Amy C. Shaw

My Top 10 Anticipations for Catching Fire

March 20, 2013 • 4 Comments

Today, I randomly started thinking about the upcoming Catching Fire movie, and started really anticipating it. I decided to jot down some of the scenes and moments I am looking forward to the most (assuming they all make it in the movie), and was a little surprised by how long the list grew. It made me pretty excited about it all; is it November yet?! (Actually, I don’t want it to be November yet. I need the warmth of spring and summer first).

WARNING: Do not read this if you have not read Catching Fire. Seriously, DON’T.

#10: Katniss and Plutarch Interact

At a social event at the Capitol, Plutarch Heavensbee makes a point to show Katniss his custom-made watch. She doesn’t really seem to get it, but it will hit her later that he was, in fact, giving her a very important hint as to how he designed the arena. Once Katniss and the other tributes understanding the working of the arena, they are able to use this to their benefit to help them escape it. I think Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a great actor in that he always creeps me out, and I am hoping this time I will get the opposite vibe from him as he does his best to relay a message to Katniss that he is on her side.

“It starts at midnight.” – Plutarch

#9: Cinna

This is so low on my list mostly because it’s going to break my heart into a thousand pieces. Even when I saw the promotional picture for Cinna I immediately thought of his fate in this movie, and how much it is going to hurt. I love how much Cinna cares for Katniss and believes in her and in the revolution, and that he is willing to put his life on the line for it. I know watching him being taken away is going to be so haunting.

“I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I don’t hurt anyone but myself.” – Cinna

#8: Haymitch and Katniss

I looking forward to a few moments between Haymitch and Katniss, but I am particularly anticipating when they get drunk together, and they promise one another that they will do everything they can to bring Peeta out of the games alive. I also look forward to seeing how their relationship continues to grow after the first movie.

“You know, you could live a thousand lives and not deserve him.” – Haymitch

#7: The Quarter Quell

So obviously this is very broad, but I wanted to encompass everything with The Quarter Quell from the announcement of what the rules for the Quarter Quell will be, to the Reaping, to the actual games where Katniss has to learn which tributes to trust. Of course the announcement is a pivotal part of the story because when Katniss learns she is going back in the arena, she immediately goes to run and hide, which we see is a pattern she will continue as the story progresses, especially in Mockingjay. She suffers from PTSD and no one can help her (except Peeta, she’ll come to realize). It will also be interesting to see the new arena and new tributes, of course.

I am going back to the arena. (Katniss)

#6: Katniss’ Mockingjay Dress in Action

The white wedding version of the mockinjay dress looks pretty good, I hope the effects for the black mockingjay dress prove to be better than the terrible CGI flames we got for the last movie.

#5: Katniss’ Confrontation with President Snow

I expect the confrontation between President Snow, where he tells Katniss that he’s on to her, will be quite chilling. He starts the conversation by saying, “I think we’ll make this whole situation a lot simpler by agreeing not to lie to each other,” and ends with “By the way, I know about that kiss.” The whole time he has the stench of roses and Katniss wonders why… if only we could smell it with her. But still, I expect to feel a chill will go down my spine when Donald Sutherland utters…

“Convince me.” – President Snow

#4. Finnick and Katniss

What can be said about Finnick? It all begins when he seductively asks Katniss if she wants a sugar cube, and she has no idea how to respond. I definitely looking forward to this scene and their interaction in the arena.

Katniss: He offered me sugar and wanted to know all my secrets. / Peeta: Ugh. Not really. / Katniss: Really. I’ll tell you more when my skin stops crawling.

#3: The Staged Moments Between Katniss and Peeta

I had quite a list of Katniss/Peeta moments, some of which are completely staged as Katniss has to convince President Snow that she loves Peeta. Some of these moments include: their snow-tumbled kiss (I am sure this will change, especially since Peeta doesn’t have the bum leg in the movies), Peeta’s proposal (may or may not be shown since it was glossed over in the book as well, but I would love to see it!), and my favorite: Peeta announcing to everyone that he and Katniss are already married and that she is pregnant. I literally laughed out loud when I read this part of the book because I knew exactly what Peeta was up to. I really hope this part is kept in so I can see Caesar’s face. And though these moments seem fake to Katniss, she can’t deny there is a little something there…

“Maybe I’d think that too, Caesar, if it weren’t for the baby.” – Peeta

#2: The Sweet, Genuine Moments Between Katniss and Peeta

This list includes: the rooftop scene, how Peeta helps Katniss through her nightmares, and of course the beach scene, where Peeta gives Katniss his locket and she kisses him for real.

I wish that Peeta were here to hold me, until I remember I’m not supposed to wish that anymore. (Katniss)

#1: Gale tells Katniss About District 12

I’m hoping the movie ends just like the book, in its very haunting way…

“Katniss, there is no District Twelve.” – Gale

The perfect cliffhanger.

And that’s only some of what I’m anticipating! What are you looking forward to in the Catching Fire movie?

Feeling Stuck, Or: I Hate Rewriting

March 18, 2013 • 3 Comments

Writing is fun. Rewriting is not.

Editing, which is fine-tuning what you have, can be OK. But that’s not where I am not yet. Rewriting is changing things within your story that you think may have not been working too well. And it really, really stinks. And that’s exactly where I am now.

November 2011 I decided to write a short story. It turned into a novella. Then I turned it into a novel, the first in a series, to combine it with two other story ideas I had. I was pretty happy with my first draft of the novel version and moved on to the next story, book two of the series. I finished it and realized even though it wasn’t perfect, it was a lot better than the previous. Then I was attempting to write the third, but I felt really stuck. I didn’t know how to move forward at all. The second story laid some good groundwork, but I felt there needed to be more from the first book. And I knew there were some other things there that needed to be changed. So I decided to go back and rewrite the first book. That’s what I’ve been attempting to do for the past few weeks now.

And already I feel so completely stuck.

I have an idea of where I want to go with it, but I don’t have all the plot points detailed out like I did when I decided to expand the novella to a novel (I think it helped that I was reading Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell at the time, which by the way, I found to be extremely helpful and would recommend). So I suppose I ought to sit down and do that first, and then go from there. I have just spent the past two weeks or so feeling sort of scatterbrained, and everyday I do at least one thing that feels like a total fail. For example, several days ago the first thing I did when I got out of bed was walk right into a door. And then just a day or two later, I hit a curb on a curve really hard and it killed my tire. Needless to say, I have not been in tip-top shape lately. I also feel like I am laboring over my current read, Unbroken. It is a fantastic story, but it is a really hard read that gives you a very detailed look at life inside Japanese POW camps during WWII. It’s wearing and I’m ready for it to be over, as if I was living it. But the good news is, I have finally reached the point where the war is over, so hopefully it only gets better from there.

I may also go back to the third story, plot it out, then work on writing it before I go back to the first book. But sigh… I don’t know. Mostly, I think I may need a break from this particular universe. I feel bad ever abandoning a story I have been working on so much, and I feel like I need to see it through to the end, otherwise it will end up like the 50 million (OK, closer to just 50) partial stories I have written. But I have a goal I really want to see through, so I think I will come back before too long. I just need to be excited about it again.

Any other writers suffer from the rut of rewriting? What do you do? Any advice, even from non-writers, is appreciated!

The Ides of March: A Tale of Three Betrayals

March 15, 2013 • 0 Comments

For The Ideas of March (a little late… sorry about that), I wanted to discuss some betrayals portrayed in movies. I considered forming a top 10 or 5 list, but decided that this time I just wanted to focus on three betrayals, not necessarily a top 3, but three that just interest me in one way or another.

1. Mondego Betrays Dantes: The Count of Monte Cristo

Their relationship before betrayal: Best buds.

The motive: Though Dantes is as poor as dirt, he seems content with his life and seems to have favor: he gets promoted on his ship and he has a very lovely lady who wants to be his wife. And Mondego, who is much wealthier, just can’t stand it that he is so much more miserable than Dantes.

The execution: He frames Dantes for treason, with a little help, and Dantes is shipped off to Château d’If, an awful prison for men who did not actually commit any crimes. Dantes stays here for many years before he is able to find a way to escape.

The kicker: Mondego steals Dantes’ girl!

The aftermath: Dantes finds a group of sea-baring smugglers and joins them. He befriends Jacopo, whose life he spared, and together they go to find a treasure, with which Dantes uses to create an elaborate scheme to fool Mondego and exact his revenge.

I am only scratching the surface of the story. I haven’t read the book, so all my knowledge is based on the movie, but I think it is a great story. Definitely check out the movie if you haven’t seen it!

Great Quote: “How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure!” – Dantes

2. Steve betrays Charlie, John, Rob, Lyle, and Left Ear: The Italian Job

Their relationship before betrayal: Partners in crime.

The motive: Steve wants money and doesn’t care about his fellow partners in crime, who prefer comradery among one another and stealing without guns.

The execution: He and some other guys (who we never see again and presumably don’t get a cut of the gold) turn their guns on Charlie and company after a successful heist.

The kicker: Steve kills John in this process. And he doesn’t even know what he wants to do with his money.

The aftermath: Charlie and company recruit John’s daughter and expert safe-cracker, Stella, for a job to steal the gold back from Steve… and succeed.

What is it about a heist movie that makes you like characters who commit crimes? It helps, I suppose, when they live by their own code of ethics, like not using guns and remaining loyal friends to one another. And it hurts them when someone turns on them and betrays them so that they can have ALL the gold to themselves.

Great Quote: “Same old Steve huh? Always thinking defensively. That’s why you’re always number two.” – Charlie

3. Anakin betrays the Jedis: Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

Their relationship before betrayal: Anakin was a Jedi, training under Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The motive: Anakin knows he is very powerful, and he believes that the only way he can save his wife, Padme, is by learning about the powers from the Dark Side of the Force.

The execution: This betrayal is much slower and more gradual. While Anakin is annoying and whiny for two films, in the third film, he becomes really likable. He seems to be on the right path, but as he grows fearful, his mind becomes susceptible to what the Dark Side wants to offer him.

The kicker: He kills younglings!

The aftermath: Anakin is fully consumed by the Dark Side, and lava, thus becoming Darth Vader. And ultimately, Padme dies, and his two children are separated and sent to two different families.

Even though anyone who has seen the Star Wars prequels knows this is coming, it is still something else to watch it unfold before your eyes. The moment I first saw the Vader mask clip over Anakin seriously gave me chills.

Great Quote: “You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them. You were to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness… You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.” – Obi-Wan

What are some other great betrayals we’ve seen in movies that interest you?

My Top 10 Anticipated Films of 2013

March 9, 2013 • 8 Comments

I know March is a weird time to create this list, but I haven’t seen any 2013 films yet, so I figured the topic was still relevant for now. Here are the top 10 films I’m anticipating this year (plus a few honorable mentions at the end of the post) and why.

#10: Olympus Has Fallen

So when I first saw the trailer for this, I thought it looked like an interesting story. Now I have found out that a very similar-sounding movie is coming out later this year called White House Down. I kind of hate that that happened, but I would still prefer to see this one, since it is Channing-Tatum-free.

#9: Now You See Me

I just found out about this movie while I was looking through IMDB’s list of movies coming out this year. It sounded interesting so I watched the trailer, and it looks really interesting too. The cast seems like a strange mix of people, but I am hoping it will be good.

#8: Man of Steel

I’m not into Superman AT ALL, but it’s produced by Christopher Nolan (which is obviously not as good as being written/directed by him…) and it doesn’t look bad. And I want to see Amy Adams as Lois Lane. I’m hoping it will be a nice film that helps us all forget about Superman Returns.

#7: Monsters Univsersity

I was not happy when I heard about a second Monsters, Inc. movie. I love Monsters, Inc. and wanted it to remain “pure” in essence. What else could possibly be done with the story? But after seeing the trailer, I have to admit this prequel idea looks pretty cute.

#6: Thor: The Dark World

Loki is an interesting villain, and I look forward to seeing the brothers square off again. Also, Darcy’s coming back, and she makes me laugh. 🙂

#5: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I enjoyed the first Hobbit movie and am looking forward to seeing the second installment of the series. I just hope that, as the middle movie, this doesn’t suffer from some severe drawing out of the plot (because the first one was a little bit of a stretch as it was).

#4: Iron Man 3

Tony’s got a good girl, he’s cheated death, and saved the world a few times, but people still want to mess with him. But with Rhodey’s help, he’s going to kick their butts. It ought to be fun!

#3: Star Trek: Into Darkness

I am giving J.J. Abrams the benefit of the doubt that this movie might be as good as this looks. As a Trekkie, I have to explain, that I really do enjoy Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek as a movie, but I really hate what it did to the canon of Star Trek. Yeah, it’s another timeline, but he blows up important planets! Into Darkness, though it’s still following this ridiculous timeline, does look really good, and I hope it is.

#2: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I’m excited that there is a new director the second installment of The Hunger Games. Gary Ross did a good job creating the world and I liked some of the creative choices he made, but I think he dropped the ball in a couple of areas, especially in his belief (which I saw him have interview after interview) that he created a perfect movie and left nothing important out and didn’t need to release any deleted scenes on the DVD/Blu Ray. Uh, really dude? I’m hoping Francis Lawrence moves forward with Gary’s vision but expands upon it and does an even better job of capturing the spirit of the story (and more Katniss and Peeta please? I know it’s the point but you know, come on, we need it before Mockingjay when all falls to heck).

#1: Oblivion

I’m really excited about Oblivion, because it looks really, really good, and I sure hope it delivers. The world evacuated of humans after war with aliens? Hidden secrets underneath the surface? Being lied to by your employer about what you’re doing on Earth? I’m intrigued.

There are some other 2013 movies that I have some interest in, but I might want to learn more about them before I rush to see them…

I’m sure Despicable Me 2 will probably be cute and fun, but like Monsters, Inc., did Despicable Me really need a sequel?

The Lone Ranger has caught my attention since I first heard about it. In one of my history classes in junior high, in class we did acted out a radio show of The Lone Ranger and I really enjoyed the experience, so I have fond memories of it. It looks sort of interesting, but I would like to hear what other people say about it before I see it.

The Great Gatsby looks intriguing, but I’m actually not that familiar with the story, so I’m not sure if I would like it or not. Again, we’ll see.

My husband will undoubtedly will want to see The Wolverine, so I’m hoping it will be good. I actually like the other Wolverine movie better than most people (though not as much as my husband liked it), but I honestly had not been too crazy about any of the X-Men movie until First Class came out.

Since I plan to read Ender’s Game soon, I’m hoping the movie will interest me after reading the book.

So… what movies of 2013 are you anticipating?

Review: The Giver

March 2, 2013 • 3 Comments

After hearing so many good things about The Giver, I decided to read it late last year. It’s a children’s dystopia read and a very easy read, but that did not lessen the impact of the story. In fact, after reading the likes of Matched, Divergent, and other dystopia series with complicated intricacies about them, The Giver really was a breath of fresh air. The society in which the main character, Jonas, lives in is fairly simple. As they grow, children reach certain benchmarks at certain ages that teach them certain lessons (example: children are given a bike at age 9, which allows them to travel independently of their parents). Then at the age of 12, a child is given his job assignment and starts training. As they reach adulthood, they can apply for a spouse and up to two children.

When it comes to his 12th year ceremony where he will receive his job assignment, Jonas grows nervous when he is skipped over his place in line for an assignment. It is not until every other 12th year child has received his or her assignment Jonas learns why he had to wait: he is to inherit the very honorable position of the Receiver of Memory, the one who keeps all memories from the past, before everyone lived in “Sameness.” The process to receive the memories is grueling when he receives the painful memories of war, starving, and sunburns. But he also gets to experience the joys of Christmas, grandparents, and snow sledding. Though he recognizes the dangers of the way the world used to be, he starts to believe it would be worth it to experience the pleasant things life can offer. He also starts to recognize the importance of knowledge and choice. He asks the preceding Receiver, who is now The Giver, if there is a way to go back to the way things used to be; if there is a way he can share the memories with others.

My only complaint about this book is that I feel it ends too soon. I wish I could know more and find out what happens after Jonas implements his plan (I’m keeping this vague so I don’t spoil anything). There are three other books in the same universe that follow this one, but they follow other characters, and I have read mixed reviews on them. I don’t want to read them unless I feel like they really add to The Giver and give it a sense of completion so I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to read them. (If you have an opinion about this, please let me know!) But overall, this really is a great little book that I think is a great introduction for preteens start to think about life differently… or for adults as well.

I probably won’t review it on here, but if you’re looking for another great and fast read about a dystopia society but is more geared towards adults, check out Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem.

If you’ve read The Giver, what are your thoughts on it? Is there someone you would like to see playing Jonas in the movie adaptation that is supposed to be coming out? (Jeff Bridges is already confirmed to play the role of the Giver)

Great quote from The Giver: “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

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