The novel tells the story of Henry DeTamble (born 1963), a librarian in Chicago, and his wife, Clare Abshire (born 1971), an artist from a wealthy family who makes paper sculptures. Henry has a rare genetic disorder, which comes to be known as Chrono-Displacement during his lifetime that causes him to involuntarily travel through time.
When 20-year-old Clare meets 28-year-old Henry at the Newberry Library in 1991, he has never seen her before, although she has known him most of her life. Clare's past is still in Henry's future. Henry begins to experience the events in Clare's childhood at the same time that he experiences life with the adult Clare in the present. In the novel, the future cannot be changed, and many tragic events are foreshadowed in the past.
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean
Release Date: August 14th, 2009 (wide)
Book Rating
"A powerfully original love story." -- People
"Tremendous grace and imagination . . . A love story without softness or flinchiing." -- The Washington Post Book World
"[A] time-travel love story par excellence. . . . [A] soaring celebration of thhe victory of love over time." -- Chicago Tribune
Spirited . . . Niffenegger plays ingeniously in her temporal hall of mirrors." -- The New Yorker
In the year 2707, war rages between earth’s four giant corporations as they battle over the planet’s dwindling resources. In an era marked by warfare and social regression, the earth is on the verge of ruin, destruction is everywhere; battles explode on every ravaged continent.
Amidst heavy combat, an errant shell shatters an ancient buried seal releasing a horrific mutant army from its eternal prison deep within the earth. As the mutant scourge threatens human extinction, a single squad of soldiers descends into the earth to fulfill the ages-old prophesy of the MUTANT CHRONICLES and save mankind.
Director:Simon Hunter
Cast:Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, John Malkovich, Devon Aoki
The film's version of the world is loosely based on that of the Mutant Chronicles role-playing game which is a pen-and-paper role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world, originally published in 1993. It has spawned a franchise of card games, miniature wargames, video games, novels, comic books
Book Rating
Connecting all his intertwining strands are the quintessential Ellis protagonists—a group of beautiful, blonde young men and women who sleep all day and party all night, doing drugs—and one another—with abandon, never realizing that they are dancing on the edge of a volcano.
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder, Jon Foster and Amber Heard.
ps: The movie will not contain any vampires or zombies. In some countries, such as France, the book was even released under the title 'Zombies', this makes the omission extremely surprising.
The BOOK
The Informers is a collection of linked short stories by Bret Easton Ellis first published in 1994. It displays attributes similar to Ellis' novels Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction with the story set in California
“Coolly ferocious. . . . Truly unsettling.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Skillfully accomplishes its goal of depicting a modern moral wasteland. . . . Arguably Ellis's best.” —The Boston Globe
“Sparkles with a disturbing mix of humor and ultraviolence.” —Detroit Free Press
“Ellis . . . has a keen eye for dialogue, a sharp eye for the moral bankruptcy of modern life, and a vivid imagination.” —San Franciscop Chronicle
“Bret Easton Ellis. . . is an extremely traditional and very serious American novelist. He is the model of literary filial piety, counting among his parents Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nathanael West, and Joan Didion.”—The Washington Post
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Dominic Monaghan
official web: http://www.xmowolverine.co.uk/
Jackman as Wolverine...
Jackman says he fell in love with the Wolverine character a decade ago for much the same reason fans embrace the comic books. "The character has always reminded me of Dirty Harry or Han Solo," Jackman says. "He's a good guy, not a nice guy. He's got a lot of flaws, which I think is what people find so attractive about him and the X-Men. He's struggling with who he is and what he wants. He was one of the comics' first anti-heroes."
The Comic
Click here to purchase the comics!
About Wolverine
Wolverine is a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974) and was created by writer Len Wein and Marvel art director John Romita Sr. Wolverine later joined the X-Men's "All New, All Different" roster in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975)
Born James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, retracting bone claws, and a healing factor that allows him to quickly recover from virtually any wound, disease or toxin, enabling him to live beyond a normal human lifespan. This healing ability enabled the supersoldier program Weapon X to bond the near indestructible metal alloy adamantium to his skeleton and claws.
The Da Vinci Code is based on the bestselling 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Because of some controversial interpretations and factual inaccuracies of Christian history in both the book and movie, they were criticized by the Roman Catholic Church.
Some bishops urged members to boycott the film. However, in its opening weekend, the film earned over US$224 million worldwide. It is the second highest grossing movie of 2006 worldwide—having reached US$758,239,851 as of November 2, 2006, making it both Tom Hanks' and Ron Howard's most successful film
Plot:
Famed symbologist Professor Robert Langdon is called to the Louvre museum one night where a curator has been murdered, leaving behind a mysterious trail of symbols and clues. With his own survival at stake, Langdon, aided by the police cryptologist Sophie Neveu, unveils a series of stunning secrets hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, all leading to a covert society dedicated to guarding an ancient secret that has remained hidden for 2000 years. The pair set off on a thrilling quest through Paris, London and Scotland, collecting clues as they desperately attempt to crack the code and reveal secrets that will shake the very foundations of mankind.
Directed by Ron Howard, the movie stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou (Amelie).
Movie Rating:
Book Rating:
As most book-to-movie adaptations, it loses some of it grandeur. The twists are less sharp and it's a bit more predictable. The movie is pretty faithful to the book. However, in trying to place all of the book's riddles in the movie, the characters had less time to "de-code" them. Therefore, they seemed like all-knowing geniuses that casually figured out the most complex mystery in no time. The result? It gets confusing and tedious. The story is just as flawed and as poorly-researched in the movie as in the novel.
December 11th, 2009 (wide)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Author) tells about 14-year-old Susie Salmon ("like the fish") who is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer--the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey. From heaven, Susie keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case.
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The novel draws from the author's personal experiences from when she was raped during her freshman year at Syracuse University.
In Lucky, Sebold's 1997 memoir of the event and its aftermath, she describes how it transformed her life, especially after learning that the rapist's previous victim had died. After later seeing the rapist on the street, she reported him to the police and eventually testified against him. He was convicted and received the maximum sentence. She began the novel in the early 1990s as an outgrowth of those events. However, she fiercely resists suggestions that it had anything to do with the aftermath of the rape.
Book Rating
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
Starring: Jon Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Sienna Miller, Nick Nolte
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a 1988 novel by American author Michael Chabon. The story is a coming-of-age tale set during the early 1980s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was Chabon's first novel, which he began writing when he was a twenty-one-year-old undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh
PLOT:
Narrator Art Bechstein is recently graduated from college, a likeable, educated but unmotivated guy who takes a job at a dreary bookstore and waits to see what the summer after his graduation has in store for him.
Going back to the school library to finish some work necessary to get his degree, he catches the eye of Phlox, an oddly-named girl with overdone makeup and dress but who has a certain attractive charm. He also soon meets Arthus Lecomte, a young gay man who wants to be a foreign diplomat, and who has a knack for getting house-sitting jobs. Soon he is in a convertible with Arthur and the cheerful Mohammed, driving too fast in a small convertible that Art is careful not to fall out of, on their way to a party that effectively kicks off the action of the novel.
The entire novel takes place in the course of the summer after Art's graduation, and there is a sense that the events of those few months will define Art as a person - his relationship with his gangster father, his ambiguous sexuality, and his relationship with the troubled and fascinating character Cleveland are all put to the test
Book Rating:
Release Date: April 24th, 2009 (wide)
PLOT: Based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia during his second year at Juilliard School. Ayers becomes homeless in the streets of downtown Los Angeles, playing the violin and the cello. Robert Downey Jr. portrays Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist who discovers Ayers and writes about him in the newspaper. As Lopez endeavours to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives.
Book Review
Nathaniel Ayers was a prodigy, an African American musician who was accepted to Juliard to play and to study classical bass. During his second year at that school he developed schizophrenia and was quickly unable to function in such a demanding environment. He was forced to drop out. Before long he was broke and homeless, living on the streets. But despite the adversity in his life, his musical talent did not abandon him. Neither did his passion for classical music.
Thirty years later reporter Steve Lopez walked by him as Ayers was standing in Los Angeles’ Skid Row playing a two-string violin. Intrigued by the possibilities of a good story, Ayers wrote about this strange “Violin Man” and was shocked by the reaction these articles received. But as time passed, Ayers became less of a curiosity and more of a friend. Though still inflicted with his illness and exhibiting many of its more pronounced and erratic symptoms, Lopez takes a real interest in his new friend and helps him find permanent lodging, reconnects him to his family and even connects him to the classical music scene in L.A
Hotel for Dogs is a film adaptation of the Lois Duncan novel of the same name about two orphans who take in stray dogs at an empty house.
Andi (Emma Roberts) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin), who have been forced to hide their ownership of their beloved dog, Friday, as they move from one foster home to another. The resourceful kids stumble upon an abandoned hotel and using Bruce's talents as a mechanical genius, transform it into a magical dog-paradise for Friday--and eventually for all Friday's friends. When barking dogs make the neighbours suspicious, Andi and Bruce use every invention they have to avoid anyone discovering "who let the dogs in."
Book Rating
There are several appealing qualities to this story - animals, children who don't always agree or get along with each other, a secret conspiracy that would fall apart if the parents found out, a bully that is ingeniously bested.
Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz, April 28, 1934) is an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and sometimes controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers.
Movie Rating
The film has received mixed reviews. It currently holds a 45% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, and was given a 2 star rating in the Chicago Sun Times. The film opened at #5 for the January 16-19 weekend with $17,707,000 and is estimated to have earned $22,500,000 total over the 4-day weekend
Plot: Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.
The filmmakers behind Twilight worked to create a film that was as faithful to the book as they thought possible when converting the story to another medium, with producer Greg Mooradian saying, "It's very important to distinguish that we're making a separate piece of art that obviously is going to remain very, very faithful to the book.... But at the same time, we have a separate responsibility to make the best movie you can make."
In order to ensure a faithful adaptation, author Stephenie Meyer was kept very involved in the production process, having been invited to visit the set during filming and even asked to give notes on the script and on a rough cut of the film.
Movie Rating
The Book
Twilight quickly gained recognition and won numerous honours, including:
- A New York Times Editor's Choice
- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
- An Amazon.com "Best Book of the Decade...So Far"
- A Teen People "Hot List" pick
- An American Library Association "Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults" and "Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers”
Book Rating
p.s: there will be a second installment for Twilight (11.20.09). The movie will be based on the second novel in author Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series titled, New Moon. (source: stephenie meyer official website)
Movie Consenus: Visually powerful, intense and uncompromising, Watchmen is an epic comic-book film whose technical and thematic strengths overwhelm its narrative shortcomings. (source: rottentomato)
The Book
Book (Comic) Rating
"A work of ruthless psychological realism, it's a landmark in the graphic novel medium. It would be a masterpiece in any."-TIME, TIME MAGAZINE's 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present
Movie Rating
The movie is definitely worth seeing, especially if you are a fan, but it won't be one of those movies where you have to see it twice or three times. Plus if you can endure for 2 1/2 hours.
Unlike the North American adaptation and the Anime, there was never a Dragonball Z Manga. The events of the Dragonball Z TV series follow the events of the Manga as of aproximately volume 17 (Dragonball GT and the movies are original stories that do not follow the Manga). The North American Serialization of "Dragon Ball Z" in the US version of Shonen Jump started in the middle of the series, at the Cyborg Saga.
(source: animenewsnetwork)
Plot: Bulma is a girl in search of the seven mystical Dragonballs who is told that that, when brought together, can grant any wish. Son Goku is a strange boy with a tail who lives in the woods and is the owner of one of the Dragonballs. The two cross paths and a grand adventure begins, on the way meeting a cast of characters such as a desert bandit, Yamucha; the transforming pig, Oolong; and the great martial master of Kame-Sennin, Muten Roshi. The story starts off based on the traditional Chinese folktale 'Journey to the West.' This series also includes what is known in the United States as 'Dragonball Z.'
more about dragonball
More info: On December 4, 2002 Shueisha and Bird Studios commenced the release of the first two volumes of Dragon Ball "Kanzenban". A re-release of the series which would feature new cover art by Akira Toriyama, more chapters per volume (resulting in only 34 volumes as opposed to the original 42), and a new ending by Akira Toriyama.
ps: this is one of my teens time favorite manga (japanese comic book). I still remembered that I have to fight with my brothers in order to read it first :)
The Movie
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun Fat, Emmy Rossum
Release Date: April 8th, 2009 (wide)
Preview for you guys
Book Rating:
(source: yahoo movies)
PLOT: Eight year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is the sheltered son of a Nazi officer (David Thewlis) whose promotion takes the family from their comfortable home in Berlin to a desolate area where the lonely boy finds nothing to do and no-one to play with. Crushed by boredom and compelled by curiosity, Bruno ignores his mother’s (Vera Farmiga) repeated instructions not to explore the back garden and heads for the ‘farm’ he has seen in the near distance. There he meets Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a boy his own age who lives a parallel, alien existence on the other side of a barbed wire fence. Bruno's encounter with the boy in the striped pyjamas leads him from innocence to a dawning awareness of the adult world around them as his meetings with Shmuel develop into a friendship with devastating consequences. Farmiga and Thewlis put in excellent performances, while Scanlon and Butterfield, are equally impressive, doing a fine job of carrying the weight of such a heavy film. The BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is a deeply moving and--it must be said--disturbing movie. But it is a remarkable story, told with masterly intelligence and grace
Book Rating:
A powerful story - not a history lesson
Movie Rating:
A harrowing, unforgettable film. I highly recommend it.
Won
- British Independent Film Award: Best Actress - Vera Farmiga
- Chicago International Film Festival: Audience Choice Award - Mark Herman
- Premio Goya: Best European Film
Nominated for British Independent Film Award:
- Best Director - Mark Herman
- Most Promising Newcomer - Asa Butterfield
He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys (Paperback)
* the six little words that changed dating forever
Based on a popular episode of Sex and the City, He's Just Not That Into You educates otherwise smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship
A poor, uneducated waiter, Ram is arrested after the final episode of the popular quiz show, Who Will Win a Billion? in the belief that he must have cheated. In jail he shares his hardscrabble life with his lawyer: his abandonment at birth in a used clothing bin, the church orphanage where he was dubbed an "idiot orphan boy," the foster home where children were purposely crippled and forced to beg, the estate of an Australian diplomat who was really a spy, the home of an aging Bollywood actress, and his meager waiter job. Each chapter in Ram's life provided him with a correct answer on the show, as a la Forrest Gump, he has been in the right place at the right time. Ram's funny and poignant odyssey explores the causes of good and evil and illustrates how, with a little luck, the best man sometimes wins
Book Rating:
Release Date: May 15th, 2009 (wide)
Tom Hanks and Ron Howard unite for their fourth pairing with this follow-up to THE DA VINCI CODE. Hanks returns to the role of Robert Langdon in this film based on ANGELS & DEMONS, Brown's first novel to feature the now-famous symbiologist
Personally for Dan Brown's book, Angel and Demons are far better than Da Vinci Code, so let's see how the movie turn out.
The Book
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization.
Rating:
The Book
Amazon.com Review
If you've ever paid off one credit card with another, thrown out a bill before opening it, or convinced yourself that buying at a two-for-one sale is like making money, then this silly, appealing novel is for you.
In the opening pages of Confessions of a Shopaholic, recent college graduate Rebecca Bloomwood is offered a hefty line of credit by a London bank. Within a few months, Sophie Kinsella's heroine has exceeded the limits of this generous offer, and begins furtively to scan her credit-card bills at work, certain that she couldn't have spent the reported sums.
In theory anyway, the world of finance shouldn't be a mystery to Rebecca, since she writes for a magazine called Successful Saving. Struggling with her spendthrift impulses, she tries to heed the advice of an expert and appreciate life's cheaper pleasures: parks, museums, and so forth. Yet her first Saturday at the Victoria and Albert Museum strikes her as a waste. Why? There's not a price tag in sight.
Eventually, Rebecca's uncontrollable shopping and her "imaginative" solutions to her debt attract the attention not only of her bank manager but of handsome Luke Brandon--a multimillionaire PR representative for a finance group frequently covered in Successful Saving.
Book Rating
More sophie kinsella books
Movie review:
Though the movie was funny (especially Isla's outrageous dance moves) and in parts accurate, the movie as a whole was absolutely nothing like the novels. While it is an excellent choice in casting Isla Fisher as Becky, the rest of castings are not like the characterd S. Kinsella described
Movie Review