Simply Stacie Feature

Hey everybody, I was featured over at SimplyStacie.net yesterday, but since I had such an awesome post from Heather, I didn't want to step on her toes. But, if you want to head over there and read a bit about lessons you can learn from Twilight, I think it would be a good idea.

stepheniemeyer.com

Here's a sampling for you:
Lesson #4: When somebody says “Don’t look.” or “Cover your ears.” or “Run!”- they mean it. You don’t want to see. You don’t want to hear. You just don’t want to know. I promise. Heed the advice.

EDIT: Here is the text of the post, as it originally read on SimplyStacie.net: 

There's a lot of talk out there about how awful the Twilight Saga is, and I can understand it. People don't relate to the characters and the vampires aren't "typical" vampires (which is beyond strange to me, because vampires aren't real- there's no such thing as "typical" vampires, but whatever). However, I think most of the hate is out there for one reason, and one reason only: Twilight is popular. The most popular books/movies/TV shows will receive hate rivaled only by the amount of love they receive.

Think about it... how many people do you know who HATE Twilight, even though they've never read a single word of it? Or hated it before they read it, read 100 pages to silence their critics and claimed that they just "can't get through it!"

Now, all those people are perfectly entitled to their opinions. If modern paranormal romance isn't your thing, that's okay. I certainly won't force anybody to read anything, but I will point out that there are some lessons everyone can learn from Twilight. To save you the "horror" of having to actually read these immensely popular books (they have sold over 100 million copies in 38 different languages), I have compiled a list of lessons to be learned from Twilight.

Lesson #1: You don't have to "pretty" to be attractive. Bella is described- both by herself and by the author outside of the books- as being fairly plain. She isn't into makeup or trendy clothes. She doesn't obsess about her weight, and she certainly doesn't buy into any other false-beauty trends like tanning, hair coloring or acrylic fingernails. She's real. And the boys go crazy. There is literally a line of guys who are vying for her attention. Some are too shy to do anything about it, and some a mythical monsters, but the point remains that a real-life, normal girl is plenty attractive.

Lesson #2:  Having a lot of money isn't everything. The Cullens are loaded. 400 years of practicing medicine, no actual need for anything tangible and a psychic ability to predict the stock market has left them with more money than any human person would ever know what to do with. Yet, before Bella came along, Edward was depressed. Rosalie despises her lot, and Esme aches for the baby she lost as a human. They all experience pain and suffering despite their riches. In contrast, Bella's mother, Renee is lower middle class and entirely content with her life. The Blacks live in a very modest home on the reservation, with very little in the way of possessions, yet are also quite happy.

Lesson #3: You can choose to defy expectations. The Cullens are vampires. They crave human blood. When they drink human blood, they usually cannot stop themselves and end up killing the human in question. But, they don't enjoy being senseless murderers, and so they choose not to be. They choose a diet of less satisfying animal blood and live inconspicuous lives. Just because you are expected to be something: boring, exciting, mean, nice, prompt, forgiving, rude, busy, lazy- doesn't mean you have to be that way. You can choose to defy expectations and live your life exactly as you see fit.

Lesson #4: When somebody says "Don't look." or "Cover your ears." or "Run!"- they mean it. You don't want to see. You don't want to hear. You just don't want to know. I promise. Heed the advice.

Lesson #5: What you see may not always be the truth. When Bella reawakens as a vampire, her suddenly heightened vision shows her the world as it truly is. Her limited human vision left out prominent scars on a friend's body, minuscule life forms, extra colors and extensions of the light spectrum as well as a thousand other details. While most of us are never going to have the chance to become a vampire, we can recognize that things may not always be as they seem. We don't have all the information, and our limited field of vision colors our ability to understand things.

Lesson #6: Usually, the bad guy is lying. James (the villain of the first novel) gets Bella alone by lying to her. Victoria (the villain of the third novel) reaches her goals by lying to a young man and getting him to do all her dirty work for her. The Volturi (the villains of the fourth novel) lie in an attempt to discredit the Cullens, start a war, destroy an opposing point of view and remain in power. How often do we fall victim to the lies around us? You know that somebody doesn't have your best interest at heart, yet you believe what she tells you (or worse, says about you!) because you're afraid it might be true. Sometimes, we hope something is true, so we believe the lies. Don't be so quick to believe something that doesn't make sense. Think with your head, pay attention to the details and work things out for yourself.

Lesson #7: You have to give up something to get something. OK, so this is technically a lesson from economics, but it's played out well in Twilight, so I'm including it. Bella wants to be with Edward. Edward is immortal. Bella is not. In order to stay with Edward, Bella would have to give up everything that goes with a mortal life: her parents, her friends, the chance to have children and grow old. She would give up everything normal for the chance to have something special. We all face choices like this- not every day, but at least a few times in our lives. You want to go to an extra fancy college? You have to leave your friends and family behind. You want to marry the fabulous man who loves you? You have to give up the dating world. You want beautiful little babies? You have to give up your right to sleep whenever you want need to. Life is full of trade offs and choices. Which leads me to...

Lesson #8: The most difficult decisions; the ones that wrench your heart out, in one way or another, are usually worth the pain. The fancy college? Best education you could possibly attain. Marriage with the fabulous man who loves you? Wonderful. The fat little babies? Little pieces of magic and love looking up at you every single morning. For Bella, it was eternity with her soul mate, looking forever like a teenager. For you, it's probably more mundane. But, when you make the right choice, and you stick to it, it's worth it.

Lesson #9: Evaluate your choices. Really evaluate them before you make your decision. Critics complain that the Bella/Edward/Jacob love triangle lessens the validity of Bella's love for Edward. Stephenie Meyer pointed out (and I agree) that it actually strengthens Bella's love for Edward. Think about it: it's not like Bella fell in with the first guy to come along. She had another option. A viable one. One that wouldn't be so difficult physically or emotionally. A man who loved her and would fit into her normal, human life. A man who she cared about and could have been happy with. But it wasn't right for her. She made the difficult choice, she chose what was right for her over what was easy.


Gina blogs over at Fantasy Casting, where she's usually spouting her opinions about who should be cast in the movie versions of her favorite books. She wants to know what you think, and would love to see who YOU would cast. You can contact her here.

Captain Jack Sparrow is Rad

Yes. I said "rad."

I'm being featured over on It is a big deal, it is to me! And I'm talking about, you guessed it, Jack Sparrow.

What? Is this not an everyday type of conversation for you? Well, it is for me... go check it out!

EDIT: Here is the original text as it appeared on It is a big deal, a big deal to me! Yes. I said "rad."

First, look:

That's the best use of guy-liner ever. Seriously, ever. I'll admit, there's not a lot of stiff competition in this category. I mean, there's Pete Wentz and Adam Lambert and Boy George and that's about it, right? But Captain Jack Sparrow certainly takes the cake in the guy-liner competition, hands down. It's smoky and smudgy and smoldering hot.

Now, let's talk about that fact that the character is one of the first original Disney characters in... one hundred thousand years. OK, that's a slight exaggeration, but Disney does have a knack for reinventing old characters: fairy tales, legends and remakes make up the bulk of their wheelhouse, and to see a completely fresh character based on an original Disney ride is awesome.

Once this entirely fantastic character had been laid to paper, Depp breathed life into it by basing his interpretation of it on Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. While we're on the subject of Keith Richards, how fabulous of a guy is he to step in and make the cameo appearance in the third film as Sparrow's dad? Talk about being a good sport, right? Most celebrities would balk at the caricaturization, but Richards embraced. Good man.

Jack Sparrow oozes confidence- he literally rode a sinking ship right up to the harbor, and walked off as if it had been the QE2. He walks into the clutches of danger and negotiates his way into his version of safety time and time again.

I mean, come on, the man convinced an entire pirating community that he had used his own back hair to lash together sea turtles and ride them away from an island he had been marooned on. Now, I know he was lying, but the fact remains that people believed him capable of this feat. And, in leadership, having your subordinates believe you are capable of something is as important as actually being capable of it. That's charisma.

By the middle of the third film, I was so tired of the back and forth, wishy washiness of Elizabeth and Will, that I kinda wanted Elizabeth to wind up with Jack. Am I alone in this? Good to know.

OK, I'll admit, the cannibal scenes got a little... silly and out of control. But, I won't hold Jack responsible for that. That's just poor writing. Everybody knows cannibal jokes are in bad taste.

Here's to Captain Jack Sparrow, the worst pirate I've ever heard of. But at least I have heard of him ;)

Gina blogs over at Fantasy Casting where she's usually spouting her opinion about who should be cast in the film versions of her favorite books. You can contact her here.

Guest Posting

I'm guest blogging today over at One Brownie at a Time.

Go check it out, and make sure to give the post lots of comments, so that she'll ask me back again another time!





EDIT: Below is the post as it originally ran at One Brownie at a Time...

We've all talked- ad nauseum- about body image and the media, particularly concerning women. We all know that the media and pop culture emphasize the idea that women must be thin to be beautiful, but unfortunately, the damage goes much deeper than that.

Let's do a little experiment, shall we?

On IMDb (the Internet Movie Database) you can search by year of birth; you can click on 1970 and see everybody in the film industry born in that year, ranked in order of popularity. It's an incredibly useful tool if you blog about casting, and an incredibly revealing tool if you're interested to see how Hollywood sees women. Now, these popularity rankings could conceivably change every single day- the algorithm includes clicks and searches among other data- but the concept remains the same. So, let's click and learn, shall we?

While I am typing this post, the data for Hollywood elite turning 50, 40, 30 and the all-important 18 this year is as follows:

Interesting, no? There's a lot of complaint, and rightly so, about the lack of roles available for women in Hollywood. What is disconcerting to me about this data is the fact that there are in fact plenty of roles for women in Hollywood, so long as you're under 30.

Subliminal Message #1: Don't ever turn 31. If you must, hide it by any means necessary: lie about it, have cosmetic procedures done, dress waaaaay too young for your age, wear too much makeup and for Pete's sake, wear Spanx!

You ready for another experiment about subliminal messages about how women should look? Here we go.

Let's look at some famous TV couples, shall we? TV is often heralded as being a little more "real" than movies- you know, we see mom actually folding laundry and cooking instead of just the fantasy land, right? So, let's see how these "more real" couples stack up.

First up, King of Queens (1998- 2007). He's overweight, to say the least. In his stand up routines before making it big, most of his jokes actually were about pizza and why mini muffins are stupid. She's nothing short of a bombshell. Do these two make sense as a couple:

Next example, According to Jim (2001-2009). He's balding, pudgy and pretty all-around average looking. Not to mention the fact that he is thirteen years older than his model-perfect wife. Really?

 This could really go on for awhile, think of The George Lopez show, Modern Family, but...

Subliminal Message #2: Your looks and your youth are the most important things you can ever possibly offer your spouse. Unless you're a man.

Now, we come to the crux of things. The most debilitating subliminal message sent out by the media about women and their appearance. Again, let's explore. This time, we'll explore the ever-present "makeover"sequences in films.

Makeover #1- The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway.
Before: curly hair, glasses, sneakers, no makeup.
After: straight, shiny hair, no glasses, high heels, lots of makeup.

Makeover #2: The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway.
Before: ponytail, baggy clothes, flat shoes, minimal makeup.
After: straight, shiny hair, high heels, tight pants, lots of makeup.

Makeover #3: Grease, Olivia Newton John.
Before: ponytail, full skirts, sneakers, no makeup.
After: super-sexy hair, high heels, very, very tight pants, lots and lots of makeup.

Makeover #4: She's All That, Rachel Leigh Cook.
Before: ponytail, jeans, sneakers, glasses, no makeup.
After: short, shiny hair, high heels, tight dress, no glasses, makeup (and newly plucked brows).

Makeover #5: Miss Congeniality, Sandra Bullock.
Before: ponytail, wide leg pants, flat shoes, no makeup.
After: straight shiny hair, high heels, tight dress, lots of makeup (and an excessive body wax)

See a trend? Not just the fact that these are all tremendously gorgeous women to begin with, I mean. Also, if anybody can think of a movie where a man receives a makeover, let me know.


Subliminal Message #3: Tighter clothes, higher heels, shiny hair, lots of makeup. Allowing any other version of your appearance to show will guarantee you a long, lonely, single life.

The never-ending message of youth and beauty goes much, much further than just the size-4 mentality.You want to see how Hollywood treats "real" people? I wrote a post a while back, all about the instant makeover real life people get when their lives become film fodder. Here's a hint: they're magically younger, thinner, more attractive with straighter teeth and better boobs.

So what's the takeaway from all this? To counter the three subliminal messages, I've concocted three affirmations:


Affirmation #1: You are beautiful. You were made this way (whether you believe in a Creator or something else). You are the miraculous result of the best of both your mother and your father. Your body is capable of giving life to another human being, for crying out loud! Don't bother thinking anything less of yourself.

Affirmation #2: You deserve to be with somebody wonderful. I want to be clear: I'm NOT encouraging a shallow, only-date-or-marry-hot-guys mentality. But, don't buy the movie idea that if you don't settle down right now with the next guy who comes along you will be single forever. It's not true. There's a lot of awesome guys out there. And George Lopez ain't one of 'em. Just saying.

Affirmation #3: Aging is natural and can be done gracefully. If you want examples, look to women like Meryl Streep. Over 60, gorgeous and pretty natural about it. There are certainly natural, healthy ways to keep your skin and body beautiful, even for a long, long time. :)

Gina blogs over at Fantasy Casting, where she spouts her opinion about who should be cast in the movie versions of books. Sometimes she talks about the occasional remake or tv show, and sometimes she blogs for fun for other people. You can contact her here.

Guest Blogging: The Third Strike

I am so, so proud to be blogging over at The Third Strike today. Rob and Amanda are hilarious and totally, and completely random.

I am proud because Rob issued a challenge of epic proportions, and I accepted. Not only did I accept, but I feel like this is some of my best work. I'll give you a little picture, a sneak peak if you will, to tempt you to click on over to my post:

Are you intrigued yet?

Go read my post about Awesomely Bad VS. Movie Ideas.

That is all.

EDIT: Below is the post as it originally ran on The Third Strike.

You remember when Alien Vs. Predator came out? And Freddy Vs. Jason? Did you ever wonder how those came to be? Picture this:


A Hollywood production studio's board room. There's a well dressed studio exec at the head of the table, and a whole mess of yes-men in suits ready to ask "how high?" when he says "jump." There's a 30-something with very cool hair standing across the table with a proposal projecting onto the wall behind him.


30-something: "Everybody loves 'Alien'. Sigourney Weaver in her underpants, aliens, awesomeness."
general murmuring of assent
30-something: "Everybody loves 'Predator'. Arnold Schwarzeneggar outsmarting a man-hunting alien."
more positive murmuring
30-something: "What do those two classic pieces of Americana have in common?"
:: dramatic pause ::
30-something: "Bloodthirsty Aliens!"
Studio exec: "So, we make another bloodthirsty alien movie, hire an unknown actress to prance around in her underpants, pay her less than she's worth, and pocket the difference."
30-something: "No, no, no. We make a movie with JUST the bloodthirsty aliens. No girls in underpants, no handsome bodybuilders. Just the bloodthirsty aliens."
Studio Exec: "Nailed it. Who's ready for lunch?"


Now, you and I can see several places where that conversation could have gone in a different better direction, but this is Hollywood, and if there's anything I'm sure of, it's the fact that they will continue to reinvent a bad idea until they are absolutely positive that they have sucked as much money out of the bank accounts of America as possible. (despite bad reviews, the two films mentioned at the top of this post profited over $75 million). And with that in mind, I present to you the 10 Most Awesomely Bad "VS" Movie Ideas:


Harry Potter vs. Percy Jackson: One has to retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt, the other has a scar shaped like a lightning bolt. One is is a demi-god, and the other is a god on the Quidditch field. Both will struggle with the terrible angst of having to ask a girl out for the first time. Magic! (pun intended)

Fan Art from PercyJacksonMovies.com

The Wonders vs. Josie and the Pussycats: Both are pop-rock bands that had meteoric rises to superstardom. One band fell apart because of the stress, the other uncovered a conspiracy of global proportions. The film would culminate in an all out Battle of the Bands, determining once and for all whether girls can rock as hard as the boys. Think of the gender-role implications!

livingreadgirl.blogspot.com & listal.com

Jurassic Park vs. King Kong: The best part about this match-up? In the King Kong movie, he already fought against two dinosaurs. So we already know that audiences will love it! Brilliant!


What did you say? "Redundant?" I don't even know what that means. Moving on.

ezineseeker.com

Pee Wee Herman vs. Napoleon Dynamite: The potential for awkwardly doofy moments is so exhilarating, I can hardly stand it. Pee Wee is overly exuberant, Napoleon is so low-key that he's almost sullen. Opposites that, when properly combined, will create a cinematic masterpiece.

theflickcast.com & matrondownunder.blogspot.com

Juno vs. Alison Scott: Two unwanted pregnancies. Two different ways of dealing with it. All kinds of chick drama, crazy one liners and opportunities for other people to be super judgmental. Seth Rogan and Michael Cera must be willing to reprise their roles, though.

people.com

Edmond Dantes vs. Mr. Darcy: Men of high society from the same era fighting dueling (they didn't 'fight' back then, it wasn't proper) to the death. How could this possibly go wrong?

What do you mean "more than fifty years apart?" Modern Americans don't know the difference. Just make sure they both wear ascots and have British accents. Wait... Count of Monte Cristo is supposed to be French? That's ridiculous. We all know everyone outside the US, or prior to 1925 spoke with a British accent. Get your history straight, man.

dailymail.co.uk & thehayride.com

Don Michael Corleone vs. Tony Montana: Not only would this pitch two of the greatest gangsters on film against each other, but it would finally (finally!) give Al Pacino his opportunity to play multiple characters in the same film, a la Eddie Murphy or Mike Meyers, just as I am certain he has always wanted to do.

thecollider.com

Truman Burbank vs. Ed Pekurny: They could start out as allies against those filming their personal lives for profit, but eventually turn on each other in attempt to gain control of the network.

kimberlyjones.wordpress.com & deadline.com

¡Three Amigos! vs. Galaxy Quest: This one would have to be helmed by JJ Abrams or the Wachowskis, because it would be a total mindf***.  Think about it: the actors from two films about actors unknowingly facing a real enemy will come together in documentary film about said enemies, thinking it's just a film about their past experiences, allowing them to again pretend to be actors. However, it will actually be for reals! Whoa. 

tvtropes.org & toomuchteeth.blogspot.com

Average Joe's Dodgeball Team vs.  The Benchwarmers: Underdogs taking on underdogs? What's not to love about this? At some point, an underdog will finally lose.

chucksconnection.com & slantmagazine.com

 So, what do you think, internet? What awesomely bad VS movies would you like to see?
 

Guest Blogging: Ramblings of a Singleton

Hidey Ho, good readers!

I'm actually guest blogging over at Ramblings of a Singleton today, and if you think that a blog run by an Irish singleton in the vein of Carrie Bradshaw is a weird match for a book-turned-to-movie blogger, you would be forgetting this girl:

Go check out my Lessons Learned post ;)

And, by the way, does anybody else think she looks WAY better on the left?

 Unless you're into razor-sharp clavicles and Gollum-arms.

EDIT: Below is the post as it originally ran on Ramblings of a Singleton.
Bridget Jones is that woman that I wish I was.

Well, that's not quite true.

Bridget Jones is the woman I am. Sure, she's pretty, but she's insecure. She's heavier than she wants to be and she has some bad habits, but she wants to be better. She tracks her successes (and her failures) and is striving toward being a better woman. She's opinionated and intelligent, but she sticks her foot in her mouth more often than not.

The woman who first used the term "Singleton" to refer to an unmarried adult stands as a role model for millions of single adults the world around. I want to share with you some of the lessons I learned from reading the Bridget Jones novels and watching the Bridget Jones movies.

Lesson #1: "I will always be a little bit fat" but men happen to like the "wobbly bits".
Yes, thin women are beautiful. But, so are lots of not-so-thin women. I've had three babies in four years. Oh, yeah, and I'm normal. I wear a size 12 jeans, which may be bigger than I want it to be, but I promise you, I can still turn heads if I want to. Women who obsess about their weight and strive to look just like Victoria Beckham are fighting the wrong fight. Be healthy and love your curves. Chances are, he loves them more than you can imagine.

Lesson #2: Scoundrels don't change. 
The man-whore who cheated on his girlfriend to be with you will do the same to you one day. The man who sleeps around at the office will continue to do so when you no longer work at that office. The man who pays for sex will always be willing to pay for sex. Or coerce it out of somebody insecure/drunk/naive for free. You can't change him and you're better than that. Move on.

Lesson #3: Your first impression can change. Don't be too proud to backpeddle a little bit. 
OK, to be honest, I learned this one from reading Pride and Prejudice, but since Bridget Jones's Diary is based on P&P, and most women today are more likely to see a Bridget movie than read an Austen novel, I'll leave it on here. The stuffy, boring intellect could just be having a rough day. He might be funny and sweet. And, it's amazing how once you know somebody a little better "boring" can suddenly sound a lot like "responsible."

Lesson #5: Have the big conversations early. 
Remember when Bridget thinks she might be pregnant? She and Darcy sit down and start daydreaming about the baby; names, schools, etc. And they fight about it. They end up completely pissed and glad that they aren't pregnant. I know it's played for laughs, but how many women put themselves in this position? They're so grateful to have a man in their lives and they don't want to scare him away, so they avoid the big discussions: babies, families, religion and politics. Knowing what you stand for and what's important to you is more valuable than a shallow, dead-end relationship. If it's important to you- talk about it and talk about it early. Which brings me to...

Lesson #6: Know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. 
Bridget sticks her foot in her mouth over and over again. And often, she's not that passionate about what she's talking about. Sure, she has an opinion, but the fact that Darcy disagrees with her isn't a breaking point. So why fight about it? Be willing to shut your mouth and agree to disagree sometimes. If it's not worth breaking up over, then it's not worth fighting over. State your opinion clearly, confidently and kindly, if he disagrees, move on.

Lesson #7: Don't put your rouge on in the dark. 
Do I need to explain this one?

Lesson #8: It's OK to want to be better. 
I think this is the best thing about Bridget. She's trying. Sure, she's not always succeeding, but she wants to be better; lose the weight, kick the ciggys, cut back on the alcohol and find herself happy in a stable relationship. But she won't compromise who she is to do it. A man needs to love her for her. She's filled with self-doubt, but she continues on her path; she knows who she is and moves forward with that knowledge in mind. But here's the kicker...

Lesson #9: Bloom where you are planted.
Bridget spends so much time worrying about being thinner or prettier or taller or more successful that she doesn't notice what she does have going on around her. She suffers from "the grass is always greener" syndrome. She needs to find the balance between becoming a person and wallowing in self pity because she's not there yet.

This is where Bridget and I differ. I am not perfect. I want to be better, and I'm working on it, one agonizingly slow day at a time. But if I were to put off everything enjoyable while I waited for those last 7 pounds to come off, or for my hair to grow out or for my mother to stop being a nut case, I would miss out on life. So, here's to striking the balance; becoming a better version of the fabulous woman I am now without missing out on what is going on today.



Gina blogs over at Fantasy Casting about books, movies, but mostly books being turned into movies. You can contact her here. Photo: courtesy of MSN Entertainment downloads.

Guest Blogging: The Ladies Room

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I am guest blogging today over at The Ladies' Room. 

Go check it out, give the post some love so she'll ask me back someday :)

EDIT: Below is the post as it originally ran on The Ladies' Room.

Book: The Devil Wears Prada
By Lauren Weisberger released in 2003

Lauren Weisberger arrived on the American publishing scene in 2003 with her debut novel, The Devil Wears Prada, a thinly veiled autobiography of her time spent working for Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.

This novel is exactly everything you expect it to be; cliched, funny and a total breeze to read. The main character, Andrea, is a junior assistant to the editor-in-chief of the most prestigious fashion magazine in the world. She loathes fashion and everything to do with it, yet holds onto the job because of the doors it will open up for her. In the novel version, Andrea actually has very few redeeming qualities; she's selfish, self-centered, impatient and quick to anger. She seems to almost consciously drive her friends and family away and makes no attempts to make friends with her new connections in the fashion world. She eventually ends up stealing, or, ahem "borrowing" an awful lot from the company closets and expense accounts and eventually loses her job after publicly cussing out her boss. Nice girl, that one.

The novel itself is rife with stereotypes, often painfully so. Nearly every man that appears on the pages of The Devil Wears Prada is so flamboyantly gay that it begins to feel like a farce. It is common knowledge that a bulk of men in the trenches of the fashion industry are homosexuals, however, it is absurd to think that 100% of men in the publishing industry (fashion or otherwise) are gay and that those who are gay are incapable of holding decent conversations without devolving into gossip and innuendo.

The other main character, Miranda Priestley, is overbearing and just plain mean. She also displays almost no redeeming qualities and the reader feels vindicated in Andrea's extravagantly rude rebuttal of her at the end.

All in all, the novel is exactly what has become the norm in female driven literature, and earns the notorious label of "chick lit," it is shallow and mean and a whole lot of fun to read. I recommend this for summer beach and/or treadmill reading. You can put it down and come right back to it without skipping a beat.


Movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway
Rated PG-13 for sensuality, alcohol consumption and language

How can a cut-rate, chick lit novel be turned into the most fun and surprisingly deep study of the inner workings of the fashion industry as seen by the eyes of a novice? Brilliant casting and nuanced changes to the characters.

Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestley, the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. While the novel's version of this character was a harsh denunciation of Anna Wintour, Streep's character deliberately strays from Wintour's persona. Streep plays her with a "method to the madness" air about her; she pushes so hard and so constantly because she wants her publication to be perfect. She wants her staff to be better and to have opportunities and to learn something. She is also a desperately lonely woman who has poured her life's blood into her work, and sacrificed everything else- relationships with her husband and children included- to do so. Streep somehow makes the villain seem vulnerable, a feat unparalleled.

The next perfect choice in casting comes with Anne Hathaway. Andrea's character in the novel is immature and selfish, but Hathaway brings a naivete and genuineness to the role that makes you want her to succeed. You become disappointed in her when she turns into a "clacker" and you wish desperately for her to repair the damage to her personal relationships, and you believe that it can be done. The novel's version of this character was beyond repair; but Hathaway's rendition learns something at the end of it all, and Streep's Priestley seems almost maternally proud of that fact.

Brilliant casting cannot be discussed without talking about Stanley Tucci. He deliberately played his proudly gay character very mildly; he was not the least bit flamboyant and was void of almost all theatrical stereotypes that haunt homosexual characters. While there was some minor backlash about this amongst the gay community, most found it to be refreshing. A gay character that was portrayed as intelligent, hard working and compassionate; not just loud, funny and horny. The fact that he is gay is no secret- it just doesn't define his every breath.

All in all, The Devil Wears Prada turned out to be a fabulously fun film. Anne Hathaway reportedly had over 100 wardrobe changes in the 109 minute film, making for a fashionista's dream come true. And, unlike the Sex and the City girls, all of these outfits are wearable! Add in the fun of recognizing all the celebrity and designer cameos and this film is sure to please the most critical of fashion and "chick flick" denouncers. While I will generally advise to read a book instead of sitting in front of your television, in this particular case, I absolutely must recommend that you:

Gina blogs over at Fantasy Casting, where she spouts her opinion about who should be cast in the film versions of books, comic books and anything else that strikes her fancy.  You can contact her here.

Guest Posting

I am guest posting today over at Memoirs of a Fanboy- go check it out.


Memoirs of a Fanboy is pretty cool blog, especially if you:
- have ever lined up for a midnight showing of any movie based on a comic book
- have ever created a costume revolving entirely around a cloak of any kind
- have ever hyperventilated over a Harry Potter trailer


Not that I have ever done any of these things ;)

You'll have to click over to read the post, but here's a hint:

EDIT: Below is the post as it originally ran on Memoirs of a Fanboy.
As you probably already know, The Green Lantern has been greenlighted (pun intended, ha.) for a film release in June 2011.

For those who don't know, unlike many other comic characters, Green Lantern has multiple alter-egos over the years. Hal Jordan is the incarnation of the Green Lantern from DC's Silver Age of comics, during the late 1950's revival and is the version that will be portrayed in this film. He is a pilot who was given the ring of power by Abin Sur.

First of all, let's start with the man of the hour; the Green Lantern himself, also known as Hal Jordan, played by none other than Mr. Ryan Reynolds.

I don't know how I feel about this. First of all, I am a female. So... there's that side of it. And in that regard, I am happy to see Ryan Reynolds do just about anything. However, he's already Deadpool, which worked out well, but let's be real: This is also Van Wilder. Can he support a whole superhero film all by his onesie? We shall see...

Before we get too far into this, I want to put out there in blogland that I think this would have been an excellent opportunity to cast a black superhero. The Green Lantern was John Stewart, a black architect for most of the 70s, and that character still makes an appearance in the books today. There are so few mainstream, headlining black heroes, why not take advantage of the opportunity, you know?

Anyway, moving on. The love interest, Carol Ferris, is being played by Blake Lively, of Gossip Girl fame. I'm skeptical. Real skeptical. According to DC legend, Ferris is a powerful female. She's Hal Jordan's boss, and is hailed as being one of the first strong female characters, emerging long before the second wave of feminism broke in the United States. This girl:

Is supposed to embody intelligent female power? OK... maybe she's a better actress than I think. I would hate to judge too unfairly; just because she's overly pretty, famous for her fashion choices, stars as a spoiled socialite on one of the most sexually-charged teen shows of all time, ranks #4 on Maxim's Hot 100 list and lists "Long Blond Hair" as her trademark on IMDb... maybe she's deeper than that. Who knows. Or, more likely, DC rewrote the character to be just a pretty face. If it's door #2, then we're set.

Hector Hammond is one of the villains for this film, and Peter Sarsgaard has been brilliantly cast for this part. Seriously, this guy always looks a liiiittle bit like he's gonna crack, any minute. I think the uber-nuts Hammond is a perfect fit.

Our second villain (because, you know, one just isn't tough enough these days) for this film is Sinestro. For you comic-book geeks out there, you'll know that Sinestro is considered one of the greatest super-villains of all time. In fact, my sources (wikipedia) tell me that he was ranked at the 15th greatest super villain ever by the people who determine the validity and awesomeness of super villains. (side note: who doesn't want that job?!?!?!) Hold your breath. They have cast Mark Strong. 

Feel free to geek out. I am.

Who's excited? Other than for Blake Lively, that is. And honestly, when you look at this:

how can you not be?