"Whatever happens here, we remain."

I spent a lot of waking days waiting for this moment, and now that it has finally come, how could I possibly explain how it feels?

It's like getting the wind knocked out of you. It's like one of those moments when you hold your breath and you feel like you ran out of oxygen. It's like you can't breathe out of sheer anticipation. I've been trying to think of other ways to describe it as succinctly as possible but my thoughts are all over the place.

I'm reacting like this because I saw Catching Fire on its first screening earlier today and man, it left me speechless!

The whole train ride going to the office after was spent taking down notes of my 'feels' and being enveloped in the movie's awesomeness. I'm trying to think if I'm just being biased - Catching Fire is my favorite book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy after all - but no, I seriously think the movie's flawless.

It certainly helps when the movie that precedes yours becomes a blockbuster since it's almost always given a no holds barred budget. Even by watching the trailers, you can tell that no expense is spared in making this. Rightfully so, as I feel that even though I think the first movie was great (I watched it thrice in the big screen!), I didn't think the divide between the Capitol and the rest of the other districts in Panem was displayed that much. Here, the Capitol is much grander, more ostentatious, more boisterous. The costumes are a lot better, too. But like the first movie, this one is another condensed, yet expanded version of the book, since the book is told through Katniss Everdeen's point of view. You'll know when you see it.

I am not a purist when it comes to book-to-movie adaptations but I do agree that you can only do so much with the source material. As it is, let me tell you that The Hunger Games : Catching Fire is probably the best book-to-movie adaptation I have seen. EVER. I've reread the book fairly recently and watching the scenes unfold in the cinema earlier was like having the book read to me again, only this time it has visuals! There are some things they had to change due to time constraints and everything but they were all very minor. Given the circumstances, the director Francis Lawrence and the rest of the producing team, the cast, and crew did a great job in staying faithful to the book. 

I hate giving spoilers, but please give me this. I get a special thrill when characters break down the fourth wall, and when that happened so bravely, so defiantly, well, I wanted to stand up and clap my hands so bad.

Now I'm looking forward to the last two movies (since Mockingjay is going to be divided into two). See that is what I'm talking about when I said you should never run out of things to get excited about. ;) But before that, I'm going to another screening of the movie tonight care of Nuffnang Philippines and PLDT Home. I've seen movies more than once before, but this is the first time I'm actually seeing one twice on the same day.

Took the Catching Fire geekery a little bit further by wearing my

Mockingjay necklace...

and an under-the-sea charm bracelet as a tribute to Finnick.

Come and make sure to catch the movie! Even if you haven't read the books, just make sure you saw the first movie and you're set.

Happy Quarter Quell!