Reading and Watching Wednesday

For this week, I'm going to compare 'Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging' with the movie 'Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging'

I read this book a number of years ago on a complete whim purchase from the book store, and it has ended up being one of the most LOL series' I have ever read (and I still have only read the first 5-6 of 10 books). Then, about 4 years later I had a roommate who had the books as well (before book blogging, I had never met someone else who knew about them) and she asked me if I saw the movie.

Hold up - There's a Movie????

Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie!!!!!!!

So, I watched this movie, and it was only kinda funny. It was also only kinda funny because I had relatively no expectations about it, because 5 mins after I found out it existed, I was watching it. If I had had more time to become even remotely excited about this movie, I think I would have hated it.

Some notable difference are:

-They make Robbie younger in the movie (which is maybe a good thing).

-They make Georgia and her friends less awkward 14-years-old funny, and more OMG shoot these people in the face annoying.

-The ending is different, there is a big birthday party at a club or something like that (it's been awhile, and I can't be bothered to Google for a memory refresh)

The main difference though is its sort of missing that Georgia narrative charm that made the books so amazing. The main stuff is there, its just not the same as real time acting as it is in Georgia's journals.

This is a 10 book series, and to the best of my knowledge this is the only movie made, and its probably for the best.

Verdict: The book is better by a long shot. The books are such quick reads that it not even worth the time to watch the movie, just grab the book.

Reading and Watching Wednesday

Hello All!

Before I get to my weekly feature, I thought I would give you a little update on what's up these days. I have started some new series' which I have been wanting to get around to, namely The Infernal Devices and The Iron Fey. I'm still reading the Iron King but I'm about half done. I'm working on 4 books right now, and that has me sort of feeling overwhelmed (my own fault, I know). But the thing is, I started reading The Scarlett Letter, and I'm just not feeling the older style language right now, I'm about 30% done it, and I'm not even sure I have a clue what's going on... Probably not a good sign. I also started reading Modelland by Tyra Banks, which is so bad it's hard to not finish, but god is it ever LONG. I have the ebook so I didn't realize, but it just keeps going on and on and... well, you get the idea. I also have a paper book that I'm working through, and that's fine, I always have one on the go for when I am flying or my ereader dies, and it's The Debutante Divorcee and it's okay enough, and finally I'm reading the Iron King as I mentioned. And I'm enjoying that one, but do you ever feel guilty when you have books outstanding? I started Modelland and The Scarlett Letter before I started Clockwork Angel, now I have that finished and posted about, and now I'm half done The Iron King and I still haven't finished those 2! I want to just keep reading The Iron King, but I feel bad for the other 2! Does this ever happen to anyone else?! Maybe I'm crazy, haha. Anyway, I'm going on vacation on Friday (a big road trip) so hopefully I'll knock out both Modelland and The Scarlett Letter then, and be able to read only awesome stuff for a little while.

And, now on to the book vs. movie!
This week we're going to take a look at:

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants is one of my favorite book series' and I had high hopes for the movie when it first came out (some time in 2005). I went to see it in theaters, and I Was really disappointed... at first. They changed so many things in this book. Some things that I can remember that really stood out as different are the fact that Perry (Bridget's twin brother) was missing, Tibby and Bailey meet differently, Kostos and Lena's relationship with each other and their families is different, Eric is Mexican in the book (not a boy-next door American), and Brian was not Asian in the book. I never understand why they have to change such simple details like these. Why can't you cast people that are some what similar to how they are described in the book? And why make it an apple when it's supposed to be an orange, know what I mean?

Other difference that I can actually understand why they were different (too complex, time issues, etc.) are things like Lena going to visit Bridget in Baja, Tibby's depression over Bailey, how the pants were actually found, how Carmen's father's wedding played out, etc. These changes I noticed, but didn't really bother me.

As for the 4 main girls, I thought the casting was great. At first I wasn't thrilled with Carmen and Lena's actresses, by in the movie they were perfect. They had such chemistry as friends, and after awhile I grew to love the movie for different reasons than I love the book.

Verdict: Book is better, but movie is great too :) However, don't ever let me start talking about the 2nd movie, because THAT was a piece of trash.

Anyway, I am hoping to get one of these scheduled to come out next Wednesday while I'm away, but time is short, so we'll see!

Happy Reading :)

My OWN Meme

Memes are something about blogging which I always enjoy, and I decided to start my own (sort of, but not really at the same time - I'll explain). It's probably being done by someone somewhere else, so I won't claim that it is my own original idea, but I haven't seen it thus far and want to write about it.

With many books being made into movies, I thought it would be nice to do a movie review about a book I have read. Many people do this anyhow, as I noticed quite a few blogs I follow with Hunger Games recaps.  Some weeks I may even do a small spin on it and talk about just a movie that had originated from a book that I want to see, but have no desire to read the book.

Today, I'm going to do both! Because it's my meme and I'll do whatever I like!! Also, the reason that it's not really a meme but kind of is that I'm not going to be adding a linking tool (at least not right now) until I show myself that I can a) actually commit to doing this weekly, b) learn enough about HTML and stuff to do it right, and c) see if any of my followers actually like it enough to want to participate (as really, that is the essence of a meme...)

So, what do you name a meme?? Hmm, I'm going to go with...

Reading and Watching Wednesday

I thought this pretty much summed up everything I'm trying to do nicely, and included a day to post, and a little alliteration too (always a bonus). I am by nooooo means skilled at pictures on the computer, but I did come up with this little one for now. I am thinking about (slowly) learning a few computer basics (someday) so hopefully it will evolve over time! Another good thing about this meme is that Hollywood is constantly supplying me with new material! So here is my picture :)

Yes, I used Picnik... but it's Audrey, so that makes it better :)

And, without further explanation, here we go with Reading and Watching Wednesday!

Today I'm going to compare: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (American movie version)

Goodreads Summary: Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch—and there’s always a catch—is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson’s novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don’t want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

IMDB Synopsis: Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker.

I haven't done a review of this book yet (I'm going to review the trilogy when I finish book 3).

I won't get into the pros and cons of the book, I'll save it for the review, but I will for the movie. I thought the movie did a good job of keeping true to the book, especially in the more hard to swallow situations, right up until the end, which was changed quite a bit. I think this was done in the interest of time, as the movie was already quite long. I liked the casting for every character I think, no one let me down, even the characters that don't matter a lot were well cast, which was great. Biggest let downs of the film were:

• The ending, I don't like when a movie changes the book so much. I don't think it really matter all that much, however it does seem a little less believable than what happened in the book.
• There is a huge spoiler in this movie for book 2. If you have not yet read book two, I would hold off on seeing this movie until you have. I'm not sure if it was important enough in the movie to be memorable, but it irked me that it was in there. It just means that they will have to change the second movie quite a bit to make up for that blunder.
• I had a love-hate issue with the accents used. LOVED they were there, as it made it better, sometimes hard to understand what they said though.
• The very beginning - what a waste of like 8 minutes during the opening credits.

Some high points:

• Again, great casting. Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig did a fantastic job. Craig has so much more range as an actor than I would have expected.
• The soundtrack was rocking, it really helped you get into it, which is always great in book to film adaptations.
• The setting, god I want to go to Sweden now!

Verdict: I really liked both of these, but the book was better.