While it’s unlikely that I will possibly be able to keep up with every single new development as the Hunger Games film release date draws near (March 23), I hope I can make a few comments on some of the more fascinating/horrifying/just plain bizarre news and hoopla that we’ll see over the next couple of months (for, we hope, more sanity and thoughtfulness, watch for our upcoming review of our favorite Hunger Games posts). One new item has certainly caught my interest: the launch of the new Capitol Couture website. Join me after the jump for some conversation about why this flashy-splashy website is intriguing, thought-provoking, and (I hope) a big joke.
[Read more…]
Hold on to Your Hats (or Wig, Effie); It’s the Capitol Couture Website
January 30, 2012 by 4 Comments
The Man in Black: Alan Rickman Interview and Oscar Prospects
January 19, 2012 by 6 Comments
Back in December, John Granger and I had the opportunity to chat on Middle Earth Network Radio with delightful host Dave Kale on the subject of the DVD extras offered with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Though we really enjoyed (and discussed at great length) the segment on both female characters and the actresses who portray them, I bemoaned the lack of a really wonderful documentary sequence featuring Alan Rickman, as I have been delighted, amazed, and ultimately deeply moved by his riveting performance as the prickly and profoundly complex Potions master. This article from The LA Times, does something to alleviate that gap, including some nice thoughts on Rickman’s decade of playing one of the most misunderstood guys in black since Johnny Cash and even ponders Rickman’s Oscar prospects.
[Read more…]
Pubcast tonight on Middle Earth Radio Network
January 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Join Dave Kale, George Naylor, and yours truly for a live pubcast as we look back over at the Harry Potter events of 2011!
Hunger Games Soundtrack News: First single ideal or ironic?
December 31, 2011 by 3 Comments
Since I am a Gregorian, at least with respect to calendars, this time of year usually pulls me away from my duties here, so these are very overdue thoughts on the new Hunger Games soundtrack news. The first release from the soundtrack is Taylor Swift, along with the group The Civil Wars, performing “Safe and Sound.” Not only is this quite a bit early for soundtrack music to appear for a March film, but the song, and its musicians, also provide fuel for our on-going conversation about The Hunger Games as self-referential popular culture artifact. Join me after the jump for my thoughts along those lines. [Read more…]
Hunger Games Items Just in Time for Giving: MisGuided Merchandising or Brilliant Branding?
December 18, 2011 by 19 Comments
The Movie Marketing Gamemakers have clearly decided that The Hunger Games is bound to be their meal ticket (pun most certainly intended) next year, a fact evidenced by big promotions starting this week with the 100 days countdown to film release March 23. The stunning new poster, with its catchphrase “The World will be watching” is both a reference to the ever-present cameras in Panem, and a bandwagon appeal from moviemakers for viewers to go see the “big” movie “everybody” will be going to see. It should not, then, be astonishing the number of items that have now been rolled out in the hopes that readers will snatch them up for themselves, or that that friends and family will purchase mass quantities of this stuff for all the Hunger Games readers on their lists. Follow me after the jump for some thoughts on the humor and horror of everything from nail polish to water bottles sporting the flaming Mockingjay pin. [Read more…]
Recent Conversation