"My ABC's" & 10-Question Survey...'cause why not?

These were goin' around, so...

A-Age: 28 (going on 12)
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B-Biggest Fear: Needles
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C-Current Time: 8:43 p.m.
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D-Drink you last had: Water
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E-Easiest person to talk to: Myself
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F-Favorite Song: Let It Go ^w^
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G-Grossest Memory: Several incidents involving my brother & vomit >____<
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H-Hometown: Clark, NJ
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I-In love with: Hayffie more than anything/one else atm XD
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K-Killed Someone: Many times (mentally at least)
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L-Longest Relationship: Like...a year-ish?
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M-Middle Name(s): Kathleen Theodora
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N-Number of Siblings: 2 (younger bros)
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O-One wish: To live in a parallel universe with all of my favorite character-people...oh wait, I already do. And spend more time there than in this world. ;-p
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Person you last called: My grandma, a week & a 1/2 ago
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Q-Question You're Always Asked: "Is your hair naturally that red/curly?" (Answer: Yes.)
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S-Song You Last Sang: One of Ownage Pranks' songified pranks XD
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T-Time You Woke Up: 6 am thanks to the low-battery fire alarm going off
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U-Underwear Color: Red right now
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V-Vacation Destination: Next? Not sure. But I ultimately want to go all over the rest of the US/Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, & other islands...we'll see where else after all that. ;]
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W-Worst Habit: Scratching off scabs and picking my nails short x-p
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X-X-Rays You've Had: Dental & left foot after motorcycle accident
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Y-Your Favorite Food: Who could pick one thing? *-* Many fruits, pasta, Belgian waffles, cereal, pretzels, hummus, various veggies, macarons & meringues & gummies & ices & looooads of other sweets/candy/pastries...
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Z-Zodiac Sign: Cancer & Fire Rabbit/Cat "Looking at the Moon"; third decanate, Taurus moon, Leo rising, Cancer/Leo cusp; Dragon ascendant, Sheep love sign


1. Nickname: Red, Shell/y, Kat, Sissy, Mike, Michelin, Michelob, Myshylee...etc.
2. Eye color: Green
3. Hair color: Red
4. Random fact: I'm a huge toy collector (G4 My Little Pony, plush/plastic dogs & other animals, Disney/Pixar stuff, Lisa Frank...I have TONS of collections.)
5. Favorite color: Rainbow. (Cheating? Okay, chartreuse...)
6. Favorite place: My mind and My World, which includes all of the greatest places in the entire universe
7. Favorite celebrity: I have rather large lists of actors & musicians...but then, I have long lists of EVERYTHING
8. Favorite animal: Dogs, then fishes (and some marine invertebrates)
9. Favorite song: Since I have thousands on Spotify, I'm basically going with Let It Go as #1 now ;)
10. Favorite book: Are you even serious with the asking me this right now? UMM. Let's just say the whole Baby-Sitters Club, Boxcar Children, Sweet Valley, & Goosebumps series, because all of those together? Fuggeddaboutit. Amazing. Cemented a lifelong love of reading. ;3 

yt~personal vidz 
yt~unlisted 

Blindmowing! 8'''-O (MJ2 Trailer Discussion)

Just the sight of hovercrafts touching down gives me a chill. Watched on normal-speed first, then on 0.25. ;}
This time, the arena's in the Capitol. 8-0

Those SUMBISH lizard mutts--Cheesus Christ on a cracker. Okay, honestly, I was pretty much picturing bipedal, overgrown iguanas. Not these nekkidly nightmarish, horrifying-beyond-belief, slippery-slimy-looking eyeless man-beasts. *-* (Were we all silly to envision green gator-like things? Did we project our assumptions onto the text in spite of it, because what do you want when you're talking about reptilian monsters that live in a sewer? What we see in the trailer may be closer to the actual description of the mutts than what's been living in our heads...!)

OhgodOhgodOhgodOhgodOhgodOhgod, the parachute scene. They look like bubbles gently floating down, descending upon the crowd of children...`,-,`

Coin's fresh, upgraded "Paneman Presidential" look...hah. Did she get a makeover from Effie? xD That must've been fun. (Girl time! Sleepover!)

Tigris looks even cooler than I imagined, with that super-elaborate tattooing and whiskers and everything. From the little bit we can see of her shop and its basement, I don't think the shop is what I picture, but it looks pretty awesome anyway. Just...brighter, with nicer (Asian-inspired?) wallpaper. 8) Spotted a box in the cellar marked "glamour sample," hehe.

Shit. I'm not ready. I'll never be ready. I can't be ready. There is no ready. But I don't give a shit 'cause I neeeeeeeeeeed it now. x,_,x

Also: Ginormous greenhouse in a scene that reminds me of Winterfell, where Coriolanus Snow knows nothing?? >3<

Still no spoilers of any kind (if you've read), so that's good. I really didn't want any of those. Weeellll, unless you're counting the kiss. Folks might have a point that it'd be a better idea to show more of Peeta acting "mutt-like" rather than hugging & kissing Katniss in the trailers, but hey--they're still selling the love story! ;P
And okay, I suppose there MIGHT be a couple other very quick shots of scenes that'd be rather spoilery to show, but they kept it so that even readers can't be sure enough of what they're seeing to know that anything major is being "spoiled"/shown. To the non-reader who's not squinting and looking for particular details to identify a shot, it must simply look like an "awesome" action/war flick. ;p There are teasing bits to make you wonder about what's going on, but only readers know. The trailer contained nothing that I, personally, was surprised to see; it's the manner in which some of the scenes have been visually realized that's so amazing.
It's all still misleading for the film-only fans...right up to the end; I like that.
The wedding remains, predictably, the most lighthearted part by far.

Now, on my precious Hayffie front: I knew with near-certainty that there wouldn't be much new footage of either of them, which is disappointing, yet...the rest of it might just be TOO fantastically phenomenal and spoilerish to reveal ahead of time! It did include the Papa-Haymitch nod/grin/knee-touch, and the emotional Mama-Effie quick mirror shot & smile toward Katniss. Plus, of course, the all-encompassing wedding-dance shot.

No Beetee, I just realized. Figures, the resident geek gets relegated to the background...

What's next, I wonder? There are just under four months to get through now...will there be another trailer? More stills and/or posters? Will August, September, and October each hold some major reveal? I don't know how much more they can give us, but...well, no, I take that back. Running through the plot in my head, there are definitely things that could be shared without it being "too much."

In regard to another discussion:

-YES--I enjoy how MJ deals with the usage of propaganda in wartime, the cost of war, the distrust of revolutionary leaders ("new boss, same as the old"), and so on.

-Peeta's line about killing Snow & how that would give meaning to the other deaths: Some thought it was OOC for Peeta to say that one death would make another "mean something" because he's a pacifist. Well, I mean, obviously he's not a *complete* pacifist (who would refuse to use violence or kill anyone for any reason), but he is among the people closest to being one. I think, for one thing, he's trying to make Katniss feel better about the fact that her attempted "solo assassination mission" failed and resulted in the seemingly meaningless deaths of several people. Because by this point Katniss feels that her personal body count is way up in the thousands. Finnick is already lizard chow. ;___; The only thing that'll make her feel shittier is Prim's explosion. One can't be sure that Peeta's as fully convinced of the rightness of all this as, say, Gale is...he might be beginning to see it differently, especially in light of the fact that he was brainwashed into a weapon to kill his long-time love. Personally, I sympathize with him immensely, but would see the killing of Snow as necessary. Charity, really. xp Katniss was going after him out of pure, blind hatred, seeking revenge. Her method turned out to be a pretty reckless, half-cocked failure.

     His execution should be performed in the name of everyone who's ever been hurt or killed by him and the violent system over which he presides.Not that killing him is all it takes to "end all this" and change things for the better, but by this point it's fairly clear that ousting him is the ever-so-crucial first step. He's ruthless; no one and nothing is safe from his wrath. (And what would really be the point of capturing him to let him live out the rest of his life?)
Prim's death (along with all the other kids') is what makes Katniss see how imperative it is to eliminate Coin before she can continue on with her new-old system of injustice, totalitarianism, and unbridled killing. Katniss stood to lose her precious little sister no matter which "supreme commander" (aka giant refrigerator, aka hearing aid ;) was pulling the strings...and she chooses to kill the one ultimately responsible for her death. Kat and Haymitch don't really want more Hunger Games; they just wanted to put themselves on Coin's good side temporarily.

REACTING TO 'MOCKINGJAY: PART II' TEASER TRAILER!

Wow. I needed a little while to get a hold of myself after seeing that; it blew me away. I'd been trying to be realistic and saying, "Don't get your hopes TOO high. It may just be a propaganda piece, or only focus on one or two simple scenes...and it'll probably only be about a minute, and not show everyone." Needless to say, that was way more than I was really anticipating. Time to scour each individual frame and notate the minutia!!!

Katniss' speech is givin' me chills. "We all have one enemy. He corrupts everything and everyone. He turns the best of us against each other. Tonight, turn your weapons--to the Capitol!"
Snow is so totally Satan. And I couldn't miss Brie--I mean, Lyme! (But danged if she doesn't still look just like Brienne there, lol.)

I guess the Everlark embrace is kind of a spoiler for non-reader fans, but I enjoy it. :'3 The trailer didn't give away anything that readers don't already know is coming.

FINNIIIIIIIIICK. ;_______; PRIIIIIIIIM. ;0; PLUTAAAAAARCH...not because he dies or anything, but just because of Philip. :'[

Now, Effie & Haymitch are my favorites, so I was praying to see them. Nothing spoilery, of course, but the shots we got are thrilling! Firstly: I'm betting--for now, anyways--on that being Eff's natural hair. 8D Light blonde, as I presumed (and as you could veeeery slightly glimpse poking out in Pt. I.; possibly a little yellowy-looking.) And teased up with mad hairspray and gel, apparently, so it looks more wig-like, but still real--actually growing from her head. It's in an almost Bride-of-Frankenstein-esque shape at the wedding, but I like it. What an upstanding hairdo.
(Though it could possibly be another wig, especially if the Capitol did remove her hair like Johanna's...)
Then the fringed, large-collared grey dress in the mirror shot--that's proooobably the scene straight from the book, near the end, prepping for the execution. :X Interesting outfit. Monochromatic, yet still Capitol-style... Somebody pointed out that the collar and fabric are reminiscent of Finnick's wedding clothes.**   *is totally dead*

Awwww...Effie smiling at Katniss, and beanie-less Haymitch smiling & touching her knee...;w; They're like her fairly odd parents!

I think my favorite clips are of the wedding (in which Effie may've had a hand in the planning...!) The dancing! The blown kiss! The beauty! The camera crew--recording it, I suppose? Naturally. And OMGGGG, Haymitch & Effie standing together!*** Right behind Coin & Plutarch. Oh, my darlins are so high-ranking. ^w^ (And there's Johanna behind Effie!!)

Now for Effie's wedding ensemble, because as usual she stands out--the pink flamingo in a gaggle of grey geese. ("Why am I the only guest dressed for the occasion...?" ;p Yeah, way to underdress, everybody else! And Coin, why you no let her give you makeover?! XD) [[Although it later appears that Johanna, at least, is in the D13 jumpsuit version of a dress!]] That pink getup must incorporate the garment Effie had on her table at the start of MJ1--what she must have been wearing when she arrived. No idea where she came by the rest of the outfit...and what're the odds that she'd just happen to have brought all the perfect accessories for this particular event with her? ;p Maybe they were able to stop somewhere and pick up such things, at some point.

Adorably, she appears to have chosen a coastal theme for her look to honor the happy couple and their district! The flowers, the bracelet colored like sea glass...the, possibly seashell or something earrings? It isn't clear enough to make out the shapes, but for some reason that was my first thought. And the necklace...ooh. A NECKLACE OF ROPE. Wardrobe symbolism strikes yet again. So glad she decided to go with that outfit for the wedding; c'est parfait. :']

Man. Haymitch, you had BETTER tell her that you like her dress, and her hair, and love everything about her. Call her "Sweetheart." Tell her she's beautiful. *Yzma voice* I need to hear these words. (And to see you two dance, and then eventually proclaim your love in some dramatic fashion, hold your own wedding, and make your own babies. It's tough to tell what exactly is going on in that huge wide shot of the dancing, but you can definitely spot Effie, and I'll go with "THEY'RE DANCING" because that so obviously must take place during the wedding...yarr.)

I...just...am hoping for/counting on SO MUCH from this movie, and I have no idea how many more times I'll lose my mind between now & November.

Aaaaand, I said more stuff: Disqus.com/by/ElsaStormborn 
I think I'm-a cry & die, though not necessarily in that order... 

***IG discussion of the possibility of it not being her real hair in the "mirror scene" with Katniss:
"Yeah, Idk, it does look pretty yellow there, as opposed to natural light blonde (could be the lighting?? Or that she colored it?)...even though it does look as if it's growing from her scalp...could've possibly been colored (or a wig) b/c she was all Capitol-dolled-up again for that bit. Even though this fringed grey ensemble is still more monochromatic and almost sort of "fancied-up 13"-looking than what we might've expected for the occasion. 
The hair also seems...well, fairly damaged...possibly from things she's done to try and alter it, and/or simply being covered up so much, which has to be rather suffocating.
I'm hoping to and counting on seeing her REAL hair (not even teased/gelled up, just au naturale) & some more casual clothes, but assuming they wouldn't show THAT ahead of time b/c they wanna keep all the big reveals and Hayffie-type goodness a surprise. *fingers & everything else crossed*"


***

"Make New Friends But Keep Discord"

Another definite new favorite episode of the season so far! Very weird, and I'd expect no less from a Discord-centric one. Reading the description, I thought, "How interesting it'll be if this is a male friend of whom Discord is jealous..." xD But needless to say, this is going to fuel Fluttercord shipping regardless. A new male friend would've perhaps been too blatant...
          I've got to say, there are a lot of common MLP ships with some merit. I mean, Fluttercord's beyond obvious now, though I had also enjoyed the thought of Dislestia or "Discord Pie." Or him with any of the mane six, really. Then you've got Fluttermac, which hypothetically makes a lot of sense, despite us seeing extremely little interaction between those two. But Big Mac could also still wind up pairing with Cheerilee, or any of the mane six aside from Applejack (you just don't wanna go on that adventure. Not with these ponies.) There are few for which you can derive much actual support from the show, of course. The only canon couples are...well, the few who actually are! Parents, mostly. But, enough about that stuff; back to the episode.

Okay, first of all: NEW FAVORITE CHARACTER. Treehugger is amazing. I love her tomato-colored dreadlocked/corded hair, and her epic eyebrows and voice and the things she says. I always love the "hippie-dippie" characters (just started watching Grace & Frankie on Netflix, and Frankie's the best! XD) Absolutely, Treehugger & Maud & Flax Seed & the other hippie ponies from the comics need to be BFFs. Treesie and Maud are both so eminently chillaxed. And speaking of Maud, she attended the gala this year! In a sparkly blue dress! Wondrousness!! 8DDD

So Treehugger's an earth pony with a cutie mark that looked like a heart balloon, or a heart on a stick or something? I dunno, I felt as if that could've been a little better thought-out. Doesn't have to be a tie-dyed peace sign with daisies around it or anything, but it looked a tad bit uninspired for such an awesometastic pone. But then, she'd probably be all cool about the whole thing and feel cosmically blessed by any cutie mark that turned up, interpreting it as being one way or another fully in tune with her aura and life force. -u-

Interesting how Discord brought the Smooze back--but instead of being a many-faced ocean of purple goo under the command of a witchy trio, it seems he summoned a smaller quantity of green JELL-O (like B.O.B., or the jelly monster from the beginning of Monsters, Inc.) with a mouth. Plus a tophat, bow tie, and dumb but lovable personality. Smoozie is still capable of consuming anything/everything/anypony/anyone, but also easily distracted by disco balls, and placated by Treehugger's patented, harmonic, mellowing, lip-rippling Sonic Bliss(R). 
Unnnhhhhhh, I wanna see Treehugger, Treeflower, Candy Warren, "Beret Girl," Sunshine, etc., get together for a love-in...8)

That was a nice view of Discord's house and home dimension. He's got a cool floor-ceiling and dish-dirtying detergent. And there are flying badgers there, apparently.
For a few minutes there I thought he might be about to force poor Post Haste to be his plus-one! For sure he's made big strides, but is still his old self; FULL reform may be too much to ask, and where's the fun in that, anyhow? ;]

Flutters used "anypony" in reference to that teacup-munching Draconequus--curious. Typically the word is only applied to ponies. :p Maybe they're such close chums now that she's starting to think of him as one.
    Must be pretty creepy to have him slither out from under your blanket in the middle of the night and demand all up in your face to know where Twilight is.

So fittingly, Twilight's graduated from Assistant Hoofshaker to Assistant Gala Planner/Organizer. (Yet Celestia still finds jokes about her flying skills amusing. x3) She really has a great time at these unconventional Gross Gruesome Galas, man. This one was even funner than the last, what with that portal to another dimension of strange 'live-action' sock puppet beings opening up, and a guest nearly getting tossed through it and all. The 'Zoe Trent' in Lestie's voice becomes more noticeable when she gets all excited.
And where the hay was Luna?

There was no focus on everypony's gala dresses and manestyles this year, so you had to purposely look at them, but once again they all looked fab...especially Pinkie! And Flutters' hair, with the Leia bun...and Dash, AJ, Rarity (her hairdo was swell)...and the Crusaders! Applebloom's peach-colored dress! Scoots! Twi! Celestia! 8D (Plus camera-shaking, fourth-wall-shattering Pinkie in the beginning! XD)

The conflict resolution and Discord's realization of the moral was quick, sensible, and effective. Nice indignant Flutterrage.

"You're the most basic of jokes." There are numerous Best Ponies, and Maud Pie is among them. A regular comedienne, she be.
Other favorite lines/notable moments:
The "two cakes" story.
"Blessing." "I meet a lot of different creatures--each one of them perfect and unique." (Wait, Discord & 'Treesie' have really met before?! And she didn't specifically remember him...? Or what? Does this relate at all to the comic revealing Discord's ONE other friend from the past? The "Friends Forever" one where he takes the Crusaders time-traveling?!)
"I need, like, a few minutes to clear out my chakras before I can hug you from a place of authenticity."
Nude Rarity at the gala--oh, the equinity!! Luckily it would seem that she managed to retrieve her outfit from Discord's vacuum.

-"Tough crowd"=Rodney Dangerfield impression! Same as Genie's in Aladdin when he says he can't believe he's losing to a rug. And his little video-game-style question mark announcing his teleported arrival.
-Only at Sugar Cube Corner is "most delicious" the LEAST delicious rank on the deliciousness scale!!
-Noticed that they appear to have a problem animating Pegasus wings when the ponies are clothed. The wings often wind up placed too far forward, despite the convenient holes that should eliminate that. It was especially obvious on one shot of Twilight hovering--her wings were literally attached at her shoulders.
-Cute how the Crusaders were so pumped for their first "best night ever!" (Like, "Yeah, that's what they said the last time...!!") Applejack's reaction to seeing her little sis in her dress was sweet. She cries on the outside too, sometimes--and Dash's tail pays for it! (I wonder what card game they were playing...)
-Lyrica Lilac spotted (the one who passed out), but no Purple Wave.


To conclude, a very non-basic joke:

What's the difference between a dirty bus stop and a lobster with breast implants?

One is a crusty bus station, and the other is a busty crustacean.

What's the difference between a crusty bus station and a mid-flight pause to clean off one's avian self?

One is a dirty bus stop, and the other is a birdie dust stop.

Tanks For the Memories

AKA, "Dash experiences DABDA" (the Kübler-Ross model of the five stages of grief/loss--denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.)


Okay, another new favorite episode of pony.

-REFERENCES, REFERENCES! We had that distinctly Abbott-&-Costello-y bit about Clear Skies, Open Skies, Everywhere, & Fluffy Clouds (cool designs & voices for those characters, too)...Dash's Grinchy grin when she gets the wonderful, awful idea to stop winter from coming...and of COURSE, "Winter is coming." Well played, Hasbro. Way to reference GoT in a manner that should (hopefully?) sail right over the heads of any kiddies who might happen to be watching. ;-] I had said that, too, during the song--"Face facts, Dash. Winter is coming!" Just couldn't believe they did it.
-We learn more about how the change of seasons works in Equestria (from autumn to winter, anyway.) The weather is all on us Pegasi. B-) Maybe more of us should have names without any form of "sky" or "cloud" in them...
-WHAT AN EMOTIONAL EPISODE. Most of them end on an upbeat, comedic note, but this one was saddish. At first Dash just seems bound and determined to deny the obvious because she's looking forward to doing all kinds of awesomely-fun, primo wintertime stuff with Tank. But her concern for him is touching, and this was supposed to be their first winter together. Suddenly she learns that they'll never be able to enjoy her favorite season (good choice there, btw) together because he's got to go bury himself underground, and they'll be separated for months. She feels kind of betrayed, even though she knows it's not his choice to burrow in the dirt and leave her for a little while. And she thinks preventing winter will be doing him a favor. Now that is loyalty--trying to prevent the seasons from changing for your friend's sake. 8'-| Her seemingly infinite waterworks aren't too far off of what mine'd be, faced with the prospect of not seeing one of my woof-woofs for a whole season. At least in her case, Tank knows what's happening and isn't being left somewhere without understanding why. It's his instinct, and he can't ignore it. For a moment I wondered whether RD would pull a Sandy Cheeks and try to cram in as much makeshift winter fun as possible before Tank headed off.
-Rainbow Dash solo. YES. And it was beautiful. ;u; Not another "Awesome As I Wanna Be" sort of tune, although I do love that one.
-"DO I LOOK ANGRY?!?" *rageface* >8-( "No, no, of course not, not at all, Dashie!" *sweatdrop* ^.^; XD *squiggey Applejack lieface*
-"You too?!" "Nope, I'm good." "I'm mostly sad because you're not sad!" "Me?! What about Applejack?!" "APPLEJACK CRIES ON THE INSIDE, TWILIGHT!" "It's true."
-"You're using the word! Oh! She's using the word!" ^w^
-Tank's PJs and slippers, omfg. Gotta get Ulla some slippers made in my image. Plus some ingenious flight gear.
-CLOUD WALL. PINKIE PIE WALKED THROUGH DASH'S BEDROOM WALL. BROKE RIGHT THROUGH IT. While Dash was feeling so "whatever." Time to get a second, non-hibernatory pet! That scene was so good. Dash's wailing sobs would make a good .gif to express feels of extreme sorrow. I liked how Twilight pushed Applejack forward like, "Go on, Honesty." AJ clearly felt awkward. xD But as soon as Fluttershy joins in the weeping, Pinkie and Rarity can't help topping off the heap of bawling equine emotional wrecks. Then when Dashie says, "Oh, Tank...I'm sure gonna miss you," and they lean their heads together...MANLY TEARS, THEY HAVE BEEN SHED. *,-,*
-Disguising yourself as an employee and causing a chaotic catastrophe--another Lucyesque move, Dash. I applaud you. And another "What have I done?!" moment for you. However, even if you were willing to try and use that arduous method to bring about winter every year, I'm not sure you'd be able to recreate that precise series of events.
And yes, winter=water.
-Question: They do have a legit veterinarian in Ponyville, right? I mean, Fluttershy is more of a holistic animal nurturer/whisperer/daycare-type-person than anything...she isn't a licensed vet...and Spike may be an expert on BEING *a* reptile (same family, yes; very different genera & species), but...geez guys, find an actual vet. (And I could hear the Pinkie Pie in Flutters' voice on the "teensie-eentsie-weentsie" line. ;)
-Believe I spied Sprinkle Medley, Sunshower Raindrops, & possibly Strawberry Sunrise among the backgrounders.

ETA: Some reactions to the midway-point of GoT, Season 5: "Kill the Boy"...ooh, even the episode titles giva ya the chills!

Whole fam seems to agree: Daenerys>Team Stannis>Boltons >P< BLEHCK!! Especially on Ramsay, one of the most despicable sleazebag creeps right along with the late Joffrey...although the "How can you tell she's pregnant? How did you find it?" was pretty funny.
Stannis scored a couple points in my book with that "fewer" (he literally echoed me.) And "Keep reading" was good advice to Sam (<3!)  But still: GO DANY GO. <333 "If I give everyone what they deserve, I'll have no one left to rule." XD Good point. Best line!! Or one of 'em. Tyrion can always compete. (Damn, those two should be unbeatable once teamed...) 
Hoo, boy, look what's a-comin'. Stannis vs. Roose, a Meereenese wedding, Brienne & Sansa (hopefully--and also maybe some Pod-training!) 8-O
The show will go on forever at this rate, though, and I think we're already halfway through S5...XD What will come first, book #6 or Season 6?!? I keep waiting for the major, major stuff from book 5, and now we finally got Tyrion on a boat with the Stone Men attacking (the whole boat sequence in the book is rather lengthy, and involves his dwarf semi-girlfriend...is THAT coming?) What happens to Cersei should be as satisfying to watch as it was to read. But man, ever since Brienne Vs. Sandor, it's felt almost like anything goes! Because there are still two unfinished/unpublished books of source material, even the readers are liable to be surprised at any moment. I hope Varys shows up with Dany soon, because he rocks (and seems like a more fun traveling companion than Jorah. No offense, Mormont. I still like ya.) D-'8 at the ending, as usual...
Shippin' Missandei & Grey Worm! ^u^
Love Davos & Shireen together, awwww...hehee. Her mum don't know nothin' 'bout her own daughter. ;p

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 ~ ****, 2 thumbs up

[really, really, really long review/commentary]

Mandatory spoiler alert--this is more of an in-depth, analytical synopsis/response suitable for those who don't mind being spoiled, or have already seen it & read the novels.

I've recently become a big fan of this series, and I was very highly impressed with this film. It's a change of pace from the prior two, but I absolutely love it when a great epic story gets darker, deeper, and more intense as you go. The Hunger Games is a truly worthy successor to Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (let's just forget that Twilight even made the attempt.) And this is the start of Act II*, where all heck begins to break loose and you can sense that the proverbial fan is about to get hit big-time. [*Or perhaps Act III if this isn't a musical--what do you mean, this isn't a musical?! That was all in my head?! Confound it...]

Having read the brief criticisms of Part 1 (virtually all claiming that "nothing happens," "there's no action, they just talk," and "Katniss spends the whole time moping or whining over Peeta"), I had to wonder how it was possible that such viewers had seen the same film I did. Maybe it's an attention/memory-span thing. Overlong? Hmm. Had I not been watching on the floor, I'd have been edge-of-seat riveted. I didn't want it to end, and would have much appreciated an extra half-hour.

The worst thing about it is the agonizing wait for Part 2 (currently a 7-month one...aurgh!) All I can say there is that the next one had better deliver, by being the mind-blowing, explosive, fast-paced, 3+-hour extravaganza promised by the buildup of tension and ever-increasing stakes of the third installment. Of course, readers are aware that there is simply no way to be prepared to witness certain, er, upcoming events...but let me put it this way: Complainers about Part 1's "slowness" will be pleading for its sweet mercy again come November.

Additionally, the split was completely necessary. Although the third book isn't significantly longer than the others, it simply contains too much for a single film. It was possible to condense the Games and everything leading up to them twice...but to go from Katniss not wanting any further part of a rebellion, to the end, in one shot...the scale's just too great. Too much takes place. How rushed, undeveloped, non-informant, overwhelming, and "way too easy" it'd feel if they attempted this as a single movie. Several hours, and probably an intermission, would be needed anyway. (Hrm, maybe a THG miniseries or something is in order...or at least graphic novels?)

Just about every cast member gives a noteworthy performance. They and the director seem to truly "get" the characters and what makes them tick, which comes across in interviews as well as the films. So, we rejoin our protagonists in District 13--yes, the one thought to have been completely obliterated three-quarters of a century ago. In truth, this militaristic district has since been more or less thriving in a subterranean fortification. They're austere, but for a self-sequestered, long-thought-extinct district, they've got some fairly impressive high-tech weaponry (even nukes.) Which is because they used to be the Capitol's weapon designers. 
Our main character, the former celebrity, is wounded, damaged, and hurting. She and Finnick are in fear for their loved ones, Peeta & Annie, who were scooped up by the Capitol following the Quarter Quell. The leader of 13, a stern and enigmatic woman by the name of Alma Coin, wishes Katniss to be groomed into the Mockingjay symbol--but only once convinced that she, rather than Peeta, is the right "Chosen One" for that position. For a bit Kat's very reluctant to get on board, but eventually agrees to comply if her personal demands are met (and the demands, including their delivery, are terrific.) From the start, all she's wanted was to protect her loved ones and herself--not to spark rebellion or incite civil war, not the responsibility of rallying a nation, and certainly not to start keeping a "personal kill count" that's escalated into the thousands. "Why, oh, why didn't I run away with mah two bois, Prim, and Mum when I had the chance?!"

She takes a devastating trip back to her now utterly demolished native district, 12, to take in the ruins and skeleton-littered rubble. (And also to bring back some stuff from her house, including Prim's disagreeable cat, Buttercup.) 9.15% of the population survived (you did your best, Gale. Well, sort of. You DID conveniently "forget" about Peeta's family.) Anyway, speaking of whom...early on we can tell that the Katniss/Peeta/Gale "love triangle" isn't going away, but luckily no one else really pretends that it should be their main focus, or take precedence over what's going on in Panem at large. Plus, I'm sure most of us could see where that was going before we finished reading.

For most of this film, Katniss' main job is to star in "propos"--propaganda commercials for the rebel cause. She's introduced to her film crew, of whom the most endearing member is a bearded ginger Avox named Pollux. The rehearsal scene is humorous, as it becomes rapidly clear that this scripted Katniss is one awkward, stilted actress (it's fun watching J-Law pretend to be bad. Also cute to see Effie trying to be all supportive and encouraging, but with a look on her face that says, "...Crap, this isn't working.") The girl's only hope of being taken seriously is to witness firsthand situations that'll evoke genuine feeling and passion, so she'll be spurred into saying something she really means.

One such situation is a visit to a District 8 hospital full of badly wounded folks, where she has to lie about losing the baby she never conceived. When the place is bombed and destroyed, Katniss is spurred to deliver the kind of powerful, inspiring monologue her group was looking for. It's turned into a "Join the Fight" propo and broadcast, and she's become that galvanizing figurehead. Other key action sequences include the killing of Peacekeepers by a bunch of District-7 lumber workers, and the explosion of a dam that knocks out power to the Capitol. So, lots of explosions for those who can't get enough of them--but they're explosions with a plot-advancing purpose. Oh, and the "Hanging Tree" song? Very haunting. J-Law's got a real nice voice.

One advantage of the film is the fact that we get to periodically pop into the Capitol to see Snow. Ahh, Snow. Calculating, speech-making, frozen-hearted, public-execution-ordering, Everlark-shipping Snowy. Sutherland does a fantastic job with this guy, whose first name says it all with its last four letters. He's got a couple of close confidants called Egeria (neat name) and Antonius, who're nice touches. So, after deciding on the right word for those against him ("radicals"), he expressly and officially forbids association in any form with the Mockingjay symbol. Friendship with Katniss Everdeen now amounts to treason, most grievously punishable. (Note what his granddaughter does as he issues his declarations.) Snow really does appear to wish that he could, as Johanna Mason suggested, simply throw all these people giving him grief into the arena and kick back with a big ol' bucket of buttered popcorn.

Meanwhile, Peeta is repeatedly interviewed by a more serious (but still groovy-looking) Caesar Flickerman. At first he's an honest voice of reason, pleading for diplomacy and peaceable behavior. By the third broadcast, though, he's starting to look rather poorly and say things that make him sound like a traitor to his friends. Is he under some form of duress, or perhaps brainwashed? We can tell that something unspeakable has begun happening. The fact of the matter is that the poor boy's being hijacked--the government pulling its own sadistic form of Clockwork Orange on him, until he's classically conditioned and reprogrammed into the perfect anti-Katniss/Mockingjay basketcase-slash-weapon. Egads!

At the end of one transmission, Our Peeta breaks through and issues an urgent warning--13 is being attacked! You'll all be dead by morning! Sheet! What follows is an intense evacuation scene in which everyone descends massive staircases further down into the earth. The extra few minutes afforded them by Peeta make the difference, and nobody is killed; they weather the explosions that rock the fortress in an even danker, drearier, oxygen-reduced bunker environment. They stay there longer in the book, but the scene on film is just as good, providing an appropriate sense of stifling, suffocating claustrophobia down there. Prim revealing that she's being trained as a doctor, easy amusement at the teasing of Buttercup with a light...and speaking of those two, Prim has been called an idiot for going back to save the cat. I can't take that view, since there's no way I'd ever have left my dog behind.

So, as Katniss & Company rise from the depths no worse for wear, she's consumed with thoughts of Peeta...and decides that she wants to drop the whole Mockingjay thing, because keeping it up will result in his further torture and alteration. Coin sees that it's time to get bread-boy over here--along with Annie and Johanna, per the agreement. Gale is the first volunteer for this recovery mission, which proves suspiciously easy. Dun, dun, dun.
Skyping with Snow, Katniss tries to nobly offer herself in Peeta's place, but is shot down. There's a horrible moment where she thinks she's lost both of her best male friends, and potential love interests, at once.

Beetee is the invaluable "tech guy" on the team, without whom their messages wouldn't be able to reach an audience--and Katniss wouldn't have any explosive or incendiary arrows in her quiver. Finnick is broadcast giving a shocking expose; he reveals scandalous facts about the prostitution/selling & objectification of Victors, and the reason behind the "He drinks blood?!" bit in Catching Fire (big secret: Snow poisoned his way up the ladder of power, allowing himself to develop permanent bleeding mouth sores to avoid suspicion. Hence the fragrant white roses that are his signature, calling card, and favorite way of communicating with Katniss.) Aside from perhaps Snow's own immediate family (perhaps?!), no one is ever truly safe from his wrath. Everyone is at his mercy, and most of the characters are victims.

Mercifully, the film doesn't end on "the strangle," and the reunion of Finnick and Annie (*preferred ship name="Annick") is adorable. The actual conclusion to Part 1 involves a neck-braced, red-eyed, horrified Katniss, a thrashing, isolated Peeta, and a heck of a speech from Coin. She talks about justice and never giving up the fight, how they are now all "one people, one army, one voice," whom will "become an alliance to be reckoned with." She foreshadows the first segment of Part II--they're going to set out to conquer the government's principal military facility in the mountains of District 2. Dun, dun, dun...! *shiver* (Nooo, you can't stop now, things are just heating up!! Graah!)

Now Philip Seymour Hoffman, rest his soul, was the perfect Plutarch Heavensbee--a highly "creative" gamemaker, now working with another president to engineer a different sort of game. He's genial, persuasive, and capable of skillful manipulation. Julianne Moore struck me as ideal casting for the part of Coin; she pretty well nailed it. Natalie Dormer comes in fresh from another epic story about a game in which "you win or you die," but sports a considerably different look from Margaery Tyrell: She's Cressida, the partially-shaven and tattooed film crew leader. All in all, the additions to our core cast are solid.

To me the most fascinating character is Effie; physically and emotionally, her arc is dramatic (though not in the simplistic, sudden way most people assume)--and Banks continues to play the role hilariously, heartbreakingly well. 
     So, the girls of "Team TEAM" (Trinket+Everdeen+Abernathy+Mellark) were, wisely or not, uninformed of the plot beforehand. Now they need to be brought up to speed, filled in on details, and come to grips with the grim realities of Panem's current state--in order to make their choices.
    At first the little refugee feels imprisoned, worried, and alone in this extremely strict, confined, dank, uniform, and monochromatic society, where the simplest things are disallowed. (She's actually accustomed to some of that, but in different forms; this kind of exposure to a society like 13 is a bit of a shock.) Loath to be seen--especially bare-faced & wig-free in her baggy, admittedly less-than-flattering regulation jumpsuits--and insistent on covering her hair with a large bandanna, she hides in her quarters until Plutarch comes to see whether he can coax her out. He quickly confirms what she already knew--that she has officially and voluntarily relinquished that privileged, more sheltered life she's known. But now, Thirteen seeks to recruit both Katniss and herself, as the "face of the revolution"--a savior of sorts--and adviser thereto. They can be irreplaceable parts of this movement whose time has come. Of course, she's initially hesitant and unsure--but soon she's in. She won't be the one to break up the team that was basically her idea in the first place.

So she lays it on the table for Katniss, literally: The aim is to restore democracy to the nation. (Bring back 'Murica, perhaps? Doesn't sound toooo bad right about now, eh? Y'all can be signers of a new constitution, and reserve rights for the people in the precise numerical quantity of "hella"...) Effie shows Katniss the Mockingjay suit design sketched by their old friend Cinna, who was so brutally beaten to death before Katniss' eyes immediately prior to the Quarter Quell. They've got the suit ready for her, if she'll accept. It was definitely a good call making the guys able to get Effie away from the Capitol early on, so that we get to see her in action alongside the rest of the gang, rather than waiting for the reunion near the end of Part 2. Even hearing a gritty account of her off-screen experiences would be less satisfying than this development.
    It makes sense that they'd want her, if possible, over simply kidnapping the less-useful cosmetic prep team trio (whose primary book scenes were there to hammer home the disturbing, foreboding similarities and parallels between 13 and the Capitol, Coin and Snow...which I anticipate being even more evident in Part 2.) As it is, they're still trying to mislead those who don't already know what's up (aka, those who didn't read/don't remember the books well)...throw them off the scent, if you will...;) She's a good substitute for a somewhat extraneous and similar "Plutarch's assistant" character; even if a few of the retained comedic lines seem forced, they work thanks to skillful acting. And it all means a whole lot more coming from her--someone who genuinely cares about Katniss, who also knew and cared for Cinna.

Still relatively vivacious, chirpy, and a little bit sassy (like her friends!), Effie always has been pretty good about trying to optimize lousy circumstances. She tries to give her confidence a slight boost (and incidentally make her utilitarian jumpsuit look some 75% cooler) via nicer, somewhat chic-er styling and combinations of such elements as a headwrap-bandanna (gangsta!), her own shoes, a glovelet, bangles, rosy-tinted glasses (yes, underground; suh-wag! xD well, I guess the lights down there are pretty harsh & glaring), the tunic/poncho/cape over the thick grey leggings (& stirrup pants?), or a black sweater draped over her head (possibly borrowed from a certain, *ahem*, "associate??") Grey becomes the new fuchsia, or...something...and she adapts. (Quite well & quickly, it must be said, for someone used to a more extravagant culture and suddenly being asked to join in an incredibly dangerous war effort in one of the most austere places imaginable. She's got some spunk, not to mention the purest of hearts.) It's fun to see her get a wee bit creative with more limited materials. Gotta hand it to Coin for apparently figuring it best to just let her get away with the minor additions/tweaks/modifications, so long as she wears their stuff and basically blends in. (I mean, you can take the girl out of the Capitol...) [I could & have gone on for ages about the significance and symbolism in Effie's costumes, her development/progress, and so forth; that's for my Hayffie/THG documents. Oh, Effs, you're beautiful--no matter what you've got on your outside.]
Effie's also tougher than one might have thought--but then, "Fe" IS the chemical symbol for iron. As the film progresses and her eyes are opened to some cold hard truths, we see her coming to embrace a new identity--as revolutionary, full-on rebel, wind beneath the wings of the Mockingjay.
    As always, Effie does her very best to be as helpful as possible. Her trust in Plutarch seems to increase, but it still remains to be seen how much faith she's got in Coin to lead them. >;p It really is nice to see her so much earlier than in the text, where she's imprisoned and we don't know what's happening to her, which is worrisome--indeed, for a while Katniss believes that she may well have already been executed. (Thankfully she survives, with help from Haymitch and Plutarch, but remains enshrouded in mystery. Katniss mentions the potential need to let Coin know that she was on their side.) Like the author, I'm delighted that we finally get more of her, but I do honestly have to hope that they're able to somehow address the original situation--for the sake of unity, completeness, and blank-filling. There are just ever so many possibilities, honestly, for how everything could go, that I almost don't even want to think too much more about it...and yet I do...and yet I don't...because I'll most definitely go mad long before November.

And then there's my other favorite--good ol' Haymitch, who's experiencing some difficulty and displeasure of his own in adjusting to total sobriety...but managing, and doing a darned good job of dealing with it. (After all, it's mandatory in 13, but he chose this; running a revolution calls for a clear head.) While Effie hides, he's being "dried out." But he and she act just like protective, proud parents toward Katniss. (It's the Capitol-bred Jabberjay, the wild mockingbird, and the resultant mockingjay!) There's a very cute scene in which he basically takes on the role of a teacher at a digital blackboard (*wipes screen clear* "Hope that wasn't important"--lol!), and Effie is the eager (and a bit titillated) little teacher's pet. They share a somewhat surprising, delightfully flirtatious & funny/adorable moment, and...oh, yeah, Hayffie confirmed for my new OTP. Each light-heartedly but (finally!) publicly, openly claims to prefer the other this way--closer to their real and genuine, natural selves...a raw, "just you" state...so, perhaps it's for the best that they've been stripped down & laid bare like this. Divested of their usual fronts--his liquor and her masks ("over-the-top, wild" outfits, hairstyles, and makeup)--it's almost as if they're being reborn, so that their truest selves can begin to emerge more fully than before. I really do love those two; they are just full of surprises. And after all, "like you better" implies what we already knew: that they've truly (like-)liked each other all along. ;D (What an understatement "like" is!!)

More philosophically...there is always a very real possibility that a second rebellion will fail, leading to unprecedented levels of oppression, suffering, and destruction. There's the fact that civil war will inevitably cost thousands (possibly millions?) more innocent lives...the chance that one bad system will be replaced with another...that the world will be plunged into sheer chaos...or indeed, that mankind in "North America" (or whatever they now call this continent--is it all just "Panem," like Australia?) will be essentially annihilated. On the other hand, the big picture is becoming clear. Snow's evil is unchecked, his "peace" maintained at high costs. It isn't simply about abolishing the games anymore. The games ostensibly exist to protect an established system of law and order that's neither peaceful nor just; it may in fact be corrupted beyond salvation. Those who would like to see change for the better may finally be faced with a feasible opportunity at last, if enough citizens can be persuaded as well...to help dismantle the oppressive establishment board by board, saw the (NON-MAHOGANY!!) tables of tyranny in half, etc...even if some do have their own personal agendas as motivation to overthrow Snow. 

With regard to the overall series...I like each book and movie so far. I found the first two books to be approximately equal in quality to their adaptations. Both versions have their strengths; I adore how the movies bring these characters and the story to life, but naturally, the books provide a lot of "bonus" scenes you wish could have been depicted on film. I appreciate how faithfully the source text has been followed, and was able to thoroughly understand and enjoy the first two movies before being compelled to read, in order to glean all the information that had to be omitted. The premise itself is intriguing, and the characters have that magical quality of seeming very real. I have to share, however, in the general consensus that Mockingjay is the weakest book of the trilogy.

It's by no means a bad book--just not, in my opinion, as good as the first two. It necessarily has a bit of a different structure, and a larger scope. The bones of it are great. However, it felt as if the author were uncertain of how to handle this section of the saga...how to play it out, and especially, how to wrap it up. I got the sense that perhaps she just wanted to get it done and published. It's still, of course, a more than worthwhile read. The benefits are all the additional details which explain or provide insight. They're often the things that don't translate well to  the audio-visual version because they'd require a narrator, or would bog it down too much. Still, they do make you wish that they could be included in a brochure with the film, to inform or remind viewers of what's not seen or heard onscreen!

While few gory details are spared, many others are. Surely the YA reading level has something to do with the frequent feeling of rush, vagueness, and glossing-over. The ending and bittersweet epilogue are particularly sparse and, frankly, on the *really* depressing side. I understand that by that point, our narrator is drained and burnt out, and hardly bothering to learn or share much with us. That helps to explain the extreme lightness of detail, which almost seems like a setup for subsequent elaboration. But it's tough on such detail-oriented fans as myself, who must always know absolutely EVERYTHING. Readers are left with so many burning questions and ponderances (we didn't even learn the names of the Everlark children until later on.) And the matter of whom or what ultimately took out Snow is one of about nine hundred things it'd be super-swell to know.

Basically, these characters and this story are worthy of Harry Potter- or Lord of the Rings-length books, and I felt distinctly unsatisfied after all that the story had done to me. "That's it? So open-ended? It feels as though we should be waiting for another." With Part II of Mockingjay, I'm not asking for a future that's all sunshine and rainbows; that'd be totally unrealistic --I just very much hope that things are fleshed out for us in a much more satisfying manner. The brief summation we got barely gave a taste of the "new world order." Overall, the book is a blend of strengths and weaknesses--a great many strong, very well-written passages, interspersed with lesser bits.

So the benefits of this film, which covers almost the first half of the book, are numerous. For one thing, we're no longer 100% locked inside Katniss' head--seeing only what she sees, knowing only what she (thinks she) knows, and receiving everything exclusively through her point-of-view filter. This forces one more than ever to think well beyond the text itself and--as per usual with first-person narrators, especially of the YA variety--keep some salt grains handy. Don't take everything for gospel. Yes, we remain tethered to Kat throughout the film, but are at least allowed to see a bit more so long as it relates directly to her. All in all, the film provided a better perspective and made the story more engaging, exciting, suspenseful, and thrilling. It permitted greater development for everyone else, and flowed well from plot point to plot point. There's nothing hugely wrong with it, and they again made up with various excellent scenes for the things that had to be left out. At the same time, I could have used another 20-30 minutes, since I was pleased with the way that it actually expanded, enhanced, elaborated--and in some ways improved. Of course nothing is perfect, but the cast and crew make valiant efforts to approach perfection.

Changes made from text to screenplay were largely wise. I think there's just enough wiggle room and space for revision to think that even we readers can expect some (hopefully awesome) surprises. Yet, I believe we should continue to anticipate the core plot and major events and developments remaining intact (e.g., I'd see little reason to hope for the sparing of doomed people or to fear a survivor biting it.) So far, Mockingjay is still proving a powerful and effective story with a large scope and intriguing war commentary.

The biggest omissions from the source material include Madge, Darius (aka 'the cool Peacekeeper'), Bonnie & Twill, Peeta's prosthetic leg, Katniss' hearing loss, explanation of the use of fallen tributes in creating mutts, and an explanation of the mockingjay's origin (well, the latter was a deleted scene that didn't work.*) Oh, and the fact that arena mutts can be created from like, slightly-resurrected dead tributes--but that concept would've been understandably difficult to get across to a film audience. Would've been awesome to see, though.
At first a couple of those seem like fairly significant points, but ultimately, their removal isn't of tremendous consequence. The story isn't really too hurt without their mentions; it's not hard to accept that a lot of important things do have to happen off-screen and/or go unaddressed. The films succeed by, for the most part, leaving out only that which isn't totally crucial and can be concisely summarized, touched on, or implied in some other ways.

*Because Plutarch wouldn't require an explanation of the species, soooo.......although I totally see why they discarded that, I wish it could've been worked in somehow. Idk how, because it's just a known thing in their world, so how do you reveal it without breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience...maybe someone could be heard explaining it to someone young enough not to know yet, or whatever. Even if Madge had made the films, she wouldn't have explained it... :/ (Again, that brochure wish...!!!) The films merely convey the sense that the Capitol didn't really care for mockingjays all that much, for some unprovided reason.
Certain deleted scenes were removed for clear reasons (too contrived or silly/goofy/out-there or what-have-you)--while others can be assumed to have happened, basically as filmed, but simply couldn't be fit in for one reason or another, or didn't add enough to the movie to be as necessary as the rest. In the director's estimation, anyway.


THG Images w/ My Captions/Descriptions [1 album+5 subalbums] 
MJ1 Costuming Concept Art 
THG Zodiac Chart 
Hayffie Board 
More-Than-Hayffie Board 

Cutie Map: Parts 1 & 2

Well, now that I've got this...place...to save this kinda junk...the Season 5 premiere of FiM was exceptional!! (And GoT returns in two days!! Gaaaahhhhh, my Throny-Brony tinglies are being thrown into maximum overdrive!) Anyhoo. Yeah, that was a mature two-parter; I feel as if adults would get more out of it than kids. The theme was an amalgam of every dystopian tale you've ever been made to read in middle or high school, plus some you may have read voluntarily. "Someone's been reading Ayn Rand," I had to think.

So, Twilight's new home (supposedly we're getting an emotional goodbye episode to the old treehouse library with the secret science lab underneath?? Oh, maaaan!!)...the magical map...hope Spike didn't actually kill Pinkie's family by crushing their miniature representatives. (Because what if the map is like the Hunger Gamemakers' virtual arena models, and Twilight can use it to control the entire country...?! Aiight, I needa get THG off the brain for like, five minutes. Can I do that? I have no idea.) The map is clearly possessed of a mind/magic of its own, though, too, so I don't know how much control Twilight will really have.
Sooo, Spike's spending guy-time with Big Mac now? How cute. xD

"Maybe it's just your new home, and there ain't nothin' more to it than that!" Yeah, I love how easily AJ can accept being plopped into a new home--or rather, a FRIEND being plopped. 'Magine her reaction to getting plucked from Sweet Apple Acres!

And then...road trip time! To Creepyville! Thanks a lot, Map...but at least you don't chant your name 14 times before sending us off to some lame dump? (I can appreciate Dashie's constant disappointment over the lack of anything interesting or exciting.) That is, until Pinkie Pie evolved into Donphan and used Rollout; it was super-effective!!

Now, whether it's fruit bats, or Discord, or a peacefully brainwashed village...Fluttershy always seems to be the odd one out with her opinions. Because she wants to be so very understanding and sensitive and accepting and welcoming toward everyone--sometimes inordinately so. But at least she's no longer afraid to share her viewpoints, whether she's agreeing with everypony else or not.
But straight away, Pinkie gets a gut sense of distrust toward the whole seemingly normal, quaint town because all those giant grins and plastered smiles feel unnatural and off-putting to her--the queen of happification. The residents are walking around acting more like robots than ordinary ponies. Pinks be like, "Don't'cha be starin' at my flank, creeper! I'm-a quote Hamlet at y'all freaky faces!" Gotta love her expressions of disapproval. Logical Twilight notes the most obvious sign of the place's unusual nature: Everypony's got an equal sign for a cutie mark. And the same exact equal sign, no less.

Starlight Glimmer's hair DOES resemble Aria Blaze's, but I assume that if the Equestria Girls characters are going to show up in the series, then the Dazzlings...well, actually, would they still be sirens now? Or just turn into normal ponies? Oh, the ponderances! Answer them, show! I think I'm leaning towards them being ponies--but they regain their musical abilities on a normal level (i.e., good singers who don't cast evil spells by singing.) Duuuurrrr, where was I...? Oh, right. Hasbro, if you ever need any entry-level studio folk with Media/Film degrees, PLEASE do hit me up. It'd be a dream come true.

Yes, I greatly like the way they melded all of their inspirations into one--the town, the song, the individual characters that we meet...all very effective. I mean, I just recently saw The Giver, which was excellent. (Not to mention how I couldn't help noticing that Meryl's Chief Elder and Julianne's Coin could be sisters...'specially with the severe-looking sheets of possumy-grey hair...xD)
Sugar Belle with what I'll bet are probably the worst muffins in Equestria (talk about your baked bads!)--soon as she told them to meet her inside, it was like, "OOH, SHE A REBEL, HUR-HURR." 
I like the teal Pegasus' design. (And Sugar Belle's--but holy wtf, she looked NOTHING like her former self while de-marked. I didn't even recognize her.) Party Favor & Double Diamond are cute, too. I absolutely loved "In Our Town." (Which is a nameless town, apparently. Well, that seems rather fitting. The residents distinguish themselves in nothing BUT name, and if Starlight took that one step further, you'd HAVE Anthem!) Anyway--musical tours, whoo!! The lyrics are awesome. I particularly liked the anti-competition verse sung to Rainbow, as if they know her (well, by now everypony in Equestria SHOULD know her...and the rest...but how much of the outside world are these residents ever allowed to glimpse?) "You can't have a nightmare if you never dream."

"When the rest of Equestria sees that a princess gave up her cutie mark to join us, they'll finally understand what we're trying to accomplish." ._. You scare me, lady. Is she for real?! "WE ARE BORG. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE." Free-thinking, individuality, and uniqueness baaaaaad...you must become exactly like every one of us, or we can never be friends...

The way Starlight forced the one mare's mane into the standard braided pigtails...that was like whoa. 
And also, my obsession compels me to view her and the town as sort of the MLP counterpart of Coin and District 13, although Maud Pie bears a greater physical resemblance. xD Oh, Maud, how I adore you. You understand the obsessive. :'} I mean, even old Alma's not that whack, but just the idea of non-regulation clothes/hairstyles. (Although the town and its female residents do also call D12 to mind somewhat, especially with that common hairstyle.)

"We have...cloaks. And...muffins." Oy. XD Loved the dialog outside the (sorry excuse for a) bakery. "That and two bits'll getcha a cup of cider." My dad uses that old coffee line. And Pinkie's "What? I'm hungreeeee!" *slumps onto table, staring at Twilie* Adorable!
"I think we're being watched." "What makes you say that?!"
"I've accidentally eaten cardboard tastier than that!"
In the basement, the trio starts advancing on the mane six, trying to fake us into thinking they're either going to break into a malevolent "B-Movie Show"-esque song or steal their cutie marks right then and there. But no--they just want to talk about how dream of having theirs back, but don't dare to actually even request it. Nope, the actual trap is later, and (GODDAMMIT, PINKIE) far from being a glorious experience, the Cutie-Unmarking actually looks to be a rather miserable, painful process. Obviously they all succumb to Starlight's enforced lifestyle eventually, but thank Celestia (literally, I suppose) that our heroines are here to save them all from continued BS! 'Cause it starts working pretty quickly. Their colors become subdued, Rarity thinks hideous drapes are nice, Pinkie loses enthusiasm for fun, and so forth. 
"Meh, sorta...more pleasant than fun, I guess..."

"Oh, even tweets don't make sense anymore!" But Fluttershy, most never did!

Oh, the suspense when poor "easiest convert" Flutters was put on the spot!! And the constant auditory indoctrination/propaganda over the loudspeakers was great.
"...all that our little village has to offer." ...which ain't much! Unless you like revolting muffins, burlap cloaks, and bare, primitive cottages!

"Everypony is equal--but some ponies are more equal than others."
Turns out, of course, that Madame Dictator's conformist bullcrap rules don't apply to her. That is some powerful-ass magic she's got, to literally be able to steal one's identity and force them to live under false harmony. I mean, when you can take away Applejack's ability to countryism...! People are getting both "Communist" and "Nazi" from Starlight (not to mention cult leader), and frankly, they just bent the spectral line so that both extreme ends met and became one.

I'm gonna hazard a guess here that Starlight's never been appreciated for who she is, so she worked at developing magic that would permit her to become a leader to those she could convince of her peace-through-sameness philosophy.

Absolutely love the balloon-animal cutie mark/talent/binoculars/bridge. And the chess mark, and a few others in the vault (lollies! Puppy in a party hat!) Anyways...'kay now, I can only assume that we haven't seen the last of Starlight. Villains rarely make singular appearances, and thus far we have a nice roster going on the League of the Reformed...will she join? Will Twi's wise words get to her at all and start working their magic? She gon' tink 'bout it? And the most obvious question--where the hay'd she go? They didn't even try to follow her through the cave system, so, guess we'll just have to find out somewhere down the line. Even if it's in a comic.

-Pulsating cutie marks; "My cutie-butt-sense is tingling!" xD Well, that oughta be useful. And potentially annoying. AND WAS THAT DIAMOND MINT AT THE END, WTH, SHE MOVED INTO THAT STILL-NAMELESS TOWN?? ...Aiight, whatever...time for some "Friendship Is Witchcraft," "The Mentally Advanced Series," "Rainbow Dash Presents," & .MOV series, because they are all impossibly hysterically hilarious. 

Eta: Just saw Feeling Pinkie Keen yet again, and thought this:

Spike: Can you DO that? Can you explode twice?
Primrose: NO.
Katniss: Mother of fuck, the only reason I volunteered and started up this whole godforsaken mess in the first place was to protect that little shit-luck charm. x____x
;0;