Film Review: Once Upon a Deadpool

I love Deadpool. It's a film that holds a very special place in my heart. I also thoroughly enjoyed Deadpool 2, even though it never quite reached the dizzying heights of insanity that the first film did.
I also absolutely adore The Princess Bride. So when it was announced that just before Christmas there would be a one night only (ha, already additional showings have been added to my local cinema) re-cut family friendly (double ha!) version of Deadpool, cut to be a bit of a parody with The Princess Bride, I was intrigued. Then I watched the trailer and I was in love.


Honestly though, whilst it was an entertaining night out, it didn't live up to my expectations. There's meant to be around 20 minutes of new footage, but it really didn't feel like that. The film is cut up with a few really entertaining scenes involving a now grown up Fred Savage, (he's still got that insanely childlike charm of a smile) to frame the story as a bedtime story to a captive Savage. Unfortunately, they really don't make the most of this great device, and by mid-film it appears to have been mostly forgotten. What cuts back and forth are made though feel clunky and just disrupt the flow of the film.

Given that Reynold's mouth is covered throughout most of the film I also expected more to be made of this opportunity to play with the dialogue with some redubbing. Sadly though that was horribly under utilised. 

It was also frustrating to have to wait until the very end of the credits to get a resolution to the Savage/Deadpool thread - the end of the film just cuts off and leaves you hanging in a decidedly irritating way.

Basically it didn't live up to my expectations, but it was still enjoyable. I had gripes, mostly because I love the two source material pieces so much. It doesn't really add an awful lot, and is a bit of a gimmicky money grab right before Christmas. But I'm a sucker, so take my money.

It's meant for a bit of a niche group - those that love Deadpool, The Princess Bride, and a few younger audience members who may not have seen the film. If you love Deadpool then this will be an amusing watch, but don't expect anything mind-blowing. To get the full enjoyment I also really recommend watching The Princess Bride beforehand if you haven't already.

Top Ten Tuesday: Festive!

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the fabulous Jana at The Artsy Reader Girl. You can join in with future topics here!

It's December! And that means that some of us are gearing up for Christmas! Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas or not, now is the perfect time of year to curl up in front of the fire with a mug of tea and an excellent book or Christmas film. I am a sucker for a good Christmas film...
So here are five books and five films that I think are perfect for this festive season!

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas
This is essentially one fluffy Christmas interlude and I adore it. It was so lovely to experience a respite from the darkness at the end of the original trilogy, and to see how these characters are when they aren't fighting for their lives. Plus presents and snow and general festivities! It's the perfect time of year for it.

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Can you get any more Christmassy than a murder at a country home at Christmas time? No I didn’t think so. I love the Lady Julia Grey series anyway, but the second book in the series holds a special place in my heart at this time of year. There’s something about the dinners and intrigues, and presents, snow, hunts, and Christmas pudding making, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I particularly recommend reading this book by an open fire.

Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
Despite only being brief snippets in each book, the Christmas moments in every single Harry Potter book are fabulous. The Christmas trees! The decorating! The magical bubbles out of Professor Flitwick’s wand! Everything. Whether it’s just a handful of students, or pretty much the whole school in preparation for the ball – I love the atmosphere, the Weasley jumpers, and the insane crackers. Go re-read all the books – or just pick out the Christmas bits to get you in the festive mood!

From Notting Hill with Love... Actually by Ali McNamara
I read this one for the first time just before Christmas several years ago. Combine that with the title and fabulous rom-com references throughout and you've got a perfect festive read. After all, Christmas is the season for watching rom-coms. A lot.
So go grab a copy, curl up and make sure you’ve got those rom-coms ready for re-watching straight after.

The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown by Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch, Karen Hawkins and Mia Ryan
A collection of my favourite regency romance authors, combined with the deliciously witty observations of Julia Quinn's Lady Whistledown, a gossip columnist that documents the scandals and parties of the ton. is a match made in heaven. Set at Christmas time, this delightful set of tales is exactly what you could wish for to curl up with under a blanket. 

The Holiday
Possibly my favourite Christmas film, there's something truly wonderful about this one. It's like chicken soup with a festive twist and a whole lot of heart. Yes I may watch it more than once this month, don't judge me...

Love, Actually
Even if you don't want to watch this film, you will inevitably end up watching it over Christmas. It's on TV on a near permanent basis, and sure it's got its problems, but it's still a wonderful festive film. I love all the different relationships, the different types of love on show, the heart warming nature of it all. And I can't ever resist that glorious airport chase and Colin Firth going to find his lady love to that beautiful soundtrack.

White Christmas
There's nothing like a good old fashioned white Christmas. Add in some musical numbers, Bing Crosby, and a whole heap of snow, and I'm happy.
This is still one of my favourites to come back to each year, there's just something wonderfully hopeful about it.

Nativity!
Honestly I watched this film the first time because Martin Freeman being a grumpy primary school teacher seemed like an amusing concept. I've watched it every other time since then because it's a genuinely heart warming, funny, and good film. The kids! The humour! The sass! The frankly ridiculous set up! The AMAZING nativity at the end. I adore it.

Die Hard
My husband has worked very hard the entire time I've known him, to convince me that Die Hard is a Christmas film... On watching it together for the first time he pointed out the fact that it's set around Christmas (Festive!), there are lots of Christmas decorations (see, festive!), there's lots of red (sure it's blood, but red is festive!) and white stuff fluttering from the sky (shush, I know it's shredded paper, but look, FESTIVE!)
Thus Die Hard has become a Christmas film...

So there you have a sneak peak at what I'll be watching and reading whilst I'm eating mince pies and drinking far too much tea. What about you?

Film Review: Fantastic Beasts - The Crimes of Grindelwald

I loved Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - it was a fresh and fun filled romp, in a way that the Potter films hadn't been allowed to be in some time. We got a sense of playfulness! We got to see more of the wizarding world! We got fantastic beasts! But most importantly we got Newt, and my love for Newt deserves its own epic post. (later)

So armed with a fresh re-watch the night before, I went into the cinema excited to see the second instalment. Unfortunately that didn't last long. Even now, several days after watching, I'm still reeling, and not in a good way.

I have a lot of feelings, and a good portion of them are spoiler filled, so be warned, spoilers galore beneath the cut.

Film Review: The Hate U Give

Even now, several days later, I'm still reeling and thinking about this movie.

The film follows Starr, a black girl caught between two worlds. Her home life of Garden Heights - a largely black and underprivileged area, and school life at out of town school Williamson - a predominantly white and privileged school. She struggles to reconcile these two halves of herself, feeling like she cannot be truly her in either setting, and finding she loses sight of herself in the process.

The film opens with Starr and her two siblings being given The Talk. Not the one about the birds and the bees, no, this is what to do when they are (there is no if) pulled over by a cop. What to do when they see their father (again, when, not if) stopped and searched. This is a talk that will save their lives, and sets the tone of the film.

It then takes its time setting up the characters and Starr's life, showing you the two versions of her and how deeply uncomfortable she is within that - the moments where she bites her tongue, stays quiet for the sake of keeping the two halves of her separate and tamps down on her initial reactions to things. Starr does her best to blend in, until the pivotal point of the film, where she witnesses her best friend shot dead.

The rest of the film explores the fall out from this. How Starr deals with the grief and trauma that follows. How she tries to come to terms with all that she's feeling, and how these events crack open all that makes her her and follows her journey - developing her identity, her political views, her confidence. As she begins to stand up and roar over the injustice of what is happening.
The view points of the characters around Starr, that are eye opening in so many different ways, showcase a variety of responses to the events, and hold up a mirror to the viewer. We have all either expressed the views depicted, or seen others expressing them. It is hard to watch, uncomfortable in places, but so vitally important.

There are bright sunbursts of humour, and a lot of really gut wrenching emotional moments where you could hear the crying in the cinema. It's at times incredibly difficult to watch, because the story you're witnessing unfold has happened, continues to happen, will keep happening. This isn't some dystopian future where you can disconnect and enjoy, this is the world we're living in now, and it's hard to look at, no matter how beautiful the cinematography.

You will come away from this film heavy with emotion. Hopeful for the future, where people stop the cycle of hate, where hopefully we move forward into a better world. But also saturated with grief at the injustice and horror of this world. The Hate U Give is not an easy film to watch, but it is an important one, a vital one.

After a glut of young adult adaptations, we're moving away from the dystopian fantasy side and looking at real life. With "Love, Simon" and "The Hate U Give" this year has proven that not only can adaptations be done well, but that they are still vitally important and necessary to ground and show pieces of the world, when we're saturated with escapism and fantasy.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bestest Villains

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the fabulous Jana at The Artsy Reader Girl. You can join in with future topics here!

We've all got them, those villainous characters that we both love and hate. It's a sign of an excellently written novel if the bad guys are relatable enough that you actually feel for them, or that they inspire such visceral feelings in you. There are also so many excellent villains in film and tv that I had to let some of them sneak onto this list too... So here are ten villains (although it is by no means a complete list) that were so well written and played that I am in awe, even though I hate/love them.

Cersei Lannister - A Song of Ice & Fire by George 
(book and show)
She's cunning and devious and let's face it, not particularly nice a lot of the time. But she's also really human and entirely relatable. She's just trying to protect her children, her family, and herself. It all makes sense, and I feel for her particularly given the excellent portrayal in the show. But once you pit her against other characters that are infinitely more likeable she's always going to lose. Particularly given some of the truly heinous things she does...

Leck - The Seven Kingdoms trilogy by Kristin Cashore
(book)
There is no redeeming Leck. I love that we see him as an adult in the first book, and then see snippets of how he came to be that person in the second, followed by unravelling the effects of him in the third. He is such a vital part of these books, with how he impacts these women, whilst he spends very little time on the page. Corruption of power, and unchecked power as a child, it's an incredible examination of it, and Cashore makes a terrifying villain out of him.

Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall - The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
(book and show)

Tobias Menzies is glorious in this role. He's terrifying and utterly without humanity, and he is so well written and played as to be absolutely horrifying but impossible to look away from. Plus having him play quiet, loving, Frank is a visual masterstroke. Like Claire, you're constantly expecting Black Jack to behave with a shred of humanity, which then make his violent and blackest moments all the more horrifying.

Catherine de Medici - Reign
(show)

Catherine becomes less of a villain as the show progresses, but she is still a sly and brilliant woman, I think we just become more on her side as the show progresses and she stops trying to hurt Mary so often. She's a woman in a man's world who cares deeply for her family and will ruthlessly do what she feels needs to be done to protect them and herself. She's complex, tactical, and fascinating to watch.

Klaus Mikaelson - The Originals
(show)

Ah Klaus, you complex and utterly screwed up guy, I love you so. He entered The Vampire Diaries as a full blown swaggering villain, and over the course of that show and the spinoff The Originals, he became someone so complex and intriguing that I couldn't look away from his attempts at redemption. Played exquisitely by Joseph Morgan, I'm so sad that his story is, after a thousand years, finally over.

Regina Mills - Once Upon a Time
(show)
Complex, intriguing, and in later season's more hero than villain, Regina's journey was fascinating. I adored seeing her growth and development, the moments when she'd slip up and go back to her old ways, the peaks at her humanity and vulnerability that gradually were revealed more frequently. She was brutal but human, and I loved watching her.

Hector Bowen - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
(book)
He doesn't have a huge role in the book, but Hector's machinations and power plays are what set off the events of the book, and seeing what he does to his own daughter to achieve his ends is absolutely horrifying. Parents treating their children appallingly is a guaranteed rage thing for me, and whilst Hector is by no means the worst parent out there, something about him really gets to me. Excellent writing at its best.

Kilgrave - Jessica Jones
(show)
Oh David Tennant is brilliant. I loathe Kilgrave, but Tennant is exceptional in his portrayal. He brings a humanity to him, even whilst he compels people to do the most awful things. It's hard to watch, particularly early in the season, but Tennant's acting is worth it. A child with unchecked power, who never learnt how to not get his way, or any sort of humanity. Yet you can kind of understand how it happened. It's a horrible grey blurry thing, and that's what makes it brilliant.

Dolores Umbridge - Harry Potter by J K Rowling
(book and films)
Nope, there is no love here, only hate. But to provoke such a response from so many people is pretty impressive. More than Voldermort in a lot of cases, Umbridge embodies every hateful and cruel thing. She is vicious and despicable and very human (everyone has known some level of an Umbridge) and that's why she inspires such a visceral response from readers and watchers alike.

Loki - the Marvel Cinematic Universe
(film)
Can he even really be considered a villain now? Probably, after all he is the god of mischief. But Loki is just such an excellent character I couldn't resist. Sure, he tried to take over the world and make everyone into mindless minions, but he just wants to be loved guys! I have such a soft spot for him, and even when he's been super bad, I still adore him. Plus the little insights we got into his and Thor's childhood were GLORIOUS. 

So there you have ten of the villains I love/love to hate - share some of yours!

Film Review: A Simple Favor

With a powerhouse duo in the form of Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, and a director known for his comedies, "A Simple Favor" had intrigued me right from the start, and with good reason.

The trailers were filled with the promise of dark humour and a twisty plot and the film actually surpassed my expectations on both fronts. Kendrick and Lively are given ample space to truly shine, and prove what brilliant actors they are with their turns in both the comedic and darker moments. 

From the moment we're introduced to Kendrick's busybody, single mum -  overcompensating with every aspect of her parenting to try and assuage the guilt she keeps locked far away and only allows out in the presence of some very strong gin martinis - the entire audience was laughing out loud.

"Doesn't every good parent have their own helium tank?"

Once you add in the gloriously chic elegance of Lively's dark Emily, (whose wardrobe and confidence I would like immediately) the film truly ignites.

" - you never let me have any fun."
"Not true. I let you tear my labia as you exited my body."

She's brash and outspoken and utterly glorious, and watching these two interact is an absolute delight. Whilst Kendrick has become known for her comedic talents, this film truly gives Lively a chance to shine as she steals almost every scene she's in. Those viewers who had dismissed her for her previous roles should sit up and take note - her performance is a revelation and I cannot wait to see what she tackles next.

The film doesn't let up, and you can feel the delight radiating off the screen. It feels like everyone involved is having an absolute ball, and it shows. Fieg dances along the line of dark humour and tension filled thriller with complete confidence and panache, defying anyone to not enjoy this crazy romp. I'm not normally a fan of thrillers, but this is pitched absolutely perfectly and roars through to the climax.

Admittedly the finale, whilst it had me breathless with anticipation, does come a little off the rails. All subtlety is forsaken for an overblown, gloriously ridiculous final act. But it works, although a few moments may have some viewers rolling their eyes.

All in all I loved it. It was smart and funny and incredibly dark and twisted at times. It's a truly glorious macabre romp that showcases both Kendrick and Lively beautifully. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and I'll be heading back for a re-watch in the next few days.

A Simple Favor is in UK cinemas now

Film Review: Sierra Burgess is a Loser

Warning for all the spoilers, as I rant at great length about this film.

After the brilliance of two new romantic comedies on Netflix, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "Set it Up", I was understandably excited about watching the much hyped (HI NOAH CENTINEO) "Sierra Burgess" film.
However when the credits finally rolled I was left feeling not that she was a loser, but that Sierra Burgess is Problematic...

A modern retelling of a frankly problematic story ("Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand) seemed to be an odd move, but the cast was fresh and exciting enough that I was willing to put my doubts aside and go in with an open mind. However the problems with the original story become all the more twisted and squicky in this modern, gender flipped version.

When we are first introduced to Sierra she seems smart, funny, has a great relationship with both her parents and best friend Dan (frankly some of the best comedy comes from him) and has her little niche of the world carved out thank you very much.
But then a sexy boy starts texting her. The sexy boy that we're meant to believe is too ugly and too much of a loser for popular girl Veronica to bother with, which is why Veronica gives aforementioned guy of sexynotsexyness!Jamey Sierra's number instead - with me so far?
And suddenly all of the character built up for Sierra goes poof. She's suddenly shallow and obsessed with looks and has gone completely gooey for sexynotsexy!Jamey and it is so insanely cringey that I developed eye strain from rolling them so hard.

Sierra realises that sexynotsexy!Jamey does not know who she is and thinks she's Veronica, and instead of embracing her smart, funny self and telling him he's made a mistake, she immediately decides that pretending to be Veronica is the best idea ever. Because catfishing someone is the way to start all great love stories...

I will admit that the breathless anticipation and electric charge of messaging someone you like is captured beautifully, but underpinning all of that is the horrible messedupness of this entire situation, so it's hard to just sit back and enjoy this blossoming teen love story. It's also incredibly frustrating because instead of doing the latest craze of popping text messages out onto the screen so you can actually see what the character's are writing to each other, this film decides to just leave them on the phone screens so quite often I had no idea what was being said. I know my eyesight isn't great, but surely a film that involves a lot of texting should have put a little more thought into the audience being able to read said texts?...

Then Sierra realises that the only way to keep up this ruse (WHY SIERRA, WHY?!) is to persuade Veronica to get in on this. Which she does, because Veronica is frankly too good for this movie, and once she drops the mean girl act becomes one of my favourite characters.
My favourite part of this whole train-wreck was the relationship between Sierra and Veronica, and frankly I would be a lot happier if they'd just ignored any romance by the end and focussed on this strong and powerful friendship that develops between the most unlikely of girls. It's wonderful to watch, truly, and it's the only thing that really salvages this movie. (That and shirtless Noah Centineo, because I am not made of stone.)

Thus begins a truly, truly awful plan. Which involves Sierra messaging Veronica answers to sexynotsexy!Jamey's questions whilst Veronica and Jamey are out on a date WHICH MAKES NO SENSE AND IS SO UNSUBTLY DONE HOW DOES HE NOT NOTICE. He then goes in for a kiss with Veronica (although why he's not running for the hills by now is a question for the ages) only she insists he closes his eyes and instead swaps out with Sierra so she can have her first kiss with him.

Wait.

I'm sorry.

WHAT?????

The consent issues alone with this are enough to make me get shouty. (If you can't see the issues with it, then gender swap that situation around and it becomes blindingly obvious how problematic it is.) And they thought this was a good, sweet, romantic idea for a film?...

Then we have a truly horrifically done scene where Sierra pretends to be deaf so she can't speak with sexynotsexy!Jamey so he won't recognise her voice, only the punchline here is meant to be that Jamey's little brother is actually deaf so he does in fact understand sign language.

Just going to give that one a minute to sink in.

Who signed off on this film and didn't think that might not be the best idea?...
Particularly once you add in the transphobic and homophobic comments that are thrown in as punchlines and miss the mark so badly that it boggles the mind.
It's a script that just is so tonally deaf to everything that has been going on around it in the world, and yet still thinks it's so funny and clever. It's not, really it's not.

Then we get to the punchline, I mean climax, of the film. Sierra sees Veronica kissing Jamey. Gasp.
Let's unpack that one for a minute.
First of all, Veronica has (admittedly agreed to it, but still) been trapped into this fake relationship with a guy that she is now admitting is a little bit sexier than first given credit for, but she's pretending to be the Veronica that Sierra has been. Her consent really is questionable at this point. Her being kissed by Jamey to keep up the charade for Sierra is squicky, sure, but she is trying to be a good friend here, and she stops the kiss almost as soon as it starts. Sierra going off on one about this when this entire situation is her fault, makes me pull this face.

Then, in her brilliant clever-student level headedness (seriously, we keep being told she's an amazing student, but I have seen no evidence of this with her terrible decision making over the last hour) Sierra hacks into Veronica's Instagram account and posts a really intimate picture of Veronica and a guy she has spent the film liking, with a screenshot of him dumping her over DM. This is then sent as an alert to all the other students, and one bright spark decides to project it up on the big screen at the soccer game for maximum lols. And by lols I mean petty, hideous revenge.

Why does she do this? Oh, because Veronica is a mean girl who deserves it.

I don't really have any words to actually express my feelings about this. We're meant to empathise with Sierra, hell we're meant to like Sierra and root for her throughout the film, but mostly I just want to throw things at her and shout at her for being a monumental jerk.

It all comes out, Jamey discovers what's been going on, excrement hits fans, and Sierra is left crying alone in her room. I think we're meant to feel sorry for her at this point, but frankly I think Veronica and Jamey deserve more sympathy and their own upset piano playing montage.

Sierra then experiences mild shunning from Veronica, Jamey, and best friend Dan. She writes a song about how hard it is not being conventionally beautiful. She sends said song to Veronica, she patches things up with Dan  ignores all the problems and somehow Dan and her are magically friends again. Sierra is tragically sad but she will survive.

Then Veronica goes to Jamey and plays him Sierra's sad song (admittedly it is a very nice song, but I'm still grumpy right now) because apparently a sad song about why life is so tough for Sierra, and how much she loves Jamey is enough to make Veronica forgive Sierra for the awful things she did. And suddenly Jamey is all OH I DO LIKE YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE LITERALLY THE WORST AND LIED ALL THE LOTS LET'S GO TO HOMECOMING.
And Veronica and Sierra forgive through the magical form of not communicating and just hugging, THE END.

I mean, really, there is so much wrong with that. We're shown that a smart, intelligent, funny girl goes absolutely googly over this sexynotsexy! guy, loses all rational thought, lies to him, manipulates him and her new found friend, turns into an irrational crazed person, takes away his consent over their first kiss, publicly slut shames her friend, and then IT'S ALL OK AND SHE GETS THE GUY ANYWAY WITH NO REPERCUSSIONS.

WHAT WAS THIS FILM ATTEMPTING TO SHOW US?! CATFISHING AND LYING HELPS YOU GET THE GUY YOU LOVE?!

So, uh, yeah. Feelings, lots of them. Not good feelings. Frankly I want a do-over which just focuses on the glorious friendship between Veronica and Sierra. That's all I want, just that.

Do I regret watching this film? Yes. Would I recommend it? Well, there are elements that were enjoyable, and I think if you're aware of how problematic it is going in then you're less likely to combust from rage, but this film is a really terrifying look at how not self aware some portions of the film making industry are. Seriously guys, go take a long hard look in the mirror, because if this is what passes for romance and how to get that sexynotsexy! guy of your dreams, we have got a lot of problems...

Film Review: King of Thieves

This week I was able to get preview tickets to see the latest heist film, "King of Thieves", based on the true story of the Hatton Gardens Heist. The trailers had me thinking this would be a whip smart, darkly comic film with a truly glorious cast. Instead I was mostly bored.

Bored enough to contemplate walking out part way through, which hasn't happened in a film for some time. How then, with such a brilliantly seasoned cast and intriguing subject material, did the film I watched fall so incredibly flat?
Two reasons, terrible characters and a weak narrative.

Perhaps the narrative fails due to it still being a story that's fresh in peoples minds. Most UK cinema goers will enter this film knowing what's going to happen, and with the ending a foregone conclusion you need to make the rest of the narrative work hard to keep the interest. Instead it's a script that has been mostly botched together from transcripts and an article that first appeared in the Guardian. The events are still too recent (particularly for those who suffered from the heist), and the film is too afraid of glamourising the theft, so shies away from making the characters relatable, or allowing it to actually be funny. Too often the humour isn't utilised and it instead feels awkward and forced.

The film makers appear in their desperation to not embrace the full scope of the heist - (because when it's a real life story heaven forbid you glamourise it, yet when it's something like the Ocean's films it's made out to be the coolest thing ever) to have swung too far the other way into boredom and sloppy storytelling. Yet they are still already facing criticism in articles popping up saying they've made the perpetrators too cool, and that it's far too soon to be making a hollywood film about it. Whilst I don't agree with the former statement, the latter is definitely true. By rushing this film out, barely four years after the events, they've botched any ability to tell a good and compelling story without raising uproar. 

Surely even a poor script can be saved by a stellar cast though? Not so here, where almost every character is so unlikable it's impressive. There's no one to root for, no one to sympathise with. Instead I was left feeling frustrated and disgusted as these rude and staggeringly incompetent men backstab and slag each other off. I wanted to be swept up in the story, I wanted to enjoy it, yet the only character who creates any sort of interest for the audience is the mostly fictionalised Basil, (Charlie Cox) who is a real part of the heist, but whose character has been created because no one knows anything beyond his role in the heist and the fact that he got away.

This film isn't helped by its release coinciding with "American Animals" another real life crime story that's in cinemas shortly, and has been tackled incredibly well. If you want excellent storytelling and a truly brilliant piece of film making go and see that, and don't waste your time and money on the scraps that have been stitched together to create "King of Thieves."

Top 10 Book To Movie Adaptations I Need/Can't Wait to See

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at 'The Broke & The Bookish' - to join in simply follow the link!

This week it is all about the book to film adaptations. I'm always eager to see what an adaptation has done with a book, how faithful they've been, what they've changed, and to see a story I love in a whole new medium. So here are my top ten nine films (and one TV show...) that I cannot wait to get some popcorn and settle down to watch.


Mockingjay Part II
Mockingjay was an interesting book and I wasn't sure how it would translate to screen. I know Part I divided a lot of opinions, but I actually really loved it. In fact I think it might be my favourite of the films. So Part II has some big shoes to fill but I have very high hopes. Each film has steadily improved upon the previous and I am so excited (and you know, quietly devastated) to see the final part on screen.


The Book Thief
I can't quite believe I haven't seen this yet, but it is sat on my to watch pile staring at me...

Paper Towns
It didn't come out in France for ages, and then once it did it was nigh on impossible to find a showing we could actually go to that was in English, so I missed this one in the cinema despite my best efforts. I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars and the trailer looked really good for Paper Towns, so despite not really enjoying the book I'm very much looking forward to watching the film.

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies
This film feels like it's been in production forever. It has been years since I first saw articles about casting, and yet now finally, finally it is almost here. The teaser trailer followed by the full trailer have me giddy with excitement, this one looks like it's going to be a blast.


Frankenstein
Another one that feels like it's been in production forever, I have been desperate for this film for years. The combination of a slightly irreverent adaptation of Frankenstein, plus James MacAvoy, plus Daniel Radcliffe is basically just a big fat yes. I am so excited for this, I cannot wait to finally see it after all this time.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
So not technically a book to film adaptation, but it's kinda in the same category, and oh boy am I excited for this one. Anything Potter is a big yes please and with every tidbit of news and casting my excitement gains momentum. I'm going to be a gibbering wreck of excitement by the time I sit down to watch this in the cinema.


Allegiant
So my thoughts on the final Divergent book are complicated. I've really enjoyed the films so far despite all the changes, so I'm quite curious to see how they handle the final book. I'm frustrated they've gone the route of chopping it into two parts because really, did it need that? But given the title change for the very last film I'm quite curious to see what plot changes occur to separate it from the book.


All the Game of Thrones
Alright, okay, technically this is a TV show, you're right, you caught me. BUT the complexity and depth of each hour episode means that they are basically mini movies... So that's my justification. Basically Game of Thrones is like crack to me. It took me a while to warm up to this series but now I am full on addicted. In this house we quote it, we binge watch all the seasons in one go, we have tshirts and funkopops. Our obsession knows no bounds and I don't think we've even peaked yet... Basically, Game of Thrones is IT in our household, the big one, the motherload, and we are unbelievably excited for the next season. Give it to me, give it allllll to me.

The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials
Haven't read the books yet either and I really need to... Trailers for both films have caught my interest and I'm really looking forward to watching them, it's just a matter of finding the time to sit down and watch them now.

The Queen of the Tearling
The very first thing I heard about this book, was that it was being made into a film and it had Emma Watson attached. Before I'd read it or even seen a cover that was what the internet was abuzz with first. I was intrigued, but now having read the book (and its sequel) I am now even more curious to see this turned into a movie than ever. I'm still conflicted over how I feel about the second book, but the first one was a favourite, one I love coming back to and I would love to see this on the big screen.

So there you have my top ten. Have you seen any of these and think I should get onto them asap or knock them off and not bother? Are there any that you cannot wait to see either? Let me know in the comments below and link me to your own Top Ten Lists!

Top Ten Books I Would Love to see as Movies/TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful folks over at The Broke and the Bookish

We are currently experiencing a few incredibly good adaptations of books onto the screen - Outlander and Game of Thrones I am looking at you guys. So if we could continue with some more fantastic ones that would make me exceedingly happy, and if they could be ones from this list I would be even happier...


The Lady Julia Series by Deanna Raybourn
This one has actually been optioned by a UK TV company. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will get made, but I have everything crossed that it will because Lady Julia deserves to be seen by more people. I'm happy with either TV show or movie, just so long as they do Julia and Brisbane justice.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Another one that has been optioned, this time for a movie. Again, nerve wracking period where we don't know if it will go ahead or not, but I would give pretty much anything to see The Scorpio Races DONE RIGHT on the big screen. It is such an incredible book and I think it would lend itself really really well to a visual format. Plus, Tom Hiddleston has to be George Holly and Charles Dance has to be Benjamin Malvern. That is all.


The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
OH THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE A MOVIE. I think this may in fact be another one that has been optioned, really who's surprised by this, it would be EPIC. This is just such a stunning and incredible book and I WANT TO SEE IT MORE.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Another one that has been optioned and latest news is that it has been picked up by Starz (they who are currently doing awesome things with Outlander) AND I AM FULL OF GLEE, because I trust Starz a lot and I think they will do amazing things with this book. AND BOY THIS BOOK. It is just incredible and so unlike anything else I have read and I really want to see it done justice.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Think about it for a minute. THINK ABOUT THE GLORIOUSNESS THAT WOULD BE THIS. Seriously, this series would be incredible on the screen. I don't know if I want a tv series or film, mostly because films tend to get butchered and tv series get done right. If it could be done well then film, otherwise gimme all the tv episodes!


Heist Society by Ally Carter
This book as a film would be utterly brilliant. A bunch of teenage heist pullers and con-men who are sneaky, sassy and intelligent? I want it. I want it now. This book is fantastic and it would translate so brilliantly to the big screen. Why has it not already happened?


Graceling, Fire & Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
I want films, but they have to be done right or not at all. These are three of the books I am most protective of (along with Scorpio Races and Night Circus) and I am so desperate for films of them but also terrified of them being done wrong. Done right these would be glorious though. Brilliant characters, fantastic worlds and beautifully crafted plots, these could be extraordinary.


The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray
These are such a fantastic series, and something so different to anything else we're seeing on screen at the moment. The books are populated with magic, incredible characters and a twisting and heart-breakingly wonderful plot. Movies or tv, I think either would work for this one, and it would be breathtaking to see it finally brought to life beyond the book.


The Scarlet Trilogy by A. C. Gaughen
I adore Scarlet and her Robin, Much and Little John. I want more time in their world, so much more time, and a tv series would be the perfect way to do it. She is such a brilliant heroine, a determined fighter and the world is so brilliantly crafted and filled with such wonderfully real characters. This series deserves to have a tv series so more people are able to see how good it is and discover the books.


The Curse Workers Trilogy by Holly Black
This series would make an incredible tv show. Magic is real, but controlled by the mob, illegal on the whole and it has actual consequences instead of people just casting spells left and right. This would translate insanely well to tv and I am surprised no one has jumped on it already.

So those are my top ten books that I am desperate to see turned into movies and tv shows. Are any of these ones that you would trade pieces of your soul on screen? Or have I missed some out? Comment below and send me links to your top ten lists!