Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is finally here! Filled with colourful characters, fantastical scenery and adventure galore, Burton’s take on Lewis Carroll’s classic is well worth the wait. In 3-D, the film takes the Mad Hatter’s tea party to a new level, far surpassing anything that even Carroll himself could have imagined.

Rather than make yet another film about the little girl who falls down the rabbit hole, Burton extends Carroll’s version to a 19-year-old Alice. Alice Kingsley, a young rebellious woman who refuses to wear a corset, attends a garden party at an estate due to her mother’s insistence. Alice is scatter-brained and imaginative, which certainly are not qualities appreciated  in women during the Victorian era. Despite this, a marriage proposal has been arranged, and when the suitor kneels before Alice, she bolts, following a little white rabbit.

The rabbit, wearing a waistcoat and pocket watch, leads Alice down a rabbit hole. In 3-D, the effect is both dazzling and mind-bending. Alice enters the world of Underland, or, as the creatures living there call it, “Wonderland.” The white rabbit had been sent to retrieve Alice, the Alice, the young girl who had visited 10 years ago; but this Alice does not remember Wonderland, and the creatures debate whether this is the same person.

Alice is brought to Wonderland to slay a dragon, and, thus, defeat the wicked Red Queen. The dragon, Jabberwock, is vicious and gargantuan, and Alice pleads with the creatures that she could never kill anything, even if she wanted to. Alice’s adventure in Wonderland leads her to the Jabberwock, making friends and enemies along the way, and forces her to be strong, independent and confident. The film is a visual treat and with a strong female heroine, it sends a great message to youngsters.

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In Vogue; The Illustrated History of the World’s Most Famous Fashion Magazine by Norberto Angeletti and Alberto Oliva is a beautiful coffee-table book featuring Vogue’s finest photographs. Not only does this book detail the history of Vogue itself with commentaries from its most influential, such as Anna Wintour; it also details the progression of fashion photography and how cutting-edge Vogue is. Long before America’s Next Top Model’s famous “underwater shots,” Toni Frissell shot Joan Dixon underwater in 1939 through the glass at an oceanarium in Marineland (82).

The book also chronicles the changes of fashion and fashionable body shapes. For instance, a photograph of a woman on the street wearing a long Dior dress with cinched waist, hat, gloves and heels for the 1948 article on the Paris spring collections (141) drastically compares to the 1969 photo of Marisa Berenson wearing a Saint Laurent mini-dress on the street (179).

Of course, not everything in Vogue is simply about fashion; Vogue also features informative articles and celeb interviews. Vogue has always been one to schmooze with the stars. Look for pictures of Keira Knightley (300), Truman Capote (149), Brigitte Bardot (162), Marilyn Monroe (175), Nicole Kidman (248), Christina Ricci (337), and Drew Barrymore (385), among others, in the book. Vogue also covers important societal topics, such as obesity. In 2004, Irving Penn photographed a grossly obese woman for an article about America’s obesity epidemic (297).

The book contains some of the most stunning and creative photographs I have ever seen, like -my personal favourite- Annie Leibovitz’s 2003 style essay called “Alice in Wonderland.” The piece stars Natalia Vodianova as Alice, Marc Jacobs as the Caterpillar, Jean Paul Gaultier as the Cheshire Cat, Viktor & Rolf as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, John Galliano as the Queen of Hearts, Karl Lagerfeld, Rupert Everett and Donnatella Versace as the Gryphon (268-271). It truly is a remarkable piece by the legendary photographer.

In Vogue; The Illustrated History of the World’s Most Famous Fashion Magazine is a telling piece about our society as a whole. Not only does the book chronicle the history of fashion as told through the images in Vogue magazine; it tells the changes of body image, current events, and the entertainment industry. Anyone interested in photography, fashion or popular culture is sure to love this masterpiece collection of Vogue’s finest work.

While most children watch Charlie Brown and the gang for their annual Christmas cheer, I relished in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. I thought Jack Skellington’s vision of getting the ghouls and goblins of Halloween Town to celebrate Christmas was fascinating, and I loved the songs! I distinctly remember my parents saying “well that was weird…” when the credits rolled and thinking it was fantastic! No, I may not have been the most normal six-year-old in the group, but I sure did love Tim Burton movies.

Which is why while reading the November 2009 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, I was delighted to find in Fanfair on page 96 Aaron Gell’s “Death Becomes Him: MoMA Celebrates the Dark Artistry of Tim Burton.” According to Gell, from November 22 to April 26, the Museum of Modern Art will feature a gallery and film exhibition of Burton’s work. Aptly titled “Tim Burton,” the exhibition will include Burton’s 14 feature films, 700 pieces of art, home-made shorts from his teen years, and Disney Channel’s 1983 Hansel and Gretel.

I cannot think of a director more deserving of a MoMA exhibit, and to showcase an artist so creative is sure to create a stunning exhibition. Unfortunately, I also cannot think of a way to get to the MoMA, so I’ve created a blogpost to highlight some of the director/writer/producer’s work for us non-N.Y. locals.

Since Burton has quite a resume, here are some of my favourite features:

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands is a modernization of Mary Shelley’s monster in Frankenstein.

When a brilliant inventor creates Edward (Depp), he only has one final touch to add: Edward’s hands. As the inventor is about to attach Edward’s hands, he dies, leaving the creation with nothing but a pair of lengthy scissors as fingers.

Poor Edward is left isolated in the inventor’s hilltop mansion, feeling desperately alone until a nice lady named Peg (Wiest) meets the gentle man.

Peg invites Edward to live in her home, and he quickly falls in love with her daughter, Kim (Ryder). Unfortunately, the scissorhanded man cannot help but get into all sorts of trouble, finding himself in the same shunned position as Victor Frankenstein’s monster.

But will Edward avoid the same fate?

View the trailer below…

Beetlejuice (1988)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis

“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!” What child didn’t love the antics that the rebellious Beetlejuice got himself into? He was always acting out and always getting scolded, which is probably why kids adore the character.

I myself loved the children’s cartoon, and being too young to have watched the film in theatres, I remember renting the video cassette and giggling away at dear ole’ Beetlejuice’s antics.

The film features Adam (Baldwin) and Barbara (Davis) Maitland, who, after being killed in a car crash, become ghosts in their New England home. When a yuppie couple moves in, the Maitland’s grow concerned with the new resident’s modern taste.

Trying to scare the new homeowners away, the Maitland’s attempt at being spooky ghosts, but their efforts are unsuccessful. Hoping to get the family out, the Maitland’s turn to a rambunctious ghost named Beetlejuice (Keaton) to do the deed.

View the trailer below…

Big Fish (2003)

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman

I adore the movie Big Fish. It is magical, eccentric and heart-warmingly sweet. It is a tale about love and believing, and it truly is a wonderful film.

Will Bloom (Crudup) thinks his father is a liar. Growing up, Ed Bloom (Finney) told his son outrageous tales of his youth, and now that Will is all grown up, he believes his dad is full of it.

But when Ed Bloom faces his last moments as he dies of cancer, Will visits after years of silence to piece together the truth of his father’s life. Ed Bloom’s tales of wonderment cannot possibly be true, can they?

The father’s mystical stories come to life in flashbacks of his younger days (McGregor) gallivanting from adventure to adventure.

Big Fish is the sentimental bond between father-and-son. It is a sweet movie for any age, and is far adrift from Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, with its beautiful sets and cute costumes.

View the trailer below…

The MoMA “Tim Burton” exhibition is sure to be fascinating to fans of the eccentric artist. Reading his impressive list of films, I realize I have a few DVDs to rent (Hansel and Gretel for starters!) Burton’s latest project, Alice in Wonderland, is expected to be released in 2010 and I for one am hoping to see it at an IMAX.

Back in 2001, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint quickly rose to fame as child actors in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The franchise has since catapulted the trio to superstardom and riches, with screaming Potter devotees every where they turn. The actors have been so iconisized by their roles in Harry Potter that when they branch out, fans are both excited and shocked, but also extremely loyal.

Fan loyalty is one thing Rupert Grint truly appreciates. Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series, most recent project secured a distribution deal thanks to his HP fans. In his latest film, Cherrybomb, Grint plays Malachy, a boy fighting for the affections of his friend Michelle. Malachy and Luke (who is also going after Michelle) try to one up each other for Michelle’s attention, which escalates to a wild weekend of theft, drink and drugs.

Cherrybomb premiered at the Berlin Film Festival but didn’t secure a distributor. Thanks to an online petition by Ice Cream Man, Rupert Grint fans got the attention of a film distributor who later secured a deal with Cherrybomb. The film is expected to be released in 2010.

But this isn’t the first time the redhead branched away from witches and wizards, in 2006 Grint starred in Driving Lessons. In the film, Grint plays Ben Marshall, a shy seventeen year old with a domineering religious mother and a push-over father. Ben gets a summer job assisting retired actress Evie Walton (Julie Walters), helping her around the home and driving her around town. When Evie takes Ben to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the road trip proves lifealtering for the teenager.

Driving Lessons is a very cute and quirky film. It is thoroughly enjoyable and Grint quickly makes audiences forget his Ron Weasley character.

Ron Weasley’s crush Hermione has also been making waves outside of Hogwarts. Emma Watson plays Pauline Fossil in Ballet Shoes. Ballet Shoes is the story of three adopted sisters-Pauline, Petrova and Posy-who struggle to make their dreams come true. Watson’s character aspires to be an actress, but when she lands the lead in Alice in Wonderland, she lets the achievement get to her head.

Outside of acting, Watson has also been gaining attention for her American post-secondary education and her modeling. Her Burberry ads are stunning and have been gracing the pages of Vogue, among other fashion magazines.

And last, but certainly not least, is Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Racliffe made headlines for his role in the play Equus, mainly because of the nudity. But a role that got the actor a little less attention was in a film called December Boys.

Set in 1960s Australia,  December Boys follows four orphans born in December. The boys are sent for a beach stay with Mr. and Mrs. McAnsh for their birthday, and have the adventure of a lifetime. Radcliffe plays Maps, the eldest orphan, who the other boys say will never be adopted because of his age. While there, the boys meet Teresa and her husband Fearless, who they overhear discussing adopting one orphan. Each boy wants to be the “chosen one,” and strives to gain the couples love.

December Boys is a heartwarming tale of friendship, family and love. Sans spectacles, Radcliffe eases audiences into forgetting he is the lightning-scarred star of Harry Potter.

Although the three young stars act in the Harry Potter series, their talent helps fans forget their iconic roles and look at them as a different character. Whether it be Grint in Driving Lessons, Watson in Burberry ads, or Radcliffe in December Boys, they make it easy to forget their Gryffindor scarves and magic wands, if only for an hour or two.

While writing this, I decided to find a more reliable source about Hades. I came across a website called greekmythology.com While Hades does rule the dead, it is interesting to note that he is also the God of Wealth, which was my first thought. Perhaps what my dream really meant was, say goodbye to your crappy childhood bedroom because your coming into some money!

Although my dream won’t bring me into fame and fortune- well, never say never, perhaps I’ll become a millionaire from my novel on Hades, or maybe that’ll be the name of my clothing/handbag/perfume line (“Hades for her, Hades for him, Hades forever. Literally, for-ev-er, as in, eternity.” Has a nice ring to it.) But some people do achieve success thanks to a dream. For example, Stephanie Meyer’s dream of a girl and a vampire having a coversation in a meadow led her to write the Twilight series. Her dream led to googily-eyed tween girls everywhere taping posters of Robert Pattinson on their bedroom wall while glowering at Kristen Stewart.

But it seems like I’m not the only person thinking of dreams these days. Tim Burton’s latest film is 2010’s Alice in Wonderland. Starring the usuals- Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen- and the unlikely cast Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Alice in Wonderland looks like a journey in bright colours, strange objects, and special effects. Not to mention brilliant acting, screenplay and direction. I’m certainly looking forward to it, perhaps you will be too after watching the trailer:

Now what does this have to do with daydreaming? For those of you who read Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, you may recall that Alice was day-dreaming with her sister (or was she? SpOoKy!) But the little girl may or may not have dreamed up a whole other world of adventure and wackiness if she was awake.

While Alice never would have thought of Wonderland herself (or would she?…), Susie Salmon would never think of her Wonderland alive. In Peter Jackson’s upcoming film The Lovely Bones, Salmon explores the “in-between” while her parents desperately search for her killer. I personally loved the novel by Alice Sebold, but held little hope for the film. The story is so devestating and terrible, who would want to watch that at the movie theatre? But from what I can see in the trailer, the film is promosing. It seems like more of a weird thriller, and I’m actually looking forward to watching it.

I’m also looking forward to seeing Mark Wahlberg redeem himself after the disaster that was The Happening. I know, I know it was all M. Night Shyamalan’s fault. Whatever you say…

And while Alice’s dreams it and Susie dies into it, some characters just live in it. In The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Doctor Parnassus leads a travelling show called the ‘Imaginarium,’ where he guides the imaginations of the audience. But Doctor Parnassus’ life isn’t all grand, he is immortal thanks to a deal with Mr. Nick, a.k.a. the devil. But, apparently, the devil is a reasonable man and lets you renogotiate. To rid himself of immortality after meeting his true love, Doctor Parnassus agrees that when his first-born turns 16 he or she will belong to the devil. Now clearly he didn’t think that one through... As his daughter, Valentina, reaches her sweet sixteen, Doctor Parnassus desperately tries to protect her. I think it looks like an interesting movie and am looking forward to it. And if one more person labels it “Heath Ledger’s last film” I’m going to scream!