Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Nobody's skin sparkles, either.

I have not seen the movie The Hunger Games yet. I will probably be waiting for a matinee.

That said, I have read the books, and found them quite enjoyable, despite their labeling as "young adult" fiction.

Further, I'd rather have today's teens reading about the dangers of oppressive governments and needing arms to revolt against them than daydreaming about being date-raped by the undead.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Agreed. The underlying message is exceptional.

RWC said...

"daydreaming about being date-raped by the undead."

LOL. 'Twilight' was on the other day and I accidentally left it on for a couple minutes. Were blue and orange the only colors the filmmakers had to work with? Geesh.

Robert said...

I hope that the Hunger Games people paid a bunch to the writer of "Battle Royal" cause they sure ripped off his book.

Tam said...

Robert,

"the Hunger Games people"

I was not aware Suzanne Collins had multiple personality disorder.

(And the plot is a melange of themes that reach back through "The Long Walk" clear to Theseus and the Minotaur. But then every plot is a melange of old themes. There are only a handful of basic stories, after all.)

greg said...

Back during most of the 1950's, Heinlein was a 'leading writer of children's books'. I've read most of his 'juvenille's' and you can tell they were aimed at a different audience then 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' or his later stuff(no incest for the Cub Scout crowd)

Still, you could tell it was Heinlein. There was a message of personal responisibilty in those books.

Now, not as bloody as the Hunger Games. In fact, it wasn't until after I read them that I saw them for sale in the Young Adult section at Barnes and Nobles. I understand them being there, but only because of the age of the charecters, and minor angst.

I guess for that same reason, 'Huckleberry Finn' is a young adult story...

Greg in Allston said...

"Further, I'd rather have today's teens reading about the dangers of oppressive governments and needing arms to revolt against them than daydreaming about being date-raped by the undead."

Thanks Tam, and amen. Now there's a quote of the week if I ever saw one.

Buzz said...

I couldn't talk my wife into a matinee, because "I don't want our 10-year-old son seeing the violence."
He was the first of our three kids to read the series and, from all reviews, the violence in the movie was significantly toned down from the book, almost to the point of being neutered and taking away part of the message.
Then again, she doesn't let the kids watch Star Trek or BSG with me, "because of the violence."

I should consider myself fortunate that all three kids read and loved the Hunger Games series, while neither of the two girls did anything but dabble in only one of the Twilight books.

OtherWhiteMatt said...

I saw it with my girlfriend on Saturday. It was awesome- well acted and directed. And that's coming from one who hasn't read the books. My girlfriend did, and she said they did a good job maintaining parity.

Phssthpok said...

"...I'd rather have today's teens reading about the dangers of oppressive governments and needing arms to revolt against them..."


With any luck 'The Hunger Games' will be this generation's 'Tripod' series which was, for me, one of the formative book series of my youth.

Kristophr said...

" ... than daydreaming about being date-raped by the undead."

Sounds like raiding night at Reprisal, where a good third of the players are Larry Correia grade undead ...

Dead players will be corpse-abused before resurrection.

Anonymous said...

I just saw the movie and enjoyed it immensely - it’s a crackerjack action flick. But the whole time I was in the theater, I couldn’t help thinking that Hollywood - a city of arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed parasites who consider everyone else to be sub-intelligent cattle to be manipulated for their benefit has created a movie where the villains are a city of arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed parasites who consider everyone else to be sub-intelligent cattle to be manipulated for their benefit.

Maybe I should have invested in that irony mine after all.

Guffaw in AZ said...

Linking to my blog, both for your snark, Tam, and Anonymous' commentary!
Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Haven't read the books; saw the movie. It's definitely worth seeing.

Anonymous @ 1:22 PM, March 27, 2012 - [T]he whole time I was in the theater, I couldn’t help thinking that Hollywood - a city of arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed parasites who consider everyone else to be sub-intelligent cattle to be manipulated for their benefit has created a movie where the villains are a city of arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed parasites who consider everyone else to be sub-intelligent cattle to be manipulated for their benefit.

HAH! Excellent point.

Ted N said...

Anonymous @ 1:22 PM, March 27, 2012 - [T]he whole time I was in the theater, I couldn’t help thinking that Hollywood - a city of arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed parasites who consider everyone else to be sub-intelligent cattle to be manipulated for their benefit has created a movie where the villains are a city of arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed parasites who consider everyone else to be sub-intelligent cattle to be manipulated for their benefit

I was wondering how they managed to slip that by the studios... I'm a little dissapointed that Haynitch didn't puke on everything, otherwise, i thought it was pretty damn good.

Drang said...

Thought for the day, YA Edition

staghounds said...

Not just reading about it.