Off The Shelf

"This is the only chance we have to rescue what little civilization we have left." On Friday night, I saw Insurgent in the theaters. The film is based upon the second novel in the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth.  All of the main cast members from Divergent (including Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet) reprise their roles in Insurgent. Naomi Watts joined the cast to play Four's mother, Evelyn, and Octavia Spencer to play the Amity leader, Johanna.  As was seen in the movie's trailer , there are clearly some big differences between the book and the film. Veronica Roth endorsed the changes though, so, as I always say, if the author thinks its fine, then its fine by me too. At this point, I'd like to discuss some of the most important differences. If you have not yet read Insurgent , I encourage you skip down to the paragraphs at the end. Spoiler alert.  The biggest change is that hard drive in the book was replaced with a mystery box...

"Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"   On November 21st, Mockingjay Part 1 , based on the bestselling third book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, opened in theaters.  All of the fan-favorite actors and actresses returned to play their leading roles, but a few new additions needed to be made. Natalie Dormer joined the cast to play Cressida, as well as Julianne Moore to play President Coin.  The following are some differences between the film adaptation and the book - some for the better, and some for the worse. If you have not yet read Mockingjay, please   be aware because... SPOILER ALERT.  Effie Trinket makes an appearance in District 13 very early in the movie, unlike in the book where she does not appear until the end. I whole-heartedly believe in this change because 1) by replacing Katniss's three stylists, Effie works as a symbol for even greater change within the rebellion, as now even Capitol people are...

"I believe we have a choice in this world...about how to tell sad stories. On the one hand, you can sugarcoat it. Where nothing is too messed up that it can't be fixed with a Peter Gabriel song. I like that version as much as the next girl does. It just isn't the truth. This is the truth."   After months of waiting, I saw The Fault in Our Stars movie on opening night with some friends. The theater was so crowded that they had to turn many people in line behind us away! Hazel Grace Lancaster was played by Shailene Woodley ( Divergent ), Augustus Waters was played by Ansel Elgort, their friend Isaac by Nat Woolf, and Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster by Sam Trammell and Laura Dern respectively. Above are the opening lines to the movie, and right away Hazel tells the viewer that this is not your traditional love story. My friends agreed that this was one of the best parts of the movie because it makes the story more real, and less Nicholas Sparks-esque where everything is...

"Fear does something strange to people, but not you. Fear doesn't shut you down, it wakes you up."   On Friday, I saw  Divergent in the theater with a few friends. I read the three-book series by Veronica Roth this past fall. (I reviewed the first and third book a few months ago)   Divergent is the story of Tris Prior, who lives in what is supposed to be a very Utopian-like Chicago. The people of Chicago are divided into five factions: Erudite (the intelligent), Amity (the peaceful), Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest) and Dauntless (the brave).  Upon turning 16, Tris and others must decide which faction they belong to. For Tris, she must decide between her family, and the chance to discover who she really is.   Tris Prior is played by Shailene Woodley, her brother Caleb by Ansel Elgort, Four by Theo James, and Christina by Zoe Kravitz.   Before seeing the movie, I had read an  interview with Shailene Woodley in Teen ...

Having bought my ticket at the beginning of October, I was anxiously anticipating the release of Catching Fire until last Friday. A group of friends and I went to the local theater this year, instead of AMC - not only was it cheaper, but completely stress free (meaning no long lines, no sprinting to get good seats). All members from the cast of The Hunger Games returned for Catching Fire, but some great additions were also made: Sam Claflin (as Finnick Odair), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (as Plutarch Heavensbee), Jena Malone (as Johanna Mason). Francis Lawrence, the new director of the film, I felt did a great job in keeping things consistent with the first film. For example, the Capitol looks relatively the same as it did in The Hunger Games , along with the village and woods in District 12. Note: at this point in the post, I would like to discuss some of the differences between the movie and the book, so please, stop reading now if you have not read  Catching F...

  On Friday night, a few friends and I went to see the film adaption of Nicholas Sparks' novel Safe Haven  starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel.   The theater was filled mostly with teenage girls, most of whom were clinging to tissues and each other by the time the credits started rolling. Here is my brief introduction to the story from a previous post: After traveling from place to plate for several months, Katie Feldman has finally settled down in Southport, North Carolina, the classic small town where everyone knows everything about everybody. But Katie has a secret, something she has worked to keep hidden since she left Boston. Just when she thinks Southport is not the place for her, Katie meets Alex - a kind, widowed store owner with two young children. As Katie struggles with her private knowledge, and her feelings for Alex, she comes to discover that love is the only true safe haven.   Now here's the thing about reading the book first, ...

After much long anticipation, I have finally seen Breaking Dawn Part 2, the final movie in The Twilight Saga franchise. I had never seen a Twilight movie in the theaters before, as I just read the series by Stephenie Meyer last spring, so I was not sure what to expect. The movie was first shown in select theaters on Thursday at 10pm and at midnight, but it started showing everywhere yesterday, November 16th. Before leaving, some preparation was needed. I felt the need to be a little festive, and painted my nails red and black, to match the covers of the books. I also had to find my ticket, which I had pre-ordered on October 1st.     I arrived at the theater an hour and a half early, as I've heard the lines to get a good seat could be crazy, as no one wants to end up in the front row with their necks inclined.  AMC had an organized system going, so that was helpful and suprisingly, we were to be the first in the "yellow" line.      ...

Actually, the title of the book/movie is The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but if I had put the whole thing in the title, it would have been a little much. This movie I had been long anticipating, and it fulfilled all of my expectations. The reason I read the book by Stephen Chbosky was because I saw the movie trailer. (Also, because of Emma Watson...) I can't believe it was already two weekends ago that I went to see this with four other friends. The main cast is as follows: Charlie - Logan Lerman Patrick - Ezra Miller Sam - Emma Watson Bill (English Teacher) - Paul Rudd Mary Elizabeth - Mae Whitman Charlie's Mom - Kate Walsh Doctor - Joan Cusack Very few changes were made to the storyline, which made me very happy. Charlie is still the clueless and lost Freshman he was in the novel, Patrick also known as Nothing, and Sam is still sweet and kind. In the book, Charlie does not disclose last names to the person he is writing to, but in the movie, his English teacher ...

On Saturday night, I sat down and watched the movie adaption of Nicholas Sparks' novel,  A Walk to Remember . The movie was released in 2002, and is rated PG. As the novel was fairly short, several scenes were added to the movie to give the story more dimension. For example, the movie opens up with Landon and his friends out after their curfew, therefore letting the viewers know that he is not a well-behaved kid. As the movie progresses, you see his change in character more profoundly than in the book. An example of another added scene would be one where Landon names a star after Jamie. This scene shows the viewer that he really cares for Jamie, and that this is not just some short-lived high school relationship. No matter how "cheesy" that might sound, it was a great addition to the story. To watch this scene from the movie click here. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, maybe even more so than the book. (which is usually quite rare) A Walk to Remember is defin...

With a friend who has also read the book, we watched the movie version of the book My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult on Friday. The movie was released in 2009, and some of the cast list is as follows: Anna Fitzgerald - Abigail Breslin Sara Fitzgerald - Cameron Diaz Kate Fitzgerald - Sofia Vassilieva Taylor Ambrose - Thomas Dekker Campbell Alexander - Alec Baldwin If I had not read the book, I would have liked this movie. The basic plotline was the same, but several of the key characters from the book were left out such as Julia Romano. Also, Kate, Anna, and Jesse looked too young when compared to how I pictured them. Several of the events were rushed and disjointed and the ending of the movie was also completely different than the book. On the positive side, this movie was full of emotion. Some parts were very sad, and made me want to cry. While others, sparked laughter. Again, this movie was great by itself, but when compared with the book, it did not reach my expe...

Back in December, when the movie was still in theaters, I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I saw the movie, by the name of Hugo, over the weekend. The cast included the following and more: Hugo Cabret - Asa Butterfield Isabelle - Chloë Grace Moretz Georges Melies - Ben Kingsley Madame Emilie - Frances de la Tour Monsieur Frick - Richard Griffiths Overall, I believe the movie followed the book with exciting chase scenes and magical moments. The actors and director made the mystery of the Automaton, the key, and the old man, come alive for the viewer in an egaging and fun way. This movie is definitely geared toward a younger age level, as was the book. Click here to read my review of the book.

According to Parade magazine, The Hunger Games was the most anticipated movie of 2012.  The first, in a three, possibly four motion picture series was released this past Thursday at midnight. I had reserved my ticket back in February and had been anxiously awaiting my chance to see it. Overall, I believe the movie was true to the book, and any small changes they did make, did not directly impact the plot. Some differences include: -Madge is eliminated from the movie all together, therefore Katniss buys the mockingjay pin herself. -While the games take place, Seneca Crane is shown with other Gamemakers creating  the events inside the arena. -The mutated dogs at the finale of the games do not have the dead tributes features. Again, none of these changes made the movie any less fantastic, and as Suzanne Collins is listed as one of the screenwriters of the movie, she obviously was okay with the changes as well. The theater was completely full when I went yesterday ev...

The other night, I watched the movie version of the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It really was very good, and I enjoyed watching the characters come to life. The cast consisted of the following: Emma Stone - Skeeter Phelan Viola Davis - Aibileen Clark Bryce Dallas Howard - Hilly Holbrook *Octavia Spencer - Minny Jackson Jessica Chastain - Celia Foote Ahna O'Reilly - Elizabeth Leefolt Although the movie is a little over two hours long, don't let that turn you away. Considering the novel is 451 pages, even two hours did not cover every scene. I do believe the main story line was well portrayed and engaging. Some negatives of the movie for me were that Celia Foote's story/plot line was not fully described, and Skeeter and Stewart's relationship was brief and undeveloped. Revising each of these parts would have made the movie easier to understand for someone who had not read the book. Overall, the movie was enjoyable and fun to watch. This movie should...

As promised, I am continuing my discussion on everything Harry Potter. Last night, I watched the epic finale to the Harry Potter phenomenon. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 the movie hit the shelves and online stores yesterday. This review contains SPOILERS Many people argue that when books are made into movies, they are not authentic to the original story. I disagree when it comes to Harry Potter. I agree, and disagree with that statement. Here's why: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone The scenes showing Harry's first trip to Diagon Alley, Platform 9 3/4, and the Sorting Hat, were portrayed well, and I think it gave people who did not read the books a good idea of what the wizarding world is like. Something I did not like was the scene showing the night Harry's parents were killed. The movie did not really explain Voldemort's reasons for doing so.   Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Overall, this movie was very true to the book, accep...