The trailer for Catching Fire is here!

The Hunger Games Movie Review

 The much anticipated movie adaptation of The Hunger Games came out this past Friday, which of course you know unless you've been living under a rock and staying away from all social media, TV and news outlets.  I saw it Friday night, along with about six million other people, many who were wearing Hunger Games themed t-shirts.  I did not see anyone totally dressed up as you might for Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, but maybe they were at the midnight showing.  Do tell if you were there.

I was very excited about seeing The Hunger Games.  I was also really nervous.  I'd been hearing only positive things about the movie, and I was so hopeful that it was going to be a good adaptation.  I was also half expecting my hopes to be bitterly, bitterly crushed, as, alas, so often happens with books you love that get made in to movies.  But not always!

Over all, I was really happy with the movie. In terms of plot, it was surprisingly true to the book.  I don't know if I've ever seen a book-to-movie adaptation that was closer.  The things they did change I could absolutely see and understand why they were changed.  It was emotional and action-packed and I thought the acting was excellent.

Spoilers ahead!

UPDATE TO HUNGER GAMES: BAH!

I feel like I need to update a previous post I did about the Hunger Games movie. I wrote my commentary before we saw the pictures, before the entire cast was announced, and before we saw the trailer.








Sigh. I'll admit, I am still not holding my breath for it to be Lord of the Rings amazing, but I am hoping it will be better than the Twilight series. It can't be all bad if Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, and Lenny Kravitz are in it, right? And my friend Laura has assured me that Jennifer Lawrence is a very gifted actress (and I believe everything that Laura tells me. She is much smarter than I am). So I guess I have to say that I am cautiously optimistic that it won't suck.

So there we go. It could be awesome but we'll just have to see.

New Hunger Games Trailer

The Hunger Games trailer number two is here!  I'm so excited.  My hopes are so high.  I'm going to be totally devastated if this movie ends up being crap.

Hunger Games Movie

It's finally that time, where the world starts gearing up to inundate you with media on a new movie series that will try and take the place of Harry Potter. Every time another book gets slogged through the the process of being recreated into a movie I try and give it the benefit of the doubt. There have been good ones: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Help, and I'm sure there are others that I'm not thinking of at this moment.

But let's be honest, a lot of times they go terribly wrong. Terribly terribly wrong. So here's the first teaser trailer of The Hunger Games. And regardless of the fact that there are some amazing actors in this, I have to admit that I'm not holding my breath for it to be awesome. Perhaps with lowered expectations I will find myself pleasantly surprised?

What do you think?

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music

Britney Spears and The Hunger Games

Luke Conard and Whitney Miam mashed up  the Britney Spears' “I Wanna Go” with the plot of Suzanne Collins'  The Hunger Games in a parody song.

Hunger Game Update

So...Lenny Kravitz is going to play Cinna in The Hunger Games.  I don't quite know what to think about that.  Help me process it.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss

First look of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss.  Thoughts?

News

Nooooo! Taylor Lautner would be interested in making the movie if Stephenie Meyer writes a spin-off about Jacob and Renesmee. From GalleyCat.

Transcripts of Jersey Shore being read in the style of Oscar Wilde. Amazing. And hysterical. From EW.

More Hunger Games casting news, including Rue. From EW.

Why I Still Love the Little House on the Prairie Books. After I read this article, I went to the shelf and flip through Little House on the Prairie. How I loved those books! From The Atlantic.

Peeta and Gale cast

Casting is complete.  Peeta and Gale will be played by Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.  I haven't seen anything with either of them.  I have to say neither of them look like the pictures of these characters in my head.  Thoughts?

Hunger Games Movie: BAH!

I'VE UPDATED THIS POST. If you haven't heard, the Hunger Games series (you can read Arianna's review of the third book here) by Suzanne Collins is being made into a movie. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of film adaptations of books because I feel that it's rarely done well, e.g. Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon. It's important as a start off point that you get the actors right, or so I'm told. But here we are again with another young adult book being made into a movie with another actress being put into it that just doesn't fit. Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone is going to be Katniss. Wrong! I hate to say this but she's just too old! Old and tall and blonde. Do I think she can pull off the whole drama thing? Mostly. Do I think it's not going to help in general though? Yes. There's also a rumor that Alex Pettyfer from I Am Number Four and Hunter Parrish from Weeds are both looking to be Peeta. Bah.

Let's be honest, I'll go see the movie. I'll probably make Arianna, Jamie, and Alanna go with me. The only expectation I have is to giggle throughout the entire thing. My assumption is that it's going to be bad, maybe it'll surprise me but I doubt it.

Excellent news!

Oh hurrah! Sticky Washington has regained his rightful skin tone! From 100 Scope Notes.

Less excellent news: New Hampshire Parent Challenges The Hunger Games. From SLJ.

Thoughtful news: Rick Riordan on Four Way to Get Kids with ADHD to Read. How very...reasonable. From The Wall Street Journal.

Humorous news: Lane Smith's Use of the Word "Jackass" Stirs Controversy. Well, maybe not humorous. When I read It's a Book, I loved it and thought it was great and funny, but I also thought, "This isn't really a children's book, even if it is in picture book format." Which I think is fine. But if you decide to you do want to read it with younger kids, I don't think you should change the words. Talk about it or use something else. Also, I think The Higher Power of Lucky comparison is totally off base. Lane Smith used "jackass" for comedic effect, Susan Patron used the anatomically corrected word for a body part and people clutched their pearls and had to carried off to their fainting couches because what if their child asked them what scrotum means?! Not a similar situation at all.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

So. It's been a week now since I read Mockingjay. Why did I not immediately put up a review? Well, because, I was conflicted and I was thinking about it. And I needed to talk about it with people first. Then think some more. Now a week has gone by and I have not come to conclusion and I'm beginning to think it might be something I'll have to revisit later and THEN I'll come to a conclusion. But that doesn't help you. So here it goes.

Mockingjay, the third and final installment of the kickass Hunger Games series (if you haven't read any of them OMG what have you been DOING with your life?) begins with Katniss in the once thought to no longer exist District 13. District 13 lives a fairly Spartan lifestyle, in both the frugal and the military sense. District 13 is heading the rebellion against the Capital, which by now almost all the districts have joined in. Katniss has not. She drifts around, unfocused, unwilling to help, worrying about what the Capital is doing to Peeta. The leaders of District 13 want her to become the mascot of the rebellion, the Mockingjay. Katniss finally agrees when she realizes that she can agree to be their mascot in exchange for things that she wants, such as Peeta's pardon if the rebellion wins.

A major issue to this plan is that Katniss sucks at being a mascot, so she's sent out into the actual war, with her camera crew following her in the hopes of getting good footage. Katniss as the Mockingjay does inspire people, and the tide turns against the capital. The rebellion is even able to take over the Capital's airwaves and begins broadcasting promos with Katniss on TV. Then Katniss sees Peeta on TV, and he's broken and beaten and sickly, and something else seems strange as well. Katniss completely falls apart, and a rescue mission is sent in. Peeta is saved, along with some of the other victors from the last Hunger Games, but Peeta is very, very changed. Now all Katniss can think about is killing President Snow.

If you haven't read the book. Don't do the jump.

It's here!

Mockingjay, the third and final book in "The Hunger Games" series has arrived! I already have my copy and am just waiting until I can go home so I can start reading. It's going to be one of those "I'm sorry, I'm not accepting calls or speaking to anyone. I'm reading." times. Yay! So excited!