Movies scheduled 9/29-10/6

Ok for some reason my work is blocking the group :(. So I will not be able to approve emails or send out stuff through the group when I am at work.

Just to give you a heads up sometimes Yahoo is kind of slow on giving us y'alls messages. So if you wait until the last minute to offer your passes we might not see it until after the movie has shown. I know we sometimes have something pop up. Just wanting to keep everyone informed.



As always you can email me any questions you have damitdaina@hotmail.com.

See you at the movies

September 29th
Sunday



September 30th
Monday



October 1st
Tuesday

Gravity 7:30 pm AMC Northpark





October 2nd
Wednesday

Runner Runner 7pm AMC Northpark
Captain Phillips 7:30 LOOK Cinema





October 3rd
Thursday

Stalled 7:30 Alamo Drafthouse
Captain Phillips 7:30 pm Cinemark West Plano



October 4th
Friday



October 5th
Saturday

Baggage Claim

In this 21 century women are having even more difficult times trying to find the so call perfect mate.  The movie Baggage Claim is all about meeting, falling in love with the man of your dreams.  Montana Moore (played by Paula Patton) a flight attendant has a mom Catherine (played by Jenifer Lewis) who what’s to her oldest daughter to get married.   Montana’s younger sister is going to get married and Catherine Montana’s mom has been married six times herself.   Montana’s is feeling pressured to find a man to settled down with.  Montana has a very special male friend that she has known since kindergarten William (played by Derek Luke).  They live in the same apartment building in Chicago. 
 
There is a very special connection with the two of them which shows up through the whole movie.Her two best friends Sam (played by Adam Brody) & Gail (played by Jill Scott) convinces Montana that they have a way to help her find potential suitor in thirty days.  Montana takes flights from city to city meeting up with all her old guy friends from her past hoping to reconnect & fall in love.  The twist & turns of meeting up with all these men on planes in different cities is unbelievable.   Without telling the ending Montana gets what she wants.  Baggage Claim was very funny but also very predictable.  I laughed a lot from the beginning to the end.
(Review by Lila Katz)

Rush

Rush

Fall is my favorite time of year. It brings cooler weather, football, holidays and not to mention pumpkin flavored everything. But the best part of it is that it’s the beginning of Oscar season. No more huge blockbusters meant to fill you with nonsensical explosions and caveman written scripts. Oscar season is the time to truly EXPERIENCE your movie and feel it. It’s a time to connect to characters and feel the story, maybe even sometimes leaving the theatre feeling smarter. As these artistic and well-written movies begin to be released to the public (most have already been screening at festivals and select screens), I become very excited because it means I can finally see the films that are getting all of the great buzz. Rush was a great way to kick off the season. I was lucky enough to see it before it was publicly released and all of my expectations for it were. Ron Howard (director) did not let me down one bit. What he has done with this “sports” film isn’t something that I believe I’ve seen before. He turned a movie that is supposed to be a lot of action and racing into an emotional story between two characters and their rivalry. I went into Rush without knowing any of the previous history of these events so I was a little skeptical about whether or not I’d be lost the entire time. But Howard did an amazing job of explaining everything without making me feel overwhelmed with information. I was also very impressed with how well the characters came across. They weren’t portrayed as brainless pieces of flesh that drove cars. Instead, they were emotional characters, each with a special personality that either made you love or hate them. This had to do with the script, but the majority of the credit belongs to Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl, who played the racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. It was interesting to see Hemsworth in a role that didn’t involve throwing around a huge hammer and wearing shiny armor. Both he and Bruhl immersed themselves in these roles expertly and helped the audience and I really connect to them and their rivalry. Other notable mentions as far as acting is concerned are Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara, who portrayed the significant others of these racing legends. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Rush. It had an astounding cast, well-written story and all around great filmmaking. While it didn’t blow me away, it was a very solid film and definitely one that will gain much respect in the sport films category. Even if you aren’t necessarily a fan of a movie about sports, this is a movie you won’t want to miss if you appreciate any kind of good film. With a smart script and exceptional performances, Rush has easily become one of my favorite sports movies to grace the cinema.
(Review by Weston Baker)



Rush

Is this a Oscar contender? Maybe not, but it's still a good movie that is a very interesting watch. This a character driven movie and Ron Howard constructs it exactly like that. What is interesting is that this does not feel like a Ron Howard film. I think that's why I liked it. It felt like a new director took control and that it is completely fine. He creates a gritty look at F-1 racing and portrays it as real as possible. But the acting directed by him is what impressed me. Chris Hemsworth plays a playboy racer and he completely nailed this role. He can definitely act and he has impressed me after playing Thor. But the actor that really impressed me was Daniel Bruhl co-starring next to Hemsworth. This guy was fantastic and I wouldn't be surprised if Bruhl got nominated for an Oscar. The cinematography is good and very beautiful to watch sometimes when going from location to location. It is paced well for it two hour runtime and keeps you intrigued. This isn't my favorite movie of the year but it's still a good watch for it's efforts by Ron Howard and the acting…and if you are an F-1 fan. 8/10
(Review by Chase Lee)






Rush

Director Ron Howard has made himself a brand name that is synonymous for good quality feature films. His newest project is biographical tale by Peter Morgan (The Queen and Frost/Nixon) about the 1976 Formula One racing season and the rivalry between the two top racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Most people are aware of racing from television that to some is basically a yawner watching loud cars speed across the screen while going around the track. Now you see it, now you don't. The commentators adding tidbits about whose in front. It brings out the rubberneckers because the potential for horrible fiery crashes.

James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth, who had to lose his Thor poundage to fit in the small cars) is the stereotypical British playboy from a well to do family. He's fearless on the track and manages to win just from his machismo confidence. His opposite is Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) who is a technical genius that can hear the precise sounds of an engine to maximize it's capacity. Hunt wins their first race together at the Formula Three when their cars spin on the track. It's sets up the long antagonistic relationship with each other over the years. Lauda loses his father's support of his racing career so using a loan he buys his way into the Formula One team. Hunt, using his family money buys his way into the race spurred by the competitive nature. Both of them find a sponsor for their cars, Lauda goes with Ferrari and Hunt with McLaren. The two go head to head during the 1976 season as they try to win enough points to compete in the Grand Prix.

Howard takes the camera close to the racers POV. The sounds of the track, the nervous energy of the drivers as the focus on maintaining high speeds at 200 mph around curving tracks. Lauda and Hunt take turns winning and losing badly. That includes Lauda having Hunt's vehicle disqualified after winning a race and Lauda's horrific crash that burned and maimed his face. The men also find love of sorts, Hunt with Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde) and Lauda with Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara) who really don't have much to do besides looking worried. It isn't until the last third of the movie where things begin to heat up as Lauda comes back to work after the crash that horrifically burned his face and lungs. They may be polar opposites, but they spur each other on with mutual respect. It that's the heart of the film that takes it beyond just another sports movie.
(Review by reesa)

Enough Said

After a summer of super heroes and intense serious dramas, it's refreshing to find a film that's mature with a touch of real life that doesn't dumb down the characters. Director/writer Nichole Holofcener (Walking and Talking) brings a small pleasant rom-com about middle age single parents. Julia Louis-Dreyfus fresh from her Emmy win proves that she's much more than just a TV actress playing opposite the late great James Gandolfini in his last role.

Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) is a masseuse who travels from client to client carting her table, oils and music. She works hard and endures the various odd quirks when working so personally with people. She's a divorced mom whose daughter Ellen (Tracey Fairaway) is leaving for college soon. Her best friend Sarah (Toni Collette) and her husband Will (Ben Falcone) take her to a party where she meets Marianne (Catherine Keener), a poet, with style that makes Eva swoon. She is also introduced to Albert (Gandolfini) whose daughter is also leaving for school. They have a meet cute moment with witty banter enough that he asks his friend for her number. Their first date is filled with these great awkward moments as adults trying to have fun but unsure how it all works.

The two hit it off really well and they tell each other everything. There's a comfortableness about their relationship, a simpatico over their off springs leaving the nest. They make each other laugh. Despite the overweight, frumpy Albert is not exactly Eva's “type”, she's doesn't feel she's in the position to be particularly fussy. She enjoys him for who he is and their great conversations. Sex is not the same as when they were young and virile. They have an acceptance and patience that comes with being grown-ups.

Of course every movie has to have a crisis, and it's highly unlikely to happen in real life, but in this film it feels grounded and believable in it's absurdity. The cast is filled with quirky characters like Sarah whose husband wants her to fire the maid as an exercise in confidence. And Sarah's obsession with changing the furniture. There's also Chloe (Tavi Gevinson) who wants to slip into the role of Eva's daughter. Catherine Keener, a Holofcener regular, is brilliant as the new age, vegan poet that Eva has a girl crush on. They become quick confidants as Marianne grouses about her ex husband and begins to influence Eva's attitude towards her boyfriend. It's a nice charming film, with excellent performances and a great farewell moment for Mr. Gandolfini. He will be missed.
(Review by reesa)

Metallica Through the Never

It's hard to believe that Metallica has been around since 1981 with 110 million albums sold around the world. It's even more impressive that they still deliver a hard rocking concert experience that is featured in a 3D Imax experience in the new film by director Nimród Antal (Predators) using a storyline that highlights the band's performance. Written by Antal and the band members the concept entails a roadie sent on a mission while the band plays it's hard driving sound.

It was filmed without breaks from four live concerts in Canada. The stage is a free form design set in the middle of the crowd that allows the band members to move freely to each microphone to different sections of the audience. The floors were fitted with LED screens designed by Mark Fisher which showed video images. High flying cameras were able to show wide angles of the stage while Steadicam operators maneuvered around the various stage props that rose from the floor. There were multiple crosses for Master of Puppets and during And Justice for All a 50 foot statue of Lady Justice that was assembled on stage then toppled in a dusty crash. Not to mention the lights, lasers and pyrotechnics that exploded around the musicians.

While the music rages on, the story of Trip (Dane Dehaan) flashes in and out of the musical numbers. He's a gofer roadie that is sent by the manger to find a truck that ran out of gas. The truck has in it something that the band needs no matter what. He's given the keys to a van and a gas tank to complete the mission. On his way the kid takes a pill while he drives through the night time deserted streets. It's an apocalyptic nightmare world where people are fighting with each other, police cars are on fire, and a guy on horse is hanging people by their necks. The images are raw, sometimes brutal, in beat with the music like For Whom the Bell Tolls, Wherever I May Roam, Cyanide, and Nothing Else Matters. All the hits that will make true fans sing along.

This is one of those near perfect concert movies that not only give the viewer the full enjoyment of a live concert without being stuck in a hot sweaty arena with thousands of Metallica fans, but also gives you a curious and visually stunning story. It's pure rock and roll anarchy.
(Revew by reesa)

Inequality for All

Robert Reich was named in 2008 as one of the Ten Most Successful Cabinet Members of the century and one of America's Top Ten Business Thinkers. He's worked officially in three administrations , including US Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. He is currently Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. What he has to say about about the inequality of today's economy should be seriously heeded.

Director Jacob Kornbluth worked with Reich on a successful web video services for MoveOn.org and The Nation that became the basis of this documentary. The dry facts and numbers which would normally put most people asleep is presented with Reich teaching an auditorium of students. His ability to keep them awake and attentive says a lot about his style of getting his information understood, even to us normal everyday people. The filmmakers use clever animated grafts and pictures to get their points across. What hits home is the interviews with the “middle class” examples as they struggle with everyday living from pay check to pay check. Their suffering is commonplace and most will relate to their stories. On the other hand he also interviews a entrepreneur who makes millions from the pillow industry. It's obvious that working folks are being squeezed by flat wages while living expenses rise. The difference between the rich and poor is similar to the days of the 20's before the stock market crashed. Reich shows it as suspension bridge graft emphasizing that our prosperous “virtuous cycle” between 1950's to the 1970's. The rich payed more taxes, the middle class were able to afford college and homes, and work unions were strong. Sometime in the 70's globalization begins and with it a wider discrepancy between the classes. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Thus begins his so called “vicious cycle” .

The issue of income inequality is evident in the top executives bring home multi-million dollar salaries while laying off workers. According the Reich, history has shown that to make the economy thrive is to invest in the middleclass. Reich doesn't offer any actual solution to his subject of poverty and inequality. The fact that he is teaching it to our future graduates will hopefully be that small wave that will cover the world. This should be on TV.
(Review by reesa)

Metallica Across America

METALLICA ACROSS AMERICA

Metallica band members to introduce METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER at IMAX® 3D theatres across the country on opening weekend

NEW YORK (September 21, 2013) – Picturehouse announced today that Metallica’s James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo will make in-theater appearances in celebration of the opening weekend of Metallica Through the Never at select IMAX® theatres around the country September 26th - 28th.

Metallica Through the Never recently premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival and stars Metallica, one of the most popular, influential rock bands in history, and critically acclaimed actor, Dane DeHaan. Metallica Through the Never is a music-driven, 3D motion picture event directed by Nimród Antal and co-written by Antal with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo.

Filmmaker Nimród Antal immerses audiences in a bracing, raw and visceral cinematic experience with spectacular live performance footage of Metallica’s most iconic songs -- created exclusively for the film -- combined with a bold, narrative story featuring imagery drawn from the band’s trailblazing iconography. Dane DeHaan (The Place Beyond the Pines) portrays Trip, a young roadie sent on an urgent mission, during Metallica’s roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena. The film features dazzling pyrotechnics, the most elaborate live-performance stage ever built and state-of-the-art 3-D photography, captured using up to 24 cameras simultaneously.

Metallica Through the Never opens exclusively at select IMAX® theatres nationwide on September 27th and will expand into additional theatres and cities on Oct. 4th.

Thursday, September 26

James Hetfield:

San Francisco, CA: Theater TBD, 10:00 p.m.

San Francisco, CA: AMC EMERYVILLE, 12:15 a.m. (9/27)



Lars Ulrich:

Los Angeles, CA: CHINESE, 10 p.m. screening

Los Angeles, CA: Theater TBD 12:01 a.m. (9/27)



Kirk Hammett:

Milwaukee, WI: AMC MAYFAIR (Wauwatosa), 10:00 p.m.

Chicago, IL: AMC WOODFIELD (Schaumburg), 12:15 a.m. (9/27)



Robert Trujillo:

New Brunswick: AMC NEW BRUNSWICK 18, 10:00 p.m.

Philadelphia: AMC FRANKLIN MILLS, 12:01 a.m. (9/27)



Friday, September 27

Kirk Hammett:

Houston, TX: AMC GULF POINT, 4:40 p.m.

Dallas, TX: AMC NORTHPARK, 10:00 p.m.



Lars Ulrich:

Riverside, CA: AMC TYLER GALLERIA, 4:30 p.m.

Norwalk, CA: AMC NORWALK, 7:35 p.m.



Robert Trujillo:

Washington, DC: REGAL MAJESTIC 20 (Silver Springs), 7:30 p.m.

Boston, MA: AMC BOSTON COMMONS 19, 12:10 a.m. (9/28)



About Metallica

Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica have become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 110 million albums worldwide and playing to millions of fans the world over. They have scored several multi-platinum albums, including 1991’s Metallica (commonly referred to as “The Black Album”), which is the best-selling album in history of Soundscan scanning 16 million albums in the United States alone. Their latest album, Death Magnetic, was certified platinum just six weeks after it debuted atop the Billboard Top 200 Album chart in October 2008. Death Magnetic charted at #1 in 32 countries. Metallica have also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. The band recently celebrated its 30th-Anniversary with a week’s worth of fan club concerts at the Fillmore Theater in San Francisco, CA.



About Picturehouse

Picturehouse, a New York-based independent film marketing and distribution company, re-opened its doors with founder Bob Berney at the helm in 2013. The company has an exclusive, multi-year output deal with Netflix and its first theatrical release will be Metallica Through the Never, which opens in the U.S. on September 27, 2013. Picturehouse has also acquired U.S. rights to release The Great Gilly Hopkins, currently in pre-production. An adaptation of Katherine Paterson's award-winning young-adult novel, The Great Gilly Hopkins, starring Academy Award ® winner Kathy Bates and Danny Glover, is to be directed by Stephen Herek (101 Dalmatians, Mr. Holland's Opus) from the script by David Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia), and is produced by William Teitler (The Polar Express, What Maisie Knew, Mr. Holland's Opus).

Movies scheduled 9/22-9/28

Keep in mind that the moderators do not have a huge stash of passes. We are just like y’all and we have to enter the contests and everything. So emailing and asking us for passes is not really cool.


Don’t forget to go read the reviews up on our website. That way if you miss a movie then you can decide if it is worth your time or not.



As always you can email me any questions you have damitdaina@hotmail.com.

See you at the movies


September 22th
Sunday



September 23rd
Monday

Rush 7:30 pm Angelika Dallas



September 24th
Tuesday

Baggage Claim 7:30 pm Look Cinema
Captain Phillips 7:30pm Magnolia



September 25th
Wednesday

Rush 7:30 pm Northpark
Masters of Sex 7:30 pm Magnolia
Enough Said 7:30 pm Angelika Dallas
Captain Phillips 7:30 pm Studio Movie Grill Plano
Horror Remix:Variety Show 7:30 pm Alamo Drafthouse
Don Jon tba




September 26th
Thursday

Don Jon 7:30 pm AMC Northpark
Gasland 2 7:30 pm Texas Theater



September 27th
Friday



September 28th
Saturday

Prisoners

This is masterful filmmaking. Everything from the script to the editing of the film is perfection. The directing is solid and is the directors the first Hollywood picture and it doesn't show. It is flawless and smooth all the way through. The director had a great vision for the story. He led the actors into fantastic performances. Hugh Jackman plays a complex character and something that we have never really seen from him. This is his best movie to date. Jake Gyllenhaal also surprised me and was actually my favorite part. All of the supporting cast was great. Paul Dano is also in it and that man needs to win an oscar already. The cinematography is beautiful and sometimes eerie. Roger Deakins is a world class cinematographer and it still shows in this film. The editing is top notch and keeps you gripped on its 156 minute runtime. It is also edited to where each new scene starts at the end of it. By that I mean it plops you right in a scene as if stuff happened before. This a great thriller and reminded me of Zodiac (which Gyllenhaal was also in) with its cold, beautiful look. It was like a thriller from the 40's. This is a great movie and it's in my top ten of the year. This is a brilliant film. 10/10
(Review by Chase Lee)

Salinger

Shane Salerno’s documentary about J. D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye, is perhaps overlong but entertaining nonetheless. Some of us never forgot reading Catcher (a definite rite of passage) but it may have been off our radar for too long. Salinger brings back just how important this classic’s impact was, besides revealing much about its author who died in 2010 at the age of 91.

As informative and lively as this documentary is, there’s a touch of irony to the whole enterprise. Salinger would never allow a film to be made of his famous novel, and it’s more than likely he’d shun this exploration, warts and all. He hated Hollywood and above all, phonies – and he’d probably find evidence of it here. It may not be the whole truth (does it even exist?) but it’s a fascinating portrait of an odd and secretive artist.

Who knew Salinger had the first eight chapters of The Catcher in the Rye tucked within his battle fatigues as he stormed Normandy Beach on D-Day? There’s much on view about his wartime experiences, aptly suggesting the “ghost in the machine” that would inform the shell-shocked tone of his writings. These images are often harrowing.

There’s a lovely segment about the beautiful Oona O’Neill, whom Salinger dated (before she married Charlie Chaplin). Throughout this documentary, Director Salerno provides splendid archival footage highlighting the era Salinger lived through, nicely edited within the usual talking heads of friends, family and fans. Two episodes detail ardent fans seeking Salinger out in modern times. It’s surprising to hear how the supposed reclusive writer interacted with these stunned admirers.

At 130 minutes, Salinger at times feels over padded. The reenactments by an actor as the world-renowned writer sitting down at a typewriter are definitely cliché and should have been left on the editing floor. Still, for most fans, the ultimate effect is thrilling. Towards the finale, it’s announced that new, unpublished writings of Salinger’s will be released within the next couple of years. Perhaps the greatest impact of seeing Salinger will be making one want to reread The Catcher in the Rye along with his other stories.
(Review by David Bacon)

Museum Hours

Museum Hours is the essential “art film” – art is its topic and arty is its brand. Not for the Kick Ass 2 crowd, this is an impeccably photographed, at times whimsical, leisurely-paced meditation. Like a stroll through an art gallery, you may not understand fully what you’re seeing, but the beauty and mystery are fascinating.

The narrator of Jem Cohen’s unique film is one of those well-dressed security guards one sees sitting silently protecting precious art in prestigious museums. We hear his thoughts about art and about his job but really very little about his life (or maybe just enough). He befriends an American woman visiting Vienna because of a family member’s terminal illness. They talk art; he shows her the non-touristy parts of Vienna; and we really don’t get to know that much about this American either. She’s a stranger (in Paradise?) depending upon the kindness of another stranger. There’s no romance, just a gentle, passing relationship. It’s a testament to the actors’ abilities that they’re able to bring life to what seems like non-scripted characters. Both actors are unknowns – Austrian Bobby Summer and American Mary Margaret O’Hara. (Incidentally, I learned later this actress is the real life sister of SCTV’s Catherine O’Hara).

I wonder if the director himself was a stranger to Vienna as he explores the city with his lens. There are many atypical, lingering shots. There’s not much reference to the city’s beauty or music (this is the home of Mozart), but the wintry scenes may reflect the film’s theme – the nature of seeing, taking the time to reflect on great beauty or what seems mundane.

Vienna is almost a fourth character, with the Kunsthistorisches Art Museum being the film’s third character. Here is where Museum Hour’s enchantments lie. Cohen examines the museum’s art with a roving, enlightened eye, turning the film almost into a documentary as we glimpse the magnificent art from many angles (some very playful). A docent’s lecture turns into a funny bit as she interacts with some stubborn tourists. A co-worker of the narrator gives a political rant of how all museums are just playing games with their visitors. And even the art gazers wandering through the galleries prove that museums are great for people-watching.

Museum Hours is highly recommended to the curious who are willing to glide through life, seeking beauty but not definite answers.
(Review by David Bacon)

Thanks for Sharing

Sex addiction sounds like what could be a titillating subject for a movie, but this one centers around the lives of people who are trying to overcome their dependence by attending meetings. Stuart Blumberg who wrote The Kids Are Alright makes his directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Matt Winston. Movies about recovery usually deal on the serious side and there are moments where it explores those issues, as well as treating the everyday struggles with some humor. It's just not all that interesting.

Mark Ruffalo plays Adam who is celebrating his 5th year in therapy which he shares at his sober meetings. His sponsor is Mike (Tim Robbins) who is also an alcoholic. He advises Adam it's time to find a girlfriend. So he cute meets Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow) at a party. They hit it off and make attempts to get to know each other after their initial first attraction. Adam is loathed to tell her his secret when she makes a comment about not wanting to date an addict.

Neil (Josh Gad) is a doctor who has a problem making inappropriate moves on people on the subway train. He's also fired from his job when he films under the skirts of his boss at the hospital. Adam is his sponsor but wants to drop him since Neil can't fill out his sober book and stay honest. He'll be given another chance if he can do 90 meetings in 90 days without any incidents. That means no masturbation, no riding the subways and to get rid of his porn collection. Neil becomes friends with Dede (Alecia Moore, better known as Pink) at the meetings. She calls him when she gets the urge to go see her ex-boyfriend who in her mind knows is not good for her, but her body wants him.

Meanwhile Mike's son Danny (Patrick Fugit) comes home, but Mike is not welcoming as Danny's addictions had landed him in jail. He swears he's turned over a new leaf and decides to build a poi pond in the backyard. When mom's pills go missing, Mike thinks the worst and they have a fight where mom (Joely Richardson) gets hurt. Mike is tempted to have a drink!

These are great actors. Pink is the real surprise and it's too bad the movie wasn't just about her. Dede seems like a fun character compared to the other sad sack cast. They are all broken people who live in New York, seem well to do enough to live in nice places and have the time to go to all these meetings. Otherwise they tip toe through life trying not to cross that line that brought them there in the first place. The amusing moments are sprinkled in but for the most part it's a yawner.
(Review by reesa)

Battle of the Year

So you think you can dance? Like all these dance movies this also deals with young urban kids looking for their place in life on dance floor competing for who is the best. Director/writer Benson Lee takes his documentary Planet B Boy as the template for this new film with writers Brin Hill and Chris Parker, even utilizing some cinematography from the original doc.

Successful entrepreneur Dante Graham (Las Alonso) a former b-dancer wants to finance a top level team to enter the International Battle of the Year. Break dancing started in the US, but the States have not won a championship in fifteen years. He calls an old friend from his dancing days and former basket ball coach Jason Blake (Josh Holloway) who is depressed and drinking after the death of his family. They recruit over a dozen hotshot dancers across the country representing a ethnically diverse group of young talented men including R&B star Chris Brown as Rooster. He puts the young men in a former junior delinquent facility then sets ground rules that broker no nonsense. Any infraction means they will go home, no excuses. Jason trains them like any other sports team and fills them with inspirational speeches about teamwork. Josh Peck plays Franklyn, a Dante employee that is assigned as Jason's assistant. He's in charge of the young men and has to keep the same hours and living quarters with them.

Most of the movie involves the training and personality conflicts when one gathers a group of alpha males together. Each week the group gets smaller and smaller as Jason tries to find the right combination of dancers for the team. Stacy (Caity Lotz) a choreographer is brought in to help with the moves as they only have a few weeks until the competition. She then stands around looking concerned for the rest of the time.

The best part of course is the actual dancing. The dance groups from around world are featured in the most amazing feats of athleticism which makes one want this to be an Olympic event. Or hope that maybe some gymnasts will incorporate some b-dance moves into their floor routines. Despite the formula ridden dialogue filled with clichés and stock characterizations, it was fun to watch. It will certainly make one want to see Benson Lee's Planet B Boy just to enjoy more of the dance routines.
(Review by reesa)

The Blacklist

This was surprisingly good. Usually new shows get cancelled after the first season but if the rest of it is just as interesting as the pilot then I think we have a hit on our hands. I can't really review much since I haven't the whole season but I can tell James Spader is very good as the main character. This reminded me of Silence of the Lambs…a lot actually. But it is well written and kept me entertained and in tension throughout. I don't want to give away to much so I will conclude with: the pilot was well written, acted and very interesting and I will check out more to come. Pilot: 8/10
(Review by Chase Lee)

Teen Wolf with James Hampton in Attendance at the Alamo

Alamo DFW Special Program:
TEEN WOLF in 35MM with James Hampton in attendance
Monday, September 23 at 7:00p

Dallas – September 19, 2013—Alamo Drafthouse Richardson is honored to have veteran actor James Hampton in attendance for a special showing of TEEN WOLF in 35MM on Monday, September 23. Mr. Hampton starred in the 1985 supernatural comedy as Harold Howard, the father of Michael J. Fox’s Scott Howard - a high schooler that discovers he’s a werewolf (and that it runs in the family). The actor will be in attendance for a retrospective Q&A before the film and an autograph signing after.

“We’re howling at the moon over the opportunity to have James Hampton in attendance for this showing of TEEN WOLF! I remember the first time I saw the film as a kid...not only did it make you want to be a van surfing, slam dunking, breakdancing werewolf...it made you want to have a dad that was a werewolf. Mr. Hampton has been a movie dad to all of us not to mention an acting legend.“ exclaimed James Wallace, Alamo Richardson programmer.

Hampton also appeared in the 1987 sequel, TEEN WOLF TOO starring Jason Bateman, and lent his voice talents to the late ‘80s Saturday morning cartoon series, “Teen Wolf”. He has also starred in over 90 other film and TV roles including “F Troop” and SLING BLADE.

Alamo is showing TEEN WOLF as a part of September’s “Back To School”-themed programming.

Advance tickets available online at http://drafthouse.com/movies/teen-wolf/dfw

About the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema:
The Alamo Drafthouse is a lifestyle entertainment brand with an acclaimed cinema-eatery, the largest genre film festival in the United Sates and an online collectible art store. Named “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience but also introducing unique programming and high profile, star studded special events.

Movies scheduled 9/15-9/21

Well happy Sunday everyone!! This week looks super packed with all kinds of movies.



Please remember that we can’t send back your post when it is rejected and give you a reason why. For some reason Yahoo took that away from the group function. So if you reply to the group about a pass you will not get the pass at all. Just saying.

As always you can email me any questions you have damitdaina@hotmail.com.

See you at the movies


September 15th
Sunday

Wizard of Oz 10:30 am Northpark



September 16th
Monday

Rush 7:30 pm Angelika Dallas
Fifth Estate 7:30 pm AMC Northpark



September 17th
Tuesday

Don Jon 7:30 pm Studio Movie Grill Royal
Don Jon 7:30 pm Studio Movie Grill Arlington
Metallica Through the Never 7:30 pm Northpark IMAX
Prisoners 7:30 pm Angelika Dallas



September 18th
Wednesday

Hello Ladies 7:30 pm Northpark
Captain Phillips 7:30 pm Studio Movie Grill Spring Valley
Battle of the Year 7:30 pm Studio Movie Grill Royal
Gravity 7:30 pm AMC Northpark




September 19th
Thursday

The Bicycle Thief 7:30 pm Angelika Dallas
Clean Guys of Comedy Tour 7:30 pm Galaxy Regal



September 20th
Friday



September 21st
Saturday

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 10:30 am
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 11 am AMC Northpark

The Family

Director/writer Luc Besson is no stranger to the intense uber violent films with a sense of humor like The Professional, Transporter and Taken. Based on the novel Malavita (Badfellas) by Tonino Benacquista, the screenplay was co-written with Michael Caleo. Not sure how the novel reads, but the screen version is a big loud, riotous mess, held together by the talent of their lead actors.

Robert De Niro is a New York mob boss Giovanni Manzoni that has turned into an FBI informant living with his family in a Witness Protection Program. The family is watched over by agent Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) who has to keep very close tabs on them as they have had to move every 90 days because Gio can't seem to behave himself. His wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer, recycling her New Yawk accent from Married to the Mob), his teen kids Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D'Leo) seems like the typical “Americans” as they relocated in their new identities as the Blakes in Normandy, France. The kids go to school and Warren promptly gets bullied. Belle is hit on by the same kids who bullied her brother. Mom goes to get groceries and is insulted by the locals when she asks for peanut butter. Early on we are clued that his is not your normal family. Living with the mob as role models the family members have some anger and “acting out” issues.

Gio who has the alias of Fred, finds an old typewriter and begins to write his memoirs and tells the neighbor he's a writer. This is how we get some backstory on just who he is and why they are there. The mob family is not to happy with him and are doing everything, even from their prison cell to locate him and take him out. Meanwhile we are following the adventures of the family as they attempt to fit in with locals. Warren's rackets with his classmates to get revenge on the bullies, Bell's crush on the college aged substitute teacher, mom's blowing up the grocery store and dad taking up his complaint to the fertilizer plant that is making his tap water brown.

There's a lot going on in this movie. Besson keeps the action going and De Niro and Pfeiffer give it some heart. Despite their psychopathic tendencies, they are still a loving and close family. Mom even tells the kids not to swear. The last act involves the mob eventually finding them and it's like an old western and the big stand off. There's plot holes everywhere and the subplots arrive and fizzle on delivery. But the cast as always elevates the film to large sized popcorn and drink. Worth at least an early show.
(Review by reesa)

Insidieous Chapter 2

Splat Pack director James Wan of the Saw films is back with part 2 of Insidious which he also directed with returning writer Leigh Whannell. Most sequels usually contain some stand alone qualities so that folks late in the game can pick up and run without knowing what happened in the first. In this case, seeing the first movie would only enhance the story and fill in the gaps and help the different elements make sense.

The story picks up shortly after the first adventure with the Lambert family moving into Josh's mom's house. A creepy old building all on it's own. The police are still investigating the death of Elise Rainier (Lin Shayne) the paranormal investigator who helped Josh (Patrick Wilson) retrieve his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) from the netherworld in which he was trapped. The police are saying that there is some evidence that Josh may have been the culprit. Already on pins and needles the emotionally drained Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) gets creeped out when she hears the piano playing on it's own in the parlor. Then the baby walker starts moving around on it's own. And if that is not nerve wracking enough, she see's the visage of a ghost that knocks her across the floor.

Dalton also is besieged by dreams and grandma Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) is seeing the ghost too. Lorraine goes to Elise's two assistants Specs (Leigh Whannell, who is also the screenwriter) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) with her friend Carl (Steve Coulter) who is a medium to contact Elise to find her killer. Things get pretty hairy after that. They track the clues to an old hospital where Lorraine used to work and the death of an old man who had an early encounter with Josh as a young boy.

This is not a jump out of your seat scary, and there's no false scares just for the sake of getting your heart pumping. It's got a nice chilly atmosphere with the white faced ghost who is stone cold crazy that causes most of the horrors beset by the Lambert's. There's some backstory filled in the help tie in the two movies and there's also hints of a third. Hopefully they will make the series more about the two Ghostbusting team of Specs and Tucker who lighten the movie from being too cheesy. Of course like Insidious, the best part of the movie the high screeching violin music with the red painted title sign. That alone will give one nightmares.
(Review by reesa)

Populaire

The film Populaire directed by Régis Roinsard with co-writers Daniel Presley and Romain Comping is a light frothy French confection about, of all random things, speed typing. Set in the late 1950's it captures the fashion, color scheme and attitude of the time set with great retro music to the beat of many fingers clacking on those low tech keyboards.

Déborah François plays Rose Pamphyle a young woman from a small town whose widowed father wants her to marry the local mechanic. Rose instead yearns to be a modern woman by going to the big city of Normandy to apply for a job as a secretary. The queue of women waiting to interview discuss the expected role of role of the perfect secretary (oh how far we have come). Those pre-feminist days when women could only hope for nothing more than the usual service positions like secretaries and stewardesses while waiting to get married. Getting the job with the dashing insurance agent Louis Échard (Romain Duris) is the apple on the tree. Louis, in a Mad Men ala mode, hires Rose when he hears her typing quickly with just 2 fingers. Rose is not the greatest assistant. But Louis who played competitive sports in school sees an opportunity and tells Rose she can keep her job if she will enter a speed typing competition.

The playful banter between the two leads is charming and infectious. Louis is somewhat wealthy from a good family. His best friends with Bob, an American GI who married his childhood friend Marie (Bérénice Bejo of The Artist) encourage the bachelor to get close to Rose while he is training his protégé to type with 10 fingers. He wants to raise her typing speed so she can compete with the big leagues and beat the record of 512 words per minute. Louis invites her to live in his house and gives her his childhood bedroom. He paints her fingers to match the color coded keys. He trains her Rocky style with jogging to build up her stamina. Rose even takes piano lessons from Marie to build up her finger dexterity.

The blooming relationship with the innocent but feisty Rose and the commitment phobic Louis is typical of rom-com's. It's the typing competitions that bring the film to life. The bright candy colored production design and the period costuming highlight the visuals while the music filled with pre-Beatles cha-cha's and 50's teen pop complete the picture into wink wink nudge nudge atmosphere. The typing contestants have their trainers standing by, their fans cheering them on. Louis and Bob have running bets on Rose's success. While it doesn't have the broad humor of a Doris Day and Rock Hudson film, it is French after all, it does have that same feeling nostalgic aura for those old strike key typewriter with it's staccato rhythm.
(Review by reesa)

The Video Association of Dallas Presents EXPANDED CINEMA: MultipliCity

The Video Association of Dallas Presents
EXPANDED CINEMA: MultipliCity

DALLAS, September 9, 2013 — Back by popular demand, the Video Association of Dallas announced today EXPANDED CINEMA returns to kick off the 26th installment of the Dallas VideoFest (VideoFest.org).

Generously supported and simulcast, as it was in 2012, on KXT 91.7 FM, EXPANDED CINEMA: MultipliCity, will again dance along the exterior walls of the Downtown Dallas Omni Hotel for one evening on Friday, October 4, 2013 with a special start time of 8 pm.
facebook.com/ExpandedCinema


“With KXT radio, once again, broadcasting the soundtrack in sync with the images on the Omni, anywhere you can see the hotel in the city, you will have the full, rich experience by simply turning on your radio to 91.7 FM,” said Bart Weiss, founder Video Association of Dallas and artistic director, Dallas VideoFest.



Public Watching Party details:
Fri., Oct 4, 2013
8 pm (arrive early as the show starts right at 8 pm)
Hickory House Barbecue, 600 S Industrial Blvd., Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 747-0758

After Party
9:30 pm
The Texas Theatre, 231 W Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 948-1546


Curator Mona Kasra (MonaKasra.com) of Dallas says of EXPANDED CINEMA:

“The 21st-century, urban life resembles a fragmented, complex tapestry, made up of multiplicity of the lived experiences, imaginings, visions, and memories of past experiences. The city itself serves as a complex canvas depicting a diverse range of relationships, architectures, cultures, and backgrounds, enabling city dwellers to build multilayered narratives within their urban surroundings. Inspired by the richness of the urban life, participating artists in ‘EXPANDED CINEMA: MultipliCity' reflect on their perceptions of the city, both in terms of its diversity and wholeness.”
EXPANDED CINEMA: MultipliCity, the largest canvas in Dallas – the four curved, exterior walls of the Omni Hotel – will feature new video artworks by media artists:

1. Morehshin Allahyari (Dallas—Morehshin.com) with sound collaborator Andrew Blanton
2. Michele Jaquis (Los Angeles, CA—MicheleJaquis.com)
3. Kyle Kondas (Dallas—UTDallas.edu/atec/Kondas)
4. Jonathan Monaghan (Brooklyn, NY—JonMonaghan.com) with music collaborator: Evan Samek
5. Mike Morris (Dallas—MichaelAlexanderMorris.com)
6. Luke Savisky (Austin, TX—LukeSavisky.com) with collaborators David Bartner, video editing and Paige Swift, production manager
7. Nina Schawanse (New Orleans, LA—NinaSchwanse.com)
8. Kelly Sears (Los Angeles, CA—KellySears.com)
9. Carolyn Sortor (Dallas—c-cyte.com)
10. Jenny Vogel (New York, NY—JennyVogel.net) with sound editing collaborator Andrew Blanton
11. Bart Weiss (Dallas—BartWeiss.com) with collaborators Mark Clive, graphic support and Micah Hayes, music
12. Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Art’s students Christian Salinas and Kyra-Michelle Jacobs with faculty advisor, Niloo Jalilvand (Dallas—DallasISD.org/BookerT)

Audio will be simulcast on KXT 91.7 FM radio.

“In our second year, the artists have a more sophisticated and nuanced take on using the Omni walls by broadening that canvas out beyond its borders will, in essence, expand Expanded Cinema. I’m honored to be among such a talented group with my own piece this year,” Weiss concluded.


EXPANDED CINEMA Pre-Party

There will be a pre-party celebrating the artists who are creating EXPANDED CINEMA: MultipliCity presented by the Video Association of Dallas and sponsored by Craft and Growler in conjunction with North Texas Giving Day: http://www.donorbridgetx.org/

EXPANDED CINEMA Pre-Party details:
Thurs., Sept. 19, 2013
7:30 - 11 pm
Craft and Growler, 3601 Parry Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75226
(214) 821-1122

Selections from the first EXPANDED CINEMA in 2012 will be screened on monitors.
This event is open to the public.
https://www.facebook.com/events/219972078160818/


ABOUT EXPANDED CINEMA
EXPANDED CINEMA is an exhibition of new video art works created especially for the exterior walls of the Omni Dallas Hotel presented by the Video Association of Dallas. The exterior of the Omni Dallas Hotel is continuously wrapped with LED bars that function like a low-res computer monitor. Only a handful of buildings in the world offer similar displays; and since this particular system was specifically created to fit the hotel's architecture, it is unique. The display constitutes a potentially looping screen approximately 193 feet high and 999 feet in width or circumference. But while it's the biggest screen in Dallas, its unusual in shape and very low-res, effectively just 20 display "pixels" tall and 333 pixels wide. Find EXPANDED CINEMA on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ExpandedCinema

Special thanks to Kyle Kondas, production coordinator; Pat Anderson of Matthews Southwest, Lighting Producer; Mark Abuzzahab of KXT 91.7 FM public radio; and the Dallas Convention Center hotel, the Omni Dallas Hotel.

ABOUT KXT 91.7
KXT 91.7 FM is one of the public broadcasting stations operated by North Texas Public Broadcasting, a not-for-profit media network that also includes KERA 90.1 FM, KERA TV, KERA WORLD and Art&Seek. KXT began broadcasting in November 2009 and has a Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) music format. Listen live to KXT online at kxt.org.

Dallas VideoFest 26 Sponsors
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas-Richardson; Alford Media Services, Inc.; AMS Pictures; Dallas Film Commission; Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; Dallas Producers Association; Double Tree Hotel – Richardson; KERA/KXT; KellyKitchensPR.com; la Madeleine; Matthews Southwest; The McKinney Avenue Contemporary; Selig Polyscope Company; Sell.com; SullivanPerkins; Texas Commission on the Arts; Texas Film Commission.

ABOUT VIDEO ASSOCIATION OF DALLAS
The mission of the Video Association is to promote an understanding of video as a creative medium and cultural force in our society, and to support and advance the work of Texas artists working in video and the electronic arts. The Video Association of Dallas (VAD) is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated on April 25, 1989. It began in 1986 as a weekend event, “Video As A Creative Medium”, presented at the Dallas Museum of Art by independent curators Barton Weiss and John Held. That first event, which included two nights of video by selected local and national video artists, was a great popular success, which led to the founding of the Dallas Video Festival (DVF) in 1987. Video Association of Dallas also presents the 24 Hour Video Race, the Texas Show Tour, North Texas College Film Festival, Texas Independent Film Network screenings, Texas Fllmmakers Production Fund workshops, Three Star Cinema, and other programs throughout the year.

VIDEO ASSOCIATION OF DALLAS 1405 Woodlawn Dallas, TX 75208

Movies scheduled 9/8-9/14

Ok for all the newbies out there. We will send out info on contests to enter or other people will be nice and if they find something they will share the info. If you missed one or didn’t get any info check out the calendar they have the links on the event.



Yes I know that the yahoo group has changed some and it is a bit difficult to navigate through. I don’t know if you are like me and don’t like change too much but just know we know about it.



As always you can email me any questions you have damitdaina@hotmail.com.

See you at the movies

September 8th
Sunday

Mi Chacra (My Land) (2009) 7pm Kimball Art Museum



September 9th
Monday

The New Frontier 7pm Botanical Research Institute of Texas



September 10th
Tuesday

Carry Me Home 7pm Cinemark West Plano
Rush 7:30 pm Studio Movie Grill Royal



September 11th
Wednesday

Insidious Chapter 2 7:30pm Alamo Drafthouse




September 12th
Thursday

The Blacklist 7:30 pm Magnolia
Battle of the Year 7:30 pm TBA



September 13th
Friday



September 14th
Saturday

Short Term 12

This is what movies should be like. This movie was deep with emotion but balances out with comedic relief. This is directed beautifully and sometimes haunting. It's welded together with excellent acting, great cinematography and fantastic music. The acting is Oscar worthy as everyone pulls their weight. Brie Larson is the star in this as she portrays a very broken person and you feel for her. She has a lot of depth to her character and she executes it flawlessly. This also has some of the best child acting I ever seen. Every child in this was amazing and sometimes heart breaking to watch. The cinematography was shot very well and adds a warmth to it as we watch these characters struggle. It's almost as if the cinematography sheds the light for these characters. It is edited seamlessly and keeps you hooked even from the first minute. This is something to not miss. It focuses on kids in a foster home and the people that work there and you care about everyone. I don't want to say much about the plot because I want you to see this is excellent piece of filmmaking. This is one of my favorite movies of the year along with The Spectacular Now. This is a film to remember. 10/10
(Review by Chase Lee)

Riddick

Vin Diesel has made a career of two successful movie franchises, Fast and Furious and Riddick. Fans can't seem to accept him in any other role or movie like The Pacifier. Which is OK, because as an actor those tough guy roles fit his profile perfectly. He's not required to speak too much exposition and just kill and maim for the rest of the movie.

Director/writer David Twohy who did the previous movies in the series, Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick, picks up the action after Riddick is betrayed by the Necromongers leaves him for dead on a desolate planet. As a viewer it's not really necessary to understand why they do this although the voice over by Riddick tries to set up the his state of mind as he figures out a way to exist in this hostile environment and the various predatory creatures that live there. He eventually finds an old station and uses the rescue beacon to call for help. That help comes in the form of bounty hunters who want to collect on the dangerous and very wanted Richard B. Riddick.

Riddick the ultimate survivor leaves the hunters little notes inside the station like “Leave one ship or die”. The leader of the group, Santana (Jordi Mollà) responds by telling Riddick who watches from afar, that he is going to put his head in a box. Another ship arrives of uniformed bounty hunters with hi-tech guns and hovercraft motorcycles. They are lead by Boss Johns (Matt Nable) who has been hunting Riddick for the past 12 years to find out how and why Riddick killed his son in Pitch Black. His second in command is Dahl (Katee Sackhoff) in another tough but even tougher as nails soldier from Battlestar Gallactica. This sets up Riddick to picks off each of their respective teams until the final standoff that will please most scifi action junkie fans.

The movie is basically a remake of Pitch Black where a group basically stranded on a planet (Riddick stole some power nodes to operate the ships) and they have to fight off more than just Riddick. The clever demises of some characters brought laughs and applause from mostly the young game bred in the audience. The movie is a hopped up video game experience created on green screen. If you don't expect it to be anything other than that, it's a nice piece of eye candy escapism with big guns while looking cool in goggles.
(Review by reesa)