The Hunger Games Movie- A Brief Re(Over)view

I saw the movie on Wednesday afternoon. Here are a few things I want to say about it (so thrilling, huh?). But first, a warning:

(because Alex Kingston is beautiful)

Overall, I thought it was a good adaptation. It left out some things, sure, but that's expected. Some events deleted I thought should have been in it, yet I believe people who haven't read the book won't be completely lost. (For example, when they mention putting their names in extra times for the Reaping, they didn't say what this entailed or why someone would increase their chances of being picked, on purpose). Also, Rue's death was changed. In the book, she was killed in cold blood and deliberately with Katniss as a witness. In the movie, it was portrayed as being something of an accident (still sad though). I think the original would have been more effective. Also, the muttations were just another threat, and they didn't have the other Tribute's eyes, which I thought was a nice inclusion in the book since it upped the creep factor. (Are you thinking "LOLWUT" yet?)

-I also had a hard time hearing a few lines. They were mumbled or maybe that was my theater's sound system.

-They left out Katniss's beauty team, but Cinna was there. Not much, but he was there.

However, the movie did show scenes with President Snow in his garden, so we see where those white roses come from (from the second and third books). We also got to see how the Game controllers worked. I thought these scenes were creepy because the workers were just so calm and/or excited when new threats got in the Tributes' way, and didn't consider that they were playing around with kids' lives.

-The settings and costumes were pretty neat. The Capitol citizens looked like they were attending a perpetual Elton John concert in those outfits. >.>

-Woody Harrelson was cool. Drunk, but cool. 8D

-I did enjoy Katniss's and Peeta's interactions more in the movie. She seemed more sympathetic as opposed to her bitchiness in the book (she had good reason for being hard, but I just liked her more as a person in the movie).

- It was pretty violent. They could only show so much in a teens' movie, and most of the time, the camera cuts away before we see impact. But blood does spatter and spray, cuts are deep and we see dead bodies (one scene showed a guy getting beat in the head with a rock multiple times. He was covered by his assailant so we couldn't see him, but we could tell what was going on. I thought that was good enough and no more needed to be shown). Some people will call for more graphic scenes, and I'm usually one of them, but I think the filmmakers made good calls on what was shown.

-Despite knowing who would die, and when and how, I was still tense when watching. The atmosphere was just that good.

The Hunger Games is no Harry Potter (HP has a massive world explained well, imo), but it's entertaining enough. I think it'll keep someone's interest. So catch it some time, even if just on DVD.

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Since Being Human s4 is done (goodbye, Annie), let's see what else is coming up for me. :3 (Just making a list for myself, really).

Prometheus (loose "prequel" to Alien/Aliens)
The Hobbit (movie)
Nightrunner: Casket of Souls (book)
Silversun Pickups (CD)
Metalocalypse s4 (cartoon)
Emilie Autumn's F.L.A.G. (CD)
Devil's Carnival (movie)
Sherlock (both American and BBC) released in May on DVD - and BBC's s3 will come in 2013. That pesky 2012 apocalypse won't get in its way. Sherly will make it cry and run away in shame, because he's a dick like that.
DW s7 later this year (and the 50th anniversary stuff, whatever that may be)

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I have stuff to show, but that's for later. I need to work more on my goddesses. Time's running out! D:

Oh, Shut Up, Sookie

I'm watching the last available episode of True Blood. The series had its moments, but overall, I found it a bit dull. It was amusing to see southern supernatural creatures, but I wasn't completely charmed by the story arcs. I like some of the characters but the overall plots are a bit "meh" for me. I don't know if I'll follow S5 this year.
Sorry, TB fans. It just wasn't for me. (But I did squee when I saw Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory, Gorney from Where the Heart Is, and Irene Adler from BBC!Sherlock. Too bad they all had short appearances, but I do admit that "Irene"'s death was pretty lulzy.)

No new art stuff yet. I'm working/about to work on it, but I'm a busy bee at the moment. I'll be commenting on people's blogs and replying to comments on mine later on. <3
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For my next series, I'm doing more of the goddesses. I'm still going to make my "darker" Encounters series, but staying with the goddesses for this class will be easier on me. They're easier to carry back-n-forth and staying with one theme will help me write a better statement since I'll just be yakking about one thing, rather than a subject that is vague/broad. A new goddess list will pop up soon.
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For DW fans, a S7 trailer has leaked. You can't hear it well since it was filmed off a screen with a camera, but hey, it's something.

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I'll be going to see The Hunger Games soon. It has received generally good reviews, which is uplifting.

See y'all later!

Eh... (Dark thoughts)

It's almost 4 in the morning and I still can't sleep. Not a good thing when I have to attend class later. I might shoot up some caffeine later.

But I do have my idea for the damn series. It'll deal with my personal memories of those who I have known and since passed on (grandparents, pets/those who I have watched die), and an extra couple which deal with myself (and they'll be a little fuzzy/abstract, since memories aren't always clear). Doesn't make sense? Well, it's four in the morning, don't blame me. 8D
A few will cross over to my main Grim series (which is becoming more of an umbrella term, since the goddesses can count as an aspect of it). So that's good, I guess.

When the idea hit me, I started to cry, and I am one ugly crier. ._.; Taking a trip down memory lane does that to me (coupled with the fact that Lord Hypnos eludes me, so frustration is high). I'm okay with death itself, but it still hurts when I'm left behind, ya know? Makes me wonder how they're all doing. And it makes me dwell on the future, especially when it comes to Foxy. She's 11 now and I know many dogs don't live for more than 13/14 years. *pets her greying muzzle*

):

It's strange to me that I can't sleep when Hypnos is bros with Grimmy. C'mon, man! Help a bro out! If I start falling asleep/crying in class today, so help me gods...

Too depressing? Have a cute puppy.

And something related to NuWho. You won't get it unless you've seen The Black Swan.
Clicky

More WIPs >.>

Nothing new. I'm still debating what to do for my next series, but I'm also trying to finish these goddesses for my Portfolio presentation. That's on April 20th. -_-; EEEEEEEEGH. Keep me on my toes, please, peeps?
What should I do on my breaks from these series? Comics, fanart, my OCs, your OCs? :P

Anyway:

Figgy from right before Spring break-

WIPs. I've been working on the others too, but these three are the most "worked-on."

Soundtrack for today

Kate Bush's Hounds of Love (<3 her)

Some are official music videos; others are picture vids, but still lovely

 Running Up That Hill (vid)

Hounds of Love(vid)

The Big Sky(vid)

Mother Stands For Comfort

Cloudbusting (vid)

And Dream of Sheep

Under Ice

Waking the Witch

Watching You Without Me

Jig of Life (fave song)

Hello Earth

The Morning Fog

Pink Floyd's Division Bell

Many memories associated with this one. Along with War of the Worlds, it was the most-played cassette tape on long road trips. (Remember cassettes? XD)

And one of my newer discoveries:

Janelle Monae

She's influenced by the older soul, pop, and funk music heard in earlier decades, combining it with hip hop, has deeper meanings in her songs, and seems to be a bit of a sci-fi geek (with her choice of a Metropolis-based theme album, kind of.) And she's adorbs. <3

One of my fave songs:

(Check out the rest of The Chase Suite EP)

Neat video:

Most recent album, The Archandroid

The songs seem to be out of order, but I don't think it'll hurt things much.

Goddesses Cont'd (and New-ish Music)

Tired of this stuff yet? 8D

(Camera distorts stuff, remember. Ack)

So, I was able to meet John Cameron Mitchell on Saturday night (for a couple of minutes since it was a hectic time). He looks so tall as Hedwig, but he seemed to be the same height as me. XD That was strange, but he was such a sweetie. <3 Too bad I didn't have a camera to take a pic but he did sign my pass. Maybe next time?

Oh yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah

Art stuff:

Figgy from yesterday. I'm gessoing over this. 8D I am SO not going to have many "finished" pieces at the end of the semester.

Here are the goddess (second set) WIPs-

Libitina: Roman goddess of funerary rites and burials. She's usually hidden (and relatively unknown to many), staying to the shadows with a veil and black wings. She hovers over the dying and guards offerings to the dead. Her temples contained registers of the dead. There's not much info about her, but I like that mystery.

I'm not finished with this, but I like it thus far. She's supposed to be forming from the shadows. >.> Yeah...I might edit out those daggers.

Oya: Yoruban goddess of sudden change, fire, magic, tornadoes, wind (storms, tempests, etc.), and guardian of cemeteries .She once was a water goddess, but was tricked by Yemaya into leaving her realm for the cemetery. She's usually seen with a machete and horsetail to clear the way for new beginnings (yes, I know that's not a machete. I screwed up while inking). She sometimes takes the form of a water buffalo.

Meng-Po: She creates the liquid of forgetfulness from earthly plants. She serves in hell where souls are forced to drink the brew before reincarnation (karma stays with them). If a soul refuses, hooks come from the ground and dig into it, keeping it in place while a bronze tube is thrust into the throat so that Meng-Po can pour the liquid.

Ereshkigal: Sister of Ishtar; they're opposites and don't like each other very much. When Ishtar descended to the underworld, her sister put her on a hook. o.O

I'm redrawing this. It didn't follow my original plan at all.

Nephthys: Wet nurse to the pharaoh and was a symbol of the wailing women who mourned the dead. She, with her sister Isis, guarded the mummies and could breathe fire at enemies. She seduced Osiris and gave birth to Anubis (who sometimes has different parentage).

She looks huge compared to the mummy, eh? 8D

 

 Wing detail

 The Morrigan: Complicated goddess. o.O Associated with war and she constantly chose favorites. She could foresee who would die and would sometimes allow warriors to see her as she cleaned bloody clothes (those of the one who would die). Her symbol is the raven, so she wears a raven mask. >.>

Also considered part of a triad, protective and motherly. Ruled over horses sometimes as the Mare Queen/Woman.

Hine-nui-te-po: Maori death goddess who had children with her father. When she learned this, she retreated to the underworld to wait for those who would die. 

The hero Maui wanted to conquer death and believed that in order to reverse the process, he had to enter through the goddess's vagina and exit through her mouth. A bird laughed at him as he was doing so and woke up the goddess, and she ended up crushing Maui.

She's said to have a barracuda mouth, jewel eyes, hair like kelp, and obsidian teeth in between her thighs or in her vagina. I thought the latter was creepier. 8D It reminded me of the movie Teeth. Crunch crunch munch munch.

Music:

 Within Temptation- The Howling (partially inspired my DW story. In series 2, the Tenth Doc said that the Eternals referred to the Void as the Howling. So, I'm using it. >.>)

Fun.-We Are Young

Panic! At the Disco-Ballad of Mona Lisa

Kimbra- Settle Down

The Joy Formidable- A Heavy Abacus and Whirring

The Decemberists- The Hazards of Love album

Gotye- Somebody That I Used To Know (Peter Gabriel-sounding)

Georgia O'Keeffe Painted Many "Big Cats"

LOLWUT? :B One of these indirectly relates to the title (for a stupid reason, but whatever). Can you guess which one? Hint: Teeth. In an odd place.


First:
Figgy paintings. Prof loved the first two. I don't. ._.; I think she likes them because they're more weird/abstract/"feeling." Or something like that.  *sigh* I'm taking this class because I have to to get better at realistic figures, not to paint like an ARTEEST. "Slopping" paint around isn't going to help with that, sorry. Just GAH. I have to do my own studying since class can't fulfill that goal (unless you already are good at it anyway, and some are).
I like the third and forth since I tried to go for the more "traditional" look. But still, meh.

 

Next up are the seven goddess I've worked on for the past couple of weeks (not done yet). I'm not  adding descriptions at the moment since I'm worn out and a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to meet John Cameron Mitchell tonight (another chance tomorrow night at least). Soooooo sleepy. But I'm quickly posting these since I haven't posted anything in a week (how shameful?).  Sorry for any confusing stuff in the pics. 8D

Note: I'm starting to really love ink.

Libitina 

Oya

Meng-Po

Ereshkigal

Nephthys

The Morrigan

Hine-nui-te-po