I am participating in the Get Rec’d: A Movie/TV/Book List Challenge and this is the tenth week’s entry.  I have decided to be bold and list a response for all three categories; a movie, a television show, and a book.

Week 10: Guilty Pleasure

Movie: Austenland (2013)

From IMDB: Obsessed with Pride and Prejudice (1995), a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman.   Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Jennifer Coolidge

First, Jennifer Coolidge is a national treasure. The author of the book said that she wrote the character specifically with her comedic timing in mind. Second, this adaptation of the book has its flaws, but Austenland stands well on its own. Third, after you watch the movie for the first time, go back and only focus on JJ Feild especially if he is only in the background. His expressions reacting to everyone talking are priceless. Fourth, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. The dimwitted beefcake taking off his shirt at every opportunity is Shadow from American Gods. Fifth, stay tuned through the credits as the characters lip sync to “Hot In Herre” by Nelly.

Television: Lie To Me (2009-2011)

From IMDB: About Cal Lightman, the world’s leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to expose the truth behind the lies.  Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines

Lie To Me bases itself on the work of Dr. Paul Ekman, a clinical psychologist who specializes in the science of reading facial expressions. The science in the show is all accurate, but since this series airs on Fox, well, the drama is a bit over the top. The first season starts off sensibly enough. By the third season, the main character is either drawing a gun or has a gun point at him in every single episode. Tim Roth makes the series entertaining as hell and plays well against Kelli Williams and Jennifer Beals.

Book: Ready Player One (2011) by Ernest Cline

From Goodreads: In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

When Ready Player One first came out, I inhaled the book in less than a day. I proceeded to recommend it to every human I came across for the next few months. While the book has many flaws, the 1980s nostalgia and references go above and beyond. While Ernest Cline didn’t write literature, Ready Player One takes you down a ’80s rabbit hole of all your favorite parts of the decade. My fingers are crossed the movie sticks to the spirit of the book since the trailer shows that it isn’t sticking to the book itself.

Coming Up Next

Next week will be “Childhood Favorite.”

What are your picks? Let us know in the comments.