I'm in the middle of a 3 book series called the Hunger Games. Written for the Harry Potter sect, it's attracted a huge adult audience. A movie is being made now, releasing on March 23, of the first book, with a great cast. The book was recommended to me by my daughter Ali. She and her boyfriend ripped through the trilogy and loved it. The suspenseful, adventurous, defiant, sensual and violent teen tale resonates with a huge audience.
It's a phenomenon unfolding.
The teaser has been viewed over 500,000 times.
The trailer for the movie has gotten almost 3,000,000 views on YouTube
An entity known on YouTube as ElektrakutProduction even took their shot at which stars should be cast in the major roles in the movie, their piece, My Hunger Games Cast . Some fans filmed their own version of a trailer for the movie, a bit defiantly titled The Hunger Games Official Trailer and it's gotten nearly 500,000 views.
There are 3 million copies in print of the 1st book alone.
What's all the excitement about ?
Hunger Games is a great adventure tale told from the point of view of the young teenage heroine, Catniss Everdeen (think Ellen Page) in the distant future. Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant in this teen manhunt : kill or be killed until only one victor remains. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place. The story has been described as a cross between Lord of the Flies, Twilight, Robin Hood and The Most Dangerous Game. The people of the 12 districts are constantly wanting for food, and the descriptions of the hardships that they live with are presented in stark contrast to the wastefulness and luxury of the lives of the royalty living in the Capital.
Why Reading the Book is Better than Seeing the Movie - Generally
When you read the book, you control the pace at which the story unfolds. Good authors create narrative that makes you want to know more. They create curiosity, an itch that you want to scratch. When you're reading the story, you control when you pause and when you stop the story from unfolding. You control the cliff hangers and more significantly, how much you read at a sitting. When I'm reading a good book, and want to stop, I look for a point where something great or dramatic has happened, stop to consider it for a minute, and then close the book for the night. You can do this when reading a book, but not when viewing a movie. You can read a book at a frantic pace, getting the story fast and furious, or slowly, considering each turn of events. When watching a movie, you sit back and accept the storytelling pace created by the Screenwriter and Director. A book also has a very personal aspect, as each of us imagines a different look to the characters and the scenes they take part in. I often read the book first, so as not to miss that very pleasant and satisfying experience of imaging the world that frames the story and the characters that live it.
The Move is Coming on March 23
The Hunger Games movie will be huge as well, with stars Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Southerland, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz and upcoming stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in the lead roles.
All in all, another great and quite original narrative has been created in the Hunger Games. I'm liking it so much, I wanted to share it with you...
May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor !
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