Film Treatment: The Thirteenth Tale

I read the Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield several years ago and loved it. Here's a little description of the book

"Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness -- featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves."

And I thought with all the movie rights of books usually snapped up soon after it being published. I thought sure enough this would be turned into a movie. So I waited because I so very much want to see it as a movie.

But 4 years have passed and I haven't really heard any news of a movie to it. I mean, whats not to love about this book. There's a great manor. There's a reclusive writer. There's a big family secret. And there's the stranger who's arrived to uncover the secret. I think it has an interesting plot for a movie. There's few good gothic drama and I think this could potentially make for a good one.

What are your thoughts? Do you want to see a movie of the Thirteenth Tale?

Snippet: The Hunger Games First Clip

Ok so the MTV Video Music Awards came and went. Not that I watch the show, so the only highlight for me was the first official clip of the Hunger Games. Watch it below.

And well...Its nothing much. Its just of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss running and shooting an arrow, and there's a voiceover of I assum Peeta or perhaps Gale...hmm more like Gale. But they are still filming, so probably they still haven't gotten a lot of clean footage yet...so its quite understandable. Hope to see more soon.

Snippet: South Riding will be shown in Singapore

According to Wikipedia "South Riding is set in the fictional South Riding of Yorkshire: the inspiration being the East Riding rather than South Yorkshire. The leading characters are: Sarah Burton , an idealistic young headmistress; Robert Carne of Maythorpe Hall, tormented by his disastrous marriage; Joe Astell, a socialist fighting poverty; and Mrs Beddows, the first woman Alderman of the district." Sarah Burton is played by Anna Maxwell Martin who have had roles in Bleak House and North and South while Robert Carne is played by David Morrissey who was Colonel Brandon in the latest Sense and Sensibility adaptation.

Yep you read the title correct.

South Riding will be shown in Singapore on OKTO Fridays as part of its Print to Screen Fridays at 10pm starting 2nd September 2011.

I'm so glad OKTO has started this Print to Screen segment again. Its been on quite awhile now, except that most of the series they've shown have been older series. And many of which I have seen before.

But South Riding is a 2011 production, so I'm pleasantly surprised that they've managed to air this so soon. But I'm definitely glad. Especially since I have yet to see it. So if you love period dramas and adaptations mark your calenders now.

Trailer Watch: Dream House and Intruders

Two horror/thriller movies coming in late September and early October. Both has that are there ghosts/Scary people/ Or is the family plain crazy? Kind of plot.

First up is Dream House. Its about a family that moves into a new house and learn that a terrible crime occured at the house, while weird stuff starts happening to them too. Watch the trailer, it does have some scary elements and it reveals a Shutter Island -ish plot.

Next is the Intruders. The plot summary from IMDB has it as "A horror/thriller centered on the origin of the monsters that are born in childhood and are passed on by the family." I don't really see that plot in the trailer. What I see is the children seeing some strange being? haunting them...after which a parent see the being too, but no one else seems to...so now the family seems crazy. Ok so now I'm really curious what are these kids secrets.? And one of them at least looks too big to believe in childhood monsters.

So both of these movies look like those horror movies with twist endings. Could be really great or terribly silly. Lets hope at least one of them can offer something good. What do you think the twists are for these two movies?

Snippet: Austenland

I loved watching Lost in Austen which was about a present day Pride & Prejudice obsessed London girl who found a doorway to the actual Pride & Prejudice world.

Now I just found another movie in the works that has a somewhat similar premise...Austenland. Its an adaptation of a book of the same name, about a New York girl, obssessed with everything Jane Austen and Mr Darcy, who goes to a Regency themed resort that is catered to Austen-crazed women like her. Seeing how I love watching all these period dramas...especially all the wonderful Jane Austen's adaptations, which are particularly brilliant, I think I will love Austenland. I can't wait to see this. Keri Russell is playing the lead character. JJ Feild, Jane Seymoour, Georgia King and Jennifer Coolidge are also in the movie.

And, it seems Austenland is currently filming and I've found some pictures of JJ Feild playing Henry Nobley on the set. JJ Feild has been in a Jane Austen adaptation of Northanger Abbey so I'm sure he'll be great in this one too.

Click here to Absolute JJ Feild to see more of the pictures.

Snippet: Locke & Key Trailer

I initially heard about the show because Sarah Bolger, the girl in In America and the upcoming The Moth Diaries had a role in it. But I only became interested in it after listening to an episode of the slashfilm cast. The plot actually sounded very interesting. Too bad by then, the show, was not picked up for the 2011-2012 season.

Anyhow, a trailer for the show has actually surfaced online. You can view it below.

It doesn't look bad. I guess though, it would be difficult to do a show around a haunted house plot. With one ghost story after another. So I kinda understand why the show was not picked up.

Has there ever been a show about a haunted houses? There was Rose Red a few years back, a mini series. But that was pretty terrible, I couldn't finish watching it. Very cheesy. And the scares looked very cheap.

But seeing how the Locke & Key trailer looks, which is much better than what Rose Red had to offer, I kinda think, it would have been better if Locke & Key was made into a mini series instead of a full blown series. So that way the whole haunted house thing won't be stretched thin. And they'll be able to keep their focus on the one or perhaps just a very few storylines, making it strong and of course the effects have to good.

Poster's Galore: The Woman In Black and My Week With Marilyn

First up is I believe the UK quad for the Woman in Black. Not that great, lack the creepiness that was so very present in the trailers.

Next is the My Week With Marilyn. Very pretty. Like the choice of colours used. Looks very snapshot - ish image as if taken by some paparazzi of old hollywood.

Snippet: Snow White and the Huntsman

Several pictures from the set of the Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin and Lily Cole have surfaced online. You can see them here and here. Unfortunately none of the pictures feature the main cast.

Snippet: Great Expectations BBC TV Miniseries on set pictures

Apparently there are some on set pics floating about online which I wasn't aware of when I made my first post on the drama a few days ago. They are all of Douglas Booth on set, who plays Pip. You can see them here and here.

Snippet: Wuthering Heights

Now this movie went throught lots of changes before it was filmed.

Natalie Portman, Abbie Cornish and Gemma Arterton were all cast at different times as Catherine Earnshaw before it was finally filmed with Kaya Scodelario in the role.

While Michael Fassbender and Ed Westwick each had at some point of time been cast as Heathcliff before the film finally filmed with newcomer James Howson in the part.

James Howson

Kaya Scodelario

Directed by Andrea Arnorld. The movie will make its premiere at this years Toronto International Film Festival which runs in early September.

Some promo pictures of the movie have surfaced like the one below. You can see the rest of them here. The pictures look bleak and yet somewhat romantic. Definitely Bronte-ish.

Trailer Watch: Underworld Awakening

I greatly enjoyed the first two Underworld movies, they were fun, action packed and I thought it built a good myth for the Vampires and Lycans story.

Now I can't remember how the second movie ended, so I don't understand why they're picking up the story they way they are.

So when Selene asked where's Michael. That's my exact question too.

How did humans manage to imprison Selene and possibly Michael when they're hybrids?

As regards to the trailer...The title card doesn't look cool enough. But the actions are all there. Looks like it could be another fun one.

Trailer Watch: The Woman in Black

I like period movies. Period with horror and mystery sounds like a good mix. The last one I saw was The Others...and that was great.

I like the trailer. The toys featured are very very creepy. So are the three little girls. I assume they're dead?

I know absolutely nothing of the story and the trailer gives nothing other than just setting up the whole scary mood. Which is good, I think. Surprise us.

Snippet: Great Expectations Movie

Way back, around the same time last year, I had written a post regarding my desire to see another Great Expectations adaptation because I simply did not enjoy the 1946 David Lean film nor the 1997 Masterpiece Theater miniseries. You can read my post here.

I have discovered it rather late. But nontheless I'm delighted to have found out that there are two Great Expectations in the works. One a movie, and the other a three part mini series by the BBC.

I will highlight the Great Expextations movie here.

To be directed by Mike Newell it's still currently in pre-production according to IMDB.

It's due a 2012 release.

Here are the cast roundup and the characters they will be playing.

Jeremy Irvine who will soon be seen in War Horse, will play Pip

Holliday Grainger who has been in other period dramas such as Jane Eyre and The Borgias will play icy Estella

 No stranger to costume drama, Helena Bonham Carter plays Miss Havisham

Last seen as Lord Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes will play the convict Magwitch

Snippet: Great Expectations BBC mini series

Way back, around the same time last year, I had written a post regarding my desire to see another Great Expectations adaptation because I simply did not enjoy the 1946 David Lean film nor the 1997 Masterpiece Theater miniseries. You can read my post here.

I have discovered it rather late. But nontheless I'm delighted to have found out that there are two Great Expectations in the works. One a movie, and the other a three part mini series by the BBC.

I will highlight the BBC miniseries here.

Which, it seems, is still filming by some of the set pictures here.

It will premiere Christmas 2011.

Here are the cast roundup and the characters they will be playing.

Douglas Booth plays Pip the orphan and the protagonist of Great Expectations who is sent on his way to become a gentlement.

Oscar Kennedy plays young Pip

Vanessa Kirby recently seen in the Hour plays Estella the girl Pip pursues romantically

Izzy Meikle-Small who was last seen as young Kathy in Never Let Me Go plays young Estella

Shaun Dooley plays kind Uncle Joe

Ray Winstone plays Magwitch, the convict who changes Pip's life in ways he did not conceive

Gillian Anderson who has done well in period pieces such as Bleak House is playing Miss Havisham

David Suchet popularly known as Poirot in the Agatha Christie's Poirot tv series plays the lawyer Jagger

Harry Lloyd plays Herbert Pocket, Pip's friend and apartment mate

The cast looks good. I like how the leads are around the age of the characters of Pip and Estella. Can't wait to see this. Hopefully pictures and trailers surface soon. I guess not soon enough since they're still filming.

Snippet: More Pictures of the Moth Diaries

Apparently The Moth Diaries will make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival later this month. Hence the new pictures. You can see the other pictures at The Playlist. Ahh....finally we see Scott Speedman.

Trailer now please?

Red Riding Hood (2011)

The story is set in a fictitious medieval village. There, lives Valerie a young girl, in love with her childhood sweetheart the woodcutter, Peter, but is engaged to the blacksmith, Henry. When her sister dies after a wolf attack the village calls upon a wolf hunter to finally kill the wolf that’s haunted them for decades. But they soon learn that the wolf is among them and the village goes into a witch/wolf hunt frenzy.

After directing the first Twilight movie, the “teen vampire fairy tale”, Catherine Hardwicke tries her hand at another fairy tale. This time the classic Red Riding Hood, which promises to be darker if it goes the way original fairy tales usually went.

But Red Riding Hood wasn’t quite the dark fairy tale it probably wanted to be. 

Throughout the movie, you’ll get the sweeping swirling overhead shots of the wintery mountains and forest, which is so familiar to anyone who’s seen the Twilight movies. This is great if you’re setting up a romantic story in the woods. But it doesn’t quite set up the big bad wolf in the woods aspect of the story.

I’ve seen a documentary once in Discovery or National Geographic, how hundreds of years ago, people were afraid of night time and the dark in general because they had few sources of light. That was definitely something that the movie could have tapped into and exploited. The idea of not being able to see anything but still hear danger lurking. So that’s what the movie failed in doing. Setting up the mood and the fear that drove these people to sacrificial rituals.

Instead it’s overwrought with all the love triangle aspect of the story, which isn’t quite a love triangle really. And I must say it looked too modern to be in any way believable. And, it doesn’t play much of a purpose in the big bad wolf story either other than perhaps to somehow imply why Valerie is a desirable prey for the Wolf. Which is prey to what? To eat or to mate?

And we do wonder why the Wolf wants Valerie. And why it goes into a public display of it. When it could have lured Valerie into the woods quietly, Valerie was after all quite the spunky medieval girl. 

Performance wise, no one stood out in a good way. Everyone seems a little awkward and out of place. The lines and actions are like I said before, too modern. Especially the dance during the celebration. And I wished it didn’t have the “Oh grandmother what big teeth you have” lines…which were cringe worthy.

Finally the end, when it comes was not quite a satisfactory one. It didn’t quite tie up all the events that had occurred before. And the public way the Wolf went about for its desire for having Valerie, was not quite explained. 

So overall, it wasn’t really a good movie but I think it was still a decent watch on a lazy weeknight. 

Random Rants/ Thoughts: UK Quads Make Great Destop Wallpapers

Being a movie fan, my destop wallpapers have always been pretty much movie related. And I do change them quite frequently. And you know what make great wallpapers? Especially with most computer screens nowadays being widescreen? Well the UK quads. They fit almost perfectly. You can usually find one with a good resolution online. And some movies just have some really good looking posters and there's likely to be a UK quad version out there. Check out some of the UK Quads I've found below.

Random Look at Movie Costumes - The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden was one of my favourite movies growing up. And it still remains one of my favourites. I watched it again recently and of course I noticed how lovely the costumes are. Unlike some of the costumes that I've highlighted in the past, as this is a family/kids movie, its the kids costumes that takes centerstage and its much much less glamorous too with mostly dark colours. Because the lead is afterall Mary...and when the movie began, it was winter and she was such an unhappy disagreeable child. The costumes definitely reminded me of th Agnes Dreary a line of dolls by Tonner Doll.

Actually even the maid's costumes are beautiful. I love the pinafore like aprons that she wore. Her fabrics were of blues and pinks with florals, very soft and cheery to match the character. But even for Mary, as the story progressed, and summer came...we see the colours become lighter and brighter where we see brighter blues, yellows and whites. My favourite is the cotton lace one featured at the end of the movie...it's soo beautiful.

Please go to my facebook album to see more of the pictures.

Snippet: Being Human Season 3

Being Human Season 3 is airing every Wednesday 9pm on AXN Beyond starting tonight.

Yay. Love the series. I've seen like the first episode of the American version, and it does not compare to original British version.

Addicted to Films Facebook Page

About a year or two ago I made a Addicted to Films account on facebook. I have now made a Addicted to Films Facebook page. It will show all updates better. And you can like it, instead of friending. I have also added the Facebook like widget on the sidebar. So if you have enjoyed this blog however long its been published, please click Like. Thank You.

Period Movies and Tv Series List: Mansfield Park (2007)

Check out my Period TV Drama Series list on imdb.com

Snippet:: New The Hunger Games images

Just saw some new the Hunger Games images at MockingJay.

Snippet: The Vampire Diaries Season 2 and Gossip Girl Season 4 DVDs

Amazon has the release date at late August. So I expect it to have a early September release date at the local stores. These are the few tv shows that I still continue to watch, a pity most like Gossip Girl don't get any airing on the local channels, instead they show some of the worse of reality tv offerings like America's Got Talent.

Now, even when they do show it, it'll be at least a season late. I mean sure in the past that was ok. But not now, when technology, has brought about the ability to get almost anything as soon as you want it, demand tv and all that. Example; The Walking Dead already had a dvd release locally by the time it was aired on local tv, and it was already shown on cable tv months ago. Anyone who had cared to watched the show would already have.