February 2015

Breaking news: Love is no longer the aggresive, beating heart of February! Or at least you wouldnt know that it is just by considering the movies coming out this month. Whereas in past Februarys (Februaries?), we cinephiles have been bombarded with all manner of romantic films --- comedies, dramas, classics and otherwise --- this year Hollywood seems to have given us a much-needed break. So unless you consider Fifty Shades of Grey a love story for the ages (no judgment), there is neither a lovestruck heroine nor a grand romantic gesture in sight. It looks like we dodged a heart-shaped bullet this year...at least until March!

Speaking of Fifty Shades ---and disastrous press tours aside --- the adaptation of the megaseller E L James novel is clearly the Main Event this month. It stars Jamie Dornan as the titular tortured billionaire with decidedly dark sexual preferences, and Dakota Johnson as the girl who (literally; E L James is not known for her subtle use of metaphor) falls for him. Listen, say what you will about bickering co-stars and on-set tension between director and author, this book has sold over 100 million copies. Meaning, at the height of its popularity, a copy was being boughtevery second somewhere in the world. You cant argue with those numbers. Personally, my inner goddess and I are definitely feeling appropriately acrobatic in anticipation of the movie.

If you dont feel like being a statistic this month (or youre just waiting to watch Fifty Shades on VOD --- the movie version of the more, er, discreet eBook), you can always catch Kingsman: The Secret Service, based on the similarly titled comic series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. If the trailer is any indication, it looks like a fun, irreverent take on the more buttoned-up Bond movies. And in case you get snowed in, there are plenty of past Books on Screen movies now available on DVD, including The Theory of Everything, Big Hero 6 and Dracula Untold. And iffff you absolutely insist on seeing something romantic this month, the Nicholas Sparks tearjerker, The Best of Me, is also available for at-home viewing.

Television remains consistent, with two new shows joining the fray: The Slap on NBC and The Book of Negroes on BET. Both are being broadcast in a limited capacity as miniseries, so get em while theyre hot. And, of course, our usual menagerie of vampires, detectives and superheroes is still at large on small screens this month.

So whether youre spending Valentines Day with your significant other or renewing your vows of forever to Netflix, theres something for everyone this month. Go out there, Books on Screen readers, and spread the love!

In Theaters:

Fifty Shades of Grey Cast:Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan Director:Sam Taylor-Johnson Distributor:Universal Pictures/Focus Features MPAA Rating:R Release Date:February 13th Based on:FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E L James

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Anas quiet beauty, wit and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too --- but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Greys singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success --- his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family --- Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Greys secrets and explores her own dark desires.

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February 2015