Look at that heroine!

Lately, it seems as if I can’t get enough of the ladies! And Katniss has a lot of to do with it.

When I first read The Hunger Games in 2010, I was incredibly thankful to Suzanne Collins for creating the character of Katniss Everdeen. “This is how you do it!” I’d say to everyone enthusiastically. Give me a female character with depth, flaws and a story all her own.

Now, I find myself seeking out stories, whether it be in books, movies, or TV, with female characters I can root for. I’ve recently become obsessed with the show Game of Thrones (shhh I’m going to start the first ASOIAF book this week), and while the setting of the books is oppressive to women and the story is overrun with male characters, all the characters that I hold dear to my heart are female. All of them have depth, flaws and a clear motivation that isn’t driven by the desires and affections of men.

Said Brave ad, it’s huge!

And even in music, I’m turning to the girls. Yesterday, I got incredibly frustrated with Pandora for somehow turning my Ingrid Michaelson station into a bro-fest. I resorted to throwing three more female artists into the mix so that Pandora would get the hint.

At the very least, I’m hoping that the overwhelming success of The Hunger Games, that the fact that Katniss and her story aren’t just popular with young girls but men, women and children of all ages, is a signal to Hollywood. That and the fact that so many movies following The Hunger Games that weren’t called The Avengers straight up failed at the box office. Things don’t change quickly in the movie industry, but I welcome a change when it does come (sooner rather than later, though, I hope). Last week I saw a huge ad for Brave all along the side of a building and smiled. More movies like these, please.

And don’t forget to #VoteKatniss for Best Hero for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards! 

They are a-changing
Twiffidy

Jackie went to her prom on Friday and she was so excited, she very graciously shared that experience with us via Twitter. Included in that experience was a funny, charming “awkward prom photo” with a friend.

Jackie and her equally adorable friend

The immediate response? People calling Jackie gay.

The meltdown starts in 3… 2.. 1!

Really? REALLY?! Is this what we’ve come to as a society? A celebrity mocks prom pictures with a friend of the same gender and her “fans” turn around and either infer that she is a lesbian or flat out tell her that she is one? Can we not accept that some people just like to hug each other?!

Because Jackie has proven herself to be one of the sweetest people on Earth, she very quietly addressed the situation on her Tumblr by saying that she “was not offended by this in the least” and finds it interesting that people feel the need to label two girls hugging as something more.

Even if she were a lesbian, which she says she’s not as of this point in her life (bless her!), should Jackie need to label all of her pictures explaining whether the person she’s hugging is a platonic friend or not? No! Frankly, it’s none of our damn business who she hugs.

It kills me that Jackie Emerson, who did nothing but share one of the pivotal moments her life with fans, got homophobic backlash while my friends and I do things like this without a single peep from the peanut gallery:

No, this is NOT from an actual strip club (and I’m the one in blue).

Maybe it’s the penis tiara my friend wore that’s keeping the ‘phobes at bay. ANYWAY…

Jackie is right: People who aren’t taught to be tolerant of others from a young age feel this need to label others the second something starts to look or feel different from the norm. She handled the whole situation so amazingly well. The 17-year-old version of me would not have tried to explain the intricacies of platonic love and the world’s sociological tendencies toward affection between people of the same sex. I would have called you a bigot and told you to go to hell. Even these days, we feel a little indignant on Jackie’s behalf, even though she clearly doesn’t need defending.

So let’s fight the hate by giving the whole world ALL THE HUGS, no matter what the other person’s gender, race, or sexuality. Because hugs solve pretty much everything… besides political issues.

New Goal in Life: Leg Hitch Photo with Jackie Emerson,
The Girl With The Pearl

Victor’s Village
Tiffany: I’ll be honest. When I first read Catching Fire, I pictured Zac Efron as Finnick. Not in a he-could-play-him-in-the-movie way, but more as a place holder since he is the right age and shares a few characteristics with the character. I’m a fan of his. I’ve seen and loved his movies, and I like him as a person. Recently, I saw Charlie St. Cloud, and a scene where he dives into the ocean made me go, “How Finnick of him!” That being said, he isn’t my Finnick. He’s too close to Jennifer’s height, and I can’t endorse a Finnick under 6 feet (and he’s well under it at 5’8″). If he were cast, I wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss because I like him as a person, but I think we could find someone better.

Zac Efron

HG Movie Site
Efron, you are no longer the annoying kid from High School Musical to me. After seeing you in the Nicholas Sparks movie, we are all over you being Finnick. We think you could carry off the raw sexuality, the hero… the amazeness. However, you are not Finnick to us. You just don’t scream the guy that could win the games. We mean we hate to say it, but casting you would just cause damage to the franchise we love. And I think that you have had your franchise, you wouldn’t want to screw this one up. Keep on with the adult roles, we appreciate that about you.

Hunger Games DWTC
Theresa: I’ll admit Zac Efron is cute, adorable and talented, and he’s been working hard to “break free” from his High School Musical Days, something that is no easy task. But is he Finnick material? In my mind, no he’s not. Zac may be trying hard to step away from the Disney mold, but I still haven’t been able to see beyond it and I’m sure there are a lot of other fans who feel the same. We need someone to step into the role of Finnick and become the character, much like Jennifer and Josh truly became Katniss and Peeta, and I just can’t see Zac being able to do that. If he were cast, I’m afraid I wouldn’t see Finnick on screen, I’d see Troy. Sad, but true.

HG Fireside Chat
Savanna: I’m not a huge fan of Zac Efron, but I think he’s a great person and an underrated actor (he was awesome in Me and Orson Welles). Is he talented enough to pull off a role like Finnick, though? I’m not sure. Even if he is, he hasn’t had enough time to fully break away from his association with High School Musical and the teenybopper set, and I think casting him would probably do more harm to the franchise than good.

HG Girl on Fire
Sheila: Zac Efron has definitely grown up. With his recent appearance in the Lucky One, I was convinced that he has definitely transitioned nicely into mature adult roles. While I believe that Zac definitely has the looks and the acting skills to take on Finnick Odair, the problem that I see is simply that he’s Zac Efron, someone people has come to feel very familiar with over the years, and is too recognizable a celebrity which will make his believability as Finnick a difficult transition.

Mockingjay.net
Crystal: Zac Efron is cute, but I think he looks a little too young and boyish to be Finnick. The only thing I’ve seen him in is Hairspray and that was five years ago. All that aside, no matter how great of an actor he is, since he’s such a popular teen idol, I really don’t want to see him as Finnick. It would be like plopping Justin Bieber into the role, only not as bad. I’d never be able to see Finnick, only Zac Efron.

The Hob
Amanda: Zac has come a long way from this High School Musical days, and his latest film The Paperboy with Matthew McConaughey and Nicole Kidman is meant to show a grown up, more serious actor. But I’m still not sure if audiences would be able to see him as Finnick and not his real-life persona. In the same vein as Justin Timberlake, Zac’s pop culture image may be too big for the role. But if it’s possible for him to overcome that, then I have to admit that I think he could physically look the part. He is very attractive, in great physical shape, and the right age. Finnick could be the role Zac needs to break out of the teen idol bubble, and I think he could bring the right level of attitude and vulnerability to the part.

Why do I have the inexplicable urge to do the Told Ya’ So Dance/ Song Thing? Oh yeah, it’s because I’ve said it multiple times that rumors involving Mr. Robert Pattinson and The Hunger Games franchise are complete and utter fiction, and that you should probably just toss spit-balls at it rather than believe their so-called validity for half a nano second. I also have the urge to go “bitch, please…” and then roll my eyes all dramatic and completely worthy of hate, but you’ll never see that expression, ’cause I currently suck at doing vlogs. Seriously, I really do, everything tends to go wrong, it’s just not pretty– at all.

All right so, this week apparently Mr. Pattinson whilst attending Cannes in promotion for Cosmopolis, got wind of the rumors of him being “courted” for the role of Finnick

Robert Pattinson at Cannes, 2012

Odair, and he took it upon himself to investigate. Smart move, huh? I think so. The man called his agent, and his agent flat-out told him, according to USA Today, that in no uncertain terms that the likelihood of him being approached for the role is pretty much 0%. I unabashedly love this response, because even his agent knows that he’s wrong for the role, and also has the gumption to tell his client that in so many words. Honesty is the best policy right, and honestly, Pattinson will never ever be part of The Hunger Games family. As we’re on the honesty train here, I have to say that  I sort of harbor the desire that USA Today didn’t say the rumor that started 1. a Twitter Hash-tag denouncing fans desire for Pattinson to portray Finnick, and 2. at least two petitions against him playing Finnick, was– and I quote “…so good, that they even get the movie stars involved believing.” Really? I think I would have used the word bad instead of good, personally. Anyway, Can we now please go back to thinking on possible candidates for the role who aren’t currently known for playing vampires, pixies, faeries, werewolves, over privileged teens, glee club members, witches, warlocks, aliens, people who have fought aliens while we’re at it, or lastly are only known for portraying total assholes?

Glad That’s over, right?

Them There Eyes

Everyone redo your fan posters! Except look how awesome this one is.

Earlier this week, news came out about the official title for the second installment of The Hunger Games movie series.

But wait!

Don’t we already know it? Last time we checked, the book sitting on our bookshelves next to The Hunger Games was called Catching Fire.

Earlier this week, news came out that the sequel to The Hunger Games movie will be called… The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

We get it. “The Hunger Games” is a recognizable brand now so it’s understandable to want to throw the words into everything. But it also screams, “We think everyone is stupid.” Harry Potter had a good thing going for it since “Harry Potter” was already in the titles of all the books. J.K. Rowling had already built the brand recognition into it. But Suzanne Collins went for short and sweet with her book titles.

We’re guessing THG:CF will be marketed similarly to its previous installment, with Jennifer Lawrence holding a bow dressed all Katniss-y, flaming mockingjay, etc. etc. Same cast (with a few additions), same look.  But I guess that won’t be a big enough clue to audiences that it’s part of the same franchise as that movie they saw and loved only the year before. Now we need a mouthful of a title just so there couldn’t be any doubt.

And let’s be real. When you go up to the ticket booth come November 2013 to watch the movie, you’re probably not going to say the whole title. Casual fans might say “The Hunger Games movie” and diehard fans will most likely yell “CATCHING FIRE!” enthusiastically at the ticket booth attendant. So is this really just a way to give audiences options on what to call it? Or does Lionsgate think everyone can’t put 2 and 2 together?

This situation has created some great running jokes for other franchises, most noticeably for when Fox announced that Rise of the Apes would be called Rise of the Planet of the Apes (which will also be getting a sequel so who knows how many prepositional phrases will be in that title). It’s a bit of a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation. It’s hard to imagine, as huge Hunger Games and pop culture fans as we are, to think that people won’t ‘get it’, but at the same time, there just are those individuals who don’t follow movie news as closely (or even at all) as we do and really wouldn’t know. But then there’s the intelligence-insulting thing. So what’s a studio to do?

Whatever the title is, you know we’ll still call it Catching Fire.
Twiffidy 

Click here to reserve your copy:

In celebration of the impending DVD release, Lionsgate is holding a weekly contest! Create your own DVD Countdown images featuring the hashtag #HungerGamesDVD and the phrase “X weeks and counting”, starting with 11 weeks this week!

Each week will have a different theme for the Countdown image, announced every week on The Official Hunger Games Facebook page. The theme for this week is the Mockingjay!

Send your entries to HungerGamesDVDCountdown@gmail.com and you can win this awesome prize pack:

The Ultimate Hunger Games Prize Pack

Apparently, plenty of writers think that modern day America is exactly like The Hunger Games. And we’re not talking about related issues like starvation, water deprivation, or extreme poverty. Oh no! They can ignore these devastating issues while simultaneously comparing everyday events to the government-regulated slaughter of children!

P.S. Apparently President Snow speaking about “hope” is now a statement against Barack Obama. *facepalm*

Even sites that we love, like Thought Catalog, make this mistake. Yeah, they seriously made an analogy between The Hunger Games and graduating from college that isn’t mostly sarcasm. I graduated college a while back, and while being unemployed for months and under-employed ever since has been rough, it is not a life-or-death situation. I eat every night, sleep in a comfy bed, and, oh yeah, nobody is trying to murder me! ..At least that I know of.

Political bloggers are particularly guilty of this. According to them any political discourse to pretty much a battle to the death enacted by a dictatorship. Everybody in the Senate or Congress is just another tribute fighting for survival against the other side’s attacks, except for the part where they’re definitely not. They’re wealthy adults who cannot make decisions for the life of them, but they are in no real danger. In a unintentional comical twist, both Republicans and Democrats try to use The Hunger Games to prove that their way of running the country is better, completely ignoring that the story portrays ALL political figures as corrupt assholes, not just their opponents.

Junior Seau

Then there’s this article in which a blogger claims that football player Junior Seau killed himself because the NFL is exactly like The Hunger Games. The author says this after a paragraph explaining that he’d only just seen The Hunger Games movie and wasn’t even all that impressed with it. The comparison is more than a little bit offensive. Junior Seau’s suicide was tragic, perhaps years of physical torture from football and his subsequent removal from the spotlight affected his state of mind, but either way, it has NOTHING to do with The Hunger Games. To say that sports spectators take pleasure in watching their favorite players injure themselves or others, let alone to the point where one of them is compelled to kill himself, is beyond fucked up. These athletes were not forced to compete, knowing the outcome would likely be their death. Sports are not the equivalent of a public death match. In fact, most of us absolutely revere athletes and want them to live forever.

So let’s chill right the hell out with The Hunger Games references, my dear bloggers! Unless, of course, our nation falls into the hands of a dictator who starts holding annual death matches starring children. Then you can ring the alarm.

Til then.. Shut up. PLZKTHX,
The Girl With The Pearl

I don’t want to talk about Robert Pattinson anymore, I really fucking don’t, but some asshat over at some site I’ve never heard of has started the rumor up again that he’s a “strong contender for Finnick Odair.” If there was ever a headdesk moment, this would be one of them, it’s just aggravating that it keeps happening over, and over, and over, and over again, and also that I continuously have to address it. I’m just going to say it, it would be stupid of Robert Pattinson to do another major franchise after having just wrapped on one. Look, I’m one of those few people who give him the benefit of the doubt where it comes to his somewhat questionable choices where it comes to past projects, but so far outside of The Twilight Saga he’s made good, bold, and interesting choices. He’s not an unintelligent guy, but doing another franchise in succession with another would ruin his reputation, and he’d be hard pressed getting offers to do one-of, and not YA based projects. The fact is, Pattinson is cultivating a career that is not going to be geared towards the demographic that the media keeps perpetuating The Hunger Games is geared towards, this is evidenced by him taking on decidedly adult roles in Remember Me, Bel Ami, Water For Elephants, Cosmopolis, and now Mission: Blacklist. The man is cutting the cord, and I say fucking let him. Oh, also it’s already been stated that Twilight cast members are banned from being part of The Hunger Games.

I don’t know why people keep grasping at the idea of him taking part in Catching Fire, butthe information is there, the words have been said, the scheduling will not work, and frankly those who keep saying he’s a “fan-favorite”, are lying through their teeth. He’s not a “fan favorite”, he’s more likely to be listed under “least favorite”. Frankly, it’s boring to imagine Pattison as Odair, it’s pat even, it’s also cheap, and it would just end up further affirming for non-fans, or layman’s that The Hunger Games is another version of Twilight, which it’s clearly not. Also, if Lionsgate knows anything, which they obviously do– mixing the casts of these two franchises would be a detriment to their own reputations where it comes to artistic and creative integrity. Seriously, if anyone’s going to start a rumor that anyone specific is going to be cast as Finnick, couldn’t people pick someone a bit more original, like pretty much anyone else. We should just start our own rumor, heard it here first– Carol Burnett is going to play Alma Coin!

In the words of Pattison him self, “We step into the era of The Hunger Games, the world wants fresh meat!” You don’t have to squint to see that the man has no interest in taking part in this project. So, Please, for the love of all that is not sparkly and drinks deer blood to survive, let this rumor take its last breath.

Them There Eyes

DVD!!!!!

Entertainment Weekly has officially announced that the DVD/Blu-ray will be available on August 18! There will be a movie only version as well as a two-disc special edition. Here’s the breakdown of the different features in the special edition:

The two-disc set will include over three hours of unreleased material, with features that provide insight into how the film was made, interviews with the cast and crew, and details about some of the story lines that differed from the book — like President Snow’s character (Donald Sutherland) and the role of the game maker (Wes Bentley). An eight-part documentary entitled The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games delves into the behind-the-scenes aspect of creating the film. The extras also include the full-length “Propaganda Film” shown during the Reaping.

There will be midnight release parties going on for the DVD! We’ll keep you as updated as we can and if we attend any, we’ll be sure to announce it!

Pre-orders will begin FRIDAY, at which time we will be sure to remind you! Until then, enjoy the DVD trailer and the official press release under the cut!

Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games Arrives On Blu-ray Disc, DVD, On Demand And Digital Download On August 18

Theatrical Release Approaching $400 Million At North American Box Office And $650 Million Worldwide

Midnight Launch Expected To Bring Back Lines of Avid Fans At Midnight Retail Events Nationwide

“We have a winner.”
– Rolling Stone

SANTA MONICA, CA, May 23, 2012 –Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games juggernaut will arrive on home entertainment at 12:01 A.M. on Saturday, August 18, as the first film in Lionsgate’s (NYSE: LGF) The Hunger Games franchise, which has already grossed nearly $400 million at the North American box office and is approaching $650 million at the worldwide box office, debuts on 2-disc DVD (plus digital copy), 2-disc Blu-Ray (plus digital copy), VOD and digital download with three hours of previously unavailable bonus materials in the biggest home entertainment launch in Lionsgate’s history, the Company announced today.

The film, based on the New York Times best-selling novel from writer Suzanne Collins, achieved a remarkable four-week run as the #1 film at the North American theatrical box office where it has already grossed $392 million, ranking as the 14th highest-grossing film of all time, and it is approaching $650 million at the worldwide box office with an early June opening slated in China.

The 2-disc Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD arrive loaded with over three hours of extensive bonus materials including the comprehensive eight-part documentary, “The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games.” Other special features include a sit-down conversation with director Gary Ross as well as numerous featurettes that examine the global success of the books, the creation of the control room in the film and the filmmakers’ motivation behind creating new scenes that were not in the book plus much more. The Blu-ray Disc set contains an additional exclusive feature, “Preparing for the Games: A Director’s Process,” which looks at the progression of taking three key scenes from the book to the screen. The Hunger Games Blu-ray Disc and DVD is a must-have film that is hailed as “exciting and thought-provoking in a way few adventure dramas ever are” (New York Daily News). Fans will be able to pre-order the Blu-ray Disc and DVD, starting on Friday, May 25th, for $39.99 and $30.98, respectively.

“The motion picture event of the year is poised to become the home entertainment event of the year and, with a midnight launch and midnight retail events scheduled at stores around the country, we expect to replicate the same level of consumer excitement generated by the film’s theatrical debut,” said Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate Executive Vice President & General Manager, Home Entertainment. “This is far and away the biggest home entertainment launch in Lionsgate’s history and, true to a theatrical marketing campaign that incorporated an unprecedented reliance on digital and traditional media alike, our home entertainment launch will involve a similarly innovative and integrated digital and packaged media rollout that we will unveil in the weeks ahead.”

Directed by Academy Award® nominee Gary Ross (Seabiscuit), The Hunger Games, starring Academy Award® nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), features an ensemble cast that includes Golden Globe® winner Donald Sutherland (Citizen X), Academy Award® nominee Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Academy Award® nominee Woody Harrelson (The People vs. Larry Flynt), Lenny Kravitz (Precious) and Emmy® nominee Elizabeth Banks (TV’s “30 Rock”). The film also stars some of the industry’s brightest up and coming actors such as Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) and Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2).

The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy of books published by Scholastic that has already become a literary phenomenon with over 36.5 million copies in circulation. Set in the future, one male and one female from each of the twelve districts of the nation is forced to participate in the annual competition called The Hunger Games, which is broadcast live throughout the country for the entertainment of the Capitol’s wealthy residents. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) volunteers in her younger sister’s place to enter the games, and is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy when she’s pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

BLU-RAY & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*
· “The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games” – an eight-part documentary covering the “making of” the film in all aspects from the pre-production process all the way through the theatrical release and fan reactions
· “Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenon” featurette
· “Letters from the Rose Garden” featurette – insights from Donald Sutherland on the development of his role as President Snow
· “Controlling the Games” featurette – stories and concepts behind creating the control center
· “A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell”
· Propaganda Film (in its entirety)
· Marketing Archive
· “Preparing for The Games: A Director’s Process” (Blu-ray Exclusive)

* Subject to change

Have you heard the news?

The companion soundtrack to The Hunger Games film, Songs from District 12 and Beyond, is now certified Gold!

Now, we never did a formal review for this album (we’re not really a formal kind of place, you know — we like bow ties though), but we are incredibly proud of this achievement.

This isn’t exactly the golden days of soundtrack buying. It’s much more difficult for an album to get certified Gold than it was 15+ years ago, before this magical thing that connects you and us together called the Internet made it easier to not pay for music. And that’s just for regular albums, not soundtracks. Also not for a soundtrack that isn’t for a movie that’s a musical or musician biopic.

Songs from District 12 and Beyond has in a way reinvigorated the idea of a soundtrack. The album boasts a diverse group of musicians, whose genres range from pop to indie to country to hip hop and everything in between. And instead of choosing music to appeal to the film’s target audience, the music was written specifically with the events and feel of the movie in mind.

Rarely do we get a soundtrack that is truly a companion to the film, with one song (Daughter’s Lament by The Carolina Chocolate Drops) directly referencing Katniss’s father’s death and how it affected her and all around being practically a prologue to the movie. And another song (Lover Is Childlike by The Low Anthem) even goes so far as to foreshadow the next installment with obvious references to the sea and Finnick and Annie’s relationship.

So kudos! It’s great to see a project like this be so successful. For all we know, the soundtrack could not have been as well received as it was, with it heavily featuring music styles that aren’t exactly popular with that darn target demo. Sure, Taylor Swift may have been a safe bet, but the songs by The Secret Sisters and The Carolina Chocolate Drops aren’t exactly poppy.

Congrats to T-Bone Burnett, Greg Wells, Lionsgate and the artists featured on the album!
Twiffidy