[Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Indie Movies]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup hosted by The Broke And The Bookish!

There is one thing I love as much as a good book and that's a good Indie Film! I'm a sucker for an offbeat, none traditional movie. Give me funny dialogue, trippy effects, odd camera angles, strange yet delightful pacing and characters that are as weird as the movies they are in and one happy camper! I know that Indie movies aren't for everybody, but these are amazing films. So, if you're looking for a Indie flick to dive into, here are 10 that I highly recommend. Also I ended up cheating and there are 13 movies on this list...oops!
(Click on the movie title to see the trailer!!!)

"Paradise"

After surviving a plane crash a young conservative woman suffers a crisis of faith.

(via IMDB)

"Syrup"

A slacker hatches a million-dollar idea. But, in order to see it through, he has to learn to trust his attractive corporate counterpart. Based on Max Barry's novel.

(via IMDB)

"Girl Most Likely"

A failed New York playwright awkwardly navigates the transition from Next Big Thing to Last Year's News.

(via IMDB)

"Begin Again"

A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.

(via IMDB)

"Barefoot"

The "black sheep" son of a wealthy family meets a young psychiatric patient who's been raised in isolation her entire life. He takes the naive young woman home for his brother's wedding.

(via IMDB)

 "Safety Not Guaranteed"

Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.

(via IMDB)

"The Pretty One"

A tragedy presents Laurel with the chance to reinvent herself as her idolized twin sister, Audrey. As she eases into the life she has always wanted, she must decide between continuing the lie or revealing herself as the perfect fraud.

(via IMDB)

"The To Do List"

Feeling pressured to become more sexually experienced before she goes to college, Brandy Klark makes a list of things to accomplish before hitting campus in the fall.

(via IMDB)

"Malice in Wonderland"

A modern take on the classic fairytale, Alice in Wonderland, set in the North East of England.

(via IMDB)

"Starter for 10"

Set in 1985, working-class student Brian Jackson (McAvoy) navigates his first year at Bristol University.

(via IMDB)

"Wristcutters: A Love Story"

A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.

(via IMDB)

"The Brothers Bloom"

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

(via IMDB)

"Saved"

When a girl attending a Christian high school becomes pregnant, she finds herself ostracized and demonized, as all of her former friends turn on her.

(via IMDB)

So, the IMDB decribtions are lacking, but I feel like some of these movies are better if you go into them knowing as little as possible. And if you're really that curious, there are always movie trailers! Have fun and happy watching.

P.S. let me know if you've seen any of these?

Well there's my list!  What's on yours?  I wanna know.  Leave your link below or tell me in the comments! 

[Top Ten Tuesday: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Books To Movies]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup hosted by The Broke And The Bookish!

This week we were asked to talk about our books that have been turned into movies!  I love book movies, but I feel like a lot of them don't hold up, that is unless I didn't really like the book to begin with.  So many of the movies on my lists are favorites of mine, but I didn't actually care for the book.  Though a few of them make the exception.  And then on the flip side, sometimes I really liked a book, was extremely excited for the movie and then got pissed off after I saw it.  And so here are my lists!

P.S. all of the titles link to the flim's IMDB page.

The Good (I loved the book and the movie!)

"Warm Bodies"

     This movie blew my mind.  I mean it's a zombie love story!  I loved everything about it.  It's full of classic zombie movie gore, but also a ton of humor and heart.  I read the book after I took myself to see the movie and I loved it just as much.  They are primarily similar, but the book definitely has a darker edge to it.  I highly recommend both!

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"

     I can't remember if I saw the movie or read the book first, but I'll tell you one thing I love both.  I think this was one of my first contemporary books that I read that I really liked.  The travel and sexy Greek man might have something to do with my love of both the film and the book.  Maybe?

"The Importance of Being Earnest"

     Oscar Wilde is one of my literary heroes.  I know for a fact that I saw this movie first and that is what caused me to fall in love with his plays and writing.  I was the teenager carrying around falling apart books of plays and laughing my head off as I read them.  I'm actually a fan of all of his plays turned films!

"Stardust"

     Can I tell you how much I love Neil Gaiman as an author?!  He's seriously one of my favorites.  I have to admit that Stardust wasn't my favorite book of his, but I still enjoyed it.  The movie, however is one of my favorites!  I'm a total sucker for movies like this.  Willow, The Princess Bride and Labyrinth have been constant favorites, and this film reminds me of those! 

"Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen"

     This book was one of my favorites when I was younger!  The film wasn't that great, but I remember really liking it when it came out.  It's just good fun.

The Bad (movies I hated born from books I loved)

"Ella Enchanted"

     How did they miss the mark on this one?  The casting was perfect, the story was pretty much the same and yet it just didn't work.  This was the book that I clung to when I was younger, so when I went to see the film and it didn't live up to the book, it crushed my soul.  Yes this movie was a soul crusher!

"The Host"

     Once again, what happened here?  This is such a cool book with so much awesome imagery and character conflict, but when it hit the stage I wanted to hide in hole just like all of the characters in the film.  I really wanted to like this one, and parts were cool, but not enough of it.  While were at it let's just add all the Twilight films to this too.  I guess Stephanie's books just shouldn't be put on the screen, but it's too late now.

The Ugly (movies I love that came from books I can't stand)

"Emma"

     I feel like people are going to throw things when I say this, but I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan.  I think that all of her books make way better movies that books.  Her wit and charm shines through on the screen better than on the written page.  In my opinion at least.  Which makes me fully appreciate what she's done even if I don't like to read, but rather watch her stories.  Emma is one of my favorites, but I like all of them!

"The Princess Diaries"

     Gah, I love this movie so much!  So many good things came out of this flick.  Finding actors and musicians that I would respect for years and finding a story that I connected with in my teen years.  Seriously Mia was my homegirl and I adored her story.  Then I read the first book and DNFed it.  Thank you Disney for making a movie that I loved/love so much out of something that I couldn't stand!

"A Walk To Remember"

     I can't stand Nicholas Spark's books.  They are all the same and I don't get it.  I did love this movie to pieces though.  It's so sad and I love me some Mandy Moore in it.  I guess I liked odd duck characters in high school, but who doesn't?

*Honorable mentions of book and movies that I love.  "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", "Little Woman", "Gone With The Wind" and "Coraline".

Well there's my list!  What's on yours?  I wanna know.  Leave your link below or tell me in the comments!

[The Host: A Film Review]

--------------------------------------------------------------

Movie Summary (via IMDB)

When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

--------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

So, lets talk about The Host.  Some people seem to be loving it and some people seem to be hating it.  I had to go and see what my thoughts would be and to be honest, I fall somewhere in the middle!  It was a movie that I enjoyed, but because I have read and really liked the book, it also seemed super corny at times.

The visuals, the costuming and for the most part the casting were all interesting.  It was a beautiful film and the sets and grime of the characters every day life was displayed brilliantly.  And the score and soundtrack were amazing as well!  I thought the actors did what they could with what they were given.  

My issue with the film, despite all of the good things it had going for it was the story that the movie world decided to tell.  I haven't read the book in years so I'm not 100% sure on everything that happened in the book, but I remember not questioning much of the story while reading.  The movie on the other hand had some of the people I went and saw it with asking why people where doing certain things.  The parts and changes they used to tell the story actually hindered it.

For some reason Stephanie Meyer's books just don't translate well onto film.  Though I do have to say that The Host was better than any of the Twilight movies.  I think the main reason for the is that the movie makers want you (the person who has already read the book) to feel all of emotion that you feel while reading.  But they keep missing the mark.  The focus on all of these deep moments and close up acting to pull you into the emotion instead of telling the story.  The are focusing on the wrong things.  If they stuck to telling the story in all of it's former goodness and didn't force you to watch people experiencing the emotions of feeling all the things it wouldn't be so awkward.  I say stick to the story and let the actions and plot line make people feel all the feels.

But the movie wasn't bad in the least.  It kinda has that 80s adventure movie feel behind it!  And I have to admit that Jake Abel was wonderful as Ian.  Ok, Max Irons was pretty to look at too, even though I'm much more of an Ian girl.  So, give the movie a shot, but just know that it's not the most glorious movie that you've ever seen.  

Rating:

    3 Unicorns = I liked it a lot but it had it's issues!

[Warm Bodies: A Film Review]

--------------------------
Movie Summary (via IMDB)

After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
--------------------------

My Review:

I took myself to see "Warm Bodies" on Superbowl Sunday.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  Other then a whole bunch of women being there, with no males in sight.  I had heard good things, but ever since the "Twilight" films YA film to movie adaptations tend to freak me out.  I have to be honest and tell you that I have seen all the "Twilight" films, but I've never been a fan of them.

So, I was happily surprised when I came out of the movie theater with a HUGE smile on my face.  I was blown away by the movie.  I haven't read the book yet, but I'm hunting it down as you read this.

Seriously, the script of this film was so impressive.  From the opening credits to the very last seconds of the film.  It was funny, it was snarky, it was emotional or emotionless as it were, it was gory, it was dark, it was twisted and the most impressive thing was that it was intensely self aware.  How do you pull off a self aware zombie movie?  Make your main character self aware, or at least more self aware than all the rest of the zombies that surround him.

It was the indie feel to Warm Bodies that wrapped you up in what was happening, without being flashy, which added to it's flow and awesomeness.  The filming technique, the color contrast and the music were all perfect.  Who doesn't love a hunky looking zombie fellow who also listens to classic vinyl because it makes him feel more "alive"?!  (For a track listing head over to my Music Blog)  While I'm on the subject the casting was awesome.  Nicholas Hoult as R (our zombie fellow) and Teresa Palmer as Julie had the most perfect, awkward chemistry.  Though both have been in a few larger films, this is the one that stands out to me as some of their best performances.

The supporting cast was awesome too.  With Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corrdry, Dave Franco and John Malkovich rounding out the cast.

The thing is that this movie surprised me.  It wasn't until a point near the end when it dawned on me that this is a twisted retelling of a classic piece of literature.  If you look at the leads names you might get it before I did?  Guess I should try to look into things before I see them?  Or maybe I like going in with no more info that "it's based on a YA novel"?

In a way I'm really glad that I haven't read the book yet (still hunting for it).  I got to fall in love with the film first, having nothing to compare it to.  Who knows if I would feel the same way if I had read it first?  Guess I'll have to let you know after I get my hands on a copy.

Straight up I'll tell you (just like Paula Abdul) if I were going to write a zombie movie, it would basically be this one.  So, I guess that means I can go ahead and scratch "write a zombie movie" off my list and just makes people watch this instead.

So, have you seen "Warm Bodies"?  What did you think about it?  Let's talk!

Rating: