"The Hunger Games" movie analysis (warning: contains SPOILERS)

In class right now, my students are working on "comparing and contrasting" as a way to deepen their thinking. In the spirit of this learning, I would like to do the same with "The Hunger Games" - movie vs. book.

We all know most novels are superior to their movie companions and "The Hunger Games" did not waiver in this regard. It was excellent, and certain scenes displayed flashes of brilliance, but it could not hold a torch to the original.

Here are the things I wish would have been included in the movie (warning- spoilers):

- The hob should have been featured for longer than one minute. The set designers did an incredible job depicting it and I felt it warranted more air time.

- The MOCKINGJAY pin! AHHH... so annoyed with how this correspondence took place. I get they had to show the love Katniss had for her sister but I feel this may cause issues with later movie adaptations (where Madge plays a more significant role). Also, the significance of the MockingJay was NEVER explained in the movie. So, while readers of the book would know, other viewers would not. But, I guess this is their problem as they should have probably read the book first.

- The cornucopia is looked way too "star wars-y" and silver. Also the whole cornucopia scene with Cato and the mutts at the climax??! I know they needed to speed things up... but they left out some important details (like the mutts having the eyes of the dead tributes- a passage in the book that left me with goosebumps).

- No bread from District 11. Instead they show a riot/rebellion. While this does aid in the picture the trilogy makes later on, I think it would have been fairly easy to add the bread in.

- Peeta was TOO nice and caring in the movie. In the book, Katniss does not trust him for quite some time and he is a bit more "sneaky and mysterious." Also, when he joins the careers, there are only those kids from districts 1 and 2, when district FOUR is also supposed to be a career district.

- Lastly, while I get the shaky camera was to make us feel we were moving with Katniss, I think it might make some people feel nauseous and dizzy. Very "Blair Witchish"


What was OUTSTANDING in the movie and did justice to the novel:

- All of the clothing worn by the Capital citizens... I am already getting some Halloween costume ideas!

- Jennifer Lawerence did an amazing job playing the protagonist (Katniss). She seemed bad-ass, yet also like able and modest at the same time.

- Woody Harrelson's "Haymitch" was spot on! Exactly how I pictured the mentor of District 12. Although, I would have made him add a few dozen lbs or wear padding.

- District 12 was also just has I envisioned it to look. Very much like the current state of the Appalachian Mountain towns are today.

- The use of the game makers and Caesar Flickerman to explain things going on in the games. In the book, this all is done through Katniss' monologue and I was wondering how they would convey these ideas in the movie.


All in all, this movie earns 4 out of 5 stars from this viewer for its stellar acting, costume/set design and likeness to the novel. However, I strongly recommend reading the book (all three) before watching the movie. Whenever I attempt the reverse (move, then book) I am not able to create the images of what I see in writing in my own mind. Instead, I allow the movie version to take over during the reading- making it a less enjoyable experience.

Also... I already have my "Effie Trinket" costume planned out for Halloween this year!
Happy Hunger Games... and may the odds be ever in your favor.

I'm back...sort of

For all of you (by ALL I mean two)wondering "hey, Allison has not posted anything for a while" allow me to fill you in with my whereabouts. I have been in my den. Working on my classes for my Master's degree in Literacy. Not the most exciting excuse in the world, but it does zap a majority of my energy for writing.

Every so often, an idea for a blog entry pops into my mind... and then I realize I have a paper due or a discussion post to write. What I present to you today is a mishmash of random thoughts, questions and happenings that have been entering my mind as of late:

1) In a desperate attempt to hold on to my youth, I have been a faithful viewer of the show "Pretty Little Liars" on ABC family. Tomorrow, "A" will be revealed! I have not been this excited for a season final since Beverly Hills 90210 (the REAL one) featuring Mel and Jackie's wedding. So excited that I have even joined the Facebook group for the show, along with the other (mostly teenage) fans.

2) This is my 2nd year doing Crossfit and I decided to enter the "Crossfit Games" which is open to all athletes. Each week there is a new workout and scores are posted online. Currently I am ranked 2000 something in the world which I thought was fairly decent... until I discovered a woman who is THIRTY WEEKS pregnant is way ahead of me! Still though, I have surprised myself with my strength and ability over the last few weeks, especially during one workout where I had to "snatch" 75lbs!

3) I have a new reading obsession that began back when it snowed in January... The Hunger Games Trilogy. I actually finished the books in three consecutive days and I did not want the third one to end. Unlike the Twilight books, these feature a STRONG female protagonist with an actual personality.

Usually I am not a fan of Sci-Fi/Dystopian literature and gravitate toward historical or realistic-fiction, but these books have converted me temporarily. Hopefully the movie (which I plan to see this Friday) does the books justice.

4) Even though it snowed today, I am very much looking forward to spring. Sandals and open-toed shoes, bright printed skirts, colorful pants and new sunglasses. I love spring and summer fashion, no matter how briefly the seasons may last here in Washington. Not to mention the outdoor happy hours, taking Teddy on walks in the late evening (when it is still light out) and running outside without a fleece on!

5)Since heading back to school (well, virtually anyways)I have come to appreciate the easy time I had when in high school and college. It is clear to me know that I took this all for granted when I was younger. Working 50 hours per week and THEN having to do homework directly relating to said job is not my idea of a good time. Hopefully it will all be worth it in the end when I earn my pay raise...

I would love to write more, but I have been starring at the computer screen for over four hours today to write a paper on incorporating vocabulary into Instruction. Riveting, I know.

I know, I know... I despise everything that is popular

Before you say, "wait, she hates all things currently trendy and popular" let me begin by informing you I did just read all three "Hunger Games" books and loved them (although the first one was definitely the best) and those are VERY trendy and popular.

Now that I have let you in on that fun fact, I will say it...

I think "Pinterest" is completely idiotic.

I, like everybody else, tried out this new networking site. I even "pinned" and "liked" the links, fashion and recipes people had posted. And, as you read on a previous blog post, I did enjoy the "sock bun" idea from one Pinterster (sp?).

However, I found that I could not really get into the whole concept behind this website. After about 10 log-ins, I was bored. I tried my best to enjoy Pinterest, but just could not succumb to its grasp.

After tackling with the cause of this for some time, I have come up with the top TEN reasons why we just did not click:

1) Pinterest is basically a giant google search narrowed down. It is true. Everything people so creatively post on Pinterst can be accessed by googling a subject or idea. I guess it makes it easier to find said things and track them, but isn't that what your favorites are for?

2) I am never actually going to be able to afford the outfits featured on people's boards. Those are runway outfits... nobody can buy them in real life.

3) DIY projects are so not me. I would rather save the time and buy the item from a local artist and support my community. Not to bash on people who can recreate these DIY projects. I am in fact jealous, but I have discovered I am better off leaving these projects to those with true talent.

4) I forget that i have anything on my boards. For example, there was a delicious recipe for a cake on Pinterest. I "pinned" it to my imaginary board. And there it remained. When I wanted to bake said cake, did I return to the site and search for it on my board? No. I simply googled it. There is was. Super easy. Another reason why google kicks a%$!

5) I don't want to read people's captions about each item on Pinterest. Mainly because I forget to write my own and then it looks like I wrote the comment. This can be especially detrimental when the previous caption-writer is a moron.

6) Wouldn't it just be better to read a craft/style/home blog or go on etsy? Or Tumblr?

7) People post random quotes. This reminds me of high school, when I would write quotes all over my binder. Why would anybody want a random quote on a pretend cork board?

8) There are TONS of beautiful home decorating ideas on Pinterest. However since I do not live in A) a huge mansion b) a log cabin or c) a beach home, these ideas would all look ridiculous in my 1300 square foot townhouse. Not to mention, I cannot afford a $10, 000 couch. Sure. It is fun to look and get ideas, but again...isn't that why search engines and blogs exist?

10) The whole I idea one has to be "invited" is, in my opinion extremely juvenile. I have not heard of anybody denied membership to Pinterest. Perhaps if they were more exclusive, it would interest me to a greater degree? Maybe a test and initiation of sorts?


In conclusion, I really did want to LIKE Pinterest (just like I attempted to do with the "Twilight" series). However, I have decided I would rather waste my time in more productive ways. Like playing "Words with Friends" on Facebook...

NYE

Today is New Year's Eve. A time for renewal, resolutions and goals for the future. For many, it is also the biggest night of the year to party! For years, I felt the same. My friends and I would spend weeks figuring out where to celebrate, what to wear and how to where to stay. After the planning was complete, outfits were purchased and the big day had arrived...I found that New Year's Eve never quite lived up to its hype. It often ended with drama, boredom or simply a feeling of being let down of the promises of the night it was supposed to be.

After talking with a good friend (and former roommate) today, I decided to list memories of New Year's past. The good, the bad and the ugly:

1) Last year, after viewing some wonderful fireworks on Queen Anne hill, Adam and I opted to play it safe and cab it back to our hotel. However, there were NO cabs to be found. We walked and walked...past a shady night club, shady people and about two miles back to our hotel. This might be a slight exaggeration but being that I was in heel, it might as well of been ten miles.

2) Speaking of cabs, we should have learned this lesson several years ago when there were not cabs available in Belltown either. Lesson learned- it is impossible to hail a cab in Seattle on NYE.

3) Going back a bit farther in time...way back to when I was a 23-year-old student teacher and still living at home. Because there was not enough excitement in Mill Creek at this time (although The Jet may have been a lively option) a huge group of us girls decided to stay in Seattle and hit up a party at this club called "China Harbor." Thinking back on this night still makes me cringe.

I won't go into all of the details, but let's just say it involved me getting a bit intoxicated (pretty sure I missed the toasting at midnight), having my purse and coat stolen from coat check, a fire alarm pulled at the hotel and a HUGE headache the following morning.

4) You think I would have learned from the night at China Harbor, but that was not the case. In 2004 (2005 at midnight) we were invited to yet another party at a club. This one had the promise of being more adult, since there was a great band performing (G Love and Special Sauce). The night started out okay, but we soon realized the drinks were both expensive and scarce...pretty sure I waited for 30 minutes to get a beer. When we finally secured a bottle of bubbly, somebody took it and downed the whole thing right in front of us!

The night ended with me getting hit in the face (long story), my friend patting me on the head and driving about 6 people home in my grandfather's car. It is okay, the lack of alcohol (two beers the whole night) and slap really sobered me up.

On a positive note, the following morning (on New Year's Day) was the first time I talked to my (now) husband, Adam when my roommate and I decided to prank call him (really mature, I know). I guess things really do happen for a reason.

Happy New Year everybody!

"She's Crafty" ...or not so much.

There are many things I am skilled at. I run races at a quick pace (not record-breaking but still fairly decent), can read a novel in several days and throw a softball harder than many men. One area ,however, that is not my forte...crafts. At all. I mean I am probably the least "crafty" person you will ever encounter. To truly understand this, we need to go back. Way back to middle school...

During electives rotation, I was enrolled in "Home and Family Living" and we were working on a sewing unit. Each of us to select a pattern for a stuffed animal to sew and work on it during class. I still do not understand why we not given a simpler task to begin the unit-such as sewing on a button. Or even a useful skill... such as hemming pants, but I digress.

Anyways, I struggled constantly with my stuffed dog. In the process, I broke two needles and one sewing machine and the poor guy ended up looking nothing like the picture (poor guy). To make matters worse, the teacher graded these IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE CLASS-embarrassing. Needless to say, she was not too pleased with my product, especially when it fell apart in her hands.

Years later, in college I was seriously lacking funds and decided to make "no-sew" blankets as gifts for Christmas. Since this did not involve any actual sewing how difficult could it be? After purchasing the required fleece fabric from Michael's, I went to town. The first side of the blanket went pretty well. However as I progressed to the other three sides, the blanket became smaller and smaller. Soon, it did not really resemble a blanket at all. It sort of looked like a distorted pillow.

Luckily, I landed a holiday job at Starbucks...meaning my family received real gifts and not the fleece messes intended for them.

Don't worry...there were many other "failed" crafting attempts in college that did end up as presents for others: Picture collages, poem books (sorry Emily) and of course Moge Poge(sp?) picture frames and boxes.

After college my crafting attempts came to a halt. It is a good thing I teach middle school because I do not think the kids or their parents would have been pleased with my bulletin boards or art projects in the classroom.

Recently, I joined the site "Pinterest" where posters "pin" ideas for fashion, decorating, cooking and...CRAFTS! Perhaps I could tap into my inner artist after all- everything looked so easy to create. The clever fall and winter decor made with random objects found around the the house would be a breeze to duplicate! I would just need to get some basics to get me going...

But it was not to be. I nearly had a panic attack from the massiveness of JoAnn fabrics. There was way too much to take in, and after adding up the prices of what was in my basket, I decided it was not worth it. So, I headed to Pier 1 to purchase items for my tablescape. I reasoned it would be cheaper in the long run (as I would most likely mess up the homeade decorations and have to start over).


Although I have struggled with crafting throughout the years, one artistic feat I did have was baking and decorating "Cake Pops" for my co-workers. Even though they did not not look as nice as the ones on the box, they tasted delicious and that is what really matter, right?

Oh, and I can make a KILLER "Sock Bun!"
http://thatwifeblog.com/2011/08/the-sock-bun/

Halloween..it's the one night a year...

I am all for letting your "inner slut" shine through on Halloween. Go ahead. Dress as a "sexy ladybug" or a "sexy construction worker." Heck, even sport a "prostitute" or "Stripper" outfit. It is the one time a year where we can truly become somebody else for the day.

That being said, the one genre of "slut gear" that irks me is when said sexy costume is a child's costume. I mean when the actual character is a child and then the costume is sluttified*...seems a tad paedophilic* if you ask me. Here are some examples I have spotted around town over the years. (These are costumes that should never be worn in the "sexy variety")

- Sexy Strawberry Shortcake (pretty sure she was about 4 years old...eww)
- Sexy Raggedy Anne
- Sexy Alice in Wonderland (she was, like 10 in the book)
- Sexy Gingerbread Boy (this one is just plain wrong...dressing as a sexy boy?)
- Sexy Miss Muffett
- Sexy Bo Peep
- A Sexy baby (okay, I did not really see this costume, but would not be surprised if some college girl wore it last weekend).

I admit... in my day, I have created some scandalous costumes. Halloween would stretch over a 4-night (hazy) escapade, requiring one to come up with separate costumes for each drunken evening. Sometimes, said costumes were not even for Halloween, but for a Fraternity Philanthropy (exhibit A: piece of red, sequin fabric tied around to resemble a shirt/bra).

As I get older, I realize I should cherish those days, when Halloween was just a reason to show some serious skin.

Now that I am out of my 20's, I realize grown women look ridiculous in "Legs Avenue" costumes- or maybe we look even better (minus the freshman 15?), but nevertheless, the sexy gear has retreated to the costume bin in my storage closet.

My only plea is for all college girls (and perhaps some older women as well)... to pick your "sexy" costume responsible. No normal man is going to be into an adult women dressed a slutty "Dora the Explorer."



*not sure if these are real words, except maybe in the Urban Dictionary, but they seemed to fit with the context of this entry!

It is fall

When I was younger, I absolutely loved summer and despised when the days became shorter and evenings colder, darker and usually (in Seattle anyhow) rainier. Summer was always my favorite time of year. I could hang out in my jean shorts (jorts) and flip-flops and read a good book outside until 7 or 8 pm. Oh yeah, and as a teacher, I also have the summers off, making it all the more relaxing.

I never understood when people claimed that fall (FALL) was their favorite season. How could anybody like fall? They would try to persuade me with talk of cute sweaters, new boots, and the great scenery of the leaves changing. Never, did I comprehend their reasoning. SUMMER, not fall was the best season.

This year, however, I am beginning to rethink my past beliefs. Fall just might be my favorite season after all. Why the change of heart, you might ask? Here are a few reasons for the change:

1) The fact I had purchased a new pair of black boots and was ecstatic when the morning was finally cool enough for me to sport them with my new skirt, rather then wearing my peep-toed pumps. Also, the boots are much more comfortable...

2) It is much more enjoyable to go for a run in the crisp air than in the scorching heat. I also was able to take in the fall foliage as I ventured around Edmonds.

3) Being lazy is easier, MUCH easier when it is not sunny outside. Finally, an excuse to watch Lifetime movies during the day.

4) Fall is excellent weather for wine-tasting. Unlike the summer months, when reds are more difficult to drink, fall provides the perfect palate for a variety of different kinds of wine!

5) All of my fav TV shows are back. With new episodes. No more re-runs. Although, I am still waiting for the Pretty Little Liars premiere this week...

6) My warm, puffy coat. Enough said. I know it is not the more attractive, stylish thing in the world, but it is SO cozy!

7) I have an excuse to not wash my car. It might rain after all.

8) Hot totties...with marshmallow vodka. Yum.

9) Fall is an excellent time for experimenting with hair color. Time to go dark again?

10) Halloween. Who doesn't like carving pumpkins and eating tons of candy? Not to mention... "Halloween is the one night a year where a girl can dress like a total slut and nobody can say anything about it." (Sorry, had to throw a "Mean Girls" quote in here- best movie of all-time)...

Happy Fall everybody!