Comparisons to authors like Dashiell Hammett and a fantastic cover by artist Chris McGrath were the initial things that made Warren Hammond’s debut novel, KOP, catch my attention. Then The Bourne Ultimatum was released and I was in the mood for this kind of fiction. I wanted to lose myself in something with action and intrigue. Thus KOP came home with me during my recent book buying orgy. It was a good choice.
I had the privilege of seeing two very enjoyable films this weekend and would love to hear your thoughts on both. Click on the above pictures to go to each movie’s respective review.
Stardust bombed at theatres this weekend and this unfortunately was no surprise. To find out why it was no surprise and to see your friendly neighborhood Stainless Steel Rat get riled up, go read my post The Fall of Stardust, or How to Kill a Good Film on the Poppet Planet site. I covet your opinions there as well.
I closed comments on this post, please comment on the film posts themselves and on the Poppet Planet post respectively.
Happy Monday everyone!
(If you don’t know anything at all about Jane Austen’s life there may be a few spoilers in this review)
In spite of an all-too-brief life, Jane Austen wrote six novels whose impact on the world of literature, and in modern times the world of film, have made her one of the most celebrated authors of English literature. One of the first to use free indirect speech in conjunction with her command of the use of irony, Jane Austens work not only survives as social commentary of her own times, but also speaks to generations of readers and film goers today.
The woman herself remains something of a mystery, causing much speculation regarding just how much of her life and her observations of those around her found their way into the unforgettable novels that she produced. This film, based on the book Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence, purports to shed some light on the illusive life and suspected love of Jane Austen.
A mostly Non-Spoiler Review
Whew!!! I am so glad that it is over. The anticipation, the worry, the doubts, the fears…it is all over.
I had mentioned previously that I finally achieved some kinship with those who were longtime fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings novels as they waited and wondered just what Peter Jackson and company would make of their beloved books. I am a self-proclaimed HUGE Neil Gaiman fan and I have long thought of Stardust as his most well written novel. I know some have dismissed it as a ‘simple’ fairy tale and for a long time I tended to let that slide thinking that they might in fact be right on some level. Having read numerous articles on fairy tales written by Terri Windling over the past year or two and having been educated most profoundly by Guilermo del Toro about fairy tales on the extras to Pan’s Labyrinth (and believe me, that guy is a genius!), I finally feel that I have some weight behind what I have always suspected, and that is that writing an outstanding fairy tale takes a skill and knowledge that not every writer possesses. And Stardust is a masterpiece of the fairy tale tradition. It has so many layers and it resonates so deeply that even minor characters are ones you fall in love with.
Given my feelings about the book, there was really no way this film could live up to my expectations and there was no way Stardust the book could ever truly be made into Stardust the film.
(Cover image for the new Stardust hardcover)
Well, today is the day. Well, for me it is actually tomorrow, but for many of you today marks the day we have all been anticipating and–if you are like me–also dreading: The opening of the theatrical version of Stardust.
More than any other film I have looked forward to this year, I want this one to satisfy both my film-loving self and my dedication to the source material. It is a tall order and may be completely unfair of me to feel that way. I guess I’ll know (and you will too as I’ll have to share) tomorrow.
The one person who I suspect will get less credit than the others for Stardust is Charles Vess. Hopefully I’ll be proven wrong and the movie will bring him the acclaim he deserves. Despite the fact that I have already ran this Friday Favorite during the Once Upon a Time Challenge, it only seemed fitting to rerun it in honor of a man whose art channels the spirits of greats like Arthur Rackham and is truly all that is right about fairy tale art.
So once again I bring you, Charles Vess.