Friday, March 30, 2012

10 Things You Can Do Instead of Seeing The Hunger Games

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Spring is looking a lot better this year

My daughter is hoping to get to The Hunger Games amid her busy law school schedule.  Many of my blogging friends are writing their reviews of the post-Harry Potter teen obsession.  The neighborhood movie theater box office is shooting off fireworks for the amount of cash it’s raking in.  The young actress starring in the film is on the cover of every magazine except Car and Driver (Come to think of it, I might be wrong.  I better check again).

The world is starving for The Hunger Games.  However, I think I’ll decline the invitation to this feast.  I have enough to keep myself busy.  If you want to be a rebel and remain out of the Hollywood trending loop, too, here are 10 things you could do while everyone you know is donning their Team Katniss T-shirts and heading to the local cinema.

Empty your inbox – Perhaps, like me, you have more e-mails and other notifications sitting on your computer than you are willing to admit (I should have a contest to guess the number).  While the world is occupied watching “Ultimate Fight Club, Jr.” (aka HG) and you have no one to text for a couple of hours, you could take care of the chore you said you’d get to “when you have a little time.”

Spread mulch – Hey, if you don’t need it done at your house, come on over to mine for a couple of hours.  There’s plenty of work for everyone.

Learn to make a soufflé – This film seems as good an excuse as any to eat.  And the best thing about soufflés is even when they fail they taste great.

Make a list of every place you want to travel when you win the $540 million Mega Millions jackpot this weekend – This might be enough to get you first-class plane tickets around the world for two.  As long as you don’t check any luggage or oversized bags.

Teach your old dog new tricks – Or just take her to the park.

Old Skyler, waiting for that walk
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Memorize phone numbers of your family and friends – Come on, admit it.  You couldn’t recite a single phone number if your life depended on it.  Pretend your car was swept down river in a flash flood.  You managed to escape the fiendishly swirling water and a good Samaritan picked you up and handed you a phone to call someone to come get you.  Quick, what’s the number? (I do have the veterinarian’s number memorized, but it hasn’t changed since I was a teenager.)

Watch something you DVR’d three months ago – That way you’ll have room to DVR HG when it shows up on your premium cable channel in about six months.

Head to the gym – I bet all your favorite pieces of equipment will be free during the 7 o’clock showing of the movie.  And you can tell everyone that you’re just getting in shape in case they enlarge their pool of HG contestants.

Cross three things off your to-do list – You don’t actually have to do them.  Just cross them off the list because if they haven’t gotten done by now and your house is still standing, then they weren’t that vital in the first place.

Make a big bowl of popcorn, sit in a soft cushiony chair, and read a book – It’s just like being at a movie . . . only it’s free, and the picture in your head is better than anything on the screen, and if you don’t like it you don’t have to feel guilty if you walk away.  In fact, you can just pick up another book immediately and repeat.

What was your favorite movie hype that you ever got caught up in (I was from the original Star Wars era.  We stood in line forever but I didn’t wear a costume)?  If you won’t be doing the HG thing, what would you add to my list of alternative activities?  How many phone numbers do you have memorized? Share your movie reviews, suggestions, rants in the comments box along with any ideas for a lovely spring weekend.

A year ago my garden had a completely different look.  Click here to see why and read my “Six Words on Happiness.”
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20 comments:

Astra said...

I was impressed that a book was able to get my 14-year old Xbox control freak, Minecraft afficiennado to put aside his various technical gizmos for two weeks while he could NOT put this book down (so I had to read it too, of course). He is so far not gunning for a ride to the movie asserting there is no way Hollywood would do the book justice so I guess we'll both stick to your Top 10 this weekend!

hmcmullin said...

I've not read the books, and everything I've heard about the movie sounds unappealing. I do have the first e-book and will try it, but on top of my list of things to do is visit with my cousins this weekend and help spoil their adorable year old munchkin.

Julie Farrar said...

A wise son, Astra, to realize his imagination is better than what Hollywood puts on the screen (speaking as a actual movie fan -- but not of adaptations).

And it sounds like spending facetime with family on this lovely spring weekend is a good one to add to the list.

Laird Sapir said...

Julie, you crack me up. I think this might be my new favorite piece of advice:
"Cross three things off your to-do list – You don’t actually have to do them. Just cross them off the list because if they haven’t gotten done by now and your house is still standing, then they weren’t that vital in the first place."

Ha! While I saw the Hunger Games I still loved your list. :)

Liv Rancourt said...

I might garden or paint the living room or finish the edits on a short story or read something from my tottering TBR pile or go shopping for a cute pair of sandals or try and get a last-minute reservation for someplace for spring break or ...
;)

Julie Farrar said...

Does NOBODY want to take me up on the mulching idea? You can have your own blue wheelbarrow (sorry out of red ones).

Elaine Smothers said...

This is hilarious! I think I'm just going to cross everything off my to-do list. It's Friday and I'm not that motivated anyway. :D

Rabia said...

Ha! I enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy, but I can wait to see the movie. I'm usually a year or more behind in movies, anyway. We have three little ones, and my husband and I don't get to the theater much. Last theater movie we saw was Tangled. One before that: Tranformers. The first one. :D

The only movies I made it a point to see on the big screen for the three Lord of the Rings ones, which I watched with my sweetie. I think it had as much to do with relationship-building as it did with the movies itself. :D

I need to clean my house. :P Or else I could work on my WIP. Or play W.E.L.D.E.R. *grin*

Alina Sayre said...

Ahaha, this post made me laugh. I'll probably wait to see the Hunger Games until it's out on DVD anyway, but I loved this list of ideas and your wry sense of humor. My favorite advice is "Cross three things off your to-do list...because if they haven’t gotten done by now and your house is still standing, then they weren’t that vital in the first place." Thanks Julie!

Tami Clayton said...

Like Laird and Alina, I, too, love the advice of crossing three things off your list but not actually doing them. Priceless! I saw the movie and read the books and I loved your whole list. Way to be a rebel and not follow the crowd just because of the hype! :)

Jenny said...

Oh Julie! I love your list as it made me laugh, especially the crossing things off your list item. However, I've gotta tell you I just finished reading the trilogy and there is a reason it's so popular . . . it's good! I did go see the movie and while I could have done without the hordes of teenage girls donning katniss, peeta, and gale shirts, I had a good time. My skeptical fiance even enjoyed it. Bottom line, I hope you have break from memorizing phone numbers and such by the time it comes out on DVD, you should give it a try!

Julie Farrar said...

No time to memorize phone numbers this particular weekend. Too much weeding and mulching to do. Anyone?

Anonymous said...

I also loved the:

Just cross them off the list because if they haven’t gotten done by now and your house is still standing, then they weren’t that vital in the first place.

I think you're on to something there. And, the summary of HG as "ultimate fight club" - yeah, that's what I thought of the previews. I think I'll be spreading mulch!

Scrollwork said...

It's been raining so much over here in northern California that the mulching will have to wait! I have morning glory seedlings raring to be transplanted.

The hubs went to see the Hunger Games by himself because this was a working weekend for me. He liked it! I have no interest in seeing it, because anything with so much hype is an instant turnoff to me.

You had me smiling and chuckling all the way through. I'm glad I gave up on trying to fall back sleep and decided to catch up on the blogs I follow. It's 2 a.m.!

Anita Chapman said...

Hi Julie, when I was 13 all of my friends were obsessed with the film, Back to the Future and Michael J Fox. We all had identical sticker books and would spend break times swapping stickers! That was until Top Gun came out.

Julie Farrar said...

Back to the Future-1 is one of those movies I'll get sucked into every time I catch even a minute on TV.

Bella said...

Julie, would you believe my daughter went to see it yesterday and said she didn't like it? She expected more action and found it lacking! The son isn't remotely interested in watching it. I'm guilty of being curious about all the hype this movie has garnished. Your comment of how the young actress is on every cover of every magazine made me laugh. I think by this point she most definitely has also made Car and Driver! hee hee! :)

Leah said...

Personally I have no interest in reading or seeing The Hunger Games. I'll take your list any time!

Jaime Wodell said...

I'm sorry but this is kind of pretentious. Whatever you think of it, The Hunger Games is a great story and more than just a teen fad. It is a political and social commentary placed in a setting that appeals to young people. I mean, sure there are those kids who will make it shallow and annoying with their "Team Peeta" vs. "Team Gale" t shirts, (Katniss' story is not a romance) but they don't represent an entire fandom who loves the series for what it is.

I understand that the Hunger Games doesn't appeal to everyone, (though what I don't understand is why) but I'd recommend at least trying to read it.

Julie Farrar said...

Jaime, thanks for your comments on the issue. I understand that many are fans. My daughter in college is a big fan. The problem I have is with the hype, or rather over-hype. I grew up breathlessly waiting for the original three Star Wars movies. But as popular as they were, they weren't shoved down our throats 24 hours a day. I read all the Potter books and saw the movies. But it seems that their promotion didn't even match the level of HG hype. I'm not anti-HG. I'm anti-hype. I want to know a movie is well done before I heap praise on it.

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