Angieville

When the lights went off the accompanist kissed her. Maybe he had been turning towards her just before it was completely dark, maybe he was lifting his hands. There must have been some movement, a gesture, because every person in the living room would later remember a kiss. Did you know they were making a film adaptation of Ann Patchett 's exquisite novel Bel Canto ? I had no idea. And it releases September 14th! I am experiencing many feelings on the matter. My initial reaction is, of course I will see it. I love the book so much. It is beautiful and brutal. But on the heels of that gut reaction is the thought that the beauty does truly reside in Patchett's wordsmithing. So it's possible I'm a touch wary of experiencing this particular story without the bolstering presence of her words (or without Ang Lee at the helm). The trailer makes it slightly difficult to get a real sense for the quality of the production. Though I do love Julianne Moore. Your thoughts?

I mean, I am the worst when it comes to keeping my expectations even remotely in check regarding Robin Hood adaptations. I seem to be incapable of giving up the hope that maybe  this one will be the one. And you know that King Arthur: Legend of the Sword flick that everybody universally crapped on awhile back? I just recently watched it, and I did not hate it, my friends . So I am nothing if not here for this new one due out November 21st of this year. Jamie Foxx as Little John? Bring it. The whole Robin as a hyped up Assassin's Creed version of Hawkeye bit? Yep.  How about you?

It was called Selections from Shakespeare. Later, I came to see that Mr. Dickens and Mr. Wordsworth were thinking of men like me when they wrote their words. But most of all, I believe that William Shakespeare was. How had I not heard about this until now?! I just . . . I am wild with delight. Reading this book was the most beautiful of experiences . I can hardly wait to experience the film adaptation. What do you think of Lily James as Juliet and Michiel Huisman as Dawsey? The film is set to release April 20th in the UK. Fingers crossed it makes it way to the other side of the pond soon!

I am feeling many things, guys, after watching this teaser trailer. I am feeling a complicated number of things. So I require your thoughts. Have you watched it? How many times? What are you feeling? The majority of the reactions I'm seeing seem to be overwhelmingly positive. Like, fawningly so. I'm cautiously optimistic. Just blown away by some things (I love Meg, and all three of the Mrs. W's look amazing ) and a bit befuddled by others (is that really supposed to be Calvin?? the "chosen one" dialogue feels laid on a bit thick for me). And so I need your input. Please.

I'm interested in things that make me happy just now. I believe I shall post a few of them here this week. The full Beauty and the Beast trailer is here, and while I wasn't a huge fan of the most recent Cinderella (with the exception of Helena Bonham Carter, who was perfection), I am very much looking forward to this one. You?

Yeah, I was never not going to post this the moment I saw it. "What I do is not up to you." 2017, I need you now . 

It is a damp, drizzly November in my soul today.  RIP, Colonel Brandon.

"There will never be anyone for me but you."

Because I have never—not once—cried at a move trailer and I literally burst into tears when the Millennium Falcon appears. Apparently I am that fan .

So I read ( and loved ) this book three years ago and I'm sort of giddy to see it's being adapted for the silver screen. Standard 90s teen flick appearance aside, I hope they retain her anger. Her glorious, nearly paralyzing anger. And that ending.  Fingers crossed.

"Wait . . . don't go."

"Then you'll be afraid."  Can't. Wait.

So tell me. Which are your favorite Great Expectations adaptations? I've really only watched the Jean Simmons/Anthony Hopkins one with any regularity. I do love the book (it was my first Dickens). And I'd be interested in falling in love with a film adaptation of it if you'd be so kind as to share your favorites. What do you think of this upcoming one due out next month?

Yesterday, Diana Peterfreund linked to a Barnes & Noble blog post highlighting their favorite Jane Austen updates, retellings, adaptations, what have you. Happily, Peterfreund's own For Darkness Shows the Stars was on the list. It set me to thinking about my own favorite Austen reducia. Interestingly, I seem to struggle with Austen updates in book form. I'm not exactly sure why that is. There are an intimidatingly large quantity of them out there, and I know many of them are quite popular. Of those I have read, I notice I tend to fare better with the ones that feature large changes, such as setting them in a fantasy or post-apocalyptic world or removing them so much from their original story lines that it's more an "inspired by" sort of thing than a true dedicated retelling. After scouring my mind, I came up with the following short list of favorites: Novels Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman - a short and sweet contemporary YA loosely connected to  Pride ...

It's trailerlicious around these parts. So another Romeo & Juliet adaptation, yes. But this one has Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet and Paul Giamatti as Friar Laurence, so I am very much going to be seeing it. Is it just me or is the actor who plays Romeo really sort of channeling Leonard Whiting from the Zeffirelli version? Not a bad thing, my friends. Not a bad thing at all. Due out October 13th, will you be seeing it?

OMG PIPER

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish We've talked adaptations before , but it's been quite awhile and let's face it--I am always up for this particular discussion. I've recently engaged in a couple of marathon chats with my 13-year-old niece regarding the subject. A word to the wise: do not get her going on the disaster that was the Percy Jackson movie. She cried tears of rage similar to the ones I wept upon viewing that atrocious "adaptation" of The Dark is Rising . Which is just one of the many things I love about her (and which always reminds me of myself at that age). Thirteen-year-old nerdygirls are awesome, in case you'd forgotten. So. Today, let's eschew the horrific and go with the best of the best. The ones that give you shivers they're so good, or even the ones that leave some things to be desired but that you will never stop watching because that one pivotal scene? They nailed it. 84 Char...

I don't know why I do this to myself. November? Gah. But I'm pretty sure it's because all I wanted to do when the credits on The Hunger Games rolled was watch Catching Fire . Immediately.  Oh. And also  GALE!

I CAN'T EVEN

Pure unadulterated awesome headed to a theater near you come June 7th. I love the Emma Thompson/Kenneth Branagh version so much that I haven't ever found myself longing for another. But, come on! Nothing will keep me from seeing this one. How about you?