Happy Hunger Games!

Mini vlog with Fry:

Welcome to my car...and an extreme close up of my face...

Full review:

Yup, Hunger Games was great.  I loved it.  Go and see it.


"May the odds be ever in your favor."
#TeamSenecaCranesBeard

I wish it were "Gone"

Yes...I'm back...with a vlog.

Sorry about the abrupt ending.  I had an unexpected visitor.  Also, information about "The Devil's Carnival":

http://www.thedevilscarnival.com/

I'm the Lorax, baby!

Guys, I'm trying an experiment.  This is a vlog, very short, under five minutes, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, go easy on me.

Oh my...I look horrible...

Of vlogs and ice cream and things

            Hey guys, it’s me, your friendly neighborhood theater lurker, TheCinemaChick!  As I mentioned many blogs ago, I do plan on incorporating video reviews into my blog in the near future.  Well, that time has come.  I finally have a decent camera and can start recording my thoughts.  Before I jump into the vlog bandwagon, I want to ask my readers for their opinions on this.

            I mentioned in my “Stupid Courage” blog that I am very aware of how people perceive physical beauty.  I’m not a supermodel and I don’t find myself particularly attractive.  Because of that, I am incredibly nervous about making a video and posting it on the site. Yeah, yeah, I know, it’s silly to think people would stop coming to my blog over something so trivial.  Let me put it this way.  I’ve had guys stop talking to me because I wasn’t pretty.    And honestly, sugar coating it only makes it worse.  I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “but you have a great personality” at this point.

            Yeah, that’s EXACTLY what a girl wants to hear.  I have a lovely personality.  Even though I claim I don’t care what others think of me, there’s always some lingering fear that everyone is judging me.  And let’s be honest.  We all look at other people.  No matter what you say, if you see someone dressed in a manner different than your own, you’ll look at them and make a comment whether it’s good or bad. 

            I’m guilty of it.  I will be totally honest with you, reader.  Granted, most of the time, I’m talking about some teenage girl who’s dressed like she should be standing on a street corner at midnight.  What parent lets their young daughter out in public wearing short shorts and shirts that leave almost nothing to the imagination?  Ok, ok, I’m guilty of wearing low cut tops on occasion but I don’t do to an extreme.  

            So, let’s talk about attraction again.  We all have different tastes.  People are like ice cream: they’re all in different colors and flavors.  One person might like mint chocolate chip and another may like rocky road.  So with that in mind, even though it’s a little weird, let’s discuss clothes.  Dressing like a hooker does not automatically mean you look sexy.  It just means you look trashy and you like showing off skin.  And honestly, some of you girls should consider going up a size.  I know, you’re a medium and would die if you had to be a large.  Look at it this way, you’re wearing a shirt that’s too tight and emphasizing that little belly of yours.  Every time you take a step, the world sees it jiggle.  So, would you rather go up a size and hide it or let us all be very aware of your flab?

            I have a few shirts that are a tiny bit tight, but I also only wear them in cooler weather when I can put a jacket on over it.  Then again, I’m insanely picky about my clothing.  If you look in my closet, you’ll see lots of jeans, some nice clothes and lots of black shirts.  I wear black shirts because I have no idea what looks good on me, but I’m not about to run out and buy a pink shirt.  I’m not a fan of bright colors so I have no idea why people enjoy neons.  Every time I think about neon colors, I think about the 80s.  Are we really bringing that era back?

            As a chick with curves, I have to admit, I’ve taken some major risks.  I have some low rise jeans and yes, I have a strapless top.  Before you get a bad mental image, it’s very classy.  It’s long and I wear a shirt over it so it looks very good.  The only problem is, I loaned it to Fry and haven’t gotten it back yet.  I think I need to steal it from her closet in the near future.  So I think curvy girls should take some risks, just not ones that’ll make you look bad.  Try a color you never thought you’d look good in or maybe try a different cut of jeans.  Instead of bootleg, try flare.

            While I’m on the topic, why do all the plus size clothes all look so boring?  I looked around and nothing was cute.  It was all something I’d never wear.  Like…animal print of floral print.  Not every looks good in flowers.  Some people look absolutely horrible in animal print.  And never ever mix prints!  Why would you wear stripes with plaid?  That’s not an appealing picture!

            And now, let’s talk about men.

            Men, I know you don’t have the same amount of things to worry about as women.  You don’t have to worry about bras or makeup.  However, wearing tattered shorts and a holey t-shirt isn’t flattering.  Nice jeans and a button down shirt is one of the sexiest things you can wear.  Seriously, think about it.  Do you want a girl who goes out in shredded jeans and a nasty top or do you want her in nice jeans and a nice top?  I know, the ripped look is somehow trendy but I’ve seen a girl wearing jeans with a tear right under the butt cheek.  And she was around small children!  How inappropriate can you be?

            Think about it.  We dress to find jobs or attain a higher ranking at said job.  We dress to find a mate.  Clothes are important to every day life…unless you’re a nudist.  That’s a topic I won’t even touch.  I can handle living in an all girl dorm where the walls are paper thin but nudity makes me uncomfortable.

            And the whole thing about proper fit applies to you too men.  Women don’t want to see that beer gut sticking out.  Just saying.

            Also, I want to throw this out.  Just because someone is hot, it doesn’t mean they are dating material.  For instance, I happen to think one of my guy friends (who I see movies with on occasion) is hot but I don’t want to date him.  We’re way too different, but he’s still hot.  I think he’d be great for one of my friends but again, I’m not interested in him like that.

            I prefer guys with long hair, shoulder length of longer.  My last ex had gorgeous hair, then he cut if off and our problems started.  Coincidence?

            So, in a very roundabout way, I think I’ve covered everything I wanted to touch on.  Granted I took the scenic route instead of the direct one but hey, I’m allowed to rant every so often.  I’ve explained my reservations about making a vlog and ranted about appearances.  In a strange way, I’ve accomplished a lot.  Well, accomplished a lot in this blog, not in my life.  I’m such a loser.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m depressed again.

Journey 2...oh, it's a pun!

            Hey guys, people know me as TheCinemaChick and I see more movies than I should.  I know, I haven’t been as busy as I normally am, but you know, real life kicks in every so often.  My current phone has been having some issues, so I’ve decided to replace it.  There went my money.

            Also, I’m not feeling so hot today, so my apologies if this review isn’t as spirited as my others.  The constantly fluctuating weather is hell on my joints and since it was twenty degrees warmer yesterday, my knees and back are screaming in discomfort.  However, I feel obligated to write this, so I will.  I mean, I’m sure there’s someone out there who really wants to read this.

            A girl can dream.

            So yes, I had the chance to watch Journey 2: The Mysterious Island last night with Butterfly and Just Joe.  Well, I didn’t know Just Joe would be joining us, but then again, I never know when he’s showing up.  I do like it when the three of us get together because it’s always a little more fun that just two.  Plus, we sort of schemed together and walked out with a movie poster.  And no, I don’t think I was bad to take it.  The posters were just laying around in various locations.

            For those of you who don’t know, Journey 2 is actually a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth.  Some of you are probably thinking that this is common knowledge and everyone should know this.  Well, I didn’t.  I know these films are based off Jules Verne’s novels, but I haven’t read any of his work.  That’s not to say its bad, but I just never got around to it.  I also haven’t seen the remake of Journey to the Center of the Earth, the one starring Brendan Fraser.  I’ve seen the original, which I really enjoyed, so I do have some knowledge of the series.

            Here’s a bit of interesting trivia.  The novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” does not actually have a sequel.  However “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” did have one and it was “The Mysterious Island”.

            The movie itself was pretty good.  We saw it in 3D only because it was the only time we could all manage.  As most people know, I normally can’t stand 3D movies, but this one was decent.  We start of with Sean (played by Josh Hutcherson, who will be playing Peeta in the upcoming Hunger Games) getting caught by the police for breaking into a radio tower.  Sean claims he got a transmission from his grandfather who disappeared years earlier.  His stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson) then agrees to go on a journey to find the island.

            Another interesting fact.  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson replaced Brendan Fraser, which is ironic because the same thing happened in another series.  Fraser was the male lead in “The Mummy” films, until Johnson took over in the subsequent sequels and spinoffs.  Methinks there might be a rivalry brewing between the two.

            The movie also has Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzman.  I’ll admit, I’m less than impressed with Hudgens.  She hasn’t done anything that I liked and while she is likable in this film, I was a little put off by how revealing her clothes were.  For the most part, she wears very short shorts and a shirt that’s pulled up from her hips.  There’s even a shot of her butt, which I found almost obscene.  Other than that, she’s good in this movie, though it reminds me a lot of her role in “Beastly” and even “High School Musical”.  She’s the super smart girl who dreams of going to college.  Been there, done that, let’s move on.

            Guzman doesn’t quite cut it as a paternal figure, but he makes up for that by being a great comedic source.  He is hilarious and gives one of the best performances in the whole movie.  Sure, Hutcherson is good and Johnson is mediocre but Guzman is the only one who manages to show emotions.  Everyone else looks like they’re taking everything so seriously but he decided to have fun with it.

            Now, about the 3D aspect.  Like I said, normally, I just see no use for it or there is very little need for it in the overall film.  This is only partially true in this case.  For about thirty minutes, I saw no need for the 3D.  However, there are several times where I was glad to have it.  Some of the graphics are amazing and I’m glad I paid a little extra for it.  If you’re bent on seeing this, I’d swing a matinee showing.

            I really liked the movie.  There’s nothing objectionable about it, other than Hudgen’s often revealing clothing.  I was surprised to see that there was no foul language, no violence, just nothing.  There are a few scary parts in it with monsters, so that might scare little kids.  I wouldn’t take children under the age of ten because the monsters might be too scary for younger ones.

            As usual, this movie isn’t perfect.  The comedy gets a little too juvenile at times, the plot seems thin and it’s more about the visuals than the acting.  Since I haven’t read any Jules Verne, I can’t compare the film to the books.  I really liked the movie though.  For once, the 3D really added to the overall feel.  Like, there’s a scene where they ride giant bees and it’s incredible to watch.  Or when flakes of gold come down from the volcano, it’s like you could actually touch them.

            I do recommend seeing it in 3D, which is something I never do.  The last movie I saw in 3D that I absolutely loved was Legend of Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.  Now, Journey 2 does set itself up for a possible sequel, which I’m not sure will happen.  Apparently the next book in the series is “From the Earth to the Moon”.  It could be interesting to see in an adaptation, but honestly, I think Hutcherson won’t be able to revive his role.  “The Hunger Games” is already in line to dethrone “Breaking Dawn” and is selling out nationwide for midnight showings alone.  People are prediction that it’ll make about seventy five million in it first weekend alone.

            Ok, enough about “The Hunger Games”.  Time for some exciting news!  I, TheCinemaChick, will be doing my first ever vlog at a midnight showing!  However, because I am highly sensitive to certain things, I do plan on altering my appearance.  I will be layering on the make up, adding some spray in hair color and who knows, I might even fake an accent.  Despite my desire to remain anonymous and be a girl in the shadows, I know vlogs are now more popular than blogs. 

            There you have it, dear reader!  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was a success in my book, I’m going to make videos soon and I am freaking excited about The Hunger Games.  March is going to be a good month, folks.  I can feel it.

            Next up will be my 80s fantasy film fest.  I watched both “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal” recently, so I’d like to share my thoughts on those. 

            I’m TheCinemaChick and if you ever make a movie, I’ll be first in line to buy a ticket.

            On a personal note, a friend of mine is going through a very difficult time.  He recently had a death in his family and my heart goes out to him.  Jaysen, I know the possibility of you ever reading this is slim and we never talk, but I wish I could give you a hug.  So Jaysen…from “Izbian” (he’ll know what that means), my condolences.