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None of this number business
You’ve seen it before. You’ve seen it on the headlines of some of the less savvy entertainment media outlets. Hunger Games 2 casts Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair. Hunger Games 2 finishes filming.
We’ve spoken already about the title for Catching Fire. We’ve accepted the long-winded but inevitable The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and keep trying to use it wherever applicable.
Is this a Marvel movie? Is it Jurassic Park, Alien, or Terminator? Is Peeta going to speed by in a tricked out sports car and jump 10 dump trucks on a highway? HUNGER GAMES 2: REVENGE OF KATNISS. Katniss is back, and she’s ANGRY.
There’s a distinction to be made. Yes, it’s a sequel, but not having a number after it implies something pretty basic for those who have read the books. Catching Fire is a continuation of The Hunger Games, not a reiteration. The Hunger Games trilogy reads as one long book, and there’s no reason to believe the movies won’t be a similar experience.
Calling it Hunger Games 2 is just plain lazy. A quick Google search can tell you that’s not what it’s called. A simple “Catching Fire” is fine if you want to shorten it (guess what, it’s one character less and there’s no fiddling around with the number row on the keyboard).
Can you say pet peeve?
Twiffidy
Thanks to @HGHumor for inspiring this post.
What About Haymitch?
It’s come to my attention over time that some characters in The Hunger Games trilogy 
just don’t get as much attention, and face it, as much love as the rest of them. Sure, Peeta’s got the whole artist with a heart of gold thing going on, and Finnick is the heartthrob with the sensitive streak a mile long, and Katniss is the Mockingjay and the heroine, but what about the trilogies resident surly drunk Haymitch Abernathy? Doesn’t he deserve some intense love, and scrutiny just like the three mentioned above? Well, I sure as hell think he does!
Where to begin with Haymitch though? Yeah, he’s a surly drunk, and an all around ass-hat half the time, but he serves a purpose, and he’s far from lacking in the brains department. However, sometimes I feel like the characterization of him as simply the drunk detracts from the reasons why he’s been plying himself with alcohol for the better part of his life. Haymitch is a victor, hard to wrap your brain around the image of him winning anything when he’s alcohol soaked likely 90% of the time, vomiting on himself, vomiting in public, and being showered off, whilst fully clothed, by a teenage boy he’s just met. Wow, the-teenage-boy-he-just-met bit makes it sound kind of pervy, doesn’t it? But that’s the thing, so much of Haymitch is just… strange, and unexplained.
What we know about him is this: Haymitch won The Hunger Games when he was 16 years-old, and he didn’t win by accident, he won by cunning, drive, fortitude, physical strength, and agility. And then there’s that The Capitol likely systematically killed off everyone in his family, including his girlfriend after he won said games. He has very few friends, but he is friends with Chaff a victor from District 11. Me thinks that Chaff and his brand of friendship is likely drinking though, lots of drinking, like black-out-drinking-I-don’t-know-my-name-anymore drinking. Sadly, this drinking
Haymitch in Catching Fire
buddy theory has also prompted other theories that Chaff and Haymitch were also fuck-buddies. Me, I–I’d rather not go there. Also, he’s unmarried, and apparently has no children, ’cause you know– you don’t have to be married to have children. He’s a slob, but that should already have been figured out from the whole vomiting-on-self-problem. Wow, this guy is just a mess, how is he still breathing by the time Katniss and Peeta are unceremoniously dumped in his lap?
So, that’s what we know, or what we think we know. Here’s what we think, or many of us think, aside from the people who believe Haymitch and Chaff are sometimes sex partners: He’s got a raging case of PTSD, which is untreated, undiagnosed, and therefore the effects of being in The Hunger Games are just as fresh as they were when he was 16 years old. Also, he’s quite literally destroying him self from the inside out, because he self medicates with copious amounts of alcohol, i.e. he’s not a drunk by the sheer luck of a horrible genetic proclivity for addiction. Although all bets are off if Suzanne Collins comes out with a prequel about Haymitch, and it turns out his family has a history of substance abuse. He isolates himself on purpose, because The Capitol kills anyone who seems to get close to him emotionally His sense of humor is another way in which he isolates himself, because it’s cutting, dry, and more often than not his jokes and/or quips are at another persons expense. What else can I say about Haymitch, other than that he sometimes gets the best lines in all three of the novels? Oh, I know! That Gary Ross’ directional choices vastly changed the layman’s view of Haymitch thanks to him taking most of his knock-out-drunk behavior out of The Hunger Games film?
Let’s all hope, and pray that the Haymitch of the novels shows up a bit, or a lot more in Francis Lawrence’s renditions of the rest of the series, am I right– or amiright?
Them There Eyes
Party Like a Capitol Star
In Chapter 6 of Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins writes of a lavish Capitol party that Katniss attends at President Snow’s mansion. We seen bits of it in the teaser trailer for the movie – you all know that part where the creepy guy touches Katniss’s feathery sleeve, right?
At Cannes, there’s a lavish Capitol party going on as well, thrown to celebrate the 75th Annual Hunger Games… or, you know, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Several people walk around in Capitol get-ups, bright neon drinks are being served, and Jennifer Lawrence is in attendance at this party on the beach.
The buzz around the party however is that there have been rumors surrounding possible footage from the movie to be shown. Whether that has happened, we haven’t found out yet, and if it does get shown, it will probably stay at the party (What happens in Cannes, stays in Cannes, am I right?).
Which makes us overwhelmingly jealous that we plebs aren’t there!
These are okay to drink
Some advice to everyone there? Don’t touch the clear drinks in the tiny-stemmed wineglasses.
Every time someone says Girl On Fire, DRINK!
Twiffidy
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Capitol Covergirl
I think we all knew a day like this would come, a day when it was official in our minds that The Hunger Games is a cosmetics companies wet dream come true. Yep, I said wet dream. It’s true though, because today it was announced that Covergirl Cosmetics is partnering with Lionsgate Studios, and creating an entire Capitol based campaign for the up coming release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Am I surprised by this development? Nope. Am I disappointed? Not really, because this is a bona fide money-maker of a franchise, and Covergirl is one of the most commercial, and successful cosmetics companies in the world. Covergirl are also no strangers to partnering with successful, and highly commercial ventures, like America’s Next Top Model the hugely popular modeling competition program hosted by former super model Tyra Banks. Come to think of it, Tyra Banks even wrote a Hunger Games-esque novel, called Modelland not too long ago. Anyway, Tyra and her attempts at authoring mediocre novels aside, Covergirl and Lionsgate are in for a real treat, and the treat is most likely making a butt load of money.
It’s no stretch of the imagination that with these two companies partnering up,
More like this, less like anything we’ve ever seen before.
they’ll likely come up with some fairly interesting ad campaigns that will pique even the most illiterate individual’s interest. I’m also not surprised that the
campaign being teased already is Capitol focused, we are the Capitol, there’s simply no way to get around that fact. I only ask this if both companies, don’t skimp, don’t hold back, if you want to go Capitol, go Capitol. And when I say Capitol, I mean Wizard of Oz meets Brazil, meets Marie Antoinette, meets French and Italian haute couture, covered in feathers, and painted baby blue. Think of a peacock, add sparkles, with a dash of the Jazz Age– do not be scared, do not pass go, go crazy like you’ve never gone crazy before. Then breathe, and then scream, and then design to your hearts content. I also suggest some Radiohead, and some Pixie Stix be purchased ASAP, maybe some Bjork for good measure.
This is the Capitol, ladies, and gentlemen… not Top Model.
Them There Eyes
The New Catching Fire Poster
Yesterday a new poster for Catching Fire was released to the public, and yeah– that happened. I could literally leave it at that, because right now I’m feeling like the saying “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” might be a good idea to employ, and also I’m a little bit exhausted from all the feelings, and– y’know, life? Believe it or not, us here at Victor’s Village do have lives, and a lot of our lives have nothing to do with The Hunger Games.
It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with this fact, but we don’t have to like everything released having to do with The Hunger Games franchise. However, I think we all kind of wish we did. Which brings me to this, I can respect the new poster, appreciate its artistic aesthetic, the supposed back story, the color scheme, whatever– but all I get when I look at it is, it looks like a book cover from the ’80s. This was my Honest-I’ve-Just-Woken-Up reaction to it in all its trademarked Instagram-ed filter-y glory. And there I sat in my Frank Lord Wright-esque desk chair, in desperate need of a coffee, and perhaps in need of some consolation, and commiseration, because as much as I know on an intellectual level that I don’t have to like everything designed, and released for this franchise– like I said above, I wish we did, or I wish I did. So, I felt like my feelings were wrong, that if didn’t like it there’s something wrong with me, maybe I’m not sensitive enough, I’m not open-minded enough, I didn’t know enough about 19th century oil paintings, I’m not a big enough fan to embrace everything and all things Hunger Games, and also, perhaps I’m a horrible human being? I didn’t go get that coffee, I sat in my chair, I emailed a friend, who thankfully got back to me within minutes– and it was a salve to my own disjointed, disillusioned thoughts, because they also didn’t like the poster, and they’re just as invested in the film franchise as I am. And then I started seeing other people’s reactions, reactions like this one.
I could have gone on an entirely different route with this article, I hope you know that. I could have waxed philosophic over the artistic merit of the poster, how it’s a beautiful, and beatific portrait of Katniss, like something that should be accompanied by Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, that she looks stately, warrior strong, that the clouds are ethereal, that the wings in the clouds are symbolic, and give me butterflies in my tummy, but, guys– they don’t. I can embrace the idea that this poster, and the Capitol portraits from a couple of months ago, are perhaps paintings done by Peeta Mellark, which is why their aesthetic, and their styling are similar, but what I keep thinking is– this isn’t going to grab people’s attention in the right way. However, does that really matter? The film is coming out in six months, this is one poster in probably a string of others to be released, we might even get more released at San Diego Comic Con in a couple of months. This poster is a blip, really– just a blip, and in a matter of weeks there will be something new we can painfully over analyze, intellectualize, and give back stories to, to make our selves feel better.
Until then my friends, until then.
Them There Eyes
Insta-What?
Ah Instagram. The second I got a phone that could use it, I downloaded Instagram and started posting filtered pictures of food and silly pictures of my friends. Since then, Instagram has become a marketing tool for many, including YA franchises like The Mortal Instruments and yes, now, The Hunger Games. 
With the re-introduction of Capitol Couture a few months back came a Capitol Couture Instagram, and a couple of days ago, The Hunger Games itself got one as well, so far posting two pictures of the Catching Fire hardback, first the cover and then the first page of Part I, “The Spark”. Most intriguingly, though, was that both were captioned with the date May 14th, which is this Tuesday.
If a Lionsgate entity teases a date pre-movie release, fans tend to jump to the conclusion that it’s a trailer. Since the teaser trailer was just released and is only now in theaters, we’re willing to doubt that.
So what is that May 14th date about then? We’ve got stills, maybe we’ll get more? Maybe another poster? One of our favorite memories of the ramp-up to The Hunger Games movie coming out was the clever puzzle-hunt reveal of this poster, so maybe Lionsgate has something similar in store. Or even a resurrection of theCapitol.PN? Considering they’re posting pictures of the book, it might even have to have something to do with it.
Since the movie is a little over 6 months away, I’m not getting my hopes up for anything too big, but it’s exciting nonetheless. It’s great that we seem to be getting something new each month, keeping the fandom awake and so not dead.
Instagram is totally a Capitol thing
Twiffidy
So Dead
There’s this phrase that I’ve been hearing far too much for my liking lately, and the phrase is “this fandom is so dead.” Sometimes there are variations to the phrase, like “this fandom is dead…” but that’s not really that much of a change, because it’s just as impacting, just as negative, because the meaning is the same, as well as– um completely misused! I don’t know if any of you out there have ever experienced a fandom actually dying, but I have, and even when a fandom dies, it never really does, especially if it’s a community based around a television series.
Me, I’m a life long X-Phile, that’s a devout fan of The X-Files, which is a television series that premiered 20 years ago this year. It was ground breaking, it was innovative, it was smart, it was thought-provoking, it was scary, emotional, sexy, and hilarious, it was in many ways one of my best friends. Yes, I just called a television show a friend, but it’s true, it was there every Friday night on Fox, until of course it was moved to Sunday nights where it was the ending anchor piece to the night’s line-up of comedies like The Simpson’s, and I think for a time That ’70s Show. Sunday is where I hung out with it for
almost 9 years, Sunday night was a ritual of anticipating hanging out with my good friends Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, Byers, Langly, Frohike (pronounced Fro-hickey), Alex Krykec, (Cry-check), Marita, The Cigarette Smoking Man, The Well Manicured Man, Mr. X. Deep Throat, and yes, even Agent Pendrell, who was sadly never given a first name. That’s until it ended in 2002, and that’s when the lull began, unless you count 2008 when a horrible film that I’m pretending didn’t actually happen, was made and released. However, even after that disastrous film that didn’t happen in my world, even though a friend gave me a copy of it, and I never watched it, because lalalala, stupid movie was stupid– the fandom hasn’t died. You know what it’s doing? It’s napping!
Which is what’s happening with The Hunger Games fandom! It’s napping, or dormant if you prefer. Dead to me means literally and figurativly unable to be revived, no one cares about it anymore, it’s buried, gathering dust, it’s just dead. By that definition The Hunger Games is not dead, because I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but we’ve got three 
forth coming films to look forward to, none of them are being put on a shelf, we’re not waiting around 5 years to hear if Katniss’ story will be completed– we know that we’re going to get those three films. So, next time I see someone say “this fandom is dead” I may not be able to control myself, because dead means lifeless, dead means we have absolutely nothing to look forward to, that we’re watching the stars of our favorite whatever do other projects, tuning into them doing interviews on late night talks shows, and hoping, and praying that they get asked a question about that project you wish they would revisit. That is not us! Seriously, it’s not, and while things may be quiet, and a little bit sleepy right now it was only last month that we got out first teaser trailer, which trended on Twitter for a while I recall, and now it’s been viewed 25,054,284 via Youtube. We also got a brand new site launched for our use, and our pleasure, that’s not dead like behavior, that’s very much so alive behavior.
So, if you have the urge to use the word dead to describe this fandom before, say 2016– do yourself the favor, and don’t.
Five Months and Counting
If my mathematics are correct, which as a mathematically inept individual is something you should not put any real stock into at all, the alleged epic eight month plus Mockingjay Part I and II shoot will be starting in roughly five months time. Which means, wholly mother of god they have more than a handful of new cast members to cast, locations to scout, secure, permits, blah blah, costumes to design as well as make, special effects to design, sets to be built, just– so much stuff guys, and in very little time for an action packed, highly emotional war film. And, oh my, and they are right now, as I type in fact, in the midst of post-production on Catching Fire, yes that’s assuming that the editors have no lives, and stay in on Friday nights. So, yeah– who now has anxiety bi-proxy? Well I sure do! I may need a paper bag to breathe into in a few sentences, or two.
I know a few people were skeptical when it was announced many months ago that Mockingjay was being split into two films. Hell, I know I was a bit taken aback, and sadly jumped to the conclusion that the the studio was only going along with the trend set by Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga. However, then I remembered what actually happened in Mockingjay, and I came to the conclusion that splitting the story in two was necessary to keeping the integrity of the story intact. You know what we always complain about, right? That details get left out, well– if our dear Mockingjay being split in halves is any indication– these two films may turn out to be the most accurate adaptations in the entire franchise. Yeah, if they don’t add things like giant ice cyborgs from Mars, or something. Kidding, the giant ice cyborgs will be from the Rings of Saturn– ’cause they’re made of ice.
And now I will freak out, and get all anxious about one aspect of the making of the next two films! You’ve all heard the phrase “location, location, location”, right? Okay, that’s what’s been hammering inside my head since before rumors surfaced that the locations that could be used for the final installments are allegedly Boston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Why am I anxious though? ‘Cause of a little itty-bitty thing called District 2. Yep, that place
Oh, hey there Vasquez Rocks. You’ve been used in everything!
where Enobaria, Brutus, Cato, and the little knife wielding girl Clove were from. See, according to the description of District 2 in the novels, the surrounding Boston area, the Great State of Georgia, and the greater Los Angeles metro area do not look a thing like District 2. Where is District 2 located then? Well, I’m glad you asked, oh voice that is not here, and I swear I’m not mentally ill (promise), District 2 is located in the Rocky Mountains, which is a large mountain chain that spans from British Columbia, Canada, to New Mexico in the Southern US. So, if the location scouts for both films decide that District 2 looks like the photo to the right? I’m gonna be pissed. Sure, this location is less than a few hours drive from Los Angeles, thus it being used in countless productions, including Star Trek (2009), a recent aged person medication commercial, the original Star Trek series, and my own personal favorite, the WB’s Roswell— it’s not going to cut it, nuh uh– not even a little bit. I know, I know– I should stop being a little up-start, and cease being paranoid, but I can’t help it.
Areas I’d be reluctantly at peace with them using for District 2: Big Bear Mountain, which is in Southern California, or– hey, cough up the rock, and book locations in Canada. Where I’d ideally want them to film District 2? Colorado, of course. However most selfishly, I say my own home state of Oregon, because it has the film infrastructure to accommodate a 
large production like Mockingjay I and II, as we have several television shows in production here nearly year round, like Portlandia, and NBC’s Grimm, as well as an active feature film industry spanning from independent films like Meek’s Cut Off, to studio films like Twilight, and The Road. Oh, it also has rocky, and mountainous locations within an hours drive of a large metro area (Portland), quarries within said cities limits (because District 2 is the masonry district), and we also have major tax incentives that come with shooting in Oregon as well. I mean, check us out, we’re not Lumberjacks with beards anymore, we’re Vancouver, BC South, and you don’t have to exchange your money, or flash a passport– we also have better coffee, doughnuts shaped like everything you can imagine, world class restaurants, hotels, and no sales tax.
That’s it, that’s my bid for Mockingjay I and II! I know it’ll never happen, you don’t have to tell me twice.
Them There Eyes
Catching Fire-on Man 3
I was making plans with friends to see Iron Man 3 when it hit me: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire teaser trailer is being shown in front of it! The conversation went something like this.
Me: Guess what’s before Iron Man 3!
Friend: …The Great Gatsby?
Me: No! The Catching Fire trailer!
Friend: *eyeroll*
Sure, my friend was totally wrong about that (Gatsby comes out the next week), and sure, I can totally catch the Catching Fire teaser trailer online whenever I feel like it. But there is something awesome about watching a trailer on the big screen in a theater while you wait for a movie to start.
My personal love for trailers aside, having the Catching Fire trailer in front of such a huge movie like Iron Man 3 is a pretty big deal. The audience will have a much broader of a demographic than viewers of the MTV Movie Awards. It’s a far cry from putting the trailer in front of, say, Twilight (which I saw in theaters just to see The Hunger Games trailer on a big screen, that’s dedication), and while it’s still a blockbuster in its own right, it has a much narrower demo.
So as excited I am to actually see Pepper Potts finally (spoilers!) suit up, I’m still just as excited to see that teaser before it.
Now to win over the comic book nerds!
Twiffidy
They’ve Been Facebooked!
There’s a lot to be said about social media, “it’s a fad,” “it’s totally necessary,” “it’s a waste of time,” “no one cares what you had for breakfast, stop tweeting!” Yep, all of that and a few other choice phrases have probably been thrown out where it comes to that big bad thing called social media. Me though, I think it’s great, but today is not about me, nope not at all, today is about several people who just happen to be part of The Hunger Games family, who have either just joined a new aspect of the social media phenomena, or have stepped up and reaffirmed their apparent affection for it. First up, I cannot believe she finally caved, but it is our own Mockingjay her self, Jennifer Lawrence! That’s right, around the same time that HungerGamesExplorer officially launched, Jennifer launched an official Facebook page, and according to the page the lady’s been on Facebook since 2008. Not even kidding, scroll down on her page, and you’ll see it plain as the nose on my face, she’s
Oh yeah, she also made this little tiny list!
had a Facebook since 2008, just like the rest of us! I find this telling, especially since she’s said in interviews that she finds social media to be kind of ridiculous, which I can agree with on some level, and disagree with on an entirely different one. social media is simply something that cannot be ignored in this day and age, connectedness is just something we do now, and those who are in the public sphere who embrace this, let’s face it, not new development tend to be liked more by the public. Okay, unless you’re Chris Brown, or Kanye West. In Jennifer’s case though, she’s barely dipped her toes into the water, because her Facebook is kind of empty at this point, and in desperate need of some TLC where it comes to Inter-web-y interaction. Perhaps her team will pick up on this need in a few weeks, until this imagined revelation though expect it to remain pretty sparse.
Now, Ms. Lawrence isn’t the only top billing cast member who has embraced the social media draw, and succumbed to its power, because Josh Hutcherson even has a Facebook dedicated specifically to all things a fan of his needs to know! Or wants to know? I’m not exactly sure on this, but I think Josh might be the person in charge of this page, because all posts seems to be written from his P.O.V, which I think is awesome– because it gives it a more personal touch. Josh is clearly no stranger to the need for using social media, and he seems to have picked a favorite tool, which is Facebook. True, he has a Twitter, but he uses it sparingly, which I can respect, but still not so secretly wish he used it a tiny bit more– ’cause honing your Twitter skills is almost becoming an art form in and of its self.
Not surprising in the least, many other members of The Hunger Games family have Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages, most recently however two members of the Catching Fire cast launched official Facebook pages. Bruno Gunn launched his in the last 
week or so, and he’s planning to use it much like Josh Hutcherson uses his Facebook, in other words to post on current and up coming career projects, I’d also wholly expect some Catching Fire behind the scenes photos to pop up once the film is released. Bruno previously had an other Facebook page, and if you followed that one, you know he’s pretty deft with the social media interaction, sadly that account has been put to bed, and the new one will in time take its place in a more actively professional capacity. However, If you’re hankering for more social media Inter-web-y action from Bruno, he also launched a WhoSay account recently, and he’s been using it frequently lately, so go follow him there if you so will, and as always he’s an active Twitter and Instagram user. Last but not least Stephanie Leigh Schlund, AKA our volatile, and sexy Cashmere launched an official Facebook just this week as well.
Have at it y’all, it’s a veritable feast of social media goodness out there! And also, if you didn’t know it already, Victor’s Village has a Facebook page, a Twitter, a Pinterest, and of course a Tumblr.
Them There Eyes
