Monday, April 16, 2012

It's The Grand Comeback!!!!

Hello hello hello my voyeur family! In the great words of General MacArthur... I have returned. I know it's been a long long time, but I found it within myself to blow the dust off this blog and share my thoughts about films, and (now) television programming that I am watching. Now for some of you... YES! I am using this to say my piece about what I consider good movies and why. YES! I am using this as means to feed my incessant need to debate and discuss. All that aside, I just felt the urge to speak, dissect and deliberate on what we are taking in through the ol' boob tube (the greatest babysitter of them all). So to start things off, we will be nourishing ourselves on The Hunger Games.

Yes, the film was worth the hype. Yes, the film is N-O-thing like the accursed, and atrocious Twilight Saga. NO, it's not a remake of the equally cool Battle Royale (despite what anyone says....THEY'RE WRONG). Still, I came away unfulfilled. This is probably one of those rare occasions where reading the book prior to the movie left me unsatisfied in a serious way. I don't know exactly how to pinpoint it, but there is something that director Gary Ross didn't include in the picture that sells it short. Before we begin, the editor and director of photography (DP) did excellent work. The techniques they used to bring this tale of death and survival together really brought home what could only be the themes of book 2 and 3 (which I have not read). Their styles were not traditional by any means, but more personal giving us a make shit first person POV of our protagonist Katniss Everdeen.

With all of that said, there is something refreshing to having a piece of science fiction top the box office for a month. Author Suzanne Collins' dystopian tale of adolescent violence, subjugation, melancholy, and revolution make you stop and think about how we have allowed reality television and our inherent blood lust go to the max. SUPERMAX per se, lol. Following the experiences of Katniss Everdeen as she volunteers for certain death, travels from her oppressed district 12 to the glamorous city of Panem to be prepped, pampered, and thrown into the annual Hunger Games was nothing but exciting; mind you this is a story written for young adults. There is something to the character analysis of these combatants that always makes me appreciate the brilliance of Stephen King's The Running Man (a Schwarzenegger classic and must see) prior to the emergence of reality television. The idea that children that are at a point in their life where they are just finding themselves, are taken down a path that no one should have to go through...the path of destroyed innocence is always intriguing. Who will embrace this experience and become a heartless killer? Who will be the lamb walking into the slaughter? Who will battle to hold onto their humanity? Always something great to see because at this time in our life we don't have to.

The issue that I had with the film adaptation was that it didn't go all the way and show us the horrific brutality and reality that comes with the Games. This is the same issue that I had reading the book. It is such an interesting subject that editing it for the sensitivity of the targeted youth audience makes you want to scream "C'mon!!!! I just want a taste". The intangible exposition of Kat's thoughts, emotions, and perceptions were the layerings that really made the 'Games' so good. Which we cannot get from the film. Facial expressions can only do so much before you have to leave the rest up to subjective interpretation. I guess this is something that we have no choice but to embrace and live with.

Should you see this movie...YES! Should you read the book...YES! Should we thank reality television for giving something to talk about... not too sure. But The Hunger Games is something exciting and refreshing to put on your radar regardless of your age. In my humble opinion, anyone who feels that this is something detrimental to our children... go watch We Need To Talk About Kevin...then come see me.

Happy Watching!!!