As the title of this post suggests, i've got some Divergent casting news for ya, as well as a little Books-Into-TV news, AND i've also got some regular ol' non-bookish TV news to spill! So let's get started!
*i'll kick things off with what i'm fairly certain is the very last of the Divergent casting news. Mekhi Phifer (who my mind REFUSES to see as anything other than this permanent mental image:
i don't even know why. In fact, i don't even think i've actually seen ALL of 8 mile. Apparently the mere trailer left a lasting impression on me as far as Mekhi Phifer's appearance is concerned. It's like i can't NOT imagine Mekhi without these hideous dreads. Even though he's been in a shit ton of stuff since 8 mile, and minus the dreads. So, i guess thanks a lot, 8 mile, for ruining Mekhi Phifer for me FOREVER) Anyhoo, what was i talking about? Oh yes, Mekhi Phifer will play the role of Max in the Divergent movie. Although, hopefully he won't be bringing those dreads and that puff jacket along for the Dauntless train ride. The parentals of the Prior family have also been cast. Ashley Judd has nabbed the role of Tris' mom, while Tony Goldwyn will play Tris' dad. i don't mind Tony Goldwyn as he was a total kickass dad in The Last House on the Left. But Ashley Judd? Eh. She's not my fave for the role. Or for anything really. i'm not a huge Ashley Judd fan. Although i'm not a huge Shailene Woodley fan either. So... Oh Lord! Please don't let me hate this movie!
*Now for some Maze Runner movie news! You know, i kinda thought The Maze Runner was a fairly popular series, but it seems like not that many people are keeping up with the movie news of it all. i keep coming across excited posts about the prospect of Delirium on the small screen and Divergent on the big screen, but i haven't really seen many peeps blogging about The Maze Runner film adaptation. Hmm. Well, if you're totally into the idea of James Dashner's dystopic vision coming to life, this news is for you! Thomas, the main character in the book, has finally been cast. The role goes to Dylan O'Brien, whom i've never heard of but am told plays on MTV's Teen Wolf. The role of Teresa, sole gal in the maze, will be played by Kaya Scodelario, another that i've never heard of but am told plays on the UK version of Skins. On a side note: i've gotta read this damn book!
*Let's leave the silver screen behind and dive into some TV news that is truly awesome! Ok, so you remember how ABC totally unjustly canceled Don't Trust The B In Apartment 23 even though it was super hilarious and waaaaaay better than at least 4 of the comedies that are in their current lineup? Well, starting May 17th you'll be able to watch the unaired final 8 episodes of The B on ABC.com, iTunes, and Hulu! Yay! i've so missed Chloe, June, and, of course, James van der Beek! Which is kinda weird because i couldn't stand him as Dawson because, well:
But as "James van der Beek" on Don't Trust the B, he's actually really brilliantly self deprecating. And i totally heart anyone that can make fun of themselves! So buck up, Dawson! You're gonna be alright!
*i'll end this post with the trailer for the pilot episode for the CW's Vampire Diaries spinoff, The Originals!
*sqeeees over the sheer Klausiness of it all* Is it just me or has the Original family kinda become your new fave characters on TVD? i mean, i always liked Elijah, and Klaus's bad boy behavior has had me squealing and swooning for some time now, but lately Rebekah has started tugging at my ol' heartstrings with her desperate desire to be human and loved. Bless her little unbeating heart. So, obvs, i'm super excited for The Originals! The pilot (which doubles as the first episode of The Originals and the 20th episode of The Vampire Diaries) airs this Thursday at 8 pm! The only thing i'm bummed about is that with the Originals headed for New Orleans, there will be relatively no time for any Klaroline. :*( i guess i'll just have to watch and see and find out how much of my love for Klaus is directly proportionate to his shippiness with Caroline and how much is just flat-out Klaus-luv.
Ok guys, now it's your turn. Tell me what you think about all this new news. Are you cool with Mom & Pop Prior? On the edge of your seat for some Originals Gone Wild? And how does Mekhi Phifer appear in your mind's eye? Get your fingers at the ready and dish the shizz in the comments section.
Nerds of the world rejoice! The teaser trailer for Catching Fire is FINALLY all up in the internet's business! i'm sure you've already watched and rewatched it like a hundred times. (Don't feel bad. i've done it too!) So let's get down to brass tacks, as they say, and discuss the ever-loving shizz outta this thing!
First, if you haven't already partaken (um, what have you been waiting for?!?!) by all means, partake your brains out:
Usually when discussing a trailer i realize i might come off a bit, um, what's the word, ah yes, snarky. i really can't help it though. Turns out, i'm a snobby reader. Yes, apparently i think i'm totes hot shit because i read the book before seeing the movie. And being such a hot shit, i feel entitled to snark it up when it comes to viewing Books-Into-Movies trailers because, more often than not, i can use the phrase "that's not how it happened in the book" while feeling vaguely superior to non-readers that are looking at me like "huh? what do you mean? who's Madge?" Anyhoo, i usually like to do a minute-by-minute analysis of why, based solely on the trailer, said movie is probably destined to not live up to its bookish potential. Howevs, methinks i might have to eat my snark this time around. i mean, what's there to make fun of? Only a heartless troll would find anything funny or snappy to say about the dude from District 11 getting straight-up murdered, or Gale being publicly whipped, or Plutarch and Snow calmly discussing how Katniss needs to be dealt with (ie by KILLING HER!)
So there will be no snarky minute-by-minute for Catching Fire. Because, basically, in the opinion of this Tribute, the trailer is pretty awesome. The only thing missing? i think you know what i mean. The freakin' Quarter Quell!!! Throughout the whole trailer, there's really no mention of it. Except for that end bit with President Snow where he simply alludes to it. But where is the arena? And where are the newbs? Where's Johanna? Mags? Beetee? Wiress? And for the love of Buttercup, WHERE IS FINNICK?!?!? i mean, i get that this is merely the teaser trailer, but at least give us a little something new, Lionsgate! i mean, any little bread crumb will do.
Ok, now i'll turn it over to you guys. What did you think of the trailer? Did you like it? Did it leave you a little disappointed? Were you really hoping for some new, Catching Fire specific stuff? Or did you really just wanna make sure that they didn't fuck it up with the casting of Finnick? Whatever your rant or rave, drop me a comment and tell me what ya think!
Oh, and just a P.S., Catching Fire will be in theaters November 22nd. (And so will Evil Eva!)
EvilEva Reviews ......Attachments by Rainbow Rowell.
Dissecting The Cover:
I'm totally digging this cover!
I like that it's simple. I like the double meaning of the title. I like that it's cute without being cutesy.
To me, this cover says "Why, yes, I am a serious reader but with a touch of whimsy. Now hop on my unicorn as I adjust my monocle and straighten my cardigan sweater and we'll be off to Narnia tout suite!"
Let's Review:
Lincoln O' Neill has a pretty boss job title at The Courier: Internet security officer. It sounds fairly bad ass, like he'll be in charge of thwarting hackers and building impenetrable firewalls. Like James Bond on desk duty!
That's pretty far off from what his job actually entails, which is reading other people's emails. He's basically a glorified eavesdropper.
Which isn't exactly what he signed up for. But there is one bright side to his moral dilemma. Lincoln becomes thoroughly entertained by the correspondence of two of his coworkers. Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder spend endless amounts of company time spilling the intimate details of their lives and loves; from weddings and weight gain, to boyfriend and baby trouble.
Lincoln knows it's his duty to turn them in. But he just can't bring himself to do it. He also can't bring himself to stop reading their emails.
Which could be a problem. Because Lincoln is fairly certain that he's falling for Beth. So the big question is this: How do you formally introduce yourself to someone whom you've been technically kinda, sorta semi-spying on for months?
And the bigger question? How do you declare your love to someone that doesn't technically kinda, sorta semi-know who you are?
Here's What I Think:
Attachments came along at the perfect time for me in by book-reading schedule. I had just finished Matched and was super psyched to start Requiem which would be out... in TWO WEEKS!
I don't know about y'all, but I can't go two whole weeks without reading SOMETHING.
I was in quite the quandary. I didn't want to start Crossed (the next book in Ally Condie's trilogy) just yet. I needed something light and fun to break up the dystopia of it all.
And along came Attachments. It was the perfect chick-lit book with just the right mix of wit, drama, swoon, and fun! The story is told two different ways, alternating chapter by chapter between Lincoln's more traditional third person telling and Beth and Jennifer's emails. Lincoln is the primary protagonist though. We get to know more about him because we're basically in his head. And what we learn is that Lincoln is pretty much the quintessential nice guy. He's kind and caring and a little shy. He lives with his mom. Befriends Doris the vending machine lady. Plays Dungeons and Dragons with his friends on the weekends. Takes his nephews to the movies. Goes to his sister for advice. But it also means his last girlfriend totally broke his heart. He's not skilled in the art of flirting. He can't hold his liquor. And he's slightly awkward socially. But you still root for him. You want him to succeed. You want him to get the girl. You hope that phrase "nice guys finish last" doesn't apply to him. He's just a lovable character. As are Beth and Jennifer! Their emails are hilarious, revealing, sad, inappropriate, honest, random, and sweet. And even though, because of this format, we only get a few pages of their interactions at a time, they never feel like secondary characters. We learn all about their lives: the good, the bad and the ugly and it's all done with a sense of humor that can only exist between two best friends. And while I loved the book as a whole, their conversations were my favorite parts. Maybe because they reminded me of myself and Bestie J! I guess what I'm trying to say is, their friendship actually felt real. Not like Jennifer merely existed for Beth to have someone to squeal with over her Cute Guy. (Not to say they don't squeal over cute guys. They do!) I just hate it when the best friend role isn't fleshed out and it seems like homegirl's sole purpose is to drift into scenes, wholeheartedly agree with our heroine, and fade right back out. I like my besties with some personality! So I really appreciated that Rainbow Rowell gave Jennifer her own story separate from the story she shared with Beth. Ok, so I've told you about my love for Lincoln, Beth, and Jennifer, but, truth be told, Attachments is a veritable cornucopia of great characters! There's Lincoln's well-meaning mother who can't let him grow up. His frazzled sister that desperately wants him to. The saucy and sage Doris. Christine, Dave, and the rest of the ragtag band of misfits that make up Lincoln's D and D group. The hard-partying, smooth-talking, occasionally douchey but ultimately redeemable, Justin. Beth's irritatingly cool rocker boyfriend, Chris. And Jennifer's sweet if often times oblivious husband, Mitch. Basically, Rainbow Rowell is a genius when it comes to creating characters that are both lovable and flawed. She's also fairly masterful when it comes to building a hilarious story out of a seemingly simple concept. I mean, sure, Attachments is a zippy, light, little read about office romance. But we NEED zippy, light, little reads! They give us a much needed break from all the heavy, intense seriousness provided by our various dystopian, murder mystery, psychological thriller, vampire/werewolf love triangles. So, if your book-reading schedule has recently been slammed with heavy-duty reads, might I suggest you take a walk on the zippy, light side with an awkwardly awesome guy and his love for a girl he's only read about!
Swoony Times:
You may be wondering how a book can have such a high swoon-quotient when the two main characters don't even meet until the very end. Well the answer is simple. I have no idea. But Rainbow Rowell does! In fact, she's kinda mastered the shizz. You can practically FEEL the tension between these characters! From Lincoln's unrequited lust to Beth's experimental longing. It's a sweet, will-they-won't-they, intense tummy-knotter that keeps you desperately turning the pages til the very end.
Bonus Shizz:
Reading Emails! TRUTH SERUM TIME: I think I might be a bit of a voyeur, y'all. I totally look in people's windows when I'm driving at night if their blinds are open and their lights are on. And I wonder what they're doing and if they're watching something on TV that I like. Or I think "Hmm. A burgundy living room wall? That's pretty bold. I don't know if I could live with that. It's a little distracting." I mean, I'm not so bad that I snoop in people's medicine cabinets. I mean, we all have some kind of diarrhea medicine in our bathrooms. After all, everyone poops. So what do I care what brand you use? Answer: I don't. I will however ALWAYS that a gander at your bookshelves. And I'll totally silently judge you if you don't even have a bookshelf. (I mean, what is that about!?!?) Anyhoozle, the point of that tangent wasn't to frighten you into never inviting me over to your home, I was just trying to explain why I find it so fun reading other people's emails. Because I'm evidently a really fucked up individual. I mean, it's not like I read other people's emails in real life. That's an invasion of privacy. But I do like when books are written in this format. I feel like we get to know the characters in a different, maybe more authentic way. Plus it makes for a quick read!
Author Stalker Status! I realize that I'm kinda just gushing at this point in the review but I can't help it, you guys. I LOVED this book! I LOVED the characters! I LOVED the idea! And I LOVED Rainbow Rowell's writing style! So much so that I immediately went out and purchased Eleanor & Park. And then made a note to remind myself that Rainbow's next book (titled Fangirl!) (sqeeeeeee!) will be coming to bookstores September 10th!
Noteworthy:
From page 137:
"There's never been a moment," he barely said, "when I didn't recognize you." She wiped her eyes. Her mascara smeared. He nudged the merry-go-round into motion. He could kiss her now. If he wanted. "I'd know you in the dark," he said. "From a thousand miles away. There's nothing you could become that I haven't already fallen in love with.
Hear that? That's the sound of me swooning! This is why nerd boys are the absolute best!
From page 318:
She laughed. It was better than he could have imagined. Like a giggle falling off its chair.
This book will make you 1.) literally laugh out loud 2.) want to call up your best friend and 3.) hope that an adorably awkward guy is reading your emails and dreaming of the day he'll get up the courage to talk to you.
There has been SO MUCH Books-Into-Movies/TV news lately! So let's just dive right in to this shizz, shall we?
*i'll start with Books-Into-Movies-news-EvilEva-totes-doesn't-approve-of: it seems Shailene Woodley has won yet another coveted YA book to movie role, that of Hazel Grace Lancaster in the film adaptation of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. So isn't that just peachy fucking custard. Answer: no. It is not. i mean, has anyone else SEEN The Secret Life of the American Teenager?!?!? i don't think they have! Because if they had, they would see that Shailene Woodley is so NOT a good actress. (And, while we're on the subject of being fairly terrible, that toolface that plays Ricky on Secret Life should totally NOT be playing my sweet Alex in the Delirium TV show either. i mean, he's terrible AND he has Dylan McKay-ish hair in the year 2013! i seriously feel like Abed in that one episode of Community: "What's going on? Am i deaf? Can you guys hear me talking right now?" But instead of being deaf, i feel like everyone else has suddenly lost their ability to see. And i'm sitting over here struggling through reruns of Secret Life thinking maybe i'm just being too hard on these poor children and if i could just give this show ONE MORE SHOT, but NO! It's STILL terrible. THEY are still terrible. Thus i'm feeling very Abed and have to ask: "What's going on? Am i blind? Can you guys see what i'm seeing right now?!?!) So. Anyway. i'm not all that jazzed about Shailene Woodley being cast in another role that i feel is too good for her, urm, "talents." But i'd love to know what you guys think? Am i merely being too hard on this girl or do you agree with me that she kinda can't act and WHY ON EARTH are they tainting my book-memories with her gigantic ABCFamily face?!?! Dish it in the comments.
*Speaking of Divergent, (which we kinda really weren't, we were only speaking of Shailene Woodley, but she's {unfortunately} gonna be in Divergent so i think this segue still works. anyhoo,) the rumors about Kate Winslet being somehow, someway involved in the Divergent movie are true, y'all. And just as i previously predicted, she'll be taking on the role of Jeanine Matthews. And recently, three others were also cast. Ben Lloyd-Hughes will play Will. Ben Lamb will play Edward. And the role of Al will be played by Christian Madsen. i've never heard of any of these guys. (Apparently i'm not the only one though. When i hit up Google Image Search for each guy my results were basically "um. uh. fuck if i know." Well, except for Ben Lamb. Apparently there is a better-known Ben Lamb that isn't an actor at all but a ginger-headed poker player. Regardless, thanks for nothing Google Image Search.) Anyhoozle based on the pics provided by the above link from Hollywood Crush, i don't think i would've picked any of them. Especially the dude playing Al. He's totally NOT how i pictured Al in my noodle.
*Now, onto news that i can not only get behind; i can also get in front of it and to the sides as well. And believe it or not, this news actually has to do with 50 Shades of Grey. No, guys, don't start going cray, ok, i haven't actually read it yet! However given the latest casting rumor about the movie i might just have to break my vow of never reading Twilight fan-fiction EVER and take a crack at that shit. Why, you may be asking yourself? Well because rumor has it Stephen Amell (aka Oliver Queen from my newest fave TV show, Arrow! As well as my current TV crush!) may be in the running for the role of Christian Grey! And this news is straight from the horse's mouth. Sorta. More or less. Now, as i mentioned before, i still haven't read the 50 Shades books yet but i know the basic gist of them; it's all bondage and sex and what have you. Now, thinking logistically, that would mean that there would be copious amounts of sex scenes in the movie version. Which would also mean that Stephen Amell would be shirtless (and perhaps pantless) for a good bit of the movie. Which is something that your girl, Evil Eva, is all for! (Unless they cast Shailene Woodley as Anastasia Steele. At which point, i'll be totes out, y'all.) And now, a gratuitous shot of a shirtless Stephen Amell! (You're welcome, ladies!)
*i don't know if any of you out there are particularly excited for the upcoming film adaptation of James Dashner's The Maze Runner or if you were even aware that such an adaptation was in the works, but either way The Maze Runner is in fact being given the old book-into-movie treatment and recently a few names have been tied to the project. Will Poulter is being considered for the lead role of Thomas. Thomas Brodie-Sangster will play a character named Newt. And Aml Ameen will take on the role of Alby. This all means nothing to me as of right now because The Maze Runner is still currently TBRing it on my shelf. But if you've read the series and have an opinion on these casting decisions, comment away kiddos!
*This fall ABCFamily is introducing a Pretty Little Liars spin-off called Ravenswood. (While also proving that they don't really understand what a "spin-off" is.) Here's the synopsis for the show from their website:
Ravenswood will center on a town, not far from Rosewood, PA (the home base of Pretty Little Liars), which has suffered under a deadly curse for generations. Five strangers suddenly find themselves connected by this fatal curse and need to dig into the town's mysterious and terrible history before it's too late for each of them. The series will premiere on ABC Family following the annual Pretty Little Liars special Halloween episode in October 2013.
And here's the link to said website in case you wanna delve even further into this business. Oh, and it was recently reported that Pretty Little Liars has been renewed for a fifth season of bat-shizznat craziness! The fourth season will kick off this summer starting June 11th at 8 pm. Hopefully we'll find out what was in that trunk. And why it was sooooo shocking. (My money is on it being Ally's dredged up corpse! Any takers? Any at all?)
*And now i'll send you off with a little (and i do mean little) tease! Here is the teaser trailer FOR the teaser trailer for the Catching Fire theatrical trailer (Because that's evidently something we do now. That and winter hiatus'.) It's really just a cheap ploy to get you to watch the MTV Movie Awards (Sunday April 14th at 9 pm on MTV!) in which they'll be playing the whole teaser clip as opposed to just the teaser of the teaser clip which i am gifting you with now......
Although, let's be for reals, it's not all that much of a gift. It's basically Effie's ass and Katniss in what i'm imaging to be an adorable sweater and i say "imagining" because i can only see a tiny piece of the sleeve. What this clip does not include is really the only thing we wanna see. i'm, of course talking about Finnick! i don't give two shits about whatever Muppet-skinned ensemble Effie is trying to rock (apparently, in the future, the only PETA is one that bakes cakes! See what i did there?) or the touring of the other Districts. i wanna see the newbies, dammit! Hopefully the actual teaser trailer won't be such a tease and we'll finally see some new faces.
Ok guys, that's all the news i've got for you now. But be sure to check back often for even more dish! Now i'll turn it over to you guys. Share your opinions on any or all of the topics i just got finished covering.
