Book, Film and Franchise - three strikes and you're out

Rating: 1/10 (15 February 2015)

The book seemed to appeal to women who, until they read 50sog, had never in their repressed lives read erotic literature but, because it ended up on a best seller list, now had societally sanctioned permission to do so. This might account for its popularity. After all, if you have no basis for comparison, you might think this is how erotic literature is written. Sad.
Sadder still is that the film is only marginally better by virtue of its producers hiring professionals who have tried to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. Not possible. My guess is that the same women who needed dispensation to read a racy book, now have the same go-ahead for a racy movie.
Last, but certainly not least, the franchise touts domestic violence as love while simultaneously misrepresenting the BDSM community. I hope for the actors' sakes, that they make enough money to live off of for the rest of their lives because this movie will haunt their careers.
As for E.L. James, she has become the albatross around the neck of fanfiction writers everywhere - decent writers who are now saddled with her godawful writing as a representative sample of fanfiction's most "successful" endeavor. Pity that.