Emma Adaptation Review

Some of you may remember that for Dream Cast Thursday a little while ago, I recast an Emma Adaptation (click here to see the post). I recently saw the latest in the long line of adaptations. Emma was a miniseries in the UK this past October. It aired in four parts. I was really interested to see some of the casting choices given my past recasting.

Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller were cast as Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley.

Blake Ritson and Christina Cole were cast and Mr. and Mrs. Elton.

Louise Dylan, Tamsin Greig and Rupert Evans were cast as Harriet Smith, Miss Bates and Frank Churchill.

There were things about this particular adaptation that I enjoyed. I really liked the way in which Frank Churchill, Emma and Jane Fairfax (played by Laura Pyper) were connected through the loss of their mothers at such a young age and the way in which Frank and Jane were connected once again by the fact that they had to leave home at such young ages.

I also really liked some of the casting choices. Christina Cole and Tamsin Greig were especially good in their parts. That said, I really didn't like this adaptation. I did not feel any real chemistry between Emma and Mr. Knightly. Although I knew the ending, I found myself feeling actual surprise that they would end up together. The notion seemed ridiculous. I found Romola Garai to be especially annoying. I spent the entire film being really annoyed with Emma. If you are a big fan of the novel, I would recommend this film, but if there is already an adaptation that you enjoy, stick with it. My personal favorite is the 1996 adaptation. If you don't have a chance to catch this film (I believe that it is currently only available for sale in the UK), do not worry. This film is NOT a must-see.

Photography Sunday! pt. 4

This week's Photography Sunday contains photos from Lurie Garden. Lurie Garden is between the Art Institute of Chicago and Millenium Park. I've visited this park several times during different seasons. It looks vastly different every time I go. These pictures were taken at the beginning of November, just as the flowers are loosing their blooms, and the trees are loosing their leaves.

Cylons = Greek Gods and Goddesses?

Warning: If you have not seen the show, this post contains Spoilers!

Apparently it it thought by some that the Cylons (Cybernetic Lifeform Nodes from the popular science fiction show, Battlestar Galactica) are the inspiration for the stories of the gods that arise in Ancient Greece.

Number One (also known as John Cavil) can be compared to Zeus. Zeus is the king of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus. He has many erotic escapades. On the show, he was played by Dean Stockwell.

Number Two (also known as Leoben Conoy) can be compared to Apollo. He is the god of light, the sun, truth, and prophecy. On the show, he was played by Callum Keith Rennie.

Number Three (also known as D'Anna Biers) can be compared to Hera. She is the goddess of women and of marriage. She is known for her jealous and vengeful nature. On the show, Number Three has a close relationship to the young child, Hera. She was played by Lucy Lawless.

Number Four (also known as Simon) can be compared to Asclepius. He is the god of medicine and of healing. On the show, he was played by Rick Worthy.

Number Five (also known as Aaron Doral) can be compared to Hermes. He is a messenger to the gods and guide to the underworld. He is the patron of travelers and thieves. On the show, he was played by Matthew Bennett.

Number Six (also known as Caprica-Six, Shelley Godfrey, Gina Inviere, Natalie, and Sonja) can be compared to Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love, beauty, and raw sexuality. On the show, she was played by Tricia Helfer.

*Number Seven has been omitted. There is no photo of him. He is also known as Daniel. Cavil poisoned him amniotic fluid and corrupted his gene code. He was no longer alive and with the other Cylons, but he can be compared to Dionysus.

Number Eight (also known as Sharon "Boomer" Valerii and Sharon "Athena" Agathon) can be compared to Athena. She is the goddess of wisdom, war, strategy, justice, and skill. On the show, she was played by Grace Park.

The final five cylons do not have numbers. They are simply known by their names. Colonel Saul Tigh can be compared to Ares. He is the god of warfare and bloodlust. On the show, he was played by Michael Hogan.

Tory Foster can be compared to Artemis. She is known as the huntress. She is the goddess of forests, fertility and the hunt. On the show, she was played by Rekha Sharma.

Ellen Tigh can be compared to Demeter. She is the Earth Mother. She is the goddess of grain, the cycle of life and marriage. On the show, she was played by Kate Vernon.

Chief Galen Tyrol can be compared to Hephaestus. He is the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, metal, and fires. On the show, he was played by Aaron Douglas.

Samuel T. Anders can be compared to Poseidon. He is the god of the sea and of earthquakes. On the show, he was played by Michael Trucco.

So what do you all think? Is this a realistic idea (in the world of the show obviously)?

Cheri

I recently saw Cheri. It is based on the novels by Colette. Colette published Cheri in 1920 and The Last Cheri in 1926 (two decades before she published Gigi). Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Lea de Lonval, a Parisian courtesan. Rupert Friend stars as her lover, Cheri. It is thought by some that the character of Cheri is based on Colette's 18 year old step-son, Bertrand de Jouvenel.

I really enjoyed this film. The costumes were really wonderful and the cast was really good. Kathy Bates (Madame Peloux) was especially marvelous. She completely took over every scene that she was in. I would really recommend this film to anyone. It takes place over a period of several years, but didn't seem too long or drawn out. I feel like the writer did an amazing job of knowing what to put in and what not to. This is definitely a must-see.

Photography Sunday! pt. 3

For this week's Photography Sunday, I have some photographs from South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

On the left of this first photograph, is the Gage Building. The right of the photograph and the second photograph are from the Chicago Athletic Association Building. This building was built in 1893 and designed by Henry Ives Cobb (University of Chicago).

This third photograph is of the Smurfit Stone building (Diamond Building). It was designed by Sheldon Schlegman of A. Epstein and Sons. It was completed in 1984.

This photo is of Wrigley Tower. It is located on North Michigan Avenue. The groundbreaking was in 1920. The location was selected by William Wrigley Jr. and designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White.

The following photographs were all taken while walking down South Michigan Avenue.

Dream Cast Thursday! Sleeping Beauty

For this week's Dream Cast Thursday, I will be casting a live-action version of Sleeping Beauty (1959).

In the original, the voice of Aurora was done by Mary Costa. I recast Keira Knightley.

In the original, the voice of Prince Phillip was done by Bill Shirley. I recast Jamie Bamber.

In the original, Flora (red), Fauna(green) and Merryweather (blue) were played by Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, and Barbara Luddy.

I recast Emma Thompson (Flora), Gemma Jones (Fauna), and Imelda Staunton (Merryweather).

The voice of Maleficent was originally done by Eleanor Audley. I recast Harriet Walter.

So what do you all think of this cast? Who would you recast in your remake?

Photography Sunday! pt. 2

This week's Photography Sunday deals with photos outside the Art Institute of Chicago.

The two bronze lions outside the Art Institute (by Edward Kemey) were made in 1893. They were a gift from Mrs. Henry Field. The south lion is "Stands in an Attitude of Defiance." The north lion is "On the Prowl."





This arch is found at the east entrance of the Art Institute. It used to be at the entrance of the old Chicago Stock Exchange. It was designed by Louis Sullivan in 1894.



These photos are from the West facade. The current location is the third that the Art Institute has had. It was designed by Shepley Rutan and Coolidge for the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition.