10.15.07
Posted in Celebrity Narnia, Narnia Books
at 4:21 pm
by Paul Martin
There has been a lot of gossip around the web in the last day or so about Britney Spears reading “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. One such article attempted to slander Ms. Spears for reading at a “5th-Grade” level. The reason that I am bringing this up is because of that comment.
The article goes on to say insult the girl saying “obviously, put on sunglasses at night inside your car and curl up with a good book most of us read in grade school: C.S. Lewis’s classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
It does say that the book is good, but what it also manages to do is place LWW in a bubble that says that it’s only for a certain reading level. My question is: Who decides what reading level a book falls into? Sure, there are books that you can guarantee are for adults or for very young children, but then there are books like Narnia that should have no such label. If anything, it should be a minimum reading level, with the maximum being never. I am pretty sure that is what the reading level is supposed to do, but it also inadvertantly puts a wall around it that says “after 5th grade, the book is no longer suitable.”
I am sure that is not the case, as Narnia fans come in all ages, judging by the members of the forum here.
I’m not here to defend Britney’s actions and her very public state of life, just to state what should be obvious: Narnia is a series of books with reading, and even Britney knows that.
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05.11.07
Posted in Misc., Narnia Films
at 10:11 am
by Paul Martin
The Chronicles of Narnia’s Warwick Davis is going to preside as the Celebration Europe Master of Ceremonies on the Main Stage this coming July 13-15 at London’s ExCeL Center.
Always a favorite with audiences, Davis will host interviews with celebrity guests, question and answer sessions, and will chat with fans, and share insights into his own extensive film and stage experience. Located within a 2000-seat theater constructed within the ExCeL Center, the Celebration Europe Main Stage will feature an extensive line up of exciting guests and shows across all three days of the show, all of which will be woven together by Davis’ expert hand.
Watch for his return to Hogwarts in 2007 as Flitwick in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and for his new role as Nikabrik in the upcoming Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian currently in production.
For more on the talented actor and his many projects, check out his official web site.
The Celebration Europe Main Stage is located within the main hall at Celebration Europe. Please note that entry to some shows and presentations might be limited by capacity. Please check the official Celebration site for updates and a full stage schedule closer to the show.
Click here to book Celebration Europe tickets.
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04.10.07
Posted in Misc., NarniaFans.com
at 11:16 am
by Paul Martin
We’ve been working on finding all sorts of new ways to bring Narnia and C.S. Lewis movie news to more people around the world. We’ve started working on a few things, including launching NarniaFans profiles on some of the biggest and newest social networks out there. If you’re on any of these, add us as a friend. We won’t turn you down, I promise! In case you were wondering what networks we’ve joined, we’re going to tell you about each of them right here.
Bebo - We’ve added a new page to Bebo that has a lot of friends as well.
Facebook Fanpage - We’ve created a fast growing fanpage on Facebook that has nearly a thousand members already.
hi5 - This is a pretty good social network, but I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest to use. It has all of the features that you would expect of any network. It doesn’t seem very populated, and there isn’t a way to quickly find friends to add. I guess that’s both a strength and a weakness. Less spam, more actual members.. but there is still the random spam accounts that pop up. One thing that hi5 has over other networks is the ability to classify your friends into custom groups. For example, you can put all of the bands that you’ve befriended into a group called “Bands.” It makes it really easy to find what friends you’re looking for very quickly.
MySpace - Seriously, who hasn’t heard of MySpace. On this one, we’ve got some pretty famous friends, including the director of The Water Horse, and one of the actors that is actually appearing in the film. It is by far the largest network, and the easiest to add a ton of friends. The biggest problem, and I would say this is the worst of the social networks as a direct result of it, is the advertising. The website True.com is the generator of these ads, and it makes visiting the website a chore when you’re trying to avoid ads like that. And the ads are targeted so guys see only ads featuring girls and girls see ads featuring guys… it is sickening.
ShoutLife - Another new social network that recently came out of beta testing. It features a few main categories for accounts, and is very well organized. It is so easy to use and has a very clean interface that makes navigating easy. It is a Christian run social network that requests that you be respectful of that, and keep your profiles clean. Very cool, and recommended.
Xianz (Sign-Up Link) - I’ve only included a sign-up link because it gets me a referral if you use it to register for the website. As for the site itself, Xianz is trying to do it all. Some things they get very right, but other things, not so much. What they get right is the separation of your friends and bands. You can also become a fan of a band on the site without needing to request friendship, I think. Right on your profile, they’re separated into two areas. It also does YouTube style video uploading. They’re trying to be the everything website, but they do have a niche market that they’re going for: Christians. They call themselves the MySpace of Christians, and I wouldn’t argue with that. Advertising is everywhere and the navigation tends to get you lost from time to time (however, the ads are clean! A plus for that one!). The profiles can also be overly filled and appear very messy with guestbooks and chat rooms on nearly every page of the whole site.
Facebook Group - Finally, we have a group on Facebook and another on Friendster.
So, have a look around! We hope that you consider joining any of the above. Whatever your cup of tea, you can find a network for it these days.
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03.20.07
Posted in Narnia Soundtracks
at 2:32 am
by Paul Martin
I’ve decided to keep you all updated on more than just the random Narnia posts here on the Blog. While we figure out what direction to take it, I figured that I might as well keep it active with something. Here’s an update on three of the many great musicians that appeared on the Inspired By soundtrack for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
David Crowder Band went back in the studio yesterday to begin work on their new album Remedy. They’ve also created a new website to allow fans to follow the process. Keep an eye at www.remedyiscoming.com for the latest from the studio! (from Jesusfreakhideout.com)
British band Delirious?, now headlining the Worship Revolution Tour of the United States with Rebecca St. James, will release a book of personal music-based stories, reflections, and devotions this April entitled I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever. A post at the group’s site says, “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever explores the history, the passion, and the motivation of one of the most innovative and challenging worship bands around today. Read it and see for yourself that behind the albums and the international concert tours are five sold-out hearts desperate to make a difference in our generation.” Guitarist Stu G explains, “We wanted to write something that was honest but that was also interesting and helpful. We’re all aware that the world doesn’t need another rock band telling everyone how great they are, so we only wanted to get involved with a book project if we could keep the focus on Jesus rather than ourselves. So what we end up with – we hope – is something that charts the journey, showing how things have really been for us: with God as the captain and us as the confused by grateful little ones trying to follow His lead.” The Delirious? book tells the band’s inspiring story and offers spiritual reflections based on these songs: “Stronger,” “Now Is The Time,” “Here I Am, Send Me,” “Love Is A Miracle,” “Paint The Town Red,” “Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble,” “Our God Reigns,” and “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever.” To read the first chapter (in PDF format), click here. For a review of a recent stop on the Worship Revolution Tour, click here! (from Sparrow Records)
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02.28.07
Posted in NarniaFans.com
at 5:03 pm
by Paul Martin
I’m leaving on Friday night for Ireland (where I will be until next Thursday). I’m going to try to keep up with the news at least once per day while I’m there, but please be patient with me… I’ll be on vacation! I’m going to be blogging about the adventures in Ireland. I’m not sure if I’ll be blogging here, but I will be posting a bit at Punk Rock Catholic.
If anyone wants to be a part of NarniaFansCast (NFC), which is our (weekly) podcast, contact EveningStar in the Dancing Lawn forums.
What you need to join us
• Audacity (free)
• Microphone
• Headphones
and/or
• Headset (perhaps Logitech)
• Skype (free)
Volunteer to help out and you may become a regular on the show!
Many would agree that Ireland vacations make wonderful memories. If you do travel in Ireland make sure you plan ahead so your Ireland vacation is as successful as possible.
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02.22.07
Posted in Narnia Films, Voyage of the Dawn Treader
at 2:10 am
by Paul Martin
Will it be more than a year between Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader? It looks like it might be. Jim Hill Media is reporting that Disney is ramping up the lookout for possible franchise opportunities, and in the middle of the article, has this to say about the Narnia series:
[...] signing British actor Ben Barnes to a three picture deal so that he can then be locked in to play Prince Caspian in the next three “Narnia” films. With “Caspian” being released to theaters in May of 2008 and the film version of “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” already being penciled as Disney’s big holiday season release for 2009.
So it’s looking as though it may not be only a year between the releases of the next two films in the Narnia series, but more like the Harry Potter series with releases set about a year and a half apart. Let’s hope that the release window is officially announced soon so that any rumors can be laid to rest. However, this is a very interesting development.
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02.21.07
Posted in NarniaFans.com
at 10:33 am
by Paul Martin
digmo.co.uk has created a Widget for us. For any of you that has a Mac, you can now get NarniaFans.com news updates right on your desktop!
Download the NarniaFans.com Widget!
Note: This widget is freeware, and we take no responsibility for it’s use.
[digmo.co.uk]
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02.16.07
Posted in Walden Media
at 4:36 pm
by Paul Martin
I’ve posted a review of Walden Media’s very excellent film Bridge to Terabithia. It’s in theatres today, and I cannot say enough about it. I saw it last Saturday morning, and right after I went and bought the book and the movie companion. I was in awe of the film as it carried me away on an adventure unlike any that I’ve seen in a long time. It was, and is, a film about me, and my creative imagination. It made me want to be a kid again, and want to create new worlds and explore new places in my own imagination that I’ve not thought about in years.
For a film to access the creative part of your mind and make you excited to create your own stories, it’s a very special thing, and it doesn’t come around very often. I very highly recommend the movie for anyone. You can read more in part one of my review at WaldenFans.com. I’m going to be writing part two after I see the film again. I’ll edit this post and add a link when that part is complete.
This is one film for the DVD collection that is well worth having on your shelf, and I hope that it gets the special edition treatment that it deserves.
Also take a look at our interview with WETA’s Matt Aitken!
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02.09.07
Posted in Narnia Games
at 3:36 am
by Paul Martin
When you’re looking for the company behind the Chronicles of Narnia video games, you’ll have to look under a different banner. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published under the Buena Vista Games moniker. For Prince Caspian and beyond (at least for the foreseeable future) you’ll be turning to Disney Interactive Studios.
Disney today announced the renaming of its video game business unit to Disney Interactive Studios at the company’s investor conference in Orlando. Disney Interactive Studios’ Senior Vice President and General Manager, Graham Hopper commented, “This change reflects our focus on creativity, the weight of Disney content in our portfolio, and the enormous value consumers see in the Disney brand.”
The business unit formerly known as Buena Vista Games will now be known as Disney Interactive Studios and will publish both Disney and non-Disney branded video games for all platforms worldwide. Video games will be published under the company’s strong consumer brands including Disney, ABC and Touchstone.
It’s the same studio, but a different name.
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02.05.07
Posted in Narnia Films, Voyage of the Dawn Treader
at 1:16 am
by Paul Martin
We’ve just received word that Andrew Adamson expects to still be working on Prince Caspian when shooting starts on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We expect that he’ll be heavy into post-production on that film, and will be acting as a producer on Dawn Treader. This is much like the role of Chris Columbus on the Harry Potter series of films. After directing the first two, he’s been acting as a producer, ensuring that the sequels maintain the overall look of the first films. The capable directing hands of director Alfonso Cuarón took the reigns and delivered what I feel is the best film in the series thus far: Prisoner of Azkaban. It was the first time that I felt the “magic” of the Harry Potter world as I watched it. Also, having never read a single Harry Potter novel, I didn’t know what I was missing, and while others complained, I admired. I look at all of the artistic shots, the fluid camera movements and the editing. The story is entertaining and dark, and the world seemed more real, more alive.
When it comes to other directors shooting the other Narnia films, it isn’t quite the same thing. Sure, the other Narnia books follow a lot of the same characters, but each book is almost mutually exclusive. They simply take place in the same world, on the same timeline. The one thread that connects them all is Aslan. This makes it very easy for another director to shoot a film in the Narnia series and get away with being a bit different from the style that Andrew Adamson has set in place. Each book even calls for a different style, as the stories are so varied.
The biggest question is not whether or not another director should fill Andrew Adamson’s shoes. We know that it’s going to happen now. The biggest question is: Who will it be?
I am sure that Walden Media and Disney are looking at prospects to direct Dawn Treader, and am really curious as to who they will select. Because it takes place mostly on the sea, and is being produced by Disney, would Gore Verbinski be open to shooting another film with a lot of water? Or would he be waterlogged from directing the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy? What about Peter Jackson? Well, he’s working hard on adapting The Lovely Bones, at the moment. Perhaps director Jay Russell. He’s directed Tuck Everlasting, Ladder 49, and the a very good film called My Dog Skip (a film that I’d recommend to anyone). He’s also the director of Walden Media’s The WaterHorse. He seems to work well with young actors, and after this film would have the experience to tackle an epic that takes place mostly at sea.
Who do you think would make a good director for Voyage of the Dawn Treader?
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