Poems:

1. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (Dylan Thomas)
2. A Poem Written By A Bear (Tao Lin)
3. The Painter (John Ashberry)
4. The Raven (Edgar Allen Poe)
5. Sonnet 73 (William Shakespeare)

TV Shows:

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Game of Thrones
3. Doctor Who
4. Firefly
5. Supernatural

Actors:

1. Johnny Depp
2. Helena Bonham Carter
3. Enver Gjokaj
4. Alan Rickman
5. Amy Acker

Books:

1. Harry Potter (JK Rowling)
2. A Song of Ice and Fire (George RR Martin)
3. Dollanganger Series (Virginia Andrews)
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
5. The Chronicles of Narnia (CS Lewis)

Superpowers:

1. Shape-shifting
2. Telekinesis
3. Technopathy
4. Dimensional manipulation
5. Regeneration

Fictional Characters:

1. Arya Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire)
2. River Tam (Firefly)
3. Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)
4. Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
5. Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead)

Mythical Creatures:

1. Witch
2. Vampire
3. Reaper
4. Dragon
5. Nymph

Time-Travel:

1. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
2. 12 Monkeys
3. The Terminator
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
5. Lost

Short-Stories:

1. The Egg (Andy Weir)
2. The Monkey’s Paw (WW Jacobs)
3. Snow, Glass, Apples (Neil Gaiman)
4. The Last Question (Isaac Asimov)
5. The Tell Tale Heart (Edgar Allen Poe)

Johnny Depp has hung up his pirate’s hat and traded it in for face paint and a bird. He’s playing Tonto in Disney’s new take on “The Lone Ranger.”

Due out in July via super producer Jerry Bruckheimer, ”The Lone Ranger” stars Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as John Reid, the film’s title character. Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, and Ruth Wilson, among others, also star.

The final “Lone Ranger” trailer shows Reid’s life before his fateful meeting with Tonto. The duo becomes fast friends, as Reid tells Tonto that instead of controlling the town and the industry with his comrades, he’d “rather be an outlaw.” Tonto gives Reid his trademark mask, crowning him The Lone Ranger.

“It’s a dysfunctional buddy movie,” director Gore Verbinski said of the movie last year. ”It’s two guys who start literally and figuratively handcuffed together who end up on the same mission with completely different world views. They sort of rub off on one another. But they have plenty of disagreements.”

“The Lone Ranger” hits theaters on July 3.

Sources:Huffingtonpost

From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaking team behind the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, comes Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ The Lone Ranger, a thrilling adventure infused with action and humour, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes.

Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, a legend of justice — taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

The Lone Ranger also stars Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter.

Director Gore Verbinski said: “I have always been intrigued by characters who exist at times of monumental change. They are somehow cast against the events that engulf them and magnified. The Lone Ranger is a story of two outcasts bonded by adversity at a time when the lines between right and wrong have become blurred. With no well defined beacons to aid them, and no tribe to return to, they are a glorious pair of misfits: A band apart.”

The Lone Ranger rides into UK cinemas on 9 August 2013.

Action figures used to be made based on movies but now movies are being based on action figures like TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE. There’s also a supposed LEGO 3D movie in the works I’m sure that discussion went like this:

“Gentlemen we need to make another movie based on popular toys.”

“I’ve got an idea…Lego the movie!”

“Well what is it about?”

“Doesn’t matter, people will watch it because it is called LEGO. And it will be 3D!”

“Brilliant here’s $70 million. Now go.”

My prediction for the next toy to be ridiculously screen adapted is STRETCH ARMSTRONG. Pretty much going off the commercial from the 90’s. A baby will stretch out his arm through the crib across the room to grab his bottle. Grows up to be a guy sporting black underwear who foils criminals by stretching his arms out to stop the getaway car by lifting up the rear axle. He’ll eventually retire from the life of crime fighting and become the world’s most sought after yoga instructor.

(Addendum: The fates are cruel and ironic.  A friend informed me that STRETCH ARMSTRING is being planned. I don’t want to be right, if this is what it means! )

There’s a growing pattern in making movies in a style I call “pseudo cool” where the movie sets out to be cool, it tries way too hard and fails miserably, examples include; SUCKER PUNCH, JONAH HEX, HANSEL AND GRETEL, and anything with Milla Jovovich. Their only goal was to be cool by forcing cool down our throats. After seeing SUCKER PUNCH I thought, “How does a movie like this even get made? Did an executive at Warner Bros. say ‘Hey Zack Snyder how would you like $82 million to make 110 minutes of masturbation material, for Zack Snyder.’?” Besides everybody knows cool movies don’t try to make you think they’re cool they just end up that way. It is only a matter of time before someone ruins DON QUIXOTE under the guise of being cool. Where the self proclaimed knight, Don and his squire Sancho Panza (played by a hot Latina girl, Selena Gomez, if they’re lucky) fight actual giants that styled their hair, beards, and moustaches to look like windmill blades. It has all the spectacle of flashy camera moves, slow motion matrix shots, over the top CGI, and copious kung-fu with absolutely no meaning at all to any of it. You know, all the cool stuff.

Remember that really boring game with no characters, excitement, strategy, based on the luck of calling numbers and letters? No, not BINGO, worse; BATTLESHIP. That movie was made. It promised Liam Neeson, then gave Rihanna more screen time. Surely, a CANDYLAND isn’t far away. Hopefully, it will avoid the sugar coated, kid cozy, Candyland of color corrected CGI shit-fest. Maybe if they put Tim Burton on the project, and let him make it like one of his stop motion animation style movies, it might not be terrible. The neighborhood of Nightmare Before Christmas or Frankenweenie, in that type of dark and weird look that’s still pleasing to the eye, would be an interesting look for CANDYLAND. And a Tim Burton movie has to have Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, so Deep will voice the maniacal Lord Licorice, and she can voice the kooky Grandma Nut. Lord Licorice is secretly heating up candy land so that King Candy’s castle which is made out of ice cream will melt. The design of all this stuff could be great; Molasses Swamp home to the Glops, or The Gumdrop Mountains. I’m not saying this movie would be necessarily good, but this is at least the best bad movie on my list.

So hopefully with a little warning we can all be prepared the next time we see one of those trailers that makes you go “I can’t believe they made that movie.”

-Carl Wells

Awesome Adaptations is a weekly bookish meme, hosted at Alisa Selene’s books blog, Picturemereading.

Each week I will be writing about an adaptation of a book that I think is worth seeing and I have challenged myself to come up with suggestions to match a category. Any format (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book.  If you’re playing along, just mention this blog in your post.  Let us know what adaptation you’d pick and why it is worth watching.  Oh, and don’t forget to share the link to your own post in the comments for that week’s challenge so that everyone can read your thoughts!

If you don’t have a blog yet though you can still play along, just leave your answer in the comments thread for each week’s challenge.

This week’s challenge is to name:  An Awesome Adaptation with Travel

************

Title:  A Room With A View (1985)

Adapted From: A Room With A View by E.M. Forester

E.M. Forester is not a well known author generally but he is one of my favorites and my favorite of his novels is a ‘Room with View’ which I think is just marvelous. When we were picking out books that feature travel I instantly thought of this book because it features a young girl Lucy who travels with her cousin to Italy for the first time. When they first arrive at the pensione they are disappointed to not have a room with a view, being typical tourists, and as a result they end up switching rooms with a middle class father and son at their insistence. This brings them together in ways they couldn’t imagine when they first agree to it and ends up with an impossible romance occurring between upper class Lucy and middle class George Emerson.

The setting is incredibly important to the story as Rome itself and the people who live in it are characters in and of themselves, it is often the narrow way in which the tourists view the place itself that creates most of the drama that occurs in this story.

My favorite adaptation of this story was made by the wonderful Merchant Ivory Productions who did such a marvelous job with so many classic novels, really bringing them to life. I love the way it is filmed which really highlights the beauty of the Italian countryside and sets the mood for the story so beautifully. I also think they did an excellent job casting this story. Helena Bonham Carter shows Lucy’s naivete very well, Julian Sands gives George a wonderful sense of passion, Maggie Smith is ideal as the stuck up Charlotte while Daniel Day Lewis is marvelous as the prissy rival for Lucy’s affections, Cecil. I could go on and on about the cast, each really fits the role they were given and makes this a wonderful adaptation to watch. For fans of period dramas and romance in beautiful settings I highly recommend watching this adaptation!

************

Title: The Third Man

Adapted From: The Third Man by Graham Greene

I should be upfront about this… I am cheating a little this week. Not because I can’t think of any great adaptations featuring travel (I would give you From Russia With Love, The Lady Vanishes, Death on the Nile and The Beach for starters) but because I want an excuse to write about my favorite film of all time. Besides, in a sense I’m not really cheating at all – The Third Man is technically an adaptation of a novella that was published a short time after the film had been released. Greene wrote the novella specially to work out the tone, themes and story for the film before he began to write the screenplay, then published the prose version after the film was a hit.

It tells the story of Holly Martins, American novelist (a change from Greene’s novella in which the main character is British and named Rollo) who arrives in Vienna in hope of getting a job from his friend Harry. When he arrives he discovers that his friend died in a car accident and that he will have to return home. While he waits for transportation out of Austria to be arranged he begins to investigate his friend’s death and becomes increasingly suspicious of foul play. He is out of his depth, an innocent in a city he doesn’t know and dealing with racketeers and military police. And then, on top of everything, he has the misfortune to find himself attracted to his dead friend’s girlfriend, Anna.

The film is a masterpiece of noir cinema. A thriller with a wonderful twist midway through that still gives me shivers even though I know it’s coming and a bizarre zither score that works its way into your mind and just stays there. It brings post-war Vienna to life magnificently, creates strong and memorable characters and features some superb performances.

As for Greene’s novella, I think it is an interesting and distinct work in itself. Comparing the two, it’s obvious that much of the plot structure remains the same but some of the characterizations are strikingly different and the tone differs quite significantly, particularly in relation to the ending. In some respects I prefer the darker, sadder tone that the film strikes in its closing scenes but the novella has its own strengths, not least that it is written from the perspective of a supporting character who provides his own thoughts and commentary on what takes place.

Of the two I would suggest starting with the film, if only because I think the twist is revealed in a more striking way on screen, but both have value and are well worth seeking out. I also think the film does a particularly good job of portraying its striking Austrian setting, giving it an immediacy and authenticity. As evocative as Greene can be describing the crumbling ruins of the city, I think they are even more incredible on screen.

So those are our choices, how about yours?  Link to your blog post in the comments below and let us know what you’d pick.

Next week we’ll pick an An Awesomely Atmospheric Adaptation! Check out the schedule for the rest of the year here.

At Spotify Pixies – Where Is My Mind? (Remastered)

Surfer Rosa

Here’s the positive: it’s always a little bit fun to see one of your favorite musicals brought to life and to see the story play out visually before you.  However, this film could have been much, much more.

My biggest problems are casting, over-the-top symbolism, camera work,  and editing.

Anne Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream”

As I anticipated, I did not love Anne Hathaway’s performance.  I thought she did all right in the factory scene, but her now much-applauded rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” sung at close range from a coffin did not do it for me.  My problems were not primarily with her performance, but moreso the with the way it was staged and filmed.

First, the coffin is overkill.  Yes, we get that she’s had a symbolic death, here.  She’s lost everything, and what’s more, we know her actual death is coming.  Do I find it convincing that a man would have sex with a prostitute in a coffin that happens to be lying around the docks?  No.  It is there purely for hit-you-over-the-head symbolism with no trace of subtlety.

Second, why are we so close to Anne Hathaway?  To me, this scene was a missed opportunity.  Why didn’t we have a flashback of Fantine’s memories played out before our eyes?  Why didn’t we follow Fantine out of the coffin so that we could follow more of her journey and see more of the city?  A film version of a musical is a chance to do something that the stage version can’t.  Why isn’t it more visually appealing?

Our favorite symbol, the coffin, makes a reappearance, by the way, near the end of the film, as two coffins make up part of the barricade, carefully placed in front of an otherwise haphazard looking construction.  We see the barricade and coffins from afar and then zoom in on them.  Tom Hooper, we get it!  Death!  

Russell Crowe

I found Russell Crowe’s performance as Javert completely devoid of emotion.  Where is his anger?  Where is his frustration?  He’s like a nineteenth century robot, strolling the streets of Paris with no particular purpose.  If you listen to original cast recordings of Les Miserables, you will hear intense passion in the songs sung by Javert and Jean Valjean.  Javert’s obsession with Valjean is one of the driving forces of the musical, and the strong conflict that ultimately drives Javert to suicide should be a strong moment in the show.  In Hooper’s film, by contrast, Javert’s emotions are rarely clear and don’t seem strong at all.

Hugh Jackman

I had been looking forward to Hugh Jackman’s performance, sure that it would be a high point–and how bad could a film be that had Hugh Jackman as a main character?  (Pretty bad, as it turns out.)

While Hugh Jackman did show genuine emotion, I sometimes found his singing choices odd.  Moments when he switched between speech and song seemed off to me, and places where he gave emphasis seemed wrong.

Close-ups

I agree with David Denby’s review of the film in The New Yorker, that there are far too many actors singing into the camera in close-up; as he put it: “How strange to have actors singing right into the camera, a normally benign recording instrument, which seems, in scene after scene, bent on performing a tonsillectomy?”

Watching this film made me think back to some other recent film renditions of musicals which have been much more successful, and which have little in common with this version of Les Miserables, like Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd and Rob Marshall’s Chicago.  Why wasn’t more done with flashbacks and changes of scene?  Why wasn’t more done with the film effects we have?  Why weren’t these film effects used to tell the story rather than to glorify and emphasize individual performances which often did not reward such close and focused attention?

Check out this skillfully done scene from Burton’s Sweeney Todd to see what I’m talking about.  

Bright Spots

I did enjoy Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter playing Thenardier and Madame Thenardier, and I also thought the child actors did quite well–Isabelle Allen as Young Cosette and Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche.

image from http://www.deadline.com

All in all, I found this movie disappointing.  This movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.  Why?  While I understand that making a film of a musical is a grand undertaking, I think we need to expect more.  Again, look at Marshall’s Chicago, which won the Best Picture Oscar in 2002.    Check out “All That Jazz” and “We Both Reached for the Gun,” which are both great examples of film elements used to enhance the original story in ways that only film can.

The movie ended with my spirits soaring, a tear in my eye and song in my heart..

Les Miserables is a tour-de-force by Oscar winning director Tom Hooper, who takes us on a roller coaster of emotions through the gripping narrative of Victor Hugo’s classic 1862 novel and the high voltage performances of the landmark stage show. We are transported back to early 19th century France, a troubled land divided by poverty and privilege, revolution and redemption, hatred and love

Hugh Jackman (almost unrecognizable at the beginning) is prisoner Jean Valjean who is being released after serving a lengthy sentence for stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child.

Over the years, Valjean has become a constant irritant to Police Capt. Javert (Russell Crowe), who promises to keep an eye out for the beleaguered ex-convict. Valjean is spurned everywhere he goes until he makes his way to the home of a kindly bishop (Colm Wilkinson), who shows him compassion.

Valjean eventually becomes a well-to-do factory owner who comes to the rescue of Fantine (Anne Hathaway), a woman who has been forced into prostitution. Fantine has left her daughter Cosette in the care of two innkeepers (Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen), and Valjean, feeling sorry for the critically ill woman, promises to find the girl and keep her safe.

In case you aren’t familiar with the story, I won’t go into more detail to avoid spoilers. I can tell you that there is little dialogue, and that this is a true musical, with most of the story expressed in song. Battles, romance and drama all are part of the story.

Hugh Jackman is sensational as zero to hero Valjean. The multi-talented Australian has always been one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers, few can sing, dance and act like him. Here, he combines all three to glorious effect. And perhaps his most underrated quality is his greatest, Jackman is just so darn likeable.

Director Hooper’s decision to record the actors singing live on set with only a piano accompaniment, brings a raw and emotional punch to every song. None more so, than Anne Hathaway’s stunning rendition of ‘I Dreamed A Dream’. In one long spellbinding take, she sends shivers down your spine “I had a dream my life would be” Fantine cries “So different from this hell I’m living.”

Les Mis in the second half introduces a great young cast, including Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks and Tyrone’s Fra Fee who infuse the explosive action with powerful numbers like ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’, ‘On My Own’ and ‘Empty Chairs At Empty Tables’.

The framework of the plot remains mostly intact. And the music is enjoyable — it’s a yuletide delight that will leave musical lovers anything but miserable.

If there is a down side, it is simply the cinema experience itself. For, at over two and half hours long, Les Miserables is a lengthy watch in one sitting and would benefit greatly from a short intermission. But if you can find the stamina to remain seated, by the end of this impassioned triumph you will be standing to applaud.

Helena Bonham Carter, playing a somewhat muddled girl named Lucy Honeychurch, has to choose between two equally handsome men:  Julian Sands, passionate and unconventional, and Daniel Day Lewis, bookish, inhibited, and full of himself.

Julian Sands as George Emerson

Daniel Day Lewis as Cecil Vyse

Maggie Smith, as her cousin and older chaperon Charlotte Bartlett, is deliciously dithery but finally comes down on the side of true love.

Maggie Smith as Charlotte Bartlett

Judy Dench, as a not-very-good lady novelist, writes some immortal prose about a scandalous kiss that takes place in a very real Tuscan meadow.

Daniel Day Lewis, as Cecil Vyse,  makes the mistake of mocking the passage at a crucial moment. (The very different movie My Beautiful Laundrette came out on the very same day as this one.  It was hard to believe Daniel Day Lewis was the same actor in both of them.  His incredible range as an actor put him well on the way to stardom).  But I’ve given enough away already.  Watch the movie!  It’s available streaming on Netflix.

The screenwriter, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, won an Oscar for her screenplay.  She won another Oscar six years later for Howard’s End, from another E. M. Forster novel. She collaborated for many years with the directing-producing team of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant. She died on April 3 of this year, at age 85.  Throughout her life, she also wrote wonderful fiction.  Her most recent story, “The Judge’s Will,” was just published in the March 25 issue of The New Yorker.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Florence is not just a location, but a starring character in this movie.  And the Tuscan countryside just outside the city is a place where dreams can come true.  I did make it to Florence, and to the Tuscany countryside.  Both destinations were everything I wished for, and more.  Travel gives each of us a personal and lifelong “room with a view,” even after we return home.  Movies can give us each a little boost in getting to those views.

Join me next time for more reflections on the art and history of Europe!

Check out this new character poster for the upcoming film titled The Lone Ranger that can be seen down below!

The poster features William Fichtner as Butch Cavendish.

The film stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter.

The film hits theaters on July 3 and Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice—taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

The posters feature Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter.

The film directed by Gore Verbinski also stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson, Wilson and Bonham Carter.

In the film that hits theaters on July 3, Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice—taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

I completely understand why this is a timeless classic

There have been so many reincarnations of this book/play that I often wondered how it is so timeless. In each generation, Les Misérables is either completely reinvented or redone as a movie or play. The themes are able to transcend time. This became evident especially at the beginning when Anne Hathaway performs the signature classic “I Dreamed a Dream.” Fantine may be talking about her struggles as a prostitute, and sending money to her child but the lyrics could be applicable to anyone, who hasn’t gotten what they thought they would receive out of life.

The excerpt, “I dreamed a dream in time gone by/When hope was high/And life worth living/I dreamed that love would never die/I dreamed that God would be forgiving,” could be sung by a recent college student stuck in a rut in their first job, or a perhaps a recently married couple not getting what they wanted out of their relationship.”

Duality plays a major role

When you look at the characters in Les Misérables, it almost seems like everyone is mirror image of each other. You have the character Jean Valjean who after being paroled in prison starts a new life as someone deeply religious, changes his name and works to better poorer peoples’ lives. In fact, he ends up “adopting” Cosette, Fantine’s daughter. On the other end of Valjean is Javert a police officer, played by Russell Crowe. As opposed to Valjean, he holds the law above everything else, even religion, and does not give anyone second chance. Throughout the entire movie, Javert is trying to capture Valjean once again. The law in the end does not give Javert solace however and he ends up jumping off a dam to his death.

And then you have the story of Cossette and Marius. The “adopted” daughter of Valjean Cossette, who once came from extreme poverty, is now looked on as part of the wealthier class in Paris. On the other end of the spectrum you have Marius, who although comes from a prominent family in Paris, is part of the group of revolutionaries who will try and take over the monarchy. Both are putting on “acts,” trying to be people who they really aren’t. But again, how is this different than any of us nowadays. We all wear clothing, listening to music, watch music or drive cars to perpetuate a certain image of ourselves.

I don’t think Anne Hathaway should have won an Academy Award

Even though Anne Hathaway does have a really powerful scene in the film (especially her “I Dreamed a Dream” a solo, I don’t think she should have won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. First of all, she is barely in the movie. I think her screen time is about 35 minutes.

According to an article written in The Daily Mail, Hathaway says she dropped 25 lbs. for her performance. She lost 15 lbs., before filming began and then another 10 lbs. during the actual production which is impressive. But the award isn’t for “Best Transformation into a Role.”

If it was up to me, I think Sally Field for Lincoln or Helen Hunt for The Sessions should have won the award. Both are in their respective movies longer than Hathaway and both shape the themes and plot of their films more. Sure, “I Dreamed a Dream” is a timeless song, but the character in the film gets what they want in the end. Marius may not get the revolution he is looking for, but this because second billing once he sees Cosette. And Valjean, even though he thinks Javert is after him until his deathbed, follows through on his promise to Fantine and raises Cosette like his own and gives her a great life.

The music is really awesome

It is a bit difficult to first get yourself in this film. It is kind of jarring to have every piece of dialogue sung, but there are so many great songs. I had never the film or musical before, but I can’t tell you how many times songs began and I exclaimed “I think I’ve heard this song before!” Songs like “Master of the House,” “Castle on the Clouds,” “One Day More” and “Do You Here the People Sing?” are all classics that have been either covered or parodied in some way.

There are some great supporting performances besides Anne Hathaway

A few screen stealers of the film have to be Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter. Playing the rotten innkeepers, I kept waiting until they again appeared on screen with their wicked mannerisms and comical one-liners. “Master of the House” is wonderfully performed and it is great seeing them at the end stealing items from the guests at Marius’ and Cosette’s wedding.

Another really good performance is from Samantha Barks. A British actress who has appeared in many of the London stage adaptation’s Barks has an incredible voice and is truly beautiful. Playing the daughter of Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter, Barks’ character has the most interesting transformation. She goes from being the former love interest of Marius to the sole woman revolutionary (albeit trying to look like a man.

Overall I give the movie a B grade.

Even though I enjoyed the film’s music and performances immensely, I found the movie to drag and be really slow at times. And the films running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes does not help. I don’t really what could be cut since I’ve never seen any other adaptation of the film, but I really was bored at times.

I’m not sure how I missed it, but the esteemed screenwriter and novelist Ruth Prawer Jhabvala shuffled off this mortal coil last week at the age of 85. She apparently passed away at her home in New York City on April the 3rd. Now, being that critic Roger Ebert had left us the day after that, there is a decent case to be made that Roger took all of her press. Maybe that was it. I mean you all realize who Ebert is, right? But how many people are aware of Ms. Jhabvala, and her contributions to cinema? Well, Ruth was the recipient of two Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay—one in 1987 and another in 1993. And being that she garnered the Booker Prize for Fiction for her 1975 novel “Heat and Dust”(later adapted into a 1983 film, with a screenplay by the author), she remains to this day the only writer to have won both a Booker and an Oscar. It’s quite an accomplishment. Ms. Jhabvala’s name, of course, becomes much more recognizable when listed alongside the two other members of her usual film-making team. That triumvirate includes director James Ivory, producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth. Now if you’ve never heard of a Merchant Ivory Production, I really don’t know what to say. This is the team that brought so many wonderful E.M. Forster novels to the big screen. And it was a virtual cottage industry for a time in the 1980′s and 1990′s. There was 1986′s(1985 in Great Britain)”A Room with a View” which brought Ruth her first Oscar for the film that also served as a launching pad for its young star Helena Bonham Carter. Then there was “Maurice” in 1987, which was not penned by Ms. Jhabvala. And in 1992, their collaborative masterpiece—and my very favorite film of that particular decade. And that would be the gorgeous and glorious “Howards End” from 1992, which gave Ruth her second screenplay Academy Award, and brought Emma Thompson her first Oscar—for Best Actress. Ms. Jhabvala would also gain considerable attention for her adapted screenplays for films of Evan S. Connell’s “Mrs. Bridge” and “Mr. Bridge”(combined for a script that became 1990′s “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge” starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward), and especially for the 1993 film of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day” starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson—who also appear together in “Howards End”. But it’s “Howards End” that has always remained nearest and dearest to my heart—a sumptuous Edwardian England period piece that was nominated for nine 1993 Academy Awards(it took home three). I’ll never forget experiencing it on the big screen during the spring of 1992. And I’ve relived it on video multiple times since. So, while other 40-something year-old men probably answer 1990′s “Goodfellas” or 1994′s “Pulp Fiction” when asked what their favorite flick of the 1990′s was—this one will always proudly proclaim “Howards End”. And to honor the memory of the late Ms. Jhabvala—I may just have to watch it again very soon! And if you haven’t seen it yourself—get thee to your Netflix queue! You are really in for a treat.  

An office worker (Edward Norton) caught up in the doldrums of his job meets up with an eccentric soapmaker (Brad Pitt) who challenges his views on everything he’s ever known. The two of them conceive and begin a new form of therapy called Fight Club, and the idea catches on, sparking a new underground club that nobody is supposed to talk about. When Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) starts to come between the soapmaker and the office jockey, things start to spiral out of control and in the end, the very fibers of reality are tested.

This is one of my favorite movies and it’s based on a book of the same name, written by Chuck Pahlaniuk. When I first saw this film, I had no idea who Chuck Pahlaniuk even was. (Lemme tell you, I soon went out and tried to read everything of his I could) However, I knew who David Fincher was and this movie was perfect for him to direct.

Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are amazing in this film. At the time, I wasn’t even a big Pitt fan, but this is one of his roles that definitely turned the tables on that. Actually, for that matter, the same goes for Helena Bonham Carter. She was perfect in this (unlike some of her other films, in my opinion).

The snappy narration and dialogue, the dark tone, the testosterone-fueled punching matches, the commentary. It’s all great. It’s a trip through someone’s brain, that’s for sure. Also, with a twist at the end that puts Shyamalan to shame, it was an awesome movie for its time and still holds up more than ten years later.

Go see it, go see it, go see it.

JOE Rating: ★★★★★

Production has commenced on location in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado on Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ epic adventure “The Lone Ranger.” The film reunites the filmmaking team of the first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” blockbusters—producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski—with Johnny Depp, who created Captain Jack Sparrow in his iconic, Academy Award®-nominated performance and contributed the voice of the title character of Verbinski’s Academy Award-winning “Rango.”

Depp plays spirit warrior Tonto in “The Lone Ranger,” with Armie Hammer (“The Social Network,” “J. Edgar”) starring in the title role. Depp and Hammer are joined by a prestigious international cast which includes Tom Wilkinson, two-time Academy Award nominee (“Michael Clayton,” “In the Bedroom”) and Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner (“John Adams”); William Fichtner (Jerry Bruckheimer’s productions of “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down”); Emmy Award-winner Barry Pepper (TV’s “The Kennedys,” “True Grit,” “Saving Private Ryan”); James Badge Dale (“The Grey,” TV’s “The Pacific” and “Rubicon”); Ruth Wilson (television’s “Jane Eyre” and “Luther”); and two-time Academy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe nominee Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech,” “Alice in Wonderland”). The film is slated to open on May 31, 2013.

“The Lone Ranger” is written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Eric Aronson and Justin Haythe. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Eric Ellenbogen and Eric McLeod.

Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski are joined by a remarkable team of behind-the-scenes artists, including director of photography Bojan Bazelli (Verbinski’s “The Ring,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”); visual consultant Mark “Crash” McCreery (production designer of Verbinski’s “Rango); costume designer Penny Rose (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films); film editor James Haygood (“Panic Room,” “Fight Club”); visual effects supervisor Tim Alexander (“Rango,” three “Harry Potter” films); Academy Award®-winning special effects supervisor John Frazier, a 10-time nominee whose previous collaborations with Jerry Bruckheimer have included “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and, with Verbinski as well, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”; and stunt coordinator Tommy Harper (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”).

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Gore Verbinski has enjoyed tremendous box office success as the innovative director of both character-driven franchises and thoughtful genre-bending fare.  Most recently, Verbinski released his first animated film, the smash hit “Rango,” starring Johnny Depp. Grossing over $240 million worldwide, the film won the Academy Award for Best Animated FeatureFilm, as well as BAFTA and Annie awards, and received Golden Globe® and PGAnominations. Verbinski previously helmed the hit franchise “Pirates of the Caribbean,” directing the first three films starring Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley. The films have collectively grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide since release. He made his directorial debut with “Mouse Hunt,” starring Nathan Lane, followed by the road movie “The Mexican,” starring Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini. He also directed the smash horror film “The Ring,” starring Naomi Watts.

Verbinski is also a successful award-winning commercial director, having been honored with four Clio Awards and a Cannes Silver Lion Award for his work on an assortment of memorable advertising spots. In addition, he directed music videos for bands including Bad Religion and Crystal Method.

First in partnership with Don Simpson, and then as the chief of Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Bruckheimer has produced an unprecedented string of worldwide smashes, impacting not only the industry, but mass culture as well. Bruckheimer’s films include (producing with Don Simpson) “Top Gun,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Beverly Hills Cop 2,” “American Gigolo,” “Flashdance,” “Bad Boys,” “Dangerous Minds,” “Crimson Tide,” “The Rock,” and (producing solo) “Con Air,” “Armageddon,” “Enemy of the State,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “Coyote Ugly,” “Remember the Titans,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Bad Boys II,” “Veronica Guerin,” “King Arthur,” “National Treasure,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and the 2011 blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

On television, Bruckheimer had an unprecedented 10 television series airing in the 2005-6 season, a record in the medium for an individual producer. JBTV’s series include “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation” and its spinoffs “C.S.I.: Miami,” “C.S.I.: NY” and “Without a Trace,” “Cold Case” and the eight-time Emmy® Award-winner “The Amazing Race.”

Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Television have been honored with 41 Academy Award® nominations, six wins, eight GRAMMY® Award nominations, five wins, 23 Golden Globe® nominations, four wins, 105 Emmy® Award nominations, 21 wins, 30 People’s Choice nominations, 15 wins, numerous MTV Awards, including one for Best Picture of the Decade for “Beverly Hills Cop.”

“The Lone Ranger” will film exteriors and studio work in New Mexico, followed by locations in Arizona, Utah and Colorado.

What you should take from all of that is that this crew has an extremely successful track record in both movies and television.  The Lone Ranger rides into theaters on July 3rd.

depp-lone-ranger-poster

In The Lone Ranger, native American spirit warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) and man of the law John Reid (Armie Hammer) are opposites brought together by fate and must join forces to battle greed and corruption.

From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaking team behind the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, comes Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ The Lone Ranger, a thrilling adventure infused with action and humour, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes.

Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, a legend of justice — taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

The Lone Ranger also stars Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter.

I just can’t get excited about The Lone Ranger.

Let us know what you guys think about The Lone Ranger below or on our Facebook page: Good Movies Bad Movies Facebook Page

Please Like Us… Please!

Related Articles:

New Hangover III Poster

Elysum Movie Poster

Another Kick-Ass 2 Movie Poster

Giant Russian Robot!

Amazing Japanese Robot!

http://www.examiner.com/review/gavin-hood-s-tsotsi

http://www.examiner.com/review/tom-hooper-s-the-king-s-speech

http://www.examiner.com/review/phyllida-lloyd-s-the-iron-lady

http://www.examiner.com/review/wilson-yip-s-kill-zone