Battle Royale

[Blehschmidt]

With the upcoming release of The Hunger Games, it seems that the EWB beloved Battle Royale is about to blow up in America.

I saw this on Amazon: Battle Royale Box Set

and I see that the movie theater in the town I used to live in is actually having a screening the week before Hunger Games hits. I wouldn't be surprised if this is happening elsewhere too.

Could be interesting, but I'm still not sure how parent groups and what not are going to react. I'm also not sure that I am ready to see teenagers wearing collars they got at Hot Topic either!

Thoughts?

[IAceI]

I'm assuming that pun in your opening gambit was intended.

To be honest surely The Hunger Games should bring about similar problems anyways? There's a scenario in the book - quite important - that must surely be included in the film and given the characters involved that's more sensitive than Battle Royale?

Will spoiler below for those who haven't read the book:

When Rue, 12, is killed with a spear. Although I suppose they're under no obligation to actually show it happening - like they did in BR, so I guess that may matter. But surely it could cause similar outrage given the characters intended age? Or am I being a bit of a paranoid lefty?

That said, heck of a coincidence if Collins' is telling the truth that she hadn't heard of Battle Royale prior to her books.

[9 to 5]

You really don't know how sad I was to find CSAMH didn't start this thread.

[Ruki]

I'm assuming that pun in your opening gambit was intended.

To be honest surely The Hunger Games should bring about similar problems anyways? There's a scenario in the book - quite important - that must surely be included in the film and given the characters involved that's more sensitive than Battle Royale?

Will spoiler below for those who haven't read the book:

When Rue, 12, is killed with a spear. Although I suppose they're under no obligation to actually show it happening - like they did in BR, so I guess that may matter. But surely it could cause similar outrage given the characters intended age? Or am I being a bit of a paranoid lefty?

That said, heck of a coincidence if Collins' is telling the truth that she hadn't heard of Battle Royale prior to her books.

See, when I read that part of the book I was thinking, "Oh shit...are they going to include this in the movie? Surely they won't show a little girl being run through with a spear." Me and my friend thought that maybe they were going to re-con her age, but in the trailer, you see that she is very much a 12 year old girl. But yeah, I expect some outrage. It is still gonna be awesome

[Summers]

What about the death of Cato? That's gonna be gruesome if included in full.

[Ruki]

What about the death of Cato? That's gonna be gruesome if included in full.

This is very true.

[zero]

That said, heck of a coincidence if Collins' is telling the truth that she hadn't heard of Battle Royale prior to her books.

I still don't see why it's that unbelievable, Battle Royale was hardly the first to tell that story. Humans being forced by their government to battle to the death is as old as ancient Rome, add in kids (Lord of the Flies, The Long Walk), give it a futuristic vibe (Running Man), make it into a reality show with a romance subplot (Series 7: The Contenders), and give us a protagonist with natural hunting instincts (Surviving the Game) and you have a series that was obviously influenced by material that came before it, but not exclusively Battle Royale.

It's like saying The Walking Dead ripped off 28 Days Later... it is a heck of a coincidence that they start very similarly, but there were dozens of other books and movies that influenced both.

[SeanDMan]

I'm just glad that The Walking Dead came out when it did, the unemployment is high enough without taking away all those acting jobs that only zombies can fill.

[Blehschmidt]

You really don't know how sad I was to find CSAMH didn't start this thread.

Believe me when I tell you that I would MUCH rather see CSAMH start a thread with this title too!!

[IAceI]

Cato's death will be pretty gruesome as well if they play it out like it was in the book. I suppose you forget that, because Rue was the 12 year old who died, that the oldest are only meant to be 16 and therefore it would still be gruesome to see a film depicting a 16 year olds face being picked apart by Muttations before an arrow through the face. That was one thing I noticed that separated Battle Royale and this, the deaths were less prevalent in the Hunger Games, similarly gory but less of them depicted.

[Summers]

Cato's death will be pretty gruesome as well if they play it out like it was in the book. I suppose you forget that, because Rue was the 12 year old who died, that the oldest are only meant to be 16 and therefore it would still be gruesome to see a film depicting a 16 year olds face being picked apart by Muttations before an arrow through the face. That was one thing I noticed that separated Battle Royale and this, the deaths were less prevalent in the Hunger Games, similarly gory but less of them depicted.

The Cato death was just another level. Described vaguely, but as she says it was a long fuckin' battle against the Mutts, and they couldn't kill him, only turn him into a "bloody hunk of flesh" or whatever.

[Liam]

When is 'The Hunger Games' film out? Am currently reading the first book.

[Ruki]

I believe it is out March 23rd. I'm getting a movie premier pass

[IAceI]

Cato's death will be pretty gruesome as well if they play it out like it was in the book. I suppose you forget that, because Rue was the 12 year old who died, that the oldest are only meant to be 16 and therefore it would still be gruesome to see a film depicting a 16 year olds face being picked apart by Muttations before an arrow through the face. That was one thing I noticed that separated Battle Royale and this, the deaths were less prevalent in the Hunger Games, similarly gory but less of them depicted.

The Cato death was just another level. Described vaguely, but as she says it was a long fuckin' battle against the Mutts, and they couldn't kill him, only turn him into a "bloody hunk of flesh" or whatever.

Come to think of it, all of them are pretty gruesome. Clove having her head smashed in with a rock by Thresh wouldn't exactly be pleasant viewing either. I guess it depends how risque they want to make the film.

[Ruki]

Cato's death will be pretty gruesome as well if they play it out like it was in the book. I suppose you forget that, because Rue was the 12 year old who died, that the oldest are only meant to be 16 and therefore it would still be gruesome to see a film depicting a 16 year olds face being picked apart by Muttations before an arrow through the face. That was one thing I noticed that separated Battle Royale and this, the deaths were less prevalent in the Hunger Games, similarly gory but less of them depicted.

The Cato death was just another level. Described vaguely, but as she says it was a long fuckin' battle against the Mutts, and they couldn't kill him, only turn him into a "bloody hunk of flesh" or whatever.

Come to think of it, all of them are pretty gruesome. Clove having her head smashed in with a rock by Thresh wouldn't exactly be pleasant viewing either. I guess it depends how risque they want to make the film.

I'm guessing the movie will be PG-13, so I don't think they will go too crazy.

Personally, I still can't get my head around Woody Harrelson playing Haymitch.

Edit: We should probably just start a separate Hunger Games thread

[zero]

The movie will definitely be PG-13, but probably a "hard" PG-13 ala The Dark Knight. Since it has mountains of hype, a major studio behind it and is already a known and revered franchise, it'll be able to get away with more.

Of course, there's nothing in the books that can't be shown on broadcast TV on something like CSI, but for some reason, movies are more strict. Just like stuff in a R-rated movie can get an AO rating in a video game.

[IAceI]

Cato's death will be pretty gruesome as well if they play it out like it was in the book. I suppose you forget that, because Rue was the 12 year old who died, that the oldest are only meant to be 16 and therefore it would still be gruesome to see a film depicting a 16 year olds face being picked apart by Muttations before an arrow through the face. That was one thing I noticed that separated Battle Royale and this, the deaths were less prevalent in the Hunger Games, similarly gory but less of them depicted.

The Cato death was just another level. Described vaguely, but as she says it was a long fuckin' battle against the Mutts, and they couldn't kill him, only turn him into a "bloody hunk of flesh" or whatever.

Come to think of it, all of them are pretty gruesome. Clove having her head smashed in with a rock by Thresh wouldn't exactly be pleasant viewing either. I guess it depends how risque they want to make the film.

I'm guessing the movie will be PG-13, so I don't think they will go too crazy.

Personally, I still can't get my head around Woody Harrelson playing Haymitch.

Edit: We should probably just start a separate Hunger Games thread

That's a good point. Sort of a hi-jacking this. Mind you I dunno when I'll actually get to see the film, probably in a years time or something when I actually bother!

[Ruki]

The movie will definitely be PG-13, but probably a "hard" PG-13 ala The Dark Knight. Since it has mountains of hype, a major studio behind it and is already a known and revered franchise, it'll be able to get away with more.

Of course, there's nothing in the books that can't be shown on broadcast TV on something like CSI, but for some reason, movies are more strict. Just like stuff in a R-rated movie can get an AO rating in a video game.

It is actually getting a decent amount of hype...my station is giving away passes to the movie almost a month in advance (normally, we're lucky if we're advertising a movie two weeks ahead of time). But yeah, I can't wait for The Hunger Games

[GoGo Yubari]

First Hunger Games book was really good for a good while and then sort of fell apart at the end. Never really got a pressing desire to go any further with it, honestly.

[DAv]

I preferred the movie version of Battle Royale compared to the book. Found the latter just tended to get bogged down at times, movie had a much better pace. Plus had a lot less shoehorned rock songs.