BuzzSugar

Should Young Adult Authors Be Careful With Their Messages?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:30:36 -0700

Now that the Twilight series's popularity has reached a deafening pitch with the release of Breaking Dawn, there is starting to be a bit of blowback, particularly concerning the messages it might be sending to young, female readers. Many have noted Bella's low self-esteem, stating that she may not be the best role model for the young tweens captivated by this tale of vampire love.

But Twilight is not the first young adult series to cause a stir. C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia books were often accused of having heavy religious undertones, while Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (which includes The Golden Compass) has weathered the opposite criticism as a purportedly negative portrayal of organized religion.

Do you think young adult authors have a greater responsibility to their readers when it comes to messages they might be sending? Or is the simple fact that they get kids reading good enough?

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:30:58 -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. In addition to the titles below, you can now rent or own the fourth season of Beverly Hills 90210, which - according to Netflix and my memory-includes moments like Andrea finding out she's pregnant and Brandon meeting Bill Clinton!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is based on an astonishing true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the one-time glamorous editor of Elle France living the high life when he suddenly suffers a stroke and is rendered paralyzed except for the movement of one eyelid. From a premise that sounds unspeakably bleak, director Julian Schnabel (nominated for an Oscar for his work on this film) takes Bauby's own words and whips them into a film imbibed with gorgeous images and touching performances to tell what is actually a very hopeful and life-affirming tale.

I enjoyed this movie very much and think you should consider bumping it up to the top of your queue today. Special features include a featurette titled "Submerged: The making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"and a Charlie Rose interview with Julian Schnabel.

Two more titles after the jump, so read more.

27 Dresses
It seems as if we are about to get somewhat bombarded with fun films to see with girlfriends (Sex and the City, Made of Honor) but if you're looking for a head start, you can pick up 27 Dresses this week starring Katherine Heigl.

It's probably no surprise that this is a formulaic romantic comedy; however, despite how predictable the plot was, I couldn't resist its charms and found it extremely enjoyable. You have to be in the mood for love and romance (and wedding cliches) but Heigl is charming as the eternal bridesmaid whose 26th and 27th turn standing beside a bride catch the eye of a journalist even though she's deeply smitten with her boss (Ed Burns). Love triangle! Silly moments! Gather the girls, microwave some popcorn, and settle in for a night of fabulous movie escapism.

The DVD is packed with deleted scenes and special featurettes, including titles like "The Wedding Party" and "You'll Never Wear That Again."

The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass is many things, but at the top of my list of reasons to see this film are the amazing, Oscar nominated visual effects that completely bring to life the world Philip Pullman has created in his novels. The story follows an orphan named Lyra who is given a golden compass that allows her to see the truth of things. Her adventure leads her to an evil icy lady (Nicole Kidman) who claims she wants to help kids by taking away their ability to think freely, and it is up to Lyra to save the children from this plan. Definitely appropriate for anyone looking for a new family friendly rental this week.

Special features include clips that explore the origins of the film and how the filmmakers approached adapting the popular novel for the screen.

Oscar Nominee: The Golden Compass for Art Direction

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:32:39 -0800

Every week up until the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees in the various visual categories. This week, I'm looking at the nominees for Best Art Direction, which encompasses the entire look and feel of a film from the scenery to the lighting. So far we've looked at stills from two other nominees in this category: American Gangster and Atonement. Today I bring you images from The Golden Compass.

Cheesy as this sounds, The Golden Compass really is a feast for the eyes. The imaginative, whimsical visuals stunningly bring to life the fantasy world as described in Philip Pullman's novels. The rich, golden hues and mystical landscapes give the appearance of a far-off world, but it's all so textured and lifelike, you get pulled in as though this place and these characters actually exist before you. I found this movie so visually mesmerizing and vivid, it seemed entirely possible by the end that I might encounter a talking polar bear or come to possess a magical compass. See what I mean?

For many more stills from The Golden Compass, read more.

View 19 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema

Buzz In: What Are the Best Book-to-Film Adaptations of 2007?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:03:21 -0800

It seems to be all the rage to find fodder for movies within books these days, and 2007 featured a good number of book-to-film adaptations. Aside from the beloved Harry Potter movie, this year's projects were met with varied success. The Golden Compass, based on the first of Philip Pullman's series His Dark Materials was not exactly praised by either those who read the book or those who had not. I Am Legend, though popular at the box office, managed to irritate some fans of Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel in its transition to film.

There were some success stories, as well. Bridge to Terabithia, for example, will never be as great on screen as it is in one's imagination, but I was pleased with what they did with the movie version. And, of course, I believe Atonement is a fine example of how to create an excellent film that can stand on its own as a piece of art while still honoring the original text.

What do you think about this year's adaptations? Which ones worked the best, and which ones probably should have just stayed on the bookshelf?

Golden Compass Tops the Box Office, Studio Still Disappointed

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:30:00 -0800

The Golden Compass opened this past weekend to the tune of $26 million, easily taking the top spot at the box office, but still disappointing New Line studio heads who'd expected more like $30-40 million. This is especially frustrating given the $180 million it took to make the film.

Enchanted followed behind The Golden Compass in its third week in theaters, bringing in $10.7 million while This Christmas came in at No. 3. Fred Claus inched its way from sixth place to fourth this weekend, as audiences perhaps sought out more holiday-themed fare. Beowulf rounded out the top five with $4.4 million.

This upcoming weekend I predict the top films will be I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks, though it should also please many folks that Juno finally opens in more cinemas this weekend.

Photo courtesy of New Line

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

Which Do You Want to See More: Atonement or The Golden Compass?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:45:59 -0800

This upcoming weekend's big movie releases are the romantic period drama Atonement and the fantasy adventure The Golden Compass. If you could only see one of these this weekend, which would it be?

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Buzz News Roundup, 11/14

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:42:14 -0800

Variety has news on the sequel to the Thomas Crown Affair, which will again star Pierce Brosnan, though Rene Russo will not reprise her role.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Steven Spielberg will receive the Cecil B. DeMille award at this year's Golden Globes, while Rumer Willis has been named Miss Golden Globe.
ComingSoon reports that Kate Bush will write a song titled "Lyra" for the closing credits of The Golden Compass.
Jay-Z jumped over the Eagles and Britney to obtain the No. 1 spot with his American Gangster album, writes Billboard.
Variety reports that Jada Pinkett Smith will be making her directorial debut with the drama The Human Contract, which she also wrote.
Speaking of Star Trek today, according to ComingSoon, two more have joined the JJ Abrams project: Chris Hemsworth and Clifton Collins Jr.
According to NME, there will soon be a Gorillaz documentary called - what else? - Bananaz.
Rosemary's Baby writer Ira Levin has died at age 78, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
Bravo is planning a Top Chef holiday special; what few details there are can be found at The Futon Critic.

Fall Movie Preview: Fantasy Adventure

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today's preview features three other-worldly movies (and for those of you who are fans of science-fiction, fear not - I'll do a separate sci-fi preview post!).

The Golden Compass
This movie isn't even opening until December 7 yet there's already crazy buzz around it and its star-studded cast (Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green). The movie, based on the bestselling trilogy of His Dark Materials novels by Phillip Pullman follows Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who, while rescuing her kidnapped friend, is drawn into a quest to save her world. There's already a fun, flashy website for the movie, and we've gotten to see a trailer, a 5-minute preview, and a behind-the-scenes look - all for a film that doesn't even open for over four months! Well, the hype has worked to draw me in, and I can't wait to catch The Golden Compass on the big screen.

More fantastic fall flicks if you read more

Beowulf
Speaking of star-studded casts, lots of well-known folks (Angelina Jolie, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich) appear - kind of - in this computer-animated telling of the classic text Beowulf. For many, the title conjures up memories of sophomore year English class, but it looks like Neil Gaiman (who adapted the work for the screen) and director Robert Zemeckis are hoping Beowulf will be a breathless adventure full of war and seduction. Or, as seductive as people with those CGI "dead eyes" can get, anyway. Check out the trailer for Beowulf before it opens in theaters November 16.

The Water Horse
This tale of a boy and his creature friend is also based on a novel, this time by the same author who wrote Babe. Starring Ben Chaplin (remember The Truth About Cats and Dogs?!) and Emily Watson, The Water Horse brings us the story of a lonely boy (Alex Etel) in Scotland who finds a mysterious egg. The egg hatches into the Loch-Ness monster and is quickly feared by many - except for the boy. Check out the cute trailer (baby Loch-Ness is so adorable!) before The Water Horse opens December 25.

Compass and Beowulf images source
Water Horse image source

The Golden Compass 5-Minute Preview

BuzzSugar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:15:00 -0700

Another of the many things I missed by not going to Comic-Con this year was a 5-minute preview screening of The Golden Compass. Thankfully, the clip is now online, and I'm so glad. There are flying witches, duty-bound polar bears, sassy daemons and Nicole Kidman acting more icy-cold than you've ever seen her. I've rarely been this excited to see something that isn't coming out for another four months or so (December 7, to be precise), but if you watch the preview you'll see what I mean, so read more

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