Global Street Artist Places Local People Next to His Murals
Eugene, mymodernmet.comFrench street artist Seth Globepainter travels around the world, creating large scale murals and placing local city dwellers next to them. Whether in India, China, Mexico, or other countries, this adds a human element to Goldpainter’s artwork and…
Rosea Lake, Vancouver Student, Posts Powerful ‘Judgments’ Photo Of Skirt Lengths
Emma Gray, huffingtonpost.comPrudish. Flirty. Whore. Proper. Cheeky. Slut. These are just a few of the words that could be used to describe a woman’s sexual behavior based on her appearance alone, and 18-year-old college freshman Rosea Lake chose to display them…
Confessions of a Shopping Addict
Affectionately dedicated to Amanda, Bridget, and Missy, who put up with my freaking out for over six hours.
{ABOUT SPOILERS: This post will be by no means spoiler-free, but everything that occurs after what is depicted in the movie trailer (up to Katniss’ entry into the Arena) will be hidden behind a cut.}
I’m pretty sure this is the only Hunger Games review that will discuss Nazis, color symbolism, terrorism, and The Office in the same post. Yes, I’ve finally caught up on my sleep after seeing the premiere, and I’m ready for some hardcore analysis. (AWWW YEAAAH!)
Before I get into anything, Lyndsey and I have already had a great discussion on the controversy surrounding the racial aspect of pretty much all the casting, which you can read in its entirety here.
Now, on with the show! And, most importantly, the Wes Bentley.
The movie moves fast. The book moves fast, with Prim’s name being drawn by the end of Chapter One, but the movie is even faster. All dead time has been cut for the sake of brevity, and we lose a lot of nuance, too- most notably, there’s no discussion of how each District has different breads (which does make me sad, seeing how bread is such an iconic part of the fandom), a direct explanation of tesserae, etc., etc. Of course, I’m a sucker for details.
But there’s a lot happening right away. The most striking is the contrast between the Seam and the forest where Katniss and Gale hunt. District 12 is brown and gray and full of old people. The forest is green and empty. It’s creepy, given how visually similar the woods and Arena are. Nice foreshadowing.
Willow Shields is especially fabulous as Primrose. She approaches the role with such sensitivity and emotional rawness that she gives Jennifer Lawrence a run for her money in the early scenes. It’s enough to make me sorry for her all over again. I look forward to her having more of a role in the later movies.
The more omnipotent and visual perspective of the movie versus the internal monologue of the books really lets the audience climb into the world and walk around it a bit better. Very early on, we’re treated to some Panemian propaganda, which is off-color in the best way and has a creepy nod to American history. It’s great to see how unenthused and passive-aggressive everyone is. (Also, I love the lipstick Effie wears to the Reaping.) The best part is the close-ups of Katniss’ face throughout her journey to the Capitol and pre-Games pageantry. You can tell she’s thinking “I hate this.”
I almost wish we got more close-ups of the food, given how much Katniss talks about it in the books, but the things on the train look fabulous. Woody Harrelson as Haymitch is fabulously jaded, drunk, and darkly humorous, and he’s the all-too-important comic relief as Katniss and Peeta process the fact that they’re about to enter a fight to the death. He might be my new favorite character. Speaking of Peeta- I’ve never been the rabid fan of his that my sister has been, but he’s so genuinely emotional in the immediate aftermath of the Reaping that you can’t help but feel for him.
All this must have taken only twenty minutes. It’s very fast-paced.
I spent a lot of the proceeding time freaking out over the architecture of the Capitol. It’s a great blend of the stripped classicalism Hitler was going for and some more traditional classicalism.
Here’s some Third Reich architecture:
And some of District 12 and the Capitol:
And you can be sure the use of the eagle in the seal of Panem wasn’t an accident, either.
(I get really excited about stuff like this when I figure it out, guys.)
I know some people have complained about the Capitol citizens being too weird/garish, but I rather liked them. Of course, I have a high tolerance for weird. There was no one with dyed skin, though. They all look homogenously weird, which reinforces the isolation of the regions of Panem.
Most of the interiors have a similar sleek, minimalist, modern aesthetic, with what look like some Far East influence thrown in for something a bit difference.
The opening parade features some delightfully awful costumes, but like everything else, you’re lucky if you get a glimpse of any tributes besides Katniss and Peeta.
The training center is where the tone changes drastically. It’s where I started thinking “This is sick and wrong” over and over again as the Careers size up the different Tributes. It’s the part where we realize that these kids are really going to kill each other, and everyone is so calm about it. Not even Caesar Flickerman and all his bizarre faces in the background of his stage can rescue us from the impending awful. Rue is immediately adorable, though.
People have also been complaining about the interview outfits, and I’ve got to say that Katniss’ fire dress is somewhat lackluster, and poor Peeta really gets the shaft. (Pun not intended.)
The end of the pre-Games festivities and the arrival of the tributes at the Arena again proceeds with a nightmarish speed, and it’s a great depiction of Katniss’ (and every other tribute’s) powerlessness.
Before we jump past the spoiler cut, I have to say that the conversations between Snow and Seneca Crane (who did order the pig?) are my favorite addition, and arguably my favorite part of the entire movie. It’s a hint at the politics that really take shape in Catching Fire and pervade Mockingjay. It’s also stellar character development for both of them, and do you really think I’m going to complain about seeing Wes Bentley and THE BEARD?
No, never.
I’m particularly crazy about the moments right before Katniss goes into the arena. She’s literally shaking by the end, and Cinna with his calm demeanor is a great foil.
Carven Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection Slideshow on Style.com
Fab.com Flash Sale: Origami Jewelry Limited quantity.
Fab.com
When it comes to animals leaving the kingdom and joining the jewelry world, the risk of becoming too cutesy can occur. Origami Jewelry’s Parisian-based Claire Naa and Arnaud Soulignac use gunmetal-hued sterling silver to create a happy medium of cute, cool and sculptural art pieces in this collection of necklaces.
Everything I Need to Know About Growing Up I Learned From Supernatural Teen Movies -
(But mostly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
Banana Cream Pie with Salty Bourbon Caramel
Recipe by Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Downtown Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina, bonappetit.comThis showstopper is a worthwhile project. Set aside some time 2 days ahead to make the components, then practice saying “Aw shucks, that was nothing!” to raving guests.
8 servings
Ingredients
Peanut Shortbread Crust
1 1/4 cups cu…
Pictures: China’s Fake Disneyland, Overgrown and Ghostly
National Geographic Society, nationalgeographic.com
Intelligence: Model Jessica Hart Launches Clothing Line, PJ Trend Continues
Kerry Folan, racked.comIt looks like the pajama-as-streetwear trend isn’t going away anytime soon. Australian model Jessica Hart has just launched a new clothing line with New York–based brand Pencey, and in addition to big blooms and girly hearts, t…
