In which Jenn gets musical while listing the best film adaptations of musicals!
Vlog: Eight Best Musical Adaptations
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GOJIRA!
“Damn, I love the sound of Godzilla’s roar,” was the first thing my husband said as we walked out of the movie theater, and I have to admit it was pretty badass. I was extremely excited for this movie, which is kind of ironic since I was only introduced to Godzilla in college. My introductory film was Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). I never thought a moth would be such a viable villain, but it was amazing and every Butterfree butterfly Pokémon I ever played has been hence forth named “Mothra”.
Some of my favorite moments were pretty classic; the slow emergence from the sea, the charging tail, the surprisingly parallels between Godzilla and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character and even a heart wrenching moment when the female MUTO’s babies are killed, but I was also impressed with the plot. The film begins with us seeing an old skeleton of a monster (later coined MUTO) and some dried out egg sacks. Then we skip forward to a mysterious radio active steam explosion in a nuclear plant that kills a few scientists and renders the city inhabitable.
This ties into the discovery of a pair of MUTO no one thought was had survived having a San Franciscan romance. There were so many little touches, and some character arching that made the movie feel just a tad more satisfying then if it had just been fight scenes, interesting relationships between the characters and back-story that made it logical for the characters paths to cross and intertwine.
There was a very nice group of well-known actors: Elizabeth Olsen (Silent House), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass 2), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samuri), Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) and of course I’d be ridiculously neglectful if I didn’t mention Bryan Cranston (Malcom in the Middle, Breaking Bad). The only weird thing about the acting was that Ken Watanabe played this introverted scientist. He mumbled a lot and leaned on things looking gloomy and forlorn and didn’t really do or say much. However, he was an expert of sorts on the history of Godzilla and past MUTOs so it made sense for him to be there.
I could’ve used more Godzilla smash scenes, but then again, I don’t think there could ever be enough of that. To be fair, there was quite a bit and the director had this way of showing just a little taste of Godzilla fighting before cutting away to something else. I really enjoyed those teasers and the fight scenes kept getting longer and more detailed, leading up to the mega fight scene that is a classic cannon ending.
The monster’s themselves looked believable, nothing bulky or awkward. It was actually very realistic looking and I can appreciate that attention to detail. Even simple things like when Godzilla dived under arm ships; it created a wave that rocked the ships. I know I’m gushing and fan-girling a bit, but it was just so well done! Overall I was very pleased and (if you couldn’t have guessed) I am extremely in favor of future films and the revival of the Godzilla movie franchise.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson – Who can pass up a two-for-one deal?
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
A book review by Kendyl Bryant of The Adaptation Podcast.
It seems that John Green has been all over the book blogs lately given that The Fault in Our Stars film is only a few weeks away and it was recently announced his previous novel, Paper Towns would be following in those film adaptation footsteps. All this press has inevitably sent new readers in the direction of John’s books, looking to follow up TFIOS with another deeply-felt, smart novel.
If that is you, I would humbly recommend that before latching on to John’s solo work, you pick up his collaborative novel with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson. The novel centers around two high school boys living in the greater Chicago area and both named Will Grayson. Their story is told in alternating chapters with John…
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Vlog: What Are We Watching? (May 2014)
Adaptation #87: Dorothy’s Legendary Return
Dorin and Kendyl sit down to talk about the new film Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return and the book Dorothy of Oz by Roger S. Baum that it is based on. Both tellings follow Dorothy as she returns to Oz to save her friends from the tricks of the evil Jester. The two hosts have a few issues with the film, but enjoyed watching it and discuss whether Legends of Oz should become a series that adapts other Oz adventures.
iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube – Download This Episode
For similar adaptation discussions, check out our episodes on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
Adaptation #86: The Villain-Creating Spider-Man
In their latest episode, the Adaptation team sits down to talk about The Amazing Spider-Man 2 which meets up with Peter as he battles Electro, the Green Goblin and Rhino. The hosts give this film a passing grade on handling so many villains in one film and focus on discussing the journeys that each character took, particularly in how they obtain and lose power (no pun intended) throughout the course of the film.
iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube – Download This Episode
For a other superhero discussions, check out our episodes on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, The Wolverine, and Man of Steel
Vlog: Seven Worst Romantic Pairings
Vlog: What Are We Reading? (May 2014)
Adaptation #85: Even Voldy Cried During TFIOS
In this episode our hosts focus on The Fault in Our Stars by John Green which follows a teenage girl with cancer as she falls in love for the first time. The hosts discuss the different ways that Hazel and Gus approach life, their parents and the criticisms about their intelligence and pretension.
iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube – Download This Episode
For a similar discussions, check out our episodes on Divergent, The Book Thief, Starkid’s Twisted, and Catching Fire
Adaptation #84: I’m Telling Ya’ll It’s Sabotage
This time around Dorin, Jenn and Kendyl discuss the film Sabotage in which a team of DEA agents is quickly being eliminated one by one, loosely based on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. While this isn’t everyone’s type of film, they have a good time discussing what parts were unnecessary, what parts were confusing and why the deaths needed to be more interesting.
iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube – Download This Episode
For a similar discussions, check out our episodes on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I, Frankenstein, Ender’s Game and R.I.P.D.
Vlog: Five Best Romantic Pairings
Jem and the Holograms: Casting News
The search has ended!
It has only been a month since director Jon M. Chu, Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun, and Paranormal Activity producer Jason Blum announced that they were in the works of creating a Jem and the Holograms live-action adaptation of the 1985 animation. As I previously posted, they were doing a search for talented, new and fresh faces to star in this film via video auditions on Tumblr.
Jon M. Chu has now announced and released a teaser poster of the girls playing the main band, Jem and the Holograms:
*Aubrey Peeples as Jem
*Stefanie Scott as Kimber
*Hayley Kiyoko as Aja
*Aurora Perrineau as Shana
I don’t know about you, but I think the poster looks amazing! I shouldn’t be surprised that Raya has not been included, as she wasn’t added to the group until season 3, but I don’t know what storyline this film will cover yet. So far, no sources have reported on possible screenwriters, studios or release dates. This isn’t completely surprising given the unique path the production team has been traveling so far.
There also hasn’t been any news on further casting, such as Raymond, Rio, The Misfits, or Synergy, or any of the Starlight girls, if in fact they keep the foster home, Starlight House in, or any of the side characters like Video or Danse.
As production gets underway and these things get nailed down, I’m sure we’ll start getting more reveals. When that happens, I will be sure to keep you all informed.
So, are you as excited as I am about this? What do you think of the cast?
Let us know in the comments, or get in touch on Twitter (@AdaptationCast) or Tumblr.
Fulfilling my voracious need to tell the world about Yulin Kuang and Shipwrecked
I have a new obsession and her name is Yulin Kuang.
That sounds creepy, but if there’s one thing I think I can trust internet fandom with, I hope it’s understanding that stage where you have just discovered a new creator and then must proceed to watch everything they have ever created. This has recently happened to me when I came across Shipwrecked‘s series Kissing in the Rain.
Kissing in the Rain is a transmedia YouTube project of the Shipwrecked team that includes Yulin Kuang, Sinead Persaud and Sean Persaud. It’s first chapter has just concluded and chapter two is due to begin May 5. Chapter one followed actors James and Lily, played by Mary Kate Wiles and Sean Persaud, as they are frequently cast as romantic leads in films that have them kissing in the rain. Each episode starts with the movie scene leading up to the kiss and then the director yells cut and the couple reverts to the actors awkwardly trying to fill the post-kiss silence.
The transmedia bit comes in with the encouragement and canonization of fan fiction. With each episode Yulin Kuang releases a companion drabble to add to the story of the two actors and then fans follow her lead. After going through the related tumblr tags and reading what the fans come up with, Yulin decides what to canonize and it gets reblogged on the official Shipwrecked tumblr and is official canon from that point forward.
If you’re interested in starting to watch, there is a very helpful post that pulls everything together here. There’s just a week until chapter two starts which will be following a different set of actors, Audrey and Henry, played by Sinead Persaud and Sairus Graham.
But at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, that’s not all! After I got caught up on Kissing in the Rain, I needed more, so I moved on to a previous Shipwrecked series called A Tell Tale Vlog where Sean Persaud takes on the role of Edgar Allan Poe as he vlogs, writes poetry of questionable quality and gets haunted by Lady Lenore played by Sinead Persaud. EA Poe tends to bring to mind thoughts of a rather somber nature and Shipwrecked expertly takes advantage of that, turning somber into hilariously awkward. There’s even something of a crossover in the last episode with Kissing in the Rain episode 4, which just happens to be my favorite.
And if you thought that I stopped there, you haven’t been paying attention. After finishing A Tell Tale Vlog, I moved on to Yulin Kuang’s personal YouTube page where she has a series called I Didn’t Write This and various other original projects, including a trailer for an upcoming short film called Irene Lee, Girl Detective. But since this is a blog that focuses on adaptations, I think I should at least try to pretend that is what I’m doing.
In I Didn’t Write This, Yulin creates visual representations for poetry such as T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and excerpts from novels like John Green’s Looking For Alaska. A personal favorite of mine is her adaptation of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 and among the few videos that I haven’t watched yet is an excerpt from Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl as I fear the potential spoilers. Even if poetry isn’t your thing, I seriously suggest watching and continuing to follow this series. Yulin’s videos are gorgeously created and will make you feel things, just like the rest of her work.
Finally, Shipwrecked used their week off from Kissing in the Rain to release their newest project- a music video featuring Mrs. Rochester from Jane Eyre as she sings a parody if “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled. Titled Bertha’s Attic Song, Sinead Persaud plays Rochester’s neglected wife as she toes the line between her distress, her insanity and her obsession with fire. They even work in a little crossover at the end with Alysson Hall of The Autobiography of Jane Eyre web-series.
If you’d made it this far, I do hope that something on this list of creations has caught your eye enough for you to delve into the world of Yulin Kuang and Shipwrecked. Everything that I’ve seen so far has been impeccably executed with an obvious passion for film making and that sense of fun which keeps you wanting to see more.
Let us know in the comments if you’ve already been following one or all of these projects or if something in particular caught your eye. You can also talk to us on Twitter @AdaptationCast and Tumblr.
Author Spotlight Vlog: Philip K. Dick
Dear Agatha Christie, Excuse my expression of glee despite the high body count.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
A book review by Kendyl Bryant of The Adaptation Podcast.
And Then There Were None was my first Agatha Christie novel, and before I even finished this quick read, I knew it would not be my last. From the first few chapters, the notorious ‘Queen of Mystery’ had me racing through the pages in search of the next clue.
And Then There Were None, sometimes titled Ten Little Indians, starts off with ten strangers traveling to an island off the coast of Devon, each having been lured by a different deception. When they arrive, a recording accuses each person in turn of being complicit in the murder of someone in their past. Soon after, the accused murderers become victims themselves, being killed off one by one, the survivors getting more frantic with each death trying to figure out who…
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The Emotions of War Horse
This story has captivated the world. It’s that simple.
From the Queen’s favorite production in London, to the creation of an award winning film and finalizing its popularity by bringing the original novel back to bestseller lists, this is the story of a farm boy and his horse, and how their lives become disrupted by the start of World War 1. One day the biggest concern is how Albert will keep his horse, Joey, out of his father’s hands. The next day, Joey is taken by the army to become part of the proud British Calvary. After that, Albert takes himself to the very edge to recover the life he lost the day Joey was taken. Together, horse and boy, fight their own battles in a war that no longer has room for proud war horses, rather, the battlefield is laden with tanks, machine guns and barbed wire.
It is clear that this adaptation from book to stage has been successful. From London to New York City to Melbourne to Berlin, audiences flock to the theater to sit through the most heart-wrenching production of an English boy, a German general and the horse that brings the humanity out of those he touches.
When I sat down in the round theater, I knew I had volunteered for something that would open the floodgates, though I could’ve have guessed what that really meant. With the music bursting into my chest, I was caught in the first breathes of the production. From foal to stallion, Joey pranced around the stage with the echoing excitement of Black Beauty. Three men worked the puppet that becomes Joey and not once did I ever notice them on the stage. Joey trotted, galloped, charged with the grace of his puppeteers for the entirety of the production and as an audience member you can only be captivated by the brilliance of the artist who created life out of metal and gears.
By the end of the evening, you could see the tears flow from every member of the audience – it’s the blessing of the round theater in which we sat. Husbands comforted wives, men pretended not to wipe the tears from their eyes, the woman next to me was inconsolable and I myself couldn’t dry my cheeks fast enough. There was a pride in the room as our world darkened. It was not pride for the English Calvary, though that was there. It was not pride for soldiers or victory or the strength the in horses were made march to march off to war. The pride that was felt by all of us was that even in the darkest moments there are those amongst us who never forget our humanity. The strength to sacrifice for a cause that is just, to care for those who cannot care for themselves and to remember that there is always a choice.
This is one adaptation that cannot be missed. The message is there, the success is clear.
War Horse will add to your life.
@kristinbergene @riverrampress
Adaptation #83: OUAT’s Adventures in Wonderland
The first and final season of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, part of the OUAT universe, followed a grown up Alice as she fought against Jafar and found her true love, Cyrus. While our hosts weren’t overly fond of the first half of the season, it grew on them and in this episode they discuss their favorite characters, who was under-used, and the things they still want answers to.
iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube – Download This Episode
For a similar discussions, check out our episodes on OUAT Season 2, OUAT Season 3, Starkid’s Twisted, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Disney’s Frozen.
Vlog: Top Five Character Blunders
In which Jess tells you our picks for the most atrocious character defining mistakes.
iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr – YouTube
Related Podcasts:
#56: Fashionably Early Kronos (Sea of Monsters film)
#27: Where is the Silver Lining? (Silver Linings Playbook film)
#39: Nothing to Get Green Over (Oz the Great and Powerful film)
Adaptation #82: Captain America and the Bromantic Soldiers
Starting off our summer of Marvel films, we gather together to talk about Captain America: The Winter Soldier in which Steve bros around with Sam and Natasha before confronting former bro, Bucky. While some hosts consider these the lame superheroes, others appreciate that this was a more down-to-earth hero film. They throw in a little Agents of SHIELD discussion and talk about what might become of our beloved agency in their continuing battle with Hydra.
Adaptation Podcast 