Exploring the Hunger Games #hungergamesatl #swancapitoltours

I was invited to go on a tour hosted by The Hunger Games Unofficial Fan Club tour company.  It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up given that my daughter and I both thoroughly enjoyed the book series as well as the movies.  This tour focused on Catching Fire and the sites it was filmed in Atlanta.  They are currently filming the 3rd in the series somewhere in Atlanta.

We started at a place I didn't know existed. I went to Tech and had no idea it was there.  A place called The Goat Farm.  It played host to District 12.  There were several areas on site that were used at various points.  The one below should be recognizable to those that have seen the movie.  We played part in several recreations of the movie and had several portions that are no longer there explained and laid out.

From District 12 we boarded our "train" and headed to the Capitol and President Snow's mansion.  This was somewhere I'd been before, though I'd never been inside.  The Swan House at the Atlanta History Center played host to the crew for this part of the movie.

The balcony where President Snow greets guests.

This was the side garden that Katniss & Peeta go to after walking through the house.  It was transformed by putting tables over/around the boxwoods and adding water features.

The group had a young lady who acted as Katniss for us so that we could get a feel for what was going on where.  I had her stop on the wonderful staircase inside the house for a photo.

The Presidents' desk (and me behind it)

After touring the mansion, we reboarded our "train" and headed south.  We were able to tour where the cornucopia was placed and filmed.  Some portions of this were actually done in Hawaii, some here.  Our Katniss posed on top of one of the tribute podiums from the film.  These podiums are heading to a museum in Clayton county where they will be on public display.

We were given the opportunity to take an archery class and shoot marshmallow tipped arrows.   I'd have loved to have done this one for longer, but time was of the essence "TICK TOCK TICK TOCK!"

All together a great way to spend the day. You can take one of their day tours on your own, or if you don't have the time or money, head to the Atlanta History Center. They offer Capitol tours on Saturday from 1-4:30. It is an added fee on top of admission, but a GREAT way to see the house and where the movie was filmed. Unofficial Fan Tours is also starting up weekend adventures. You will check in on Friday and finish on Sunday. Once in, you're a Tribute. You'll compete in your own Games Sunday before you leave. It sounds like an absolute BLAST. Those start this spring. You can also find the group on facebook.

If you're keen on authentic keepsakes, check out this shop on Etsy.  This wasn't part of the tour, but was a cool bit of information that I found out while there.

Review: The Muppets

My daughter and I went to the theater yesterday to check out the new Muppet movie. It was very cute. A little on the extreme hokey side, but nothing unusual for the muppets. It was very touching to watch Kermit and Piggy. My daughter had to say "oh no" at one point when the lights went out in the movie.

I loved the cameos by Alan Arkin, Mickey Rooney and Neil Patrick Harris. My favorite would have to be Alan Arkin, though. My daughter's reaction was "who's that?" Ah well, guess I show my age.

Any way, she and I enjoyed it. We saw previews for a couple of movies we agree we're going to have to go out and see. The Borrowers being one, Brave is a potential as well.

Movie Review: Clash of the Titans

I loved the original Clash of the Titans that came out in 1981. It was a great bad movie and I loved the quirks in the characters. I really liked Bebo, the golden owl. When I heard about the remake, I wanted to see it in the theater, but didn't get the chance. Then I heard say that they'd taken the owl out of the movie. What a disappointment. Anyway, I waited until it came to Redbox and watched it over this past weekend. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Bebo was there, he made a cameo appearance in a very cute way. This movie, though, was not as 'happy' or 'quirky' as the original. It focused more on the darker side of Perseus' personality, though I loved the hunter pair (Ozal/Kucuk). The effects were better done (surprise there) than the original and more 'seamless' in the movie. I have to admit that I'm glad I missed paying $7+ at the theater for it and waited to pay my $1 through redbox. I enjoyed my cheap entertainment.

Mama Mia!

I went out last night with "the girls", two of my friends since high school. I hadn't seen the new house, so that was where we met. We had fun aggravating a non-present husband by rearranging the basement furniture (something he had mentioned doing). Next time if things go as we expect, the visit will be here (and yes, there will be furniture rearranging).

Anyway, we watched Mama Mia as we all like Pierce Brosnan. Unfortunately, he sang. Now, we knew he'd talked about singing in the movie and we knew it was a musical, so it wasn't unexpected. But as cute as Brosnan is, he can't sing. I will say, though, that despite that we enjoyed the movie. It's not one I'll purchase for myself, though.

Review: Bedtime Stories

I took my kids this past Sunday morning to the early show. They had arguments about whether to go see Tales of Desperaux or Bedtime Stories. They finally semi-agreed on Bedtime Stories. It's a cute movie. It wasn't quite what I expected, but then I don't know exactly what I did expect.

The movie was two tales in one that were intertwined. One story is about the niece and nephew, their mom (a school principal) and a fellow teacher. Their father has left and their school is being torn down. The other is the uncle (Skeeter) who works as a maintenance man at a hotel. Skeeter's father originally owned a motel that was purchased and redeveloped into a hotel. The children's mom must leave them with Skeeter for a week to go on interviews. Skeeter, on the other hand, is trying to figure out how to move up in his world. Skeeter has no experience with kids, but remembers his dad telling him bedtime stories as a boy. So when it's time for bed, he creates new stories for his niece and nephew. The twist is that the portions that the children put in "come true". Though, the actual implementation of those portions can be unexpected (and humorous).

My daughter wasn't sure she wanted to see the ending, but decided she really liked it when it was over. My son told me it was "a great movie". Now he wants to see "Race to Witch Mountain" which Disney is putting out later this year. I think first I'll have to get hold of the original movies and have him watch those.

Scrapblog Challenge

I took the first of the scrapblog challenges, to choose your favorite movie. I have several, so it took a little to make a decision. I picked one I didn't think too many others would choose. I still enjoy it, even if it was never released in the US. Probably a controversial choice, but I don't see that it's as socially biased as some. After all, if you can watch Gone With the Wind, you should be able to watch this..