Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 1: The Hunger Games
Welcome, readers. We are so excited to debut this new content from the creators of Currently Reading Podcast! This limited-edition podcast series will tackle book to screen adaptations in a spoiler-FILLED format. Be sure you’ve read the book and watched the film version before listening to the episode, because we don’t shy away from strong opinions OR from all the spoilers, unlike our regular episodes.
This episode series will introduce you to a new voice on the team, Shad CasConi. Shad is Kaytee’s childhood best friend, and the first show regular we’ve introduced with a Y chromosome. I think you’ll love him like I do!
As you’ve come to expect with all Currently Reading content, Kaytee and Shad will follow a regular episode format, with regular segments, so you know what to expect each and every time. We call these the bowling lane bumpers, and they’ll help guide the conversation and keep us from rabbit trails.
Show notes for this series will not be time-stamped, but will include links to Bookshop dot org or Amazon for any books or resources referenced in the episode. These are affiliate links, so they kick back a small percentage to us if you buy through them, and help support the work we do on Currently Reading.
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3:26 - Previews:
Book Name and release date. Sales info and awards.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Ballad of Songbird and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (prequel)
Buying Your Way onto the NYT Bestseller List
Movie name and release date. Box office and awards.
The Hunger Games (film) - currently on Hulu but this seems to be changing once a month
Credit Song by Taylor Swift, Safe and Sound, with The Civil Wars
7:28 - The Cutting Room:
Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen.
Katniss’s mockingjay pin
Tesserae, Avox, and Katniss’s anger
Dehydration and the “boring” parts of the arena
Anything left out that shouldn’t have been.
Haymitch’s character development
The finale in the arena
How scary is this for kids? Were there changes made for the rating?
Added to the movie for clarity.
Interviews, the treaty, world-building.
Seneca is pretty.
Film to introduce the games.
Naming and developing additional characters.
Building the arena and behind-the-scenes footage of the capital.
Casting and mis-casting
Katniss
Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansen, Twilight, Saoirse Ronan, Haley Steinfeld, Chloe Grace Moretz, Emma Roberts, Shailene Woodley, Divergent, Isabel Ferman
Peeta
Josh Hutcherson, Evan Peters, Hunter Parrish, Alex Pettifer, Alexander Ludvig, Liam Hemsworth
Gale
Liam Hemsworth, Henry Cavill
Cinna
Lenny Kravitz, Billy Porter, Matthew Boehmer, Eric Bana, Jude Law, Cheyanne Jackson, Michale Urie, Shrinking (Apple TV+)
Effie
Elizabeth Banks, Amy Sedaris, Jennifer Coolidge, White Lotus (on HBO), Parker Posey, Judy Greer, Kristen Wiig
Problematic elements.
Hollywood so white.
Kids as expendable.
Dystopia come true
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
37:43 - Award Season:
Worst and best parts of the adaptation.
Anger and arena survival.
Mockingjay pin
Behind the scenes arena building
Capital citizens
World-building
Worst and best actors.
Haymitch/Woody Harrelson
Katniss/Jennifer Lawrence
Peeta/Josh Hutcherson
Caesar Flickerman/Stanley Tucci
Cinna/Lenny Kravitz
Worst and best book characters.
Katniss
Effie
Peeta
Rue
56:10 - Book/Flick Energy:
Book scored on a 5 star scale.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Movie scored on a 10 point scale.
1:01:10 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel:
Who is your favorite Beatle?
Shining Time Station
What would you eat as your last meal before entering the arena?
1:05:19 - Outro:
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Jurassic Park (1993) film
Connect With Us:
Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram
Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram
Shad is in the Bookish Friends Facebook group (for Patrons only)
@currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram
currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com
Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and