The Mirror's Distortion

This blog is getting to be more and more about movies and less about books lately. But I will chalk this one up to the book first and foremost.

As some of you might know, Tim Burton has some upcoming projects. I am not going to direct my attention to 9 or Frankenweenie.
No, my attention was immediately drawn to his other project.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass has always been one of my favourite books. The story is creepy, over the top and the visual style of the writing is integrated in the book.
All this makes me grin like an idiot every time I read it.
And now Burton is going to let loose his own style on said world. Judging by the first screen shots this can only end well. So for it has this vibe of being somewhere in between the old Disney version and American McGee's Alice, which can only be a good thing.
Next to that, the cast is absolutely salivating, even more so than the 1999 mini series, which was already stacked with excellent celebrities.
No Burton is fully complete without Johnny Depp and his partner Helena Bonham Carter, or the musical accompanyment of Danny Elfman, all of which will be present.
But it is the rest of the cast which had me jumping for joy.
Largely unknown actress Mia Wasikowska will play Alice, which, judging by the picture, suits her just fine. But then we get the supporting cast: Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar, Christopher Lee as the Jabberwock, Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit, Matt Lucas as Tweedledum/-dee and the ever charismatic Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat. Now if only we could have Alan Davies as a card soldier trying to chase him.
This all proves to be a very, very, very interesting spring season for 2010.

On the same page, Frank Beddor's final part of the Looking Glass Wars has finally been announced. ArchEnemy will be released on October 15th, and with a bit of luck it will be available here as well on that date. If you have not read LGW (or of course, the novel that spawned it all), please give this Star Wars in Wonderland a go.

The Brothers Bloom

After reading the synopsis for the movie, I was convinced that it would be enjoyable.
And it was, but not as I imagined it to be at first. I envisioned it to be a 'long con' movie akin to the BBC's Hustle, but I could not have been further from it. Although I must admit that the roguish charm of it all did seem particularly in place.
The story starts off with a look at the youth of Stephen and Bloom Bloom. Through manipulation, misdirection and sheer ingenuity Stephen directs his 'marks' to do anything he wishes to. This sets the stage for the even grander adventures of the brothers, once again narrated in between, to eventually lead to the main plot of the movie. (As for myself, I would not have been adverse to additional segues into their childhood)
Their 'mark' is Penelope Stamp, an eccentric rich girl. Their goal 3.5 million dollars.Aided in this endeavour by Stephens knack for taleweaving, Blooms charm and their associate Bang Bang's explosive knowledge, the success of the con is but a car crash away.
An ocean cruiser, scarred mentors, mysterious Europeans.And all this served with a scoop of 1930s flair, the best magic trick ever and a dash of surrealism.

If you enjoy con jobs, Pushing Daisies, Hustle or that 1930s feel, you should definitely go watch it.
Definitely one that will end up on my DVD shelf.

Burning Grudges Behind Me

Time for some more bona fide books to talk about.

Ju-On - Kei Ohishi
If the movie had been only half as enjoyable as this book, then I might have actually recommended it to others to watch. The story jumps narrative perspective from protagonist to protagonist, coloring it with their opinions, observations and most of all, letting the supernatural get to you whilst wishing that history would not repeat itself.

Missing 2 - Gakuto Coda
Part 2 of the Missing series starts off where the last one ended. No nasty introductions this time, which leaves more pages for the actual story. Apparently chain mail letters can be deadly. And if Kidono does not counteract the curse soon, she just might be its next victim.
Nice to whet your appetite for a real book, but not much of a promising read of itself.

Currently, I am being preoccupied with Sergei Lukyanenko's Twilight Watch, the last book in the original trilogy. Maybe, just maybe, that giant pile of books is finally starting to shrink a little.

Silver Screen Folios

As I mentioned earlier, some books do make it to the big screen. Albeit that some come out of this transition less mangled than others.
So without further ado

Coraline
Stop-motion animation is a huge hit with me, ever since I first saw the trailer for The Nightmare Before Christmas. And even if Burton's directing is not present in this film, it still amazes from the very first frame until the last credit rolls by. Neil Gaiman's book has been adapted quite truthfully, with the obvious addition of certain scenes that show you the splendor of the world beyond the door. (as a picture, truly does speak a thousand words here)
The only thing I really did miss was the char coal drawing of the house, which was replaced with some very nice white-outing.