So I LOVE Wilkie Collins. I feel in love with his work when I read The Woman in White, the title hooking me and the rest of the novel not disappointing me at all. That book has stuck with me, and when I first read it I devoured it!
Last year my sister and I started Period Drama Saturdays where we watch a period drama and have tea together. We had just fininshwd her pick of Victoria and it was my turn. I really wanted to watch The Woman in White, but Amazon had taken it down. While it didn’t have that Collins’ adaption it did offer The Moonstone.
I hadn’t read this book yet, but as it is considered by many to be the first detective novel, it is on my list.
However, I decided to watch it and I loved this production. My sister amd I planned on watching only two episodes, but couldn’t stop and finished the miniseries that night.
So the story starts with a paper puppet opening about how a giant diamond, “the moonstone” was stolen by a colonel when he was in India, and after his death it was to be passed to Rachel Verinder (Terenia Edwards) on her 18th birthdy.
Before her 18th birthday Rachel and her artist cousin Franklin Blake (cousin to Rachel) had seemed really close-he even planned to ask her to marry him. But after the theft of her diamond she refuses to talk to him and returns all his letters. Sergent Cuff tried to solve the case, but it metted out as all members dispersed.
It has been a year since the theft and Frank (Joshua Silver) decides he must figure out who stole it and solve it-in order to win Rachel’s heart again.
Frank must go back and question all who was there that night-taking us, the viewer, back to the night of the crime.
Thar night Rachel wore the diamond and it was commented on by all. At the party were the following people:
Lady Verinder (Sophie Ward), Rachel’s mother, is very devoted and loves her. But could she have been tempted by the giant diamond? After all, she was skipped over inheriting it for her daughter.
Drusilla Clack (Sarah Hadland) is a very “moral” person and is always throwing tracts about. When she first saw the diamond she mentioned she said if she had inherited it, she would use it for good, by selling it and giving the money to the poor. She is very intense in her beliefs, could she have justified taking it? She is also very interested in Godfrey Ablewhite, but Godfrey only wants needs someone with money. Could she have taken in the hope to get her man?
Godfrey Ablewhite (Stewart Clarke) is a handsome young man after Rachel. He has good “business prospects” but in reality he really wants a wealthy person to take care of him. Could he have decided to take the diamond instead of the girl? The two now are engaged, so it seems like he doesn’t have the diamond, unless he decided to take both-keeping the diamond for himself.
A trio of Indian men show up outside the party and refuse to leave. They call themselves the guardians of the moonstone and want it back. A lot of people think they are the thieves, but it turns out that they have remained in the country the whole year. If they had stolen the stone, then why didn’t they leave for India with it?
Mr. Murthwaite (Guy Henry) is an adventurer and knows an awful lot about the moonstone and the group of Indian men’s belief that the stone belongs to them. Is he a part of it? Did he hire the Indian trio to cause a smoke screen?
Not guests, but still preset were the butler Gabriel Betteredge (Leo Wringer) and Penelope Betteredge (Nisa Cole). They both love Rachel, Gabriel helped care for her and Penelope grew up with her. But could ome of them be tired of being a servant? Could the size of the Moonstone be too much for them to resist?
Detective Sergant Cuff (John Thomson) has discovered that one of the housemaids, Rosanna Spearman (Jane McGrath), used to be a thief prior to working in the house. She was also extremely attentive to Frank. Was she helping him as he is the one who was supposed to take the diamond to the bank for Rachel? Did she steal it to get his attention/love? Did the giant diamond lead her back to her former life?
Dr. Candy (Jeremy Swift) is the family doctor but he gives off a really creepy vibe. He gives Frank a sleeping draught that totally knocks him out. Did he do that so that Frank wouldn’t spot him stealing the diamond? Or maybe Ezra Jennings (Trevor Fox) his assistant, an opium addict, is the one that stole the precious gem.
Hmmm…
Frank continues to search and tries his hardest to find out the truth, but will he be happy with the answers he discovers? And what about Frank? Is his reasons for finding the diamond altruistic, is he just after Rachel for is money, or has he been seduced by the stone as well?
Hmm…
A great story and a wonderful adaption. I strongly recommend watching this as it was really good! The ending also has a fantastic twist!
Crumble yolks in a medium bowl and combine with the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Use a pastry bag to pipe in yolk mixture. If you don’t have one, take a ziplock bag, pour in the mixture, and cut the tip of the bottom-filling each egg half.
Garnish with paprika, if desired.
These were so good, and will be great for tea time (or snack time). Just so you know, this was extremely hard for me not to eat them all myself.
Stay cool out there everybody! Don’t forget to hydrate.
No, I’m not crazy. I know that this is October, Horrorfest VIII.But I couldn’t help it as this film has a Leprechaun and I watched it on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Tory: What the h*** are you?
Leprechaun: I’m a leprechaun, me dear.
So I have never watched this film prior to this time, I’d only seen Nostalgia Critic’s review of it. It never really interested me, but when we added it at the library I thought “what the heck, why not?”
This was probably the dumbest thing I have ever seen.
Warwick Davis plays the Leprechaun and I’m just why? This is a talented actor! Star Wars, Narnia, Willow, etc. You’re better than this.
Than this movie!
So the film starts off with Dan O’Grady returning from Ireland. He searched and caught a Leprechaun, stealing the Leprechaun’s gold.
The Leprechaun follows him, and is set on killing him, but kills the wife first. But in the midst of his planned murder spree-he stops for tea.
Now I love tea, but it just seems weird to me that he stopped for tea. At first it made me laugh, but then it made me realize how creepy this leprechaun is. Like he just legit murdered someone and then nonchalantly has tea time.
Or scones!
O’Grady outsmarts him and traps him in a chest, putting a four-leaf clover on it. Now the leprechaun is stuck in there until the clover comes off.
[Daniel O’Grady lays the four-leaf clover over the Leprechaun’s crate]
Daniel O’Grady: The power of this clover will keep you in there forever.
Leprechaun: [From inside the crate] Get that d*** clover off this crate. I told you, you couldn’t kill me. Where’s me gold, Danny, me boy? [Mr. O’Grady begins to hammer the crate shut] Oh, Danny, don’t strain yourself.[Mr. O’Grady then begins to pour gasoline over the crate] No, not gasoline. You can’t burn me, I won’t let ya. [the Leprechaun laughs] Don’t strain yourself. You’re not as young as you used to be. You might have a stroke. I curse ye for all eternity. I’ve traded me soul for me gold. You’ll trade your life. [the Leprechaun laughs]
O’Grady has a heart attack, and we flip to the next scene…
Jennifer Aniston is teenage (?) Tory. She is moving with her dad from LA to North Dakota, for reasons unknown. There is no character development, or personality (besides whines a lot) from her.
So anoying
OMG Jennifer Aniston calls where she is New Mexico and her dad said North Dakota-like those two look nothing alike. Ughhhhhh, I can already tell this will be a loooooooong movie.
Ugh!
They come to a beat up, dirty, nasty house that used to be the O’Grady home and the Dad bought it. So….how like much time has passed? I mean O’Grady is alive and in a nursing home, but it looks like it has been forgotten for 25 years. No, make that 50, like the Jumanji house looked way better.
I looked it up and it is ten years. Ten YEARS?! Seriously-it looks waaaay longer.
Time has not been kind to you.
So there is a group of three guys painting the house. I guess the dad hired them, I mean they never explain that, or why they are there-but I guess so.
Speaking of which, who are these guys. I mean I know they are painters, but are they brothers? Cousins? Why is that little kid with them and why isn’t he in school? Now that I mention school, when does this take place? Summer? What is going on?
So Nostalgia Critic and Cinema Snob call the one guy Tory likes Jim Carrey Kevin Bacon, and I have to say they are right. He’s like the no-name brand of a famous cereal.
OMG, I just realized the big guy is evil Francis from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure! Francis the bike stealer. Better not trust him, once a bike stealer, always a bike stealer.
I loved PeeWee’s Grand Adventure, I used to watch the movie again and again. So hilarious. And much better than this one. But enough about that, back to the movie.
Do I have to?
Francis…I mean Ozzie accidentally knocks the clover off the box, which releases the Leprechaun.
Ozzie tells the rest outside but they don;t believe him.
And…wait a second, why is Jennifer Aniston Tory painting? This doesn’t make sense. With the little bit of her character we have had so far, there is no way she would be into that.
Ozzie spots a rainbow, and he and the little boy follows it finding the gold-Ozzie swallowing one-Really?
Alex: Hey, Ozzie. Do you know what this means?
Ozzie: We’re rich, and I can buy comics every week.
Alex: Yeah, but you know what else? We can get you an operation.
Ozzie: For what?
Alex: To make you smart. See we can go to the hospital and have them operate and fix your brain.
Ozzie: But – But I – I’m smart.
Alex: Yeah. Well, sort of. What I mean is we can make you real smart. That way, people won’t make fun of you.
An operation for your brain, that went dark. Who is this kid-jeez.
What the heck?
The Leprechaun hides under a truck and gropes Tory’s leg. She complains about it and her dad’s reaction is hilarious.
Tory: [Tory falls after something touches her leg from under the truck. Nathan comes to check on Tory] I thought that was you rubbing my leg.
Nathan Murphy: And you let me?
Tory: That’s not the point. Something was rubbing my leg, like caressing it. And it-it ran off over there.
J.D. Reding: It’s probably just an old possum, honey.
Tory: No, dad. That was not an animal. I know what it feels like when a man caresses my leg.
J.D. Reding: You do?
Really dad, I’m sure ANYONE could tell the difference between a possum which has CLAWS and a male hand.
You know what, imagine a movie about horrifying possums, like that would be the SCARIEST thing ever. You don’t know scared until you have had one of these ugly demon creatures hiss at you.
And do Possums even live in North Dakota, I would think it would be too cold…You know what-looking it up…It looks like only in the last few years have they been heading into North Dakota, and a very tiny population.
Hmmm?
The Leprechaun attacks the dad and he ends up in the hospital overnight. The leprechaun follows then attacks them on a tricycle.
A leprechaun on a tricycle-the least scariest thing ever. Seriously? Who green lighted this?
Jennifer…I mean Tori and the Kevin Bacon lookalike go to the hospital and then over to a diner, where Ozzie and the little boy Alex are supposed to meet them. Ozzie and Alex stop at a merchant’s office first, showing him the gold coins, leaving one with him.
Afterwards, the Leprechaun comes and he…
He pogo sticks him to death. Pogo Sticking the merchant to death-this is the stupidest thing I have ever seen.
Ugh! Really!
And then after he kills him-he…he stops to clean his shoes!? WHO green-lighted this film? WHO?
We flip back to Jennifer Anniston complains again-this time about the diner food. I hate to agree with her-but the stuff discount KB is eating looks like dog food. I wouldn’t want it either.
Later, the Leprechaun drives one of those Barbie cars. Oh man, I wanted one of those so bad as a kid. Anyways… A cop pulls the Leprechaun over and I’m like how does a toy car even have lights to actually drive in the dark?
The Leprechaun kills him.
The Leprechaun goes back to the house and tosses it looking for his gold. And stops to shine shoes.
The crew comes back to the house and Discount Kevin Bacon says a bear could have messed up the house? Really? REALLY??? Have you seem what bears do-it would have been way more messed up. I mean you live in North Dakota, you should know what something looks like after a bear attacks it. Why is everyone in this movie so stupid? Oh wait, it is a stupid movie.
“I’m going to check out the bedrooms for where we will stay.” Why are they all staying at the house with Jennifer Aniston? Where do they usually live? Why is she okay with this? She doesn’t know these guys they could be crazy or rape her.
This movie!!!!
And was her dad really okay with this when he was freaking out over the leg thing earlier? Don’t these boys have their own home? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for her to stay at the hospital or a motel rather than go home for the night in a beat up house in the middle of nowhere?
I’m done
Discount KB gets caught in a bear trap and they have a stupid fight with a leprechaun. Basically whack-a-mole with a leprechaun.
I’m out!
They all run to the car, which won’t work because of the leprechaun who dismantled the battery. They are trapped inside it when he comes chasing after them in a car with a pitchfork attached.
First, usually the monster is attacked with the pitchfork so I guess trying to do irony or something.
Huh?
And second, all I can think is that he is a little man in a kid’s car. Like, he seriously can’t be stopped. I mean he’s the size of a toddler. And he manages to knock the truck over? Seriously. This movie is sooooooo dumb!!!!
Or plot!
They escape to the house and slam the door on his hand-making him loose it. Tori then goes out with a gun (even though she’s never shot anything before.) And gives the gold to the Leprechaun.
She asks what he is, and I know it is dark, and your character has already been established as not smart, but really? Really? Really?
Leprechaun counts the gold and realizes one is missing,
They open the fridge-no freezer so I don’t know how this is possible-for ice and the leprechaun is inside. Well if he can transport into buildings-why didn’t he do that earlier. Why didn’t he just get them in the truck or come in the house hours ago. This movie makes no sense!!!! NO SENSE!!!!!
How I feel about this movie:
They try to call for help, but the Leprechaun takes over the phone copying Nightmare on Elm Streetwith his tongue.
EW!
They then throw shoes at the Leprechaun to escape to find Mr. O’Grady to figure out how to stop the Leprechaun. The Leprechaun actually stops to shine the shoes.
WHAT AM I WATCHING??!!
That little boy Alex is a total sicko and psycho-in-training. The next Norman Bates-the way he talks-just saying!
Killer
So they get to the hospital and the Leprechaun is there. If the Leprechaun was mending the shoes how did he get the hospital so fast? Magic powers? And if he has such powers WHY DIDN’T HE USE THEM EARlIER AND JUST KILL EVERYONE ALREADY
UUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH, I’m so over this film. UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHH!!!!!!
Tori finds O’Grady and he tells her to find a four-leaf clover. She goes home…and where are the guys? Weren’t they all in a car together? Or are they still at the house. If they were at the house why didn’t the Leprechaun kill them as he wants the gold in Ozzie’s stomach? If they went with her, why didn’t they come back with her? I’m confused.
Tory goes to a green glowing clover patch. Now I’ve seen A LOT of movies, and glowing green-radiation right there. She’s going to become a giant shamrock woman or have earth-driven powers or something after touching these.
But not everyone knows how to wield it.
Of course not really, bur I’m sure that would be a waaaay better film.
So the Leprechaun transports himself and follows her. They get the four-leaf clover, kill the leprechaun, and then throw him in the well? Wow, You just poisoned the water supply.
And then gasoline? Do these people not care at all about the environment?
I’m out!
OMG I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING. THE LEPRECHAUN GETS THROWN IN THE WELL! WHAT IF HE IS REALLY?
Would be a better film, dontcha think?
Hmm…
All in all, it’s a DUUUUUUUUUUUUUMB Movie and I’m glad it’s over.
And I am always on the lookout for new recipes to go with my teatime. This one my sister blog, Mysterious Eats, posted and it looked so good, I decided I needed to try it out with my tea time.
Ingredients:
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
1.5 Tsp of Baking Powder
1 Tsp of Cinnamon
1.5 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1/4 Tsp of Salt
1 1/4 Cup of Milk
1/4 Cup of Butter, Melted
3 Cups of Rolled Oats (Quick Oats work too)
Cinnamon Sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter an 8×8 inch baking dish, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs.
Add in brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until there are no lumps.
Stir in milk and melted butter.
Add oats and mix well.
Pour into prepared baking dish and spread evenly. (At this point you can refrigerate overnight or bake immediately.)
Bake in oven 30-40 mins until it is set.
Top with cinnamon and sugar.
Cut into squares and serve warm with fresh nuts, milk, a little cream, half and half, maple syrup, or honey of desired.
Unlike my sister blog I took a couple tablespoons of my hot Earl Grey tea and poured them over the top of the square and I thought it tasted fantastic! I would recommend this for you tea time.
For more goodies to make with your tea, go to Cheese Round
So I went to make a cup of tea as I love to drink it even in the heat:
As I went to make it I saw:
My tea is almost gone!!!!!
What am I going to do???
I used to go to Teavana, but it closed.
I tried another place, but I didn’t like their loose-leaf tea. I know I could get the bagged type, but loose leaf is so much better. There is a whole ritual to it that is really enjoyable.
I don’t know where I will go to get more but I for sure won’t be giving up my tea time.
janeaustenrunsmylife 