These Are a Few of My Favorite Things - in Entertainment

So...I've been MIA for about 4 months because I work at a Summer Camp which pretty much RULES MY LIFE between May 15 and August 15th.  So, there are lots of things that I've read/watched/seen, etc. that i need to catch everyone up on.  Now, without further ado - the list of things that make me jump up and down in excitement/anticipation.

NUMBER ONE:

I DEVOURED these books (pun intended).  The best way I can describe them is this: The action/adventure of Harry Potter married the romantic angst of Twilight, and they had a baby and named it The Hunger Games.  The plot is fantastic; the characters complex and mulit-dimensional; the protagonists sympathetic; the antagonists deliciously despicable.  If I have one gripe it's that the series ends after only three books.  Of course, that's not fair to Suzanne Collins, but if she could write twenty more books about Katniss Everdeen, I'd pay my hard-earned money for each one.

SECOND

Watch the teaser trailer HERE

I loved the books so much, I'm anxious to see how the movie's going to work out.

THIRD:

Although I'm not a big Seth Rogen fan, I have never been disappointed in any movie starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Add to that the wonderful Anna Kendrick (who, as Jessica Stanley, outshone everyone except Billy Burke in Twilight, and an oscar-nominated turn in This Little Movie with George Clooney).  I really can't wait to go watch it.

THIRD:

Young Adult Sci-Fi at its finest.  Seriously.  This is the second book in the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore.  The first book, I Am Number Four, was turned into a movie and came out in February of this year and grossed 144.5 million this year at the box office.  Not bad.  Maybe this'll be optioned for a movie, too.  I know I'd go see it.

FOURTHLY:
Anna Karenina Movie

I have no idea how they're going to do it, but director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement) is directing the big screen adaptation of Anna Karenina.  See the IMDB page Here.  The movie stars Keira Knightly as Anna Karenina, Jude Law as Alexei Karenin, Aaron Johnson as Count Vronsky, and Matthew McFadyen as Oblonsky...among others (seen above).  Having read the book several years ago, I'm super excited to see how this thing is going to turn out.  The films set to release in 2012, and I'm already holding my breath.

FINALLY (for now):

Hosted by a charming Nick Lachey, and judged by the musically-brilliant Ben Folds (of Ben Folds Five), the experienced and multi-awarded Shawn Stockman (of Boyz II Men), and the talented Sara Barellies.  This is, in my opinion, the BEST singing competition on TV today.  No instruments to mask pitch problems; no back-up singers who overpower lead vocalists; no judges more worried about reviving their own careers than helping people start in the business; no opening rounds filled with people whose voices sound like nails on a chalkboard or cats in heat; and no lecherous Steven Tyler leering at ever girl who walks in with a pretty face and nice rack.  This show is pure, unadulterated vocal brilliance, and, to top it all off, everybody on the show seems to get along.  It can't get any better than that!