Tag: The Hunger Games

Review: The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give features Amandla Stenberg in an Oscar-worthy performance as Starr Carter, a 16 year old girl who navigates life between her Black community at home and the white high performance school she attends. This review contains spoilers.Continue Reading: Review: The Hate U Give

Watch This: New Trailer for Red Sparrow

I’m not sure how I feel about Red Sparrow. It has Jennifer Lawrence in the starring role, but she doesn’t seem to be in control of her own destiny. Red Sparrow looks like male driven, violent drama to me. What do you think? Continue Reading: Watch This: New Trailer for Red Sparrow

Watch This: Trailer for Red Sparrow

Red Sparrow stars Jennifer Lawrence in a thriller about a Russian ballerina turned spy. Continue Reading: Watch This: Trailer for Red Sparrow

Review: The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2

The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 was the only one of the series I missed seeing in the theaters. It’s been a long wait for it to reach a streaming service, but it is at last on Amazon Prime. This film seemingly ends the saga of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her quest to save the world. Continue Reading: Review: The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2

The Brain Dump: Random Short Thoughts

A brain dump is one of those things I do when I have just a thought to share on something. It’s a random mess.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is so genial and agreeable on Cosmos. He states the science in the friendliest possible way. But, underneath his low-key style is the knowledge that he’s showing all the misguided fools who don’t believe in science the truth. It’s very effective.

The Bletchley Circle
The Bletchley Circle image © World Productions 2013

The Bletchley Circle from PBS is brilliant. I wish there were more than 4 episodes to a season. It captures the time and place with perfect clarity and the women are smart and courageous.

Divergent was good. Not as good as The Hunger Games, but good enough to create a new young female heroine and to guarantee that the next movie in the series will be well attended. Going out to see it was my birthday present to myself, and it was the perfect gift. It felt too long, but that was mostly because there were at least 30 minutes of previews of coming attractions before the film started. THAT was definitely too much.

20 Feet From Stardom is an absolute delight! Wonderful music, fascinating women with so much talent and who are so under appreciated. You must watch it.

Pink: The Truth About Love Tour – Live from Melbourne. Spectacular film! I’m glad I wasn’t there with all the yelling and screaming. I completely enjoyed seeeing it on film, however. A concert for elders via the TV! What a performance and what brilliant stunts and athletic feats. And, hey, I’d just watched 20 Feet From Stardom so I gotta tell you that I looked up Pink’s backup singers and learned their names.

Last night’s live concert in Nashville from the cast of Nashville was fabulous. Missed Connie Britton, but it was great to see these actors just sing. So much musical talent.

It’s my week for music, because I also watched The Punk Singer, a film about Kathleen Hanna. I’d heard of her but didn’t know much more than that she was associated with a women’s movement and made music. The film was my education into both Kathleen Hanna and the Riot Grrl movement. An inspiring woman and a great leader. I wish her well and hope her health continues to improve.

 

6 Movies to Watch at Home over the Thanksgiving Holiday

If you can pry the TV away from the football fans, there are many good movies available for instant streaming that can be fun for a family holiday weekend. Here are a few ideas for your Thanksgiving viewing.

For the Grown-Ups

Robot & Frank poster
Robot & Frank poster

Robot & Frank is delightful. Frank, warmly played by Frank Langella, is a former jewel thief and second story man who is losing himself to Alzheimer’s. His son, James Marsden, gives him a robot butler to take care of him. The robot makes sure he eats healthy and takes his pills. Plus, the robot can carry on an interesting conversation. One problem – or bonus – the robot makes no moral judgements about theft. The robot is voiced with great charm by Peter Sarsgaard.

Robot & Frank appeals because of its older lead characters. Here’s another.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel poster

A more complex story with many more characters that would do well for the family over a holiday weekend is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The cast includes many of the world’s best actors, most of whom are over 50! There will be a part 2 of this delightful movie in the future.

For the Younger Crowd

If you plan on heading out to the theater to watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, why not watch the original The Hunger Games before you go to refresh everyone on the story?

The Hunger games poster
The Hunger Games poster

Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is an inspiring character that everyone in the crowd can root for.

There’s plenty of action in The Hunger Games, but another action-filled option for the late teen/young adult contingent would be The Avengers.

The Avengers poster
The Avengers poster

Everybody loves a good superhero, right?

For the Little Ones

Why not step back in time a bit to something the kiddos haven’t already watched 80 times in the last week. And why not pick something with enough humor to keep the adults interested, too. Once such choice is Cars.

Cars poster
Cars poster

Don’t be afraid to go way, way back to old classics. They always satisfy and keep the little ones glued to the floor until dinner is ready. How about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang one more time? You know you enjoy it.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang poste
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang poster

Our modern world brings so much choice in entertainment into your home every day. Why not put some of these movies in your watch list for the holiday?

Interesting Tweets from the San Diego Comic Con 2013

There is some fan insanity going on in San Diego this weekend. Here are some interesting tweets about some of my favorite shows and stars from the event.

From the SyFy show Defiance cast member Jaime Murray. Jaime Murry is also in another favorite show of mine, Warehouse 13.

Jaime Murray posted lots of pics. Check her Twitter feed for a lot more, like this one referencing Warehouse 13. You may be able to find one similar to this of her giving her co-star Joanne Kelly a smooch, something we have yet to see on Warehouse 13.

Here’s one from Lost Girl star Ksenia Solo, who puts a lot of photos on Instagram.

  From a fan of The Hunger Games.

Here’s what the fans camped out all night to see.

A lot of happy fans got to stand beside their favorites.

Here’s a video of a session with Orphan Black cast members. Since this video is long, I’ll end with it.

Do a Twitter search on #SDCC for thousands more tweets like these.