Novel Films II & In Your Pants blogfests

Today is the start of the Novel Films II Blogfest, hosted by Madeleine from Scribble & Edit. Madeleine ran the first Novel Films Blogfest to celebrate her blogiversary last year. This year she's decided to run a slightly altered verison of the 'fest. Click the link up there to find out more about this blogfest.

I'm going to post on just one day, which is one of the options for participants, and I'm opting to just share a list of movies I've seen that I've also read the novels for. So here goes:

Looking for Alibrandi - This is an Australian YA novel that came out while I was in high school, and our English class (and most in Australia, I'd guess) studied it. To be honest, I can't remember the book that well, but the movie is a favourite. I do remember that the book didn't have a quite as "neatly tied together" ending, and I sort of prefer that.

Breakfast at Tiffany's - In high school one of my best friends was an Audrey Hepburn nut, and insisted it was the only way. Well, this year or last I finally got around to watching my first Audrey movie, Tiffany's. I also read the book, and I'd say that it's hard for me to pick which I like better, as they're different to each other but each good in their own right. But if I was held at gunpoint and asked to choose, I'd choose the book.

The Bone Collector - A friend and I saw this movie at the cinemas when it came out, I think (it's been so long, argh!). I always loved the movie, and it's fixed in my DVD collection. But recently I read the book for the first time, and was startled by some of the differences. Namely the, uh, terrorist subplot that's completely missing from the movie. And Amelia's different surname! I really enjoyed both "versions".

The Black Dahlia - One of my friends is a huge James Ellroy fan, and that's how I first got my hands on a copy of The Black Dahlia. I read it not realising it was based on a true story. Then the movie came out and I saw that, but only on DVD. I thought it was all right, not too bad really, but the book is just creepier, more tragic, more "gritty". That's my sadly faded memory of it, anyway - it's been a while since I read the thing.

Chocolat - I read the book years ago and only have vague recollections of that experience now. I know I enjoyed it. But the movie is one that I revisit every few years, and enjoy immensely each time. It's a bit like eating craploads of actual chocolate without even having to actually crack open a block - you're drinking it in directly from the TV screen. Oh, and there's Johnny Depp.

Memoirs of a Geisha - To be honest, in this case I don't have any strong memories of either the book or the movie. I'm probably drawing all the memories I do have from the book, though. I know the book was fascinating, but I remember feeling confused at beginning and end as I tried to figure out whether this was actually fiction or not.

The Hunger Games - I read the book first, but only just (it was 2012). For everyone else it was way old news. I loved the book, and feel that the movie did a pretty darn good job of living up to expectations. I look forward to the other movies as well, though at least for #1 the verdict is: book wins.

The Ring - I only recently read the book, and loved the sheer wackiness of the plot, which was markedly different to the American movie version. The movie takes a relatively small aspect of the book and conjures up a whole new reason why the crazy dead chick is doing what she's doing. I haven't seen the Japanese movie, but the American one got major points for scaring the crappola out of me. The book, however, wins huge points for being plain weird and wacky.

The Princess Bride - This is yet another case where I only recently read the book for the first time. I have long been a massive fan of the movie, and reading the book didn't change that at all. But I loved the book as well, so I guess there is no clear "fave" winning out here. I will go on loving them both possibly equally. :) 

Twilight - I remember starting to read this book and thinking, "WOW, this is bad ..." and actually goggling at certain parts that were just so bad. And yet I read the book in a day or less, and the entire series in four days (unheard of for slow-reading me). I saw the movie and laughed at the parts you weren't meant to laugh at - my mates and I continue to take the piss every time we watch it. But we watch it quite a lot, which has gotta tell you something, right? This movie's got pull. I have yet to re-read any of the books, but I'm sure I will someday.

War of the Worlds - This is another book that I only recently read. I saw the Tom Cruise version of the movie when it came out, and I vaguely recall enjoying it, though the fact that I can hardly remember any of it may not be a good sign. But I read the book and loved it, and so I think we have a definite book winner here.

Also today is the "In Your Pants" blogfest, which is probably the easiest 'fest I've ever participated in! You can still sign up if you are interested in an activity that takes hardly any effort at all. ;) The rules of this blogfest are as follows:

What are you posting? 

The current book title you are reading and then add 'in my pants' afterwards.
That's it. Simple, fast, and will be super easy to read everyone elses too. Feel free to add links or picture to the books so others can find them.

When is it happening? 

September 2nd 2013. 

So, (one of) the book(s) I am currently reading (well, one of them), is

The Grimm Fairytales In Your Pants

It's a pretty scary read. ;)

My top 10 movies - in no particular order!

Today is the Top 10 Movies countdown hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and these are my top 10 movies (of the moment anyway, who knows how I'll feel tomorrow?). They're in no particular order 'cause there's no way I could pick one single #1 favourite.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - this movie takes me back to childhood. It's so cheesy and silly but it's also totally bodacious, dude, and though I hardly ever watch it anymore, I still smirk with delight anytime I see it in my DVD collection. Gotta love Miss of Arc and "Bob" Genghis Khan.

The Lion King is probably still my favourite Disney movie, though I love most of them. But The Lion King has real sentimental value for me. I saw it in high school and quickly became obsessed. The irony is that my friends and I were more obsessed with this little movie they showed before the feature. It was about a little sheepish lion called Lambert. We sang the Lambert song more than any actual Lion King song.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights stars Cary Elwes, and I had to pick at least one movie he was in from my two favourites (the other being The Princess Bride). I opted for this one because it's another silly yet awesome one. But of course j'adore the other as well, with equal fervour. Men in Tights is another that never fails to give me a giggle, whether I'm actually watching it or not.

Blade Runner is a classic that I was first exposed to in high school days, when I studied it in English class. Later during university I was again able to study it, and I even wrote about it in my honours thesis. I think it's just a classic view of a very dingy, depressing future that nonetheless makes me wish I could be alive to see that future unfold. ;)

Cast Away stars Tom Hanks and, more importantly, a very special volleyball a.k.a. my beloved Wilson. I love this movie because it's dramatic and inspiring but also because it's not utterly swamped down with swells of dramatic music. In fact, the whole time Hanks's character is on the island there is no music, and this actually has a profound and unique effect. I think it's a really well done movie. And I still love Wilson.

The Wedding Singer probably doesn't need any defense as a choice. But let's just say I love the '80s, and this wasn't even made in the '80s, but it did the '80s oh so much justice. This movie is made of pure genius and it doesn't hurt that the soundtrack rocks too. Plus, Billy Idol's in it!

Jurassic Park is another movie I first saw in high school - my entire year went on an excursion to Underwater World (I think) and finished the day off with a movie. My friends and I sat in the very front row (which, you know, sucked, but it didn't make the movie suck) and I remember being so excited to see this groundbreaking new movie with its purported amazing special effects. Well, watching the movie now, it still looks damn good - better than a lot of CGI crap I've seen.

28 Days - no, I don't mean the zombie one, I really do mean the Sandra Bullock one. I have watched this movie over and over again and it always makes me cry at the same parts. I won't give spoilers away but suffice to say it's not a typical Bullock rom com or action flick. I guess it could be seen more as a work of women's fiction? I dunno. But I do know it's one of my faves.

The Sixth Sense is one of those movies that once you've seen it the first time, you're never going to be able to watch it the same way again, due to the gasp-worthy twist near the end. So really it's a one-time deal. And yet I have watched it numerous times and I still think it's amazing. I love Bruce Willis's role in that it's so unlike any of his other stuff that I've seen. And though now whenever I hear Haley Joel Osment's name I think of Supernatural (heh), I still think he was incredible in the movie too. He put the Harry Potter kids to shame. ;)

Speed also stars Sandra Bullock of course, and Keanu Reeves (yeah, I like the guy - so sue me!) and I just reckon it's a super sexy exhilarating ride. It's definitely a movie I can watch and re-watch, though I do tend to give it myself a good amount of time between viewings. This one never gets old for me.

HOBBIT fest! + a page re-jig

Today is the Hobbit Blogfest, hosted by Tyrean Martin and M. Pax, and this is my entry! Yeah, I'm too tired to compose a more proper rousing intro than that today (a kitty woke me up at 3am just so I could help her do a pee, which she didn't need help with at all as it turns out). Anyway, for Hobbit Fest, participants must answer four questions. Below are the questions and my answers!

What is your favourite hobbit characteristic/or the one that you think closely resembles you . . .?
Second breakfast? :)

If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?
Second breakfast! I know, inspired response isn't it? Blame kitty.

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)
Yes. I left behind a beautiful Canon Eos camera in the Istanbul flea markets - in a fleeing thief's hands! I'm sure there are other things I've left behind as well, but I can't remember any right now. Kitty's fault.

What is your favourite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?
"He did not go much further, but sat down on the cold floor and gave himself up to complete miserableness, for a long while. He thought of himself frying bacon and eggs in his own kitchen at home - for he could feel inside that it was high time for some meal or other; but that only made him miserabler." (p.64, 1990 publication)

Thanks ladies for hosting this fun blogfest! I am sure the other entries will be way more energized and entertaining than mine! :P

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In other news, I re-jigged my "Words & Music" page so that there is way less content, basically just a list of all the books I've written/am writing/may write in future, as it stands currently. I like this a lot better as it's just got the basic info and is much easier to digest. I whittled some of the music section away too, but it's still fairly chunky. I may work at whittling it more in future.

A little review - OSCAR & LUCINDA

Oscar and Lucinda the movie. On my "to watch" list.

Back in April of this year, I shared an A-Z list of books from my TBR shelf. One of the books mentioned was OSCAR AND LUCINDA by Australian author Peter Carey, a Booker prize-winning work of historical fiction. It's set in England but mostly in Austraila in the mid-nineteenth century. I know it's also been made into a movie, but having not seen that I had no idea what to expect from the novel.

It took me a while to finish the novel. It's the kind of work you have to pay close attention to when you're distracted by the fact that you're on holiday in a tropical paradise. Despite that, I totally loved this book. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but soon enough I was well and truly hooked - intrigued by the quirky characters, sympathetic to their experiences and frustrated/exhilarated for them. The book had me laughing out loud even at not so happy moments, just because of the language, the silly little similes, metaphors and alliterations (which were still clever of course), and all that.

I found it interesting how one single character was viewed by others around him/her in different ways. Opinions tended to vary greatly. Then there was the way in which each character saw him or herself - different again. The story was told like a family memoir but can also be seen as an historical account. And I can't believe how it ended! I wasn't expecting that, nor hoping for it. That ending just goes to show, though, that in the blink of an eye (well, okay, a bit more slowly than that) a person can make one tiny little decision that changes everything, forever.

RING & SPIRAL ... two little book reviews

During this year's A-Z challenge, I posted a list of books from my GoodReads TBR shelf. I have only read one of those on the list so far, and I'm here to post a little review of it. The book is RING by Koji Suzuki, and I also read its sequel SPIRAL, which I will review further down.

RING:
This book had been on my physical TBR shelf for the whole year, and on my GoodReads shelf for a lot longer. I only picked it up in May after the A-Z challenge. I saw the Hollywood version of the movie at the cinemas back when it came out, and got the super heebie jeebies from that - in a good way, thought it was just the right kind of creepy! I haven't seen the Japanese version of the film but would love to someday.

As for the book, it was an easily digestible read. Not so high brow that your brain starts hurting, but written in strong and pleasant-to-read language. Suzuki's descriptions at times had me feeling almost what the characters were feeling (thankfully not quite what they were feeling, in the cases of those who died!). I admired the creep factor of Sadako's story. I can't say that any one moment in the book was QUITE as scary as a particular scene from the Hollywood film (you know, that scene). I did see some other reviewers mention that maybe having seen a film adaptation, the book was no longer quite as scary (lacking in the shock factor). This could be the case with me too. But I think Suzuki's a bit of a genius. What an imagination!

SPIRAL:
I didn't know what to expect from this one, after reading RING. From the very beginning I was surprised by things that happened. For instance, the way Asakawa's story went. I distinctly recall my jaw dropping. While this book's protagonist Ando was reading the Ring report, I did wonder if he was going to regret it later, the way other people had regretted watching the video tape from book #1. And then, the Sadako story kicking off again! What a trip.

The sheer wackiness of the plot that unravels in this book is what entertains me most. I can't really say too much without spoiling things, but let's just say that not only did I bow down to the twists and turns of Suzuki's plot, but I laughed out loud at the strangeness of it, even while I marvelled at the notion of such events actually taking place in our world. And that's the thing - Suzuki's plots are somewhat grounded in science, at least if you're willing to think outside the box. I don't have book 3 to read yet, but I will acquire and read it soon!

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In other news, I have actually begun to read another book from my A-Z "to-read" featured list, and that book is OSCAR AND LUCINDA by Australian author Peter Carey. I'm enjoying it so far, and also wondering when I should watch the movie. ;)

A-Z ... THE NEVERENDING STORY

It's A-Z time, and for this year's theme I've been posting an A-Z list of books I want to read, inspired by my seemingly neverending GoodReads "to read" list. We're up to "N", and for today's book I've chosen a book whose movie adaptation is one of my all-time favourites, but that I'm rather shamed never to have read in book form!

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N

The Neverending Story - Michael Ende

When it was published more than three decades ago, this special story within a story captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers worldwide. A lonely boy named Bastian is drawn into a beautiful but doomed world. Only Bastian can save this enchanted place of dragons, giants, monsters, and mysteries . . . but will he have to stay there forever? This beautifully repackaged hardcover classic will lure even more readers into its wondrous world.

Why do I want to read it? Like I said up there, I loved the movie, and when that's the case I tend to want to read the book the movie was based on, too. And I have been trying to read more classics, whatever their age, in recent years!