New ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ (2013) Poster —

Nov 22 

#TheHungerGames #CatchingFire #JenniferLawrence #SciFi #Film #Movies

‘The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire’ Teaser Trailer (2013) —

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, & Donald Sutherland. 

November 22 

(Vidpost by FAT)

‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ (2013) posters —

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. 

Katniss and Peeta’s victory is cut short as the Quarter Quell puts them back into the Hunger Games for the second time. -IMDb 

November 22

‘House at the End of the Street’ trailer (2012) —

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, & Max Thieriot. 

Theaters Sept 21.

(by FilmsActuTrailers)

Let The Hunger Games Begin —

In theaters, today, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. 

Based on the novel series by Suzanne Collins. 

Photo credits: Entertainment Weekly, AP Photo/Lionsgate/Murray Close

The Hunger Games (2012) poster —

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, & Lenny Kravitz. 

“Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match.” -IMDb 

TRAILER HERE. 

Theaters March 23.

The Hunger Games trailer (2012) —

“Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match.” -IMDb 

Stars:  Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, & Liam Hemsworth. 

Theaters 3.23.2012. 

(Vidpost by mantucijo333)

THE HUNGER GAMES (2012) —

“Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match.” -IMDb

Based on the young-adult science-fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins.

Theaters March 23.

X-MEN: First Class Review by Steve Oatney —

I’ve officially added X-Men: First Class to my first-class shelf of favorite superhero films, and recommend it highly, to any and all who enjoy science-fiction flicks with superhuman themes. It is an intelligent and intriguing look at how the fictional mutant population initially began to find one another, group together, and fight for their place in the world, in the early 1960s.

Superhero films have taken hold of Hollywood, by the throat, and rightly so, in this reviewer’s opinion. Okay, so I’m a bit biased, as I grew up reading, and loving, comic-books, but it isn’t just that. Comic-books, and graphic novels (to add class to the childish sounding “comic” descriptor), are basically storyboards, of the highest quality, making visual storytelling (for film) easy as Aunt May’s apple pie. Filmmakers were smart, decades ago, to grab onto classic superhero’s tales of modern-day mythology, but they lacked the special-effects technology to truly make audiences believe a man could fly, outrun a train, or lift an armored tank. Today’s tech is so close to perfection, that it fools even the most trained eyes, at times. Not always, but at times.

True, films based on comic-books are becoming a dime a dozen, and some aren’t worth much more than a dime, sadly. However, now that most all of the world’s most recognizable superhero characters have been brought to the silver screen, we are now getting to see more and more heroes that many theater-goers may have never heard of, before. This, I think, is a good thing. While most people, even non comic-book readers, are aware of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and Hulk,  they may now be hearing of comic characters and stories like Green Lantern and Cowboys & Aliens, for the first time, this year. While I feel I should mention the most recognizable female character in comic lore, Wonder Woman, I’m going to have to leave that for another editorial, as her road to the big screen’s story is far too much to tell in this X-Men review.

The X-Men comic book was created in 1963 by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The sequential art stories, following the varied X-Men characters, over the years, have been read, and loved, by many fans. So loved, in fact, that the Marvel Comics character Wolverine has already had a spin-off film, based on his character made famous by the X-Men comics.

In First Class we’re introduced to two main characters, Erik Lahnsherr, played by Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, 300), and Charles Xavier, played by James McAvoy (Wanted, Atonement), who we learn both have incredible mutant abilities. Erik can control and manipulate metals, with his mind, while Charles can control and manipulate minds… with his mind. Heh. The film’s opening is powerful and disturbing with Erik being torn from his family as a boy, during WWII. Enter Sebastian Shaw played by Kevin Bacon (Mystic River, A Few Good Men), who learns of Erik’s power, and through torture, begins forcing that power to exhibit itself. Xavier we also meet as a young lad, and are introduced to his power of telepathy, when he discovers his mother in the kitchen in the middle of the night, but realizes instantly that this is not his mother, and we meet young Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, The Beaver). She is a shape-shifter who can mimic anyone’s form. Interestingly, Mystique and Xavier become best of friends.

Fast forward to the 60’s where Erik and Charles meet one another and are courted by the CIA to form a covert team of mutant agents. Using technology created by Hank McCoy, played by Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, Clash of the Titans), Xavier locates other mutants and begins recruiting with the help of Erik. Of course, no team of heroes in training is complete without it’s antithesis, and Sebastian Shaw’s group of baddies fits the bill. January Jones (Mad Men, Unknown) as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng (Snatch, Clash of the Titans) as Azazel, and Alex Gonzales (Milk, Countdown) as Riptide, are the henchmen of Shaw who are bent on starting World War III by escalating the Cuban Missile Crisis. Their hope is that non mutant humans will cause their own extinction through nuclear war, and fallout, while mutants live safely immune to worldwide radiation exposure.

The character development is well done and makes the good guys, and some of the bad guys, very likable. Especially Erik who later becomes Magneto. His life, born of torture and pain, molds a man of vigilance, vengeance, and supreme power. I’ll not give away the ending, but shall we say that the fight for mutant dominance is a dangerous one, and this prequel look at how it all began is a well told, and enjoyable, adventure. —