The Hunger Games (MC: 67, RT: 85%/November 22, 2013/November 21, 2014/November 20, 2015)

[Milkster]

The funniest thing is that Rue is black/some darker ethnicity in the book.

[Stilzkin]

If you really want to get into it, King did it first.

I doubt Battle Royale was the first to do the idea but neither of those books, at least from their wikipedia desciption, are the of the same idea.

Running man seems to be about people getting hunted down. What I liked about BR was that the scenario had the group of people all being in the same situation, they were all victims. HG has this as well, though its written differently.

The Long Walk has them as victims and against each other but they don't seem to be actively trying to kill one another.

[Rhyis.]

They all use the same general concept. Details are always going to change. If they didn't, it'd be plagiarism. I just find complaining about similar stories annoying because there is always going to be an older story of something.

Also, surely you must know the Running Man. Friggin' Arnold movie. Albeit, the book is slightly different.

[noblemountain]

Also SmashTV video game...they just didn't call it Running Man...but close enough.

[Rhyis.]

That game was the tits. Probably my favourite arcade game... On that note, anybody remember when it was cool to hang out at the arcade?

[Stilzkin]

Not if you define the catergory as narrowly as a group of teenagers forced to kill each other for the entertainment of others.

BR and HG are obviously much more similar than HG and the Running Man or BR and the Long Walk. Thats why people bring them up in relation to each other and not the other books you mentioned.


You know I probably wouldn't have realized the connection between that Arnold movie and the book if you hadn't mentioned it.

[Byrd]

Also, surely you must know the Running Man. Friggin' Arnold movie. Albeit, the book is slightly different.

This post wins the "Understatement of the Day" award.

That game was the tits. Probably my favourite arcade game...

Smash TV was, indeed, amazing. Big Money! Big Prizes! I Love It!

Side note: I paid something like $40 for this for my PS3 just so I could play Smash TV. The fact that it also came with Gauntlet is an added bonus. (At least, I'm pretty sure it was that version of the game; I notice it doesn't say Smash TV on the box, it's possible I've got the wrong collection, so don't buy it based on my account without doing a little research first to make sure it's on that disc).

[Tweek]

I doubt Battle Royale was the first to do the idea but neither of those books, at least from their wikipedia desciption, are the of the same idea.

Running man seems to be about people getting hunted down. What I liked about BR was that the scenario had the group of people all being in the same situation, they were all victims. HG has this as well, though its written differently.

jesus mother fucking christ you had to wikipedia Running Man? How young are you fucking people??


Running Man is EXACTLY what I thought while watching this movie and the dudes in the little command center were over looking, broadcasting and manipulating the arena.


lol if anything BR sounds more like Running Man than Hunger Games... swap out Prison/Prisoners with School/Students?

[Talint]

I went and watched the movie anyway.

It doesn't do either aspect it rips off particularly well. The media cynicism and fickleness is much better portrayed in The Running Man, and teenage brutality and desperation is far much better portrayed in Battle Royale. Battle Royale was also far more violent, as all the teenage murdering that goes on in THG is extremely glossed over.

But since it's trying to do both, it's certainly an ok film. Certainly worth the $4.50 I spent to see it.

[Headspace]

the $4.50 I spent to see it.

Fuck you.

[Nyima]

Having just seen battle royale I feel like most of you are talking from nostalgia. At best BR is a B-grade movie, the reasoning behind starting the BR law was laughably bad, the acting was horrid, the "gore" was incredibly cheesy, and none of the characters were in the least be believable.

[Jefe]

What does that have to do w/ hunger games ripping off BR? Are we talking about the quality of the film, acting, fx, or the premise? That shit was a blatant rip off lol.

[arus2001]

That game was the tits. Probably my favourite arcade game... On that note, anybody remember when it was cool to hang out at the arcade?

What's an arcade?

Seriously, though, living in a rural area we didn't really have one of these. Our podunk mall eventually did get one maybe when I was 12 or so, but it wasn't so much about cabinet games like Smash TV, Golden Axe, and so on than it was a kiddy parlor game ticket grind fest for shitty prizes. As I result, I don't think it ever really had the potential to be a good standalone hangout and wound up being used more for young birthday parties until it went belly up.

To my knowledge, I can't really think of any gaming LANs around here, either. I know at one point I thought I heard of some place that was basically a bunch of gaming consoles set up in different partitions where, for a flat fee, you could just run around and play for a bit, but I never really followed up on it and haven't heard of it since. I'd like to think such a place would work well paired with some kind of concessions or deal struck up with local food joints, but it's also such a variable age demographic.

[Tweek]

What does that have to do w/ hunger games ripping off BR? Are we talking about the quality of the film, acting, fx, or the premise? That shit was a blatant rip off lol.

..but i'm sure Battle Royale creator could not have possibly been influenced by Running Man or Stephen King's The Long Walk, let's completely ignore that fact and constantly just compare Hunger Games to Battle Royale

[Tweek]

anybody remember when it was cool to hang out at the arcade?

fuck yeah I do.


Super Puzzle Fighter II
Puzzle Bobble
Mortal Kombat 3
Street Fighter 2
Cruising USA


We had a nickle arcade in our town when I was in middle school, my friends and I would get high and spend all our time there before that it was just arcades at the pizza place for me like that racing simulation game, NBA Jam, Guantlet, Golden Axe (as mentioned above)

[Eurell]

BR would be much closer to HG if it was only one book and not 3.

Spoiler: show

HG has a full out war and overthrows the government. The technology is also completely different. I don't remember Hovercrafts or gene spliced mutants in BR lol.

If HG had nothing in it at all but the games itself, then I could consider it being a rip off lol. Otherwise, it's just a similar idea (and one that plenty of people had previous to either movie/book at that).

[Jefe]

Name other movies w/ the same central premise: a bunch of teens killing each other to instill fear/control the masses.

..but i'm sure Battle Royale creator could not have possibly been influenced by Running Man or Stephen King's The Long Walk, let's completely ignore that fact and constantly just compare Hunger Games to Battle Royale

Except he mentioned he was to some extent. Nevertheless, the premise is quite different from those movies. The hunger games brought absolutely nothing new to the table, whereas BR did.

[Eurell]

Name other movies w/ the same central premise: a bunch of teens killing each other to instill fear/control the masses.



Except he mentioned he was to some extent. Nevertheless, the premise is quite different from those movies. The hunger games brought absolutely nothing new to the table, whereas BR did.

Spoiler: show

Did you read the books? Because thats not the premise of the entire series. They don't even have games n the 3rd book.

[Rhinox]

He doesn't need to read the books. That's for nerds. He can predict what happen in the books

[Rhyis.]

Lot of people in this thread missed out on Kung Fu/Gauntlet/Arkanoid/etc high score battles. 'Tis a shame.