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Cinema Conned
Guys, it was a big deal! Didn’t you hear? Didn’t you know?! The Hunger Games: Catching Fire came to Cinema Con and it was like FLASH! BANG! SURPRISING AWESOMENESS!
The Gate to Fandom Heaven
Let’s recap, shall we?
- Lionsgate’s new space-themed logo is pretty boombastic! Out of this world, perhaps? *symbol crash* At least we know our new cue to start hyperventilating when we get to see the movie in November, right?!
- Elizabeth Banks made an appearance with Grizzly Adams, who filmed the movie back when we knew him as Liam Hemsworth (Just kidding, of course! We <3 beards). Either way, they were both pretty as they introduced the teaser trailer!
- The teaser trailer that debuted during the MTV Movie Awards got played on a big screen!
- FLaw says filming has finally wrapped, something we thought had happened like two months ago. Guess those rumors about the movie taking too long and being over budget held some weight. Ouch.
Okay, so fans were slightly underwhelmed. But believe it or not, that was probably MEANT to be the case. This convention is one geared toward industry insiders, so frills weren’t quite necessary. The audience was filled with cinema owners and operators. They don’t need to be convinced as to why they should be playing Catching Fire, but just in case– HEY CINEMA OWNERS! PLAY CATCHING FIRE OR YOU ARE GOING TO MISS OUT ON AN AVALANCHE OF PROFITS, IDIOTS! (Unless you own an art house theatre, in which case we dig it and forgive you!)
Liz and The Grizz!
There’s really no one to impress at CinemaCon. Every person in that room could hate the premise of the movie, yet they would still play it because it will not fail them on the business end of things. And sadly, no all conventions are created for the flashy panels that us broke-ass fans can watch on YouTube later, because life is unfair.
Good news, though! This is probably the first of many conventions, because the con circuit NEVER ENDS (Some people started going there not knowing what it was, and they’ll continue going there forever just because…)
Don’t worry! There are Catching Fire promos that will blow our socks off, we’re sure! But patience is a virtue pain in the ass that we’ll have to put up with for a while!
That Song Is In Your Head. Sorry We’re Not Sorry,
The Girl With The Pearl
The Demographics
The title of this article sounds like a girl group circa 1965, they sway a lot, and they wear color coordinated outfits, they also say “shoop” a lot, and “na, na, na“. Okay, maybe they don’t, but they might say this– I think the demographic for The Hunger Games franchise has finally reached beyond what the studio originally thought it was, i.e. teenage girls, and their boyfriends being reluctantly dragged to the movie theatre, also possibly parents being dragged to the movies as well.
It’s no big reveal when I say that none of the writers who work for Victor’s Village fall into any of those categories, yep– we’re all women, childless, and all over the age of 25, unless of course we’re lying, and we’re really all 12, 14, and 17, in love with Justin Bieber, and have no idea who Anne Frank is. It’s also no big reveal when I state, at least for me, it’s been difficult being a fan of this series when according to society, I’m not supposed to like it. I’ve personally never thought of The Hunger Games trilogy as a series that’s a cookie cutter young adult novel 
series, it’s just very well– adult to me. True, there’s no sex, there’s no swearing, which also according to society teenagers don’t ever do, therefore it’s left out of a large chunk of the literature that’s geared towards that age bracket. But, yeah– if young adults aren’t having sex, and not swearing, than someone better get me a TARDIS, so I can go back in time and tell probably 80% of the people I knew in high school and college, to well– stop having of the sex, and swearing like sailors.
How, or why do I think the demographic has changed though? Three words, Iron Man 3. Yep, yesterday at Cinemacon in Las Vegas it was announced by Francis Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Elizabeth Banks, that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’s first teaser trailer will be attached to Iron Man 3 when it’s released in the next several weeks. Iron Man 3‘s demographic is not teenager girls, it’s just not– Iron Man 3‘s demographic is actually young adult males ages 12 and up, and dominantly this audience has also read the source material that Iron Man 3 will be based on. Kind of a sharp pivot to the left, don’t ya’ think? Especially considering that The Hunger Games‘ first teaser trailer, and first full length trailer were both attached to the teenage girls Mecca of a film franchise, The Twilight Saga.
Times are a-changin’, and they come with comic books.
Them There Eyes
Smeffie Brinket
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That’s what they say right? So when Tara Reid tweets a picture of herself in full-blown Effie Trinket, that must be a good thing.
Alongside the picture she tweeted that she was on set shooting an untitled movie produced by Jamie Kennedy (kind of makes me want to watch Scream. So here are some ideas on what kind of film they could possibly be making.
- A day in the life of a cosplayer at Comic-Con. How many people will ask to take pictures with her? Will she survive the extreme heat and the huge crowds? Will her makeup?
- An intense psychological thriller about Effie Trinket and her stalker-roommate. Soon she starts dressing like her, eyeing her jewels, making best friend collages. Before you know it, she’s wearing Effie’s wigs and plotting to replace her. For good.
- A mockumentary about YouTube makeup tutorials and the individuals who create them. This is obviously the finished look of an Effie Trinket tutorial that took countless hours and pounds of makeup to perfect.
- A spoof movie, probably a sequel to Epic Movie (not to be confused with Josh Hutcherson’s upcoming movie Epic), that will probably be lacking in the laughs.
I’m really not sure what kind of movie this will make an appearance in. But I guess the real question is… who knew Tara Reid was still around?
I’m punk rock prom queen
Twiffidy
Victor’s Village Capitol Portraits Breakdown!
The Capitol Portraits have been arriving all week and we are in OVERLOAD MODE! Rather than only dedicate a skimpy paragraph to each in a typical post, we’re going old school!
For those of you who only discovered the site recently, we occasionally like to team up and BREAK IT DOWN for our audience, chat style! It’s long (hence the “Read More” tag! Click it!) and meticulous and hilariously ridiculous! Enjoy the party!
Effie Trinket
EFFIE MCQUEEN OF GENOVIA
The Girl With The Pearl: Okay ladies, let’s start with Effie!
Them There Eyes: I think they’ve upped the ante, and this was just our first taste of how far they’re potentially going.
TGWTP: Here’s my only hesitation: Is too much of one color a bad thing?
Them There Eyes: I don’t think it’s too much color at all! She’s supposed to clash, and pop, and other sounds.
Twiffidy: Yeah, too much color is very Capitol anyway.
TGWTP: I love that she’s got a regal gown with frilly but awesome shoes and SPACEMAN GLOVES!
Them There Eyes: I also love the clash of how soft her hair, shoes, and dress are in contrast to the gauntlet rings.
Twiffidy: This gave me flashbacks of when I went to the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met when I was in New York a couple of years ago.
Them There Eyes: I am in such hard like with Alexander McQueen… I’ve been looking at his work for years and going “Capitol, Capitol, Capitol.”
TGWTP: Alexander McQueen is the official designer of Effie Trinket. Which would technically make her totally vintage!
Them There Eyes: I know… her shoes were McQueen last year! And I’ve been pinning heelless shoes to my Panem themed pin board on Pinterest for months….. when I saw those shoes I flipped the fuck out, ’cause I’ve pinned several similar versions by McQueen.
Twiffidy: And these heelless shoes were A-MA-ZING!
TGWTP: Elizabeth Banks could wear a potato sack and look good, but Alexander McQueen definitely helps. I want to test that potato sack theory someday, though. I say that about these actors, but I need to see them in potato sacks!
Twiffidy: And I don’t know if those are bracelets or part of the glove, but I like that contrasting color, it helps break it up so there isn’t too much of the pink. And Elizabeth’s pose is perfect, very charm school with the crossed ankles.
Them There Eyes: Yes, very poised… polite, queenly. I’ve seen gloves like that before in my mother’s knitting books, they have sort of bells on them… or petals like a flower. And her pose makes me think of that sequence in the Princess Diaries.
Twiffidy: Haha yes! Very Princess Diaries! I’m waiting for her to tell Katniss to do the “Thank you for being here” wave.
TGWTP: There’s a reason that Effie always gets released first. The image demands your attention!
Twiffidy: Oh my gosh, yes… They do like to release her early!
Caesar Flickerman
A LITTLE LESS KARL LAGERFELD, A LITTLE MORE BARBIE
The Girl With The Pearl: Speaking of demanding attention, what do we think about Caesar?
Twiffidy: Funny story, I showed this to my friend and he did not even realize Caesar had a ponytail in the first movie
Them There Eyes: His hair still makes me think of one of my My Little Ponies. Her name was Rattles.
TGWTP: Well, it’s a high ponytail this time around. Caesar and Barbie now have something in common!
Twiffidy: Haha… a little less Karl Lagerfeld, a little more Barbie.
Them There Eyes: At least it doesn’t remind me of Michael Bolton anymore!
TGWTP: At first glance, I thought his hair was shaved off on the sides and I got really distressed!
Twiffidy: Did you notice his eyebrows look a little purple-y?
Them There Eyes: Yeah, they’re violet. He was already one of the more extremely styled people they had, but still it’s up a notch or two, which is what I was craving.
Twiffidy: I’m glad they stuck with the textured suit idea from the first movie and then elevated it.
TGWTP: Caesar is basically a 5-year-old’s hair color experiment.
Them There Eyes: Kool-Aid!
TWGTP: YES!
Them There Eyes: Great. Now the Kool-Aid guy is going to come crashing in here saying “Ohhhh yeaaahhh!”
Cinna
EXPERIMENTAL SEX CLUBS IN THE MATRIX
TGWTP: Then let’s run to the next victim! *cough* I mean, subject! Cinna!
Twiffidy: My male friend said he wants Cinna’s boots.
Them There Eyes: If they wanted to scream rebel in our faces, but in a sexy way…. they’ve achieved that affect.
TGWTP: I know Cinna is not very Capitol and quite understated, but I still wanted MORE. His jacket has that emperor effect, so I appreciate that.
Twiffidy: But I think the gold eye liner is still there, which is reassuring.
TGWTP: It is, which makes it okay for him to be in all black.
Them There Eyes: Why all leather though?
TGWTP: No idea! Does anyone else think the tight leather sleeves make his arms look like toothpicks?
Twiffidy: This gives me such a Matrix vibe, especially with the green background.
Them There Eyes: Yes, that’s what I was trying to grasp onto… Matrix!
TGWTP: Seriously! I’m expecting Neo and Trinity any minute now!
Them There Eyes: He looks like Morpheus’ baby brother! I’ll say this… I’m glad they got rid of the medallion necklace. He has the gold hoops in his ear, and one ring on… His accessories are set in my eyes now. But…. do we think he looks a little sex club-y?
Twiffidy: Just the forearms.
Them There Eyes: Just the arms are sex club worthy? Wow… Up your game, Cinna!
TGWTP: It could happen. Cinna could be the quiet type who actually spends all his nights getting his freak on in peculiar places.
Them There Eyes: I smell a fan-fic!
Twiffidy: Be careful what you wish for!
TGWTP: Muahahahahaha!
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The Effie Effect
Discount movie night is kind of a big deal when you’re broke. Round here it’s on Tuesday, and this Tuesday’s film of choice was Movie 43, an outrageous collection of hardcore comedy shorts that’s not for everyone. Among the 43 big name actors in the film was our Effie, Elizabeth Banks.
And this is the relatively sane part!
Elizabeth’s short, Beezel, was both ridiculous and raunchy, bringing out her unflappably entertaining side as she mostly interacted with a despicable cartoon cat. Think of it what you will, but this short– much like her appearances in films like Zack and Miri Make A Porno and The 40 Year Old Virgin– prove that Elizabeth Banks can act her way through ANYTHING.
There’s been talk of bringing out more background personality traits for Haymitch, but we’re hoping that discussion has also happened for his reluctant companion, Effie Trinket. Yes, Effie was portrayed beautifully in the first film. She was blissfully unaware of her privilege and spotted each scene in which she was featured with comic relief.
There was only one problem: We didn’t sorta kinda hate her, which is a conflict of interest everyone we know suffered with in the books. The conflict with which you’re supposed to suffer. Effie may be a good person underneath it all, but she’s been so corrupted by a life of frivolous luxury that she doesn’t even question what she does, and for those reasons, readers don’t always love her unconditionally. In the movie, that comes out a lot less.
We don’t blame Elizabeth’s performance for this at all. Oddly enough, there’s not one person who you can look at specifically and blame for Movie!Effie not disgusting us with her Capitol citizen style greed as much as we had hoped. The character was bubbly and aloof, she looked so fantastical and had such snappy one-liners that it was hard to remember that behind all those smiles, she was proudly escorting children to their deaths on a year-to-year basis.
The Hunger Games is to Mean Girls as Effie Trinket is to Regina George
Catching Fire brings us more time with a much more conflicted Effie, so we want Elizabeth Banks to be given the chance to shine Effie through in all of her glory: the obnoxious Capitol groupie turned emotional escort starting to question everything she’s ever known. Again, Elizabeth can act out anything. Why not let her?! We certainly don’t mind the laughs, but we hope Effie can be bigger and bolder. Just look at those outfits! You’re telling me that the woman behind them doesn’t have an astronomical rollercoaster of a personality?
We’re not looking for a caricature, of course. A character like Effie could get very out of hand, very quickly and nobody wants that. Just a pinch of punch to remind us what Effie stands for in the series!
There’s A Lot of Thoughts Going On Under That Poofy Pink Hair,
The Girl With The Pearl
Bad Lip Reading Is Effie-Approved!
A few days ago, Elizabeth Banks posted on her website about how much she loved Bad Lip Reading, especially the video they did for The Hunger Games, and that Jennifer Lawrence had introduced it to it her.
Which is awesome.
True, the video had gained a lot of popularity since it was posted on YouTube in September, making it onto all the fansites and even on popular entertainment and gossip sites, but there is still the fandom fourth wall, or at least the illusion of it. You don’t really imagine the stars of these movies giggling around a smartphone in full costume in between takeswatching these videos poking fun at themselves. However, now that I know the story, that is exactly how I do imagine it.
It’s no surprise since The Hunger Games actors are all very game to have a laugh while on the set. But it makes a fangirl wonder just what fandom inside jokes actually do make it into the actor’s hands. We’ve got to remember actors do not live in a vacuum; they do have access to the same Internet that we do.
No need to be paranoid. The Hunger Games actors are people too!
Of course Jennifer was showing that video to everyone. Of course.
Twiffidy
The Hunger A Capella Games Part 1
Tonight, I went to see the movie Pitch Perfect, which our Effie Elizabeth Banks both produced and played a small role in. She played a Caesar Flickerman-esque character… except raunchier. And her name was Gail Abernathy. Suspicious? I think so.
Aside from really cracking me up, the movie got me thinking. What if, instead of a battle to the death, The Hunger Games was like one intense a capella competition? What would the Districts’ teams be named? What songs would they sing? Well, I’ve got some suggestions!
District 1 – The Glamazons
- Material Girl – Madonna
- Price Tag – Jessie J
- Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend – Marilyn Monroe
- Rich Girl – Gwen Stefani
District 2 – The MaSONICs
- Brick – Ben Folds Five
- Like a Stone – Audioslave
- Street Fighting Man – The Rolling Stones
- This Is War – 30 Seconds to Mrs
District 3 – The Technotes
- Technologic – Daft Punk
- Telephone – Lady Gaga
- Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles
- The Humans Are Dead – Flight of the Conchords
District 4 – Vocal Expl-ocean
- Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini – Brian Hyland
- Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
- Drowning – Backstreet Boys (Sorry, I’m awful)
- Dead Sea – The Lumineers
- Swallowed in the Sea – Coldplay
Stayed tuned for the rest!
Twiffidy
Girl Crushes R’ Us
We love Jennifer Lawrence and so do most of you! It wasn’t any surprise to see her at the top of Crushable’s 25 Crushable Girls Under 25. We have a certified girl crush. As in “I’m not attracted to girls but I would make some exceptions for Jennifer Lawrence.”
Hello, Flawless!
Maybe it’s because she’s young and super talented and the star of the franchise, but Jennifer seems to get all the crushability votes, but she isn’t the only totally crushable lady on set!
Today, we’re going break down some OTHER Crushable ladies of The Hunger Games (of legal age, because we occasionally try to be politically correct.)
Elizabeth Banks - This woman is the Original Girl Crush (OGC, what what) that you never knew you had! From her older roles in Wet Hot American Summer and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, to bigger roles in Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Man on a Ledge, to ingenious characters on TV shows like Scrubs and 30 Rock– we love all of her roles! When this lady is on screen, you pay attention. She demands it. Off-screen, she’s super upbeat. What’s NOT to love?
Paula Malcomson – Mrs. Everdeen isn’t the easiest character to have warm, fuzzy feelings for, but anyone who has ever seen Deadwood or Sons of Anarchy knows that Paula Malcomson is actually a badass chick! The gun-wielding, man-trampling, take-no-shit-from-no-one part of our heart will always love her for that. Also, she is smokin’ hot for a woman of her age.
Still one of our fave Jackie photos!
Jackie Emerson – Yes, she’s 18! She’s also one of the most positive, endearing spirits in The Hunger Games universe. She spreads love, works with multiple charities, and sticks up for girl friendship and girl crushes worldwide! The first part of every good girl crush is that the person makes you totally smile, so that’s why Jackie makes the list.
Leven Rambin – Glimmer comes off as a bit silly and boy-crazy in The Hunger Games movie, but we accept it because Leven Rambin is pretty adorable as she fawns over Cato the Mass Murder. It’s twisted, satirical in a way, but also a short burst of amusement that you need from time-to-time in a heavy story like The Hunger Games. And that little smirk of hers? Totally crushable!
Don’t let the boys get all the attention for being the likable ones! These ladies are wonderful examples for bringing solid characters to life and using their star power to be awesome, which makes them some of the most crush-worthy people out there, in our opinion!
Eat Your Heart Out, Boys!
The Girl With The Pearl
The Worst of Hunger Games Premiere Fashion!
OMG, SO MANY SEXY PEOPLE WEARING BEAUTIFUL CLOTHING!
Seriously guys, our Hunger Games actors are a bunch of fly-lookin’ motherfuckers. There are so many shots of them looking fabulous in outfits that we could never pull off in a million years that we can’t stand it. It’s kind of ruining our self-esteem. Therefore, we’re going to make ourselves feel a little better by noting the WORST premiere fashions we’ve seen so far.
Before everything gets all “OH NO YOU DIN’T make a joke about my favorite superstar who doesn’t even know I exist yet I feel the need to fiercely defend them by trolling you”, remember this: WE LOVE THESE PEOPLE. We kid because we love! In fact, if ever we attended a red carpet event, we fully expect the actors to laugh at anything we wear… and our faces.
Jennifer Lawrence
Dear Jen–
Your legs are fabulous, you look devilishly sexy in red, but you’re taking this Mockingjay thing way too seriously. And this is coming from a fan who supported the nipple swirl dress.
Josh Hutcherson
Dear Josh–
Nice going with the brown suit. It looks great on you. Not so much for the beige sweater vest. My grandfather promises not to press any charges against you for stealing it out of his closet as long as you return it by the end of the week!
Liam Hemsworth
Dear Liam–
Is that… crushed velvet? *gigglesnort* We… We can’t. We have lost the ability to can. We’re going to give you the benefit of a doubt and assume you didn’t pick that out yourself. So honestly, who told you that would look amazing? We’re pretty sure they were trolling you!
Elizabeth Banks
Dear Elizabeth–
In our minds, you are the clear winner in the Hunger Games Premiere style tour de force. So many vivid colors and bold styles! Just one question. Our great aunt’s couch: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IT? Added glitter and sewed it into a dress, apparently.
Woody Harrelson
Dear Woody–
Catching Fire is more than likely filming in Hawaii. You probably own a house in Hawaii or at least vacation there often, being all rich and famous as you are. Save the Hawaiian shirts for then! Not that we expect you to listen, because you’re Woody Harrelson and you really don’t care what we think.
P.S. Your wife is totally not the red carpet attention-seeking type and we think that’s ADORABLE!
Miley Cyrus
Dear Miley–
You’re not a Hunger Games actor, but we’ve always been on board the “Miley Cyrus is going to be around the fandom a lot so give her a chance” train. Then you show up to the premiere in a midriff-bearing lace bustier. The train has crashed. You have failed us.
What do you think? Were there other fashions the stars wore that you thought were worse than these? Which were your faves?
Either way, they still look better than we would in those outfits!
Now I’m Going to Eat a Pint of Ice Cream For Breakfast and Feel Bad About Myself,
The Girl With The Pearl
Casting complaints, STILL?!
In a recent interview, Elizabeth Banks, when asked about The Hunger Games and her portrayal of Effie, has remarked that Suzanne Collins “sort of blessed the whole process”.
So why are people still worried?
Goddess Suzanne Collins herself
Since pretty much the casting phase of The Hunger Games, we’ve known that Suzanne Collins was quite involved with the making of this movie. She was consulted with casting and has co-written the screenplay, not to mention that she insisted on being on set for certain key scenes.
Sure, we’ve been burned before my book-to-movie adaptations (man, if we were ever alone with Steve Kloves in a dark alley), and sure, the movies aren’t going to contain every single detail in the books. But it worries us to see that still there are fans who haven’t accepted members of the Hunger Games cast. Just today we saw a graphic going around about not accepting Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, 75 days before the movie is set to come out.
Still Peeta, even if he were bright purple and had wings
The cast may not be exactly like how you pictured, but everyone imagines things differently when they’re reading. They can’t get it right FOR EVERYONE. But if it’s sanctioned by Suzanne Collins, the damn author of these fine books, then we think everyone should have a little faith. Her blessing should be good enough for us. We weren’t there for casting. We weren’t there for filming. We haven’t seen anything outside of the trailers (from what we’ve seen, we can say it’s look pretty damn good). So who’s to say so-and-so will be terrible?
If you still can’t accept that Josh Hutcherson is Peeta, well that’s just TOO DAMN BAD. The movie has already been made, and there’s no going back. Josh Hutcherson IS Peeta. Elizabeth Banks IS Effie Trinket. Lenny Kravitz IS Cinna. Blessed by goddess Suzanne Collins herself. We all need to put on our Big Boy/Girl Pants and suck it up because that’s just the way it is. You can go about it two ways: accept it or never see the movies. The former option is what we’re advocating. The latter option is, well, sad.
Shouldn’t her blessing enough for everyone?
Twiffidy
