Mighty Chroma

Selfless, Brave and True

Season 2 - Episode 18

The entire episode was spent as a background story between the connection of Arthur and Tamara (Neals' fiance). Sometime ago while living in China both of them sought out a magical healer. Arthur needed one because he was turning into wood, and Tamara lied about having cancer. Through trial and tribulation Arthur didn't get what he wanted, and Tamara killed the magical healer and took off.

Only to show back up on Neal's doorstep. Basically by the end of the episode, we found out that Tamara is canoodling with Owen this whole time.

The whole episode was a major disappointment. The mystery over the Chinese magical healer was a waste - he's dead so we'lll only find out about him through flashbacks. Tamara and Owen are the new villains, replacing Cora. Only instead of magical powers, they are eventually going to threaten everyone in Storybrooke with youtubing the footage they've taken of magic being used. I knew someone would have to turn up as an obstacle for everyone in Storybrooke. I just wished it was someone and the plot was much more interesting. At least if Regina was still the head bad girl, she has a range of emotions and devices that would never get old.

Most disappointingly, an hour was spent waiting for Arthur to not be selfish. And my hope for him to turn into a real man again was:

And then he turned back into a boy conveniently before he's not allowed to tell anyone what a two-face Tamara is

I used to care about which new characters that showed up in Storybrooke were in the Enchanted Forest. Now it's kinda a letdown. I'm not sure I am invested in Tamara because she just seems to have an ultra interest in magic and its healing powers.

We have four weeks to wait for a new episode. But we have more man candy that our eyes and fangirl feels shall be robbed of. MmmMmm. Robin Hood. Or another male character doomed to die.

This Sorrowful Life

Season 3 - Episode 18

At first Rick has plans to take Michonne to The Governor - via their deal. If he brought Michonne, The Governor wouldn't touch them. Rick tells Daryl, and of course the ever trustworthy and not spontaneous AT ALL, Merle about this. Of course Captain Merle takes off on his own with Michonne - knocking her unconscious, tying her up, and dragging out in the middle of nowhere.

In what was anticipation for a smackdown between Michonne and Merle becomes something entirely different. On the road they come across zombies, and eventually after Michonne tries talking her way to get back to the prison, Merle just lets her go. Michonne begins to make her away back to the prison while Merle - with the car blaring - trails zombies to The Governor's and Ricks meeting place. There is where Merle and The Governor have a quick face-off. And, Merle is mercilessly killed.

I did not expect the sudden wave of feels for Merle. He hasn't exactly been a likeable character. He's always been a source of knowing shit is going to go down the second he gets involved. He's shady, double-sided, never completely trustworthy.

Obviously fandom feels exist for Daryl because Norman Reedus and his character are gods...but in the last few moments when Merel tries to redeem himself - I wasn't prepared for his death or that Daryl would discover him as a zombie.

And, our Ricktatorship era has come to an end and turned into Rickocracy. In three seasons he's made a better evolution and recognition of his mistakes than our past three presidents. Go figure.

Jurassic Park is getting a re-release into theaters in 3D on April 5th, 2013. If the childhood nostalgia isn't enough to have me riding a t-rex into theaters, the ultimate comeback for smart and sexy should be.I'm talking about the one and only Ian Malcolm: a rockstar scientist of colossal proportions. What better way to celebrate this blumin' character with excessive personality than with a little tribute.

Makes these noises

He (tries to) set fire to the rain

He learns from his previous mistakes
(the earth moves get the hella outta there)
Come on, we gotta get out of here! Now! Now! Right now! Let's go.

Takes his shirt off when he has a leg injury

Teaches while seduces:

He's Saintlike

He didn't argue:

He has a talent for spotting the obvious

Gives greatest life lesson in four words:

Not taken, ladies:

A butterfly flaps its wings, Malcolm takes his shirt off.

Oh yeah and a tornado will touch down somewhere.

Bow Down - Beyonce

Is the track hypnotizingly great or just plain annoying?

+ Don't know if this makes her crazy or just keeps her absolutely brilliant as she is - Actress Tilda Swinton sleeps in a glass box for New York City's Museum of Modern Art.

+ If you haven't seen the latest Walking Dead, this contains spoilers. For Entertainment Weekly Norman Reedus opens up about latest character developments on the show.

+ Leonardo DiCaprio continues to show his eco-friendly awesomeness by joining UNREAL's unjunked candy mission.

Personally I think this is really great. Having some food allergies, I don't enjoy a lot of sugary treats that I love. UNREAL offers junk-free versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Way’s, Snickers, M&M’s and Peanut M&M’s. The company guarantees the candy has the same great taste, but is made from real ingredients. It contains zero artificial flavoring, hydrogenateds, corn syrup, GMOS and has less sugar than other candies.

+ I'm not really a buzz for the International trailer for The Wolverinebut it has Hugh Jackman. So I can't complain.

+ Once Upon A Time is getting a spin-off set in the world of Alice in Wonderland. Pretty interesting!!

+ Sofia at Film Flare shows some love for Keira Knightley and Steve McQueen.

+ Motivator Man and his focused blog of movies' lessons that motivate our lives to be better is one of my favorite recent reads.

Must SEE Tom Hiddleston in Flaunt Magazine

"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

It's not a very interesting opening line for such a major series. To make it more definitive we could wax poetic just for fun sake - the Day of the Reaping was so Powerful it changes the weather, there is no electricity (rarely) in District 12, its fracking cold in District 12...but it really just is that:

Primrose is in bed with her mother. There's no real description of Lil Everdeen but I still can't help but get the girl from the movie out of my mind, yo.

Within the same page as The Girl expresses her closeness to her sister, Katniss reveals she tried to kill her cat Buttercup.

So Primrose was too young to understand that Katniss had too much shit going on her plate with her dad dying, mom going into a catatonic state, etc. and she just couldn't deal with one more mouth to feed... But, had I been Primrose, MY dad just died, MY mom went catatonic, and my sister tried to kill MY cat, I would have fled that crazy ass house so fast a Primrose size hole would have been made through the front door.

After blowing off her animal murderous tendencies, Katniss goes off a-huntin' into the woods. By the description of this girl and how she can shoot a bow...climb a tree...and fish...There sure is a lot of free time in the Seam. I wonder where these skills will come in handy...

Metting Gale in the woods, the sight of his description brings a smile to my face. Even though I've seen the movie, I don't exactly get Liam Neeson in my head...but Hello Gale - you handsome idealist rebellious man-boy-hunk you.

Gale has completely different ideas of how to survive during the post-rebellion days.

Gale won't have any trouble finding a wife.

Any volunteers?

Sitting in the woods together / they have a dream their life would be / So different from the starvation they're living / someplace else far away from the Seam / The Capitol will kill a dream they kinda dreamed...at 2 o'clock in the afternoon when the Reaping is Made.

After finishing their hunting time in the woods, it feels like they sell a lot of their kills rather than cook and enjoy them. Skipping their way over to the Mayor's house to sell their strawberries, they are greeted by his daughter Madge. I can't quite picture who this girl is or would have been played in the movie, but it's a shame they killed off her whole story together - even if it doesn't get stronger in the later books. Katniss reminisces that they go to the same school, and I'm literally stunned.

The Capitol lets these people work to death, to starvation, senior citizens and children dying slowly, the town rarely has electricity, and the Capitol only patrols for rebellion. But the arts, math, english - they have a place in Panem?...I can't help but think of ABC Family making a series called Seam High starring Katniss, Madge, Gale, Peeta, and the Kids From Town.

Thank God the Girl has got Skills in the Wilderness because she makes math feels like:

Heading back home it's time to get ready for the Reaping. Katniss explains to us exactly how your name is entered. And it is seriously Mindbreaking. Your name is entered one time when you turn 12 yrs old, two times the next year, and so on. Katniss being 16 years old is entered in the Games twenty times. When you do the math, automatically entered 15 times. She entered her name through tessera five times. Then she mentions how many times she had to enter when she was twelve, that the entries are cumulative, and my brain just fracking breaks. It's a hella lot times for her and Gale, Primrose only once...

This is the perfect time to think: Objects in The Hunger Games are described down to their most basic form and usually capitalized. What was Stephanie Collins thinking choosing tessera to describe the exchange of entries for food? o_O It just seems more basic People, Places, and Things are Emphasized than they don't Need to Be: the Seam, the Meadow, Peacekeepers, Hob, the Hotness that is Gale.

Time for the Reaping!

Entering the arena for the Reaping is no special ordeal. Those eligible stand up front while old fogies, and Latecomers hang out in the back. Faabbbulous Effie Trinket with her faux British accent and the drunken tutor Haymitch who is the last surviving winner of District 12 make their entrance. It's not a grand spectacle as the going-through-the-motions Mayor breaks down the entire history of why the hunger games are Held.

Funny how three paragraphs of Explanation about what the Hunger Games are scraped down into ten lines for the movie's Opening. The stakes have really been built up that living in the Seam or anywhere in Panem is a complete bitch. And if you are chosen for the Hunger Games, you're basically praying for someone to kill you first. But even taking a bullet, as Katniss says, is better than getting chosen for the games or just trying to make your existence worth it day to day.

I don't think the boy and girl who are chosen will be attending a Sylvan learning center for preparation of the Games, if you know what I mean.

Ultimately, when Effie chooses one name out of all the names that can be chosen for the female tribute Primrose Everdeen is called. Not LIL Primrose No! Had I been in her place or been another character called, I would have saidEh, Go Quack Yourself (page 24). Then probably been promptly killed or shoved up on the podium, and then killed. But Katniss pulls a Kanye, upstages the Capitol's bullcrap, and volunteers in her place. Our Girl is really going places - down straight to the hell of the Capitol in a heartbeat. But Haymitch knows Katniss is all that and a sack of dead squirrels "She's got SPUNK!"

As for the male tribute, I just feel hella sorry for Peeta from the beginning. First, his name. As unconventional as Katniss name is, at least Collins tried to make a save having Gale call her Catnip. Peeta Mallark sounds like a bird Katniss would hunt in the woods and sell off for a real dinner like deer or even bread. Second, nobody volunteers for him - neither of his brothers. And, then this kid can't catch a break because he's called down to pair up with a girl who likes him - not. Damn son.

I like how from the very beginning of the story Katniss tells us of her history with Peeta and the burnt bread that saved her family's life. There's no waiting until 3/4 of the movie is over before it's revealed. The rest of the book rests on whether or not Peeta remembers or even gives a two crumbs about her being his partner.

Where we leave off in the world of the Hunger Games is Peeta has a "muscle spasm" shaking Katniss hand. Already she's kinda getting a lady-lump for the Boy with the Burnt Bread. For now, it's time for the kids to be thwarted off to the Capitol. Until next time, tributes. (Saturday next week?)

Can you believe it's four weeks until the new episode of Once Upon A Time? And that The Walking Dead is coming to a close on its third season? It's truly difficult for the fangirl in me to comprehend that March Madness takes priority over Storybrooke nor we won't see the Grime Group until some time this fall. Unfortunately reality crumbles all our cookies in this cold and grim world.

Until the conclusion of Once Upon A Time is made, Once Upon A Walking Dead will address some fun lists and countdowns for both shows. (Spoilers for both shows are behind this post!)

We received quite a few peeks behind the skeleton filled closets this season on Once Upon A Time. Neals' identity was revealed, Cora was the only original member of the Bad Girls Club (ripping out her heart so she could be the beyotch she always aspired to be), Rumplestiltskin crippled himself to escape the Ogre Wars, and so much more. All the backstories on the characters can be quite a lot to mentally and emotionally organize. I won't be of particular help with that in this post but with all the loops kinda closed, why not drum up some other stories it'd be nice to see tied into a nice little bow.

Questions I'd love to see answered
(unless I missed it)

How does Snow White know Evil Queen killed her father? This might not be particularly high impact information we need to know, but I'd like to know how Snow White became one step head of The Hunter. She knew Evil Queen wanted to have her killed but what was the moment that led her on to accept her possible death.

With the exception of Owen and his father, did Regina really do the same things every day for 28 years? Will the timeline ever reveal....

When and how Regina adopted Henry? Living on the outside of Storybrooke Emma grew up as everyone within the town stayed ageless. We know Regina has always been baby-hungry and that her plans with Owen didn't exactly work out. If Storybrooke isn't known to the outside world before the curse was broken, how and when did Regina adopt the Saviour's son?

How do Tamara and Owen know each other? After Cora was destroyed (and then will be re-animated for the spin-off probably), I'm a little let down the next challenge for Storybrooke are the make-out newbies. How do they know each other? Are they really going to bribe Storybrooke with footage of what's been happening all over town?

How and where is Mr. Hopper when Henry really needs him? In the course of two episodes this season Henry gained liked twenty relatives and found out his Dad is not dead. We could use some of his conscience right about now.

Who wrote Henry's book? You know the iconic book that got us all hooked on the first season. I believe the last time we saw someone read from the book was earlier this season, but how do we not know that book is writing itself as events take place? Was there anything we really learned from it?

When did August know exactly when Emma had to return to Storybrooke? After Pinocchio and Emma were shuttled to the land without magic, they were placed in a home and August ran away. When did he learn who they were and track her down? Why did he ever carry around that typewriter only to turn out to be Pinocchio?

How will Henry be Rumples undoing? We have seen Rumples pull a lot of wool over people's eyes and commit a lot of atrocities for power and control. Through the Seer in 2x14 we know that Henry leads Rumples to his reunion with Baelfire. Rumples in his forest meeting with the Seer promises to kill the boy who will be his undoing, but this happens way before they knew they were related? Will he actually do it?

Welcome to the Tombs

Season 3 - Episode 16

Contrary to AMC's publicity department that had us believe this finale would be a hellraiser - it really wasn't. Promos amped up the war between Rick and The Governor this third act would be an all out actual war. As the third season was almost in its entirety, the adrenaline we were promised was still on a charger never hitting a 100%, probably not even 75%.

The Governor showed up at the prison's doorstep with all the "trained" town goons ready to ambush. Rick and the Group had looked like they abandoned shop but half hid in the woods, the others set booby traps and warded The Governor to leave. Which he and his people did in a blaze of glory.

There was nothing really down and dirty between the rivals. Stuff and things settled, I dare say 'Not!' sir!

Rick with Daryl and Michonne drove into Woodbury with hopes of finishing off The Governor.. and they found the town empty except with people who couldn't defend themselves.

Thankfully Rick didn't forget about one main character: Andrea. Tuning into his Spidey sense, he remembered where Maggie and Glenn had been held captive and felt The Blond One was probably suffering an almost similar fate.

With Andrea handcuffed to a chair, The Governor gutted Milton and left him to turn inside her call. Managing to get pliers off the floor, Andrea freed herself a second after Milton changed into a Walker. Unfortunately WalkerMilton was killed but not before he had taken a piece out of her shoulder. Rick and The Group managed to make it to her cell in time to exchange a few last words.

Andrea had tried to prevent genocide on both ends putting herself at risk for getting killed by her family at the prison and Woodbury. Even braver for Andrea, she didn't give the responsibility of having someone else kill her once she turned. She gained back the choice she'd lost when Dale had her leave the CDC in Season 1, and Andrea shot herself before she turned.

The fandom turn against Andrea makes me wonder how many people actually think characters can hear us when we hate seeing them make bad decisions.

From the bevy of fans who claimed to hate her, there sure was a lot of passion behind Andrea making better decisions for her well-being. But characters don't see the things we do - like Andrea and the Governor. She thought Crazytown wouldn't actually be that, so she settled for staying with him until she finally escaped Denialville. Was it four episodes too late? Yah, but that doesn't make her a slut or stupid. She's actually a person who made poor choices and tried to save both her family at the prison and Woodbury.

Like a lot of fans I fell out of love with Andreain Season 3. At the beginning of this year, I actually forgot that we were rooting for her after she had survived the farm ambush. Being a fan of Laurie Holden since The Majestic, I was happy just to see her every season even if I didn't agree with the direction of her character.

With all characters we may not like or grow out of, in time we might find characteristics, decisions and actions begin to make sense. Sometimes pieces of the whole are stronger after some time passes and we can look back.

Already I'm sensing things about Andrea I missed the first time around, and though her death was cheating because I think she had a bigger fight in her, the arch of her character reached full circle. She tried when she didn't want or think she could anymore, and in the end she did contribute to the group.

Oscar Diggs (James Franco) isn't a very good man. A showman in a traveling circus he swindles hopeful patrons with magic acts, rates his helper (Zach Braff) as less than second best, and uses a faux story about "his" grandmother's music box to capture the heart of any female that catches his fancy.

Lucky for him a twister is in town (especially since he's running away from one of those ladies' irate husbands) and escapes into a hot air balloon. Like the tornado that sweeps Dorothy Gale out of Kansas, Oscar crash lands into the beautiful ethereal land of Oz.

Played by James Franco, Diggs makes a male protagonist you can root for. Despite the creepy smiles he flashes throughout the film, Franco carries an underlining of charm and scheme. It's acceptable to see why magic brings all the witches to his yard. Better yet he balances the dry wit with the quest of being in a new world with strange, quirky characters.

Before Diggs has a chance to settle the dust beneath his feet, three witches have their eye on him to save their land. Two of them, Theodora (Mila Kunis) and her sister Evanora (Rachel Wesiz), are the first to hit up Diggs for his so-called magic. Tempted by the witches' bewitching interest in him, Diggs goes along with the assumption he is the great wizard they've been waiting for.

Mysticism of a wicked witch destroying the land of Oz is made aware to Diggs. When Diggs is promised riches beyond his wildest dreams to cure their economic and environmental plight - it doesn't matter to him who she is. He has his eyes set on reclaiming that gold.

As excited as I was to see Weisz and Kunis as wicked witches, they didn't bring exactly what I had in mind to the table. Kunis' Theodora to me seemed to be as bland as a brick wall the second we meet her. There wasn't subtlety behind her trying to hide her powers as a witch; just plain one-note acting.

What Kunis is lacking, Weisz makes up for. Her Evanora is the witch behind the castle scheming to use her sisters' powers. Though some of her mannerisms were a little strange upon first seeing them, Weisz creates a female villain that is a little kooky and fun to find untrustworthy.

Setting out on his mission across Oz, Diggs teams up with two fabulous buddies, Finley the talking monkey and China Girl. My favorite scenes of the film happened between this golden trio. The chemistry between Franco and his CGIed companions made an enjoyable camaraderie. It's actually the first meeting with China Girl that Diggs faces the real devastation sweeping this magical land, and begins to take an active interest in helping those who are truly suffering and set his own ego aside.

The three of them go after Glinda The Good Witch from the North (Michelle Williams), who Evanora and Theodora made out to be the destructor of Oz. The bubble and fog wielding Good Witch from the North befriends Diggs with the utmost innocent sincerity and reveals to him the detriment of the wicked witch has caused her people.

Diggs is forced to question himself and not leave those who are in need behind so he can escape for his life or riches. With Glinda, he is challenged to pull tricks out of his hat he wasn't prepared for.

And a good ol fashion magical fight is put by the Wicked Witch(es). If you managed to hide away from her real identity as I had, the big reveal was something you eventually saw coming: Theodora.

Despite her dry acting in the first half of the film, Kunis' transformation into the Wicked Witch isn't wasted. When she dons the green face, oversized nose 'n chin, and black hat, I finally felt that Kunis was making good out of her performance. And even, perhaps because of the surround sound of the film, scared me out of my pants a little.

Pieces of Oz: The Great and Powerful aren't entirely perfect. There are cinematic issues where unnecessary close-ups are just plain awkward. Composer Danny Elfman never seemed to end his work on the Edward Scissorhands or Nightmare Before Christmas soundtracks as both scores squeezed into Oz. And some scenes between the characters forces the hilarity a little.

On a whole, however, Raimi made up for its script and direction issues with the films clever *hint hints* towards The Wizard of Oz (1939), wicked casting choices, and special effects. DEFINITELY, its special effects.

From the beginning of Oz: The Great and Powerful and its creatively animated opening credits, the movie is an imaginative ride. The castle at the end of the yellow brick road sparkles off the screen. Oz wasn't just emerald green, but glistening, wondrous, majestic emerald green. The costumes, meadowing fields, the Dark Forest and Munchkinland weren't just blues, yellows, oranges, reds, or violets. Each color was filled with vibrant shades that exploded off the screen. I never wanted to look away.

What I really wanted from Oz was an adventure; just a time to go to the movies and not watch something with an agenda of a villain vs superhero, heavy handed drama or slapstick comedy. Sometimes there needs to be a place in big budget entertainment other than science fiction or futuristic fantasies. While Oz had its little icky spots and ultimately strives to be a great movie, I can settle saying that it was a pretty good one.

It wasn't until I saw Lincoln this past year actress Sally Field showed up on my radar. Her performance as Mary Todd Lincoln exposed the rare fragility and anxiety we weren't taught about the First Lady in our history books. I was truly in awe of her very small yet memorable performance.

Before Lincoln, sure I had been aware of Field and her presence in film and television. But I always seem to miss important points of her career to really know her career. A film from her filmography - deemed as the transformative role in her career Norma Rae is one that I had always wanted to see. Seeing it fully was always lost on me until recently.

In a small North Carolina town almost everyone has a connection the cotton mills. Either they worked in them or knew / related to someone who did. Since she was sixteen years old Norma Rae (Sally Field) was one of those workers. Getting paid minimum wage under power hungry employers, Rae is a single mother with an immediate family whose health and livelihood has been threatened under the mills horrible working conditions.

After listening to a New York union organizer Reuben Warshowsky (Ron Leibman) address the idea of unionizing the shop, she takes on the challenge to unionize the mill. It's not only for herself but her fellow workers, including family members, who are overworked, underpaid, and their issues are never addressed.

The film and character Norma Rae is based on Crystal Lee Sutton who battled higher-ups for ten years to unionize the mill she worked at. Film-wise it takes a while for this challenge to be accomplished, but you're not bored until then. About every half hour or so a new threat or obstacle ups the ante as Rae and Rueben work tirelessly to recruit new members.

Best Bits: What I really liked about Norma Rae is that the character has two wonderful male counterparts, but she never becomes anybody's baby. (As it often can be female-leading films.)

The most impactful leading man is Ron Leibman, who as Rueben Warshowsky gives a knock-out performance. Rueben is a hardass, her pal, and never quit New York guy. His and Rae's professional relationship borders on the boundaries of friends and something more.

The second is Beau Bridges who plays her husband, Sonny Webster. Rae's and Webster's relationship was more pragmatic than anything romantic. On a date with all of their children in the woods, he suggests that their lives might be easier if they lived them together. There aren't many glitzy scenes of romance between them but a certain amount of mutual respect.

Between the three of them the movie just barely offers a possible love affair between Rae and Rueben, but never fully goes there. The movie doesn't go out of its way to show that Rae is her own woman and "can't be tamed". But, there isn't a curtain shadowing that behind every great woman is a man pulling all the strings. And their trio relationship never becomes a pissing contest between the two men tugging her in a 'Who does she love more' war.

MORE GOOD BITS: Director Martin Ritt keeps Norma Rae minimalist. It's not one of those overly optimistic or darkened films with that Hollywood message of "This is an INSPIRATIONAL movie!" Scenes where the characters are tested the most are not made melodramatic - though are sometimes greeted with those bizarre 1970s guitar melodies. The camera is just there, follows, and doesn't interfere with the actors.

One scene which really stands out for me takes place with Rueben. Under the law he has a right to check the mills bulletin boards to maintain that nobody has removed his union notices. Confronting the employeers, he's intimidatingly walked through the deafening, humid mill. They're anxious to throw him out, and are shoving him a long the way - especially when Rueben no bull****ingly introduces himself to the workers as he passes through. The camera never breaks away from him and his mission to check those bulletin boards.

Sally Field in so many scenes proves this is her film. She is headstrong, tenacious, straightfoward, humorous, strong, and witty all the way through. The scene video captured above is a particular stand out.

After her father has died of a heart-attack inside the mill, been under the scrutiny of her bosses for being a Union member, and suffered the silence of her co-workers who know of the union but do not join the cause, Rae is fired after copying down a letter on the bulletin board which pits Caucasian workers against African American workers. Refusing to leave her station Rae stands up on the table with a sign marked 'Union'. Field's face is so riddled with the the dedication, desperation, tpain her family has gone through to make this union work. Until this moment, workers had joined forces with the union and then bullied to leave for their own sake. Finally the mill goes quiet as they stand with her.

Bottom Line: In a powerful performance she knocks out of the park, it's hard not to really love Norma Rae and Sally Field.

Popular and talented graphic designer Olly Moss created an impressive poster for this years 85th Annual Academy Awards: The Oscar statuette as a figure from every Best Picture winner.

+ Speaking of which, Vulture.com breaks out Four Oscar Campaigns that could get talent that golden trophy. And Ethan Hawke pulls a Joaquin Phoenix claims award show season is useless.

+ I'm behind why Amour deserves Oscar success. Especially stunned over Jean-Louis Trintignant's complete lack of recognition.

+ In what could become the most elaborate scheme to convince us the Oscars are worth it to watch, more legends come out of the woodwork to present. Joining Barbra Streisand, Adele, a James Bond tribute, a musicals tribute, Shirley Bassey, is now: Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson

+ First look of Rose McGowan's Once Upon A Time guest starring role has me ...Mehing.

+ Taste of Cinema breaks down this year's Academy Awards into a fun, informative infographic.

Instead of my excitement for Oz: The Great and Powerful matching my expectation of excitement over Mariah Carey's song for the film, Almost Home, I'm not amused. It reminds me of a credits song for an 80s film that has no similar context or theming whatsoever to the movie you watched...

+ Margaret at Cinematic Corner takes every jumbled up thought I wanted to write about for The Master and makes a completely awesome post.

+ Robot-sounding Vin Diesel sways us with his karaoke performance of Rhianna's Stay. It ain't too shabby!

+ Though I've personally been "over" the cancelation of Fireflyfor a while now, HelloGiggles reminds us how Joss Whedon broke our hearts with a one-season wonder.

+ Sofia at Film Flare reminds us of some horrible snubs from Hollywood's classic films. Very well spotted shuns!

Cast:Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson

Director:Martin McDonagh

Summary: "Alcoholic" writer Martin (Farrell) is writing a screenplay "Seven Psychopaths" with the unwanted help of off-his-rocker friend Billy (Rockwell), a dog thief. Stealing the wrong pup from the wrong crimelord Charlie (Harrelson) lands Martin, Billy, and their dog stealing partner-in-crime Hans in some wild chases and shoot-outs.

Why It's Pretty Good: The movie opens two assassins talking about how it's possible to kill their targets by shooting them in the eye. The killers are then promptly shot in the eye, and their masked assassin lays two Jack of Diamonds cards next to their bodies. He is Psychopath No 1. The rest of the movie carries from Martin, to Billy, and Hans introducing various other psychopaths and revealing their true identities.
Some movies I take certain liberties and letting the spoilers fly. This won't be one of those reviews because much of the movies' entertainment value comes from seeing who the seven psychopaths are. A lot of movies try to do this - tease you to get you to watch and fifteen minutes in you're outta there. But, there is a distinct amount of craziness and mystery that your fortitude is almost tested - can you watch the whole dang thing?

Much of the movie leaves you to watch the hilarity match, lessen, and probably distract you from the violence. Surprisingly, as I thought the movie would be nothing but shoot-outs and on-the-road chses, the movie is 90% dialogue (cursing). Still depending if people getting shocked, knived, throats slit, set on fire and then shot, and so on is on your level of violence threshold...it's still gratuitous.

Best Bits: The cast of the seven psychopaths certainly proves their level of insanity, or especially the legendary status of being awesomely crazy such as Colin Farell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken. As celebrities you're never sure what their next step is going to be. Each one has their own power of unpredictability and talent, which is what makes them so popular. Seven Psychopaths, and also in credit to director Martin McDonagh' script, wouldn't have been half as enjoyable without their each distinct style of timing and line-delivery.

Rating: A Few Zzz's Here and There

Bottom Line:I liked it. It has layers.
Similar to:Kiss King Bang Bang, In Bruges

I'm not what you may call a kid of my generation. In the late 90s and early 2000s, I was pretty far outside the circle of what was considered awesome entertainment. While most girls and boys were rocking to Britney Spears or watching Real World (maybe perhaps a little lesser mature Disney Channel), I was growing up on Classic Hollywood and the Rat Pack.

My mom practically raised my sister and I on the oldies. She had (and has) an undying and all-encompassing passion for the golden decades of film, television, and music that naturally passed its way down to me. Sitting at her desk when nighttime hit, she would be listened to an old 45 record player. One of my favorites to sing along to was Tall Paul sung by Annette Funicello. Ten years later and though not still in our nightly routine of crooning to that only song, I still find myself humming it randomly on days when I'm walking to class or out driving.

A love for Annette carried over into the movies I watched. Before I went to school every morning I watched The Dick Van Dyke Show and when I came home it was Cheers or Turner Classic Movie Channel. And, in particular one of my favorite genres in my pre-teen years was the beach movies. Those campy dance and light musical films that most people dismiss with a scoff, I loved the movies like Beach Blanket Bingo.

Before YouTube came along, I had been searching for this song from Beach Blanket Bingo for more than ten years. A sequence that had been deleted from the dvd and television airings, I had seen it only once on an old VHS and remembered it always because of her.

In particular, I watched them for Frankie and Annette but in particular Annette. I just thought she was the most happening gal around with her big black hair that curled on the end (as mine sometimes does when it's long or short), her simple singing style, and her girl next door demure. When summer rolls around the calendar, its kickoff is never the same unless I get a little bit of sun, surf, and Annette.

Hearing her passing away at age 70, I'm saddened to hear that we've lost our very first American Sweetheart. I'm comforted to know that after a 25 year old struggle with MS, the keenest star of the Mickey Mouse fan club is in the Triple R Ranch in the sky.

I'm really looking forward to Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring starring Emma Watson. The film is about the ring of fame-obsessed teenagers who stole from young celebrities a few years ago. Our girl Hermione is also receiving the Trailblazer award at 2013's MTV Movie Awards.

+ After a several year campaign for Finding Nemo 2, Ellen Degeneres finally got her wish. Watch her announcing the news here

+ Tom Hardy is helping a lovely dog Cass get adopted by a loving family. Such cute pics!

+ Alex at And So It Begins spotlights wonderful Jason Isaacs with In Character

+ Mad Men Creator reveals why he fired one of the show's most popular characters, Sal. As a fan of the character I'm befuddled by the answer, and honestly this Ohnotheydidn't comment sums up my current feelings of Mad Men...

+ Sati compiles awesome visual parallels of Breaking Bad and Pulp Fiction

+ Mettel Ray shares her Top 50 Favorite Movies Part 1 and Part 2

+ Some interesting photos from the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony show the ceremony from another angle.

Summary: A meteor named Matilda is heading for Earth and everyone has less than a few weeks to live. When news of the apocalypse hits, people react in different ways. Some people stick to their routines. Others break law and convention by diving into drugs an alcohol, rioting, or traveling to their loved ones.

Dodge's wife immediately leaves him. On his own in a routine-living life - going to work as an insurance agent, letting the maid clean his apartment, etc. - the middle ager strikes up an odd friendship with a quirky neighbor, Penny.

Best Bits: Dodge is not a risk taker. It takes him one pivotal moment of a guy crash landing on the roof of his car to change the trajectory of his life. Penny is an optimist, leaps at chances, and a big fan of weed. Living in the same apartment building the neighbors don't know each other until Penny is sobbing over a break-up on Dodge's fire escape.
When the city begins to burn down, the two of them go on a road trip to help Dodge track down an old flame. As they get to know each other on the unpredictable road of deaths' inevitable countdown, Carrell and Knightley make a great one true pairing, romantic duo, uncharacteristically jump to a 'favorite relationship in film' category.

I am not sure what comedic drug of talent Carrell takes but he continually amazes me by how well he can play comedy 'straight' as well as drama. Any part he takes on, Carrell really does no wrong with how down to earth his persona is. I was surprised though that Keira Knightley was a perfect match for him. Used to her type cast in historical epics, I found her to be laid back and playful as opposed to meeting expectations of past centuries' elegance and refinement.

Penny is a wild character who wears her heart on her sleeve, and Keira does a great job at staying endearing, tenacious, and fun. For sure her performance would have been one of my top favorites last year (and for the heck of it will be this year). Penny is the catalyst to both characters meeting the end of their lives peacefully. Her openness gives Dodge the courage to be vulnerable with her, and for them both not to be afraid of where their relationship will take them (in this film, til the end of the world). With another actress their pairing could have been just good but she takes them to great.

Why It'sAlmost Perfect: For me, I've always had a problem with how black comedies introduce characters out of nowhere. They aren't ever completely realistic or notably change the important characters. They are devices for the story to be humorous enough but the characters remain momentarily memorable. An example of these are: an oddball trucker who hires an assassin to kill him, Speck (Penny's family friend) who has a fall-out shelter pad complete with eight other guys, a fleet of electric cars, ammo, and potato chips, and Adam Brody who plays Penny's emotionally stinted boyfriend who uses her as a bullet shield. These aren't necessarily worthy characters to meet, but the supporting actors make them colorful enough to be in sync with the rest of the film.

The movie throws a little bit of everything at the wall and 95% of it sticks. For the first time in a long while of actually noticing the back of dvd covers and the three-worded reviews, I agreed that the movie is smart, funny, and profound.

By the end of Seeking A Friend it's hard to tell how Dodge and Penny are going to meet their end. But when they do, the movie ultimately and uniquely threads together a humorous examination of what would you do when the world went to a hell in a hand basket. Would you hold onto your regular life or throw caution to the wind and wear everything you never wore, tell the truth no matter what, collapse into alcoholism and denial, or get to know a neighbor?

Three weeks to live?! Here's what I'd do:

How about you?

The first time I tried this reading club, it was an epic failure - almost like dying clumsily by falling asleep under a tracker jacker nest. But I figured I just can't go this year without talking about The Hunger Games, and most importantly the second book/movie Catching Fire.

To recap: I had no idea there was The Hunger Games book series until I saw the movie last year and relatively liked it. After harboring a simmered fandom love for the series until now and real life being what it is (a bitch) I'm finally reading the series.

I finished reading The Hunger Games a while ago. As I'm now just starting to read Catching Fire and the movie coming out in November this year, why not start an online read along.

Starting with the second book and movie we'll gab over reactions, chat about movie comparisons, agree and agree to disagree about the pairings, characters, series. We'll talk about the first book and movie, have a giveaway or two, chat about Catching Fire, and then start on Mockingjay when the times comes.

For anyone who is interested in joining, here's the (hopeful) schedule:

Read aminimumof one chapter a week

Thoughts / Gif Reactions Post Every Saturday (aka party time for our brains!)

Summary:On a series of remote islands gazillionaire Richard Hammond has engineered a very unique theme park filled with dinosaurs. The safety of the attractions are challenged by who else - lawyers. To avoid his park being shut down Hammond invites a chaos-tician Ian Malcolm, a paleobotanist Ellie Satler, paleontologist Alan Grant, and his two grandchildren to review the parks' experience. Things do not go as planned.

I'm not sure how many people haven't seen Jurassic Park, but seeing the movie for its 3D re-release was a bit of nostalgia trip for me. Ian Malcolm and Ellie Satler were two of the biggest reasons I was looking forward to the most. (Nothing against Alan Grant or the kids.) Already hitting on my reasons of loving Malcolm, Ellie was a character I grew up loving. She's smart, humorous, wore outdoor appropriate clothes (read didn't wear a low cut top) and doesn't let male characters of the same intelligence scale walk all over her (act like stupid klutzy blond critics originally wanted her to be). Seeing her on the big screen triply proved how much I love her fight against sexism in survival situations. Next to Ellie, everything else was pretty much the dinosaur snot frosting on a fossilized cake.

Was 3D worth it? Story wise, I think it was. When Hollywood tries to sell me a new movie to see in 3D just because it's in 3D, I don't buy into the superficial merit that I'll somehow like the movie more. Newly released films are a gamble because 90% of the time these days the trailers are better than the two hour experience. Knowing I already knew the scenes of Jurassic Park by heart gave me some comfort knowing at least I liked the movie way before clunking down extra change for the third dimensional experience.

Now in terms of the actual conversion, I was a little disappointed. Upon seeing the 3D re-release of Titanic in 2012 (three times mind you because I liked it so much), the conversion was wonderful. Whether you were outside on the first class desk walking with Jack and Rose, or down below dancing n drinking to the third class bands, there was a feeling that you always on board the ship. I had never felt so claustrophobic when all the passengers were racing to get on a lifeboat. I hold other conversions up to that standard.

Jurassic Park on its own is quite colassal. I felt like on some level I was seeing the movie for the first time.

When Dennis Nedry is trying to drive his little Butterfinger happy ass through the rainstorm, and all the security systems are let down on the dinosaur barricades, there is a sense of chilling terror that the characters are left on their own. Seeing the dinosaurs on a big Imax-like screen gave a bigger scale of the Tyrranosaurus Rex attacking the little Ford Explorers, or Tim and Alan scrambling down the gigantic tree as the car falls above them. Hearing the boom of the Gallimimus pounding the ground as they flocked towards Alan, Lex, and Tim was crystal clear. The adventure of the film is definitely larger than life.

In terms of 3D over 2D, I really didn't see that much of a difference. Only one scene jumped out at me and it's seconds of Lex flashing the light at the eye of the T-Rex. There was a real sense that you were inside the car with her for that moment. For the rest of the film in 3D, I didn't have that feeling often. However, because of the grand scale of the film on a big screen the experience was still pretty unforgettable.

Rating: Held On To My Butt

Bottom Line:After much consideration I've decided, yes to endorse your 3D release.
Similar to:Search Steven Spielberg

Fox is developing a 3D Movie for our favorite trick and treaters: Charlie Brown and his crew. I think of the Smurf movies, and then this, and weep.

+ My heart goes out to one of my favorite movie stars, Dick Van Dyke who, who canceled an event appearance to do illness and neurological related symptoms.

+ Carey Mulligan compares Zelda Fitzgerald to Kim Kardashian. Why, no, and why.

+15 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek. Just gearing up for Star Trek: Into Darkness!

+ Can our fangirls just go crazy over until November because first photos of Doctor Whos' Matt Smith and David Tennant together on set for 50th anniversary episode were released. That wasn't a question. We'll go crazy!

+ Actor on Haitus Leonardo Dicaprio teams up with Christies for an auction benefiting the environment. At the link is an interesting interview with ~~future husband~~ DiCaprio about how he got his name, what artwork he collects, and more.

+ Katy Perry is revving up for her new 3rd album and reveals song title Double Rainbow

+ FoxNews(???) examines why the U.S. hates Gwyneth Paltrow. I didn't realize there was an nationwide hate parade going for her because I was just never particularly crazy enough to give her 'annoyances' any thought.

+ My vote is almost any thing in the past forty years but WhatCulture lists the most annoying songs of all time. What'd be your top pick?

+ Nigel Barker's competitive modeling show The Face was renewed for a second season. This makes me all kinds of reality show happy because it's way better than America's Next Top Model (as of...~~late~~ always)

The Capitol sacrifices its young citizens in a tournament to kill each other until one survives. Our girl Katniss volunteered to take her sister's place. With the help of costumer Cinna, alcoholic Haymitch, and bread boy Peeta, she managed to come out on top in the likability factor. But it was her expert hunting skills (or patience to wait for everyone to kill each other off) for her and Peeta to outsmart and survive the games. Now there are two - two victors AhhaHA. That's what you missed with The Hunger Games!

Chapter 1

"I clasp the flask between my hands..." My first thoughts tell me that Katniss has become Haymitch 2.0, however as she goes on "even though the warmth of the tea has....". (page 1) The first chapter proves that perhaps Katniss could use a few drinks. So what happened behind the Seam during the games?

Our idealist hunk Gale went to work in the mines. Since he didn't watch the games, when did he make this decision. Was it soon after Katniss was taken to participate in the games? He had not only his family to tend to but also Prim and her mother.

Clean off the coalmining grime? I volunteer!

Because Gale refuses to take any offers of her winnings, Katniss tries to help but hunting in the woods for him. His work in the mines though puts them in a tight spots because they can only meet on Sundays. :(

While Katniss struggles with the dough and new home she won from the games, Prim and her mother have made their beds and are sleeping pretty tidily in them. Katniss longs for the life she used to have in their humble abode shack and regularly makes visits there to hurl insults at Poor Buttercup.

Before the Games, Katniss was pretty much known as the "&^%$ off girl". She didn't give a hoot about her likeability, and people gave her decent respect because of Prim's charm. Now, Katniss has become a graduated student of irresistiability, or at the very least respectable face to face interaction.

Soup Server Greasy Sae and the town rallied to sponsor both her and Peeta during the games. I thought sponsorship was a privilege only for Capitol Chaps, but apparently anyone can support the cause of the competitors (makes me wonder which gift from their sponsorship helped them win the games).

A big question I pose is: what really stops any of the poorer districts from uprising? The Peacekeepers act as our form of police, yet there seems to be a lot of 'rebellious' activities that slide under the rug. In the Hob two PK's are aware of black market activities yet don't take any action. Katniss hunts in the woods with Gale - that alone is punishable by death - but nothing happened to her. Perhaps the Victory Tours are meant to be a yourecard of rubbing it in not to screw around with rebellion chitchat, but for a lot of police activity there doesn't seem to be any.

Chapter 2

Moving slowly into Chapter 2, Katniss visits our good drunken mentor Haymitch. After waking up from his stupor and leaving Peeta to get him cleaned up, Katniss returns to her new home. There's an unavoidable feeling that the **** is about to hit the fan because someone has come to visit her...but who?

Oh, President Snow. Yeah there's no turning to the side of the fan to miss the dung that'll be flinging all over the place.

Nothing angers a man more than making him look like a chump. That's certainly what Katniss and Peeta did when they didn't eat those bloody berries (She might be regretting that now and throughout the rest of the series, right?) in the last book.

The nature of Snow's visit is a small inkling that the genuine lack of chemistry between Peetniss spells out Match Made In Hell not heaven. Can we blame him? Throughout the games - mostly what we saw in private moments I'll give Collins that - Katniss' feelings are colder than kids killing each other as the entire country is forced to watch. I can understand that she wanted to shield herself from the pain of getting hurt, and her mixed emotions for Gale, but this girl can be too darn indifferent.

The Capitol should have known Katniss was trouble when she volunteered. So shame on them for you ask me. For the Richie Rich's feelings of humiliation someone is to blame and all fingers are not pointing at Peetniss but also to Gale. How, oh, how could this be?

(page 24-29) Well, after ninety pages of explaining every detail of being in the woods with Gale, one Sunday he made the move and kissed her. That was the first and last moment of their romantic connection. "I had to do that. At least once."...oh Hawtniss.

In her terrifying meeting with President Snow, it's quite obvious he knows that Gale is not her cousin (a media rouse created during the games). "How is your *cousin*?" *hint hint* "You two go to the woods right? Every Sunday??" *hint hint* When he leans into whisper that he knows about their kiss in the woods, and Katniss smells blood on him, the exact line "By the way, I know about the kiss." moment is a little too DUH. And just old man creepster move. (Any theories on how he found out?)

Wait. Expect about the blood part. That is not DUH, that is....BLOOD. Really? Unless Snow's wearing gloves, he probably had it all over his hands (hello Seneca's death). That's f----ed up.

The Reading Games continues: To get the creepy old man off her back and to save her own rear, and Peetas, Gale, Prim, the entire nation's really, Katniss has to figure out some way to fall in love with the boy who hasn't yet manage to fully ice his name on her heart. How, oh how, will she accomplish this?

After an overdrawn and unnecessary hiatus our favorite fairtytale characters came back this past Sunday evening. This weekly feature highlights usually both Once Upon A Time and The Walking Dead. Since Team Prison is out on hiatus having finalized its third season, I'll be covering the town of Storybrooke until its season 2 finale arrives in a few weeks (so soon). And we'll be having some generalized fun for Grimes and his peeps as well.

With this edition of Once Upon A Walking Dead, let's take a look at the latest episode Lacey and some favorite Walking Dead memes from season's past. (spoilers behind this post!)

Lacey
Season 2 - Episode 19

A majority of the episode focused on the odds and ends of my favorite duo, Rumpbelle (Rumplestiltskin and Belle). In Storybrooke, Queen Regina intercepted Rumples helping Belle remember who she was by making her remember who she was before the curse was broken. (Like Snow White was Mary Margaret, Prince Charming was David, etc).
Enter Lacey: She humps anything that moves and is quite the drinker. She didn't know anything of Mr. Gold except that his around-town reputation is a baddie. Since Rumples is not a ladies man recapturing her heart looked like it was going to be a bit of a problem.

In the Enchanted Forest, Belle fell in love with her captor Rumples because he was able to turn against the darkness within and show moments of goodness. AKA not kill three innocent people.

In Storybrooke, Lacey is all right. She leaves Mr. Gold in the middle of their date (because he was too nice) to have semi-sex in the alley with the Sherrif of Roddingham dude. If I knew this guy's name I'd give it, but Mr. Gold ends up beating the holy hell out of him. Lacey likes this and accepts being an accomplice to this guy's future coma condition. There's future for the lovebirds to get back together afterall.

Why only Angel or "Whore"?

Well, now Belle is a by-gone character. A favorite of mine because she waswasn't the cliche image of what everyone poses Belle to be: a total shut-in who only talked to fictional characters in her head. She was a resource of common sensical wisdom for others (Rumples, Grumpy), adventurous, optimistic, and kind. And a bit too angelic - she really believed there was something good in Rumples even after he made her mop up the blood on his aprons.

Lacey is the complete opposite: seemingly without a job(?), bed hopping from one guy to the next, and always hanging out at The Rabbit Hole to score drinks.

Remember Welcome to Storybrooke how characters lived their lives out the same way every day? Regina used the matches to signal memories for Lacey to return to. Belle's Lacey could have been similar to Ruby: sexual, confident, growing-to-independent young woman. Instead she was used as reverse psychology for Rumplestiltskin (How bad can Rumples get to have Lacey fall in love with him but not lose Neal?) without a past, present, or common sense future. They made her the type of female character who has nowhere to go until the bad guy comes along and catches her fancy.

We asked what is a girl like truly without a library? The writers answered: Completely unhinged and without decision control over her well-being. And, if she isn't that, she's a little too nice for nices' sake.

Also in Lacey: The town is growing magical beanstalks so they can return to the Enchanted Forest. Emma has to question whether to say or go. And, Regina wants to be kind enough to get Henry back, finds out about the beanstalks, threatens to kill everyone and Henry talks her out of it. No - wait that's a past episode and an episode of things to come! :)

The Walking Dead Season 3 is over and done with. We had some sad goodbyes, good gifs, and let's face it awesome memes. Condensing a deep love for stuff and thangs here are some of my favorite memes from Season 3.

Who hasn't been here before? Sitting in the library or dorm room mounted with papers to write, projects to make, and tests to study for. Us collegiates know it as a final week(s). It's that time of semester when we are tested above and beyond all the teachers had lectured, pop-quizzed and attendance-checked us about. If you're anything but inhuman, your brain is basically forcefed information you (most likely) will forget in a month to ten years (if you're really scarred).

I know I've been here before...only the freakout below isn't exactly as funny. Amidst the silence of studying and keyboards tapping away at my college library, a guy beat up a printer because his thesis project wouldn't print. So, yeah I've been scarred.

Brought to by Real Genius (1985), creatively technological/science/mathematical supersmart savvies are reaching this least popular time of all our lives. One kid has the greatest college finals freakout maybe ever. *note how another student simply takes his place at the table

Oh, haven't heard of Real Genius? What kind of 80s hardcore freak are you? (Kidding). I've been watching this movie forever, so it's been on my radar for a long time. Seriously, great soundtrack, funny and full of 80s awesome special effects. A popcorn exploding house? Come on!

Starring: Val Kilmer, Gabriel Jarret
Directed by: Martha Coolidge

Rating:95% Changed My Life

Just Two Cents:You've gotta see this. It's a moral imperative.

Summary:Real Genius and uptight kid Mitch Taylor is a new smarty on the block at a technical university. His roomie is a physics legend, Chris Knight (Kilmer), who has a laidback attitude. The pair of them are working on a laser for Professor Jerry Hathaway who has top secret things in mind for their project.

Uhhh...this picture exists.

+ Armie Hammer seems to think the American Indians are down with Johnny Depp in the Lone Ranger. Not sure if this is a true or not but Depp continues to be overrated to me...

+ True Blood hits its sixth season (really?!) and a lotta main characters are hitting the road. Serious time: do people still watch this show? I gave up three seasons ago.

+ Hated one week, crowned most beautiful woman by People Magazine the next. Gwenyth Paltrow overexplains how Leonardo DiCaprio used to describe his meat (beef that is)

+ I'm up for a Man of Steel megapost! Are you

+ In s-h-o-c-k-i-n-g news, Reese Witherspoon was arrested. Yes, she was.

+ Rissi describes why The Devil Wears Prada is her favorite chick flick

+ NO WAY! Wayne's World cast reunites after 20 years.

+ He is J.J. Abrams and I should have more confidence in him...but now directing Star Wars and helming Star Trek, I don't want either series - mostly Star Trek - to fail...but he took on SW because of his wife... so that's pretty cute.

+ Game of Thrones with FRIENDS style opening

He's just adorbs.

Katniss and Peeta are getting made over once more as preparation for the Victory Tour begins. Only President Snow isn't buying Katniss' lack of affection for Peeta and stopped by her new abode smelling of blood and blackmail. Our Girl on Fire has to figure a way to convince the nation she's in love with Breadboy. Oh, Katniss and Gale kissed once. That's what you missed in The Reading Games!

Chapter 3

I know I used this meme in the last post but it still rings so true. After President Snow leaves (behind the stench of blood), Katniss assures her mother that his visit is all apart of the Victory Tours routine. What a way for Katniss to think on her feet, but who knows if her mother actually bought it. Oh it's all right, Mom. The President just wanted to see how things were hanging...especially me by the neck because of this stupid tournament!! :D

After a good last minute save we're still scrambling to figure out how she can save everyone. Who should she tell first about Snow knowing she's faking her love to Peeta?

The girl has a few other things to deal with first. Cinna's Project Runway stars - Venia, Octavius and Flavia are stopping by to put the whole works on our unkempt victor. Their names make me feel like Stephanie was going full force with her Greek inspired name selection...And I can't help but think of the Fanta soda girls - even though I know Flavius is a boy in the book....(page 33)

Having been semi-decked out, we learn that the game winners have to have some sort of special talent to be interviewed about for the Victory Tours. I find this a little silly since shouldn't their talent be what made them win the hunger games; Katniss bow hunting and Peeta painting himself into a tree. Maybe they can teach a course on persevering patience because they really waited it out for everyone to kill each other.

Doesn't matter as Peeta is becoming the next Van Gogh of flower cookies, Katniss is pretty much useless in the arts field. Not having anything to show off to the media, Tim 'Cinna' Gun makes it work by letting her use his fashion designs. But if she's actually asked questions by the media, shouldn't she know more than just showing designs? Perhaps reading a fieldguide to Capital Couture might be something she could look into - if she had the time. (page 41)

Like my swirling vortex of Snow and his quest for being convinced? This is how my head spins sometimes when Katniss explains every post-Snow visit though and move.

In no time at all Katniss and Peeta are floundered with cameras, and their reunion is the starting of a slamdunk, I'd say. Katniss sees BreadBoy and runs into his arms for a kiss, essentially knocking out his one good leg and they fall into a pile of snow. (page 42)

It's full of fur and snowflakes and lipstick but underneath all that, I can feel the steadiness that Peeta brings to everything.
This is a mix of complete cornicopia of corniness and...really gushy cute.

Shuffling through the motions, Katniss and Peeta are hustled onto the train for their Victory Tour. In a free moment before lying awake in bed all night, Katniss decides to confide in Haymitch. I like how they able to measle their way to the back car brown-nosing the crew. But IF President Snow bugged the forest and found out about Katniss and Gale's kiss....How do they know the train isn't wire tapped or somethingother? (page 43)

As Katniss just prays to be able to get through this victory lap, Haymitch puts a hitch in our gittyup; the winners of the games go on to become mentors to future gamers. Sooo..the only way she and Peeta can survive is to marry. Oh, well that presents a problem.

Something tells me that Katniss is going to get her solitude because everyone is going to end up dead! Or at least Peeta and Gale. And I can start to feel my shipwhoring heart be torn apart by the madness of them both getting killed. Onto....

Chapter 4

I'd love to just break down this chapter into levels of shit going down, down, down, and the flames go higher, and it burns burns burns, the Girl on Fire, the Girl on Fire.

As Katniss' head is about to explode as she consumes the realization about her future with Peeta, without Gale, without complete singledom and solitude (I hear ya, girl!), my head too is about to explode.

The idea of her marrying Peeta, having kids, and then one of them getting chosen for a few games is a little scrambling mentally. Thankfully Katniss puts the end to those all-over-the-place thoughts. Girl, this is not the time for making wild escape plans. (page 46)

However, it eventually catches up to her when Effie Trinket (I love ya, girl) won't shut the hell up, and Katniss prompts her to shout "Nobody cares!" Though I am a strong advocate of manners - as is Effie - I have to agree with Girl Rudeness. Nobody cares right now that the train has to make a stop for repairs.

As Katniss rushes out of the train to walk, Peeta meets up with her and they have a little downtime to make a "pact" of friendship. This serves as a great sigh of relief because at least he's not hating on her after she confessed her feelings in the games were sorta genuine/sorta fake. Also, we learn that Katniss' favorite color is green, while Peeta's is orange. Orange = fire = Katniss - I gotchya Stephanie! (page 52)

Heading back to the train, Peeta leads Katniss to his compartment and shows his paintings. Immediately, Katniss declares how much she despises his work flat-out right (because they are of the games...and she's in every single one of them....). Well, her likeability points just took a hit. TACT, Katniss. You should try it?

District 11. Our first stop.

Riding into District 11, there's a foreboding of holy hell about to kick in. And right when Peeta is given permission to think and talk for himself, he proves more than disappointing. WELL SHOCKINGLY, he promises the tributes' surviving relatives a share of their winnings every year for the rest of their lives. This will go over well. (page 55)

My jaw dropped as well as my book onto the desk when I read this. Not Good, Peeta. You have burned the bread that was made of my hope you wouldn't say something hopelessly sweet yet completely thesaurus synonym for idiotic.

And, Katniss can't just let the shit that hit the fan be. She adds fuel to the fire by thanking Rue and Thresher's family; and without them she wouldn't have made it. This is nice and all until an elderly man in the crowd incites the three finger raise. When the duo make their way back into the Justice building, and Katniss peaks a moment back outside to retrieve her bouquet, well...he gets killed.

This poor extra doesn't get his SAG card... :(

NO.
President Snow is not screwing around.

Once Upon A Walking Dead: Selfless, Brave and True and This Sorrowful Life

Why Science is Sexy: A Tribute to Ian Malcolm

So Fetch Friday: Leonardo DiCaprio Saves the Candy World

The Reading Games - Chapter 1 & 2

Once Upon A Walking Dead: Questions Left Unanswered and Welcome to the Tombs

Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)

Norma Rae (1979)

So Fetch Friday: The Oscars are upon us!

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Thank You Annette Funicello

Dory Is Swimming Back to Us in 2015 + more

Seeking A Friend For The End of the World (2012)

The Reading Games: Who Will Survive?

Jurassic Park 3D (2013)

So Fetch Friday: Charlie Brown in 3D, Star Trek facts + more

The Reading Games: And So It Begins Book 2

Once Upon A Walking Dead: Lacey & TWD Season 3 Memes

Greatest College Finals Freakout

So Fetch Friday: These Pictures Exist?! + loads of links

The Reading Games: You Could Do Worse, You Know? and She does