Book Review: The Host

“This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds – the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions…the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached.”

From Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, The Host, originally published in 2008, follows 17-year-old Melanie Stryder who lives in a world which has been taken over by an unseen parasitic alien race known as Souls, who deem the humans as too violent to deserve the planet. With her body taken over by a Soul known as Wanderer, Melanie refuses to just fade away. When Wanderer starts hearing Melanie’s voice inside her head and begins experiencing memories of her brother, Jamie, and boyfriend, Jared, she sets out to risk everything to find Melanie’s loved ones, as she struggles to put aside the strong human emotions that are refusing to let her cooperate.

Book v Film: The Host

“This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds – the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions…the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached.”

Adapted from Twilight author Stephenie Meyer‘s science fiction romance novel of the same name, The Host introduces an unseen alien race known as Souls, which take over Earth and its inhabitants’ bodies. Directed by Andrew Niccol, the film follows 17-year-old Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) who has been taken over by a Soul known as Wanderer. Melanie refuses to just fade away, however. When Wanderer starts hearing Melanie’s voice inside her head and experiencing memories of her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and boyfriend Jared (Max Irons), she sets out to risk everything to find Melanie’s loved ones, as she struggles to put aside the strong human emotions that are refusing to let her cooperate.

In Retrospect – Issue 20

A film guide for March 2013 including reviews for:

– Side Effects,
– Oz: The Great And Powerful,
– Welcome To The Punch,
– Robot and Frank,
– The Guilt Trip,
– Identity Thief,
– The Paperboy,
– The Host,
– Red Dawn,
– The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,
– The Croods,
– Compliance.

Thanks to contributors Daniel Prinn (@DanielPrinn), Chris Bone (@Boney88), and Paul Weedon (@Twotafkap) for their reviews.

Click here to read.

In Retrospect is a monthly film publication that I make just for a bit of fun, visit the blog here.

Film Review: The Host

(Published in the April edition of Sage)

From Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, The Host is a science fiction romance novel that introduces an unseen alien race known as Souls, which take over Earth and its inhabitants’ bodies. Adapted and directed by Andrew Niccol, the film version, released this month, follows 17-year-old Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) who has been taken over by a Soul known as Wanderer. Melanie refuses to just fade away, however. When Wanderer starts hearing Melanie’s voice inside her head and experiencing memories of her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and boyfriend Jared (Max Irons), she sets out to risk everything to find Melanie’s loved ones, as she struggles to put aside the strong human emotions that are refusing to let her cooperate.

Trailer Trash Feature: 12th – 25th November

(Bi-weekly feature written for Lost In The Multiplex)

As the year draws closer to its end, the new trailers for the beginning of 2013 have started rolling in. From giants to witches, to parasitic alien souls and illusionist con-men, the new year looks set to bring us some fantastic films.

From The Creator of ‘Twilight’ – The Host Gets A Full Trailer

(Written for Lost In The Multiplex)

This month we have an interesting new trailer for The Host, an adaptation of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s sci-fi romance.

Directed by Andrew Niccol, the new trailer does a great job of setting up the film’s plot, which is about the survival of love and the human spirit in a time of war, set in a futuristic world that has been invaded by an unseen enemy that host themselves in humans.

Trailer Trash Feature: 17th – 30th March

(Bi-weekly feature written for Lost In The Multiplex)

You probably heard that the latest Prometheus trailer was released over the last two weeks, causing a lot of hype for fans of Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien franchise, but that wasn’t the only highly anticipated film to get a new promo video. This week we also look at the latest trailer for Snow White And The Huntsman, a number of first trailers for films including Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Cosmopolis, and House At The End Of The Street, and also a handful of films that have recently made their debuts at a number of film festivals over the past couple of months. You’re sure in for a treat.

Jake Abel and Max Irons to Lead In ‘The Host’

(Written for HeyUGuys)

Jake Abel and Max Irons have been confirmed to play the two lead roles in an adaptation of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer‘s, The Host, reported FirstSource this week.

The Host is a science fiction/romance novel by Stephenie Meyer that introduces an alien race called the Souls, who take over the Earth and its inhabitants by inserting themselves into a human body. One Soul, who is fused with a woman named Melanie Stryder, becomes overwhelmed by the vividness of human memories and emotions and begins to lose control over its possession over her body. The soul, who renames herself as Wanda, chooses to seek out human contact instead of following her race’s master plan.