What better way to teach people – both young and old – about great literature than to intrigue them with a captivating Lego display? These Lego creations each depict scenes from well-known classic and modern works of literature.

1) Dante’s Inferno

These legos traverse the seven circles of Hell.

2) Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Glaucus and Circe chilling out.

3) Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings

The port city of Grey Havens comes alive in this intricate creation.

4) Melville’s Moby Dick

Capt Ahab and crew take their best shot at the famous white whale.

Read the full post 7 Scenes from Great Literature in Legos on OEDB.org.

In the spirit of Friday the 13th, here’s a quick guide to ten great but lesser-known horror flicks that were based on books.  You’ll also find information about how you can watch them online and/or order them on DVD.

1) Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula

Directed by: Jesus Franco
Based on the book: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Where you can watch the movie: You can find the DVD on Amazon.
This version of the classic Bram Stoker tale is one of my personal favorites.  It stars Christopher Lee as the mustached Count who grows younger as he drinks.  Herbert Lom portrays Van Helsing, and Klaus Kinski steals the show as the mad Renfield.  If you’re a horror fan, this is a must-watch.

2) Black Sunday

Directed by: Mario Bava
Based on the book: The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol  by Nikolai Gogol
Where you can watch the movie: It’s available on Netflix Instant-Watch.
Horror starlet Barbara Steele takes on a double role in this film, portraying a witch who was burned at the stake and her beautiful innocent double, Katia.  This Mario Bava’s masterpiece of horror cinema is based loosely on Gogol’s “The Vij”.

3) The Masque of the Red Death

Directed by: Roger Corman
Based on the book: Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems
Where you can watch the movie: It’s available on Amazon Prime Instant Watch
In this Roger Corman classic, aristocrats dine and dance while the plague claims the common folk. Vincent Price is outstanding as the satanic prince, Prospero in this dazzlingly colorful Poe rendition.

4) Countess Dracula

Directed by: Peter Sasdy
Based on the book: The Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu
Where you can watch the movie: You can find the DVD on Amazon.
Ingrid Pitt is brilliant as the wicked Elizabeth Bathory, Countess of Hungary. The film stays true to the legend of the aptly named “Countess Dracula”, who was said to have murdered 612 young women and bathed in their blood to restore her youthful beauty.

5) Nightbreed

Directed by: Clive Barker
Based on the book: Cabal by Clive Barker
Where you can watch the movie: It’s available on Amazon Prime Instant Watch
Based on Clive Barker’s “Cabal”, Aaron Boone is plagued by nightmares and unexplainable blackouts when he seeks psychiatric help. His calculating psychiatrist, (horror director David Cronenberg), convinces him that he is responsible for the recent rash of serial killings in the area.

Read the full post 10 Lesser-Known Horror Films Based on Books on OEDB.org.

There have been a slew of fantastic young adult novels published of late, many of which are undergoing the transition into film adaptations.  Here are six that I am looking forward to later this year.

Divergent

Release Date: March 21st
This is by far one of my favorite books I’ve read in some time.  It takes place in a dystopian Chicago where society is divided into “factions” based on specific personality traits such as; Candor,for honesty, Dauntless, for the brave; and Erudite, meant for the knowledgeable, etc.  The story centers around Tris Prior as she makes her choice on her 16th birthday and discovers she has a secret that may change the fate of her entire world.

The Giver

Release Date: August 15th
Based on the Lois Lowry novel, The Giver tells the tale of a futuristic society in which emotional pain and suffering have been overcome by adapting to a plan of “Sameness”.  The book follows Jonas, who is named The Giver and is chosen to be the “Receiver of Memory” as he discovers the choices of a world beyond his own.

The Maze Runner

Release date: September 19
A boy named Thomas wakes up inside a giant maze called The Glade with a group of other teenagers and must figure out how to excape and why he’s there to begin with in this dystopian thriller.  Based on the book by best-selling author James Dashner.

Read the full post 6 YA Books You Need to Read Before their 2014 Movies Come Out on OEDB.org.