Tag Archives: Selma Blair

“Cruel Intentions” Witherspoon, Phillipe and Gellar

based on a book, drama, re-release, romance, , ,

Written and directed by Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions arrived in the theaters in 1999. The movie played in the theaters again to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Now, there is a Cruel Intentions series set to stream on Amazon.

Let’s savor the award-winning movie first and foremost.

Based on a novel by Choderlos de Laclos, the story follows Kathryn, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sebastian, played by Ryan Phillippe. It’s summer break, and Kathryn is dumped by her beau, Court Reynolds, played by Charlie O’Connell, for the innocent Cecile, played by Selma Blair.

Desperate to get even, Kathryn challenges Sebastian to ruin Cecile by taking her virginity and turning her into a tramp. The intent is to humiliate the Court by presenting him to Cecile, who is damaged goods.

Until now, Sebastian feels he has been with all the girls in New York City. He is bored with it all. Though this is too easy a conquest for him, he agrees to it.

He sets his sights on a greater challenge—the new headmaster’s daughter, Annette, played by Reese Witherspoon, who wrote an article in a magazine about how she intends to stay pure until she marries her boyfriend.

Sebastian bets Kathryn that he can seduce the chaste and pristine Annette before school begins in the fall. Kathryn thinks this exploit is impossible and agrees to the wager. As the stakes stand, if Sebastian succeeds, Kathryn must give him a night of unrestrained divine pleasure. A fantasy he’s dreamt about and wanted since their parents got married. If he fails, he must relinquish his 1956 Jaguar to Kathryn and suffer the shame of defeat.

The movie won several awards, including several MTV Movie Awards and one Teen Choice Award. Witherspoon also won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award (remember those?) for Favorite Supporting Actress in a Drama/Romance.

“After” Trailer, Clips, Posters & Interview with Todd

based on a book, drama, romance, , , ,

Bad boys are sexy, but be careful.

Tessa, played by Josephine Langford and directed by Jenny Gage, Anna Todd’s best-selling novel After comes to the silver screen in this soft-porn movie.

After the novel became a publishing sensation on the social storytelling platform Wattpad. As a movie, the visceral and inner thoughts might be hard to convey. The story follows Tessa, a good girl, a dedicated student, and a dutiful daughter.

She is also a loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. When she enters her first semester in college with only positive and grand ideas for her future, her cocoon world opens up when she meets the dark and mysterious Hardin Scott, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin.

Tessa is drawn to Hardin as a magnetic, brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself and what she wants out of life.

If you haven’t read the book, you can tell by the movie trailer that Hardin is a dark and tragic character – a naughty boy. The story makes going to college a whole new way of getting an education.

Do you recognize Hero Fiennes Tiffin? He played another bad boy in a top-rated franchise—the young Tom Riddle in the 6th Harry Potter movie.

The young-adult romance stars Peter Gallagher, Jennifer Beals, and Selma Blair.
Shane Paul McGhie has a decent role and is starring with Taraji P. Henson in What Men Want.

It looks like Gage worked her way up in the film industry as a production assistant to a documentarian, and now her directorial debut with After.

The five movie clips are the story, and one has a theme song. Enjoy them while they last.

After is the first movie, and there are others you’ll find on Amazon.

I include an interview with the author of the online and celebrated book. I don’t understand all the sites or terminology she uses to describe how the book After became an Internet sensation. Anna Todd seems low-key and calm about her success in bringing Tessa and Hardin together.