My Christmas Film Schedule

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Emma

I’ve still got a week or so to go until I’m free from work to enjoy Christmas, but I’m already planning my couch potato time.

The Goonies

goonies“Hey you guys….” One of my favourite films, ever! A gang of misfits, a treasure hunt, Corey Feldman… What’s not to love? I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen this over the years, yet I never tire of it. And to top it all off, we’ve got Cyndi Lauper singing in the background. “It’s good enough. It’s good enough for me. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah….”

I still gasp every time I see the first shot of One Eyed Willie’s pirate ship.

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titanicTitanic

I never mean to sit down for all three hours or so of this film,  but often find it difficult to get off the couch after Christmas dinner and go search for the remote. So the family ends up watching Kate and Leo on their first and last cruise together. Fifteen or so years later, I still enjoy the romance.

But why couldn’t they just take turns on the door instead of Leo freezing his ass off in the Atlantic? They should have asked the guy with the brandy for a sip. Maybe then they’d have both survived and gone on to have beautiful babies. Sigh.

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sound ofThe Sound of Music

This usually airs on St. Stephen’s day mid afternoon when we’re sitting around digesting a feast in my sister’s house. I do like to sing along to the Von Trapp family, and Christopher Plumber is quite a handsome man in this, very fanciable indeed. The Sound of Music is a Christmas treasure.

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english patThe English Patient

For some reason, I ended up watching this practically ever New Year’s Eve night when I was a teenager. Fortunately I get out more now and catch it on a different day. This tragic love affair has reduced me to tears on more than one occasion. I think it must be Ralph Fiennes’ passion for Katharine that pulled me in when I was a young girl.

I know I studied the novel as part of an English course in college, but I can’t really remember the book. Must have a look for my paperback and give it another read.

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etET

A couple of hours spent with Elliott and the ugly little extraterrestrial is time well spent. Is there anyone out there who hasn’t seen this film?

Please tell me the answer is No.

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Christmas Themed Movies:

familyThe Family Stone

I adore the ensemble cast in this one. Rachel McAdams cracks me up with her bratty performance, and I think Sarah Jessica Parker did such a good job in this. You’d never think of Carrie while watching her awkwardly attempt to get through Christmas with her boyfriend’s parents. This film has its sad and cringey moments – the conversation around the dinner table anyone?

But I find their home warm and real, chaotic and all about the family.

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love acLove Actually

Even if you wanted to avoid this one, it’s nearly impossible. It usually airs several times on the UK, Irish and American TV channels I get, so it’s hard to miss. But that’s okay, because I love it.

There are lots of different stories and characters, and I appreciate how it doesn’t shy away from showing how difficult Christmas can be for some people. Did you recognise Rick from The Walking Dead as the guy in love with his best friend’s girl, Keira Knightley?

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all i wantAll I Want for Christmas

Set in New York, Thora Birch is cute as a button and Ethan Embry  (credited in this film as Ethan Randall) is charming as he schemes to get his divorced parents back together on Christmas Eve. Enjoy a singing performance by Lauren Bacall and Leslie Nielson in a cameo as Santa.

A bit on the corny side at times, but I love it.

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What movies will you be watching this Christmas?

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Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Enjoyable, but didn’t capture me like The Mortal Instruments)

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Emma

I fell head over heels in love with The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare as you can tell from my review of City of Bones and the next four books. Many of you recommended her trilogy to me, The Infernal Devices, so I picked up the first book and happily spent most of the past weekend immersed in Victorian England, reading about the Shadowhunters who came before Jace, Clary and the others.

cangelClockwork Angel filled the void left after I finished City of Lost Souls, and lucky me, I managed to drum up the willpower to save Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess for reading over Christmas.

Tessa arrives in rainy England in 1878 after coming all the way from New York to be greeted by two creepy old ladies instead of her older brother as expected. Soon she finds herself their prisoner and tortured daily because of her supernatural ability, a talent Tessa was completely clueless about until the Dark Sisters kidnapped her. Tessa is thrust into the Downworld of vampires, warlocks, Shadowhunters and demons. Tessa is a shapechanger. When she holds a physical item belonging to another, she can transform herself into that person as well as touch their thoughts and sense their feelings. This power makes her the target of the elusive Magister.

Tessa is given shelter in The Institute where she comes to know best friends Will and Jem. Will is very like Jace, cocky, beautiful and  full of self-loathing for some reason we have yet to discover. Jem, to me, seemed to be a mixture of Alec and Simon. He is absolutely loyal to Will but is also kind and compassionate. This wasn’t a typical love triangle. In fact very little romance occurs in this book, something that I did feel was lacking. I was hoping for some raw emotion and sexual tension and didn’t feel it. Maybe Clockwork Prince will sort that out. I enjoyed how Tessa’s views on what was proper for a lady  of her time period were challenged, and at the end, she fought just as bravely as Will and Jem. Even Jessamine, whose main concern in life seems to be with her looks and snagging an ordinary husband who can save her from a life as a shadowhunter, came through when her warrior skills were needed.

I enjoyed Clockwork Angel, but not as much as The Mortal Instruments books. I think the new cast of characters and era took me a little while to get used to, and though I sped through the book, it was only in the last third, I tore through the pages with anticipation. I didn’t feel the same level of excitement reading this as I did Jace, Clary and Simon’s story in modern times, but it’s still a great read. The sooty, dull and rainy landscape of London was particularly well done. I’m looking forward to reading the next two books, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess.

Entertaining and well-written. **** Check it out on Goodreads and Amazon.

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For those of you who have read both series by Cassandra Clare, which do you prefer and why?

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