Alright. Let me start by saying that by itself, The Hunger Games was a decent movie. If the book hadn't been quite as fresh in my mind, I would have enjoyed it much more. I think all of the people that I went with enjoyed it, and that seems to be the general consensus online. Something about it just rubbed me the wrong way, though. It's decently true to the book, but they did that thing I hate where they change little details that have no reason or right to be changed. If you haven't seen it yet, or haven't even read the book and plan to, you might want to stop reading now. There will be plenty of spoilers. Also, I apologize for the length of this post. I just couldn't stop.
Now, I'm not going to talk about everything in the movie that bothered me. That would end in a 20-page post. I'll just mention some of the stuff that really rubbed me the wrong way. Let's start with the little things that threw me from the beginning. Most of these are minute details that are addressed in the book, and just completely left out or changed in the movie.
Food is a huge theme in the series. The HUNGER Games. Come on. The very first mention of food is in the first couple of pages in the book... the goat cheese that Prim leaves Katniss. That leads to the mini-feast that Katniss and Gale have in the woods - goat cheese, basil leaves, bread, berries. The idea being that even though times are so hard, life sucks, it's the Reaping... they can still manage for themselves. They can feed themselves and their families, pretty well, too. In the film, they wait until a good 10/15 minutes in to show any food, and it's just a roll... after Katniss misses a deer she shoots at (yeah, cuz that would happen). There are lots of other instances throughout the movie that food should play a big part in, and it's glossed over. They practically threw away one of the main themes in the story.
One other little thing that I just have to mention is Buttercup. I know, it's not important at all to the story (or to anyone but me, probably), but Buttercup (Prim's cat) is named as such because he's the color of a buttercup. Yellow. The cat in the movie was black and white. How difficult would it have been to find a yellow cat for that 2-second shot? Ok, sorry, had to get that off my chest.
The mockingjay pin. No Madge. She found it at some junk stand. Need I say more?
A huge thing that they completely cut out was Katniss thirsting nearly to death in the beginning of the Games. There's a solid chapter, maybe two devoted to her not being able to find water. In the movie, she finds it right away and had no problems. Honestly, I think she has it way too easy in the arena, in the movie. Same goes for Peeta. They never talk about the cut on his leg getting infected, Katniss doesn't even try to bandage it or anything. He just had a little gash on his thigh, he takes a nap, Katniss gets some medicine, and he's all better. I know it was PG-13, but if they can show bloody, horrible deaths, they can make the main characters suffer properly.
Another huge thing that they almost left out completely is Katniss's prep team - Octavia, Venia, and Flavius. I don't know that they even show all three, but they only show any of them for a couple of seconds. They're some of my favorite characters in the books, they're around through all three in the series, and I think play a pretty big role. One of my favorite moments in the second book is when Octavia and Flavius have to quit before the Quarter Quell, and one of my favorite moments in the third book is with Octavia. Well, to build up to that, they would have to actually introduce them and let us get to know them. I'm sure they're going to be glossed over for the entire trilogy, and that's pretty unforgivable to me.
Ok, enough with picking apart the details. Let's talk about Katniss. She's so smart, she's feisty, she can play people and act a part when she has to... in the book. The Katniss portrayed in the movie seems half-retarded most of the time. She only has a personality when something terrible happens. Now, in the books she has tons of internal monologue. I get that that's difficult to portray in a movie without having cheesy voice-overs or something. But then have her talk to herself once in awhile, or act out what she's thinking/feeling. Any time she's in public, she pulls it together and smiles and wins people over... in the book. In the movie she just sits with her mouth agape, unable to speak intelligently, looking like a special child. I don't know if it was an acting problem or a directing problem, but I like the movie Katniss a lot less than the book version of the character.
I'll admit, I do want to see it again, to try and separate the movie from the book in my head. This time around, I had been reading the book just hours before I saw the movie, and every little thing that was changed or left out offended me on a personal level. If I give it some time and distance, I might be able to tolerate, if not like the movie. On that note, let's talk about some things that were done right.
Effie Trinket. The movie version could not have fit the book version better if they'd tried. She was perfect. Some of her little one-liners and comments that weren't in the books may have even made her better. Good job on that one, movie people. Cinna. When I heard Lenny Kravitz was playing Cinna, I cried on the inside. Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. He embodied Cinna very well, and it turned out to be a fantastic casting decision. Rue. I think I like Rue better than even the main characters, in the book. The first time I read it, I sobbed for a solid 10 minutes when she died. The movie definitely did her justice, and that death scene was spot-on. Kudos.
I'm still not sure how I felt about Haymitch. When I saw Woody Harrelson cast in the part, I didn't know how to react. I like Woody Harrelson, but I just couldn't see him as Haymitch. He still doesn't fit the book version in my head, but I didn't hate him, either. He definitely did the character justice. He could have/should have been drunker, and I'm sad they didn't show him molesting Effie and falling off the stage at the Reaping, but that wasn't his fault.
Well, I've gone on long enough. To sum up, I didn't like the movie. That might change with more viewings, and if I'm able to think about the book and film as two separate entities. (The only franchise that I've been able to do that with is Harry Potter. If I didn't think of the movies completely independent of the books, I wouldn't love them like I do.) They did get some stuff right, and if I hadn't read the books at all, I probably would have loved it. Heck, I didn't even like the Golden Compass movie after reading it, and they were pretty much completely true to the book other than changing around the order of events a little. I'm super picky when it comes to book-to-movie films. I just don't understand why they change every little detail when it would take no extra time or effort to stay true to the book. On an A-F scale, I give it a C. I can't go lower than that because it didn't suck as a movie. I also can't go any higher than that because they left too much out, and made too many changes. I'm sure I'm going to make people mad because I didn't love it, but it's just my opinion. You're entitled to yours, and I'm entitled to mine. If you loved it, great! You didn't experience the crushing disappointment that I did. :-P
Showing posts with label Hunger Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hunger Games. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Boy with the Bread
The midnight premiere of The Hunger Games is TONIGHT! In celebration, I baked something. It's what I do.
I absolutely love The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, by Emily Ansara Baines. There are recipes for pretty much everything food-related ever mentioned in the entire series. Some are directly from the books, like the Lamb Stew with Dried Plumbs that Katniss loves, the Goat Cheese and Apple Tart that Peeta mentions, and this Hearty Raisin Nut Bread that Peeta gives Katniss when her family is starving. Then there are a lot of recipes that are inferred from the books - like a whole chapter on wild game... squirrel, rabbit, muskrat (tree rat), venison, and wild turkey recipes. There is also more normal fare, like Greasy Sae's Spicy Vegetarian Chili, and Harvest Heirloom Apple Cake, that aren't specifically mentioned in the books, but may stem from something said in passing, or the author argues could be available to the characters. There are also "tips from your Sponsor" with every recipe - little hints and modifications. If you're a fan of the series, and like to cook, I highly recommend this cookbook.
I thought this Hearty Raisin Nut Bread was appropriate to try out. I love Peeta - The Boy with the Bread; it's from the first book/upcoming movie; and it's pretty significant to the Katniss/Peeta relationship. Also, if I had to pick the character that I most identify with, it would totally be Peeta.
Now, the original recipe that I'll post is for 2 loaves... which is appropriate, but I cut it in half since we would never eat two loaves before it went bad.
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package OR 5 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 C. warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 C. warm milk (110 degrees F)
1/2 C. butter - melted
1/3 C. honey
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. white sugar
2 eggs
3 C. whole wheat flour
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 C. raisins
1 C. chopped walnuts
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. cold water
Method
- In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, honey, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.
- Place raisins in a bowl of tepid water. Let soak until needed.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Grease two 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pans. Punch down the dough. Turn out onto the lightly floured surface; sprinkle with raisins and walnuts, and knead them in. Divide dough in half.
- Roll dough into loaves. Place loaves into the greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat egg white and cold water; brush on top of the loaves. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes. Remove pans to wire racks to cool.
It's hearty and delicious. The whole wheat flour gives it substance, the raisins are sweet, the nuts are crunchy. It's yeasty and smells delicious baking. You should probably make some of this right now, and give it to your starving future wife. You should also read the books, go see the movie, and get this cookbook. Ok, everyone has their to-do lists. Go.
I absolutely love The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, by Emily Ansara Baines. There are recipes for pretty much everything food-related ever mentioned in the entire series. Some are directly from the books, like the Lamb Stew with Dried Plumbs that Katniss loves, the Goat Cheese and Apple Tart that Peeta mentions, and this Hearty Raisin Nut Bread that Peeta gives Katniss when her family is starving. Then there are a lot of recipes that are inferred from the books - like a whole chapter on wild game... squirrel, rabbit, muskrat (tree rat), venison, and wild turkey recipes. There is also more normal fare, like Greasy Sae's Spicy Vegetarian Chili, and Harvest Heirloom Apple Cake, that aren't specifically mentioned in the books, but may stem from something said in passing, or the author argues could be available to the characters. There are also "tips from your Sponsor" with every recipe - little hints and modifications. If you're a fan of the series, and like to cook, I highly recommend this cookbook.
I thought this Hearty Raisin Nut Bread was appropriate to try out. I love Peeta - The Boy with the Bread; it's from the first book/upcoming movie; and it's pretty significant to the Katniss/Peeta relationship. Also, if I had to pick the character that I most identify with, it would totally be Peeta.
Now, the original recipe that I'll post is for 2 loaves... which is appropriate, but I cut it in half since we would never eat two loaves before it went bad.
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package OR 5 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 C. warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 C. warm milk (110 degrees F)
1/2 C. butter - melted
1/3 C. honey
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. white sugar
2 eggs
3 C. whole wheat flour
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 C. raisins
1 C. chopped walnuts
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. cold water
Method
- In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, honey, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.
- Place raisins in a bowl of tepid water. Let soak until needed.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Grease two 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pans. Punch down the dough. Turn out onto the lightly floured surface; sprinkle with raisins and walnuts, and knead them in. Divide dough in half.
- Roll dough into loaves. Place loaves into the greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat egg white and cold water; brush on top of the loaves. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes. Remove pans to wire racks to cool.
It's hearty and delicious. The whole wheat flour gives it substance, the raisins are sweet, the nuts are crunchy. It's yeasty and smells delicious baking. You should probably make some of this right now, and give it to your starving future wife. You should also read the books, go see the movie, and get this cookbook. Ok, everyone has their to-do lists. Go.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Hunger Games
So the premiere of the Hunger Games movie snuck up on me much more quickly than I expected. I had planned on doing a whole week of posts leading up to it, recipes from the Hunger Games Cookbook, discussion of the book, etc. But now the premiere is tomorrow night! I figure right now I'll just give an overview of the book for anyone who hasn't read it, and discuss it a little. I'll try not to give anything major away. I may still attempt a recipe tonight or tomorrow to post. I'll definitely have a post after the movie, either praising it or ranting about it.
Anytime anyone tries to describe the Hunger Games, it sounds like the most unappealing book. Doesn't matter who, or how it's described. When people first started telling me about it, I had no desire to read it. Once all of my friends started raving about it, and the movie was announced (and looked totally awesome on its own), I figured I would cave and just read the first one. Well, I read the first book in one sitting, in about 10 hours. Then, of course, I had to get the second, Catching Fire, and the third, Mockingjay. I devoted the next two days to reading those, with little more than bathroom and food breaks. In my description, I'll concentrate on the first book, since maybe I'll actually do a full series of posts when the next two movies come out.
The Hunger Games world is a post-apocalyptic civilization called Panem, and is populated by the remainder of the human race. It's what used to be North America, but instead of countries and states, it's divided into Districts. There are 13 districts, each with a specialty - mining, textiles, agriculture, etc. In the center of the Districts is the Capitol. The Capitol is where all of the wealthy, eccentric citizens live, and it's the hub of the government. The leader is "President" Snow, but it's pretty much a dictatorship. If you break a rule, or say anything against the Capitol, it's punishable by death.
Once, the Districts all rose up against the Capitol, trying to regain their rights and freedom. This resulted in the supposed destruction of District 13, as well as the institution of the Hunger Games. As punishment for the revolt, every year there are two children - a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 - chosen from each District. They're sent to the Capitol, beautified and made into celebrities, trained in wilderness survival and how to use various weapons, and sent into an arena. There are weapons and supplies scattered around, which are usually taken by the strongest and toughest in the bunch. The contestants then proceed to try to kill one another. They fight for survival until one is left - the victor. The Games are televised, and the citizens of the Capitol watch for entertainment, and the citizens of the Districts are forced to watch as their children are killed off. Since the Districts are kept poor and wanting, the victor's District gets food for a year, and the victor is set up in a fancy house with plenty of money, basically a celebrity. They're usually too emotionally and mentally scarred to enjoy any wealth or stardom, though.
The first book is set around the 74th Hunger Games. The main characters are from District 12 - Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Katniss's sister is actually chosen for the Games, but is only 12 years old, so Katniss (16 years old) volunteers to go in her place. Peeta is actually the youngest in his family, but he's the same age as Katniss and his brothers don't volunteer to go in his place. Katniss knows a bit about wilderness survival and a lot about hunting since she was taught by her father before he died, and she hunts illegally in the woods to feed her family, and sell meat on the black market. Peeta's family owns the bakery in town. They're a little more well-off than Katniss's family. He becomes known as The Boy with the Bread, because once when he and Katniss were younger, he intentionally burned some bread so he could give it to her, since her father had just died and her family was starving.
I won't give away anything major in the plot, but as you can surmise, Peeta and Katniss are sent off to the Capitol, fancied up, trained, and sent into the arena for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Since there are two sequels, you can probably guess who wins the Games, but you'll just have to read it for yourself.
It's difficult to describe the books any more succinctly than that. When someone asks me what they're about, I usually just say they're about kids being forced to fight to the death. Unappealing sounding, right? Well, give them a chance and I guarantee you'll be sucked in and instantly obsessed. I was, anyway. They keep you on the edge of your seat most of the time, they're pretty excellently written, and as you get to know the characters, you just have to keep reading to see what happens.
Now, I hate when book-to-film movies deviate too much from the book. I know they have to scale them down to fit it into two hours, but when they change little details that had no reason to be changed, or they change major plot points, I end up hating the movie. So, after I see it tomorrow night, you'll either get a gushing post about how amazing it was, or a rant about how they changed everything and it was horrible. I'm also going to try to make something from the Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook tonight or tomorrow, so you can get a little taste for the book... literally. So if you haven't already read these books, I highly recommend that you go out and buy or borrow them. You won't regret it!
Anytime anyone tries to describe the Hunger Games, it sounds like the most unappealing book. Doesn't matter who, or how it's described. When people first started telling me about it, I had no desire to read it. Once all of my friends started raving about it, and the movie was announced (and looked totally awesome on its own), I figured I would cave and just read the first one. Well, I read the first book in one sitting, in about 10 hours. Then, of course, I had to get the second, Catching Fire, and the third, Mockingjay. I devoted the next two days to reading those, with little more than bathroom and food breaks. In my description, I'll concentrate on the first book, since maybe I'll actually do a full series of posts when the next two movies come out.
The Hunger Games world is a post-apocalyptic civilization called Panem, and is populated by the remainder of the human race. It's what used to be North America, but instead of countries and states, it's divided into Districts. There are 13 districts, each with a specialty - mining, textiles, agriculture, etc. In the center of the Districts is the Capitol. The Capitol is where all of the wealthy, eccentric citizens live, and it's the hub of the government. The leader is "President" Snow, but it's pretty much a dictatorship. If you break a rule, or say anything against the Capitol, it's punishable by death.
Once, the Districts all rose up against the Capitol, trying to regain their rights and freedom. This resulted in the supposed destruction of District 13, as well as the institution of the Hunger Games. As punishment for the revolt, every year there are two children - a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 - chosen from each District. They're sent to the Capitol, beautified and made into celebrities, trained in wilderness survival and how to use various weapons, and sent into an arena. There are weapons and supplies scattered around, which are usually taken by the strongest and toughest in the bunch. The contestants then proceed to try to kill one another. They fight for survival until one is left - the victor. The Games are televised, and the citizens of the Capitol watch for entertainment, and the citizens of the Districts are forced to watch as their children are killed off. Since the Districts are kept poor and wanting, the victor's District gets food for a year, and the victor is set up in a fancy house with plenty of money, basically a celebrity. They're usually too emotionally and mentally scarred to enjoy any wealth or stardom, though.
The first book is set around the 74th Hunger Games. The main characters are from District 12 - Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Katniss's sister is actually chosen for the Games, but is only 12 years old, so Katniss (16 years old) volunteers to go in her place. Peeta is actually the youngest in his family, but he's the same age as Katniss and his brothers don't volunteer to go in his place. Katniss knows a bit about wilderness survival and a lot about hunting since she was taught by her father before he died, and she hunts illegally in the woods to feed her family, and sell meat on the black market. Peeta's family owns the bakery in town. They're a little more well-off than Katniss's family. He becomes known as The Boy with the Bread, because once when he and Katniss were younger, he intentionally burned some bread so he could give it to her, since her father had just died and her family was starving.
I won't give away anything major in the plot, but as you can surmise, Peeta and Katniss are sent off to the Capitol, fancied up, trained, and sent into the arena for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Since there are two sequels, you can probably guess who wins the Games, but you'll just have to read it for yourself.
It's difficult to describe the books any more succinctly than that. When someone asks me what they're about, I usually just say they're about kids being forced to fight to the death. Unappealing sounding, right? Well, give them a chance and I guarantee you'll be sucked in and instantly obsessed. I was, anyway. They keep you on the edge of your seat most of the time, they're pretty excellently written, and as you get to know the characters, you just have to keep reading to see what happens.
Now, I hate when book-to-film movies deviate too much from the book. I know they have to scale them down to fit it into two hours, but when they change little details that had no reason to be changed, or they change major plot points, I end up hating the movie. So, after I see it tomorrow night, you'll either get a gushing post about how amazing it was, or a rant about how they changed everything and it was horrible. I'm also going to try to make something from the Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook tonight or tomorrow, so you can get a little taste for the book... literally. So if you haven't already read these books, I highly recommend that you go out and buy or borrow them. You won't regret it!
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