To His Coy Mistress

by Andrew Marvell

Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.

        But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace.

        Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

The Lover That Fled Love Now Follows It With His Harm

by Sir Thomas Wyatt

SOMETIME I fled the fire, that me so
          brent,
  By sea, by land, by water, and by wind ;
And now the coals I follow that be quent,
From Dover to Calais, with willing mind.
Lo! how desire is both forth sprung, and spent!
And he may see, that whilom was so blind,
    And all his labour laughs he now to scorn,
    Meashed in the briers, that erst was only torn.

Remember

by Christina Rossetti

REMEMBER me when I am gone away,   
Gone far away into the silent land;   
When you can no more hold me by the hand,   
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.   
Remember me when no more day by day 
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:   
Only remember me; you understand   
It will be late to counsel then or pray.   
Yet if you should forget me for a while   
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave   
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,   
Better by far you should forget and smile   
Than that you should remember and be sad. 

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

original version 

by John Keats 


Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
    Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
    And no birds sing.
Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
    So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
    And the harvest's done.
I see a lily on thy brow,
    With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
    Fast withereth too.
I met a lady in the meads,
    Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
    And her eyes were wild.
I made a garland for her head,
    And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
    And made sweet moan.
I set her on my pacing steed,
    And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
    A faery's song.
She found me roots of relish sweet,
    And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
    'I love thee true'.
She took me to her elfin grot,
    And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
    With kisses four.
And there she lulled me asleep
    And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
    On the cold hill side.
I saw pale kings and princes too,
    Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
    Hath thee in thrall!'
I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
    With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
    On the cold hill's side.
And this is why I sojourn here
    Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
    And no birds sing.

Cemetery Junction

Prior to seeing Cemetery Junction, I was a little conflicted. I was really excited about seeing the film when I first heard about it, but after seeing the trailer was less so. I really did not want to get all hyped up about seeing the film only to be disappointed. That said, I LOVED it!

The film is a sort of coming-of-age tale about a boy named Freddie. More than anything, he does not wish to turn into his father. He gets a job as an insurance salesman, and as his life changes, it becomes harder and harder to hold onto his old one. His friend Bruce wants desperately to leave Cemetery Junction, but spends every day working in the factory and every night drinking and getting into fights. Snork, the final member of the trio, desperately wants a girlfriend, but doesn't really know how to talk to women.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are geniuses. They were able to create a film that was both heart-warming and crude and was both bittersweet and hilarious. Though this work of genius would be nothing without the right casting to pull it off. Ricky Gervais was hilarious as Mr. Taylor (Freddie's obnoxious and borderline racist father). Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes, and Jack Doolan played off of each other perfectly as Freddie, Bruce and Snork. Finally, Ralph Fiennes and Matthew Goode were the perfect stiff-upper-lip pair as Freddie's boss and co-worker.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Dream Cast Thursday! Meet Me In St. Louis

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Meet Me in St. Louis. This was one of my favorite films when I was a kid, so I was really excited to recast it. The original film came out in 1944 and was adapted from a series of short stories that were originally published in the New Yorker by Sally Benson from 1941 to 1942. Those stories were later published in the novel, 5135 Kensington.

The first character that I recast was Esther Smith. She was originally played by Judy Garland. For my adaptation, I cast Lauren Ambrose.

The second character that I recast was Rose Smith. She was originally played by Lucille Bremer. For my adaptation, I cast Christina Hendricks.

The third character that I recast was Tootie Smith. She was originally played by Margaret O'Brien. for my adaptation, I cast Iris Apatow.

The last character that I recast was John Truett. He was originally played by John Drake. For my adaptation, I cast Ian Somerhalder.

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

Broken Embraces

I recently saw Broken Embraces, the most recent film by Pedro Almodovar. I really loved it. This may have been one of his most beautiful films yet. It was visually stunning.

The film begins with Harry Caine. He is a blind screenwriter. He lives with his assistant, Judit, and her son, Diego. Harry's past is a mystery until the death of a wealthy businessman begins to bring everything to light. A series of flashbacks tell the tale of Mateo Blanco, a screenwriter who falls for the businessman's mistress, Lena.

If you have seen other works by Pedro Almodovar, then you will notice many familiar faces in this film. Blanca Portillo and Tamar Novas play Judit and Diego. Penelope Cruz was most impressive as the sweet, sensual, and funny Lena.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

After.Life

I recently saw After.Life and must admit that I was a little disappointed. The film came out last year. The majority of the film takes place in a funeral home. After a terrible accident, a woman wakes to discover that she is dead. Although she feel alive, her body is slowly decaying, and although she can speak and move, the undertaker is the only one who can see and hear her. The undertaker must persuade her to accept her death and move on, but the woman's fiance seems unable to let go.

This film was disturbing and slightly intriguing. Unfortunately, despite having an excellent cast, the film simply fell short. There simply was not enough really going on to hold my interest, and the characters never really became three-dimensional.

The film is visually beautiful and definitely worth a watch if you find yourself with some time on your hands, but it is definitely not a must-see.

The Killer Inside Me

I recently saw The Killer Inside Me and really liked it. The film came out this past year. There was another adaptation that came out in 1976. Both films are based on the novel of the same name by Jim Thompson that came out in 1952. This particular adaptation was adapted for the screen by John Curran and directed by Michael Winterbottom.

The film is classic pulp noir with a twist. Unlike other films of this kind, the Killer Inside Me really delves into the mind of a killer, and Casey Affleck is perfect in the role. He plays Lou Ford, a quiet and polite deputy sheriff. He lives and works in a quiet Texas town, but due to circumstances, is slowly unmasked as a killer.

Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson were each superb as the two women that love him. Hudson plays Ford's first love, the sweet and respectable Amy Stanton. Alba plays Joyce Lakeland, a prostitute that lives on the outskirts of town that manages to awaken the hidden side of Ford. The rest of the cast includes Elias Koteas, Simon Baker, and Bill Pullman.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Dream Cast Thursday! X Men

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is X Men. Thus far, I have been very happy with a majority of the casting in the live-action versions. That said, there are a couple of characters that I did have a problem with. I did this recast, like all of my recasts for fun. I looked at the recent live-action X Men films as well as the popular animated series from 1992 and of course the original comics.

The first character that I recast was Wolverine/Logan. He was played by Hugh Jackman. For my adaptation, I cast Gerard Butler.

The second character that I recast was Storm/Ororo Munroe. She was played by Halle Berry. For my adaptation, I cast Sanaa Lathan.

The third character that I recast was Jean Grey. She was played by Famke Janssen. For my adaptation, I cast Rachel Hurd-Wood.

The fourth character that I recast was Cyclops/Scott Summers. He was played by James Marsden. For my adaptation, I cast Peter Facinelli.

The fifth character that I recast was Jubilee. I chose Kristen Stewart

.The next character that I recast was Gambit/Remy LeBeau. He was played by Taylor Kitsch. For my adaptation, I cast Jason Behr.

The next character that I recast was Rogue/Marie D'Ancanto. She was played by Anna Paquin. For my adaptation, I cast Rachel McAdams.

The next character that I cast was Professor Charles Xavier. He was played by Patrick Stewart. For my adaptation, I cast Ben Kingsley.

The last character that I recast was Magneto/Eric Lensherr. He was played by Ian Mckellen. For my adaptation, I cast Harrison Ford.

So what do you all think? How many of you were fans of the original animated series? Who would be in your adaptations?

It's a Wonderful Afterlife

I recently saw It's a Wonderful Afterlife and really loved it! So far, many of Gurinder Chadha's films post-Bend it Like Beckham have disappointed me. I am very happy to say that this film subverted all low expectations.

The film was very over-the-top, but definitely in a good way. The film focuses on the lives of a small group of people within the Indian community in London. One seemingly normal, traditional, Indian mother uses her obsession with her daughter finding a suitable match as her motivation for becoming a serial killer. She is able to kill any and all that get in her way fairly easily until she comes across one obstacle...she is stuck with the annoying band of ghosts until her own death. Trust me, this film is much better than it sounds!

As with any Chadha film, one may expect a wonderful cast of characters. I was also happy to see some familiar faces. Sendhil Ramamurthy of Heroes fame plays the charming and gorgeous D S Murthy. Mark Addy was the perfect counterpart as D I Smythe. Sally Hawkins plays the kookie friend, and Jimi Mistry plays her fiance.There was absolutely no one in the film that did not pull-off his or her role.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

The Eve of St. Agnes

by John Keats

This excerpt is from the very end of the poem.

Tis dark: quick pattereth the flaw-blown sleet:
"This is no dream, my bride, my Madeline!"
"Tid dark: the iced gusts still rave and beat:
"No dream, alas! and woe is mine!
Porphyro will leave me here to fade and pine.---
Cruel! what traitor could thee hither bring?
I curse not, for my heart is lost in thine
Though thou forsakest a deceived thing;---
A dove forlorn and lost with sick unpruned wing."

"My Madeline! sweet dreamer! lovely bride!
Say, may I be for aye thy vassal blest?
Thy beauty's shield, heart-shap'd and vermeil
dyed?
Ah, silver shrine here will I take my rest
After so many hours of toil and quest,
A famish'd pilgrim,---saved by miracle.
Though I have found, I will not rob thy nest
Saving of thy sweet self; if thou think'st well
To trust, fair Madeline, to no rude infidel.

"Hark! 'tis an elfin-storm from faery land,
Of haggard seeming, but a boon indeed:
Arise---arise! the morning is at hand;---
The bloated wassailers will never heed:---
Let us away, my love, with happy speed;
There are no ears to hear, or eyes to see,---
Drown'd all in Rhenish and the sleepy mead:
Awake! arise! my love, and fearless be,
For o'er the southern moors I have a home for thee."

She hurried at his words, beset with fears,
For there were sleeping dragons all around,
At glaring watch, perhaps, with ready spears---
Down the wide stairs a darkling way they
found.---
In all the house was heard no human sound.
A chain-droop'd lamp was flickering by each
door;
The arras, rich with horseman, hawk, and hound,
Flutter'd in the besieging wind's uproar;
And the long carpets rose along the gusty floor.

They glide, like phantoms, into the wide hall;
Like phantoms, to the iron porch, they glide;
Where lay the Porter, in uneasy sprawl,
With a huge empty flagon by his side;
The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his hide,
But his sagacious eye an inmate owns:
By one, and one, the bolts fill easy slide:---
The chains lie silent on the footworn stones,---
The key turns, and the door upon its hinges groans.

And they are gone: ay, ages long ago
These lovers fled away into the storm.
That night the Baron dreamt of many a woe,
And all his warrior-guests, with shade and form
Of witch, and demon, and large coffin-worm,
Were long be-nightmar'd. Angela the old
Died palsy-twitch'd, and meagre face deform;
The Beadsman, after thousand aves, told,
For aye unsought for slept among his ashes cold.

Black Sheep

I recently saw a film called Black Sheep. The film came out about four years ago in New Zealand. It takes place on a small farm where a few genetic experiments have turned the local sheep into bloodthirsty killers.

I am sure that hearing a description of this film simply sounds ridiculous, but I actually thought that it was pretty good. The acting and story-line was not great, but it is certainly a zombie cult-classic in the making. The film itself was really well-done. All of the action and special effects were done by WETA (the team behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy).

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Dream Cast Thursday! Aladdin

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Aladdin. Most people are familiar with the Disney adaptation. This was certainly my first exposure to the tale. I looked at the Disney adaptation when making my casting decisions. I also looked at the film, Arabian Nights. This miniseries was an adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights. Aladdin was a middle-eastern folk-tale that was added later to the book by Antoine Galland.The original tale takes place in a small Chinese city. When making my casting decisions, I wanted to stay true to the original while keeping with the fun of the Disney adaptation.

The first character that I recast was Aladdin. He has been played by Scott Weinger and Jason Scott Lee. For my adaptation, I cast Takeshi Kaneshiro.

The second character that I recast was the Jasmine/Princess Zobeide character. She has been played by Linda Larkin and Vanessa Mae. For my adaptation, I cast Ziyi Zhang.

The third character that I recast was the Genie. He has been played by Robin Williams and John Leguizamo. For my adaptation, I cast Rupert Friend.

The last character that I recast was the Jafar/Mustappa character. He has been played by Jonathan Freeman and Hugh Quarshie. For my adaptation, I cast Eamonn Walker.

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

Volver

I recently saw Volver by Pedro Almodovar and really enjoyed it. This film came out about six years ago. Translated, the title means "to return." I do not want to say too much about the plot of the story, because I do not want to give anything away. The film focuses on a woman named Raimunda, her sister Sole, and her young daughter Paula. Shortly after the sisters' great-aunt dies, Sole is visited by the ghost of her long dead mother. As Sole tries to hide the ghost of her mother, Raimunda is busy hiding a secret of her own.

I have come to expect great things from the combination of Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz. In this instance, I was not disappointed. Penelope Cruz was amazing as Raimunda. She was beautiful and gave an extremely real and emotional performance.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Chloe

I recently saw a film called Chloe. It was written by Erin Cressida Wilson and directed by Atom Egoyan. The film was adapted from another film called Nathalie that came out in 2003 and was written by Anne Fontaine.

The film begins with a doctor. She suspects that her husband is cheating on her. She hires an escort to tempt her husband in the hopes that she might find out the truth once and for all. It proves to be a more difficult task than she originally anticipated. She is soon pulled into a downward spiral that eventually puts her entire family in danger.

This film was a lot more interesting than I was led to believe from the trailer. The three main character were much more three-dimensional than I expected. I found myself "rooting" for all of them. The husband and wife were excellently portrayed by Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore. The escort was played by an extremely dynamic Amanda Seyfried.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

The Runaways

I recently saw a film that came out earlier this year called The Runaways. I was actually really excited to see this film. It was pretty entertaining to watch, but overall not that great. The soundtrack was was amazing (as would be expected), and a few of the actors gave really good performances, but for the most part, the film was awkward and uneventful. If I had to make a clear judgment, I would say that the film is worth seeing, but probably not more than once. It is definitely not a must-see.

That said, there were several really good performances. I would feel remiss, if I did not at least mention a couple of them. Kirsten Stewart played a young Joan Jett. Stewart is sort of a hit or miss actress. When it works, it really does, and when it doesn't, it really doesn't. I am happy to say that this time, it really worked. She has never been very good at playing very versatile characters. Luckily, this role seemed to be made for her.  The only other really stand-out performance came from Michael Shannon. I have not seen very much of his work, but every time I see him in a role, I find myself surprised by how talented he is. In this case, he played Kim Fowley. This was a really over-the-top character. Shannon was really able to make the character work and be believable in a way that I do not think many could. He is definitely one to watch.

Dream Cast Thursday! Anna Karenina

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Anna Karenina. It was originally a book by Leo Tolstoy that was first published between 1873 and 1877. I have never read the original novel, but for my remake, I looked at the four film adaptations that were released in 1935, 1948, 1997 and 2000.

The first character that I recast was Anna Karenina. She has been played by Greta Garbo, Vivien Leigh, Sophie Marceau, and Helen McCrory. For my adaptation, I cast Hayley Atwell.

The second character that I recast was Count Vronsky. He has been played by Fredric March, Kieron Moore, Sean Bean, and Kevin McKidd. For my adaptation, I cast Ewan McGregor.

The third character that I recast was Alexei Karenin. He has been played by Basil Rathbone, Ralph Richardson, James Fox, and Stephen Dillane. For my adaptation, I cast Rufus Sewell.

The fourth character that I recast was played by Alfred Molina and Douglas Henshall. For my adaptation, I recast Paul Bettany.

The last character that I recast was Kitty Scherbatsky. She has been played by Maureen O'Sullivan, Sally Ann Howes, Mia Kirshner, and Paloma Baeza. For my adaptation, I cast Natalie Portman.

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