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Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
You may have heard about the best-selling Jane Austen mashup sensation published earlier this year, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Now Quirk Books is releasing a follow-up — just announced today — called Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Lucky for me, they asked me to write and direct a promotional video for the book, which meant I got to play in a leech-filled lake with screaming actors in period costumes, create a horrifying digital creature, and try to figure out the least suspicious place to carry fake severed limbs to and from the set. Check it out!
For more cinematic weirdness, follow me on Twitter.
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Yay. And nice work.
posted by nutmeag on 7-15-2009 at 8:31 am
Wow. I can tell you from working at B&N that PP&Z is still a bit seller and this will certainly be a big hit. One hitch, though: it is being released on the same day as the new Dan Brown and all other new releases sales will sink like a ship after a Krakken attack on that day. Trust me. I look forward to this, but hope they at least push up publication a week or two for their own sake.
posted by JulieB on 7-15-2009 at 8:58 am
I’m reading PP&Z right now. Great summer read! Nice work on the promo video.
posted by Beki on 7-15-2009 at 9:11 am
Who reads this stuff? Pride and Prejudice is such an awesome book (and so is Sense and Sensibility) that I can’t imagine why anyone would want to read some crazy version that has zombies or sea monsters. Jane Austen would not be amused.
They should definitely re-think those public domain laws.
Getting off my soapbox now…..
posted by Sarah on 7-15-2009 at 9:13 am
I might actually read this one. I enjoy Jane Austen a great deal and can appreciate a good parody, but I just can’t get into Zombies.
Sea Monsters, however…. :)
posted by KJ on 7-15-2009 at 10:12 am
Nice rant Sarah! I’m an English major, too. ;)
But I especially like the last split second of the video–the blood spattered screen. Extra nice touch, Ransom!
posted by lulu on 7-15-2009 at 11:58 am
her dress is wet in the last scene.
posted by Charles on 7-15-2009 at 1:18 pm
I just might have to read this. P&P is my all-time favorite book and I’ve been toying with the idea of reading the zombie version. It’s obviously done in jest, and I’m all for anything to keep me entertained on my hour long train commute.
Re: Sarah-the librarian in me shudders, absolutely shudders, at the idea of rethinking public domain laws. As does the theater nerd in me-ever wonder why Shakespeare is done so frequently? No royalties! Jane Austen might not be amused, but copyright laws are so complicated anyway, we definitely don’t need it to get any worse (does she even have any living relatives?).
posted by Kate on 7-15-2009 at 2:21 pm
Awesome.
posted by Margaret on 7-15-2009 at 2:41 pm
Although an avid reader, I must admit I wouldn’t have picked up “Pride and Prejudice” on its own without the “and Zombies”. (I’ve got a twisted sense of humour, it should go without saying.)
Now that I’ve read P&P&Z I want to go back read the original P&P, just to see what is different (I mean, besides the obvious additions of the undead and the ninjas).
posted by Karl on 7-15-2009 at 3:01 pm
after reading the originals not even sea monsters and zombies could get me to pick up anything resembling them again.
posted by antonio on 7-15-2009 at 4:07 pm
This looks brilliant. I read all the original Austens when I was eleven, and picked up “Zombies” as soon as it came out. Oh, artistic liberties… the good it does the world. :D
posted by Allison on 7-15-2009 at 7:36 pm
Charles: her dress is wet in the last scene because she tried to drag him back out of the lake!
posted by lulu on 7-17-2009 at 9:53 am