Hunger Games PSAs

College Humor cooked up some retro posters with urgent Hunger Games messaging.

Two more, AFTER THE JUMP...

Now Playing: The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) breaks the fourth wall in The Hunger Games

BY NATHANIEL ROGERS

YOUR FEATURE PRESENTATION

"The Hunger Games," now in their 74th year, began as a way to punish an uprising against the government. The totalitarian regime of Panem (in what remains of the former United States) maintains total control over the outlying districts. Each of the 12 districts is required to send forth two "tributes" annually, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 to 18 chosen by lottery. They are shipped to the Capital where they are paraded about and then shipped off to die for the amusement of the masses. Everyone in the nation watches. There are no alternatives in this dystopia. Only one adolescent will live bringing supposed honor (and maybe food?) to their starving district... or so claims the capital. What honor there is in forcing teenagers to kill each other is not a question the Capitol asks itself.

Any similarities that THE HUNGER GAMES has to the Japanese classic Battle Royale (2000), which also features schoolchildren forced to kill each other by a totalitarian regime -- only one survivor allowed -- are, according to The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins, entirely coincidental. Another film in this subgenre, the little seen Series 7: The Contenders (2001) also features mandatory lotteried killing for televised amusement. In short, the ideas are nothing new, just the treatment; these are topics we're obviously grappling with in popular culture in this era of televised "reality" and winner takes all capitalistic vice. The gap between the haves and have nots grows and this dystopia gives it steroids.

When 12 year old Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) is named as tribute in "The Reaping" ceremony, her protective sister Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her place. The district also sends Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) a sweet strong baker's son who Katniss knows a little. Will they kill or be killed? 

They're off and running... AFTER THE JUMP...

 

Lenny Kravitz Discusses Cinna's Sexuality in 'The Hunger Games'

Lenny Kravitz was asked by Movieline whether he thinks his character Cinna, who serves as stylist for Hunger Games tribute Katniss, is gay:

"I have no idea. I have no idea. I played him right in the middle, and one of the inspirations is a friend of mine, actually, who I grew up with. He’s bisexual and you could think he’s gay, you could think he’s straight, you’re not really sure. It’s very subtle. You wouldn’t know it, but Cinna’s speech patterns and the way he enunciates was kind of based on this person that’s just a friend of mine, who I thought was a good example."

Watch The Hunger Games sequence where Katniss meets Cinna, AFTER THE JUMP...

Wes Bentley Comes Out of His Cave for 'The Hunger Games'

Wes Bentley, who disappeared for a while after his role as Ricky Fitts in American Beauty, is back as Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games, and is also rolling around in a towel and the dirt in the new issue of Flaunt.

Bentley talks about why he went away, and why he's back: “I feel really fired up and there was a reason I didn’t have that feeling when I was younger. I’m glad that I can realize that through all the mess. I was waiting for the right moment, and that moment is now."

One more shot, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via just jared, where you can find more)

Six Minutes of 'Hunger Games' Behind-the-Scenes Footage: VIDEO

The Hunger Games has its premiere in L.A. tonight. Those of you thirsting for more footage of it than you've seen in any of the promos will enjoy thise six-minute clip of B-roll and behind-the-scenes shots.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Shirtless Lenny Kravitz, Hunger, Games: VIDEO

Lenny Kravitz is looking fit in the new issue of Interview magazine, where he talks about how he got involved with the upcoming film adaptation of The Hunger Games:

Gary [Ross] saw Precious and said that he liked the character of Nurse John, so he thought I’d be right for the role in Hunger Games since Cinna is somebody who is looking out for somebody and is a support figure, too. So he called me down here in the Bahamas— I was actually making the album at the time. He said, “Hi, I’m making this movie called The Hunger Games. I think you’d be great. If you want it, you’ve got the part.”

More at Interview.

Meanwhile, a scene featuring Kravitz was released this week in which Cinna helps Katniss prepare for the tribute parade.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...