7 Appetite-Piquing Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Hunger Games Footage

I doubt this lengthy behind-the-scenes video will convince anyone who is anti-Hunger Games that they should watch the movie or read the books, but for fans, it’s a neat look at some of the filming, as well as some of the training that went on the make the movie (I should clarify, training to act in the movie, not training for the Games. That said, watching Jennifer Lawrence scramble up a “tree” at light-speed is incredibly awesome).

I don’t know why I’m so defensive about The Hunger Games; I guess it’s because I don’t mind if people don’t like it, I just don’t want them to not like it because of a misguided view of what the book/movie is. I know I dismiss some things out of hand, so I don’t begrudge people assuming the worst about the series — but then, some people get angry when I dismiss those things without knowing them adequately, so I don’t begrudge myself my annoyance either.

Yes, The Hunger Games involves a deadly TV show (like The Running Man) where kids fight each other (like Battle Royale). And yes, that’s a pretty specific plot device. But The Running Man was about the entertainment aspect, about audiences’ ever-increasing need for spectacle and violence. Battle Royale was about how adults fear and persecute kids, but also about the politics and relationships and conflict of the schoolroom (infinitely magnified by the game stakes). The Hunger Games is about how war punishes future generations well after the war is over, as the young “Tributes” of the Games are forced to sacrifice themselves because of a war their forefathers lost decades ago, and how wars inevitably sow the seeds of more war (if you read the whole trilogy, at least). And honestly, there’s a lot more to it than either Battle Royale or Running Man, and I enjoy both of those movies very much.

I’m sure I’m not done talking (or thinking) about this, but I’ll spare you for now. (Via The Mary Sue)