Once Upon a Time - first preview for Season 2!

I can't find the WORDS to tell you people how excited I am about this...

Looking for love in Storybrooke?

People, this is awesome...

Inspector Lewis continues this Sunday!

Inspector Lewis continues this Sunday on Masterpiece Mystery, and as if I wasn't already excited enough about Lewis and Hathaway on my TV screen, this episode features Toby Stephens! TOBY STEPHENS!!! SQUEEE! :) Here's a bit about the episode:

When a lonely Oxford professor's dating video goes viral, she is humiliated before her students and colleagues. But humiliated enough to take her own life? Lewis thinks not. Watch an all-new Inspector Lewis, Generation of Vipers, Sunday, July 15 at 9pm. Toby Stephens (Jane Eyre) guest stars. (90 minutes)

And here's a short preview:

Watch Inspector Lewis: Generation of Vipers Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Book Giveaway reminder!

Just a reminder that you have through Sunday, July 15, 2012 to enter the drawing for a copy of Glamorous Illusions  by Lisa T. Bergren. Click HERE to read the rules and enter! Good luck! :)

Oz: The Great and Powerful trailer!

Last night I discovered the recently-released trailer for Oz: The Great and Powerful, the upcoming Sam Raimi-directed prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Here's the film summary from the official website:

Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz™. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz™ but into a better man as well.

And here's the trailer:



I tend to be a bigger fan of Wizard of Oz reimaginings (such as the Tin Man miniseries) than the actual Dorothy story (I have a hard time separating the classic musical from its source material), so I'm pretty excited about this film. It is due to release March 8, 2013!

Inspector Lewis: The Soul of Genius

Inspector Lewis at long-last returned to television screens with its fifth series of new cases to solve on Masterpiece Mystery, beginning with The Soul of Genius. This is an episode with a literary flair that reaches back in time to touch on the loss of Lewis's wife -- the tragedy that has in no small way informed the man he is today -- and in doing so examine just how far the series' titular sleuth has come. Here's the brief episode summary from the PBS website:

What is a snark? This is just one of the many unanswered questions Inspector Lewis must ask when botanist Liz Nash accidentally unearths the recently buried body of an English professor obsessed with the Lewis Carroll poem, The Hunting of the Snark. Locked in bitter rivalry with his brother, professor Murray Hawes was fixed on solving a legendary riddle hidden in Carroll's philosophical story of an impossible quest for the unknowable. The search for Murray's killer launches Lewis and Hathaway on an impossible quest of their own, taking them from Oxford's botanical gardens to the evidence wall of an interfering amateur sleuth. But when a prime suspect is killed and a secret society is exposed, Lewis and Hathaway intensify their hunt not for the unknowable, but for an all-too-real killer. Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox star alongside James Fleet (Little Dorrit) and Celia Imrie (Cranford) in The Soul of Genius. (90 minutes; TV-PG)

This series is one of the most satisfying productions Masterpiece has ever produced, with consistently high production values, smart scripts, and engaging characters. In other words, the powers that be behind this show know what works and what doesn't. :) And the biggest draw of this series for me is the manner in which the relationship between Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox) has been developed. Over the course of this long-running production we've see Lewis and Hathaway move from barely tolerating each other (one has to wonder if Lewis ever perhaps felt that Hathaway was Morse come back to "haunt" him, as the two cerebral, classics-loving officers bear more than a  passing resemblance to each other -- though Hathaway is decidedly less grumpy) to genuine respect and appreciation for the ways in which their varied backgrounds and points-of-view complement their partnership. Last year's season saw Lewis and Hathaway reach a new level of ease in their partnership as the two men have become fast friends, freeing them to needle and annoy each other at will. The Soul of Genius makes it abundantly clear that this sense of camaraderie is still very much a vital part of what makes this show work oh so well -- Lewis and Hathaway, people, they never get old.

The Soul of Genius opens with a young botanist, Liv Nash (Nadine Lewington), leading a group of volunteers on  quest to eradicate some sort of pestilential plant. But Liv and her crew make a discovery of another, and wholly unpleasant kind, when they unearth the corpse of a murder victim -- one Oxford English professor named Murray Hawes. Hawes was a frequent visitor to the Botanical Gardens, something of an eccentric well-known for his obsession with Lewis Carroll's enigmatic poem, The Hunting of the Snark. In attempting to describe the allure of the Snark and its mysteries to Lewis, Hathaway describes the poem as an "impossible quest" with an unknown end in sight, the danger being in discovering what the unknown is -- the type of intellectual and philosophical puzzle that can drive a person mad.

Murray was survived by his brother Conor (Alex Jennings), a chaplain and tutor at Oxford's Carlyle College. The brothers apparently had a very testy relationship history, particularly since Murray was apparently the favored son, leaving Conor to fester in jealousy and insecurity. Two of Conor's pupils were seen near the Botanical Gardens when Murray's body was discovered -- self-style postmodernists Mia (Daisy May) and Vincent (Oliver Johnstone), a.k.a. the most obvious intellectual posers in the history of recent cinema (I mean hello, they took their names from friggin' Pulp Fiction). Mia and Vincent are obsessed with gaining admittance into the Wednesday Club, a legendary, secretive organization for geniuses at Oxford.

Lewis and Hathaway quickly discover a third line of inquiry when an amateur investigator, Michelle Marber (Celia Imrie), suggests that Murray's death is connected with the work of Dr. Alex Falconer (James Fleet). Falconer is a scientist with an aristocratic background who works at the Davy Institute of Clinical Medicine -- a research facility where Murray frequently participated in drug trials, earning money to support his Snark research. Jean Innocent (Rebecca Front), Lewis and Hathaway's no-nonsense boss, has a funnier-than-usual appearance when she tells the detectives to "deal" with Michelle, who she very obviously writes off as a nutter. Michelle blames Falconer for her son Stevie's death -- a brilliant student who worked as Falconer's research assistant. Falconer's possible connection to the case circles back to the Botanical Gardens, as Lewis and Hathaway discover that he's been having an affair -- never mind his sickly wife Thea (Annabel Mullion)! -- with Professor Helena Wright (Matilda Ziegler), head of the Garden and the boss of Liv the botanist who discovered Murray's body.

And with that set-up we're given what Lewis does best -- delivering twisty, multi-layered plots, laced with enough red herrings to make one's head spin. :) The modus operandi of this program might best be described by Sir Walter Scott's line "oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive," as nothing is ever as straightforward in these investigations as the down-to-earth Lewis would like. I love spotting familiar acting talent in each episode's cast. This installment features a pair of Cranford veterans -- Jennings played the Reverend Hutton throughout the series, while Imrie played Lady Glenmire in a single episode. James Fleet is another Masterpiece veteran, who memorably portrayed Frederick Dorrit in the Little Dorrit miniseries, and the delightfully flaky Hugo in The Vicar of Dibley.

This investigation is laced with some absolutely superb Hathaway/Lewis moments, a fantastic illustration of just how far this duo have come has regards their partnership and friendship. Lewis's concern for his younger partner takes on an almost fatherly tone when he sees, once again, the toll the investigation takes on Hathaway's well-being. The latter's intellect and quiet demeanor set him apart, but when Lewis encourages him to break the cycle of loneliness, I seriously cheered. For a man who has battled his own personal demons extensively over the course of the series, this episode gives Lewis a chance to mentor not only Hathaway but to also sow what he's learned through his experiences with grief and loss into the life of Michelle. Watching Lewis willingly revisit the painful loss of his wife in order to help another through their grief -- it was a fantastically well-acted, incredibly moving scene, underscoring Lewis's compassionate nature. He may not have the most patience when it comes to Oxford's intellectual elites, but having known the pain of sudden, inexplicable loss, he can understand the toll of grief.

Hathaway reminded me powerfully of Morse in this episode -- not only because the Endeavour prequel film recently aired, but because since last season of Lewis I've had the chance to immerse myself in the Morse series. Like his predecessor, Hathaway is extraordinarily smart, loves the classics -- a bit of an odd-man out when it comes to the typical pastimes of his peers, leaving him rather isolated. And -- most adorably! -- he's completely hopeless when it comes to women. This episode gives me hope that perhaps that aspect of Hathaway's life will change, as he is clearly smitten when he meets Liv the botanist but he has NO IDEA how to manage a casual conversation. I love that he is so struck by a woman who is, at first blush, his complete opposite -- suits vs. work clothes, gardening vs. classic texts. But Liv is every bit as whip-smart as Hathaway when it comes to common sense, observation skills, and a vast knowledge of the history and purpose of plants and their uses, which proves critical to the resolution of the murder investigation. I can only hope that someday she makes a return appearance for Hathaway's sake. Also, the moment when Hathaway BOWS to her? I nearly died that was so absolutely, wonderful, perfect! :)

Some spoilers ahead! For the most part I was quite pleased with how the resolution of this mystery unfolded, though I do wonder if we'll discover additional scenes on the DVD release, since I feel like the Conor/Wednesday Club storyline and their somewhat tenuous connection to Murray's death were explained in a bit of a haphazard fashion. I did, however, love how the story's love triangle was so unbelievably twisted. This show does twisty, complex personal motivations for murder oh-so-well. *wink* Not only does this script give us illegal secret drug tests, but the tests are run by a man whose mistress is helping him try to find the cure for his wife's cancer, and somehow the sick wife is OKAY WITH ALL OF THIS because she didn't want her husband to be alone after she died. NEVERMIND THAT HE WAS KILLING PEOPLE, apparently! Gotta love the crazy Lewis and Hathaway run into! :P

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Lewis and Hathaway's most welcome return to TV screens! I hope that the next few episodes will feature more of coroner Laura Hobson (Clare Holman), and perhaps a little forward momentum on her oh. so. S-L-O-W burning will-they-or-won't-they romance with Lewis. Unless I'm forgetting something (and given how this week has been going, that is HIGHLY possible), I really felt like she didn't have much screentime in this episode. That said the Hathaway moments were priceless. :)

something to tide us all over...

I know things have been a little quiet around here lately -- this week has been CRAZY busy. So please bear with me until I get my blogging rhythm back. :) To help hold you over, here are a bunch of pictures from the season four premiere of White Collar. Wasn't it amazing?! :)

I'm so happy the White Collar boys are back. :) What have you all been up to this week -- reading, watching, writing, whatever?

Review: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

A Princess of Mars (John Carter of Mars #1)
By: Edgar Rice Burroughs
Publisher: Fall River Press
ISBN: 978-1-4351-3448-5

About the book:

Marooned on a war-torn alien planet...

When Civil War veteran Captain John Carter is incredibly transported from Earth to a strange landscape on Mars, he finds that the weak gravity exponentially increases his speed and strength. Taken prisoner by Martian warriors, Carter impresses them with his remarkable fighting skills, and is quickly made a high-ranking chieftain. Before long, the captain finds himself embroiled in the deadly warfare and dark intrigues that have been polarizing the Martian races. The heroic Carter also finds dangerous romance with the divine princess Dejah Thoris, who wins Carter's love the first moment his eyes meet hers.

A Princess of Mars is the first book in the classic best-selling John Carter of Mars science-fantasy series. Written during the heyday of the pulp fiction era, these epic, swashbuckling Red Planet tales of derring-do and dazzling romance permanently remapped the terrain of fantasy and science fiction.

Review:

At the close of the Civil War, Confederate cavalryman John Carter found himself to be a man without a country -- and so he bid farewell to his native Virginia and headed west in search of gold. While attempting to save his prospecting partner from an Apache attack, Carter seeks refuge in a cave -- a cave with mystical properties as he soon finds himself transported to Mars, otherwise known as Barsoom. The variances in the Martian atmosphere gift Carter with a preternatural speed and strength. Carter's newly-discovered gifts allow him to survive among the Tharks, a nomadic, six-limbed tribe of fierce Martian warriors, winning him the hard-won respect of Tars Tarkas, one of the tribe's premiere chieftains. Carter gives little thought to his long-term future on Mars until the Tharks capture Dejah Thoris, the beloved Princess of Helium, one of the Red -- or humanoid -- Martians centers of power. In a life or death struggle to safeguard Dejah from the warlike Tharks and restore her to her people, Carter falls in love -- and in losing his heart finds a reason to fight for a future on this planet so different from his own.

I cannot remember the last time I indulged in the luxury of re-reading a book, so to read A Princess of Mars twice in four months? That's something special indeed. A Princess of Mars is my first experience with early 20th-century classic pulp fiction, and it has proven to be a memorable one indeed. Burroughs's first drafted John Carter's first adventure after a series of failed business ventures. The behind-the-scenes featurette on the recently released film, "100 Years in the Making," posits that John Carter was birthed out of an existential crisis in the author's life -- and taken as such it is fascinating to watch Carter's journey from outsider to Martian hero unfold. A Princess of Mars is in many respects the first space western, with the arid Martian climate standing in for the American west. If Mars is the western frontier, the various tribes of warlike Tharks are stereotyped Native Americans -- but what is fascinating is that Burroughs does not rest on stereotypical divisiveness. Carter moves from an attitude of superiority and frustration with his Thark captors to respect and admiration from their battle prowess and code of honor exhibited by warriors such as Tars Tarkas. This eventually helps birth an unprecedented alliance between the once sworn Green and Red Martian enemies, perhaps pointing to Burroughs' own belief in the inherent possibility of new beginnings symbolized by wild frontiers.

First published in 1912 in serial form, Princess is told wholly from John Carter's point-of-view. The first time I read the novel I was a bit put-off by the sheer amount of information "dumping," exacerbated by the fact that all of the action is related as Carter's reminiscences of his Martian adventures. For a good part of his time on Mars Carter is observing and learning, concealing the fact that he's learning the language and customs of the Tharks. This narrative style made the first third or so of the novel a bit of a slow-go on my first read-through -- but on my second, knowing what to expect, I couldn't put the book down. I relished Burroughs's imaginative world-building and richly-drawn characters. This is an intelligent adventure, articulately-told, with a cracking pace and a finely-honed sense of adventure and heart.

While the non-stop action and breath-taking fight sequences make this a page-turning read, by far my favorite aspect of the novel is romance -- perhaps something I relish all the more because, in a novel of this ilk, a romance this passionate seems unexpected. I'm a complete and total sucker for an old-fashioned romance, and Carter's character possesses an inherent nobility and chivalry that I just adored. And while Dejah isn't quite the warrior the film version introduces (at least not yet), her nobility, self-sacrificing spirit, and intelligence mark her as a ground-breaking character -- every inch the lady, strong-willed, and willing to fight for what she believes. I loved the way Burroughs's develops their relationship. He seems to relish in their cross-cultural misunderstandings, but doesn't shy away from ages-old male/female archetypal behavior that lends their budding romance humor and spark.

Princess is an old-fashioned adventure novel that becomes an increasing page-turner the more Burroughs lets us see Carter adapt to his new environment, gradually opening himself up to friendships and relationships with people whose appearance and customs are so different from his own at first blush. John Carter's first adventure on Mars is the rare type of novel that improves when revisited, giving me a deeper appreciation for Burroughs's work as a pioneer in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. A Princess of Mars is a ground-breaking, thoroughly entertaining adventure that holds up to this day -- a sterling example of Burroughs's imaginative prowess, a classic from the pen of a pulp fiction master. I adore this book. Bring on the sequels!

******

The cover of this edition of A Princess of Mars was painted by Kekai Kotaki, and while I love it I have to share the cover to the 1917 hardback edition by Frank E. Schoonover:

I love it. Here's another cover option, this time from the 1963 edition, by Bob Abbett:

Love it too. :)