Kick-Ass 2 (2013) / Avengers assemble, asshole

"Act like a bitch, get slapped like a bitch."

Once upon a time my ass was figuratively kicked by Kick-Ass. In other words, I really got a great kick out of the movie. And it really was damn awesome, wasn't it? I remember sometimes calling it my favorite superhero movie, next to The Avengers. 'Cause it's just great fun. The sequel continues to entertain, it makes me laugh out loud, and also cringe, because some of the stuff they pull is pretty yucky. Lawn movers and all. I don't thoroughly enjoy all the violence and the obnoxious deaths, but let's face it, Kick-Ass wouldn't be Kick-Ass if someone didn't get decapitated or their guts spilled out in a hilarious way every once in a while.

Some spoilers.

I was hoping that in a new plot twist Dave Lizewski would have decided to grow a mustache. Sadly, that didn't happen, but luckily there's always Anna Karenina. Aaron T-J has been my wet dream for quite a while, with or without mustache, and I enjoyed him again, especially during those last frames. I will be rewinding those seconds and watching them again and again once I get my hands on a DVD. When I'm forty I will totally marry a 20-year-old Aaron Johnson. It is my ultimate goal in life.

But not even the flawless abs or the awesome scale of supporting characters (from the terrifying Mother Russia and Jim Carey's Colonel to the sweet Team Remembering Peter and Christopher Mintz-Plasse who delivers every time) can outshine the true star of the film: Hit Girl/Mindy Macready/Chloë Grace Moretz. Hit-Girl and Katniss Everdeen should unite to be the most ass-kicking teenage girl duo ever. They'd shoot squirrels and hit President Snow square in the face, with some awesome background music. Anyway. Fangirl brain, stop. Hit-Girl was a big part of the charm of the first movie, but now she has a more significant role, and she gets more meatier stuff, and I loved it. If Kick-Ass was a Kick-Ass movie, Kick-Ass 2 was a Hit-Girl movie. High school is tough, growing up is a bitch, and fitting in is pain, even if you are only the most bad-ass girl in the universe. But even Hit-Girl isn't completely immune to boy bands.

Kick-Ass 2 might be an action comedy sequel before anything else, but it ended up delivering a very sincere message, even if it was delivered via disgusting images of spilled guts and severed penises. You can choose what to do with your life; you can choose to be a super villain, or you can choose to do good with what you have. With no power, comes no responsibility, expect that isn't true. I stole that from the first movie, but it's a cool thought. It's what the whole franchise is about: choosing to fight for good, even though you're probably going to get your ass kicked, because you have no superpowers whatsoever. "You don't have to be bad-ass to be a superhero, you just have to be brave."

By the way, Bechdel test passed! Not bad for a superhero movie. The two most bad-ass characters were female, and I seriously doubt there's ever been a more terrifying villain in anything ever than Mother Russia. And Hit-Girl, she's a total cowboy. In the end, she kisses the good-looking guy, and drives off to the sunset in a motorcycle. I want to be Hit-Girl when I grow up. And I can't wait for Chloë Grace Moretz to grow up and do more amazing movies and blow everyone's minds away. But, you know, not with weapons, but with her talent. I also can't wait for Kick-Ass 3. Not to mention The Avengers sequel. Aaron T-J is going to be in it, as if there weren't enough heartbreakingly beautiful men involved in that franchise already. I'm not sure if my ovaries will be able to handle it, but I will be so pleased to give it a try.

Too early to get hyped for Catching Fire

Too late to get nothing but hyped.

The New Normal / when Klaine grew up

"I want us to have baby clothes. And a baby to wear them."

I don't know if I really like Ryan Murphy. Perhaps he is not the easiest person to like. But I guess I have to admit the man is a genius on some level. I mean, he once created that show which I kind of liked for a while, I don't remember what it's called, I think it's a four-letter word starting with a G, meaning joy and cheerfulness, or something.

...You have just read my spectacular introduction to my post about The New Normal, a new-ish sitcom by Ryan Murphy, the man behind Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story and Glee. It tells about David and Bryan, who have a really lovely relationship, but what they are missing is a baby. They find Goldie to be their surrogate, and with her they also get her 9-year old, precocious, eccentric daughter Shania, and her conservative, brutally offensive, and confusingly young grandmother. Together they make a family that ten years ago would've been really strange and groundbreaking and original, but now, with Modern Family and all that, we are just looking at quite a stereotypical 2013 sitcom family. Like, normal. I'm not sure if this what they were going for with the title, but anyways.

I hadn't watched The New Normal until today. I'd thought I should and would, partly because it's a Ryan Murphy show, and me and Ryan Murphy shows share a nice history (Except for Nip/Tuck. And American Horror Story. Hmm. Anyway!), but mostly because I loved Justin Bartha in National Treasure, more than I love American history. The New Normal just won the People's Choice Award for Best New TV Comedy, actually! I guess I could say that's why I was inspired to watch the first episode, but no, I only just noticed it won. Earlier I just noticed that The Hunger Games and the lovably dorky Jennifer Lawrence won a lot (P.S. I love you, first photos from Catching Fire!), and that RDJ always gives the best, sexiest acceptance speeches, and that Chris Colfer also won and said he finds it flattering when people exploit him in their fanfiction, which I thought was both a hilarious and extremely dangerous thing to say. Anyway! I should get some award for rambling. These posts are getting more and more out of hand...

After watching the first episode (for a random reason I guess we'll never know), I watched the second episode, and then the third, and continued until I'd watched all the episodes that have come out so far. Don't freak out, there's only been twelve, and the episodes are sitcom short. The show is nothing new, really, or utterly genius like Glee, but it's fun and I really like the characters (although some more than others).

And it's a bit like Glee, to be honest: First, what's up with RM and Ohio? Also, there are at least three actors in the show that have also guest-starred on Glee. And character similarities... The Nana character is offensive and fires her absurd opinions and insults at everyone's faces, but there is reason and heart underneath her plain-colored tracksuits, um, I mean jacket suits. Bryan and David are more or less what we could imagine Kurt and Blaine to be, fifteen years after high school. I mean, you easily could've had Darren Criss play the college-graduate David in those flashbacks, with the big curly hair and dorky/cool glasses. Just add a bow-tie. Well. Don't you worry, Kurt and Blaine! When you grow up you can leave that dreadful place also known as Fox, and move to NBC, and then you can kiss more, like normal couples! (I'm not complaining, of course. No one hugs like Klaine!)

Ryan Murphy has often said Kurt is based on himself in high school. Now, I don't have to read any interviews to know who Bryan is based on. Come on, who is that name fooling? To rub it on our faces even more, (B)ryan runs a popular TV show called Sing, starring a lot of young people like a kid in a wheelchair who isn't actually in a wheelchair and who wears weird pullovers, and someone I'm pretty sure he called Lea before naming her his favorite. And then once he decided to break up a fan favorite couple on the show so that teenagers would cry for months. Touche. I might be past teenage, but dang it, the sun hasn't shone quite as bright since the damnable day Klaine broke up.

I feel like I've done nothing in this post but talked about Glee and mocked The New Normal itself. It's not news that I like talking about Glee. Like it's not news that there are similarities in these two shows (I mean, I'm pretty sure some of those lines about daring to dream and being proud of who you are were actually quoted word-to-word from Glee). Like it's not news that Ryan Murphy is most inspired by Ryan Murphy (which is not necessarily a bad thing, I mean, who am I to judge, having once again spent another day watching a show of his). Like it's not news that I don't know where I'm heading to with this paragraph. I think I was trying to make a transition to talk about my favorite characters.

I love Justin Bartha in this show as much as I loved him in National Treasure. He single-handedly saved that movie from Nicholas Cage, like he almost saved National Treasure: Book of Secrets from yet another Nicholas Cage. He's just a really cool actor. And I like David, the butch gay of the bunch. I also like Shania, the quirky young girl with the personality and the glasses that no one can help but associate to Little Miss Sunshine. (Not a bad thing!) Completing my top three is Nana Sylvester, or whatever her name is, 'the last real American', the biggest Republican in the world.

The New Normal is a fun, cute show. And there must be something slightly addictive about it, since I just watched all the episodes in one afternoon. I've been mocking it for resembling Glee, but there has really been extremely little singing, and honestly, I wouldn't be fooling anyone if I said I didn't like the Glee parallels. Like I said before in this horribly meandering post, The New Normal is nothing new, though. Except for some idiots in Utah who banned it from the state television, and also for 38 idiots who signed a hilarious petition I found online, demanding NBC to stop airing the show. Christian society and innocent children, and all that, you know. Sometimes I forget how some people still find certain things so new and scary. Oh well! I'll be very happy to keep watching this same-old-same-old, and hopefully they'll even make another season! With the People's Choice Award fresh in their back-pockets, they just might. More Justin Bartha for me! (Please make National Treasure 3! Without Nicholas Cage.)

I am truly sorry if someone decided to read this post, hoping to actually learn something about the show mentioned in the title. Well, that's not how I roll, unfortunately.

2012: A Summary of a Year

Another year over. It was a good one. I think I say that every year, but never mind. When it comes to films, and getting excited about them, 2012 was actually hands down better than 2011, for me.

Here's what you will find in this post: three films from 2011 that I have to mention now, because had I seen them last year instead of this year they would've been in my top films in 2011; an honorable mention, because I didn't blog and thus give away top spots in 1997; TV shows that I was hooked on; some people, both real and fictional, that I liked this year; seven films that I liked the most in 2012.

(The picture above is from Lust, Caution, which I actually saw in 2011. I wanted a picture to reflect something of my 2012 in total, just like I chose such pictures to the equivalent posts of 2010 and 2011 (Chaplin, and The Wizard of Oz). I needed a very Chinese picture, because that's what my year was. I remember really liking Lust, Caution, so there I got my necessary Chinese picture.)

Every revolution begins with a spark

And every wait for a Hunger Games movie begins with an incredibly cool motion poster. I remember seeing the similar poster for the first film, and the shivers were huge, because that was the first piece of the movie Hunger Games that we ever got. Now, I think I just grinned and looked stupid. Another cool logo. Tick tock, it's a clock. See the poster here.
 

The premier of Catching Fire is still a year away, so the hype should be kept to the minimum. But I can hardly wait to see the first pictures of Finnick and Johanna and all the other new characters! And the arena, with the pink sky and all! Ok, no more hype.

"This is no place for a girl on fire."

A year. A friggin' year...

Nostalgia

In the past couple of days (that can mean two days or two weeks or more, however you want to see it) I've had way too much free time (meaning I have hardly any lectures but SHOULD be doing IMMENSE amounts of independent study), so I've found myself making some dips in the nostalgic pool of my past passions and addictions. There's been the usual, more recent stuff like The Hunger Games and Klaine, but I also enjoyed some Chaplin comedy again the other day, and really feel like I need a fix of River Phoenix, too. And all this Episode VII talk makes me want to put on another 6-movie marathon, because it's been way too long.

Today I made the fateful mistake and was silly enough to read one of my posts from the early summer of 2010. That time was important in my fangirling life in the sense that Lost ended in May, and I was left nursing a hole bigger and more aching than no other fictional work has ever left in me (except for the Harry Potter books, maybe). This means that I wrote a lot about Lost. And now I read one of those post. And you know, if I give Lost my little finger, it'll soon have my whole hand. Both hands. And feet, and all my other limbs, too. I'm lucky I don't have the DVD's at my flat right now. Still, another Complete Lost Marahtron is an inevitability waiting to happen.

"Dear diary. Still on the bloody island. Today I swallowed a bug."

Good times!

In other news, I am currently occupying myself in catching up on my New Year Resolutions (I'm trying to tackle August at the moment, so there's still some way to go), being addicted to Breaking Bad (pun kind of intended) and feeling sorry for myself for being so broke that I'm not free to go to movies anytime I feel like it. Then again, I'm silly and easily persuaded, so the other day I agreed to go to see Paranormal Activity 4 with some friends. I've only seen the first one (and I'm pretty sure I was drunk at the time), and I haven't seen a horror movie in cinema since The Ring 2, which is for a reason. So, at the theatre I noticed that the new Bond was playing at the same time, and I started a passionate persuading process to convince my friends to go see that instead. We couldn't make up our minds, so at the ticket booth one round of rock-paper-scissors made the decision. I lost, and slept with the lights on the following night. And it wasn't even a particularly scary movie! I don't know how I slept after The Ring 2. Maybe I didn't.

Now I'm just waiting for The Hobbit, while hoping no one will say a word to me about Breaking Dawn Part 2, because I know I'd just say what the hell and throw that money to the wind.

I mentioned Breaking Bad; I should really write a post about it, it's a pretty cool show. Apparently I'm also writing my Bachelor's Thesis on it. Humanities, you know...

Also, I have a massive, Disney-related post on the way, which I've been working on for a year or something. It's the bomb! Although it has nothing to do with Breaking Bad. That Jesse Pinkman slang is just contagious.

EDIT// It's soon 1am and I've been sitting here for hours watching and listening to Disney videos on YouTube. This is going to be a long night...

My TOP 5 Favorite Fictional Couples: The Happy Ending Edition

It's been a while since April 2010. That's why this post needs a little update. The love stories of most of the couples on the previous list, epic as they be, had very unhappy, dramatic and premature endings. This time I'm not looking for epic, necessarily. I'm looking for potential happily-ever-afters. I don't know if that tells something about the amazing emotional growth I've done in the past two years, or that my taste has just become boring, but never mind. Just dig in. (I even omitted Jack and Rose. Can you imagine. They were my number one in 2010. I feel like a sorry little traitor for doing this! But epic had to give way to happy endings. That's how my world works in 2012.)

SPOILER ALERT

*
 

5. Tom & Gerri (Another Year, 2010)

These two shoved Hermione and Ron off of the list! Did someone see that one coming, because I didn't! I saw this little film last year, and a few things about it have lingered on my mind: 1) The bit in the beginning with Imelda Stauton's horrifyingly and impressively depressed character, 2) the pitiful mess that Lesley Manville's Mary turned out to be, and 3) Tom and Gerri, who were healthy and happy and normal among all that depression and anxiety.

If you're looking for a happy ending, don't go knock on Disney's door, pay a visit Tom and Gerry's idyllic little house. Tom and Gerry are so content and normal that it's almost weird. They have normal conversations about everyday things, and neither of them is secretly a CIA agent. You do not often see such elderly couples in movies, perhaps because they don't offer the friction and conflict that usually make a good movie. Still, I found it really refreshing and reassuring that it does not always take a huge amount of drama to make a good movie couple.

"It's going to rain again."

4. Jim & Pam (The Office, 2005-)

I watched all the seven (plus) seasons of The Office earlier this year, and it's such a great series. (After that I was all ten seasons of Friends in a row, and then of course wanted to include Chandler and Monica in the list, but unfortunately there's only room for one couple from a comedy show.) It's laugh-aloud funny, with such a memorable and distinctive scale of characters. Jim and Pam were some of my favourites from the beginning. Who wouldn't love a good old "will-they-won't they"? It is delicious and fun to watch how their friendship gradually develops into a happy relationship, and later into marriage and babies. The whole storyarch is written and acted in a very realistic and moving way.

Some argue that Jim/Pam is incredibly boring now, with no drama bigger than changing diapers, and yes, maybe unrequited, denied or hidden love indeed makes better television. Of course the lingering, secret glances and Jim finding excused to hang around the reception was a lot of fun!  However, I still love Jim and Pam, and wish nothing but good for them in their future in The Office. (It's been like six months since I've watched an episode! I seriously need to catch up. Hope Jim and Pam are still together, because a divorce would be slightly awkward for my Happy Ending Edition.)

"I just needed you to know. Once."

 

3. Katniss & Peeta (The Hunger Games, 2008-2010)

If you thought I'd be done talking about The Hunger Games - just because I said I would - you were very wrong, unfortunately. But this has to do with the books, instead of the film, so that's a welcome change. This is the only couple in the list who doesn't live in our present world. And since there is a tragic sense to the epic story around them, they could almost be disqualified from my Happy Ending List. But I was forgiving. Mostly, because I really wanted to write about these two. And they did get their ending together, even if it wasn't 100% happy.

There are many interesting aspects to the relationship of Katniss and Peeta. First, they have the most horrible ship name, EVER. First, it is not the regular boy-meets-girl-boy-falls-in-love story. Or actually, from Peeta's point of view it's exactly that. But since Katniss is the one in the center if the story... Girl meets boy, girl has to try and kill boy, then girl has to pretend to fall in love with boy in order to stay alive, girl shoots squirrels, incites a rebellion and saves the world, and then, finally, girl grows to love boy.

Another fascinating thing about Peeniss Katniss and Peeta is their reversed gender roles. Katniss hunts, Peeta bakes and paints. Peeta is always open about his feelings and wishes for a proper relationship, while Katniss doesn't feel comfortable showing her emotions and thinks romantic relationships are merely in the way. It's definitely a refereshing angle when it comes to young adult literature, or any other form of romantic narratives.

The love of Katniss and Peeta sure took a long time to bloom, and we never really got to enjoy reading about their life together, but I'm just happy that Katniss finally realized what the rest of us had known from page one (or whatever the page is where he is first introduced): it is just impossible not to love Peeta!

"You love me. Real or not real?"
  

2. Kurt & Blaine (Glee, 2010-)

Klaine. Klaine, Klaine, Klaine. I don't know where I got any joy in my life before there was Klaine.

These two amazing young actors portray these beautifully and carefully written characters with such wonderful sincerity, emotion and subtlety. As far as storyarchs go, this couple has definitely had the best, most coherent and believable one in the history of Glee. (And you know, they're not always very big on coherent storyarches...) Plus they're hot.

As TV characters, Kurt and Blaine push boundaries. They are a homosexual couple, portrayed alongside heterosexual couples, and although Fox doesn't let them kiss quite as much as damn stupid gross more traditional Finchel (Finn/Rachel), for instance, they come across as normal and sweet and true, without a trace of mocking stereotypes. I genuinely think they have changed the world for the better, at least a little bit. They have definitely made my world better. Just a little fix of Klaine, and I'm all smiles and warm and fuzzy feelings, and everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. There is seriously no way I could ever get enough of these two. Yes, I know it's a little sad.

Since I once again took my time with writing this post, there has been some development, as Klaine famously (in my world, at least; I don't know how well it was covered in National news) hit the roughest path of their relationship so far. I'd very much like to see their Facebook profiles, because I don't know what their status is at the moment. Sure, a tiny little detail like a break-up wouldn't change the fact that I adore Kurt and Blaine from the bottom of my fangirl heart. And they'll always end up together, anyway. You know it.

"I'll never say goodbye to you."

1. Celine & Jesse (Before Sunrise, 1995; Before Sunset, 2004; Before Midnight, 2013!!!!)

"I like to feel his eyes on me when I look away."

 They were my number three in 2010, and now they have climbed all the way to the top. There is one adjective that I keep repeating every time I bring up these movies and this couple, and I'm sorry but I'm just going to repeat it a little bit again. Jesse and Celine are so REAL! Both characters as individuals feel real, the storylines of both films feel real, the conversations they have feel real, the connection they share feels real... Everything about them and their story feels real. They are like a wonderful little piece of real, actual life.

And it's not just that they are real. (Because I think they are very real. I don't know if I mentioned that already?) In their case you can talk about soulmates, because their connection is so unique, so special, how they understand each other and feel around each other, how they can't let the memory of each other go during the nine years between their first two meetings. I don't know, I guess that's what they call soulmates.

So, Jesse and Celine, my number one favorite fictional couple. And of course this is a bit ironic, because Jesse and Celine actually never were a couple... Yet! I was so endlessly happy when they announced Before Midnight, to be released next year! Another nine years has passed, and I can only imagine what will be going down in Greece. Maybe they actually are a couple now? In Ethan Hawke's words it's going to be 'ferocious', so I guess the atmosphere will be slightly different compared to the romantic Sunrise and the nostalgic Sunset. Still, no doubt, it will be just as real.

"Baby, you're gonna miss that plane."

"I know."

Stupid obsession, go (or slip) away

I giggled at the picture on the left for five minutes and then thought I'd share it, which means:

1) I should to go to sleep now.

2) I need to stop! I need to find something else to obsess over! It'll be forever before Catching Fire comes out, and you can only read the books so many times... You Tube and Tumblr are limited sources of entertainment and the IMDb boards are not a place to be, if you're not an idiot. The ways to channel my fixation are a bit scarce. I even thought about looking into some Hunger Games fanfiction, and that's when I realized I really need to take a break and find myself a new obsession. Enough is enough. This HG thing has been going on far too long. Maybe I'll read Mockingjay one more time and then I'm done for at least a year! (...But there are much worse obsessions to obsess over.........)

3) I still keep giggling at the picture. Boy with the bread. And there's a boy holding a bread. Hihihihihi. Slipping away. Eh heh heh... "Whee!" Hehehe.

The Hunger Games, Round Two

I visited Panem again today. I was still a very enjoyable experience! (Believe me, it was, despite what I'm going to say next.)

Movie-Peeta is still a bit whiny and sissy. I spotted the key scenes that kind of make him lame and not right for me: 1) When he says he knows he can't win, and even his mom thought so. He sounds bitter at Katniss, like he was making himself a martyr. He should be calmer; hurt, of course, but hiding it, for Katniss. That's how I always saw it in my head. 2) When he waves at the Capitol people from the train, smiling idiotically. Haymitch's comment saves a lot, even though to me Peeta really doesn't look like "he knows what he's doing", he just looks like he likes the attention and the shiny Capitol. 3) When they show his score; again, he cares way too much about himself and a stupid score, and looks happy and relieved that he didn't make a fool out of himself. He should've just made some dry comment about sacks of flour as lethal weapons. 4) When Katniss finds him by the stream and treats his wounds and it looks bad. I can't get over the absence of "You here to finish me off, sweetheart?"... The scenes in the cave make Peeta look weak and fragile, a simple little boy, and he really is not that.

On the other hand, I also paid attention to the things that made Peeta feel like the real Peeta. He's not a total loss... 1) Joking with Ceasar in his interview. 2) The "I don't want them to change me" speech. 3) When he screams for Katniss to run in her "hallucination". 4) The bow joke. 5) When they announce that there is only one winner after all, and he tells Katniss to shoot him. 6) When he touches her braid. I also liked the final scene better now than last time. I mean, it really isn't that clear that it was mostly a game for Katniss and Peeta is extremely hurt, but chooses to be the bigger man and all that, but if you know what is going on in the characters' heads, it works quite well.

Jennifer is still the perfect Katniss.

Seneca Crane's beard still held my gaze every second it was on screen.

The District 11 scene was still spectacular, and the goosebumps were terrific.

...Ahem. This really was not the kind of post that I was supposed to write. Really. I guess I just care too much about my Peeta. But I don't think it's a coincidence that three out of three of the people I know who saw the movie but didn't read the books weren't very amazed by Peeta. And as you know, among the fans of the books, Peeta is probably the biggest favorite. I suppose I should be extremely mad that they didn't get him 100 % right in the movie (I certainly thought I would be if this were to happen), but nah, I don't know. It's just the movie. The real Peeta is still the most lovable thing ever, and nothing can take that away.

I feel like reading the books, again.

EDIT// I actually turned my laptop back on to write this. Haha, obsessive much? Anyway, about Haymitch! He wasn't drunk enough. Or mean enough. After his first scene he pretty much turns into a jolly fellow, who very clearly likes Katniss. No "Stay alive". No "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?". No "You've got about as much charm as a dead slug". It is actually easy to like the movie-Haymitch, which means something is definitely wrong.

...Oh my god, can you see what I'm turning into? Next I'll start nit-picking about Buttercup being black instead of orange. Or about Effie not saying "It's a big, big big day!" even once. That was quite a shame, actually... Aw, bed! Now woman!

The Hunger Games (2012) / three, two, one... fire!

directed by Gary Ross / starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Donald Sutherland

SPOILER ALERT!

FI-FREAKING-NALLY! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this movie! (...Actually, I can. Since Septemper 2010, when I read the books.) I experienced some random bursts of excitement all day, and kept squeaking and anxiously squirming in my seat during the trailers, and then...! There it was! The world of Hunger Games right before my eyes! Hallelujah! Game on!

I liked the movie! I liked it very, very much. I expected a lot of it, and I didn't have to be disappointed. They did an amazing job with it, I think. As far as recent famous-book-series-turned-into-big-budget-films go, this was almost Lord of the Rings quality. Like all the early reviews have been saying, The Hunger Games is not just another adaption: it works alone as a film, too. I went to see the film with a friend who hadn't read the books (she will, though, after tonight), and she enjoyed it a lot, too. It's not like, for example, with the Harry Potter films, which are mostly just fun extentions for the books.

Now let's see. What did I like... Well, the overall mood of the film was just right. It felt like the same universe that I had imagined when reading the books. Watching the film felt like reading the books did. There was similar excitement and suspense and anticipation and adrenaline. I had some MASSIVE goosebumps (tribute parade, first Cornucopia scene, District 11 and the three finger salute...), I almost cried a couple of times, and once in a while I felt like cheering. Just like when reading the books. Much of the mood was achieved through the superb costumes and the sets. I mean, I just loved the Capitol and the ridiculous outfits and the ultramodern look of everything. And the awesomely interesting contrast that is created when the luxury and bright colors change into the grey, gloomy District 12. That's one reason why this story just needed to be transfered to the big screen.

It felt like the Games part of the book was cut relatively short, and the emphasis was on the the preparation and all that. Which I actually didn't mind! A lot of interesting stuff was missing from the Games, but majority of it happened inside Katniss's head anyway, and it's understandable that they don't want to show Katniss looking for water for two days. Oh, but I can't tell you how much I loved the new points of view; how we got to look at behind the scenes of the Games and witness some intense moments with President Snow. And the little clip from District 11! It was all so fresh and exciting, and it gave a new, fascinating dimension to the story. All the foreshadowing about the rebellion made me very happy.

Now, let's talk about characters and actors! Jennifer Lawrence was pretty much perfect, I have not a criticizing word to say about her. I am eternally grateful that she is Katniss and no one else. I didn't mind Haymitch's hair once I got past the initial shock, because Woody Harrelson was great, as one might expect. I wouldn't watched much more of him, though. Elizabeth Banks was a wonderfully horrible Effie. Two characters that stood out for me, because they had bigger roles in the movie thanks to the new aspects of narrating, were Stanley Tucci's slimy/charming Ceasar Flickerman and Wes Bentley's Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane. Both characters were much more interesting than they were in the books! Loved Ceasar's "red carpet" commentary, and the last scene with Crane, just brilliant and chilling! Cato stood out, too! Great, additional stuff in the end. A nice, "Remember who the enemy is" kind of a moment.

Can I get to the subject of Peeta now? Okay. If you have read any of my THG posts, you know that I'm the biggest Peeta fan. And I have to say that the film Peeta was not quite as lovable the original book Peeta. It was not about Josh Hutcherson or his acting, I think; he did quite a good job. I just think they had made the movie Peeta quite one dimensional and a bit boring. "Hajuton, väritön, mauton", as we say in Finland. He now seemed like a nice enough boy, though a bit simple and a little sissy. He had an innocent crush on a girl and he liked holding hands with her. But something was missing.

It's not good that I had just read the book before I saw the movie. It's never good. I try to steer away from all that annoying nit-picking, about that and that favourite line and scene that was excluded from the movie or wasn't done quite right. But with Peeta it actually bothered me! They had cut all of his jokes! I mean, he is actually a funny, witty guy, with some wonderful and charming self-irony on store. All the suggestive comments he makes in the cave, and "You here to finish me off, sweatheart?", and the jokes about frosting someone to death. He was too solemn.

Also, as they'd kind of played down the romance aspect of the story (Where were all the kisses?? We got about one and a half, if that. Haha. Sorry, but I really wanted kisses...), the final scene with Katniss and Peeta (when it's supposed to be all dramatic and heartbreaking because it wasn't a show for Peeta, and for Katniss it was, but only for the most part, which is why she's all confused now, but anyway she doesn't want to play house anymore) was a bit lame and anticlimactic. In the book the scene is so awesome, with Peeta so clearly hurt, and Katniss can't do anything but feel horrible, and then Peeta once more shows his awesomeness with that "One more time, for the cameras?" comment and Katniss takes his hand and fears for the moment when she'll finally have to let go. Ah! Oh well, maybe that's what they went for, ambiguity about Katniss's true feelings...

The movie Peeta wasn't totally hopeless, just not as lovable as the book Peeta. I'm hoping for some progress in the sequels. And anyway, one can be a mere fraction as lovable as the book Peeta, and still be more lovable than all the other characters put together. That's just how lovable he is. Look at that darling face.

What else did I have to say...? Well, I just went to check out some comments on IMDb. I should stop going there, that place is full of idiots. Haha. If I hear "Battle Royal rip-off" one more time, I swear I'll... be as annoyed as all the other times I hear that. Sigh. I spotted many disappointed comments, but I will not let those bother me, because I was indeed very happy with the film! I liked the shaky camera work, the music, the editing between the arena and the Districts and the Gamemakers' control room... I think there was just enough violence. PG-13 was just fine with me; I mean, I didn't want to see any gore! There was just enough blood and fighting. Kids are killing kids, okay, no need to show all the details. Though I did like what Cato did with that poor guy's neck. Oh SNAP!

Some more random things that I liked:  Fox-Face, especially the intense moment when she and Katniss (literally) bump into each other. Katniss trembling all over before sent up to the arena in the tube. Rue's death scene and how Katniss mourns her afterwards. Seneca Crane's beard (couldn't stop staring at it). The Reaping. Gale and Katniss mouthing to each other during the Reaping. The scene with the apples and the explosion. The trackerjacker hallucinations. Haymitch telling them that they're going to die (though "Stay alive" is better). How the idea about letting both tributes from one District win came from Haymitch. How Peeta cries on the way to the train and Effie keeps babbling about some outrageously shallow stuff, like she always does. Effie's "That's mahogany!". Ceasar's interview with Peeta. Peeta's joke about the bow (Now there's some of that self-deprecating humour I so much love!). When Peeta tells Katniss about the first time he saw her. The first berry scene, Katniss's panic and "Damn you, Peeta!". (Well, looks like Peeta wasn't a total loss for me, after all...)

I probably had more things I wanted to point out, but let that be it for now. I will definitely go see the movie again, and maybe I'll write another post then. I have a feeling that I won't be able to think about anything else but Hunger Games in the next few days...

Next, I'll start looking forward to Catching Fire casting news. Can't wait to get faces for Johanna and Finnick and Coin! Other than that, November 2013 is so freaking far away that I just try not to think about it...

My TOP 5 favorite Hunger Games characters

It's been two hundred years since I made a top five. Also, with March 23th only ten days away, it's time to start getting the hype up. It'll be epic! I read the trilogy, again, last month (found myself flickering through the first pages of the first book, and there was no turning back after that). And I just found some new stills from the movie, here. And I also just saw the first actual clip of the movie, here. (Another one with Katniss and Cinna, here.)

All of this is making me very, very excited. I said it before and I'll say it again: It'll be EPIC!

So, my list. As pictures I'll use photos of the movie actors, because, why not? The image I have in my head about these characters can't unfortunately be added to this post - and the image is not actually far from what we have here. Except for Haymitch's hair. But with that I can live with, because the hair grows from (or the wig is attached to) Woody Harrelson's head.

Watch out for spoilers!

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5. Katniss Everdeen

Katniss is the heroine of The Hunger Games. I have the tendency to strongly dislike the heroines and heros, especially in stories with a large ensemble of characters. Not with Hunger Games! Granted, I'm not the biggest fan of Katniss. Though in a way, I am. What I mean is, I don't always like her as a person, but I adore her as a character. She is flawed, incredibly flawed, and she knows it. She is not a very nice person, and she is not interested in being liked. She can be very cynical and distrustful. The way she often treats Peeta sometimes makes me furious. So, I'm not the biggest fan of Katniss.

But like I said, as a character she's spectacular. And that's just what the young adult world needed after years of reading about its biggest heroine sighing over how divinely handsome her sparkling boyfriend is. Katniss is a fantastic heroine. It's not only that she's tough, independent, smart, brave and righteous; her flaws make her ten times better as a character. And yeah, I do sometimes hate the way she acts towards Peeta, and other people, too, but I also love that she is not all about cute boys and romance; there are much more important things in her life. And in THG trilogy. And as much I love the romance side of the story, I love this following quote of Katniss's even more. Take that, Twilight. 

"I really can't think about kissing when I've got a rebellion to incite."

4. Finnick Odair

Finnick, ah, Finnick! Like with Johanna, we don't have an official face for Finnick yet. (I'm thinking Armie Hammer, though...) But we know that face will be the most handsome face in all of Panem. The face has eyes the color of the sea, and the face is attached to the most divine body you can imagine. I wonder why Finnick is such a big fan favorite?

Haha, seriously now. Finnick is pretty great. He's such a great comic relief at times, such times when comic relief is otherwise really rare. First he seems like the biggest idiot ever, but he evolves into a great, tragic character. How he interracts with Katniss is great and entertaining; first they just go on mocking and teasing and insulting each other, and later they find that deep connection and tie knots together and stuff. And still mock each other. The death of Finnick was perhaps the most shocking death for me (yeah, much more than, say, Prim's, I never really fell in love with her like I was supposed to...), I can't believe Collins just killed him off like that!

"Want a sugar cube?"

3. Johanna Mason

Catching Fire will apparently be out in November 2013, so we still have a long wait ahead of us before we'll see Johanna Mason on action. (I'm already frustrated that we have to wait for so freaking long! But at least they're not just throwing it together as fast as possible.) I'm excited to see who they'll cast as the outspoken, asskicking Johanna. I don't have anyone special in my mind yet, but I don't want her to be too skinny: she needs to have some booty! This is very important to me, because I love that moment in Mockingjay when Johanna bumps her hips against Gale's. Haha. And one needs some booty to do that properly.

Ahem. Other than the booty scene, I like Johanna because she's kind of a bitch. She says and does most outrageous and brutally honest things. She always brings in an extra spice whenever she's involved. She's made me laugh and cry and cheer. She's potantially the most badass character in the whole series. I think. Actually, I should move her up in the list... Shame it's pretty crowded up there. (Well, I just moved her ahead of Finnick. Sorry, man. (Then I wrote that bit about Finnick and wanted to move him back up again... Agh, I shouldn't make these lists...)

"They can’t hurt me. I’m not like the rest of you. There’s no one left I love."

2. Haymitch Abernathy

Haymitch is not a very nice person. And I guess that's why him and Katniss understand each other so well. Certain moments with Katniss and Haymitch can be counted as the most intense pieces of dialogue in the whole series. Like the time Katniss has a drink with Haymitch after the announcement of the Quater Quell, or when they confront each other about Peeta after he's been taken by the Capitol. Katniss and Haymitch keep no secrets from each other, when it comes to things that suck and can't be told to anyone else because it would hurt them. They are a great, even if unexpected team.

The Hunger Games is of course full of tragic life stories, but Haymitch's has to be in the top five, at least. When he is first introduced, you can't imagine feeling sorry for him, ever, but as his backstory begins to unravel, and you realize what a hellish life he's been leading, you'll forgive him for not caring about anyone and being drunk all the time. Haymitch is a perfect combination of comedy and tragedy!

"And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies."

1. Peeta Mellark

All of these people on the list have been either bitches or drunks or both. Well, bitches and drunks, you have just been beaten by the most good-hearted, kind and caring character in history! Peeta is not just likable. He's lovable! I seriously can't understand how someone can NOT like Peeta. Are there such people? It is very dangerous to write a character who is as flawless and morally virtuous as Peeta is: it's annoying for people when someone, even if only fictional, is so much superior to them. But the way Peeta is written can't annoy anyone. Or so goes my theory.

He is so humble, and comfortable in his own skin and with everyone around him, and he is forgiving and genuine and noble and just, and he always says the right thing, and pretty much every positive thing that can be used to describe a person can be used to describe Peeta. He's just so freaking lovable that you want him to jump out of that book so you can marry him! Only of course he wouldn't, because his heart belongs to Katniss. Damn it.

"Isn’t it strange that I know you’d risk your life to save mine, but I don’t know what your favorite color is?"

The world will indeed be watching

If you like epic, and I do, there is a lot to look forward to.

The newest Hunger Games trailer came out some days ago. Still looking extremely good, still getting tremendous goosebumps, still not enough Haymitch. But Stanley Tucci, ah! And I'm starting to be very convinced that Lenny Kravitz will rock the role of Cinna, so shut up, haters.

Super Bowl also gave us another teaser of the upcoming Avengers. Whoa! Just, whoa! I mean... whoa! It's going to be simply... whoa! And my patriotic little fangirl heart is pounding very excitedly for Captain America. There's just something about those stars and stripes... and abs...

I haven't been too stoked about The Amazing Spider-Man, but the new trailer is beginning to tickle my fancy a bit. Good old Andrew will of course rock my world, no doubt about that, but also, it seems darker and more complex than the Tobey Maguire fun rides. P.S. I'm hoping Emma Stone will have something proper to do, besides being the damsel in distress.

Hey 2012, show me what you've got!

There's no doubt about my most anticipated movie of the year. The Hunger Games movie will be so epic! I was a bit scared at first, about how easily it could be screwed up, but after the (mostly) solid casting choices, first promo pictures and the trailer, I'm quite positive that I will very much enjoy the film adaption. That world is so creepy and dark, yet cool, and they seem to have done a pretty good job transferring it on screen. March, come on, come on, come on!

Struck by Lightning is the love child (and the showcase) of my favourite Glee star, Chris Colfer. The story is written by Colfer himself, and he also plays the main character. After enjoying his performances on Glee, I'm so excited to see how he portrays a character other than the fabulous Kurt Hummel. And even more than that, I want to see him kick ass as a screenwriter, because that's where I think his glorious future might lie.

Superheros! Who wouldn't love superheros! For those of us who do, 2012 is a very good year. The Avengers is definitely the most exciting upcoming action epic. I'm thrilled enough to see my unexpected new favourite Captain America return and explore the modern world, but in addition, he will unite with other awesome old friends like Robert Downey Jr.! Also known as Iron Man, but for me, he's just good old RDJ playing RDJ. Brilliant. I hope they'll really feast on this delicious opportunity and actually let the characters properly interact with each other, among the undoubtedly impressive explosions and action sequences.

Brave will introduce Pixar's first ever female protagonist! As sad as it is how long it took for that to happen, my expectations towards the next adventure by the best modern animation studio are huge, to say the least. That red, curly mess of hair is awesome enough. At least visually this film will blow everyone's minds, let's hope the plot delivers, too.

Let's be honest. Andrew Garfield is pretty much the only reason I'm looking forward to The Amazing Spiderman. But well, there are worse reasons, I guess. Because have you seen Andrew Garfield in action? That kid is brilliant.

I guess I can't claim to be the biggest fan of Chris Nolan's Batman movies, since I've only seen half of Batman Begins, and for me The Dark Knight was all about Heath Ledger, not so much about that stupid Batman dude. Still, I will definitely go see The Dark Knight Rises, even though it has a really lame title, because Nolan is awesome, and I know the movie will be great.

What do Abraham Lincoln and vampire hunting have in common? I don't know. That's why I'm so eager to see the Wanted director's upcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Because I don't have any idea what to expect. It sounds both odd and fascinating. And American history, oooh, droooool. Good old Civil War.

The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey. More Middle-Earth. 'Nuff said.

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3D rereleases seem to be the new trend. The most anticipated of such films is of course Titanic, oooh, can't wait, it will be amazing! Not because of the 3D, necessarily, but seeing it on big screen will be brilliant. Poor baby was too young when it first came out.

Also, I'll probably have to check out Phantom Menace. If it ever comes to Finland, I mean. The Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon/Darth Maul lightsaber battle should look pretty good with that extra dimension!

Beauty and the Beast returns to theatres already on January, and far as I know, in Finland, too. Naturally I will need to see my beloved Disney favourite, as a bigger and better and more expensive version. Finding Nemo is coming back as well, but don't know if I'm ready to pay for it, or if I'll even have a chance to.

Finally, some other more or less interesting films coming out this year. I need to check out Iron Lady, to see how Meryl Streep earned her third Oscar. (Yes. Please?) Might wait for the DVD, though. Albert Nobbs seems pretty interesting. And Woman in Black, oooh, Daniel "Post-Potter" Radcliffe, this should be good. I hope, for the poor boy's sake. Tim Burton's Dark Shadows is a must-see; oh, have I missed Burton+Depp+Bonham Carter.

The two Snow White adaptions, Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman need to be seen, because I dig classic fairytale modernizations, even though neither of them look too promising. Still, I will see both of them, because of Armie Hammer and despite Kristen Stewart. Speaking of K-Stew, Breaking Dawn Part 2. Sigh. One more, and then it's over!

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Alrighty, 2012. You look good. And epic. So bring it on!

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.

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.

The Boy With The Bread, come to life

I'm getting steadily more and more excited about next March and The Hunger Games film. I will positively piss myself when the first teaser trailer comes along. Which could be relatively soon, actually, maybe even within a month, as they've already filmed all the stuff in the arena and District 12, and are currently in the Capitol. Holy cow. Merely the thought gives me goosebumps.

I know this Entertainment Weekly article with the exclusive pictures of the Hunger Games cast and the set came out ages/weeks ago, but only now I happened to stumble across an online version of the text (as I said a couple of hours ago when posting to my other blog, anything to keep me from having to pack). It's a nice read, building around an interview of Josh Hutcherson, playing my beloved Peeta in the film version.

I never really doubted his ability to bring Peeta to life in a way that appeals to me. There are actors that I immediately like, and those I don't (and yeah, those I'm first undetermined about and sometimes grow to like). With Hutcherson it was love at first sight, so to speak. When they annouced the casting, there was an instant YES. I saw Peeta in there somewhere. Josh has just the right kind of innocent charm and warmth in him. And now that he has that gorgeous blond hair, he even looks the part. I have a feeling he will be a perfect Peeta, for me, at least.

-- he seems like the rare young guy whom the spotlight will not singe. "I know it's going to be a big change, but I think if you go about it in the right way, you can still have your privacy," he says. "You got to just keep on trucking and make sure you're always being true to yourself." He laughs and gives the table a happy bang of his fist. "Which is so funny because - God bless America! - that's exactly what Peeta would say."

That's right. That's my Peeta.

May the odds be ever in your favor... and may March 2012 arrive soon

Just when you thought there is nothing more to look forward to now that the Potter series is finished... Think again!

 The first poster for the upcoming, highly anticipated Hunger Games movie has just been released. And it's not just any poster, it's a motion poster! Never heard of one of those before, but now I have, and it's pretty awesome in its simplicity.

CLICK HERE for the chills of the day.

Katniss gets her men! And here they are!

They've cast Peeta! And they cast him well! And most importantly, they didn't cast Alex Pettyfer! I think I can breath freely for a moment now.

Oh and they cast Gale too.

Josh Hutcherson aka Peeta

Out of all the characters of Hunger Games, I was definitely most concerned about the casting of Peeta. Sure, I had some serious fears that they might choose Effie from Skins to play Katniss, but Peeta was always my number one source of worry. But lo and behold, there is still some sense in the world! Josh Hutcherson it is! He's best known for his role in The Kids Are All Right (and so far, I guess that's the only role he's known for...) and I'm so relieved to say that I liked him in that movie! I guess he acted the role quite well, but more importantly, he has a likable personality! I can totally see myself falling for his Peeta, just like I fell for the Peeta of the book. Good news, good news. My evening was just saved. Hurray!

Liam Hemsworth aka Miley's old flame Gale

Oh and they cast Miley Cyrus's ex-boyfried as Gale. I'm sorry, but that's all I can associate Liam Hemsworth with. I mean, you google the guy and all you get is photos of him making out with little Miley. This makes me want to cruelly bash his acting skills in the same breath, but unfortunately I have no evidence to base this argument on. Anyone know if he can actually act at all? I'm a bit undetermined about this choice, but I'm just going to go with this, because Gale never mattered as much as Peeta. And I think they got Peeta quite right.

Next, I'll trouble myself with the casting of Haymitch... I won't announce my hopes out loud, because then they won't come true. Okay, they won't anyway. But anyway. These are exciting times we're living.


EDIT // Haha, so now I'm amusing myself with reading people's whining. They're talking about 'miscasts', but I don't honestly think you can talk about that before actually seeing the actor in action, or least in costume. Hell, I might have even given Alex Pettyfer a chance! (...Maybe not, but anyway.) Just, come ON, people. Chill.

Get ready Panem, here's your Katniss!

The leading actress of the upcoming Hunger Games movie has finally been chosen! The lucky girl is Jennifer Lawrence, best known for her role in The Winter's Bone, which also got her an Oscar nomination. I haven't yet seen the film, but I believe Jennifer has got the talent to bring the strong, hardened-by-life Katniss alive on the screen. And quite honestly, I'm just really happy Effy from Skins wasn't chosen. So I'm all thumbs up for this choice! She may be 20, while Katniss is 16, but this won't be the first time an actor is older than their character. This is not a John Travolta/Grease situation, after all.

Next, I'm anxiously waiting for news about who will play the male lead, Peeta. I'm a huge Peeta fan and the casting is only a matter of life and death for me. I NEED TO LIKE HIM. Just let it not be Alex Pettyfer.

2010: A Summary of a Year

2010 is almost over. Can you believe it, because I can't! The year has been pretty good, I've seen many awesome films (and quite a bunch of less awesome films as well, but that's unavoidable, I guess). I hugely regret that I didn't make a list of all the films I watched during 2010 (it did cross my mind, damn it), because I'm pretty sure I've broken a personal record. 2010 was also the year when I started blogging, so I guess we can say my year hasn't been a total waste!

To wrap the year up, I look back to the various phases I went through this year. (A phase: A period of time during which I am hugely enthusiastic about something or someone, and can't fully concentrate on anything else.) There's been unusually many of them! Also, I'll very reluctantly make an unofficial top five of my favourite movies of 2010. Don't take it too seriously. There are too many potentially awesome films I haven't yet seen! It's mostly there just for show.

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My SIX PHASES of 2010

The Robert Downey Jr. phase (January - March)

Not often I go see a film in the cinema twice. Even less often three times. But I did see Sherlock Holmes three times, and I can only blame the unbeatable charm and overflowing hotness of RDJ. During the phase I also watched a lot of lousy films from his early career (and one damn good one that led to another phase later on) and the fourth season of Ally McBeal. That's when the phase probably reached its peak and I was more fanfirl-y that I've been in years and it was highly disturbing and I'm glad it's over now. (And I'm only half-kidding.) I'm still very much RDJ's girl, and I regret I managed to miss Due Date in cinemas.

The River Phoenix phase (March - April)

The short-ish but passionate River Phoenix phase was triggered by the end credits of Stand by Me, as my even-slower-than-usual brain realised that the charming young fellow in the film was actually River Phoenix. Many of his film are almost impossible to come by, but judging by every film I have got my hands on, River was spectacularly talented and an amazing person and all the praise he's ever got is most definitely deserved. Also, when it comes to talking about River Phoenix, one can't get away without mentioning that he has one of the most photogenic faces EVER.

The Lost phase (~April - June)

My Lost phase has been going strong since 2006, but this year it culminated around the series finale in May. All year long I had been regularly freaking out once a week, as the final season teased and shocked and thrilled me to pieces. Lost is the most popular label on my blog, which shows that the Lost phase still isn't over. Just this week I completed a project I had been fantasizing about for years, as my Complete Lost Marathon finally ended. Lost truly has been one of the highlights of the year, but it was also a significant highlight of the whole decade. Dude, it's been awesome.

The Charlie Chaplin phase (June - July)

This is one of the few times ever I've become this excited about something that could easily be considered 'intellectual' (not that Lost, for instance, isn't, ahem). Thanks to RDJ (yep, I still think I owe him this), I read Chaplin's autobiography, loved it, and watched all of his films I could find. Oh and loved them, too, to say the least. I found it quite amazing that I so thoroughly enjoyed something that had been done before the 90s, or even before the invention of talking pictures! So uncharacteristic of me. Chaplin's films are wonderful, oh so wonderful and I'll be eternally grateful to RDJ. Haha.

The Disney phase (August - September)

Before and especially after our spectacular trip to Paris - which included that fateful visit to Disneyland - I couldn't make myself watch anything that wasn't animated and or didn't have a happy ending and a few cute animal friends. I watched more Disney films in a month than I did during the whole year when I was five. And oh did I have a blast! By the time I got annoyed at The Little Mermaid and actually began to look the films critically (first time for everyhing), I figured the time had come to finally shake the phase and move on. Luckily, an old favourite was coming back from a summer hiatus.

The Glee phase (October - December, and beyond)

 Glee, oh Glee! Just when I thought Lost had left a hole in me that nothing could ever fill, along came season two of Glee, and reminded me that there is one show out there that has that potential. Not that the hole is completely filled (won't ever be), but it doesn't ache anymore. Glee has been quite a dominant factor in my life recently: I created a blog dedicated to it, I'm listening to the songs on repeat, I ordered a ticket to their live concert and I want to marry Chris Colfer (oh, if I were a boy!). Glee has quite a steady position in my life, and this phase will continue to live on... Side by side with whatever I next get crazy about.

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My (unofficial) TOP FIVE of 2010

Rare Exports

Okay, so. Rare Exports is here, because 1) it was a good film and 2) because it's not every year Finns make a film that one might even consider when thinking about the best films of the year. I might have liked The Deathly Hallows a bit more, but hey, the patriot in me wanted to give this film some more credit. (And I make sure DH pt. 2 will be on my top five of 2011. Promise.) And it's not only that it is a rare export when it comes to domestic cinema. Rare Exports is an imaginative and bold piece of work, it creeped me out, it made me laugh and gave me chills and, quite unexpectedly, a touch of Christmas spirit as well.

Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass kicked off my summer of various action adventures, such as Robin Hood, Iron Man 2 and Prince of Persia, and ended up kicking the crap out of all the rest. It is an entertainment bomb. It introduced two bright stars of tomorrow, Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz, and also features the brilliant Christopher Mintz-Plasse. One of my favourite moments (in addition to everything that includes Hit-Girl) still is when the main character is worried that if he dies, he won't find out how Lost ends. What a relief I don't have to worry about anymore! Because, on some of my less proud moments, I did. Anyway, Kick-Ass kicks ass.

Inception

Er, what? What is Inception doing this far from number one? Wasn't it pretty much the most mind-blowing thing I'd seen in ages, a complicated and intriguing masterpiece by the genious also known as Chris Nolan, and simply just the grandest cinema experience ever? Well, yes. As you can see, I haven't numbered the top five, even though they are supposingly in the order of superiority. It just felt wrong. When my friend asked me what my five favourite movies of 2010 were, he also asked me to mark put a star after each film that was so damn incredible you forgot it was a film you were watching. (continues below)

The Social Network

(cont.) (He asked me for the list in Facebook. By the way.) Inception was the only was that I starred. So why oh why are The Social Network and another film topping Inception? Well, quite frankly, I don't know. I'm just listening to my gut. I can't say which one I liked more, because they are so very different. Both left me in awe, but in different kinds of awe and for different reasons. I actually at one point promoted Inception to number two, but finally dropped it back down again, because this was the original order on the list in Facebook. And as we know, Facebook is the bible of today's world. And yes, The Social Network is freaking genious.

Toy Story 3

So here we are, then. 2010 is just about in the bag and my most favourite film ended up being... not a sci-fi epic nor an origin story of a web page... but a third instalment of an animated film series. Um... okay? I guess what happened here is that number three and number two were too busy wrestling with each other that they forgot one little Toy Story 3. Whoever saw that coming? ... I did, actually. (Just remembered that I did!) Here's a direct quote (with spelling errors and all, sigh... 'askes'... I should probably fix that) from my Inception post from July:

" So - if someone askes me in the end of this year what was the BEST film of 2010, I will probably say Inception. If they ask what was MY FAVOURITE film, I will say something else. Something silly like Toy Story 3 or Kick-Ass or Harry Potter. "

And yes, I don't think this is such a scandalous or unexpected choice after all. I mean, whoever has seen the film knows it's brilliant in so many wonderful ways. I'm definitely campaigning for Toy Story 3 to win the best picture Oscar, and not only because I like underdogs and tend to fly the flag of those who REALLY don't stand much chance of winning, but also because I think it has a tremendous amount of potential. I mean, don't you want an animated picture to win the Oscar some day? So why not now? (Yeah, yeah, okay. In my dreams. Anyway.)

**

Okay. So. A wrap-up of a wrap-up... 2010. What a year! And I have a sneaky feeling that 2011 might be even better! There sure are a big bunch of films worth expecting on the way. 2010 took us beyond infinity, but who knows, we might go even further next year.

Happy two thousand and eleven, everyone! Enjoy the fireworks tonight!