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What happens when you take thousands of the most passionate Harry Potter devotees in the country and put them all together in one theater to watch The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (aka the final HP movie)? TOTAL FANDEMONIUM!
But the real question is: Did the movie live up to the super duper high standards of this crowd? Watch our video to find out:
Have you seen the new Harry Potter movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the books?
And, of course, stay tuned for more LeakyCon coverage on Kidsmomo!
— Nancy (Ravenclaw) and Karen (Hufflepuff)
Btw: Karen works at Scholastic and Nancy used to work there, but our jobs are not connected to LeakyCon, sadly. We’re attending for our own enjoyment — and yours — as the ridiculous fans that we are.
Back before we started Kidsmomo, Nancy and I often spent our Friday nights doing activities such as trying new NYC restaurants with friends and attending dinner parties. Now, we spend our Friday nights seeing movies where we are inevitably the oldest people in the audience without children of our own.
Evidence?
Exhibit A: Our Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie review from last week. Exhibit B: Our Judy Moody movie review from the week before.
Exhibit A: Our Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie review from last week.
Exhibit B: Our Judy Moody movie review from the week before.
And it looks like we’ve got some more kidlit movie nights on the horizon, given two recent announcements:
No release date yet, but a movie version of Lois Lowry’s The Giver has been announced. It’s being produced by actor Jeff Bridges, who will also play the Giver himself. Apparently, he first discovered the book when his daughter was reading it in high school, and he thought his father (also an actor) would be perfect for the Giver role. But now, years after he first tried to get the movie off the ground, he’s decided to take on the part himself. And you know what? I think he’ll do a good job! Check out the resemblance, at least:
Jeff Bridges photo from Variety.com
While we wait for The Giver to hit theaters, we can catch the film adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, which comes out on December 28. Not familiar with the story? Well, I could tell you a little about it, but why don’t you just watch the newly-released trailer:
I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of horse movies. But this one is directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. And did you see that moment where all the soldiers emerge from the field and climb onto their horses? That looked AMAZING!
Well, what do you guys think? Are you excited for either of these movies? Leave a comment and let me know!
— Karen
Speaking of kidlit movies, Karen is thinking of dressing as a Hufflepuff when she goes to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. Do you think a robe is too hot for summer?
More about Karen »
What’s black and white and red all over? An embarrassed penguin!
Ha ha ha ha ha! Aren’t we hilarious?
Okay, to be honest, we found that joke on the Internet. But we really did create the video review below, for the new film Mr. Popper’s Penguins, starring Jim Carrey. So take a look and see if we found the movie positively perfect, partially pleasant, or plainly putrid!
(PS – If you’re on the go — or busy practicing a penguin dance routine — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the book? And what was YOUR favorite penguin moment?
Are you ready to have an absolutely thrill-a-delic summer? That’s certainly what Judy Moody is after in the new movie, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, based on the book series by Megan McDonald (and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds).
But will Judy get the double-rare experience that she wants? And more importantly, if you watch this movie, will YOU? Watch our video review to find out!
(PS – If you’re on the go — or you’re just in a mood — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Judy Moody movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the books?
Have you looked outside lately? It’s spring! The birds are chirping, the sky is blue, the flowers are blooming… Oh, wait. Uh oh. It’s starting to get overcast… and now the rain is pouring down. =( Well, you could always curl up with a good book — or watch these new movie previews for some upcoming book-to-movie adaptations!
Check out Count Olaf — I mean, Jim Carrey — in Mr. Popper’s Penguins:
I don’t think literal dancing penguins were part of Richard and Florence Atwater’s book, but I fully support dancing penguins in nearly any movie.
And when you’ve d’awwwed enough about those so-called “pesty” penguins, check out this zany preview for Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer:
Roller coaster puke, a search for Bigfoot, and a new book out this summer? It sounds like my rainy spring is soon going to be a NOT bummer summer!
Let me know in the comments which upcoming book-to-movie adaptation you’re more excited about: Mr. Popper’s Penguins or Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer?
— Nancy
Nancy sometimes enjoys movie previews more than the actual movies themselves. The trailers sometimes just have the best parts of the movie in those two minutes!
Meet Nancy »
Greg. Rodrick. Rowley. Fregley. Chirag. And, of course, that embarrassing diary… They’re all back in the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, based on the book Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney.
And surprise, surprise — Nancy and Karen were also back in the theater on opening night to watch the story come to life on the big screen. But did it live up to the book? Or should the film be avoided like the Cheese Touch? Watch our video review to get our take on the movie:
(PS – If you’re on the go — or too busy being tormented by your older sibling — don’t worry, you can still listen to our review. Just download the audio.)
Have you seen the new Wimpy Kid movie? Leave a comment with YOUR review! How do you think it compared to the book and the earlier film?
Zoo-Wee Mama! Know what tomorrow is? Well, yes, it is indeed Friday Friday Friday (and now I have that song in my head — get it out get it out get it out!)… But it’s ALSO the release date for the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, Rodrick Rules!
We shared the first trailer with you guys as soon as it went public, but we had very limited intel about the film at that time. Happily, now there’s TONS of sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes awesomeness available on the magical interwebs. And if you’re as lazy as Rodrick Heffley, then you’re in luck — because we’ve rounded up some of our favorite goodies right here:
Factoid! Did you know that Rowley’s mom in the movie is played by his real-life mother? (Er, I mean Robert Capron’s real-life mother…) Read the Scholastic’s interview with the cast to get the lowdown. [Full disclosure: I work at Scholastic on the very site where this interview appears. But sadly, I did not have anything to do with this interview. Cry.]
Straight from the source! Also from Scholastic, an interview with author Jeff Kinney reveals that he’s got at least two more Wimpy Kid books in the works, and probably another movie. Keep ‘em coming!
Just in time for April Fool’s! Apparently, Zachary Gordon (who plays Greg) and Devon Bostick (who plays Rodrick) are huge pranksters, and kept things lively on set. Zach dumped a whole mess of salt into one of Devon’s water bottles, and Devon tricked Zach into eating an Oreo filled with toothpaste instead of frosting! Author Jeff Kinney also got into the act when he pulled one over on Zach — watch the video of his prank on Cartoon Network (click “Behind the Scenes” on the left side, and then choose “Inflatable Extras” down below).
Trailer #2! Turns out there’s a new trailer for the movie, and it’s full of funny stuff from the books — Mom Bucks! Rodrick caught on camera! — plus, some scenes I don’t recall and assume are brand new for the film (roller rink party?). Check it out for yourself:
Between the official site and Cartoon Network, there are about a bazillion more video clips for you to watch… or you could just wait until tomorrow and see the whole movie — that’s what Nancy and I are going to do! So check back next week for our review.
For now, I’ll leave you with this hilarious video. I started this post by referring to a big YouTube sensation, so it’s only fitting to end with what very well may be the next big Internet hit. At least, I think it should be!
And leave a comment if you’re planning to see the film! How do you think it will compare to the book?
Unlike Rodrick, Karen never threw any parties when her parents were away. That they know of! Just kidding, she never did. She was a good kid. Really.
Nancy and I are huge fans of How to Train Your Dragon — both the movie and the book by Cressida Cowell. (If you missed it, check out our review — it’s as glowing as a village that’s been breathed on by a dragon!) So we’re extremely pleased that yesterday, Dreamworks announced the release date for the movie sequel: June 20, 2014.
Yeah, I know that’s really far away. But the way I like to think about it, that just gives them more time to make an awesome movie. Right?
Just like the first film, How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be in 3D, and the cast will all be pretty much the same. But what will happen in the movie? I have no idea! Unfortunately, no one’s spilling much about the story. I’ve been doing furious research on the Interwebs, and all I could find was this little teaser from the writer/director, Dean DeBlois:
“What I presented to them was the second act of a much larger story. So the film takes on much more breadth, it’s really quite epic. We leave the first film with these Vikings on the backs of dragons, so the world just opens up and expands exponentially.”
Hello, talk about vague! Can we have some actual details, please?!
Normally, I’d say that since there’s actually a whole series of How to Train Your Dragon books, we should all just read the second book about Hiccup, and that would reveal all. But in this case, the movie was actually quite different from the book. So somehow, I have a feeling that How to Train Your Dragon 2 ISN’T going to be all about Hiccup’s search for Grimbeard the Ghastly’s treasure — which is the focus in How to be a Pirate (Book 2 in the series).
Oh well. I guess we have plenty of time to speculate: over three years! [wail of agony] Thank goodness there are so many Hiccup books to keep us entertained:
You can find out more about them all at Cressida Cowell’s official site.
So… if you had your choice, what would you want to see in Hiccup’s next onscreen adventure? More romance? More adventure? More Viking helmets? Share your ideas in the Comments — the sky is the limit! (Just like how the sky is the limit when Hiccup and Toothless are flying! Get it? Har har har.)
Karen imagines she would not be very good at training a dragon. Once she killed a cactus in two weeks. A cactus…
A while back I posted that the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald is going to be made into a live-action movie. The movie’s going to be titled Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer and not only have they cast the film, they’ve already started production!
(I think Jordana looks like a GREAT fit! Judy Moody illustrator Peter Reynolds should be proud.)
In other news, a new books series by William Joyce, The Guardians of Childhood, is coming out next fall. We’ll be keeping an eye out on The Guardians of Childhood series, because unlike most series, it’s going to be seven picture books and six chapter books! It tells the tales of iconic characters like Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman. And if picture books AND chapter books aren’t enough for you, a movie is also in the works!
Check out the cast:
So, what do you guys think of these casting choices? I’m particularly curious about the Easter Bunny one…
Nancy’s very intrigued by the Guardians of Childhood series and can’t wait to read the picture books, then the chapter books, and then watch the movies! It’ll be like traveling through childhood, very quickly.
Recently, I said that the Newbery Awards are like the Oscars for books. But this time, I’m talking about a book that might actually win an Oscar! How’s that possible? Well, it’s actually a movie that’s based on a book — but it’s closer to the original than the average film adaptation because it’s an animated movie based on a book that’s mainly made up of illustrations, and because the book’s author played a huge part in creating the movie.
The movie is The Lost Thing, and it’s nominated for an Oscar in the animated short film category. The book is also called The Lost Thing, and it’s a picture book by Australian author/illustrator Shaun Tan. In both the book and the film, a boy discovers a strange creature one day while he’s at the beach and tries to find out where it belongs. Sounds simple enough, right? Not exactly Oscar material? Well, it’s not quite as straightforward as that: The creature is gigantic and red, with green tentacles — and yet no one except the boy really pays any attention. And the setting for the story isn’t your ordinary town, but a sort of future world with green skies and crazy amounts of machinery and plumbing. NOW I’ve got your attention, right?
Check out this beautiful illustration from the original book (taken from Shaun Tan’s official website, where you can see even more!):
Illustration from "The Lost Thing" (from shauntan.net)
Now see how The Lost Thing comes to life on film in the official movie trailer:
(You can also see some incredible behind-the-scenes sketches and movie stills on Shaun Tan’s site.)
Unfortunately, you probably won’t get a chance to read the book before the Academy Awards next month because up until now, the book has never been published in the United States. But don’t worry — in April, The Lost Thing will be published in America as part of a collection of short stories by Shaun Tan, called Lost and Found.
And if you can’t wait until then, definitely check out Shaun Tan’s other amazing books, which also have gorgeous and bizarre illustrations: The Arrival and Tales from Outer Suburbia.
Every year, Karen tries to watch all the Oscar nominees for animated short film. It’s usually the only category where she sees all the movies. Just further proof she forgot to grow up somewhere along the way!
PS – Full disclosure: I work for the company that publishes Shaun Tan’s books in America, but I don’t work on them at all. Man oh man, how I wish I did!!!!!
