The Hunger Games

by Sabrina Rojas Weiss (@shalapitcher)

Lenny Kravitz Vs. Wes Bentley: Which Hunger Games Citizen Should Be This Week’s Hotness?

A year ago, we never would have thought we’d be writing about Lenny Kravitz and Wes Bentley in the same sentence. We honestly didn’t expect to be writing much about them at all, frankly. The superstar status Kravitz earned in the ’90s and early ’00s had calmed considerably, and Bentley never lived up to the next-big-thing hype he earned in American Beauty. But behold the miracle of The Hunger Games. Their brief but pivotal roles as stylist Cinna and Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane have made them the focus of a whole lot of attention, from teenage girls as much as a mature audience that appreciates their comeback.

If you’ve read Catching Fire, the Hunger Games sequel, you’ll know that Lenny and Wes’ characters have more in common than meets the eye, and they’ve got to be looking forward to their bigger roles in that film. So are we, of course. But for now, we’re going to look back, and try to determine which of these Capitol citizens is hotter. Peruse our little selection of photos and then vote! Poll closes at 2 p.m. ET on Friday.

[Photos: Getty Images]

by Kate Spencer (@katespencer)

Jennifer Lawrence’s Hunger Games Co-Stars Would Totally Volunteer For Her

At the heart of The Hunger Games is Katniss’ devotion to her sister, Prim. She is literally willing to sacrifice her life for her, which is the ultimate loyal sibling move. We asked Willow Shields, who plays Prim, if she felt that connection with her co-star Jennifer Lawrence when they weren’t in character. “We totally became sisters on set,” said Willow at the premiere. “I have a sister, so I can totally relate [to Katniss]. I would totally volunteer for her.”


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by Kate Spencer (@katespencer)

Josh Hutcherson Is A “Humble” “Old Soul” Say Hunger Games Co-Stars

The praise was only super positive for Josh Hutcherson on The Hunger Games red carpet last night. Dayo Okeniyi, who portrays District 11 tough guy Thresh, was all smiles as he told VH1 News about his “Southern gentleman” of a co-star.

“Josh is Peeta. If you watch the movie, you’ve hung out with Josh. He is Peeta, 100 percent.” Dayo — who is himself a Hunger Games mega-fan (check out that wrap gift pin he’s wearing!) — added,  ”He’s such a Southern gentleman, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously and he’s a fun guy. We play basketball off-set. He does a really good job of making what he does look extremely easy. I hope to be as a great of an actor as these guys someday.”


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by Sabrina Rojas Weiss (@shalapitcher)

Hunger Games Cuts “Blood Splashes” For Tween-Friendly Rating In U.K.

We always wondered how a book about kids brutally murdering other kids on live TV would get a PG-13 rating in the U.S. Not to be too spoilery but there are some grisly deaths in The Hunger Games that gave us, full-grown adults, nightmares. And now it seems that initially,there were a few too many of those gory scenes for the U.K. version of the MPAA, the British Board of Film Classification, to deem it appropriate for kids under 15. The BBFC, which is a little more up-front about its rules than the legendarily mysterious MPAA, posted the changes that were made to bring the rating from 15 down to 12A, their version of PG-13. Apparently, Lionsgate UK showed the board an unfinished version and was advised on where to make “cuts and visual reductions.” The next version had made adjustments two “four scenes of violence and in one scene showing details of injuries. These reductions were implemented by a mixture of visual cuts, visual darkenings and the digital removal of sight of blood.” But that wasn’t enough: Seven seconds of one more scene needed to be changed to “reduce an emphasis on blood and injury.” They did so by “digitally removing sight of blood splashes and sight of blood on wounds and weapons.”

We have no idea if such changes were made to the American version as well. But wow, that’s a fascinating peek into what the experts deem OK for a 15-year-old versus a 12-year-old. Blood splashes! Now, we wonder how they felt about burns, tracker jacker stings and, eeeewwww, pus?

[Photo: Lionsgate]

by Ambika Muttoo (@missmuttoo)

The Hunger Games Red Carpet: The Men Decide To Suit Up

While they were plenty of well-dressed women at The Hunger Games premiere last night, the men weren’t far behind. Who doesn’t love a dude in a sharp suit? There were plenty of examples of why that makes us go gaga last night, with Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson and Wes Bentley leading the pack. Cody Simpson and Alexander Ludwig opted for more relaxed versions, deciding to forgo ties. Deciding to go the more cazh route was Donald Sutherland, who wore a rakish scarf instead. We’ve decided we want to hang with him now because he looks like he has a blast everywhere he goes. Woody Harrelson looked dressed for a luau while palling around with an appropriately clad Stanley Tucci, but we expected that. What we didn’t expect, but were thrilled to see, was Peter Facinelli who looked ridik-hot in jeans, hoodie and leather jacket combination. Want to see what we’re talking about? Head on to our gallery below.

[Photos: Getty Images]

Related: Kylie And Kendall Jenner: Looking Great Or Looking Like Sister, Kim Kardashian?
The Ladies Who Should’ve Upped The Stakes On The Hunger Games Carpet
10 Fabulous Looks Of The Ladies On The Hunger Games Red Carpet
Jennifer Lawrence Is All Mockingjay On Hunger Games Red Carpet

by Ambika Muttoo (@missmuttoo)

Kylie And Kendall Jenner: Looking Great Or Looking Like Sister Kim Kardashian?

You can’t deny that Kendall and Kylie Jenner are two gorgeous young ladies. We also love what they had on at the Hunger Games premiere in L.A. yesterday, but would’ve preferred the dresses on someone older. Way too short for girls who are 14 (Kylie) and 16 (Kendall). We feel like we’re looking at a retrospective of older sister Kim Kardashian‘s fashions. Especially with Kylie’s teeny, tight, white number which we’ve seen various versions of on Kim over the years. Are you really comfortable with a 14-year-old being all about the booty? We gave them a pass when we saw them last at The Vow premiere because they look genuinely sweet. But those hemlines are getting dangerous and someone should say something, no?

Look at how members of their peer group like Hailee Steinfeld or Dakota Fanning (when she was younger) did carpets looking stunning and age appropriate. Our editor and all-around YA fiction boss (that’s you, @shalapitcher) also very correctly pointed out, a certain ironic factoid about these two. Considering a very important theme of The Hunger Games is built on a very strong critique of kids and (or on) reality shows, it makes us wonder about what sort of people are monitoring Kendall, Kylie and their ilk.

[Photos: Getty Images]

Related: The Ladies Who Should’ve Upped The Stakes On The Hunger Games Carpet
10 Fabulous Looks Of The Ladies On The Hunger Games Red Carpet
Jennifer Lawrence Is All Mockingjay On Hunger Games Red Carpet
Some Hits, Some Misses At The Vow Premiere 

by Ambika Muttoo (@missmuttoo)

The Ladies Who Should’ve Upped The Stakes On The Hunger Games Carpet

We’re not trying to pick on anyone here. We just feel these three lovely ladies should’ve really gone all out on the Hunger Games red carpet. They should go all out on any carpet, for that matter. They’ve got the stylists, the fame, the looks and the cash to back it up. That’s why we can’t understand why someone like Shailene Woodley would put this gown on? It’s misshapen, tent-like, and that print gives us a headache. Or Kelly Osbourne? She’s normally a style maven but we can’t come to terms with the lavender hair, grim suit and mismatched shoes. Then there’s Miranda Lambert, who we think is adorable, but should not have put on this ill-fitting dress. It makes her look a bit stuffed, especially in the cleavage area. Plus, the hair should have been worked differently. Take it as constructive criticism, ladies. We’re looking forward to you knocking it out of the ballpark on the next carpet.

[Photos: Getty Images]

Related: 10 Fabulous Looks Of The Ladies On The Hunger Games Red Carpet
Jennifer Lawrence Is All Mockingjay On Hunger Games Red Carpet

by Ambika Muttoo (@missmuttoo)

10 Fabulous Looks Of The Ladies On The Hunger Games Red Carpet

The Hunger Games red carpet in L.A last night was full of bright, bold fashion. We’ve already given you a heads up about how incredible Jennifer Lawrence was looking in shimmering, gold Prabal Gurung. Elizabeth Banks revved it up as well in a bright orange Atelier Versace cocktail dress. Looks like someone was trying to be the girl on fire on this carpet, huh? We all know that redheads in green makes for a winning combination. Jacqueline Emerson served as a great reminder of that style staple, wearing a lovely strapless green Grecian gown. Apart from these three ladies, our favorite look of the evening goes to Isabelle Fuhrman, who wore an ethereal gold embroidered frock. She reminds us of Rooney Mara, somehow.

Miley Cyrus was there too, supporting boyfriend Liam Hemsworth. She wore all black — a strappy top and sheer, embroidered skirt that on anyone else would have looked a tad belly dancer-esque. But Miley pulled it off! It really was a night to pull things off, too. Leslie Mann wore a Monique Lhuillier jumpsuit and we normally can’t stand jumpsuits, especially on a red carpet. But — and say this with us, guys — she pulled it off. To get an idea of what we’ve been talking about, take a peek at the gallery below.

[Photos: Getty Images]

Related: Jennifer Lawrence Is All Mockingjay On Hunger Games Red Carpet
The Ladies Who Should’ve Upped The Stakes On The Hunger Games Carpet

by Sabrina Rojas Weiss (@shalapitcher)

Jennifer Lawrence Is All Mockingjay On Hunger Games Red Carpet


“Are people disappointed that I’m not on fire?” Jennifer Lawrence joked to MTV’s Josh Horowitz on the red carpet of the world premiere of The Hunger Games in Los Angeles on Monday night. Nope. Not at all! We were dazzled by the young actress’ choice of super-shiny gold Prabal Gurung gown with sexy side and back cutouts. It hugged her curves and made her pose with confidence — almost as if she were already exiting the arena, triumphant. We also love how her smokey eye makeup and neutral lip color make her look like an ’80s glamazon. But all that stature, the screaming fans, and the endless praise from her co-stars and director didn’t stop the girl who was on fire from being the girl who jokes about herself and says things like “it’s so nice of them!” of the fans. “I never fully absorb anything,” she joked of all the hubbub over the movie. Sometimes, she couldn’t be less like Katniss Everdeen if she tried … and we mean that in the nicest way. Come back soon for plenty more photos and interviews from the red carpet!

[Photos: Getty Images]

by Sabrina Rojas Weiss (@shalapitcher)

New Hunger Games Clip: Peeta Mellark’s 10 Steps To Winning Hearts

There are so many reasons for Hunger Games fans to break out the goat cheese and fresh-baked bread today! First of all, tonight’s the premiere, and your favorite professional fans VH1 News will be there, so tweet us your questions for Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and the rest @TheFablife or write them in the comments below. Also, there’s a brand-new clip on MTVNews.com today: Peeta Mellark’s (Hutcherson) momentous interview with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci). Unlike last week’s clip of Cinna and Katniss, this one’s quite faithful to the book. Those of us who have it memorized can appreciate the nuances of Josh’s performance. We studied it closely and decided Peeta could teach a course or two in public relations. Here’s how he won the audience over, in 10 faces or less.

1. Begin with a carefree smile. The Games are the farthest thing from your mind.

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