The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part One

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) survived the arena — twice — and inspired all of Panem with her bravery, daring and devotion. Now, having played a part in a plan she knew nothing of, she finds that her actions have affected more than she could have imagined. After firing the arrow at the arena’s force field and enabling the escape from the Quarter Quell and from the Capitol, Katniss’ world has fallen apart. District 12 is gone. She survived the arena and made it out — but she is one of only a few who did. She has been played and used by those she trusts and the game is just beginning. Panem has been on the verge of rebellion since she used a handful of berries to defy the Capitol and her latest spark-filled defiance has brought the simmer to a boil. Playing nice for President Snow is no longer an option and the girl on fire has to decide where she will stand when shots are fired. As Katniss struggles to find and accept her role in the war sweeping through the districts, she also has to deal with the fallout of her Quarter Quell decisions. No longer the Capitol’s darling or district 12’s huntress, she must to choose to either sit on the sidelines or embrace the Mockingjay, as well as everything that comes with it. Those who have read the books know that much of this last installment is dialogue-based and serves primarily to set the stage for the finale. Because “Mockingjay” was split into two movies, this first part is left with much of the set-up. Yet, surprisingly, this does not leave viewers with a slow, actionless movie that exists only to prepare for the final piece. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part One” is a highly emotional movie. Viewers ride Katniss’ emotional rollercoaster as she grapples with the current developments, as well as the lingering trauma from her experiences in the Hunger Games. No character is spared pain, excluding, perhaps, President Snow, and “Mockingjay, Part One” is not a movie that resolves this pain. Battles, negotiations and covert missions turn some of these emotions into anger and fearful anticipation, feelings never far when viewing Snow’s mistreatment of the districts and former Victors. Haymitch’s dry wit and humorous interactions with everyone he meets, coupled with Katniss’ bluntness, relieve the intensity and remind viewers that these two have faced the impossible before and are stubborn enough to do it again. The cast only adds to the experience, seamlessly drawing viewers into the story. The performances by Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth (Gale) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) are especially powerful, invoking strong responses to their trauma and pain. James Newton Howard’s soundtrack provides a riveting backdrop to the movie, but the musical highlight is Lawrence’s haunting vocalization of “The Hanging Tree,” a beautiful song that can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14H8OzTzne4. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part One” is not a happy movie, but it is a thrilling experience. Despite the amount of set-up, the movie moves quickly and seems much shorter than its two-hour length. As for the ending, well, let’s just say that for those who haven’t read the books, it will be a very long year.

Hans Zimmer

Have you ever watched a movie without music or imagined what an epic fight scene or romantic moment would be like without an appropriate soundtrack? Awkward, that’s what. If you don’t believe me, just watch “Star Wars Minus Williams - Throne Room.” You’ll see what I’m talking about. One of the masterminds behind movie music is German-born composer Hans Zimmer. Even if you don’t recognize the name, you almost certainly know his music. He’s known for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “Gladiator,” “Inception,” Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, “Pearl Harbor,” new movie “Interstellar” and many more. He has written the scores for children’s classics, such as “The Lion King,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Madagascar.” Zimmer’s first work in the music world was not a score, but a pop band, The Buggles, in the 1970s. The group was best known for its song “Video Killed the Radio Star,” the first music video to air on MTV. He later began working on film scores in London, where he began mixing traditional orchestra music with electronic music, the first to do so. Zimmer has received 108 awards and 158 nominations for his work and has created over 100 scores. A common theme through Zimmer’s work is his ability to infuse emotion into the musical background of the films he works on. Whether through the beautifully melancholic “Tennessee” from “Pearl Harbor” or the relieved triumph in “Now We Are Free” from “Gladiator,” Zimmer makes you feel. So, open Spotify, search Zimmer’s name and get lost in the music.

The Tomorrow People: Pilot

Nothing says normal like sleep-teleporting into your neighbor's bed in the middle of the night. For Stephen Jameson (Robbie Amell), this is just one of the strange occurrences he has been experiencing on a steadily increasing basis. Told the voices he hears in his head are part of his psychosis, Stephen downs his pills and hopes for relief. Until, one fateful night, he obeys the voice in his head and meets a group of homo superior — the next step in the evolution of humanity. A group of people just like him.
Unwilling to embrace his father's impossible inheritance, Stephen is fighting on all fronts — himself, his mom, the school bully and Jedikiah Price (Mark Pellegrino) and the rest of Ultra, a group dedicated to eradicating the Tomorrow People. As his powers grow, Stephen has to decide — does he keep fighting who he is or does he embrace it? And if he chooses to accept his powers, what, and with whom, will he do with them?
A friend, who is responsible for introducing me to "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock," recommended the show to me and described it as "'X-Men' without the individual powers." And, if "X-Men" mutants didn't have Professor X, I'd have to agree. The characters are people, trying to make the most of their unique abilities and remain alive in a hostile world.
Amell, cousin to "Arrow's" Stephen Amell, is talented and embodies the confused and troubled teen well and this opening episode hints at a story line and characters that will be a pleasure to follow. Plus, Stephen did his own Darth Vader impression with his new-found powers. This is definitely a kid I can get behind.

Supernatural: A Very Supernatural Christmas

Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester are monster-hunting brothers. After their mother was killed when Sam was six months old and Dean was four years old, they and their father, John, have been living on the road and killing evil as they go. Set in season three, “A Very Supernatural Christmas” follows the boys as they investigate a case involving evergreen stakes, peanut brittle and...evil Santa? It’s Christmas Eve and little Stevie can’t wait until Santa comes to bring him presents. Though he doesn’t know it, his grandfather has decided to make it a Christmas to remember and dressed up as the big man himself to treat his grandson. After jingling a bell to alert Stevie to “Santa’s” arrival, Grandpa carefully places gifts under the tree. Thumps on the roof and soot falling from the chimney excite Stevie and confuse Grandpa. As he investigates, Grandpa is grabbed and dragged, kicking and screaming, up the chimney, leaving only a bloody boot behind. A year later, a similar disappearance brings Sam and Dean to Ypsilanti, Michigan. They begin to investigate the possibilities, searching through lore on everything from evil chimney sweeps to, as Dean puts it, “Santa’s shady brother.” As the brothers learn of two more disappearances, the ‘evil Santa’ theory seems less likely and they begin to suspect something, or someone, more powerful is involved. “A Very Supernatural Christmas” is marvelous in its exploration of Christmas mythology, but the highlight is the glimpse it gives of Sam and Dean as children. Several flashbacks to a 12-year-old Dean (Ridge Canipe) and eight-year-old Sam (Colin Ford) reveal just how much the boys mean to each other and what a childhood in the Winchester family was like. Whether by ruining Christmas wreaths forever or by creating a deeper appreciation for the warm and safe holiday celebrations most enjoy, “A Very Supernatural Christmas” will leave viewers seeing Christmas, and the Winchesters, in a new light.

Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion

Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) was just an ordinary girl until a mysterious man took her by the hand and told her to run. Nine months later, they’re still running. Rose and the ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) have seen planets and galaxies, traveled back to World War II and even witnessed the end of the world. Now, Rose faces the challenge of life with a new Doctor, the 10th regeneration of the man she had come to know through their many adventures. As she struggles with the change, a Christmas invasion might be just the thing to show that the man behind the unfamiliar face is the same Doctor she has come to trust. After regenerating, the Doctor and Rose return to London, where they meet up with Rose’s mom, Jackie (Camille Coduri), and boyfriend, Mickey (Noel Clarke). Upon arrival, the Doctor bids Jackie and Mickey hello … and promptly collapses into a coma-like sleep. The three try to understand the man in the blue box — and wake him from his coma — as they battle with the Robot Santas and killer Christmas trees that have overtaken London. Yep, just your average British Christmas celebration. The Doctor is full of energy leftover from his regeneration, and the excess bursts serve as a tracking signal for the aliens invading earth. The Tylers and Mickey work to wake the comatose Doctor, knowing he is the only one who can save the world from the invaders, called the Sycorax, while assisting the British government in the fight. As they all fight to save humanity from the tyrannical aliens, they can only hope that their resident Time Lord won’t be too late. The first episode of the second season, “The Christmas Invasion” is David Tennant’s debut in a role he dreamed of playing since he was a child. And, even though he sleeps through most of it, he gives viewers a thrilling glimpse of the 10th Doctor, who would later be voted the fan-favorite version of the famous Time Lord. Viewers meet and discover the new Doctor with the Tylers and Mickey, learning about and accepting him alongside them. With gems such as the Doctor deciding on his iconic outfit or quoting “The Lion King” to a group of bloodthirsty aliens, “The Christmas Invasion” is an episode to remember. And, though it is just the beginning of the Tennant years, it is an exciting beginning, indeed.