jukebox.

For a bit of pop culture perspective, I thought it would be good to pair up hit dance singles from this year with ones from the past as a fun and funky way to mix things up. My choices may sound odd at first but the rhythm will eventually get you,so let's head out to the dance floor,shall we?:

First up is Daft Punk with "Lose Yourself to Dance",fronted by Pharrell Williams who also lent his vocals for the true song of the summer "Get Lucky". Pharrell contributed to Robin Thicke's sleazy"Blurred Lines" as well,but, hey, nobody's perfect,right?

Anyway,this is an excellent example of bringing forth 70s era disco into the modern age with crisp,clear sounds and a simple riff that keeps your feet moving:

 Right along side that,we have Earth,Wind & Fire with their classic "Boogie Wonderland". This song is rather epic in scope in comparison yet this one sets off the feel good on the dance floor energy that Daft Punk & friends have tapped into so many years later.

There have been various cover versions of Boogie Wonderland since it's debut in 1979, including an American Idol group performance in 2003,video games and animated films. However,the original still stands the test of time and makes you move seriously to the groove:

Next up is the first single off of Lady Gaga's new album Artpop,"Applause". Now I know that this collection hasn't gotten the love that her previous releases have and frankly, I'm not surprised.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like Artpop for the most part and particularly the snappy flavor of this song. It's just that the high wave of popularity that she was riding on was bound to hit a low at some point and that time is nigh.

 At least this isn't some horrible disaster of an album and Gaga can certainly bounce back from this in the future yet to come. Hey,if Ben Affleck can survive Gigli to win Best Picture for Argo and Meryl Streep managed to do Oscar worthy work after She-Devil with Roseanne, Lady Gaga is not yet done for:

I decided to team her up with ABBA and my initial pick was "Dancing Queen" but on reconsideration, I think "Waterloo" works best with Applause.

Perhaps it's the clapping sounds in the background or the cheerful get-up-and-go spirit of the song that makes it feel like Goldilocks' porridge for Applause, I don't know. I have heard that ABBA might do a reunion tour and granted, that notion has been bandied about more than once but imagine if Gaga and ABBA joined forces, what an audio alliance that would be!:

 For our final pop culture pairing, we have in one corner Selena Gomez with "Slow Down", a hit off of her debut album Stars Dance.

 Personally, I know her mainly from Wizards of Waverly Place, a somewhat guilty pleasure of mine, and while I enjoy her sultry stylings here, I also appreciate her relatively smooth transition from  Disney teen idol to mature entertainer(dating Justin Bieber not withstanding).

It may be too soon to tell but it seems as if Selena has her feet firmly on the ground and heading towards a bright future without resorting to any embarrassing twerks and jerks along the way:

I swear that I'm not trying to jinx Selena by putting this one hit wonder next to her song but Pretty Poison's "Catch Me(I'm Falling)" happens to sound like the other glass slipper Cinderella had in her pocket in time for the fitting(Disney version,trust me).

This tune is best remembered as a key player on the soundtrack for the 1987 Jon Cryer movie "Hiding Out",where he plays a witness to a crime who pretends to be a high schooler in order to avoid the murderous thugs after him. Not a John Hughes level of eighties teen flicks there but it and the song still have plenty of fun to offer:

Have a great time tonight,folks and I will see you all back here later this week for the first TV Thursday of 2014 and maybe my first installment of The Year of Freddy Fear. In the meantime,check out this selection from my sister Stephanie of one of her favorite musical artists iamamiwhoiami with "goods"(she's Swedish and made her first US performance this year,to which my sis was thrilled beyond belief to attend) or dip into Donna Summer with "Last Dance", or both, viewer's choice!: