The Hunger Games and Why I'm Out of the Loop Even With Chocolate

Before The Hunger Games came out in movie theaters across the galaxy, I had no idea about the books, even though my son had read them all at school.   Normally, I catch wind of things, you know, like Harry Potter, pretty quickly, so I knew it had to be a relatively new series.  I did the wikipedia thing and found out that the first book was published in 2008.  Books to movies are quick these days.

I read a few reviews and found that THG is simply another take on the exploration of dystopian societies.  Well, whatever, I decided to go check the movie out, especially since the young adult novel wouldn't give me a preconceived bias of how the characters should be.

I'm glad I went.  It's from a youth's perspective;  Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is the main character, who deals with 23 other children who must fight each other to the death in an expansive arena.  It's to remind to the peoples of the districts that the Capitol bosses are king, while providing entertainment for the Capitol's rich at the same time.  I enjoyed Lawrence in X-Men: First Class so I figured she'd be good here too.

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna and Donald Sutherland as President Snow provided more attraction for me too.

So off we went, to the Mall, with Jones Soda and fair trade chocolate, Camino Almonds and Raisins.  Although our local theater closed down back in January, we're still not used to spending so much more money or wasting a lot of time to get out to see a movie, so we don't go as often.

We went early and it turned out to be a good thing, since it sold out fast.  Sitting on the floor, waiting to be let into the theater was a strange experience--it made me think that THG was some sort of spectacular story.

Once settled into our seats with the smuggled goodies and cooled popcorn, we took it in.   I enjoyed the action.  Of course, the suspension of disbelief needed to be doubled with such things like Katniss getting hurt and using super powerful healing medicine, or the cat-like creatures that came out of the woods to attack them near the end.

Her relationship with Josh Hutercherson's Peeta, which Haymitch forced her to play up to the crowd, seemed forced to the point that she was uncomfortable most of the time.  I didn't buy it, but I think I was expected to.

I wanted to see more of Sutherland.  What they gave us of Woody made up for that, though.  And so did the Camino chocolate.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the movie and felt for the main characters.  As an adult, I'm not sure why there were huge lineups for it, but maybe the craze and excitement comes from younger generations. The actors did a great job of expressing teenage emotions and anxieties.  I really felt sad about Rue, played by Amandla Stenberg.

Looks like I need to read the books now! Hopefully I'll have enough chocolate to last to the end.

Ratings:

The Hunger Games:  7.5 / 10  A nice story presented with solid acting and visuals, but nowhere near as great as all the hype made it out to be.

Camino Almonds and Raisins:  8.5 / 10  Mmm, nice fair trade dark chocolate with just the right amount of almonds and raisins.  The only complaint here is single serving size, which obviously needs to be doubled.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo & My Own Cookies

It's about time I get off my tail and write a bit on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I went to see this movie, which I'd waited for over a year for, for several reasons.  First, I'd zipped through the trilogy and second, I can't get enough of Daniel Craig.

Now, I'm not saying that in a Oh-He's-Hot kind of way; he brings a sense of emotional awareness to a lot of his characters, and okay, sure, he really does a great job of filling out his pants.  Anyway ...

We went to the big corporate movie theater to see this movie.  And since I had just enough money--yeah, I'm self-employed, so sue me--I sneaked snacks into it.  Hey, even the people with me, who weren't financially doomed, brought in goodies.

So, armed with a bottle of Jones Soda, Pringles Original chips, and my very own chocolate hemp seed macaroon cookies--wait, what?  Yes, my cookies, made with cane sugar, unsweetened organic coconut and cocoa.   No popcorn.  Sigh.

What?  Oh, the movie, right ...  I haven't seen the original movies, so I can't compare, but I can offer my thoughts on this one.  Right from the start, it was clear that the creators put a lot of effort into pulling it off; it was like they knew they were in competition with the first movie and that audiences would be using it as a marker.

For the first time ever, I actually enjoyed a cover of Led Zeppelin, with Trent Reznor's version of "Immigrant Song," used in the intro.  That's just me, though.  Although they were quite visually stunning, the graphics for it seemed to fit the style of a James Bond movie rather than the presentation of Lisbeth's story.

Onto the actors, with Daniel Craig playing a quiet Mikael Blomkvist, Rooney Mara as frustrated Lisbeth Salander, Stellan Skarsgard as the charmingly slippery Martin Vanger and Christopher Plummer appearing here and there as likable Henrik Vanger.

First off, I'd never seen Skarsgard play the villain, but his creep was spot on, especially when he toyed with Craig in the basement scene.  Mara pulled off Salander's look and reached a wide range of her emotions.  She pulled all the right strings, especially in the cringe-worthy scenes and in the end, when she ditched the jacket and road off on her bike.  Yes, me and my fellow movie pals ducked and stared at the floor during the grim rape scenes.  Could they have left those out?  No.

Craig downplayed his charismatic energy, which worked, since the audience needed to connect with Lisbeth's suffering, not his.  Although I have to note, as Vanger worked him over in the basement, it reminded me of his Bond in Casino Royale.  Ooops.

I agreed with the overall cinematography, which solidified the tone of a gritty, modern Sweden in winter against the backdrop of post-WWII Vanger family history.  And even though I already knew the outcome, which was unbelievable in the book too (Salander hacks her way into a mountain of money), I wanted to see how this film would play out.

It brought contenment.  In fact, I think I'll go see it again, on cheap night, and bring more cookies.  But we'll do popcorn this time.

Rating:

The Girl w t Dragon Tattoo:  8 / 10 - Well put together, with the right amount of action and grit.  Avert eyes for disturbing rape scenes.

Pringles Original:  8 / 10 - You can't go wrong with these chips. Salty goodness, but they just ain't movie popcorn.

My Own Chocolate Cookies:  9 / 10  - Filled with coconut, hemp seed, and chocolate yum, everybody thought they tasted good.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Goodbyes, & Sad Chocolate

A few days ago, we headed out to our local downtown movie theater, the Palace for the last time.  Choosing Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows for the last movie to see in a theater that has been rebuilt since its creation 91 years ago, we settled in for the show.

Of course, we came prepared, with Jones Soda for me and Turin's Baileys Irish Cream chocolate for everybody, which we bought at the local drugstore.  Popcorn with fountain pop rounded out the gorge-fest.

I looked forward to seeing Robert Downey Jr's Holmes and Rachel McAdam's Irene Adler interact on the big screen again.  They didn't disappoint, but Adler's time on screen turned out to be minimal, as Noomi Rapace's character, Madam Simza Heron, took over for most of the movie.

I think I felt more grief at the lack of Adler's presence than Holmes.  Don't get me wrong, Rapace did great in her portrayal of Heron, but I missed the Holmes-Adler connection.  I haven't read the actual stories since childhood --and I'm very old, so ... maybe that's the way it goes in the story, but ...

Okay, even with that reality, Holmes could have been given more than a few looks and a handkerchief to show his own sadness.  Okay, the hanky blew out to see, time to move on ...

While Jared Harris did solid work of portraying Prof. James Moriarty, I didn't feel the same suspense between his character and Holmes as there was in the first Sherlock Holmes.  Mark Strong's Lord Blackwood actually scared Holmes, who needed to figure out the villain's plan.  With Moriarty, it's simply a chess battle of moves, not a puzzle.  Sure, there is investigative work to be done, but there are no question marks.

The movie, despite those disappointments, is a fun ride, full of visual candy and more of the same style of the first.  The story takes us beyond the streets of London onto a train, out into the woods, and to places such as Sweden's Reichenbach Falls, but, complete with a fictional castle, is computer generated. The CGI is done in good taste.

Along with action, we got humorous bits.  All I have to say is, the poor pony.  Hopefully he or she had a stunt double for the scenes with Holmes. The segment where Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes showed us his all--and I do mean his all--proved to be less dangerous but no less funny.

Of course, the last scene --or what I think should have been the last--must be discussed.  The final chess/physical battle between Holmes and Moriarty.  Yes, Richie did an artful job of it, but he didn't end it there; he let Jude Law's Watson take over, leaving of course, a question mark on whether there will be a 3rd movie.

I say sure, but only if Adler is brought back. Hey, it's Hollywood, why not!  In the end, the movie did provide decent entertainment; we ended up going downtown one last time to see it again and say a final goodbye to the theater.

Rating:

A Game of Shadows:  8 / 10 - We got our money's worth in eye candy and action.  Plus, we saw it twice, so that says something too!

Turin Baileys Irish Cream chocolates:  4 / 10  These chocolates get a fail, even though we bought them on sale.  They did not taste like other liqueurs, being way too mild, and the chocolate itself was bland.  Never again.  Ah well... at least we had Jones Soda and popcorn!

Hangover 2 Saved By Chocolate

Last night I headed downtown to catch the sequel to the Hangover.  I couldn't go wrong on Cheap Night--or so I thought.  Armed with Jones Soda, plain brown rice cakes, and Dubble chocolate bars, I met up with a pal.  Before you raise the eyebrows at rice cakes, it's important to note here that with all the summer movies out there, I'm budgeting the entertainment funds.

We were both excited about seeing the Coop as Phil again.  Quite pleasing to look at, he played the same let's-keep-it-together character as in the last film, but with a meaner twist.  It was odd hearing him say the F-word no less than 50 billion times.  I know, it's rated R for language, nudity, drug use, violence... but come on already.  Did his contract call for so many swear words per page of script?

Added to that, Phil came across as extra prickly and defiant.  I had no fun watching him.  Yeah, he lead the trio, but he had a pissy mood about him and the bit where he tried to steal one of Stu's prescription pads came across as over the top for the character.  He's far less likable in this installment.

And now we come to the role of women in the movie.  Sure, it's about guys and a bachelor party, but in the first one, we got a fitting taste of Heather Graham, who added a sense of feminine balance.  Aside from looking worried and getting upset about the boys' late arrival, the girls didn't say anything.  Now, I must note that a prostitute got a few lines, but she really wasn't what she seemed.  *wink wink*

Plot?  Oh, right, yeah, that thing.  Well, to be honest, I set out to see the movie to get my Phil of the Coop (get it?  Phil?  Fill?...).  Yeah, I laughed along with the other people in the audience at moments, even though the film, scene for scene, copied the first one in its entirety.  I did know that going into it.  Same setup, same action, same ending, the only difference being that it took place in Bangkok instead of Vegas.  Oh, and they went for the gritty look rather than flash, which worked great as an anti-party commercial.

Aside from the grungy core of the film, the intro and wedding scenes were done with some polish.  The opening credits worked as a deceptive pull.  A nice trick, it pulled my guard down, leaving me wide open for things like the chopped finger, multiple flaccid 'weenises,' and what Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) refers to as 'squalor.'

Oh, the monkey.  He smokes (see the suave chromatographic scene with his silhouette), and develops a friendship with Alan (Zach Galifianakis).  He takes the place of the tiger.  Not only do the guys have to return him, they have to retrieve him, so I guess there's a tiny variation on the plot from the first movie.  Yeah.

All in all, despite a few laughs and knowing nods, I wouldn't go see Hangover 2 again, nor would I rent it.  Maybe the cynical presentation put me off, or the forced swearing, or Phil's irritable demeanor, but whatever the root, it fell flat for me.

Ratings:

Hangover 2:  6 / 10 - It gets such a high score because the Coop looked good no matter what scene he showed up in and hey, Ken Jeong is always a laugh.  ...and the music rocked, just as it did in the first one.

plain brown rice cakes: 7 / 10 -  Hey, popcorn always rates as top for grazing food while taking in a movie.  Although much healthier, with far less calories, and far cheaper, the rice needed some sort of spice.

Dubble chocolate:  9 / 10 - Even though it melted on the way to the theater (ooops), it tasted good.  The only issue I had with it was the shape being thick instead of thin and wide like a regular chocolate bar.  Every crispy chocolate bite went down smooth and bonus, it's Fair Trade!  It more than made up for the limp movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 & Smuggled Treasures

On cheap night Tuesday, we headed out to the Mall to see Pirates 4. Busing it to such a place makes my skin crawl and the lighting does weird things to my eyes, but we had to see Disney's 4th installment of the series.

Gearing up for the movie, I smuggled in Jones Soda, Green Apple flavour, and Nativa milk chocolate. The risk of being sent to the gallows was worth it. Horrid tasting fountain pop and cheap concession stand chocolate candy do nothing for my taste buds.

We bought one of those combos that comes with 2 giant sized drinks, 1 enormous bag of popcorn, and a thing of miniature candy bars. One of my pals took the two drinks, since he drinks like a fish. Once he quickly drank the first pop, I poured the Green Apple over his leftover ice.

Cue the movie: When I saw previews showing some of the interaction between Jack Sparrow (Depp) and Angelica Malon (Penélope Cruz), To be honest, the whole Will Turner/Elizabeth Swan plot of the previous movies bored me nearly to death.

Well, imagine my surprise when the whole Jack/Angelica relationship turned out to be a bunch of tease! What? It's all verbal acrobatics, jokes about their previous time together while she stayed in a convent, ie: 'Was I your first?' he asked. The real question is, will the fifth movie be the first in which Jack gets to show us some of that reputation of his?

Yeah, there'll be a fifth movie. The end of this one (after the 3 hour reel of credits roles by) indicates as much. Hey, you don't kill the cash cow when it's still churning out the goods.

Okay, so the love element is, once again, presented by a young, virginal couple, bible-thumper Philip (Sam Claflin) and mermaid Syerena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey). They hookup when the pirates and the British and Spanish navies go on the hunt for vampires - I mean - mermaids, as part of the quest for the Fountain of Youth. That scene, with its bevy of vampish--er, fishy--women, comes off as a nice nod to Brahm Stoker's Dracula.

Speaking of the un-dead, zombies are included in this movie. Sadly, they don't get much screen time, other than to look the part and handle a few tiny bits of action. Course, they get more action than the Black Pearl's monkey and the Pearl herself. Yeah, it's gone, stuck in a bottle. Poor thing. Oh well, maybe she'll be riding the high seas in #5? No doubt, mate.

I'm running out of space, so I better talk about the villains here. They served up Blackbeard (Ian McShane), to balance out Balbosa (Geoffrey Rush). Yawn. My Green Apple soda offered more of a bite. I guess they spoiled us with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). I didn't find Blackbeard or his ship the slightest bit intimidating. Mutiny? You bet. I want Davy back.

Balbosa did a far better job of being creepy. All he had to do was put on a British navy uniform and one of those wigs. *shudder* It worked for me. I didn't feel comfortable until he put his pirate gear back on. ...and here I throw in a quick nod to Mr. Gibbs (Kevin McNally), who sadly, didn't get his usual story-telling space--Balbosa stole that. Hrmpf.

Oh yes, the last thing to mention is the plot. The what? That's what I said. The hunt for the Fountain acted as the thin thread that bound it all together. Small points like the historical English-Spanish rivalry got a few acknowledgements. And, of course, we laughed at all the right places.

Pirates 4: 7 / 10 ~ Despite the disappointments mentioned above, it's still a fun movie to watch. I'd go see it again, but I hope they make Jack and Angelica the love interest in Pirates 5.

Food: 10 / 10 ~ Everything, from the popcorn to the chocolate and Crab Apple, tasted just right. In fact, the soda kept its flavour the entire movie.  

Hangover 1 & Eating Like You've Got One...

Hangover Part II comes out May 26th.  Oh my.  Bradley Cooper is in it.  I have no idea who the other actors are, except for Mike Tyson (only because of his infamy, I can't really call him an actor).  Yes, it is wrong to slight the rest of the team--but it's all about The Coop.

In order to celebrate the coming event of HPII, we decided to obtain a copy of The Hangover.  Now, just to be clear here, we did in fact purchase it, as we do all our movies/music/books.  As an artist, I believe in giving other artisans their due payment.

To watch such a fun movie, we needed to prepare for the optimum viewing experience. It included making sure we had enough food and drink to stuff our glutinous mouths continuously.  Such decisions need to be made with careful consideration.  We ended up choosing Jones' Soda Blue Bubble Gum, Kernels' cheese popcorn, and a couple of Laura Secord's "Easter Eggs."*

*Warning:  Do not try this at home unless you have the tolerance for way too much sugar all at once.

The movie, which I'd seen before, turned out to be just as hilarious the second time round.  Say what you want about the bachelor party debate, but I didn't watch it to critique the societal significance of various themes.  The Coop, action, and absurd possibilities were about all that interested me, and the movie did not disappoint.  Yes, the Coop as an underpaid school teacher...

While the whole cast was solid, Ken Jeong, the actor who played Mr. Chow, went above and beyond during his short on-screen appearances. He pulled off some great comedic timing.  From the previews of HPII, it appears that he's going to be back and in fine form.  Good.  On a sad note, Heather Graham won't be returning.

The subplot that revolved around the tiger bothered me enough that even suspended disbelief couldn't cut it, I'll admit.  First, doesn't keeping a tiger in a hotel room over night mean that the place would stink up with mountains of cat crap, and second, would any exotic animal owner in their right mind let a bunch of hungover idiots transport the pet back home?  I mean, come on, not even Tyson would let that go down. None of that ruined the tasty eating, though, fortunately.

While observing the scene where Phil (The Coop), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zack Galifianakis) and Baby Tyler (played by a bunch of different infant actors) are sitting at a table, trying to figure out the night before, I had an epiphany:  Jones Soda needs to create a flavour called 'The Coop.'  It's a great idea, I hope that other soda companies don't read this and make it first...


Ratings:


The Hangover:  8.5 / 10  - Great action, lively interaction, funny scenes, suspension of disbelief worked, but, sadly, there wasn't enough screen time given to The Coop.  Oh well.

Jones Soda:  9 / 10 - Mmm, refreshing blue bubble gum taste, done up with inverted cane sugar (always a bonus, if you're gonna choose sugar), and looked quite pretty in the glass mug with ice cubes.  The only draw back was that damn, those bottles are so small.

Kernels:  6.5 / 10 - Not bad for fresh popcorn to chew on like a hungry cow while watching a movie, but it didn't have the best cheese flavour and the popcorn was nowhere near as firm and crunchy as traditional movie popcorn.  Lesson learned.

Laura Secord:  8.5 / 10 - To be honest, I didn't even look at the ingredients before devouring the 75g egg. Crazy.  I knew that the taste of Secord chocolates is on average, good.  My mouth enjoyed the gooey insides and breaking off bits of the outer chocolate shell.  The only downside to such a treat was the price; which was steep even on sale.