The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutchenson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland. Directed by Francis Lawrence. Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy. Michael deBruyn. Based on the book Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Produced by Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik. Run Time: 146. Color. U.S. Science Fiction, Action, Adventure.

Feeling a little late to the party, Trophy Unlocked did finally see the latest Hunger Games film, Catching Fire. The film, released late November, has done phenomenal boxoffce, closing in on a billion dollars worldwide. Having seen the first, you sort of feel obligated to see the second and the inevitable third and fourth that will follow as the book trilogy is adapted into four films, the final book getting the Harry Potter treatment by maximizing return by spreading one book over multiple movies. (Perhaps the most blatant example is the trilogy made from The Hobbit book.)

Our lateness at seeing the film has a lot to do with our interest going in, though. Feeling obligated is not the same thing as anticipation. However, while I can say that Catching Fire is a better movie than The Hunger Games, it is not without its flaws.

Since the movie is still in theaters, I will dispense with a detailed plot summary. It’s enough to say that Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), and to a lesser extent, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), are viewed by the power that is, President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland), as a threat to the power of Capitol City over the Districts and to his own rule. So the Hunger Games rules are apparently revised, since none of the other victors seem to be aware of the clause, and the 75^th Hunger Games will be the Third Quarter Quell and exclusively include past champions. The hope is that Katniss, and the revolution she is inspiring, will die in the glory of the Games.

You say you want a revolution...

It is easy to see how Panem would be ripe for revolution. Every District seems to be a drab Gulag. The exception is Capitol City, which is a technicolor overload by comparison. No food in the Districts; well there is plenty in the Capitol, not to mention colorful clothing and opulent surroundings. You get a Roman Empire vibe from the political set up of the place and I guess the Hunger Games would be an equivalent to the Gladiators battling out to the amusement of everyone else.

The movie is both predictable and confusing. We know going in that Katniss survives, hell there are two more movies to come. But I will admit to occasionally getting lost trying to follow the plot. Some of that, I think, has to do with the film spending relatively no time establishing the supporting characters, so when they refer to someone by name, I really don’t know who they’re talking about, so I miss what they did while I’m trying to remember who they are and the downward spiral to confusion starts.

For all of you that have read the book, I’m sure the experience is somewhat different, as you know what names to listen for. Suzanne Collins seems to have named the characters from an ancient book of Roman baby names (which adds to the Empire vibe I mentioned earlier) combined with a London phone book, so the combinations are usually odd sounding to the uninitiated: Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), Claudius Templesmith (Toby Jones), Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone). At the same time, other names in the story seem to have been made up: Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), and BeeTee Latier (Jeffrey Wright). The first time I heard the name Peeta in this film, I honestly thought they were making some reference to PETA, the animal rights group.

But it’s more than odd sounding names, it’s that the film doesn’t let me get to know these characters or really care about them, so they turn into a blur of confusing similarly dressed people that I simply know are not Katniss and could be out to either harm or help her. The alliances the players form are just putting off the inevitable, so the person that helps you today will try to kill you tomorrow.

Non-Katniss participants in the 75th Hunger Games.
If you don't ask, I won't tell you I can't name them. 

The personal relationships seem muddied here as well. Katniss is in love with Gale, but in the official post-Games story she is romantically linked to Peeta. And while she wants to run away with Gale, she doesn’t want anything to happen to Peeta, even making people promise to spare him over her. That’s taking the play acting love affair to new heights. Perhaps she feels guilty about getting him involved in this, but that would have meant she killed him in the first one. Not sure about her motivation here, but again, maybe that’s fleshed out in the book.

Is this a love triangle or not?

This is something that I think the Harry Potter films were able to do better, as an example. While I had read some of that series and was more familiar with the characters, I still think those films did a better job for the unread in the audience. I get the feeling the Hunger Games films rely more on the books to fill in gaps than the Potter movies did. (And that is not to say all the Potter films were great.)

The film, whatever I might think about the story, is well acted. Add Philip Seymour Hoffman to the growing list of actors I wouldn’t have expected to be in this film, along with Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Jennifer Lawrence. Not to mention Amanda Plummer and Jeffrey Wright, who appear as minor characters as past Hunger Games victors.

By now, if you were going to see the movie you probably already have (spect a lot of you saw it more than once) and are anxiously waiting for the next two sequels in the quadrilogy. If you’re sitting on the fence, haven’t seen the first one or read the books, then you’ve got some homework to do. At least see the first film before you go to see this. And the shorter time between viewing the first and its sequel, the better. There were some plot points from the first one that, not having read the book, faded from memory in the year plus since I’d seen it.

The Hunger Games - Why I'm Still Hungry

THE HUNGER GAMES (2012) Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutchenson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland. Directed by Gary Ross. Screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray. Based on the book by Suzanne Collins. Produced by Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik. Run Time: 142. Color. U.S. Science Fiction, Action, Adventure.

Before I start this review, I should admit that I have never read any of the books by Suzanne Collins. However, a movie should stand on its own and not necessarily be judged by how well it follows the book it is based on. And to be honest, there may be some things that the book explains better than the movie does. A book can take pages and pages to explain something that the movie has to do in a few minutes or less. Things like the premise, which passes before the movie audience in a few frames of text.

Being new to the world of The Hunger Games, I don’t believe that the movie makes the premise all that believable. Because the districts, which are numbered rather than named, revolted against their country, the 12 districts must pay tribute by putting up two teenagers, one boy and one girl, to fight to the death in what will be called the Hunger Games. These games, which would make what the Romans did seem almost tame, are broadcast to the 12 districts. In only one is there a riot, when you would imagine there would be revolts every year in every district and their innocent children are taken to their deaths by the state. It would stand to reason that the Games would lead to the same behavior that they were designed to curb.

And people watch as the tributes, what the combatants are called, are interviewed by Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) when they know that most of them will be dead in a matter of days. How horrifying it is that the interviews are conducted in such a civil and carefree manner. And the leader of the country, President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) has as much concern for his countrymen, especially those in Districts 10, 11 and 12 as one would have for a housefly. One wonders what kind of government this country has since the President is treated more like a king.

I won’t go into too much detail about the plot of the film, since it is still out in the theaters. However, there are points where I felt the movie dragged (the beginning) and motivations that seemed to be questionable at best. I couldn’t understand how in a one against the rest contest why five of them would band together when in the end, they would have to kill each other to win. Nor did I understand why Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) would be so willing to help her fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) after he betrayed her.

That aside, I did find myself rooting for Katniss. But I think that has as much to do with Lawrence’s acting abilities as with how well the story is told. I also thought that about Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, a former victor in the Games who serves as a drunken but supportive mentor to the two contestants from District 12. I was also impressed by Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, the stylist for the District 12 tributes. Tucci, who plays Caesar as an over the top version of his own character Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada, is usually always good in the parts that he plays.

On the other side of the coin, while I’m a big fan of Donald Sutherland’s I’m not sure what he brought to the character of the President that any older male actor couldn’t. But I have to assume Sutherland has bills to pay like everyone else. The part seemed to be a bit of a waste of his talents.

Again, while I don’t know if this comes from the book or not, but the costumes for those who live in the Capitol (the Capitol’s name), dress in polar opposite to the drab outfits worn in the districts (at least 11 and 12). But their outfits are over the top, not only in their bright colors, but the fashion is Dr. Seuss meets Brazil (the film not the country) meets the 1940s. It was so out there that it almost seems incongruent with a culture that thinks teenagers killing each other with arrows, spears and blunt instruments is good entertainment.

So bottom line, would I recommend this film? If you’re a fan of the book, no doubt you’ve already gone, judging by the opening weekend gross that was north of $150 million and are making plans to see it again. But if you’re like me and have not read the books, the only reason to go would be to see what all the fuss is supposed to be about. Otherwise, you might be better served holding on to your money to see the summer blockbusters The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man, which are both coming out later this year.

Stubs - Big Night

Big Night (1996) Starring: Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Isabella Rossellini, Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci. Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci. Screenplay by Joseph Tropiano and Stanley Tucci. Produced by David Kirkpatrick and Jonathan Filley Runtime 107 minutes. US. Color. Drama

Independent movies, like their studio counterparts, can be very hit and miss. Oftentimes, though, the goal is to make a good movie and not necessarily a lot of money. [My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) is an exception to the rule. Made on a budget of $5 million, that Canadian-American romantic comedy would go on to earn nearly $370 million at the box office.] While no one would turn down a wheelbarrow full of cash, it really is the quality of the work that will live on long after the money is spent. That’s why we celebrate classic Hollywood cinema, not because of the box office the film might have earned, but because when the work is good, we want to see it over and over again.

Such is the case with Big Night, a film co-written and co-directed by Stanley Tucci. Made on what had to be a, pardon the pun, spaghetti thin budget of $4.1 million, Big Night really seems to capture the mood of the time. Set on the New Jersey Shore in the 1950s, Big Night tells the story of two recent Italian immigrant brothers, Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and his younger brother, Secondo (Tucci). Together, they run a small Italian restaurant, Paradise. Primo is the chef and closely follows traditional cooking he learned back in Abruzzo. Primo openly dislikes American ideas of what makes an Italian dinner. We see him get enraged when a female customer wants a side dish of spaghetti and meatballs to go along with her order of seafood risotto. He can’t understand why she would want a starch to go with a starch. He wonders if he should make her mashed potatoes as well.

Secondo manages Paradise and he is concerned about the restaurant’s future. Unlike his brother, whose whole life seems to revolve around food, Secondo is interested in the possibilities and promise of their new home, America.

Primo is not sold on staying, contemplating an offer from their uncle to return to Rome and work in his restaurant. Secondo, no matter what, has no intentions of ever going back.

Despite the quality of the food, Paradise is failing. Their lone employee is a busboy named Cristiano (Marc Anthony). The restaurant is in direct competition with Pascal’s (Ian Holm) self-named much more successful one which is just across the street. There they serve Americanized Italian cuisine and have a full house every night because of it.

Secondo (Stanley Tucci) has trouble committing to his girlfriend, Phyllis (Minnie Driver).

Because he is struggling to keep his business going, the bank refuses to give the brothers more time to pay back their business loan, Secondo has trouble committing to his girlfriend, Phyllis (Minnie Driver). Further, she wants to remain chaste until they tie the knot. To that end, Secondo is sleeping with Pascal’s younger wife, Gabriella (Isabella Rossellini).

Rival Pascal (Ian Holm) offers to help Secondo and Primo (Tony Shalhoub), but he doesn't.

Secondo goes to Pascal looking for a loan, but while Pascal says he likes the brothers and wants them to come work with him, he can’t come up with the money they need. But instead of money, Pascal offers to persuade popular Italian-American singer Louis Prima to dine at Paradise when he is in town. The assumption is having a big name dine there will help revitalize the boy’s business. Primo hasn’t heard of Louis Prima, but Secondo knows what a potential publicity event this would be. He finally confesses to Primo the financial precipice the restaurant is teetering on and Primo steps up preparing a timpano for the occasion. (If you haven’t seen the film, a timpano is a complicated baked pasta dish, which you will definitely want after the movie.)

Secondo and Cristiano (Mark Anthony) admire Primo's Timpano.

The brothers spend nearly all of their life savings on the big night and Secondo invites anyone and everyone, including the produce deliveryman, Bob (Campbell Scott), a car dealer who tempted Secondo with a Cadillac and a newspaper reporter, not to mention Pascal, Gabriella, Phyllis and Ann (Allison Janney), a widow who runs the florist, on whom the shy Primo has an unexpressed crush.

Primo has a crush on Ann (Allison Janney), who also gets invited to the Big Night.

As they wait for Prima to arrive, the guests indulge in Primo’s exquisitely made dishes and a celebration starts. Eventually, it becomes apparent that Prima is not coming. Phyllis catches Secondo and Gabriella kissing and runs off to the beach. At Gabriella's insistence, Pascal finally admits that he never called Louis Prima, thus ending the party.

All the party is missing is the guest of honor Louis Prima.

Secondo follows Phyllis to the beach where they have a final quarrel. Primo and Secondo also argue, hashing out their differences. Pascal admits to Secondo that he had set up the brothers for failure; but not as revenge for Secondo's affair with Gabriella. He wanted to force the brothers to either return to Italy or come work for him. Secondo tells Pascal that the brothers will never work for him.

As dawn breaks, the brothers return to Paradise, where Secondo silently cooks an omelet. When done, he divides it among three plates, one for Cristiano, one for himself and one for Primo. The two brothers eat without speaking and lay their arms across one another's shoulders in a sign of family solidarity.

At the end of the Big Night, Secondo and Primo share breakfast and their future.

While their future looks bleak, it is clear that the two brothers will face it together. A lot is left unsettled, but that’s partly the point of the movie. We’re peeking into a day in the life of two brothers, both chasing unattainable dreams. Primo wants to be the best cook and change American expectations for Italian cuisine, while Secondo wants to live the good life of the American dream: beautiful women and luxury cars.

In many ways, this is a small film with small ambitions, just like Primo and Secondo. But unlike the Paradise, the film succeeds at all levels. The story stays true to itself. These are all flawed people in some ways. Secondo can’t commit to Phyllis, but has no qualms about sleeping with the wife of another man whom he turns to for help. Primo doesn’t have the right temperament to be a successful chef, he is unwilling to adapt to attract more clientele. And Pascal is perhaps the most flawed, ruining the livelihood of two men he pretends to like. He has already won the competition between the restaurants, but he is not happy until he has vanquished his rivals.

A labor of love for Scott and Tucci, who had been friends since high school, the film was a breakthrough of sorts for both actors. The film captures the right mood and look of the era in which it takes place. Big Night makes you long for homemade Italian food and for more films like this.

Tucci was still on TV in his role as Richard Cross on Murder One (1995-96) when this film opened theatrically. After this film, it is sad that Tucci has not done more directing. This was the first of only four films he helmed, including The Impostors (1998), Joe Gould’s Secret (2000) and Blind Date (2007), none of which has resonated the way Big Night has. Instead, he has concentrated on acting, appearing in mostly supporting roles in films like Deconstructing Harry (1997), Road to Perdition (2002), Maid in Manhattan (2002), The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Julie & Julia (2009). A very versatile actor, it is sad in a way that modern audiences know him best as Caesar Flickerman, the over-the-top TV host in The Hunger Games (2012), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015).

Tucci and Scott co-directed Big Night.

Campbell Scott, the son of George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst has not been quite as busy as Tucci. While they both earned their equity cards by appearing in a Broadway play Dewhurst was co-starring in, their careers have taken divergent paths. Scott’s breakthrough performance came opposite Julia Roberts in Dying Young (1991). He had also appeared in Singles (1992) and as Peter Benchley in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994). Since Big Night, he has worked in both TV and film, most recently narrating the History Channel series The Men Who Built America (2012). He has also appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and its sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). His role in Big Night is rather small, but his contribution to the overall film was in a more important role as co-director.

One other actor to comment on from this film is Tony Shalhoub. His first major role was in the TV series Wings (1991-97) in which he played mechanic Antonio Scarpacci. He would later find success as Monk in a series by the same name which ran on the USA network from 2002-2009. A very versatile actor, Shalhoub has appeared in such films as Barton Fink (1991), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), IQ (1994), Men in Black (1997), Galaxy Quest (1999), Spy Kids (2001), Men in Black II (2002) and Cars (2006). His performance as Primo is one of the highlights of Big Night.

I could go on and on, but everyone deserves some mention for their acting prowess and the gravitas they bring to their roles in this film.

Instead, I would rather recommend Big Night to anyone who wants to see a good movie and who loves Italian food. Because afterward, you’ll want to see the movie again while eating a slice of timpano.

Stubs – Capote

Capote (2005) Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins, Jr. Directed by Bennett Miller. Screenplay by Dan Futterman, based on the book, Capote, by Gerald Clarke. Produced by Caroline Baron, William Vince, Michael Ohoven Run time 114 minutes. US. Color. Biography, Drama.

The recent death of Philip Seymour Hoffman led us to watch Capote. But that is not the only reason I was interested in this movie. Truman Capote was a well-known writer of such short stories as “A Christmas Memory”, and novels like Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948), The Grass Harp (1951) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1956), prior to writing In Cold Blood. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to hear him read aloud A Christmas 

Memory at a speaking engagement, so I was curious if Hoffman’s Capote would ring true to me.

The real Truman Capote at about the time depicted in the movie.

Three years after the publication of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and already a fixture on the New York society scene, known for his wit, Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) comes across a story in the New York Times about the cold-blooded killing of the four members of the Clutter family. Capote calls The New Yorker magazine editor William Shawn (Bob Balaban) to tell him that he plans to document the tragedy.

Capote travels to Kansas with his childhood friend and fellow writer Nelle Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). Capote intends to interview those who knew the Clutter family, using Lee as his go-between and facilitator. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s lead detective on the case, Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper), brushes Capote off, but his wife Marie (Amy Ryan) is a fan of Capote's writing and persuades Dewey to invite Capote and Lee to their house for dinner. Star struck, Marie is shown as captivated by Capote's stories of working on Beat the Devil, starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Huston.

Capote (Hoffman) is a bit of a fish out of water in Kansas,
even though he's travelling with his friend, Harper Lee (Keener).

While they’re still investigating in Kansas, Lee hears about her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, which she has been working on for years, has been accepted for publication by Lippincott. The book, Lee’s only novel, would go onto to sell 30 million copies and be made into a major motion picture.

Over time and over drinks, Dewey warms up to Capote and allows him and Lee to view the photographs of the murder scene. The Deweys are in fact having dinner with Lee and Capote when the murder suspects, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and Richard "Dick" Hickock (Mark Pellegrino), are caught. Capote watches from the sidelines as the two are returned to Kansas to stand trial.

The Deweys warm up to Capote and Lee over drinks and dinner.

Flattering the Sheriff’s wife, Dorothy Sanderson (Araby Lockhart), and by bribing her with a signed copy of one of his books, Capote gains access to the Sheriff’s living quarters inside the courthouse. In their kitchen is a cell in which Perry is being kept. Capote begins to form an attachment to Smith and informs Shawn of his intent to expand the story from a piece in the New Yorker into a full-length book.

In the movie, Capote has the murderers pose for photos by Richard
 Avedon (Adam Kimmel) to be used with his New Yorker story.
Here Capote poses with Perry Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.)

Following the trial and conviction, Capote is able to gain continued access to the murderers by bribing Warden Marshall Krutch (Marshall Bell). Capote spends the following years regularly visiting Smith and learning about his life. At some point, Capote goes on a much promised trip to Morocco and Spain with his romantic partner, Jack Dunphy (Bruce Greenwood), where he writes the first three parts of his book.

Capote becomes emotionally attached to Smith despite the gruesomeness of the murders. But for a long time, Smith refuses to tell Capote about that night in 1959, which angers Capote. But after a lot of persuasion, Smith finally goes into great details about the murder, telling Capote that he snapped and killed Mr. Clutter and then the rest of the family.

Capote grows exasperate while legal appeals drag on in the courts. The convicts ask for his help in finding them a new lawyer, but Capote claims he can’t find one. He is truly more concerned about having an ending for his book, rather than the lives of Smith and Hickock or for justice for the Clutters. In the meantime, To Kill a Mockingbird becomes a best-seller and is made into a motion picture, both things which surprise and annoy Capote.

Lee confronts a less than celebratory Capote at the after-party
 following the premiere of the film, To Kill a Mockingbird.

When their last appeal is rejected by the Supreme Court, Smith and Hickock are hanged, with Smith's hanging being explicitly shown. Capote, who was a witness, tells Lee how horrifying the experience was and laments that he could not have done anything to stop it. She replies, "Maybe not; the fact is you didn't want to." This is the last line of the film. The next and last scene shows Capote looking at photos from the case as well as writings and drawings given to him by Smith.

Capote tells Lee about witnessing the hangings of Smith and Hickock.

The book, In Cold Blood, which is one of the first examples of a non-fiction novel, is a pioneering work in what is now called true crime genre. While writing about a real life event, Capote did fictionalize some of the events and dialogue to suit the story, so it crosses the line between fiction and nonfiction. First published as a four-part serial in The New Yorker magazine, beginning on September 25, 1965, the book was published by Random House in January 1966. While it was a best seller, it was also the last book Capote would publish during his life time. Answered Prayers, a book Capote had in the works since 1958, wasn’t published until 1986 in England and 1987 in the US, but then as an unfinished novel. Publication of a chapter from the book, Le Cote Basque 1965, published in Esquire magazine in 1975, led to Capote’s being ostracized from the New York social scene, as people feared he would make their private lives and foibles public.   

In Cold Blood, a film based on the book, was released in December 1967. Directed by Richard Brooks, the film starred Robert Blake as Perry Smith, Scott Wilson as Dick Hickock, John Forsythe as Alvin Dewey and features Paul Stewart as a reporter.

Capote on location for In Cold Blood with actors Robert Blake and Scott Wilson.

A miniseries was also made in 1996 based on the book and was broadcast on CBS. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan, the series starred Anthony Edwards as Dick Hickock, Eric Roberts as Perry Smith and Sam Neill as Alvin Dewey.

Capote is not the only film based upon his research for his book. In 2006, the film Infamous starring Toby Jones as Capote was released. Based on the 1997 George Plimpton book: Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career, Infamous unfortunately covers much of the same ground as Capote. Despite a cast which included Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee, Daniel Craig as Perry Smith and Jeff Daniels as Alvin Dewey, the film was, as they say, a dollar short and a day late. Despite rave reviews for Jones’ impersonation of Capote, the film made only $2.6 million on a budget of $13 million. The film also took some liberties with the story, fabricating a sexual encounter between Capote and Perry Smith that never happened.

While the real selling point of Capote is Hoffman’s portrayal of the author, the film itself is rather slow moving. The act of writing is not a spectator sport, so fortunately little screen time is spent on actual typing. The pace is leisurely to say the least, making moments when there is action, as when Smith recounts the actual murders, all the more horrifying as they are like exclamation points when you’ve only been using commas and semi-colons.

Truman Capote does not come off well in the portrayal. While he is witty and can appear empathetic, he is ultimately a user of people. His only real interest in Smith and Hickock is that they’re a good story. While he initially is willing to help them, by finding a lawyer for their appeal, he stops helping when their death sentence delays prevent him from finishing his book. He is also seen as petty as he does not participate in the success of Lee’s novel. While he is initially happy for her, he become bitter when her fame eclipses his, if only temporarily. Lee would never write another book after To Kill a Mockingbird, though it remains one of the great novels of the 20^th century.

Philip Seymour Hoffman received just about every acting award you could for the movie. While I don't know how accurate his portrayal was for the private Capote, he does seem to capture the public persona down to the mannerisms and his way of speaking. A talented actor, Hoffman made numerous appearances on Broadway, last appearing in 2012 as Willy Loman in the revival of Death of a Salesman. He also appeared in films since 1991. The movies he appeared in include: Twister (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Flawless (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Cold Mountain (2003), Strangers with Candy (2005), Mission: Impossible III (2006),  Doubt (2008), Moneyball (2011), The Master (2012), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). He will appear in the still to be released The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and its sequel, Part 2 (2015). Hoffman died of a drug overdose on February 2, 2014.

The screenplay by Dan Futterman also received a lot of acclaim. Nominated for, but not winning, the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, it marks the one and only screenplay written by Futterman, an acting friend of Hoffman's as well as a friend of director Bennett Miller. Since then he's been writing and producing for television, including the HBO drama In Treatment starring Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest that ran for three seasons.

Capote is not a feel good movie, nor was it intended to be. But it has some great acting and a good story, which the film takes its time telling. While the pace might be too slow for some, the film is ultimately worth watching at least once. But I can see why, after sitting through Capote, the world wasn’t anxious to do it again when Infamous came out the next year. Ultimately, Capote is an interesting look at the background of a best-selling book and the author who wrote it.

A Celebration of 300 Reviews

In the year 2010, I had gotten the idea of trying to review stuff, but I didn't want to just be another face in the crowd. I'll admit (probably with regret) that I started posting reviews of new games I played onto my DeviantArt account with some mild success (I think all of one person read my material, but that was good enough for me). Being young and enthusiastic, I decided to look at blogging as an alternative way to give my opinions, deciding upon a name and style while waiting in line to see Tron: Legacy at the El Capitan. When I finally got home, I gleefully set up Trophy Unlocked with the intention of doing text reviews and posted a review of Tron: Legacy, not knowing where this endeavor would take me. Early on I decided that my brother (Tetris_King) should be a regular contributor and managed to coax him into the idea with a review of Tron: Evolution. As this project went forth, I also added my dad (lionsroar) and a friend (colortwelve) to the lineup to help add some meat to the blog (the latter has posted an average of one review a year since 2011).

A little over two years and 300 reviews later, it's amazing to think about how we've managed to stick with it and update on a regular basis. While our audience may be small, we keep going anyway because we enjoy doing this and see this also as a good writing exercise. If you decide to read these reviews from this post, you'll probably notice that the writing, particularly from Tetris_King and I, has improved over time as we've figured out how to better articulate our opinions.

Below now is a tidal wave of links to every single review we've done up to this point (excluding Duty Calls: The Calm Before the Storm, as it is an April Fool's review), broken up into chunks of 25 so as to be easier on the eyes. To give an idea of what type of medium the review is for, the numbers at the side will be color coded as such: Movie, Video Game, Comic Book and DLC (Comics are still marked as such to help differentiate themselves from their parent series at a glance).

1. Tron: Legacy
2. Back to the Future (Trilogy)
3. Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 1: It's About Time
4. Tangled
5. Tron: Evolution
6. True Grit
7. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
8. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
9. Bejeweled 3
10. DJ Hero 2
11. Dead Space
12. LittleBigPlanet 2
13. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
14. Tropic Thunder
15. Dead Space 2
16. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
17. The Social Network
18. The Green Hornet
19. Digger HD
20. Stacking
21. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
22. Bulletstorm
23. Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 2: Get Tannen!
24. Rango
25. Duke Nukem

26. Duke Nukem II
27. Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown
28. Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 3: Citizen Brown
29. A Hard Day's Night
30. Casablanca
31. Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
32. Duke Nukem: Zero Hour
33. Portal 2
34. The Maltese Falcon
35. Mortal Kombat (2011)
36. Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 4: Double Visions
37. Thor
38. Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes
39. Kung Fu Panda
40. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
41. L.A. Noire
42. Kung Fu Panda 2
43. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
44. Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
45. Infamous
46. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
47. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
48. Infamous 2
49. Duke Nukem Forever
50. Super 8

51. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
52. Dragon Age II
53. Green Lantern
54. Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 5: OUTATIME
55. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
56. American McGee's Alice
57. Cars 2
58. Transformers (2007)
59. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
60. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Film)
61. Alice: Madness Returns
62. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Game)
63. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
64. Double Indemnity
65. City Lights
66. Notorious
67. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
68. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
69. The Wizard of Oz
70. Sherlock, Jr.
71. Sunrise
72. Hannah And Her Sisters
73. Catherine
74. Tron: Legacy (Second Opinion)
75. Captain America: The First Avenger

76. Catherine (Second Opinion)
77. Cowboys & Aliens
78. Assassin's Creed
79. Patton
80. Confessions of a Nazi Spy
81. Footlight Parade
82. Assassin's Creed II
83. The Bridge on the River Kwai
84. God of War: Chains of Olympus
85. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
86. God of War: Betrayal
87. Batman: Arkham Asylum
88. Eye of the Needle
89. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
90. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
91. God of War Origins Collection
92. Footloose (1984)
93. Footloose (2011)
94. Dead Rising 2: Off The Record
95. Alien
96. Batman: Arkham City
97. Infamous: Festival of Blood
98. On The Town
99. Tension
100. Ratchet & Clank

101. Lost in America
102. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
103. The Big Lebowski
104. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
105. The Matrix
106. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
107. Hugo
108. Hulk Vs
109. The Adventures of Tintin
110. Saint's Row: The Third
111. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
112. The Bishop's Wife
113. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
114. The Shop Around The Corner
115. Tron
116. It's A Wonderful Life
117. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
118. Arthur Christmas
119. The Artist
120. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
121. Rayman Origins
122. The Bank Dick
123. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
124. The Darkness
125. The Darkness: Levels (Comic)

126. Jak II
127. Ratchet: Deadlocked
128. Wings
129. The Last Airbender
130. Gears of War
131. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
132. Saints Row: The Third (Second Opinion)
133. Hot Rod
134. Jak 3
135. NeverDead
136. Ghost Rider
137. The Darkness II: Confession (Comic)
138. Secret Agent Clank
139. The Expendables
140. The Darkness II
141. Help!
142. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
143. Twisted Metal (2012)
144. Magical Mystery Tour
145. Yellow Submarine
146. Asura's Wrath
147. Asura's Wrath (Second Opinion)
148. Let It Be
149. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
150. Flower

151. This Is Spinal Tap
152. Journey
153. Journey (Second Opinion)
154. The Day of the Locust
155. Stranger on the Third Floor
156. I Am Alive
157. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
158. Asura's Wrath Episode 11.5
159. The Hunger Games
160. You Can't Take It With You
161. Devil May Cry
162. Devil May Cry 2
163. Iron Man
164. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
165. Asura's Wrath Episode 15.5
166. Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
167. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
168. The Incredible Hulk
169. Ratchet & Clank (Comic)
170. Iron Man 2
171. Devil May Cry 4
172. Thor (Second Opinion)
173. Asura's Wrath Episode Pack Part IV
174. Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
175. Captain America: The First Avenger (Second Opinion)

176. The Avengers
177. Asura's Wrath Lost Episode 1
178. The Killer That Stalked New York
179. The Avengers (Second Opinion)
180. Asura's Wrath Lost Episode 2
181. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoonus
182. Men in Black
183. Men in Black II
184. Men in Black 3
185. Taxi
186. Jak X: Combat Racing
187. Mildred Pierce
188. Madagascar
189. Snow White and the Huntsman
190. Dark Passage
191. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
192. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
193. Out of the Past
194. Sly 2: Band of Thieves
195. Daxter
196. Prometheus
197. Lollipop Chainsaw
198. Lollipop Chainsaw (Second Opinion)
199. The Asphalt Jungle
200. Darksiders

201. Beetlejuice
202. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One
203. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One (Second Opinion)
204. Quantum Conundrum
205. The Incredibles
206. Brave
207. Quantum Conundrum (Second Opinion)
208. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode Two
209. Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode Two (Second Opinion)
210. He Walked By Night
211. Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3
212. Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 (Second Opinion)
213. Spider-Man
214. The Amazing Spider-Man
215. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
216. Batman Begins
217. The Dark Knight
218. The Dark Knight Rises
219. Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
220. Total Recall (1990)
221. Transformers: War for Cybertron
222. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
223. The Transformers: The Movie
224. The Transformers: The Movie (Second Opinion)
225. Uncharted (Comic)

226. Super Mario Bros. (Film)
227. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
228. Vivacious Lady
229. Singin' in the Rain
230. The Coca-Cola Kid
231. Darksiders II
232. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Film)
233. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
234. 3 Days of the Condor
235. The Expendables 2
236. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (Second Opinion)
237. Lady and the Tramp
238. Raiders of the Lost Ark
239. Scoop
240. World of Warcraft: Pearl of Pandaria (Comic)
241. Mirror's Edge
242. Nosferatu
243. Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
244. The Cabin in the Woods
245. Mirror's Edge (Comic)
246. Dr. No
247. The Sly Collection
248. Flow (PS3)
249. Journey Collector's Edition
250. Psycho

251. Bleach: Soul Resurrección
252. Cloud
253. The Unfinished Swan
254. The Phantom of the Opera (1943)
255. Forrest Gump
256. Gears of War 2
257. God of War
258. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
259. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Second Opinion)
260. Wreck-It Ralph
261. Citizen Kane
262. God of War II
263. Assassin's Creed III
264. Beautiful Katamari
265. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (Comic)
266. Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
267. Boy Meets Girl
268. Platinum Blonde
269. Skyfall
270. Bully
271. Die Hard
272. One Piece: Pirate Warriors
273. Duke Nukem: Glorious Bastard (Comic)
274. Devil May Cry: HD Collection
275. Sunset Boulevard

276. Die Hard 2
277. Metal Gear Solid (Disc 1) (Disc 2)
278. God of War (Comic)
279. 2012
280. RED
281. Bleach: Memories of Nobody
282. Finding Nemo
283. Labyrinth
284. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
285. Lincoln
286. Darksiders II: Death's Door (Comic)
287. Touch My Katamari
288. When Harry Met Sally
289. Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
290. Skylanders: Giants
291. Sleeping Beauty
292. Alan Wake
293. Alan Wake: The Signal
294. Alan Wake: The Writer
295. Gravity Rush
296. Argo
297. God of War Collection
298. DmC Devil May Cry
299. DmC Devil May Cry (Second Opinion)
300. 300

As an added bonus, here's a statistic of how many of each medium we have reviewed (so you don't have to figure it out):

Movies: 154
Video Games: 129
Comics: 10
DLC: 7

Here's to the next 100 reviews to come!