When Hunger Games fans are starving for info — it's been nearly two weeks since official images were released from the highly anticipated sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire — they will go to great lengths to dig up quell their craving. The latest is near government intel work.

Speaking of quell, the latest achievement by the Hunger Games intelligence agency is none other than a glimpse of the massive arena setting for the 75th Annual Hunger Games aka the Quarter Quell. Knowing director Francis Lawrence and his production team shot part of the competition at Atlanta's Clayton County International Park, the folks over at Mockingjay.net hacked into the Google Maps database (OK, less technical — conducted a search using Google Maps) to discover snapshots of the starting point for Katniss and the other unlucky tributes.

This isn't the first competition hosted at this location. The park's "beach" was constructed in to host the 1996 Summer Olympics' beach volleyball tournament. One imagines the Hunger Games is a bit more violent than the volleys of bumps and spikes, considering the watery arena sports the launching pads for the tributes and the center stash of weapons with which they'll be slicing and dicing each other.

One mystery remains: is there a new scene in Catching Fire that involves Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick duking it out with their foes on a water slide?

OK, probably not. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire starring future Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Sam Claflin arrives Nov. 22, 2013.

The 'Entourage' Movie Inspires 10 Real Bro Reactions

Every movie, no matter how accessible or far reaching, will speak with especial volume to one specific demographic. History buffs will cheer the loudest for Lincoln. Sci-fi aficionados foster the strongest anticipation for Star Trek Into Darkness. And as for the newly announced Entourage movie goes, well... that one has the bros.

That's right, bros the world over (meaning Long Island and certain parts of Los Angeles) are vocalizing their eloquent reactions to the HBO series finally hitting the big screen. While many are on board with Vincent Chase and his retinue taking their sunglassed follies to theaters, a handful are responding with a surprising amount of pessimism. Our staff has mustered its own assortment of bros, calling out to our real life frat brothers, high school pals with whom we've all but lost touch, and fellow laundromat patrons to put together this list of authentic reactions to Warner Bros. green light of the Entourage movie:

(All brotations are transcribed exactly as they have been brovided to us.)

"I bet it sux." - Andrew J.

"i think its a good idea when does it come out? The left the show on such a f**k you they needed to do it...is there a trailer?" - Giovanni N.

"i like it, prob gonna be weak tho" - Scott P.

"i would love to see it – that and queens blvd" - Jacob N.

"What the hell were they trying to do with the tv finale anyway. They decided 'Oh let's just end it by giving everybody a happy ending.' Vince gets a girlfriend and marries her two episodes later? Drama, DRAMA, gets a career? This isn't a Wonderful Life. They already messed up the ending once. A movie won't help that. Could you even call that a movie? What would it even be about???" - Rick J.

"I think it’ll either be just good, or miss terribly." - Evan R.

"Is it 2007? Do we need this movie?" - Matt V.

"VOMIT" - Adam K.

"If it's anything like the first couple of seasons then I'm definitely excited to see the movie. However, if it's going to pick up where the show left off then I have a lot less interest in seeing it." - Greg H.

"Well you can suck my d**k and have sex with vagina... I think its gunna suck" - Ben H.

[Photo Credit: HBO]

Barbra Streisand to Perform at the Oscars (We're the Luckiest People in the World!)

Happy days are here again! Why? Because Barbra Streisand is set to sing at the 85th Annual Academy Awards, making this her first Oscars performance in 36 years. Finally: a return to the way we were. No more tears. She's comin' in (not out) of our lives. Her hiatus hits a stoney end. Send in the clown. Okay, you get the point.

Hollywood.com has confirmed that Streisand will take to the stage at the forthcoming Oscars ceremony to offer a yet unspecified ballad. The last time the beloved icon of stage, screen and song performed at the Academy Awards was in 1977, immediately following the release of her mensa mensa A Star Is Born remake, with a rendition of the feature film's romantic theme "Evergreen."

So what do people want to see Barbra take on this time around? An old classic like "Don't Rain on My Parade"? Or perhaps something more contemporary? Her latest big screen feat, The Guilt Trip, failed to show off her vocal abilities, so it isn't as though she's got a new hit number just aching to make its way onto the Oscars stage. Of course, there is always the chance that she takes the meta route.

In the meantime, have yourself a good cry:


[Photo Credit: David Becker/Getty Images]

Why Uma Thurman Almost Turned Down Her Iconic Role in 'Pulp Fiction'

When I think of Uma Thurman I don't like to think of her Bollywooding ridiculously on Smash or sailing through the air in My Super Ex-Girlfriend. I like to think of her in her career-defining role in Pulp Fiction, drawing her fingers across her eyes while dancing with John Travolta. It's funny to find out she almost turned down the role in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece.

In it's annual Hollywood Issue (you know, the one with all the stars on the cover), Vanity Fair has an oral history of the making of the movie. To convince you all to go to newsstands and pick it up tomorrow, they've released some snippets about casting the movie, and it turns out that Thurman, Travolta, and Samuel L. Jackson almost didn't make it into the film. "[It was] pretty frightening,” Thurman tells the magazine. “I was 23, from Massachusetts. [Tarantino] wasn’t this revered demigod auteur that he has grown into. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, because I was worried about the Gimp stuff...We had very memorable, long discussions about male rape versus female rape. No one could believe I even hesitated in any way. Neither can I, in hindsight.”

As for Travolta, Miramax head Harvey Weinstein, who financed the film, didn't want the actor, who was irrelevant at the time, mucking up the movie. He wanted Bruce Willis, who was interested, for the part. Tarantino wouldn't budge and Willis ended up getting the part of Butch, the boxer, after Matt Dillon wavered on his commitment. As for Jackson's sinister audition with a hamburger and a shake, you have to read it to believe it. And thank god it all worked out, because we would hate for the first movie mentioned in Thurman's inevitable obituary to be The Truth About Cats and Dogs.

Sundance's 'Charlie Victor Romeo': A 3D Disaster Movie Unlike Anything You've Seen Before

In 2012, Flight director Robert Zemeckis forced our jaws to the floor with the keystone sequence of hisDenzel Washington-led addiction drama. As coked-up pilot Whip Whitaker, Washington brought urgency and intensity to an imminent plane crash. A malfunction forces Whitaker to down the plane — which he first must fly upside down to stabilize it. With shakey camera work, high production value, and special effects that recreate the harrowing scene, Zemeckis trumped his own plane crash work in Cast Away to craft one of the most terrifying sequences of the year.

But it has nothing on the Sundance premiere, Charlie Victor Romeo.

A radical 3D experiment by directors Robert Berger and Karlyn Michelson, Charlie Victor Romeo one ups Hollywood's adrenaline-infused plane crashes with a stripped down presentation that finds tension in the real life reactions of plane crews. Using black box recordings of six jet crashes as their script, Berger and Michelson film actors on a bare bones, black box set replaying the events as they happen in real time. Through camera placement, editing, and sound design, the duo thrust us into the cabin to experience the crew's swift responses, the whirlwind of confusion, and every drip of sweat that rolls down their foreheads as they attempt to save the lives of their passengers.

Charlie Victor Romeo's clinical style — presenting the crashes in slide form with informative plane diagrams, accident reports, and fatality counts inbetween the reenactments — adds to gravity of the situations. Even with a separation from realism, the raw dialogue and facts-first approach humanizes the actors more than an A-list star ever could. That's a testament to the performers enlisted by Berger and Michelson — you never once question their legitimacy as they sound off with technical airplane lingo or bark orders at the other crew members.

Not "entertainment" in its fluffiest definition, Berger and Michelson's scene choices are deeply engrossing, each one finding new insight into the deeply disturbing and rare incident of a plane crash. One sequence may last a few minutes (oh, how quickly a bird can take down an entire jet), beginning with casual banter and escalating in a matter of seconds. Others take longer to evolve; in one of the final depictions, a plane loses the ability to turn left as the rest of the mechanics begins to pitter out. Sound escalates the fear, a plane's warning buzzer sounds loud and out of nowhere for the various crews. For the audience, it's a death bell.

Shooting and viewing Charlie Victor Romeo in 3D adds little to the experience, with the stage too shallow to capture real depth. If it adds anything, it's making the actors pop against backgrounds, an added layer of realism to an already too-true-for-comfort scenario. That's the opposite of the big budget Hollywood plane crashes, that attempt to enamor us with spectacle. In Charlie Victor Romeo, the people come first — an asset when examining tragedy.

[Photo Credit: Sony Pictures]

Star Wars' & J.J. Abrams: Superfans Bonnie Burton, Tracy Duncan, & Eric Geller Weigh In

It’s just been a few days since news first broke that J.J. Abrams will be directing Star Wars: Episode VIIbut fans of that Galaxy Far, Far Away everywhere are still mulling over what exactly it means for the beloved franchise. Not to mention that it’s still a shock that Abrams, who relaunched that other fountainhead of geek culture, Star Trek, in 2009, is going to be involved at all, given his repeated denials that he’d ever be at the helm. So what are the fans thinking? We asked three of the biggest names in all of Star Wars fandom.

“Half of me thought, ‘Of course,’” says Eric Geller, an editor at Star Wars fansite TheForce.Net, about when he heard the Abrams news. “And the other half thought, ‘But he already said no!’ And then the first half of me shouted down the second half because misdirection is as old as time in the movie business.” Tracy Duncan, the editor and webmaster of Club Jade, a site devoted more to female Star Wars fans, agrees. “I was a little surprised when word about Abrams came down,” Duncan says. “The man was involved with Star Trek, has who-knows-what-else on his plate, and most importantly, had denied it twice!”

TheForce.Net and Club Jade are possibly the two best known of all Star Wars fansites and are repositories of geeky wit and insight. Want to learn the latest scoop about anything related to the saga? Go to TheForce.Net and Club Jade. Want to take the instant temperature of Star Wars fans about how they feel regarding, say, Abrams being hired to helm Episode VII? Club Jade and TheForce.Net have you covered. But for a real Lucasfilm insider’s take, you have to turn to Bonnie Burton. A senior editor and social media manager of Lucasfilm until last year, Burton is a massive force, pun intended, in Star Wars fandom. And she was decidedly less shocked that Abrams, whose Star Trek Into Darkness launches in May, would be trading Roddenberry for Lucas. “I’ve interviewed him many times for StarWars.com, and he always told me how much he loved Star Wars, and was inspired by the films as both a writer and director,” Burton says. “In fact, when J.J. first met Damon Lindelof — who was wearing a Bantha Tracks t-shirt — he knew they would get along famously because he was part of the original Star Wars fan club. His work on Lost alone should leave no doubts of his appreciation for Star Wars and its impact on so many generations.” (We concur and have rounded up 10 Star Wars-inspired moments we’ve discovered on Lost.)

Once the initial surprise of Abrams’ involvement has passed, the next big question becomes, “What can the man who created Alias and Lost and rebooted Star Trek bring to Star Wars?” If you ask Duncan, it seems pretty clear. “Super 8 showed that Abrams has a handle on the '70s/'80s Spielberg aesthetic — I recall him actually being criticized for it a bit — that I think will serve Star Wars quite well,” Duncan says. “He's not a director that's ever looked down on making popcorn movies, which Star Wars very definitely is. And he certainly seems to have a rapport with actors, which is something that this franchise has often lacked. Plus,Star Trek showed he's no slouch at action!” Star Trek and Star Wars used to be the matter and anti-matter of the geek world. Combine them in any way and a rupture in the space-time continuum would surely result. Now Abrams’ Star Trek films are going to be scrutinized more than ever for how they might hint at the direction his Star Wars might take. “If you look at how he handled the classic Trek characters in the 2009 reboot, they were pretty true to their 1960s depictions,” Geller says. “I think that bodes well for whatever involvement the Big Three [Luke, Han, and Leia] and their Original Trilogy friends have in Episode VII. And I liked the way Abrams made Kirk's family history a prominent part of the reboot. If the Skywalkers or Solos have kids and send them out on a mission in Episode VII, there's probably going to be an excellent parent-child dynamic to set up that action.”

Abrams may also have the ability to expand Star Wars further beyond the boundary of the big screen. Lostwas one of the first shows to extensively promote via social media and fake, Easter Egg-heavy tie-in websites. “He really understands transmedia, using the Internet as a way to create viral videos and interesting interactive content,” Burton says. “When I interviewed him around the time Fringe first started, I asked him what he’d do online to add to the Star Wars experience, and he said, ‘Online is the perfect place to have something like an interactive Senate where fans could represent different worlds and debate in character. I could see a giant Star Wars debate team tackle all the issues that the prequels dealt with and having characters from the movie moderate the discussion.”

Along with his puzzle-piece storytelling, Easter Eggs, emphasis on intricate plots about family relationships, and, yes, his prominent use of lens flares, Abrams’ defining aesthetic characteristic may be his ability to write and direct strong, empowered women. Star Wars has been criticized for not having as many kick-ass female characters as males. “There have been some rumors about Episode VII having a female protagonist — something that’s long due — and Abrams is definitely a director who won’t shy away from that,” Duncan says. “I’d really like to see a Star Wars movie with more than one female lead character…And no metal bikinis!” Burton takes a more generous view of the franchise’s representation of female characters. “Star Wars has always been full of strong female characters,” she says. “Princess Leia isn’t a wallflower. She manages to kill Jabba the Hutt with a chain all while wearing the most uncomfortable and draftiest costume ever created for a woman.” But Burton also agrees that Abrams’ affinity for women will fit perfectly: “J.J. completely understands that Star Wars isn't an Old Jedi Boys Club, but full of opportunities to show women as warriors, leaders and a hell of a lot more than girlfriends and wives. The women in J.J.'s previous projects like Sydney Bristow in Alias, Olivia Dunham in Fringe, and the women of Lost were all strong, savvy, brave and intelligent characters who refuse to buckle under pressure.”

Since fan speculation about Star Wars is an eternal pursuit, it’s not too early to begin thinking about who could direct other films beyond Episode VII — unless Abrams ends up directing the whole trilogy. Hey, if it's not too early to start thinking about 2016's presidential contenders, it's not too soon to think about who'll direct Episode VIII. Considering possible also-ran contenders for the new movie, Duncan says, “I found the early Brad Bird rumors pretty hopeful, but there are several directors I could have lived with: Matthew Vaughn, Jon Favreau, maybe even David Fincher.” As for Burton, Abrams was always her top candidate for the job, but she says she would like to have seen what Joss Whedon and Guillermo del Toro could have done with the House that Lucas Built. “On a side note, I would be thrilled if John Waters decided to do a sequel to the Star Wars Holiday Special. If anyone can redefine sci-fi camp, it’s Waters.” See? EveryStar Wars fan wants to see something a little different. Just maybe not that different.

OZ: The Great and Powerful': Is That Mila Kunis or My Grandma's Porcelain Doll? — POSTER

Four character posters for OZ: The Great and Powerful have just been released, and while we are excited to see Sam Raimi's epic take on the classic  story, we are more than a bit baffled at one of the images.

Looking at Mila Kunis's character poster above, Wizard of Ozwe're left wondering: what on earth (or Oz) did they do to her face? Is this really Kunis, or a porcelain doll you'd find on a shelf at your grandma's house? Now, we're not saying the woman in the image looks bad - it's just not Kunis! Methinks the art department was a little too heavy-handed when it came to Photoshop... When you can't even recognize the actor in your image, that's usually a good sign that you should stop airbrushing.

The other posters for RacMichelle Williams hel Weisz, and James Franco's characters are much more aesthetically pleasing, since they, you know, actually look like them. Check the rest of the posters out below:

OZ: The Great and Powerful hits theaters March 8, 2013.

[Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures]

Spectacular Now': Sundance Does the High School Drama Right

Most movies don't understand teenagers.

That doesn't mean they're bad. Dabbling in the word of high school drama is a thankless effort. Whether they're finding conflict in the ups and downs of junior year or the comedy of kids losing ther virginities, more often than not, the characters at the center have to skew away from truth in favor of the movie's point. They become exaggerated reflections of the high school experience rather than an honest portrayal of it.

With The Spectacular Now, which premiered this week at Sundance, director James Ponsoldt restrains himself from amplifying any particular facet of teenage life. The film follows Sutter (Miles Teller) during the final months before graduation. In a college application essay, he catches us up on his life, from a break up to his life as the center of attention. He's a cool kid who loves to party — maybe even too much. That's for Sutter to figure out, as Ponsoldt, directing a script from 500 Days of  Summer writers Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter, never judges his lead, nor does he arbitrarily introduce hurdles designed to push him towards epiphany.

Organically shaking up his comfortable existence is Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a bookish do-gooder who finds Sutter passed out on her lawn one morning. Aimee is Sutter's polar opposite, while complacent in her own right — she's dedicated to school, stuck doing her mother's paper route, and guilt-stricken for even considering going to college. When the two connect, Sutter is ignited by the challenge of drawing Aimee out of stasis. Without realizing it, he opens himself up to that same change.

What could have been an updated She's All That becomes a touching, emotional journey in the hands of Ponsoldt. His characters aren't caricatures — at first glance, Teller's Sutter is the recognizable pompous cool kid capable of kicking back shots and landing the good-looking ladies. But there's motivation for the behavior: Sutter loves being a great friend. He has the right advice for everyone. With enough alcohol in his system, he can drown the darker sides of his personality and live in the "now." A teacher tells him he's "in neatural." His response speaks volumes: "Neutral? I'm in overdrive." With incredible swagger and charm, Teller is downright hypnotic, making it easy to see why no one has ever been able to help him with his own problems.

To counter Teller, Woodley explores a side of her that's in complete opposition to her award-worthy work inThe Descendents. There, she was high status and curt. In Spectacular Now, she can barely make eye contact with others. She's fragile, shy and enamored by the fact that a guy like Sutter would even speak to her. When their relationship begins to blossom, it's all at once sweet, silly, and scary.

Unlike last year's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a film that weaves every high school problem into one sweeping coming-of-age tale, The Spectacular Now is comfortable in exploring the lower-key issues. Nothing seems wrong in the beginning, and Sutter and Aimee don't face many problems when their friendship first begins. But they're forced to go deeper, turning the movie into a story of raw emotion told with raw style. They confront their families, including Aimee's overbearing mother and Sutter's father, who left when he was only a kid. Kyle Chandler fills the role, delivering a powerful performance that will shock any fans of the actor who are clinging to his lovable days as Coach Taylor.

Spectacular Now understands teenagers because it understands people. It's not a movie about nostalgia, but rather a time that's universally turbulent. Don't mistake the movie as a Freddie Prinze Jr. or Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle. Teller and Woodley may play high school characters, but when Spectacular Now rolls out this summer, their performances will be among the best of the year.

[Photo Credit: A24]

INTRODUCTION TO BHUTAN

INTRODUCTION TO BHUTAN

Bhutan, 'the land of thunder Dragon' and 'the last Shangri La' on earth, is situated in the lap of Eastern Himalayas between India and the People's Republic of China. Covering an area of 18000 sq miles, the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most isolated nations in the world. Spectacular mountain terrain, varied flora and fauna and unique ancient Buddhist monasteries have made Bhutan an exemplar tourist destination, it is bestowed with rich bio-diversity harboring around 300 medicinal herbs and 165 endangered species. Each part of Bhutan has its own, historical, geographical, cultural, traditional and religious significance.

Cultural tours in India

Since the past many centuries India’s rich cultural history and architecture have drawn in immense worldwide fascination and interest. Whether it is the sightseeing of temples, mosques, palaces, forts and monuments in India or exploring geographical variations of hill stations, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, lush green forests, desert and wildlife, India has become one of the major tourist destinations.

We give you the expertly-guided cultural tours that feature exceptional holiday options allowing you to get up close and personal with nature and beckon a great spirit of adventure. From landscape, wildlife and culture to the history, art and archaeology, every part of India is uniquely different and culturally versatile; desert landscape of  Rajasthan, preservation of cultural heritages in Delhi using latest modern technology, timeless wilderness of Bandhavgarh Shivpuri and Ranthambore, beaches and lagoons of South India, flamboyancy of Goans’ lifestyles and well preserved cultures of Leh. Each tour is structured to provide in-depth experiences and opportunities for interaction with the local people. 

Amanda Seyfried Gives Stunning Performance in Sundance Porn Biopic 'Lovelace'

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'The Canyons' Fails at SXSW: 10 Other Times Lindsay Lohan Has Been Rejected

Turns out good publicity from bad publicity could only last so long. Less than two weeks after The New York Times released their much-discussed play-by-play from the disastrous set of Lindsay Lohan's upcoming film, The Canyons, the Paul Schrader-directed film has been dealt its first post-Lohan setback. (We designate it that specifically, as there were many, many pre-Lohan setbacks, according to the Timespiece.)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the nudity-fueled film co-starring porn star James Deen — which was host to many of Lohan's breakdowns and professional misbehavior — has been rejected by SXSW, with a source citing "quality issues." "It's got an ugliness and deadness to it," an "insider" tells Hollywood Reporter. (SXSW has not yet responded to Hollywood.com's request for comment.)

Of course, this hardly marks Lohan's first setback. In fact, since 2007, the actress has been rejected at least 10 times from various projects. In 2007, she was let go of The Edge of Love and Poor Things following a stint in rehab and her infamous DUI arrest; in 2008, her guest role in Ugly Betty was cut short following rumors of rumbles on the set, while the Obama campaign rejected her desire to get involved in his election; in 2009, the actress' comeback film Labor Pains was rejected from theatrical release and Lohan's panned Ungaro line from fashion elite; in 2010, Lohan was fired from her role as Linda Lovelace in Inferno and her Underground Comedy 2010 rejected by distributors; and in 2011, Donald Trump deemed Lohan too troubled to star alongside the likes of Gary Busey and LaToya Jackson inCelebrity Apprentice.

Fans of the actress can still hope for a Robert Downey Jr.-esque comeback, but it's a safe bet The Canyons won't allow her to climb out of the D-list abyss.

[Image Credit: Sodium Fox]