Title: Vampire Academy Starring: Zoe Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky & Dominic Sherwood (IMDB) Director: Mark Waters Writers: Daniel Waters & Richelle Mead Running Time: 104 mins DVD Release: May 20, 2014
Movie Description: Based on the best-selling novel by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy tells the story of two 17 year old girls, Rose Hathaway (Zoe Deutch) a rebellious half-vampire
/half-human who is training to be a guardian at St. Vladimir's Academy and her best friend, Princess Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), a peaceful, mortal vampire.
After ditching school and being on the run for a year, Rose and Lissa are caught and brought back to the Academy. Lissa struggles to reclaim her social status while Rose risks everything in attempt to protect her best friend from the immortal evil vampires that lurk just outside the walls of their school. (description from DVD)
Thoughts: I'm a fan of the books series, so I was excited to see Vampire Academy was being made into a movie. But worried too, Hollywood has a habit of ruining movies based on books. But I was pleasantly surprised. I'm sure there are many out there who hated this adaption with a fiery hate, but for me I really enjoyed. Zoe Deutch & Lucy Fry brought everything to the screen I love about the two best friends. The humor and snark translated very well. I loved Danila Kozlovsky as Dimitri, I would to see him in more movies. The one con about the movie was the reference to sparkle vampires and Twilight. I found that a bit lame and unnecessary. Other than that I found that everything I loved about the book was in this movie. - 4 Stars
DVD Special Features:
Alternate Opening
Deleted Scenes
A Conversation with Author Richelle Mead
In celebration of movie release of Vampire Academy, I'm giving away a copy of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. To enter leave a comment along with your email address. Open to U.S. and Canada. The winner will be announced on February 14th.
Lissa
Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from
Strigoi; the fiercest vampires--the ones who
never die.
The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through
Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is
dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi,
who are hell-bent on making her one of them.
After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and
dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger...and the Strigoi are always close by.
Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever...
Today I plan
to go and see The Host. I read the book when it first came out and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I'm excited to see what the movie is gonna be like. Anyone else going to see it??
The Host
By Stephenie Meyer
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts
for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain
intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity
has succumbed.
When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she
is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been
given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a
human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid
memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the
former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the
whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills
Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who
still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's
desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with
exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling
allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man
they both love.
Last week Universal Pictures announced that they will be making the film adaption of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone.
Stuart Beattie will adapt the screenplay to the celebrated young adult fantasy novel, “Daughter of Smoke & Bone,” written by New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award Finalist Laini Taylor. The highly sought after property was acquired by Universal Pictures in December 2011.
Beattie previously wrote the screenplay for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for Paramount and Collateral for DreamWorks. Beattie wrote and directed the Australian hit feature Tomorrow When The War Began and is currently awaiting release on I, Frankenstein, which he also wrote and directed.
“I’m thrilled to have Stuart Beattie adapting ‘Daughter of Smoke & Bone’; it’s been fantastic to delve into the world of the book with a screenwriter of such insight and experience,” said Taylor. “Between Stuart, Joe Roth, and Universal Pictures, we’ve got a team with massive epic flair, and I can’t wait to see what unfolds as we move toward bringing Karou, Akiva, Brimstone, and the world of ‘Daughter of Smoke & Bone’ to the screen.”
Joe Roth will produce alongside executive producer Palek Patel. Roth produced the epic action-adventure, Snow White and the Huntsman for Universal which was one of Universal’s highest grossing films of 2012. Roth’s Oz: The Great and Powerful starring James Franco and Mila Kunis was the number one film in North America last weekend, and Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie will be released in the summer of 2014.
I read Daughter of Smoke and Bonelast year and ate it up. If you haven't read it yet... you definitely should. :)
Book Description:
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged
strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet
Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be
real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks
many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually
grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that
haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When one of the
strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in
an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets
unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent
past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
Book two: Days of Blood & Starlight is available too
Some time today I'll be checking out Breaking Dawn Part 2. It'll be sad for it to come to an end. But there is so much to look forward to. Harry Potter & Twilight have paved the way for other YA novels to be made into movies. Here are a few I'm looking forward to in the coming new year.
Beautiful Creatures - In theaters February 13, 2013
I absolutely adore this series and can't wait see the movie in the theater. The first trailer was released yesterday along with the beautiful poster. Check it out!
In celebration of the upcoming premiere of The Hunger Games, I thought a giveaway was in order. To enter leave a comment along with your email address. Open to U.S. & Canada.The winner will be announced on March 23rd.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone sat on my bookshelf for a year before I finally picked it up in 1999. As a child and while I was in school I wasn't a big reader and most times I hated it. After graduating I only read here and there. Then Harry Potter came along and changed everything. This one book has led me to all others I have read since. I'm not sure what it was, but it brought a thirst for reading that is still growing strong today.
With the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2, it marks the end. I will be going to a showing later today. While I am so excited to see it, I go with a heavy heart as well. These characters have been a big part of my life, so its sad to see things coming to a close.
I thought it would be fun to have a giveaway along with my gushing and mushiness. :) I have a paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. To enter leave a comment a long with your email address. This is open to U.S. Only. The winner will be announced on July 16th. Good Luck!
Book Description:
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.
All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley—a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry—and anyone who reads about him—will find unforgettable. For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter. (description from goodreads.com)
So, today is the big day. Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince is finally in theaters. Anyone planning to go this week??? I'll be going on Friday and I can't wait. Below is something I posted back in 2007. It's just too funny, I had to post it again. FYI: I'm not the author of any of these. I found this on photobucket.
Things I Am Not Allowed To Do At Hogwarts
I will not poke Hufflepuffs with spoons, nor will I insist that their House colors indicate hat they are "covered in bees"
No matter how good a fake Australian accent I can do, I will not imitate Steve Irwin during Care of Magical Creatures Class
Growing marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms is not "an extra credit project for Herbology
"I've heard every possible joke about Oliver Wood's name" is not a challenge
The Giant Squid is not an appropriate date to the Yule Ball
I will not use Umbridge's quill to write "I told you I was hardcore"
If a classmate falls asleep, I will not take advantage of that fact and draw a Dark Mark on their arm
Starting a betting pool on the fate of this years DADA teacher is tasteless and tacky, not a clever money-making concept
I will not start every potions class by asking Professor Snape if today's project is suitable for use as a sexual lubricant
Seamus Finnegan is not "after me Lucky Charms"
I will not call the DADA teacher Kenny, even if he is wearing an orange anorak
There is no such thing as a were-thylacine
I will not bring a Magic Eight Ball to Divination Class
Tricking a school house elf into stripping does not mean they are now mine, even if I yell "Pwned!"
I am not a sloth animagus
I am not a triple Animagus
I am allowed to have a toad, rat, cat or owl. I am not allowed to have a reticulated python, snow leopard, Tasmanian devil or piranha
I do not weigh the same as a duck
030. Remus Lupin does not want a flea collar
I will stop asking the Arithmancy teacher what the square of -1 is
Any resemblance between Dementors and Nazgul is coincidental
i will not change the password to the prefects' bath to "Makes getting clean almost as fun as getting dirty
There is no such thing as an Invisibility thong
Professor Flitwick does not wish to be addressed as "Admiral Naismith"
Asking "How do you keep a Gryffindor in suspense? and walking away is only funny the first time
42 is not the answer to every question on the OWLs
It is a bad idea to tell Professor McGonagall she takes her self soo seriously
I am not to Owl copies of the Evil Overlord list to suspected Death Eaters
I will stop asking when we will learn to make "Love Potion Number Nine"
I will not ask Dumbledore to show me the pointy hat trick
I will not teach the first years to sing "A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End"
I will not take out a life insurance policy on Harry Potter
Sirius Black did not found the Sirius Cybernetics Corp.
My name is not Captain Subtext
I will not refer to Kingsley Shacklebolt as a "Big Black Sex Auror"
Professor Flitwick's first name is not Yoda
I am no the Defense Against the Boring Classes Professor
It is generally accepted that cats and dragons cannot interbreed and I should not attempt to disprove this theory, no matter how wicked the result would be
Gryffindor courage does not come int bottles labeled "Firewhiskey"
First years are not to be fed to Fluffy
A wand is for magic only, it is not for picking noses, playing snooker, or drumming on desks, no matter how bored I become
It is not appropriate to slip sample bottles of Selsun Blue into Professor Snape's personal postbox
I will not impersonate the Swedish Chef in Potions Class
First-years should no be encouraged to befriend the Whomping Willow
Novelty or holiday-themed ties are not to be worn with my school uniform
I will not use my socks to make hand-puppets of the Slytherin house mascot
When fighting Death Eaters in the annual June battle of Good v. Evil, I will not lift my wand skyward and shout "There can be only ONE!"
I should not refer to DADA professors as "canaries in the coal mine"
I will not say the phrase "Dude, get a life." to Lord Voldemort
I will not put books of muggle fairy tales in the history section of the library
There is not now, nor has there ever been, a fifth house at Hogwarts. And I am not a member of that house nor am I it's founder
I will not refer to the Accio charm as "The Force"
Albus Dumbledore's proper title is "Headmaster" not "My Liege"
I will not use Slytherin and Gryffindor first years as Christmas decorations
Calling the Ghostbusters is a cruel joke to play on the resident ghosts and poltergeists
If asked in class what Avada Kedavra curse does, yelling "It does DEATH!!!" maybe correct but is not the manner in which one should answer
I am not allowed to lock Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in a closet to see if hot gay sex will occur
Ravenclaws do not find a sign saying "The library is closed for an indefinite time period" amusing in any sense
A time turner is not a flux capacitor, and I should therefore not install one in any muggle cars
I am not allowed to use silencing charms on my Professors
I will not claim my X-Files tapes are Auror Training Videos
When being interrogated by a member of staff, I am not to wave my hand and announce "There are not the droids you are looking for"
I am not authorized to negotiate a peace treaty with Voldemort
I will not follow potions instructions in reverse order just to see what happens
If the thought of a spell makes me giggle for longer than 15 seconds, I am to assume that I am not allowed to do it
I will not under any circumstances, ask Harry Potter who died and made him boss
I am not allowed to introduce Peeves to paint balling
I am not allowed to give the Gryffindors Pixie Stix
I will not lock the Slytherins and Gryffindors In a room together and take bets on which house will come out alive
I will not give Hagrid Pokemon Cards and convince him that they are real animals
I will not teach the house elves to impersonate Jar Jar Binks
I will not sing The Badger Song during Hufflepuff-Slytherin quiditch matches
I will not tell first years that they should build a tree house in the Whomping Willow
I will not douse Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak with lemon juice to see if he will become visible when wearing it and standing near the fire in the Common Room
I will not yell "Believe it.... or not!" after any of Dumbledore's speeches
Bringing fortune cookies to Divination class does not count as extra credit
My name is not "The Dark Lord Happy-Pants" and I'm not allowed to sign my papers as such
There is no such thing as the Chamber of Double Secrets Probation
I will not attempt to magically animate my marshmallow Peeps
I will never ask Harry if his scar senses are tingling
Voldemort is not Ganandorf and the Triforce is not hidden in Hogwarts
I will not sing the entire Multiplication Rock series during Arithmancy exams
I will not charm the suits of armor to do a rendition of "Knight of the Round Table for the Christmas Feast
I will not call Professor McGonagall "McGoogles"
I am not allowed to make lightsaber sounds with my wand
I will not dress up as Voldemort for Halloween
I will not wear my DEATH EATER AND PROUD OF IT! shirt to school
I am not allowed to declare an official Hug a Slytherin Day
It is not necessary for me to yell "BAMF" every time I Apparate
I will not steal Gryffindor's sword from Dumbledor's office and use it to patrol the hallways
I am not allowed to sing my own personal spy music while wandering the hallways
It is a bad idea to tell Professor Snape he takes himself too seriously
I will not dress up in a Dementor suit and use a Dustbuster on Harry's lips to get him to do what I want
"To conquer the Earth with an army of flying monkeys" is no an appropriate career choice
I will not sing "We're off to see the wizard" when sent to the Headmasters office
It is not necessary to yell "BURN!" every time Snape takes points from Gryffindor
I will not hold my wand in the air before casting spells and shot "I have the power!"
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner will be presenting an exclusive, never-before-seen clip from the upcoming sequel New Moon during the 2009 MTV Movie Awards May 31st.
There's quite a few trailers out there claiming to be "Offical Trailers" But the ones I've found are all fan made. Summit Entertainment doesn't even have one up yet. So, as soon as a REAL Offical trailer is released I'll post it.
I originally hadn't planned to buy this book. But last week I was at Walmart checking out what they had for new books. I did a double take when I saw this book, I really wasn't expecting to Walmart to have it. Back in 2006 after I first read Twilight, Walmart didn't even carry it, now the Saga takes up half of the hardcover section. So, I looked at the book and walked away and what ya know it started calling me name. Damnt thing. LOL!
I finished reading it in a couple days. It's a really fast read but very interesting and insightful. The book is full of drawings, story boards, candids and stills from the film. If there is any tidbit you've wondered about the movie, you'll probably find it somewhere in this book.
I'll be giving this one away in one of my contests this summer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sure many of you are aware that Twilight is being released on dvd today! But I thought I'd post the news just incase there's someone out there who doesn't know. ;)
When People Magazine voted Hugh Jackman "Sexiest Man Alive" they actually got something right. :) I can't wait to see this movie. X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out in May.
If the trailer doesn't play for some reason, here is the link to view it:
In 2005 I had just finished reading Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair Witches, and need something more to read. So, I went in search of more vampire related novels. I did a search on Amazon where I found a great number of books to read, among them Twilight. Once It arrived, the book sat on my shelf for a good while. I finally got around to reading it February 2006. By the second chapter I was hooked, I had a hard time putting it down. I couldn't believe how good it was and how easily I was sucked into the story. Immediatley after finishing it, I read it again. I have read it several times since... I don't dare open my hardcover of Twilight, I'm afraid it will fall apart. LOL!
The Movie... [no spoilers]
When I heard they were doing a Twilight movie I was very hesitant at first. I thought "oh god they are gonna ruin it" cause well Hollywood has gotten it wrong many other times. But then the trailers started coming out, they were just brilliant. That's when I started getting my hopes up thinking, maybe they got it right this time. From then on I couldn't wait to see this film.
I just got back from seeing the film. Now I don't want to go all fangirl... but that was just so frikkin awesome. I loved every mintue of it. The did change a few things, but they were minor. For me it was perfect, I wasn't disappointed at all. They did an amazing job. I loved the instrumental background music.
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Most know this already, but on November 22nd Summit Entertainment announced they are moving forward with the production of New Moon.
If you are having trouble finding Twilight merchandise, check out these two sites:
The anticipation is finally over and the day has arrive. The premiere of TWILIGHT. In some theaters the movie is already playing. Does anyone plan going on opening day??? I had plans to, but life kinda got in the way. So, I'm planning on going the day after Thanksgiving. I'm gonna try very hard to stay away from any reviews of the movie until I go and see it. I'm pretty excited about going to see this movie, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. I'm sure there are gonna be things that I won't like about it. But that is true about most books that are turned into movies.
Half-Blood Prince is my least favorite book out of the series, for obvious reasons. But I can't wait to see the movie. Shame that it got pushed back to 2009. Here are two new trailers.
