The Hungover Games

Last updated
The Hungover Games
The Hungover Games.jpg
Official DVD cover
Directed by Josh Stolberg
Written by
Produced by
  • Ash R. Shah
  • Ben Feingold
  • Jim Busfield
  • Steve Small
  • Jamie Kennedy
Starring
  • Ben Begley
  • Ross Nathan
  • Herbert Russell
  • Rita Volk
  • Jamie Kennedy
CinematographyAndrew Strahorn
Edited by Byron Wong
Music byTodd Haberman
Production
companies
Silver Nitrate
Sense and Sensibility Ventures
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date
  • February 18, 2014 (2014-02-18)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$332,977 (Video sales only) [1]

The Hungover Games is a 2014 American parody film, directed by Josh Stolberg. The film's title and central plot primarily follow both The Hangover and The Hunger Games , [2] as well as parodying Ted , Pirates of the Caribbean , Avatar , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , The Human Centipede , The Lone Ranger , Django Unchained , Thor , Carrie , The Muppets , Borat , Taken , The Walking Dead , and The Real Housewives .

Contents

Plot

Four friends head out for a bachelor party for their friend Doug, who is marrying a man named Tracey. They plan a quiet, subdued night at a small hotel in Laughlin, Nevada. They put their friend Zach in a straitjacket and cone to ensure he does not drug them and they drink non-alcoholic beer.

Waking up the next morning, they are in a strange room littered with party and sex toys and realize that Doug is missing. A woman named "Effing" walks in and Zach recognizes her as a remake of Effie Trinket. When Ed opens the door they find they are on a train bound for the "Hungover Games," a fight to the death in an arena between various Hollywood districts. The three watch a video on Zach's phone and see that they all volunteered as tribute the previous night in their drunken state. They will have to fight in the games to find Doug and get him back to his wedding in time.

At the training center they meet other tributes, including the gay Thor, Tonto, Gratuitous Nudity (two topless women), Carrie (nicknamed Scary), and Ted. Ed meets Katnip Everlean, a girl he met the previous night while drunk who likes him. Training ends and they are sent to rooms where they will ascend into the arena. While searching the rooms they see a man rising but are forced out after Zach spills boba tea on the control panel.

The games begin and the tributes begin murdering each other. Zach becomes separated from Ed and Bradley. The two flee and spend the night in a tree to sleep but witness two other tributes' deaths. They see Zach with the Careers and see he has joined them to help find (and kill) Ed and Bradley. In the morning Bradley drops a hive of "Swaggerjacks" (wasps) onto the careers sleeping below them. In the process Bradley and Ed are stung several times and the hallucinogenic venom causes them to pass out. They awaken and find Zach has nursed them back to health and they continue searching for Doug.

Zach tells them they are in the Hungover Games because the previous night "midnight berry" scented air-fresheners he plugged in poisoned and drugged them. The air-fresheners "may cause transportation to futuristic dystopia." Enraged, Ed and Bradley leave Zach.

Later, Ed and Bradley decide to reunite with Zach after the rule change stating that people who share a "bromance" can win as a group.

The three head back to the Pornucopia after an announcement that something everyone is looking for is located there. They rush to the Pornucopia and are attacked by Carrie. Zach murders Carrie, then Ted and the two puppets attack them but Zach blows them up using his Hunger Games's book and Katnip returns and saves Ed from Ted. She reveals she was mortally wounded in her fight with Tonto and dies with Ed beside her.

When they find out that their prize at the Pornucopia is a cell phone, and not Doug, they think they will never find him and start to call Tracey tell him what's up. However, Ed realizes where Doug is and stops Bradley from making the call. Doug's tube never came up because Zach's bubble tea short-circuited his tube. After looking into it they see that Doug isn't there, but he emerges from the forest, camouflaged, and attacks them, berating them about how they always forget him and how he is almost never in the movies. They tell him they will never forget him again and that he will have more lines in the next film, and he decides to spare them.

Another rule change states that there can only be one victor and the four turn on each other. Zach proposes they all eat poisonous berries, as the creators of the games would never let them all die as they would rather have four victors than none, and would stop them before they can eat the poison. His plan fails, as they eat the berries and die with no one stopping them.

They wake up in their hotel room, realizing it was just a shared dream. The four go to the wedding where Ed laments about Katnip but runs into an identical looking girl who seems to be attracted to him.

Cast

Reception

Brian Orndorf writing for Blu-ray.com gives the film 3/10 stars. [5]

See also

Notes

  1. Known as Bruce Jenner until her gender transition in 2015. [3]
  2. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Útgarða-Loki</span> Norse mythical character

In Norse mythology, Útgarða-Loki is the ruler of the castle Útgarðr in Jötunheimr. He is one of the jötnar and his name means literally "Loki of the Outyards" or "Loki of the Outlands", to distinguish him from Loki, the companion of Thor. He was also known as Skrýmir or Skrymir.

<i>The King of Queens</i> American television sitcom (1998–2007)

The King of Queens is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show's executive producer, and stars Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a working-class couple living in Rego Park, Queens. All the episodes were filmed in front of a live studio audience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caitlyn Jenner</span> American media personality and decathlete (born 1949)

Caitlyn Marie Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner is an American media personality and former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete.

<i>The Tracey Ullman Show</i> American sketch comedy show

The Tracey Ullman Show is an American television sketch comedy variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987, as the network's second original primetime series to air following Married... with Children, and ran for four seasons and 81 episodes, until May 26, 1990. The show was produced by Gracie Films. The show blended sketch comedy with musical numbers and dance routines, choreographed by Paula Abdul, along with animated shorts. The format was conceived by creator and executive producer James L. Brooks, who was looking to showcase the show's multitalented star. Brooks likened the show to producing three pilots a week. Ullman was the first British woman to be offered her own television sketch show in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Heffernan</span> Character on sitcom The King of Queens

Douglas Steven "Doug" Heffernan is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American sitcom The King of Queens. The character has also appeared in Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker, and Cosby. He is portrayed by Kevin James, whose stand-up comedy background inspired the comedic style of the show. Doug, an often immature 'average Joe', lives in Rego Park, Queens, with his wife Carrie Heffernan and his father-in-law Arthur Spooner.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series which focused on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian–Jenner blended family. It aired on the E! network between 2007 and 2021. The series focused mainly on sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian and their half-sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. It also featured their parents, Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, and brother, Rob. Partners of the Kardashian sisters also appeared on the show. Its premise originated with Ryan Seacrest, who also served as an executive producer. The series premiered on the E! cable network on October 14, 2007, and ran for 20 seasons over the span of almost fourteen years, becoming one of the longest-running reality television series in the US. The final season premiered on March 18, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kylie Jenner</span> American media personality (born 1997)

Kylie Kristen Jenner is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians from 2007 to 2021 and then the Hulu reality television series The Kardashians from 2022. She is the founder and owner of cosmetic company Kylie Cosmetics. She is the fifth-most-followed person on Instagram.

<i>The Hangover</i> 2009 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in The Hangover trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, and Jeffrey Tambor. It tells the story of Phil Wenneck (Cooper), Stu Price (Helms), Alan Garner (Galifianakis), and Doug Billings (Bartha), who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug's impending marriage. However, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up with Doug missing and no memory of the previous night's events, and must find Doug before the wedding can take place.

<i>The Hangover Part II</i> 2011 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover Part II is a 2011 American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The sequel to the 2009 film The Hangover and the second installment in The Hangover trilogy, the film was directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong, and stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, and Paul Giamatti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall Jenner</span> American model and media personality (born 1995)

Kendall Nicole Jenner is an American model, media personality, and socialite. She rose to fame in the reality television show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in which she starred for 20 seasons and nearly 15 years from 2007 to 2021. The success of the show led to the creation of multiple spin-off series including Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami (2009), Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011), Khloé & Lamar (2011), Rob & Chyna (2016) and Life of Kylie (2017). Following the decision to end their reality show, in 2022 she and her family starred in the reality television series The Kardashians on Hulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katniss Everdeen</span> Main character in the Hunger Games universe

Katniss Everdeen is a fictional character and the protagonist of The Hunger Games trilogy written by American author Suzanne Collins. She is portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the film adaptations The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peeta Mellark</span> Fictional character

Peeta Mellark is a fictional character of The Hunger Games trilogy written by American author Suzanne Collins. He is portrayed by actor Josh Hutcherson in The Hunger Games film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. Martin Croker</span> American animator and voice actor (1962–2016)

Clay Martin Croker, generally credited as C. Martin Croker, was an American animator and voice actor. He was best known for having provided the voices of Dr. Weird and Steve on the animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Zorak and Moltar in Space Ghost Coast to Coast, replacing Don Messick and Ted Cassidy, who originally voiced the characters in the 1960s series Space Ghost. He was also an animator for both productions throughout their runs.

<i>The Hunger Games</i> Young adult book series by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games are a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The series consists of a trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, with a prequel set 64 years before the original series. The Hunger Games universe is a dystopia set in Panem, a North American country consisting of the wealthy Capitol and 13 districts in varying states of poverty. Every year, two children, one boy and one girl, from the first 12 districts are selected via lottery to participate in a compulsory televised battle royale death match called The Hunger Games. The minimum age requirement for being able to participate in The Hunger Games is 12, and the number of tickets put into the lottery increases by one every year. However, for every one ticket put into the lottery, that person would get one set of rations. Aided by nuclear weaponry, the last district instead successfully rebelled against the Capitol and moved underground following a secret peace treaty.

<i>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i> 2013 film by Francis Lawrence

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a 2013 American dystopian action film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn, based on the 2009 novel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The sequel to The Hunger Games (2012), it is the second installment in The Hunger Games film series. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. In the film, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the Games inspire uprisings in Panem.

<i>The Hangover</i> (film series) Trilogy of American comedy films

The Hangover is a series of American comedy films created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, and directed by Todd Phillips. All three films follow the misadventures of a quartet of friends who go on their road trip to attend a bachelor party. While all of the films find three of the four men on a mission to find their missing friend, the first two films focus on the events after the nights of debauchery before a party, respectively in Las Vegas and Bangkok, whereas the third and final film involves a road trip and a kidnapping in lieu of a bachelor party. Each film in the series focuses on how the friends deal with the aftermath of their antics, while they are being humiliated and occasionally physically beaten up at every turn. All three films were released from 2009 to 2013, and have grossed a collective total of $1.4 billion in the United States and worldwide.

<i>The Starving Games</i> 2013 American parody film

The Starving Games is a 2013 American parody film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and produced by Peter Safran. The film parodies The Hunger Games and it stars Maiara Walsh, Cody Christian, Brant Daugherty, Lauren Bowles and Diedrich Bader. It is the first film in Friedberg and Seltzer's long-running partnership to be distributed independently. It was released simultaneously in theaters and video on demand by distribution start-up Ketchup Entertainment. The film was released on November 8, 2013 to negative reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 MTV Movie Awards</span>

The 2014 MTV Movie Awards were held on April 13, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by late-night personality Conan O'Brien. The nominees were announced on the morning of March 6, 2014. Zendaya, Tyler Posey, and MTV News personalities Josh Horowitz and Christina Garibaldi co-hosted the pre-show.

<i>Bloodbeat</i> 1982 supernatural film

Bloodbeat is a 1983 supernatural slasher film written and directed by Fabrice-Ange Zaphiratos and starring Helen Benton, Terry Brown, Claudia Peyton, James Fitzgibbons, and Dana Day. The plot focuses on a young couple attending a family gathering for Christmas in a rural home when a spirit wearing samurai armor begins killing members of the family—two of whom have psychic abilities—and their neighbors.

References

  1. "The Hungover Games (2014) - Financial Information". The-numbers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  2. Kapoor, Rahul (2013-12-03). "Bruce Jenner lands movie role". Realbollywood.com. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  3. Bissinger, Buzz (June 1, 2015). "Introducing Caitlyn Jenner". Vanity Fair . Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  4. "Mark Harley: Thor". IMDb. 2014.
  5. Brian Orndorf (February 21, 2014). "The Hungover Games (2014)". Blu-ray.com.