Thursday's Picks (7)

Thursday is my favorite day of the week because of this little feature right here! Thursday's Picks is where I spotlight upcoming movie, book and DVD releases that should definitely get a look-see from you all. I would love it if people would play along! Post which movies or books you're excited for that are being released next week, and comment on this post with a link so I can check it out! And don't forget to grab our cute little Thursday's Picks button!

NOTE for all my wonderful followers: My laptop is being repaired right now, so all my posts for the next two weeks or so are from my uber-slow desktop that I want to throw in a river. So please forgive me if I don't post a ton over the next two weeks. I still love you guys! Also, I've got some really awesome prize packs put together for that big contest in November, so keep looking for that announcement post!

This Week's Movie Pick:
Paranormal Activity 2
Release Date: October 22, 2010
Rated R (Solana Films)
Starring NO KNOWN ACTORS


Synopsis (Courtesy of Moviefone):

Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael R. Perry.

As you can see, there is not a ton known about this movie, just like it's predecessor. In the first Paranormal Activity, we were introduced to a couple (played by unknown actors) and then watched them descend into a terrifying bout of possession. The first Paranormal Activity was the most scared I have ever been from watching a movie. I didn't sleep for months after watching it, and I still get a bit freaked out if I'm awake in the dark too long. I don't expect the second to be nearly as scary (because sequels never are), but I hope that it will bring some closure to the events of the first movie. (The family in the trailer is related to the woman who went all demon-crazy in the first film.) Take a look at the trailer, but don't do it with the lights off.


This Week's Book Pick:
Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods Series #5)
Written By Melissa Delacruz
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Hyperion Books

Synopsis (Courtesy of Barnes and Noble):

After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence--with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the seven gates that guard earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silverbloods.

As the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler closer to a terrifying crossroads--and a choice that will determine the destiny of all vampires.

I was terribly worried I wouldn't be able to find a book that I was interested in reading for this week's pick. I got excited to see that Melissa Delacruz is continuing the Blue Bloods series with this installment. I haven't gotten to the Blue Bloods series in my to-be-read pile, but I hear good things, so I'm interested to see how the whole story plays out. The book trailer is pretty intense, so check it out!


This Week's DVD Pick:
The Girl Who Played With Fire (Swedish)
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Rated R (Music Box Films)
Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Alexandra Eisenstein, Annika Hallin, Per Oscarsson and Lena Endre

Synopsis (Courtesy of Moviefone):

The second installment of author Stieg Larsson's best-selling "Millennium" trilogy gets translated to the big screen with this tale of a prominent magazine publisher who launches a comprehensive investigation into Swedish sex trafficking and political corruption. The publisher of "Millennium" magazine, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) has built an empire on his ability to shake up the establishment. Approached by a young journalist with evidence that high-ranking Swedish officials are involved in sex trafficking and crimes against minors, the incensed magazine publisher launches a comprehensive investigation that threatens to implicate some of the most powerful politicians in the country. Noomi Rapace and Alexandra Eisenstein co-star.

I really liked the Swedish film adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It was certainly more entertaining than the book (THANK GOODNESS!), and I feel like the Swedish filmmakers were at a distinct advantage, since they could interpret the source material as it was written by Stieg Larsson. They did a wonderful thing by cramming the first 500 pages of Blomkvist reading into about 20 minutes of film time, and they gave other aspects of the story a spotlight that I didn't feel like they received in the book. I look forward to checking out the second film and to the American version of the movie, which will star Daniel Craig as Blomkvist (which I LOVE!). Take a peek at the trailer below.