December 2002
J.R.R. Tolkien's bestseller THE
LORD OF THE RINGS: The Two Towers was the second novel in this
magnificent trilogy. New Line Cinema's movie
version is now in theaters starring Elijah Wood as adventure-seeking
Frodo Baggins and Ian McKellan as the good-humored and extremely
powerful wizard Gandalf. Frodo and his fellow Hobbits resume their
quest to defeat the evil Sauron and destroy his ring of power. This
sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring is full of sumptuous
sets, gorgeous scenery and eye-popping special effects sure to fascinate
readers of this series and newcomers alike.
David Benioff made his writing debut with the 2001 publication of
THE 25TH HOUR.
Touchstone Pictures' movie
version of this wonderfully written novel is currently in theaters.
Edward Norton stars as Monty Brogan, a drug dealer who will soon
be serving a 7-year sentence in the federal penitentiary. He decides
to spend his final 24 hours of freedom enjoying a night out on the
town with his two best friends. Monty, however, has a plan that
none of his companions are aware of. The resulting twists should
unfold quite effectively on the big screen.
Michael Cunningham's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, THE
HOURS, has now been adapted into a feature
film, appearing in New York and California December 27th and
nationwide January 17. This ensemble drama tells three stories simultaneously
of women in different times, all drawn upon the life and writings
of author Virginia Woolf. First, there's the author herself in 1923,
who is struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide while
writing MRS. DALLOWAY. Then there is the story of Laura Brown, a
pregnant Los Angeles housewife who is planning a birthday party
for her husband in 1923. Meanwhile, Clarissa Vaughn is throwing
a party in modern-day New York for her friend and former lover,
an acclaimed author who is dying of AIDS. The lives of Laura and
Clarissa converge with Virginia Woolf's in an unexpected and heartbreaking
way.
THE
GANGS OF NEW YORK, written by journalist Herbert Ashbury, was
first published in 1928 and was reprinted in 2001. Miramax's long
awaited (and long delayed) movie
version of the book is finally in theaters. It features a star-studded
cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel-Day Lewis and Cameron
Diaz. Set in the turbulent streets of Lower Manhattan, director
Martin Scorsese depicts the politically corrupt and volatile social
climate of New York during the early years of the Civil War. This
intense and visually stunning portrait of a world missing from the
history books is sure to intrigue viewers.
If you would like to learn more about the history of this film,
take a look at GANGS
OF NEW YORK: MAKING THE MOVIE, which includes interviews, a
complete shooting script and behind-the-scenes photographs.
In FRIDA:
A Biography of Frida Kahlo, art historian Hayden Herrera details
the tumultuous life of the famed Mexican painter. Miramax's movie
version of this engrossing and highly vivid biography is currently
playing in theaters nationwide. It focuses on Frida's often rocky
relationship with husband Diego Rivera (played by Alfred Molina)
and their place in Mexican society. Salma Hayek has a monumental
task ahead of her, as she portrays the strength, talent, humor,
pain and endurance of this intriguing woman.
If you are interested in learning more about the life of this 20th
century icon, take a look at the following titles: IN
THE CASA AZUL by Meaghan Delahunt, FRIDA:
Bringing Frida Kahlo's Life and Art to Film, THE
DIARY OF FRIDA KAHLO: An Intimate Self-Portrait and FRIDA
by Jonah Winter, a beautifully written and illustrated book for
younger readers.
Adaptation
is the story of an orchid collector (Chris Cooper), a journalist
(Meryl Streep as author Susan Orlean), and the screenwriter (Charlie
Kaufman, played by Nicolas Cage) who, in adapting Orlean's book
THE ORCHID THIEF, writes himself and a twin brother (also played
by Cage) into the movie. In the Newmarket Shooting Script, Orlean
reveals her own struggle to tell the story of the orchid, and her
delight that "strangely, marvelously, hilariously, the screenplay
has ended up not being a literal adaptation of my book, but a spiritual
one." If you have not read THE
ORCHID THIEF, this might be a good time to explore it.
November 2002
Attention all of you Muggles (ordinary people in Potter-speak) who
haven't read HARRY
POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. You have lots of catching
up to do. The
second movie has finally arrived! Muggles everywhere will now
be able to go the movie theater, eat some popcorn, and once again
watch their hero on the big screen.
For those of you who can't get enough of Harry Potter, be sure to
read about the movie tie-in books here.
And, in case you have been waiting to read the Harry Potter titles,
here's info about the other books in this bestselling series: HARRY
POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, HARRY
POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and HARRY
POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.
October 2002
Readers swept away by Janet Fitch's engrossing debut novel WHITE
OLEANDER will not be let down by the Warner
Brothers film opening on October 11th. The volatile story follows
the relationship of an uncompromising mother, Ingrid, and her estranged
daughter, Astrid. After falling madly in love with a man, only to
have her heart broken, Ingrid murders him with the deadly poison
of her favorite flower. Left on her own, Astrid bounces between
foster homes and witnesses more tragedy in three years than any
person should see in a lifetime. In the wrong hands, such heavy
material could quickly degenerate into a sappy after-school drama.
But the exceptional ensemble cast --- including Michele Pfeiffer,
Renee Zellweger and Robin Wright Penn --- keep this an effective
story of self-realization. To learn more details of the story, here
is a Reading
Group Guide.
The movie Charlotte
Gray is expanding to theaters across the country this week.
Based on the book, CHARLOTTE
GRAY by Sebastian Faulks, it combines the irresistible elements
of love and war as a Scottish woman attempts to find her lover,
an RAF pilot shot down over France. Her involvement in the French
Resistance leads to the inevitable wartime affair.
Following the phenomenal success and public fascination for Thomas
Harris's saga of Hannibal Lecter, Universal Pictures is releasing
a movie based on the first book in this trilogy of novels, RED DRAGON.
Felt by many to be the best novel of the three, RED DRAGON features
Hannibal in a minor role as the expert, albeit twisted, mind that
helps an FBI agent unravel the identity of a serial killer. For
aficionados, the story was originally filmed in 1986 under the title
Manhunter. Purists may find the original version more representative
of Harris's plot, but the stellar cast of this newest version will
no doubt cause Red
Dragon to overshadow it's predecessor. For readers who want
to devour the entire trilogy, the novels in chronological order
are: RED
DRAGON, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and HANNIBAL.
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