MCT Campus

The movie magic is over for “Harry Potter.” The bite will be gone from “Twilight” when the final film’s released in November. It now falls to “The Hunger Games,” based on to the best- selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins, to launch the next great film franchise.

It’s a worthy heir. This story is not only a big literary success— where parents and their children are reading the books—it has spawned numerous websites and merchandise.

The books—”The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay”—are huge. The first novel has been on the New York Times best-seller list for more than 180 consecutive weeks since publication.

Even “Twilight” writer Stephenie Meyer blogged that the story kept her up for several nights in a row because she couldn’t stop thinking about it even after she finished the books.

On midnight Thursday, the first film in the series made its assault on the box office. Advance ticket sales through the online site Fandango show that three out of every four movie tickets purchased were for the film. More than 1,000 showtimes have already sold out across the country. Although marketed as a book for young adults, Fandango’s reporting 46 percent of advance tickets are being purchased by those 25 or older.

So, what is “The Hunger Games”? In the trilogy, Collins tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, one of 24 teens selected to compete in the televised Hunger Games in a future where the United States has been divided into 12 regions all under the tyrannical rule of The Capitol.

Cameras capture every life- and-death moment as the players battle until only one is left alive. The games were established as a way for the government to remind citizens who is in charge.

Before the young gladiators begin their battles, they are trained in survival skills, fighting and how to win over sponsors who can provide needed supplies. Part of the strategy is to have Katniss and her district games partner, Peeta, pretend they are romantically involved as a way to sway sympathies.

The message of the trilogy is unlike the “Twilight” series, where a young teen dates a vampire, or “Harry Potter,” where magic wins the day. “The Hunger Games” is anchored to an existence that can already be seen today in the unending flood of reality TV shows. It’s a cautionary story of what happens when people start to lose touch with their humanity. Lenny Kravitz, who plays Cinna in the film, says what makes the books and movie so interesting is that while they are set in the future, so many of the issues are current: reality television, violence, and the 99 percent versus the one percent.

After reading the script, co-star Donald Sutherland, who plays President Snow, thought this could be one of the “most important films ever.”

“This script could make a film that actually motivates, energizes a generation of young people who have been—from my point of view—by in large, dormant. It can make them stand up and take political action. It could help them to recognize with this allegory the nature of the society they live in and the need for change,” Sutherland said.

Jennifer Lawrence, the 21-year- old actress who plays Katniss in the movie, says the violence is exactly why young people should read the books and see the movie.

“I never read it as an action (book) or a thriller but as a drama and one that was incredibly important for our generation. I think it is a powerful message, an important story and one that I’m proud to back. I love these books. They really got to me. I thought they were so important for young women, for adults, for men, for our generation,” Lawrence said.

Prolific writer Stephen King acknowledged the violence in his positive book review of “The Hunger Games” in Entertainment Weekly.

“Let’s see the makers of the movie version try to get a PG-13 on this baby.”

Time magazine saw the same power in the books and named Collins one of the “100 Most Influential People” of 2010. More than 26 million copies of the trilogy—-in 40 countries—have been sold. Collins became only the sixth author to sell more than one million Kindle e-books units. Then what’s next?

Hollywood insiders are projecting Ross’s instincts will be strong enough to make “The Hunger Games” the biggest box office hit so far this year.

“It’s our fastest-selling franchise-opener since ‘Twilight,'” said Rick Butler, general manager and executive vice president of Fandango. “The brisk advance ticket sales are a testament to the strength of the incredible marketing campaign which has clearly resonated with fans and even those unfamiliar with the books.”

Staff writer

The Woman in Black, a horror film released on Feb. 3, will leave you terrified and shocked. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, this movie has suspenseful moments and an unexpected twist at the end.

In The Woman in Black, young lawyer Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a widow who lives with his son Joseph (Misha Handley) in London. Kipps travels to a secluded village to handle the affairs of a deceased client.

When he arrives at the village, it is evident that the townspeople are keeping a horrific secret from Kipps. The only sources of light for the village are the sun and candles, making the dreadful history of this town even darker.

Kipps encounters a vengeful ghost of a mocked woman while in his client’s house. The ghost is searching for something or someone that she is missing, and she is terrorizing everyone in her path.

Mary Blanks, junior psychology major, chose not to see this movie because she couldn’t even watch the commercials.

“I’m not a scary movie person. I’m a pansy when it comes to horror films,” said Blanks.

This movie left many people with a horrified feeling.

“I enjoyed being scared without seeing any horror or blood,” said Dr. Parton, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “There were some moments when we screamed aloud in the theater.”

Parton said the movie wasn’t as scary as expected, but still entertaining.

One of the foremost questions raised by The Woman in Black has been about Daniel Radcliffe as the main character. Can people move past Radcliffe’s role as Harry Potter and see him for someone different in this film?

“I’m interested to see Daniel Radcliffe outside of the Harry Potter role. I think he will need to be malleable and transform into a different actor,” says Becca Newell, sophomore English major.

She added that she loves scary movies and her standards are set high for this one.

According to Flixster, The Woman in Black was a top box office film its opening weekend, trailing behind Chronicle. This film will scare, shock and entertain its viewers, making it a must-see for all scary movie lovers.