BuzzSugar

The Golden Compass: Visually Cool, Otherwise Frustrating

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:30:00 PST

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,

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 PST

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 PDT

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

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 PDT

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,

Source

The Hunger Games and 13 Other Frequently Challenged Sci-Fi Books

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:14:16 PDT

This month the American Library Association updated its list of frequently challenged books for the 2011 year, and one wildly popular novel is making its way up the rankings of this infamous list. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, which first appeared at number five of Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books in 2010, is now third on the list for attempts to remove its contents from school curriculum and library bookshelves. The complaints against the books include text that is anti-ethnic and anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult scenes, and violence.

Despite First Amendment protection, banning or attempting to challenge books has a long history, with many cases even making it to the US Supreme Court. As the American Library Association explains: "books usually are challenged with the best intentions-to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." Science fiction and fantasy books often contain these themes that some find questionable, whether it's alien life forms, magical powers, or mystical worlds. In honor of Banned Books week, we're rounding up the most challenged science fiction and fantasy books according to the ALA. Browse the list below!

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - The stories of the wizarding world are seen by challengers to have occult and violent themes.
Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer - Its movie stars may provoke pandemonium, but critics of the book say it's too sexually explicit.
His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman - The series beginning with The Golden Compass is often decried for its anti-religious viewpoints.
The Giver by Lois Lowry - Despite the book's message of freedom of choice, criticisms are made for the fictional dystopia's bleak family outlook.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Offensive language, racism, and insensitivity are often cited in challenges to the future dystopian novel.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - The tale of a future world where the printed word is banned and systemically burned was criticized for offensive language.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Children's search through space and time for their vanished father is often challenged for the inclusion of supposed witches.

Follow the break for more challenged books of the last 20 years.

James Franco Talks Staying in School, Bromance, and His Sword Skills as He Promotes Your Highness

Lindsay Miller — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:01:00 PDT

James Franco plays the swashbuckling and sexy Prince Fabius in the upcoming Your Highness. When his lady love is kidnapped by an evil wizard, he and his ne'er-do-well brother, played by his former Pineapple Express costar Danny McBride, set out on a quest to rescue her. Hijinks, sword fights, and stoner humor ensue. James was on hand for the movie's recent press day in Beverly Hills, where he talked about gearing up for the movie's fight scenes, the secret to a solid bromance, and why he's still pursuing his college career despite his success as an actor. Here are some highlights:

On the attention his college career has gotten: "Well, it's hard. It's out of my hands, really. I really went to school for myself, and sometimes I forget that it's not actually a public act. I'm there to learn and better myself and that part of my life is not a performance, but in some ways, it kind of has become material for public discussion, to the point where The New York Times is like, interviewing my teachers. But I don't mind. I'm proud of everything I'm doing. I guess it's just that part of my life is a performance, and I perform as a job, and then part of it's kind of not. But what can you do? I can't control it."
On why people think he's so busy: "Well, there's also this phenomenon where people do like to announce movies that they think I'm doing that I'm not. Somebody just doesn't have time to do all the movies that people claim that I'm going to do. Or, I have acquired the rights to a lot of books that I love, and I think it helps the writers to sell their books if they announce my attachment. But it doesn't mean I'm going to make the movies in the next year or two or three."

On brushing up his sword skills for Your Highness: "Danny was the writer, so he conveniently wrote his character as someone who was very bad with swords so he didn't have to train at all. I trained a bit, but I had done literally nine months of training, seven days a week, for Tristan and Isolde, because I was a young actor that didn't know that was insane. And I didn't get to use much of it in that film, so I got to use it in this movie."

For the rest of James's interview, just

On his favorite funny moment from the film: "I think we had a hard time with the wise wizard, too. Because we were acting with a puppet, and we were short on time that day, so it was actually causing problems that we couldn't finish it. So that was a scene that was hard to do."
On the movies that inspired his performance: "The first film I ever saw in a movie theater when I was very young was The Dark Crystal. And I'd see that repeatedly in the theater, and then The Neverending Story, and the original Clash of the Titans. We'd watch that. They're a little hokey now, but they still have a lot of charm."
On the secret to Your Highness's bromance: "Somebody earlier today said we might have ruined this genre for anyone that wants to treat it seriously, because it really is hard to make an earnest fantasy film, and until Lord of the Rings and maybe the Harry Potter series, there haven't been too many that have been embraced by an older audience. Usually they were thought of as kids' films. So actually, I kind of played the character pretty earnestly, and because it's a comedy, we can get away with a lot of the cheesiness that can maybe hurt a film that's completely earnest. Then you can actually address some of the real feelings and real dynamics between brothers and jealousy . . . That's kind of the secret of bromances. You can talk about relationships between guys and brothers because it's a comedy, and if it wasn't a comedy, it would probably just be boring or cheesy."

Brendan Brazier Shared His Secrets to Optimum Health, Energy, and Youth

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:41:27 PDT

Beyond being a professional triathlon competitor, Brendan Brazier has covered his nutritional bases. Brendan's the creator of the "Thrive Diet," a nutritional plan to improve performance and recovery and has developed Vega shakes, a line of nutrient rich vegan protein shakes. He regularly tours the US to give speeches about how to have optimal health. The author of two books, Brendan will release Thrive Foods: 200 Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health on Sept. 6. While on the road, Brendan talked to us about his favorite foods, how he stays young, and how to have abundant energy.

FitSugar: What is one food that you crave for every meal?
Brendan Brazier: I like greens – anything high in minerals and chlorophyll, like kale, spinach, broccoli, algae, and spirulina. Greens are highly alkaline-forming, which helps reduce inflammation. For an athlete, that's huge. Green are high in protein too, but a lot of people don't know that dark greens are 45 percent protein. Some algae is up to 65 percent protein.

FS: Do you have any guilty pleasures when it comes to food?
BB: I really don't. I've eaten this way for so long that my palate really does crave greens and good stuff. Once in a while I'll have some brown rice, which is not bad at all, but when you compare the nutrient density to other things like greens, it is less nutrient dense.

Guillermo del Toro Believes "Very, Very Strongly" in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Allie Merriam — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:00:00 PDT

Guillermo del Toro is the force behind this weekend's Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and he recently spoke about his involvement with the Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce film during a NYC press day. Troy Nixey directed the scary movie, with del Toro operating behind the scenes as a producer and "presenter." Del Toro discussed what his duties included and how he stuck to his original vision for the picture. He also revealed his favorite movies, admiration for the young actress Bailee Madison, and how he thinks perpetuating the weak-females-in-horror-movies cliche is immoral.

On their film having an R rating despite little sex or profanity: "We shot the movie carefully - no profanity, no sex - and it’s not graphic at all. There’s not a single moment when you see anything gory, but when we asked the MPA, 'What would it need to change?' they said, 'The whole movie. It’s too intense . . . it’s intensity with a child.' And frankly, at that point, they said something really nice! They said, 'Why ruin a perfectly good R-rated movie?' Which I thought was very nice coming from them. So we wore it as a badge of honor."
On working with Bailee: "I think the term 'child actor' is a mistake. They're either actors, or they're not; whatever they are, at any age. If a kid is a real actor, he’s a thrill."
On attaching his name to a movie, despite not directing it: "I only presented three movies, one in Spain and The Orphanage internationally, and this is the third time. I only do it when - (a) I am introducing a filmmaker to the world, but (b) I endorse and say I believe in this movie very, very strongly. For whatever reason, it’s a more risky proposition in one way, but it’s one that I believe needs to continue to support first-time filmmakers. . . . I only do it when I fully believe I was involved in the product in a way that is meaningful."
On his favorite movies: "When DVDs came out I made a solemn promise to my wife that I’m just going to get my 10 favorite movies - which are really 7,000 movies. But instinctively, which may change tomorrow, I’d say Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Erich von Stroheim’s Greed, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, Beauty and the Beast. It’s almost impossible to make this list. I’d say all Chaplin and Hitchcock . . . it’s impossible. It’s a horrible dilemma."

To read what Guillermo said about the movie's 10-year development period, the importance of storytelling, and female protagonists in horror films, just

On what happened to his film after a long period of development: "I left [the movie] at a dimension exactly where I thought it was ready, after a couple of drafts. And then 10 years later, they had done every permutation with every director - the creatures became giant bugs that impregnated woman and took them to the caves! I went back and recuperated the draft exactly where I left it, and that’s the movie we shot. . . . We avoided a lot of the cliche that would have happened had it gone [the studio's way]. Certainly the ending is not what you expect from a major movie where every character is going to be running away from a ball of fire or jumping into the pool or something."
On his love of a good story: "I think it is primordial. I think I’ve been quoted many, many times over many, many years, talking about storytelling, which I think is a primal function of the higher human being. The thing that scares me the most is that we live in a reality TV world that we raise everything to the most materialistic, brutally, merciless level of materialism that is really, really revolting, because if that’s all we are then I want to get out of the show, frankly."
On making movies with female protagonists: "I think that the genre of horror, if you go with the scream queen mentality, you create victims. But some of the greatest female roles go to great actresses in horror. I think of Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby - an incredible, compelling role that any actress should be super happy to do. Or think about Nicole Kidman in The Others and Belen Rueda in The Orphanage. I think the genre can create some of the best, most powerful female roles ever for any actor. In our society, to reinforce the horror films that just create victims, create female characters that are waiting to be rescued, really, really to me [are] almost immoral and all the movies I can be involved in, in any of them, even the most commercial ones, I carefully try to avoid re-creating weak, rescue-able female characters."

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:05:00 PST

Today's group of new DVDs is a pretty diverse bunch. There's heart-pounding entertainment, romance, and a powerful documentary. If you're keeping track of the Oscar-nominated films you've seen, then one of these releases will help you out with your task.

Unstoppable

An expert engineer (Denzel Washington) and a rookie conductor (Chris Pine) band together to stop a runaway train carrying dangerous explosive materials in this Oscar-nominated action flick. Even though the plot is simplistic, the non-stop pace will keep you hooked from beginning to end. The extras on the DVD include a director's commentary track and a featurette on the script development.

86%

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Josh Brolin stars as Roy, a writer whose career and marriage to his wife Sally (Naomi Watts) have both gone downhill. To combat his boredom, he stares out the window at his gorgeous neighbor (Freida Pinto), while Sally forms a crush her boss (Antonio Banderas). Even though it's not Woody Allen's best, the film still has a few charming moments.

46%

One more release when you

Waiting For "Superman"

This acclaimed documentary from Davis Guggenheim examines the shortcomings of the American public school system. By following several children and their families over a period of time, Guggenheim exposes the way our school system has declined, and what we must do to change it. Extras on the DVDs include deleted scenes and five featurettes such as a conversation with the director and updates on the lives of the students featured in the film.

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