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It was about 5:50PM when I hit the ticket booth after deciding not to pay Fandango's extortion charge. The original plan was to squeeze into the 6:15 showing, but alas, it had sold out as I approached the counter. I opted for the next showing at 6:45.

A smart idea.

After a brief visit to the popcorn stand it was time to head in. Much to my amazement this movie was so popular that the theatre management had set up cattle corral rope fencing to maintain a line into the theatre. After standing in line for about 20 minutes they finally let us in, and I was thankful that I was at the front of the line. Again the show was sold out and as I sat in my seat munching on my popcorn I watched as every seat filled up and couples were left having to sit away from each other as only single seats were left.

Ok, ok, on to the movie.

The film is set in the future where the world is torn between two distinct classes - The very rich and the working class. Not a stretch these days either. Apparently there was some type of uprising about 100 years prior that forced the government to wage a battle against the lower class. Now as we fast forward to "present day", the Government holds and event every year called "The Hunger Games" where one man and one woman are selected from each district to fight in an epic battle to the death in the woods, which is of course completely controlled by government officials.

That's as far as I'm going with a synopsis, as I hate people who give away spoilers. From the sounds of the rumblings in the audience though, it sounds like this was a very popular book, and I wouldn't be giving secrets away to many.

I feel that it merits mention that our lead characted, Katniss Everdeen, should have been named Hawtness Everdeen, because she is quite possibly the most beautiful woman to hit the screen in a long time. Her beauty is only surpassed by her acting ability. Don't agree? Watch her reaction as she's about to enter the game arena. I felt terrified for her, I was genuinely convinced that she was scared almost to death.

The movie started out a little, well, quirky. They try to set up the premise for the movie for those of us that didn't read the book. How did they do this? With the dreaded lead-in text. Usually when I see the dreaded lead-in text it leads to a movie I wish I had saved the $10.50 on. Fortunately, after the slightly disjointed start, it was off and running.

Cinematically it was shot in a sort of "COPS-Style" point of view, like there were professional videographers thrust into a fast-moving environment and forced to adapt to the movement around them. Occasionally this makes for some slightly dizzying movie watching, but I have to say it kind of added to the fight scenes, making the outcome of the fight a mystery until the last moment.

At first I raised an eyebrow over the costume design for the "Upper-class", as it had a very Fifth Element feel to it. I'm not quite sure why some of these filmmakers feel that the future is full of drag queens in garish colors, but after a few minutes of exposure to it I got used to it. Speaking of costume design, I'll just say that Katniss' black latex and leather outfit was AMAZING, but only because it was on her. Yes, I've officially got a thing for Jennifer Lawrence. She might even make my list.

I happlily say that this was a movie well worth the 2:20 I had to sit in a packed theatre. It's not often that I really feel that I got my money's worth from a movie, but this was a night well spent. It's not a chick flick, but it is girlfriend friendly as it's not overly bloody and not super violent. From what I've read and heard the movie was tamed down from the book version in order to get their PG-13 rating so they could get the younger crowd in there. I was a little afraid it was going to turn into a twilight-style movie when I saw a few teens walking around in their homemade Hunger Games T-shirts, but again, pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to the filmmakers for making a futuristic movie that doesn't feel so completely out of touch with reality. Go, watch this movie. Skinde gives it 4 out of 5 sheep. Bring a date. Get some popcorn. Get out of the house once in a while.

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Of course before we do that we will be heading to the Manchester Firing Line to put big holes in paper targets, because what's a beer festival without a little gun slinging first! I might even wear my cowboy hat. Yee Haw!

I will definitely be bringing my camcorder along for some awesome footage!

For starters, don't expect to find this stuff at your local Market Basket. This is sold in select gourmet shops and health food stores, and at $9.95 a bottle, it's not the cheapest margarita mix you'll ever buy. Their claim to fame is the sweetener, derived from the stevia plant. It's sort of like splenda but more natural. Be warned about any sweetener like this though, too much of it at once and you will have a terrible evening in the closest bathroom. Gross, I know, but it had to be said to spare everyone'e insides.

For my test I decided on an "Everyman's tequila" as the alcohol part of this classic drink. I chose Sauza Tequila since it's affordable while still tasting good. I followed the directions on the label for a 6oz margarita, four ounces of Drink Skinny Margarita Mix and two ounces of Sauza tequila. I'm not a big frozen drink fan so I gave my blender the night off and decided on a classic margarita shaken over ice.

My first thoughts are on the appearance once mixed. It looks like a margarita, even though the color is slightly paler than any of the more traditional mixes. It does "froth" when shaken just like a regular mix. I decided to forego any salt or sugar rim so I could focus on the taste of the mix.

Now about the taste. It TASTES like a margarita, but there is that little aftertaste that is typical of any "artificial" sweetener. You can call stevia whatever you want, but it's still a plant extract, and as such someone had to extract it using artificial means. There is also the hint of the fruit juices that are used in the mix as well, but the stevia tends to linger longer on your tongue than the juice.

Of course the point of using natural products is to eat healthier, right? Well Drink Skinny has 6 grams of carbs and is 20 calories per serving. There's no fat or sodium which is awesome, because now you can feel less guilty about throwing some extra salt on the rim which this drink will need to cut the stevia aftertaste. A margarita mixed in accordance with the directions on the Drink Skinny label has 148 calories if mixed with an 80 proof tequila, about the same calories as a beer.

My overall rating would be a 4 out of 5 stars, if I were a professional reviewer. I'm not, but I'll still use it. This is a great way to have a nice end-of-the-day drink without feeling too guilty. Because of the stevia I wouldn't recommend this mix for a party setting where people may be indulging in multiple drinks, unless you bought lots of toilet paper and rented a couple porta-potties.

The Fat has just purchased a local beer and wine shop in Londonderry, NH called The Drinkery. It's all about craft beers and local brews. You'll have a hard time finding a coors light here! Andy and his business partner Alana have been working hard to bring the store up to snuff and having just gone there last night, I can tell you it's FUCKING SWEET. Hell, it was even featured in the Derry News!

If you're an avid follower of TLD.com, you owe it to yourself to stop by The Drinkery and sample some of what Fat has to offer. Just tell him Skind sent you.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU_m5cI87HU

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