Shannonigans

When Google took away the Friend Connect option for WordPress bloggers, I lost all of my followers so I started a new blogger account. I thought I'd test out running two identical blogs during the A to Z challenge and have quickly realized that it's just too much to manage. Therefore, I won't be updating this blog with future posts.

If you're looking for my blog, you can find me at shannoncyr.com.

Thanks!

Favorite Movie: Braveheart
I remember when I saw "Braveheart" for the first time - I was visiting my mom in California during winter break and she wanted to watch the movie with me. For reasons that are still unclear to me, I wasn't interested in seeing it. But, she insisted so I complied. I'm so glad I did. I knew the movie was going to be a massive, bloody epic; what I didn't expect was for it to contain so many explicit Shakespearean themes. I was especially moved with how it dealt with courage, sacrifice, friendship, love, and betrayal. Although many of today's critics bash "Braveheart" as a vanity piece, I still consider it a classic tragedy.

Little Known Fact: Bullied
I spent a majority of my childhood being bullied in one form or another. In the 5th grade, an older more popular girl, Susan, kept me from going to my best friend's birthday party, claiming she wouldn't go if I was invited. At 10, being uninvited from your best friend's birthday party is absolutely devastating. Unfortunately, that was the nicest of the affronts. Later that year, a group of boys started chasing and tormenting me on my way home from school. They would pin me down and grab me, threatening to kill my dog if I ever told anyone.

When I finally started middle school, my only friend, Dee, liked a boy, who had a crush on me. In a fit of jealously, Dee started a nasty rumor about me and this boy, turning me into the school slut. I had never even been kissed. I suffered an entire year of being kicked, slapped, spit on, and called names. This is when I learned how to forgive.

Bonus: Favorite Wine: Byron Pinot Noir
The flavor profile for Byron pinot noir is nothing that I expected. Usually, pinot noirs are a very fruit forward wine. The Byron, on the other handed opens with a hint of rose before moving into the fruity cherry and plum flavor. The finish was nice and earthy. It retails for $22.00 a bottle.

Favorite Movie: Adjustment Bureau
This is a love story disguised as a mind-meld sci-fi thriller. Since I'm a sucker for anything having to do with true love or soul mates, I had no choice but to fall in love with this movie. Plus, the chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt was so convincing, I couldn't help but root them. The premise and acting were strong enough to pull me into the story and make me overlook some of the film's less-than-plausible moments.

Little Known Fact: Acting
I was heavily into acting during high school. I was part of the drama club, I won a regional acting competition, and I did local community theater. I considered perusing a career in acting, but I never really felt the drive to make it my life's work so I retired before I began. I think part of the reason I love movies so much is because of my love for the craft.

Bonus: Favorite Wine: A to Z Pinot Noir
Ironically, my favorite "A" wine is named A to Z. This is a medium-bodied pinot noir that’s round and smooth. On the attack is ripe cherry and plum, which quickly dissolves into a spicy, earthy finish. It retails for $16.00 a bottle.

When InGoodMeasure.net asked me to craft an article on 10 Healthy Fast Food choices, I gladly accepted the assignment.

Making good choices at fast food chains has always been a challenge for me - if I'm actually sitting at a drive-through window, I'm so freaking hungry I'm willing to eat just about anything. But, if already have the knowledge of which options are healthier, I can make good choices when yelling my order into the sqwak box.

To see all 10 Healthy Fast Food choices, check out my article: http://bit.ly/HpydS3

After avoiding the commitment for two years in a row, I am finally participating in this year's A to Z blog Challenge.

For those unfamiliar with the challenge, over 1400 participants will be posting on a topic or word that matches the corresponding letter of the alphabet, starting with “A” on Sunday, April 1, then every day except Sundays after that. (B is April 2, C is April 3, etc.)

I am still posting my normal content in addition to the challenge, so this blog is going to see more action than the girls of Jersey Shore.

The hardest part of accepting the challenge was deciding what to post about. After considering the point of the challenge - to network with other bloggers - my topic choice became clear: me. To help my fellow A to Z bloggers learn more about me, I'll be sharing a few tidbits about myself everyday of the challenge:

1. My Favorite Movie
This was a no-brainer since I write movie reviews for a living. Aside from the fact that I love talking about movies, I think you can learn a lot about a person based on their choice of favorite films.

2. A Little Known Fact
I'll be dishing some juicy secrets about my life each day of the challenge. If you don't know much about me now, that will quickly be remedied by the end of the month. You have been warned.

3. Bonus: Favorite Wine
Considering that I'm a wino, I feel compelled to talk about wine whenever I can. I couldn't think of a favorite wine for every corresponding letter of the alphabet, so this topic will only appear on a few posts.

That's it! I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of my fellow bloggers during this challenge.

Wondering what happened to your favorite stars from "Family Matters?" Find out. #familymatters #wherearetheynow http://bit.ly/H0UHDU

Yesterday, I shared my review of "The Hunger Games" on DISH Network's entertainment blog, Celebutaunt. Today on my blog I'm sharing some "Hunger Games" movie trivia.

Casting
Katniss
Before Jennifer Lawrence won the role of Katniss, the producers considered several actors, including Abigail Breslin, Chloë Grace Moretz, Emily Browning, Emma Roberts, Hailee Steinfeld,  Kaya Scodelario, Lyndsy Fonseca, Mary Mouser,  Saoirse Ronan, and Shailene Woodley.

Peeta
The actors considered for the role of Peeta before Josh Hutcherson secured the role include Alex Pettyfer, Alexander Ludwig, Evan Peters, Hunter Parrish, Josh Hutcherson, Lucas Till, and Nico Tortorella.

Hair Color
Both Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth are natural blondes; they had to dye their hair brown for their respective roles of Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne. Conversely, John Hutcherson is a natural brunette, so he had to dye his hair blonde for his role of Peeta Mellark.

Costume Design
Legenary costume designer, Ve Neill, was the makeup department head for Hunger Games. She also lent her talent as a makeup designer for the movie. In fact, she was the one who created Seneca's captivating beard. Ve has also worked on the following movies: Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Hook, Batman Returns, The Chronicles of Riddick, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and Priest.

Budget
The movie's estimated budget was $100,000,000.

Box Office Sales
US weekend boxoffice sales were more than $150 million. That makes "The Hunger Games'" opening the third highest of all time. The top two movies are  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($169.1 million) and The Dark Knight ($158.4 million). However, it's important to note that "The Hunger Games" is the top selling non-sequel movie of the lot.

Modifications from the Book
The Mockingjay Pin
Since Madge doesn't exist in the movie, Katniss is given the pin for free. For those who have read the book, this is a stretch. The pin is made of gold and would be worth a lot of money.

Alliance with Rue
One of the reasons Katniss was so fond of Rue was because Rue reminded her of her sister, Primrose. It was implied but wasn't overtly stated. In the book, Katniss receives bread from District 11 as a thank you for her final farewell, but in the movie, District 11 starts a rebellion. Talk about a great lead into the movie sequel, Catching Fire.

Movie Continuity Issues
- When Primrose is walking toward her group of 12-year olds, the mockingjay pin is on her left, but when she is called as tribute, the pin is on her right.

- When Katniss starts to cut down the Tracker Jacker nest, she uses the knife's blade side, but the next cut shows the knife turned around so she's sawing into the tree with the serrated edge.

- By the end of the week of the games, Peeta is still clean shaven, despite his access to any toiletries.

- Tributes are supposed to hear a canon fire every time a tribute dies; however, there are no fires shot in the middle of the movie when three tribute die.

That's all I have for now. Do you have any facts or "Hunger Games" movie trivia to share?