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Literary Roles of Tilda Swinton

Photo by JESHOOTS.com from Pexels

The incomparable Tilda Swinton has been on the big screen for over thirty years, bringing us characters who run the gamut from modern day mothers to fantasy ice queens, vampires and royalty, predators and angels. Her unique look and commanding presence is incredibly distinctive, yet it can be wrapped around a range of roles that most other actors would struggle to encompass. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that Swinton has brought to life multiple characters from the pages of books—so many, in fact, that we aren’t even going to list them all. Instead, we take a look at her ten best and biggest—whether blockbuster movies, starring roles, amazing adaptations, or something else that makes these literary roles worth watching.

Posted by Rose Moore

Michael Crichton Films that Deserve a Remake

[Movie still form Jurassic Park, Universal Pictures]

Michael Crichton may be the author responsible for some of the most beloved and iconic science fiction on shelves today, but for some reason, his work hasn’t always weathered the jump to screen very well. While Jurassic Park endures as a modern classic, and Westworld is enjoying new life as a critically acclaimed HBO original series, most of Crichton’s sci-fi stumbled in the transition from page to screen. The screenplays often made sweeping changes to the stories and characters of the novels, the effects couldn’t keep up with the imaginative visuals described in the books, and talented actors were often stuck with clunky dialogue and ridiculous, nonsensical plots. Furthermore, while Crichton’s novels forced the reader to grapple with complex questions about humanity, cause and effect, communication, nature, and more, the movies rarely concerned themselves with such thoughtful reflection, retreating instead into spectacle and action and abandoning the very things that made the novels great.

However, now that special effects technology has evolved and filmmakers are increasingly making riskier, more cerebral films, perhaps we are due for a Crichton renaissance. Hollywood is already keen on revisiting many of the films and TV shows of yesteryears, so taking another cinematic swing at a few of Crichton’s novels seems like a natural next step.

Posted by Lauren Thoman

The Reading Dead

[TV still from The Walking Dead, AMC]

While the Walking Dead has had a bit of a controversial run this last year and a half, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still one of the best shows on television. As the show runs into its eighth season, it is becoming a bit of a question of what the characters do in their down time. Not every single moment of every day can be filled with killing zombies and fighting Negan, right? So with that in mind, we thought it would be nice to give the characters some reading suggestions for the next time they walk into a town and have a chance to raid a library. After all, there must be tons of great books laying around in the zombie ravaged land, they aren’t exactly the same type of commodity as food or weapons.

Posted by David Winnick

Spooky Stories for the Faint of Heart

[Image by SplitShire from Pixabay]

Do you feel that? There’s a chill in the air and everything smells like pumpkin. Halloween is just around the corner and while your friends might be prepping their bloodiest costumes and scoping out haunted houses, you’re just hoping no one drops a bucket of pig’s blood on you. We get it. Scary isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. Which is why we’ve put together this list of slightly spooky stories where something’s just a little off – paranormal books that will get you in the Halloween spirit without keeping you up all night.

Posted by Danielle Mohlman

Best Androids in Pop Culture

[Movie still from Blade Runner 1982, Warner Bros.]

Blade Runner 2049 is about to hit theaters, and while the reviews have been good, what we’re really interested in is whether or not it will give us a definitive answer to the question posed by the original movie: is Deckard a replicant? (And if so, why does he age?)

As we gear up to re-enter Blade Runner’s world of dark intrigue and murderous androids, let’s take a look at a few more of the best humanoid robots that pop culture has to offer.

Posted by Lauren Thoman

Geek E. Girl Roles for Hanna Mae Lee

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Hana Mae Lee’s birthday is today and while she’s best known as the incredibly soft spoken yet powerful beatboxer Lilly in Pitch Perfect, the real Hana Mae is a bona fide badass and funny as hell. To celebrate her birthday, we’ve created a wish list of literary roles that we’d love to see Hana Mae Lee play. Listen up, Hollywood. We’ve got some big plans.

Posted by Danielle Mohlman