Life of Pi DVD giveaway – the winner!

I'm happy to announce that the winner of my Life of Pi DVD giveaway is Helen Dickinson!

Congratulations, Helen! I've sent you an email, and you have one week to respond before the giveaway is redrawn.

To all who missed out, don't worry – I'll be holding more giveaways in future. Stay tuned!

Closed for entries | Win a copy of Life of Pi on DVD! [UK Only]

 NOW CLOSED

After a small shopping blunder last week, I have two copies of Life of Pi on DVD. So I've decided to put the extra one up for grabs in a giveaway!

Due to financial reasons, and because the DVD will only play on Region 2 players, you can only enter if you're a blog follower who lives in the UK. Sorry, international followers! Stay tuned for an international giveaway later in the year.

To enter, simply follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below.

The Giveaway closes on 16th June (my blog's birthday!). Good luck!

Breathtaking cinema: Life of Pi

This is one of those rare occasions in which the film completely trumps my impression of the book. If you recall the account of my reading experience I posted a little while back, you'll remember that I struggled to read Yann Martel's novel. I was determined to, though, because I wanted to make sure I was prepared when it came to watching the film adaptation of Life of Pi.

However, as you'll see, it did little to prepare me.

I have never seen a film so beautiful and, for once, 3D played a large part in my enthusiasm. Usually I'm not a fan of 3D, but in Life of Pi it adds a more palpable emphasis to the wonder of the film. The animals are also flawless, appearing inconceivably realistic (I had to keep reminding myself that it's not possible to train a tiger how to act so specifically!). The varying phases of the water, the sky, the vibrant colours on the streets of India... every element is represented magnificently.


But Life of Pi goes far beyond breathtaking cinematography and astounding visual effects.

Spiritual elements in the film are prevalent and extraordinarily powerful, without being preachy. They were particularly detectable to me because in my own life, I'm far from being an atheist. But, in saying that, I'm not a religious person either. Rather, I am spiritual. Similar, in ways, to Pi, I like to take pieces from different religions and create my own ideologies. I'm sure to many people this won't make a lot of sense (at times, I'm not even sure it does to me!), but it's something that provides me with a lot of comfort. Comparatively, Pi likes to grab hold of all his chosen religions and utilise their particulars as well as he can. They are fundamental aspects of his life. So, I found the spirituality of the film very difficult to ignore; particularly as Pi is drifting across the Pacific Ocean with one bloodthirsty Bengal tiger!

All components are strikingly enhanced by the soundtrack, which blossoms from the moment the film starts. Honestly, if Pi's Lullaby doesn't win the Academy Award for best for Best Original Song, I'll be pretty annoyed!


It's also very hard to believe that the actor who plays Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) is brand new to the world of acting. What a challenging role this must be: Pi is the person who carries the entire story on his shoulders. If Suraj's interpretation failed, the movie would have been a disaster. But he pulls it off with incredible strength and self-assurance, and I am very surprised he wasn't nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. I highly recommend that you listen to/watch the Meet the Filmmaker podcast with Ang Lee if you get the chance – the director provides flabbergasting insight into the ways Suraj was prepared as they were filming.

Visually, audibly, spiritually, and emotionally, nothing will top Life of Pi in my eyes. I hope many others get to see this film and be as touched. Ang Lee has truly outdone himself.

A return to Middle Earth form with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [spoiler free]

Last week, I went to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey twice in three days (2D & 3D). I was interested to see if there would be any cinematic continuity, for example would it still feel like a Lord of the Rings franchise film? Would there be an obvious link, or could I see it becoming another version of the Star Wars prequel debacle? And not to mention that I've missed the glory days Peter Jackson's version of Middle Earth! Will the first Hobbit instalment be swiping all the Academy Awards like its predecessors?

My first screening was in 2D on opening day, and it blew me away. Or, more specifically, back to 2004 where The Return of the King left off. Watching The Hobbit in 2D is most definitely the best way to go if you're nostalgic for The Lord of the Rings, and want the same experience. This was exactly what I wanted. I left the cinema in a daze, feeling as though I had been brought back to a time which I've always craved to visit again. It was magnificent, and I didn't want to leave.

Some familiar characters return, for example Frodo (Elijah Wood) and an older Bilbo (Ian Holm), and there's Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Elrond (Hugo Weaving). We even see familiar places: Weathertop, Rivendell, and the Shire are just some. The new faces are also delightful; the dwarves are very well-interpreted, and I loved the unscheduled appearance by Radagast the Brown (a previously unseen Tolkien creation played excellently by Sylvester McCoy).

My only casting complaint is that of Martin Freeman, who plays the younger Bilbo. Though he can pull off the lighter, whimsical side of Bilbo's personality, I wasn't convinced by his portrayal of more serious moments. Maybe Freeman will grow on me.

And then there's 3D, which provides a completely different viewing experience. For a start, Jackson decided that he would film The Hobbit at a frame rate of 48 frames-per-second, instead of the more conventional 24fps. What this means is that because more detail is captured on film, what you see on screen is super-HD quality: you can spot every vain, every spark. You can even decipher each dwarf's face during a chaotic fight scene.

However, while this was impressive, I didn't appreciate it. I found it, at times, gimmicky and distracting. Sometimes I even felt like I was watching a video game (a common complaint, it seems, made by viewers). I certainly didn't feel as awe-struck and nostalgic as I did the first time around. Of course, opinions will be different for each individual. But as I'm a person who wears glasses already, I find it annoying having to put another pair on top of those I'm already wearing! Perhaps that's something I should've taken into account before choosing 3D. Also, I wonder if this seemingly controversial mode of high frame-rate shooting will hinder The Hobbit's chances of full Oscar glory? We'll have to see this awards season.

Otherwise, I loved this first instalment. It steers away from Tolkien's original novel at times, as film adaptations generally do, but I found myself rather accepting of this. The screenwriters have done such a good job and it's obvious that they put in a lot of heart, respect, and research into their reworkings.

Also, if you haven't done so in a while, I'd highly recommend watching The Fellowship of the Ring before going to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – there are some charming little nods between the two which are too good to pass by.

Welcome back, Middle Earth!

Have you seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey? What did you think?

Filmmaking with the Raindance Film Festival

On September 15th I attended the Saturday Film School in London, hosted by Raindance Film Festival. I'd been planning on going for a year, ever since I found a discount off the price via Groupon (£39 instead of £119; a pretty sweet deal!)

During the day, there were four different tutorials. The first was about screenwriting, which is something I've been interested in for a short while. I love watching films and thinking about how someone has created a scene on paper, and then how an actor and director might interpret it.

The tutors were excellent, well established industry people, and had some fantastic tips. The main speaker was Elliot Grove, who is the founder of Raindance. He first told us some of his personal history: growing up in a Canadian Amish family who tried to make him believe that talking pictures were the devil (!), how that led to him falling in love with film, his decision to move to the UK, and then founding the festival.

After that, Elliot talked us through the basics of screenwriting. Here are some interesting bits I wrote down:

• Writers love to procrastinate (definitely me!)
• Screenplays should be very easy to read. If your screenplay is complicated, you're doing something wrong.
• The best way to learn is to read as many scripts as you can get your hands on.
• Copying directly from one screenplay is called plagiarism, but copying from two is called good research (not sure how far this is true, but it made me chuckle!)

After the screenwriting session there was a short break, during which I was bribed into forking out £50 for Raindance membership! Okay, so I wasn't exactly bribed. They just made an announcement that instead of the usual price of £1000, membership was put down to £50. Then, the rascals threw in a massive messenger bag (I'm a sucker for bags), and a data CD with about 50 screenplays on it! They also included a production paperwork data CD, but I didn't have much interest in that. Still, since the whole thing was worth nearly £1,100 altogether, how could I turn it down? Exactly.

So even though everything was pretty interesting and entertaining, my favourite part of the day was when director Patrick Tucker took the stage to give us a tutorial on acting and directing. I don't really have any ambition to do either, but it's intriguing to see how these are put together. Patrick's energy was also very infectious; he led the tutorial with a massive amount of humour while still teaching us useful insights. Many times he asked for volunteers to come up on stage to aid various demonstrations (but I will admit that I ducked down in my seat each time so I wouldn't get chosen!)

Other subjects were covered, for example how to break into the industry, and the legal aspects of filmmaking. We were also shown a few short films which were intended to demonstrate just how easy it can be to make one ourselves – as long as you have access to a camera (even just on a mobile phone), you can make a film that people will enjoy.

If you want to learn more about the Saturday Film School, including future dates and timetables, click here. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in filmmaking – the course makes it sound so simple! Well, simpler than you would normally be led to believe. I enjoyed it so much that I'm thinking of going back for a second dose!

It's official! Peter Jackson confirms The Hobbit films will be a trilogy!

Though the on-screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece The Hobbit was originally shot as two films, director Peter Jackson confirmed today that he will turn the double epic into a trilogy.

He writes:

We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of The Hobbit films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, 'a tale that grew in the telling.' 

You can read the entire message on his Facebook page.

Jackson is on record saying that although every major scene from the book has already been shot (shooting wrapped a couple of months ago), he's been interested in adding scenes that would depict additional notes on Middle Earth, written by Tolkien, at the end of the third Lord of the Rings volume, The Return of the King.

So, at least some of the actors will have to come back and shoot extra scenes to cater the third instalment.

From Entertainment Weekly:

As for where that material might come from, Jackson and his co-writers, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, are already drawing on sources beyond The Hobbit book itself — in particular, some 125 pages of additional notes Tolkien wrote at the end of Return of the King that expanded the world of The Hobbit, which Jackson has the rights to use. As Tolkien purists know, they’ve also taken a few extra liberties, inventing a couple of totally new characters, like Evangeline Lilly’s Elf warrior Tauriel. But Jackson has not yet revealed — and is perhaps still trying to work out — exactly what shape the story would take if, in fact, The Hobbit became a trilogy. 

What do you think? Are you excited about this news, or are you concerned that the films are going to take a few more liberties than are necessary? It does make a person wonder how much footage they actually shot. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was obviously three films because of the three volumes Tolkien wrote, but The Hobbit is just one book (and is much shorter than any of the three LOTR volumes at that). Perhaps, this way, The Hobbit films will be more true to the detail of the book?

Well, we can only wait and see.

The first instalment of The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey, is scheduled to be released worldwide on December 14th, followed by the second, There and Back Again, next Christmas. The third release is being aimed for the summer of 2014.

Matt Bomer as Christian Grey? Do you really think so, Entertainment Weekly?

At about 3am last night, I was just about to go to sleep (try and get me to sleep before 2am, I dare you!) when I stupidly decided to search #MattBomer on Twitter.

Then I found the image above, and proceeded to have a coronary.

Matt Bomer as Christian Grey? Matt Bomer, the most beautiful man in the world (in my humble opinion), talking about the possibility of playing Christian Grey in the upcoming film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey?? Holy crap, that's perfect!

In my late night/early morning state, I was convinced this was a leaked cover image from a future Entertainment Weekly issue. It certainly looks authentic. But various things started refusing to add up, and that other thing called 'reason' began taking over.

First of all, the cover story says, "The wait is over. Matt Bomer talks about changing the white collar for a grey tie." Doesn't that sort of imply he's already taken the role? Before they've found a director, or even written the screenplay?

This isn't something he would do. How do I know? Well, here's what Matt said in an article on HitFix, where he talks about another risque role – playing a stripper in the film Magic Mike:

Bomer says he was "terrified and confused" on why he was considered for the film, but Soderbergh's involvement sealed the deal.

"He's a bucket list director. He's someone I dreamed about working with for my entire life. I knew he'd be the right person to do it and he'd be the right person to tell the story. I read the script and it didn't shy away from the real aspects of this world," Bomer says. "He said, 'Jump off a cliff and I'll catch you.' And we just dove in 150%."

Who knows, perhaps they've written the screenplay and found the director, but are keeping it all a big secret? Hm, seems very doubtful. And, as far as I know, casting comes after both of these are ticked off the list.

Not to mention, what's this about an Oscars pool on the cover? It's a bit out-of-season, isn't it? Add in the fact that season 4 of White Collar has just begun, so why would Matt be showing up on the cover of a magazine talking about a film in the very early stages of development, instead of the TV show in which he currently stars?

Anyway, enough analysing, I think I've convinced myself of its inauthenticity now! But hopefully we won't be waiting much longer for more legitimate Fifty Shades movie news. In the meantime, just enjoy this photoshopped EW cover and continue watching Neal Caffrey out-pretty and out-smart everyone on White Collar.


What do you think of the cover? And who would play your Christian Grey?

Breaking Dawn Part 1 – my after-watching thoughts!

I love it when you step into a movie theatre as a person living in one world, and then a couple of hours later you emerge from it feeling as if you've just entered another. Before long, though, this spell making everything have a, ahem, dazzling quality wears off and the world is once again stale in comparison.

That's how I felt when I watched Breaking Dawn Part 1 on Saturday. Even though I didn't think the film was perfect, by the end I was completely floored! I thought the second half of it was so much better than the first. Don't get me wrong; I loved Bella and Edward's wedding, and Isle Esme was completely gorgeous, plus I thought the arrival scene with the street party in Rio was a fantastic touch (I would've died to have been Bella during those moments!)

But what saved me from checking my watch was Jacob. I've never really been a huge fan of his; in Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse (book-wise and film-wise) I thought he was whiny and overly obnoxious, and really disliked him for being so adamant about hating Edward and trying to take Bella from him. But reading (and watching) Breaking Dawn really changed that.

(Psst! If you haven't read/watched Breaking Dawn, skip this paragraph and resume at the next!) He stops being so arguably selfish and starts showing respect for Bella's decisions and even the entire Cullen family. How he stepped up to protect Bella from Sam's pack was absolutely amazing! I'd say that's my favourite part of Breaking Dawn; when he essentially moves in to the Cullen house and really gets to know all of them more. I love the moment when Carlisle and Esme say something to Jacob about protecting their family, and Jacob turns to them and agrees that he now truly can see them as a family as strong as his own. He definitely won me over right there. Oh man, and those moments when Bella was dying on the operating table? Unreal. Though perhaps a little too much blood for me but what can I say, I'm squeamish!

So now I've hopped on the Team Jacob bus! I'm never going to stop believing that Bella and Edward are meant for each other – Bella and Jacob in my mind just doesn't work. But from the perspective of which character I love the most and appreciate that Bella needs in her life to keep her own sanity in tact, that's where Jacob comes in. He's definitely a loyal werewolf and an amazing friend to have!

I can't wait for Part 2 either. Part 1 ended with the most perfect cliffhanger! Though I do worry what they're going to do with it – if they want the film to do well, they're going to have to adapt the story a whole lot to make it interesting enough. The ending to Breaking Dawn at the moment pretty much lacks the right amount of transferrable cinematic form. So that'll be interesting.

I really want to know now, you guys, whose team are you on: Team Edward, Jacob, or Switzerland? And have you seen Breaking Dawn yet? What did you think?

Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, and rum

I'll admit that I haven't read a single book by Hunter S. Thompson, but there's been a quote of his that has stuck with me the past few years:

'Too weird to live, too rare to die.'

It pretty much fits me perfectly! To myself and to many others, I can be classed as a pretty off-beat person who doesn't really fit in with certain moulds. And up until yesterday when I was watching Johnny Depp promote his new film on The Graham Norton Show – The Rum Diary based on the novel by Thompson – I found out just how much this one quote represented Thompson himself. Have any of you heard about the author's last moments and his funeral? If you haven't, this extract from Wikipedia might astound you:

Thompson died at his self-described "fortified compound" known as "Owl Farm" in Woody Creek, Colorado, at 5:42 p.m. on February 20, 2005, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

What family and police describe as a suicide note was written by Thompson four days before his death, and left for his wife. It was later published by Rolling Stone in the September issue #983. Titled "Football Season Is Over", it read:

"No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun — for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax — This won't hurt."

Artist and friend Ralph Steadman wrote:

"...He told me 25 years ago that he would feel real trapped if he didn't know that he could commit suicide at any moment. I don't know if that is brave or stupid or what, but it was inevitable. I think that the truth of what rings through all his writing is that he meant what he said. If that is entertainment to you, well, that's OK. If you think that it enlightened you, well, that's even better. If you wonder if he's gone to Heaven or Hell, rest assured he will check out them both, find out which one Richard Milhous Nixon went to — and go there. He could never stand being bored. But there must be Football too — and Peacocks..."

On August 20, 2005, in a private ceremony, Thompson's ashes were fired from a cannon atop a 153-foot (47 m) tower of his own design (in the shape of a double-thumbed fist clutching a peyote button - originally used in Hunter S. Thompson's 1970 campaign for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado. It has become a symbol of Thompson and gonzo journalism as a whole) to the tune of Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" and Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Red, white, blue, and green fireworks were launched along with his ashes. As the city of Aspen would not allow the cannon to remain for more than a month, the cannon has been dismantled and put into storage until a suitable permanent location can be found. According to his widow Anita, Thompson's funeral was financed by actor Johnny Depp, a close friend of Thompson.

I think that funeral ceremony can be classed under one of the most bizzare and ingenious send offs in the history of mankind! Just how awesome is that?! Johnny Depp said to Graham Norton on his show that 'he probably thought that I would be the only one crazy enough to carry out his last wishes'!

Now after reading and hearing about Thompson, I want to find out more about him. And a good way into that is to, of course, read his books. I'm going to start reading The Rum Diary sometime this week so I can go and see the film and not feel guilty about not having read the book first! There's another interesting story about the manuscript to this film, as well. Apparently, as Johnny Depp again told Graham Norton, Thompson had written The Rum Diary in the late 50's/early 60's but had never got the book published. It wasn't until Johnny discovered the manuscript a few years ago and encouraged the author to get it printed that it actually make it to the shelves. Those two were a pretty remarkable fit, weren't they? So, seeing as I'm a huge Johnny Depp fan and am now completely intrigued by Mr. Thompson, I must see this film and fast! Then it'll probably be Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for me afterwards.

Seriously, why has it taken me so long to find all this stuff out?! Better than never though.

Any Thompson S. Hunter fans out there that can share some interesting and perhaps bizarre facts?

Books vs. TV & Film adaptations

I don't know about you guys, but I have a love-hate relationship with films and TV shows adapted from books. There's usually something that offends me about the way the story has been translated, whether I've seen the film first or vice versa. Although, this seems to happen to me more with feature-length films than television series's, as I guess the former have a lot less time fit the detail in. But there are times where I just feel they've made a few too many changes. Not all the time, as you shall see, but it's always something that's in the back of my mind.

Here are a few of the adaptations I've seen:

1. The Twilight Saga (The Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer)

I watched Twilight before reading any of the books, initially falling victim to the hype and renting it out on DVD. I wasn't sure if I liked it that much, but went on to read the first installment and absolutely fell in love with it. Aside from preferring New Moon in movie form (not enough Edward in the book), I am more of a fan of the written. Eclipse is by far my favourite of the novels but my least favourite of the films, so needless to say I was pretty dissapointed about that one in particular. But I can't wait for Breaking Dawn Parts 1 & 2 to come out (so curious to see how they handle the whole Renesmee situation!)

2. Confessions Of A Shopaholic (The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella)

Having loved Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic books, I couldn't wait to see Becky on the big screen. But here's another film that fell short of my expectations! I can't understand why they had to change so much of it. Firstly, why is Becky American? I'm sure London is interesting enough. Plus what did they do with Suze? She's completely different in the book! If I was in charge of casting, I would've no way picked Krysten Ritter to play her. So wrong. And Derek Smeath did not need to be that evil because he certainly wasn't in the book. I understand they have to change certain things for more 'cinematic effect', but was this really necessary?

3. Pride and Prejudice – 1995 BBC adaptation (Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen)

This is my absolute favourite adaptation! I don't know if it's because my first experience reading Pride and Prejudice went alongside watching the BBC series as a study aid in school, but I think it captures the magic of the book with incredible precision. Sure there are a few scenes which have been taken out, altered or added in (most notably that famous wet t-shirt scene), but it's done so well. I just love everything - the casting, the locations, the costume, etc. Anyway, you get the point! ;-)

4. Marley And Me (Marley And Me by John Grogan)

I read the book a while ago and so can't remember all the particulars, but I do recall thinking that aside from leaving out a few scenes and altering others, the film pretty much stays true to John Grogan's memoir. I really like both versions, though I can't watch the film too often because the ending makes me bawl my eyes out! It's seriously one of the most touching films I've seen. They did well with this one.

5. The Hobbit (The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Fear not; my time machine is still in the shop! But this adaptation I can't help but speculate about because I'm so. darn. excited! I loved The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and loved reading The Hobbit so I'm very curious about how this will turn out. I do have my concerns though – I've heard that Cate Blanchett will be back as Galadriel and Orlando Bloom as Legolas, but their characters aren't in the book. I'll just trust Peter Jackson for now, though. I really must read The Lord of the Rings books to get some more perspective between now and next Christmas!





Of course, there are loads of famous adaptations that I've left out, like Harry Potter (haven't read the books or seen the films recently), Bridget Jones (haven't read the books yet), Game Of Thrones, Mildred Piece, Revolutionary Road, and so forth.

So let me ask you guys, what are some of your favourite and least favourite adaptations? Do you tend to reach for the film after you've read the book, or do you avoid them at all costs in case they ruin the story for you? I'm all ears!

Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Poor Bilbo Baggins! An unassuming and rather plump hobbit (as most of these small, furry-footed people tend to be ), Baggins finds himself unwittingly drawn into adventure by a wizard named Gandalf and 13 dwarves bound for the Lonely Mountain, where a dragon named Smaug hordes a stolen treasure. Before he knows what is happening, Baggins finds himself on the road to danger. (via amazon.co.uk)

I am so glad to have finally read this book! I've been a fan of The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy for years, and so have been meaning to get around to reading the original works by Tolkien himself. I have to admit though that it was all this talk about the upcoming film adaptation of The Hobbit which gave me the drive to pick up the book itself (these days I'm trying to be good and read the books before I watch the films). Now I can sit back and watch the development of Peter Jackson's latest quest with safe insight into what's coming up!

In terms of the book itself, I was not dissapointed. You really get the feeling that you are an extra member of the excursion to the lonely mountain, following the courageous and intelligent hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the dwarves and the wizard Gandalf on their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain treasures from the evil dragon Smaug. All the changing surroundings and eclectic characters are described beautifully, and while this is a somewhat long and perilous adventure, there is no shortage of magic, cheer or even of song.

Tolkien originally wrote The Hobbit for his children, so if you have kids of your own who enjoy stories of enchantment then it's likely that they'll love this. Of course, the appeal doesn't stop there - there is enough in this book to appeal to many adults. This is also the prelude to The Lord Of The Rings series (though you do not need to read one to enjoy the other), and from what I understand they are more orientated towards an older audience.

Personally, I can't wait to read the rest of Mr Tolkien's books!