Blog Luv Fest: Top Romantic Movies

Over at book-a-rama, Chris is having a Luv Fest to lead up to Valentine's Day.  What's this mean exactly?  Well it means we all get to expound upon that mysterious, delirious feeling...love. 

Today's Post is about my favorite Romantic Movies!

Simply Irresistible

I admit, this is a pretty corny movie and Sarah's hair is pretty horrible throughout most of it.  But there's a catchy sort of flair to it--I mean Sean Patrick Flanery is kind of manic, but its oddly romantic.  She makes these eclairs I'd die for and there's a crab of magic.  Not joking.

Ever After

This is not only one of the most romantic films, its also one of the best adaptations of Cinderella I've seen (other then the David Warner one, that I can't find again...).  I loved the inclusion of Leonardo Da Vinci and well he seduces her by taking her to a library.  How can you not love that?

Down With Love

Despite the name, this romantic comedy--a parody of the Doris Day rom-coms of the 60's--is a hilarious look at love and how it makes fools of us.  Also this picture of Ewan MacGregor shirtless makes me drool.

My Six Loves

An actual 60's comedy, I saw this one day when I was ill and loved it for some reason.  Its really nothing like what I usually watch.  Debbie Reynolds is a famous Broadway actress that falls in love with six orphaned children.  Which of course leads to true love.

Legally Blonde

Sooo totally a romantic comedy.  This is just cute.  Plain and simple.  It made me love Reese Witherspoon.  And Luke Wilson.  I didn't even mind all the pink!

The Princess Bride

I'll tell you right now, I've gone to war over this movie more than once.  Its practically perfect in every way (Except one, no shirtless Wesley...::sigh::).  I dare you to find me a reason its not.  I *dare* you.  Incidentally its one of the only movies I own in more than one edition (I own the original DVD edition, the Dread Pirate Roberts edition, The Buttercup edition and the 25th Anniversary Edition).

10 Things I Hate About You

Yes this is mindless entertainment.  That's how I like my love stories okay?  But other than being one of my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, it made me love Julia Stiles, and for that it has my eternal regard.

Romancing the Stone

This is like a romance novel come to life XD  Seriously, I think that's part of the reason it was made and why the main character, Joan Wilder, writes romance novels. 

The Matchmaker

Honestly I don't know why I love this film.  I watch it all the time though, one of the first DVD's I bought and yeah.  Maybe 'cause its set in Ireland?  Heck I'm not even a Janeane Garofalo fan!

So...yeah my English-speaking romantic movies tend to be mindless fluff...but then fictional love is one of the few things I'll never show cynicism over. 

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? [20]

It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week. Feel free to pile on a little extra.

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My thanks to J. Kaye!!

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I have these books waiting on me with a fierceness:

Pure Tempation by Connie Mason (Night Owl)

Books I began last week:

Quantum Gravity Book 2: Selling Out by Justina Robson (Night Owl)
Star Trek: The Lives of Dax anthology

Finished last week:

For Blog:

Star Trek DS9: Prophecy and Change anthology (review)
The Inheritance Trilogy Book 1: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (review)

For Aurora:

Bayern Book 1: Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

For Romance Readers at Heart:

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale (review)
Tales of an Extraordinary Girl Book 2: Twice as Hot by Gena Showalter (review)

For Night Owl Romance:

Quantum Gravity Book 1: Keeping it Real by Justina Robson (review)

For Blog With Bite:

None

For Royal Reviews:

None

For BSCreview:
None

Discussion Post: And Then There Were None

As part of the Flashback Challenge I'm re-reading several books that I read while I was in school.  Typically I didn't enjoy the books chosen for Summer Reading for my English classes.  I can think of many I read because I had to and never want to go near again (The Scarlet Letter or The Pigman for instance).  The handful that I enjoyed I enjoyed a lot.

Of that handful And Then There Were None was probably the very favorite.  I grew up with Agatha Christie--my paternal Grandmother adored her mysteries, my father loved a bunch of the films and my Uncle loved Hercule Poirot.  Despite this I had never read a Christie before 11th grade.  The task seemed slightly daunting in fact.

Then my 11th Grade English teacher (Mr. Bunce), who I adored as a teacher, assigned that book and I was left kind wondering if I dared to go near it.  Mr. Bunce did things differently, he told us flat out that we could watch the movie version (or versions) instead of reading the book, but on the first day of English class we would get a pop quiz.  If those of us who watched the movie instead of reading the book got a perfect 100--everybody got A's.  If not, we had to read the book.

I read the book, because I couldn't not after being told I didn't have to, but my dad said we should see the movies too.  We saw 3 different versions: the 1945 version, the 1965 version and the 1989 version.  You know what all three had in common--aside from the story and various character traits?  The ending.  Ever since the 1943 stage production of the novel (published in 1939 originally) every single movie has followed the same ending.  Except its completely opposite of the book ending!

My father, who had never read the book only seen the movies, didn't even know this. So when the movie ending played I turned to him and asked "But that's not how the book goes!" and my dad said "Artistic license is sometimes used..." to which I added, "But the ending is completely, 100% DIFFERENT."  We didn't know back then that Christie had changed the ending int he stage production, or that all the movies followed that ending, not the book ending, because it made for better relating with the audience.

So here comes the first day of English class and Mr. Bunce hands us the Quiz.  The only question on it is: Who lived at the end of the story?  As you can guess those who watched the movies said one thing, those who read the book said another.  The numbers were evenly split also, but Mr. Bunce told those who watched the movie to read the book and find out the truth. 

So here are my questions to you:

1. Have you read the book?
2. Seen any version of the novel (movie, tv theatre)?
3. Which ending do you prefer?
4. What do you think of the various titles? ( And Then There Were None, Ten Little Indians and the original title: Ten Little Niggers)
   
5. If you are a Christie fan--does it stand up next to Hercule Poirot and Marple?  

Please be aware that spoilers may be in comments!