The Hunger Games, official trailer, finally!

Oh, how we've been waiting for this one! All I was hoping for it was Peeta and goosebumps, and I got both. And more! I love the look of it, I think they got it absolutely right, both District 12 and The Capitol, and what we see of the Arena. Brilliant! And it's full of little details I love, like Peeta's hair in the reaping scene, and the train that speeds through the woods, and Effie's ridiculous outfit. This is going to be great. This is definitely on the top of my Most Anticipated Films of 2012. Or actually, on the top of my Most Anticipated Anythings of 2012. I have a feeling it'll blow my mind.

Watch it here, too.

Blade Runner: a report

15:15 My ability to concentrate has been so poor recently that I'm quite positive I won't be able sit these two hours through without a break or two. The interesting part is, how many hours/days/months will these breaks last?

Anyway. On with the New Year resolution! I'm behind, but attempting to catch up. The film of September was Blade Runner, so here we go. I'm watching the theatrical cut, because that's on Netflix. Don't know if it differs from the other cuts. I'm just hoping that Harrison Ford will be enough to keep me interested, because I just checked and apparently he's in this one. And I know this is science fiction, so I am not nearly as certain that I will hate what I'll see as I was last month. Yay?

15:20 No snacks. Damn! Will have to do without. Let's get to it, then!

16:14 I'm in danger of falling asleep, but it's not necessarily the film's fault. The film's okay. I'm just a bit disorientated, as recently I've developed a freaky need for afternoon naps, which I never had before. I had to check out the film plot summary on IMDb to get my head around what's going on. I think I've got it now. On with the show!

17:45 I unvolunteeringly took a nap. Hope this is not becoming a habit.

18:33 Well, I did it! And it only took three hours and one nap! Quite a great performance of myself, I must say.

The film, then. Again, not my kind of film, but I didn't loathe it. The idea was very clever and fascinating, but I wasn't that much into the way they told the story. The film didn't keep a hold of me, and it wasn't just because I was so sleepy. Though that didn't do much good, either. And what was that 'epic' final battle all about? Blade RUNNER indeed; Harrison just kept running and running like a whimpy little boy. No no no. I like him badass and cocky.

This is a pathetic little post, but let's just look at it as a report. Another overrated classic down, two more to go and then I'm again on schedule!

Three months of A Clockwork Orange

 August 28

10:10 I just realized that August is almost over, so I better get on with the New Year resolution project. Surprisingly I found A Clockwork Orange on Netflix, hurrah. I'd really have so many other things to do, school-related, mostly, but I think I can afford one morning... It's a good cause, really.

10:18 I am more than a bit concerned about how I will react to Clockwork. I don't really like violence, or too violent movies. This might be a bit too controversial for me. I'm hoping to prove myself wrong so I could seem like a cool stud or something, but we'll see.

10:23 So, I have my brownies. I have my socks and a hoodie and a blanket. Yes, it might be a hundred degreed outside, but thanks to the AC, it's a freaking Siperia inside. I will do my best to get something out of the next two hours. Here we go. Play.

10:25 I suddenly want some milk with my brownies. Otherwise, that's one creepy opening.

10:29 No. Stop the violence.

10:37 Oh for god's sake, if it's going to be just this for two hours, I'd rather do some school work...

10:57 I hope this is going somewhere. There has to be some point, right?

11:11 I think I'll have a break. It might be going somewhere, after all, but still, enough for now.

October 27

20:18 Hehe. That's what we call a break. Oh well. I waded through 44 minutes last time, let's see how long it will take this time before I'll get enough of the violence. First, can't do this without popcorn.

20:23 I have no recollection whatsoever of what's happening in this movie. I just remember the mindless violence. Oh, popcorn's ready! I put too much salt in them. Oh well. Let's go. It'll only hurt a while. And I'm not talking about the salt.

21:14 I'm doing quite well, am I not? Need to have a little break anyway. I'm still not loving it. Or in it, so to speak. 2/3 done, one more third to go...

November 2

21:29 I'm determined to finish this bitch, today! There's only about half and hour to go, so I will succeed, just wait and see! I don't have any popcorn. Boo hoo.

21:39 Aw, violence. Lovely.

22:12 Thank god, now it's over. That wasn't so bad! Only took me three months!

I did not like this movie. I didn't get what the point was. I just know that there was a lot of pointless violence and other disgusting stuff, and I didn't get the point. You know, narrow mind and all that. Anyway, the important thing is, now it's over and done with and I never have to see it again. Over and out.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - heroes are made in America

directed by Joe Johnson / starring Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weawing, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper

 I realized I need to catch up on my superhero movies. I also realized it's been a month since I updated this blog. So here you go!

Ever since I saw the first trailer for The Avengers (and it looks good, by the way, even to the eyes of a Marvel amateur like me (and it's not just RDJ that makes it look good, I swear (though it's a contibutor))), I've felt the intrigue I once held for superheros start creeping back. (Spider-Man used to be The Thing for me. My wardrobe still suffers from the consequences of that phase...) There is something about them, isn't there? The men and, well, mostly men, that somehow are given a great power, and a great responsibility with it. And the thing is that the most important power they have is not their psysical strength, or their freaky, supernatural traits; it's the power of their mind, and their heart, the power they'd had all along; the power that makes them transform into superheros, instead of supervillains. This is expecially central in the case of Captain America, and one of the reasons I liked the story so much.

Steve Rogers is a skinny young man, with everything from asthma to heart problems staining his medical records. But he is brave and humble and righteous, and oh, isn't he patriotic. World War II is alluring noble wannabe-heros to go to Europe to "serve their country", and Steve keeps trying to join the army, to do his duty, but no one wants to sent a skinny little boy like him to die in the shores of France. Then Steve gets his chance: he volunteers to be a subject in a top-secret experiment, which turns him into the ultimate supersoldier. Thus, oh say can you see, Captain America is born.

I'm not comfortable around patriotism. It is possibly the aspect about this country that feels the most alien to me. It also makes me a bit angry. "Serving their country", and so on, don't even let me get started on that. But I decided not to let it bother me too much. It it vital to the story that Captain America loves America, so I just went with it. I even found the stars-and-stripes costume pretty cool.

Here's something else I found pretty cool. Chris Evans as a skinny little boy. It was weird, at first, but once you realized it actually looked realistic, and not like Chris Evans's head had been attached to another man's body, it was pretty cool. Thank you, technology. I liked how Captain America was first used as a propaganda machine, and how ridiculous that was. I liked Chris Evans. He usually plays the cocky guy, but he did humble really well, too. I liked Hayley Atwell as the tough chick love interest. Hugo Weaving always makes a good villain. Stanley Tucci is pure awesomeness. And I don't at all mind looking at Dominic Cooper. I'm totally buying that he's related to one Robert Downey Jr.

I also liked how Steve Rogers remained Steve Rogers even after he became Captain America. He never really goes through any kind of mental transformation; the main character of the movie doesn't really learn anything, or develop into something better during the film. This would usually bother me, a lot, but actually it's one of the coolest things about Captain America: there is no need for Steve Rogers to develop or change, because he had the goods all along. The skinny Steve in the beginning would have done the same things Captain America did in the end. It was just the matter of getting the right tools. He might have turned into a superhero, but he was still awkward around ladies. I suppose there might be a sequel with him exploring his darker side, too, á la Spider-Man 3 (haha, yes, I kind of liked that movie), and that would actually be really interesting.

Speaking of sequels. I want one! Or two. You can't end a movie like that and not make a sequel. Or two. 'Cause I loved the ending! I loved the ending and loved the beginning. Wasn't so thrilled of all of what what in the middle, but that can blaimed on me being a stereotypical girl. Too much action makes me bored. I need some dialogue and relationships to keep me interested. Haha. It's true, unfortunately. I'm a girl. Guilty as charged. Anyway. I'll probably get my sequel(s) at some point, but before that, I'll get The Avengers. And I bet that will be a lot of fun. And a lot of not-at-all-bad-looking men to look at. Why, oh why are women intrigued by superhero movies, I wonder? (It's not just that, though. Seriously. (Really!))

(I love the posters of this movie. Kind of old-fashioned, but still modern and sleek.)

"Arrogance is not a uniquely American trait, but you do it better than most."

The Lion King in 3D

I remember when I went to see The Lion King in 1994. Or, strike that, I remember when I came back home from the cinema and me and my sister started explaining mom the plot of the movie. So I guess I liked it! I don't remember if Lion King was my first cinema experience, but it is the first one I have memories of. Now I got new Lion King cinema memories!

The Diamond Edition will be released next month, and to mark that occasion the well-loved and adored Disney classic of classics was also rereleased in theatres. To begin with it was supposed to run only for two weeks, but as it has been ruling the heck out of box office, Walt Disney Studios will give it at least another week. I'm not surprised. They should rerelease all the 90s classics in theatres, because seriously, who wouldn't love them? (If you don't, don't you tell me; I like my bubble.)

 I'm not a huge 3D fan - in fact, I'm very anti-3D. But oh boy, did Lion King look awesome with that third dimension! The movie is like made for 3D, seriously! The technology suited LK much better than most of those films I've seen that really were made to be released in 3D in the first place. For example, look at the opening scene, Circle of Life, imagine it in 3D, and you'll know what I mean. I got some serious goosebumps and wasn't too far from tearing up.

 The Lion King is now officially included in my Top 3 of Disney classics, along with The Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas. I almost feel another Disney phase coming on, but (un)fortunately I don't have the DVDs here, and Netflix doesn't have any of the classics. But well, I just purchased tickets to see Lion King the musical in Las Vegas in a few weeks, so that will do. I know that will be holy-sh*t awesome. (Aren't I courteous for cleaning up my language in a Disney-labeled post...)

"Hakuna Matata. It means 'no worries'."

First glimpse of the Hunger Games movie

Okay, so. I sat throught the whole MTV Video Music Awards. Which would've been okay if that didn't mean watching as much commercials as actual awards material. I know this country has a lot of stuff to advertise, but come ON! Couldn't you even show more than those same four commercials playing in a loop? Geez. So after sitting through all those freaking commercial breaks, I expected to see a bit more than a 10-second teaser trailer. I thought they would show an actual clip! You still can't really tell by that teaser if the movie will be "the right kind".

Still, I very much liked those few rare seconds. They could've included Peeta at least via voiceover (I'm assuming that was Gale, right...?), but oh well. What I'm most glad about was that Jennifer looks quite young as she doesn't seem to be wearing too much make-up! Thumbs up for that.

So, yeah, thanks for this, but seriously... more please. That didn't satisfy anything or anyone.

For better quality click here.

Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011) - because experiencing it once is not enough

How freaking lucky it was that this movie happened to open less than a week after I arrived to the US? And as it only runs for two weeks, I easily could've missed it. But I didn't! It didn't play in my city, but we happened to make a little trip to Wichita, where it did play. (I expected film tickets to be cheaper here, but they really weren't; 13 dollars for a 3D showing, so not much difference to Finland's prices.)

Glee: The 3D Concert Movie is a sort of a documentary concentrating on the tour the cast of Glee did this spring and summer. We see most of the performances, get a glance of what happened on backstage and hear from the fans. More than once I almost began to sing along, or applaude after a number, because it was easy to forget that you were in a movie theatre, and not actually there, looking at the concert live. After it was over, I left the theatre humming Raise Your Glass and found myself smiling stupidly for the rest of the day.

All of the live performances were shown, except for Dog Days Are Over. Oh and Single Ladies! Nooo! It was the only thing I was left missing. Luckily I could go to YouTube right now and see several versions of it there. Yeah, I'm actually going, just a moment... Back now! Let's get on with it.

There were so many awesome things about seeing the live performances again. 1) Hearing Glee music is always awesome. 2) Hearing Glee music with a superb sound reproduction system is even more so. 3) In the concert you couldn't really concentrate on the little details happening on stage. Now you could see the little wrinkles around Lea Michele's eyes when she reaches for a high note in Firework, and Kevin McHale and Mark Salling goofing around during a group number. 4) Although the concert on screen wasn't the same one I saw, it took me back to that night in June and the memories were sweet. 5) YouTube videos are great, but a huge canvas and 3D glasses are even better. A huge, three-dimensional Heather Morris doing I'm A Slave 4 U made me quite happy. Hehe.

There wasn't enough behind-the-scenes material. Though I doubt nothing would be enough for me, as those people are just so lovable and adorable and funny and I could look at and listen to them for hours and hours and hours. The biggest surprise was that the blond Warbler with the cool haircut can actually talk! And other Warblers, as well! They were funny, too.

I also wanted so much more Chris. All he said was 'Thank you for loving me'. Though I think that pretty much sums it all up. That's all that wonderful man needs to say.

In between the numbers and behind-the-scenes materirial there various clips of fans declaring their love for Glee and naming their favourite characters and other things in the show. With some we looked a little deeper. Three young people described how Glee has affected their lives and improved them, or pretty much saved them. It was the good old American sentimentality, constructed in the familiar dramatized way, but still, I did find the stories quite inspirational and moving. This country is making even more of a wuss, haha.

Say what you want and call me what you wish, but I firmly stand behind my opinion that Glee is a real life-saver. Maybe it was mostly love for money that made this movie happen, but I think it's also love for something true and real and human. Glee rocks, period, and if any TV series was ever even to come close to saving the world, it would no doubt be Glee.