I'll fully admit with no shame how much I enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES, and from the looks of things, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE ramps up the stakes and threats to Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen and anyone who supports or stands beside her. With this second entry (of what will apparently be four films total), we have a new director, Francis Lawrence, taking over the reigns from the able hands of Gary Ross. And a slew of pervious winners of the games are now pitted against each other in the 75th edition of the contest, which means a bunch of new characters, played by such high-end actors as Philip Seymour Hoffman (not as a former contestant but as the conniving Plutarch Heavensbee) as Jeffrey Wright as Beetee.
But you don't need to here me prattle on about CATCHING FIRE. If you've read this far, you probably know way more than I do. So instead let me tell you about how you can catch an advance screening of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on Monday, November 18 at 8:30pm (please note the later starting time), at a theater in downtown Chicago (the exact location will only be given to the winners). I have a very limited number of seats, and here's how to win a pair…
To win, send me an email at CatchingFireChicago@aintitcoolmail.com (please note the new email address) with the subject line "Fire Fighters" (exactly like that). In the body of the email, I need your full Name, whether or not you're bringing a Guest (each winner may bring ONE confirmed guest--if I think you gave your +1 to someone trolling for free tickets at the theater, you won't get in), and the answer to the following question: "Who is your favorite character from THE HUNGER GAMES universe, and why?" Keep your responses BRIEF--no more than 100 words (no matter how tempted you are to go over the limit). Best answers (as judged by me) win, and you'll hear from me very soon if you won. I'll probably only keep this contest open for 24 hours, because I'm expecting a ton of entries. Continue reading before you enter…
Although this is not an exclusive Ain't It Cool News event, winners' seats will be reserved until 30 minutes before showtime (meaning 8:00 pm). The venue is deliberately overbooked to guarantee a full house. If you can't arrive by 8:00 pm, don't enter this contest. If there's even the slightest chance you or your guest will have to back out of attending or arrive late if you do win, don't enter. If you have a job that might make you late or unable to attend, or an ill/pregnant relative, or a temperamental significant other, or a scratchy throat, do not enter. And the 24-hour-notice-to-cancel rule is done. If you win and don't show up, the Black List will be your new best friend.
Good luck, everyone! And thanks to the Lionsgate and Subway for bringing this very cool screening to Chicago.
