There doesn't seem to be a thread on The Hunger Games, so I'll start one here. Now,
to be perfectly honest---I haven't read the books at all, but it seems to me the premise
sounds very similar to that of the controversial Japanese film Battle Royale. In BR, the
government selects a random high-school (or is it junior high?) at random, and the students
are forced to battle each other to the death in a contest that only one person will win and survive.
Also in BR, one of the contestants is a former winner and I think that's also the case in The Hunger
Games. Am I off-base in my speculations, or am I just off-base period?

It's like the similarities between J.K. Rowling's stories and Ursula K. LeGuin's books - they're of the same ilk, but just different enough that there's "plausible deniability" regarding any allegations of rip-offery.

The Hunger Games is safe from accusation because in order to attack it and claim it is a rip off, a person has to admit to having read it. Ironically, the person loses all credibility and suffers humiliation upon admitting this.

It's okay - if you enjoyed the Starvation Olympics (or whatever it is), we understand.

It's like your own version of a Mighty Muggs collection. Don't feel bad.

I did see the movie tonight, as it were. But I had a legit pass to see -- two daughters with me.

Of course if any studio at this point tried to make an official remake of Battle Royale, they would be
accused of ripping off The Hunger Games.

You know, I actually read A Wizard of Earthsea for school---think it was high school, but I can't remember.
If somebody told me Sorceror's Stone was just as good, I would have tried to finish it.

I'm going to read the first book this weekend. My BOYS liked the series.

I think you can go all the way back to Theseus and the Minotaur for Hunger Games inspiration.

And I didn't see the movie but I drove a truck-load of teen-age girls there at 11 and picked then back up at 2:45 this morning. I am tired.

Not sure if Hanzo and Doot count as "daughters", but Ok.

How was it?

This all sounds very loosely similar to The Long Walk.

I didn't see it either. I, um, went to the hardware store and looked at tarps.

I posted the other day it's like The Long Walk combined with The Running Man.

Well done. Enjoyable. But not recommended if there's no family enjoyment going on. I like it because everybody in the family can enjoy it and talk about it.

But it doesn't really hold up if I was just some guy in a van going to the movie.

I enjoyed the frist Battle Royale and am interested in The Hunger Games primarily based on its similarities to Battle Royale.

Only the author can say with certainty that Battle Royale inspired The Hunger Games, but if it did I would not care at all.

But this is some sort of Pop Culture phenomenon, right?

I'll need to watch it, eventually.

I saw it this afternoon at the huge movie complex on 42nd St. & 8th Ave. Every showing (maybe 12 or 14 overall) between 4PM and 12:30AM was sold out.

Never read the books, but kinda liked the movie. Even if it does "borrow" from a variety of sources.

I have no problem with writers borrowing from here and there, so long as they put the pieces together in a new and interesting way.

Ah, right! I remember reading you say that now

Well, in addition to all the buzz I've been hearing, I watched the midnight screening review of it on the Cinema Snob and it sounded okay. I doubt I'd ever seek it out myself, but if someone wanted me to go see it with them, I'd probably do it.

I did the interior typesetting for the most recent American edition of Battle Royale, published by Viz's novel imprint Haikasoru.

That is one thick emeffing book.

This just crossed my radar today - go figure. So, who here has read these books? Worth it?

My kids and wife read the books. They are real popular. My daughter saw the movie at Midnight last night and got home at 3AM. Having Jennifer Lawrence star elevates the movie.