Top 5 Thursday: Characters from "The Hunger Games" Series

I love “The Hunger Games” books and the movies. I wanted to take a look at the characters and rank them. Here are my five favorite characters from “The Hunger Games” franchise.

5. Johanna Mason

Johanna Mason won the Hunger Games for District 7, when she pretended to be a weakling. When only a few tributes were left, she showed her true skills. Johanna was send to the Quarter Quell to protect Katniss.

 

 

4. Haymitch Abernathy

Haymitch is Katniss and Peeta’s mentor in the preparation of the Hunger Games. He won the games himself ones, he was the first winner for District 12. Haymitch is a drunk cynic and he doesn’t have faith in Katniss at first.

 

 

3. Beetee Latier

Beetee doesn’t look like the biggest threat, but his intelligence is something to watch out for. He is very skilled with a wire, which eventually saves him and his allys in the Quarter Quell.

 

 

2. Finnick Odair

Finnick was the winner of the 65th Hunger Games and the youngest ever to win. Katniss was hesitant to make Finnick her ally in the Quarter Quell, but he proved to be valuable. Finnick is a key person in the rebellion.

 

 

1. Katniss Everdeen

Off course Katniss, she is every girls heroine. Katniss doesn’t want to be a hero though, she just wants to survive these awful games. She is very loyal to her family and friends and often fights for them instead of herself.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Cinna, Rue, Effie Trinkett, Gale Hawthorne, Plutarch Heavensbee, Mags

Top 5 Thursday: Movies About Survival

It’s always fascinating to see how far some people go to survive. I decided to make a list of survival movies, some based on true events, some fictional.

5. The Descent

This is one of the creepiest movies I’ve seen over the last ten years. Just the fact alone that you’re stuck in a cave gives me the chills.

 

 

4. Cast Away

The ultimate survival movie, being alone on a deserted island. Tom Hanks is brilliant in this movie, it’s just him and a volleyball. Only Hanks can make you cry over a volleyball.

 

 

3. The Hunger Games-series

I’m not picking just one movie here, because they are all amazing. Okay, the second is my favorite. How horrible would it be to fight for life and death, so other people are entertained? Thanks God we have Katniss Everdeen, right.

 

 

2. Into the Wild

This survival movie is slightly different, because Chris McCandless choose this life of survival. With that being said, “Into the Wild” is one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever heard.

 

 

1. 127 Hours

This is, without a doubt, my favorite survival story. Like “Into the Wild” it’s based on a real life story. James Franco portrays Aron Ralston brilliantly, his best performance so far.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Life of Pi, The Road, Rescue Dawn, I Am Legend, Zombieland

DVD Collection Update (20)

Another update, some really cool movies and series to add to my collection. Here they are!

Off course I had to get "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1". I can't wait for the final movie. This movie I really liked, but I think the bigger audience will appreciate it more when the last chapter comes out.

This season was the final chapter of the series. I really hated "Sons of Anarchy" ending, but it was time. I think that it had to end. Lots of people died in this last season, some characters we really come to love over the years.

"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" was really criticized, but I don't understand. It was a good movie. Okay, it was the least one in the series, but it was very enjoyable and beautifully made! Screw those people, I love it.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" was on of my favorite 2014 movies. This is just awesome, so it had to be in my collection!

Oh how I love "Intouchables". Such a beautiful movie, it makes me happy!

"Cloud Atlas" was a pretty confusing movie, so time to rewatch it. And I also bought it because I can add another Tom Hanks movie to my collection.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is also favorite of 2014. I slightly prefered it too the first movie. It just shows how amazing this superhero is, he is actually my favorite superhero. And Chris Evans is just amazing as Cap.

Haven't seen "Chef" yet, but I already know I'm going to love this film. I just love these tyes of movies. And it has a great cast. And I love food.

"Whiplash" is a movie I had to have in my collection. When I first saw it, I wanted to get up in cheer, that's how good it was!

 

I'm a big fan of the Disney cartoon "Beauty and the Beast" and I can't wait to see the live action version it. Untill then I have to do it with the French "La Belle et La Bête". I haven't seen it yet, but it looks like a darker version of the fairytale.

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Playlist of the Year 2014

I decided to do something new, I’ve never done this before. I wanted to make a list of the five coolest, most awesome songs in movies of 2014. And it took me a while to go through all of them, because movies this year brought us some great songs. They might not be the most popular songs, you won’t find all of them in the charts, but that doesn’t take away any of their awesomeness. Here is the playlist.

5. Mr. Mustafa by Alexandre Desplat (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”)

Alexandre Desplat is an amazing composer and he made some wonderful music for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, one of the best movies of 2014 and also one of my faovrites of the year. Fun fact: he also wrote music for this year’s “Godzilla”, “The Monuments Men”, “Unbroken” and “The Imitation Game”. Does this man ever sleep?

 

 

4. Lost Stars by Adam Levine (“Begin Again”)

I loved this movie and its soundtrack. This song I just can’t get out of my head, it’s so good! Not a Maroon 5 fan, but Adam Levine nails this song!

 

 

3. Anthonio (Berlin Breakdown Version) by Annie (“The Guest”)

This synthy, John Carpenter-esque cut was part of one of the nicest surprises of the year. From a distance, “The Guest” looked like a fairly standard genre piece, but it was so much more. And Dan Stevens also is one of the biggest breakthrough stars of the year.

 

 

2. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara ft. The Lonely Island (“The Lego Movie”)

There are earworms and then there is “Everything is Awesome”. So catchy that the mere mention of its name can instigate mass chanting, it’s hard to believe that it was created by people.

 

 

1. Yellow Flicker Beat by Lorde (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”)

It may be overshadowed by “The Hanging Tree”, but this is the best song of the soundtrack. And my favourite song of this year’s movie playlist.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Solomon by Hans Zimmer (“12 Years a Slave”), Love me Tomorrow by John Newman (“Edge of Tommorow”), Old Man by Neil Young (“The Expendables 3”), Come and Get Your Love by Redbon (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Hero by Family of the Year (“Boyhood”), American Interior by Gruff Rhys (“American Interior”), We Build This City by Starship (“The Skeleton Twins”), The Hanging Tree by Jennifer Lawrence (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”)

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (November 2014)

Damn, this month I saw some good movies. There was only one movie I gave less than 3 stars, so it was really difficult for me to make this month’s top 5. But here are the best movies I saw this month for my challenge.

5. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

I’m a huge fan of the books and I was really looking forward to seeing this. If you read the books, you like this movie too. But for the people who didn’t read the novels, it might be a disappointment. There isn’t as much action in it. It’s also my least favourite so far, but it was still an amazing cinema experience.

 

 

4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I loved this movie. I really liked Walter and his vivid imagination. Ben Stiller really did a wonderful job both with directing it and playing the lead role.

 

 

3. The Guest

This came as a surprise. I never expected it to be this good. And that soundtrack, so awesome. I can recommend this movie to anyone.

 

 

2. Rushmore

Wes Anderson has become one of my favourite directors and I especially love the way he tells his stories. This was one of his first films and I loved every minute of it.

 

 

1. Begin Again

This movie is about music, the love for music and the passion of sharing music with other people. After seeing it, I starting listening to the soundtrack and I actually still have some of the songs in my head. This movie was better than I initially thought it would be. It’s on my favourites list now.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Fruitvale Station, Dallas Buyers Club, The Expendables 2, Pitch Perfect, Napoleon Dynamite, Snowpiercer

Monthly 4 - November 2014

The last day of november. I did and saw some great things.

 

 

1. Every year my mom and I go to Kreadoe. It’s a fair for everything that has to do with arts & crafts. Two big halls filled with stands with all sorts of hobby’s, it’s a dream world for every creative person.

2. I bought the DVD of “True Detective” season 1 for my brother’s birthday. He is a big fan and he kept raving about it. So he told me I had to watch it too. And I did. I finished it in two days! I was hooked immediately and Matthew McConaughey plays his best role ever. Great show.

3. After waiting an entire year, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” finally made it to the theatres. Me and my brother saw it on opening night. It is my least favorite of the series so far, but still very awesome!

4. My friend Irene is having her first baby and my other friend Evelien and I arranged a baby shower for her. She didn’t know about it. Irene was super surprised when she saw us all sitting there.

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 135: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Director: Frances Lawrence

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 123 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Natalie Dormer, Sam Claflin, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland

Description: When Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin (Julianne Moore) who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) from the Capitol.

Review: In this franchise they choose to split up the last book into two movies. Mostly for financial reasons, but for fans one extra movie to enjoy the adventures of Katniss Everdeen. For people who read the books, it’s great to see the buildup, for neutral viewers it might by a bit unsatisfying.

Katniss Everdeen has survived her second time in the games and sees that her previous enemies turn out to be her allies. They wanted to free her so they could rebel against the capitol. District 12, Katniss’ home front, has been destroyed and Peeta has been heald captive by the enemy. Because the movie is in two parts, everything has been stretched a bit.

They take the time to show the audience what the impact of the events in the previous film is. Katniss is heavily traumatized, an underground defiance wants her as the face of the revolution. She doesn’t want it at first, but after her visit to Distruct 12 she wants to find a way to protect her loved ones. Katniss’ personal development is very interesting to see in this film.

Jennifer Lawrence is again great as Katniss. You feel her pain and agony. A great new addition is Julianne Moore as Alma Coin. A perfect choice for the role. Elizabeth Banks portrayed Effie Trinkett again, this time in a different way. Maybe my favorite version of Effie.

The movie doesn’t contain any actual Hunger Games. It isn’t as action packed as the other two movies and the pace is a lot slower. That never means it’s dull, because time still flies while watching it. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” is a fantastic film, that will especially please the fans and the people that know the books very well. I think this movie will eventually be more appreciated when part two comes out.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (156)

Here are this weeks trailers.

The Hunger Games: Mockinjay Part 1

Description: Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence)finds herself in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.

Director: Frances Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland

Trailer: Trailer "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Comment: I already posted the teaser, but a full lenght trailer has arrived. CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Listen Up Philip

Description: Philip (Jason Schwartzman) awaits the publication of his second novel and his anger rages. He feels pushed out of his adopted home city by the constant crowds and noise, a deteriorating relationship with his photographer girlfriend Ashley (Elisabeth Moss), and his own indifference to promoting the novel. When Philip's idol Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce) offers his isolated summer home as a refuge, he finally gets the peace and quiet to focus on his favorite subject: himself.

Director: Alex Ross Perry

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Krysten Ritter, Jonathan Pryce

Trailer: Trailer "Listen Up Philip"

Comment: I like Jason Schwartzman, because of he is so quirky.

A Most Violent Year

Description: The film follows the lives of an immigrant and his family as they attempt to capitalize on the American Dream, while the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

Director: J.C. Chandor

Starring: Oscar ISaacs, Jessica Chastain, ALbert Brooks

Trailer:Trailer "A Most Violent Year"

Comment: Jessica Chastain is having a good year, great movies coming out starring her.

Big Eyes

Description: A drama centered on the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband (Christoph Waltz), who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Terence Stamp

Trailer: Trailer "Big Eyes"

Comment: Not a very Tim Burtonesk movie, but that makes me extra excited about this film.

Low Down

Description: Based on the memoir by Amy-Jo Albany, the film is a compassionate, tender look at the complex relationship between Amy-Jo (Elle Fanning) and her father Joe (John Hawkes), a man torn between his musical ambition, his love for his daughter, and his suffocating heroin addiction. Set against a sensuously textured 1970s Hollywood, the film beautifully evokes a colorful, seedy world of struggling musicians, artists, and vagabonds, in which Joe and Amy-Jo strive to live the lives they want against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Director: Jeff Preiss

Starring: John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Taryn Manning, Glenn Close, Peter Dinklage, Flea, Lena Heady, Caleb Landry-Jones, Tim Daly

Trailer: Trailer "Low Down"

Comment: Good cast, great lookng film.

Movie Trailer Sunday (150)

Here are this weeks trailers, the 150th edition of the item. And there are some real great trailers!!!

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Description: The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug's lair; but can Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to it?

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom

Trailer: Trailer "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" Trailer

Comment: Can't wait.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Description: Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.

Director: Frances Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Knepper, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci

Trailer: Trailer "The Hunger Games: Mockinjay Part 1" Trailer

Comment: Can't wait for this either.

The Longest Week

Description: Conrad Valmont (Jason Bateman) is a man easing into adulthood at the age of 40. The over-educated, under-employed heir to the Valmont Hotel fortune, Conrad is cut off from his allowance following his parents' abrupt divorce and tossed out into the unforgiving streets of the Upper West Side. Luckily, he is taken in by his old friend Dylan (Billy Crudup) and returns the favor by immediately falling for Dylan's girlfriend, Beatrice (Olivia Wilde). As Conrad attempts to woo Beatrice while keeping both their relationship and his bank balance secret, Dylan tries to set him up with Jocelyn (Jenny Slate). Ever committed to the charade that he eventually finds difficult to maintain, Conrad quickly realizes his charm can only extend so far.

Director: Peter Glanz

Starring: Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde, Billy Crudup, Jenny Slate,

Trailer: Trailer "The Longest Week"

Comment: I'm not really sure about this, but I do like Jason Bateman.

Night at the Musuem: Secret of the Tomb

Description: Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.

Director: Shawn Levy

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Ben Kingsley, Rebel Wilson, Dan Stevens

Trailer: Trailer "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb"

Comment: Not sure if we really need it, but I did like the previous two. They were funny.

Into the Woods

Description: A witch (Meryl Streep) conspires to teach important lessons to various characters of popular children's stories including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel.

Director: Rob Marschall

Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, MacKenzie Mauzy, Billy Magnussen, Tammy Blanchard, Lucy Punch, Richard Glover, Frances de la Tour, Simon Russell Beale, Joanna Riding, Annette Crosbie

Trailer:

Comment: Excited to see this, I love fairytale retellings!