Day 11 - What to Watch instead of 50 Ways to Gag

Most books I give a try before I judge them.  But once in awhile I run across a book whose premise, content, and reader reviews are just so terrible I won't bother to even touch it.

Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James is one of them.

It makes me cringe on the inside just to write the actual title of the book on my blog.  I would rather find fifty ways to make puns from the title.  Fifty Shades is a tale of dungeon sexual abuse presented by its main characters as desirable, and serves as one example among hundreds of pornography on America's bookshelves.  Today is the release of the film adaptation of this hellish story (which even the main actors are disturbed by, and one compared it to Hitler).  However, I want to present alternatives to watch this Valentine's Day instead of 50 Colors of Ick that are uplifting and have themes of love and encouragement.

Presenting: 5 Movies to Watch this Valentine's Day.

Fireproof - Fireproof is a film about a man whose marriage is fraying because he watches pornography and has his priorities skewed. (At least he doesn't have a copy of Fifty Ways To Abuse Sex.)  His wife wants a divorce, and his father presents him with a way to help save the marriage.  This is a great movie, clean and uplifting, about redeeming marriage and love and finding God's grace.

Emma Smith: My Story - This is a companion film to Prophet of the Restoration, with the same actors, except told from Emma Smith's point of view.  She talks to her adopted daughter Julia about her life with Joseph Smith Jr., their marriage and hardships, including persecution, ostracization (sp?) from her family, polygamy, and losing several of her children.  Contains messages of hope, love, and strength.  It's a great drama of LDS history.  Emma is one of my heroes.

Rigoletto - This movie is a mix of some fairy tales set in a middle of nowhere Depression-era town in the western United States.  A mysterious and rich man that goes by Ribaldi moves into town, and people think he's the one buying up all their properties.  Meanwhile, a young girl comes to know this man and see the beauty that is within him.  Great and uplifting story with an awesome musical soundtrack.

Pride and Prejudice (by Excel Entertainment Group) - a "Mormon" knock-off of Jane Austen's classic novel.  A hilarious love story about a (implicitly) BYU student named Elizabeth who refuses to get married and a stingy Englishman who owns a multi-million dollar publishing company.  They eventually (if grudgingly) develop a relationship that blossoms into love. 

Epic - If you're looking for more action with a bit of romance in it, this 3D animated film is for you.  A young woman goes to live in the woods with her father, and discovers a world of miniature people and a war between life and decay.  There is chemistry between her and one of the little people, and love between the captain of the leafmen and the queen of the forest.  An awesome fantasy and getaway film.

There you have it.  Wonderful alternatives to having your brain rot watching a man thrash a woman for sexual pleasure.  Let's show everyone that there are much better movies than 50 Shades Of Overhyped to watch for Valentine's Day.

Today is day 11 of the Sunstone giveaway!  Monday the giveaway ends, and on Tuesday I will be drawing the winners!  I'm planning on posting a video of choosing the names, so keep an eye out for that!  If this is your first time hearing about it, please see the giveaway page for the rules, and enter for a free eBook copy of Sunstone and a chance to win a hard copy and other goodies!

And a random last note: I have felt inspired to write a Yu-gi-oh! parody.