The Lucky One,author Nicolas Sparks 2008 book has been given the Hollywood treatment,with a cast that includes Zac Efron (Hairspray),Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents),Jay R. Ferguson (Mad Men) and newcomer Taylor Schilling. The Lucky One,tells the story of a US Marine who returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq,convinced that the one thing that kept him safe and alive was a photograph of a beautiful woman he found in the rubble of war. Its a fantastic premise, said director Scott Hicks. You have this Marine who decides to find this woman and thank her,which sets up the whole romance. And it all revolves around this chance event or fate-finding the photograph. Norah Jones,the singer-songwriters new album Little Broken Hearts is her darkest,most moody album. Its her second album in a row to revolve around failed romance; so did The Fall,released in 2010. The songs from Little Broken Heartswritten with the albums producer,Brian Burton aka Danger Mousetake up longing,regret,sorrow,betrayal,relief and revenge. Jones calls Little Broken Hearts her most experimental album,while Burton,in a telephone interview,said,Its a little different from what her fans expect. He added: There was never really a feeling that any of the stuff we were doing was going to be radio friendly or anything like that. The lyrics are usually plainspoken and,as Jones put it,relatable. The Raven,a film by James McTeigue is the 241st film or television show adapted,however loosely,from Poes writings,according to the Internet Movie Database. This latest production finds the writer himself (John Cusack),in the days before his death,chasing a serial killer whose methods are inspired by his stories. Poe devotees will recognise motifs from The Murders in the Rue Morgue,The Cask of Amontillado,The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar and The Premature Burial. Because the precise manner of Poes demise has always been somewhat mysterious,the makers of The Raven are free to speculate. The Raven imagines an action-packed end to a life that had,in reality,been rather sad and sedentary.
