107-430: Unfortunate Events may refer to: A Series of Unfortunate Events , a book series by Lemony Snicket Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events , a 2004 film A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series) Unfortunate events in the front seats of the ring of Madrid, and the death of the mayor of Torrejón , an etching by Francisco Goya Topics referred to by
214-405: A Tim Burton movie without the weird shafts of adolescent pain. At the same time, Silberling's not a hack like Chris Columbus , and Snicket has more zip and inspired filmcraft than the first two Harry Potter films . The film's no masterpiece, but at least you're in the hands of people who know what they're doing. The movie, like the books, flatters children's innate sense that the world is not
321-424: A film , a video game , assorted merchandise, and a television series . The main thirteen books in the series have collectively sold more than 60 million copies and have been translated into 41 languages. Several companion books set in the same universe of the series have also been released, including Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography , The Beatrice Letters , and the noir prequel tetralogy All
428-402: A "character" who also doubles as the series' narrator. Some details of his life are explained somewhat in a supplement to the series, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography . When Snicket describes a word the reader may be unfamiliar with, he typically follows it with the saying "a word which here means . . . ." He sometimes follows this phrase with a humorous definition, or one that
535-523: A character whom the Baudelaires have met before, Snicket often describes the character first and does not reveal the name of the character until they have been thoroughly described. Lemony Snicket starts each book with a "post-modern dissection of the reading experience" before linking it back to how he presents the story of the Baudelaires and what their current situation is. Snicket often uses alliteration to name locations, as well as book titles, throughout
642-579: A deal" for a sequel. In May 2005, producer Laurie MacDonald said " Lemony Snicket is still something Paramount is interested in pursuing and we're going to be talking with them more." In October 2008, Handler said that "a sequel does seem to be in the works. Paramount has had quite a few corporate shakeups, which has led to many a delay. Of course, many, many plans in Hollywood come to naught, but I'm assured that another film will be made. Someday. Perhaps." In June 2009, Silberling confirmed he still talked about
749-534: A fellow film-goer's characterization of Count Olaf, "Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He's not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can't let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he's rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur." Ty Burr , in The Boston Globe , observed, "Director Brad Silberling has essentially made
856-482: A few rabbis." While the books are marketed primarily to children, the series features numerous references that adults or older children are more likely to understand. Many of the characters' names allude to other fictional works or real people with macabre connections. For example, The Reptile Room includes allusions to Monty Python (the Baudelaire children's uncle Monty has a large snake collection that includes
963-413: A few scraps remain. The remaining letters are difficult to read, and some do not reveal the title. The final letter appears at the end of The End and simply has "The end of THE END can be found at the end of THE END." There is no letter after Chapter Fourteen . Each book begins with a dedication to a woman named Beatrice, and references to her are made by Snicket throughout the series, describing her as
1070-412: A fire, the children are placed in the custody of a murderous villain, Count Olaf , who attempts to steal their inheritance and causes numerous disasters with the help of his accomplices as the children attempt to flee. As the plot progresses, the Baudelaires gradually confront further mysteries surrounding their family and deep conspiracies involving a secret society , which also involves Olaf and Snicket,
1177-410: A great web of mysteries and unfortunate events that make up the world's legacy, making it impossible for anyone to know all the answers to every question. The Baudelaire children and Count Olaf's story is said to be merely a fragment of a much bigger story between numerous characters with the central connection being the organization of V.F.D. There is a full-page picture at the end of each book, showing
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#17328585851341284-408: A hint or clue about the content of the next book. This may show a flyer or piece of paper drifting by, though sometimes by a significant object: a snake appears at the end of The Bad Beginning , referring to Montgomery's snake collection in the following book. The same picture is used at the start of the succeeding book. This practice continued at the end of The End which shows a boat sailing off into
1391-693: A lockpick in The Reptile Room . Occasionally, the children must switch roles, such as when Klaus must try inventing and Violet reading in The Miserable Mill . Other characters (usually other children) also have particular skills that they use to assist the Baudelaires, for example, Duncan Quagmire used his journaling skills to remember important information, Isadora wrote poems to pass notes, and Quigley Quagmire's cartography skills help Violet and Klaus in The Slippery Slope . Snicket translates for
1498-442: A lot of greens, blacks and grays; the house of Uncle Monty has a lot of greens and browns and a bit of yellow; and the house of Aunt Josephine has blues and blacks." The railroad crossing set was constructed on a cyclorama , which was the most ambitious set piece for the art department on using elements of "in house" special effects and matte paintings. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), supervised by Stefen Fangmeier , created
1605-471: A mix of both. Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario notes the nihilistic tone of the series, claiming the lines between good and evil acts become blurred to the point where they become meaningless. The series is narrated by Lemony Snicket, the pseudonym of Daniel Handler. He dedicates each of his works to his deceased love interest, Beatrice, and often attempts to dissuade the reader from reading the Baudelaires' unfortunate story. Handler has referred to Lemony Snicket as
1712-400: A perfect place and that anyone who insists otherwise is trying to sell you something. How you deal with the cognitive dissonance of a $ 125 million Hollywood picture telling you this is up to you. At least there are no Lemony Snicket Happy Meals . Yet." Internet reviewer James Berardinelli felt that "the film is first and foremost a fantasy, but there are dark currents running just beneath
1819-408: A play titled "The Marvelous Marriage", starring Violet and him as a bride and groom, respectively. Klaus's suspicions reveal that Olaf is planning to take advantage of the play to really marry Violet in an attempt to get the fortune, using legally recognized vows and a bona fide justice of the peace. Olaf locks Sunny up in a birdcage, threatening to drop her to her death if Violet refuses to take part in
1926-416: A professor at Glendon College , argues that the settings are reflective of familiar places, but are "bizarre" enough that young readers feel distanced from the world of the Baudelaires. The setting of the world has been compared to Edward Scissorhands in that it is "suburban gothic ". While the film version sets the Baudelaire mansion in the city of Boston , Massachusetts , real places rarely appear in
2033-438: A python, and a reference to the "Self-Defence Against Fresh Fruit" sketch). The Baudelaire orphans are named after Charles Baudelaire ; Violet's name also comes from the T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land , specifically its verses concerning the "violet hour", and Sunny and Klaus take their first names from Claus and Sunny von Bülow , while Mr. Poe is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe (his sons are named Edgar and Albert ). In
2140-478: A remote-controlled animatronic of Sunny. In October 2002, Nickelodeon Movies hired Activision (which actually had a partnership with DreamWorks) to create the film's tie-in video game. The agreement also included options for sequels. Silberling delivered his first cut of the film to the studio in August 2004. Fearing his original version was "too dark", Paramount and DreamWorks conducted test screenings . The film
2247-604: A serial supplement entitled The Cornucopian Cavalcade with The Bad Beginning: or, Orphans! , The Reptile Room: or, Murder! , and The Wide Window: or, Disappearance! . However, the release was stopped after the third. There are books that accompany the series, such as The Beatrice Letters , Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography , and The Puzzling Puzzles ; journals The Blank Book and The Notorious Notations ; and short materials such as The Dismal Dinner and 13 Shocking Secrets You'll Wish You Never Knew About Lemony Snicket . Humorous quotes from
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#17328585851342354-491: A series more suited for children. Handler invented the pseudonym "Lemony Snicket" as an inside joke among friends years before the publication of A Series of Unfortunate Events . Handler acknowledges Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl as influences for his writing style in the series. The first book in the series, The Bad Beginning was released on September 30, 1999. The series follows the adventures of three orphaned siblings. Lemony Snicket documents their lives and explains to
2461-595: A trial run in which they figure out what works and what needs to be tweaked. The original Spider-Man was a disappointment, but the same team came back and made Spider-Man 2 , the best superhero movie ever made." Scott Foundas of Variety gave a negative review, criticizing the filmmakers for sacrificing the story line in favor of visual elements such as set design and cinematography. He wrote, " A Series of Unfortunate Events suggests what Mary Poppins might have looked like had Tim Burton directed it. Not surprisingly, Burton's longtime production designer Rick Heinrichs
2568-576: Is a gothic visual treat, and it features a hilariously manic turn from Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Robert K. Elder of the Chicago Tribune praised Rick Heinrichs 's production design and Carrey's balanced performance as a scene stealer , calling the film "exceptionally clever, hilariously gloomy and bitingly subversive." Desson Thomson of The Washington Post reasoned over
2675-494: Is a major element in the books, which often comment on the seemingly inescapable follies of human nature . The books consistently present the Baudelaire children as free-thinking and independent, while the adults around them obey authority and succumb to mob psychology , peer pressure , ambition, and other social ills. A high account is given to learning: those who are "well-read" are often sympathetic characters, while those who shun knowledge are villains. Tison Pugh argues that
2782-533: Is a mysterious aquatic monster known as The Great Unknown. In a paper for the Maria Curie-Sklodowski University , Barbara Kaczyńska claims that "realism" is absent within the series. Russell disputes this, noting that throughout the novels the narrator insists that the stories he recounts are completely true. She believes that this strong level of realism discredits any argument that the books can be classified as fantasies. Social commentary
2889-525: Is after the Incredibly Deadly Viper, a giant misnomer python, in his laboratory that he discovered. Uncle Monty is discovered dead shortly after, and his death is blamed on the viper, although the children are certain that Count Olaf murdered him. They are almost placed in Stephano's care by Mr. Poe, but Sunny proves his guilt by showing that the snake is harmless, and Stephano escapes. Mr. Poe takes
2996-434: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages A Series of Unfortunate Events A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of thirteen children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket . The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings Violet , Klaus , and Sunny Baudelaire . After their parents' death in
3103-408: Is relevant only to the events at hand (for example, he describes "adversity" as meaning "Count Olaf"). Lemony Snicket continuously maintains that the story is true and that it is his "solemn duty" to record it. Snicket often goes off into humorous or satirical asides, discussing his opinions or personal life. Lemony Snicket's narration and commentary are characteristically cynical and despondent. In
3210-406: Is titled Chapter Fourteen . The location of each book's events is usually identified in the book's title; the first twelve book titles are generally alliterative . After the fourth book, Barbara Kaczyńska argues that secrets play a more important role in the story. In the final book, The End , the concept is especially important, as demonstrated by a several-page-long discussion of the phrase "in
3317-641: The 77th Academy Awards , it won the Academy Award for Best Makeup (the second to involve Carrey, after How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000) and received nominations for Best Art Direction , Best Costume Design , and Best Original Score . In a clock tower , investigator Lemony Snicket begins writing a documentation of the whereabouts of the Baudelaire children: 14-year-old inventor Violet, her 12-year-old bibliophile brother Klaus, and their mordacious 2-year-old youngest sister Sunny. One day,
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3424-452: The film rights to the A Series of Unfortunate Events novel series in May 2000. Paramount Pictures , owner of Nickelodeon Movies, agreed to co-finance, along with Scott Rudin . Various directors, including Terry Gilliam and Roman Polanski , were interested in making the film. One of Daniel Handler's favorite candidates was Guy Maddin . In June 2002, it was announced that Barry Sonnenfeld
3531-461: The Baudelaire kids. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are taken to visit the charred remains of their old home one final time. A lost letter from their parents finally arrives, and inside is a spyglass announcing their family's secret society before they became orphans. Snicket finishes writing his documentation and hides the papers in the clock tower for his publisher to find. As Mr. Poe drives the Baudelaires to their next home, Snicket concludes that despite
3638-476: The Baudelaires spend the series trying to uncover the truth about their parents' deaths. He also likens the series to noir fiction. Danielle Russell argues that mysteries are solved for the reader by their end. So, the lack of clear answers in The End does not align with this genre. Although the series does not neatly fit into the genres of fantasy or science fiction, it does feature occasional instances of whimsy,
3745-695: The Entertainer , Luis Guzmán , Jennifer Coolidge , and Meryl Streep , and Jude Law as the voice of Lemony Snicket. Nickelodeon Movies purchased the film rights to Handler's book series in 2000 and soon began development of a film with Barry Sonnenfeld attached to direct. Handler adapted the screenplay and courted Carrey for Count Olaf. Sonnenfeld left over budget concerns in January 2003 and Brad Silberling took over. Robert Gordon rewrote Handler's script, and principal photography started in November 2003. The film
3852-535: The Fockers , grossing $ 12.6 million. It was the highest-grossing film under the Nickelodeon Movies banner until The Last Airbender surpassed it. On Rotten Tomatoes , the film received an approval rating of 72% based on 162 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Although it softens the nasty edges of its source material, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
3959-563: The Hunchback's name is an allusion to French author Victor Hugo , who wrote the famous book The Hunchback of Notre Dame . Subsequently, many of the inhabitants of the island the Baudelaires find themselves on in The End are named after characters from The Tempest , a play by William Shakespeare , while some are named after characters from Robinson Crusoe , Moby-Dick and others after general nautical or island-based literature. The Fire and
4066-516: The Sugar Bowl was inspired by We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson . The name of Beatrice, Snicket's dedicatee , may be an allusion to the poem La Béatrice by Charles Baudelaire . The poem references an "actor without a job", like the actor Count Olaf. The poem also begins with the line "In a burnt, ash-grey land without vegetation", similar to the Baudelaire mansion burning down at
4173-458: The United States and Canada and $ 92.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $ 211.5 million, against a budget of $ 140 million. The film was released in the United States and Canada on December 17, 2004, on 4,400 screens at 3,620 theaters, earning $ 30.1 million in its opening weekend and finishing first at the box office. In its second weekend the film fell to second behind Meet
4280-500: The Wrong Questions , which chronicles Snicket's childhood. Prior to the publication of A Series of Unfortunate Events , Handler had never written for children. According to an interview with Handler, he was encouraged to try writing children's books by his friend and editor, Susan Rich. In a separate author interview, Daphne Merkin wrote that Handler adapted a manuscript for a "mock-gothic" book originally intended for adults into
4387-570: The adults in the series, is oblivious to the dangerous reality of the children's situation. As the books continue, another running plot is revealed concerning a mysterious secret organization known as the Volunteer Fire Department (V.F.D.). From The Austere Academy onwards, the connections between the Baudelaires, the V.F.D., and their parents' deaths are slowly revealed, leading the siblings to question their previous lives and family history. The siblings become increasingly involved with
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4494-425: The author's own fictional self-insert . Characterized by Victorian Gothic tones and absurdist textuality, the books are noted for their dark humour, sarcastic storytelling, and anachronistic elements, as well as frequent cultural and literary allusions. They have been classified as postmodern and metafictional writing, with the plot evolution throughout the later novels being cited as an exploration of
4601-445: The beginning of the series. The name Beatrice could also be an allusion to Italian poet Dante . Dante dedicated all of his works to "Beatrice", with whom he was obsessed, and who was also dead, like Snicket's Beatrice. In the final book, in an allusion to the Book of Genesis , a snake offers the children a life-giving apple (which the other characters in The End refuse to eat despite
4708-412: The blurb for each book, Snicket warns of the misery the reader may experience in reading about the Baudelaire orphans and suggests abandoning the books altogether. However, he also provides ample comic relief with wry, dark humor . Snicket's narration has been described as "self-conscious" and "post-modern". Daphne Merkin characterizes Snicket's narration style as "droll and detached." When describing
4815-675: The book series. Lemony Snicket%27s A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (also simply known as A Series of Unfortunate Events ) is a 2004 American black comedy adventure film directed by Brad Silberling from a screenplay by Robert Gordon , based on the first three novels of the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events : The Bad Beginning (1999), The Reptile Room (1999), and The Wide Window (2000), by Lemony Snicket (the pen name of American author Daniel Handler ). It stars Jim Carrey , Liam Aiken , Emily Browning , Timothy Spall , Catherine O'Hara , Billy Connolly , Cedric
4922-748: The books, though some are mentioned. For example, in The Ersatz Elevator , a book in Jerome and Esmé Squalor 's library was titled Trout, in France They're Out . There are also references to the fictional nobility of North American regions, specifically the Duchess of Winnipeg and the King of Arizona . Violet Baudelaire, the oldest child in the series, uses her inventive mind to create various helpful items, showcasing her talent and resourcefulness. Klaus Baudelaire ,
5029-408: The central issue of the series is whether the Baudelaires are morally good and distinct from the villains of the story, or whether their actions make them as morally ambiguous as the so-called evil characters. The books have strong themes of moral relativism . Evil characters are shown to have sympathetic characteristics. Similarly, good characters' flaws become major problems. The books highlight
5136-409: The children are orphaned when a mysterious fire destroys their mansion, killing their parents. Mr. Poe, the family banker, manages their affairs and leaves them in the care of Count Olaf, a nefarious stage actor intent upon secretly obtaining their family fortune, which will remain in the custody of the bank until Violet turns 18. Olaf forces them to do heavy chores and belittles them. Driving back from
5243-503: The children to their Aunt Josephine, a grammar-obsessed widow with panphobia, living on a house at the edge of a cliff. Olaf later appears, disguised as a sea captain named "Captain Sham", to meddle with their plans again. One day, Josephine is not at the house, leaving an apparent suicide note entrusting them to Captain Sham. Klaus deduces that Olaf forced her to forge the note, but she left a hidden message revealing her location. A hurricane causes
5350-415: The court where Olaf has legally obtained custody of the kids, he stops to go into a general store , leaving them locked in the car parked on train tracks with a train heading toward them, Mr. Poe calls and Violet tries to tell him that they were going to be hit by the train, but is unable to hear her due to him driving next to the train. The children divert the train by building a device to remotely activate
5457-483: The crowd realizes, Olaf manages to escape with his henchmen. In the following six books, Olaf disguises himself, finds the children, and, with help from his many accomplices , tries to steal their fortune, committing arson, murder, and other crimes. In books eight through twelve, the orphans adopt disguises while on the run from the police after Count Olaf frames them for a murder he has committed. The Baudelaires routinely try to get help from Mr. Poe, but he, like many of
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#17328585851345564-409: The dark." The children hear of a massive schism within the organization of V.F.D., which was once noble but became filled with corruption and split into two sides, "volunteers" and "villains." While many of the critical plot points are given answers, Snicket explains that no story can be fully devoid of questions as every story is intertwined with numerous others and every character's history is shared in
5671-529: The end of the books, one of her longer sentences being "I'm not a baby" in The Slippery Slope . When asked in a Moment Magazine interview about the Baudelaire children and Snicket's own Jewish heritage he replied, "Oh yeah! Yes. The Baudelaires are Jewish! I guess we would not know for sure, but we would strongly suspect it, not only from their manner but from the occasional mention of a rabbi or bar mitzvah or synagogue. The careful reader will find quite
5778-402: The enormous Baudelaire fortune, which Violet is to inherit when she reaches the age of eighteen. In the first book, Olaf attempts to marry Violet to steal the Baudelaire fortune, doing so by pretending that the marriage is the storyline for his latest play. The plan falls through when Violet uses her non-dominant hand to sign the marriage document, thus causing the marriage to be invalidated. After
5885-430: The exception of the 13th book, The End. Author Daniel Handler serves as a writer and executive producer. On September 4, 2015, it was announced that filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld and True Blood showrunner Mark Hudis had agreed to helm the series. Hudis would serve as showrunner, Sonnenfeld as director, and both as executive producers with Daniel Handler penning the scripts. On December 3, 2015, an open casting call
5992-538: The fact that it is a cure for a fatal illness). This series is most commonly classified as children's fiction , but the book has also been classified in more specific genres such as gothic fiction , or some variety thereof, whether it is mock-gothic, a satire of gothic literature, neo-Victorian or "suburban gothic". The series has been described as absurdist fiction , because of its strange characters, improbable storylines, and black comedy . The books can be categorized as mystery novels. According to Chris McGee,
6099-442: The film afterward, but were credited as executive producers . Carrey remained with approval over the hiring of the next director. Very little of what I wrote is in the film, which I actually think is appropriate being as that I was writing it for Barry Sonnenfeld. It's a director's medium and Brad Silberling makes entirely different films from Barry Sonnenfeld. I wasn't filled with resentment because they didn't use it [my script], I
6206-502: The film's 505 visual effects shots. The filmmakers used as few digital effects as possible, though the train and smoke for the railroad crossing scene were created entirely by computer animation. ILM also used color grading techniques for the Lake Lachrymose scene, which required complete animation for the leeches. The digital animators studied footage of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season to accurately depict Hurricane Herman, which
6313-650: The final four books. The last book, The End , was adapted into one episode instead of the standard two episodes. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a film adaptation of the first three titles in the series, mixing the various events and characters into one story. It was released in United States on December 17, 2004 by Paramount Pictures and Internationally by DreamWorks Pictures . Directed by Brad Silberling , it stars Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, Meryl Streep as Aunt Josephine , Billy Connolly as Uncle Monty , Emily Browning as Violet, Liam Aiken as Klaus, Timothy Spall as Mr. Poe, and Jude Law as
6420-574: The first four books of the series. A Series of Unfortunate Events season two was released on March 30, 2018, and contains 10 episodes, adapting books five through nine of the novel series. The third and final season was released on January 1, 2019, and adapts the four remaining books in seven episodes. A video game based on the film was released in 2004 by Activision for the PlayStation 2 , GameCube , Xbox , Game Boy Advance , and Microsoft Windows . The player plays as all three orphans at points in
6527-418: The first four books, was released worldwide on Netflix on January 13, 2017. A Series of Unfortunate Events was renewed for a second season, which was released on March 30, 2018, and consisted of ten episodes that adapt books five through nine of the novel series. The television series was also renewed for a third and final season, which was released on January 1, 2019, consisting of seven episodes that adapted
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#17328585851346634-580: The first three novels and was excited that "Hollywood was taking a chance to put over $ 100 million to adapt these inventive children's books onto screen". Handler, who wrote eight drafts of the script for Sonnenfeld, was replaced by Robert Gordon in May 2003. Handler approved of the changes that were made to his screenplay. "I was offered credit on the film for screenwriting by the Writers Guild of America ", Handler continued, "but I didn't take it because I didn't write it. I felt like it would be an insult to
6741-456: The fourth book, The Miserable Mill , Dr. Georgina Orwell is a reference to British author George Orwell . Orwell finished his famous book 1984 in 1948, and in the sixth book, The Ersatz Elevator , it is not clear if the skyscraper in which Esmé and Jerome Squalor live has 48 or 84 stories. The Squalors' names reference Jerome David "J. D." Salinger and his short story For Esmé – with Love and Squalor . While in an auction on which
6848-554: The graveyard and the ruins of the Baudelaire mansion were constructed on the Paramount back lot. After 21 weeks of shooting at Paramount, production then moved to Downey Studios , a former NASA facility in Downey, California , for eight more weeks. Downey housed the circular railroad crossing set complete with forced perspective scenery, as well as a newly constructed water tank complete with over one million gallons of water. The water tank
6955-476: The guy who did." Filming was set to begin in October 2003, but was pushed back. Principal photography commenced on November 10, 2003, using the sound stages and backlot at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Silberling avoided using too many digital or chroma key effects because he wanted the younger actors to feel as if they were working in a realistic environment. Olaf's mansion occupied two sound stages, while
7062-403: The hardcover books as "elegant" and "collectible." He notes that the endpapers and overall book design resemble Victorian-era novels. Danielle Russell argues that the visual stylization of the books adds to their sense of timelessness. The hardcover books were printed with a deckle edge. There was an initial paperback release of the series, featuring restyled covers, new illustrations, and
7169-460: The house to fall into the lake; however, the children escape. They sail to the cave where Aunt Josephine is hiding and rescue her, but attract leeches due to Josephine eating a banana. Olaf appears and takes the children, leaving Josephine to be eaten by the leeches. Mr. Poe then finds him with the children, and Olaf pretends to have rescued them. Mr. Poe is fooled and returns the children back to Olaf, believing that he has redeemed himself. Olaf plans
7276-440: The inevitability of temptation and moral decision-making, regardless of the external situation. This indicates that regardless of one's outside influences, one always has the final choice in whether to be good or bad. Characters that make brave decisions to fight back and take charge are almost always "good", and characters that just go along end up as "bad." However, some characters suggest that people are neither good nor bad, but
7383-463: The last names of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney , presumably), it is followed by the definition of "you are a vile man who has no regard for anyone else". Some words Sunny uses are foreign, such as " Shalom ", "Sayonara", or "Arrête". Some are more complex, such as when she says "Akrofil, meaning, 'they were not afraid of heights'", which phonetically translates to acrophilia, meaning one who loves heights. She begins to use standard English words towards
7490-634: The mainland to continue their lives. The books seem to be set in an alternate, "timeless" world with stylistic similarities to both the 19th century and the 1930s, though with contemporary, and seemingly anachronistic scientific knowledge . For instance, in The Hostile Hospital , the Baudelaire children send a message via Morse code on a telegraph, yet the general store they are in has fiber-optic cable for sale. An "advanced computer" appears in The Austere Academy . Danielle Russell,
7597-406: The manuscript, all of them having some impact in the story. Starting with the fourth book (which previews the fifth), each letter has a layout relating to the next book, such as torn edges, fancy stationery, sopping wet paper, or telegram format. The letters change dramatically starting with the letter at the end of The Hostile Hospital —for this preview letter, the letter is ripped to shreds and only
7704-449: The middle child, is twelve when the series begins; he loves all types of books and is an extraordinary speed reader with a photographic memory . Sunny Baudelaire is a baby at the beginning of the series and enjoys biting things with her abnormally large and sharp teeth; she develops a love for cooking later in the series. In most books, the children's skills are used to help them defeat Count Olaf's plots; for instance, Violet invents
7811-436: The organization until they are forced to flee with Count Olaf to an island where Olaf accidentally causes the deaths of himself and possibly the idyllic colonists of the island, whose fates are left unknown. Having finally found a safe place to live, the children spend the next year raising the baby of one of their parents' friends from V.F.D. who died giving birth to the child. After a year, the siblings decide to try to return to
7918-468: The play. Klaus escapes and finds a hidden tower in Olaf's house, where he discovers a large window with a set of lenses that, if positioned correctly, can focus the rays of the sun. Klaus realizes that Olaf used it to set fire to the Baudelaire mansion. Using the window, Klaus manages to burn the marriage certificate, leading to Olaf's arrest. As a punishment, Olaf is made to suffer every hardship that he forced upon
8025-403: The plot hinges, Lot 49 is skipped, i.e. not cried, an allusion to Thomas Pynchon 's The Crying of Lot 49 . Both Salinger and Pynchon were reputed not to be actual persons at one time. The ninth book in the series, The Carnivorous Carnival , takes place at Caligari Carnival; the carnival's name is a nod to the 1920 silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari . Also in the ninth book, Hugo
8132-406: The project with Handler, and suggested the sequel be a stop motion film, with each film in a new medium, due to the young lead actors having grown too old to continue their roles, saying, "In an odd way, the best thing you could do is actually have Lemony Snicket say to the audience, 'Okay, we pawned the first film off as a mere dramatization with actors. Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to show you
8239-553: The psychological process of the transition from the innocence of childhood to the moral complexity of maturity. As the series progresses, the Baudelaires must face the reality that their actions have become morally ambiguous, blurring the lines between which characters should be read as "good" or "evil". Since the release of the first novel, The Bad Beginning , in September 1999, the books have gained significant popularity, critical acclaim, and commercial success worldwide, spawning
8346-410: The railroad switch. Mr. Poe arrives and takes them away, thinking that Olaf was allowing the kids to drive the car alone. The orphans are taken to uncle Dr. Montgomery "Monty" Montgomery, an eccentric herpetologist who treats them incredibly kindly. One day, Olaf arrives disguised as a new assistant "Stephano". The orphans attempt to warn Uncle Monty about Count Olaf's arrival, but he believes Stephano
8453-472: The readers that very few positive things happen to the children. The series begins when the orphans are alone at a beach, where they receive news that their parents have been killed in a fire that also destroyed the family mansion. In The Bad Beginning , they are sent to live with a distant relative named Count Olaf after briefly living with Mr. Poe , a banker in charge of the orphans' affairs. The siblings discover that Count Olaf intends to get his hands on
8560-412: The real thing.'" In November 2014, Netflix announced its plans for a television adaptation of the entire novel series. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris , Malina Weissman , Louis Hynes and Presley Smith, with Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket. The series, also titled A Series of Unfortunate Events , premiered on January 13, 2017. The first season consisted of eight episodes, and adapts
8667-400: The same basic pattern: the Baudelaires go to a new guardian in a new location, where Count Olaf appears and attempts to steal their fortune. The books following pick up where the previous book ended. There are thirteen books in the series and each book has thirteen chapters. The last book in the series, The End , contains two stories: The End , which has 13 chapters, and a separate "book" that
8774-432: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Unfortunate Events . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Unfortunate_Events&oldid=879690378 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
8881-500: The series were used in a book published under the Snicket name, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid . Lemony Snicket's All the Wrong Questions is a four-part young adult series focused on the character, Snicket's childhood working for V.F.D. It is set in the same universe as A Series of Unfortunate Events and features several of the same characters and locations. The first book was titled Who Could That Be at This Hour? , and
8988-461: The setting, Silberling hired Emmanuel Lubezki as the cinematographer because he was impressed with the trio's work on Sleepy Hollow . Lubezki compared the cinematic similarities to Sleepy Hollow , notably the monochromatic look of both films. He also chose a specific color palette backdrop for A Series of Unfortunate Events . "The story is very episodic, so we picked a different color scheme for each section. For example, Count Olaf's house has
9095-406: The seventh installment, The Vile Village , Count Olaf's disguise, Detective Dupin, is an allusion to C. Auguste Dupin , a fictional detective created by Edgar Allan Poe. Isadora and Duncan Quagmire are named after Isadora Duncan , a notorious dancer also remembered for her unusual death by strangulation when her scarf entangled around the wheels of the open car in which she was a passenger. In
9202-466: The siblings' recent unfortunate events, they have each other. Daniel Handler , the writer of the Lemony Snicket stories, appears as a photographer. Handler initially viewed Count Olaf as a James Mason type. Carrey was not familiar with the book series when he was cast, but he became a fan of the series. "Handler's books are just a bold and original way to tell a children's story," he said. Carrey
9309-532: The story. Many of the books start with a theme being introduced that is continually referenced throughout the book—such as the repeated comparisons of the words "nervous" and "anxious" in The Ersatz Elevator , the consistent use of the phrase "where there's smoke, there's fire" in The Slippery Slope , and the descriptions of the water cycle in The Grim Grotto . The plots of the first seven books follow
9416-411: The sunset and at the start of Chapter Fourteen . The picture at the end of Chapter Fourteen includes a shape of a question mark. Following the picture is a letter to the editor , which explains to the editor how to get a manuscript of the next book. Snicket is writing from the location of the next book and usually reveals its title. Snicket notes that the editors will find various objects along with
9523-413: The supernatural, and steampunk technology. There is a constant theme of some form of fate guiding the characters throughout the books. The Baudelaires are capable of communicating with their infant sister, as well as with reptiles. The Reptile Room houses a variety of fantastical reptiles, including the Incredibly Deadly Viper, which is extremely intelligent and seems to have a humanoid consciousness. There
9630-408: The surface. I give Silberling credit for not allowing them to swallow the film. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events manages to remain witty throughout." Roger Ebert gave a mixed review: "Jim Carrey is over the top as Count Olaf, but I suppose a character named Count Olaf is over the top by definition. I liked the film, but I'll tell you what. I think this one is a tune-up for the series,
9737-426: The voice of Lemony Snicket. The film was financially successful, and received generally positive reviews but received criticism over its comical tone. Considering the success of the movie, the director and some of the lead actors hinted that they were keen on making a sequel, but no script was written. Browning has said that further films would have to be produced quickly, as the children do not age much throughout
9844-560: The woman he still loves while emphasizing the fact that she apparently died long ago. At the end of the Chapter Fourteen epilogue, it is revealed that Beatrice was the Baudelaires' late mother, who married their father after an unknown event caused her to return Snicket's engagement ring, alongside a two-hundred-page book explaining all the reasons she could not marry him. The series includes thirteen novels as follows below: In an article about children's literature, Bruce Butt describes
9951-586: The youngest Baudelaire orphan, Sunny, who in the early books almost solely uses words or phrases that make sense only to her siblings. As the series progresses, her speech often contains disguised meanings. Some words are spelled phonetically: 'Suruchi' in The Slippery Slope and 'Kikuchi?' in The End ; some are spelled backwards: 'edasurc' in The Carnivorous Carnival , and 'cigam' in The Miserable Mill . Others contain references to culture or people: for instance, when Sunny says "Busheney" (combining
10058-478: Was ILM's most ambitious use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the film. Nexus Productions designed the opening "Littlest Elf" animated sequence by modeling it after stop-motion animation and completing it with computer animation. The snakes at Monty's house were a combination of real snakes and animatronics . The animatronics, primarily the Incredibly Deadly Viper, were used as reference models that ILM later enhanced using CGI. Because working with infants
10165-421: Was also attracted to the role despite self-parody concerns. Silberling was open to Carrey's idea of improvisation for various scenes, especially the Stephano and Captain Sham alter egos . To make his prosthetic makeup more comfortable and easier to apply, Carrey shaved his head bald for the part. His inspiration for Olaf's voice was combining the voices of Orson Welles and Bela Lugosi . Emily Browning
10272-641: Was announced for the roles of Violet and Klaus Baudelaire, with the casting call confirming that the series would begin production in March 2016. In January 2016, Netflix announced that Hudis had left the project. However, it was announced that Sonnenfeld and Handler were both still on board, and that Neil Patrick Harris had been cast as Count Olaf and Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes as Violet and Klaus. In March 2016, K. Todd Freeman and Patrick Warburton were cast as Mr. Poe and Lemony Snicket respectively. The first season, consisting of eight episodes that cover
10379-492: Was cast as Violet Baudelaire when she auditioned at a casting call in Australia. She was sent Handler's original script when Barry Sonnenfeld was planning to direct, and screen tested for the part using an English accent. Browning became a fan of the books after reading Handler's original script. The actress was not cast until Silberling took over, then her character's accent was changed to American. Nickelodeon Movies purchased
10486-415: Was decorated with pieces from the film's sets. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on DVD and VHS on April 26, 2005. A Portuguese-labeled All-Region Blu-ray was released in 2012 and then an American Region A Blu-ray was released on September 9, 2014. The film was re-released on DVD on January 24, 2017. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events grossed $ 118.6 million in
10593-566: Was entirely shot using sound stages and backlots at Paramount Pictures and Downey Studios . Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events was released theatrically in the United States on December 17, 2004, by Paramount Pictures with DreamWorks Pictures distributing the movie internationally. It received positive reviews from critics, with many praising its production values, Newman's score and performances (particularly Carrey's performance), while some criticized its comical tone and short length. The film grossed $ 211 million worldwide. At
10700-680: Was hired to direct. He was chosen because he previously collaborated with Rudin and because of his black comedy directing style from The Addams Family , Addams Family Values and Get Shorty . Sonnenfeld referred to the Lemony Snicket novels as his favorite children's stories. The director hired Handler to write the script with the intention of making Lemony Snicket a musical, and cast Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in September 2002. The film suffered setbacks in development in December 2002. Rudin left Unfortunate Events over budget concerns. While Sonnenfeld and Carrey remained, Sonnenfeld admitted he
10807-417: Was instrumental in filming scenes set at Briny Beach, Lake Lachrymose, Damocles Dock and Curdled Cave. Filming for A Series of Unfortunate Events wrapped on May 29, 2004. Silberling, production designer Rick Heinrichs and costume designer Colleen Atwood all aimed for the film's setting to be ambiguous, giving it a "timeless" feel. Heinrichs also added steampunk designs to the period. To contribute to
10914-482: Was just disappointed because I'd worked a long time [on it] and Scott Rudin, Barry Sonnenfeld and I were all sort of ready to go, along with Jim Carrey, with the film that we had. So it was sort of a long, rocky, journey. But that's all [in the past]. — Series author Daniel Handler Brad Silberling signed on to direct in February 2003. He was not familiar with the series when he was first approached. He quickly read
11021-569: Was released in October 2012. The second, When Did You See Her Last? , was released in October 2013, and the third, Shouldn't You Be in School? , was released in September 2014. The final book, Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? , was released on September 29, 2015. Netflix , in association with Paramount Television , announced in November 2014 its plans to adapt the books into an original TV series with 25 total episodes spanning 3 seasons, with 2 episodes dedicated to each book, with
11128-477: Was responsible for the sets, while ace Emmanuel Lubezki (Burton's Sleepy Hollow ) contributed the expressionistic lighting schemes." Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies hoped that the film would become a series like the Harry Potter film series . Carrey thought his character would be good as the basis for a film franchise since it would allow him to dive into a new role, though he said he didn't "have
11235-436: Was skeptical of Paramount's $ 100 million budget. The studio decided that changing the shoot from Hollywood to Wilmington, North Carolina , would be less expensive. The April 2003 start date was also pushed back. Paramount eventually settled the situation in January 2003 by enlisting help from DreamWorks Pictures to co-finance the film, but Sonnenfeld vacated the director's position. Rudin and Sonnenfeld had no involvement with
11342-512: Was sometimes risky in producing a film, four scenes involving Sunny Baudelaire required CGI with motion capture technology. Among these are the shot of Sunny hanging on to a table by her teeth, catching a spindle with her mouth and the scene where she is entangled with the Incredibly Deadly Viper. Animation supervisor Colin Brady used his baby daughter for motion capture recording. Kevin Yagher designed
11449-510: Was then reedited over family-friendliness concerns. Given its December release, the film's marketing campaign was criticized as a deliberately anti-holiday comedy with taglines like "Taking the cheer out of Christmas" and "Mishaps. Misadventures. Mayhem. Oh Joy." The premiere of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events was held at the Cinerama Dome on December 13, 2004. A 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m ) tent display on Vine Street
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