April is almost here and that means we are 6 Fridays from summer movie season, one of my favorite times of the year.
Barney and I enjoy the drive-in for such occasions because it's more affordable and we enjoy the community aspect of tailgating.
The good news, you don't have to trudge through bad movies until the "tentpole' films go up.
This Friday (April 2) is Clash of The Titans with optional 3D. I wouldn't go for and aftermarket 3D films, but that's just my preference.
April 9th brings us Date Night with Tina Fey. This one looks like a winner in a True Lies kind of way.
April 16th has the modern day Revenge of the Nerds with Kick Ass (starring McLovin)
Jennifer Lopez is back in the rom-com The Back -Up Plan on April 23rd.
And rounding out the spring movies is Nightmare on Elm Street on April 30th. I wouldn't be interested in this remake if Jackie Earle Haley wasn't Freddie Kruger.
That brings us to May 7th and Iron Man 2, not only with Robert Downey, Jr. but Mickey Rourke as the villan. The trailer totally rocks and we can't wait for this one and the new season of summer movies. Iron Man is followed by Robin Hood (or as we call it Gladiator in tights) which is followed by Shrek and MacGruber which is followed by Sex and the City 2 & Prince of Persia- whichever your eye candy may be. And that's just May!!! We can't wait. See you at the very early show or the drive-in!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Oscar Wrap up
I made it to about 10pm Oscar night. Boy they take forever to do very little. Thoughts from the show... I liked bringing back "and the winner is....", I loved the John Hughes tribute with the brat pack and 80s music. I think that Mr. Shankman is more in tuned with GenXers and it showed.
Hooray for Kathryn Bigelow- the first woman to win an Oscar for directing. Here's hoping many more will follow in her footsteps. I think the Academy got it wrong with selecting Hurt Locker as best picture, Avatar changed the way we watch movies. Take a look at this weekend's amazing returns with Alice in Wonderland and the reboot Spider-Man 4 is undergoing. I also read that Mr. Cameron doesn't play well with others and hasn't won many friends.
Did you take any of our menu suggestions? We enjoyed soft pretzels ( Inglorious Basterds), blue corn chips and pineapple salsa (Avatar), gummy worms (District 9), and lava cakes (Hurt Locker). They were fun munchies for a semi-interesting evening.
Hooray for Kathryn Bigelow- the first woman to win an Oscar for directing. Here's hoping many more will follow in her footsteps. I think the Academy got it wrong with selecting Hurt Locker as best picture, Avatar changed the way we watch movies. Take a look at this weekend's amazing returns with Alice in Wonderland and the reboot Spider-Man 4 is undergoing. I also read that Mr. Cameron doesn't play well with others and hasn't won many friends.
Did you take any of our menu suggestions? We enjoyed soft pretzels ( Inglorious Basterds), blue corn chips and pineapple salsa (Avatar), gummy worms (District 9), and lava cakes (Hurt Locker). They were fun munchies for a semi-interesting evening.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Oscar Menus
The Oscars is the Superbowl for film fans. Here's some menu ideas inspiried by Best Picture Nominees for your 2010 Oscar party.
Some of these can be found on allrecipes.com and some are my own ideas.
Up- Gingerbread house with balloons tied to it. Corn Dogs or similar (for the dogs) Chocolate (the bird likes chocolate), South American inspired dishes, cookies shaped like dog treats.
Inglorious Basterds- Brooklyn themed, since the squad came from there. Brooklyn Pizza, Ny Cheesecake, or in honor of Brad Pitt’s Character- southern food, moon pies. Or a very rare steak (bloody) or go with a german theme, nice beer, pretzels, german chocolate cake, schnitzel.
Precious- Precious in encouraged to lead a more healthy lifestyle-
Fruit salad, bran muffins (boring, I know). Or to celebrate her pre-healthy life- junk food, cheetoes, cheese whiz, cookies etc.
Avatar- everything blue, blue drinks, blueberrys, bleu cheese. Blue corn chips or exotic things like exotic fruits, star fruits etc. A big giant tree would be a good centerpiece.
The Blind Side- The family owns Taco Bell restaurants, so have a taco bell buffet. It also takes place in Memphis, so have Memphis BBQ or a football tailgate party.
Up in The Air- Treat everyone to first class with drinks and little meals on tiny plates. Don’t forget the sporks.
District 9- this is a bug movie. It screams for gummy worms, gummy bugs and other halloweenish treats.
An Education- a teen is seduced by a teacher with wealth and sophistication. Wine and cheese, pate, caviar.
A Serious Man- a guy having a bad day. Perhaps some comfort food will cheer him up. Mac & Cheese, Meatloaf.
Hurt Locker- About an Bomb Squad in Iraq. Go to your Army/ Navy store and get MREs, or you buy things that explode, like pop rocks, lava cakes.
Not nomiated for Best Picture, but Oscar Party Worthy.
Julie & Julia- do up your best Julia Child recipe for a complete Oscar feast.
Party hints- give a prize for most number of correct winners. Collect ballots before the show begins. Have guests dress like movie stars. Pop corn and movie candy make excellent munchies. Play 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, or Meryl Streep. Play spot Jack Nicholson. Say a movie line, see who can guess the movies.
Happy Oscar Party!
Some of these can be found on allrecipes.com and some are my own ideas.
Up- Gingerbread house with balloons tied to it. Corn Dogs or similar (for the dogs) Chocolate (the bird likes chocolate), South American inspired dishes, cookies shaped like dog treats.
Inglorious Basterds- Brooklyn themed, since the squad came from there. Brooklyn Pizza, Ny Cheesecake, or in honor of Brad Pitt’s Character- southern food, moon pies. Or a very rare steak (bloody) or go with a german theme, nice beer, pretzels, german chocolate cake, schnitzel.
Precious- Precious in encouraged to lead a more healthy lifestyle-
Fruit salad, bran muffins (boring, I know). Or to celebrate her pre-healthy life- junk food, cheetoes, cheese whiz, cookies etc.
Avatar- everything blue, blue drinks, blueberrys, bleu cheese. Blue corn chips or exotic things like exotic fruits, star fruits etc. A big giant tree would be a good centerpiece.
The Blind Side- The family owns Taco Bell restaurants, so have a taco bell buffet. It also takes place in Memphis, so have Memphis BBQ or a football tailgate party.
Up in The Air- Treat everyone to first class with drinks and little meals on tiny plates. Don’t forget the sporks.
District 9- this is a bug movie. It screams for gummy worms, gummy bugs and other halloweenish treats.
An Education- a teen is seduced by a teacher with wealth and sophistication. Wine and cheese, pate, caviar.
A Serious Man- a guy having a bad day. Perhaps some comfort food will cheer him up. Mac & Cheese, Meatloaf.
Hurt Locker- About an Bomb Squad in Iraq. Go to your Army/ Navy store and get MREs, or you buy things that explode, like pop rocks, lava cakes.
Not nomiated for Best Picture, but Oscar Party Worthy.
Julie & Julia- do up your best Julia Child recipe for a complete Oscar feast.
Party hints- give a prize for most number of correct winners. Collect ballots before the show begins. Have guests dress like movie stars. Pop corn and movie candy make excellent munchies. Play 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, or Meryl Streep. Play spot Jack Nicholson. Say a movie line, see who can guess the movies.
Happy Oscar Party!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Where are the holiday movies???
Greetings- long time no see. The Traders have moved from ITP in Chamblee, to OTP East Cobb. I guess that's all part of settling down and giving up the free spirit lifestyle (ha!) Actually, we were taxed out of Dekalb and fed up with zero representation so we went for Cobb County with lower taxes and more like minded folks.
On to my original point... So It's Thanksgiving, and you and the fam want to take in a flick. What are you options? Not much. Thanks to converging factors like the most recent writers' strike and the economy, the usual buffet line of movie options have been reduced. Victims of the economy included the Leonardo DiCaprio/ Martin Scorcese film Shutter Island which was pushed from Oct. 4th release to February, bumping it out of Oscar contention (unless is it is really really good). Too bad for them, because Oscar decided this year to expand major categories (Picture, Actor, Actress) to 10 nominees. Granted they hold the best films for the end of the year, I still don't see where these 10 nominees are coming from.
First of all, on Thanksgiving weekend a huge movie opens, long and ripe for Oscar opening. This year, we have New Moon. I'm sure New Moon will give Dark Knight a run for its money, all billion of it. Quality entertainment, that's up to your individual taste in movies. Oscar worthy? nah. Twilight was a mediocre read and a terrible film. I won't bother with the 2nd installment, even though I know they had a huge budget and better sfx. The feel good film, The Blind Side might be good family fare, but not worth $10. Old Dogs with Robin Williams and John Travolta feels like Wild Hogs... standard Disney buddy comedy fare. Ninja Assassin? Not for me.
Where do I go for a day at the movies on my extended weekend? The dollar theatre. Quentin Tarintino's Inglorious Basterds might be good enought to make the Acadmey take a second look at him. Kathryn Bigelow's Hurt Locker has been a critical success and might put a woman up in the Best Director slot this year. I've been a fan since she did Blue Steel and having a woman in that boy's club would rock.
If war movies aren't your game, and the previous two movies are war movies, my only other recommendation is to see This Is It. If you appreciate music and dance at all, you can't help but be captivated by the fantastic picture Kenny Oretega created out of footage that was never meant to see the light of day. Forget everything you've ever heard about Michael Jackson and just sit and enjoy. Of all the films about over the holidays, I would gladly pay another $10 and watch This Is It on the big screen again.
That brings us to the Oscars this year. The Oscars have been in a ratings tailspin since Titanic and they are trying everything to bring back people to the broadcast.
(Note to Oscar, everyone is trying to bring back people to broadcast!) Last year Hugh Jackson as host gave them a slight bump, but the nominee list didn't pull in extra eyeballs. Kudos to the Academy for trying. They've hired Adam Shankman, (FOX's So You Think You Can Dance) to direct. They boosted the number of nominees in the big categories, but you have to ask was this the year to do that. I couldn't name 5 films worthy of best picture yet. The trades (Variety and The Hollywood Reporter) have already published articles on the lack of nominees for the Original Screenplay, since most of this year's best works are adapted, and also Best Actress. They're pegging Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side for crying out loud. She's even proclaimed that she's not "an awards show girl".
If you ask me, of all the films I've seen, are any Best Picture worthy? I have two, Star Trek and This is It. My mission during the holiday is to see the other three films that might make the cut. They are Inglorious Basterds, Precious and Hurt Locker.
Come back for more as this weird and wacky year winds down and we get into Awards season. The Golden Globes are just 2 months away!
On to my original point... So It's Thanksgiving, and you and the fam want to take in a flick. What are you options? Not much. Thanks to converging factors like the most recent writers' strike and the economy, the usual buffet line of movie options have been reduced. Victims of the economy included the Leonardo DiCaprio/ Martin Scorcese film Shutter Island which was pushed from Oct. 4th release to February, bumping it out of Oscar contention (unless is it is really really good). Too bad for them, because Oscar decided this year to expand major categories (Picture, Actor, Actress) to 10 nominees. Granted they hold the best films for the end of the year, I still don't see where these 10 nominees are coming from.
First of all, on Thanksgiving weekend a huge movie opens, long and ripe for Oscar opening. This year, we have New Moon. I'm sure New Moon will give Dark Knight a run for its money, all billion of it. Quality entertainment, that's up to your individual taste in movies. Oscar worthy? nah. Twilight was a mediocre read and a terrible film. I won't bother with the 2nd installment, even though I know they had a huge budget and better sfx. The feel good film, The Blind Side might be good family fare, but not worth $10. Old Dogs with Robin Williams and John Travolta feels like Wild Hogs... standard Disney buddy comedy fare. Ninja Assassin? Not for me.
Where do I go for a day at the movies on my extended weekend? The dollar theatre. Quentin Tarintino's Inglorious Basterds might be good enought to make the Acadmey take a second look at him. Kathryn Bigelow's Hurt Locker has been a critical success and might put a woman up in the Best Director slot this year. I've been a fan since she did Blue Steel and having a woman in that boy's club would rock.
If war movies aren't your game, and the previous two movies are war movies, my only other recommendation is to see This Is It. If you appreciate music and dance at all, you can't help but be captivated by the fantastic picture Kenny Oretega created out of footage that was never meant to see the light of day. Forget everything you've ever heard about Michael Jackson and just sit and enjoy. Of all the films about over the holidays, I would gladly pay another $10 and watch This Is It on the big screen again.
That brings us to the Oscars this year. The Oscars have been in a ratings tailspin since Titanic and they are trying everything to bring back people to the broadcast.
(Note to Oscar, everyone is trying to bring back people to broadcast!) Last year Hugh Jackson as host gave them a slight bump, but the nominee list didn't pull in extra eyeballs. Kudos to the Academy for trying. They've hired Adam Shankman, (FOX's So You Think You Can Dance) to direct. They boosted the number of nominees in the big categories, but you have to ask was this the year to do that. I couldn't name 5 films worthy of best picture yet. The trades (Variety and The Hollywood Reporter) have already published articles on the lack of nominees for the Original Screenplay, since most of this year's best works are adapted, and also Best Actress. They're pegging Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side for crying out loud. She's even proclaimed that she's not "an awards show girl".
If you ask me, of all the films I've seen, are any Best Picture worthy? I have two, Star Trek and This is It. My mission during the holiday is to see the other three films that might make the cut. They are Inglorious Basterds, Precious and Hurt Locker.
Come back for more as this weird and wacky year winds down and we get into Awards season. The Golden Globes are just 2 months away!
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Future of Home video
Money's tight. Where it used to make sense to buy the DVD at $12.99 or $14.99,because once you paid the late fee, or the gas to get to the store, you could have purchased the movie, now those extra bucks don't exist anymore.
A good many people use a subscription service like Netflix or Blockbuster where late fees aren't an issue. Another good many people use on demand from cable or satellite, and those left behind might browse a video store or use the newest thing in home video, vending machines.
In the Atlanta area, Red Box machines are popping up everywhere and boy are they convenient and cheap! One dollar plus tax- per night. Get movie back by 9pm the next day and it cost you a whopping $1. Now, I haven't actually been in a Blockbuster store in a while, but I went over the weekend and noticed that it was $4.99 plus tax to rent a video. That makes it over 5 bucks for one video, so using Red Box saves $4.00, provided you get the movie back the next day. At 2 days, it's still half the price of Blockbuster. This is a no-brainer, especially right now. I've been pleased with the selection at the Red Box machines. I even rented Doubt, an artsy fartsy movie from Red Box. No complaints here.
Some movie studios see the future and are working to provide Red Box their new releases when they are new. Some studios are suing to keep distributors from selling DVDs to Red Box because of the ultra low price point. The big issue isn't rentals, it's DVD sales, which are in the toilet this year, lets say beyond the toilet and near the sewer. Purchasing a home video is an obvious luxury. While folks still go to the movies and the box office is breaking records (because of price inflation- not attendance)people aren't picking up DVDs willy nilly and taking them to the check out stand. This is taking a big bite out of bigger budgets at the studios. They had banked on home video being a cash cow for years. Read the headlines folks, that cow is now hamburger, never to return. In fact the whole home video model has gone the way of newspapers.
Enter Roku, it's a Kindle of sorts. For $99 you can buy a Roku and stream movies on to your big screen TV, instantly. Or if you have an X-box or TiVo, you don't even need a Roku to stream movies. A good deal of the Netflix library is available to watch instantly. In the coming months and years, all of it will be. The days of finding the little red envelope in your mailbox and opening it like it was Christmas day are waning.
My point to the studios is, for $14.99 a month, unlimited views, and movies that don't even have to be shipped anymore, why would I ever purchase a copy of DVD? Let's say your kid is hooked on Cars, or Wall-E, with the Roku, you can watch Wall-E over and over again, with out a single little thumbprint on a DVD. If I ran a movie studio, I would stop counting on DVD sales and focus on getting my entire library available for a hefty price. In the mean time, I would start trimming movie budgets and A list salaries. It's a waste of time to sue Red Box and give them all that free publicity. All studios are doing is alerting people that there is a dirt cheap, legal way to get the same entertainment. Let the free market work. If $1 is the going rate, the $1 it is. There will always be folks who rent videos. Let them work it out. As for me, Roku is high on my Christmas list.
A good many people use a subscription service like Netflix or Blockbuster where late fees aren't an issue. Another good many people use on demand from cable or satellite, and those left behind might browse a video store or use the newest thing in home video, vending machines.
In the Atlanta area, Red Box machines are popping up everywhere and boy are they convenient and cheap! One dollar plus tax- per night. Get movie back by 9pm the next day and it cost you a whopping $1. Now, I haven't actually been in a Blockbuster store in a while, but I went over the weekend and noticed that it was $4.99 plus tax to rent a video. That makes it over 5 bucks for one video, so using Red Box saves $4.00, provided you get the movie back the next day. At 2 days, it's still half the price of Blockbuster. This is a no-brainer, especially right now. I've been pleased with the selection at the Red Box machines. I even rented Doubt, an artsy fartsy movie from Red Box. No complaints here.
Some movie studios see the future and are working to provide Red Box their new releases when they are new. Some studios are suing to keep distributors from selling DVDs to Red Box because of the ultra low price point. The big issue isn't rentals, it's DVD sales, which are in the toilet this year, lets say beyond the toilet and near the sewer. Purchasing a home video is an obvious luxury. While folks still go to the movies and the box office is breaking records (because of price inflation- not attendance)people aren't picking up DVDs willy nilly and taking them to the check out stand. This is taking a big bite out of bigger budgets at the studios. They had banked on home video being a cash cow for years. Read the headlines folks, that cow is now hamburger, never to return. In fact the whole home video model has gone the way of newspapers.
Enter Roku, it's a Kindle of sorts. For $99 you can buy a Roku and stream movies on to your big screen TV, instantly. Or if you have an X-box or TiVo, you don't even need a Roku to stream movies. A good deal of the Netflix library is available to watch instantly. In the coming months and years, all of it will be. The days of finding the little red envelope in your mailbox and opening it like it was Christmas day are waning.
My point to the studios is, for $14.99 a month, unlimited views, and movies that don't even have to be shipped anymore, why would I ever purchase a copy of DVD? Let's say your kid is hooked on Cars, or Wall-E, with the Roku, you can watch Wall-E over and over again, with out a single little thumbprint on a DVD. If I ran a movie studio, I would stop counting on DVD sales and focus on getting my entire library available for a hefty price. In the mean time, I would start trimming movie budgets and A list salaries. It's a waste of time to sue Red Box and give them all that free publicity. All studios are doing is alerting people that there is a dirt cheap, legal way to get the same entertainment. Let the free market work. If $1 is the going rate, the $1 it is. There will always be folks who rent videos. Let them work it out. As for me, Roku is high on my Christmas list.
More Free Movies
Atlantic station free movies run through October.
And Movies by Moonlight kicks off in Sandy Springs.
Leadership Sandy Springs presents a family-oriented outdoor movie series serving the Sandy Springs community. The movies are free and take place in the heart of Sandy Springs on the terraced lawn of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church’s Hitson Activity Center. Food, concessions, and local entertainment are offered before each movie, beginning at dusk. Past crowds have numbered 1000 to 1500. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn.
2009 Sandy Springs Movies by Moonlight schedule:
September 11th - Night at the Museum (Battle @ Smithsonian)
October 2nd - Inkheart
October 9th - Monsters vs. Aliens
In case of uncertain weather on the day of the movie, please call 404-256-9091 for an update. Information will be posted around 6:00 pm that day. Look forward to seeing you at the movies!
And Movies by Moonlight kicks off in Sandy Springs.
Leadership Sandy Springs presents a family-oriented outdoor movie series serving the Sandy Springs community. The movies are free and take place in the heart of Sandy Springs on the terraced lawn of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church’s Hitson Activity Center. Food, concessions, and local entertainment are offered before each movie, beginning at dusk. Past crowds have numbered 1000 to 1500. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn.
2009 Sandy Springs Movies by Moonlight schedule:
September 11th - Night at the Museum (Battle @ Smithsonian)
October 2nd - Inkheart
October 9th - Monsters vs. Aliens
In case of uncertain weather on the day of the movie, please call 404-256-9091 for an update. Information will be posted around 6:00 pm that day. Look forward to seeing you at the movies!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
More Free Movies
Free movies at Atlantic Station. Plenty of parking underneath and lots of great vendors and restaurants. Here's the list...
Movies & The Market at Atlantic Station
Atlantic Station is located in Midtown Atlanta. Movies are shown in Central Park. They begin at dusk.
August 13: “Legally Blonde”
August 20: “Monsters, Inc.”
August 27: “WALL-E”
September 3: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
September 10: “My Fair Lady”
September 17: “Roman Holiday”
September 24: “Sabrina”
October 1: “The Goonies”
October 8: “Madagascar”
October 15: “Men in Black”
October 22: “Ghostbusters”
October 29: “The Wizard of Oz”
These are outside and not in the Regal theatre at Atlantic Station. Enjoy!
Movies & The Market at Atlantic Station
Atlantic Station is located in Midtown Atlanta. Movies are shown in Central Park. They begin at dusk.
August 13: “Legally Blonde”
August 20: “Monsters, Inc.”
August 27: “WALL-E”
September 3: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
September 10: “My Fair Lady”
September 17: “Roman Holiday”
September 24: “Sabrina”
October 1: “The Goonies”
October 8: “Madagascar”
October 15: “Men in Black”
October 22: “Ghostbusters”
October 29: “The Wizard of Oz”
These are outside and not in the Regal theatre at Atlantic Station. Enjoy!
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