Hunger Games

[Samson]

I can't wait to see it. Just finished the third book. It's so exciting to see kids excited about reading again.

my son loved, loved loved the series.

if your kids like that, have them check out the Cherub series by Robert Muckamore (sp)

Well TheGirl, 9, wanted to see the movie, and claimed to have read the book, so I took her, unaware of the plot.

I found the premise of 24 kids aged 12-18 fighting each other to the death more than a little unsettling, and never would have brought TheGirl had I known this.

Now she has built her own bow and arrow set and is pretending to play in Hunger Games in the backyard.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Your girl wants a model who is brave, vulnerable, defender of the weak, and strong in her own character's uprightness.

Support her in this,

 

[Samson]

Your girl wants a model who is brave, vulnerable, defender of the weak, and strong in her own character's uprightness.

Support her in this,

You have a point.

Plus, archery is a relatively cheap sport.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Your girl wants a model who is brave, vulnerable, defender of the weak, and strong in her own character's uprightness. Support her in this,

You have a point. Plus, archery is a relatively cheap sport.

Unless she hits someone. You might stress the undesirability of such an act. Your girl sounds great!

 

[Samson]

Your girl wants a model who is brave, vulnerable, defender of the weak, and strong in her own character's uprightness. Support her in this,

You have a point. Plus, archery is a relatively cheap sport.

Unless she hits someone. You might stress the undesirability of such an act. Your girl sounds great!

Thanks. We'll try to aim only at criminals and politicians.

One particular scene from the movie gave her nightmares: Heroine is hiding in a tree at night shortly after the game began, and noticies some girl who has built a huge roaring fire. Soon other players notice, arrive at the fire, and murder the girl. My daughter somehow identified with the girl who was killed this way.

 

[JakeStarkey]

My wife noticed that scene as well. The little girl who was murdered is the substitute, of course, for what would have happened to the little sister if Cat had not volunteered in her place.

 

[mudwhistle]

Anyone here happen to see a Midnight showing last night?
Thoughts if you did?

I will be taking my children this evening. Nothing says "family entertainment" like teenager's fighting to the death.

I'm trying to see the hook.

Is it some kind of class-warfare bs?

 

[JakeStarkey]

You would like it, mud. An authoritarian federal government elite, after an apocalyptic event, uses the games to both terrorize and appease the rank and file Americans with death and circuses type entertainment, a la reality show environment.

 

[Dabs]

Not a movie I plan on watching...it doesn't appeal to me.
I never liked any of the Harry Potter crappus either......cause I'm weird like that ~LoL~

 

[mudwhistle]

Not a movie I plan on watching...it doesn't appeal to me.
I never liked any of the Harry Potter crappus either......cause I'm weird like that ~LoL~

After the first Harry Potter movie the rest of them sucked....but I read the books so I wanted to see the stories in a movie.

Go figure.

 

[WillowTree]

A strange view of the future , if you ask me. Is this what white people think could happen in the future.?

It's a good damn thing we didn't ask you isn't it?

 

[Samson]

Not a movie I plan on watching...it doesn't appeal to me.
I never liked any of the Harry Potter crappus either......cause I'm weird like that ~LoL~

After the first Harry Potter movie the rest of them sucked....but I read the books so I wanted to see the stories in a movie.

Go figure.

Not sure what relationship there is between HP and HG. Asside from their being popular Young Adult Trilogies, the plots do not seem similar (although I know nothing about the rest of the HG series....I suppose Orks might appear?).

There IS a racial theme.

After shooting a white teen boy, the heroine gives a little funeral ceremony for a slightly black (mocha) girl, and later a black teen male saves her life in retribution.

Sadly, the black teen is torn apart later by a pack of huge dogs.

I wonder what Michael Vick thought if he saw the movie?

 

[jillian]

I can't wait to see it. Just finished the third book. It's so exciting to see kids excited about reading again.

my son loved, loved loved the series.

if your kids like that, have them check out the Cherub series by Robert Muckamore (sp)

Well TheGirl, 9, wanted to see the movie, and claimed to have read the book, so I took her, unaware of the plot.

I found the premise of 24 kids aged 12-18 fighting each other to the death more than a little unsettling, and never would have brought TheGirl had I known this.

Now she has built her own bow and arrow set and is pretending to play in Hunger Games in the backyard.

FWIW, I didn't find the concept of Hunger Games any more unsettling than the idea of a school full of children fighting the most evil magician on the planet to the death. And there's nothing wrong with a young girl feeling empowered. I wouldn't sweat it. Clearly your girl was very comfortable with it.

I have also been asked by my boy to tell you that there was no racial issue in the book. Race isn't even mentioned in the book. The boy who saves Katniss does so because the are friends and from the same District.

 

[Samson]

my son loved, loved loved the series.

if your kids like that, have them check out the Cherub series by Robert Muckamore (sp)

Well TheGirl, 9, wanted to see the movie, and claimed to have read the book, so I took her, unaware of the plot.

I found the premise of 24 kids aged 12-18 fighting each other to the death more than a little unsettling, and never would have brought TheGirl had I known this.

Now she has built her own bow and arrow set and is pretending to play in Hunger Games in the backyard.

FWIW, I didn't find the concept of Hunger Games any more unsettling than the idea of a school full of children fighting the most evil magician on the planet to the death. And there's nothing wrong with a young girl feeling empowered. I wouldn't sweat it. Clearly your girl was very comfortable with it.

I have also been asked by my boy to tell you that there was no racial issue in the book. Race isn't even mentioned in the book. The boy who saves Katniss does so because the are friends and from the same District.

Well, then as often is the case, the movie wasn't precisely like the book.

You know, I would probably have had predicted sharing your feeling: kids killing kids, certainly not much more terrifying than many other plot constructs. However, I was surprised to find the premise MUCH more unsettling than adults killing kids (plots of many crime dramas). There have been rare cases of kids killing other kids (Columbine High School, and those boys that stoned that younger boy to death in England). These are ALWAYS sensationalized.

Indeed, I am not even sure why the plot of the Huger Games has players 12-18 murdering each other, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT IS MORE HORRIBLE.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The plot condemns the dehumanization of our species and interlinks that with the idea of the government using reality shows to terrorize and oppress the masses. It is a snap shot of what a possible future for humans could be. Kinda like the NeoTrotskys and the bigrebncs in charge.

 

[Dabs]

Like I said, not a movie I'll be watching..............

 

[jillian]

Well TheGirl, 9, wanted to see the movie, and claimed to have read the book, so I took her, unaware of the plot.

I found the premise of 24 kids aged 12-18 fighting each other to the death more than a little unsettling, and never would have brought TheGirl had I known this.

Now she has built her own bow and arrow set and is pretending to play in Hunger Games in the backyard.

FWIW, I didn't find the concept of Hunger Games any more unsettling than the idea of a school full of children fighting the most evil magician on the planet to the death. And there's nothing wrong with a young girl feeling empowered. I wouldn't sweat it. Clearly your girl was very comfortable with it.

I have also been asked by my boy to tell you that there was no racial issue in the book. Race isn't even mentioned in the book. The boy who saves Katniss does so because the are friends and from the same District.

Well, then as often is the case, the movie wasn't precisely like the book.

You know, I would probably have had predicted sharing your feeling: kids killing kids, certainly not much more terrifying than many other plot constructs. However, I was surprised to find the premise MUCH more unsettling than adults killing kids (plots of many crime dramas). There have been rare cases of kids killing other kids (Columbine High School, and those boys that stoned that younger boy to death in England). These are ALWAYS sensationalized.

Indeed, I am not even sure why the plot of the Huger Games has players 12-18 murdering each other, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT IS MORE HORRIBLE.

maybe that's the point... that this dystopian world, it is horrible... so horrible that kids kill other kids in order not to starve to death.

 

[JakeStarkey]

A movie worth seeing. Turning one's mind from it does not dismiss the issues, only the person.

 

[Artevelde]

Not a bad movie. Too bad about the fairly happy ending. I'll see if I find time to read the books.

 

[Samson]

maybe that's the point... that this dystopian world, it is horrible... so horrible that kids kill other kids in order not to starve to death.

A movie worth seeing. Turning one's mind from it does not dismiss the issues, only the person.

I agree.

This thread would be much more interesting if it focused on why teenagers seem to identify with the plot as much as they have (I believe of the NYT top 10 fiction, the series, or related books occupy 4 places).

My theory is that it is a combination of the love story between heroine and hero (girls) and the blood and guts mayhem so dearly worshiped by male teens. Same thing for those vampire movies (not being a fan, the titles escape me). I doubt that most viewers even notice the thematic political/societal subtexts messaged through the adult movie producers to the adult (well, mature) audience.