GoodRead - Beautiful Creatures Movie Companion

You must think I'm a little weird, seeing as I've recently enjoy reading movie-related books. It's only been in the last few years that I've got into the "How is a movie made" (here are my reviews of Harry Potter: Page to Screen & The Art of the Avengers) and I have two more lurking in my stacks that I am SUPER excited to read as I ADORE THE MOVIES (am going to keep them secret but I have tweeted them so if you follow me on Twitter, you should know...)

Anyway, Beautiful Creatures: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is basically what it says on the tin. This is the illustrated book, talking about how the movie (based on the novel by Kami Gracia and Margaret Stohl - and yes, I have read that and its sequel. Will be reading the third and fourth book in the series sometime this year!) was made. From design, make-up, editing and special effects. With quotes from both the authors, the director, the actors, and other people behind the screens.

And it was interesting. I am a geek to this side of movies so to read about how the authors felt when they walked onto site the first day and hearing from make-up and SFX team made the famous "Dining Room" and Casters Ball was interesting and fascinating.

Although, it was missing things. It missed how the actor who played Ethan, Alden Ehrenreich, got the role (the original actor couldn't get a visa for filming, if I remember) or how Alice Englert (Lena) actually refused the role a few times before accepting it. Or how the screenwriter decided what was going to be in the movie and what wouldn't. It's the little things, I know, but it would have been interesting to hear how/why this happened.

This is a fan book. If you are a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series or the movie, you are going to love this as this explains how the movie was created, this is gonna be perfect for you. If not, you might read this and find it a bit lacking.

Ok, I can talk about my reactions to the movie now as I saw it a few days ago (with my other half who I dragged and who had to watch me go "This movie!" while having an annoying couple whispering behind us and a couple several seats away eating VERY LOUD food). So, reactions: I am really surprised how much I enjoyed watching the movie. It was fun. It took the book and made a movie out of it. And you didn't have to have read the book before you watch the movie to get it. You could watch the movie without any knowledge and you would get what's going on. Things happened in the movie that didn't happen in the book and things happened in the book that wasn't in the movie, but these are two very different media. There are faults (the accents was one and a few things were a bit predictable), but it was fun and enjoyable. My opinion, but have you seen the movie? Do you agree or not? LET ME KNOW!!!