Baby Jane Austen

So I’m sure some of you might be thinking that I will be writing about Jane Austen’s life as a baby.

She was probably a cute baby.

Well no, I’m not. Instead I am talking about Jane Austen novels for babies!

I know, how cool is that? There is a company called BabyLit that takes classic novels and turns them into baby primer board books; that is learning books for babies.

Now they can also read classic novels!

So far they have Dracula on counting: Alice in Wonderland on colors; A Christmas Carol on colors; Wuthering Heights on the weather; Moby Dick on the ocean, Jane Eyre on counting; Romeo & Juliet on counting; The Jungle Book on animals; Sherlock Holmes and the Hounds of Baskerville on sounds; Anna Karenina on fashion; Jabberwocky on nonsense; Frankenstein on anatomy; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on colors, and Huckleberry Finn on camping.

And of course they have covered Jane Austen with Emma, Pride & Prejudice, and Sense & Sensibility.

And of course me being a major fan, I just had to buy them and check them out.

But as I have no children and didn’t have any extra book space to hold onto them for if that ever happened (my books are already in every spare spot I have) I bought them for my friend’s baby. So far I have only purchased two (Emma and Pride & Prejudice), one for Christmas and the other for her first birthday. When I buy Sense & Sensibility for this Christmas I’ll review it.

Emma: A BabyLit Emotions Primer by Jennifer Adams

So we know the story of Emma right? The bare bones of it is a bored girl tries her hand at matchmaking:

But in the ends her schemes don’t go anything like she planned.

However, that is too advanced for a baby; so this one is all about emotions with cute illustrations. Emma is excited! Mrs. Bates is scared! Mr. Knightley is Loved.

You got that right!

Pride & Prejudice: A BabyLit Counting Primer by Jennifer Adams

So Pride & Prejudice, the most famous of the Jane Austen novels. In it a mother is trying to marry off her offspring, but her meddling can cause some issues.

Plus some manipulations, misunderstanding, and perseverance see that four couples find their happy match (once again bare bones).

So once again too much for a baby, so this one is all about counting: nine fashionable dresses, five sisters, two gentlemen, etc.

Sense & Sensibility: A BabyLit Opposites Primer by Jennifer Adams

So this is the story of two sisters who go from being wealthy, to having nothing.

They get caught up in others manipulations, in their own striving for happiness, and discovering that being all sense or all sensibility isn’t the right way to be; their should be a balance of both. Plus sisters will always be there for the other.

There are also manipulations, secret affairs, meddling matchmakers and more. But of course, that isn’t something babies can grasp so instead we have opposites: big, small, happy, sad, etc.

So What Did I Think Of It?

So while it doesn’t tell the whole story of these novels (which I didn’t expect it to) I thought these were a wonderful idea and I want to purchase them all.

In a world where less and less people are reading, especially the classics: it is important to bring these memorable works back into the mainstream. I mean there is a reason why they were chosen as classics and they need to be read by everyone.

And while this book focus on it’s theme (colors, counting, feelings) more than the plot of the novel; two very imoprtant things come out of here.

First, the child is being given a classic novel and grows up hearing that name and the characters; making them much more open to reading the real book when they are old enough.

And second, you reading to your child teaches them the importance of family time and the importance of reading. Thus making them book fans too.

So I highly recommend buying these and adding them to your child’s bookshelf. After all:

Save Our Youth! Read Classics Today!

For more on Emma, go to When You Shockingly Relate to Mr. Woodhouse

For more on Pride & Prejudice, go to Death Comes to Pemberley

For more on Sense & Sensibility, go to I Don’t Want You Far From Me: Sense and Sensibility (1995)

For more Emma variations, go to The Austen Series: Amanda

For more Pride & Prejudice variations, go to The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy

For more Sense & Sensibility variations, go to The Dashwood Sisters Tell All: A Modern Day Novel of Jane Austen

For more books based on Jane Austen, go to Captain Wentworth’s Diary 

What is Immortality Without You?: The Two Towers (2002)

Romantic Moment #8

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

So The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, is based on the book series, The Lord of the Rings,  by J.R.R. Tolkien. I loved both the books and the films and highly recommend both (jeez I feel like I say this all the time).

Anyways so The Two Towers is the second book in the series. For those of you who have not read/watched these, to catch up on the first film click here. So in this film the fellowship has been broken up.  Frodo and Sam have separated from everyone else and are trying to reach Mordor to throw in the ring. They run into Gollum, who has been corrupted by the evil of the ring and is determined to get it back. Frodo takes pity on Gollum and has him lead them. Frodo, Sam and Gollum travel through the Dead Marshes, evading a Nazgûl. They come upon the Black Gate but find it heavily guarded by Orcs. Gollum convinces the pair that he will lead them to an unguarded entrance, but on this new path they are captured by the Rangers of Ithilien, who is lead by Faramir, who is also Boromir‘s brother. Frodo reveals Gollum’s presence to save him, but he is captured and mistreated by the Rangers. Faramir has the Hobbits taken to Osgiliath, where they are attacked by Orcs led by a Nazgûl. Faramir frees Sam and Frodo and sends them on their way, joined by Gollum. Gollum decides that he will find another way to get the ring.

Pippin and Merry have been captured by Orcs, and just barely managed to escape from them and flee into the Fangorn Forest. They meet Treebeard, one of the Ents.  Treebeard and the Ents don’t want to get involved, but when Pippin tricks him to go by Isengard, they discover that Saruman the White has cut down all the trees; completely decimating the area. They join in the war, defeat the Uruk-hai and break the river dam; drowning the surviving Orc defenders, flooding Isengard, and stranding Saruman in his tower.

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai, in their attempt to save Merry and Pippin. They run into King Théoden of Rohan’s nephew Éomer who has been banished along with all the other great warriors. They have killed all the Orcs, but the trio is determined to find them. They go into Fangorn Forest where they are confronted by Gandalf, reborn as Gandalf the White. They travel to Rohan, where King Théoden has been entranced and physically weakened by Gríma Wormtongue, who is secretly in the service of Saruman. The four of them free Théoden from Gríma’s spell, and inform the king of his son Théodred‘s death. As Saruman’s forces attack Rohan, Théoden moves his people to the stronghold Helm’s Deep for safety. Gandalf leaves to find Éomer and the other riders. Théoden’s forces travel to Helm’s Deep, and are attacked by Saruman’s Warg riders, in which Aragorn is thrown from a cliff to his apparent death in a raging river. Arwen saves him, guiding him back to safety, even though her father Elrond has been trying to convince her to leave Middle-Earth forever. Meanwhile, Éowyn, Théoden’s niece, starts falling for Aragorn. Aragorn washes up on the river bank and makes his way to Helm’s Deep. They and a battalion of Elves led by Haldir join Rohan’s troop and help them fight the Uruk-hai. Gandalf appears, accompanied by Éomer and his men. Their combined forces defeat the Orcs.

Most Romantic Moment:

So during this film we have a flashback scene between Arwen and Aragorn that is soooo romantic. So Arwen has given up her immortality for Aragorn. She loves him so much that she would rather spend a shorter life with him than an eternity without him. She gives him the Evenstar so that he will never forget how her love for him is unending.

“Arwen: I choose a mortal life.

Aragorn: You cannot give me this.

Arwen: It is mine to give to whom I will. Like my heart.”

So romantic!

And to make this an even more swoonworthy scene, Aragorn gives it back. He loves her, but because he loves her he wants more for her. He wants her to have a long life with her family and to find someone else who can live forever with her. Aw, he just loves her so much that he wants only the best for her. Even if that makes him sad, lonely, and breaks his heart into a million pieces.

But to make that even more romantic! (The romance is just piling on). Arwen refuses to take the Evenstar back. She knows that he is trying to do what’s best, but what he hasn’t realized is that, while he might not be the best choice (a mortal), he is the best one for her.

So she leaves it with him. Letting him know that no matter what she still loves him and would choose him over immortality any day.

I want a relationship like Arwen and Aragorn

For more on the Lord of the Rings go to A Horse’s Tale

Say Something Human: Warm Bodies (2013)

Say something human. Say something human.

So when this film first came out around Valentine’s Day I wasn’t really into watching it. It sounded really dumb, a romance between a zombie and a human? It sounded very much like a rehash of Romeo & Juliet.

I mean the main guys name is R for Romeo and Julie for Juliet

I’ve never been a big fan of the Rom-Ror (Horror-Romance), as the tend to be kitschy and just not my thing. I also hate how zombies are portrayed in the media these days. I don’t like how they have moved away from the Romero version, Night of the Living Dead, and have made zombies these super creatures. I mean how can something that is dead and decomposing have super strength, move super fast, and are these crazy intense creatures.

However, a TON of my friends went and saw it and really liked it. So when my boyfriend wanted to watch it, I was down.

I have to say that the film was better than I expected. I really liked the dialogue and the awkwardness of R the main zombie.

So the film starts out with their having been a zombie apocalypse (Although we are not told what caused it). Our main character, R, has become a zombie.

R: [voice-over] I wish I could introduce myself, but I don’t remember my name anymore. I mean, I think it started with an ‘r’ but that’s all I have left. I can’t remember my name, or my parents, or my job… although my hoodie would suggest I was unemployed.

He has some of the best dialogue as he talks about his awkwardness and angsts all over the place.

R: What am I doing with my life? I’m so pale. I should get out more. I should eat better. My posture is terrible. I should stand up straighter. People would respect me more if I stood up straighter. What’s wrong with me? I just want to connect. Why can’t I connect with people? Oh, right, it’s because I’m dead. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I mean, we’re all dead. This girl is dead. That guy is dead. That guy in the corner is definitely dead. Jesus these guys look awful.

R has his best friend M (Romeo’s best friend was Mercutio, R’s best friend is M) who they grunt together and spend some time together. He mostly roams around the airport collecting items and spending time by himself. Very much like WALL-E

R craves human flesh, “but at least [he’s] conflicted about it.” One thing he discovers is that if he eats human brains then he can experience their memories, which causes him to feel human again.

Now some way away, those who are humans have quarantined themselves in a city, building up a giant wall and have armed guards to keep the zombies out. One day Julie, a human and the daughter of the man in charge, goes out with her boyfriend, and others to forage for food. Her boyfriend, Perry,  is played by James Franco’s brother Dave.

Look at the smile on baby Franco, what a cutie!

R sees Julie and is attracted to her, and tries to get closer to her. They get attacked by zombies, and R gets shot by Julie’s boyfriend. R kills Julie’s boyfriend, and takes his brain. When he eats the brain, he gets the memories of Julie and Baby Franco together, strengthening his like for her. R knows that Julie will be in trouble if left there, and takes her to his hideout in the airport.

The two spend a lot of time together, eventually falling in love (although Julie doesn’t realize it right away). They also play cute ’80s music (which I love). R saves her from other zombies, but realizes that he needs to take her back to her own kind. Even though the two being together is changing him and causing him to become a person again. He also tells her about how he killed Perry, Julie’s boyfriend. (Romeo killed Juliet’s cousin Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet, R kills Juliet’s boyfriend Perry. Betrayal!)

It turns out that not only is R is changing, but his friends are too. They all start becoming more humanlike. R realizes this and goes to tell Julie sneaking himself into the human enclave.

Meanwhile, the Boneys sense that the zombies are changing and becoming more humanlike. Boneys are zombies when they have reached the point of no return, they become skeletons and get super strength and speed.

Now this I didn’t really care for as I didn’t like how the zombies were so powerful, they are supposed to be decomposing people! GET IT RIGHT!!!!

Shame on you director!

R goes to warn Julie and he finds her with her friend, Nora. (Nora is supposed to be the Nurse.) Now Nora is pretty funny. When Julie tells her that she has feelings for R, Nora responds how any sane person would.

Julie: I actually miss him.
Nora: You… you miss… him…
Julie: I know, I’m so stupid.
Nora: Like… like you’re attracted to him…
Julie: No, I don’t…
Nora: Like… he could be your boyfriend? Your zombie… zombie boyfriend?… I mean, I know it’s really hard to meet guys right now, with the apocalypse and stuff. Trust me. And like I know that you miss Perry. But Julie, this is just weird. Like, I wish the internet was still working so I could just look up what whatever it is that’s wrong with you.

When R comes, both Julie and Nora are excited to hear about the Zombies reverting back to being human, but realize their is no way they will get close to Julie’s dad the way R looks so undead. So Nora does the only logical thing; MAKEOVER!

The films end with a showdown, Boneys vs. Humans/Zombies. Julie & R find themselves cut off from escape, and they jump off a building into a pool. R uses his body to sheild Julie from the impact and saves her. She kisses him and the kiss turns him back into a full human.

The film ends with zombies and humans living together again, the zombies becoming more and more human everyday.

The film wasn’t that bad, it was a standard teen film, the angst and dialogue of R is really good. It had some great music in it like “Missing You” and “Hungry Heart“. If you can get past the clear Shakespeare shout-outs it should be a fun watch.

Here’s a cover photo I made for my facebook cover page this year:

Someone Very Special: The Addam’s Family Values (1993)

You’ll meet someone. Someone very special. Someone who won’t press charges.

I love this movie soooooo, soooo, soooooo, sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!

I have to watch it every October (and really any other time of the year). I  have loved this movie since I was a kid as it is so hilarious and the dialogue is truly amazing.

I really don’t know where to start with this post as I love every part of this film. To be honest, you just need to watch it! It is that good. This is one of the few times where the sequel far surpasses the original.

Yes you heard me. The sequel was better.

Yes Mickey you were right (For once)

I just love Morticia and Gomez, they are an amazing couple.

So yeah…

The story is that Morticia and Gomez have had a new baby; which Wednesday and Pugsly hate and are trying to destroy. Morticia and Gomez attempt to hire a nanny because Morticia would like some time to herself; and as said before the other children cannot be trusted with the new addition.

“Morticia: [to Gomez] I’m just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It’s just, I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade.”

After going through a slew of prospects, they finally hire Debbie Jellinsky, played by the amazing Joan Cusack. Debbie seems really nice at first, but we find out that she is trying to get close to Uncle Fester, marry him, kill him, and steal all his money. In fact we find out that Debbie is no ordinary gold-digger, but a full on serial killer.

And Murder?

Wednesday and Pugsly discover her true intentions, so Debbie has them sent off to a summer camp which is hilarious. This has some of the best scenes in the film as the kids wreak true Addams’ family havoc.

Debbie tries to complete her plot, but it takes a lot to kill an Addamses! Just watch the film! You’ll love it!

**** Contains Spoilers ****

So one of my favorite parts, is the play that they put on at the summer camp. In the film the camp counselors have broken Wednesday and Pugsly’s spirits, forcing them to watch happy films which causes them to become perky. They and the other “losers” of the camp

are playing the Native Americans in a Thanksgiving play that one of the counselors wrote. But nothing ever goes as planned when an Addams is involved!

Wednesday is AWESOME! I love her. Christina Ricci did an amazing job at being her. I couldn’t imagine a better person.

My other most absolute favorite part is when we get to hear Debbie’s backstory, and why she turned to a life of murder and thievery.

I LOVE this part so much! I have the whole thing memorized and love to recite it!

That’s today’s terrifying post! More to come! 8 Days ‘Till Halloween!

Here’s a cover page/poster I made for my facebook page as part of my countdown to Halloween last year.

To start Horrorfest from the beginning, go to I Don’t Belong in the World

To go to the previous post, go to I Can Be Your Best Friend Or Your Worst Enemy

For more sequels, go to I Want Friend Like Me

For more on serial killers, go to Halloween

For more on summer camp, go to Camp Blood