9 replies to this topic

[iVYRAVE]

Back in the last decade these series of books about the adventures of 3 unfortunate orphans became a hit with even a movie adaptation starring Jim Carrey.
It is now within the ranks of the long forgotten in favour of the sensation known as Twilight. Is anyone here (apart from me) are still interested in these books even though it's past it's sell-by date?
Who do you think (SPOILERS!) survived in the end and who didn't? (apart from the more obvious ones)
Discuss.

[Diputs]

I really liked the Series of Unfortunate Events. I loved the attitude of the narrator and the way the back of the book was written, with every warning against reading further and listing a bunch of reasons that are only clear in hindsight how they all fit together. I started reading them about when the third was out, read through the whole series, and watched the movie. Jim Carrey did a very nice job at being Count Olaf, in my opinion that makes the movie worth watching even though they departed from the book in quite a few ways.

The End is really hard to speculate on. We get very little information about what is going on at the mainland, I think the only bit is

Spoiler

Something about some Volunteers dying, some Arsonists dying, the only ones we really know of are Kit Snicket, Count Olaf, and Dewey Deumont. Still, I'm not sure the fate of the other two Judges, the man with a beard but no hair and the woman with hair but no beard, were ever stated, and they seemed to be some of the more competant villians in the series; Duncan, Isadora, and Hector were still in the Self-Sustaining Hot Air Balloon unless the eagles managed to do their job a bit better than they were implied to.

And what was in the Sugar Bowl?

[viperxmns]

Yeah they tried cramming too much into one movie.. I liked the books, read them before the movie had come out

[iVYRAVE]

I liked the movie even though many fans hated it as it didn't do the books justice. I personally thought that it was a good one and Jim Carrey stole the show, even though his count Olaf is a lot softer than the book Count Olaf.

Spoiler

I read somewhere that the Baudelaires never made it to shore but from the spinoff book called 'Letters from Beatrice' It looks as though they did or if there was a problem getting back to shore then only Beatrice got there safely. I also read somewhere that some of the characters drowned including the Triplets and Fiona

[Noctourne Wonderland]

My favorite book series by far. They're such smart books; big words, puns and allusions the target audience probably won't get until they're older, and a whole universe that transcends the "Victorian Cautionary Tale" trappings. The movie was...not the best. It had a great visual style but was just too jokey; Jim Carrey is great and looked perfect as Count Olaf, but his type of comedy doesn't fit right with the books. Imagine Alan Rickman as Olaf.

Have you heard the songs done to go along with the books? Lemony Snicket is in a band, The Gothic Archies (fronted by Stephen Meritt from the Magnetic Fields), and they're songs are great. Here's the first one, "Scream and Run Away."

[iVYRAVE]

My favorite book series by far. They're such smart books; big words, puns and allusions the target audience probably won't get until they're older, and a whole universe that transcends the "Victorian Cautionary Tale" trappings. The movie was...not the best. It had a great visual style but was just too jokey; Jim Carrey is great and looked perfect as Count Olaf, but his type of comedy doesn't fit right with the books. Imagine Alan Rickman as Olaf.

Have you heard the songs done to go along with the books? Lemony Snicket is in a band, The Gothic Archies (fronted by Stephen Meritt from the Magnetic Fields), and they're songs are great. Here's the first one, "Scream and Run Away."

I want to see that happen if they do a serious remake.
In defence of the movie, it is for kids. Some of the stuff that Count Olaf does (e.g.in the second book he swears and threatens the Baudelaires with a knife) wouldn't fit in a children's movie so they would have had to tone it down.

I've heard of that band, in the audiobooks their music plays. I think Tim Curry was perfect for the audiobooks as he has this sort of poshness in his voice which suits so well with the tone of the books. His voice for Count Olaf and Madame Lulu were an epic win. I like the song they did in the 9th audio book.
Which book is your favourite, mine is ether the 12th or the 5th or the 2nd or the 1st damn I can't choose! I like them all equally (except the 10th, 11th and the 13th)
Also what year do you think the series (at least the beginning) is set in? My guess is the early 1920's

[Noctourne Wonderland]

In defence of the movie, it is for kids. Some of the stuff that Count Olaf does (e.g.in the second book he swears and threatens the Baudelaires with a knife) wouldn't fit in a children's movie so they would have had to tone it down.

But I think that's the problem right there: they aren't really kid's books. They seem like it, because they're a satire of Victorian kid's books, and they're popular with kids, because they're really well written, but they're kind of like the old Looney Tunes: there's as much for adults in there that kids won't get. It disappointed me that the movie didn't strike that same balance.

I've heard of that band, in the audiobooks their music plays. I think Tim Curry was perfect for the audiobooks as he has this sort of poshness in his voice which suits so well with the tone of the books. His voice for Count Olaf and Madame Lulu were an epic win. I like the song they did in the 9th audio book.
Which book is your favourite, mine is ether the 12th or the 5th or the 2nd or the 1st damn I can't choose! I like them all equally (except the 10th, 11th and the 13th)
Also what year do you think the series (at least the beginning) is set in? My guess is the early 1920's

The song for book 9 is my favorite! I could listen to that all day.
Hmm...picking my favorite book is hard, but I think I'd have to say 6. Esme is just so deliciously evil. Does the Unauthorized Autobiography count? When that came out, I red it dozens of times and filled it with sticky notes to figure out as much of the mysteries and possible. I even got my Music Teacher to help with the sheet music part of it!

As for the time period, I've always imagined the 1920s, too, even though there are references to things like fiber-optic cables.

[iVYRAVE]

But I think that's the problem right there: they aren't really kid's books. They seem like it, because they're a satire of Victorian kid's books, and they're popular with kids, because they're really well written, but they're kind of like the old Looney Tunes: there's as much for adults in there that kids won't get. It disappointed me that the movie didn't strike that same balance.

The song for book 9 is my favorite! I could listen to that all day.
Hmm...picking my favorite book is hard, but I think I'd have to say 6. Esme is just so deliciously evil. Does the Unauthorized Autobiography count? When that came out, I red it dozens of times and filled it with sticky notes to figure out as much of the mysteries and possible. I even got my Music Teacher to help with the sheet music part of it!

As for the time period, I've always imagined the 1920s, too, even though there are references to things like fiber-optic cables.

After re-reading the books many times I spotted some adult things as well that you won't usually notice during your childhood, sometimes it was really pushing it.
I've been trying to track down the song for the 9th audio book but I can't find it, I know it's not freakshow it's another one by the same band, kinda reminds me of the Gorillaz song 'Amarillo' What's it called?
I've never read the unauthorized autobiography, I might ask for it for christmas.

[Noctourne Wonderland]

After re-reading the books many times I spotted some adult things as well that you won't usually notice during your childhood, sometimes it was really pushing it.
I've been trying to track down the song for the 9th audio book but I can't find it, I know it's not freakshow it's another one by the same band, kinda reminds me of the Gorillaz song 'Amarillo' What's it called?
I've never read the unauthorized autobiography, I might ask for it for christmas.

"Walking my Gargoyle" is what you're looking for. Here's a YouTube Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N18s4YbAYQ

Do ask for the Unauthorized Autobiography. It's great fun.

[iVYRAVE]

Thank you this is going straight to my ipod!