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S1:E13 - Beastly by Alex Flinn (2011 Film)
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for a tale as old as time! 🎄✨ This week, we’re kicking off December with Beastly by Alex Flinn and its movie adaptation. Think Beauty and the Beast—but make it modern, moody, and filled with high school drama.
We’ll chat about this YA book’s fresh take on the enchanted tale, discuss how the movie brought it to life, and debate if true beauty really comes from within—or if it’s just good lighting.
Grab your cocoa, snuggle up by the fire, and let’s get into the enchantment of Beastly! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss next week’s episode—our holiday lineup is packed with festive fun! 🎁
Hosted by Keri with co-hosts Lindsey and Crystal.
Content Warnings: Superficiality, bullying, transformation, isolation, parental neglect, verbal abuse, body image, imprisonment/forced confinement, drug use
Books & Adaptations Mentioned:
Question of the Episode:
- Beastly is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, what other story retelling(s) do you recommend others should read?
Crystal’s Recommendations:
Lindsey’s Recommendations:
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (Novel)
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Movie
Group Recommendation:
Keri’s Recommendations:
Share your opinions with us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, or email us at basedonabookpodcast@gmail.com
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Send us a Book Adaptation Request!
Intro/Outro Music - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!)
Chapters:
(00:00) Introductions
(01:34) Synopsis
(02:30) Ratings and Non-Spoiler Reviews
(10:54) Book vs Movie Breakdown (SPOILERS)
(1:16:40) Final Verdict
(1:17:35) Question of the Episode
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Technical Issues
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey there listeners, it's Carrie. And before we dive in, just a quick heads up, we had some technical difficulties while recording this episode. And by technical difficulties, we mean the microphone decided to have a personality on its own. Or a ghost possessed it. Those are the only two options because haunted. But we promise the content is still solid. So please stick with us because it's worth it and we'll be fixed in future episodes. Thanks for your patience.
Hosts Introduce Themselves and Topic
00:00:27
Speaker
And now let's get into this week's chapter of Based on a Book.
00:00:45
Speaker
Who's the best podcast of them all? It's based on a book. I'm Carrie, not a witch, but I do love holding a grudge. I'm Lindsay, and once upon a time, I probably would have enjoyed this story. And I'm k Crystal. I get my own roses. We are in the home stretch for the last month of adaptations for season one.
'Beastly' Introduction and Premise
00:01:11
Speaker
And in today's episode, we are covering the Young Adult Fairy Tale retelling Be Sleep by Alex Gwynne and the 2011 movie adaptation with the same name starring Alex Pettifer and Vanessa Hudgens. This is book one. Lindsay, this is book one. Not one point, Phyllis. Not one point, Phyllis. This is book one.
00:01:34
Speaker
in the Kendra Chronicles series which is all related to different types of retellings including Snow White and the other short stories with Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel and so on. For Beastly specifically it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling where a boy in high school is a complete jerk and meets a witch disguised as a student who casts a spell on him to turn him into a beast, giving him two years to break the spell.
Initial Reactions and Ratings
00:02:05
Speaker
The spell is that he must find a girl that truly loves him and must prove it with a kiss or he becomes a beast. Forever. Now, before we get into our book versus movie breakdown, we're going to get into some ratings and a little bit of non-spoiler reviews.
00:02:25
Speaker
So I want to start with Lindsay. She now read the correct book. Spoiler alert, I read the wrong book. And then I read the right book. So my rating is two and a half. What's up?
00:02:47
Speaker
Thank you, Neil Patrick Harris. What's up?
00:02:55
Speaker
Wait, so what do you rate the 1.5? I think is it just in Lindy's perspective? Is that what it is? Yeah, it's it's literally like she's writing in a diary. Okay. It was really different compared to the main book. Like I felt like it didn't even line up very well. Interesting. Yeah. Don't read it.
00:03:18
Speaker
I was going to say, so do you feel like the same like rating as the first or second one? No. Having read the diary first and then the actual book, just stick to the actual book. The diary is like a zero. It's not needed. Don't read it. Fair. Okay. Okay. Crystal. I, okay. First I want to say.
00:03:43
Speaker
I was really kind of like interested, especially like the first chapter, seeing this told from the beast's perspective, because Beauty and the Beast has been retold a thousand times, but I feel like it's always from Belle's perspective or from the beauty's perspective.
Critique on Dialogue and Pop Culture References
00:04:01
Speaker
And like seeing this from the beast's perspective was interesting to me, I think.
00:04:09
Speaker
That's the only thing about this book that was interesting. I give it two fallen rose petals because yeah, that from the beast perspective was kind of interesting and I do love a good witch and Kendra was a good witch. yeah But other than that, this kind of sucked. Yeah, I have very like mixed feelings about this because I feel like it had like pretty good potential somewhat. I honestly, like, I was kind of going between, like, you know how I info my readings. Like, I will literally give a book like a 2.85 or something. Right. But I don't know, like, I'm debating between like a 2.75 and a three curses.
00:05:07
Speaker
I just I don't know like it's had its moments of being really bad like really really bad but then I would have moments where I would kind of connect with it like there's something about a character and the descriptions of the like his loneliness really got me yeah and like I thought that was really good in the book But then, I don't know, it was just doing, like I really want these old YA books. Like I'm looking for that old YA book to get me. And it's not getting me. That's why I keep picking these older YA books. Like that's why I picked Uglies. That's why I picked this. I'm like looking for why we love them so much back then. And why they're not- The comfort read. Yeah. They used to be comfort reads. Yeah.
00:06:00
Speaker
And for some reason, reading them now, they feel like they're not giving any emotion. Like they feel so monotone, if that makes sense. I think that's what bothered me the most about this book was the the voice of like the, the, the, then it's near, it's written in first person from the beast perspective, from Kyle's perspective and It was written light a like a an older adult writing the dialogue of a teenager that they thought was the cool in dialogue. And I've said this before in books, when you don't know the lingo, don't try for it. When you're in your 40s and you're trying to drop words now like Riz and Cap and Sigma, it sounds goofy because it fricking is.
00:06:58
Speaker
okay Don't do that, you know? And so like and it felt very forced. It felt very, I don't know, just kind of icky. like and And I feel like it had a ton of perspective, or a ton of potential. But again, like I think this was supposed to be, it was written in what the early 2000s, I think. Yeah. In 2007.
00:07:26
Speaker
So like the, this, there was cell phone technology. There was my space that she brings up my space. And so I get why certain things are brought up in the book,
Character Introduction: Kyle and Kendra
00:07:35
Speaker
but like, don't, you can bring up that technology without trying to fall in like the dialogue just lost because it was that internal monologue that we're getting from Kyle. It just felt, it felt like a grownup writing what they thought was teenager dialogue, you know,
00:07:53
Speaker
That's what I find so interesting. Like when I read books today and they drop like a pop culture reference, like they'll even drop like tick tock in a book today and like imagine it like 20 years from now someone can get the book and they're going to experience what we experience now reading a YA book, bringing up Myspace or like lingo for that. We were saying back then,
00:08:20
Speaker
and reading it now and it's so cringe and we hate it. And the book we're like, uh, no, I don't want to read about this. And that's what I ask myself. Like if I had been reading this, you know, 15 years ago, would I have felt the same way? and And I really, I feel like I would because there is that weird forced. Yeah.
00:08:41
Speaker
when an adult tries to sound like they're cool. There was also a few instances in the book and early on in the book when Kyle's going to parties and stuff, when like, before he's transformed into a beast. And you it sounded to me, and this is gonna, like, no offense to Alex Flynn. Alex Flynn? Yeah. She seems cool.
00:09:07
Speaker
like I read her bio because I did ask myself like how old is the person when they wrote this book because it you know what I mean and she was my age when she wrote the book and The the description of how he interacts with his friends and how his friends interact at these parties Struck me as someone who was never a cool kid and don't get me wrong. I was never a cool kid but like talking about things that they're doing or have done at as freshmen and and sophomores in high school that I feel like maybe she hoped that the cool kids were doing that kind of stuff or
00:09:46
Speaker
or talk that way. I was like, right maybe I just like wasn't cool enough to be at these places. that's what I don't remember the kids talking this way back then. Even the cool kids, because like I was one of those kids in high school that like I wasn't a cool kid, but I was like cool kid adjacent. right so like I had some friends that
The Curse and Kyle's Transformation
00:10:05
Speaker
were the cool kids and they never talked about doing anything close to that kind of stuff.
00:10:10
Speaker
like I don't I just don't I didn't buy it in this cringe. Like, okay, we get it. He's a complete asshole. We got it. Thumbs up. yeah Right. The point has been made right asshole rich. And got it. Honestly, he's a pretty got it.
00:10:29
Speaker
Like, we're all uglies. He's a pretty. What book are we reading again? There was a line in the book that said, I for sure wasn't in the habit of doing favors for uglies. And I was like, wait, what book am I reading? Right? He's like, wait, read this. like yes Wasn't this like two episodes ago? Yeah, yeah.
00:10:51
Speaker
So now that we've done our non-spoiler reviews, we're going to get into full-blown spoilers about the book and the movie, breaking down the differences and the similarities. So here's your spoiler warning because we're about to get into some serious teenage angst. You have not read the book or watched the movie. Do that before moving along with us to our book versus movie breakdown. Starting with Kyle Kingsbury. This
00:11:28
Speaker
I mean, the name alone is an asshole name. I'm just a annoying ass boy. Immediately. which just I read the i read the like the first like fifth word or whatever. It was like Kyle and I was like, oh, he's an asshole. like Immediately, I hate him. Yup. That was my problem. I read Lindy's diary first. And I was like, oh, he's not that bad.
00:11:52
Speaker
Well, nope. I was like, two pages in. Wait, Lindsay, so whenever I told you that I was two pages in and immediately throwing the book, were you like, what are you talking? I had already read the book. So I was like, I must not remember something.
00:12:10
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. Okay, so we're introduced to Kyle. We're in high school. Rich, handsome, popular, selfish, cruel, bully. And if you're like me, you're worst nightmare in high school. You've got a best friend named Trey, a girlfriend named Sloan played by Dakota Johnson in the movie. Okay. So in a movie, they really pull this off in a very dramatic ass way. Okay.
00:12:39
Speaker
He's standing at a podium, giving a little speech. Everyone has like little sticks with his face on them, waving them around like he is like a celebrity. But we're in high school, and he's just giving a speech at a podium. And it's a fancy ass prep school. Yeah. And they changed the name of the school from the book to the movie. Yeah. But equally preppy sounding names. Yeah.
00:13:09
Speaker
And I couldn't really tell from the movie. I can't remember this but it was also was it similar to the book where they were he was still trying to be like part of like the school dance like I don't know if they were calling it like the prince for the school dance or whatever, it like the court type thing. In the book, he was like running for court, like a prince position for like homecoming. But in the movie, it was like he was running
Kyle's Quest to Break the Curse
00:13:40
Speaker
for president of not even student council. It was like the green council or something, I guess, for environmental health in the school, which sounds very preppy, expensive.
00:13:54
Speaker
Yeah, very extra. yeah very extramatic Everyone's cheering for him. And there's like television screen monitors like all up and down the halls, like showing his face and yeah, I had to remind myself that this was supposed to be like considered high school supposed to be at least in the book. He's supposed to be 1615 16. And yeah, in the book, he can't drive yet. He's a freshman. Yeah. Yeah. So Very loved, just a general jerk moving on. We get a picture here. And I was shocked when I saw Dakota Johnson in the movie. I was like, hello? OK. Yeah, she was there for a whopping 30 seconds. Yeah. I was shocked to see Mary Kay Olsen. Me too. We're going to get into Mary Kay Olsen. I'm excited. I know her. like
00:14:50
Speaker
memory are introduced to a girl named Kendra. So Kendra is like introduced as the quote, goth chick. Okay, Kendra is like very much like anti, at least in the book, like very anti this whole like court situation of like picking because basically they're like all given like a a poll where they get to pick like who is going to be part of this like court thing for the dance and everything. And it's like Kyle- It's a popularity contest. Yeah, popularity contest. And like Kendra's like making fun of it and thinking get stupid. And Kyle's like, oh, how dare you? like He's like upset about it. And then in the movie, Kyle's like walking, and he sees all of his posters like advertising his position in his little high school campaign.
00:15:44
Speaker
right but for whatever student council thing he's doing and they've got like a graffiti all over them and you see Mary Kay Olson or Kendra in the corner with her little her little marker a little marker in the corner and the outfits that Mary Kay Olson was wearing were actually cracking me up it was It was so extra, so dramatic. So every single scene that Kendra, Mary Kate is in, every time it would change to her scene, she was in another crazy ass outfit. It was like goth girl gone wild. Like it was like goth girl trying to be
00:16:36
Speaker
like Preppy. ah High fashion. Yeah. An attempt at high fashion, I'm not really sure. High fashion, gosh. From 2011, I mean, I guess. Except when you first see her in the crowd, when he's given a speech up at the podium, and she's like green screened in. She's not been there. Yeah. Yeah. so In the movie, she like is caught you know vandalizing his stuff, but in the book, you know she's kind of like making fun of the situation.
00:17:05
Speaker
in basically catching Kyle's attention on both both the book of the movie and in doing so Kyle decides like he kind of is mad about this and wants to you know play a practical joke on Kendra and decides that in order to teach her quote teach her a lesson because he's she's like kind of like talking back to him. Yeah, she needs to know her place. She doesn't belong with the pretties, I guess. yeah Not the pretties. He doesn't mention the whole time how she's ugly. like yeah like She's ugly. She's you know got wild green eyes and freckles. We're all black. Yeah. yeah
00:17:55
Speaker
Yeah, and plays like a practical joke on her, inviting her to the dance as his date. He pulls a carry. Yeah. Not a you carry or carry the movie. Yeah. Oh yeah. Pulls a Stephen King carry on her and has cruel intentions where he's going to show up with someone else, not have a ticket for her.
00:18:16
Speaker
to get into the dance. And like it's typical Kyle. Yeah, typical Kyle, typical Kyle thing to do. Like I said, it's a little more dramatic in the movie, like where she's like paying all over the posters and stuff. And then whenever he goes up and asked her to the dance, she's wearing like a bob looking like Edna mode from The Incredibles for real.
00:18:38
Speaker
What was that? I don't know. I really don't know. The wigs in this movie. As long as you're changing wigs as well, on top of the outfits, it's insane. I mean, witches be witches, I guess. Yeah. So later we're also introduced to Kyle's dad, who, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, he's a jerk.
Kyle's Infatuation with Lindy
00:19:02
Speaker
What do you know? Yeah.
00:19:05
Speaker
His name is Rob Kingsbury, and he is a news anchor, complete jerk. We find that he, you know, they live in this rich apartment in New York. They have a maid named Magna, which I believe she actually has a different name in the movie. But I can't... It's technically completely different in the movie. but Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:27
Speaker
and He, you know, neglects Kyle like he's very much involved in his work. It's very like appearances are everything to him. yeah So he only deals with Kyle in the way that it might affect him. So Kyle better be getting good grades. Kyle better be doing all the great things at school be because if it comes back on him that he's not, it's gonna, you know what I mean? So that's really, yeah. And and Kyle talks about that in the book that like,
00:19:57
Speaker
The only reason he even cares about me is that he's trying to keep up appearances. Yeah. And, you know, Kyle tries to get like his dad's attention, you know, sometimes like he wants his dad to kind of be involved in his life a little bit. Like you kind of see that a little bit in the book and then the movie. But, you know, his dad kind of doesn't care. Like he's just kind of like has tunnel vision and that's about it.
00:20:26
Speaker
And then, you know, moving forward to the night of the dance, Kyle arrives with his girlfriend Sloan to go to Johnson and waits for Kendra to arrive. So you can basically embarrass her. But in the movie,
00:20:45
Speaker
there I guess it's kind of like reflected in both the book and the movie there is like a moment where he shows like this quote like unexpected kindness to a girl that works at the dance in the book that we later find out is actually a girl named Lindy and or Linda also known as Lindy and he gives her like a corsage that he was supposed to give to Sloane, but you know, Sloane's kind of like, Sloane's kind of a jerk as well. Yeah, Sloane wanted an orchid, not this shitty white rose. Roses are cheap. Roses, you know, and like, yeah. So he kind of like shows an act to kind of gives it to the girl working at the front with the tickets that also goes to school there and, you know, tries to be nice about it or whatever. And then in the movie, they, this girl, Lindy and him kind of have like a weird
00:21:46
Speaker
dynamic, I guess, like they don't like, they kind of like banter, bicker with each other, but also have some sort of weird tension. Right, we see him kind of like. Has a moment. They have a, he has a moment. And he knows her, like they've had moments before, like she,
Kyle and Lindy's Relationship Development
00:22:09
Speaker
like in the very beginning when he, see when she sees him, oh, Lindy is Vanessa Hudgens, by the way.
00:22:16
Speaker
And she sees him like doing his little speech and she's like rolling her eyes in the background. And she's like, Oh my God, he's so. And then at one point, like he says something to her about, because I guess she was running for something also on this green council, but it was like,
00:22:32
Speaker
secretary or treasurer or something like that. It wasn't president. yeah And he says something to her about it. And she was like, well, they they always want us scholarship kids to do extra stuff or whatever. So like she is it really only participating in a lot of this stuff because if she knows that if she'll lose her scholarship if she doesn't and he also knows that like girls poor this is nobody I'm ever gonna hang out with so he's not making a point to get to know her but he's also not being super rude to her yeah like he was to basically everyone else yeah exactly
00:23:10
Speaker
So he they have like a little moment in the movie where they actually like share a picture together at the dance. But like I said, in the book, this isn't really happening. They just share a moment where he like kind of gives her a corsage and moves on. And in in a throwaway moment, it wasn't that he was being nice. He was just like, well, if Sloan doesn't want it, she was like, oh, that's pretty. And he was like, do you want it? Because she doesn't. and Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:36
Speaker
So then eventually Kendra arrives to the dance and may, and then he, Kyle is like, makes a huge scene trying to embarrass Kendra. He's like, Oh, you thought I was actually going to be your date and actually come here and give you a ticket because the only way you can get in is with a ticket. And I didn't come here with you. I came here with my girl Sloan.
00:24:02
Speaker
So I'm not getting you a ticket. u And she's like, and Kendra's like, see, this was a test.
Divergent Endings and Resolution
00:24:08
Speaker
I knew. Kendra's like, boy, I done knew. I was giving you a shot. Yeah. I actually knew you weren't going to pass this test. So Kendra then reveals that she's actually a witch with a little curse on Kyle. And then at the dance, he starts feeling a little weird, a little strange. Can't see right.
00:24:32
Speaker
And then in the book, okay, so this is, in the movie, he's like feeling weird, like he's like, you know, like on Molly or something, he needs to go home. Right, he's like absolutely tripping balls in the movie. Yeah, he's literally tripping, he needs to go home. And he gets home, okay? And he like, you know, has like a moment, okay, we'll get there. In the book, he like has a night with Sloan,
00:25:02
Speaker
Yeah, like he feels weird and he feels like a little i maybe be overwhelmed. Yeah, maybe or and he talks about like his skin feeling prickly and his like, you know, but he like carries on at the dance with Sloan and then goes back to her place because her mom isn't going to be there and like it's like he doesn't just like trip balls. one hole yeah Yeah, so he has like a whole night with Sloan and then he comes back to find Kendra in his bedroom. And Kendra reveals that he now has a curse on him and reveals what that curse is.
00:25:48
Speaker
And so between the book and the movie, there's quite a few differences here, OK? It's the differences between the curse and differences between beast form. For reals. Big, big differences. OK, so first of all, beast form differences. In the book, Kyle has actually turned into a legitimate beast, like what do you think.
00:26:13
Speaker
Fur, claws, fangs, everything that you would think in the actual like Beauty and the Beast thing, but we are in New York City. All right. And he is a beast and he, but he still is like, you know, wearing like normal clothes and stuff, but he is in a beast form. In the movie, for some weird reason, I'm not really sure. He's got no
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
00:26:40
Speaker
hair.
00:26:42
Speaker
He has marks and scars on his face and body, strange markings and tattoos, including a tattoo that represents the curse itself as it progresses on his forearm. It was really weird. I don't really know. And his eyebrows were, embrace, suck. Yeah. Yeah. Because the curse was, embrace the suck. Yeah. Sorry Mary Kate, I could not. yeah what What the hell? Yeah. What the hell?
00:27:11
Speaker
Yeah. And like also in like the book and the movie, like, you know, Mary Kate comes anne in and visits Mary Kate Kendra, Mary Kate now visits. And it's like, you know, this is what you have to deal with and explains the curse that he must find someone one to fall in love with them and must prove it. Well, in the book, he actually has two years and they must prove it with a kiss.
00:27:39
Speaker
In the movie, he just has to have find someone to fall in love with him within one year and must prove it by like saying it out loud. I'm not really sure. I'm not sure how they prove it, but he just has to find someone to fall in love with him within one year in the movie. Which I feel like is probably easier when you're not covered in fur.
00:28:01
Speaker
what 100%. Honestly, he wasn't that bad looking at all. I probably I would have been like immediately legit. I kind of yeah, like legit. I was like, all right. All right. Hello. You know, they talk about scars being sexy and like, okay. Oh, you have tattoos now. Okay. Right.
00:28:20
Speaker
I mean, in the book, he had to find someone to kiss him and then even he didn't even have lips. Yeah, he had like some weird snout thing. Yeah, that would literally literally scare me. like I would have to think twice about, okay, well, how are we supposed to like get to know each other and like snuggle on the couch if you have like what's what's happening with the claws? You know what I mean? Yeah. Whereas here's this dude who's tatted and scarred and it's like,
00:28:46
Speaker
He's still got normal hands. So I'm not worried about i'm down my back getting ripped open when we hug. You know what I mean? It ain't that bad. All right. So I'm not really sure like why they changed it to that. Honestly, maybe, I don't know. Maybe they're trying to do something different where, you know, I feel like Beauty and the Beast is done a lot. So they were trying to do a little something different. I think they were just trying to make it more believable, because it couldn't be an actual beast. But yeah, I think they just didn't have the budget for the the the makeup every day for five true. So then we get into, you know,
00:29:34
Speaker
If you're immediately cursed, what are you going to do first? You're going to attempt to remove the curse. Okay. That's the first thing you're going to do. You're going to do a bunch of stuff to remove it. First thing he does, you know, he tries to remove it himself where in the book, you know, he's trying to shave like the fur off, take the fur off. It's immediately growing back, you know, like to the point that he's cutting his own skin and he's immediately getting healed, you know, in.
00:30:00
Speaker
you know, the book and the movie, you know, they're like, his dad freaks out when he finally sees him, you know, because you know, looks are everything to his dad, and goes and takes him to doctors. And his dad tries to find out what's wrong with them. They visit doctors and the doctors is like there's nothing we can do.
00:30:22
Speaker
And so eventually like his father becomes so ashamed of what you know he's turned into that he eventually actually moves him away to a large apartment in downtown New York where like no one will see him. And he doesn't even stay in that apartment with him. Even though in the movie, ah I think in the book, like he I think Kyle like gets so upset that he's just like, no, I don't even want you to stay here. But in the movie, he You know, his dad keeps being like, yeah, I'll stay there. Like I'll come, I'll come. We got to reach the schedule. Yeah. Sorry, had something come up, but we'll try again later and like, and just never, never shows. Yeah. So now he is also stuck with Magna, which are is their maid. Magna is also staying in that apartment with him, such as him and her in this apartment together as a beast.
00:31:19
Speaker
So he also attempts to socialize because he's like, all right, like I'm going to try to break this curse as well. In the book, there's like this weird DM situation going on. I can't with this. It's a sigh for me.
00:31:36
Speaker
I can only make an assumption, because I haven't read the other books, that this is part of the other like Kendra Chronicles series. And it's related to those and these other characters are also involved because in the book, there are sections that are like DMs amongst like a group chat. Yeah, they're like just like snippets of different. Involving other beings that have also been cursed and And transformed. Yeah, and stuff. And they all talk to each other relating you know to their curses and like updating each other on like where they're at with their curse or like just talking about different things. And I want to say that maybe those other beings that they're talking about are involved in the other parts of the series.
00:32:31
Speaker
I just don't care. I really don't care. Yeah. It added zero to the storyline. In fact, took away from the whole story, if you ask me, because there were definitely parts where I was like, well, do we ever find out what happened to Froggy? Like, what's going on with... Yeah. Like, it didn't make me want to go... With Made. With Silent Made. What's going on with... You know what I mean? Like, all the like what's going on with Grizz?
00:32:53
Speaker
and Like Kyle is like Beastman NYC or whatever is his name in the thing. And like, again, this is one of those so much sounded like an like a-aged woman trying to write what she thought a teenage boy would say in a chat room. And it felt so forced and so awkward that it was embarrassing to read. The secondhand embarrassment was just
00:33:25
Speaker
awful. Yeah. So I feel like that could have been completely taken out of the book. And it might have raised this book all half a star, in my opinion, just taking that out. Yeah, it was like an extreme annoyance. And I feel like those like that group chat is the very first page of the story. And it does not intrigue you to like want to read this book.
00:33:53
Speaker
I was actually afraid that the whole book was going to be like that since it was the first page. I was like, oh, is this how is this going to be the format of the whole book? Because I don't think I can do this. Yeah, I was afraid there's going to be too much of it. And like one page was too much, in my opinion. I was curious which story they were going to go with because It was obvious that Silent Maid was very old, The Little Mermaid. So I was like, are we going Disney or are we going Grimm? And they went Grimm. So I was actually pretty pleased with that. Yeah. And that's like, I was like, OK, tell me the rest of the story. Tell me, you know what I mean? like And then they they even did Snow White and Red Rose, which is another Grimm story. So yeah I didn't enjoy reading those bits, but I did like that they incorporated the Grimm stories. Yes.
00:34:41
Speaker
Yeah, I 100% will agree with you on that one. So yeah, so he's talking in these group chats with people that also have been cursed. He's also whenever he was originally, you know, cursed by Kendra, she gave him a magic mirror, which is not in the movie. This magic mirror is not in the movie. And it's only in the book where he can whenever he like thinks of someone he can, you know, like the Beauty and the Beast.
00:35:11
Speaker
so he can look and see the person in the mirror. And and what I thought this was really funny was he was going through his yearbook and like checking on every single person in the yearbook. Honestly, I would do something like that. I was gonna say that that was believable.
00:35:26
Speaker
um What's going on? So he, that's what he was doing. He even sees like, you know, people like talking about your crap about him because, you know, he's like kind of a jerk. He sees like his quote, best friend, Trey, you know, making out with his girl, you know, Sloan.
00:35:46
Speaker
And he had his dad made up like a cover story for him. Cause he was so embarrassed about what happened to his kid. He was all like, Oh, we had to send him to rehab. And so now everybody's talking about like, he went to rehab and he must've been really messed up because now he's been sent away to boarding school or whatever. Like, yeah you know, so, so they're really talking crap about him, but it was his dad who started it all. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:14
Speaker
So when he's like going through the yearbook and stuff, he also eventually comes across Lindy, which from the very beginning is the girl that he gave the rose to. He comes across her and kind of gets like a little infatuated with constantly and like checking on her, you know, sees that she's kind of like.
00:36:32
Speaker
live in like a bit of like a rough life you know and she's also very connected to books which he kind of like gravitates towards eventually from seeing her read so much. I think this is kind of being reflected in the movie by when he like goes like walking around the city Cause he can, cause he's not furry. Yeah, like he's not furry. And he goes walking on the city and also like he has a motorcycle so he could put like his helmet on and like put his gear on and you know, go ride around the city and stuff. And he kind of stalks, Lindy, like place and stuff. Very much. Yeah. So I think that's kind of what's could be similar, like kind of trying to do the same thing.
00:37:24
Speaker
Instead of looking at her in the mirror, stalking her apartment, her family's apartment, I guess. And her social media. He was definitely watching everyone's social media. It was not Myspace. I don't know what they were using on the movie. He was giving Edward Cullen because he was watching her sleep, but he was using the mirror. so yeah yeah yeah Yeah. It was a little...
00:37:49
Speaker
a little creepy, a little stalkery. Yeah. And then eventually like, you know, he's trying to break this curse. Like he just keeps talking about like, I gotta break this curse. So this part was really cracking me up in the book. He makes a Myspace profile and doing that, he's like thinking, Oh, I'll just like fall for someone like or online or have somebody fall for me online. And then that could, you know, help break the curse.
00:38:17
Speaker
And he is checking people's profile and then looking at the mirror being like, show me this person because people like lie about their profile online and then see what they actually look like through.
00:38:30
Speaker
This magic mirror. Mm hmm. Oh my gosh. And they're all freaking catfish in him. yeah Exactly. So that's like he's like attempting to do that. All these things are completely failing. And Kendra like constantly is also like checking up on him in the book. Mm hmm. At one point, she's like, you can't do it that way. Like, that's not possible. And she's not she's not being a complete bitch in the book. She's checking on him like, hey, let me let me point you in the right direction here. And of course, he's, you know,
00:38:59
Speaker
He hates her and isn't gonna listen to her or whatever but at one point he you know speaks away to a Halloween party in both the book and the movie because you know he's like I'm a beast like I can pretend like this a costume or like in the movie like pretend like that's a costume how he's dressed in like his tattoos and stuff, I guess. Like, okay, whatever. Can we talk about this this part in the book in particular? Because I feel like it was a huge thing that happened that suddenly we never brought up or talked about ever again after it happened.
00:39:37
Speaker
yeah so like He goes to the Halloween costume party and at first he's not going to go in because he's like, I know that there's going to be people in there. I might not i might not really want to go. and But like the girl who's like selling tickets, who's another person who's probably on scholarship forced to sit there for the school, is like, are you going in? He's like, I'm waiting for somebody.
00:39:59
Speaker
And then he's like, well, crap, that was a dumb lie. and That means I can't go in unless somebody comes. And a few minutes later, the girl's like, well, you obviously got stood up. Do you want to come in with me? I love your costume. And kind of strikes up this conversation about how like, it's so realistic looking. You must have worked really hard on it. This is, it's an awesome costume. And then takes him into the party and is like, let's dance. And they have this great conversation and they're kind of hitting it off. And he's starting to think like, ooh, this could be good.
00:40:30
Speaker
And she's starting to think, show me your face, take off the costume. And he's like, well, why does it matter if, you know, can't we just enjoy this moment? Can't we just have fun?
00:40:42
Speaker
And she's like, no, take off your mask. And she starts to reach back to rip off his mask. And of course, there's no Velcro or snaps or zipper or anything. It's not a mask. And he's telling her stop, don't stop, don't. And she's kind of like, oh, come on, come on, do it, thinking that she's being silly. And he snaps her arm in half. I mean, I'm sure it was an accident. He kind of makes it sound like he was just trying to get away from her.
00:41:09
Speaker
but then he like she screams and he just bolts, yeah which I don't blame him. I probably would have done the same, but like we never find out if he like checked on her in the mirror or if his dad yelled at him because there was a reported you know guy dressed as a beast who you know assaulted a girl. like We never hear anything. You show up at a party, cause a huge scene and physically hurt someone. and we At a school dance. At a school dance. And then they never bring it up again. like Yeah. Like, what? Yeah. we I needed that to be resolved somewhere. Yeah, I agree. Also, am I crazy? Or was he like 16 for two years? In the book, he was a freshman. Well, I swear.
00:42:07
Speaker
In the beginning, she said he was 16 or yeah, I swear in the beginning she said he was 16 and then it was like the end of his curse and he she said he was 16 again. See, I don't think that i don't think he was 16 at the beginning because he couldn't drive. He talked about how nobody could drive. And so they all had to like get a limo to like go and and everybody having to like get rides or get cars. Yeah.
00:42:38
Speaker
So I think he was like, I was 14 when I was a freshman. I think that's 14, 15 is usually freshman age. I was thinking 15, but if it was in the movie, you know, he only had the one year. Right. I mean, technically. Also he's riding around on his motorcycle. Right. In the movie, yeah.
00:43:01
Speaker
OK. Also in the movie, I think he was older. Like I don't think he was a freshman. ah Yeah. In the movie, he was definitely older. Yeah. OK. Because I kept like I kept struggling with that. I'm like and also just like the voice was it was not feeling 16, 15 year old to me. It really the again, because the they were freshmen in high school. And the author wrote in the book about them like having these wild parties where everyone was doing drugs and and don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this never happens, but like not for a lot of freshmen. Like I would say that would definitely be the exception, not the norm. Yeah. Well, I say that because I'm thinking of like a 15 year old's reaction. It's like,
00:43:54
Speaker
You're like in your beast form accidentally breaking this girl's arm And like running away right out about it. Yeah That's a normal reaction to me. Yeah running away and freaking out that was normal But like not checking up to find out like you have a magic mirror and you didn't bother to be like show me the girl from the dance Yeah, you know you didn't bother to be like I don't remember her name, but she did say her name too. right like He knew who she was. you know he didn't bother to like He had access to his dad's credit card at this point. He didn't bother to like send flowers to the hospital or something. and you know I don't know, like yeah nothing.
00:44:35
Speaker
but it ver it describes a lot of him like slowly turning into like a Beast like he's kind of right getting into like this animal like mentality and This is not represented in the movie whatsoever. You know, obviously, I mean he's not even really a beast, you know, and I mean and I he like during that whole Halloween party in the movie, it's just him like hiding away from like people he writes in the shadows under his hood. Yeah, even Wendy, Vanessa Hudgens is there, you know, and she is talking to him like she's like drunk or something. And she's like talking to him and he's like hiding like behind his jacket, because she like just thinks he's like a stranger or something.
00:45:24
Speaker
Right. and And of course, she's talking about Kyle. Yeah, she's talking about Kyle because she kind of like Loki has like a crush on him. Even though they've only spoken one time. Yeah, she like kind of has a crush on him. And she's like talking about Kyle because they're watching Kyle's girlfriend like making out with his best friend now that Kyle's away. Right. And so and he's like hiding behind his jacket. So she thinks she's talking to like a stranger about it, basically. So It's not that crazy during this Halloween party moment. Like he just kind of has like a a weird conversation with Vanessa Hudgens and then he kind of dips, but he like remembers that moment, like having, like being able to talk to her. Right. I think she like leaves sunglasses behind or something and he takes. car Because she's dressed as like a hippie or something. Yeah. Like these, yeah you know, round colored lens glasses. Yeah.
00:46:18
Speaker
So definitely not like the book whatsoever. And I think that part in the book really changes. Kyle, like he really his spiraling kind of starts a little bit. Well, he realizes that like this is that he isn't ever going to be yeah accepted.
00:46:40
Speaker
as a beast back in society. There's no way that's ever going to happen. And so he either has to break this curse or live alone the rest of his life. And he's realized. That was the last time he left the house, right? here Yeah. In the book. Yeah. So then we're also introduced to a character named Will in the movies. um Oh, God, what's his name? Neil Patrick Harris. Yes, Neil Patrick Harris.
00:47:10
Speaker
In the book, so he actually Kyle asked his dad to hire him a tutor. And in the movie, this tutor just randomly shows up and is sent to him by his dad. And this tutor is blind. And so, you know, Kyle feels comfortable around this tutor will because, you know,
00:47:40
Speaker
He can't see what his true form is. How disgusting he is. But Will's really funny. He has a great sense of humor. He's a really fun character added to the story. Absolutely. He brings the snark. I love it. He brings the snark and I felt like pushed the story along a little bit more for me.
00:48:06
Speaker
But, you know, he will end up staying with Kyle and Magna. So, but, you know, Kyle, he's kind of spiraling a little bit. He, you know, in the book, he changes his name, wants to be called Adrian Kyle. It is the most dramatic angst field section. It's one of my handful of marks.
00:48:33
Speaker
He's like, I looked up the meaning of Kyle online and that clinched it. Kyle means handsome. I wasn't. I found a name that means ugly, Fayo. Who would name their kid that? But finally settled on Adrian, which means dark one. Come on, Kyle. wait oh The dramatics. It was so drama. And then in the movie, he's like, I want to be called Hunter.
00:49:00
Speaker
like Right whatever at least this way it like in the movie. It was specifically because he's still Going out and about and he didn't want people to know who he was. Yeah That's that's all so it kind of made more sense in the movie yeah And that but like in the book, it's so freakin dramatic. Yeah, and then him constantly reminding everyone don't call me Kyle but Whatever he's like cur to know i don i I swear. I will fall for you. Oh my god. He's just singing that in his bedroom. That's the vibe I was getting. Literally, I was thinking of the kids in high school who were like, I'm Nero now, call me Nero. Yes. I was like, Jesus, my dude. That's the exact vibe I was getting.
00:49:53
Speaker
So he, like I said, he's spiraling. He realizes no one cares. None of his friends care about him. His friends freaking suck. They're not even really his friends. They're not friends. You know, he's been reading because, you know, he kept checking on Lindy and he likes like all the books that she's reading.
00:50:10
Speaker
And he's got nothing else to do. Yeah. it This isn't in, you know, the movie. The movie, he's continuously stalking Vanessa Hudgens and even is watching her walk the streets of New York City and um with her head up her ass. I'm okay. Yeah. She's got her headphones on listening to music like like she's in a sketch part of the girl. Wait.
00:50:35
Speaker
She's in a sketchy part of town, and here she is, not paying any attention to where the fuck she's going. Also, like we're she's 16, remember? She's 16, walking around with her headset her headphones on. like At one point, she even like has to like stop and look up and realizes, oh, I'm on the wrong part of the street. Oh, I'm singing out loud. Yeah, the singing out loud part, I was like, oh my God. oh And he's like, like giggling about it. I was like, girl, where do you think you are? Hey, you little vampire. Not only could someone be stalking you, someone actively is and you haven't noticed. Yeah, exactly. like Okay, back to dramatic ass Adrian. He's reading, you know, dramatic books. He's comparing himself to the Phantom. And the hunchback of Notre Dame. like he slate does The hunchback with Quasimodo. He says he's Quasimodo. Very dramatic, lonely. He says he wants to roar at the world. Which he does. Which he does. He does.
00:51:46
Speaker
He also ends up, you know, in the book, he builds a greenhouse of roses that he tends to for himself in the movie. This is done a little bit later. But, you know, that's like classic like Beauty and the Beast. But he gets super dramatic about the roses. Yeah, he's so dramatic. this This part is so just weird in the book. I instantly was thinking more like Gollum and the One Ring.
00:52:13
Speaker
You know, like, my roses. Don't touch my roses. yes My babies. Like, what the hell? You weirdo. Like, I was just waiting for him to be like, call him.
00:52:24
Speaker
but
00:52:27
Speaker
It's like, my precious. Exactly. It was like, ew. Oh my gosh. So he pleads with Kendra. He even pleads with Kendra a few times to break the curse. And even in the movie, he does this to the point that, you know, Kendra even sees him changing a little bit, like sees that he's like kind of, you know,
00:52:48
Speaker
growing like a heart. like he is you know His personality is changing. you know He's starting to learn his lesson a little bit. Yeah, he's learning his lesson. And you know he she sees that how much he cares about Will and Magda. So she actually changes the curse up a little bit, where she says that she'll actually, if he breaks the curse, she'll add in, you know she'll also help Will and Magda as well in the curse.
00:53:20
Speaker
And then eventually, you know, she also I think hints out like something is coming. She's like, there's going to be something coming a little push to help the curse coming. And she's like, I can't break it. I said it in motion. There is no way to break it, but I can change it a little bit. I can help it along. Yeah. So eventually that night comes, which is different in the book and in the movie. By a lot. Yeah. In the book, a robber, quote, robber, stumbles into his garden, to his little greenhouse. It's like, but roses. He does. He freaks out again about his damn roses. And Adrian says, instead of, you know, reporting this person to the police, instead, he'll take his daughter. Because at this point, he's like a year into the curse. He only has like a year left. Yeah.
00:54:17
Speaker
He was like, I'll take your daughter instead of like reporting. Well, okay. To be fair, that was not Adrian's idea. The robber is like, don't tell the police. I'll give you whatever you want. I'll give you all these drugs and do this. Like Adrian's like, I don't want your drugs. And he was like, yeah well, I'll give you my daughter. And he was like, wait a minute. fact That might be a good idea. like Finds out they're the same age and everything. Yeah. And then eventually when the robber agrees and Adrian realizes that it's Lindy. Okay. Movie. He, whenever he's, you know, his nightly stalking ritual in the shadows, he witnesses like this whole moment of Lindy's dad getting robbed or like a drug deal going wrong or something. And
00:55:08
Speaker
Lindy getting involved in this situation um during his night of stalking and makes a deal with her dad. It wasn't a drug deal gone wrong. I think so. No, that's basically what it was. Okay. Yeah. I was like, did I just make that up just now? And so this whole situation happens where I think it was like her dad killed There was a struggle, they both reached for the gun, very Chicago. yeah And there were two guys. yeah yeah One guy gets shot and is killed and his brother witnesses it and says he's gonna get Lindy.
00:55:53
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah. And then, but yeah, Vanessa Hudgens, like, is passed on on the ground or something. And he carries her very hero fashion back to the lobby of the apartment. Right. And then goes and tells the dad, like, I can keep her safe. Bring her to me. Yeah. So that's how she, Lindy ends up at the apartment with Hunter.
00:56:22
Speaker
hunter in the movie. Also known as Kyle, also known as Adrian. Right. Okay. Formally known as. Formally known as. The beast formally known as Kyle. So in the book,
00:56:38
Speaker
Adrienne, like, you know, he fixes up, you know, her room for her leaving like roses and books because he kind of knows her really well because he's been stalking her through a mirror. Okay. Watching her sleep, all kinds of really creepy things. The orders are all kinds of clothes and yeah like painting like Lindy's room, you know, on there, you know, real weird, really weird shit. Okay.
00:57:04
Speaker
In the movie, Adrian really knows, or not Adrian, sorry, Hunter, really knows nothing about Vanessa Hudgens. I'm just like name changing everything. This is gonna make no sense, but if you know, you know.
00:57:22
Speaker
She, he knows nothing about her. Like he's doing really stupid, like rich boy things. Like he's like, Oh, she's going to want this like super nice designer purse. So I'm going to leave this gift for her. And she's like, what the hell is this? Like you can, you're making forcing me to stay at this house. I don't want to be here. right I don't know why I'm here. I don't know why my dad made me stay here. I don't want to be here.
00:57:49
Speaker
And why is this purse here? I don't want this. And he keeps like leaving her like really design other designer things like earrings, jewelry, other stuff. And he keeps going to like, will, he's like, why isn't she like taking any of my stuff? Or to Magda. And he's like, why isn't she taking in my things? And then like, because like, that's not the type of person that she is. She doesn't want those kinds of things.
00:58:13
Speaker
And so eventually he like learns more about her. For some reason, he's running around in a ski mask, scaring her. I don't know. Yeah, because that's better. Yeah. Yeah, because that helps. Because he's not trying to be a kidnapper, but he's wearing a ski mask. Yeah. He's like trying to hide his face in the movie, his scarred face, even though I don't know. I don't know why he's trying to hide himself. maybe I really feel like it's not that bad.
00:58:40
Speaker
it really i like the beast before i get it like the beast would really scare me that would freak me out that's not normal to be a full-blown walking talking animal okay that's not normal but the poable th thumbb yeah with freak me out I would like there in the book there's a moment where like Lindy finally sees him for the first time like full blown beast form and he's sitting on the couch in the dark like watching a movie or watching TV. He's watching baseball. Yeah like watching TV or something and he's just sitting there and he's just like being super still. And he he kind of like just quietly is like I'm I'm in here I just don't want to scare you. Yeah. like
00:59:22
Speaker
Honestly, turn on the lights because I'm scared. like Pretty much. Turn on all the lights because what is that on the couch? I'm sorry. Do you want a little ah book 1.5 insert here? yeah Yes. Yes. Yes. Lindy's asleep in bed and Kendra the witch comes to her dream. She flies into the room as a crow.
00:59:43
Speaker
And she's like, follow me. And Lynn, Lindy follows Kendra and that's how she gets downstairs to the beast is. Kendra's maddling. She's a good witch. She's a good witch. Yeah, she is a good witch. So eventually, you know,
01:00:02
Speaker
she uh Vanessa Hudgens in the movie sees Hunter you know full face everything and she's like I've seen worse and then they eventually like become like good friend or like become friendly and stuff and they begin like Tutoring together. He built the green that's in the movie that he built a greenhouse right above like her room creepy Yeah, so creepy. Like why are you and there's like a window thing? I don't really know how to describe it. Like it's like a window thing that opens It's like a skylight that she runs through there. You can like walk up onto the roof To the greenhouse and he's building the greenhouse around that window Like you could just literally look in and see like her whole room and
01:00:48
Speaker
So I was like, your stalking abilities are crazy. Yeah, getting a little too much, but okay. i probably I really probably would have ate this up when I was younger. I'm not gonna lie. I feel like if I was 15, 16 reading this book, it would have been amazing. I feel like the minute I got into my mid 20s, it would have been crap. But in the book, they eventually like, you know, there's a lot more like of the tutoring and it's like a very like slow burn. In the movie, I feel like it's a lot more quick, you know. But again, he only had a year in the movie. Yeah, in the movie. So it makes sense. He was moving. Yeah. In the book, you know, they're slowly, you know, growing a friendship. They study with Will together. They read the same books together. Yeah. they She starts to go out into the greenhouse and and help him tend the roses. Yeah. I feel like in the movie, Lindy is a little more hesitant, a little bit more mean.
01:01:47
Speaker
Yes, then in the book. I think in the book is way more innocent. Yes, in the book, she is more innocent. In the movie, there is this like whole line of like, she's meant to go like on a school trip soon or something, and she's scared that she's gonna miss it. But in the book, like, like the reason why she's at This apartment with Adrienne feels a little more sinister than it does in the movie. Does that make sense? Yes. She's there. It feels more innocent in the movie than it does in the book. Yes. In the book, it's straight up.
01:02:29
Speaker
She was offered as payment because of her druggy father, her junky dad who was a horrible human being and willing to sell off his kid in order to keep his ass out of jail. Yeah. And of course she resented that a lot.
01:02:45
Speaker
<unk> but also like she it was still her dad and she was really worried about him. yeah Whereas in the movie, she was there 100% to keep her safe because there was a hit out on her. ahead And so nobody will know you're here, you're safe here we can you know because nobody can connect your dad to me kind of thing. yeah you know So it did seem a little bit more
01:03:17
Speaker
Innocent in the movie, you know that that wasn't a It wasn't a kidnapping Yeah, she was literally there for protection in the movie. Yeah, whereas in the book she was there for ransom You know what I mean? Yeah I think that's why also like I really struggled with the book too like it felt more creepy in the book than it Very much I felt weirder about the stalking in the movie. The book just made it feel creepier. But, you know, at this point, you know, they're growing a relationship together, a friendship. But, you know, Adrienne begins growing, you know, a lot of feelings for her because this whole time we only have Adrienne's perspective in the book. You know, movie we can kind of see, you know, the tension between both of them.
01:04:11
Speaker
right then In the book, there's a crap ton of symbolism about roses too. They talk about the yellow rose, meaning friendship, and the white rose, meaning purity, and the red rose, meaning romance, and the tea roses versus miniature roses versus climbing roses. like They go on and on. yeah I feel like Alex Flynn must have a large rose garden. Yeah, maybe.
01:04:34
Speaker
Then the curse is like kind of coming to an end on, you know, the book in the movie. And as it's coming to an end, Adrian or Hunter takes Lindy away to his dad's cabin and they go away for like a little vacay.
01:04:57
Speaker
And during this process, he's kind of like struggling with the fact that he, at least in the book, he's kind of struggling with the fact that he like took her against her will, which is, you know, classic Beauty and the Beast. Right. And that's why that's why he takes her to the cabin in the book, though, is like to kind of like lessen some of his guilt a little bit by giving her something that she's never had which is this winter wonderland type escape to go sledding and skiing and there won't be anybody around so he'll be able to go outside too you know and he wants to give her something special and important to her and make him kind of assuage that guilt a little bit you know I also want to throw in Lindy's perspective here okay
01:05:43
Speaker
So she brings up the fact that Stockholm Syndrome is the thing. And she's like, I'm not feeling this. I understand what it is, but this isn't what I'm feeling. And I know he loves me. And she kind of expresses that she's also having feelings for him as well, which you you don't really get in the book because it's all from his perspective. He doesn't know. But I'm so glad you read the wrong book. Yeah. At this point, she does recognize you know the whole beauty and the beast, at Stockholm Syndrome. That's why she falls in love with the beast, but she says that's not what it is. Of course, because she would know the difference at 15.
01:06:22
Speaker
Yep. And also like Adrian keeps doing these things in the cabin where he thinks is giving her this opportunity to leave. He's like, Oh, I left the doors unlocked. Like I gave her these like opportunities to leave. Yeah. So she can run out into the snow with nothing in the middle of nowhere. Right. In the movie.
01:06:44
Speaker
This isn't like they're just kind of going on this like little, you know, getaway together to the lady. Yeah, there's no snow. Yeah. all And he has like this really like a bunch of notes that he wants to give her. And he's like kind of ready to like confess like his feelings. And then the book in the movie kind of just split into two different endings. And I feel like this keeps happening to me when I pick these freaking adaptations.
01:07:20
Speaker
So in the book, so whenever they're away, Adrienne lets Lindy look into the mirror. who And she sees her dad being, like, dragged into a building or something by a man.
01:07:44
Speaker
and And... Or... I think he's just laying in the trash. He's OD'd. Oh, okay, okay. Or just strung out. I'm thinking ahead. In the movie, he OD'd. In the book, he's just homeless, living on the street, laying in the trash. Got it. Okay. Okay, okay, yeah. So basically, how this ends is that Lindy has to leave to go help her dad.
01:08:08
Speaker
on both sides, on both the book and the movie. and It gets interrupted where Adrian can't break his curse with Lindy at that moment. And there is a really sad moment in the movie where he's ready to tell her that he has basically fallen in love with her. And he has like all these like notes of like all the notes that he's been, letters that basically he's been writing to her ever since like she's been staying there. And she looks at him
01:08:40
Speaker
She goes, you've been a really good friend. Yeah. And I was like, no. And he just like gets so heartbroken. He's like, Oh, okay. Great. And then she's all like, I'm gonna read these letters on this train. Yeah. And he's like, no, don't read those. Don't read those letters. And then she leaves. Okay. And you know,
01:09:07
Speaker
And it's kind of like a similar situation where, you know, she leaves in the book, and he eventually checks on her through the mirror and sees that she's in trouble in the book.
01:09:22
Speaker
And there's like this very dramatic, crazy moment hu where he goes and leaves and he has't he doesn't really leave that often. Like when he did leave to go to like go away with her, like they had to stay in the car they couldn't like leave the car together because he was like scared other people were gonna see him the only reason that they could go away even the few times he snuck out before it was like with a hat and an overcoat and try to stay to the shadows and he like yeah so I tried to not be noticed yeah he sees Lindy is in trouble so in order to get to Lindy he like has to get on the subway as a full bleed beast and like causes
01:10:09
Speaker
chaos on the subway in New York and it's a madhouse on the subway and then leaves the subway goes to save Lindy and in the during the process of saving Lindy he actually gets shot.
01:10:28
Speaker
during that process. This is very Disney in this moment. Yeah, this is very, this is Beauty and the Beast right here. This is literally Beauty and the Beast right here. And as he lies dying, he asks Lindy for a kiss. And like, this is like the last day of his like curse. Like he's like, he's already like in his heart knows that he's like, this is it. He's coming down to the minute. Yeah, to the minute.
01:10:55
Speaker
to the very last minute which is like you know classic Beauty and the Beast right here. She kisses him, breaks the spell, turns him back to normal and you know he's healed. And that's the end of it. And she's like, Kyle, where's Adrian? Yeah, she's like, yeah, around for him. And then he literally there. And she's like, yeah, I'm looking for Adrian after like, literally, he's just like laying there and like, no one else is around. Dead people around because we just had like a whole incident shooting in here. but Okay. So and then because of that,
01:11:31
Speaker
Also, Will and Magda also were helped as well because you know breaking that curse with Kendra. But then also in the movie, going back to the movie, kyle or Hunter was actually like ignoring Vanessa Hudgens. So she read the letters whenever she left. And she's like, oh, I don't want to be just friends.
01:11:58
Speaker
I'm going to call you like a bunch of times and we can talk about our feelings and all this stuff. And he ignores them. Even though his curse is coming down to the wire, he's ignoring all the calls. Because he's an idiot. Yeah. Curse is coming down the wire. He's ignoring all the calls and she's about to go on like a school trip or something or like some going out of the country. Machu Picchu. Yes.
01:12:18
Speaker
Mm-hmm. She's about to go on our school trip and she's he's ignoring all the calls and he's like whatever and then we'll convince them and Magda convinces him to go and See her before she leaves even though like maybe nothing will come of it So he goes and sees her. And during that whole dramatic, you know, high school situation where she says her feelings out loud in front of everyone, everyone's like, Oh my God, what is that? When he like shows his face in front of like, right? And he's all like, I was afraid that you wouldn't love me. And everybody is kind of looking at him. Like, I
01:13:05
Speaker
alert the authority
01:13:11
Speaker
All the pretties in a panic. Oh Lord.
01:13:24
Speaker
Okay, so this whole dramatic cute little high school situation happens they reveal their feelings they have a little kiss. And then he leaves the school and is turned back into Kyle. And then Vanessa Hudgens runs out and she's like, Kyle, I can't speak to you right now. I'm looking for Hunter. And she like runs away, like looking for Hunter. And he's like, I'm right here. Like, hello. And that's to explain the whole thing to him. And then I think this is actually kind of cool how the movie did this, but it was like insinuated at the very end.
01:14:00
Speaker
that Kendra is like approaching Kyle's dad's office. Yeah. At the very end, like ready to curse. As an intern. Yeah. So, and that basically wraps up both the book and- No, it doesn't. Okay, what is up? The book goes on for another 25 pages. Oh my God. Oh my God, yes. Of wrapping up the story, which like legit, okay, we get it. He's no longer a beast, they've kissed, they move on. In your name, river. We all know how the story ends. But no, we have like three chapters after he turns back and it's like him,
01:14:39
Speaker
getting, you know, Kendra and him recapping what happened and, and Will and Magda getting their, their boons from him having broken the curse. And then Magda is Kendra and then like, she goes off with the crows or something.
01:14:59
Speaker
And then like it's it's him resolving things with his dad back at the apartment when his dad it suddenly shows up for the first fucking time ever and is all like, Saw a Beast was in the subway. You wouldn't know nothing about that, would you? And he was all like, Dad, look at me. What do you think? Like, the curse is broken.
01:15:19
Speaker
And his dad is just an idiot. And then there's another chapter of him explaining everything to like, there's just like, wait, like, you could have just ended the book. You could have just ended the book. And then there's an epilogue senior year. Like, please. Like, i'm mourn him like and more. Yeah, the the group chat is popping. Like, I'm over here. Like, I thought the story was over.
01:15:43
Speaker
Like I and I was at this point I was listening to audiobook and doing the dishes like thinking that it was going to end and that it kept going. There's nothing worse than when people don't have the ability to wrap it up. Like I need you to wrap it up. Yeah. Stories over. Why are we still talking? Yeah. Move on. Also, fun fact, they actually filmed the book ending, like how the book ended.
01:16:12
Speaker
But instead of using it for like the official like movie release, they put it in what is known as the Wii beastly video game. I remember that game. I didn't play it. I actually saw clips of the Wii video game and it's known to be horrific and like so bad, very like linear type video game. So.
01:16:38
Speaker
If you have a Wii, go get beastly. Or not. Go get your beastly game, or not. Okay, so final verdict. If you had to pick between the book or the movie, which would you pick? A movie for sure, because it wouldn't have been so much of a waste of time. Yeah. Honestly, I would probably pick the movie, even though it was very corny cheesiness. It was corny cheesy, but it was fun. Yeah, it was still fun. What, not quite two hours? like All right.
01:17:09
Speaker
I thought it was like, like ah it was worth it to see Mary Kate Olsen. Yeah. That was, that was her last movie and then she retired. Yeah. Those out oh poor Mary Kate retired at 22 or however old she was. The outfits were cracking me up though. That was hilarious. And Neil Patrick Harris was quite funny. So worth it. Yeah. Those were like really funny moments. Okay. So question of the episode.
01:17:36
Speaker
is going to be a little different because we're going to give everyone some of our retelling recommendations, which could be either a book, movie, TV show, any type of retelling recommendation.
01:17:51
Speaker
So, Crystal, why don't you go first? Okay, so I'm afraid that, because I picked a couple because I was all like, okay, one of them that I'm going to say probably Carrie would have said if I don't get the chance to say it first. So, go ahead just ever after with with Drew Barrymore.
01:18:09
Speaker
That's so one of my all-time favorites and one that I know you won't say. oh In Star Trek, sometimes on the holodeck, they would tell stories and like the Robin Hood episode is particularly hilarious because Worf is not a merry man. and If you're Trekkie, that's hilarious, but apparently,
01:18:34
Speaker
Just me. Got it. silence.
01:18:40
Speaker
Well. Okay. Lindsey? Okay. We're going. Pride and prejudice and zombies. Okay. Pride and prejudice and zombies. Oh. Pride and prejudice and zombies. All right. I'm ready. Okay. I love it.
01:18:59
Speaker
Okay, crystal, you definitely stole my ever after I did have that as I knew it. I knew it. one of My all time favorite. It's so good. Yeah. So I have to book recommendations. I have a because you know, I have to throw a spicy one in here. Fair.
01:19:16
Speaker
I have a spicy Beauty and the Beast retelling fantasy. It can't be ACOTAR. We already discussed this. It's not ACOTAR. That's our group one. It's called Intreat Me by Grace Draven, which is and basically like Her sister goes away to marry a boy and she goes to protect her sister. And the boy, I don't know if it's the boy's brother or father is actually the beast. And she goes and helps break that curse.
01:19:52
Speaker
That's all I will say. but Wait, what's this called? You said spicy? Let me take that. Yes. In Greet Me by Grace Draven. And it's also like lots of good fantasy in there as well. Like it is equal spicy, equal fantasy. Very good. Also I've got a young adult fantasy, Legendborn by Tracy Dion, which is a modern day twist on King Arthur. It is so, so good.
01:20:21
Speaker
I highly, highly, highly recommend that one. It's two books out so far. I don't know if the third one is out already. I haven't read the third one, but it is literally so good. I cannot recommend that one enough. Yeah. So that about wraps up our beastly episode. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow like and subscribe on Spotify, Apple podcasts and YouTube. So you never miss an update. Your support means so much to us.
01:20:51
Speaker
and it helps more listeners find the show. Also, if you're thinking of a book adaptation, you would love for us to cover. We have a link in the description of a book adaptation submission form so you can leave us all the details.