Book to Big Screen: Part I

Part I: Been There, Done That

So I've been mentioning lately that I wanted to do a post about upcoming and current books that are being turned into movies, or already are, which started out as a little idea, and evolved into a three part series, that might even become a regular feature. So enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Part I is dedicated to recently released movies that are based on books. Some of them I have seen, some of them I am highly anticipating, and most some of them I haven't seen simply because I haven't read the book yet.

I Am Number Four - February 18, 2011

DVD release: May 24, 2011

Based on I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

This movie was so hyped up, and when I found out that it was a book, I was so pumped! (Also the trailer was absolutely mesmerizing and featured my fav tune Rollin' in the Deep). I read the book straight away, and loved it! The movie was a little bit different, and of course I liked the book better, but overall, I just loved the new take on aliens and the epic romance that was present. Can't wait for the sequel! Read my book review here. Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Diana Agron, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer

Beastly - March 4, 2011

DVD release: June 28, 2011

Based on Beastly by Alex Flinn

Ever since I heard about this book being made into a movie, about 3 years ago, I have been waiting to see it. I read the book right away, but the release date has been pushed back so many times! Cait and I finally saw it (the day it was released) and loved it! Although it wasn't critically acclaimed (and also although I hate Vanessa Hudgens), the movie was so genuine, funny, and cute. The premise is a modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, and it was really well done, in book and film. P.S. Neil Patrick Harris was legen-waitforit-dary in this movie! Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris, Mary-Kate Olsen

Red Riding Hood - March 11, 2011

DVD release: June 14, 2011

Based on Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

Good movie and good book, that were pretty much identical since the book was actually based from the movie. They are obviously based on the original Red Riding Hood fable, but with a little bit of a suspenseful twist. The movie was super creepy, but was really well cast. Read my review for the book here. Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Maz Irons

Water For Elephants - April 22, 2011

Based on Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

I have not yet read the book (ergo, not watched the movie either) based on the sole fact that I have yet to get my hands on the cover that I want. I refuse to buy movie-tie-ins, and I really cannot find the original cover anywhere! I am determined, and I will find it soon. This is supposedly an amazing read, and I have read an excerpt, and loved it! What's not to love about an epic love-story based on such a magical setting? Count me in! Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christopher Waltz

Something Borrowed - May 6, 2011

Based on Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

I have loved this book for years, and was absolutely-freakin'-ecstatic to learn that it was being brought to life with such an amazing cast. The book is amazing, obviously, and the movie was the perfect summer flick: it had romance, lots of humour, and of course some Hamptons! Although morally questionable, this movie was so light and airy, and it comes highly recommended from me. (Although the book was better!) Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski, Colin Egglesfield

Stay tuned for Part II: Up 'N' Comers, which is coming to a blog near you! (Pssst, this one!)

Star-Struck--Cheers & Enjoy♥

Long time, no blog...

So since I reinvented my blog, so to speak, I haven't been blogging as often.  I decided to target my blog more to books, and omit the television component because it was simply too much to keep up with, and was finding that for some shows, I really had to try and say things because some of the episodes weren't really comment worthy.  So of course I will still mention memorable moments on my day to day posts.  But that will be all. 

You will also notice that I changed my blog name to Book♥Hooker. I wanted to change it a) because there were already numerous blogs named ChatterBug and, like of course when I get famous this is soo not acceptable, duh! tehe. b) because I wanted something more targeted to book reviews, because that is what I want my blog to be about, a place where book lovers can come to read reviews and such, and c) I also wanted something more original.

So I chose Book♥Hooker because I wanted something that was related to books, obviously, and because I thought it was fun.  I wanted something to show that books are my passion, but in a totally fun way, like me :)
And thus Book♥Hooker was born.  I just hope that people get that I don't have sex with books for money. (I do not).
Bottom-line: let me know what you think of my new and improved blog so far☺

Now coming full circle, I must say that since I altered my blog, I do not seem to have enough to blog about.  This being caused by the fact that I now need to complete a book before blogging about it.  But I do want to change that soon.  Just not in the near near future because I am really busy.  Which sucks, and let me just say that I am soooo ready for school to be over.  And Summer to start.  Well, not even summer.  I'd settle for spring.  Since it's completely hypothetical I would say Autumn, because that is my favourite season, but that would mean that school would be commencing again, and that is definitely not what I want.  So Spring it is.  Really just anything devoid of snow, and where the chances of getting more snow is pretty nil.

Case in point: After the Winter Casserole that we experienced over the weekend (that consisted of equal parts ice pellets (the weather network's term, not mine), rain, and then snow, actually waaaaay more rain than anything else) let's just say the daily commute has been a little slippery.  A lot slippery, actually, since Sunday.  And might I add that just because you work Downtown and in a pretty Skyscraper tower, does not mean that you are immune to snow, and can wear high heels in the height of winter storminess.  Like come on!, and definitely don't get in my way.  I will push you.  Just watch me.... (actually you will not, in fact, be able to watch me because I will come from behind like an ice-treading ninja, and knock you on your primped out ass!)

Oooo, also since the last time I blogged, I saw a few movies!, and now I will precede to tell you all about them.. YAY.

No Strings Attached
So yes, I admit, I went to see this solo, because Cait is a bully and saw it without me when I have been waiting for her to come to come with me to see it for, only, like, ever. (I'm just joking, I forgive you♥)
I thought it was alright. There is something about it though, that never really gelled with me.  I don't know if it's because I have been struggling with whether or not I hate or love Natalie Portman lately, or because I found the first sex scene between her and Ashton Kutcher so creepily disturbing.  After that it was pretty good, I mean, I love Ashton in anything.  I found that I couldn't really comit fully to Natalie's character though, but I don't know if that is due to the aforementioned notion, or because her character was just really unlikeable and cold altogether.  I did absolutely adore the secondary characters though, and the parallel relationship between Patrice and Eli to be just fantastical!

I Am Number Four
So obviously I have to say something about this movie.  I read the book (because I wanted to see the movie) and I am absolutely obsessed with Alex Pettyfer.  Even more so now!  The movie was actually kinda different from the book, which surprised me only because I think since I read the book right before (which is not usually the case with book-to-movie films) I was expecting it to be identical.  I actually kind of liked how everything went down in the movie, despite it being slightly different, and wasn't really angry like I usually am when this occurs.  I would change the fact, however, that they didn't really talk enough about the planet and all of the history, and also I am completely flabbergasted that they didn't include the training scenes.  I mean, I understand that there is only so much content that can be woven into a 2 hour movie, but at least a little bit could have been touched on!  I also now view Diana Agron in a totally different way.  She is so mature in the movie, and so different from her pretty shallow character in Glee.  I definitely look at her completely different now, and am really looking forward to seeing what else she can do.

Beastly
Also a book-to-movie film, and also one that I have been waiting to come out for over 2 years!  I first learned that this book was being turned into a movie when I was in my first year, 2008, and read the book then (actually, I borrowed it from this exact library).  It was supposed to come out, I think two times last year, but continued to get pushed to a later date, so I was understandably elated when I learned that it's debut was so soon!  And it definitely didn't disappoint.  Which is pretty amazing to say the least because I went in with a pretty pessimistic attitude, since I absolutely loathe Vanessa Hudgens.  But she also surprised me, and I found her overall quite likeable.  Of course Alex Pettyfer was completely delectable, and also turned out to bring quite a bit of humour into the movie as well.  Also a sure thing was Neil Patrick Harris, who I was actually a little bit weary of seeing in this movie, my thinking being that it would be too serious for him.  He was in fact fantastic as well, and really quite hilarious.  Me and Cait also loved all of the parallelisms to the original Beauty and the Beast, one of our favs.

I really do hope that Alex Pettyfer is cast in the lead of one of my favourite book series getting projected on the big screen, The Mortal Instruments.  I think he would be absolutely perfection playing Jace Wayland

More after Reading--Cheers & Enjoy♥

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Nine of us came here.  We look like you.  We talk like you.  We live among you.  But we are not you.  We can do things you dream of doing.  We have powers you dream of having.  We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.  We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books-but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them.  But they found us and started hunting us first.  Now all of us are running.  Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in.  We have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They Killed them all.

I am Number Four.  I am Next.                                                 -Chapters Canada


This book was pretty amazing.  I did see it a lot before I decided to read it, the movie tie-in version that is (which I loathe for any book!), as I passed by chapters, and a little bit on the Internet.  There were some factors that made me want to read it, though, as with any book.
 
First of all, I realized that it is a movie as well.  Both I had been aware of, but hadn't really put together that they were one and the same until about two weeks before the movie release.  I instantly knew I had to read it, because of course any book-to-movie fandango needs to be book then movie, in that order, and that order only.  Also, the fact that Alex Pettyfer plays the lead in the movie was pretty persuasive, as I can see that he is gonna be like THE hit new face around Hollywood for at least the next little while (you really do not even want me to elaborate on my prediction).  Thirdly, the author(s), whom are cleverly anonymiscized by the pseudonym Pittacus Lore, is made up in part by James Frey.  This intrigues me immensely, as I have of course read A Million Little Pieces (and only part of My Friend Leonard, probably the only book EVER that I have not finished) and am terribly familiar with the Oprah controversy that surrounds Frey.  I also have a certain fondness for Diana Agron (she plays the love interest in the movie) due to her being one of the stars of Glee.. and come one, I would die for Glee..

Anyway, so now you know some of the background.
Having said that, this book was marvelous, had me hooked from the beginning.  It is sci-fi, but in a very humanistic and subtle way, I found.  Kinda of dystopian as well, which made me reminiscent of The Uglies trilogy/saga by Scott Westerfeld, in the way that they mention Earth in a very allegorical way, that serves to warn us ready, subtly, of the harm we cause our planet every day, and the possible consequences.  Love that.

I also want to mention, before I get into detail, that the romantic aspect was delicious, and I hope to see it carried through the series :)


Spoiler Alert: Don't read after this point if you don't want to know specific book details!


The book starts out very intriguingly, introducing us into the novel ideas that surround John and Henri, and their planet, Lorien.  We learn quite fast that they are in danger.  John especially, since he is Number Four in line, the first three already killed.  When John gets the third tattoo on his leg, he knows that Number Three is dead.  This means that they need move again, which is all that they really know since arriving on Earth, when their planet and race were absolutely obliterated by Mogadorians.  There are many other important details that I'm not going to get into now, but I find them all interesting and new, and that is pretty important to me, as, since I've read so many books, I rarely run into book concepts that don't remind me of another book and are completely unique in themselves.

After moving to Paradise, Ohio, it doesn't take John long to fall for fair Sarah Hart.  This is really quite obvious, but still in a very obvious way.  So John is continually told by Henri (his guardian from Lorien) to keep a low profile, so that they won't be tracked by the Mogadorians, but John's Legacies (powers) are just now emerging, and he of course cannot help but to use them at various times to save Sarah.

Of course this leads to the Mogadorians arriving, right after John is forced to tell Sarah the truth about himself.  The books ends shortly after this, after an almost too good to be true fight (almost was too easy, but I guess I can let it go, just this once).  Number Six shows up, and Henri dies, which I still don't quite want to believe is the truth :(  .  The book is a series, and now I guess that John and Six are gonna meet up with the remaining four numbers, to battle it out with the Mogadorians, so they can save the Earth and return to their planet.

I just hope John comes back for Sarah.
And does not fall for Six, which was subtly foreshadowed in the novel.
Although, I may have to come back and remind myself of what I am thinking now, because we all know how easily swayed I am by a little romance :D


Wanting to continue--Cheers & Enjoy♥