Movie, music, and television reviews from a select group of bloggers.
'Larry Crowne' stars Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks film a scene in Los Angeles. 'Larry Crowne' opens June 30. (Bruce Talamon/EFE/Newscom)
Larry Crowne: Blogger movie review
The recessionary spirit has started to manifest itself in American cinema at full force, and thanks to “Larry Crowne,” it has entered mainstream romantic comedy. While it’s less like “Up in the Air” and more like a double-length sitcom episode, the movie works as a reminder that dignity, integrity, and the will to work are three powerful weapons against the tough times facing our country. This commentary mostly takes a backseat to the been there, done that genre tropes – but just the fact that it has subtext makes it deeper than just about every romantic comedy in the past decade.
Say what you will about the declining power of movie stars, but I don’t think this movie would have worked without its marquee names, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. We’ve all seen the good-natured person melt the cold exterior of someone else, although “Larry Crowne” does invert it by making the man nice and the woman chilly. The characters are one-dimensional; Hanks’ Larry being an embodiment of good while Roberts’ Mercedes Tainot representing a heart hardened by a bad marriage and the frustrating public education system.
Yet it’s watchable, even fun, because our heads process it as Erin Brockovich falling in love with Forrest Gump. The romance isn’t good enough to be cared about if we were watching two no-name indie actors, and we accept it because we have a history with these two actors and we trust them. We aren’t watching Larry Crowne; we are watching Josh Baskin, Andrew Beckett, Joe Fox, and Chuck Noland. Similarly, we aren’t watching Mercedes Tainot; we are watching Vivian Ward, Julianne Potter, Maggie Carpenter, and Anna Scott. Where the script lacks, the decades we have spent having these two actors entertain us compensates. (So if you aren’t a fan of either of the actors, maybe it’s best to steer clear.)
When it’s not quietly extolling American virtues, “Larry Crowne” is light, breezy, and warm. Its titular character meets an interesting cast of characters at the local community college, explores new hobbies and passions, and confronts the changes in his life with determination and willpower. While I expect a little bit more from Nia Vardalos, the woman who had me in tears of laughter with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” in the way of humor, the movie has a sort of pleasant wit to it. Combined with the likability factor of Hanks and Roberts, the movie makes for a nice and decently satisfying watch. B /
Marshall blogs at Marshall and the Movies.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Robotic giant and occasional truck Optimus Prime strikes a pose in 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.' (Paramount Pictures/Zuma/Newscom)
'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' - The Screen Rant review
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (aka Transformers 3) is a great summer blockbuster experience. It’s not a perfect film – bogged down by some plot-holes, lack of development in some of the new robot characters (as well as returning humans), and an overlong run time -- but in a summer that’s been punctuated by some major disappointments, Dark of the Moon delivers unparalleled big screen spectacle, and is arguably the best film in the series.
For anyone unfamiliar with series -- or anyone still reeling from the convoluted Revenge of the Fallen plot - Dark of the Moon centers around a half-century old conspiracy: the 1960s space race was actually a response to a downed Autobot ship, The Ark, which crash-landed on Earth’s moon back in 1961. As a result, the Apollo 11 mission wasn’t just about getting to the moon before the Soviets – it was primarily a mission to investigate and recover the extraterrestrial technology in the Ark. When a piece of recovered Transformers machinery hints at the Ark’s location, The Autobots and their human allies -- Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), Lt. Colonel Lennox (Josh Duhamel), Agent Simmons (John Turturro), and Carly Spencer (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) -- are forced to confront a larger Decepticon plot that could lead to the annihilation of both the Autobots and the entire human race.
The plot of Dark of the Moon serves as a decent backdrop for the impressive set pieces and actually adds to the onscreen action -- instead of merely filling in time between explosions. The improvements only further showcase how much Revenge of the Fallen must have been affected by the WGA strike, since everything in Dark of the Moon is substantially more coherent – even for a movie about cybernetic organisms battling to the death. That said, even at a run time of 153 minutes, there are still a number of plot-holes, as well as several spans of time where the film drags – especially leading into act two.
Like Bay’s prior Transformers films, human drama is the main culprit, sometimes undermining the momentum of the larger story arcs. Dark of the Moon, more than either of its predecessors, struggles to find a compelling place for leading man Sam Witwicky. While the character has some genuinely entertaining moments (most notably an Office Space-like work commentary), the scenes of Sam’s personal life, set-against the struggles of the Autobots and U.S. military, still seem at odds.
Surprisingly, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a welcome improvement in the love-interest department – though her actual character, Carly Spencer, has less of an edge than Megan Fox’s Mikaela Banes. For the most part, despite her professional success, Carly is relegated to damsel in distress – where Banes was presented as a more capable companion for Sam. Unlike the prior installments, the relationship doesn’t bog the film down too much -- leaving room for the ensemble cast to do a bit more heavy-lifting. John Malkovich and Alan Tudyk join the franchise to provide comic relief, alongside the returning John Turturro, who is genuinely entertaining and less over-the-top this round.
A number of fan-favorite Transformers also return, including Autobots Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Sidewsipe (thankfully not The Twins, Skids and Mudflap), as well as Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave, among others. Characters that got short-shrift in Revenge of the Fallen are featured more prominently this round -- Soundwave and Sideswipe specifically -- which somewhat makes up for how little audiences got to see them last time. Dark of the Moon also introduces several new bots, including Optimus Prime’s predecessor, Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), as well as the infamous Decepticon, Shockwave. Unfortunately, neither of the new bots gets as much development as they deserve (Shockwave especially).
Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson also reunite, aiding in one of the other improved elements of the film – the implementation of NEST and military forces. By the time the film lands in Chicago (that epic set piece featured in the trailer) the city is a complete warzone, leaving room for viewers to finally see a believable Autobot/Human resistance effort.
As a result, instead of simply shooting at the same enemies as their Autobot allies, the human soldiers (along with the larger military machine) are given genuine moments to shine – and opportunities to turn the tide. Being the last installment in Bay’s trilogy (until the box office profits spawn a fourth film), the death toll for recognizable characters is dramatically higher, offering some intense and brutal moments that will likely shock audiences and can, at times, solicit a surprising amount of emotion.
While some moviegoers might wish for the film to speed past the dramatic buildup, the wait will undoubtedly be worth it: the final hour of Dark of the Moon is an all-out action fest, with some of the coolest visuals ever put to film. The trailers for the movie certainly give-away some of the more awe-inspiring moments; however, they also held back plenty of footage that provide audiences with a number of great battle sequences.
Bay also improves upon a major problem with the prior installments – frantic camera work that turned epic set-pieces into blurry swirls of robot action. Dark of the Moon features a set of slow-motion action beats which, in any other movie, might seem overused. But here, the slow-motion allows for moviegoers to really hone-in on the eye-popping visuals (which look especially impressive in 3D).
As for the aforementioned and oft-talked-about 3D camerawork: Dark of the Moon falls-short of overtaking the must-see theatrical experience of James Cameron’s Avatar, but still manages to set a new bar for 3D blockbuster action. At times, the 3D is wasted on static shots of humans talking in an office building; however, when the action starts ramping up, it’s easy to see how filmmakers can offer a 3D experience worthy of the added ticket price -- if they know how to use the format deliberately and intelligently, as Bay does.
If you’ve already seen the film and want to talk about various plot details without ruining it for others, head over to our Transformers: Dark of the Moon spoilers discussion.
However, if you’re still on the fence about Transformers: Dark of the Moon, check out the trailer below:
Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick — and let us know what you thought of the film below.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is now playing in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D theaters.
Ben Kendrick blogs at Screen Rant.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
The Swell Season at Silverdocs: Q&A
I know it won’t exactly come as a newsflash, but love stories in the movies don’t always reflect the reality of love stories in real life. Real world romance of the sort that made Walt Disney famous – that stuff fades. But love, the kind rooted in mutual admiration, creative collaboration or a shared moment in time, that stuff lives well beyond the expiration date of the actual relationship. At least that’s what I took away from The Swell Season. The film kicked off the ninth annual documentary festival in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Monday evening with a special screening and post-film Q and A with the filmmakers.
The documentary directed by newcomers Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis, follows the eponymous band as they travel around the U.S. on a concert tour. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the folk-rock singers behind The Swell Season, shot to fame after starring in the sleeper hit Once and winning an Academy Award for best original song (“Falling Slowly”). Their on-screen romance soon turned into an off-screen romance that is tested by the rigors of sudden fame.
Shot in black and white, The Swell Season features lush musical numbers intercut with intimate portraits of Hansard and Irglova negotiating their relationship as both a couple and a creative duo. Scenes of Hansard back at home in Ireland talking with his mother and alcoholic, ex-prize fighter father show how Hansard’s success has become proxy for his parents’ own lost hopes and dreams. They provide context for the angst that Hansard brings to his music — the same tortured artist mentality that ultimately plays a hand in his romantic split with Irglova.
For those who have not seen Once (and while it’s been in my Netflix cue for over a year now, I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m one of them) some of the chronology and plot points of the story can be confusing at times, but the film more than compensates for this. The beauty and energy of the music alone are worth the price of admission, but ultimately it’s the way the filmmakers have so deftly captured the raw and honest intimacy of Hansard and Irglova’s personal and artistic collaboration that make The Swell Season worth watching.
The screening was followed by a Q and A with two of the film’s three directors, Nick August-Perna and Chris Dapkins and moderated by Bob Boilen NPR creator and host of All Song Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts.
Q: How did you get involved with the story?
CD: We didn’t know the film or the story at all. I had never seen Once but Carlo had Glen as a film student — Glen was dabbling in film – and heard the story.
Q: What was the film you set out to make and how does the finished piece we just saw stay true to or differ from that vision?
CD: Glen wanted to make a jubilant romp of a tour documentary [audience laughter]. We didn’t know what the film would be other than documenting their tour. We were open to seeing what happened along the way. We patiently waited for the story to emerge and what we got ultimately was an intimate portrait of a relationship.
Q: How did you guys get hooked up as a filmmaking team and what’s next?
NAP: Chris and Carlo grew up together [in upstate New York]. Carlo and I met in grad school for film. This is our first feature as a group and the rest is history yet to be told.
Q: This film seems like it presented some special challenges. You’re filming on a bus going down bumpy roads, and the audio seems like it would be challenging. How did go about capturing the sound?
NAP: I think I read somewhere that Stanley Kubrick said “making a film is like trying to write War and Peace in a bumper car [audience laughter]. We were rolling through the countryside on the tour bus breaking lens adapters and trying out different mics. That unknown can be scary but it also leads to a different type of documentary. There’s a sense of discovery.
CD: It took us three years to make. We would shoot on and off one or two weeks at a time depending on what was going on.
Q: There’s a real intimacy in what you captured on film. Talk about how you did that. I mean technically how you captured it but also what you do as a filmmaker to be able to really capture some of those more intimate, fly-on-the-wall moments.
CD: We shot with a Panasonic camera with a PS Tech adapter and an old Sens cinema adapter. Our rig was not at all conducive to capturing intimate moments. It was enormous, heavy, cumbersome, not light sensitive [audience laughter].
Carlo was walking around covered in lights. We hung one around his neck.
NAP: To cut down on the amount of stuff we were carrying, we constructed this rig that Chris wore. It was like Robocop or something. It extended up like a halo above his head. You would walk in the room looking like a Transformer.
CD: Turns out that being unobtrusive is more about your presence in the room than the size of your equipment [really hard audience laughter]. Like the scene where they’re down at the lake and Glen is bathing and Marketa is winding the kite string, you see the images of the natural environment. I would film the trees and the sky and everything around so when the camera landed on them it was a natural progression and not like they were all of a sudden in the limelight. It established a language where everything is game.
NAP: It’s liking writing. You struggle with the material and it’s going to happen when it happens. You’re sitting in the edit watching footage, trying to make sense of it, wondering if you have a story there. Carlo had a breakdown in the Czech Republic. We were walking and all of a sudden we realize we lost our third arm and we look back and Carlo is sitting on the ground and we went over to him and he just said “what do we have? Do we have anything?” The next day we shot that pivotal scene in the café that perfectly captures the tension in their relationship. For me it was the scene with Glen’s dad. He was never around. He was always in his room or his workshop. That interview we got with him, Glen says that’s the longest conversation he’s ever had with his father. It thought if we got something so special to him, then we have something. And when [Glen] watches the movie that’s the scene that he always looks away from.
Q: What do Marketa and Glen think of the film?
CD: Marketa feels like this is a portrait of a particular time in her life that she’s grown away from. It’s hard for her to watch. Glen likes the film but I think he feels like the rawness of the family dynamics are hard to watch. Ultimately they both feel like it’s an honest telling of the story and they support the integrity of the film.
Erin Essenmacher blogs at The Film Panel Notetaker.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Rush bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee performs at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater in Chula Vista, Calif. on June 18. (kn1/Zuma Press/Newscom)
Review: 'Rush' in concert, pleasing three generations of fans
When RUSH comes to town I don’t miss it, and that has been the case since 1975 when I attended my very first rock concert at the San Diego Civic Theater featuring RUSH opening for KISS. What a show, but that’s another story (see My First Concert here).
I have been a fan of RUSH since day one, playing their 1974 self titled debut record until the grooves had grooves in them. I anticipated their next release for some more of the same only to find out that things had changed dramatically. A new drummer named Neil Peart and a whole new sound and direction. The debut album RUSH released will always stand alone as a straight forward blues based hard rock record.
What came next was something I had never heard before. Their 1975 release ‘Fly By Night‘ launched RUSH into uncharted territory. Sophisticated arrangements, thought provoking lyrics, unusual and complicated time signatures and all this with a hard driving, hard hitting energy of epic proportions. Thirty six years later, with 19 studio records (number 20 titled ‘Clockwork Angels‘ will be recorded at the conclusion of this tour) 8 live records, a full length documentary film, a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and a million or so live shows, RUSH is still at it, and at a very high level.
An army of semi trucks filled with Steampunk themed gear including Geddy Lee’s Time Machine/Sausage Grinder rig, Alex Lifeson’s custom Hughes & Kettner amps that look like giant old fashion radios and Neil Peart’s copper themed DW drums (equipped with a rotating drum riser), a GeFilter (a device of musical genius) and a ton of lighting gear pulled into Chula Vista, CA. After a lot of sweat and hard work the stage was transformed into RUSH’s playground.
Showtime!
Getting close to showtime and the seats are filling fast. A short time later, the lights go down and the first of three very well produced and impressive video’s begins to play. After the hilarious opening video exposing the boys sense of humor as they act their way through a skit featuring goofy characters played by Geddy, Alex and Neil ends,RUSH hits the stage with their opening song, ‘The Spirit Of Radio‘ a standard show opener during various tours. The stage settings and lighting rigs are impressive, almost theme park like. Picture Disneyland for hard rock. The energy level is high and the mix is spot on. After three songs, the aforementioned ‘The Spirit Of Radio,’ ‘Time Stand Still‘ and ‘Presto‘ Geddy proclaims “Good evening San Diego, it’s good to be back” much the delight of the rambunctious crowd.
Speaking of the crowd, RUSH is now performing for at least three generations that include grey haired grandparents to kids being led around by the hand by mom or dad, this is truly a family affair. One that parents can be comfortable with because RUSH is and always has been a class act, leaving the foul language for more appropriate times and places.
Next up ‘Stick It Out.‘ At this point, the cool night air and stiff breeze has me feeling a bit chilly and it’s funny, because I was not willing to stick it out. I will let you in on a little secret. Since I saw this same tour in Irvine, CA in the summer of 2010 and the first part of the set is a bit weak (I know RUSH fans are freaking out as I say this, but for me it was) I decided to head to the concession stand selling RUSH apparel to lay down some hard earned cash on some over priced long sleeved Time Machine Tour shirts for my son Russell and I.
While on this mission I hear the boys break into ‘Workin’ Them Angels.’ $80 dollars later and were set. As I return to my seat (which I never sat in during the entire show) they begin to play ‘Leave That Thing Alone‘ and then ‘Faithless.’ At times Geddy appears to be working pretty hard to hit those high notes he once sang when he was younger, but being the consummate professional that he is, he gets there.
Now RUSH plays a brand new song, well sort of. It’s ‘BU2B‘ (Brought Up To Believe) the B-side to the single ‘Caravan‘ which was released June 1st, 2010 and will be included on the upcoming ‘Clockwork Angels‘ CD. This is a pretty heavy tune compared to what RUSH has been putting out lately and has me looking forward to the new CD.
Now for me, this is where the show really kicks in and I never look back. RUSH breaks into ‘Freewill‘ off my favorite album by the band, ‘Hemispheres‘ and my energy level, along with many others attending the show goes through the roof (if there was one) I can feel it. RUSH is at the top of their game as the song moves to the section where Geddy lays down a killer bass line as Neil joins in with his equally impressive drumming, Alex begins to shred on his guitar, performing an epic solo. Next, they begin to play a favorite track of mine off ‘Power Windows‘ called ‘Marathon,’ and it is on.
What Are You Thinking RRHOF?
At this point a thought enters my mind, I don’t know why (well actually I do) but it does. This amazing band of unbelievably talented musicians who have influenced countless bands and musicians over the years and entertained millions of rock fans around the world for over 35 years have not even be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (or Lame as I like to call it) how can this be?
What a travesty, what an absolute joke that place is when they can’t even recognize the significance and impact that this magnificent band has had on rock music. I am standing here in awe of the greatest power trio in the history of rock music and those buffoons at the hall don’t even get it. I feel sorry for them that they have not embraced and enjoyed this juggernaut of innovative progressive hard rock music and reveled in their historic run through time. Just then I snap out of it as the rumble of ultra low keyboard notes blast out of the PA, ‘Subdivisions,’ oh yeah.
After their song about social outcasts and the unpopular, experiencing the pressures of growing up and fitting in concludes, Geddy announces “Due to the fact that we are 100 years old, we must take a break” and disappears off stage. The house lights come on and we are released from the grip of this mesmerizing display of sights and sounds.
With batteries recharged, the second half of the show gets underway with another video featuring the guys portraying different characters. Geddy as a snobby director, Neil as his cameraman and Alex playing a very fat Ray Daniels (the bands longtime manager) it’s quite funny, with a segment depicting German girls prancing around in Dirndl’s (traditional German dress) carrying pitchers of beer. When they walk through the set, director Geddy yells “Cut, cut, cut! Ladies, stop moving pitchers.” Frustrated, Geddy’s pretentious director character walks off the set and Alex’s character, Ray takes over counting out, 1, 2, 3, 4 and Rush breaks into ‘Tom Sawyer.'
Moving Pictures Moves Into The Limelight
This is the main feature of the Time Machine tour,RUSH playing their monster 1980 hit recordMoving Pictures in it’s entirety to celebrate it’s 30th Anniversary. Now for me this record is a double edged sword. On one hand it was another record by these master craftsmen that I loved, the problem was, so did everyone else. Moving Pictures movedRUSH into uncharted territory for popularity, and for me this was a problem, a selfish problem, RUSHwas my band. That may sound funny but as I said I have been a huge fan since day one.
Who were these sweater around their neck, Jordache Jean wearing wannabe RUSH fans bringing girls to the show, that’s right girls to a RUSH concert. Who ever heard of such a thing? RUSH shows were in small venues filled with long haired pimply faced screaming dudes that worshiped these Gods of progressive hard rock. Who were these people? I hated them. Now RUSH was playing large sold out arenas and I was pissed, I really was. Good for the band, bad for me. I told you this was selfish, but damn it, that’s how I felt at the time. I have mellowed a bit in my old age and enjoy RUSH shows with all the other fans, man, woman, boy or girl. I like the fact that the guys are getting the recognition they deserve. Are you listening Rock and Roll Hall of Lame?
Anyway, back to the show. Since Moving Pictures was and is such a popular record, RUSH has made numerous songs off the album staples at their live shows. ‘Tom Sawyer‘ and ‘YYZ‘ have been played live on every tour since the release of the record, and I’m pretty sure ‘Limelight‘ also has, along with ‘Red Barchetta‘ getting regular rotation as well. The other three tracks, ‘Witch Hunt,’ The Camera Eye‘ and ‘Vital Signs‘ not so much.
Since I have seen RUSH live so many times, the first four songs I mentioned were not as intriguing to see live as the other three. I was especially excited to see ‘The Camera Eye‘ played live, and I was not disappointed. ‘The Camera Eye‘ in typical RUSH tradition is by far the longest song off the record, clocking in at just over eleven minutes. The music compliments the lyrics of the song perfectly, taking you on a journey through a bustling city (New York to be exact) but really all cities around the world with faceless people frantically and methodically trying to make their way through another day. It is such a beautiful and powerful song, rich with Geddy’s brilliant keyboard work throughout as Alex ( a very underrated guitarist) performs a face melting solo. Next up, ‘Witch Hunt‘ the dark and ominous tale of vigilante type censorship from those who pretentiously think they know what’s best for us.
Visual Effects For The Ages!
Did I mention all the amazing visual effects that accompany this piping hot, delicious feast of tuneage? No? RUSH could perform on a cement slab with three white spotlights placed upon them and that would more than satisfy the throngs of dedicated fans, but no, not RUSH they give you every pennies worth. Not only with their stellar performance but with their visual show as well.
The video’s I already mentioned. The lighting features more colored lights than I could count, including an overhead, mechanical, moving spider like rig that descends and transforms into various configurations. A large video screen that represents something you might see on a Steampunk device, flames towering into the night air from all around the stage, fog, and pyrotechnics, almost to much to take in, but I enjoyed trying. The attention to detail was staggering, everywhere I looked there was something new to see and discover. During ‘The Camera Eye‘ I noticed moving eyeballs peering out from around Neil’s drum riser, wow. Remember this was my second time seeing this tour, so I wanted to take it all in. Not only musically but visually.
To conclude the Moving Pictures celebration was the song ‘Vital Signs‘ a tune depicting human emotions and needs as circuits and mechanical devices, almost computer like.
Next up another new song from the forthcoming record called ‘Caravan.’ A longer number that plays even heavier and more progressively than ‘BU2B.’ Neil breaks into one of his legendary drum solo’s which features three parts on both his acoustic and electronic sets. The first segment is more of an improvised solo allowing Neil to stretch out and just riff, and riff he did. The next part is played on his electronic set that is more cerebral and subdued but equally as impressive. The third, as his drum riser spins back around to his acoustic set (this guy really is the ‘Professor on the drum kit’) is a jam with a triggered big band that he plays along with. Some of Neil’s influences come from the big band era. Masters of the skins like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich are some of his heroes. At the conclusion of his mind blowing solo, Neil, being Neil, (one who shy’s away from the spotlight) disappears from behind his drums as the lights go out.
Alex (he is somewhat of a ham) gladly takes the spotlight and playing an acoustic guitar performs the song ‘Hope‘ which morphs into ‘Closer To The Heart‘ as Neil and Geddy rejoin him onstage. Then, that all to well known sound for RUSH fans, the intro to their sci-fi epic ‘2112‘ kicks in, and we all go nuts. Since ‘2112‘ is originally a twenty minute anthem, RUSH performs only the first two parts of the song, ‘Part 1: Overture‘ and ‘Part II: The Temples Of Syrinx‘ I was secretly hoping Alex would continue into ‘Part III: Discovery‘ but it was not meant to be. The last time RUSH performed ‘2112‘ in it’s entirety live was their 1997 tour in support of their Test For Echo record. Someday I hope to witness it again.
They closed the show with ‘Far Cry‘ from their Snakes and Arrows album. I know they had been playing for almost three hours but it seemed to end all to soon. After a short time with the crowd demanding an encore, RUSH reappeared on stage and Alex and Geddy generously tossed a hand full of tee shirts to the appreciative crowd. Then they began to play a strange polka flavored tune that led them into ‘La Via Strangiato‘ a monumental instrumental song off Hemispheres.
I know the boys need to change it up and entertain themselves as well as us now and then, but this is onetime I wish they had not altered the intro to this masterpiece, but so be it, it still rocked! The last song of the night was a reggae fueled version of ‘Working Man‘ their first radio hit from way back in 1974 (do you think they have played that song a few million times?). It was a raucous version with Alex, Geddy and Neil pulling out all the stops and blasting us with a scorching rendition of this rocker. At the conclusion, Neil and Alex gratefully waved goodbye to the crowd as Geddy yelled into the mic, “Thank you so very much, we hope to see you all again sometime” and disappeared stage right.
Now normally at this point of most concerts the crowd makes a mad dash for the exits, but not so tonight, a third video began to play and most of the crowd stayed to watch. This one featured actors Jason Segel and Paul Rudd playing their characters Sydney Fife and Peter Klaven from their movie ‘I Love You Man‘ in which RUSH made a concert cameo. This time our heroes find themselves backstage in RUSH’s dressing room hoping to get a double neck bass guitar signed by the band but are soon busted by Geddy, Alex and Neil themselves. A strange and comical exchange ensues and Fife and Klaven are unceremoniously booted out. But it has a happy ending as Geddy steps out and hands them the signed bass.
This was a magical evening spent with the greatest rock band in the world putting on the greatest show on earth…period.
SpaceTrucker blogs at Rock Choice.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Daniel Craig stars as 007 in the 2006 Bond film, 'Casino Royale.' He'll reprise this role again in 'Bond 23,' expected in theaters in November, 2012. (Jay Maidment/M.G.M./Newscom)
'Bond 23' song: Who will pen theme music for next James Bond film?
With the new untitled Bond 23 film gearing up for production, outside of who will be a Bond Girl (rumors here and here), the next logical bit of fan curiosity is, who will do the theme song? For Casino Royale, they tapped Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and for Quantum of Solace they got Alicia Keys and Jack White, for the first ever Bond duet.
Now, it looks like James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, has been pursuing The Kings of Leon for next November’s Bond 23. “Hmm. Daniel Craig has asked me before. I have turned him down 3 times already but maybe,” says drummer Nathan Followill. “I’ve always wanted to work with strings though so maybe yeah, that’ll be a good excuse.”
This new series has had a flair for using rock singers so far. Would you dig a Kings of Leon theme song? I mean, this series did use Duran Duran at one point….
Source: Twitter
Jon Peters blogs at Killer Film.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Emma Stone walks the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles on June 5. Stone may star in director Craig Gillespie’s ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,' adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith's novel of the same name. (Jim Ruymen/UPI/Newscom)
Emma Stone may star in 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'
The last time Emma Stone battled the flesh-eating undead onscreen (see: Zombieland), she was known as the charming red-head who’d made an impression with her brief roles in comedies like Superbad andThe House Bunny.
Now, the Easy A starlet (who is actually a natural blonde) is up to do battle with the living dead once again, in another darkly comical picture: director Craig Gillespie’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Variety says that Stone has been offered the chance to portray literary icon Elizabeth Bennet in the Zombies adaptation. That would make her the latest popular actress said to be up for the role, following one-time candidate Natalie Portman (who is still onboard as a producer) and rumored starlets like Scarlett Johansson and Anne Hathaway.
Zombies would be the latest tentpole project to feature Stone, following in the wake of next summer’s The Amazing Spider-Man – which features the actress with her natural blonde locks as classic Peter Parker love interest, Gwen Stacy. Stone will also be showing up briefly this summer in comedies like Friends with Benefits and Crazy, Stupid, Love, and is headlining the pop literary adaptation, The Help.
Assuming Stone accepts the offer to portray Miss Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the next big move for the horror/romantic literature mashup would be to fill the role of the infamously stuck-up Mr. Darcy in the film. James McAvoy and Bradley Cooper have been rumored as potentials to play the part before – though the latter’s increasingly busy schedule (he’s attached to star in The Crow reboot and has been circling Paradise Lost recently) seems to discount him as a serious contender.
One unexpected tidbit mentioned in Variety‘s report is that original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author Seth Grahame-Smith is reportedly penning the screenplay adaptation with Marti Noxon (the scribe behind Gillespie’s upcoming Fright Night remake). Gillespie previously indicated that he would be working from a slightly revised version of David O. Russell’s script draft, which he described as having “a great mix of humor and horror” and loads of action-packed set pieces to boot. In fact, Russell’s screenplay was said to be the big thing that kept attracting other filmmakers to the adaptation, after the Fighter helmer left the project last year.
It’s a shame then to hear that Russell’s Zombie screenplay has seemingly been abandoned, especially since it undoubtedly would feature much of his trademark darkly quirky and off-beat humor. On the other hand, Smith’s work as a screenwriter has seemingly impressed studio heads up to now – seeing as that he was also trusted with the task of scripting Tim Burton’s upcoming Dark Shadows movie and the adaption of his Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter novel for director Timur Bekmambetov. Plus, Noxon definitely has a knack for mixing horror violence with comedy and romance (see: her work on the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series).
Depending on how well-received Gillespie and Noxon’s Fright Night remake is when it hits theaters this summer, anticipation for their Zombies project could either be significantly heightened or lessened. If the horror-comedy goes down well – and Stone does sign on as Miss Bennet – then there’s definitely potential for the oddball project to become a very popular title.
We’ll keep you posted on the status of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as more information is released.
Source: Variety
Sandy Schaefer blogs at Screen Rant.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Cast members Wilson Bethel, Jaime King, Rachel Bilson, Scott Porter and Cress Williams of 'Hart of Dixie' attend the CW Upfront for 2011 on May 19. The 'Hart of Dixie' pilot is set to premier September 26. (Johns PKI /Splash News/Newscom)
Fall TV Preview: 'Hart of Dixie,' starring Rachel Bilson
You’ve seen the commercials. You’ve heard the hype. Now there’s only one thing you want to know: Which of the new fall shows are worth watching and which should be avoided at all costs? In this continuing series, we give you the scoop on some of the most highly-anticipated shows of the season, with today’s focus being HART OF DIXIE, the CW’s version of Sweet Home EVERWOODAlabama
The Boilerplate: Since these pilot presentations may go through numerous rewrites and casting changes prior to premiere, this by no means should be considered an official review. Rather a preview of what one can expect come Fall.
The Plot: Fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart has it all figured out – after graduating top of her class from medical school, she’ll follow in her father’s footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will. She quickly finds that Southern hospitality isn’t always so hospitable – the other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice with this young outsider, and his daughter, Lemon, is a Southern belle whose sweet disposition turns sour when she meets Zoe. Zoe’s only allies are the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes, her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella, and handsome lawyer George Tucker – who just happens to be Lemon’s fiance. Zoe is out of her element and ready to pack her bags, but a surprise visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe’s decision to stay in Bluebell for a while, discovering small-town life and a side of herself she hadn’t known was there.
The First Impression: Is — as you might expect from this WB/CW junkie that grew up on a steady diet of GILMORE GIRLS and EVERWOOD — glowingly positive. No really. Despite a premise that has been recycled over-and-over-and-over-again, what HART OF DIXIE lacks in originality it more than makes up for with a ridiculously likeable cast (including Rachel Bilson in the titular role of Dr. Zoe Hart, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ Scott Porter as not-quite-Bachelor #1 and relative newcomer Wilson Bethel as potential love interest #2) and a handful of promising plot points (Family Drama! Medical Mysteries! Rival Doctors!) that we look forward to seeing played out. What’s more, it’s produced by Josh Schwartz (THE OC, GOSSIP GIRL, CHUCK), Stephanie Savage (GOSSIP GIRL, THE OC) and Leila Gerstein (GOSSIP GIRL, ELI STONE), three talented scribes who know a thing or two about zippy dialogue, love triangles and most importantly of all, maddeningly addictive television drama.
The Concern: Plucky, beautiful and funny, star Rachel Bilson is a lot of things, but believable as a wannabe world class Cardiothoracic Surgeon? Truth be told, that remains to be seen. Luckily for Bilson…
The Verdict: Thanks to her off-the-charts likeability, where Bilson leads… we will follow.
HART OF DIXIE is scheduled to premiere Monday September 26 on the CW.
The TV Addict blogs at theTVAddict.com.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Cameron Diaz and Lucy Punch star in 'Bad Teacher,' which hits theaters June 24. (Columbia Pictures/Unimedia Images, Inc./Newscom)
An interview with 'Bad Teacher' star Lucy Punch
Director Jake Kasdan’s new raucous R-rated comedy Bad Teacher (starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel and Justin Timberlake) opens in theaters this weekend.
We had the chance to speak with costar Lucy Punch at the Los Angeles press event for the film. Subjects ranged from “playing crazy,” to working in Hollywood vs. her native London, and being repeatedly thrown-up on by Cameron Diaz.
The tremendously gifted Lucy Punch (who you might know from such films as Hot Fuzz and Dinner for Schmucks) costars in Bad Teacher as the painfully perky and perfectionistic Jr. high school teacher, Amy Squirrel. The fanatically by-the-book and fascistic-girl-scout-type Squirrel acts as the film’s unlikely antagonist against Cameron Diaz’s hilariously and unapologetically inappropriate very bad teacher, Elizabeth Halsey.
Lucy Punch is the sort of person who you immediately feel is game for a laugh (I become quite British when talking about UK actors). The phrase “down to Earth,” is often applied to people we like, though it is not always the most accurate descriptor. For me, “down to Earth” denotes a person who has a fairly valid vision of their place in the larger scheme of the world and a good sense of humor about it. Lucy Punch has that quality.
Punch and I sat down together in her cozy (read: plush) hotel room and began our chat with following exchange:
Screen Rant: Hi, I’m Roth, as in David Lee, Phillip or the IRA… we could also go Eli or Tim. I’m from Screen Rant. Screen, as in, “oh, look at this wonderfully hilarious film on the movie Screen” and Rant, as in, “Grrr, they’ve just broken canon six times in this film, I feel I must RANT!”
Lucy Punch: "Lovely. Have you tried one of these?" (Points to a variety of high octane caffeinated beverages available to us.)
SR: Nooooo, but they look absolutely terrifying. I’m positive I’d be climbing these walls for days like a leftover from The Exorcist if I did.
To which Lucy Punch gave the following (quite perfect) response:
“Yeah. I think I need one.”
SR: I’m actually off to your homeland in about an hour.
“Oh really!?! Why are you going to London?”
SR: Top secret…(she stares at me)…really I can’t tell you…alright you’ve made me, it’s for the Queen.
“It’s Cameron’s other movie isn’t it…it is I bet.”
SR: No it’s actually…
At this point I realize that Ms. Punch is not only a tremendously gifted comedic (and dramatic) actress, but she is also quite good at my job. I feel as though I must tell her everything — immediately — but forcibly restrain myself and make attempts to get us back on track.
SR: Is there a difference do you find between working in England vs. working in America, in general?
“There’s more work here.”
We always appreciate pragmatism.
SR: Well that’s good.
“Yes! There’s more stuff going on, and I usually have to hide my British accent when I’m working over here.”
SR: Is there a personality difference between the two towns do you find?
“You know it certainly wasn’t the case on this movie because Cameron (Diaz) and Justin (Timberlake) and Jason (Segel) are the most wonderful, funny, grounded people – but sometimes when you’re working with stars, you really know you’re working with stars, do you know what I mean? And I don’t think that really exists in the UK because actors are a bit more grounded in general. I mean there’s plenty of very grounded and wonderful actors here, but movie stars don’t exist in the UK like they do here, so they don’t do the sort of giant trailers and the craft services, which are sort of fantastic — you’re lucky if you get a cup of tea and a morbid biscuit.”
Punch plays the grating goody-two-shoes/hilariously cracked know-it-all to a comedic “T” in Bad Teacher. She is initially reminiscent of Reese Witherspoon’s character, Tracy Flick, in Election. The portrayal is so detailed and nuanced that walking out of the theater after seeing the film, the following question was on the top of my mind: Who does Lucy Punch know that is just like her character Amy Squirrel?
SR: We’re you basing your character on anyone?
“I was thinking of someone, and I’ve told a few journalists and they’ve been like (makes shocked face) and I’ve thought, ‘Well maybe I shouldn’t say this.’”
SR: No, you definitely should.
“Well, when I read it I thought, ‘This person reminds me of someone…’And I was sort of channeling what I could imagine as the teacher/cousin of Sarah Palin. And I think they sort of share a lot of qualities.”
SR: In terms of…
“I’m not saying that Sarah Palin is unhinged or completely bonkers — but you know, she’s certainly incredibly perky and energetic and sort of this type A seeming character. There was just something about the sort of tween way of speaking, you know, ‘Holy guacamole!’ and shut the front door!’ and all those sort of expressions.”
SR: I feel like with a character like this you just love to hate her. The same way that we love to love Cameron’s character even though it seems kind of paradoxical. You’re in theory (at least at first) “the good guy” and she is “the baddy” but as much as you make us laugh — we just can’t stand you.
“Yes!”
SR: And I think it’s because of the level of the sincerity that they each do, or do not, bring. I think that’s kind of what you’re talking about. It’s fake, all of the smiling…
“Yes!”
SR: And the ‘shut the front door’ – it’s all put on and fake. So how do you work with that as an actor?
“Well definitely it was kind of important that…You know seemingly she does mean well. You know she has got a good heart, it’s just that she just gets it totally wrong. And Cameron is pretty awful, and is awful to her, so it was important that she was also really irritating and annoyed everyone, and that she was sort of universally disliked in the school and you just felt like she was this total pain in the neck. So that you were sort of rooting for Cameron to bring about her demise.”
There is repeated mention in the film of an “incident” in 2008 in which Lucy Punch’s character, Amy Squirrel (seemingly), went off the deep end and created all manner of chaos that no one wants repeated. The specifics of the ordeal are never revealed in the film, however, leaving the audience to fill in the (in my mind) debaucherous blanks.
SR: Now, I know that you said you didn’t want to give specific details about what happened in 2008, but did you and Jake talk about it at all?
“We didn’t actually, but you know in my mind it was just something totally embarrassing that she did, like she went crazy and perhaps started taking her clothes off in public – that sort of thing – and had to be sort of shuffled out and sent to the hospital for a couple of months to sort of rest, relax, and regenerate and find her inner Squirrel again. But I really enjoyed that aspect of the character that it was never divulged what happened. That it was sort of, you know, fresh in everyone’s memory — all these sort of crazy things that she had done.”
You said that Cameron, Jason and Justin were all down to earth and lovely to work with. There also seems like there’s a lot of joking around. Were there any on-set shenanigans?
“There weren’t really pranks or anything like that, because I feel like within the script there are kind of enough pranks going on so everyone had gotten it out of their system. Also, we really were working pretty fast but certainly we were laughing all the time and it was such a pleasure because we were waiting for lights to be set-up and rather than just going back to the trailers everyone was just hanging around on-set and making jokes and just cracking each other up.”
SR: Were there any scenes that were tough to get through?
“I found the scene with Justin where I give him Eat, Pray, Love (and it’s his favorite book) and we’re looking at each other and… the pair of us kept cracking up during that scene. I think, sadly, it was so ludicrous to both of us that he could be falling in love with me. I mean it was just such a ludicrous situation, and I found the voice that he was doing so funny, he had on this very gentle voice, very sincere and earnest and he was just looking at me and falling in love… it just completely cracked me up.”
Even in our brief meeting with Punch we can see a myriad of reasons that JT would fall in love with her — Amy Squirrel however, is a whole other matter.
SR: Is there anything that you’re looking forward to seeing that was cut out of the final film?
“I did a scene that was my worst scene to shoot that didn’t make the movie, and it’s where Cameron vomits on me. I’m sort of talking about my sort of ideal guy and it’s totally nauseating and she’s also really hung over and she threw-up all over me. And we did so many takes and Camron is incredible, she was just holding this awful stuff in her mouth. It was like mushroom soup mixed with something else — cold — ugh, and the smell of it, I wanted to be sick. Phyllis and I were both doing the scene and we were both just like gagging. I’d like to see that because I just need to see it once. I guess it was so gross that it got cut. It was decided that we don’t need to see people throwing up — but I’d like to see it.”
SR: How many takes did you do?
“A-lot! And I had to get changed — it was going down between my boobs…”
At this point the two of us must pause to make ralfing noises and laugh.
“It was awful! I was really, really awful and I just couldn’t believe how great Cameron was about it. She was just like happy holding it in.”
SR: Where do you go from being thrown-up on repeatedly by Cameron Diaz?
“I’m actually about to start working on Yellow which Nick Cassavetes is directing. I’m excited for that because it’s really dark and a very dark character. She’s this girl that’s just getting out of an insane asylum, I keep playing all these unhinged characters, and she cuts herself and she’s talking in tongues and she’s in love with her brother.”
SR: Who’s her brother?
“Ben Foster.”
SR: Oh wow. I literally measure an actor’s performance by degrees of Ben Foster. Eight degrees of Ben Foster is pretty much Brando.
“Isn’t he wonderful?
SR: Yes, he really is. So she’s in love with her brother and is he in love with her?
“No, she’s kind of the monster in the attic, this crazy girl. But no he’s not, that’s sort of why she was so screwed up because he’s sleeping with our other sister.”
SR: Whaaaat! So, does it become a thriller, a modern-day Jane Eyre-esque thriller?
“It’s not a thriller. It’s actually got comic elements — but the darkest of dark comedies.”
SR: Okay, so it’s about the interplay in those relationships?
“Yes. Nick Cassavetes’ wife is the lead character in this incredibly dysfunctional family.”
SR: She’s the other sister?
“Yes.”
SR: Well that sounds absolutely amazing.
“You know I love doing comedy, but it’s lovely to go between the two. So as soon as I finish that up it’ll be like, ‘well now I’m ready to do something light and fluffy!’ "
SR: What about your character at the end of the film, where does someone like Amy Squirrel goes from there?
“Well at the end of the movie she’s going off to Malcolm X high school.”
SR: I know it’s hilarious.
“I know. I mean I think that’s another spin off. I don’t think they’re going to make another movie about that but maybe a webisode. I think it would be really, really funny to see her life at the school and to see how she copes. I think she kind of, she’d light the charge…”
SR: Or get shot. (Both laughing)
“Or get shot. Yes.”
SR: Or a little of both, I feel like she’s a little unstoppable.
As is Ms. Punch, who (aside from playing a mad-as-a-hatter brother-lover for Nick Cassavetes) is now also slated to star in Powers, the new show based on the comic series about a homicide detective who works cases involving people with superpowers.
You can see Punch go toe-to-toe with Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher, beginning this Friday, June 24th.
Roth Cornet blogs at Screen Rant.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
'Peacebuilding on Screen' film series highlights human dignity, compassion, and courage in the face of conflict
It’s an unlikely union: Amid bullet holes and the bureaucracy of occupation, an Israeli Jewish woman and a Palestinian man fall in love. Their marriage, documented in “Love During Wartime,” is part of a five-film series that highlights stories of human dignity, compassion, and courage in the face of conflict.
The “Peacebuilding on Screen” series is a welcome reprieve, considering the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Kenya bracing for a possible fresh eruption of ethnic tensions, and feelings of helplessness in the face of brutality from Libya to Syria.
It screens June 20-26 at the Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival in Maryland, but many of the films are showing at other film festivals.
“Love During Wartime” masterly illustrates the uneasy coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians in human terms. Osama comes alive as a determined sculptor, loving uncle, and tender husband of a woman whose country forbids them to live together. Jasmin, the daughter of a Jewish woman born in Nazi Germany, struggles to remain a caring wife as she becomes angry about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians – at one point joking that she will get around to folding Osama’s laundry when Israel stops building settlements.
Such humanity also shines forth in “The Team,” which documents a Kenyan soap opera about a soccer team that overcomes ethnic tensions to succeed – a poignant national metaphor. “The Team” is filmed in such an intimate way that the audience may actually duck as it follows an actor entering his tidy but tiny slum dwelling, or wince as another gets beat up. If you can’t afford to visit Nairobi, consider paying $8
to meet these faces of Kenyan courage.
Other films in the series include:
“The Rescuers”: Chronicles 12 diplomats’ efforts to rescue tens of thousands of Jews from concentration camps.
“Diary”: An experimental film by veteran war photographer Tim Hetherington, who was killed in Libya this spring.
“The Green Wave”: A tale of Iran’s 2009 protests, told through motion comic, news footage, and interviews.
Sean Bean stars in HBO's new show 'Game of Thrones.' The show is based on George R. R. Martin's best-selling 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series of novels. (MCT/Newscom)
10 fantasy novels that would make great TV shows
With HBO’s Game Of Thrones wrapping up a stellar first season and American Gods (far) on the horizon, television is on the cusp of a fantasy revolution. And it isn’t the squeaky-clean fantasy of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings (for that, see the upcoming and very promising Once Upon A Time) – cable TV is ready and willing to tell adult fantasy stories for adult viewers.
With that in mind, the Screen Rant crew put together a list of the fantasy novels we’d most like to see adapted into serialized TV dramas with modest-to-big budgets. All of them would make sprawling, epic TV shows… in the right hands, of course.
Check out our list and see if you agree with our picks – and add a few suggestions of your own to our comment section.
Honorable Mention: Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Gods Behaving Badly is a lot like Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, in that it assumes that the old Greek pantheon is real but diminished in a modern world devoid of religious fervor. The difference is that in Phillips’ interpretation, all the Greek gods live in the same crappy house outside of London. Immortal, yet developmentally stunted, gods like Ares, Hephaestus and Aphrodite take menial jobs while clinging to their last shreds of power.
This gives them just enough time to squabble amongst themselves and make life a living Hades for any hapless mortal who spoils their fun. This book screams for a dark comedic drama along the lines of Dead Like Me – here’s hoping that Red Hour Films gets their act together and delivers on their promise to make the novel into a TV series.
10. The Necroscope Series by Brian Lumley
Harry Keogh sees dead people. In the modern United Kingdom that could be a problem, but the protagonist of the Necroscope novels uses it to his advantage, discovering that the dead are generally okay folks. They teach him the skills he’ll need to solve his mother’s murder, fight a growing menace of vampires and necromancers, and affect the growing operations of ESP-ionage on the world stage.
With over a dozen novels roughly coinciding with real-world time, there’s a lot of material to cover for aspiring writers and producers. This is a series that’s not afraid to throw spies, psychics, sorcerers, vampires and mathematical formulas for teleportation into the mix – and that’s just in the first novel! Later novels go even further down the fantasy path, including adventures set in twisted vampire realms, inter-dimensional wars, and conflict on both sides of the life and death divide. With the complex and multi-faceted world of the novels, a rich continuity rivaling the likes of Doctor Who is not out of the question.
9. The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
Imagine the Assassin’s Creed video games, minus the ridiculous “genetic memory” framing device. Now add in a medieval setting and a pinch of magic. Bang! You’ve got The Night Angel Trilogy, also known as The Shadows Trilogy, by Brent Weeks. These three paperbacks have been flying off the shelves since their introduction in 2008.
The protagonist is Azoth, a pickpocket orphan (man, there’s a lot of them running around the fantasy genre) living in the streets of Cenaria. The boy becomes an apprentice to the best assassin in the city in hopes of avenging the rape of a childhood friend. Cable viewers who want blood and sleaze in equal amounts (I know you’re reading, True Blood fans) couldn’t hope for better source material.
8. The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
A more modern fantasy interpretation, The Kingkiller Trilogy begins with The Name of the Wind, in which our hero, Kvothe, recounts his many adventures. As a skilled fighter, intellectual and musician, Kvothe is a pre-Rennaisance man, and uses his talents to haphazardly solve whatever quest is laid before him.
Like A Song of Ice and Fire, The Kingkiller Chronicle isn’t finished; the last of Rothfuss’ three books has yet to be published. That shouldn’t worry fans too much, though – were development to begin immediately, it would still be 2-3 years before the first episode aired, with plenty of time to conclude the story. Which is more than many George R. R. Martin fans are currently hoping for.
7. The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks has been described as a master of modern fantasy, and tens of millions of readers can’t be wrong. The first set of novels in his main universe are centered around the mythical sword Shannara, and the generations of men who wield it. A classic adventure fantasy, The Sword of Shannara is seen by many as a continuation of the Tolkein tradition – although there are a few who say Brooks follows his inspiration a little too closely.
Many have tried to adapt Shannara to the big screen with exactly zero success thus far. The latest comer was Warner Bros., who let the rights slip out of their grasp back in 2010. Perhaps someone could take a hint from Game of Thrones (which started out as a movie project) and sail for the long-form serialized waters of television. And if the series should last more than three seasons, there’s plenty of material to draw from for a continuing story.
6. The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
With a story spanning decades of story time and real-world time (the ten books of the series were published between 1970 and 1985), adapting The Chronicles of Amber for the small screen would be no small task, and bringing audiences along might be even harder. But for the right studio, the series would be well worth the attempt.
The novels focus on the relationship between two “worlds” (dimensions) the various shadowy worlds “around” them, and the special few who can travel between the worlds. Reality is a fragile thing within the confines of the series, and meddling with the wrong magic (or taking the wrong hallucinogens) can send hapless users onto terrifying new planes of existence.
5. The Belgariad by David Eddings
Another rags-to-riches orphan story in the oldest tradition of high fantasy, The Belgariad follows the story of Garion, a farmboy destined for greatness. The story begins with a prophecy of a confrontation between good and evil foreshadowed by a mysterious “storyteller” character. The five books in the saga have a lot in common with A Song Of Ice And Fire with the exception of a much larger emphasis on magic.
Eddings’ first novel in the series, Pawn of Prophecy, was published in 1982, and the following four books came out within the next two years. It makes for a fast and extremely cohesive read, and the divisions between novels are pretty much perfect for season-long story arcs.
4. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Beginning with the titular Outlander, this time-traveling romance series follows protagonist Claire Randall. She begins the story in Scotland in the 1940s, just after World War II, where she and her husband are investigating some family history. After a pagan ritual near some standing stones (a la Stonehenge) goes awry, Randall is whisked away to the 1700s, wherein she meets a swashbuckling captain who bears an uncanny resemblance to her future husband.
Outlander and its sequels stress historical fiction and romance more than strict fantasy, but if its fervent fans are any indication, there’ more than enough room in the current TV schedule for its like. Gabaldon doesn’t skimp on the sultry details (shifts and bodices go flying with remarkable regularity), and there’s plenty of alpha males and despicable villains to keep the story clipping along.
3. The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
If there’s one series on this list that fits the traditional fantasy mold to a T, it’s The Riftwar Saga. The fist volume was published almost thirty years ago, with a long history and well-developed world that rivals George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire, despite being only three books long. Squabbling kingdoms, ancient magic and a world war all flesh out the long story.
The primary character is an orphan named Pug, who begins his career as a magician’s apprentice. Across thousands of pages and decades of story time, high magic and good-old-fashioned steel determine the various rulers of the world – heights to which Pug ascends via luck, skill, and no small amount of scheming.
2. Kushiel’s Legacy by Jacqueline Carey
Beginning with Kushiel’s Dart and extending across a pair of trilogies, Kushiel’s Legacy may be the most risque of the currently popular fantasy series. This medieval world has enough debauchery and deviancy to make residents of Sodom and Gomorrah blush – in other words, it’s right up Showtime’s alley.
Kushiel takes place in a fantastic mirror of 12th-century France, with a plot inspired by some of the more spicy segments of Christian and Jewish mythology. Leading lady Phedre is cursed by a minor physical flaw and sold into slavery, wherein she embarks on a whirlwind tour of Carey’s complex and intricate world. There’s enough material in the first book for three seasons of television at the very least.
1. The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Curse of Chalion is a sprawling saga with spiritual overtones, in the vein of a medieval Ben Hur. Lupe Cazaril returns to his ancestral home after a disastrous war and an even more horrifying internment. Despite yearning for a life of quiet fulfillment, his new assignment as a royal tutor brings him front-and-center in a struggle to free the royal family of an ancient curse.
The gods of the fantasy world are characters in their own right, not unlike a modernized Greek epic. The Father, Mother, Daughter, Son and the Bastard are an integral and ever-present part of everyday life (far more so than the various gods of Game Of Thrones) and give Bujold’s universe a distinct culture that few can match.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and we know there’s a few well-loved novels we’ve missed. If you’ve got a favorite fantasy series that you want to see adapted for television, let us know in the comments.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @ MichaelCrider.
Michael Crider blogs at Screen Rant.
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The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
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