30 Day Movie Challenge: Day #24

Day 24. Movie With Your Favorite Soundtrack

I’m a person who will like a movie a million times better just by what the soundtrack is like. If there are bad songs that don’t really fit the movie, it takes me out of the story and I just find it distracting. I also just want to point out that I’ve been listening to Skyfall by Adele since it came out. That song alone makes me think that the new Bond film will have an excellent soundtrack.

• Pitch Perfect (2012)–Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school’s all-girl singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition. Starring Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Rebel Wilson. The soundtrack is full of popular songs of right now mashed up with other songs…all sung without music. Some of the songs that make an appearance are “Since U Been Gone,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Just a Dream,” “Party in the U.S.A.,” “Magic,” and “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”. The songs are fun and it’s always entertaining to hear songs in new arrangements! It’s the college version of Glee basically.

• What A Girl Wants (2003)–An American teenager learns that her father is a wealthy politician running for office. Although she is eager to find him, she realizes it could cause a scandal and cost him the election. Starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth and Kelly Preston. I’m not really sure why I love the music so much but I listen to it all the time. I feel like the songs really worked for the story. Plus Oliver James singing is so adorable!

• Hanna (2011)–A 16-year-old who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana. This soundtrack isn’t really songs, it’s a score by The Chemical Brothers. But it’s still one of the best soundtracks! The combination of action and childlike innocence. It’s eerily beautiful. Plus, “The Devil is in the Beats” is my running song…I like to pretend I’m a teenage assassin.

• 8 Mile (2002)–A young rapper, struggling with every aspect of his life, wants to make the most of what could be his final opportunity but his problems give him doubts. Starring Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger and Mekhi Phifer. I always have been and always will be obsessed with “Lose Yourself”…my brother and I used to walk around the mall rapping this song. I’m a fan of Eminem’s other songs but this is by far his best one!

• The Fighting Temptations (2003)–A New York advertising executive travels to a small Southern town to collect an inheritance but finds he must create a gospel choir and lead it to success before he can collect. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles and Mike Epps. Even though I’m not really religious, I have a huge love for gospel music. It’s fresh and fun and they even rap a little! And come on, who doesn’t want to hear Beyonce sing “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”?

What’s your favorite movie soundtrack??

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day #17

Day 17. Least Favorite Book Adaptation

Nothing is worse than your favorite book turned into a bad movie. So disappointing!

• My Sister’s Keeper (2004/2009)–Anna Fitzgerald looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain alive. Starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Alec Baldwin. The novel is written by Jodi Picoult and it is one of my all time favorite books! I was excited to hear that they were making it into a movie (I love the lifetime movies made from her other books) and after hearing the cast, I was pretty happy. Everyone seemed perfect except for Cameron Diaz. I was enjoying the movie until they completely changed the ending of the movie!! Don’t mess with a perfect ending like this one!

• Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events (1999-2006/2004)–When a massive fire kills their parents, three children are delivered to the custody of cousin and stage actor Count Olaf, who is secretly plotting to steal their parents’ vast fortune. Starring Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Jude Law and Meryl Streep. This was just a huge disappointment! So confusing since they kind of picked random things from a handful of books in the series and then made a new story. Epic fail.

• Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat (1957/2003)–Sally and Conrad are two bored kids whose life is turned up-side-down when a talking cat comes to visit them. Starring mike Myers, Spencer Breslin and Dakota Fanning. It’s a silly children’s book but it just doesn’t translate well into a live-action film. It’s just creepy and inappropriate.

• A Christmas Carol (1843/2009)–An animated retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions. Starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. It’s a classic Christmas story but the animation was weird and I was just totally bored. I slept through a good amount of it.

• Twilight Saga (2005-2008/2008-2012)–Bella Swan is a teenage girl who moves to Forks, Washington and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire named Edward Cullen. Stephenie Meyer is the author of the series. The movie stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone. The worst thing about the films is the cast. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are just irritating and not what I pictured at all. Plus Robert Pattinson always looks like his hair is really dirty.

What is your least favorite book adaptation??