OMG. SHUT UP ABOUT BATTLE ROYALE
we get it. we totally do.
shareI haven't personally read the original novelisation of Battle Royale. I presume that many are simply comparing the film versions of both against each other? If that is so, then the Hunger Games is the better film, since it's narrative isn't as shallow as a puddle of piss and actually sets the scene. Battle Royale just rushes over any real meaningful backstory to get to cinematic brutality and violence.
I remember Battle Royale today as the film that all the goth kids and Wapanese used to have listed on their Myspace circa 2004-5.
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In 2000, Hong Kong bootleggers made a killing I bet.
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"I bet"? So you're making up an argument on no evidence. Why would it not be available in Hong Kong?
They mean that Hong Kong bootleggers made unofficial releases that were sold in the states because no one would distribute it in the US. God knows in 2004 the copy I found was of dodgey origin and the back was filled with a lot of chinese writing, and bought at an Asian import shop.
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As English is actually the offficial language of certain parts of China.
Umm... no. This applies to 'Hong Kong' only and nowhere else on China.
However, in this case I believe it was only in the US that there was no "official" release, which fails to take into account that there were several bootleg releases at the time, making Battle Royale actually more available then standard Hollywood fare, and at a more reasonable price.
Official release =/= bootleg release share
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1. Singapore is 100% independent from China.
2. English is not an official language of Taiwan.
Those of you guys arguing BATTLE ROYALE is or is not Fukasaku idea need to know the field more.
There are rarely movie ideas by the director themselves. the material of BATTLE ROYALE is gathered by the production company Toei. It is the company that gathers the director, script, and crew that makes it into a good movie.
Of course Fukasaku has certain power over the scripts he want to direct, but he did not come up with the story and the script. However, the important thing is - Production company Toei DID buy the right to make the novel from Takami Kousen (the person who came up with the story). Now the story rights belong to Production company Toei.
I give credits to Fukasaku and Production Toei of previsualizing the script as a kick ass potential to become what is know the Jury Winner of Cannes 2000.
Recent news is Hollywood made a remake of BATTLE ROYALE's less-than-stellar sequel. We know that, plus the story, characters and the plot looks 98% similar. Producers of Toei decaired they have their eyes on this issue, and made clear that they did not sell any remake rights except to Universal of USA. They can not initiate any action until they have reviewed the final product.
Personally I think Battle Royale 2 should just be left alone as it is... but i can not argue with people who obtain the legal rights to do so - like Universal, Justin Lin helmed to direct. However, Francis Lawrence (director of THG:CF) did appear on flashy press conferences declairing that the materials are his and his own. It ends up being a total rip off, then ...
he should be sued and start to learn how to make hamburgers at McD's instead of directing another film ever again.
sincerely to all,
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Its sad to see plagiarism being supported by so many people... ---This, to me, is the real moral to the story of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
I refuse to put more than a one due to plagiarism, but...
The Good: The costume designer was good at replicating designs from the Japanese original! For the most part, I felt, the acting was a bit higher than the average jr high school drama dept. efforts.
And how many people bought it in that shop? I'll bet they were queuing down the pavement all those invisible shoppers.
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so.
Agreed. The BR disks were selling like *beep* hotcake from my uncles US based mail order business. We had to hire a few new employees just to deal with that one title. Nothing compares as far as imported films go.
I saw the movie in 2001, and it's sequel in 2003. It was when I Was VERY into Japanese gore films. I don't feel like there's a ripoff going on here.
Is every love story based on Greek myths? Did Grease ripoff Greek myths? I could literally pull 100 films out right now that borrow from the great writers iconic tragedies.
Battle Royale proved the can be is something new under the sun. Concepts get used and reused all the time. I'm sure George Romero isn't sitting around having a hissy fit because there are a 1000 zombie films\shows\video games that have used his concept since he made the first modern zombie film in 1968.
And I don't know about love stories but quite a lot of war/action stories have their basis in Greek myths/history/literature.. Have you never read the Iliad? The Theseus myth is not a love story. If you have never heard of it here's a synopsis;
King Minos of Crete's son was killed in Athens by accident. He was powerful enough to demand a tribute each year of 7 young men and 7 young women to be sent to Crete each year to be sacrificed in the Labyrinth by the Minotaur. the Tributes were chosen in a public ceremony by drawing lots. Theseus volunteered to be one of the Tributes and he was sent to Crete with the rest of the Tributes. He managed to kill the Minotaur and returned to Athens with the other tributes.
That's a quick outline and most of these elements can be clearly seen in THG on page. Of course Collins only took elements from the myth as well as elements from Roman history,. Her Arena is quite clearly based on the Colosseum in Rome. The citizens of the Capitol have Roman names. The Careers are based on the Greek city state of Sparta and she has also worked in elements of PTSD trauma. She took all of these elements and wove them into her story. There is really nothing in BR in that story, not even the Tributes are close to the BR students.
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so.
A little late to the conversation, but I have to disagree with you about the Theseus and the Minotaur myth not having a love story.
When Theseus arrived in Crete he met Ariadne, who was the daughter of Minos. She fell madly in love with him and is the only reason why he was able to make it out of the Labyrinth. One can compare how Katniss is somewhat indifferent to Peeta, the way Theseus is to Ariadne and both Katniss and Theseus relied on those that loved them to help them get through the game/labyrinth.
One could also compare, although maybe not as much, when Katniss leaves on the hovercraft at the end of Catching Fire and leaving Peeta behind, with Theseus sailing on to Athens and leaving Ariadne on Naxos, which may or may not have been intentional.
Hmm, most of the myths are pretty clear on this, Theseus abandoned/left her on Naxos. She seems to have ended up the wife of Dionysus and not Theseus. They all say also that she fell in love with him not that they fell in love with each other. It seems pretty clear that he used her and then left her. But this relationship was not the part of the myth that Collins adapted. Like every other good author she used some and ignored the rest.
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so.
Most myths are clear that he left her, some are a little ambiguous. I consider her part in the story as a love story, and I can compare her love for Theseus to Peeta's love for Katniss. Are the outcomes the same? No, but a starting point is a starting point.
Does that mean that I am correct? No, but since I'm not in Collins's head, I can make assumptions just like everyone else as to which parts of what inspired her.
I wasn't saying that you are wrong...I just interpret the love angle differently.
You interpreting the love thing differently is perfectly fine. We all interpret things according to our own minds.
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so.
I blocked these pathetic people months ago, and believe me it's the best decision I've made in the last year!
There's so much satisfaction in ignoring their spam comments and only seeing the valid comments. It's made my time on these boards far more enjoyable. I think someone made a thread recently with a list of all the trolls on so it was easier to ignore them.
Oh, don't forget to report all their posts, using either "this user is spamming the boards with the same message," OR "this user is a troll." I've noticed a few posts have been deleted that I've reported.
THANK YOU! TESTIFY!
share[deleted]
Hey thanks mate, I was getting a more vague anti-war, pro-rebellion, dystopian vibe about BR but never thought it through, apart from various metaphors that match it in real life (ignoring the Japanese Empire / young people forced to kill themselves which is really obvious come to think of it).
I understand now, why BR2 was so emotionally-charged (a bit too 'wet' to my eyes, frankly). We just haven't learnt the lessons of who our real masters are and how to beat them, yet, have we?
There is also the fact that the BR trolls ignore the fact that the film was never released in the US. Tarantino saw it in Japan and he mentions this. But all of this is not important to them. Why i don't know. They also ignore the fact that when it was released and marketed on THG coattails it didn't sell. It's a puzzlement as to how they think this film is so influential, no one has seen it except the Wapanese fans and they are tiny in number.
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so.
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How did you see BR2 first when it wasn't released till BR 1 was in March 2012? And how did you see anything in it that showed the previous battle when no part of it was filmed in the story. I mean if the battle had been filmed there would have been no chance for Shoya, Noriko, and Shogo to escape. Do you often see things in films that are not part of the film. This could indicate mental problems. Hallucinations like that are not good for your mental health. It's sign that you are confusing reality with delusions. Go to a doctor.
And how did you like the part where the teacher is riddled with bullets and then gets up and answers the phone like nothing had happened? I nearly choked laughing. Some parts of BR were just so funny. It was just over the top ridiculous.
PS, how often do you get confused in using all your sock accounts? Do you keep a chart of what you have posted and what name you posted it under?
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so. And I have groupies, Atomic Girl said so.
I actually remember seeing this film in theaters, but don't recall much about it other than the action bits. I was rather surprised to see cardboard cutouts of Shuuya could still be found in the theatre lobby at Six Flags (as least he was still there in 2009, when I was there).
shareI actually remember seeing this film in theaters, but don't recall much about it other than the action bits. I was rather surprised to see cardboard cutouts of Shuuya could still be found in the theatre lobby at Six Flags (as least he was still there in 2009, when I was there).it was released in 16mm film in its entirety in the usa. i remember my dad getting it from the library on several occasions. back then (late 90's before vhs replaced movie film) you could check out movie films, movie projectors, screens and film strips.
share
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actually almost all the 42 students had a good backstory in BR. IN THG only 3 or 4 character had.
That's because THG is a completely different novel with different themes. It was told in First Person from Katniss' POV. That way we get an up close in intensely personal story instead of the very cold and distant writing style of Takami.
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I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so. And I have groupies, Atomic Girl said so.
Because, as it was already stated, the Hunger Games wasn't popular in the US. Very obscure. In my group of friends, they were fans of all things American, comics, cartoons, etc, etc. And THG was never mentioned once. So it IS possible to have never heard of it.
shareTHG wasn't popular? but how did it get on all the best seller lists, and win all those prizes and awards? I mean I could understand if it was as unpopular and as unknown as BR was, then someone might be able to say that it wasn't popular, but all you have to do is check the best selling lists from the year it was published and the dates on the forums on the web about this. And I am not American, I live in the UK and I am a grandmother...and I knew about THG. You could even try checking the best selling lists from your country if you don't believe me. , it's not the fault of THG that you never heard about it. One can only assume you lived in a bubble.
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I am the Queen of Snark, "I Shine, Not Burn".