Ooh, Shiny!

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Final Mockingjay Mood

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Final mood before seeing Mockingjay – Part 2 tonight:

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 – Official TV Spot “Mutts”

Love the sound design for that tv spot!

I’ve been avoiding the reviews, for I just don’t want to be spoiled of any book-to-movie changes. Although there’s one big change I hope against hope will be made: I’d like not so many members of the film crew (especially Finnick) to perish trying to push deeper into the Capitol.

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Some Mockingjay – Part 2 Prep

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Almost time!

TheWrap Mockingjay Pt2 Poster

A roundup of random Hunger Games stuff (but no reviews, so no spoilers) to prepare for the Mockingjay – Part 2 premier:

Image: Mockingjay – Part 2 poster via The Wrap

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Three Mockingjay – Part 2 Trailers

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The Mockingjay – Part 2 premier is approaching! I just finished rereading the novel; now it’s time for rewatching. Here are three trailers:

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer – “We March Together”

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer – “For Prim”

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer – “Welcome To The 76th Hunger Games”

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Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Trailer

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The first Pride & Prejudice & Zombies trailer has been out for a while, and it’s kicking butt bonnet!

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES – Official UK Trailer #1

The movie will be released on February 05, 2016. I’m generally turned off by zombies, but even still, I’ll certainly go see this one. And I’m looking forward to seeing Lily James (whom I know from Downton Abbey) and Lena Heady (Cersei in Game of Thrones) in action. Matt Smith’s Mr. Collins should also be something to see! 🙂

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November 2015: Nordic Book Club in NYC Reads Jääskeläinen

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Scandinavia House in New York City runs a new Nordic book club, and this November’s book is The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Finnish author Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen.

Jaaskelainen Rabbit Back Lit Soc

Novelist and short-story writer Jääskeläinen writes realistic fantasy (to translate his term reaalifantasia). The Rabbit Back Literature Society, published in 2014 in UK and 2015 in US, is Jääskeläinen’s first novel and the first of his works to be translated into English (from the original Lumikko ja yhdeksän muuta, 2006).

Here’s the publisher’s description:

“Only very special people are chosen by children’s author Laura White to join ‘The Society’, an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back.

“Now a tenth member has been selected: Ella, literature teacher and possessor of beautifully curving lips.

“But soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual, ‘The Game’? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura’s winter party, in a whirlwind of snow? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her?

“Slowly, disturbing secrets that had been buried come to light…

“In this chilling, darkly funny novel, the uncanny brushes up against the everyday in the most beguiling and unexpected of ways.”

The only other piece of Jääskeläinen in English at this writing is Where the Trains Turn (orig. Missä junat kääntyvät, 2000), published in November 2014 by Tor.com.

Apart from Finnish SFF, the book club program for this fall contains Danish contemporary fiction and two Swedish crime thrillers. From scandinaviahouse.org:

“Read and discuss Scandinavian literature in translation as part of Nordic Book Club – ASF’s newest literary series. This season’s selections include Swedish crime thrillers, Danish contemporary fiction, and Finnish fantasy. Discussions typically take place the last Tuesday of the month in the Halldór Laxness Library at Scandinavia House and online at scandinaviahouse.org.”

Jääskeläinen’s book will be discussed on November 24, 2015, at 6 pm at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave (Manhattan). The entry is free.

Image: Pushkin Press.

Post edited for style.

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Two Fan-Made Star Wars: Episode VII Videos

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This music-only version of the official The Force Awakens trailer edited by Tim Gonzales is awesome:

The Force Awakens Trailer #3 – Music Only Edit

The soundtrack is very effective – I can actually feel the goosebumps moving along my arms and scalp! Apparently the trailer music is a combination of new composition and previous music; see the write-up by Peter Sciretta at /Film.

And this Han’s flashback video by Nick Skywalk does a fantastic(!!) job cutting in scenes from the original trilogy with the Episode VII trailer:

Han Solo’s Flashback

Eight weeks to go!

Bonus link: There used to be a Playstation video game called Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi, published by LucasArts 1997. Teräskäsi is Finnish and literally means ‘steel hand’. This was news to me, but apparently it’s part – albeit a mostly forgotten part – of the official canon. Yay, Finland! 😉

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“On Second Thought, Let’s Not Go to Camelot”

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In honor of its 40th anniversary, Monty Python and The Holy Grail will be re-released on October 14, 2015. The release will be twofold: an anniversary disc version (DVD & Blu-ray) and a limited, one night only theatrical showing.

Co-director Terry Jones goes on YouTube to introduce some never before seen material gleaned from video archives:

Terry Jones introduces the outtakes – Monty Python & The Holy Grail

From the YouTube info:

“Put together after months of searching through the Python archives, scanning the original negatives and reassembling scenes, this video includes extended versions of ‘Sir Robin and the Three Headed Knight’, ‘Get On With It!’, ‘Old Crone’, ‘Wedding Slaughter’, alternative takes from the ‘Constitutional Peasants’ scene, a shorter take from the ‘Black Knight’ scene and some lost silly bits.”

A nifty tidbit from Jones’s intro: the hip amputee who played the Black Knight with his leg cut off also did the voice work for his lines, and did a pretty good job.

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The Martian Cast & ISS Crew Chat

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File 770 has a nice roundup of ten clips from and about The Martian, ranging from teasers and trailers to interviews and talks. The coolest is perhaps a 20-some minute call between two The Martian actors and two of six members of the International Space Station crew:

Space Station Crew Members Talk to Cast of The Martian

From the ISS, Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren were on the horn; from the movie cast, Sebastian Stan and Mackenzie Davis during a visit they made to Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in September.

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Downton Wars, Episode I and II

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Rob James-Collier certainly knows how to put fun in fundraiser! For his London Marathon fundraiser run, the actor (who played the sly footman Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey) wrote and directed an exclusive Downton Abbey clip to benefit the Chiltern MS Centre. Filmed on his smartphone in between takes, the spoof features other Downton actors and lightsabers!

Downton Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Valet

(“Mmmm, cheese!”)

In the end, James-Collier raised more than £15,000 and created a second episode as a thank you. In this second installment, the whole house gets in a Star Wars mood with even more lightsaber action! The absolute best, though, is when the two venerable old ladies, the Dowager Countess and Mrs. Isobel Crawley, played by Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton, pick up lightsabers!

Downton Wars: Episode 2 – The Evil Butler Strikes Back

(“I would not do that if I were you!”)

Cheers!

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