Snips & Specs: A Confession

Bless me, bloggers, for I have sinned: I saw a movie without having read the book. NOOOOO!

David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas seems like a lovely read. It really does. And maybe someday I'll get to experience it.

Instead, I watched this:

A truly confusing 2 hours and 52 minutes (WHAT!) of my life, it was a film that chronicled stories from six different periods of time in which the same actors appear and reappear as different characters who are connected in various ways. In spite of some admirable efforts by actors like Tom Hanks and Jim Broadbent, I couldn't bring myself to be emotionally invested in most of the six plotlines because we weren't allowed more than TWO SECONDS at a time with any of them. This film does get props for being an ambitious and unique voice in a Hollywood that is currently producing such treasures as The Smurfs 2 (please direct your attention to www.smurfhappens.com). But I'm still pretty sure this is just one more case to add to the already extensive the Book Was Better file.

I'm sorry, David Mitchell. I'm sorry, bloggers. My penance?

I had to stare at all of these Hugo Weavings. Especially that one on the top right.

And now so did you.

-Meg

Snips & Specs & New Projects!

Well hello, ladies and gents! Let's crank up that rumor mill, 'cause we've got lots of speculatin' to do, plus we'd like to allude to some future features you are sure to enjoy! Here's a fast five for today's Friday Snip & Spec!

#1  I STACK MY AUSTENS LIKE BENJAMINS

It's still a concept image - the release is 4 years away!

For all of you Austen fans, this is pretty cool news! She'll be on the 10-pound note. Link in the title to the Jezebel article where we first saw the story, and check out the video from the Bank of England!

#2 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL .... IN SPACE!

THIS...almost

Okay, on a scale of 1 to Total Speculation, this is really out there, but if you are a huge Star Wars nerd and reader and YA fan, you might be curious if (1) They're really going to base the rumored sequel on Heir to the Empire and (2) OMG REALLY CAST RYAN GOSLING AND ZAC EFRON! Okay, okay, this rumor came from self-proclaimed gossip hound Perez Hilton, but ... we want to believe!

Hey girl.

....That's right.

***Update*** It looks like the Ryan Gosling thing really was a rumor...there's still hope for a Cosmic HSM, though! And may we make a replacement suggestion ....

You're welcome.

#3 HI LADIES....I'M HADES

Have you spotted the new EPIC cover to House of Hades yet, out October 2014? We're pretty pumped about it - thanks YA Book Crush for tuning us in to its release! - and it distracts us from what is sure to be another disappointing film adaptation.

LOOK HOW EPIC

#4 LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES! LET'S GO SEE THE STARS!

When you're a star rays of light shoot out of your chest!

Speaking of movies, we are very excited to announce a new REGULAR FEATURE where we review BOOKS & THEIR FILM ADAPTATIONS! This magical recurring journey of joy will commence with the premiere of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. We're planning to attend the film together and co-author our first TRIPLE REVIEW! Could this list item feature MORE CAPITALIZATION?

"If she does it again...I'll kill her."

#5 YOU'VE GOT TO ASK YOURSELF ONE QUESTION

"Do I feel ... like taking a monthly personality quiz based on my favorite YA books?!!?"

Well...DO YA!?!?

Clint Eastwood. Casual.

We've got plots and plans in the works for a quiz feature. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by, guys! We appreciate the views, the love, the comments, and your input!

-Sam

Review: World War Z, the Book and the Movie

In which Sam rants about World War Z (the movie), raves about World War Z (the book), and speculates on a zombie film built entirely around Simon & Garfunkel songs.

CAUTION! HERE BE SPOILERS!

Snips & Specs: Manic Pixie Dream Girl Edition

Hi friends!

This week I wanted to share with you all an AWESOME (seriously, take the time to read it) article by one of my current feminist idols, writer Laurie Penny.

In her piece I Was a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, she breaks down the modern indie female archetype as exemplified by familiar characters LIKE:

Sam from Garden State, Ramona from Scott Pilgrim, Summer from 500 Days of Summer, and Clementine from Eternal Sunshine

This article was hard for me, because the MPDG is a bewitching notion. And for those of us women who are smart and maybe a little, or a lot, quirky, it may feel like the only shoe that fits. But Penny points out that the MPDG exists only as "a submissive, exploitable, transcendent ideal of the other," created by sad lonely nerd boys who need rescuing.

She says, "Men grow up expecting to be the hero of their own story. Women grow up expecting to be the supporting actress in somebody else's." And she's right.

Why do away with the Manic Pixie Dream Girl? So that, in Penny's words, we can allow for "the creation of new narratives, the opening of space in the collective imagination for women who have not been permitted such space before, for women who don’t exist to please, to delight, to attract men, for women who have more on our minds."

In conclusion, everything will be fucking awesome forever:

Image courtesy of Moonfruit Comics.

 -Meg

Top Ten Tuesday: Best & Worst Film Adaptations

In which Sam rants and raves about five of the worst and five of the best film adaptations of YA/NA novels, including (1) a quick synopsis, (2) whether the book is worth the read, and (3) whether the movie is worth the watch!

Without further ado, we here at Mad But Magic are very excited to share our Top Ten Tuesday list of Best & Worst Movie Adaptations – original feature, as always, courtesy of The Broke and Bookish :)

TOP 5 BEST MOVIE ADAPTATIONS

#5 S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders and the 1983 film adaptation, The Outsiders

Synopsis: Young men on the edge – of sanity, of society, of adulthood – stalk the night streets in leather jackets and linger on in your heart.

Is the book worth the read? YES! One hundred times, yes. The Outsiders was written by a woman who wandered the streets getting to know young men just like her protagonists – who, by the way, have some of the best names you’ll ever encounter in fiction – Ponyboy and Sodapop are my favorites. True to publishing industry fashion when it comes to female authors like J.K. Rowling, S.E. Hinton is really Susan Eloise Hinton – and she wrote the book while still in high school!

Is the movie worth the watch? Absolutely – it’s old but it’s fun, and it’s a bit of a tearjerker, too. Also, it’s a delight to look for today’s well-known stars in some early roles, like Diane Lane, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Maccio, Rob Lowe, and Tom Cruise!

In sum: Do it forJohnny.