I must REALLY be cut off from popular culture then, the first I heard about either the books or the movie was on Bill O'Reilly's show the other night, when he had a little blurb about it.
I looked for God in the earthquake....
Good insight. I noticed a similar thing with “Lost,” which our family just began viewing on Netflix.
So far the show has been entertaining, but after three episodes stuck on an island, you’d think the camera would catch somebody praying. I’d be happy with a “Thank God!” But... nothing.
The post-crash situation feels a bit contrived, but the lack of religion in such a dire situation is not realistic at all.
The setup was more reasonable in “Battle Royale”. I wish this series would go away and die quickly because I really don’t want to see the knockoff versions. Here I thought the Ansty Vampire Romance novels were the worst but.... “Hunger Games” is written in first person present tense. If THAT gets popular, literature as we know it is over.
I'll bet that the author of this has no idea they wrote a conservative script here too. An authoritative government that can't provide enough food (Cuba anyone?) that tries to deflect attention away from itself through ‘bread and circuses’ (Ancient Rome? Soviet Communism? Nazi Olympics?). Or is the author just as stupid as so many in the literary world in not knowing what true conservative values are, and wrote this novel to try to prove the superiority of central planning without really thinking it through? The lack of G-d might be a two-edged sword. Is it the absence that causes this or is the author just relishing the absence as a given in the future? If the latter they should take a clue from Star Trek, where they do not attempt to slap down believers cavalierly.
“The Hunger Games and the Gospel.” A paper titled “The Gospel According to ‘The Hunger Games’ Trilogy.” “Hunger Games” bible studies.
Gee, some more Christian “authors” want to cash in on somebody else’s work...quelle surprise. I’m sick of going into my local Christian bookstores and seeing “clever” spins on worldly things.
I noticed that immediately in the remake of True Grit. The film shooting used a lot more dark and the characters were darker as well. Most of all, I noticed the hanging scene near the beginning of the show skipped the hymn singing and the references to religion which were prevalent in the John Wayne original.
The hymns and Sabbath Day hangings were an integral part of Ft. Smith's history. The growing religious population of the community felt that the hymns and Sabbath Day timing were the best ways to invoke the mercies of the Almighty for the souls he was about to receive.
“.... like Gene Roddenberry did when he created Star Trek, Collins wanted there to be zero religion in her world.”
####
Which explains the root coldness and shallowness of that series, and the need for Shatner’s legendary overacting.
There was the one episode strongly referencing Christ, the Son, in which Uhuru at the end says something like “Imagine what it would be like to be there, to see that actually happening again”.
All those ‘skinned’, unemployed and desperate young people came up with enough of the ready to go to the movies this weekend.... and every weekend...
Gee, I feel sorry for them for being so broke, etc. (sarc)
I finished The Hunger Games last night - 2 AM or so... great fun read. I'm also reading On Character - Essays by James Q Wilson, they dove tail nicely... Good and evil are defined in traditional terms in both books. It's religion - just not obvious.
Like the article implied, there is really nothing original about this film, or the books for that matter...
A part of me was entertained by the movie, the other part was disturbed by the giddiness of the patrons who were mainly little teen and pre-teen girls and boys who don’t seem to see through what the film is trying to communicate to them...
There were several moments in that long film (2hrs 20mins) that you could have heard a pin drop...Everyone was apparently stunned by some of the scenes, but of course the romantic trist was predictable, and what I believe most of the teenage crowd was there to see...
IIRC, that movie was rated PG-13...I believe it should be noted I considered it to be a HARD PG-13/SOFT R rated film...
Like I said a part of me was entertained, but a part of me wondered what was so socially redeeming about it??? What does it say about our world we live in now...You know, reality???
I have not read the book(s)...Not sure I have a desire to do so...So I went in and didn’t see this country’s future, or anything resembling America, past, present or future...
I kinda thought this was more like an “alternate” reality in popular Sci-Fi vernacular...
What was amzing to me is how sheeple the district people were, and how 17th century the “Capitol” (ruling class) carried themselves...Don’t know why it lasted even 74 years with this type of “game” going on before someone finally decided they had had enough...
I wonder how long it would take us (in our reality) to say enough is enough???
Too many cowards out there...There may be a few, but we’ll get chopped up and mixed into the meat you buy at the grocery store these days for our efforts...
I will hold out final judgement on the series of books and films coming out of this franchise...I give this first installment a 5 out of 10 for effort...
Maybe the sequals will complete the series and warrant a better outcome and consideration from me...
We’ll see...
BTW...didn't we see a similar premise in The Running Man?
I thought you might want to read this.
Reminded me of some of the elements in RUNNING MAN.
Thanks for the shout-out!