Romancing the Tome

Who Saw THAT Coming?!

2011-01-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

Last night's episode of Downton Abbey left us gasping aloud in a series of rapid successions. First, "Turkish Delight" Kemal Pamuk (played by Theo James) enters the scene on horseback, a perfect, almost-comical hybrid of pretty boy-gentility and sex god hottitude. Like the normally tough-to-impress Lady Mary Crawley, we marveled at the Eastern Adonis, even when he arrived back at the stately residence spattered with mud from the fox hunt. "All we want are baths," Mary insisted, which immediately conjured up images of the olive-skinned diplomat languishing naked in a clawfoot tub filled with steaming, hot....(but we digress.)

Cut to that evening when he manages to steal away with Mary in the library and back her up against the wall with his none-too-subtle advances. Shocked and flustered by his impropriety, she hastily puts him in his place and storms out of the room in a huff...but clearly he had left an impression because....

....later that night, he barges into her boudoir — OMG — and professes his desire to de-virginize her! Again she is shocked and horrified and hides her state of deshabille with her pillow until his smoldering eyes and heartfelt pleas convince her to yield. "Oh all right go ahead," she basically tells him..."Is it safe?"

...Uh, apparently not. We are pretty much in a tizzy at this point, so you can imagine the shock when Mary later wakes up her ladies' maid in a desperate whisper to tell her that the chap is stone cold dead in her bed! Surely, the sexual naif was merely confused about the Turk's post-coital state, but uh....right she is — the dude's dead!

Better wake your mom, maid Anna advises. The three of them manage to hoist the dead body back down the hall to his room in the dark of night, with only scullery maid Daisy happening to see them en route. "You are a disgrace, young lady, and I can't believe what you put me through tonight," (adlibbing for Mama Cora.) "Let's not tell your father, shall we?"

Scandal-licious!!!!!!! Who knew the no-name farmer with dropsy of the heart would end up surviving in this episode while the sultan of sexiness would kick it?

Will eyewitness Daisy blab to her not-so-secret crush, the not-to-be-trusted Thomas? Or will the bitter and malicious Gwyn put two-and-two together to stir up trouble for the noble family? Stay tuned!

Downton Abbey: My Top 5 Favorite Characters from Episode 1

2011-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Masterpiece fans are hailing Downton Abbey as the greatest thing since Bleak House (high praise, indeed!) and Amy and I are in complete agreement so far. The miniseries was a huge hit in its native England, but Anglotopia.net sparked a tempest in a teapot when it shared a story by a British tabloid claiming Downton had been dumbed down for American audiences. (The post has since been removed.) PBS countered by saying that only the commercials had been edited out and the typical MP intro added to the beginning of each episode. Apparently there was some concern that U.S. audiences would fail to understand the complex inheritance laws of the British aristocracy, however anyone who's read Jane Austen (probably everyone in the MP audience), George Eliot, et al., would be quite familiar with them.

Top 5 Favorite Characters

5. Matthew Crawley
Newly named heir to Downton Abbey after the two other heirs drown in the Titanic tragedy, Matthew is a third cousin of the Earl of Grantham and an attorney. Determined to maintain his independence, Matthew chafes under the expectations of Lord Grantham and his family. He's made up his mind not to marry any of the Grantham daughters, but one wonders if he will waver... especially after his reaction to the beautiful Mary. Matthew, do you protest too much? Also, we're predisposed to adore actor Dan Stevens after his portrayal of Edward Ferrars in the recent adaptation of Sense & Sensibility.

4. Lady Mary, The Oldest Daughter of the Earl and Countess of Grantham
Throughout most of the first episode Mary comes off as cold and calculating, but there are a few moments when her character seems more complex and I wonder if we will begin to sympathize with her (Mary's sister Lady Sybil seems to), as the series progresses. Is she merely trying to hook a rich husband or is all her scheming a result of being made a pawn by the other players? Mary, Mary, how contrary are you, really?

3. Cora, Countess of Grantham
Like the characters in Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers, Cora is a wealthy American new money heiress married to a titled aristocrat who required her substantial inheritance to maintain his expensive household and land. Unlike many such marriages, her husband fell in love with her and, were it not for the fact that Cora only bore daughters, the two might have lived happily ever after. Now Cora must maintain her relationship with her husband while trying to ensure that her dowry is passed to her eldest daughter Mary in spite of her adopted country's inheritance laws. How far will she go to see that it isn't entailed to a complete stranger?

2. Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Violet secretly studied up on political tactics by reading Machiavelli's The Prince (by candlelight, of course, as she abhors the newfangled electricity installed at Downton Abbey). Formerly aligned against Cora, the Earl's wife, she will make and break alliances based on what she determines is best for Downton Abbey and her son, Lord Grantham. The actress Maggie Smith delivers simple lines like "What is a weekend?" with just the right tone and wit to make them incredibly memorable and quite funny.

1. John Bates, Lord Grantham's Valet
Bates fought alongside the Earl of Grantham in the Boer War and Lord Grantham hired him out of loyalty and respect. Lamed by a shrapnel wound, Bates is proud but needs this job desperately. Unfortunately, his nemeses include the harpy-like O'Brien, lady's maid to the Countess of Grantham, and ambitious first footman Thomas, who will stop at nothing to jeopardize Bates's position. Bates didn't tell Grantham about his lame leg... Is he hiding something else? Will he stoop to the tactics of dastardly duo O'Brien and Thomas or maintain his dignity? Will he return the affection of head housemaid Anna?

Honorable Mentions: Scatterbrained scullery maid Daisy (a potential Cinderella story?), kind head housemaid Anna, and loyal Robert, Earl of Grantham who keeps Bates on in spite of the hubbub it's causing "downstairs."

Horatio Hornblower VS. Horatio Nelson

2011-01-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

“Now I’ve kissed you through two centuries.” Laurence Olivier as Lord Nelson (swoon) and Vivien Leigh as Lady Hamilton on New Year’s Eve 1799 in That Hamilton Woman.

Also, you can still sign our Petition to bring back Horatio Hornblower, though it doesn't seem to be working...

Crimson Petal and the White Cast Includes Romola Garai and Gillian Anderson

2010-09-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

BBC put out a teaser for their fall/winter season which provides glimpses of a Crimson Petal and the White adaptation starring Romola Garai, Gillian Anderson, and Richard E. Grant. The season will also include adaptations by Sam Mendes of Richard II, Henry IV part I and II, and Henry V and Top Of The Lake, a drama written and directed by Jane Campion.

Anglotopia has all the juicy details on the fall/winter season and casting for Crimson Petal and the White.

Directors, You Can Thank Me Later

2010-08-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

Two recent reads that would make great films:

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
I fell for this book like a bodice-ripper heroine falls for a haughty cavalier. I can envision several different scenarios for a book-to-film adaptation, one of them being an Ang Lee Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-style martial arts romance. Swoon.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
The collective conscious seems pretty obsessed with work right now, whether it's the lack of it, the search for meaning in it, or the just plain sick of it. (Witness the frenzy over the Jet Blue flight attendant's dramatic exit and the "girl quits job on eraser board" fraud.) Much has happened in the eleven years since Office Space. It's time for another look at cubicle life and Ferris's heartbreaking and hilarious novel could serve as inspiration for an up-and-coming indie director.

BBC's New Show SHERLOCK, Episode 1

2010-07-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sherlock and John

UPDATE: I loved the third episode. It was fantastic. Can't wait for more Sherlock.

Last night I watched the "A Study in Pink," the first episode of the new BBC/PBS show Sherlock from Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. The contemporary spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories stars Benedict ~~Cumberpatch~~ Cumberbatch (love the name) as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman (The Office, UK and Shawn of the Dead) as Dr. Watson. Apparently Matt Smith (Dr. Who) auditioned for the role of Watson, while Cumberpatch tried out for Dr. Who. We're lucky that didn't work out...

Nicotine patches and gratuitous texting are just some of the elements that transport the brilliant consulting detective into 21st century London. The casting and updated characters are compelling, but I didn't feel like the plot was fleshed out enough and a few elements were a bit gimmicky. I won't spoil anything, since it doesn't premiere in the U.S. until October and I'm reserving my full judgment until I see at least two more episodes. For now, my favorite contemporary Sherlock Holmes is still Bill Pullman in The Zero Effect. --Kim

Sumptuous TV Epics Are Back!

2010-07-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

So says Friday's Wall Street Journal. From Camelot and cathedral buildin g (with Matthew Macfadyen, no less!) to The Borgias and Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire, cable TV (namely Starz, Showtime and HBO) is stepping up its game with big budget, feature-film-worthy costume dramas.

The trailer for HBO's Boardwalk Empire has me foaming at the mouth. One reason to look forward to Fall!

Beat the Reaper to the Movies

2010-07-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday I read Josh Bazell's balls to the wall crime novel Beat the Reaper. It intertwines emergency room drama with mafia vengeance. It's also hilarious, gross, and about to be made into a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Upstairs, Downstairs Redux

2010-07-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Kim and I committed ourselves to watching the entire Upstairs, Downstairs series last year, and while we thought it was charming, we never got more than three episodes in.

Luckily, we'll get the Cliffs Notes next year on Masterpiece Classics when a new PBS/BBC co-production offers us another telling in three installments.

From a PBS press release earlier this year: "An enormous success worldwide, the original Upstairs Downstairs won seven Emmys during its run on MASTERPIECE THEATRE in the mid-1970s–including Best Actress for Jean Marsh, who will reprise her role in the new three-part series as Rose, the parlor maid. Dame Eileen Atkins, the co-creator of the original program, will also star. Screenwriter Heidi Thomas (Cranford) is setting the new Upstairs Downstairs in the same house at 165 Eaton Place in 1936, during the period leading up to World War II."

If you enjoyed the original series, you might enjoy seeing some of the cast reunite at this BAFTA awards tribute:

Duds on Display

2010-07-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

LACMA's "Fashioning Fashion" costume exhibition opens October 2, featuring approximately 250 examples of fashionable dress and more than 300 accessories for men, women, and children dating from 1700 to 1915. I'm so excited about this someone may need to fetch the smelling salts.

Read this L.A. Times article for more info on the acquisition.

Hotel du Lac

2010-07-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Anita Brookner's novel Hotel Du Lac won the Booker prize in 1984, but to this 21st c. American it could easily have been published and/or set in the Edwardian era--the constricting manners and mores lend it an E.M. Forster feel. It's a dreamy tale about a romance novelist who is banished by her "friends" to a sleepy Swiss hotel where she observes various types of women and how they relate to men, while her own story is slowly revealed. The book was adapted as a televised play by the BBC in 1986.

Balls Out

2010-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Recently got to see the newly restored 1963 Italian film, Il Gatopardo, on the big screen. It stars Burt Lancaster, who is surprisingly terrific as movie's aging Sicilian patriarch, despite the fact that all of his lines are dubbed. I was sort of crushin' on him in this movie. Lucilla Morlacchi, as the young romantic love interest, is sheer fabulosity in a coy, over-acted way. Her heaving breasts were an entity unto themselves and ought to have earned an Oscar each.

The movie is epic in terms of scenery and cinematography, but the costumes are moltissimo bella, as they say. The 45-minute ballroom scene might just be one of the best period-costume smorgasbords I've ever witnessed. It's worth Netflixing for the dance scene alone. Catch a glimpse here.

The Homes of Literary Icons

2010-07-15T09:32:00.001-07:00

Graphic Designers Emma Straub and Michael Fusco have created a series of posters featuring the homes of Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, Eward Gorey, and Flannery O'Connor. I just ordered the Poe poster.

Never Let Me Go and Howl Trailers

2010-07-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

Good morning, James Franco! The AV Club accidentally premiered the Howl trailer early. It stars James Franco and you can watch it here. The adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go features Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley. After watching the trailer, I have a feeling it's going to be a three hankie film. --Kim

Fencing is a science. Loving is a passion. Duelling is an obsession.

2010-05-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

"What is honor?" asks Ridley Scott's The Duellists (1977), starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. Adapted from Joseph Conrad, the film is set throughout Napoleonic-era Europe and it's rather frustratingly beautiful. David Thompson of The Guardian calls it "an extended TV commercial for dark chocolate, fine brandies, and the delights of the Dordogne," but it is also an exercise in patience that, in my opinion, pays off. I'm interested in reading Conrad's story and hope to post a comparison here at a later date.

In the meantime, here's the trailer:

Whereabouts: James McAvoy

2010-01-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Romancing the Tome favorite (see also; Whereabouts: James McAvoy 2006) and soon-to-be first time father James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Atonement; Becoming Jane) will star in The Conspirator, a 2010 film about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln with Alexis Bledel and Justin Long (hmm....) as well as Wanted 2 and I'm With Cancer, which are both in pre-production. --Kim

Upcoming Masterpiece Classic Schedule

2010-01-04T18:27:00.001-08:00

Here's the schedule for PBS's Masterpiece Classic, which begins January 10:

January 10-17, 2010, 9pm
Return to Cranford

January 24-February 7, 2010, 9pm
Emma (with Romala Garai and Jonny Lee Miller)

February 14, 2010, 9pm
Northanger Abbey (Encore Presentation)

February 21, 2010, 9pm
Persuasion (Encore Presentation)

For more details, visit the Masterpiece Classic website.

The Little Indie On My Must See List

2010-01-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

Tennessee Williams' The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond stars Ellen Burstyn, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Ann-Margret. Bryce Dallas Howard portrays Fisher Willow, who returns from abroad to 1920s Memphis. Doug Johnson of Alt Film Guide writes:

In Fisher, traces are abundant of female characters ranging from Maggie the Cat to Baby Doll to Alexandra Del Lago, charged characters that brought Academy Award nominations to Elizabeth Taylor, Carroll Baker, and Geraldine Page, the actresses who originated them on screen.

You had me at Maggie the Cat....

--Kim

The Chrysanthemum Palace

2009-12-01T10:43:00.001-08:00

Just finished Bruce Wagner's Great Gatsby-esque L.A. novel about children of the rich and famous. The book also stars Chateau Marmont, Shutters, and Chez Jay with appearances by Sharon Stone and Jeff Goldblum, among others. The events are parsed for the reader by narrator Bertie Krohn, the scion of a Hollywood producer who created Starwatch, a popular Star Trek-like T.V. show that boasts a cult following. Bertie is wry, self-aware, and sometimes catty as he unveils the story of a harrowing few weeks spent with his lifelong friend Clea Freemantle and her paramour Thad Michelet. All three are shadowboxing with their emotional inheritance and although the tale is tragic, it has some very funny moments, particularly on the set of the fictional space opera. If I were casting an adaptation of the film, I might consider Jason Schwartzman for the part of Bertie. I'm still pondering who would portray the 54 year-old thespian Thad Michelet, son of a Booker prize-winning novelist with a vicious temperament. Perhaps Clea could be played by Winona Ryder, with Sofia Coppola directing. --Kim

Louisa May Alcott, The Movie

2009-11-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

PBS will air Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women on December 28. It would be hard to make a boring film about the woman--After all, she spent time on a commune as a child, was tutored by some very well-known contemporaries, and served as an army nurse during the civil war. That's only the beginning... Can't wait to see this biopic which Elle, Vogue, and The Wall Street Journal have lauded. --Kim

Whereabouts: Ioan Gruffudd

2009-11-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

Decided to check up on what our favorite sailor in the British navy (a.k.a. Horatio Hornblower) is up to these days and was happy to learn he's starring in a biopic of The Wind in the Willows author, Kenneth Grahame. Banking on Mr. Toad also stars Samantha Morton (I LOVE her) as the author's wife, Elspeth, and explores the couple's relationship with their autistic son as well as Grahame's time as the secretary of the Bank of England.

In other Gruffudd news, he and wife Alice Evans welcomed daughter Ella to the world in early September after 40 hours of labor. (FORTY HOURS? Yikes, but congrats!) That picture, by the way, is cuteness personified.

C'mon, Get "Happy"

2009-11-19T01:23:00.000-08:00

"Joy to the World?" Easier said than done. But if you want to REALLY spread glad tidings, good will toward men (and women), and holiday cheer, wrap up some copies of The Happy Book for friends and family this year.

Written by Meg Leder and Rachel Kempster, this charmingly quirky interactive guide is aimed at helping you suss out the secrets to your own personal bliss by prompting you keep a tally of things (both mundane and mind-blowing) that put a smile on your face: In my case, this might include a cold rainy day curled on the couch watching the Ehle/Firth "Pride & Prejudice" miniseries, preferably with fireplace lit; consuming dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa) or bacon; Bollywood dance lessons; "Masterpiece: Classics;" a fruitful trip to the local library; a husband who vacuums without prompting; the merchandise at Anthropologie; laughing so hard my stomach actually physically hurts; the imminent arrival of my baby daughter; raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens....you get the idea.

Unlike "The Secret," which encourages you to greedily make lists of things that you WANT (Shut it, Oprah), The Happy Book reminds you of all the wonderful things you already have to feel grateful for. That's something we ought to be doing way more often than just the fourth Thursday in November, yes?

Austen Truths "Universally Acknowledged"

2009-11-19T01:08:00.000-08:00

What do Somerset Maugham, Virginia Woolf, and C.S. Lewis think about Jane Austen's novels? Find out in Susannah Carson's newly published anthology, A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen.

Here's the product description from Amazon:
For so many of us a Jane Austen novel is much more than the epitome of a great read. It is a delight and a solace, a challenge and a reward, and perhaps even an obsession. For two centuries Austen has enthralled readers. Few other authors can claim as many fans or as much devotion. So why are we so fascinated with her novels? What is it about her prose that has made Jane Austen so universally beloved?

In essays culled from the last one hundred years of criticism juxtaposed with new pieces by some of today’s most popular novelists and essayists, Jane Austen’s writing is examined and discussed, from her witty dialogue to the arc and sweep of her story lines. Great authors and literary critics of the past offer insights into the timelessness of her moral truths while highlighting the unique confines of the society in which she composed her novels. Virginia Woolf examines Austen’s maturation as an artist and speculates on how her writing would have changed if she’d lived twenty more years, while C. S. Lewis celebrates Austen’s mirthful, ironic take on traditional values.

Modern voices celebrate Austen’s amazing legacy with an equal amount of eloquence and enthusiasm. Fay Weldon reads Mansfield Park as an interpretation of Austen’s own struggle to be as “good” as Fanny Price. Anna Quindlen examines the enduring issues of social pressure and gender politics that make Pride and Prejudice as vital today as ever. Alain de Botton praises Mansfield Park for the way it turns Austen’s societal hierarchy on its head. Amy Bloom finds parallels between the world of Persuasion and Austen’s own life. And Amy Heckerling reveals how she transformed the characters of Emma into denizens of 1990s Beverly Hills for her comedy Clueless. From Harold Bloom to Martin Amis, Somerset Maugham to Jay McInerney, Eudora Welty to Margot Livesey, each writer here reflects on Austen’s place in both the literary canon and our cultural imagination.

We read, and then reread, our favorite Austen novels to connect with both her world and our own. Because, as A Truth Universally Acknowledged so eloquently demonstrates, the only thing better than reading a Jane Austen novel is finding in our own lives her humor, emotion, and love.

Here's an adapted excerpt from James Collins that ran in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week.

Easy Virtue

2009-11-10T01:18:00.001-08:00

If you blinked, you probably missed seeing this whimsical adaptation of a Noel Coward play when it was in theaters. Kim and I watched it this weekend on On Demand and thoroughly enjoyed being transported back to the era of the Lost Generation with the likes of Kristin Scott Thomas, Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes and an always-scrumptuous Colin Firth.

The premise: Stodgy British family with dysfunction as sizable as their sprawling estate grudgingly welcomes their spirited, scandalous siren of a daughter-in-law to the fold when prodigal son (Barnes) returns married to a gorgeous American race car driver (Biel).

What we loved: Firth and Thomas were naturally top-notch, and Jessica Biel managed to hold her own as the quirky-but-beautiful fish out of water. Her clothes alone are worth moving this one to the top of your Netflix queue. We also got a kick out of the soundtrack, which re-spun modern pop songs like Tom Jones' "Sex Bomb" and Billy Ocean's "When the Going Gets Tough" as breezy 1920s jazz tunes. Too clever.

"Errrllll Cannnnn!"

2009-11-10T00:53:00.000-08:00

Like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz finally getting de-rustified with a little help from Dorothy, Kim and I are determined to blog here again on a regular basis after a brief hiatus called life.

Maybe our kick in the pants was spurned on by recently partaking of afternoon tea at the High Tea Cottage in Woodland Hills. It's an unassuming little house off Ventura Blvd. and while it perhaps suffers from a bit of the teddy-bear-and-doily effect, we were pleasantly surprised by the proprietess's insanely thorough offerings of loose-leaf tea. We thought we'd died and gone to heaven when a rolling cart packed with tea varieties was brought to our table, from which we could smell any variety that piqued our interest before settling on our order. From fruity to chocolate-flavored and with names like Crime of Passion and Bourbon Street Vanilla, it was hard to narrow down our options. Kim chose a marzipan-flavor while I opted for the decisively caramel Mocha Rocca. Both were equally unique and amazing. Getting to smell the teas in their little jars ahead of time was a major plus and made the whole experience feel a bit like wine-tasting or hanging out at a perfume counter sampling the wares. I only wish there'd been time to try more.

After devouring our tea sandwiches, the rolling cart returned. This time we got to choose from several different jams to accompany fresh-from-the-oven apple-cinnamon scones. By the time we finished our assortment of decadent desserts, we were in a sugar coma and thankful that we'd chosen decaf teas. If you live in the L.A. area and enjoy afternoon tea, this place is worth the pilgrimage.

Jane Campion on The Treatment

2009-11-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

Excellent interview with director Jane Campion about her stunningly gorgeous new film Bright Star on KCRW's The Treatment.

Wolf Hall

2009-10-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the incredible staff at Skylight Books I was able to obtain a copy of Wolf Hall a couple weeks ago (hard to get at the time since it had just won the Booker Prize). The tale of Henry VIII's pursuit of Anne Boleyn come hell or high water drives the plot, but it's the ambition and inventiveness of Hilary Mantel's narrator Thomas Cromwell that make the story so compelling. She portrays him as surprisingly enlightened and, for all his power, equally beloved and feared. While I was reading I found myself picturing Jeremy Northam as Cromwell--He actually plays Cromwell's nemesis Sir Thomas More to James Frain's Cromwell in Showtime's The Tudors. --Kim

Keats & Fanny

2009-08-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Who among us can resist the allure of a (literally) incurable romantic, sighing deep sighs from his deathbed overlooking the Spanish Steps as he coughs up blood and ponders what might have been with his one true love?

It's been an uninspired moviegoing summer here at Romancing the Tome, but things are looking up for Fall, particularly with Jane Campion's forthcoming biopic of the love story between sickly poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his darling Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Bright Star will premiere October 18. (It was a hit at Cannes this spring, so that's encouraging.)

Check out the trailer and start stocking up on Kleenex:

F.Y.I., if you're in the neighborhood of London, you can check out the newly restored Regency House where Keats lived (and from whence he swooned over Fanny).

Dream Casting: Alive In Necropolis

2009-07-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Officer Mike Mercer is a confused young cop with a Colma beat (pop. living: 1,200 pop. dead: 2 million) whose life is spiraling out of control. Then he starts seeing ghosts. Author Doug Dorst keeps the plot zipping along without sacrificing character and there's something here that feels coming of age, in a good way. It's the sort of coming of age familiar to us Gen X and Yers who are forever hovering over the line between childhood and adulthood--just like Colma's ghosts hover between this world and the next.

Alive In Necropolis certainly has what it takes to cross over into film: cops, ghosts, drug overdoses, car crashes, romance, and for a backdrop, the haunting streets of San Francisco. My casting picks: Casey Affleck, James McAvoy, or Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Michael Mercer, Giovanni Ribisi as "Doc" Barker, Ryan Gosling as optimistic aviator Lincoln Beachey, Peter Sarsgaard as Toronto, Jesse Eisenberg as Jude, and Lili Taylor as Fiona. Read it and let us know what you think. --Kim

Quiz: Think You Know Your Shakespearean Phrases?

2009-07-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Take our quiz and match the phrase with the correct play.

Victorian Cemeteries & Drood

2009-07-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

I began Dan Simmons' Drood in earnest this afternoon after a false start a couple of weeks ago. There's a description of Dickens' era London cemeteries during one particularly stifling summer--you can almost smell the vile stench wafting from the pages. Le Monde diplomatique's article on the history of the Victorian's "see and be seen" cemetery Highgate made a nice companion read for the day. More on Drood to come. --Kim

It's a Mad, Mad World

2009-07-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Vanity Fair has some great pics of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen of Hearts and Mia Wasikowska as Alice in Tim Burton's highly-anticipated (at least, by us) 3-D version of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland! I barely recognize Johnny Depp in this picture, but that's probably a good thing...I was worried he'd look exactly like he did when he played Willy Wonka.

The Time Traveler's Wife Trailer

2009-07-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Nicki Richesin alerted me to the new trailer for the adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife, starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. It seems to be in the spirit of The Notebook. Is that good or bad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. --Kim

Ma "Cheri" Amor

2009-06-08T09:31:00.001-07:00

This looks so up our alley. Even if it sucks, I'm all about Michelle Pfeiffer's dresses in this trailer. Kathy Bates gives it some street cred, and Rupert Friend lends the sex appeal.

Pancks Resurfaces In Action-Packed Sherlock Holmes Trailer

2009-05-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Watch the new Sherlock Holmes trailer to see Robert Downey Jr. (brilliant casting!) as Holmes, Jude Law as Watson, and Rachel McAdams as the token love interest in action. And by action, I mean explosions, fist fights, and leaping from tall buildings. Hopefully the movie is more cerebral than it appears here, but either way, I can't wait to find out. Also, watch for a Pancks (Eddie Marson/Little Dorrit) cameo! --KIM

The Hobart Shakespeareans

2009-05-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

Want to make a couple of English majors cry? Sit them down in front of this documentary about an inspiring teacher, Rafe Esquith, (think Robin Williams in Dead Poets) who teaches inner city Los Angeles school children how to get completely geeked-out about Shakespeare. Kim and I Netflixed this movie last week and went immediately bonkers watching 9-and-10-year-olds (many of whom speak English as a second language) perform Hamlet while slack-jawed Shakespearean actors like Ian McKellan and Michael York got all teary-eyed. Their end-of-the-year performance of Hamlet was awesome, but you'll also lose it watching them read Huck Finn in class and watching them say their end-of-year adieus when Rafe sends them on their way with words of wisdom they will remember for the rest of their life.

Learn more about this phenomenal teacher's program here.

Watch the trailer....

Keanu to Star in New Jekyll and Hyde

2009-05-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Keanu Reeves is set to star in a new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I have to admit that I am an unabashed fan of Keanu in the right role, but his wooden performance in Coppola's Dracula was one of the reasons a perfectly stunning film was spoiled for me. Maybe it's just that his style, unlike say Johnny Depp's, is out of place in a Victorian setting. Universal apparently has two adaptations of the novella in the works--the other has Guillermo del Toro directing. Details on the project here. (via @drmabuse)

Paradise Lost...Twice!

2009-04-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

As we eke out the last day of National Poetry Month, The Hollywood Reporter says that at least one classic poem is getting the film treatment...in two different versions. (Sorry, Kim, it's not The Faerie Queene or The Rape of the Lock, which I'd actually much rather see)...Instead, it's John Milton's Paradise Lost. Two unknown actors, David Dunham and Patricia Li Bryan have been cast as Adam and Eve in the indie version from Granite Entertainment and STV Networks. Meanwhile, Legendary Pictures is also supposed to be doing a big-budget version of the famous verses with a project they're calling "Paradise." Not sure we need two, frankly, but maybe the indie version will put an interesting new spin on things.

BECAUSE I LOVE HER Contest Winner

2009-04-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Who do you love? We love Liz (of the fab blog Today's Special)! She will receive a copy of the Because I Love Her anthology, edited by Nicki Richesin and featuring essays by a host of wonderful writers, including Karen Joy Fowler, Joyce Maynard, and Jacquelyn Mitchard. Read Liz's entry and the other great entries here. --Kim

Giveaway: Win a Copy of the "Because I Love Her" Anthology

2009-04-22T19:44:00.001-07:00

Just in time for Mother's Day we're giving away a copy of Nicki Richesin's new anthology Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond. The collection features thought-provoking essays by Karen Joy Fowler, Joyce Maynard, and Jacquelyn Mitchard, among many other talented contributors.

To enter, simply comment and answer the question: Who is your favorite mother in literature? To get it started, Nicki, Amy, and I will share our picks. We'll choose our favorite comment by end of day Monday the 27th so we can ship you the book in time for Mother's Day.

Rumer Godden
When considering mothers in literature, the most obvious choice for Mother Superior seems to be Marmee from Little Women. She was devoted, loving, and let’s face it, too perfect. The past few years, I’ve been inspired by the work of Rume r Godden. I’ve particularly enjoyed her memoirs in which she movingly recounts her adventures living alone with her daughters Jane and Paula in Kashmir. She writes beautifully of growing her own food and creating a rich life with very little money. I couldn’t resist jotting down notes from her books like how to be happy when you are miserable: she suggests planting Japanese poppies with cornflowers and having Jane paint a really good picture. What I found most incredible is that she was able to write many, many books, care for her daughters, and live a life on her own terms during the forties and fifties. Ms. Godden was truly a woman ahead of her time. I highly recommend her memoirs A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep and A House With Four Rooms. --Nicki

***

Ma Joad
The most famous mothers in literature aren’t always the good ones: Anna Karenina, Daisy Buchanan, Edna Pontellier, Becky Sharpe... Truth be told, these depictions of motherhood are generally more intriguing than the sugary-sweet variety that’s usually a default in too many classic novels. But these desperate economic times call for a desperate economic Mama, so I’m selecting Ma Joad from Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath as the most stalwart and determined of matriarchs in seriously tragic circumstances. As the backbone of her clan, she calmly and selflessly keeps the family together during their harrowing and humiliating struggles for survival, always restoring order and somehow managing to whip up a skillet of biscuits out of seemingly thin air to feed her family. Sometimes you just do what you’ve got to do to make it through, and while I might not go so far as young Rose of Sharon’s breastfeeding feat at the end of the saga, the women in The Grapes of Wrath are a testament to those women everywhere who know the true meaning of sacrificial love. --Amy

***

Gertrude
While good mothers do exist in fiction, it's the wicked mammas that make for the best stories. After all, what would Beowulf be without Grendel's vengeful mother and Snow White without the wicked stepmother? But the queen of all notorious mothers has to be Gertrude, for without her Hamlet and his oedipal frustration wouldn't exist. She married Claudius too quickly after the death of her husband (and possibly had an adulterous relationship with Claudius before Hamlet's father was murdered). However, when Hamlet violently accuses Gertrude, her response reveals she's more complex than a one-dimensional femme fatale:

O Hamlet, speak no more:

Thou turn'st my very eyes into my soul,

And there I see such black and grained spots

As will not leave their tinct (III.iv.88-91)

...O speak to me no more;

these words like daggars enter my ears;

No more, sweet Hamlet!

By the time her lips touch the poisoned goblet during the play's tragic conclusion, she's become human and pitiable. --Kim

Historical Reality TV Poll

2009-04-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since they did another installment of those PBS series where they take ordinary people and plop them down into another era for a few weeks. "1900 House," (who can forget the darling Bowler family?) "1940 House," "Colonial House," "Regency House," "Frontier House"... Maybe they're running out of ideas? Which historical era would you like to see next? (Or, if you have a better idea, let us know in Comments.)

Which "house" would you like to see next?(online surveys)

Russell Goes Medieval

2009-04-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

USA Today has a photo of Russell Crowe all bad-assed out on the set of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, and I have to say, the ol' chap is looking good! I don't know what all that fuss was about him being too corpulent for the role. He strikes quite a dashing figure in this picture (and R.C. doesn't usually break into my Top Ten Sexpots of All Time list, either....but that's for another post.) This is definitely more "Gladiator" Russell than "State of Play" Russell, praise be to Jesus.

In Fair Chicago Where We Lay Our Scene

2009-04-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

I had to double check that it wasn't actually April 1st when I read this blurb: In honor of Shakespeare's supposed birthday (Thursday), Mayor Richard M. Daly has proclaimed the day "Talk Like Shakespeare Day" in the city.

Good Luck with That...

2009-04-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Eighty-eight year old Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is just a little obsessed with proving that Shakespeare's work was really written by the 17th earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere. Read the full story here.

In other news, researchers look into the "connection between storytelling and the evolved human mind" as they try to understand the popularity of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. You too can become a Literary Darwinist. Find out how. --Kim

Tomb Raiders

2009-04-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

She hath pursued conclusions infinite
Of easy ways to die. Take up her bed,
And bear her women from the monument.
She shall be buried by her Antony.
No grave upon the earth shall clip in it
A pair so famous.
-- Antony and Cleopatra, William Shakespeare

In what's predicted to be an even bigger find than the discovery of King Tut's tomb in the 1970s (cue the Steve Martin skit), archaeologists believe they are on the verge of excavating the graves of Cleopatra and her lover, Mark Antony, who committed suicide after their defeat in the battle of Actium in 31 B.C.

See story in L.A. Times

The Complete Austen, Dickens, ---?

2009-04-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

So if Masterpiece Theater continues its recent tradition of devoting an entire season to one author exclusively, I'm wondering who they'll opt to focus on next? I'm assuming next year we'll get to see the new BBC production of Emma in the works, but at some point, the Jane Austen well is going to run dry.

That said, which author do you think they should devote a season to next?

Which author deserves a "Masterpiece" season? ( surveys)

The REAL Shakespeare?

2009-04-10T11:22:00.001-07:00

Scholars have come across this portrait they think might be the only accurate rendering of the Bard, painted during his lifetime. Check out the story.

Pacino Does Aging Napoleon

2009-04-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

Al Pacino's set to star in an adaptation of the Staton Rabin children's book Betsy and the Emperor, about a 14-year-old girl who meets the aging Little Corporal after his exile on the island of St. Helena.

Source: Variety

They Did Dickens?

2009-04-09T11:44:00.001-07:00

Recently pondering all the Dickens adaptations I've seen in my lifetime, I thought I'd post about some of the bigger-name celebs who have tried their hand at portraying one of Boz's beloved characters. Here are a few who immediately come to mind, for better or for worse.

Michael Richards (Mr. Micawber: David Copperfield)
If anyone was born to play a Dickens character, it's the guy who brought us Cosmo Kramer. (This was back before his caught-on-tape racist rant which sort of spelled his stardom's demise.) Sally Field was also in this 2000 adaptation for the TNT network playing Aunt Betsy Trotwood. Hugh Dancy was David.

GOOP (Estella, Great Expectations)
I know Estella is supposed to be kind of hateable, and in that case, Gwyneth succeeeded ten-fold. I can never block this terrible move poster from my memory, but fortunately, I have mostly banished from my mind her cold-fish performance in this film. I think this marks the moment Gywnnie first started to bug (as I actually tolerated her in Emma — I know many others didn't.) Robert DeNiro and Anne Bancroft played Magwitch and Havisham types, but even with hottie Ethan Hawke as Pip, this one was pretty bad. For a far superior telling, you must see the version with Ioan Gruffudd and Justine Waddell. Watch the clip:

Christopher Plummer (Ralph Nickleby: Nicholas Nickleby,)
So perfect as mean Uncle Ralph, although I will always love him as my Georg. Anne Hathaway was in this one (I'd completely forgotten!) as Madeline Bray.

Gillian Anderson (Lady Dedlock: Bleak House)
I'm still not convinced she can offer up more than two facial expressions, but for this portrayal, it really worked. This might be my favorite Dickens adaptation to date, and Scully nailed it. No offense to Laura Linney, but I still kind of wish Gillian was doing the intros to Masterpiece Theater (if we can't have Russell Baker, that is.)

Alec Guinness (William Dorrit: Little Dorrit; Fagan: Oliver Twist; Magwitch: Great Expectations)
I've not seen any of these, but Obi-Wan got nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Little Dorrit (1988). Take a good look at the clip below and tell me we aren't lucky to get Matthew Macfadyen as Arthur Clennam? (Spoiler alert in case you haven't figured out what happens this Sunday on LD.)

Three Imaginary Poem-to-Film Adaptations

2009-04-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'm proposing the following poems be adapted for the big screen:

Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, directed by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp as the narrator, Amy Adams as the ghost of Lenore, and Dave Navarro as the voice of the raven.

Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock, directed by Woody Allen and starring Louis Garrel as the Baron and Scarlett Johansson as Belinda.

Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen, directed by Peter Jackson with James Franco as Knight Red Crosse, Cate Blanchett as Gloriana, Michelle Williams as Una, and Emily Blunt as Duessa.

What poems would you like to see adapted for film?

Much Ado About Shakespeare Adaptations

2009-04-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

I started to title this "My 5 Favorite Shakespeare Adaptations," but soon discovered there was no way I could narrow it down that much--even ten was too difficult. I still have this sneaking suspicion I'm missing a few. As for the plays, Romeo and Juliet was my Rosaline and then I read Hamlet and that was it for me. I was head over heels--I've even dated a few Hamlets, unfortunately. Henry V and Macbeth take third place. If I'm forgetting any or you disagree with my choices, take me to task in the comments. --Kim

12. The Taming of the Shrew dir. Franco Zeffirelli with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

11. Tempest (1982) with John Cassavetes, Susan Sarandon, Gena Rowlands, Raul Julia, and Molly Ringwald

10. Henry V (1989) with Kenneth Branagh (Love the St. Crispin's Day speech in the video below.)

9. The Merchant of Venice (2004) with Al Pacino and Joseph Fiennes

8. Hamlet (1948) with Laurence Olivier

7. Hamlet (1996) with Kenneth Branagh and Kate Winslet

6. Romeo + Juliet (1996) dir. Baz Luhrmann, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes

5. Throne of Blood (1957) dir. Akira Kurosawa

4. Shakespeare In Love (1998) with Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth (meh) Paltrow, co-written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, which is a combination of Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night

3. Much Ado About Nothing (1993) with Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Kate Beckinsale, Keanu Reeves, and Denzel Washington

1. Romeo and Juliet (1968) dir. Franco Zeffirelli

And I have to add Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) written and dir. by Tom Stoppard, starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, which is more of a spin-off than an adaptation, although the play Hamlet co-exists within the movie and drives the plot.

Long Live the King

2009-04-02T13:00:00.001-07:00

First off, how HOT is this trailer for Season 3 of The Tudors, premiering Sunday? I so wish I had Showtime.

Second off, if you're in New York, you should check out this Vivat Rex! exhibit on Henry VIII's literary artifacts at the Grolier Club of New York, now through May 2. (It travels to Washington's Folger Shakespeare Library next fall, FYI.)

And Speaking of "Alice..."

2009-04-01T09:58:00.001-07:00

...Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland (featuring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, sweet Jesus!) will get an IMAX 3D release next March 5th! I'm already tripping out.

Alice & Louisa

2009-04-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Today's Publishers Lunch announces two books centered around two famous literary women: one an author, and one a muse.

First, Kelly O'Connor McNees' The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott supposes a romance that might have tempted the writer in the summer of 1855 when her family moved to a New Hampshire Village. (to Amy Einhorn Books)

Next, Melanie Benjamin's Alice Have I Been will see an 80-year-old Alice Liddell reflecting on her life, including her childhood days spent with Charles Dodson, a.k.a., Lewis Carroll, who was inspired by the little girl to write Alice In Wonderland. I'm extra intrigued by this one, since there are so many theories as to whether Dodson's interest in the girl was innocent or not. (to Bantam Dell)

In a Drood Mood

2009-03-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to my co-blogger, Kim, for sweetly gifting me a copy of Dan Simmons' Drood. I have to admit the book's heft intimidated me, but I devoured the first chapter last night and am hooked! The book paints a fascinating portrait of Charles Dickens (so timely this spring) and is cleverly and cuttingly narrated by the author's onetime collaborator, Wilkie Collins (The Woman in White). So far it's funny and suspense-filled and a little bit horrifiying, and I'm sure I'll tear through all seven hundred-odd pages in no time before passing it back to Kim.

The book's set to be adapted by none other than director Guillermo del Toro, of Pan's Labyrinth fame.

Debt, Little Dorrit, and You

2009-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Amy and I were thrilled to post our thoughts on the first episode of Masterpiece Theatre's Little Dorrit on one of our very favorite blogs, The Egalitarian Bookworm.

Blame It On Shakespeare

2009-03-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

I've always thought it I ever bumped into Ben Kingsley in public I would probably meekly cower in the corner or scream and run away. Maybe it was his badassity in Sexy Beast... Maybe it was because he played such an a-hole when he cameo'd as himself on "Entourage..." And as someone who has interviewed less than cooperative actors in my day, I can sympathize with how the Guardian's Rachel Cooke was a little freaked by the prospect of interviewing Mr. Ghandi himself. So it was with great pleasure that I read her interview and discovered that, contrary to both of our preconceived notions, he's actually something of a teddy bear! The image of him with a ziplock bag of Fisherman's Friends took the scary away, just like that!

He gives some props to Shakespeare, and I was hoping he'd talk about his role in Christopher Rush's "Will," (a fictional account of the Bard's deathbed meeting with his lawyer to discuss his last will and testament) but no such luck. We'll just have to wait for more news on that one.

Guest Blogging for Little Dorrit

2009-03-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Finally! The long-awaited production of Little Dorrit begins on Sunday night. Amy and I will be contributing a guest post on the first episode at The Egalitarian Bookworm. Go here for details. --Kim

Titus Pullo Lives!

2009-03-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

This news of a film version of the HBO Rome series is music to my ears. Too bad, presumably, no Ciaran Hinds, since Caesar got eighty-sixed already in the series.

Ramona Quimby

2009-03-04T16:27:00.001-08:00

I loved Beverly Cleary books when I was a second grader, and it's about damn time Ramona the Pest got some screen time. That said, I never imagined, when I was reading the books, that she had a couple of hotties for parents. Corbett and Moynahan? Seriously?

Titanic on Ice

2009-02-20T17:08:00.001-08:00

No...not a figure skating extravaganza (I could only hope to dream....) But this one's for you, Meg.

Portman's Out For Regency Blood

2009-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Natalie Portman's name is being bandied about in connection with the Pride & Prejudice and Zombies project.

Tyger! Tyger! Burning Bright

2009-02-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

It looks like Yann Martel's survival tale, Life of Pi, is finally getting its sea legs...with no less than Ang Lee in talks to direct! Great pairing. (M. Night Shyamalan was previously attached.) Still don't know how they're gonna pull off Richard Parker. CGI animals never seem to work for me.

In the meantime, I still love watching the amateur versions on YouTube.

Source: Variety

Elton John Scores Zombie Austen Pic!

2009-02-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

It just gets more and more intriguing...see the deets at Variety.

Okay...further, more careful perusing has brought to light that this is not in fact, the zombie film, but something else entirely: Austen and aliens. In my rush of excitement, I wrongly assumed this was the zombie one...which leads me to believe perhaps there are getting to be a few too many campy spin-offs of Jane? The first time around it's clever. The second time around it's "enough, already." -- Amy

Dickens Mania Commences!

2009-02-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Amy's birthday in true Romancing the Tome style on Sunday by attending a Bollywood performance, dining exquisitely at Comme Ça, and watching the first episode of 2007's BBC production of Oliver Twist on Masterpiece Theatre. The casting is fantastic, although we both agreed that Tom Hardy (Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights) is almost too attractive as psychopathic scoundrel Bill Sikes (let's call it the Willoughby Effect). The little boy who plays Oliver is adorable and Timothy Spall as Fagin is utterly creepy. Unfortunately, the Artful Dodger's accent was so thick that we could barely understand a word he said. Following next week's conclusion of Oliver will be David Copperfield starring Daniel Radcliffe. Of course, I'm eagerly awaiting the five episodes of the brand new Little Dorrit, which begins on March 29. --Kim

More Unorthodox Austen...

2009-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

...This time it involves time travel, with Sam Mendes directing. It's based on a Brit miniseries that starred Tess of the d'Urbervilles' Gemma Arterton and Jemima Rooper.

Source: Variety

Stiller & Cruise: Hardy Boys?

2009-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have to grin at the idea of Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller starring as the boy detectives all grown up...who knows how it'll pan out. I found Tom Cruise slightly annoying in Tropic Thunder, but I give him credit, I guess, for making an ass out of himself for comedy's sake.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

How Did I Not Know About This?!

2009-02-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. Apparently there's a bidding war for the movie rights.

Brilliant.

Existentially Speaking

2009-02-11T13:08:00.001-08:00

Albert Camus' The First Man gets its celluloid shot. Get the deets.

Pickpocket Alert!

2009-02-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to set those DVRs to record Part I of Oliver Twist on Masterpiece Classics on Sunday. No DVR? Watch it online stating Monday, the 16th.

Whoever would have thought that Fagin might be a campy, Yiddish German Jew? His portrayer, for one. Watch Timothy Spall's interview about how he approached the iconic villain. (Where have you seen him before? He's Peter Pettigrew of Harry Potter fame, and he played Mr. Emerson in the 2007 adaptation of A Room With a View.)

Casting Upgrade

2009-02-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

Sienna Miller's ousting as Maid Marian from Ridley Scott's Nottingham movie (allegedly because she was too young/thin to credibly star opposite a paunchy Russel Crowe) just took a turn for the intriguing.

The Telegraph is reporting (via Mark Strong) that the equally svelte Cate Blanchett is now taking up where Miller left off.

Crowe and Blanchett? I'd pony up some dough to see that Aussie pairing, fo sho'.

Shakespeare, Shaken

2009-02-06T09:01:00.001-08:00

The Wall Street Journal today interviewed Christopher Moore, author of Fool, which retells "King Lear" through the eyes of Lear's quick-witted impudent sidekick. What an original twist! Can't wait to check it out. Speaking of Bard-inspired books, I'm halfway through The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, (David Wroblewski's canine-centric take on "Hamlet") which I'm enjoying immensely.

Sense & Sensibility

2009-02-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Mr. Bingley is swell and all, but when it comes to Pride & Prejudice, it's all about the Darcy. Sense & Sensibility, on the other hand, presents us with two very different (but equally worthy) gentlemen to root for. I, myself, am a "Colonel Brandon" girl. Who are you partial to? Vote here, and don't forget to catch Part II of Sense & Sensibility on Masterpiece Classics Sunday!

Online Surveys & Market Research

Pacino to Play King Lear

2009-02-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

Last year we reported that Anthony Hopkins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, and Keira Knightley would be starring in Joshua Michael Stern's adaptation of King Lear (and it's still listed as in pre-production on IMDB). Meanwhile, Al Pacino is set to star as King Lear in an adaptation written and directed by Michael Radford who also worked with Pacino on Merchant of Venice. Variety reveals that "the film will be true to its period, very similar to the classical look of 'Merchant of Venice.'" --Kim

Whereabouts: Ioan Gruffudd

2009-02-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

Our favorite sailor in the British navy, Horatio Hornblower (a.k.a. Ioan Gruffudd) will join Rupert Friend and Natascha McElhone in "The Kid," reports Variety. It's an adaptation of the true life story of Kevin Lewis, who grew up an abused child only to get mired in London's criminal underworld.

Baker Street Boys (And Girls)

2009-01-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal today had an article about Holmes-and-Watson geeks, a.k.a. The Baker Street Irregulars, and a mention of forthcoming Sherlock flicks.

Stormin' Normans

2009-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Crack open your history books: A film called "1066" is in the works to offer an account of the Battle of Hastings. The movie will focus on the rivalry between King Harold and William the Conquerer. Gladiator scribe William Nicholson is penning the screenplay.

Source: Variety

New Emma Adaption Coming from the BBC!

2009-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Good news: The new adaptation of Emma will be four episodes long and will air in the fall, according to a BBC press release. It was last adapted in 1996, as a less-than-stellar film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and an ITV miniseries with Kate Beckinsale. Good thinking, BBC! Drop your cast picks in the comments. (via Fellow-ette)

Wuthering Depths

2009-01-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not really in the position to turn my nose up at even a half-rate installment of Masterpiece Classics, but after watching my TiVo'd Part I of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights last night with Kim, I have to confess we were underwhelmed.

1) Where the heck was Mr. Lockwood? The best part about the novel is how eerily it begins, with this traveler showing up at W.H. on a cold dark night and discovering both the motley crew residing within as well as the curious graffiti marks on the bed panels in Cathy's former room. Instead of that intriguing start, we got to meet the second-generation upstarts in some random supplemental scenes...an immediate snooze.

2) Tom Hardy was not my Heathcliff. Sorry, he just wasn't sexy-swarthy enough. Granted, we DID start to warm up to him once he returned with the spiffy haircut and the raging dose of 'tude, but that doesn't make up for the fifty-or-so minutes we spent feeling weirded-out by him and wondering why Cathy was even attracted to him in the first place.

3) Cathy could have been a bit more of a spitfire, but all-told, Charlotte Riley was acceptable, albeit a little too modern-looking. (Especially in the one scene where she was lying on the ground with him wearing a knit cap that made her look like a hipster Brooklynite circa 2006.)

I could continue my list of gripes, but I'm not even inspired enough to do so. Let us know what you loved (or loathed) about it.

Once More With Feeling: East of Eden

2009-01-15T13:43:00.001-08:00

Happy news!

Let me start with a story. I loved, loved, LOVED John Steinbeck's East of Eden when I first read it about three years ago. Loved it so much that I immediately rented the film classic with James Dean a la Elia Kazan...which horribly disappointed me. (I guess I'm in the minority on that, but so be it. As adaptations go, it stunk.)

Now comes the fantastic news that the duo behind the incredible John Adams series on HBO are doing their own take on the Steinbeck classic! Can't wait to see who they cast!

Source: Variety

My Big Fat Nottingham Debacle?

2009-01-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Guardian's got rumors as to why Sienna Miller has been dropped from Ridley Scott's Nottingham movie. Here's a hint: Too many Twinkies for the film's Robin Hood, Russell Crowe?

First Look: The Young Victoria

2009-01-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

Watch the trailer

Adaptation Hotties

2009-01-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

The Egalitarian Bookworm lists her Top Five Period Literary Adaptation Hotties. I applaud her choice of Greg Wise for the #2 spot. I fell in love with him in The Buccaneers and he IS the perfect Willoughby! Can you guess who takes the #1 spot? --Kim

"Desire. Passion. Scandal." Thorn Birds, the Musical

2009-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying really hard to wrap my brain around this and am failing. The Thorn Birds is reportedly being adapted as a musical. Imagine the possible numbers: You Can't Make Love for Toffee (You Complacent, Conceited, Self-Centered Bastard!"); Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon; Son of a Preacher Man; Father de Bricassart's Lament; Livin' In Dragheda; Ashes of Rose; I Love You (But I Love God More)... --Kim

"There Is a Time to Embrace and a Time to Refrain from Embracing"

2009-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Our favorite scene from the first episode of Tess of the d'Urbervilles had to be when Angel Clare carries each of the besotted milk maids across a gigantic puddle. Finally, sweeping up an embarrassed Tess, whom he compares to gossamer, he confesses "I didn't expect an event like this today." Lovely. You can watch the scene again here. --Kim

Tess of the D'Urbervilles: A Limerick

2009-01-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

Kim and I greatly enjoyed watching Masterpiece Theater on Sunday. We are now longing for a minor flooding situation that will require some hot dude to carry us each across a marsh.

I've written a limerick summing up Part I:

There was a poor girl named Tess
Her life was a tragic hot mess.
Her "cuz" did assault her (Will Angel now fault her?)
Stay tuned, and bring Kleenex, I guess.

Part II continues Sunday.

Set Pix from Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND

2009-01-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

More pix, including some of Helena Bonham Carter en déshabillé, here. --Kim

Baz's GREAT GATSBY, The Birth of BENJAMIN BUTTON, etc.

2008-12-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

Xan Brooks argues that The Great Gatsby may be the great unfilmable novel of the 20th century (I know some of you agree with this assessment) and he's a tad ambivalent about whether Baz Luhrmann can make something of it. Brooks also asks a great question: Who would you cast as Jay Gatsby? (Read the article.)

Speaking of Fitzgerald, you probably heard that THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is loosely based on a short story by F. Scott. Not knowing about the short story when I first saw the trailer, I immediately thought of Andrew Sean Greer's marvelous The Confessions of Max Tivoli and wondered if it was at all related. Here's the scoop from Greer.

Stephen Fry, aka Jeeves, (listen to his latest podcast, this one on language, here), is set to play Mr. Bennet in JANE AUSTEN HANDHELD. According to IMDB that project will "[re-tell] the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice through the lens of a fly-on-the-wall documentary crew."

Tivo Alert! Masterpiece Classics

2008-12-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

What's the best thing about ringing in 2009? Knowing that PBS Masterpiece Classics are imminent!

The fun (well, I'll use that term lightly given that it's Thomas Hardy first up) starts on Sunday, January 4th for Part 1 of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. I really loved the 1998 version starring Justine Waddell, so we'll see how this one measures up. Gemma Arterton and Eddie Redmayne star as Tess and Angel.

Check out a preview here.

January 18 kicks off Part 1 of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights! Woo-hoo! I don't think I've ever seen a decent adaptation of this novel. The actor playing Heathcliff might have been better cast in Tess: His name's Tom Hardy. Not too familiar with him, but based on this picture, I'm skeptical. Will reserve judgment and hope for the best. If this version fails, there's still a feature-film version supposedly in the works starring Abbie Cornish and Michael Fassbender.

I'm trying to finish Little Dorrit as we speak in order to be ready for the "Incomplete" Charles Dickens beginning in February!

RomTome Hall of Fame: The Thornbirds

2008-12-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

This adaptation of Colleen McCullough's novel about forbidden love is an oldie, but goodie. Kim and I started re-watching it last night and were reduced to fits of laughter. Needless to say, not all of it withstands the test of time. Still, it's good stuff.

Classic Moments:

1) Every single completely inappropriate moment between Father Ralph deBricassart and young Meggie, including his setting her up in a bedroom right next to his, as well as this tormented line, "OH WHY DO YOU TUG SO AT MY HEART?!?" These scenes would not fly today. Watch the scene and you will laugh but simultaneously be creeped out.

2) Richard Chamberlain, buck naked, being hit on (and groped) by a white-haired Barbara Stanwyck. Watch the scene and you will laugh but simultaneously be creeped out.

Aside: I found this Richard Chamberlain quote about that scene:
Richard: We had this scene where Father Ralph comes to the big verandah at Drogeda in a huge rainstorm and there’s nobody around. He’s soaking wet and so he strips, there on the veranda thinking there’s nobody around. But, I’m standing there totally naked and um, Stanwyk comes out, she said a couple of lines and I said a couple of lines and she dried and she had never, ever had any trouble with her lines, ever before. And there was a shocked pause on everybody’s part and the kind of moment of silence and then she said ‘I’m sorry. It’s just been so long since I’ve stood next to a naked man.’ And I thought that was a really great compliment. And I thought, ‘oh, wow, I turned her on a little bit!’

3) The delicious overacting of John Friederich, who played Meggie's big brother, Frank. This guy made sure EVERY scene was his Emmy reel. Fabulous. There is lots of Oedipal stuff going on with this character and his martyr of a mom.

4) I have no beef with Sydney Penny, who played the young Meggie, but only want to point out that she went on to play Julia Santos on "All My Children" and Samantha Kelly on "The Bold & the Beautiful."

5) Father Ralph thinking that telling a story about a bird that IMPALES itself on a thorn bush is going to cheer up a sad little girl. Next time, stick with the Brothers Grimm, dude.

We will be savoring the movie in slow increments....stay tuned!

Counterpoint/Soft Skull Books that Would Make Great Movies, 2009 Edition

2008-11-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

It's time once again for our annual review of the Winter 2009 catalog from Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press. We poured over the latest offerings from their always stimulating selections and the following are the books we think would make great reads and that we'd love to see as films one day. (Frankly, with a catalog this good, you'd be hard-pressed to find a book that wouldn't make a decent film adaptation.) --Kim

Sex, Death & Oysters by Robb Walsh
Aside from the sex and death, Robb Walsh's non-fiction book about oysters might not seem at first glance a match made in movie heaven. But consider Charlie Kaufman's film Adaptation--which was an adaptation about trying to write a screenplay based on a Susan Orleans book about orchids--then get back to us.

Darwin's Garden by Michael Boulter
Johnny Depp was born to play the role of Charles Darwin. Imagine him in period costume puttering around the grounds at Down House, including the heated greenhouse where the father of evolution "conducted experiments on orchids and primulas" while having to deal with the ordinary sturm und drang of family life. Andrew Davies (Bleak House, etc.) would direct.

I Wouldn't Start from Here by Andrew Mueller
Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald could probably handle the uber-tense moments brought on by clashing ideologies, landmines, and mercenaries in this non-fiction road trip ("it's like a Bond film but with much, much less sex"), but could he do it with a sense of humor? That we don't know... we do know that we're intrigued by this "gonzo recounting of disaster in the modern world."

Milk, Sulfate, and Alby Starvation by Martin Millar
Guy Ritchie? Alfonso Cuaron? Edgar Wright? Your guess is as good as ours, but more importantly, the Milk Marketing Board has taken out a contract on Brixtonite Alby Starvation's life and we want to know what happens next! Apparently Neil Gaiman is a fan of Martin Millar and List calls Milk... "a work of rare genius and truly cult."

New "Heights" for Masterpiece Theatre

2008-11-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

Laura Linney will host the new season of Masterpiece Theatre Classics (Gillian Anderson hosted last season), which includes Wuthering Heights. Watch a video promo here. Other classics to be adapted in the upcoming season include Tess of the d'Ubervilles, Oliver Twist, and Little Dorrit, adapted by Andrew Davies and starring Matthew Mcfayden. --Kim

Confederacy of Dunces: The Curse

2008-11-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

My husband came across this article recently after we wondered why John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces has never found its way to the big screen. The article's a few years old, but I assume there's still been no headway since. Let me know if you've heard differently.

Interesting stuff, anyway.

Tempest With a Twist

2008-11-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Helen Mirren will play the unfairly banished sorceress, Prospera, in a new film adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, which will be filmed in Hawaii and directed by Julie Taymor of Broadways The Lion King fame.

Here's the rest of the star-studded cast:
Jeremy Irons: Alonso, King of Naples
Chris Cooper: The sinister Antonio
Russell Brand: jester Trinculo
Alfred Molina: Stephano, the drunken butler
Ben Wishaw: Ariel (great choice)
Felicity Jones: Miranda
Djimon Hounsou: Caliban
Reeve Carney: Ferdinand, Miranda's love interest

The Incomplete Charles Dickens

2008-11-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Will the Jane Austen fans who flocked to PBS last winter/spring for "The Complete Jane Austen" tune in for "The Incomplete Charles Dickens?" Masterpiece Classic has yet to set the schedule for when they'll air the author's adaptations, but here's a preview of what they're planning for Little Dorrit, The Old Curiosity Shop, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield.

Also in 2009: Wuthering Heights and Tess of the D'Urbervilles!

Whereabouts: Matthew Goode

2008-11-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

I never watch Masterpiece Contemporary (I'm sure it's wonderful, but to steal from Johnny Cochran, If there's no corset, you must acquit.) However, I might have to start watching now that I know Matthew Goode is the new announcer for the series. (Maybe I'll just watch the first five minutes.) I've bitched in the past about Russell Baker getting the axe...I'll stop complaining now.

Speaking of Masterpiece Theater vets, set your TiVo for November 23 for The Unseen Alistair Cooke, when the one-time host gets a "This is Your Life"-type special, posthumously.

Meet Bella

2008-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Read why Kristen Stewart almost didn't sign on to play Twilight's vampire-crushin' Bella in the Stephanie Meyers adaptation at Dark Horizons.

Camelot Redux

2008-11-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

Showtime and the BBC are developing a contemporary series retelling of Camelot. The guys behind The Tudors will write and produce. I am destined to have tunes from the Lerner and Loewe musical in my head for the next 24 hours, at least.

Source: TV Week

He Knew He Was Right: Conclusion

2008-11-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

Last night Kim and I finally got around to watching the last hour or so of Anthony Trollope's He Knew He Was Right, as envisioned by Romancing the Tome patron saint, Andrew Davies. We have to say, in terms of his past masterpieces, this one was a bit of a letdown. (Can't win ’em all.)

We enjoyed the first part of the movie, but couldn't help but wonder if the production ran out of financing two-thirds of the way in. How else to explain why they didn't bother giving us a wedding scene when there were no less than three to choose from? It seems like they raced to tie up the storylines in very anticlimactic fashion. The dramatic injustice of Aunt Stanbury refusing to let her niece marry Matthew Goode (say it ain't so!) lasted all of five minutes before the dowager had a change of heart. The demise of the deranged Louis Trevellyan seemed to happen even more quickly. There was a good "I'm gonna stab you all through the heart with this kitchen knife" moment from one of the French sisters, but even that story arc ended with a fizzle.

We attempted to watch a bad documentary about Anthony Trollope included on the DVD which featured very amateur reenactments and a lead actor sporting an appalling fake beard. Eventually, we lost interest and were lured away by red velvet cake. So in the end, our movie-watching night was still a success.

Jack Black Joins "Swift" Boat Campaign

2008-11-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Jack Black (whom I saw last night at a Lakers game, incidentally) will play Lemuel Gulliver in a re-imagining of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, depicting the pilgrim as a free-spirited modern day travel writer who gets an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle. This sounds cute — he's one of those guys who can crack me up without saying a word. Regardless, anything has to be better than that wretched adaptation starring Ted Danson in the late ’90s.