The Hunger Games

Along with millions of crazed preteen fans, I was lucky enough to be among the first viewers of The Hunger Games at the midnight opening last night. When my girlfriend and I arrived at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square theater at 9:30 pm, the line was already stretched the length of 3 full blocks. The vibe in the crowd was amazing --- very teenage-girl heavy, but my favorite costume was a grown man wearing a braided wig, carrying a bow and arrow, and running up and down along the line posing with it. There were also a number of brunette braids, homemade “Team Peeta” and “Team Gale” tee-shirts, a handful of imaginative Capitol outfits, and a multitude of Mockingjay symbols in the form of shirts, pins, and stick-on tattoos.

With just ONE DAY left until the Hunger Games movie release (who’s going at midnight??), I’ve been thinking a lot about how the book will translate to the screen. In almost any movie adaptation, there are inevitably changes from the original book. But since the Hunger Games’ fan base is such an impassioned one, I’m guessing Lionsgate hasn’t taken too many liberties --- otherwise they may have an angry army of fans threatening to overthrow them!

With THE HUNGER GAMES movie practically in our grasp, it may seem a bit odd to be anxiously awaiting the release of the second film in the franchise, CATCHING FIRE. Soon enough we will all have seen THE HUNGER GAMES for the first time --- and many times after that --- and we will have a long wait until the second book in the trilogy comes to life on screen. Here are my top 10 things to look forward to in the adaptation of CATCHING FIRE from book to screen. Warning- spoilers ahead!

As soon as it was announced that THE HUNGER GAMES would be made into a movie, there were rumblings about how Hollywood would be able to transfer the world of Panem to the big screen and secure a PG-13 rating, while maintaining the credibility of the book. Casey Scieszka, co-author of the book TO TIMBUKTU ---  and uber fan of THE HUNGER GAMES --- weighs in on this, sharing her insights into just how this might be possible.

When I read fiction, I conjure up the essence and general looks of each character in my head; but unlike some of my friends and family, I don’t match a specific face to each name. One of my friends recently told me that she assigns celebrities or well-known faces to each character --- others don’t have any images of the characters in their heads at all, focusing instead on the characters’ inner lives.

Cinna’s designs made Katniss a star, and now readers of THE HUNGER GAMES can recreate some of his brilliant designs too! From Effie Trinket’s pink hair to Caesar Flickerman’s suit and of course Katniss and Peeta’s fiery costumes, there are so many choices!

Every year March Madness takes over in North Carolina, as some of college basketballs' best teams rally throughout the NCAA tournament (Blue Devils all the way!). However, this year THE HUNGER GAMES is bringing North Carolina to the forefront and creating a frenzy all on its own!

Alright everyone…let’s talk about one of THE HUNGER GAMES most infamous characters: Effie Trinket. To say that we hate her might be harsh, and toward the end of the THE HUNGER GAMES she even sort of redeems herself. But that doesn’t make me love her. Not totally. So who is she? Personally, she’s the character I love to hate.

With only 11 days until the release of THE HUNGER GAMES movie, there's so much to do --- starting with the red carpet premiere of the film tonight in Hollywood --- and we are going to make sure you don't miss a thing!

It’s been online for a while now, but I can still remember the giddiness I felt when watching the movie trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES for the first time. District twelve looked as rundown as I imagined, the capital was more futuristic than I expected, and seeing the characters come alive was incredible. And then it all blew up in my face when I saw Katniss hand Primm the famous mockingjay pin. Katniss didn’t give Primm the pin!  Madge was the one who gave Katniss the pin!  What happened to Madge?  My first thought was “If they take out Madge, what else are they willing to sacrifice?” Of course, I wouldn’t have remembered this little detail if I hadn’t just finished reading the book in preparation for the movie.