scarynikki12

So we’re getting a Hunger Games prequel set during Quarter Quell 2, aka Haymitch’s Games. That and the March release date is all the information so far so here are my hopes/theories: I expect we’ll get Haymitch’s POV but I think we’ll get Maysilee as well. I’m curious about the other two tributes from 12 so I hope we get something significant from them beyond names and how they die. Like Ballads I think we’ll get more outside of the Games. I can’t imagine Collins will leave out the murders of Haymitch’s mom, brother, and girlfriend so we’ll get the tragedy of the Victor gaining fame and fortune while losing everything. Our final scene with Haymitch may be him getting blackout drunk for the first time though the book will likely end elsewhere. I hope we get some details on how the volunteer process actually works. 1, 2, and 4 will be sending twelve tributes, all of whom I expect will have been on the Career path, so the volunteering must have been more dramatic than other years. Let’s see it! All Hunger Games stories so far have centered on 12 even though people are clamoring for stories about other areas and characters in Panem, Finnick being the most popular. I think the only reason we keep getting the books is because Collins wants to have an actual story to tell rather than an easy cash grab so it’s possible she’s only having luck finding a story she wants to tell when she thinks about 12 and the people living there. You know the Lionsgate executives are doing cartwheels around the office today so I hope the inevitable movie is given the same approach as Ballads.

He’ll yeah!

Agreed though Rory wouldn't have fit that job either as many behind the desk newscasters get that position based on their previous work. I'm friendly with a journalist in my city who worked for years doing investigative pieces around town before landing the desk job. And that's local news not national/international like Rory wanted. Even if we apply this model to Rory, let's say she gets a job at a paper or station in Hartford. At first glance, great fit right? She's in a place she's comfortable and close to family. But you know the second her editor or producer assigned her a story about anything negative about Hartford society she'd meltdown. Any assignment that had even the slightest personal connection would render her unable to do her job because she'd instantly go into "no one is allowed to see me in a negative light" mode.

When the show started Rory wanted to be a journalist ala Amanpour and Paris wanted to go into cancer research. During college they should have swapped career goals. Paris 100% should have been a journalist while Rory should have gone into research. Imagine if Paris discovered she wasn't into her pre-med courses at all while Rory discovered, for example, the chemistry class she signed up to fulfill her science requirement was not only her highest grade of the semester but the one she enjoyed the most. I could have been an interesting story having them run parallel to each other before realizing they were suited to the other's coursework. And it could have been incremental. First they're both in denial and only slightly shift: Rory starts taking more science classes while Paris takes more takes more journalism/journalism related classes and they lie to themselves that they're just adjusting their goals (Rory now thinking she'll be a science journalist while Paris claims she'll need this foundation for publishing her research findings). By season 5, instead of melting down because she couldn't cut it Rory is faced with the reality she should have an actual science career while Paris does the same with journalism. The fight with Lorelai is because Rory tells her all this expecting "no journalism is your dream and you shouldn't change course" placating and instead is encouraged to chart the new path while E/R encourage her to stay the course. Meanwhile Paris gets cut off for changing course (this one is weaker as neither parent was a doctor but she lost her money in the show and getting cut off makes way more sense) but plows ahead. Even that stupid Rory Gilmore building could have been a demonstration of support by the Gilmores once they accepted the change. I can so see Paris traveling the world and pissing people off left and right but getting the story. I can also see Rory being comfortable and happy pouring over data and coming to conclusions.

I love how petty the Inferno is. Dante didn't like you in fiction or reality? Sucks for you, your ass is going to hell. Love it. Brutus and Cassius being chewed on by Satan makes sense when you consider the assassination of Caesar was the third most famous example of betrayal Dante would have known and them joining Judas in punishment by the ultimate betrayer drives home how that was the worst of all the sins. I think Dido, Helen, and Cleopatra were unfairly placed. Even though an argument can be made Cleo was right where she should be (Marc was there with her if memory serves), or that she got off easy in her placement, I think it was just Dante being "famous foreign woman having famous affairs with two leaders of Rome and not feeling shameful=whore". History tends to look as Helen as a whore for making the best of being kidnapped and held hostage during the war. Virgil wrote that Troy was the ancestor of Rome so she's being doubly punished for being the "reason" for countless deaths and the fall of the city/state. I've wondered if Dido's placement was due to Dante maybe conflating Virgil's underworld with his modern day concept of hell? Students to this day will make that mistake and get corrected so Dante could have done the same. Dido got shafted in The Aeneid and, I argue, Virgil was sympathetic to her character and story. He makes a point of having Aeneas run into her in the underworld as the way he learns of her death and her refusing to speak to him (for Regency fans, she basically gives him the cut direct) while he tries to engage. In this epic poem about the founding of the great Roman republic, soon to be empire, Virgil takes the time to makes clear the hero mistreats his love and gets emotionally punished for it. I know Dante would argue he put her in the Lust category because he was being kind (she killed herself and could have been placed in the Seventh circle) but she belonged in the "didn't know Christ" level. I'd have placed all three ladies in that circle. If fucking CAESAR was allowed to be there then they should have been as well. In spite of this I fucking love The Inferno. I love how Dante revealed each circle, the punishments and inmates), and I especially love the Ninth circle and descriptions of Satan. The ultimate sinner is trapped in ice, desperately trying to escape and return to Paradise, only for further trap himself by hardening the ice with each flap of his wings. So good.

Oh hell yes

One book change I would welcome is if only select Bridgertons learn about Pen being Lady Whistledown. Book Lady W wrote far less inflammatory gossip about the ton and Pen barely survived societal ruin. Show Lady W has been vicious* to the point I cannot see Pen, and anyone associated with her, not getting permanently exiled from the ton. What I can see is Colin finding out, and dealing with that before their Happily Ever After, and Pen makes a point to be kinder in her column. *I'm not arguing if she was or wasn't justified just that they were more vicious than the book version.

I think the reason Benedict is once again getting a mistress is to set up his story with Sophie. Whatever else they change I think they're going to keep him wanting to initially make her his mistress and her refusal out of a desire not to repeat her mother's life. Him having multiple mistresses before Sophie enters his life is to set up that part of the story.

Pour one out for a legend.

I like him already.

Pacino's "my eyes see Oppenheimer" makes me wonder if he forgot his reading glasses and couldn't read the prompter?

Oppenheimer cruises to Best Picture.

Pacino is a huge theater nerd so I wouldn't object to him actually doing some Shakespeare.

I thought it was Lily or Emma but Lily winning SAG had me thinking she'd take it tonight and I guess Emma agreed.

Well Emma clearly didn't expect to win.

Ok I remember reading Pacino is presenting so, now that Spielberg's done Director, Al's coming out for Picture. Unless I read wrong but I hope not.

Aw Spielberg's presenting Director. He's probably so excited to give it to Nolan. I remember how thrilled he (and Coppola and Lucas) was to reward his buddy Marty back in the day. YAY NOLAN!!!!

I kind of wish they'd surrounded Cillian's seat with other Irish actors given how much more comfortable he is when they're around.

Cillian!!!! You won sir and now you can catch the red eye back to Ireland!

I love Nic Cage always being maximum Nic Cage. Can he and Ryan do a movie together? They'll both lean hard into whatever the roles are and we will all benefit.

He was in it.

So they have interpretive dancers, singers in front of the screens, and they just put a hard to read list of names to close out the montage? Fire whoever thought that was a good idea. The montage is actually simple: a collection of images and/or scenes from industry people who died since the last Oscar ceremony. You can have a live musician playing or singing on stage but they should NOT block the screens. Nothing else should be going on. The hard part should be putting together a good montage not how many different ways can we disrespect the dead by distracting the audiences and viewers.

Literally no one sees interpretive dancers during the death montage. The focus needs to be on the people who have passed.

Oh wow, starting In Memorium with Navalny's words.

I wonder if they were supposed to exit the other side? Or maybe they walked too quickly?