Books and Movies, Movies and Books

So I go everyday and look at Popwatch (the Entertainment Weekly blog about popular culture) and lo and behold, it turns out The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is being made into a movie (get more info here http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/10/30/first-look-diary-wimpy-kid/). Everywhere you look, books are being made into movies. In January, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is being made into a movie. Well, more technically, it is being made into a movie right now and it will be released sometime next year.

Sometimes it is awesome to see a book made into a move - I loved loved loved The Vampire's Assistant movie that I saw last Saturday (2 thumbs up I say). I did not, however, love love love Twilight. In fact, I kind of thought that Kristen Stewart and, dare I say it, Robert Pattison were not that great of actors. First off (please don't stone me) - I think Edward should be way hotter. Seriously. I will, of course, be going to see New Moon and hoping that somehow they have improved in their abilities. But I probably won't be holding my breath. I don't look good in blue.

But back to the Vampire's Assistant - maybe it helped that I hadn't really read the books (gasp, it is true - I have read every vampire book in our teen collection EXCEPT for this series). Anyhow, because I hadn't read them, I had no pre-conceived notions of what I expected. However, having seen the movie, I really want to go back and read the books and see what they are like. The movie is a lot of fun. The actor playing Cresley was PERFECTLY cast (unlike Bella and Edward, cough cough). And in a brilliant meta moment, the first scene in the movie is a bucket of popcorn - thus you know what you are in for, a fun, campy, popcorn movie. And it did not disappoint. If you asked, I would totally go see it again - but you are going to have to buy the popcorn :)