Dream Cast Thursday! Blue is for Nightmares

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is the Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Stolarz (see my review for the most recent book in the series).

The first three characters that I cast were Stacey, Drea and Amber. For Stacey, the magical, smart, creative and level-headed teen, I chose Emmy Rossum.For the smart and sexy Drea, I chose Amanda Seyfried. For the funny and wacky Amber, I chose Natalie Portman

.The last three characters that I cast were Jacob, Chad and PJ. For the smart and courageous Jacob, I cast Taylor Kitsch. For the attractive and dependable Chad, I cast Channing Tatum. For the wild and funny PJ, I cast Hayden Christensen.

So what do you all think? Have you read the books? Who would be in your dream cast?

The Fortunes and MIsfortunes of Moll Flanders

I just saw the Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders and really liked it. It is an adaptation of a novel by Daniel Dafoe that originally came out in 1722. I saw another adaptation that came out the same year. It was simply called Moll Flanders, and I did not really enjoy it. I liked this adaptation a lot more. The film follows Moll Flanders as she moves up and back down in the world and as she moves from husband to husband.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely the best adaptation that I have seen, and the performances from Alex Kingston and Daniel Craig were superb!

Perhaps Love

I just saw Perhaps Love (Ru guo 'Ai) and really liked it. It is a musical written by Oi Wah Lam and Raymond To and directed by Peter Chan. It takes place in China and follows two young actors and a director. A love triangle forms on the set as they make a musical film about a circus.

The film was okay. It seemed as though the director was trying to make something like Moulin Rouge. The music was decent and the actors gave relatively good performances. The only reason that I would probably recommend this film would be because of Takeshi Kaneshiro. He is one of my favorite actors and gives another excellent performance.

Dream Cast Thursday! Interview with the Vampire

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Interview with the Vampire. I used the film from 1994 and Queen of the Damned from 2002 as starting points. Both films are based on books in the Vampire Chronicles series by Anne Rice. I have always been a really big fan of the films and the books.

The first character that I recast was Louis de Pointe du Lac. In the original film, he was played by Brad Pitt. For my adaptation, I cast Taylor Kitsch.

The second character that I recast was Lestat de Lioncourt. In Interview with the vampire, he was played by Tom Cruise. In Queen of the Damned, he was played by Stuart Townsend. For my adaptation, I cast Paul Bettany.

The third character that I recast was Claudia. In the original film, she was played by Kirsten Dunst. For my adaptation, I cast Elle Fanning.

The last character that I recast was Armand. He was originally played by Antonio Banderas. For my adaptation, I cast Riccardo Scamarcio.

So what do you all think? Have you read the Vampire Chronicles? Who would be in your adaptations?

Downloading Nancy

Downloading Nancy (2008) is based on true events. It follows a housewife named Nancy. She was abused as a young child and lives a life of masochism. She is tired of living and hires a man that she meets online to end her life for her.

This film was very disturbing, but also very interesting. I doubt that it would be as compelling if not for the phenomenal cast. Maria Bello plays the part of Nancy. Rufus Sewell plays the part of Nancy's selfish husband, Albert. Jason Patric plays Louis, the man that Nancy meets online. Amy Brenneman plays Carol, Nancy's therapist.

The film goes back and forth in time to scenes of Nancy and Albert's marriage, Nancy and Louis' meeting, and Nancy and Carol's sessions, but it is not really the plot that unfolds. The film depicts more of a psychological unfolding.

This film probably isn't for everyone, but I would definitely recommend it.

The Woodlanders

I just saw the Woodlanders. It is based on a novel by Thomas Hardy that was originally published in 1887. It takes place in a small village called Little Hintock. It follows the lives of Grace Melbury and Giles Winterborne. They have been betrothed since childhood, but when Grace comes of age, her father decides that she is too good for Giles and decides to marry her off to a cold doctor.

The film was okay. I have always really liked the Thomas Hardy adaptations that I have seen in the past (Under the Greenwood Tree, Far From the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, Jude, and Tess of the d'Ubervilles). This particular adaptation fell a little short for me. All of the performances (except perhaps for Rufus Sewell) seemed to be lacking.

I probably wouldn't recommend this film. It isn't really a must-see.

The Last Party

The Last Party is a documentary that came out in 1993 and follows Robert Downey Jr. as he goes to various conventions, protests, etc (specifically the 1992, Democratic National Convention). This was a particularly interesting film to see from my own perspective. When this film was shot, I was only four years old (and was not particularly politically active even for a four year old). It was really interesting to look back, knowing everything that has happened since. It was also particularly interesting to see given today's political and economic climate.

One of the things that make this film particularly successful is Robert's performance. He made it at a time when he was first becoming involved in politics. He was at a time in his life that is similar to the point that I am at now. In addition to a political commentary, he brings his usual sense of humor to the proceedings. The film is really a fusion of a political and a personal documentary.

The documentary also includes interesting cameos from Bill Clinton, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Sean Penn, Peter Jennings, William Baldwin, Richard Lewis, Christian Slater, G. Gordon Liddy, and Jerry Falwell.

This documentary is definitely a must-see (especially now)! I would definitely recommend it.

Posession

I just saw Possession and actually really liked it. It was not a really great movie. The performances were only okay (though as usual, Lee Pace can do no wrong) and the plot was kind of obvious from the very beginning. That said, the film was still kind of interesting.

The film follows Jess (Sarah Michelle Gellar). A car accident leaves her husband (Michael Landes) and brother-in-law (Lee Pace) in comas. Her brother-in-law wakes up, believing that he is her husband. This obviously raises issues.

I would probably recommend this film, but it is definitely not a must-see.

Food Friday! Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Torte

Ingredients

1 roll (16.5 oz) chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions

Heat oven at 350 degrees. In an ungreased 10 or 9 inch springform pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press down evenly in bottom of the pan to form a crust. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and egg until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the peanuts. Pour over the cooled crust. Spread evenly.

In a medium, microwavable bowl, microwave butterscotch chips on High for 1 minute. Stir twice until melted and smooth. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Drizzle over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips and peanuts.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer or until the edge is set but the center is still slightly jiggly. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around the side of the pan to loosen the torte. Carefully remove the side of the pan. Cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled (about 2 hours). To serve, cut into wedges. Store in the refrigerator.

Dream Cast Thursday! Rebecca

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Rebecca. I read the novel (by Daphne du Maurier) in high school and LOVED it! The novel originally came out in 1938. For my recast, I looked at the 1940 adaptation and the 1997 adaptation.

The first character that I recast was the second Mrs. de Winter. She has been played by Joan Fontaine and Emilia Fox. For my adaptation, I cast Ruth Wilson.

The second character that I recast was Maxim de Winter. He has been played by Laurence Olivier and Charles Dance. For my adaptation, I cast Ralph Fiennes.

The third character that I recast was Mrs. Danvers. She has been played by Judith Anderson and Diana Rigg. For my adaptation, I cast Catherine Deneuve.

The last character that I recast was Jack Favell. He has been played by George Sanders and Jonathan Cake. For my adaptation, I cast Adam Rayner.

So what do you all think? Have you read the novel? What adaptations have you seen? Who would be in your adaptation?

82nd Annual Academy Awards...How Did I Do?

My Pick (guessed correctly)

My Pick (guessed incorrectly)...The Winner

My Ballot Results

Leading Actor

Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"

George Clooney "Up in the Air"

Colin Firth "A Single Man"

Morgan Freeman "Invictus"

Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

Supporting Actor

Matt Damon "Invictus"

Woddy Harrelson "The Messenger"

Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"

Stanley Tucci "The Lovely Bones"

 Christoph Waltz "Inglorious Basterds"

Leading Actress

Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"

Helen Mirren "The Last Station"

Carey Mulligan "An Education" 

Gabourey Sidibe "Precious"

Meryl Streep "Julie & Julia"

Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz "Nine"

Vera Farmiga "Up in the Air"

Maggie Gyllenhaal "Crazy Heart"

Anna Kendrick "Up in the Air"

Mo'Nique "Precious"

Animated Feature

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Art Direction

Avatar

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

Sherlock Holmes

The Young Victoria

Cinematography

Avatar

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

The White Ribbon

Costume Design

Bright Star

Coco Before Chanel

The Imginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

The Young Victoria

Directing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

Up

Documentary Feature

Burma VJ

The Cove

Food Inc.

The Most Dangerous Man in America...

Which Way Home

Documentary Short

China's Unnatural Disaster...

The Last Campaign of Governor ...

The Last Truck: Closing...

Music By Prudence

Rabbit a la Berlin

Film Editing

Avatar

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

Foreign Language Film

Ajami

El Secreto de Sus Ojos

The Milk of Sorrow

Un Prophete

The White Ribbon

Makeup

Il Divo

Star Trek

The Young Victoria 

Original Score

Avatar

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

Sherlock Holmes

Up

Original Song

"Almost There" The Princess and the Frog

"Down in New Orleans" The Princess and...

"Loin de Paname" Paris 36

"Take it All" Nine

"The Weary Kind" Crazy Heart

Short Film, Animated

French Roast

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

The Lady and the Reaper

Logorama

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Short Film, Live Action

The Door

Instead of Abracadabra

Kavi

Miracle Fish

The New Tennants

Sound Editing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Star Trek

Up

Sound Mixing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Star Trek

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Visual Effects

Avatar

District 9

Star Trek

Screenplay, Adapted

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious

Up in the Air

Screenplay, Original

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

2010 Academy Awards Best Dressed

My best dressed list for this year's Academy Awards is very short. I was not too impressed with this year's dresses (click photos to see enlarged).

This year, I absolutely loved Demi Moore, Kate Winslet, and Kristen Stewart's dresses. Kate Winslet was actually put on a lot of worst-dressed lists. I completely disagree. I think that her dress is lovely. Demi Moore is probably my best dressed overall for this year. I really loved the style and color of her dress.

Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock were also put on a lot of worst-dressed lists this year. I completely disagree. I loved Bullock's overall look, and as a huge noir fan, I thought that Streep's outfit was magnificent.

So who are your best dressed choices this year? Who do you think was the absolute best dressed?

2010 Academy Awards Worst Dressed

I thought about it a lot and finally have put together my worst dressed list for this years Oscars.

I really like Anna Kendrick in general, but I really did not like her dress. I thought that the color really washed her out. A darker color would have been a lot better. I also thought that the color was bad for Carey Mulligan. I may have worked a little better with her real hair color, but I think that black was a little too dark with her new blond hair. It was the style of Charlize Theron's dress that I did not like. The color is really nice, but the flower/rose/things are really poorly placed. It just looks awkward.

I also thought that the style was bad for Diane Kruger and Jennifer Lopez's dresses. Julianne Moore's dress is another one that just needs to be a different color. She looks completely washed-out.

The last two on my worst dressed list are Maggie Gyllenhaal and Nicole Richie. There is nothing particularly wrong with the colors, I just really do not like the style for either of them.

So what do you all think? At the top of my worst dressed list is probably Diane Kruger. Who was on your list?

Alice in Wonderland

I went to see Alice in Wonderland with my roommates yesterday and LOVED it! By the time it actually came out, I wasn't very excited about it. I felt like there was a little too much hype. I personally have never read the book, and was never a huge fan of the film when I was little. It was never one of my favorite Disney movies. That said, I really liked the story. I really liked that Linda Woolverton was able to take the familiar tale and create something new.

For the most part, the cast was excellent. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter completely stole the film. Johnny Depp was especially amazing. He brought multiple dimensions to the Mad Hatter that I had never considered before. He created much more of a three-dimensional character than I think anyone else could have. Carter was adorable. When compared to Anne Hathaway's portrayal of the White Queen, I actually found myself rooting for the Red Queen instead. Matt Lucas was also really good. I have enjoyed just about everything that I have ever seen him in, and am really happy that he is becoming better-known.

The rest of the characters were all cast really well. Even though I looked up the cast list prior to seeing the film, I found myself getting lost while watching it. Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry were all especially good. Aside from Anne Hathaway, the only character that I wasn't really impressed with was Alice. I haven't seen Mia Wasikowska in anything else, and she was okay, but I did not find myself really identifying with her or really rooting for her during the film. I feel like that is kind of necessary, especially for a character like Alice.

Despite any problems that I may have had with certain actors or characters, I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Antichrist

I just saw Lars von Trier's Antichrist. I should probably wait to write a real review, because I am still not really sure what I thought of it.Willem Dafoe was okay, but  Charlotte Gainsbourg was magnificent. Her best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival was definitely well-deserved. She was able to show a true and intense inner turmoil and depression. That said...

I have never been one for censorship. I respect a filmmaker's right to make whatever he or she wants. Many parts of this film were visually spectacular, but at other times, I found myself not being able to watch. The film depicts many scenes of very graphic violence and sexuality. I respect anyone's right to watch what they wish, but I think that this film's depictions were a little to realistic and a little too dark for me.

This film wasn't really a must-see for me, but it may be for others. You should definitely look into some of the subject matter before watching. I am not sure if I would recommend this film to anyone that I know, but who knows.

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

I just saw The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. When I first saw the trailer for the Boondock Saints sequel, I was really excited. The film had been in the works for years (right after the first film came out), but was put on hold several times due to legal battles and scheduling conflicts. By the time the film came out in theatres, I wasn't very excited to see it. I was kind of depressed about all of the bad reviews that it was receiving (not to mention the bad plastic surgery that Sean Patrick Flanery apparently got prior to filming). I finally convinced myself to watch it and was actually pleasantly surprised.

Don't get me wrong. This film was definitely not as good as the first (then again, how many sequels are?). Some things really didn't work, but some things worked really well. There were also a lot a references to the first film that made me feel really nostalgic. I am happy that Troy Duffy (writer and director), Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and Billy Connolly were all a part of the sequel.  Without them, it would not have worked at all. I am also pleased with some of the new additions. Julie Benz was especially awesome, and Clifton Collins Jr. really grew on me by the end.

This film is not quite a must-see. I am not foreseeing any Oscars or critical acclaim in this film's future, and I definitely do not think that it will change your life, but I really would recommend it to fans of the first films. It is worth seeing at least once.

Grey Gardens

I just saw Grey Gardens. It came out earlier last year and is based on the documentary, Grey Gardens (1975). I really liked the film. I found it so interesting, that I had to see the original as soon as I was finished watching the film.

Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange were wonderful. Barrymore plays Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale and Lange plays Edith 'Big Edie' Bouvier Beale. All of the other characters and actors were fairly forgettable next to them (except for perhaps Jeanne Tripplehorn, who did a marvelous job playing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis). They really stole the whole film.

The original documentary was directed by David and Albert Maysles. The documentary follows Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edie. Edith is nearly eighty years old and Edie is fifty-six. They live with many cats and racoons in their crumbling home in East Hampton. Edie came home 24 years prior to care for her mother. They two rarely have visitors and never leave their home. With very few exceptions, they are suspicious of the outside world. Despite this, both cling to their past lives. Edie still seems to believe that she can return to New York to become a dancer and a debutante.

I would definitely recommend both films. I am not sure what order I would recommend them in (I saw the film before the documentary, but I am sure it would be just as interesting to reverse the order), but they are definitely must-sees!

Dream CAst Thursday! Love in the Afternoon

 

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Love in the Afternoon. The film originally came out in 1957. It was written and directed by Billy Wilder.

The first character that I recast was Ariane Chevasse. She was originally played by Audrey Hepburn. For my remake, I cast Marion Cotillard.

The second character that I recast was Claude Chevasse. He was originally played by Maurice Chevalier. For my remake, I cast Daniel Auteuil.

The last character that I recast was Frank Flannagan. He was originally played by Gary Cooper. For my remake, I cast George Clooney.

So what do you all think? Have you seen the original? Who would be in your remake?