Tag / The Hunger Games

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Book 41 (of 52) – Sunrise On The Reaping

Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins

The second Quarter Quell, celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Hunger Games, is doubling the number of tributes sent from each district. Haymitch Abernathy, celebrating his sixteenth birthday, thinks he is safe from the reaping until he tries to save his girlfriend from the Peacekeepers after they killed the second boy tribute.  Brought into a conspiracy amongst some of the tributes and conspirators from the Capital, Haymitch tries to destroy the arena, but instead marks himself as trouble.  When he is unexpectedly crowned victor, he returns to District 12 to find his family dead in a fire and his girlfriend poisoned, leading him to isolate himself from his remaining friends and drowning his sorrows in drink.

Nearly 20 years since the initial publication of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins returns with her latest, and I assume last, entry in the series, Sunrise on the Reaping.  Taking place 25 years prior to the events of the original book and 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Collins ties together characters from both and puts them into position to be where we find them in the future.  This suffers from repetition and the table-setting being done to show how we get from here to the events of the original trilogy.  I can’t see a third trip back to the well, unless she introduces a whole new set of characters who don’t tie in to the originals, so I’m guessing this is the end of the line.

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Book 8 (of 52) – The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

Sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, the future President Snow is chosen as a mentor to a tribute for the 10th Hunger Games.  Looking to secure his place in the Capitol after the Snow family lost everything in the war, he skirts the rules, sneaking food to his tribute, helping her sneak in rat poison to enhance her chances in the arena, and helping her avoid the poisonous snakes sent in to kill the tributes.  After his tribute wins the Hunger Games, he is found out and forced to join the Peacemakers, sent to District 12 and hopeful of reuniting with his tribute.  He eventually finds his way back to the Capitol and finds himself on the fast track to power.

A full decade after the release of Mockingjay, the third and final entry in The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins is back with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel that takes place 64 years prior to the events of the main series.  It doesn’t appear as though Collins had much success with anything else in the intervening years, which I guess explains why she went back to the well after all this time.  The story, focusing on the 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow a mere ten years after the rebellion and the tribute he fell in love with, wasn’t necessarily.one anyone was looking for and one that moves very slowly.

What comes next, both for Collins and the franchise?  Nothing announced, and we are four years out from this book’s initial release.  I guess we’ll see if this is now the end of the story for Panem and its residents.

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Most Watched Actors – The Early 2010s

Movie_Reel_22Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime. The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since. So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at the most prolific actors that have starred in the movies that I have seen in the first half of this decade.

2011

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Natalie Portman 4

2011 was a big year for Natalie Portman films, as I took in nearly a quarter of her starring roles that I’ve seen overall thanks to The Other Woman, Black Swan, Thor, and No Strings Attached.

2012

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Jonah Hill 3

Jonah Hill scored the top spot with starring roles in Moneyball, The Sitter, and 21 Jump Street.

2013

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
James Franco 3
Joseph Gordon-Levitt 3
Jennifer Lawrence 3

A 3 way tie for 2013 thanks to the stunning work of James Franco, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jennifer Lawrence.  Franco hit with roles in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Spring Breakers, and This Is The End.  Gordon-Levitt made a splash with Looper, Premium Rush, and 50/50.  Lawrence more than doubled her starring roles to date in Silver Linings Playbook, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and House at the End of the Street.

2014

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Emily Blunt 3
Scarlett Johansson 3
Liam Neeson 3
Shailene Woodley 3

For the first time in a decade, we have more than a 3-way tie for the top spot.  Emily Blunt leads things off with her roles in Edge of Tomorrow, Your Sister’s Sister, and The Five-Year Engagement.  Scarlett Johansson makes the list thanks to Don Jon, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and Under The Skin.  Liam Neeson utilized his particular set of skills in Unknown, Non-Stop, and Taken 2.  Shailene Woodley finishes things off Divergent, The Spectacular Now, and The Fault in our Stars.

2015

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Jason Bateman 2
Ashley Bell 2
Tom Cruise 2
Karen Gillan 2
Kevin Hart 2
Leslie Mann 2
Paul Rudd 2
Sharon Stone 2
Aaron Taylor-Johnson 2
Shailene Woodley 2

A 10-way tie for the top spot as nobody managed to star in more than 2 films that I saw last year.

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2015: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

2015 was a bit of a letdown after last year’s improvement in movie watching for me, with the vacation over the past 3 weeks of December helping to greatly boost my total.  I managed to watch 69 movies last year, 9 less than last year and my fourth consecutive year under 100.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Labor Day (2014)
A bit of a dud of a film and a poor way to start the year.

Bachelorette (2012)
This received nowhere near as much publicity as the similar themed Bridesmaids, but I enjoyed it much more.

The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)
Turns out I never saw the first one, which could explain why this made little sense to me.

The Factory (2012)
John Cusack and Jennifer Carpenter team up to do cop stuff.

Godzilla (2014)
A much better remake attempt than the Matthew Broderick endeavor in 1998.

Drinking Buddies (2013)
An interesting indie film about a Chicago brewery and the people that work there.

Life After Beth (2014)
The latest zombie rom-com.

Butter (2011)
Who knew butter carving could be so entertaining?

Devil’s Due (2014)
A newlywed becomes impregnated with a hellspawn.

Tusk (2014)
Kevin Smith’s latest makes me think it may be time for me to stop watching Kevin Smith films. Continue reading →

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Fitbit Week 42

Week42_FB

The week got off to a decent start thanks to some above-average weather on Sunday, leading to a nice outdoor walk around the neighborhood.  The workweek was pretty normal, with an outsized total on Wednesday thanks to after-work drinks.  My Thanksgiving vacation began on Friday, and I managed to surpass the 5500 step mark despite watching both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.  Saturday also managed to sneak past the 5500 step mark, giving me my first week where every day was above goal in about a month.

Total steps: 46,215

Daily average: 6602.1

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2014: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_222014 was a bit of an improvement over recent years in movie watching for me.  I managed to watch 78 movies last year, 16 more than 2012 and 2013 and my highest total since 2011, although it was my third consecutive year under 100.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Repeaters (2010)
If Groundhog Day took place in a rehab and affected 3 people more messed up than Bill Murray.

Smashed (2012)
I have very little recollection of this film.

Your Sister’s Sister (2012)
2 messed up sisters and a mourning man share tequila and secrets.

Lovelace (2013)
Amanda Seyfried portrays the first lady of porn, Linda Lovelace.

Columbus Circle (2012)
A thriller about a shut-in who witnesses a murder and needs to leave her comfort zone.

A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)
The latest installment brings Bruce Willis to Russia.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are engaged forever as life keeps getting in the way of them actually getting married.

Hell Baby (2013)
A comedy about a possessed woman who is about to give birth to Satan’s spawn.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)
2 lost souls find each other as the world is literally coming to an end.

Would You Rather (2012)
A sadistic host tortures his dinner guests for his own pleasure.

The World’s End (2013)
Continue reading →

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2013: The Year In Movies Part 2

112 different people starred in the movies I saw last year (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide), and only 7 of them were in more than 1. Those seven are:

Films Per Actor Per Year

Name Films
James Franco 3
Joseph Gordon-Levitt 3
Jennifer Lawrence 3
Jennifer Aniston 2
Jessica Chastain 2
Alexandra Daddario 2
Robert Downey Jr. 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2013, following up on Friday’s post.

The Purge (2013)
An intriguing premise that kind of fell apart as the film went on.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)
A better movie than the first, and a good follow up to the Avengers.

This Is The End (2013)
Quite possibly the funniest movie of the year.

Evil Dead (2013)
The remake of the classic horror film that I also saw for the first time this year.

Skyfall (2012)
I had this disc from Netflix for over 6 months before I finally got around to watching it.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
I left my work’s holiday party early to catch this in IMAX on its last day before it was replaced by the new Hobbit movie.

Continue reading →

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The Year In Movies – Part 1

For many reasons, 2012 was an off year in movie watching for me, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.  I managed to watch only 62 movies last year, my first year under 100 since 2005 and after having averaged just over 131 movies over the past 5 years.  Many things contributed to this, chiefly my attempts to do more exercise and read more books and the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection I have of them, if any.  The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Hatchet II (2010)
I remember thinking this was better than the first Hatchet film, but that isn’t exactly saying anything.

The Hangover Part II (2011)

Nowhere near as funny as the original, but still a worthwhile effort.

Changeling (2008)
Angelina Jolie’s search for her missing child.

Drive Angry (2011)
Nicolas Cage has some bills to pay, and schlock like this is how he plans on paying them.

Moneyball (2011)
One of the most controversial books in the world of baseball hits the silver screen, chronicling the new approach taken by the cash-strapped Oakland A’s to field a successful team.

’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (2011)
A short about a screw-up who sells his brother’s Alonzo Mourning rookie card.

Tanner Hall (2009)
A pre-Dragon Tattoo Rooney Mara stars in this school girl drama.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
A disappointing sci-fi romp through the old west.

The Rock-afire Explosion (2008)
A documentary looking at the house band of the former Showbiz Pizza.

The Hunger Games (2012)
My first trip to the movie theater this year was for this adaptation of one of the best books I had read the year before.

In Time (2011)
Justin Timberlake continues to impress as an actor.

The Avengers (2012)
Continue reading →

by jim

30 Day Picture Challenge Day 23 – A Picture Of Your Favorite Book

A picture of my favorite book?  That means I would have to decide on what my favorite book was.  For a while, it was The Stand, by Stephen King.  Then, it might have been The Black Dahlia, by James Ellroy.  More recent favorites have included Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  At the end of the day, I guess it doesn’t matter which is my favorite, since they are all represented in the photo.  Oh, and in case you couldn’t tell, I am in desperate need of a new bookshelf.  If only I had room for one.

by jim

Book 7 (of 52) – Mockingjay

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

The third and final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy moves the action out of the arena of the games and into the streets, as a revolution is in full swing and Katniss, the Mockingjay, is its face.  While recovering from her injuries sustained during the escape from the Quarter Quell, she must come to terms with the role she is expected to play and the fates of her friends and loved ones that were left behind, including Peeta, who is also being used as a propaganda tool.

In this final chapter, Suzanne Collins takes a risky departure by moving the action in to a more realistic setting, given the fact we have been fighting 2 wars for years.  Fortunately, the main characters are mostly kept off the front lines, as they are more useful as stars than as soldiers.  As the book goes on, Katniss starts to realize that she is still being used, even if it may be for the greater good.  That doesn’t make it any easier when Prim succombs to a supposed Capital attack, leaving Katniss physically and emotionally broken, until she decides to stop being used and take matters into her own hands.

Overall, I thouroughly enjoyed this trilogy, and, seeing how the first film has already made 70 gajillion dollars, am looking forward to the film adaptations of the remaining two.  I’m not sure what Collins has up her sleeve next, but chances are it will be engrossing and wildly successful.