30 Day Movie Challenge: Day #27

Day 27. Movie With Your Favorite Villain

• Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988)–John McClane, officer of the NYPD, tries to save wife Holly Dennaro and several others, taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia. There is something about Alan Rickman that makes an awesome bad guy. He’s freaky and so badass! LOVE HIM!

• Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1996)–A woman kidnaps puppies to kill them for their fur, but various animals then gang up against her and get their revenge in slapstick fashion. Starring Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson. I think that Cruella De Vil is one of the best Disney villains! I was even her for Halloween one year. Glenn Close does a great job bringing this animated character to life that she is forever known in my mind as Cruella.

• Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)–A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. Starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. I think this is self explanatory. I mean he eats people. He’s so good at being so freaking creepy!

• The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)–When Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent launch an assault on the mob, they let the clown out of the box, the Joker, bent on turning Gotham on itself and bringing any heroes down to his level. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. Health brought it all to this character. The creepiest part of this character was all the little ticks and mannerisms.

• Hilly Holbrook in The Help (2011)–An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids’ point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jessica Chastain. She isn’t as evil as the rest but there is a more real-life evil to her. She totally got what was coming to her!

Who’s your favorite movie villain??

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??

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day #16

Day 16. Favorite Book Adaptation

I used to be a big reader but not so much lately. I really only wanted to add movies that I’ve read the books of. The books are usually better than the movies but there can still be good movies to come from books.

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999/2012)–An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. The book and the movie were written by Stephen Chbosky. He also directed the movie starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Nina Dobrev, Nicholas Braun, Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman, Melanie Lynskey and Joan Cusack. I was lucky enough to see a preview of this movie with a Q&A with Stephen Chbosky afterwards. He informed us that we were actually the first paying audience of the movie! How awesome?! I think this is a great adaptation because you have someone who wrote the book, making the movie. Obviously he wants what’s best for his story.

• The Hunger Games (2008/2012)–Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match. Suzanne Collins wrote the book and cowrote the screenplay with director Gary Ross. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Donald Sutherland. Having a teen book that is that gruesome is hard to turn into a film without making an R rating. Somehow they were able to keep a low rating and still show the horror that their world has come to. I’m a little skeptical about the sequel changing directors, so we’ll just have to see where it goes.

• Harry Potter Series (1997-2007/2001-2011)–The stories chronicle the adventures of a wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry’s quest to overcome the Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. The books are written by J. K. Rowling. The movies star Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and so many more. Even though there are so many things missing from the movies and the books are a million times better, these movies bring a visual telling of the stories. To actually see what this world looks like and watch the action unfold is amazing and with such great special effects.

• Alice in Wonderland (1865/2010)–19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The book is written by Lewis Carroll. Tim Burton directs. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman. I love how crazy and trippy the book is and that is exactly what Tim Burton the genius did with this movie!

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958/1961)–A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building. Truman Capote wrote the book. The movie stars Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Another favorite movie of mine. I love the elegance that Audrey Hepburn brings to every role she does!
  

• Out of Africa (1937/1985)–In 20th century colonial Kenya, a Danish baroness/plantation owner has a passionate love affair with a free-spirited big-game hunter. The book was written by Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen (actually my great great aunt). Sydney Pollack directs. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford star. Ok so I had to add this even though I haven’t read the book or seen the movie. But it was nominated for so many awards and I know so many people who love the book/movie that I figured I would add it. Plus how cool is it that I’m related to her??

What do you think is the best book adaptation??