The Hunger Games trailer, aka Is It March Yet?

I have now watched the trailer for The Hunger Games about 400 times.  Holy moly.  I haven't been this excited about a movie since... well, since Deathly Hallows.  And that is really saying something.  Oh my goodness.

What gets me the most about this is Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss.  I always thought she looked the part, and I had complete faith that she would be able to handle the role.  What I am not prepared for is how well she will be able to handle it.  The clip that will destroy me in the theater is her volunteering.  In the trailer, she fights with the guards after her sister's name is called, then crazily, passionately, without a thought in her head except fear for her sister's life, she screams, "I VOLUNTEER!"  Then, immediately after, she gets herself together and states plainly and strongly, "I volunteer as tribute."  It gives me chills. It's Katniss through and though.  It's perfection.

PERFECTION.

"It's hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake him off."

I needed this song more than I realized.  It speaks straight to my heart and chases every cloudy thought away in an instant.  Love.

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
Cause I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/florence_and_the_machine/shake_it_out.html ]
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a final mess but it's left me so empty
It's always darkest before the dawn

Oh woah, oh woah... 

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark and right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

One Last Weekend.

On Tuesday, I'll hit that age where I'm supposed to start lying.  I'll be 30.  Honestly, I'm not too fussed about it.  Not to get all overdramatic on you, but my 20's haven't been the easiest.  I've been through a lot, dealt with more than I ever imagined, and I'm here relatively unscathed on the other side.  I've got a really good feeling about 30.

So this is my last weekend with a 2 as the first number in my age.  However, it's supposed to be mega cold and possibly snow(!) so my plan is to hide out.  Since it's also Halloween weekend, I'm going to have a non-horror movie marathon!  Here's what I've come up with so far.

Hocus Pocus, one of my favorites forever and for all time.

Sanderson sistas!!

The Nightmare Before Christmas, the perfect Halloween/Christmas crossover.

"Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones, an emptiness began to grow..."

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, because it's hilarious and those bunnies are presh.

Bunnies!  Bunnies! It must be BUNNIES!

Any movies you love for Halloween?

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs

I read the awesomely amazing Chuck Klosterman book featured in the title of this entry circa 2003, and I called my brother when I was on page 4 to say, "You must read this book."  The below quote was just posted on Facebook, and it is yet another reminder of why both this book and Chuck Klosterman are THE BEST (and why I loved JMU).

"There are no 'fashion don'ts' inside the Mainstreet Bar & Grill in downtown Harrisonburg.  You want to inexplicably wear a headband?  Fine.  You want to wear a FUBU sweatshirt with a baseball hat that features the Confederate flag?  No problem.  This is the kind of place where you see a college girl attempting to buy a $2.25 glass of Natural Light on tap with her credit card-- and have her card denied."

Something's Comin', Something Good.

It's that time of year again!  What time?  The new TV season, of course!  Yay!  I love New TV Season!

This year, I've decided to break up with Grey's Anatomy, despite how much I enjoyed most of it last season.  My Thursday dance card, even with DVR, is just too full.  Plus, I have to make way for new shows to love. This year, my shows are: HIMYM, The Sing-Off (full season YAY!), Glee, New Girl (because I swear it's about me...), Raising Hope, Parenthood, Community, Vampire Diaries, and The Office.  Man, do I love New TV Season.

So... my first happy of the year comes from (der) Glee.  More specifically (der), Blaine.  Darren Criss sang my absolute FAVORITE song from West Side Story last night, "Something's Coming."  I think it's just the most perfect song from WSS.  Tony is so sweetly excited about what's to come, and he doesn't even know what it is but he knows it's going to change him, to make him better.  The music pulses along in the background, and I grin every time I listen to it.  When I heard Darren would be doing this, I was, needless to say, really damn excited.  Upon first listen, though, I was simultaneously impressed and dissatisfied.  I just thought it was done better in the movie.

Then, when I saw the performance last night... well... just wow.  He blew me away... So, for your viewing and aural pleasure, I've included Darren/Blaine's version below, as well as the Richard Beymer/Jimmy Bryant version for comparison.  I couldn't find a video from last night's Glee (or figured that when I found out, it would be immediately taken down), but you can watch it here.  (Thanks, tumblr!)

I'm such a girl.

News, Everyone!

I am officially a reviewer at Wastepaper Prose!  I'm pretty excited about it, because now I have another writing outlet AND it's an excuse to read more books.  My first review is up at the site (spoiler alert: interesting but not my favorite).  Also, check out the How I Know Susan entry before it (just for the background info on how two former classmates use the internet to realize we still exist) and my bio.

Weeeeee!

Tina Fey is my spirit animal.

I have been told a million times that I remind people of Tina Fey.  Is it the black framed glasses I wear when I'm too lazy to put in my contacts?  My brown hair?  My pale whiteness? 

Yes.  Probably.

However, one of my oldest friends was reading Bossypants recently, and she told me that she thought I sounded like Tina.  She thought I was as funny as Tina freakin' Fey.  That's a serious compliment, y'all.

I'm currently "reading" the Bossypants audiobook, read by Ms. Fey herself.  I don't want to overstate this, so let me say this carefully: this is the best and funniest shit I have ever read in my entire life.  Below are some of my favorite quotes and more reasons why I love being compared to Tina Fey.

"Don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions; go over, under, through, and opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares? Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it." 


"Gay people don’t actually try to convert people. That’s Jehovah’s Witnesses you’re thinking of." 


"I was a little excited but mostly blorft. "Blorft" is an adjective I just made up that means 'Completely overwhelmed but proceeding as if everything is fine and reacting to the stress with the torpor of a possum.' I have been blorft every day for the past seven years." 


"(By the way, when Oprah Winfrey is suggesting you may have overextended yourself, you need to examine your f***ing life.)" 


"It's a great lesson about not being too precious about your writing. You have to try your hardest to be at the top of your game and improve every joke you can until the last possible second, and then you have to let it go. You can't be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it...You have to let people see what you wrote." 


"THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, only opportunities." 
(all of the pics & gifs in this are from photobucket)