Thoughts on “Stardust”

Okay “Stardust” FINALLY came out in the UK this week – a film I have been extremely anxious to see due to my love of the source material on which it is based. I’ve always been a big fan of Gaiman’s work, and his original novel “Stardust” was no exception – I just fell in love it, an epic fairytale that quickly became one of my favourite books. And so when I found out a film adaptation was on the way that actually had Gaiman’s blessing (with Gaiman even involved with production) I was very intruiged. Could it possibly do one of my favourite books justice?

Review: “Adaptation”

Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze up the ante with “Adaptation” a bonkers self-referential splurge on writers’ block and orchids (as a metaphor for passion).

Kaufman includes himself as a character in this script, and his portrayal is everything a screenwriter should be: self-deprecating, overweight and hopelessly timid. His character is wonderfully offset by a fictitious identical twin brother, an equal parts loveable and infuriating character who typifies the awful amateur screenwriter, with banal, idiotic and overused ideas, who to top it all off is excepted in to the industry by blind luck. Both characters are brought to life by Nicolas Cage who, while I generaly dislike, shows his ability as a half-decent actor during some of the more tender scenes between the two characters.

Upcoming Films: “Beowulf”

The upcoming adaptation of “Beowulf” is easily my most anticipated film of the moment. For a start it is about time this story had a decent adaptation, a major feature production that ISN’T rubbish. Decent adaptations of the classic Old English saga have been very thin on the ground – the only one I remember enjoying was the “Animated Epics: Beowulf” version for TV. But it was a TV short, not a feature. Beowulf is dark, epic fantasy before fantasy even existed, and it has heaps of potential to be an all round awesome feature film (potential that has not yet been realised). It also looks like they are including the third act of the story, a section that has been frequently omitted from past adaptations, which is great, as cutting it out is like cutting out the last book of “Lord of the Rings”.