The Hunger Games | Directed by Gary Ross | Screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray

Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books, and I dreaded this film adaptation. I feared it would be nothing like I imagined it. I feared the possibilities of the fanbase. I didn't even want to see it. But, I was wrong to fear such things.

In case you haven't read this phenomenal book yet, The Hunger Games is the first dystopian novel of its trilogy. Each year, the annual Hunger Games take place as ordered by the dictating government. In the Hunger Games, two people from each of the country's districts (ranging from ages twelve to eighteen) must fight to the death on live television. Katniss Everdeen isn't chosen, but she volunteers to save her sister from imminent death. In the midst of the chaos and death controlled by a most unfavorable government, Katniss uses her skill to try to win the Games as her life begins to intwine with that of Peeta Mallark, the male tribute from her district. Together, they will make a statement in these Games, sparking the beginning of what will be an action-packed and powerful trilogy.

First of all, fans of the book will not be disappointed in this adaptation. Most of this movie is exactly the way I imagined it in the book, and I had a huge fear that it wasn't going to be. Only a couple of minor things from the novel were left out. However, most of the book revolved around what Katniss was thinking and that obviously cannot be adapted. I don't think this will bother readers though it might not go as far into Katniss' character, but I do think this affects those who didn't read the book first. I think those who didn't read the book first will understand everything fairly well - just don't go to a movie theatre with a less superior sound system or noisy people because this film requires attention as it is set up in a very different type of world.

James Newton Howard wrote an effective film score for this movie, and I don't think I heard any modern music during the story (thank goodness). Even so, one thing I noticed was the lack of any music. There was so much silence. Normally, I'd denounce this idea, but it worked so well for this film. It allowed for the audience's own raw emotions to be uninfluenced by anything except the sitauations at hand as well as Jennifer Lawrence's memorable performance.

I'll be honest... I cry at just about every movie. I don't know why, it just happens. When I'm seeing a movie in the cinema I try to hold back, but there was no need to during The Hunger Games because I heard plenty of sniffles. However, it probably didn't matter; I would have cried anyway. The prime reason for my emotion was Jennifer Lawrence. Her acting was extremely impressive; she was a great Katniss. But, Josh Hutcherson surprised me more than anybody! I don't think anyone could have been a more perfect Peeta! Plus, I really enjoyed seeing Lenny Kravitz (I can't believe I doubted him) as Cinna and Wes Bentley as Seneca.

Throughout the film, the balance of action and emotion is amazing, as it was in the book. This is perhaps one of the most gripping elements in the trilogy, and seeing it played out on screen was so enjoyable. Since I knew the story well, anticipating particular moments of action was like waiting for a Pop-Tart to pop out of my toaster - I knew it was coming, but I flinched anyway.

As I gather my thoughts of this adaptation, I'm trying to find anything negative. I can't find much of anything. The fanbase doesn't even irk me. And that's saying a lot, because I can't even begin to say how much I love this series, how powerful these books are to me. That's why I was so afraid of this adaptation. The book is always better, no matter what. This seems to be a motto of mine, and I have taught myself to look at a book and its adaptation as two seperate entities to avoid disappointment. I'm proud to say that even if this wasn't my motto, I still would have enjoyed this movie.

After all, some things are so good, they're undeniable.

5/5 Stars

Ritual | White Lies

Last summer I discovered the indie band White Lies after hearing one of their songs on a television show. After looking it up online, I decided I wanted their 2011 album, Ritual, figuring that I'd probably like the album after hearing a couple of cool songs.

Before I begin my review, I'd like to bring your attention to the album cover. It's like those creepy little girls from The Shining grew up.
(If you're not a Stephen King fan, you probably have no idea what I just said.)

"Is Love" is the first track, opening the album with a soft rumbling sound, eventually making way for drums and their relaxing singer, whose voice will appeal to fans of Dave Gahan (the lead singer of Depeche Mode) or at least remind people of electronic '80s music. As the song progresses, more of the band comes in but it's still relatively mellow up until the end, with smile-triggering lyrics.

"Strangers" has a similar feel, though the '80s vibe isn't as potent. I really enjoyed the lyrics, but it's not one of the best tracks. However, "Bigger Than Us" is the standout track from the album in my opinion. It has a pulsating, electronic flow in the verses but the chorus explodes in sound, Harry McVeigh's voice nearly blending with the instrumentation. It's not necessarily upbeat, but it's not necessarily mellow. Either way, "Bigger Than Us" is a rather relaxing song that I became addicted to as soon as I first head it.

"Peace and Quiet" comes next, and the opening organ makes me think of Napoleon Dynamite. The '80s vibe is definitely back, and slowly but surely, strings and synths overlap before the singing starts. This track's chorus gets a little too repetative, but not annoying or bad in any way, and the instrumentation after than is quite cool sounding and goes on until the end.

Next, "Streetlights" brings a somewhat different feel with its string line. Harry McVeigh, their lead singer, tends to sound a bit bored in the verses, primarily because the lyrics talk about boredom, and that makes the whole thing feel sort of different. It's very catchy though not one of my favorites.

Finally, another standout track! "Holy Ghost" is likely the most likely song on the album to spark widespread appeal since it's relatively upbeat and makes me feel like dancing - especially that explosive ending! But since it's a White Lies song, it's relaxing somehow, too. I will admit, the lyrics are a bit odd and confuse me... I don't like being confused by poetry since I usually understand it... Anyway, the bottom line is that this song is pretty awesome.

The rock/electronic intro of the seventh song, "Turn the Bells" is very intriguing, slow, and dreamy. Kind of like Harry McVeigh's voice. And it remains that way throughout. Its simplistic yet moving lyrics contain more imagery than most lyrics today, and altogether, this song is kind of beautiful in some way; I love it.

"The Power and the Glory" follows, but doens't really do much for me at all. It's not bad, but not what I'd call good either. It's the most bland song on Ritual. But, the '80s feel is back full force in "Bad Love," another of my favorites. I can't tell you how many times I've sang this one in the shower; it's so catchy and beguiling. Though the lyrics are specific (just in the verses), I think they're something everyone can relate to. Really, that's the beauty in the lyrics of indie music: You can relate despite it isn't specifically directed at you.

The last song is called "Come Down," opening with a haunting feel and giving me chills in a timely manner. Again, the lyrics are relatable on just about every level. Vocal layers build to become choral at the song's climax, and the sound is great. "Come Down" was clearly the best choice for the closing song.

Ritual is a great album and is just a few songs short of being called a masterpiece. I consider six of its ten tracks to be awesome standouts, but not one of its ten songs were bad in any sense. It will have an appeal to a large audience since it will attract mainstream lovers despite it's quite independent. Such independence will not disappoint those with high standards for a more unique sound. Plus, the lyrics on this album were commendable.

I truly enjoyed Ritual and I reccommend it to just about anyone who appreciates quality music.

4/5 Stars

Silence | by: Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence is the newest installment in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush Saga, an addictive, action-packed series that I just can't seem to stay away from. I warn that the summary (the following paragraph) may contain spoilers if you haven't read the first two books in the series, Hush, Hush and Crescendo.

Nora Grey has been missing for multiple weeks, but now she has returned to the life she left behind. However, she can't remember anything about what has happened during her time away from home, nor can she remember anything from the couple of months before her disappearance. She struggles to find the truth of all she's forgotton as well as return to her normal, ordinary life. But she's coming to find that what she can't remember of her life was anything but ordinary, and that her captor is closer to home than she ever anticipated. With plenty of deja vu and discoveries, Nora finds that some memories may not have been so bad...

There is something special about this series. Maybe it's the mystery. Maybe it's the way that the paranormal suspense makes me feel like I'm watching a movie.Maybe it's that the action makes me never want to put it down. Or, maybe it's just Patch. Either way, this series exceeds the cliche standard of paranormal romance, and Silence merely emphasized this point.
Like the other books in this series, Silence begins with action right away, catching my interest. But then, lo and behold, my eye-rolling began. Nora. Lost. Her. Memory? I figured right off the bat that this would lay out a long, irritating road of Nora being clueless while I'd be understanding everything that happens, making me want to scream at her everything she needs to know. But, I was pleasantly surprised that this didn't really happen. This element wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and Becca Fitzpatrick actually made it work in a way that didn't tick me off. The plot moves along pretty quickly, actually.

Silence is also like the previous books in the series in the sense that it's creepy and full of mystery, but now the story has taken a darker turn. Everything seemed to get a little more serious, dangerous, and perilous now that we know more about the Black Hand and his intentions. This book seemed to have the most action and suspense of the series because of it, helping make it possibly my favorite of the series. Honestly, I don't really have any complaints about this book in terms of plot. Nor do I have complaints about the writing. Becca Fitzpatrick may not be my favorite writer or anything close to that, but the writing was efficient. Nothing wonderful, but nothing great, like with the other books.

As I probably mentioned in my reviews of the first two books, there never seems to be enough Patch. This doesn't bother me very much in other paranormal romance novels because I usually don't like the main guy THIS much. However, I'm so happy that there was actually a sufficient amount of Patch in this novel! But, we do get more from antagonists. Even though this makes the action skyrocket, the primary antagonist of this novel really got under my skin. You know, the stuff an antagonist is supposed to do.

After the scariest cliff-hanger in the world at the end of Crescendo, I was afraid that Silence would do the same. Although it's easy to tell that there's still more to Patch and Nora's story, readers should be satisfied with the degree of closure given.

Silence proved to be an amazing installment in this awesome series. Despite that it's probably quintessential paranormal romance, this book (and the rest of the series) is darker and quite mysterious. It has suspense in its quickly-paced plot, and I love it.

4/5 Stars


Fitzpatrick, Becca. Silence
New York: Simon & Schuster
2011

VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music

I love these long VH1 countdowns, so when I heard they were going to compile a list of 100 Greatest Women in Music, I had to watch it in full. Being a fan of relatively unpopular music, I knew that not all of my favorite artists would make this list, but even I had many favorites named throughout. Artists that I didn't expect on the list ended up with fairly high rankings. Of course, there was a few that I personally can't stand, but that's natural. I may be generally open-minded, but no one likes everyone in the music industry.

And I have lots of things to say about it. I suppose you already knew that, though.

First of all, I know a lot of people say things like "Omg this person is the best in the world and you are all dumb for not liking her" but I'm not going to say that at all because we all have personal preference, making any idea of who's "the greatest" completely unique to another. Like I said, I was aware that some of my favorites would not make the list. However, there are only a handful of people that I can think of that I wanted to add to this list, so VH1 did a pretty good job with artist diversity. Even so, when I started thinking of what I owed to the women in music that I've looked up to, I was kind of upset that some of the women that have had huge influences on my own voice wouldn't be on this list. Sharon den Adel (lead singer of Within Temptation) has a beautiful and unique voice, and I'll be the first to tell you that my upper register would be practically non-existant without her. It makes me sad that the majority of the world hasn't given her the credit she deserves. Simone Simons, Epica's female lead singer, also has one of the most gorgeous voices I've ever heard. I guess it doesn't matter to me that they weren't on this list, I'm just saying I'd be able to relate to this list more if they were.

As I previously mentioned, there are some amazing chicks on this list. Since Evanescence is my favorite band, I was so excited to see Amy Lee at number 49! She's such an awesome songwriter and vocalist, in case you haven't noticed. Plus, I was extremely happy to see Alanis Morissette at #15, as she is the most femminist singer we have, if you ask me, and her lyrics seem to say what I can always relate to, but I could never find the words for to begin with.

More than anyone else, I was pleasently surprised to see how high on the list Bjork made it, holding down #29. Obviously, Bjork's a strange artist, and her music is hit-and-miss for me. But she is so incredible when you think of it. Has there been anyone else like her? No, and there never will be ever again. She's so free-spirited with her music and has had such a massive influence on some of my favorite artists. Really, where would we be without her?

Although I was initally rolling my eyes at the fact that Miley Cyrus was listed as one of the greats, I can understand why she was included. Whether we like it or not, she's had quite an influence on the world. And despite that I don't have a problem with Rihanna, I didn't originally think she deserved to be in the top 20 because she simply doesn't have the seniority... but then I realized that she does. Has anyone else realized how long Rihanna's been rocking the charts? Well, maybe it isn't the longest time in the world, but it's not like she was a one-hit wonder; she's had lots of hits. Some that I actually liked. Adele appeared at #5, to my surprise. At first I wondered if she had enough seniority, and even though she probably doesn't, I don't really care because Adele's a great artist nontheless.

The only thing that really bothered me: Where, in God's name, was Joan Jett? I realize that this is countdown only includes female musicians from that past twenty years, but Joan has sill been making music past the '70s and '80s. Just saying.
Other than that, I found this list pretty satisfying. Another VH1 list for me to dwell in all day. You can find the whole list here and find your favorite female artists.
Although I liked many from the list, here are my select favorites:

73. Dido
69. Courtney Love
60. Florence + The Machine
55. Fiona Apple
54. Tori Amos
53. Sarah McLachlan
51. Nelly Furtado
49. Amy Lee (Evanescence)
43. Taylor Swift
36. Shakira
35. Shania Twain
29. Bjork
15. Alanis Morissette
13. Gwen Stefani
11. Britney Spears
10. P!nk
09. Mary J. Blige
05. Adele
04. Lady Gaga
01. Madonna

Design Your Universe | Epica

In 2009, Epica released a studio album called Design Your Universe, living up to their reputation as a heavier (and perhaps even darker) symphonic metal band than others of their genre. Epica has always been epic, musically dynamic and lyrically thought-provoking, but this album seems to surpass a lot of their previous work. Its heaviness will have an appeal to lovers of general metal, Simone Simon's voice will appeal to anyone with an appreciation for singers, and the classical elements wrap it all together an a most irresistible way.

The first track is a prelude, entitled "Samadhi," and it's completely classical, immediately making a bold statement. This song quickly leads into "Resign to Surrender," which is nearly identical to the prelude, except the metal comes in and Mark Jansen begins grunting. Simone Simons' (their vocalist) striking voice is also found on this headbang-worthy track, of course. Everything about this song is energy and power, doing the lyrics justice.

A more melodic but still relatively heavy "Unleashed" comes next, a song of freedom that features Simone's voice entirely and no grunting, giving it cross-over appeal to those who aren't as fond of the band's influences. I don't really see how it's possible to dislike this woman's voice, especially on this song. Out of the entire album, "Unleashed" is probably the most mainstream song, but it's not unoriginal in any sense I can find.

"Martyr of the Free Word" is a fist-pumping song that I'd want to listen to if I were to ever overthrow a totalitarian state. That statement alone should help you indicate that Mark Jansen's lyrics within this standout song are full of truth. (For example: "When liberty seems out of reach, we'll fight for our freedom of speech!") Plus, the guitar riffs are just as lifting, toning it down a bit when Simone sings and then exploding into amazing metal-classical-chaos when there's grunting in the chorus. All in all, don't expect to sit still when listening to this song.

Next, we come to the fifth track, "Our Destiny." Though this isn't exactly one of my favorites from the album, it's alright. Although the lyrics embody strength, they comes off as a bit corny and don't get me particularly excited, and neither do the piano-led verses. Really, the only highlight of this track is Simone Simons' operatic voice in the pre-chorus.

A mystical male choir opens the next song with a chant before fading darkly into the string-led portion of the creepy intro. Then, all of a sudden, the best guitar riffs I've ever head in my life burst in, making my jaw drop dumbly. This is "Kingdom of Heaven," and it is easily my favorite Epica song and one of my favorite songs of all-time. There's metal and epic classical music intertwining in a way that makes me think of ancient times. There are grunts, and Simone's operatic voice. And the lyrics... Oh my goodness, it's about time someone wrote such mesmerizing, almost controversial lyrics. And just like that, I'm in love. Yet, the song isn't even halfway over; it's over thirteen minutes long. So, the music changes with the different sections of this symphonic metal masterpiece, giving us a guitar solo, urgency, and even a slowed-down bit before building back up with a portion that resembles the very first, but then suddenly changing before the song ends, sending a final chill down my spine.

As if knowing that "Kingdom of Heaven" would leave listeners taken aback, the next track is an interlude called "The Price of Freedom," which doesn't feature much other than acoustic instruments and men (who sound like politicians) speaking. Then, it leads into "Burn to a Cinder." Of all the songs on Design Your Universe, this is probably one of the most catchy with its fun vocal line and the way the grim lyrics remain somewhat romantic through it all. Throughout the song, there's a strong sense of urgency present, but as one reaches the last minute, the music is nearly gone except for some choral synth (that's the only way I can describe it) and Simone, ending the song sweetly.

At this point, one may think, 'Wow, this band is so hardcore that there isn't a ballad!' This is where that thought is proven wrong. "Tides of Time" is the next song, completely going in a different direction than the rest of the album. It's led by a pretty piano bit (accompanied by strings) and Simone's voice singing moving lyrics. I thought Simone blew me away on songs like "Unleashed" and "Our Destiny," but that's nothing to this song. "Tides of Time" clearly showcases Simone's beautiful voice, especially in the chorus. Then, the music swells in the bridge, bringing in electric guitars and drums, and Simone's voice grows with it. There is no denying a voice like this, a song like this. I loved it.

"Deconstruct" follows the ballad, picking things up once again. Nothing really struck me as grand about this song until I reached the bridge, where the choir comes in, singing the main lyrics in an ambitious staccato style. Then, we come to "Semblance of Liberty," which primarily consists of grunts though Simone is also included. Musically, it's what I consider to be the catchiest and it'll definitely appeal to metal-heads. However, the lyrics struck me more than anything. When reading along with the song, I said aloud, "This guy is deep."

A duet between Simone Simons and Tony Kakko left me relaxed with "White Waters." Right off the bat, the opening guitars intrigued me, and since it's Epica, I figured the song would blow out of the water (in a good way) with guitars and grunts, but I stand corrected. This song is actually quite calming, and I loved that. Besides, two gorgeous voices, soothing harmonies, great lyrics... do I need to say more?

The album ends with "Design Your Universe." It will fool the listener with its rather relaxing intro, but it soon picks up, adding guitars before breaking down to the verse. Again, the lyrics are really interesting and powerful, particularly in the chorus and the haunting choir bit (which is my favorite part). Also, I'm quite fond of the bridge, where the classical instrumentation seems to dominate, sweeping my ears away on an epic journey. Even so, the main choir bit left me breathless, and Simone sings a bit of it at the very end of the song, in the midst of fading piano bit that gives me chills every time.

Design Your Universe is a majorly impressive album; I think I've made that clear by now. Fans of just about any type of metal should give it a try, and to classical music lovers - go listen to this album and you'll see that metal and classical music have much in common.

5/5 Stars

A New Look That Will Stay

I'm aware that I've given this blog about four make-overs in the past year and a half, and I'm sure it's annoying. But, I think I've finally found the right look, thanks to my best friend Blogging Nickster, the creator of my beautiful new blog header! I might make some changes to the general template (though rather unnnoticable to most everyone except me), but the header is definitely staying for a while.

Every other look my blog has had in the past has been centered around the same blue color scheme, but as you can obviously tell, purple has taken over. I wanted something neutral yet bold, like blue or purple (or even both!) and Nickster really seemed to like that idea as well. So, he initially made me this awesome header of a white star exploding into purple and blue with little stars in the background. I loved it so much! But unfortunately, Nick and I tend to get into some unusual predicaments, and it didn't work out due to size and whatnot. Then, he made me a sample header (which was still pretty epic) to help figure out what the size needed to be of a pink and purple explosion. I liked this, the colors were so pretty, but I wanted to stray from pink in case any manly guys were reading my reviews and thought, "How am I supposed to relate to any of this?" But of course, then I began having issues centering the thing, and after all that got ironed out, my beautiful purple planet header was created.

Thanks, Nick! :)

Anyway, I really hope everyone likes the new look. Maybe you don't think it's a big deal, but keep in mind that effort was definitely put into it. Nick has three of his own kick-ass blogs to worry about, let alone my humble little review blog. So, cheers to purple planets and stars!