Period Drama Challenge -- January Tag

As I have said before, I am participating in the Period Drama Challenge at Old-Fashioned Charm (though I haven't posted any reviews to submit to it yet, but they're coming!). Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm will be posting tag questions at the end of each month of the Period Drama Challenge. Here are my answers to January's questions.

Pride and Prejudice Poll Results

Ah! I had forgotten to put up the poll results from 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice! Sorry about that. But here are the results of the polls:

Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game Answers

The trivia game has officially closed! Thank you to all the participants. Here are the answers to the trivia questions!

Pride and Prejudice on Wishbone

Ever wanted to introduce a young relative to classic works of literature? Namely Pride and Prejudice? Let me recommend the 90s show Wishbone to you! I myself watched this show growing up and to this day I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to introduce young audiences. Since it is the 200th Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, I am posting both parts of the Pride and Prejudice episode (appropriately called "Furst Impressions" referencing the original title "First Impressions") that has been posted on YouTube. Sure, a lot of it has been compressed (it was a half hour show, after all!), but it's great for introducing Jane Austen!

 

---

 God Bless,

Elements of Pride and Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice

And, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, I have prepared a small article analyzing pride and prejudice in Pride and Prejudice.

Us fans of Pride and Prejudice may often encounter this question: who has pride and who has prejudice in Pride and Prejudice? Surely, one character has pride and the other has prejudice, right? In fact, there are even a couple of versions of Pride and Prejudice out there that simplify it that much: Mr. Darcy was proud and Elizabeth was prejudiced. But my opinion, however, is that it's a little more complicated than that.

Pride and Prejudice Caption Contest Winner

The poll for the caption contest has closed! Thank you everyone for voting! Now for the results.

To this picture, the winning caption is...

"There goes Kitty's 4th suitor that mama has run off."

by Lydia

Congratulations, Lydia! Since you have said you did not have a blog, I've made for you a icon that you can use on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any other social networking site!

---

 God Bless,

Review: The Duchess (2008)

It seems that in the past year, I've seen a lot of movies that take place in the Georgian era, which is great since I had seen very little movies from that era before and I do so love the fashion of that era! Between Amazing Grace, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Mozart's Sister, The Kent Chronicles, Poldark, and now The Duchess, I finally have seen a number of films from one of my favorite fashion eras. We've actually owned The Duchess for a while now (my mom bought it at a low price on Amazon), but it was only recently that I got to watch it. I have seen pictures of it previously and thought the costuming looked good, but I did hear that there was some content with this movie. Off the bat, I want to warn you that this movie is not for children and that it has some mature scenes/themes (my review, on the other hand, doesn't get graphic as to the content), so if you do decided to watch this movie, just be ready to fast-forward.

Box Art

Synopsis
Based on historical events, The Duchess tells the story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and her marriage to William Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire. At the age of seventeen, Georgiana marries the duke with hopes of a happy life with him, however she soon learns that the duke does not care for her and only wanted a male heir to inherit his title. Though she was in an unhappy marriage, she was loved by the people for her fashion sense. She was frequently involved in politics and helped a young politician by the name of Charles Grey, who she grows very fond of.

Happy 200th Birthday, Pride and Prejudice!

Yes, the day we've all been waiting for...

The purpose for this week-long celebration...

It's finally arrived...

Happy 200th Anniversary, Pride and Prejudice!

That's right! It was 200 years ago today that Pride and Prejudice was finally published!

Last Day for Trivia and Polls

Today is the last day to participate in the Pride and Prejudice Trivia game and to vote in the polls for 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice! If you haven't participated in any of these but would like to, do so now!

---

 God Bless,

Caption Contest Poll

Submissions for the Caption Contest will no longer be accepted. Thank you to everyone who submitted a caption! There are seven lovely captions to choose from! Here's the picture again:

And here are the captions!

1. " there goes kitty's 4th suitor that mama has run off." by Lydia
2. Elizabeth: I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now. 
3. Wave goodbye to the real world...You've just stepped into...The Twilight Zone! (dramatic music)
4. "Parting is such sweet sorrow..."
5. "Let us not have tears. Partings are a natural part of life." 
6. Lizzy: Go, go. I would not wish you back again.
7. So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu!

The poll is not up! Go and vote for your favorite captions!

---

 God Bless,

P&P Scene Comparisons: The 1st Proposal

Have you ever done it? Watched multiple versions of a period drama to see how certain scenes were interpreted? There are inevitably favorites; one version can absolutely nail a scene while another version falls flat. Well, in honor of 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice, I have before you all a comparison of Mr. Darcy's first proposal scene from four different versions of Pride and Prejudice! With commentary!

Please note: I do a bit of grilling with most of the versions of the 1st proposal scene below (you all know which one is my favorite!). The commentary is strictly my opinion. You are welcome to comment which version is your favorite and defend your choice; though I may not agree with you, I will certainly respect your opinion! Let's all keep the comments section here professional and good-natured. And remember to have fun with the discussions!

Last Day For Caption Submissions

Remember that today is the last day I will accept captions for the caption contest. There are only two captions so far, so please submit any captions you have (limited to three). 

Leave your captions here!

---

 God Bless,

Guest Post by Melody and Amy Dashwood: Sisters and Jane Austen

Good afternoon, ladies! Though perhaps you aren’t reading this in the afternoon, and it’s possible not everyone reading this is a lady, too. Okay, then… hey, y’all. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Melody and Amy, best friends in real life, sisters in spirit, two nuts in a case who email each other way too often, obsessive Janeites and diehard fans of P&P.  It’s so exciting to be around to see Pride and Prejudice’s 200th birthday, and positively riveting to take part in this celebration. We’re here today to discuss with you Sisters and Jane Austen. And Pride and Prejudice, of course. Yes, well, you have probably apprehended that much. 

200 Years of P&P Contests

I hope you all are enjoying my 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice event!

I just want to put a reminder out there for everyone that there are contests for you all to enter and win a lovely blog button for your blog! There is still fun to be had in the Trivia Game and the Caption Contest. So far, there are five people participating in the trivia game and only one caption for the Caption Contest. Make sure you enter these contests before the deadline!

Trivia Game (Ends on January 27th at 11:55 CST)

Caption Contest (Captions Accepted Until January 25th at 11:55 CST)

Have fun!

---

 God Bless,

Guest Post by Charity: Comparing 1995 and 2005 Pride and Prejudice

                Hi! I’m Charity – you can read more about me at the bottom of this post. Miss Elizabeth kindly invited me to post about something Pride and Prejudice related in honor of P&P’s 200^th anniversary (and her special blog party to note that anniversary). Since I’ve enjoyed comparing multiple versions of one movie in the past, I decided to do it again – this time with Pride and Prejudice. In this post, I’m just comparing things like the soundtrack and the important scenes…towards the bottom, I have a link to my P&P Character Comparisons, if you want to know my thoughts on ALL the main characters. :) So, let’s get started!

More Polls: Favorite Actor/Actress

Yes, I'm putting up even more polls! It sometimes happens that after we watch multiple versions of the same story, there are certain things we like in one version than in other versions (hey, just look at this guest post about the 1995 and 2008 versions of Sense and Sensibility that Melody and I did). So, following a similar line, I'm putting up polls to see which actor/actress viewers prefer in the different versions of Pride and Prejudice. These polls can be found on the left sidebar. The Characters I have polls up for are:

Elizabeth Bennet

Mr. Darcy

Jane Bennet
Mr. Bingley

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet

Lady Catherine de Bourgh

George Wickham

Kitty/Lydia Bennet

Simply vote for which actor/actress you liked best for each of the characters (or as many as you wish). At the end of the event, I'll post the results!

Which actors/actresses do you prefer for each of these characters?

---

 God Bless,

Guest Post by Miss Laurie: Comparing Mr. Collins

Just as Mr. Darcy is a symbol of the ultimate hero, to most Jane Austen fans Mr. Collins is a mascot of buffoonery. There is an instant image that come to our minds when his name is mentioned and if you're like me you probably can't say his name without immediately following it with an "Ugh!" of disgust.
What is it that makes Mr. William Collins such a universally detested character? Who is he really? Where does he come from and what does he really look like?  These were the questions I asked myself as I considered writing this post, and let me tell you, I thought I knew Mr. Collins but re-reading and studying up on this man brought interesting tidbits to light!

Pride and Prejudice Caption Contests

And what would 200 years of Pride and Prejudice be without a caption contest? Of course I had to hold a caption contest!


Rules

1. To submit a caption, leave a comment with the caption in it and what character you would want on the winner's button if you win (if you leave it blank, I will pick).
2. You can comment up to three captions.
3. Keep the captions clean and family friendly.
4. I will accept captions until January 25th at 11:55 PM Central Time. The next day, I will put up a poll and a post with the captions. You then vote in that poll which will end on January 27th.
5. The winner will be announced on January 28th.

Poll: Favorite Pride and Prejudice?

And to start off 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice, I have a poll for you all to answer! There are many fans of Pride and Prejudice out there and all of us have our favorite adaptations. Some of us are devotees to the 1995 miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle; others prefer the newer movie starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen; others say that the 1981 version is the way to go; or even that Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier hits it right out of the park (*shameless baseball reference*). So what I'm asking all of you for the upcoming week is:

What is your favorite version of Pride and Prejudice?

1940 Movie (Greer Garson/Sir Laurence Olivier)

1981 Miniseries (Elizabeth Garvie/David Rintoul)

1995 Miniseries (Jennifer Ehle/Colin Firth)

2005 Movie (Keira Knightley/Matthew Macfadyen)

Other (Leave a Comment!)

Go and vote in the poll! You will find it located on the right sidebar under the poll section.

What is your favorite version of Pride and Prejudice? Why? Or do you have another version that you like that isn't up there? Leave a comment!

---

 God Bless,

Correction to Quiz

I've made a small correction to the Pride and Prejudice Trivia Quiz yesterday. I was a little vague on Question 11, so even if you answered it you may re-enter another answer that I will count.

---

 God Bless,

Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game

To open 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice, how about a little trivia game? This trivia game isn't very long (only 30 questions) and features questions about the Pride and Prejudice book itself and its adaptations. Plus, you could have a chance to win a lovely new button for your blog!

Rules

• To answer questions, simply leave a comment in this post. After your answers, also say which character you would want on a button if you are the winner; if you leave it blank, I will pick a character for you. I will not publish your answers until the end of the event.
• You only get one chance to answer each question, but if you leave a question blank, you may still answer it. (So if you answer half now and half later, that is perfectly acceptable).
• I will comment back your score and your unanswered questions after I have graded your answers. I will accept answers until January 27th at 11:55 PM Central Time.
• The person with the most answers correct will receive a button to display on their blog.

200 Years of Pride and Prejudice has begun!

I declare this day to be the start of my blog party, 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice!

Stay tune throughout the upcoming week for special Pride and Prejudice posts to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice!

Review: Upstairs Downstairs - Series 2 (2012)

Took me long enough to review this. I actually watched Upstairs, Downstairs: Series 2 when it aired on PBS last year, but I ended up pushing this review back further and further, adding to it little by little until now. As you may remember, I was not a fan of the first series of the reboot of Upstairs, Downstairs, but I watched Series 2 hoping that it would get better. Though I didn't think it would live up to the original series, I still watched and expected it to be a decent period drama. How did I find it? Well, read on!

Note: This review contains spoilers from Series 1 of Upstairs, Downstairs. If you do not want to run into spoilers, then do not read this review. If you want to read up on Series 1, you can find it here.

Box Art

Synopsis
The story starts just before England entered WWII. Lady Agnes Holland has given birth to her second child, but does not have any more hopes of having any more children. Hallam's aunt, Blanche Mottershead, has moved in with the Hollands after the death of Hallam's mother, Lady Maud. Lady Persie returns from Germany after a riot breaks out and resettles back in 165 Eaton Place seeming to renounce her Nazi views. There is also some additions to the staff: Beryl Ballard as the new nursery maid and Eunice McCabe as the new kitchen maid.

New Sink Me! Submission

I submitted a new caption to Miss Amy Dashwood's blog Sink Me!

 Sink Me! Post

---

 God Bless,

Reader Question #11: My Favorite Non-Period Drama Films

Finally, I'm restarting Reader Questions! I've felt bad about slacking off on Reader Questions, but I'm glad that I can finally restart them again! Make sure that if you think of a question that you comment it in somewhere; I try to answer all of them, but if I can't come up with a good-sized post about it, I'll comment back with my short answer.

This question (and a bunch of others!) comes from Charity from Austenitis. Charity asks:

I have to ask...what non-period-drama films are your favorites?

Period Drama Challenge at Old-Fashioned Charm

Miss Laurie from Old-Fashioned Charm is hosting a challenge that I simply couldn't resist! This is the first blog challenge that I have accepted. It is called the Period Drama Challenge. In this challenge, you are encouraged to watch a number of period dramas and review them between January 7th and July 7th.

There are different categories for the number of period dramas to watch. I plan to enter into the Period Drama Fanatic category (12-15 films). I hope to update you all with the number of films I have watched along the way (list them out).

I encourage all of you to join in this challenge. It's going to be fun!

---

 God Bless,

Review: Poldark (1996)

I know, I know... I have said that I had no intention of watching this version of Poldark. After all, though it was planned to bring back Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees as Ross and Demelza Poldark, the film makers ended up recasting the roles to different actors! How could they! This sparked outrage in the Poldark fan base so much that actual protests were staged with the protesters wearing Georgian fashions. But my mom bought a Victorian movie collection that this Poldark was in (and from what I understand, the other movies were decent), so after we finished re-watching Series 2 of the original Poldark series, we watched this movie, though I didn't have any great hopes for it.

British TV Victorian Collection Box Art

Synopsis
Based off the eighth book in the Poldark Series, The Stranger From the Sea, Poldark (1996) tries to continue the Poldark TV series started in the mid-70s. The year is 1810, ten years after the original Poldark series ended. Jeremy Poldark, the son of Captain Ross Poldark and his wife, Demelza, find a strange man at a ship wreckage and rescue him while Ross is working in Parliament in London. As the man, Stephen Cravenson, recovers, him and the Poldark's older daughter, Clowance, fall in love, though Demelza senses that there is more to Mr. Cravenson's story than he is telling them.

Happy New Year! And Upcoming Events (Please Read; Comments Suggested)

Happy New Year, everyone! Now that 2012 is behind us and we have 2013 to come, I hope that everyone has had a good 2012 and that everyone will have a good 2013.

Now, as 2013 has begun, I would like to announce a couple of plans that I would like to announce for the beginning of 2013.

200 Years of Pride and Prejudice Blog Party

January 28th marks the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice. To honor the 200th anniversary of my favorite book, I will be holding a week long event to commemorate 200 years of Pride and Prejudice. The blog party will start on January 21st and end on the day itself. There will be a lot of events planned: trivia, contests, posts about Pride and Prejudice, and even guest posts! You won't want to miss this! You can visit the page for the event either by clicking on the button above or by clicking here!

200 Years of Pride and Prejudice

On January 28th, 1813, Jane Austen's second published novel, Pride and Prejudice, was published. In those 200 years, Pride and Prejudice has inspired numerous amounts of art work, fan art, plays, movies, miniseries, and even blogs. Here at Elegance of Fashion, I am holding a celebration to celebrate those years since Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice... all 200 of them!

200 Years of Pride and Prejudice will be held from January 21st through the 28th. There are plenty of posts planned for the event! Games, Contests, Guest Posts, and much more!