FILM: The Hunger Games

Based on Suzanne Collins’ well renowned book trilogy is the first instalment, The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) never imagined herself volunteering for the most horrendous annual event of the year. But when she’s done everything up to this point to keep her family alive, volunteering as Tribute is the only way she can secure the safety of her sister, Prim (Willow Shields). After this point there’s no turning back. It’s Darwin’s survival of the fittest. 24 Tributes. 1 winner.

Welcome to The Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour.

The Story

Since it’s based on a book the story is pretty much set, but I have to say I’m slightly double minded on how well some things were executed in the film. I will say that the film is closely accurate in terms of the progression of the storyline and how the characters tie together. But because it’s part of a trilogy there were some scenes added in order for those who haven’t read the series to understand the whole idea of the concept of The Hunger Games.

Since the series are written in first person, audiences could not fully grasp the extent of what’s going on in Katniss’ head. I was happy to see that the story was portrayed in a way that put the audience in the perspective of the viewers of the Games rather than seeing it from Katniss’ perspective the whole way through. Since the book alienates you from Katniss, but also puts you in her shoes in a way where you make decisions along side her, I thought the third person perspective tied in well with portraying the detachment that readers feel with Katniss. Seeing the story unfold before me, even though I had read the book, I was able to see a somewhat “full” picture of the importance of the Games, but still retain the remorse for its need that the books convey.

I was a little disappointed with how the progression of the film lacked the ability for characters to really connect. There were times where I wanted them to extend certain scenes be tween Rue and Katniss as well as with Peeta. These are the relationships that matter in this film and for the following films – especially for Peeta and Katniss.

The Cast

Jennifer Lawrence: I loved Lawrence in X-men First Class and I still love her in The Hunger Games. She has this beautiful way of conveying things without speaking which is perfect for Katniss. Since the books are written from her perspective, it was important for Lawrence to portray that battle the runs through Katniss’ mind. I think much of the story was driven by her non-verbal expressions, which made up for the films lack of in depth portrayal of how important certain character are or aren’t to Katniss.

Josh Hutcherson: I’m disappointed to say that I have not seen anything with Hutcherson in it except for The Hunger Games, but I still think he was a perfect choice for the role. He’s got that “youthy” look and when he smiles it’s eye catching which is perfect for Peeta. We don’t really see much of him though which is accurate enough in conjunction to the book, but I think there when it came to the cave scene, I thought they should have extended it to really capture how much Katniss meant to Peeta, nevertheless, Hutcherson’s portrayal of his eagerness to declare his love in that scene was convincing enough.

Woody Harrelson: Cheers start Harrelson was an excellent Haymitch, pity he wasn’t given more aggressive lines to play with. Although Harrelson was brilliant, I think the character lacked the stern-haunted-alcoholic mentor that readers are familiar with. Instead, he was replaced with a somewhat entertaining comic-relief character, which is not what Haymitch is about. It might just be me, but I really hated the fact that I liked Haymitch way too much and so did Katniss. Towards the end that “liking” is necessary, but I just felt that there was too much given to this relationship that let other relationships slide. But then again, it could be due to the trilogy – I don’t know I haven’t read that far yet!!!

Liam Hemsworth: I didn’t even recognise Aussie representative, Liam Hemsworth, with the brunet makeover! Although he’s not in this film as much as most people had hoped, I’m happy to say that he did us proud! American accent was flawless and you really felt the connection between Katniss and Gale. I think that this is important as when next instalment comes to the screens.

Costumes and Graphics

You can’t NOT talk about the costumes when the first strange thing you see in the trailer is a woman with oddly applied magenta lipstick! The people of Capitol were all Lady Gaga-upped! There were so many bright colours and weird outfits that I was absolutely sure they raided Gaga’s wardrobe for this film. In contrast, the districts we all clothed in 50s or 60s working-class fashion, which I loved because it gave them this normal and identifiable relation to the audience. It was as though they had been stuck in a time warp because of their poverty.

I will say though that the whole idea of Katniss being “The Girl on Fire” was not so catchy with the parade entrance. I will be honest and say that I was disappointed by the fire entrance – it wasn’t as “wow” as the book had portrayed it to be – goes to show imagination is still better than graphic generation. But in saying that, the other dress wasn’t a let down. I have to keep reminding myself that filmmakers do have limitations.

The graphics for the hovercrafts, Capitol and the game-making centre were fantastic. I will say that those mutant dogs trump Twilight’s werewolves any day! But I will also say, I was disappointed by the lack of important characteristics for the dogs. I won’t ruin it for people who haven’t read the book, but if you have and have seen the movie, you know what I mean.

Overall

I thought the movie was really good; I may have to go see it again to see how accurate I am in my star rating. It just because the book’s so fresh in my mind that I can pin point scenes that have been shortened or completely removed and scenes that are obviously added for dramatic affect or incorporation for the next movie. If I do see it again, then I’ll have to close my mind to what I know and re-watch it from a perspective of someone who’s never read the book and never seen the film. Otherwise I recommend it to everyone. No age or gender segregation. I suggest reading the book first though, that way you get the background story to the history of the Games.

sL Star Rating: 4 Stars

Next: TBA – still on Hiatus. Sorry!

INTERVIEW: Defining "SLAMCORE" with The Relay Company's Adam Mariucci

Who says that you need to be face to face to do an interview? Although I didn't literally sit down with The Relay Company's lead singer, Adam Mariucci, he was kind enough to write down his answers to a few things you guys wanted to know.

So without further ado, here's my "QnA with The Relay"…

First of all, let's get to know The Relay Company. How did you guys form as a group and what are your roles in the band? Also, how long have you guys been a band?

Stephen and myself have always been in bands together since we were really young. I actually needed a bass player in my high school pop punk band when I was a freshman, so I convinced by little brother who was in 7th grade at the time to learn how to play bass. That same year we ended up headlining over The Matches and Reel Big Fish at a show where we brought like 250 of our friends. It was the show that gave us that 'bug' to pursue music. Since then, we have gone through many members (and band names) over the years, but "The Relay Company" came together 3 years back, with the recent addition of our awesome drummer, Jake Pooser (aka “Skinny Jake”). When our good friend Jonathan Fernandez was still in the band, he found Jake online via YouTube with his amazing drum covers. We flew Jake out from Louisiana to be in our music video, "Marco Polo", and from then on he has been a staple member of The Relay Company. We all write together and compose our tracks with different producers and friends, but generally Stephen and I are the songwriters of the band. Our live shows consists of me on vocals, Stephen on guitar/electronics and Skinny Jake on drums.

Your sound is a hybrid of different genres, and you've recently mentioned in an earlier review that it's hard to describe it, but if you were to create your own genre for your particular sound, what would you call it?

It's absolutely a hybrid of different genres, which to us is how we like it to be. We never want to fit into 'x' genre or 'y' genre. I mean, if you really had to go with one word to describe us, you would probably say "pop"...but nowadays, pop music can literally be any type of music, so that doesn't truly mean anything or describe much either. Hmmm, if I could make up a genre for us I'd call us "slamcore" - a hybrid of rock and heavy electro pop that slams.

Not bad right? It could catch on...

*sL: “Slamcore” – I like it!

Since your sound is so diverse, I'm curious to know who or what inspired your sound?

We grew up listening to a lot of indie rock and pop rock bands – Relient K, Anberlin, etc. – but we also always loved pop radio and electronically arranged music – Enya, Ace of Base, ect. Our roots in music come from playing guitar and drums and other organic instruments, so our older stuff generally was more organic. But as electronic synthesizers and the ability to produce music on computers became more widely available to independent musicians like ourselves, we began to expand our craft to other sounds, tones and techniques when arranging the songs that we write. We also love up beat and high energy music all around, so it comes naturally to create our 'slamcore' sound now. (Hahaha! – Already using it...)

You've just released you current album i5 - that's an interesting title, who came up with it?

We all did. We like short and simple album titles so they are easy to remember and aren't overly dramatic and lame. We thought, "Hmm we named our last record 'X', let's name the next one by just a number...3 – for the three of us? 5? How about i5 since we drove up and down the Interstate 5 so many times for this record?" And that's how we named it "i5". Dumb and simple!

*sL: "Less is more" philosophy - I wouldn’t call it ‘dumb’ at all! It’s quirky and it works.

The album itself is a great mix of upbeat "get up and dance" tracks along with slower tracks that people can play while they're "just chillin'", so, my question is, when you write your music, how do you retain that techno vibe so it doesn't over power the other elements in the more upbeat tracks or disturb the mood in the slower ones?

It all comes down to the energy in the music and matching the correct vibe/feeling to the song itself. Believe it or not we have multiple versions of a lot of these songs on i5 that we ended up scratching half way through because they weren't doing the song justice. Our songs are vocally charged as well, so you have to be particular in selecting the right synths/bass tones and drums/percussion samples. And of course, a lot of these responsibilities are on the producer of that specific track, but it takes a lot of time and work arranging these songs before we put them out to people.

Is there one particular song in the album that you all agree on as the "Token Favourite" or the "Golden Song"?

There is no single group favorite. But then again, we don't listen to our own songs for enjoyment...and they are much older to us then they are to those just now hearing them. Keep in mind, we had to hear these songs hundreds of times in the studio when we were working on them so it's hard to think about a favorite at this point! But if I had to pick a couple, I'd go with Animals, When Love Is Far Away and Diva. I know Stephen's favorites are Silhouettes and WLIFA, and Jake's are Animals and WLIFA.

*sL: Clearly "When Love Is Far Away" is a unanimous favourite. ;)

When you were writing and recording for this album, was there a particular song that you guys weren't sure should be in the album but later realised needed to be there?

Yes. "When Love Is Far Away" was put on the back burner for almost 3 months, but later decided it was a 'sleeper' and that we needed to pursue finishing it full flex. One of our producers, Nico Hartikainen (aka “SmileFuture”), did an amazing job finishing the arrangement of this track and also brought out the best in my vocals as well. Once we finished the track it instantly became one of the top tracks on the record and we were all very happy how it came out.

You guys have a solid fan base all across the world, does it suprise you about how much support you guys are getting?

It does surprise us and we can't tell you how flattered and humbled we are. Our social networks have really grown a lot in the past few months since our release as well. Also sites like PureVolume have brought us a lot of attention - we were the #1 Song Stream and #1 Download on PureVolume for almost a week over artists like Skrillex, Twin Atlantic and Australia's own, Tonight Alive.

What's your fan base like here in Australia - will there be a likely chance that The Relay Company will be to Australia in the future?

I know we have some fans there, but I think that is because our family over there promote us! Yes, we are part Australian...bet you didn't expect that!

*sL: My jaw just literally dropped!

You have a tour coming up for the new album, which stage are you looking forward to the most to play on?

Hmmm…we look forward to playing any stage: big or small. No matter what the situation we have a blast because we love performing together. Right now we are planning our Spring and Summer touring plans!

What song do you think will be your favourite to play no matter which stage you guys are on?

I think "Animals" will be a blast to play live just because it will be a high energy song that we can really get the crowd into. Although most of our songs are high energy, so usually our entire set is pretty engaging with the crowd throughout. Outrageous fun.

Finally, what would you like to say to your Australian fans?

We hope that we can make a trip out to Australia to play a tour someday soon. We know the Aussies would party hard with The Relay! Hope to see you mates soon...cheers!

"Mirage" from "i5"

Next on sL: TBA

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LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: A Sleepless Melody - The Last Teenagers Tour

As much as I had a blast last weekend at my first ever mid-day gig, I will say that I was a little annoyed that the list of supporting acts seemed to grow day-by-day. I honestly thought there were only going to be 4! Then I heard there were 6, but then when I got there, guest fan reviewer, Jacqui and I counted and there were EIGHT!

If it was a music fest I wouldn’t have minded so much, but it was advertised as a headline show for A Sleepless Melody – not that I was completely turned off, just a little unprepared! So much so, at a point the three of us ended up outside just chatting and catching up. We didn’t want to be rude to the bands that traveled from everywhere to put on a good show, but it was just too hot inside – note to self, next time you trek to Livo PCYC BYO (air) fan! – and the energy levels weren’t as high as I imagined it would be.

Enough complaints and making up for those complaints – time to have fun and point out the positives. Although I was surprised by the amount of supporting bands, at least I was thrown into underground music scene around the country. I was able to see bands that I would never actually choose to see. And to my surprise, there were a few “diamonds in the rough”. I did also manage to see how picky I really was about what I listened to and solidify my reasons for being so picky. So let’s get into this review!!!

***

Cupid Against Venus

Excellent start to a rather intimate turnout for the show. These guys set a mood that got Miss Jo and I dancing. Their original songs brought great vibes to the room and their cover brought everyone to their feet! You can never go wrong with 80s Classic, “Hound Dog” by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll! Jacqui, Jo and I were doing the twist and singing along regardless of the heat.

Chasing Amy

Theses guys I had heard of before and was glad to hear live! More people were singing along this time around and it really felt like the show was about to deliver regardless of the turnout and the weather. Keeping the energy levels up, these guys played a great set!

Your Weight in Gold and Sunsets

I’m putting these guys together because they didn’t really do anything for me but scare the living daylights out of me! I mean the three of us weren’t down the front like usual, but for the next hour we were happy to stand at the back and watch people make pyramids and throw their fists in the air and…dance (if that’s what you call it…) to the Screamo music.

Don’t hate us – we’re just not big on music from that genre. Sorry guys, but you can’t please everyone – and from all the…dancers and pyramids that were made that day, you don’t need to! You’ve got supporters anyway!

Madison

Jacqui is a big fan of this band (and so are ASM!) so we WERE down the front for this set. I even got to be introduced to lead singer, David, because Jacqui was so eager for Jo and I to listen to them. They were INCREDIBLE, I added them to my iTunes list as soon as I got home! All three of us were really happy to dance along with their songs. I will say I loved the harmonica – no one plays interesting instruments like that anymore – so kudos guys!

***

I will have to apologise to Highways, Wake the Giants and Sunnyside Up fans. I wasn’t actually there to see these guys play because the heat was too much inside the building and I was getting tired of standing. (I actually left before Sunnyside Up could hit the stage because I had to be a responsible good sister and have my siblings home early.)

***

A Sleepless Melody

I got talk to these guys before they hit the stage, and they’re absolutely some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met! Jacqui pretty much introduced them to Jo and I while we they were waiting for their turn to hit the stage. I said in my review for their EP that the quality of their music was surprisingly excellent! And these guys LIVE are even better. The energy was absolutely amazing by the time they were on stage.

Everyone was singing along and everyone had smiles on their faces. The guys were having a blast performing and I was just so glad to share it with good friends. Going through 7 bands for these guys was worth it – 30 minutes of my life that I would love to re-live any day!

***

Fan-reviewer Corner

with

Jacqui and Jo

What did you guys think of the venue?

Jo: I loved it - it was so chill. I loved how you could just move around, like you could jump around up the front when your favourite bands were on, then chill at the back or even just hang around outside when they were setting up or you if weren't particularly interested in the band that was playing.

Jacqui: Liverpool PCYC was a good little venue for the gig, unfortunately difficult to get to and a bit far from Sydney itself. The set-up (sound, etc.) was decent; though considering the daytime concert, there wasn’t much to work with in terms of lighting. There also wasn’t any space for each band’s gear, and the pile that was created side of stage seemed awkward for them. The space itself was roomy, but stuffy considering the heat. The stage seemed spacious enough for each band, though movement of gear seemed tricky, the bands all dealt really well with what they had.

What about the supporting bands?

Jo: I really liked most of them, namely Madison, Cupid Against Venus, Sunny Side Up and Chasing Amy. There were a couple others that I liked, and a few (hardcore screamo ones) that I wasn't into at all, but hey, just my opinion!

Jacqui: There was an interesting and eclectic mix of bands present to support A Sleepless Melody; some (in my opinion) were perfectly suited to the task, with a similar style or genre of music, others… not so much. The harder style pop-punk bands really didn’t take my fancy and their fans were a bit... intimidating. The remaining bands were brilliant, definitely the kind of music I enjoy and I think make great supports for the ASM boys. The Sunnyside Up boys had supported them throughout the tour, and it was great to see their “partnership” continue.

Moment of truth, how were ASM?

Jo: They were great! This was the first time I'd seen them, and I'd only very briefly listened to their music before, but while they were playing I felt like I'd been a fan for years! They were really lively and engaged the audience perfectly, they seemed like they were having as much fun as the fans, which I really like in a performance.

Jacqui: The band did brilliantly, the set list was varied and it was great to hear the whole new EP (The Last Teenagers) with some tracks off their self-titled EP too. From the somewhat emotional “Beautiful Life” to the upbeat feel of “Heads Down, Thumbs Up”, which caused a mini dance party for some, the guys played with energy and emotion.

Overall thoughts about the show?

Jo: It was brilliant, definitely on my top ten list of awesome days! Great music, great people, great environment, great experience! Would totally do it over again!

Jacqui: Due to the large number of support acts (eight!), the day became long and a bit tedious. The heat of the day didn’t help with that feeling, but it was certainly worth the wait when the guys hit the stage and played with all they had. The concert was certainly worth the 15 dollars a ticket and even the difficulties of getting to the venue. An amazing set-up by Loud Touring and A Sleepless Melody, a brilliant day was had by others and myself.

sL Star Rating: 3 Stars

Next on sL: NEW EMPIRE COMPETITION ANNOUNCED!

FILM: The Vow

Imagine five years of your life erased form your life and the only thing you can remember is the life that you had left behind. In “a moment of impact,” that’s what Page (Rachel McAdams) has experienced. She wakes up in a hospital ward, with a ring on her finger and a man named Leo (Channing Tatum) claiming to be her husband. It’s almost as though, Reality has dealt her a card to either restart her life or continue the life she’s forgotten.

Storyline

Based on a true story, The Vow takes on the concepts of memory, memory loss and the uncertainties that come with having to remember. Opening with a glance of the life the happy couple lived and the car accident that changed it all, audiences are led through a journey with Page in an attempt to discover who she was and fill-in the gaps that have left so much confusion.

It’s a basic love story, 50 First Dates with a more ‘dramatic-take’ if you will. There’s nothing too drastic in terms of a miraculous discovery for her condition or a sudden epiphany that sparks her memory; it’s just a simple take in portraying a situation and dealing with it in a realistic way. The movie simply asks, “If you forgot all the reasons why you changed, would you go back to who you were?” and, “If you remembered, would it ruin the life you changed for or make the life you had better?”

Without spoiling the movie too much, I just want to say that there shouldn’t be too much hype brought up for this film. It’s literally a film about self-discovery and how that one person who would loves you (no matter what) would do what’s best for you; how that one person who would give you up even if they didn’t want to; and how that one person would hope that you would one day remember, but would understand if you never did.

The Cast

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum work well together. You believed Tatum as the husband who would do all he could to get his wife back. McAdams plays her role beautifully as she balances between her roles of a doting and loving wife with a woman who became estranged from a man she once loved. Their dynamic was brilliant and I commend them both for their delivery.

I will say though that this is one of Tatum’s best roles in terms of being the lead. It was a role that was different to being the typical ‘eye-candy’ for the lead female. This role required a different dynamic where his emotions had to be rooted in a deeper love than the superficial puppy love that most chick-flicks are formulated on. I commend him for his achievement.

Overall

There’s not really that much to work with for this film. Like I said, it’s just a simple story. It’s one that girls will see with their mums and couples will enjoy. Not to sure if the boys / men will enjoy it, but it’s one they’ll endure if they have to. I’d recommend it for everyone just because it’s a simple story, but one with a powerful concept

sL Star Rating: 3 Stars

NEXT on sL: A SLEEPLESS MELODY – The Last Teenagers Tour, Sydney Show

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STRICTLYLEISURE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STRICTLYLEISURE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YYYYYOOOOUUU!!!

YES! strictlyLeisure has been live for TWO YEARS!!! Like I said, I would have never imagined that this could happen. And since I haven't been to the cinemas lately, I thought, "Just be cause I can't, why can't my readers?!"

So to celebrate, I'm sending ONE loyal reader to EVENT CINEMAS for the best experience ever - the VMAX EXPERIENCE! Yes, ONE faithful reader will be making their way to their nearest Event Cinemas and getting the FULL movie experience just to celebrate strictlyLeisure turning Two!

How can you win this AMAZING Prize? Go to: http://strictlyleisure.tumblr.com/comps for the details.

***

Thank you all so much for making these past two years to amazing! Especially in the Music scene in the past year. You guys have just been so incredible and I am forever grateful to each one of you for reading, following and interacting with me.

Whether you're a Movie-buff, Galaxy Defender, Empire Family Member, Swifty or Directioner, I want to thank all so much for your support and readership. You guys have just been the greatest readers anyone can have.

Hopefully there'll be many more years to come!!!

Much love and God bless,

sL xxx

NEW SINGLE: One Direction - One Thing

One Thing - One Direction

Firstly, I’m going to blatantly say that when I heard the preview for this song my heart sank. Not because of the lyrics – I mean you’d think that with the title and all – but no, sadly it sank because I thought it was going to be like Save You and Stole My Heart with the whole dance feel to it. I literally thought, “Oh no! I’m going to disappoint some fans because of my personal preference in music.” But! Don’t fear! My review doesn’t end here (rhyme was totally unplanned!).

So when February 10 rolled in and I eagerly downloaded the One Thing bundle from iTunes, I jumped the playlist and went straight to I Should Have Kissed You. To my relief after playing the song a few times I actually liked it! It’s got the flair and catchiness of What Makes You Beautiful, but it’s more like Everything About You where Pop meets Dance.

To be honest, there’s nothing too special about this song besides the fact that it’s a new track and it’s actually one of the first songs they recorded. Storyline wise, it’s almost from the opposite perspective of their song Taken. In Taken it’s all about telling a girl that she can’t mess with his emotions anymore, because he’s found someone that loves him back and doesn’t string him along - so she missed out. But in I Should’ve Kissed You the guy misses out. It’s about missing that moment where they could’ve had something, but the moment passed and now there’s this limbo between the guy and girl. The entire song is just asking the girl if they can go back to that moment and have it all again so he can kiss her.

If you’re like me and absolutely cannot stand House / Dance / Techno music you’ll be happy to hear that this song is more Pop than the genres I just listed. I’m not saying that because I generally like One Direction, but because it’s the truth. I mean none of their songs are really drenched with too much techno-pizzazz but there’s enough to show diversity in their voices. This song is great example of how well Liam, Harry, Zayn, Niall and Louis really blend their voices together. Dance or Techno tracks are usually highly embedded with so much white noise already that adding not one, but five voices could be a deadly mix to the track. Thankfully none of their tracks have been sent to the overload graveyard, but it is one caution I will put out there for future One Direction writers and even for the guys to consider when they write their own songs.

Overall:

It’s a great song that you can dance and sing along to. I’m sure the Directioners are already loving it; but I will say, I still prefer the slower songs by the boys. Songs like this tend to focus on three vocals and I personally would like to hear Niall and Louis a lot more. If they do more song like this, the best example of sharing the airwaves is Everything About You where they each have a section to sing.

sL Star Rating: 2.5 Stars

Next on sL: The Vow