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Local theater to host midnight ‘Hunger Games’ premier

Effie Trinket (played by Elizabeth Banks, left) and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in "The Hunger Games." Burlington's Plaza Theater will host a midnight showing of the film based on the popular book Thursday night..

Fill up with exciting opening weekend “Hunger Games” activities, being held at the Plaza Theater in Burlington thanks to the special events savvy of Marie Frederick, who operated the Wildlife Refuge Tavern in Kansasville for 15 years.

She is now coordinating special movie events at the Plaza and will be on hand Thursday, March 22, to welcome the Plaza crowd to the midnight “Hunger Games” premier dressed as the movie’s villainess, Effie Trinket.

Joining her will be the Plaza’s Katniss Everdeen, heroine of the Hunger Games, who will open the box office at 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

As part of the evening’s activities:

• All children ages 12-18 entering the theater will put their name in the glass ball for The Reaping.

• Everyone is welcome to enter the costume contest dressed as a favorite character from the story and compete for prizes.

• Villainess Effie Trinket from The Capitol will explain the Nation of Panem (pronounced pa-NEM) and Hunger Games from 11:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. with the aid of a huge map on the big screen.

• The Reaping will commence at 11:45 p.m., when Effie draws tributes’ names from the glass bowl. Those in the best costumes and the chosen tributes will try to eliminate each other by correctly answering questions in the Tributes Trivia Game.
Drive.

• Each person who brings a non-perishable food item can enter their name in a drawing for prizes at the end of the Plaza’s Hunger Games run. All food will be donated to Love, Inc, Burlington’s non-profit organization dedicated to helping families and individuals live better, more productive lives.

• Everyone is welcome to have a picture taken with Katniss and Peetaa.
Other free activities will be offered during all show times, including an arena photo station with life-size cutouts of Katniss and Peeta and a Hall of Districts, where moviegoers can learn about the Nation of Panem.

At the concession stand, special homemade Capitol Cupcakes will be offered to starving district residents in flavors they’ve only heard about: Orangesicle, Girl on Fire Rootbeer Float and Gale’s Reverse Peanut Butter Chocolate.

Hunger Games dinner specials will be offered Friday and Saturday nights during the 4 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. shows.

Tickets for Plaza’s midnight Hunger Games premier are $10 each; advance tickets are on sale now.

The theater is located at 448 Milwaukee Ave., Burlington. For all showtimes and more information, visit online at Facebook and plaza4.com.

 

A quick Hunger Games primer 

Whereas George Orwell’s “1984” is the granddaddy of all Big Brother
totalitarian tales, “Hunger Games” is the newest dystopian adventure.

It is set in a post-apocalyptic North America where war and natural
catastrophe have resulted in a smaller country (California and Florida have likely disappeared into the oceans).

The new Nation of Panem is ruled by The Capitol and each year it forces a boy and girl from each of the 12 districts to fight in the Hunger Games.

The winner is the one
who stays alive.

Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy written by Suzanne Colllins
(“Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” are the second and third, respectively).

It is on pace to be the next world-wide book-to-movie craze, following on the heels of the Harry Potter and Twilight Series.

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