BuzzSugar

The Golden Compass: Visually Cool, Otherwise Frustrating

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:30:00 -0800

The His Dark Materials fantasy books by Philip Pullman may be well-written and mesmerizing, but as a cinematic experience, the movie version of the first book doesn't really have two CGI legs to stand on. I've never read the books, in part because I wanted to critique The Golden Compass for what it is: a film. I don't think allowances should be made for the movie based on the quality of the books - they're two different mediums. And after seeing The Golden Compass, I'm not convinced this particular story should have ventured into the movie world at all.

The story follows Lyra, an orphaned girl raised by scholars who receives a golden compass allowing her to see the truth of things. She embarks on an adventure involving daemons, armored bears, cowboys and gyspsies (gyptians). Along the way, she falls in with an evil icy lady (Nicole Kidman) who's trying to "help" children by taking away their ability to think freely. She determines to rescue the children from this fate and in the meantime she makes friends and battles various other evildoers. Then the movie basically alludes to how cool the next few movies will be and the credits roll. For more of my thoughts on the film, read more

Yes, the visuals are very cool. Talking armored bears are very cool. Shapeshifting daemons that follow around each human are neat to watch. Other aspects of this fantasy world, like the flying Skyferry, are whimsical. But these don't add up to a satisfying end product. Discussing the performances - besides Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra, in a pretty much flawless turn - is mostly pointless. Nicole Kidman is great in her role, but she can't save this movie, and Daniel Craig is in the film for approximately eight minutes.

This is not merely the opinion of someone unfamiliar with the novels. I attended the screening with YumSugar, who knows all the His Dark Materials books, and she was equally frustrated by the movie. I believe the word she used was "boring." There is an epic battle toward the end, with a roaring bear and swooping witches and yet . . . still boring. In addition, Yum mentioned that the general feeling of the movie is cold and clinical, that she expected "a tiny bit of warmth" from it. She noted that much of the book was smooshed haphazardly together, lending a rushed feeling to the whole thing. Understandably, long and involved novels made into movies don't have the luxury of time to develop all the necessary storylines and characters. But in my opinion, if one cannot achieve any kind of cohesive storyline in the film version of a book, perhaps that film should not be made. To quote Yum, "As someone who’s read the books, I felt there wasn’t enough character development. I can't imagine what you must have felt like."

The most infuriating aspect of the whole thing is the ending which, according to Yum, cuts off a few chapters before the book does. After hours of random adventures, we listen to Lyra list off all the exciting things she has to take care of in the future. I figured this meant that we would experience all these things with her in the final few minutes of the movie or something, because no way would they just end the movie there, with Lyra explaining how they could tie up their loose ends. But no. There are allusions to how great the second movie will be and then blackout. The entire film, then, is one big prologue for the next installment. And while that's true for many a serial movie, at least some films that are part of a trilogy can stand alone as one complete story arc. The same cannot be said for The Golden Compass. So, if this is merely one long setup for the second movie and it's not a great movie on its own, it feels a lot like a waste of time.

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema

Buzz Gift Guide: Rockin' Teen Guy

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:30:37 -0800

Today's holiday gift guide has some ideas for the too-cool-for-school teen guys on your list.

For the guy who owns countless Spider-Man comics, has his figurines poised for action around his bedroom and breathlessly awaited this summer's third installment of the series, check out this DVD triology which includes Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.

Though The Golden Compass comes out right around holiday season, hopefully the young lads in your life will still want to read the Philip Pullman book on which the movie is based. Also, if seeing the film version of The Golden Compass whets his appetite, there are two other books in the His Dark Materials trilogy for him to check out.

The new Guitar Hero III, available for a variety of video game systems, would be perfect for any wannabe rocker on your list. The game rates you as you play along with more than 70 rock anthems, from "Rock and Roll All Nite" to "Barracuda."

And any fan of the Dillon Panthers of Friday Night Lights would look great sporting a Panther Football shirt from NBC, as worn by star player Tim Riggins. (His jersey is also available.)

What's Buzzworthy: Young Adult Novels

BuzzSugar — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0700

Many thanks to all of you who participated in this week's Buzzworthy challenge to bookmark your favorite young adult novels! I now have a super long list of titles I can turn to when I need that special brand of teen angst, raw emotion and fluttery first love that always manages to comfort me and cut me to the quick at the same time.

Most notably, it looks like our resident YA librarian, smart blonde is the lady to ask for YA novel suggestions! Each of the titles she bookmarked looks intriguing and I can't wait to put her advice to good use.

I've picked out some titles to highlight below, but be sure to check out all the suggestions in the widget after the jump. They're all worth adding to your "to-read" list!

His Dark Materials
This trilogy includes the book on which the upcoming movie The Golden Compass is based, and several Buzz readers recommend folks read these books. scorpstar77 writes, "They are so much deeper than your standard kids fantasy books - inventing an unusually creative and incredible world that is the setting for a deep and thoughtful story." DCStar also bookmarked the trilogy and menthaddict bookmarked The Golden Compass.

Twilight
Yikes! I guess I should be reading these Twilight books! Bookmarked by menthaddict, mabess, DCStar and sweetpeabrina, apparently "you'll be turning pages until your arm sags" (says menthaddict).

Many more young adult novel suggestions if you read more

Uglies
At least one if not all three of these Scott Westerfeld novels were chosen by scorpstar77, sweetpeabrina and Daisie who writes, "These are quick and engaging reads from Westerfeld. While the target is teens, as an adult I enjoyed them for both the imagery and the lessons they teach...These books are sure to please Sugar readers!"

Dramarama
All of smart blonde's suggestions look excellent, though this one really caught my eye, for some reason. smart blonde writes "There's both substance AND style here, and the message that you might not be good at what you set out to do, but that discovery might lead to something even better."

Children of the River
FabKitty describes her pick as "A touching romance about a refugee from the bloodthirsty Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia who falls in love with an American boy."

Making Out #1: Zooey Fools Around
The Making Out series was bookmarked by Phasekitty who writes "If you're a fan of Gossip Girl and other melodramatic teens with complicated love lives, these books are definitely worth a look!"

I Was a Teenage Fairy
I will definitely check out this book because a) this title is amazing, and b) it's recommended by tdamji, whose taste I trust! She writes, "This novel is the epitome of magic-realism, in which Barbie meets a fairy named Mab. This is a delightful tale for young and old alike that will put a smile on anyone's face."

The Golden Compass: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:29:00 -0700

After posting the gorgeous-looking trailer for The Golden Compass - which stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Eva Green, among others - I've been on the lookout for more news about the film. Now, HisDarkMaterials.org has posted a behind-the-scenes clip show from the making of The Golden Compass and it's pretty interesting.

Of course, it mostly consists of Eva Green swooping around on cables, while trying to act natural. But there are also clips of the actors on the empty stage followed by clips from the movie in which fantastical creatures and settings have been added. I seriously cannot wait to see this film, which is kind of a problem since it isn't opening until December.

To check out the cool-looking clips, read more

Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:19 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. Check out this week's picks!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
I admittedly wasn't a fan of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past when it came out in theaters, but it may be worth considering if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy that doesn't make you think too much. The premise: When playboy Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) attends his brother's wedding, he runs into his first love Jenny (Jennifer Garner), setting off a Christmas Carol-like chain of events, complete with ghosts. Yes, the plot's contrived and Connor is incredibly smarmy, but I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially Emma Stone as an 80's ghost with a bad perm and Michael Douglas as Connor's Lothario uncle.

27%

Two more up next, so read more.

Observe and Report
Observe and Report follows a self-important, semi-delusional mall security cop (Seth Rogen) who flips out when he realizes he may not become a police officer - or win over the makeup counter girl of his dreams (Anna Faris). When I first reviewed it, I was surprised by how dark the film turned out to be for a Rogen and Faris comedy. Still, it does have a few laugh-worthy moments, and Rogen fans will probably want to add this to their must-see list.

51%

Lymelife
Set in the 1970s, Lymelife is an ensemble drama that follows two families in a Long Island neighborhood dealing with a Lyme disease scare. It boasts a decent ensemble cast, including Cynthia Nixon, Alec Baldwin, and Timothy Hutton, but Rory Culkin (yes, Macaulay's brother) is the heart of the film as a 15-year-old struggling in the midst of messed-up chaos. (Emma Roberts also turns in a memorable performance as his crush.) The reviews were mixed when the film released in theaters, but if twisted suburbia is your thing (i.e., American Beauty or The Ice Storm), then Lymelife is worth checking out. Bonus material includes an alternate ending.

54%