Julia Robert's new film could be considered a flop in some circles. It opened with 14.5 million dollars and third place. Ms. Roberts commands a 15 million dollar a film salary and was once the American box office queen. What happened? Julia Roberts 1) got married (we won't go into the homewrecking) 2) Had 3 children 3) Lives in Taos, NM and keeps herself and her family out of the long lenses of the paparazzi.
Roles for women over 40 are few and far between. Good roles for women over 40 are rare. I haven't had a chance to see Duplicity yet, but looks like a classy, cerebral, fun thriller for grown-ups. What's wrong with that? People have a time luxury in the slow part of the season to catch a film on the 2nd and 3rd week. Last weekend afforded an irresistible taste of spring and outdoor activities were popular.
So what?
I applaud Julia Roberts for taking her family out of Hollywood and giving them probably the most normal life celebrity kids can have. Really, would you recognize the Moder kids on the street, no? Would you recognize Suri Cruise or Shiloh Jolie-Pitt? Of course. What ever roles this decision may have cost her will certainly pale in comparison to the actual childhood her 3 kids are getting now.
Besides, she was a movie star. She has an Oscar. She'll be back. I wouldn't consider her our most gifted actress (Kate Winslet can act circles around anyone), but with Pretty Woman, Runway Bride, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Pelican Brief, Erin Brockovich on her filmogrpahy... not bad for a girl from Smyrna, GA.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Cheap Entertainment
If you're like us, money for movies is at the bottom of the list. This doesn't mean you have to miss out completely. We at Cinema Showdown have perfected the art of finding a cheap or free movie. Here are some of our tips.
AMC theatres have bargain shows before noon on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Though the price has gone from 4 dollars to 6 dollars, it's still a good deal. But, if you really want to save money on first run movies, go to the AMC Fork and Spoon (formerly Buckhead Backlot) in Buckhead or the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern where first run movies are 5 dollars before 5pm. These places make their money on food and serve pizza, burgers and the like.
If you're on a budget, skip the food. It's overpriced and hit or miss in taste. If dinner out is part of your plan, the Fork and Spoon has upscale items that are very good and fairly priced as compared to a restaurant. The Movie Tavern has your standard burgers, fries, pizza and nuggets. They're okay, but not gourmet. The Movie Tavern does have an excellent deal on Saturday mornings, $10, all you can eat pancakes & a family movie. Kids are cheaper. They usually only have one so called family movie at a time so there isn't much choice on the movie, but that's a fantastic deal.
Our favorite movie bargain is the Starlight Drive in on Moreland, South of I-20. $7.00 per person (ages 10 and up) for two first run movies. If you haven't been in a while, or the neighborhood has your worried, forget it all and check out the drive in. It has a new, yuppie, family personality. We've been going for years and have enjoyed watching it change from a daring night out to a glorified tailgate party. In fact, the last time we were there someone politely asked for a corkscrew.
The beauty of the drive in is you can bring your own anything except for pets. The atmosphere is very family friendly, Some parents put up play pens for little ones. No babysitter, no overpriced popcorn, adult beverages welcome... what's not to like about the drive in? Also, parents, it's a rock bottom bargain for a birthday party. And really, how many kids have access to a drive in these days? It's our favorite thing about summers in Atlanta. Don't wait for summer, the weather's perfect for a night at the drive in now. www.starlightdrivein.com
Watch your local papers for movies under the stars. Many neighborhoods and towns do movies under the stars. They're usually family fare and are free. It's a fun, free event.
Lastly, if you didn't get a chance to see Fireproof in theatres, First Baptist Church of Atlanta is showing for FREE this Friday at 7pm. Special showing for teens, and free childcare for all ages. Kirk Cameron, of Growing Pains and the star of the film is rumored to be making an appearance. Fireproof is a Christian movie, but the underlying message is about how to treat others, especially your spouse. It is a must see for all people considering marriage and those already married. Christian film or not, the message is one about respect and selflessness that we all could use more of. Call the church if you want to go and need childcare. Plus, it's a free night out, a free date night with your spouse. Free Free Free!
We hope you've enjoyed our naviagation around the world of cheap entertainment. Next week, we'll take about home video bargains. Join us every Thursday night from 7-8 for Cinema Showdown on Radio Sandy Springs.
Check out our podcasts at radiosandysprings.com.
AMC theatres have bargain shows before noon on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Though the price has gone from 4 dollars to 6 dollars, it's still a good deal. But, if you really want to save money on first run movies, go to the AMC Fork and Spoon (formerly Buckhead Backlot) in Buckhead or the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern where first run movies are 5 dollars before 5pm. These places make their money on food and serve pizza, burgers and the like.
If you're on a budget, skip the food. It's overpriced and hit or miss in taste. If dinner out is part of your plan, the Fork and Spoon has upscale items that are very good and fairly priced as compared to a restaurant. The Movie Tavern has your standard burgers, fries, pizza and nuggets. They're okay, but not gourmet. The Movie Tavern does have an excellent deal on Saturday mornings, $10, all you can eat pancakes & a family movie. Kids are cheaper. They usually only have one so called family movie at a time so there isn't much choice on the movie, but that's a fantastic deal.
Our favorite movie bargain is the Starlight Drive in on Moreland, South of I-20. $7.00 per person (ages 10 and up) for two first run movies. If you haven't been in a while, or the neighborhood has your worried, forget it all and check out the drive in. It has a new, yuppie, family personality. We've been going for years and have enjoyed watching it change from a daring night out to a glorified tailgate party. In fact, the last time we were there someone politely asked for a corkscrew.
The beauty of the drive in is you can bring your own anything except for pets. The atmosphere is very family friendly, Some parents put up play pens for little ones. No babysitter, no overpriced popcorn, adult beverages welcome... what's not to like about the drive in? Also, parents, it's a rock bottom bargain for a birthday party. And really, how many kids have access to a drive in these days? It's our favorite thing about summers in Atlanta. Don't wait for summer, the weather's perfect for a night at the drive in now. www.starlightdrivein.com
Watch your local papers for movies under the stars. Many neighborhoods and towns do movies under the stars. They're usually family fare and are free. It's a fun, free event.
Lastly, if you didn't get a chance to see Fireproof in theatres, First Baptist Church of Atlanta is showing for FREE this Friday at 7pm. Special showing for teens, and free childcare for all ages. Kirk Cameron, of Growing Pains and the star of the film is rumored to be making an appearance. Fireproof is a Christian movie, but the underlying message is about how to treat others, especially your spouse. It is a must see for all people considering marriage and those already married. Christian film or not, the message is one about respect and selflessness that we all could use more of. Call the church if you want to go and need childcare. Plus, it's a free night out, a free date night with your spouse. Free Free Free!
We hope you've enjoyed our naviagation around the world of cheap entertainment. Next week, we'll take about home video bargains. Join us every Thursday night from 7-8 for Cinema Showdown on Radio Sandy Springs.
Check out our podcasts at radiosandysprings.com.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Is the movie theater experience dead?
We all have the stories, a few hours of escapism ruined by talking, cell phones or screaming babies. In fact, the AMC pre-movie trailer always makes people laugh with the screaming baby being snatched out of the theater. Now AT&T has clever commercials about how a cell phone ring can ruin a moment, a movie or a critical moment in time.
In my experience, the ringing has stopped, but the texting has picked up. Sit at the top of a stadium theater and count the flashes of blue lights from people texting during the movie. Due to budget tightening, our movie going has been cut back dramatically. When we plunk down $10 each or $20 total- a trip to Aldi for groceries- for a movie, we want to watch the movie, not play musical chairs to escape audible commentary or that pesky blue light interrupting the movie.
On Friday night we went to a 5pm show for the Watchmen. I changed seats to avoid someone who couldn't put down his phone. The girl next to us was playing on her I-Phone. During the movie, at least seven people answered text messages during the movie even though there is a sign with big letters which says " A Single Text Can Ruin a Movie." Didn't these folks pay $10 each for the movie? Why not sit at home and pretend you're at the movies texting your friends? Save yourself $10.
Is it dreaded young people? Are "kids these days" just rude and inconsiderate? Or has society as whole retreated into the world of me? It doesn't matter. It will be a long time, probably until Wolverine in May, before I actually pay money to see a movie again. I just can't see spending that kind of money only to spend the time hopping from seat to seat to try to get an unobstructed view.
I do have a new plan for when we do go back to the theatre, the next cell phone we see will involve a trip to the manager and my insistence that I saw someone recording the movie. After all, there are all these strange lights and no one would be texting now would they?
The nice thing is that DVDs come out so quick after a film's release, it is possible to avoid the theater and stay in the loop. In ten years, with improved electronic delivery, first run films might bypass theaters all together and be sent to your email. Bring back the days of pay-per-view cable and imagine viewing parties in basements with cheap popcorn and limited distractions. In fact, most movies we watch on blu-ray have better sound and picture are cheaper than two tickets to the actual film. Theaters need to watch out and work harder on improving the experience or die hard film fans like myself will be turning to netflix and amazon.com for cutting edge film delivery without the distractions.
In my experience, the ringing has stopped, but the texting has picked up. Sit at the top of a stadium theater and count the flashes of blue lights from people texting during the movie. Due to budget tightening, our movie going has been cut back dramatically. When we plunk down $10 each or $20 total- a trip to Aldi for groceries- for a movie, we want to watch the movie, not play musical chairs to escape audible commentary or that pesky blue light interrupting the movie.
On Friday night we went to a 5pm show for the Watchmen. I changed seats to avoid someone who couldn't put down his phone. The girl next to us was playing on her I-Phone. During the movie, at least seven people answered text messages during the movie even though there is a sign with big letters which says " A Single Text Can Ruin a Movie." Didn't these folks pay $10 each for the movie? Why not sit at home and pretend you're at the movies texting your friends? Save yourself $10.
Is it dreaded young people? Are "kids these days" just rude and inconsiderate? Or has society as whole retreated into the world of me? It doesn't matter. It will be a long time, probably until Wolverine in May, before I actually pay money to see a movie again. I just can't see spending that kind of money only to spend the time hopping from seat to seat to try to get an unobstructed view.
I do have a new plan for when we do go back to the theatre, the next cell phone we see will involve a trip to the manager and my insistence that I saw someone recording the movie. After all, there are all these strange lights and no one would be texting now would they?
The nice thing is that DVDs come out so quick after a film's release, it is possible to avoid the theater and stay in the loop. In ten years, with improved electronic delivery, first run films might bypass theaters all together and be sent to your email. Bring back the days of pay-per-view cable and imagine viewing parties in basements with cheap popcorn and limited distractions. In fact, most movies we watch on blu-ray have better sound and picture are cheaper than two tickets to the actual film. Theaters need to watch out and work harder on improving the experience or die hard film fans like myself will be turning to netflix and amazon.com for cutting edge film delivery without the distractions.
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