May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor!

[teaberryblue]

So! Hunger Games!!!

Hansi, who is making the fanfiction documentary I have mentioned taking part in a couple times before, actually came to my apartment to film me and Jess getting ready. She wanted to do it cinema verite style, which basically means filming us doing what we normally do.

I’m used to being on camera for interviews, and I’m used to acting on camera, but trying to just do what you normally do when you’re aware you’re on camera is a really weird experience, because it makes you very conscious of things like the fact that conversational speech is nothing like anything sensical, especially when it’s people like me and Jess, who know each other so well that we talk in a lot of common assumptions. But it was still fun and I hope it’s useful for the film. We went out to the theater together, and Hansi filmed us in Times Square for a bit. She wanted to film inside the theater, but was worried she’d get kicked out with the camera, so I offered to go inside and ask someone.

I walk in, and I immediately get completely gushed over by three of the AMC theater team, who were like “OMG EFFIE.” One of them was like “HI I AM A CAREER TRIBUTE FROM DISTRICT THREE!!!” And they asked me for a photo, so I asked if we could come in and film. One of them was a manager and he was only too happy to let us in to film, as long as we didn’t get AMC logos on anything. Plus, I told them Katniss was there, too, and grabbed Jess for their photo as well. So that was great. While we were in there, a girl making a documentary for her NYU student project also asked to interview us, so we did that.

We also got asked for a bunch of photos from other people, which was super fun!

We had been told they were going to let people start lining up around ten, so that had been the plan to meet up, and since we had to do the stuff with Hansi, we had figured we’d go get some food, and then get on line, but just as we finished the interviews with the NYU project, we heard they had decided to let people line up early, so we got on the line. Jess was starving so she went back out to get some food, and then I needed to stretch my legs from sitting on the floor, so I went out just to walk around a little. I went outside and immediately more people wanted photos! So I did a bunch of photos, and then went back into the theater– when Jess texted that they had decided to let people hang out in the theater.

So we got in, got settled with pretty excellent seats, and then I went out and got us large refillable soda. I don’t normally do that because $5 for a soda, but I shared mine with Kate and we refilled it and stuff, because, two hours waiting in the theater? TOTALLY. Kate got there pretty soon after, and then Darryl did, and Darryl was kind enough to go out with us to take some photos of our costumes.

Which meant more people asked us for photos. I seriously don’t think I’ve done so many photos in my life. Plus, pretty much everyone kept squealing at me and saying “Happy Hunger Games!” and stuff, so it was kind of adorable. There were a lot of people dressed as Katniss, and a couple people in Capitol wear, and a couple people dressed as Peeta, but no one else dressed as Effie, so that worked out nicely. One of the Peetas actually had a loaf of bread he was running around with which was kind of adorable since he seemed to be a very energetic young man and was kind of all over the theater with the bread before the movie started.

Then was the movie!!! I was mostly pleased with it. There was one pretty major character moment that I wasn’t crazy about how they interpreted it, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best movie ever, but it was pretty solid as far as I’m concerned. Without doing anything that is really a spoiler (although I suspect there will be spoilers in the comments), I have to say that the single most impressive major change to me was how they portrayed Seneca Crane, who is an extraordinarily minor character in the books, and Wes Bentley just did a phenomenal job expanding him.

After the movie, we immediately got stopped by a guy from some website who wanted to interview me. It was three in the morning, dude. I was like, “sorry, but I need to get up in the morning, so I need to go home.” I guess people who do interviews like this are so used to people being excited about being on camera that it didn’t register that I was saying no, because he kept trying to explain what he wanted me to do. Finally I was like, “look, lots of people talked to me before the movie, and I would have been happy to talk to you then but now I need to go home and sleep.” He still seemed kinda incredulous.

The movie theater, who had done an AMAZING job with crowd control and managing lines for the wait to get in, utterly FAILED on getting people out. They clearly didn’t think about the fact that they had people for nine screenings all arriving over a three hour period, and then all leaving at THE EXACT SAME MOMENT. The escalator landing got so crowded people were running back up the down escalator. We decided not to risk it and instead waited ten minutes for an elevator. I felt a little bad for that interview guy, cause I could have done his interview, but I also would rather not appear in anything that involves people gawking at people who dress up in costumes, and you never know someone’s angle.

Anyway, we got outside, and more people wanted pictures, while we hailed a cab, and then took a cab just a few blocks across town to Kate’s car, as she was kind and lovely enough to drive us home, which also gave us time to discuss the movie.

Then I went ZZZZZZ and today was another day with less makeup!!!!

Mirrored from Antagonia.net.

Comments

[spiralstairs.livejournal.com]

Always happy to get you guys home safe! :D Thank you for the lovely outing! It was great seeing you guys. :)

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It was lovely to see you and I like our record for doing opening nights together! Although I need to start reminding you to go to matinees the day after the movie opens so you don't have to listen to midnight crowds!!!

[yachiru]

I remember dressing up as the Karate Kid for the third movie. >_> I was so excited! This reminds me of that. Love. You look fantastic. Gonna go see it on Sunday!

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Oh boy! I didn't know people dressed up for Karate Kid. That is awesome. You must have been the most awesome kid at the movie.

[evil-laugher.livejournal.com]

Aww that is so cute. That pink hair just makes people happy.

Effie's appearance really freaked out this younger girl who sat next to me in the theater. Every time that pink eye shadow showed up on screen, she made a little "ewugh". I agree with that sentiment.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought Elizabeth Banks was great, but I really didn't like what they did with her makeup, which is why I decided to keep to the way I'd pictured Effie in the books, with much pinker hair and while I still did dramatic makeup, I stuck to much paler shades of pink and more glitter. Because I see her more as being all about the pink than being garishly over the top.

[cetacea.livejournal.com]

Great costume! And I loved the bits with Seneca Crane as well. And everything with the Gamemakers, really, I thought it was great to get to see all of that. One benefit of a movie not being first person.

[justatailor.livejournal.com]

Man, Jess (my Jess) and I must be the only folks that didn't like it. I found a lot of things about the flick amateurish.

I did like however the (intentionally funny) "THAT'S MAHOGANY" and the (unintentionally funny) bit where Peeta's made up to look like a rock.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I definitely have more criticisms than just the one thing, especially technically, but I have learned to completely turn off the film student part of my brain or I don't enjoy anything :-P It was by no means an incredible film. Still, overall, I found it enjoyable.

[justatailor.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure the judgmental part of my brain actually turns off.

I did enjoy not having to pay to see it though, so that's a plus!

[lorryl.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit curious as to which major character moment you are referring to, but I can appreciate you not wanting to spoil for those who haven't seen in.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I don't mind doing it in the comments: at the end, when they make the rules change announcement, Katniss raises her bow and aims at Peeta without thinking about it. It is a huge moment for her as a character because it underlines her own instinct for survival and is the moment when she really realizes how sincere Peeta is. Up to that point, she idnt sure if his sincerity and naievety is an act. In the movie, it doesnt happen.

[talon.livejournal.com]

Oh, booooo.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Haha, sorry!

For me, it's one of the most gravitas-inducing moments in the book, so I was a bit disappointed not to have it in the movie.

[talon.livejournal.com]

No, no, nothing you have to be sorry for, I completely agree with you, having read it just now. And I don't mind being spoiled.

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

OMG YOU GUYS LOOK AWESOME!! *FLAILS AND SQUEES*

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was super fun.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

1) LOVE YOUR EFFIE, OMG!!!

2) Want to see the film bits!

3) Totally agree about Seneca Crane which I really really enjoyed!