'Hunger Games' Postmortem: Five Lessons For 'Catching Fire'

In this week's Hobnobbing, we take a look at how Gary Ross' sequel can build upon the success of the first.
By Amy Wilkinson

Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

To no one's surprise, the highly anticipated "Hunger Games" opened last week to boffo box-office numbers, all but guaranteeing the second installment in Suzanne Collins' series, "Catching Fire," will set theaters ablaze come November 22, 2013.

Director Gary Ross, who will also helm the follow-up, has already begun formulating his vision for the 75th annual Hunger Games, telling MTV News, "I have some ideas about how to do 'Catching Fire' slightly differently, but I don't want to share them yet. Not because I'm being evasive, but just because they're not fully baked. But yes, I think it will look and feel slightly different from the first."

With its jungle-like setting, the next arena will be a much different beast than the forested first, so it's no wonder Ross is re-jiggering his approach. We can only speculate that some of his sequel planning will include reviewing "The Hunger Games" in great detail — what worked and what didn't. To that end, we've compiled a list of five "Hunger Games" lessons that can and should inform "Catching Fire."

DO keep the arena underwraps
This one isn't so much for Ross as it is for the Gamemakers at Lionsgate, but we have to recognize the studio's smart decision to use only pre-Games footage in their aggressive marketing campaign for the film. In fact, I'd go so far as to say my favorite parts of the movie were from the arena, largely because they were fresh and unexpected. With the Quarter Quell's intriguing new venue, Lionsgate would be wise to build anticipation by keeping the tropical death trap shrouded in mystery.

DON'T skimp on the CGI
If there was a consistent complaint I heard from "Hunger Games" fans following the film's release, it was that the Girl on Fire scene — in which Katniss and Peeta introduce themselves to the Capitol, riding atop a chariot and flaunting flame-licked jumpsuits representative of their coal-mining home — was ... underwhelming. The flame effect just didn't look real enough. With a slew of new sci-fi aspects introduced in "Catching Fire," including mutated monkeys, we hope Ross can invest a bit more in the film's digital technology.

DO capitalize on Stanley Tucci
Say what you will about Jennifer Lawrence's gripping, gritty performance as Katniss Everdeen, but if anyone could be categorized as the film's scene-stealer, it was most certainly Stanley Tucci, whose blue-haired, big-teethed Caesar Flickerman was nothing short of mesmerizing (and a handy exposition device to boot!). Heck, I'd pay to watch a Caesar Flickerman spin-off once all three (four?) "Hunger Games" films debut. "Caesar Flickerman: Not So Blue." Think about it, Lionsgate.

DON'T downplay the dangers of the arena
Between her 23 fellow tributes, tracker jackers and muttations, Katniss had plenty to contend with in the arena. But, as my roommate so astutely pointed out to me long after I watched the film and didn't notice, we never really see Katniss hungry or thirsty. Limiting the violence for a PG-13 rating is an understandable edit, but why dull down the deadliness of the Games otherwise? In "Catching Fire," we need to see Katniss and her fellow tributes truly struggle, not simply limp along.

DO make artful additions (especially if they're directed by Steven Soderbergh)
By shifting the viewpoint of the film from Katniss' first-person perspective, Ross was able to open up the world of Panem in a way we hadn't experienced before. The addition of the control room, Seneca Crane's implied death by berries and, most notably, the District 11 riot only added to the film.

What do you think "Catching Fire" can learn from "The Hunger Games"? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns!

Check out everything we've got on "Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Photos

• The Hunger Games
• Inside 'The Hunger Games' Capitol

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1682081/hunger-games-catching-fire-lessons.jhtml

Amber Valletta America Ferrera Amerie

Baseball Cash King Matt Kemp Talks $160 Mill Contract In FORBES + LaLa's Bestie Po Rocks PYNK Magazine

MLB star Matt Kemp isn't just known for nabbing Rihanna at one point.  He also nabbed an eight year $160 mill deal from his bankrupt team, the L.A. Dodgers.  And FORBES is talking about just how he did it while Mr. Kemp covers the April 9, 2012 edition.  Check it, plus LaLa Anthony's lovable bestie Po Johnson rocking the pages of PYNK magazine...

Now this is some serious cash.  Guaranteed cash.  27-year-old Matt Kemp has a guaranteed 8-year contract with the Dodgers for $160 milli.  And despite his team (now owned partly by Magic Johnson) being bankrupt, professional baseball is now leveraging television rights all the way to the bank.

The cutie baller is covering the new issue of FORBES magazine.  And here's an excerpt from his story:

The cable companies, the TV networks and incoming team owners alike are taking some risk with the new TV economics of baseball. That’s why most of the regional sports networks have been structured with an equity component—they’re sharing the risk.

There is one group, however, that gets a sure thing from the local broadcasting windfall: star players.
Mega-television deals, after all, are based on the underlying assumption that the team will be competitive—or that, at a minimum, it has some drawing power. So marquee players, the kind that a team can use to *market itself, suddenly find themselves in a better position than ever.

That’s how the Los Angeles Dodgers–a bankrupt baseball team–gives a young star player, Matt Kemp, an eight-year, $160 million contract, even when he isn’t a free agent.

Kemp is a terrific player—the 27-year-old outfielder led the National League in numerous offensive categories last season and finished second in Most Valuable Player balloting.

For the bankrupt Dodgers, headed for sale at auction, a long-term contract with Kemp represented an asset rather than a liability. The team’s enormous valuation is predicated on the ability of the new owner to quickly negotiate a deal worth more than $3.5 billion over 20 years with a regional sports network. Locking up Kemp was an implicit guarantee that Dodgers broadcasts in the foreseeable future would be marketable and, one hopes, worth watching.
A similar rationale drove Arturo Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels, to pay the biggest free agent on the market—Albert Pujols—$240 million over ten years, despite a recent drop-off statistically as *questions swirl about his actual age (remember: baseball contracts are guaranteed). No matter: Moreno now has a face for his franchise—and for Fox Sports West, which recently agreed to give the Angels $2.5 billion over 17 years.

And the players themselves? “It’s great to know I’m going to be here for the next eight years,” says Kemp. A $160 million guaranteed payday has a way of making a man feel like that.

Nice!

And if you love Po Johnson from "LaLa's Full Court Life," check out her brand new PYNK magazine spread.  She cleans up well:

 

Here's the highlights:

On her love life:
"I'm not dating anybody, I'm not seeing anybody, I'm not fucking anybody, I'm not sexting anyone. I am on pause in regards to a relationship zone. I’m very much married to music. I don’t even have the time to be emotionally responsible, and I feel bad, but it is what it is."

On living on camera:
"Once you expose yourself for everyone to see, it's like walking around naked in front of your lover for the first time. Why do you need to be nervous the second and third time?"

On accepting herself:
"You have to be like, “Fuck it, this is me. I like crawfish and crabs. I’m 5'4''. I’m from the south. I had a stuttering problem. And I want be a fucking artist. My name is po. Fuck you if you don't like it.” Once you let those inhibitions go, everything else is irrelevant. I owe it to the audience that's watching; I owe it to all those little girls; I owe it to all those people who feel like geeks and weirdos, I owe it to them to let them know that this is cool. You don't have to be a part of the masses. What everyone sees on TV is me celebrating the fact that I've owned that. I'm not going to apologize for who I am, and I'm not going to apologize for who I want to be."

On her music:
"It’s always been funky, but poppy and fun — very much teen angst. Everything I've always wanted to say, I'm going to say it through my music. If you take punk, pop and the streets, and put it together, that's what my stuff sounds like. Think of Cee Lo as a female artist or No Doubt, but a lot more urban.

I am not signed to anybody right now, so I feel like this is a good time for me to be uninhibited. In regards to artistic limitations, I have none. I want to be very honest about who I am. As eccentric, crazy, and out of the box as I am, I'm still very relatable. What's the point of doing it if you're not relating to anybody?"

Source: http://theybf.com/2012/03/30/baseball-cash-king-matt-kemp-talks-160-mill-contract-in-forbes-lalas-bestie-po-rocks-pynk

Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni Gwen Stefani

Does Britney Spears Have 'The X Factor'?

MTV News takes a look at the pros and cons of bringing Spears onboard as a judge for the reality singing competition.
By John Mitchell

<P>The news that <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml">Britney Spears</a> is reportedly in final negotiations to <a href="/news/articles/1680782/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-offer.jhtml">join "The X Factor"</a> has set the <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com">MTV Newsroom</a> on fire. Opinion on whether the pop star is a good fit for the reality singing competition has been sharply divided, so we decided to take on the topic the way we're sure Simon Cowell did before making Spears a reported $10 million offer: a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list. </P><P> </P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:698603/cp~vid%3D698603%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A698603" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed> </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: She'll attract viewers</b></big><br> </P><P>The <a href="/news/articles/1671220/x-factor-simon-cowell-ratings.jhtml">debut season of "The X Factor"</a> performed well below expectations. Its heavily hyped premiere pulled in 12.1 million total viewers and a meager 4.4/12 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18 to 49 demographic. That's about half of what the 2011 season of "American Idol" averaged ("Idol" is having its own ratings woes this season), and it didn't even win the night: Emmy-winning sitcom "Modern Family" drew 14.3 million viewers and a 6.0/15 for its season premiere. </P><P> </P><P>The poor ratings precipitated the overhaul that saw judges <a href="/news/articles/1678191/paula-abdul-exits-x-factor.jhtml">Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger</a> and host Steve Jones fired from the show. </P><P> </P><P>There's no question that Spears would bring viewers to "The X Factor." She enjoys a large and devout fanbase who will basically follow her just about anywhere. And beyond her own fans, Spears' celebrity would also likely draw attention from the general public, who will tune in simply to see how she does. </P><P> </P><P><big><b> Con: She's become nervous on camera </b></big><br> </P><P> </P><P>Though she can still wow a crowd live in concert, as evidenced by last year's successful tour behind her hit album <i>Femme Fatale,</i> Spears has become increasingly tentative during interviews. She rarely grants on-camera sit-downs, and when she does, she seems nervous and uncomfortable. </P><P> </P><P>To be a strong judge or mentor on a reality show, you have to be <i>very</i> comfortable on camera. Part of what made Jennifer Lopez click last season on "Idol" was that she came across as confident, direct and often empathetic. She even broke down in tears after <a href="/news/articles/1658584/americaon-idol-top-24.jhtml">sending home contestant Chris Medina</a>, whose fiancée suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident. The key word here is <i>after.</i> It's hard to imagine Spears being able to keep it together and deliver such difficult news in similar circumstances. </P><P>It's worth noting that a high-drama situation arose on the first season of "The X Factor" -- one that left <a href="/news/articles/1675936/x-factor-rachel-crow-elimination-reaction.jhtml">contestant Rachel Crow sobbing</a> onstage and Scherzinger a wreck ... a wreck who received <a href="http://www.thefablife.com/2011-12-05/paula-abdul-and-nicole-scherzinger-receive-death-threats-after-the-x-factor-elimination/" target="_blank">death threats</a>. Producers should also consider whether it's wise to send Spears, who has dealt with emotional issues in the past, into a genre that thrives when the emotional stakes are high. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: she is a contemporary artist</b></big><br> </P><P>One of the things we like most about <a href="/news/articles/1680496/the-voice-battle-rounds.jhtml">"The Voice"</a> is that its judges &#8212; Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton &#8212; are all active artists. They are all still hitting the studio to make hit records, and that lends a great deal of credibility to their opinions when they critique a contestant's performance. We don't mean to slight Abdul or Scherzinger, but you could argue that a legacy singer who hasn't released an album in over 17 years and a performer who has had a difficult time getting her own solo singing career off the ground aren't the best judges of who does and does not have "The X Factor." </P><P> </P><P>On the other hand, Spears may be. <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/03/29/britney-spears-femme-fatale-reviews/">Last year's <i>Femme Fatale</i></a> gave Spears three top-10 singles &#8212; the most of any of her seven albums &#8212; and earned some of the best reviews of her career. While it's true that she did not write or produce much of the record, she was most certainly involved in picking her collaborators, which actually could speak well of her ability to know talent when she sees it. Spears also smartly chose red-hot rapper Nicki Minaj to open on the North American leg of her tour. </P><P> </P><P>When it comes to the contemporary pop music scene, Spears knows what works. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Con: She's not known for her singing</b></big><br> </P><P>Unlike Aguilera, whose talent as a vocalist is indisputable, Spears is not known for her singing. By signing her to judge and mentor a singing competition, "X Factor" producers are setting themselves up for inevitable criticism. "Who is Britney Spears to judge a singing competition?" critics will scream (and they won't be wrong). </P><P> </P><P>When Aguilera critiques a performer's vocals, she speaks with authority &#8212; and her ear for singing proved to make her the most discerning judge on the "Voice" panel during the <a href="/news/articles/1679565/the-voice-christina-aguilera-jonathas-usher.jhtml">blind auditions</a>. Spears' judging style will likely be based on liking what's already there, but she's not going to have much insight on missed notes or pitch, which will cripple her ability to further mentor her team. How can she help them improve as vocalists when it's a truth universally acknowledged that she's not really a vocalist herself? </P><P> </P><P><i>Do you think Britney Spears is a good choice for "The X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below.</i></p>

Related Videos

• MTV News Extended Play: 'X Factor' Judges Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid

Related Artists

• Britney Spears

Source:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680800/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-singing.jhtml

Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli

VOTD: Tenacious D?s Kyle Gass Accidentally Kills Val Kilmer

Tenacious D are getting back together. That’s not opinion, that’s fact. Jack Black and Kyle Gass are set to release The Rize of the Fenix on May 15, which will be the first album in sex years from Tenacious D. As an album trailer, the comedy troupe decided to put together a short parody video [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/1y92GB-pgUw/

Cheryl Burke China Chow Chloë Sevigny

Jesse James Returning To TV With ?Jesse James: Outlaw Garage? (VIDEO)

Jesse James Returning To TV With “Jesse James: Outlaw Garage” (VIDEO)

Notorious cheater Jesse James is making a return to television. James will return to a show on the Discovery Channel, which featured his show “Monster [...]

Jesse James Returning To TV With “Jesse James: Outlaw Garage” (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/DldhsOq3C98/

Busy Philipps Cameron Diaz Cameron Richardson