too suspenseful...

...a couple of movies I have taken myself to recently. One was yesterday, when I went to a matinee to see the latest (and I assume the final installment of the series) version of 'Hunger Games'. It may be due to my not watching television, and out of the habit of anxiety over invented/scripted crises. Or it could be that I am person who is just not well suited to worrying about things I cannot control. (Like the man I live with who frets over weather conditions and things going on all over the planet weather-wise that he sees on TV and can do nothing about except talk and worry.

I'm assuming it was the end of the story, since two of the major players died - and there is finally peace in the kingdom, with a ruler that everyone agreed upon. But there were places in the movie, sitting there in the dark, on about the fourth row, right in the middle too close to the screen so I could not duck down and hide from danger: I thought of leaving. I wanted to see it, wanted to know what was going on, but while it was happening I was really uncomfortable. Not wanting to insert 'spoiler' here, I will not give details, but there was a point when they were underground, in the dark and up to their necks in water, listening to creepy sounds, when I am pretty sure my hears skipped a beat or too.

The other movie recently viewed was The Martian. I think I knew the screenplay was based on a book. And now know I should have read the book instead, so I could just put in a book mark and walk away when I needed a breather! Like being shipwrecked times a gazillion. Knowing you will die from a thousand different problems - just not knowing which one will the that final zinger that will do you in. The character played by Matt Damon was a remarkably resourceful guy, as is anyone who qualifies for the astronaut program. But there were times when I thought: I need to be able to exhale and slow my pulse, breathe in and out, relax from all these problems piling on top of each other.

It all worked out in the end. He lived to mentor the next generation of potential space travelers. But it was maybe the sort of thing I should be viewing from the safety of my couch, cozily ensconced in the comfort of my own home. Protected from all dangers that scriptwriters dream up. Where I can cover my head with the blanket if necessary.