Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Dances with Wolves by Mandy Monroe Dances with Wolves by Mandy Monroe. Jada had lived so long in an emotional desert, mostly of her own making, that she discovered it was hard to resist the invitation Larissa sent, even though she wasn't completely comfortable with the idea. Nevertheless, Larissa's appeals didn't fall on deaf ears. She had needs she'd ignored way too long-and she was still a nervous wreck when she arrived in Scotland! She'd thought she would be lucky to find one man she found reasonably attractive. Finding three she found completely irresistible was just a little overwhelming-fun-but still hard to handle-and that was before she discovered the wolf masks really hid the true men behind them! They weren't just wolf-like. They were wolves! My Thoughts : You know, most of the time when I'm reading a paranormal romance book I'm like "WEREWOLVES ARE YUMMY! SEND THEM MY WAY! MORE THAN ONE. NO PROBLEM! I'M NOTHING IF NOT ACCOMMODATING!" I mean, I can suspend my disbelief over a lot of things. But this book had one thing going for it that tickled my squick factor. To start with, I have a best friend. I have more than one, in case you're wondering, but that's not really the point. I've never had the urge to call my BFF up and invite her to an orgy. Seriously. I know this might shock some of you, but the thought has never crossed my mind. We are surprisingly candid in our discussions about sex and I've never been, "Well, I'm looking to get laid, can you hook me up?" Likewise, she's never asked that of me, either. That might be because she's married, though. Once again, not the point. The fact that Jada's best friend invited her to a sexy masquerade (which is a fancy way of saying "copious amounts of semi-anonymous sex between consenting adults, most of which takes place behind closed doors".) with the sole intention of "getting her laid" just kinda squicks me. Really, that's friendship for you. For the record, I always thought of an orgy as just a big, sweaty, heaving room of debauchery. This book has proved me wrong. They have all their sweating and heaving IN THE BEDROOM! Well, and outside that one time, but there's no big room dedicated to the . oh, wait. Maybe there was. I think it means that the books of smut are running together in my mind when I can't remember if it was this one or the other one I'm reading that had the Room of Debauchery. I guess I need to point out that I didn't hate this book. It was just. okay. You know, it's the book you read between the others. Probably the most frustrating aspect of it was the oodles and oodles of exposition, mostly expounding on the fact that Jada is infertile. Dude. I get it. She can't have babies and it's tainted all the relationships she's ever had and she's insecure in her femininity because of it. Bottom line: Didn't hate it, didn't love it. It was just middle of the road. The sex was pretty sexy, though. I have to give it that. 23 Facts About 'Dances with Wolves' In 1903, an outlaw bandit aimed his pistol at movie audiences and fired. It was a shot felt around the world. With the ten-minute-long The Great Train Robbery , a new and uniquely American film genre, the Western, was born. By 1990, the Western was dead. Tastes had changed, and audiences had moved on. Other than Clint Eastwood, few were making Westerns— and he hadn’t made one since Pale Rider (1985). The summer of 1985 also saw the release of another Western, Silverado . Cast as a brash young cowboy was Kevin Costner, whose star would rise considerably in the coming years, with movies like The Untouchables (1987), Bull Durham (1988), and Field of Dreams (1989). Against long odds, Costner, at age 35, decided to revive the Western with his own project, which he would star in, co-produce, and direct. Given wide release in 1991, Dances with Wolves would not just be any Western—it would be the Western, winning seven Oscars (it was nominated for 12) and earning $184 million domestically, making it the third biggest hit of 1990, after two other equally unexpected smashes, Home Alone and Ghost . Grossing an additional $240 million worldwide, Dances with Wolves is one of the most successful Western ever made. Let’s look back at some of the facts, figures, and stories behind a phenomenon, one for each year since its release: The film was adapted from a novel by Michael Blake. The project began as an unsold script, which the actor and budding director encouraged Blake to rethink as a book, purchased and published in 1988. Its unconventional and sympathetic emphasis is on Native American life in the Civil War era, observed by Costner’s disillusioned John Dunbar, a first lieutenant who ultimately chooses to live among peaceful Sioux and defend them from Pawnee raiders and the encroaching U.S. Army. Blake won an Oscar for his adaptation. The film was shot on location in South Dakota, from July to November 1989. Prominent castmembers included Graham Greene, a member of the First Nations of Canada, as Kicking Bird, Tantoo Cardinal, of Canada’s Metis people, as Black Shawl, and Native American actors including Rodney A. Grant (Wind in His Hair), Floyd Red Crow Westerman (Chief Ten Bears), and Wes Studi (as a Pawnee tribesman). Receiving her most prominent film credit to date was Mary McDonnell, as the Sioux-raised Stands With a Fist. Costner, Greene and McDonnell (who was just a little younger than Greene and Cardinal, who played her adoptive parents) all received Oscar nominations. To register the discomfort of Kicking Bird’s poor posture, Graham put slippery bologna slices in his shoes. On the Canadian comedy program, The Red Green Show , Graham’s character was asked what he felt about Dances with Wolves , to which he responded, “the native guy was OK. Should have gotten the Oscar.” (Joe Pesci did, for Goodfellas .) Annie Costner plays Stands With a Fist as a child. She is the daughter of Kevin and his first wife, Cindy. It took nearly a month to film the bison hunt. The bison hunt, using 3,500 bison, 20 wranglers, 24 bareback Native American stunt riders, and 150 extras, took three weeks to film (with seven cameras) at the Triple U Buffalo Ranch outside Fort Pierre, South Dakota. Costner, who did most of his own horseback riding, nearly broke his back in a fall. Kevin Costner in a scene from the film 'Dances With Wolves', 1990. Tig Productions/Getty Images. Neil Young provided some of the movie's animals. Two of the domesticated bison were borrowed from the rocker. The production built an animatronic animal that cost a quarter of a million dollars. An animatronic bison costing $250,000 was built for the production. Buck and Teddy shared the role of Two Socks the wolf. Neither was terribly cooperative during production. Costner supplied $3 million of his own money to complete the film With thousands of bison, incorrigible wolves and the rigors of an outdoor shoot to contend with the production exceeded its $15 million budget. The movie's money woes made Hollywood gossip. The money problems led to Dances with Wolves being dismissed as “Kevin’s Gate” around Hollywood, a reference to the epic fail of the Western Heaven’s Gate a decade earlier. Costner made millions in profit off the film. When the movie took off at the box office Costner realized upwards of $40 million in profit. There's no explicit connection to John Dunbar's exploits and the film. There was a John Dunbar, a pro-Native American missionary allied with the Pawnee in the early 1800s, but there’s no explicit connection to his exploits and the film. Blake based Stands With a Fist on Cynthia Ann Parker, who was kidnapped and adopted by the Comanche at age 10, in 1836, and lived with them until 1860 when the Texas Rangers recaptured her. Her story was the basis of another Western classic, The Searchers (1956). Audiences were intrigued by the real-life characters. While some critics complained about Dunbar’s “white savior” coming to the aid of his Sioux friends, audiences were absorbed by the details of their existence. A coach was brought in to teach castmembers unfamiliar with the language, like Greene, to speak Lakota. (Lakota’s gendered aspect proved too challenging to master, so the actors speak like women. The coach, Doris Leader Charge, was cast as Chief Ten Bears’ wife, Pretty Shield.) Costner was made an honorary member of the Sioux Nation after the film’s release. It won Oscars for film editing, sound, and cinematography. Adding to the film’s verisimilitude are its Oscar-nominated art direction and costuming. 'Dances with Wolves' was the first Western to win Best Picture since 'Cimarron' (1931). Eastwood’s Unforgiven would also win Best Picture and Best Director in 1992. Costner won Best Director for the film. Some cinephiles were disappointed that Goodfellas ’ Martin Scorsese, whose Raging Bull (1980) lost Best Picture and Director to actor-turned- director Robert Redford’s debut Ordinary People , was whacked by another first-time actor-turned-director. Scorsese’s The Departed (2006) would eventually win in both categories. The movie's score was a favorite of Pope John Paul II. Capping the film is its lush symphonic score, composed by John Barry. “The John Dunbar Theme,” heard in United Way commercials for more than a decade afterward, was said to have been a personal favorite of Pope John Paul II. Best known for his work on the James Bond series, Barry won an Oscar (his fifth) and a Grammy (his fourth) for Dances with Wolves . Clocking in at a full three hours, 'Dances with Wolves' is among the lengthier Best Picture winners. An extended cut that debuted on DVD runs 236 minutes, longer than record-holders Gone With the Wind (1939) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962) — but still shorter than the extended DVD edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), which runs 251 minutes. Costner's career was revived by a later Western movie. Costner would have three more hits after Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and JFK in 1991 and the sensationally successful The Bodyguard (1992)—then suffer a decade-long cold streak snapped by another, more modestly popular and traditional Western he directed and starred in, Open Range (2003). Costner had another Civil War-era winner with the TV miniseries Hatfields & McCoys (2012), for which he won an acting Emmy. Blake published a sequel to 'Dances with Wolves, The Holy Road' in 2004. 'Dances with Wolves' was added to the National Film Registry. It was added for “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films,” in 2007. The Western periodically revives in the wake of 'Dances with Wolves' Two notable recent releases are Quentin Tarantino’s thriller The Hateful Eight and the fact-based survival drama The Revenant , directed by Birdman’s Oscar winner Alejandro G. Inarritu and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Costner opened an exhibit, “Tatanka: The Story of the Bison,” outside Deadwood, South Dakota, to educate visitors about westward expansion. The Triple U Buffalo Ranch was up for sale, until Ted Turner added it to his empire. Tours of the South Dakota locations are available, so you can experience Dances with Wolves as living history. Dances with Wolves by Mandy Monroe. In 1991, the 63rd Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Honouring the films released between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1990, the awards were held on March 25. For the second consecutive year, the ceremony was hosted by Billy Crystal. With her win for Best Supporting Actress for his performance in Ghost , Whoopi Goldberg became only the fifth African-American and the second African-American female to receive an Oscar for acting. Pop star Madonna managed to steal the show not once, but twice. During the red carpet pre-show festivities, she arrived on the arm of Michael Jackson, which created a huge media storm. Later in the ceremony, she performed her Oscar-nominated track “Sooner or Later” from Dick Tracy , in a dazzling performance reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe that brought down the house. Leading the way this year with an astonishing 12 nominations (the most by any film in nine years) was Kevin Costner’s directorial debut Dances with Wolves , followed by Dick Tracy and the much-maligned The Godfather Part III with seven nominations each. It was a good night for Costner’s film, taking home seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Costner, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography. The nominees: Awakenings Dances with Wolves Ghost The Godfather Part III Goodfellas. The winner: Dances with Wolves. Based on Michael Blake’s 1988 novel of the same name, Dances with Wolves is the sweeping saga of one man’s life-changing journey. Having been sent to a remote outpost in the wilderness of the Dakota territory during the American Civil War, Lieutenant John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) encounters, and is eventually accepted into, the local Sioux tribe. He is known as “Dances with Wolves” to them and as time passes he becomes enamoured by the beautiful “Stands With a Fist” (Mary McDonnell). Not soon after, the frontier becomes the frontier no more, and as the army advances on the plains, John must make a decision that will not only affect him, but also the lives of the natives he now calls his people. Why did it win? Continuing the Oscar’s love of awarding a film which, against all odds, captured the popular zeitgeist, Dances with Wolves represented another Best Picture contender too difficult to refuse. It starred one of the biggest names in acting, making his directorial debut, no less. And we know how the Oscars love to award actors-turned-directors. It featured a sweeping and epic narrative, with a three-hour-plus running time. It captured an integral moment in American history, and highlighted the plight of its indigenous people. It was grand and glorious, and revitalised a genre many thought to be dead. It was all but destined for Oscar glory. Dances with Wolves was yet another piece of Oscar-bait cinema, and the Academy lapped up. In a rather light year (bar one exception we’ll get to later), it’s not hard to see why they fell for an atypical Best Picture winner. We all love Ghost , but just the fact it made it into the final five nominees for the best film of the year proves what an odd year it was for the Oscars. Likewise with The Godfather Part III , which appears to have been nominated on sentiment for its predecessors alone. Either that or voters didn’t even bother to watch it, and just felt they had to nominate it. In a year like this, the Academy generally goes for the most “successful” film, and nothing captured unexpected success quite like Dances with Wolves . On a modest budget of $22 million, Dances with Wolves became a genuine box-office sensation few could have foreseen. The film earned over $184 million at the U.S. box-office to end the year as the third highest-grossing film of 1990. It also earned a further $240 million internationally to bring its worldwide total to an incredible $424 million. For a film with such an extensive running time, a decidedly American narrative, and featuring a heavy dose of subtitled dialogue, this result was truly astonishing. This kind of surprise success only boosted its Oscar narrative even further. Adding to its incredible box-office result, Dances with Wolves also received widespread acclaim from critics, with many hailing it a return-to-form for the Western genre. The Chicago Sun-Times called it “a simple story, magnificently told,” Variety noted Costner “brings a rare degree of grace and feeling to this elegiac tale,” and the Washington Post hailed the film as a “stunning combination of all-American boyishness and sweeping grandeur.” For much of the precursor awards season, it looked to finally be Martin Scorsese’s year, with Goodfellas picking up almost every single major critics award. It won Best Picture and Director with the film critics awards of Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago and the National Society of Film Critics. But, as we see most years, the tide suddenly turned, and it was all going the way of Dances with Wolves . The film won Best Picture with the National Board of Review, and took home three Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. When the film won the three major guild awards (Producers, Directors and Writers), the race was all but over, and Dances with Wolves was unstoppable in its quest to take home Best Picture. Did it deserve to win? Oh, boy. It’s time for another rant. If the Academy’s treatment of Steven Spielberg was bad, their treatment of Martin Scorsese was even worse. After the shameful snubs of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull , the Academy continued their baffling run of ignoring his masterpieces by failing to recognise Goodfellas with Best Picture. This stands as one of their worst mistakes, and one that still confounds most Oscar pundits to this day. One of the greatest films of this era, and one of the greatest of all time, walked away with one Academy Award. One. Dick Tracy went home with more Oscars than Goodfellas . Just let that sink in for a second. Yes, it’s highly likely the film’s intense violence probably hurt its Best Picture chances, but come on. The very next year, the Academy will honour a film featuring a cannibal serial killer who rips a guy’s face off and wears it as a mask. It almost makes Goodfellas look tame, by comparison. Scorsese’s direction is masterful, as are the performances of its impeccable ensemble cast. It is a damn masterpiece, and the fact it was denied the title of best picture of the year is an utter disgrace. Putting that aside, Dances with Wolves is not as god-awful as I remember it. Its reputation certainly works against it. Had it not won Best Picture over Goodfellas , perhaps history would look a little more kindly on Costner’s directorial debut. It’s a perfectly enjoyable film, even if its running time is somewhat exhausting. Its remarkable and surprising box-office success is truly astounding, given its content and themes. You’d have to assume if this film were released today, it would barely crack $50 million at the box-office. For it to take over $450 million is downright incredible. At the end of the day, Dances with Wolves is an impeccably made piece of cinema. Costner gives a terrific lead performance, and the sweeping saga of Dunbar’s life makes for gripping cinema. Dean Semler’s cinematography is truly gorgeous, capturing the glorious sight that is the American frontier. Coupled with John Barry’s sweeping score, it does create something truly beautiful. And while I maintain Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing of Goodfellas was more impressive, Neil Travis’ work on Dances with Wolves is equally spectacular, particularly in the film’s dazzling and gripping buffalo chase sequence. And, as much as I bemoan the film’s length, Travis’ editing ensures the film never drags, and it moves at such a cracking pace so the audience never really notices the length of the piece. However, much like last year’s winner Driving Miss Daisy , this is a problematic film. Costner clearly had good intentions in tackling a narrative that deals with race relations, but the film can never escape the “white man saviour” mentality many find to border on racially offensive. A white man infiltrates a native tribe, becomes one with them and ultimately rises as their new leader in their fight against the evil white men he once called his kin. While this may not sound terribly offensive, by portraying the white man as the saviour, and the indigenous people as those in desperate need of rescue, it gives white culture a sense of superiority over the indigenous culture. Without his involvement, the film is almost saying they would never have found the strength to fight back. It’s an absurd notion, especially given how capable the Native Americans are before Dunbar shows up. It’s hardly surprising many in the Native American community have serious issues with this film. That being said, the film does portray Native American culture in a beautiful light, and avoids falling into stereotypes or caricatures. Costner clearly held the culture and customs of America’s indigenous people with great regard, and he was striving to capture their history with deft care. There are questions about the accuracy of the language and dialogue used in the film, but those are issues for more learned people to argue. It’s a flawed attempt, to say the least, but an earnest one. Much like last year, the victory of Dances with Wolves is another attempt by the Academy to make a racial statement. Last year, it was “we’re not racist to black people.” This year, it’s “we’re not racist to native Americans.” It’s ironic both of these Best Picture winners were crafted by white men. It afforded the Academy the chance to gushingly pat themselves on the back, and that’s an opportunity they never shy away from. Dances with Wolves is not the best film of 1990, but it’s still a solid piece of filmmaking, and far from their worst choice for Best Picture. Танцующий с волками. Wind In His Hair: [in Lakota; subtitled] Dances with Wolves! I am Wind In His Hair. Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend? 38 x new scene 15 x extended scene 12 x alternative footage 5 x alternative text 1 x new text 3 x postponed scene 3 x altered arrangement of scenes 3 x shortened scene. User reviews 503. Dances with Wolves won 7 Oscars, at the time it was hailed as both the first truly blockbuster ecomovie, with recurring themes about caring for the environment, and for its recasting of Native Americans, who had been portrayed pretty shoddily by Hollywood as the hooligans and villains of the West. It won because it is great storytelling that suited perfectly the mood at the end of the greedy 1980s, a rejection of consumerism and greed - and instead here was a film filled with images of a world we wished, we could be part of - simple, thoughtful, respectful of each other and nature. And it is a great watch. It falls into the same category as Braveheart and Lawrence of Arabia - classic adventure tales, romanticized, and just plain watchable. The plot is a simple one - a calvary lieutenant John Dunbar after attempting suicide in the Civil War requests a post on the edge of the Frontier and there encounters Sioux and finally turns native. It is the arc of John Dunbar's growing awareness that the Indians are not the true savages here that makes the film - he is an everyman, he is us, and we gladly join him on that journey. Dances with Wolves remains a terrific watch, Costner is as handsome and charming a hero as a Peck or Stewart, and the supporting cast are winning. All in all, it not only holds up well, it still lifts the spirit, and inspires.