Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie: July 2012 Book to Film Club Reading

Happy July! With the turning of the month it's time to look at our July 2012 reading selection:

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

I know very little about this one other than it's got both historical elements and magical realism, and spans the time from when India gained independence from England. I'm quite curious about it and also really excited as it will be our first film adaptation that's directed by a woman. I'm a little surprized that took over a year but we keep covering more ground each month with the Book to Film Club.

The film version of Midnight's Children is going to be adapted by Salman Rushdie himself and will be directed by Deepa Mehta (Earth, Water, Fire, Bollywood/Hollywood), and will star Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Rajat Kapoor and Shabana Azmi.

The film Midnight's Children is scheduled to be released October 26, 2012.

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

Perks of Being a Wallflower: June Reading Wrap Up

June Reading Wrap Up: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I was really impressed with this book, I loved the stream of consciousness rhythm to the writing and the fact that it's in the format of letters. It's certainly one of the more contemporary choices of the Book to Film Club being set int the 90's and set in high school. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! What did you think of the book? I would love to hear your take on it.

Here are some things to ponder on the reading experience:

• Did you enjoy reading it?
• Was it what you were expecting?
• What did you know about the book before reading it?
• What did you think of the style and tone?
• Did you enjoy the recent time period?
  
• What did you take away from reading the book?
• Is there anything you would change about the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Did you feel about the characters & their challenges?

About the upcoming film adaptation:

• How do you feel about the casting of the film?
• What tone do you think they'll take?
  
• What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
• What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
• What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
• What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
• Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
• What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?

If this was a re-read:

• How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
• Did you notice anything different this time round?
• Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?

Film Adaptation
The film version is scripted and adapted by the author Stephen Chobosky and stars Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Emma Watson (Harry Potter series), Ezra Miller (City Island), Nina Dobrev ('The Vampire Diaries') and Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man).

The film The Perks of Being a Wallflower is scheduled to be released Sept 21, 2012.

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For ook to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here. Our final three books and entire year schedule have been announced: see the details here.

Our July Selection is: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Shannon's Take on The Perks of Being a Wallflower:

Book to Film Club Film: Cosmopolis

Book to Film Club June Film Selection: Cosmopolis

Our current film selection for the Movie Moxie 2012 Book to Film Club is Cosmopolis, directed and adapted by David Cronenberg and starring Robert Pattinson, Kevin Durand, Samantha Morten, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon and Paul Giamatti. The film was released nationwide in Canada on June 8, 2012 and on July 15, 2012 in the UK as well as being screened at Cannes 2012 (see international release dates here).

The film follows the high powered Eric Packer (played by Robert Pattinson), a wealthy young man in the near future with many fixations and an entire staff catering to his every desire, often to his car as he rolls around town in terrible traffic. This one is much more about tone and style over what actually happens, and although is a pretty true and literal adaptation of the book. It does have the trademark visceral intensity that we've come to know from director David Cronenberg who has brought us everything form Eastern Promises to The Brood and Dead Ringers.

Here are some things to ponder when thinking, writing and/or journaling about the film:

• Did you enjoy the film?
• Was the film what you expected from reading the book?
• How did you feel about the tone of the film?
• Were the characters what you expected?
• Were there characters, moments or ideas you liked better in the book? If so, what were they?
• What was your favourite thing about the book?
• Were there characters, moments or ideas you liked better in the film? If so, what were they?
• What was your favourite thing about the film?
• Was there anything you understood more after seeing the film?
• Was there anything you felt was missing from the film?
• Did the film capture the spirit of the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Who would you recommend the film too?
• Are you happy you read the book before seeing the film?
• Would you recommend people read the book before seeing the film?
• What was the impact of reading the book before seeing the film?

While Cosmopolis is quite a faithful adaptation, I found it to not hit the key moments that stuck out for me while reading the book. It has some a few really good performances though, Samantha Morton in particularly stood out head and shoulders above the rest for me. See my Cosmopolis book review and film review over at my YouTube Page.

The 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club is getting busier and busier, this month we have not only have Cosmopolis in theatres but also Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter being released on June 23, 2012. Plus our currently reading selection of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a great summer read to enjoy. You can join in the fun at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

Cosmopolis Vlog Review

Film review of Movie Moxie 2012 Book to Film Club selection of Cosmopolis, directed and adapted by David Cronenberg and starring Robert Pattinson, Kevin Durand, Samantha Morten, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon and Paul Giamatti.

I mention:

• The 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club.
• My book review of Cosmopolis
• The Book to Film club is currently reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
• Plus see the Cosmopolis film site for worldwide release dates

Up next week: Prometheus

See more vlogs of film reviews, marathons and festival coverage over at my new You Tube Channel.

>

May Reading Wrap Up: Cosmopolis, Book to Film Selection

May 2012 Reading: Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo

Time to check in on out May reading selection of Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo. I have to admit it was quite different than I expected, and all the snippets of details and tones that get referred to are not quite what resonated during my reading experience. I was happy with the length of it though, short overall but felt *just* right. I do wish I had not see the trailer before reading as it did tailor my experience (when will I ever learn??), but I still am very curious for what overall tone the film will go for.

What did you think of the book? Here are some things to ponder on the reading experience:

• Did you enjoy reading it?
• Was it what you were expecting?
• What did you know about the book before reading it?
• What did you think of the style and tone?
• Did you sense the time period?
  
• What did you take away from reading the book?
• Is there anything you would change about the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Did you feel about the characters & their challenges?

About the upcoming film adaptation:

• How do you feel about the casting of the film?
• What tone do you think they'll take?
  
• What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
• What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
• What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
• What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
• Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
• What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?

If this was a re-read:

• How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
• Did you notice anything different this time round?
• Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?

Film Adaptation
The exciting adaptation news is we do not have long to wait to see Cosmopolis on the big screen, after it's foray at Cannes it's headed to theatres next week Friday June 8, 2012. The film version is adapted and directed by Canadian director David Cronenberg, know for bring both the visceral and bizarre alive on screen with films such as A History of Violence to cult classics like The Fly and The Brood. The film stars Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame, as well as Kevin Durand, Samantha Morton, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Paul Giamatti and Jay Baruchel.

See my book review of the Cosmopolis the book at my new You Tube Channel here: http://youtu.be/K6ZwHeQzD68

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For ook to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here. Our final three books and entire year schedule have been announced: see the details here.

Interview with Bridget Mendler, Voice of Arrietty in The Secret World of Arrietty

DVD Cover Image: THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY © 2010 GNDHDDTW, © 2012 GNDHDDTW. All Rights Reserved.

I have a special treat for Movie Moxie readers, an interview with Bridget Mendler who voices the role of Arrietty in The Secret World of Arrietty which was released on DVD/BluRay earlier this week. The film is based on the book The Borrowers by Mary Norton which was our January 2012 reading selection for the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club. The film is a wonderful translation of the book bringing to life a family of tiny people who live under the floorboards in a house of humans, and at the heard of it is young girl Arrietty who looks forward to her first borrowing. Let's hear from Bridget Mendler who voices the role of Arrietty on what it was like to bring this adventurous character to life.

You can also hear this interview on Episode 72 of The Movie Moxie Podcast.

Shannon: My first question is, the film is such a wonderful film I really enjoyed it, and I was curious what drew you to the project?

Bridget Mendler: I was really attracted to working with Studio Ghibli because I’ve been a fan of a lot of their movies for a while. I loved Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away, and I think that they do such beautiful animation. So watching the animation they did for The Secret World of Arrietty, it was really beautiful and it seemed like something I definitely wanted to be a part of.

Shannon: And so the film was already created when you jumped on board, right?

Bridget Mendler: Yes, it was already animated.

Shannon: Was that a challenge or restricting at all, to work with a predetermined visuals in terms of your creative input?

Bridget Mendler: I thought that actually it was kind of fun. It is a challenge of course, but it’s kind of cool to be able to have the animation to work with. It was an odd balance of feeling like I was in the movie, and part of making the movie the same time. So having visuals to bounce of off really helped me get in the moment.

Shannon: The audience gets to sees the secret world through Arrietty’s eyes but also through her relationships. I was wondering with the other characters in the film can you share how you created those bonds?

Bridget Mendler: I think the dialogue really helped for that, and working with how they interacted with each other on screen. Som my job was just to put the emotion into it and the sentiment. Unfortunately I wasn’t working with the other actors so I didn’t have that to work with or interact with.

Shannon: Oh wow.

Bridget Mendler: But I feel like it came together really well. I think I was one of the first ones to record so I think people that came in later were able to hear me talk. So, that probably helped for having things get synced up well.

Shannon: That’s amazing, I would have no idea that you weren’t in the same room at the same time. The energy between the characters and the relationships feels so strong.

Bridget Mendler: Isn’t that bizarre?

Shannon: It’s amazing! Well, if you recorded first, then I’m sure they are receiving from you and the Arrietty character is so wonderful and so adventurous. That’s a gift for them to start with.

Bridget Mendler: Oh, thank you.

Shannon: You’re welcome. I was curious if you have read the book the film is based on (The Borrowers by Mary Norton)?

Bridget Mendler: I haven’t but my grandpa has. So it was cool because he was really excited for me to do the project and work on something that was a part of his childhood. It’s kind of neat how it’s able to span generations like that.

Shannon: It’s impressive the story translates so well even though it’s from many, many years ago.

Bridget Mendler: Yeah, I thought that that was pretty neat.

Shannon: Your character Arrietty has a wonderful adventurous spirit. Can you tell us a little bit more about your character and the choices you made bring her to life?

Bridget Mendler: I think that my choices were partially based on my own interpretation of the character and wanting to convey that she’ really adventurous and excited and youthful, but also real and grounded and impacted by the people around her. But at the same time I’m working with the animation and the interpretation that the Japanese animators had on the dialogue, so there is a balance. So you can’t really deliver a line sadly if the characters face is lighting up. You have to true to that material at the same time. I think that we found a good balance within that, I’m happy with it.

Shannon: That’s wonderful. I’m wondering with the film dealing with interesting themes, some heavy and some light, from adventure into the unknown from fear to the being overwhelmed by your surroundings, but Arrietty remains very curious and open minded. Where do you think she gets that from ?

Bridget Mendler: I think she lives a very unique life and a big part of it is being outdoors and exploring the world around her. That’s how she learns about things, is through interacting with her environment like that. Additionally, there is this mysterious job that her dad has and she completely idolizes him and so when she’s invited to be a part of that journey she’s over the moon to go and explore this mysterious place that she’s never known about. And of course she’s a little bit bothered by her mom’s protectiveness because she doesn’t understand the gravity of what could happen if something went wrong. So I think she’s kind of excited to rebel against her parents a little bit and trying to do some stuff on her own .

Shannon: It’s very inspiring to see young female character play such a strong role. Often female characters tend to be supporting roles but Arrietty really is in the spotlight here. How did it feel to play such a prominent role?

Bridget Mendler: It was super flattering. I got the offer to be a part of this movie. It wasn’t an auditioning process, and it’s something I would have been happy to audition for and fight for on my own. To know that Disney believed in me and that they wanted me to a part of this movie and that thought of me, was so flattering and I was just very excited to represent Studio Ghibli in this project.

Shannon: And you not only got to star in the role but also wrote the song “Summertime” for the film. Can you share a little bit about what was that creative process like?

Bridget Mendler: Yeah, it’s funny I wrote the song I think 2 years before the movie.

Shannon: Wow.

Bridget Mendler: It was something I was jamming out in the dressing room with some of the other cast members and it kind of came about. I wrote it completely before the film came up and they wound up producing it to fit the movie. So it’s kind of nice that they were able to work together like that. I would have never expected my song to land in the movie like that, so that was very exciting for me and it’s awesome that they believed in me and wanted that to be part of the film. I was flattered.

Shannon: It’s a wonderful fit with the sentiment of the films as well.

Bridget Mendler: Thank you.

Shannon: You’re welcome . I was wondering what do you hope people take from seeing The Secret World of Arrietty?

Bridget Mendler: I hope that they pick up on the imagination in it and that they are impacted by it. I think it’s a different sort of animated movie that what people see a lot nowadays; it’s slower paced and the story line is kind of simpler. It’s a very different experience than what you get from a lot of other movies, and that’s not to knock on the other films I think there are great animated movies that come out these days, but it’s awesome that Studio Ghibli was able to make something so different and enable it to be really positively received.

Shannon: It has a wonderful timeless coming of age and learning about life quality to it that I think is very wonderful and accessible.

Bridget Mendler: Yeah, thank you.

Shannon: So the film comes out on BluRay and DVD May 22nd, 2012, What’s up next for you?

Bridget Mendler: I’m working on my album right now. It’s pretty much all recorded at this point, it’s all written. I went through a brief bout of vocal nodule drama, which disabled me from really using my voice for a bit. We’re still trying to get through that and figure out how move forward, but I’m so excited to release my first album and share it with everybody. I hope that people like it.

Shannon: Well especially considering that you are having some vocal nodule drama, I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today!

Bridget Mendler: Of course.

Shannon: And I’ll look forward to hearing the album. it’s a wonderful film and I enjoyed the song and all the very best.

Bridget Mendler: Thank you so much.

The Secret World of Arrietty came out on DVD/BluRay on May 22, 2012, and has extras from the film including Bridgit Mendler's "Summertime" Music Video and The Making Of "Summertime". See my DVD/Blu-Ray review of the film here. You can also listen to my interview with Bridget Mendler on Episode 72 of The Movie Moxie Podcast.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: June Reading Selection

As we are closely approaching the end of the month (how on earth did that happen?) and that means it's time to share our next Book to Film Club Reading selection. For June 2012 we will be reading:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Like our March 2012 selection Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is in epistolary-style (collection of documents which can include diaries entries, clippings, letters, etc), but is set in the early 1990's high school following the letters of "Charlie".

I'm really curious about this one, and I'm a fan on non-traditional narratives so the letter format totally caught my eye. The high school setting lends itself to coming of age themes, something we've not often tacked for the Book to Film Club so we are spreading our wings here! I hope you enjoy the book, I can't wait to dive in.

The film version is scripted and adapted by the author Stephen Chobosky and stars Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Emma Watson (Harry Potter series), Nina Dobre ('The Vampire Diaries') and Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man).

The film The Perks of Being a Wallflower is scheduled to be released Sept 21, 2012.

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

The Secret World of Arrietty (DVD+Blu-Ray Combo-Pack) Review

DVD+Blu-Ray Combo-Pack Review of animated film The Secret World of Arrietty adapted from the book The Borrowers by Mary Norton

The Secret World of Arrietty Blu-Ray/DVD Image © 2010 GNDHDDTW, © 2012 GNDHDDTW. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, David Henrie, Carol Burnett, Moises Arias
Japan, 2012

Reason to see: It's a selection for the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club, based on the book The Borrowers by Mary Norton which was our January 2012 Reading Selection

I absolutely adored The Secret World of Arrietty. I know I'm not the first person to jump out of the gate for animated films, but this one truly spoke to my heart. It follows Arrietty, a young girl in a family of 'borrowers', who are tiny people who 'borrow' things from humans like sugar and such, but need to remain unseen by the human eye. Arrietty is an adventurous and brave young girl who is very much looking forward to her first borrowing.

The film is based on the children's fantasy novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton, and was our first book in the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club. I love started the year off with a kicks book, and this one was a wonderful way to start the year as it has a lovely sense of wonder and nesting. The film does a great job of maintaining that sense of wonder and inventiveness, but shakes up the narrative style. In the book it's more of a story-within-a-story, and in the film we get to see the world purely from tiny people's perspective of Arrietty (voiced by Bridget Mendler) and her mom Homily (voiced by Amy Poehler) and dad Pod (voiced by Will Arnett). From them we see the different perspectives of their day to day lives which include the excitement of possible adventure from Arrietty, the day-to-day gathering of Pod and keeping the home fires burning with Homily. But as time goes on, it's time for Arrietty to learn the skill of borrowing from her dad Pod, and see that not only adventure, but danger, lies ahead.

I loved how the film blended the sense of adventure with the everyday, the inventiveness of creative re-purposing the borrowers do with the human items but it also acknowledges the challenges and dangers they face. There is an amazing relatability of what they go through, and I love how Arrietty gets to opportunity to grow, learn and develop new skills in this big wide world that's above them. And I absolutely adored the animation, it gives a great sense of the scale and vastness of the world and brings to life all creatures be they big or small, happy or cranky or even a bit of both. Truly magical.

It was great to see such a wonderful adaptation that maintains the spirit of the film, but also is brave enough to take liberties as well. A bold move that pays off and enriches the viewer's experience. I was happy to see that the DVD/Blu-Ray release includes a Japanese audio with English subtitles, which was very interesting to watch as well the differences between the versions and how the sentiment can change ever so slightly with different words, but always maintains the same spirit in the film and the journeys of the characters. I truly loved The Secret World of Arrietty, it was joy to see this wonderful world come to life and to see an spirited young female character take centre stage braving adventures in the big, wide world. Easily one of my favourite films of the year by far.

DVD Extras:

• Bridgit Mendler "Summertime" Music Video (3 minutes) film tie-in video including film clips
• The Making Of "Summertime" (2 minutes) music video clips, behind the scenes on filming the music video and interview with Bridgit Mendler including the inspiration for the song, the process of making the music video and
• Audio Options: English, French or Japanese Audio
• Subtitle Options: English, English for the Hearing Impaired and French
  

Blu-Ray Extras:

• All DVD Extras (noted above) plus: Storyboard presentation of the film; Trailers - Original Japanese and Television Commercials and “Arrietty’s Song” Music Video The films theme song, performed by singer, songwriter and harpist Cécile Corbel

The Secret World of Arrietty is available on DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Combo as of May 22, 2012. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I can't wait to watch it again
I widely recommend it

See also:

• Listen to my interview with Bridget Mendler, who voiced the character of Arrietty
• Read my interview with Bridget Mendler
• Vlog review of The Secret World of Arrietty on DVD+Blu-Ray Combo-Pack
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton as our January 2012 Reading Selection
• The Secret World of Arrietty as our February 2012 Film Selection
• The 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club, which you can join us at any time

© Shannon Ridler, 2012

2012 Book to Film Club: The Final 3 Books Revealed Vlog

It's time! Time for the big release of our final 3 books in this years Movie Moxie Book to Film Club; watch the video to see and hear the which lucky 3 books are coming into our fold.

Other mentionings in the Vlog:

• I mention the initial announcement with our first 8 books of the year
• Our honourary selection of 2011 was The Hunger Games
• I mention Deepa Metha's films including Water, Earth, Fire and Bollywood/Hollywood
• Our current book selection Cosmopolis will be at Festival de Cannes 2012
• One of our 2012 books Safe Haven will be available in paperback on Amazon.ca as of June 26, 2012 for those that prefer this format.
  

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Book to Film Club April Reading Wrap Up

Book to Film Club April Reading Selection: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Time to wrap up our April 2012 reading selection as we've just headed into May. What was your take on this must-book of the literary world? How do you think it will be as a film adaptation? Will it be a challenge to get across the time period and culture? Should they shift it to now? What do you think about the characters, an the casting? Here are more questions to ponder about the book, the reading process and the upcoming adaptation:

Things to ponder on the book:

• Did you enjoy reading it?
• Was it what you were expecting?
• What did you know about the book before reading it?
• What did you think of the style and tone?
• Did you enjoy the time period?
  
• What did you take away from reading the book?
• Is there anything you would change about the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Did you feel about the characters & their challenges?

About the upcoming film adaptation:

• How do you feel about the casting of the film?
• What tone do you think they'll take?
  
• What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
• What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
• What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
• What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
• Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
• What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?

If this was a re-read:

• How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
• Did you notice anything different this time round?
• Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?

Film Adaptation
The film version will star Julia Stiles, Rose McGowan and Virginia Madsen and is being adapted by Tristine Skyler. No director is confirmed at this time, but my brain is working overtime thinking of good picks, and I'm also very curious to what the tone of the film will be. I'll be sure to keep everyone apprised of news regarding the adaptation and even though it's in the early stages (although is noted as 2012), I have a feeling we are more likely to see this one in 2013.

I'm a little tardy on this and it comes with an admission that I've behind & I haven't finished the book! I can't believe it. I really can't. But I am really enjoying The Bell Jar and it reminds me in tone and in time period of many books I read in my teen years, very strong female perspective and experiences and I didn't even realize that all of those things went together. Learning and enjoying every step of the way!

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here. Our final three books and entire year schedule will be announced this month.

May Book to Film Club Reading Selection: Comsmopolis by Don DeLillo

May 2012 Book to Film Club Reading Selection: Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo

This selection is hitting us with some amazing timing as the trailer for the film has recently popped up (heads up: it's rather explicit, so be aware of that for if/when/where you watch it). Even more exciting is that it has been announced that it is part of the line up and for the Cannes Film Festival 2012. Wow. And here I was freaking out that the trailer said May; I guess that means Cannes-May, not the rest-of-the-world May - which is a-okay as it will give us some time to read it.

I will admit I've become a bit leery of the inclusion of this choice and it feels like it has the old-school David Cronenberg stamp of the bizarre, in addition to the original eccentric vibe of the story of a guy living in/being chauffeured around in his car; but I'm sticking to the guns of the fact that it's one of our picks and that's that. No changes!

But there will be additions - I am hoping to announce the final 3 books for 2012 and the full schedule this month. Keep tuned for more news there!

That's it for now! I'll be checking in this weekend to see how we did with April's selection of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

Happy Reading!

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here. Our final three books and entire year schedule will be announced very soon.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame Smith (Book Review)

Book: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Reason to Read: March Book Selection for the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club

It's funny how out of all of this years selections this is the one that has caused the most excitement and I admit even the title makes me laugh; plus out of all the mash-ups recently from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters its the first with a film adaptations so I knew I had to include it in the 2012 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club.

I'm a huge fan of vampire books and films, although I do stray more to the paranormal romance angle over hunters and history but I decided to go in with an open mind. One of the things about the book that intrigued me the most was the fact that it is epistolary-style (defined as collection of documents which can include diaries entries, clippings, letters, etc); but I didn't end up finding that as intriguing as it felt. I loved the idea and the actual diary entries that were included but I found the combination of styles confusing, even though it wasn't often used. I often felt disoriented not knowing whose perspective we were reading from or if it was a memory, story, or current action. I don't think I've ever experienced that before while reading, which made it a challenge to get into the groove of it.

It was also a big reminder for me that I although I love watching horror film, I rarely enjoy reading horror - it feels way more deep seated to read something gross than see it and this book had some extremely visceral descriptions that creeped me out. I was surprized that it had a 'message' feel to it, which shouldn't have been a surprized given that it follow Abraham Lincoln but I'll put that to the fact that very intrigued by history.

That being said, I am really looking forward to the adaptation, a lot due to the fact that I love the director Timur Bekmambetov who brought us the visually stunning films Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor, Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor and Wanted. I think the highly styled action will be fantastic and I'm very much looking forward to someone else's take on the book, because it didn't do much for me. I'm completely unfamiliar with star Benjamin Walker who plays Abraham Lincoln so that will be interesting to see what he does with the role. I did see the trailer on the big screen recently in front of The Hunger Games and it looked freaking awesome. It was clear from the crowd though that they were mostly unfamiliar with the film as it got quite a vocal (and somewhat confused) reaction. They should join the Book to Film Club, and then they'd all be in the know!

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter will be released on June 22, 2012.

Book to Film Club April Reading: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Book to Film Club April Reading Selection: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I'm really excited about this month's selection: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I've never read it before and it definitely falls in the category of must-books and I think all the literary ladies in my life love it. I wanted to write lurve it, but correct spelling felt more appropriate than enthusiasm in this particular instance. I know almost nothing about it, and it's a bit of a gamble as the film is still very much in the early stages (although is noted as 2012), and as of yet doesn't have a director attached. I'm not worried though, as if it takes it's time to come to us it will put us ahead of the curve when it arrives.

Happy Reading!

Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here. Our final three books and entire year schedule will be announced very soon.

Book to Film Club March Wrap Up: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Book to Film Club March Reading Wrap Up: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Wow, I have to admit this one was a challenge for me. I found the epistolary-style (collection of documents which can include diaries entries, clippings, letters, etc) confusing and I didn't quite connect to the characters including protagonist Abraham Lincoln (yes, the 16th US president), who plays the vampire hunter. But, I could easily sense the love of history in it and I imagine if they get visceral in tone just right it could be quite brilliant. I'll look forward to seeing the film adaptation and interpretation, and I have a feeling with this one I'll like the film better than the book!

Things to ponder on the book:

• Did you enjoy reading it?
• Was it what you were expecting?
• What did you know about the book before reading it?
• What did you think of the epistolary-style?
• Did you enjoy the historical mash-up perspective?
  
• What did you take away from reading the book?
• Is there anything you would change about the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Did you feel about the characters & their challenges?
• What do think about how it combined genres?
• Did you enjoy the horror elements? The historical elements?
  

About the upcoming film adaptation:

• How do you feel about the casting of the film?
• What tone do you think they'll take?
  
• What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
• What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
• What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
• What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
• Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
• What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?

If this was a re-read:

• How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
• Did you notice anything different this time round?
• Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?

Film Adaptation
The film version will be directed by the amazing Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor, Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor, Wanted). Casting includes stars Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln, Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess, as well as Alan Tyduk, Rufus Sewell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Anthony Mackie. You can check out the trailer here and there are also tons of videos, tours, Q&A's and interviews with cast, crew and even author Seth Grahame-Smith.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter will be released on June 22, 2012.

Book to Film Club March Reading: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

March 2012 Reading: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

This is the book I know the least about, but we've had several genre mash ups recently so why not try one out? It's written in epistolary-style (collection of documents which can include diaries entries, clippings, letters, etc; I had to look that word up!) including the perspective of Abraham Lincoln (yes, the 16th US president), as a vampire hunter. The trailer for the film recently came out and there are tons of videos, tours, Q&A's and interviews with cast, crew and even author Seth Grahame-Smith! I find it so exciting that there is so much to explore, but I'm going to hold off until I've gotten my teeth firmly in the book before exploring as one of the things I'm most looking forward to is the art direction & styling of the world created. I'm a huge fan of director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch / Nochnoi Dozor, Day Watch / Dnevnoy Dozor, Wanted) for his amazingly creative translated works and unique interpretive visual style.

The film is set to release June 22, 2012 and if you want a sneak peak at it you can watch the trailer below.



Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien February Book to Film Club Reading Selection

February 2012 Reading: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Our February Book to Film Club Selection is the well loved fantasy novel from J.R.R. Tolkien set in the world of The Lord of the Rings. This was a first time read for me, although I have visited Middle Earth mostly through the love of the films but also from reading the books which I actually found to be quite a challenge (ah, selective memory...) I also found The Hobbit a bit of a challenge but I am very glad I read it as it's a rich story and a layered world, one that I very much looking forward to seeing it interpreted into film, especially for the numerous characters that quite frankly I had a bit of trouble differentiating! How did your reading go? Was it a first time read? A revisit? Have you seen the awesome trailer? It got me all teary-eyed because it's so beautiful & perfect. I'm totally looking forward to the film, although we have so long to wait as it doesn't come out until December. If you can't wait there are lots of video blogs, on location vids and interviews to check out. I'm going to hold out for the film myself.

Things to ponder on the book:

• Did you enjoy reading it?
• Was it what you were expecting?
• What did you know about the book before reading it?
• Did you enjoy the setting?
• What did you think about the writing style?
• What did you take away from reading the book?
• Is there anything you would change about the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Did you enjoy reading it?
• Was it what you were expecting?
• What did you know about the book before reading it?
• How did you feel about the characters & their challenges?
• Who did you connect to with the book?
• If you've read The Lord of the Rings, what was the experience of reading a prequel like?

About the upcoming film adaptation:

• How do you feel about the casting of the film?
• Are you looking forward to seeing not only one but two films with the adaptation?
• What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
• What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
• What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
• How do you think they will format the story into 2 films?
• What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
• Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
• What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?
• If you've seen the casting, do you 'see' the actors when you read it?
  

If this was a re-read:

• How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
• Did you notice anything different this time round?
• Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?
  

The book is being adapted in to 2 films:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Part 1) will be released December 14, 2012
The Hobbit: There And Back Again (Part 2) will be released next year on December 14, 2013

Here is the Trailer for Part 1:



Join the Movie Moxie Book to Film Club at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

Our next reading selection for March 2012 is Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.

Movie Moxie Podcast 62: The Secret World of Arrietty,Doppelgänger Paul and Sequels x 2

This week on the Movie Moxie Podcast Shannon shares spoiler free reviews of recent releases The Secret of Arrietty, Doppelgänger Paul (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself), Journey 2: Mysterious Island, Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance plus chats about the experiential nature of watching the trailers in the theatre. The reviews keep coming with triple awesome DVD reviews of Café de flore, Chalet Girl and London Boulevard plus chats live chatting plans of The Oscars on this weekend.

0:00 - 0:30 Intro
0:30 - 7:50 News
7:50 - 13:15 The Secret of Arrietty
13:15 - 19:25 Doppelgänger Paul (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself)
19:25 - 23:10 Trailer Talk: The Hobbit
23:10 - 27:25 Journey 2: Mysterious Island
27:25 - 35:55 Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance
35:55 - 41:10 DVD Review: Café de flore
41:10 - 42:55 DVD Review: Chalet Girl
42:55 - 48:10 DVD Review: London Boulevard
48:10 - 50:30 More DVD Releases for Feb 22, 2012
50:30 - 52:24 Outro

• I mention the Book to Film Club selection The Woman in Black and The Secret World of Arrietty based the book The Borrowers; our current book selection is The Hobbit, you can join us here!
• I mention the Oscars, I'll be tweeting & Facebook-ing throughout the show so come and say Hi! Also see my three detailed Oscar lists: detailed list by category, a film list with detailed nominations by film, and a simple film list with # of nominations.
• I mention the Nowhere to Hide screening at Innis & the upcoming inaugral Toronto Korean Film Festival.
• I mentioned my apartment tour and attack on 'the stuff' will begin
• Watch The Hobbit Trailer here - what did you think? And do you prefer seeing trailers in the theatre?
• I mention my genre explorations of Adventure films from Movie Moxie Podcast 24 and Family Films from Movie Moxie Podcast 18.
• See DVD releases for February 21, 2012
• See recent Theatrical releases in my weekly Film Fan Fridays & DVD Releases in my DVD Tuesdays Post

Movie Moxie Podcast - A 100% spoiler-free film review podcast
You can also subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Subscribe through iTunes here.

I'll be back next week to chat Oscar results and whatever new films come my way! It will be a mysterious week.

Book to Film Club Film: The Secret World of Arrietty

Book to Film Club February Film Selection: The Secret World of Arrietty

Our first official* film of the 2012 Book to Film Club is the February film selection is The Secret World of Arrietty based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton, and it is many firsts for us. It's our first animated film, our first major title change from book to film and our first Japanese film (although in the UK, Australia & North America it's been voiced in English). The book it's based on is a children's fantasy novel about tiny people that live in the floorboards of the houses of humans and borrow little things like sugar and such but need to remain unseen by human eyes.

I was so excited to hear about this film as it was an early-in-the-year-releases adaptation which mean we would have something to read and set the year off right. I actually saw the trailer for it before I even anything else about it, and so from that I always had sense of what it was about. The book The Borrowers is the first in the series, however the film is an adaptation of just the first novel which was nice as we only read the first book. The film adaptation into The Secret World of Arrietty, an animated film from Japan from Studio Ghibli, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and was released on February 17, 2012.

The film has been known by other names including Kari-gurashi no Arietti in Japan, Arriety the Borrower in the UK and Arriety in Australia, and has had different voice casts in different areas. The voice cast for North American version includes Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett. I really enjoyed the portrayal of the characters, the story, the gorgeous animations and also seeing a particularly adventurous young, female protagonist.

Here are some things to ponder when thinking, writing and/or journaling about the film:

• Did you enjoy the film?
• Was the film what you expected from reading the book?
• How did you feel about the tone of the film?
• Were the characters what you expected?
• Did you enjoy the animation?
• Which version did you see?
• Were there characters, moments or ideas you liked better in the book? If so, what were they?
• What was your favourite thing about the book?
• Were there characters, moments or ideas you liked better in the film? If so, what were they?
• What was your favourite thing about the film?
• Was there anything you understood more after seeing the film?
• Was there anything you felt was missing from the film?
• Did the film capture the spirit of the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Who would you recommend the film too?
• Are you happy you read the book before seeing the film?
• Would you recommend people read the book before seeing the film?
• What was the impact of reading the book before seeing the film?

The Movie Moxie Book to Film Club is going strong here in 2012, and we are currently reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien in anticipated for it's December (Part 1) 2012 release. You can join in the fun at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.

*we also had The Woman in Black earlier this month, although it was technically part of the 2011 Book to film Club

Movie Moxie Podcast 61: The Woman in Black & Coriolanus

On this weeks episode of the Movie Moxie Podcast it's time to get literary with chatting Book to Film Club selection of The Woman in Black as well as the Shakespearean adaptation of Coriolanus. I also catch up with 2 weeks of DVD releases including reviewing the African-set UK zombie film The Dead. Thank you for being patient with my week 'off' last week, thankfully things are less rocky and more happy this week! Yay!

0:00 - 3:50 Intro
3:50 - 12:20 The Woman in Black
12:20 - 24:20 Coriolanus
24:20 - 34:00 2 Weeks of DVD Release including review of The Dead
34:00 - 36:20 Upcoming Next Week
36:20 - 37:37 Outro

• I mention the Book to Film Club selection The Woman in Black and The Secret World of Arrietty based on the Borrowers; our current book selection is The Hobbit, you can join us here!
• I mention my current challenge to read & watch all the Shakespearean plays and my previous reading & watching of Coriolanus
• See DVD releases for February 7 & February 14, 2012
• See my DVD review of The Dead here
• I will be reviewing the DVD release of Breaking Dawn Part 1 in depth over at Before the Dawn early next week.
• See recent Theatrical releases in my weekly Film Fan Fridays & DVD Releases in my DVD Tuesdays Post

I'll be back next week to chat The Secret World of Arrietty and possible one or more of Chronicle, Journey 2 and/or Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

Movie Moxie Podcast - A 100% spoiler-free film review podcast
You can also subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Subscribe through iTunes here.

Book to Film Club Film: The Woman in Black

Time for our first year-over-year Book to Film Club experience, with our October 2011 book The Woman in Black by Susan Hill having it's film release this past weekend on February 3, 2012.

The Woman in Black stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter series), Ciarán Hinds (The Eclipse) and Janet McTeer, directed by James Watkins (Eden Lake). The scary and atmospheric feel of the film was definitely what I was hoping to see and it was exciting to see Daniel Radcliffe's in a new world in the role of Arthur Kipps.

Here are some things to ponder when thinking, writing and/or journaling about the film:

• Did you enjoy the film?
• Was the film what you expected from reading the book?
• How did you feel about the tone of the film?
• Did you feel that the captured the time period well?
• How did you feel about the casting? Were the characters what you expected?
• Were there characters, moments or ideas you liked better in the book? If so, what were they?
• What was your favourite thing about the book?
• Were there characters, moments or ideas you liked better in the film? If so, what were they?
• What was your favourite thing about the film?
• Was there anything you understood more after seeing the film?
• Was there anything you felt was missing from the film?
• Did the film capture the spirit of the book?
• Who would you recommend the book to?
• Who would you recommend the film too?
• Are you happy you read the book before seeing the film?
• Would you recommend people read the book before seeing the film?
• What was the impact of reading the book before seeing the film?

I hope this month doesn't feel to film heavy with both The Woman in Black and The Secret of Arrietty coming out, but I was thrilled to The Woman in Black in releases as when I chose to include it in the Book to Film Club it was a gamble as it had no release date back in January 2011. But here we are now with it in theatres for all to see!

The Movie Moxie Book to Film Club is going strong again in 2012, and you can join at any time. For title announcements, Book to Film Club news and monthly selections you can sign up for email updates here.