FoodnFlix May 2020

Spudguns!, it's been a few months...I've had nothing to say the last two months. But, I joined in for the May Foodn'Flix...literally just crawling in under the finish line with my offerings. The May selection was hosted by Debra over at Eliot's Eats and she picked the 2011 Midnight in Paris.  Now, I've mentioned this on the blog way way way back in the first year of the blog, Day 75.  But, here's a brief recap.

plot:  When a writer suffering from writer's block goes on vacation with his girlfriend and her parents, he finds himself in awe of the city around him. As he ends up spending his nights alone wandering the streets dreaming about his heroes, he mysteriously travels back in time to the 1920's. Inspiration begins to strike as the midnight hour engulfs him, leaving him wondering if it's just a dream.

Okay, so as I mentioned, I've talked briefly about this movie before when it first came out, and I didn't care for it. I should have loved it. All the markings of my kind of movie was there. It's a Woody Allen movie, it's about a writer, it's about time travel, it's about art and magick.  Only, for me it missed the mark. Sitting through it a second time for group, I was halfway hoping I had missed something the first time around, that maybe since it's been almost a decade I'd discover something in it I liked. Nope. Still not doing much for me.

Notes: beer, baguette (mentioned) wine, bread, sauerkraut and frankfurters (mentioned) whiskey sour (mentioned) petit fours (mentioned) grapes, sweets, candied ginger, nuts, cheese, coffee, cake, Indian food (mentioned) pita bread (mentioned) jam, juice, melon, croissants, strawberries, blueberries, fruit plate, tea, cookies, chocolate, beef bourguignon (mentioned) pineapple, whipped cream, dates, steak, absinthe, honey, meat pie, pears, peaches, butter, lemon, pop.

Okay, so the food in this movie is sort of there but it's not a main concern, so it's pretty much in the far background most of the time.

There is a scene near the beginning of the film, where one of the characters mentioned the sauerkraut and frankfurters, and my mind right away went to that. So I went right out to the store and picked up a package of veggie dogs and ...could not for the life of me find any sauerkraut. It ended up being one of the crazy items that the stores in my city have not received since the whole isolation situation has been going on in the world.  Then I thought I would just go with it anyway.  I "assembled" my loaded veggie dog with cole slaw, mustard, mayo, cheese, onions and peppers.

But I wasn't happy with how it looked on camera. So, I started thinking about a second dish and my mind kept returning to the end of the film, where we see a very minor character who literally has two scenes near the end of the film, a detective who himself travels back into time to the Court of Louis XIV.  This seemingly unimportant character actually ends up being a key player. Through the whole movie till this point, you never know if the lead is daydreaming, or drunk or in a coma from a scene where he trips and hits his head or if he's actually traveling back and forth in time? That is until the detective finds himself trapped back in time.  The table of Louis XIV has a breakfast which consists of the pears, peaches and meat pie. So I decided to make a "mock steak and kidney pie".

Ingredients

1 can of kidney beans drained
two mushrooms chopped
half a carrot chopped
half a stalk of celery chopped
half a small onion chopped
ground black pepper
garlic salt
cornstarch
jackfruit
pastry
water

Drain the kidney beans, boiling them till soft.   Add mushroom, celery and carrots. Let simmer for about 15minutes.
Add onion, ground pepper and garlic salt. Stir and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add jackfruit, stirring in more water if needed.  Simmer for another 15minutes.

Prepare pastry.   I used a store bought ready made tart shell.
Fill pastry and cook at 350degrees for 35 minutes depending on your oven.

I've never used jackfruit before this. In fact, never even tasted it. I wasn't sure if the bitterness would work with the rest of the savoury ingredients so I only used three medium sized pieces. Thankfully it did.

There you go, two dishes inspired by very different characters. Don't forget to check out June's Foodn'Flix selection, being hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla. She's allowing the theme of Any Movie that is  Set or Made in Hawaii.

Till next time.

Random movie- Holmes and Watson

Spudguns!,  it's just after 9am EST where I am, and I should have posted this last week.  I saw the movie Holmes and Watson last weekend, but the week really got in the way of me sitting down and doing this post. In a way, I'm sort of glad it did.

movie:  Holmes and Watson
starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly
genre: Comedy, Crime,
year: 2018
format: Crave

plot: Holmes and Watson are hired to solve a string of murders after Queen Victoria's life has been threatened.  Watson, who's not yet a detective, has a lot to prove if he's ever going to get the promotion he's looking for. Meanwhile, the emotionally frozen Holmes has fallen in love for the first time. This clouds his judgment as he lets Watson be sent to jail.

Okay. So, I love anything related to Sherlock Holmes, but this was just crap.  John C. Reilly normally spins pure gold, but this movie left me scratching my head as to why he decided to be in it?  Hugh Laurie plays the part of  Mycroft Holmes but even that couldn't save this movie. (Stephen Fry who is Laurie's comedy partner played the character in the Robert Downey Jr movies)

I need to rant about Will Ferrell for a moment.  His last few movies Zoolander 2, The House, Daddy's Home 2, Holmes and Watson;  have just been terrible. I have to say, if he's writing his own stuff then he should get someone else to write for him for a few films. If he has someone writing for him then he should take back control and write his own stuff. Either way, he's just been down hill the last couple of years. I really think he needs to step out of that buddy comedy comfort zone for a bit and do a serious drama or horror or something.

There's just nothing nice to say about this movie.

Foodn'Flix July 2019

Spudguns!, it's that time of the time again, when  I offer you up something for Foodn'Flix.  This month's selection is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it's being hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

plot: A young writer looking to switch genres, is asked by her publishers to write about how literature is affecting people. At the same time, a strange letter arrives for her from a man who has inherited one of her old childhood books. He explains his situation, that he's started a book club, and is in need of more books asking if she'd mail him something. Not only does she mail him a few titles, she decides to travel there herself to do her essay on the book club. The night before she's set to leave, her boyfriend asks her to marry him. Unsure if that's really what she wants, she ends up staying more than a month with the book club finding out more and more about the people of the small community.

This is based on the novel, and stars Lily James and Michiel Huisman.

Notes: pork, gin, potato peel pie, tea, beer, water, alcohol, bread, lamb (someone's name) roast pig, potato, soup/broth, carrots, asparagus, gravy, candy, tomatoes, scones, cake, chicken, butter, toast, lobster, onion, fish, parsnips, lettuce, nectarines, dried herbs, clams/mussels, cow, whiskey, milk, stew, cookies, olives, celery, cabbage, flour, corn, petit four, hors  d'oeuvres, 

So I saw this a few months back, and loved it. But when watching it a second time around for the FnF group, I had little idea how to do anything out of the ordinary for it. I ended up going with a fairly basic idea.  

A potato bread. My inspiration was both the main food of potatoes, which is about all the people in the community have left to eat after the German soldiers pretty much take all the supplies; and a scene where one of the characters asks for the last slice of bread to help prove a point.

I decided to use a can of potatoes for this, simply because I had them on hand.  I drained them, and boiled them in salt water for about 15 minutes, then mashed them.  This I set aside to cool.

 While that was cooling, I got the rest of my ingredients together.  1 and a half cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon butter softened, 1/2 cup water.

 Add this to the mashed potato, and then kneed the dough as you would a normal bread.

 Bake at 350degrees for about an hour depending on your oven.

I have to admit, this didn't turn out as I had expected. And I think that has to do with the fact I used a canned potato instead of a bakers potato. The canned potatoes were mushier to begin with. If you are going to use a canned potato, then you should cut the water called for in half.

That's about all I have for you this time around, don't forget to join in next month when we are covering the Star Wars franchise and it's being hosted by Simply Inspired Meals.

April 2019 Bookclub day

The selection this month was the novel Bloodline by Kate Cary.

plot:  John Shaw,  having been injured in the war, finds himself returned home to London, but the events having left him plagued with nightmares. He can no longer tell if the visions he saw of beasts and wolves on the front lines are real or just his damaged mind trying to make sense of it all? While recovering, he falls quickly in love with Mary Seward, the young daughter of Dr. Jack Seward. After having secretly read John's diary, Mary Seward has reason to believe that what John witnessed was real, and fears her best friend Lily; John's sister, has fallen pray to the very monster John talks about in his diary. Quincey Harker. Whom Mary learns is the son of her father's friends. As lies become uncovered, Mary finds herself on a race against time which takes her to the very heart of Transylvania.

This is done in the same style of the original Dracula by Bram Stoker, told from the point of view of each character's diaries and letters. Nearly all the original characters are mentioned in one way or another.

Okay, I didn't love this, but I didn't hate it. I thought the story was great up until the last chapter. For me, the ending just didn't sit right.

For me, I kept waiting for there to be more linking it to the original. I loved the little wink and nod to Renfield's cell, and the fact the heroine is the daughter of Dr. Jack Seward. His appearance was the big highlight for me. I did not care for the sub-plot of the Mina Harker/Tepes  character at all. For me, it pulled away from the how the rest of the tapestry was flowing.  I also wasn't at all thrilled with the Count Tepes character. He felt like he was just tossed in to fill in a blank. He is mentioned more than a few times in the last half of the novel, but when we finally get any real evidence of him, he's dispatched too easily.

Normally, I find the more common themes and what I think the story was a metaphor for; but I didn't really get a whole ton out of this other than the idea of trust. Everyone seems to be lying to each other in one way or another.

Next month's selection will be Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. I'll be back later in the week with the official announcement for it.

Night Bleeds 2019 March book

Spudguns!,  It's book club day. This month's selection was Queen Victoria Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat. 

plot:  It's the mid-1800's and young Victoria has just both had her eighteenth birthday and been informed she is now Queen. At the same time across town, Quimby and his manservant Perkins have just survived a horde of zombies that have broken out of their captivity. Well, mostly survived, as Perkins is half eaten by a zombie before Quimby is able to save him. Perkins then becomes the latest zombie. As well a large pack of rats have begun chasing people through the streets. The information reaches the ears of Maggie Brown, head of the Royal Protektors, and she is called into action to the Queen's side. Maggie manages to fight off an attack by a succubus saving the Queen. With their assassination attempt a failure, the Queen's enemies lay dormant for the next few years. During this time, the Queen marries her beloved Albert and gives birth to both a daughter and son, all the while unaware that her enemies have been living with her. As we learn, Sir Conroy, the very human familiar to the Queen's uncle; had a hand in setting up the royal marriage. Meanwhile, while this is happening, Quimby, who has managed to create a serum that causes reanimation, has been blackmailed by Conroy into helping the Queen's enemies overtake the Parliament by turning half the members into zombies.  The Queen's enemies, who are in fact demons, kidnap her husband Albert, forcing Queen Victoria to rescue him. The Queen, along with Maggie and another member of the Royal Protektors, Vasquez, find themselves first having to deal with the chaos caused by the zombied members of Parliament, before tracking Albert to Bedlam where he's being held captive. And which turns out is also the entrance to hell. 


There are so many sub-plots going on here. They do eventually come together to make one cohesive story, but at first glance, they seem almost not to have anything to do with each other. You're about midway through the book before they really connect.

I liked this a lot more than some of the others in this mash-up genre I've read. About the only real complaint I have on this novel is that the last 50 pages becomes one long action scene. Some of the characters could have been a little more fleshed out, such as the Royal Protektors Hudson, Hicks and Vasquez, as it is they ended up being sort of flat.  One of the most interesting characters other than the character of Victoria herself; happens to be Egg, and he's only given a few scenes with little to do. I kept expecting him to have a more important role in the whole thing, but sadly he didn't.  There are also the mysterious creepy children who are Conroy's bodyguards. A little bit of a back story on them would have upped the game just a notch.  There is also, an entire group of werewolves that at first seem like the center of the villains, and are given some depth, but you quickly learn they are just the comic relief.

I don't have a whole lot else to say about this one. It's a lighter book, which sways between action-gore and dramatic-comedy. You're drawn between the relationships which focus on the mentor/student dynamic of Maggie and the Queen, and the buddy/odd couple of Quimby and Perkins more so than anything else.

I'll be back in a day or two with the official announcement for April's selection.

2018 October Foodn'Flix

Spudguns!, it's time again for another Foodn'Flix recipe. This month's selection was hosted by our fearless leader Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen; and her pick was Princess and the Frog.  Now, if you've been following this blog much at all, you might remember I talked about this back in Year One of the blog. (Day 292)

plot: A young woman -Tiana, has a dream of opening her own restaurant in the heart of New Orleans in the 1920's. But it seems, every time she gets a step closer, something gets in her way. When a young prince comes to the area, her best friend's dad throws a grand ball for him, in hopes the prince will marry his daughter. Unknown to anyone, the prince has become cursed and turned into a frog. Tiana who has borrowed her friends clothes, is mistaken for a princess, and the frog prince talks her into kissing him. Only, instead of saving him, it turns her into a frog as well. The two then end up going to the local Hoodoo Priestess to help reverse the spell originally cast by the Voudon Bokor. When nothing seems to work, the two admit they have fallen in love and are willing to stay frogs as long as they can stay together. As frogs, they get married and are suddenly transformed back to humans.

notes: tea, gumbo, apples, salt, ground black pepper, hush puppies, cake, rum, eggs, bacon, ketchup, fruit, waffles, rice, coffee, honey, toast, bagels, pancakes, hot sauce, donuts, sugar, wine, soup, carrots, red peppers, mushrooms, chicken, pumpkin, crawfish, bananas foster, okra, strawberries, jelly beans, candy, garlic, herbs, flour, walnuts.

I ended up pulling my inspiration from a short scene midway through the film. The main characters are in the middle of a swamp and decide to make a gumbo from the ingredients they can forage for, which included a pumpkin.  I ended up making my Pumpkin Sludge Cake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c butter softened
1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 c water
1/3 c spice mix (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice)
2 c pumpkin shredded or pureed

Mix butter, sugar and salt
then add in flour, baking powder and eggs
add spice mix and water mix well
add the pumpkin

Bake at 325 degrees depending on your oven for 75 to 90 minutes

The name came from the colour the batter took on. I also topped it with a few pumpkin seeds I had roasted in salt and pumpkin spice mix.
 

And that's about all I've got for you today.  Don't forget, you can join in next month with Foodn'Flix for  A Man Called Ove, which will be hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm.

Random movie- Crimson Peak

movie: Crimson Peak
starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston
genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller, Paranormal,
year: 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A young writer, who has the ability to see ghosts, is swept up in a wild romance when she meets a young man and his sister. Having arrived in town to ask her father for a partnership on his invention, the English baronet begins courting her. Much to the quiet disapproval of his sister. After her father dies, the young writer, Edith, marries quickly only to run off to the English countryside with her new husband, Thomas, to live with him and his sister, Lucille. Edith's romantic notions are soon destroyed as the house is falling apart around them, and the fortune has long been lost on Thomas's inventions. As winter sets in, Edith finds herself isolated from the town, and begins to uncover the secrets the family are hiding. Namely, that she's not the first wife. Her ability to see and communicate with ghosts is heightened as she finds them in every corner of the house. Intent on figuring out why they were killed and by who, she realizes no one can be trusted.

I have to admit, I wasn't too sure on this one when I first sat down to watch. I'm not a fan of the lead female actor, and it took a few minutes to get past that fact. But, the story itself was completely worth it.

You get that feeling of isolation; not just from the sets but from the coldness of winter, the loss of her father and friends. It's just the right level of eerie madness. And you can't help but compare it to the Shinning from start to finish.  There's this great sense of uneasiness just in the love story itself. You're given a hint from the first scene between the characters of Thomas and his sister Lucille, that they are plotting something. Then as the film progresses, you're swayed away from Thomas and back again on whether or not to trust him.

The addition of the family dog appearing, which seems to irritate both siblings, is a wonderful little hint that they're not who they seem to be. 

Inspired by Jan 2018

Spudguns! It's time for another recipe inspired by a movie. And it's an oldie but a goodie because it's another edition of 80's Day!  If you've tripped along with me through any of these before, then you might have guessed that every so often I get my friend Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, to join me on this.  We never tell the other what movie we picked. Totally a surprise. Which for me is the best part.

movie: Young Guns
starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Emilio Estevez
genre: Western
year: 1988
format: DVD

plot: After the death of their teacher, a group of young deputies; including Billy the Kid, begin to take the law into their own hands as they get revenge against the man who killed him.

This is the part where I start to feel really old cause, I first saw this 30 years ago in the cinema. Yeah, back when Kiefer Sutherland was still the hot new thing having just done Stand By Me and the Lost Boys, and westerns were still the style of movie that made the big bucks.  Well, let's be honest, westerns are still a big draw, they just don't look like the dusty westerns up there on the big screens that we automatically think of when we hear the word. (Guardians of the Galaxy, Mad Max Fury Road, Priest, Fast and the Furious series)

I think one of the things that makes this movie seem good;(it's by far not a "good movie", but it's a "great for it's time" genre film)  is that there really isn't any good guys. Everyone is there for revenge on everyone else, on both sides of the situation. And the lead character of Billy the Kid, is just sort of a loose canon. While everyone else is trying to reel him in, he's sneaking around behind their backs lying about what he's done. You're asked to blindly follow this guy without ever knowing what his true motives are. So you as a viewer are in the same situation as the rest of the gang. Never sure from one second to another if Billy can be trusted or that he's even who he really says he is?

Notes: pigs, cows, chickens, whiskey, ginger ale, whip cream, pheasant, bread, corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, chilies, oats, water, beer, wine, turkey, gravy, beans, coffee,

I have to admit, I couldn't get the idea of baked beans out of my mind the whole time watching it. From about the second scene, before we even see any mention of food; simply because of the dvd cover.

I used 2 and a half cups of white beans, rinsed them, drained and then soaked them in fresh water for about 6 hours. (package said overnight)     Then boiled them for 2 and a half hours. 

The sauce was super simple.

1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
3 Tablespoon molasses
4 shakes hot sauce

I chopped a half an onion, mixed everything together and baked for 2 hours at 300 degrees.

I decided then to just make a quick pan fried potato, done in butter, salt and pepper. Along with some corn.

Little bit on the obvious side, but sometimes, simple is just the best direction to go.

That's about all I've got for you today, don't forget to head on over to All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, and see what Heather created and which movie she was inspired by.

Night Bleeds December

The last combo of the all vampire movie book club for 2016, is Dracula  and the 1992 movie version Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

movie:  Starring Gary Oldman and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
plot:  1462, and there is a war between the lands of Vlad Tempes and the Ottoman Empire. Vlad manages to turn the Turks back away from his lands, but not before is wife is tricked into believing that he was killed. She then commits suicide, damning her soul in the eyes of the church. Vlad Dracula, then in a violent fit of depression vows to return from the dead to take revenge.  1897, London and we see Johnathan Harker, who has just been given an assignment by his new boss of traveling to Transylvania to meet with a Count Dracula, in order to deliver deeds to his new properties. Harker, leaves behind a new fiancee; Mina, to make the trip where he is kept prisoner by the Count. Mina, meanwhile, is staying with her childhood friend, Lucy for the summer. Lucy, agrees to marry Lord Arthur Holmwood (after turning down his two best friends Dr. Jack Seward and Quincey Morris) After a letter arrives from Harker, Mina wonders if he's in fact alright, but her attention soon is taken completely by a Prince Vlad who has arrived in London. Meanwhile, next door to Lucy's house, is Dr. Seward's insane asylum where R.N. Renfield; the lawyer who had Harker's job before him, is being kept. Seward has a close friendship with Renfield, which proves interesting as the story progresses. Lucy, while sleepwalking one night is attacked by a werewolf-like creature and begins to act out. Dr. Seward then requests help from Professor Van Helsing. He preforms three blood transfusions on Lucy, but she ends up the victim of the Prince after Mina leaves for Transylvania to be with Harker.  The men (Van Helsing, Seward, Morris and Holmwood) then proceed to track and destroy Lucy once they learn she has become a vampire herself. When Mina and Harker return to London, they learn that the Count is a vampire, and Mina his original choice of victim as she is the reincarnation of Vlad's dead wife. The group try to save Mina, by hiding her in the asylum, only to cause Renfield's violent death by Vlad, and then chase him from London back to Transylvania for a final showdown.

So some of my favourite scenes are the shaving scene when Dracula breaks the mirror, the seduction of Harker in the castle by the three brides, Lucy running down the garden stairs screaming "I love him, I love him",  Van Helsing asking Seward for the knives, the love scene between Mina and Dracula, and Lucy's werewolf rape scene.

Van Helsing  - "Jack, I need for you to get for me before nightfall, a set of post-mortem knives."

Seward - "An autopsy, Lucy?"

Van Helsing- "No, no no, not exactly, I just want to cut off her head and take out her heart...Jack Jack!"

The themes in the movie, are forbidden love, lost love, reincarnation, trust, faith, mental illness, domination, sexual repression, drug abuse.

I like the parallel going on in this. We have Lucy with her three "husbands" Arthur Holmwood, Quincey Morris and Jack Seward; while Harker has the three "brides" who are actually un-namned. Both are being "seduced" in their own way.  Then, tipping the scales, we have Mina with her three love interests as well in the form of Harker, Dracula and to a level Van Helsing.

Both the movie and the book bring up the idea that by exchanging blood, a form of marriage has occurred. Arthur Holmwood is the one who mentions it in regard to himself and Lucy, unaware (in the book anyways) that Van Helsing, Morris and Seward have also "fed her" their blood by medical means. You then see the sire bond beginning to take shape between Dracula and Lucy, and later Dracula and Mina. With the emphasis on the psychic/empathic connection. (a big trait in folklore on the proof of vampires)
The movie drops a lot of the folklore, such as the fact vampires can not cross running water (the book deals with this element - no pun intended- by having low tides and running boats aground)

The book:  Johnathan Harker sets off across Europe, to meet a Count Dracula, in order to hand over the deeds to a series of properties around England. The Count, at first is pleasant but after awhile, begins to become shifty. He even goes so far as to steal Harker's clothes locking him in a high tower room. After escaping his rooms, Harker wanders the castle and discovers what at first seems like three ghosts, but are in fact vampire women. They attempt to trap him by seduction, only to have the Count threaten them for it. Harker then witnesses their true nature when he sees them devour a child. Again, he tries to escape only to find the vaults where the Count has begun collecting dirt in large boxes, and the Count himself sleeping in one. Meanwhile, back in England, Mina and Lucy are on a trip to Whitby. Lucy's mother is gravely ill and the two girls are doing their best to keep calm but it's wearing Lucy down causing her to sleepwalk. One night, she sleepwalks out to their favourite spot, while a storm has happened just the night before, causing a ship to run aground. Lucy is then attacked unawares to herself and Mina. Lucy, then starts to become sick herself and they return to London. Here, we meet the three men who are in love with Lucy, Dr. Seward, Arthur Holmood (Lord Godalming) and Quincey Morris. She quickly becomes engaged to Holmwood.  Mina is then pulled way from England by a letter from a convent in Romania, letting her know that Harker was found wandering with a brain fever. Meanwhile, Dr. Seward who is self medicating over his depression, is giving special attention to one of his lunatics, R.N. Renfield. Renfield keeps escaping his cell and running to the empty house next door. Seward ends up having to ask his friend Van Helsing to come help out with Lucy. Within two weeks, Lucy's mother dies of a heart attack, as does Holmwood's father. Lucy then dies of extreme blood loss. This causing the men to follow stories of  'the white lady' and the fact a sudden rise in children disappearing only days after Lucy's death. They soon learn she is a vampire and destroy her. Mina and Harker then return to London, to learn of all this. From the many letters and diary entries that everyone has kept in the long five months, Van Helsing pieces together what has happened and that they are looking for a real vampire. Tracking the Count down to the building next to the asylum, they begin to purify the boxes of dirt. While this is going on, Renfield is murdered in his cell, and Mina is attacked in her bedroom. The group then travel to Transylvania chasing the Count for the final showdown.


There are a lot of differences between the 1992 movie version and the original 1897 story. Such as, the movie has added much more of the idea of Vlad Tempes, where the book just touches at it. The movie added the entire reincarnation idea, the vampires have less weaknesses in the movie than they do in the book.  In the book, Renfield as far as we know, was never a lawyer or in Transylvania; in fact he doesn't meet Dracula until near the end of the book when he's killed.
The movie has Mina still in London when Lucy becomes gravely ill and meets Van Helsing just before she goes off to rescue Harker, where as the book does not.  Dracula himself, has very little scenes in the original novel, as Seward and Van Helsing are the real main characters.

The book, though is a classic gothic novel, it's also a bit of a crime story which were becoming popular at that time. A lot of the story has the group making plans over breakfast or dinner, or having the characters tracking down information/leads; which drags the story out for nearly nine months. 

Something I have always wondered about the novel, is if it was meant to be a serious book or a bit more comical? There are paragraphs where Van Helsing is babbling in what seems like complete sarcasm. Not too mention Mina's constantly commenting on "brave men...men's work" etc. You almost wonder if Stoker wrote it tongue in cheek or if he was serious about his social concerns?
The men in the novel are appalled by the fact that the women are more aggressive, voluptuous, and calmly confident when death/near death after having been in contact with the Count. At certain points, all of them physically turn away disgusted by the sight of their beloved in the "trances", when they are more "live"; and calmer when both Mina and Lucy return to a more compliant frame. 

Some of the themes in the novel are fear of foreigners/foreign lands, mental illness, equality, sexual repression, religion/superstition, status, plagues.

Okay, I have to admit, given the hundreds upon hundreds of essays and literary studies done on this novel, I don't know if anything else I have to say right now, will measure up?  So this is my end for this topic. I must admit, because I've referenced Dracula all year in comparisons/examples of the other book club selections, I feel like I've covered all I can at this point.

Doing Night Bleeds this past year has been an exercise for me in my biggest obsession/hobby/studies. I'm grateful for anyone who joined in with me, who read what I had to say, who might have picked up the movies and book reading/watching along with me and Heather (I think she's got a take on this coming? I will post a round up if/when she does)   I am still tossing around ideas for doing Night Bleeds in 2017, so if anyone is interested...

year 5 day 157

movie: Quest for Fire
starring: Everett McGill, Ron Perlman
genre: Drama
year: 1981
format: Netflix Canada

plot: After their tribe is attacked, a group of hunters are sent to find some fire in order to save the tribe.

Based on the novel

Okay, so this is straight forward and one of those movies that you have to pay attention to, because, there is no dialogue.  I was watching this thinking it's got more in common with the latest zombie genre then it really does with any of the fantasy genre or for that matter Tarzan.  This is truly the real beginning of the survivalist genre in films.

One tribe of Cro-Magnon man is attacked by another more ape like tribe, which decreases the number of tribe members, as well as destroying their fire-pit. Which, is what the second tribe wanted to begin with, their flame. The tribal elder then sends three of his hunters out to get more fire. Which, at this point can only be gotten by either waiting around for lightening to start a forest fire or by stealing from another tribe's fire-pit.  The small hunting party find themselves at the camp of a group of cannibals, and have to define themselves. In doing so, steal their fire-pit and rescue a young woman. The four now have become a tribe of their own, but eventually end up back at the camp of the woman's tribe. Here, they learn how to create fire themselves with sticks, how to build shelters, and pottery.

I'm not sure how I feel about this movie? It's funny when you wouldn't think it would be, like when the three hunters have to climb a tree to get away from a couple of lions, and when the Perlman character is making advances towards the third hunter but is told to back off (well kicked actually)
There are also moments when, even though it's done in a slightly humourous way, are darkly deep. Such as when the McGill character is rescued from a patch of quick sand, and forced to mate with all the women in the tribe; while the tribe watched. You can feel the humiliation factor more from the actual love interest, as she is not allowed to see him. Or when the hunters first find a freshly put out fire, enjoying the heat only to realize the ashes contain human remains.

what did I learn? My tribe would die if I ever got sent out for flamage.

Year 5 Day 88 (Night Bleeds February)

movie: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper
genre: Action,
year: 2012
format: DVD

plot: After seeing his mother killed by a vampire, Lincoln grows up to become one of the most successful vampire hunters in history.

based on the book

Two things right off - A) this is one of those times when I liked a movie more then the book it's based on and B) Jimmi Simpson.  I almost crossed out the lead actor in the starring part in favour of the actor who plays Speed, one of the sidekicks. Why? Because he's just cooler.  Seriously, he's got a fairly smaller role but he can do more with a raised eyebrow then the lead can with a monologue.

One thing that sort of stood out like a sore thumb, were the day for night scenes. I get that not every single nighttime scene can be shot at night for a variety of reasons, but shooting in what seems like the highest part of the day, and just slapping a blue filter on it, no matter how good the acting in the scene just manages to ruin the whole thing. For me anyways, I get pulled out of the moment seeing a scene done that way.
Dominic Cooper, on the other hand steals the show. In fact, both Cooper and Rufus Sewell who play the two lead vampires, draw you in. I would love to see them come back in a prequel.  Sewell has one scene where he's talking to a human, offering two glasses; one of wine and one for himself which is suppose to be blood. When his companion says no, the character takes a sip from his own glass then spits it out, having taken the wine by mistake. That is one of the best laughs in the film.

I know this movie gets gritted on for being almost half CGI, but there are just too many scenes that wouldn't have been workable otherwise. There are a lot of characters that were cut out of the story, or combined, which worked on the most part. I think my big complaint for this movie is that not enough dates were given. The timeline was a bit jumpy; specially for those of us non-Americans who never studied US history.

what did I learn? Dominic Cooper looks great in fangs.

The Book:  A young man has his life interrupted when a vampire hands him a stack of journals telling him he needs to first read them, then get the information out to the public. He begins reading it, and learns that it is the lost secret diary of Abraham Lincoln, who as it turns out was one of the greatest vampire hunters to have ever lived.  We then begin to follow the life of Lincoln from the tragic events of his mother's death at the hands of a vampire, through his teenaged years bent on revenge, to his unwittingly teaming up with the vampire Henry in order to learn how to hunt and kill vampires, all the way through the meetings of the two women in his life and finally his time as president.

The story is based around the idea that vampires are feeding off of slaves. This causes a great divide between two fractions of vampires, those who want to continue and those who do not. This is represented by the two American political parties. The side that is helping the vampires are refusing to see facts, which is when the vampires run out of slaves, they will turn on those slave owners, in turn creating a new race of slaves. While the other fraction, sees things for what they are, and refuses to continue on in such a manor.  
There's actually a great scene, about halfway in the book, where Lincoln is given the name of a vampire to hunt, and he comes across a very elaborate blood factory given it was in the 1800's. The idea isn't new, it's been used a hundred times over in vampire stories, but it steps out of the rest of the them vs us issue. As you have a vampire feeding off of more then just slaves and doing so in a way that keeps him under the radar for a really long time. He's sort of a good guy vamp sort of a bad guy vamp. But he represents that thin line in any debate that can easily lend to seeing both sides of the coin.
Henry supplies Lincoln with random names of vampires to hunt, and for a good portion of the story, they are at first appearances, harmless. Such as a scene where now a lawyer, Lincoln defends a woman in broad daylight unaware that she's a vampire. You get the impression that she's not one of the bad guys at all, then later that night, she ends up on the hunt list. First impressions might be that Henry is just trying to take out the competition, and clear the way so that he doesn't have to have any other vampires around.

You have the introduction of Edgar Allan Poe who connects the vampires in the American South, to Elizabeth Bathory, (something that was also done a few years before in the vampire movie Stay Alive which also starred Jimmi Simpson) stating that she fled Europe, bringing with her not just other vampires, but putting the whole idea down on her. As she slaughtered hundreds of servant girls over her lifetime. Thus, the rest of the vampire population started to follow suit, buying up slaves left right and center for the sole purpose of feeding off of.

We are given the vampire image as a metaphor for a different kind of oppression compared to Dracula.  Even the vampire good guys in this story, are unapologetic for who they are. None on either side are preaching about how they need to find other food sources, they all feed on human blood. The difference, being that the good guy vamps in this story, show restraint and compassion. Here the bad guy vamps prey on the slaves, while the good guys are preying on the thieves/pimps/murders ( one of many nods to Anne Rice's style)

There seems to be a trend in vampire fiction be it in books or movies or tv, where the lower US seems to be over run by vampires. From Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, to L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries and the two tv shows it spawned (Vampire Diaries and The Originals) to the movie Stay Alive, now to this. 
One of the reasons, I liked the movie more was that fact it was more vampire less politics. I found the actual political side of the story to be bogged down. I was expecting more vampire mythos. There are a lot of differences between the movie and the book. As I said earlier in the post, some characters are left out, while others are combined. One big difference is that in the book, Mary Todd Lincoln, has no clue what's going on, while in the movie she does. The book talks about Lincoln falling in love during his youth, only to loose her as well to a vampire, and has two hunting partners for the early years.

That about wraps it up for me. March's selections are I Am Legend (book) and Omega Man (movie) Which I'll do the official announcement post for in a few days. The deadline for that will be Sunday March 27th 2016.

year 5 day 74

movie: Robin and Marion
starring:Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn
genre:Adventure
year:1976
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: After spending 20 years fighting in the crusades, Robin Hood returns to find everything has changed, including the fact Marion is now a nun.

There is a great line in the first few minutes when Robin learns the big treasure he was sent to collect from a broken down castle isn't real "I'm fighting for a rock."  And then it's pretty much down hill from there.
I was expecting more of a traditional Robin Hood story, and was bit let down. Robin makes this grand return to England only to find that nothing is how he remembered, no one is waiting around for them, in fact everyone has moved on with their lives. He then acts like he barely remembers Marion, all the while asking about her first change he gets. And eventually tracking her down at an abbey.
He then tries to save her against her will, as she's about to be arrested because the current king isn't religious. Not too mention the old grudge with the Sheriff, which ends bloody.

For the first fifteen minutes this is a comedy, then for the next hour it's a romance, and the last twenty minutes it's one long fight scene. All the time pointing out the fact everyone has gotten old. Even the big battle at the end, the Sheriff is practically begging Robin just to given in for both their sakes. Kinda makes you wonder who's really out to prove what?

I do however, like the idea that true love never dies. That there can be that one person who you just never shake and who never quite shakes you.

what did I learn?: There is a fine line between stubbornness and honor.

year 5 day 66

movie: Pride Prejudice and Zombies
starring: Jack Huston, Lily James
genre: Comedy, Drama, Action
year: 2016
format: Cinema

plot: The Bennet women are some of the most fearful and skilled slayers of their generation, trained to fight the zombie outbreak that has engulfed England. Now, if they could only find a way to win themselves husbands who are still alive, their lives would have meaning.

Based on the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is based on the original novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

I've been looking forward to this movie for the last few years, since I heard it was going to be turned into a movie. And you know what...I was bit disappointed.  This deviates from both the original source and from the modern monster version.  I seem to remember Lydia and Wickham ending up together in the PPZ book version, and Wickham in a state of needing a nurse. As well as the character of Charlotte becoming a zombie and Elizabeth helping her hide it from everyone. In the movie, none of that seems to happen. The character of Charlotte the best friend, who in the PPZ  book had a much more important role, has I think it was two scenes in the movie. Sort of disappointed to see that. As well as the character of Lydia, who becomes a victim in the movie, not the scheming backstabbing gold digger she is in the books. One of my favourite scenes from the book version had the heroes using cauliflower as fake brains to bait the zombies, but the movie seemed to bypass that idea.

In the original Austen story, as in all her novels, even though they are all set during the war, but we are never given details of any war; that is the one thing the movie of PPZ does. It sets, in it's own way, the missing "war" into the Austen stories.

The comedy didn't come across as well in the movie as it did in the Seth Grahame-Smith book. This was pretty much a straight up action flick that just happened to take place during the 1800's.

what did I learn? If you liked the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then this is for you.

All Jane Austen part 6

Persuasion
the 1995 version starring Amanda Root and Ciaran

plot: Anne's family has fallen on rough times, forcing the once wealthy Elliots to move, leaving Anne alone to pack what will be needed and renting out their home. Anne soon learns that the Crofts; sister and brother-in-law; to her ex-fiance are the ones who will be renting the house. This sends poor Anne into a bit of a panic, as the couple had been forced to break off their engagement and she hasn't seen or heard from him in years.  Anne is then sent to visit her other sister, who is married with kids of her own, only to find herself face to face with her ex, Mr. Wentworth, who is now a wealthy captain, staying with friends on the property. Because of an accident with one of Anne's nephews, she is forced to extend her stay much longer then first intended, and joins her sister's family and the neighbouring Musgroves on a trip. While away, she bumps into a male cousin, Mr. Elliot who is the heir to the family name and fortune. Anne is then sent to stay with her father and unmarried sister in Bath. While there, she learns of her father's expected plan for her older sister to marry Mr. Elliot. But once Anne and Mr. Elliot are introduced, they reveal the fact they already knew each other from Lyme. Mr. Elliot then begins to court Anne. While this is happening, Captain Wentworth has followed Anne, along with some navy buddies, and they realize they can't run away from their feelings any longer.  Anne, learns Mr. Elliot is only interested in marrying her for her title and what he believes is a fortune, all the while having an affair with the woman Anne's father intends to marry. Refusing Mr. Elliot, Anne then accepts Captain Wentworth's marriage proposal.

The original novel was printed in 1817 and has never been out of print.

I cry every bloody time I watch this. Every time.   The idea that you never fully get over your first love, that it haunts you in both good and bad ways rings true even today. The idea that when two people are meant to be together, nothing and no one will ever really keep them apart.

There are a few scenes where the captain's friend who has lost his own fiance to illness, talks about how men feel heartbreak deeper then women, and Anne tells him that's not true as women tend to hold the pain longer. They begin to form a bond that leads you to think they might end up together, but it actually gives Wentworth a glimmer of hope in the idea of winning Anne back.

When we first meet Wentworth, he's bitter towards Anne, holding a decade worth of broken heartness. That is until he discovers he's not the only one that had hoped to marry Anne when they were younger, and not the only one she was forced to refuse. As Anne's sister Mary, ended up marrying Charles Musgrove, who originally had fallen in love with Anne.

There is something too about the idea that the so called unwanted girl is in fact the secret desire or not so secret as the story reveals over the course of things, secret desire of many men.
The character of Anne is given a second chance at love only when she's old enough to handle it. When she is wise enough to follow her own instincts and not be led by her family and their shallow values.  This part of Austen's story is considered by some to be very tongue in cheek, as most of her heroines are never over the age of 30. If it's meant as a inside joke or a comment on society's view of "older women" no one can say for sure.

What I always connected with in this movie was the idea that Anne was "a throw away" left to feel invisible and therefore unvaluable by her family.  Even the character of Mary, who her father mentions with clear distaste, has more importance because she is in fact the only of the three girls married. The daughter he personally groomed for perfection is the one who ends up alone and without any true friends or love interests.

As much as this is a classic love story of  finding that perfect big love, it's a story about finding value in yourself and sticking up for what you know is the right path for you.
It takes Anne years to find her voice, but once she does there is no holding her back from making her statement.


And that my lovely Spudguns! brings us to the end of the All Jane Austen posts...for now anyways. Been longer going then I had hoped, but all six of her classic published works are covered.  But don't worry, there is always more Jane Austen around the corner and a little Austen is better then none.

P.S.  I'll be bringing all this up again in December when I; your heroine, will be hosting a selection of Food n Flix with my pick of  The Jane Austen Book Club.

Till next time.

All Jane Austen part 5

Spudguns!  How's the coffee? Cold? Steaming? Lukewarm?  I was coming in to do the last of the Jane Austen and realized, I missed last months'.  OOOPPPPSSS!
So, this is in fact NOT the last one, but the second last one.

Mansfield Park   1999/2000 version starring Frances O'Connor and Jonny Lee Miller

plot: Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt after her parents have yet another baby, and are unable to look after all of their children. Raised more as a servant then a family member, she's made to feel excluded by the other children and one aunt, until that is she becomes old enough to marry. Up to that point, the only family member who really accepts her is Edmund, one of the older cousins. At this point, the Crawfords have moved into the town, a pair of siblings, both looking to find a stable marriage and to cause some mischief. Henry Crawford, sets his sights on both Fanny and her recently married cousin Maria; while his sister Mary Crawford, has declared herself the intended of Tom. Only to find out the oldest Bertram is a drunk with little to offer. She soon turns her attention to Edmund, who himself has become a minister.  Mr Bertram, Fanny's uncle, learns that  Fanny refused to accept Henry's marriage proposal, and in a fit of rage sends her back to live with her parents. While there, Fanny learns of Edmund's plans to marry Mary Crawford, and of  Tom having an accident; causing her to return to her uncle's. Quickly, Henry starts and affair with Maria which creates a scandal, causing the family to remove themselves from them. Edmund soon learns that Miss Crawford is only interested in the family's money, and ends their engagement. This frees up himself and Fanny to finally be together.


The original novel was published in 1814, and has never been out of print.

There are a lot of differences between the original book and this version of the story. Most for the better.  As always in Jane Austen's works, betrayal seems to be a major theme.

Fanny Price is more then a bit stuffy for me in the original novel, but at the same time, MP is one of my favourite stories. Here we have a heroine who is really not much of one. Where in this movie version, Fanny has some backbone. 

In the novel, it's almost as if the heroine isn't a person but an ideal. It's her innocence and strong blind faith in the original story that makes her the heroine, even though she scolds everyone and is cold.
It's the idea of the moral compass. Fanny never gives in to temptation, even when it is the logical thing to do. Instead, she holds firm to her belief in her ethics, her ideal partner and her ideal family life.  The only time it's brought into question, when it looks like she might bend, is when she's sent home to live with her parents and the hoard of children; and realizes even in her state of being ignored at Mansfield Park, she's still in a better situation then the rest of the family. When this happens, she has a brief moment of "what if" and begins to soften towards Henry's marriage proposal. Afraid that she might not ever have another come her way and end up like her mother. But her core values keep her from going against her instincts, and she stands firm in her thoughts on Henry. She loves one man, which is Edmund.
In the book, Fanny comes across as both snobby towards Mary Crawford at times because Mary is willing to just let Edmund know in no uncertain terms she-Mary- is interested in marrying him, and at other times, Fanny backs off to the point of giving the impression she doesn't seem like she's worthy of love.

Yeah, mixed messages galore. And in this movie version, you see a bit of that, but not as much. The movie has Fanny as strong willed, outspoken, and bit cocky. More like the author Jane Austen was herself.

I'm waiting for a version to be made where Fanny says screw it and just ends up having a relationship with Henry Crawford. That's the twist I keep hoping for.  I mean, yeah he's the typical bad boy, the shack 'em and leave them before the condom's off kind of guy, but isn't that what JA built her reputation on?  Overcoming the scandal? Recovering from the heartbreak that seems to be universal and timeless even by today's standards...and isn't always the case that when you've got a major heat for a man, your best friend steals him when you're out of the room...

And now I need a refill on my coffee...till later

Random movie April 23rd 2015

Room 237

This is a 2012 documentary on the most common suspected themes in Stanley Kubrick's version of Stephen King's The Shining.  

There isn't really a plot as much as there are overlapping theories. And I have to say, I was glued to the screen during this film. Some of the theories given in this movie, I am ashamed to say I never thought of myself.  When I first saw The Shining, I looked at it at face value. A story about a man who through a combination of guilt, isolation and drug abuse opens a portal for ghosts.  This documentary helps to pull back so many other layers that are there.

Speaking of, one of the theories is that the movie is designed to be watched back to front and then front to back, at the same time. That the story uncovers more parallels by overlaying the movie properly with it in rewind. And I have to say, it does. Like another whole episode of drug induced nightmares/visions that just help to make the film connect better.

Another theme in this documentary is that Stanley Kubrick was basically telling the same story in all his movies. That each one was almost like another episode of the same plot. Which was the truth is out there. Pick your conspiracy he's revealing it, over and over and over...they keep repeating and connecting.  Which given the fact I've only seen The Shining, A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut,  I can't say for sure.  And personally, I didn't care at all for Eyes Wide Shut.
And of course, the idea that he was secretly admitting...or not so secretly...that he faked the moon landing.

This documentary has got me thinking, and not surprisingly, got me wanting to re-watch The Shining. 

year 3 day 123

movie: Dracula Untold
starring: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper
genre: Thriller, Drama,
year: 2014
format: Cinema

plot: Prince Vlad, already having earned his name as the Impaler, is now forced to either hand over his son to the Sultan just as he had been years before by his own father, in order to keep the peace, or fight an army larger then his own. Refusing to give in to the demands, Vlad seeks out the one person who is feared in his land, Caligula, a vampire. He makes a deal with Vlad, where if Vlad can resist the thirst for three days he will not be trapped as a vampire. 

I sat watching the opening scenes, thinking this is my new favourite Dracula.  The first hour and ten minutes flew by without feeling like that much time had lapsed. The movie is so intriguing, at lest is was for me, that the fast pace of it absorbs you.
It was a lovely departure from the usual Dracula stories out there, delving more into the "real man" behind the legend then the fable. The lead actor Luke Evans, manages to capture the idea behind the Prince of Wallachia, giving him the respect he deserves. Though, I couldn't help but keep comparing this film to the 2000 Rudolf Martin movie Dark Prince the True Story of Dracula, which followed a similar plot. There were also moments where the second Crow film, Crow City of Angels, which starred Vincent Perez, came to mind.

I understand this is suppose to be the jumping off point for the reboots of Universal Monsters films, and the ending sets up for ...wait for it...a sequel to Dracula. Which, me personally is the best movie news since I learned  Star Trek III was in production.

Dominic Cooper as the Sultan of Turkey...I was expecting him to have a larger roll, but he filled out the "villain" role-supporting role- perfectly. And the fact they pulled from folklore about silver made me happy. Giddy in fact. I love when a new take on vampires happens, but I love real folklore being used more.

Obviously, I loved this movie. I've got nothing bad to say about it, other then I would have liked to have seen more on screen time of Dominic Cooper, and maybe a little more back story on the Renfield character. With the promise of a sequel, I personally am hoping/expecting the Renfield character to have more to do with things.

This really isn't a horror movie in any sense of the word. It's a war film if you want to get picky about things. Which, also makes sense given it's suppose to be a take on Vlad Tepes. I do however love the nod to Easter, when this happens (the whole movie is suppose to happen within the three days of Easter weekend). He was said to have had a feast on Easter where he forced his highest ranking families to build a wall/castle. 

Year 3 Day 68

movie: The Crucible
starring: Winona Ryder, Daniel Day-Lewis
genre: Drama
year: 1996
format: DVD

plot: A group of girls in Salem during the witch trials, begin to accuse half the village of witchcraft in order to cover up their own lies and greed, after having been caught working a spell; in hopes of making many of the married men in the area fall in love with them and leave their wives.

Based on the stage play.

This film deals with staying truth to ourselves. It deals with the idea of mass hysteria, greed, and paranoia. All the things that ruled the Salem witch trials, as well as what happened during the 1950's.

One of the sub-plots is a twist of adultery, given that the Ryder character, has seduced a married man, ending up jealous and angry when he ends the affair. This prompts her to start the chain of events, pleading innocence on her end, till the very end when she runs away before he's set to hang.
It's seen as a double edged sword, given it's the one thing the main character is actually guilty of, but refuses to admit to, while he's willing to lie about the witchcraft, admitting at one point to a false confession.

Year 3 Day 60

movie: Austenland
starring: Keri Russell, J.J. Fields.
genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
year: 2013
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Jane, a thirty-something woman decides to spend her life savings on a Jane Austen themed vacation, after her ex-boyfriend dumps her then insults her by saying he's as good as she'll ever find at her age. The vacation promises an authentic experience from the Austen/Regency era, with a happily ever after the last night. While she's there, Jane ends up being the center of a love triangle, not sure if it's the real deal or just part of the act.

This is based on the book of the same name.

There are elements and scenes out of every Austen novel/movie adaption used here, from the poor girl being taken in by rich relatives, to the group putting on a play to kill time (Mansfield Park) to the quiet reserved gentleman who falls in love with the heroine while trying to keep her safe from the brash cad (Pride and Prejudice) to the endless match making of the seemingly wrong people some of whom are only in it for the wealth (Emma, and  Northanger Abbey)  to the misunderstanding between the young couple who are being kept apart by other people (Persuasion) to simple manners (Sense and Sensibility)

I'm going to say that I both loved and hated this film. As a Jane Austen fan, I thought it hit every note from her novels with bang on clarity. As someone in that age bracket, it hit just a bit too close to the nerve for me. It was almost too bang on.

Jane Austen's novels have inspired more then just wishful thinking, when it comes to love, they have created the baseline for almost all the romance stories and romantic comedies to come out in the last two hundred years.
This movie really points out the line of finding the balance between the man we want and the one we usually find, as well as the idea of keeping your own values while trying to compromise with the other person in the relationship/situation.

There is a scene at the end of the movie where the three main characters are hashing it out in an airport, the two men each pointing out the other's weak spots while trying to convince Jane that she should believe them.

At one point, we see Jane decide she has to take control of her "story" while on vacation, otherwise she's never going to find the happy ending she's been promised. This is the turning point for her in more ways then one, we start seeing her break from the role given her by the hostess, and in turn it gives some of the other guests permission to act more themselves. Not always with good intentions.

Year 3 Day 43

movie: Open Range
starring: Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall
genre: Western
year:2003
format: TV edit

plot:  a group of open range cattlemen seek justice for one of their men who was killed in a small town. They soon find themselves up against the corrupt locals. The sheriff wants their cattle for himself, and is willing to resort to any means necessary.

I was more interested in the supporting cast, (Kim Coates, Ian Tracey, Julian Richings) then anything else.  I found this film to be a bit on the dry side, without much going on till the last fifteen minutes.
I understand having to build the foundations for the characters and why they interact, but what normally would be an introduction to the film seemed to go until the midway mark.

Which works great for books but not so much for movies.

The characters also didn't seem to have much character to them. Half of them could have been replaced by cardboard cutouts and no one would have noticed the difference.