Why the Hunger Games is FREAKING AWESOME

The nation has been taken captive by a series of books, written by Suzanne Collins, that take place in an apocalyptic North America, called Panem. A new government called the Capitol rules over twelve districts. After the thirteenth district had tried to fight back and was annihilated by the Capitol, every year each district contributes a girl and boy drawn from a lottery to fight to the death in the "Hunger Games." So why is it so awesome? Glad you asked.

1) The cast is freaking legit. Jennifer Lawrence is cast as the main character Katniss. After seeing X-Men Origins, I kinda have a crush on her. If she came out tomorrow and I had a chance, I'd probably switch sides for her. Anyway, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth are supporting characters and are yummy. Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson, and so many more amazing actors are in it. And I can't wait to finally see it on the big screen.

2) The books are amazing. Written for young adults, the thematic elements are easily identifiable to adults. Suzanne is brilliant as a writer and I want her to do more. The characters can be easily related to and you so quickly get sucked into these books, wondering what's next for each of them. The main female character is a good role model for young girls.

3) It solidly competes with other series that are popular right now. Harry Potter and Twilight obvious have huge fan bases. Hunger Games holds its own against these other books and, at least in the case of Twilight, has a MUCH better message. Harry Potter is about sacrificing your life for the greater good of humanity. Hunger Games has a similar message. Twilight is about sacrificing your life for a guy. Yeah, exactly.

So anyway, I could keep going on about why it's great. Instead, I would love to comment on my own nerdy fan-dom. It was late one night and I was hanging out with one of my bffs. When suddenly we started talking about the new movie and the books and what the map of Panem would look like. Thus began the multiple hour project of creating a map.



That is my map. The districts are all the same for my map and the ones my two bffs did. But we got to fill in our own interpretations of flooding and wilds.

Another thing I've done that shows I'm nerdy to the extreme is that I've entered contests to try and get tickets for the premiere. And I continue to do so. Anyway, for the contest E! was doing you had to create your own look to fit either the luxury of the Capitol or the district look in the actual games. I chose to do Capitol Couture.



So that's the end of my nerdiness. But as I said before, the nation has been taken captive by these books. Which includes the creation of a nail polish line by China Glaze for the series. Which I want. Really badly. If you haven't read the books, I wholeheartedly suggest them. They're quick reads and insanely interesting. So seriously, go read them. NOW.

12, 13, 14 of My Movie Lovin'

This post is a bit more Rachel McAdams centric because two of the three movies include her. But it's ok because she's f-ing adorable.

#12: The Time Traveler's Wife
Eric Bana stars as Henry, an attractive librarian with a rare genetic condition that allows him to travel through time. In his travels, he meets a girl named Clare, played by Rachel McAdams, and the two create a very deep bond. As he ages he continues to travel and meet Clare at various ages, having a moment with her in her late twenties one minute and suddenly he shifts and is seeing her as a little girl. I will give the movie a 7.5 out of 10. On the one hand, it's a very bland love story. On the other hand, Eric Bana is naked A LOT. And that to me is no downside. The movie also made me want to read the book which is next in line for my reading schedule. There are just quite a few questions I have about time travel now that can't really be answered, which is a bummer.

#13: The Vow
Based on a true story, this film tells the story of a couple who deal with what happens when one partner suddenly can't remember anything about their life together. Channing Tatum stars as Leo and Rachel McAdams as Paige, a couple who have been together for four years. After a tragic accident, Paige has had the past four years completely erased from her memory and reverts back to her life before then. The couple try and recreate their life together, but it proves harder than they imagined. I give it a 7 out of 10. I would love to learn more about the real couple behind the film. The trailer was misleading because I expected more romance and it ended up being more serious. The supporting cast was great, and the two leads were phenomenal. But I wanted more romance and was disappointed in that regard.

#14: The Adjustment Bureau
Based on a Philip K. Dick story, Matt Damon plays David Norris, a politician running for office. He meets Elise, played by Emily Blunt, a beautiful dancer who alters David. But just after meeting her, David sees "behind the curtain" and is told there are people in charge of making sure everyone goes down "the right path." And that Elise is not meant to be on David's path. They have moments in and out of each others lives. And now have to fight for each other against "the Adjustment Bureau." I give the movie a 9.5 out of 10. The two main characters are brilliantly portrayed. The dialogue is witty and catches you off guard. And it is wonderfully done as a thriller. The only mark off was that it could get slightly predictable at moments. But other than that, great film.

8, 9, 10, and 11 of My Movie Madness

#8: Horrible Bosses
It's a timeless story. Hard worker, under-appreciated at their job, and a douche of a boss. Horrible Bosses takes this theme and creates three hilarious characters played by Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day. Their bosses are quite literally the scum of the earth in the forms of Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Jennifer Aniston. The men, fed up with the crap from their bosses, decide it would be best to off each others bosses. What ensues is a hilarious mish-mash of insanity that leaves you guessing. Will they pull it off or will them end up being slaves to "the Man" forever? I rate it 9.5 out of 10. The plot leaves you guessing up to the last second. The deduction is for laughing so hard, I nearly got a cramp. Great flick. Standout for me in the veteran category was Jennifer Aniston. This movie has proven that she hasn't lost her comedy chops just yet. And the rookie standout was Charlie Day. I've never watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but he might have changed my mind.

#9: The Mechanic
Jason Statham stars as Arthur, a very capable hit man aka "mechanic." His mentor is played by Donald Sutherland, who has been doing something shifty *bum bum bum*. Arthur is then contracted to kill him and does so. Feeling guilty, he takes the mentor's son, played by Ben Foster, and teaches him how to be a "mechanic." Eventually something changes the game and the boys take you along for the ride. The action is non stop in this amazing film and has very well done cinematography. I give it an 8 out of 10. Occasionally the dialogue gets stiff when the action can't cover it, and it sometimes gets rather gory. But overall, the story moves well and makes for an entertaining viewing. Also, Ben Foster and Jason Statham are hot so, you know, great man candy who are well dressed.

#10: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (American Version)
Ok, so I finally went and saw this in theaters. For fuller details check out my stuff on the Swedish version, but since I already covered it, this one is going to be shorter. I really really really liked Daniel Craig as Mikael. And I really really really liked Rooney Mara as Lisbeth. The two of them have chemistry that is straight out of the book. Everything was great. Except two things. One is the insanely weird/long intro. While I enjoyed the cover of "The Immigrant Song," the intro was just too long. The cinematography of it was well done, but so weird. The other thing I can't really go into because it is plot related, but I went "WTF?" hardcore when it happened. Because it seemed like it could have been done appropriately to the story based on time and such. But it wasn't, and I didn't enjoy it. Which is why I am giving it a 7 out of 10. The intro was just too much and the plot twist was mismanaged. Apart from that, the cast was phenomenal and the cinematography was well done.

#11: The Switch
Did this movie seem like a cheese factor? Yes. Did watching it seem like a good idea? No, not really. Did I kind of fall in love with it? YES. Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman play Kassie and Wally, best friends who tried to date but realized they had better chemistry as buddies of the non-fuck variety. Kassie's biological clock is ticking and she decides she wants a baby the non-old fashioned way. Wally doesn't know if it's a good idea, and in his attempt to be supportive he screws some shit up. Drunkenly replacing the donor sperm with his own, Kassie goes her way and he goes his. Now several years later, she's back in town and he's starting to remember what happened that boozed up night. The movie stars adorable Thomas Robinson as Sebastian, Kassie's son. I give it a 8.5 out of 10. I deducted two points for being a semi predictable will they-won't they movie. But I gave back half a point because the son is so frickin' cute, you spend the whole movie going "Aww, I just want to hug him!" Also, Jason Bateman is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. Get with the program people, he's awesome and needs to be in more movies!

Guys and Their Sports Figures

I am a girl who loves sports. Seriously. I bleed Green and White every fall watching Michigan State football. I scream with joy whenever Ohio State loses. I celebrate when the Red Wings make Sydney Crosby cry. I may not know everything, but I know enough to keep in conversation. Anyway, there are two sports figures that I don't get the guy hype about. Tim Tebow and Lebron James.

This could be due to the fact that NFL and NBA are two of the sports arenas I don't particularly care about. But all I saw last year was guys fawning over Lebron James. He even got a mention in the movie Bad Teacher. "It's the only argument I need Sean!" Haven't seen the film but that line always makes me crack up.

And now, the hype is all about Tim Tebow. All I know is that his name is Tim and he plays football. I have heard that it might have something to do with his religious nature. But anyway, if any guy could please explain the hype over these two, it would be great.

Numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Film Festival

In the continuance of my awesome movie project where I watch a ton of movies (also just got Netflix so that should help this along). Here it goes..

#4: Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
While I do find parts of Twilight annoying and do not completely begrudge those who enjoy criticizing it, just remember that Stephanie Meyer is laughing all the way to bank. Anywho, this film takes the series in a new direction, prior to the lovey-dovey awkward love triangle of Bella (Kristen Stewert), Edward (Robert Pattinson), and Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Bella and Edward get hitched and thus have their honeymoon. Oops no condom, what she's knocked up?! And the fetus is killing her. *gasp* This movie improves on the last ones in two great aspects. Number 1: this movie is actually funny. Not awkward funny, like when Edward first smells Bella (bahahaha), but legitimately hilarious. Mostly in part to Kellan Lutz. As the burly, bearlike, adopted brother, he repeatedly has the funny lines in each film. So clearly, he needs to be in the next movie more. Not that it'll happen. Number two: this movie actually related to vampiric activity. Seeing the movie at midnight was hilarious because when they discover that Bella needs to drink blood to save her baby, everyone was whispering "Eeww, ohmigod this is gross." And meanwhile, I'm laughing hysterically. So yeah, blood and guts, actually what related to vamps, not teen angstness. For the funny and blood and guts, I'm giving it a 7 out of 10. Still not a high caliber film, but it's improving. Get rid of the main three characters and the next film might have a chance.

5: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
These books have a special place in my heart for helping me get through a really tough period of my life. The saga wraps up with the final battle and enough deaths to make any mortuary worker thrilled. Not gonna lie, totally balled my eyes out when they showed the bodies of all our beloved friends. I actually think I liked the first part of the final one better, I'm not sure why. My rating for the last film is 9 out of 10. These films are really well done, but like Matrix fans who always wonder why no sequels were ever made, I think it's great that Rowling never wrote a epilogue. OH WAIT. Denied. So that's my deducted point. The ending was already bleh, but then to film the epilogue and having them played by the actual actors who have barely any make up to age them. Yeah, fail on that one. I still love the film, but from now on, when the screen goes black I'm turning it off before that ridiculous spectacle.

6: The DaVinci Code
I received the book last Christmas as a gift and finally decided to pull it off my bookcase of unread novels and give it a whirl. The story is about the death of a prominent figure and the story descends into the obscure world of religious iconography and secrets. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is a professor of religious iconography who gets called in to consult of the case. Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) is a cryptologist who brings herself into the murder and the two team up when Langdon is considered the prime suspect for the murder. Eventually the two meet up with Sir Leigh Teabing (Ian McKellen) in an attempt to solve the puzzles. I am giving this movie a 6 out of 10. I enjoyed the book decently but the movie did so-so at following the book in my opinion. Not surprising, that's usually what happens with books and films. The other part of the movie that drove me nuts is the attempt at chemistry between Hanks and Tautou. There is ZERO chemistry there. Really. Nothing. And while he was certainly not looking his best, she was looking damn fine. Audrey Tautou is gorgeous. But the chemistry was far too contrived. It's a movie that is amusing to watch but also one you can talk through too.

7: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish version)
I really enjoy this book series. Written by Steig Larsson, the twisted novels present an interesting view on a crime story. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) has just been convicted on a libel charge and currently has nothing to do while waiting to go to prison. A family patriarch calls him and asks him to investigate the murder of a family member from 40 years ago. Interwoven is the story of Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), a gothic woman who leaves everyone guessing. The novel is extremely long and as such, transforming it into film means things will be left out. As is the case for this one. The majority of important aspects are covered in the film, but it still lacks. I give it a 8 out of 10. The movie is extremely beautiful cinematographally (if that even counts as a word). I really can't wait for the American version. Because while the guy playing Mikael is attractive, Daniel Craig is hot as hell. I'm interested in seeing Rooney Mara as Lisbeth, but from pictures I'm not sure. I think the even better combination would have been Noomi Rapace and Daniel Craig. But anyway, it comes out in a few days so I'll be able to offer my commentary on the American version.

Why Women Love Edward Cullen and Jacob Black

With the release of Breaking Dawn pt 1 just over 24 hours away, I thought I'd educate people (at least people who have never read the books) why the series has captured the hearts and minds of tween girls (and their moms) everywhere. For those of you who read this, if you plan on judging me, you can eff off now. People everywhere enjoy judging these books and judging the people who read these books, but unless you have actually read the books, I don't give a damn what your opinion is. You're just being a judgmental pricks. Since I have read the books, I am entitled to critique the novels.

Now, if you're still reading this and you haven't been put off by my slight bitchiness, allow me to shed some light. Bella Swan is a typical female character in that she is average. There is nothing about her that is extraordinary. She's plainly pretty, semi-smart, and a bit clumsy. Enter Edward the vampire. When they fall in love with each other, he constantly tells her how he loves her exactly the way she is. She doesn't have to change to fit what he wants. She is exactly what he wants. She is amazed why someone like him would love her, but he does and his love is unwavering. And that is why females everywhere read these novels and picture themselves as Bella Swan. She's average. And there is not a single woman out there that hasn't at some moment of her life thought she was ugly, clumsy, or awkward (pardon my awkward double negative). But all women want is a man to be with that will accept them for everything they are. And that is why women, no matter the age, have read these books and fallen for Edward. Because he is the epitome of what women want. Not hotness (aka RPattzness), not physique. A guy who accepts every part of you for what you are and loves you anyway.

Now, onto why there is a Team Jacob. Jacob is the antithesis of Edward because while he loves Bella for who she is, he challenges her to become more. He knows that sometimes Bella will settle for the easy option, but he pushes her to be more. Jacob is the epitome of a comfortable relationship. The ease of everyday life. Everyone wants their significant other to be their best friend. As his wolfy character is often described, he's warm. Safe. So that's how the two camps separate. On one side, Edward is special and more than Bella believes she deserves. And on the other side, Jacob is the safe environment that is comfortable and someone you can tell anything.

So there you go. The break down of why two characters have most the female population all twitter-pated. Because they easily represent what women want from their significant others. While I do appreciate the want of a man who wants you the way you are, let me make it perfectly known I think Meyer's writing is as juvenile as the age group for which she's writing. I could keep going, especially on how you can't compare it to Harry Potter, but that's another blog for another time.

500 Film Festival

I love movies. Seriously. I invest way too much money in buying movies I want/like. So I figured, "Hey, why not write about movies in my blog?" Not necessarily in the sense of a movie review only blog, but review some films. I am going to try and stick with films I'm seeing for the first time but I do own several films so I am sure I'll dabble into those at some point. DVD is primed, popcorn is buttery, let's do this!

#1: 50/50
I saw this yesterday in theaters and wow. It was getting amazing reviews and now I know why. Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an average guy living an average life. But when he finds out he has a rare cancer, his life is shaken. His girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), his best friend (Seth Rogan), and his mother (Anjelica Huston) are trying to handle the news and as the movie unravels you see who can handle it and who can't. My favorite character is Katherine (Anna Kendrick) who is the assigned therapist for Adam. She's got the book smarts telling her how to handle patients but not the experience and as she gets to know Adam, he helps her as much as she helps him. It's a moving film with a beautiful soundtrack, that I'll probably be buying soon or putting on my Christmas list. I give the film 9.5 out of 10 stars. I deducted .5 because I cried a lot. It's the kind of film that makes you want to call everyone you love and say "If you f*cking get cancer, I'll freak out man."

#2: the Black Dahlia
Based on the book by James Ellroy, it features a true murder with fictionalized characters. Since I had just finished reading my copy of the book, I wanted to watch the film. Set the late 1940s, the real murder of Elizabeth Short is the centerpiece of the film as two cops, Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) and Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett), get enthralled with solving the case and possibly ruining their own lives in the process. The film features several other large names including Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank as eye candy and romantic interests. I give the film 7.5 out of 10 stars. The film was well done as a noir, but true to form it doesn't stand well for the book. Bits and pieces were left out that in my opinion could easily have been added. A good noir film if you like that genre, but lackluster in comparison to the book.

#3: X-Men: First Class
I love comic book movies. Comic book movies got me into reading graphic novels and comic books. So I was bummed when I didn't have the time to catch this one on the big screen. First Class begins at the beginning of Professor X and Magneto. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) star well as the younger versions of beloved mutants (well beloved might stretch a bit far for Magneto). You get to see their stories from the beginning as well as how they come to form their beliefs about their mutant states. The story features the Hellfire Club run by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and his right hand gal Emma Frost (January Jones) which was an arc in the comic I wanted to know more about. The film features some well known mutants in their younger times, such as the Beast and Mystique, but also some mutants not yet featured in the films, like Havok and Banshee. Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars. Well done as an action film, but not being read in the comics I couldn't tell you what is missing. Certainly entertaining, but only slightly more entertaining than other comic books films. Nothing too extraordinary. The standout for me was Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. Being a fan of The Hunger Games, I was wary when she was cast as the lead, but after viewing this I think she will be very good as Katniss.

So there's my first three films. Overall, for three movies in one day I think I picked some good ones. Butter your popcorn and swirl your slushies! More coming soon!