Movie Monday: Haywire

Steven Soderbergh doesn't always make critically acclaimed movies; yet, he remains a critical darling.  I think it's because he takes chances with his films.  He's willing to try his hand at new genres and to push at the boundaries of those genres.

Haywire, at its core, is a straightforward revenge-driven action thriller.  Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) did a job in Barcelona.  Shortly after, she finds herself betrayed by her agency and pursued by assassins.  But the movie begins after that, with Mallory's first contact post-betrayal with former coworker Aaron (Channing Tatum).  The Barcelona and Dublin jobs fold out in flashbacks.

There are moments when Haywire shines.  The script is lean, allowing the images to carry the story.  Most of the action unfolds wordlessly to a jazzy electronic score by David Holmes.  At Haywire's release, critics made a big to do over a female action star who looked like she could actually carry out the action.  Now, Carano did her time as an MMA fighter.  She's got muscle, and it shows, especially in the rare scene where her bare arms make an appearance.  But she's not particularly Amazonian.  Her muscle is more toned than bulky.  But Carano carries the physicality of the movie wonderfully.  She can do her own stunts and the choreography is quite wonderful.

Carano's acting is not up to par with her stuntwork.  She does good at playing cold, which is necessary for most of the film, but she's less convincing when having a touching moment with her father.  The role of Mallory suits Carano well, and she might certainly have a future as an action star.  Most of the acting is carried off by the very able supporting cast, which includes Michael Fassbender and Michael Douglas.  I adore Ewan McGregor, but his Kenneth didn't always work for me.  (It may be because I associate blond Ewan McGregor with I Love You, Philip Morris and thus think blond Ewan McGregor is the sweetest thing ever.)

As much as I loved the flashbacks, the framing was somewhat awkward.  Mallory explains her story to a preternaturally calm kid.  I'm not blaming the actor.  It was a strange part, and it's for the best that the end of Haywire forgets that he ever existed.

If you like action movies or any of the actors involved, I'd buy or rent Haywire.  It delivers heavily on stylish, brutal, and realistic action.  The story isn't ridiculously stupid and the long interlude with Mallory and Paul (Fassbender) is delightfully tense.  But don't go in expecting more than a fun movie.  Being slightly more clever than the average thriller does not a masterpiece make.

Page Ahead

Page Ahead is a children's literacy program located in Seattle, Washington.  Their ninth annual A Taste for Reading: Benefit Luncheon for Children's Reading will be held on May 17th.  The lunch is free; of course, donations are requested.  Even better, donations of at least $250 will be matched.

According to their site, "Since 1990 Page Ahead has placed over 2 million new books into the hands of 605,000 at-risk children through collaborations with schools, social service agencies, preschools, and early childhood centers across Washington State."

You can also help by donating or volunteering.  Donations do not have to be monetary.  You can, for example, organize a book drive.  Page Ahead has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

Retro Friday Review: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! Angie includes roundups from participating bloggers in her post every week.

Sadly, I've only participated in Retro Friday once.  But that doesn't mean I don't have older books to talk about!  People talk like we're living in an unprecedented age of vampire novels.  But really, the vampire novel never went out of style after it was invented.  The vampire young adult novel, however, is more popular than ever.  Back when I was in junior high those of us who liked vampires had fewer options.   And one of the most popular options was COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT by Vivian Vande Velde.

I was already familiar with Velde when someone recommended COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT to me.  I liked her books, ever since I read A WELL-TIMED ENCHANTMENT, since she wrote comedic and clever novels about teens and children in extraordinary situations.   There was also a nice thread of feminism running through her works.  As for COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT, I know of know better way to sell it than to tell the premise:

COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT begins with Kerry's late-night quest to retrieve her much younger brother's stuffed bear.  (Anyone who has spent much time with a little kid knows that favored stuffed animals are necessary to get the kid to sleep.)  Thus, Kerry drives herself down to the laundromat, pretty sure it will be closed, but willing to try anyway.  Strangely, it is open but no one is there.

Then the owner and two of his friends return with a bound young man.  They claim that Ethan is a vampire.  Kerry, thoroughly assured that the local laundromat owner is out of his mind, helps Ethan escape.

The next day someone kidnaps Kerry's father and brother, causing her to go to Ethan for help.  Ethan is, of course, a vampire.  And Kerry's about to have the adventure of a lifetime.

Kerry is a terrific heroine.  She's resourceful and brave, and she doesn't put up with vampires mocking her dad's old car.  Ethan is charming bad news and secretive motives.  (Together, they fight crime!  Not really.  But close.)  COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT is structured like an action movie.  Two very different characters meet, then have to work together for one crazy night.  There's suspense, romance, comedy, and piano.

COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT is not a complex book and there is no deep mythology.  That might put some vampire fans off.  But it's a shame to miss out on this one.  If only because it's about a girl who repeatedly rescues dudes in distress.

Join the Scholastic Summer Challenge

Please bear with me.  I'm posting this press release in full rather than summarizing the beast.

GET READY TO SET A NEW

SCHOLASTIC WORLD RECORD FOR SUMMER READING

 

The Scholastic Summer Challenge Invites Kids to Keep Reading this

Summer by Logging Reading Minutes to Win Virtual Rewards

 

 

New York, NY–May 1, 2012– While athletes prepare for the 2012 Summer Olympics, kids will compete in their own challenge – the Scholastic Summer Challenge - a free, interactive reading program dedicated to helping kids keep their reading skills sharp throughout the summer by reading every day.  Kids everywhere will Read for the World Record by logging the minutes they spend reading this summer and attempting to beat the current world record of 64,213,141 minutes set during summer 2011. The 20 schools whose students log the most minutes will be recognized in the 2013 Scholastic Book of World Records. The Scholastic Summer Challenge kicked-off May 1st at www.scholastic.com/summer and runs through August 31, 2012.

 

“Just like the world’s greatest athletes, children need to keep their skills sharp and reading is like any other skill - it needs to be practiced,” said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. “Without this practice, children find themselves falling down the “Summer Slide,” and that is not the fun slide at the park, but rather the loss of critical learning and reading skills caused by not reading books over the summer.”  Francie continued, “The proven way to get kids reading is to put them in charge of their own reading – let them choose the books they want to read, when they want to read, and how they want to read – whether in print or digitally. It is the win-win summer reading solution.”

 

SUMMER READING FOR KIDS:

The Summer Challenge motivates kids with weekly challenges, fun sweepstakes, virtual rewards, book chats and friendly competition. Starting today, kids can log their reading minutes, track their reading stats, and their school’s rank, collect virtual rewards in their ‘prize center’ and enter sweepstakes for the chance to win free books. For the third year in a row, WORDGIRL^™ , from the Emmy Award winning television series airing on PBS KIDS GO!, is serving as the national “Ambassador of Summer Reading” to help encourage kids to practice reading in order to have a better vocabulary.

 

To reach even more young readers this summer, the Scholastic Summer Challenge is teaming up with the American Camp Association’s^® Explore 30 initiative that encourages campers to read 30 minutes every day.  Campers nationwide will be logging their reading minutes to help break the world record.

 

SUMMER READING FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS:

The Summer Challenge website is also the go-to summer resource for parents and teachers. Through the site, teachers can sign up their class, track their students’ reading progress and access free helpful tools including printable reading logs and reading certificates. Plus, parents can sign up to receive email alerts on their child’s reading achievements, access summer book lists compiled by Scholastic experts, and discover ways to use the Summer Challenge at home with the Family Participation Guide created in collaboration with nonprofit partner Reach Out and Read, an organization that prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.

For the second year, Scholastic is teaming up with iVillage and PBS KIDS to promote the importance of summer reading to families nationwide through Summer Reading Parties hosted by 80 bloggers across the country. Bloggers will receive Summer Reading Kits including books, activities, bookmarks and more to celebrate summer reading in their communities, on iVillage.com and through their blogs. 

 

SUMMER READING AMBASSADORS

Joining Scholastic to support summer reading will be dozens of the nation’s Governors’ spouses who will be hosting summer reading events at schools in their home states.  The names of all of the 2012 Summer Reading Ambassadors will be announced soon.

 

For more information about the Scholastic Summer Challenge, please visit: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/SummerChallenge

 

 

About Scholastic

Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and services and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs and school-based book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, television networks and the Company’s Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

Teaser Tuesday (2)

This meme is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read. Open it (or scroll) to a random page. Post two, non-spoilery sentences along with the title and author. Share!

I'm going to cheat and post three sentences today:

The living world had disappeared. Darkness fell around us, black, weightless, and absolute. We were in the Fold.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Barduco (Advance Review Copy), p. 29