tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49190958531181697432024-02-19T09:10:50.433-08:00100 Movies, 100 TheatersWill M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-65640205461916350302014-05-26T16:06:00.000-07:002014-05-26T16:06:37.877-07:00X-Men: Days of Future Past<b>Boulevard 14 Cinemas</b><br />
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Built in downtown Petaluma in 2005, the <a href="http://www.cinemawest.com/location?house_id=9628" target="_blank">Boulevard 14 Cinemas</a> is one of the largest of Cinema West's 12 theaters. Six of those theaters are in the Bay Area, making Cinema West the Bay Area's fourth largest footprint by screen count.<br />
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The Boulevard 14 anchors Petaluma's thriving riverside "Theatre District", which includes the <a href="http://www.mystictheatre.com/" target="_blank">Mystic Theatre</a> (1911) and <a href="http://www.thephoenixtheater.com/" target="_blank">Phoenix Theatre</a> (1924), both now hosting live performances. I'm impressed that the city's two older theaters have survived, especially since a 5-screen and 8-screen multiplex have each come and gone in the past forty years. (The local US Coast Guard Training Center also has its own first-run <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/petaluma/Services/movies.asp" target="_blank">movie theater</a>, though as near as I can tell, it's for service members only.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvviEHJ3skkKF5zQYM1x-6NpBTRolIDybDTR73aSw2o1qMkWEd8TNm_Qy-7iWzjRc9kJEKmhG_AtgBE8eNow-0pqBwNDp0kAoN3g1KKDRzkX-XYYNCLI4ggo_2UfKTrBmnq3h8ezEh7bE/s1600/IMG_2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvviEHJ3skkKF5zQYM1x-6NpBTRolIDybDTR73aSw2o1qMkWEd8TNm_Qy-7iWzjRc9kJEKmhG_AtgBE8eNow-0pqBwNDp0kAoN3g1KKDRzkX-XYYNCLI4ggo_2UfKTrBmnq3h8ezEh7bE/s1600/IMG_2450.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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The lobby is spacious and attractively decorated. A sparsely populated arcade is to one side, and the concession stand to the other. I recently discovered that Junior Mints are now vegan (eschewing gelatin). These were once my favorite movie candy, but one I hadn't eaten since looking at the ingredients while watching <i>The Science of Sleep</i> in 2006. The Boulevard 14, like many other theaters, offers its Junior Mints chilled for maximum deliciousness.<br />
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Two of the theater's fourteen screens have been added since I first began this blog in 2010. The screens seat between 49 and 252, with a total of roughly 1500 seats (two of the auditoriums do not post maximum occupancies). A patchwork of cloth and stone decorate the auditorium walls. Seats are comfortable, and at a good rake.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b>
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Whereas Regal, AMC, and Cinemark employ National CineMedia for their pre-show content, Cinema West and Brenden Theatres use Before the Movie. The idea is the same, but Before the Movie has more local advertisements, and is altogether less obnoxious than NCM's First Look or The 20.<br />
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An extended interview highlights a startup producing a bio-degradable styrofoam alternative. A kid catches his parents eating ice-cream at night; they say, "you wouldn't like it; it's got caramel crunchy stuff", to which he replies, "<i>I</i> like caramel crunchy stuff". A little girl is the drought patrol, ensuring her parents and siblings aren't using too much water. Teens speak out against smoking. A little girl talks about what a bad-ass <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co0qkWRqTdM" target="_blank">GE engineer</a> her mom is. A man watches desert sand blow from his hand in an ad for the FX series <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqIMnBbcFMc" target="_blank">Tyrant</a></i>.<br />
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<b>Trailers</b>
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<i>Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</i> (Trailer 2)<br />
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The first trailer reveals that a virus, seen spreading at the end of the previous film, has wiped out much of humanity, and subsequent wars between human factions has resulted in further attrition. Now a group of humans in San Francisco attempts to unite, perhaps in opposition to the intelligent apes who, under the leadership of Caesar, have built a colony in neighboring Marin. The previous movie was sympathetic toward animals used for testing; those animals did little harm except in pursuit of their own freedom. This sequel has the apes retaliating for something, launching an attack on San Francisco. It will be interesting to see if the apes maintain our sympathies.<br />
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<i>Edge of Tomorrow</i> (Trailer 2)<br />
I've never cared for Tom Cruise's characters, but he makes some good movies, like <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/07/66-knight-and-day.html" target="_blank">Knight and Day</a></i> (2010) and <i>Minority Report</i> (2002). In response to The New Yorker's <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright" target="_blank">investigation</a> of Scientology, I've begun boycotting movies starring prominent members of their organization. Similar to what I stated in the epilogue to my review for <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/11/enders-game.html" target="_blank">Enders Game</a></i>, I distinguish between discriminating against someone because of their beliefs, and withholding my financial support when I have good reason to believe that the support will contribute to the practices described in that article. Unfortunately, this means I'm missing what look to be great sci-fi movies, <i>Oblivion</i> (2013) and now <i>Edge of Tomorrow</i> (aka D-Day meets <i>Groundhog Day</i>, with perhaps a dash of <i>Independence Day</i> thrown in for good measure). The first trailer was good enough to make me want to watch the movie, so I closed my eyes for this second trailer.<br />
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<i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> (Trailer 2)<br />
I've managed to shut my eyes for all but a few frames of these trailers. The audio track spoils a bit, but I'm looking forward to an unspoiled visual experience. I'll be interested to see if this ties in with the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. These are the Guardians I read as a kid, and their line-up features at least two heroes who are contemporaries of the Avengers.<br />
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<b><i>X-Men: Days of Future Past</i></b><br />
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My best friend pointed out what a glorious time we live in, when theaters are simultaneously exhibiting X-Men, Spider-Man, and Captain America movies. My teenaged self never could have imagined such a Shangri-La of entertainment.<br />
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This seventh in the X-Men franchise both brings together several disconnected chains in the continuity, and blows them further apart. The film opens roughly ten years from now, where human-created robots called sentinels have wiped out or imprisoned most mutants, mutant sympathizers, and anyone whose theoretical descendants might be mutants. It's bleak. A small band of X-Men comprising faces both familiar and fresh do their best to evade the sentinels, but ultimately they place their hope in the past: they must somehow stop the mutant-hunting robots from ever being created.<br />
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Most of the film transpires in 1973, ten years after <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class.html" target="_blank">X-Men: First Class</a></i> and fifty years prior to this movie's apocalyptic beginning. A future version of Wolverine must convince younger versions of his allies (Professor X, Beast) and enemies (Magneto, Mystique) to work together in defense of mutants and humans alike. As in <i>First Class</i>, the chemistry between young Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) forms the emotional core of the film. Jennifer Lawrence bridges the sympathetic, conflicted Raven from <i>First Class</i> and the zealous, vicious Mystique of the later X-Men trilogy. There should be enough guest stars, cameos, and references to keep any comic fan happy. I was especially pleased with the depiction of a teenaged speedster named Peter (Evan Peters), who delivers the most entertaining scene of the movie, and whose introduction touches on various meaningful elements of his origins in the comics.<br />
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Like in many action movies (including the original <i>X-Men</i>), there are times when the heroic goal is too simplistic. Trying to stop the sentinels' inception just sets up our heroes for a series of repetitive battles, only the last of which the script will allow them to win. And my head is spinning trying to tease out all the continuity agreements and disagreements. Oh, but the action is good. And Bryan Singer, back at the helm, manages to atone for many sins committed in his absence.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-37890875829676486732014-05-24T12:35:00.001-07:002014-05-24T12:35:28.536-07:00X-Men Franchise Source MaterialInspired by this weekend's release of <i>X-Men: Days of Future Past</i>, I wanted to examine the comic book source material for each of the movies in the X-Men franchise to date.<br />
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In the bottom row, I arrange the X-Men movies in order of continuity. Nearly all of them have sequences that occur long before or after the central events of the film, but I've sequenced them relative to those central events. For instance, <i>X-Men</i> opens with Magneto's origin during World War II, but most of the film transpires in 2000.<br />
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The movies borrow from the comics, but only in a patchwork way, stitching together characters and concepts from different decades. In the top row, I identify the issue featuring a central premise/story-arc of the corresponding movie. Some are obvious: "Dark Phoenix", "Days of Future Past", Logan & Mariko (actually called "Scarlet in Glory"). It's a stretch to say that <i>X-Men</i> is about Wolverine joining the team, but since he is one of only two characters (along with Professor X) to appear in all seven films, the franchise would seem to agree with this connection.<br />
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(<i>X-Men Origins: Wolverine</i> draws its inspiration from story arcs written outside the <i>Uncanny X-Men</i> title. I haven't connected the movie to a specific issue, but in terms of comic continuity, Wolverine probably gained his adamantium skeleton between 1945 and 1974.)<br />
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The franchise source material clusters between 1975 and 1983, issues all written by X-Men legend <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Claremont" target="_blank">Chris Claremont</a>. The movie franchise seems to ignore issues published after 1983, 68% of <i>Uncanny X-Men</i>'s story (an even higher percentage if considering the various titles that begun to spin off in 1983, comprising more than a thousand issues). The next film in the franchise, <i>X-Men: Apocalypse</i> (2016), will push this cluster to at least 1986 (first appearance of Apocalypse in the spin-off series <i>X-Factor</i>), but perhaps as late as 2000 ("Age of Apocalypse" story-arc).Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-91884698054750858832014-05-10T10:16:00.001-07:002014-05-10T10:16:31.272-07:00Home Video Roundup: June 2013<hr />
<b><i>Now You See Me</i></b> (2013)<br />
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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Four street magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco) receive a secret summons by some unnamed uber-magician, and soon the four are using public performances to pull off heists of distant banks. Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent, working together from two different agencies, try to catch them, with the help of magic-debunker Morgan Freeman, and the cooperation of apparent target Michael Caine.</div>
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There is more going on in this film than initially meets the eye, and the real con, as can be expected, is on the viewer. As I replay the movie's revelations in my mind, they don't all withstand scrutiny. But it's a fun ride. And seeing Ruffalo's task force square off against the always-one-step-ahead magicians is a great joy; I was rooting for both sides.</div>
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<b><i>After Earth</i></b> (2013)<br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/after_earth.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1ijAUDom6PRYYoXSPrLaO5jceEuZzHCKrnWdD0dd1Y6JMJTYrTtkDhyrjMO_atcYJysQAJ-ve9iSSjYGCdepEQ4e1gjhD8fIKS5P5MmEIV0qWltFZOBKbRdhcKmHd4G-9-zYgyWTpU-9/s1600/after_earth.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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Like with <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/gravity.html" target="_blank"><i>Gravity</i></a>, <i>After Earth</i> has a very, very simple plot: boy must survive long enough to get to crashed ship. That's the entire movie. <i>Gravity</i> was engaging while I watched it, and only in retrospect did my impression of it fade and wither. <i>After Earth</i> was boring in real time, so I can't recommend it.</div>
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In a science fiction movie, I expect sound science (or at least my lay-person's understanding of it). <i>After Earth</i> wants us to believe Earth's species have evolved to hunt humans, even though humans left long ago. And how is it that the species on Earth have 'evolved' so drastically, whereas the humans who left the planet have, in the same amount of time, remained the same? (Except for a select few, Will Smith, included, who have evolved the superpower of not smelling cool as a cucumber.) It just doesn't make sense. It is cool seeing these mutated versions of Earth's plants, animals, and environments, but the most interesting part of the movie is the spaceship they use to return to Earth, which is a combination of human tech, bio-engineering, and using the carcass of some giant monster from their new world. The spaceship was some of the coolest sci-fi design I've seen. The rest of the movie is forgettable.</div>
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<b><i>Terminator Salvation</i></b> (2009)<br />
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A new age of post-apocalyptic story-telling graces our screens. Not the doomsday warnings from the 1980s, where our heroes trudge through a nuclear wasteland begat by a warring United States and U.S.S.R. Sure, some movies are still preachy, now about global warming (<i>Wall•E</i>, 2008; <i>After Earth</i>) instead of World War III. But others just appreciate the landscape of genre fiction, taking the next curious step: in most genre stories, our heroes win; but what if they didn't? What happens after the machines (<i>The Matrix</i>, 1999) or vampires (<i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/8-daybreakers.html" target="_blank">Daybreakers</a></i>, 2010) or zombies (<i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-video-roundup-february-2013.html" target="_blank">Warm Bodies</a></i>, 2013) or aliens (<i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/11/home-video-roundup-april-2013.html" target="_blank">The Host</a></i>, 2013) establish themselves? What if Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum flew all the way up to that alien mothership (<i>Independence Day</i>, 1996), only to realize that the alien mainframe uses FireWire, but they brought their virus on a USB drive?<br />
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In <i>The Terminator</i> (1984), we see glimpses of a future in which machines have nearly exterminated humanity. From the onset, it’s too late to prevent that future, but it’s not too late to protect John Connor, a fighter who would bring us back from the brink. <i>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</i> (1991), having survived the fall of Communism, doesn’t want to leave us in so dark a place. The machines are up to their old tricks, trying to kill John Connor, but our victory is absolute: we destroy the advanced circuitry that would lead to the self-aware machines in the first place. Apocalypse averted, and God bless the 90s, where anything is possible.<br />
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<i>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</i> (2003), hot on the heals of 9/11, says “not so fast, cupcake”, revealing that we didn’t avert disaster, we merely delayed it. The movie positions itself to allow Connor to once again thwart the instantiation of the cybernetic rebellion. Connor fails, and in the final scenes, as the world begins to fall, Connor finds himself at the right place to begin broadcasting the human resistance. It's been nineteen years since the first installment in the franchise, and still we’re only securing Connor’s dismal advantage that Kyle Reese promised in 1984. (<i>The Sarah Connor Chronicles</i>, of which I've only seen the first season, transpires roughly between the second and third movie, though with no clear respect for either.)<br />
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The latest in the series, <i>Terminator Salvation</i>, throws out the time travel entirely. We’re in the future. The machines have won. Reese (Anton Yelchin) is a radio pirate, living in the ruins of Los Angeles, broadcasting infrequent message of hope to humanity’s few survivors (who happen to live in Southern California). Connor (Christian Bale) is a freedom fighter, waging a land battle against the machines. During a strike against a machine compound, he discovers evidence that the machines have begun manufacturing their cyborg line of human-impersonators that we saw in the first installment. Marcus (Sam Worthington) enters the plot, obviously (to us) one of these cyborgs, but noone suspects him, and he doesn't seem to know it himself. He ingratiates himself to the resistance, especially to Blair (Moon Bloodgood), and soon is helping them to fight the machines, while still trying to discover who he is.<br />
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The first movie succeeded as a sci-fi monster movie that was all about tension and pacing. The second movie rested on great action and effects, and the gimmick of having a terminator on our side. The third movie was forgettable, and the fourth is just boring. The franchise has already prove itself too deterministic to allow us to care about the outcome of any one film. Whatever our loss, whatever our victory, both we and the machines will be given another chance. Marcus's character arc, the most interesting part of film, would have done better in another movie that didn't overwhelm our senses with metal-grinding action.<br />
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<b><i>Contagion</i></b> (2011)<br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2011/contagion_ver8.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItIq3ujUVh0tkx6sa6N89H6gLVQMdZ6Mkt9eUFM5KpshrnOkrHgDqlJ67tEP18F4tRNMbsw87MVPf7-vDJC_unYFx0BLhDqCYENbOYE3cBYYHc4fy_1NoMm6aasph4ERuiaJnnaSLkzRh/s1600/contagion_ver8.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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In yet another Soderbergh genre experiment he improves on the disaster formula by asking not how individuals survive a catastrophe, but rather how does society survive. He follows a variety of characters, some more heroic than others. In a typical disaster movie, each character would be an archetype of behavior: the reluctant hero who rediscovers his purpose by saving others; the strong female who supplies a love interest for the hero and tries to prove the movie's producers aren't sexist; the kid; the jerk who we'll be happy to see get killed; etc. In Soderbergh's film, characters stand not for personalities, but rather for agents of society. Scientists, government officials, members of the media, pharmaceutical companies, citizens trapped inside the quarantine, citizens trapped outside the quarantine, etc. The plot has no allegiance to a central hero, no promise to keep our favorite characters safe.<br />
<br />
From a 'What If' perspective, the movie is interesting. Contrasted to <i>Outbreak</i> (1995), <i>Contagion</i> does a better job of hiding from us the same things it hides from its characters, so that we can discover the disease's origins as the scientists do, instead of shouting at the screen in frustration, "It's the monkey!" Nonetheless, with its macabre subject matter and competing cast of main characters (and because not all characters were equally threatened), the movie is not as engaging as the simpler but more suspenseful <i>Outbreak</i>. And although I <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2014/04/captain-america-winter-soldier.html" target="_blank">recently</a> named a few disaster movies I enjoyed, there's nothing fun about seeing so many innocent people die.<br />
<br />
(I watched this while miserably sick. I thought it would make me empathize more with the characters, but I think it just made me more miserable.)<br />
<br />
(Does anyone else think that looks like Mark Wahlberg on the poster, rather than Matt Damon?)<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Side Effects</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/side_effects_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUuW2sBnlWpRfabh0glI9zP_eezYKnmyvHcsi7FBxkeBZrgqILs5jCGAnuDNyUHRHFUXqBrl3I8revvn9tJmX288l5n9GPdEUc7SjDzmvvJHvEd_lj3zpaiHGuAKtGfd_YFJcaWh7iqoL/s1600/side_effects_ver2.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
My fourth Steven Soderbergh film of the year, and one of his best. Rooney Mara, whose husband (Channing Tatum) has just been released from prison, suffers from chronic depression. Her new psychiatrist, Jude Law, medicates her with a just-released anti-depressant, but there are unintended consequences. Soon her life is spiraling out of control, and her doctor is scrambling to figure out what went wrong. Every moment of this movie is filled with dramatic intensity. I couldn't tear my eyes away.<br />
<br />
Top Ten Steven Soderbergh Films:<br />
1. <i>Ocean's Eleven</i> (2001)<br />
2. <i>Out of Sight</i> (1998)<br />
3. <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-video-roundup-january-2013.html" target="_blank"><i>Solaris</i></a> (2002)<br />
4. <i>Side Effects</i> (2013)<br />
5. <i>Ocean's Twelve</i> (2004)<br />
6. <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2014/04/home-video-roundup-may-2013.html" target="_blank"><i>Haywire</i></a> (2011)<br />
7. <i>Bubble</i> (2006)<br />
8. <i>Erin Brockovich</i> (2000)<br />
9. <i>Ocean's Thirteen</i> (2007)<br />
10. <i>The Limey</i> (1999)<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Never Let Me Go</i></b> (2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/never_let_me_go.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6K6xu3vzAORaWRrt2BvkgSKxIms4s4Lmjyt1BfDgpTb_kFLO6ybMkBi5UaBRLdOH137BowK0ZNDpbewAoHTQV7T9VnDdH7OwuK-vhNRE7XC3plsVToyrBgbTPoM5lIVjhYxP2h5c7LfZc/s1600/never_let_me_go.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
<br />
Remember <i>The Island</i> (2005), the first proof that Scarlett Johansson could be an action star? <i>Never Let Me Go</i> is born from a similar premise, except minus the chases, explosions, shooting, and the doll-like naivety of the clones. Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield are best friends as kids, growing up in a sort of orphanage in England. They are cared for and educated. At some point, they are told that they are clones, and that their purpose in life is to someday donate their organs to the needy. They accept that this forced selflessness will consume them in their early youth. This impending doom haunts them, but also makes them cherish their short lives. They love, and they enter occupations of various sorts (Mulligan becomes a caretaker to those who are preparing for their final operation, to help them transition into death).<br />
<br />
Dramatically, the film succeeds. I was frustrated by how the clones uniformly accepted their fate. Were they genetically engineered to be subservient? And by how little we see of the what must be a futuristic world. There seems to be some sort of metaphor here (perhaps, like in Ursula Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", that it is unjust for the many to maintain their happiness via the suffering of the few), but it eludes me.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>London Boulevard</i></b> (2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/london_boulevard.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZWxjdR2Wn3QE1pvuMGtb-EKYJIO2jI3q1UbAPZqx_QcWcIJLTf8rO1jOp1daXJ8vB2DPFbvhc_XgGxKAwxw7gaVjxrq___IJJn5tk8dgIBAiWfYYYHmlxnlfJKvvlVloimApycoB8fZZ/s1600/london_boulevard.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Never Let Me Go</i> was a good project for Knightley, letting her be the bad girl for once to Mulligan's girl-next-door. She does not choose all her projects with such care. In <i>London Boulevard</i> she is a paparazzi-phobic actress, barricading herself in her London house. Her manager and only friend, David Thewlis, hires Colin Farrell to be her bodyguard. He's trying to leave behind a life of crime, but the thugs from his past see his new placement as an opportunity to rob Knightley. What follows is lots of tough guy talk, an odd chemistry between the leads, and bursts of graphic violence to keep us from settling into the romance. See the more recent <i>Dead Man Down</i> (2013) for a Colin Farrell movie with a similar vibe, but much more entertaining.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>The I Inside</i></b> (2004)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2004/i_inside.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdUIBQ1xx8xKEn8Vj42mZJx9fNK5QWua3-6cnLtmuARu2xPll0UhX2kF4GDZT-4aoQkUlXigCl7jQw3ubG78RFqViqm6abhRQ8l_XuNZo1Jp-YXvKklCDU19HHbGZhIFCWPyfJ0J8xvex/s1600/i_inside.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
I mentioned that <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2014/04/home-video-roundup-may-2013.html" target="_blank">Repeaters</a></i> is part of a small sci-fi sub-genre, in which the protagonist must relive the same day over and over. <i>The I Inside</i> is part of an even smaller sub-genre, in which the protagonist exists in two contradictory worlds, and is not sure which is real. The only other examples that come to mind are <i>Passion of Mind</i> (2000) and the recent series <i>Awake</i> (2012) (co-written by novelist and former-Mills professor Leonard Chang).<br />
<br />
Ryan Phillippe wakes up in a hospital, with no memory of how he came to be there. His physician, Stephen Rea, tells him he was in an accident, but doesn't know much beyond that. Phillippe's wife, Piper Perabo, shows up, and demonstrates herself to be a nasty piece of work. When Phillippe goes to sleep, he awakens in the same hospital, but a decade earlier. He's still being treated for having been in an accident, but he has a different doctor, and Perabo is a nurse, rather than his wife. Thus the groundwork is laid for a mystery of realities. The one in the past could be a memory; the one in the future could be a vision; both could be delusions. Phillippe must decode his own life, and regain his memories, all without leaving the hospital and while leapfrogging between two decades.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Hitchcock</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxrggiOY9o6GjMzpljv7IETL9jP1DpYOQwuMMYvzxzqWnVs9dNd55mGX8_6DNmiIu4D4Mwvfmv_rjgx1DAZOTHhAyQwhOt2f0TvzRXvEr4Nz5a1qtIWqMruT5_lI0hj8yUX4CIuNxHFM/s320/yellow1.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/hitchcock_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXf4FCNXT852xPRscFfIH7FHhr9I-1BVDhfuVebv2fAnKZI1hyxcVHXEQ0C1BlECab-OCG0kzjHUqZdn6y6Y1PltmbaoUAcY_TTYkWe2YJK_FfSgP0d0eJj9tkKFb9DGrek5TPi_NXmunm/s1600/hitchcock_ver2.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
Biopics are among my least favorite types of film, because, in their wide swath of a person's life, they typically lack a compelling plot. <i>Hitchcock</i>, by focusing only on the famous director as he was filming <i>Psycho</i>, would seem to avoid my dislike, by focusing the plot on a more discrete sequence of events. Hitchcock, it seems, had either been a philanderer up to this point, or at least had a habit of fantasizing about his female leads (in this case Janet Leigh, played by Scarlett Johansson) to a degree that makes his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) uncomfortable. She is his partner in selecting and revising scripts, yet must stand by the sidelines while he hoards the fame and indulges his erotic ego. Alma entertains a light flirtation with old friend and fellow writer Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston), a relationship more engaging than the rest of the film. This is a script that presumes too much inherent viewer fascination with the minutia of Hitchcock's process.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Shame</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2011/shame.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hNLZAaskKBVTHSfh_CeHcqfazX36ds491tNs7x5bE_u5j31Kcc8e1MY9TaVC4Fn-FZ0J38AUHesHv8U7ZDAhqu3E3uBeXc3DgZjMrWrxWktBNqiOESb1jID6UVPiU7jbbQ0KmLPmbgwp/s1600/shame.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a sex-addict of sorts. His office computer is filled with porn. His house is filled with porn. He sees opportunity in every shared glance on the subway. And he has such established patterns with prostitutes that they part ways like lovers. His insatiable appetite for sex is the central and unfortunately unexplained mystery of the film. He's not a pervert, not a voyeur, and he derives no pleasure from any part of the act. He has sex until he is exhausted and raw, and then he continues, past the point of tears.<br />
<br />
Brandon's unstable sister (Carey Mulligan) intrudes into his life, loosening his controlled routine, and threatening to expose his problem. Her life isn't roses either, and perhaps they share some abusive past that compels them to mechanically sabotage their own mental health.<br />
<br />
While watching <i>The Limits of Control</i>, I found myself wondering if an excellent, captivating movie is undermined by lack of resolution. If I enjoy the ride, does it matter that I'm disappointed with the destination? In the case of <i>Shame</i>, it matters. Tethered to Brandon's dysfunctional perspective for so long, I wanted an explanation, or promise of healing, or something that would allow me to see beyond the claustrophobic boundaries of his mania. Well acted, but what's it all about?<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>An Education</i></b> (2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2009/education.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17gufWG4YwYipE9OE2Snbc7BkoWHYR9MOwfiVi5ejkgSy_e4rfVWoLB2jVOYB1WWrrmMMFh0nkQXoAsONGMX9mKHXTh90d8icTjLyhTWCEkaFYSApeNrDoF5UTsgWQj9CCiNa3m1GI_RQ/s1600/education.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
My fourth Carey Mulligan movie in a short while. Mulligan is a student who begins an affair with worldly and mature Peter Sarsgaard. There's no wonder that meek and sheltered Mulligan is wooed by Sarsgaard's money, knowledge of art and music, and ability to mingle comfortably with her parents. Sarsgaard for his part has not just a sexual interest in Mulligan, but seems delighted with how he reflects off her. Each thing she loves about him he can believe in and love about himself.<br />
<br />
This film is difficult to watch. It promises a train wreck, rather than a romance, and so we must endure Mulligan's naivety and Sarsgaard's callousness without any promise of a happy ending.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Man of Steel</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/man_of_steel.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeasS_z5n0Vv-Xmu-RJRw-oB1W5KwYAj-ywVAxjb1Tk4kWFH8pEQqQIRbGGZHUeLighZcDbepjeHMPhRYMiSOGI_VGZlAB79ZTr8Ct_7OYWtXRXIDyopmXFGSycwJWyWMeK2jrkn1mv8x/s1600/man_of_steel.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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<br />
@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
<div>
<br />
Like <i>Superman</i> (1977), <i>Man of Steel</i> opens with Superman's parents attempting to send him safely away from their dying planet, Krypton. In the previous origin movie, Krypton is a world of glowing crystal columns, and everyone wears shiny foil clothing. In this reboot, it's a sci-fi lover's fantasy come true, with awesome space-ships flying above beautiful alien cityscapes.<br />
<br />
Much has already been said about this, the best superhero movie of the year, and the best DC Comics live-action movie. I'll content myself with a quick list of likes and dislikes.<br />
<br />
Dislikes:<br />
<ul>
<li>So much destruction! In very few superhero plots does the hero have the foresight to lure the villain into an unpopulated area. Too often they just try to wear down the villain's face with skyscraper after falling skyscraper. As <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjSNLmb0Ndw" target="_blank">HISHE</a> jokes, heroes should know better. But after this much destruction, Lex Luthor will have a sympathetic audience when he declares Superman an alien menace.</li>
<li>When a villain is turning his heat vision clockwise toward trapped civilians, the correct course of action is to turn the villain's head counterclockwise. Or upward. Or downward. Or cover his eyes with your invulnerable hands. Or gruesomely gouge out his nearly-invulnerable eyes with your more-so invulnerable fingers. Or fly upward with him to take him away from potential victims. Do not, and this is on page 1 of the superhero manual, do not turn the villain's head clockwise. Toward the trapped civilians.</li>
<li>Remember in <i>Superman</i> when teenaged Clark gets so mad he kicks a football into orbit, and then runs really fast to confuse his bullies? When <i>Man of Steel</i>'s Clark loses his cool, he impales a jerk's truck with logs (violent as a hurricane but quiet as a mouse). Imagine every time a journalist takes a swipe at playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne if later that night Batman retaliated by blowing up their apartment with batarangs? As the Strobe said, "With super powers comes super responsibility, dammit." Part of Superman's lore is that it is his wholesome upbringing that teaches him to restrain himself. Whether or not the penalty for being a sexist jerk should be destruction of one's vehicle and means of livelihood, it's not Clark Kent's style to mete out this form of punishment.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Likes:<br />
<ul>
<li>Henry Cavill does't have Christopher Reeve's wholesome charm, but otherwise he looks every bit the part that Reeve and Routh did. And more than those other two actors, he exudes strength.</li>
<li>Amy Adams is perfect as Lois Lane. Dana Delany (from the DC Animated Universe) is still my favorite, but Adams does a great job. The movie didn't try hard enough to make her essential to the plot, but it gives her props by making her competent enough to discover Superman's secret identity.</li>
<li>Jonathan Kent's sacrifice, though it might not make logical sense, was awesome. And does more to form Clark's identity than does Glenn Ford's heart attack in <i>Superman</i>. I don't agree with Pa Kent's valuation of secret identity over saving a life, so maybe that's out of character, but it shows that he's put a lot of thought into what Clark's role in the world might be, and he doesn't want to burden Clark prematurely with all the tough choices he'll have to make.</li>
<li>Michael Shannon's Zod convinced me of his impetus; he's not just eeeeevil; he's fulfilling his singular purpose.</li>
<li>In general, the entire supporting cast did a great job. </li>
<li>Superspeed in battle done right. The fights are awesome.</li>
<li>Good dialog.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Justice League: Doom</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2027128/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0OlFxw9Z965OZLGTYXHsgTLCn7jXEoKYPGxrtdE5yixM8FUUYqI8aQwgN7GgavB8viLWzHht0LznoQHkpAFEn1ENQfXMKTrfOhk0JRglOOY2w6YZPpn69k3I3Oe5U2dFaQKGBcs07EYU/s1600/MV5BMTQwNDUxOTkzMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzEzNzkxNw@@._V1_SY317_CR11,0,214,317_.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
<br />
The best superhero work is being done in animation. DC Comics continues its string of quality direct-to-video superhero movies with a scheme wrought from within the Justice League itself. Batman, paranoid, genius strategist that he is, has a contingency to defeat each other member of the Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Flash), should they become compromised. (How many plots see a mind-controlled member of the team easily ambushing everyone else on the team? Batman must read comics too.) Unfortunately, a legion of their arch-enemies gains access to Batman's strategies, and, with a few lethal tweaks, launches a surgical strike against the League.<br />
<br />
That final line! Batman is the most badass superhero.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>The Giant Mechanical Man</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/giant_mechanical_man.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3mcXSwzpW5j0VeA1kg57X6HtRtjsiYYRdsjDwzK3KMC1vpVBlTeNm09IkbgIqQYZV1WcCJmlk5eu8yk3PouIzpEaEcRZVzb81hu_LqW9PVQEKqhs-uJjXBNQKCh_itcva9yL9DchOzha/s1600/giant_mechanical_man.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
<br />
An okay romance? Jenna Fischer and Chris Messina have some chemistry as mutually awkward floaters. By day, they work together at a zoo. By night, he's a performance artist while she's fending off advances by an incredibly obnoxious Topher Grace. Fischer confides in Messina's Mechanical Man alter-ego, and it's a testament to his artistic conviction that he doesn't break character to hit on her. The movie is fun at times, uncomfortable at others. I most enjoyed Fischer's odd relationship with her younger sister, Malin Akerman, who obnoxiously describes Fischer as her little sister; Messina's staunch defense of his craft; and his ex-girlfriend leaving him not because she doesn't believe in his work (she does), but because they're just not a great fit. So nice to see an ex not demonized.<br />
<br />
This movie was good as I watched it, but I like it more upon reflection.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Saturday Night Fever</i></b> (1977)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1977/saturday_night_fever.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK2V3P6W3dqYIL-e7LlobAzpwerNYU8nwBoRe9JNakiOhNGKHShcFAVRHhsOeeMTtJMpaY5XrwdrBMI8EZHP2yxKzJyyiFewsqChY3soHPRcsTflZaFf6wA_f9wsKg1hl3vmQTTV5g_kH/s1600/saturday_night_fever.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm perhaps the last person on earth to see this classic. Great dancing. Rough, moody, unpredictable characters. Punch in the gut for an ending.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Romeo + Juliet</i></b> (1996)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxrggiOY9o6GjMzpljv7IETL9jP1DpYOQwuMMYvzxzqWnVs9dNd55mGX8_6DNmiIu4D4Mwvfmv_rjgx1DAZOTHhAyQwhOt2f0TvzRXvEr4Nz5a1qtIWqMruT5_lI0hj8yUX4CIuNxHFM/s320/yellow1.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1996/william_shakespeares_romeo_and_juliet.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgoqXOUmdk6qXCPOwQ-et0rv9hqKOFFAQzRYiurGtRV02vpSfXDvio7A4jrjSpa6Mpca98EywGBm2UDK-cnyxYM72KlEhfobCiWWz4kkb5kCrLhpcUxwtBNn3Y-Gl0_xRbI3M4t2te6he/s1600/william_shakespeares_romeo_and_juliet.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a></div>
<br />
Even considering that I generally dislike performances of Shakespeare's works, this movie is obnoxiously bad. Characters scream at each other with breathless speed, squeezing a monologue into the same space that a modern teen would use to say simply, "sod off". Roles are overreacted, as if for some audience in the back row, rather than the camera downstage center. The film isn't as spastic as Luhrmann's <i>Moulin Rogue!</i>, but is nevertheless more cartoonish. Yuck.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Daai mo seut si</i></b> (<i>The Great Magician</i>, 2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/hong_kong/2011/daai_mo_seut_si_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOCvP2KN7q_whTzlOSICtiOUoWUw3nW-FvK40FV7DQE1_Ff_vMSdCbMjiINPbQolQya2HeUEt1K1yoydqJolo5PzfXpJ9C-IYaVtYfw4-i0cXOnsoKpp6I4_4vwlDNjvO64ZohTB_Cafl/s1600/daai_mo_seut_si_ver2.jpg" height="200" width="143" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm having trouble recalling details about this movie. A magician uses his skills to protect the woman he loves, and to thwart a conspiracy.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Witness for the Prosecution</i></b> (1957)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1957/witness_for_the_prosecution.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjFC9R3auarlziOBOiFfl4jQ4eNC6eX-j3B9IwVK7MPUR1nMVd1BRi7WxnGc9JBZQvCGTcU0N41htsO4hTvn0-isqbl5HSFvV0g7LwwmNWHNbdbR72aySwcj9jYnMbr-wRY6STgpBMAjm/s1600/witness_for_the_prosecution.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
An ailing attorney, Charles Laughton, is intrigued by a seeming open/shut murder case. Agreeing to help the accused, he tries to uncover the truth before justice can be miscarried. Like <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-video-roundup-february-2013.html" target="_blank"><i>Dial M for Murder</i></a>, this movie's drama unfolds carefully through just a handful of scenes, and each is riveting.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>The Philadelphia Story</i></b> (1940)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032904/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxHZVkKRjdcX0Id708ELlyj_TcaYVr7mLsBiUg1r2nGhyphenhyphena1Y1C6xeApW1ABJ7DGjAKFRFrTH8RLTjmHf2sfhT7ZLFGESLVrOH2S332p4rwWSE0RdUb6RxrNEAluFJ22ePvBdz-PcjJYYh/s1600/MV5BMTIyNzYxMjc4OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDc5MDA5._V1_SY317_CR3,0,214,317_.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Good for some laughs as cad Cary Grant tries to win back Katherine Hepburn from an impending marriage to John Howard. Chivalrous James Stewart offers his affections as well. 2nd viewing, though the first was as a kid.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Penelope</i></b> (2008)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2008/penelope_ver3.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJRJ6oSE2mtwN0RKd8z_vjtdOKOnm6NoA_SPxu05RGLIAeWZmfY5iYLz2BcurbA3ObGyLStXV6S9LGsLR_N6FHitDYZab09P0xAXWp5LoI3l2MBRDcxJPm_xe87Oq5d5Nr8M99ubda-NC/s1600/penelope_ver3.jpg" height="200" width="137" /></a></div>
<br />
When a young aristocrat in Victorian America woos then spurns one of his family's housemaids, she commits suicide, and her mother curses the boy's family: the girls in their family will be born with pig noses, onward until the day when they are truly loved. Fast forward to present day. Christina Ricci is the latest offspring in the family line, and her parents, Catherine O'Hara and Richard E. Grant, are trying get a man to love her, to break the spell. Young men are attracted to the promised dowry, but run screaming when they finally see her. Paparazzi Peter Dinklage enlists compulsive gambler James McAvoy to endure the courtship long enough to snap some damning photos of the reclusive heiress. Can McAvoy see past her fortune and her nose to the darling underneath? Can Ricci survive her parents' well meaning but obsessive meddling to find true love?<br />
<br />
A fun fable; good romance; good ending. 2nd viewing.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-16385794831375682552014-05-06T23:58:00.003-07:002014-05-07T00:03:54.559-07:00Spider-Man UnmaskedThe release of <i>The Amazing Spider-Man 2</i> got me thinking about all the different people who have played our friendly neighborhood wall crawler over the years. The chart below weights each actor's time in the spandex by the duration of the movies and television series in which they appeared.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqepXRflhtYBdFlVkSqOCnNhqvX00zXhjoGkE-oPfQACUaI9B8czr07Zkwavr_Uf3te_NQE2C4sFJPeq7c5L2mQlDzjEIdxAodwkxYMb6A5EUCNgvhKdYFTitw37EoThnly1klTDyBbHN7/s1600/100M100T_Spider-Man.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqepXRflhtYBdFlVkSqOCnNhqvX00zXhjoGkE-oPfQACUaI9B8czr07Zkwavr_Uf3te_NQE2C4sFJPeq7c5L2mQlDzjEIdxAodwkxYMb6A5EUCNgvhKdYFTitw37EoThnly1klTDyBbHN7/s1600/100M100T_Spider-Man.png" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
If the actor portrayed Spider-Man and/or Peter Parker in at least one scene of the movie/episode, the actor gets credit for the entire duration of the movie/episode. I calculate 44 minutes and 22 minutes for hour-long and half-hour shows, respectively, with the exception of <i>The Electric Company</i>, which I estimate at 6 minutes per skit.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-47847431864379260102014-04-25T16:38:00.002-07:002014-04-25T16:38:26.075-07:00Gender Representation in Digitally-Animated FilmsAnimated movies weren't among my favorites as a kid, but when I saw <i>Toy Story</i> (1995) during my first year in college, I was hooked on the new digital medium. Since then I've seen more than eighty digitally-animated movies.<br />
<br />
Something's been bothering me, though, since <i>Brave</i> (2012) garnered attention for featuring a strong female lead. Animated movies are targeted at kids, and there are as many girls as boys in the world; so why aren't there more female characters in these movies? What examples are we setting for children if most of their movie heroes are male?<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>The Data</b><br />
<br />
Curious, I compiled a list of movies that meet the following criteria:<br />
<ul>
<li>Theatrically released</li>
<li>Sold at least 10,000 tickets in US</li>
<li>Rated G or PG </li>
<li>Digitally-animated (e.g., not animated by hand, rotoscoping, or stop-motion, and no or few live-action sequences)</li>
</ul>
Conveniently, exactly 100 movies meet those criteria. Then, to map the data:<br />
<ol>
<li>To determine which character is the lead, I looked first to the IMDB cast list. For about a third of the movies the cast is listed alphabetically, in order of appearance, or in some other manner not representative of character importance; in these cases I referred to the corresponding Wikipedia entry to identify the main characters. In a few cases, I just had to use my judgment.</li>
<li>Each character is considered separately, even if voiced by the same actor.</li>
<li>Character gender typically corresponds to voice actor gender. In cases where they differ, I favored the character's gender; for non-human roles, I favored the actor's gender. Again, in a few cases I just had to use my judgment.</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<b>Female Leads</b><br />
<br />
How many of these movies feature a female lead? Just ten.<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Hoodwinked</i> (2006)</li>
<li><i>Happily N'ever After</i> (2007)</li>
<li><i>Battle for Terra</i> (2009)</li>
<li><i>Monsters vs. Aliens</i> (2009)</li>
<li><i>Tangled</i> (2010)</li>
<li><i>Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil</i> (2011)</li>
<li><i>Brave</i> (2012)</li>
<li><i>Epic</i> (2013)</li>
<li><i>Frozen</i> (2013)</li>
<li><i>The Croods</i> (2013)</li>
</ul>
Girls are represented in the lead just ten percent of the time. They fare better as the secondary character, securing this position in 31 of the movies. Of those, four are on our original list (i.e., the primary and secondary characters are both female).<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Hoodwinked</i> (2006)</li>
<li><i>Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil</i> (2011)</li>
<li><i>Brave</i> (2012)</li>
<li><i>Frozen</i> (2013)</li>
</ul>
Contrast that to the 61 titles where the primary and secondary characters are both male. If you went to see a random digitally-animated movie in the past twenty years, you're nine times more likely to have seen a movie with a male lead, and fifteen times more likely to have seen a movie with a male in the top two spots (contrasted to seeing a female in the top two spots).<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Weighted Roles</b><br />
<br />
What if we look at the top 10 characters in each film, instead of just the top 2?<br />
<br />
Being in the lead is more important than being in the tenth position, so I don't want to weight them equally. Therefore I employ the following system: The first position is worth 10 points; the second is worth 9 points, and so on, with the tenth position worth just 1 point. So the first position is just slightly better than the second position, but ten times better than the tenth position. With this formula, I then determine which percentage of the available points (not all movies have ten significant roles) have been earned by each gender.<br />
<br />
This graph shows how each movie scores.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDYMBJVJqnLBWQTRtRcfKrdfMyZSyF5huX35Y3T8ilVC6WCW-EyXoa4G6tFxg5JgN1T35wyQYFnwTduqdvQTEMEHaSm745GakR0lI5I2wuf94T9uIY-dmhRbVvy2rcQqMRQeo_8R13vd1/s1600/100M100T_Gender_Representation_Digital_Movies_by_Year.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDYMBJVJqnLBWQTRtRcfKrdfMyZSyF5huX35Y3T8ilVC6WCW-EyXoa4G6tFxg5JgN1T35wyQYFnwTduqdvQTEMEHaSm745GakR0lI5I2wuf94T9uIY-dmhRbVvy2rcQqMRQeo_8R13vd1/s1600/100M100T_Gender_Representation_Digital_Movies_by_Year.png" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The vertical axis is the year of release, beginning with 1995 (top) and ending with 2014 (bottom, including movies still in the theater).</li>
<li>The horizontal axis is the percentage male (far left) vs. female (far right). A movie in the middle of the chart, according to my formula above, would have equal representation of males and females.</li>
<li>Where several movies are competing for the same position on the graph, I tried to center them as a group around their desired position.</li>
<li>If two movies score the same percentage, I look only at the first role, then the second role, etc., to decide which should be on the left (more male) or the right (more female). As a result, the movie on the left of the tie appears slightly more male than it actually is, and the movie on the right of the tie appears slightly more female than it actually is. Therefore, if a movie has an adjacent neighbor, its horizontal position is an estimation.</li>
<li>Via colored borders I've emphasized Pixar and Dreamworks productions, collectively contributing 36 films to the medium.</li>
</ul>
<br />
The median movie is 74% male, 26% female, with only two movies at least 50% female.<br />
<br />
Among movies with a female lead, <i>Hoodwinked Too</i>, <i>The Croods</i>, and <i>Brave</i> also capture the top three spots for female representation. <i>Frozen</i>, despite having two female leads, is still 62% male and ranks 13th. <i>Monsters vs. Aliens</i>, 76% male, ranks the lowest at 57th.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Box Office Impact</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-dollar-and-cents-case-against-hollywoods-exclusion-of-women/" target="_blank">FiveThirtyEight</a> recently concluded that movies passing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test" target="_blank">Bechdel test</a> earned more per dollar spent than movies that fail the test. Within the context of digitally-animated movies, does a movie's gender make-up affect the box office?<br />
<br />
In the chart below, I replace Year with Millions of Tickets Sold on the vertical axis. Each movie's position on the horizontal axis has been reasserted, placing it where it should be, even if it overlaps another movie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDJKgOs_lr94WiuYKbwy90BP6jHlWcUr18aDY0nnfnUtZzpC5SE2pmgtQmpcsXlxl2wRlA-HskBKfo1D3YBUa-V1iPSEzeCITWWDdoEzzsP-qdwB5PAzF8zkNFFN02zIRqzV1a6Lhf1Lz/s1600/100M100T_Gender_Representation_Digital_Movies_by_Tickets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDJKgOs_lr94WiuYKbwy90BP6jHlWcUr18aDY0nnfnUtZzpC5SE2pmgtQmpcsXlxl2wRlA-HskBKfo1D3YBUa-V1iPSEzeCITWWDdoEzzsP-qdwB5PAzF8zkNFFN02zIRqzV1a6Lhf1Lz/s1600/100M100T_Gender_Representation_Digital_Movies_by_Tickets.png" height="202" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There is only a 2% correlation between Percent Female and Millions of Tickets Sold. I was hoping there would be a stronger (positive) correlation, but this chart at least suggests that studios wouldn't be taking a financial risk if their animated movies feature more female roles.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-13862195584064983702014-04-24T16:42:00.002-07:002014-04-24T16:42:51.348-07:00Emery Bay ClosesPer the <a href="http://evilleeye.com/in-the-neighborhood/entertainment/public-markets-emery-bay-theater-goes-dim-forever/" target="_blank">E'ville Eye</a>, the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/05/58-babies.html" target="_blank">United Artists Emery Bay Stadium 10</a> has now closed, marking the 10th Bay Area theater to close since I began this blog in 2010. In that same time, only two theaters have opened (that I know of), the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/byzantium.html" target="_blank">New Parkway</a> in Oakland, and the <a href="http://www.cinemark.com/theatre-detail.aspx?node_id=60543" target="_blank">Century at Pacific Commons</a> in Fremont (both opened in 2012).<br />
<br />
It's impressive that the Emery Bay survived twelve years with neighboring <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/07/67-last-airbender.html" target="_blank">AMC Bay Street 16</a> sniping all the good titles. With this closure, Regal further diminishes its Bay Area presence, dropping to a distant third with 6 theaters and 61 screens (behind Cinemark's 28 theaters and 325 screens, and AMC's 8 theaters and 127 screens).<br />
<br />
From <i>The Mummy </i>(1999) to <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/11/home-video-roundup-march-2013.html" target="_blank">Beautiful Creatures</a></i> (2013) I visited the Emery Bay a total of 66 times, nearly as many visits as I've made to another fourteen Regal theaters combined. The Emery Bay ranks as my third most visited theater, behind only the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/gravity.html" target="_blank">Grand Lake Theater</a> (181 visits) and <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/11/enders-game.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre</a> (68 visits).<br />
<br />
In honor of Emery Bay's passing, I present my...<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Top 10 Emery Bay Experiences</b> (in chronological order)<br />
<br />
1. <i><b>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</b></i> (2001)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2000/crouching_tiger_hidden_dragon_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx9hNZerRzLub1CrQ5ZECjFg0UqLiKb-9wEqrfocpWdzwZqIZdEUKzHLk1qouKRJEqIoWrbsjBnwAcpwQ4h6gu7U-DRTTrOlP14gHcFmderUK66tnoZtzOq6GNobYSxPt5ofoR-39yUUE/s1600/crouching_tiger_hidden_dragon_ver2.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<br />
My first of what would be a record-setting five theater visits to see this movie (three of them at the Emery Bay). A movie so amazing, beautiful, and tragic, I had to keep coming back.<br />
<br />
2. <i><b>3000 Miles to Graceland</b></i> (2001)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxrggiOY9o6GjMzpljv7IETL9jP1DpYOQwuMMYvzxzqWnVs9dNd55mGX8_6DNmiIu4D4Mwvfmv_rjgx1DAZOTHhAyQwhOt2f0TvzRXvEr4Nz5a1qtIWqMruT5_lI0hj8yUX4CIuNxHFM/s320/yellow1.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2001/three_thousand_miles_to_graceland_ver1.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBVp1wzEHJtMdbg0mNbZnHxu2rfV7Os3hEP85SWIp5IDl28d3fkpx9JbMKdBZBc62h5DKwjNfP5CvQczUEPL6Ftz78wtuGrqhhIx8_jc9VS1rHSPn6vqEwv4x97bLzsG1ognqDMw0KJwQ/s1600/three_thousand_miles_to_graceland_ver1.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
<br />
A terrible, terrible, terrible movie. This violent, boring piece of garbage provides another in a long list of reasons people dislike Kevin Costner (I like him, but not here). Nothing but the fact that I had never walked out on a movie before kept me in my seat (a streak I gladly broke the next year for <i>Nijinsky: The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky</i>).<br />
<br />
3. <i><b>Monsters, Inc.</b></i> (2001)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2001/monsters_inc_ver3.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_DdR1kV4-Wy098icocL33zTMubnF2kTZad3GJA52q_1iZdnMQKAC7uUjhbEuwkWEhehU5nk0yRb9gtiORQKNh9nl95HOktYpbfxTvCp5r6m9fz0OFH9qlv9aeHO8UZEpqCxIlbMC5JDV/s1600/monsters_inc_ver3.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
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The first movie I saw with my girlfriend, Mica, just a week after we started dating. Fast forward twelve years (with a five year break in the middle), and we've now been to the theater together 169 times (20 visits to the Emery Bay).<br />
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4. <i><b>Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone</b></i> (2001)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2001/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stone_ver4.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-6PefsRk_Sxoe7CcjFoUZ2t19JYS9oOeUd5OeOz6TdPcXY-TVbfaLToRDcZviPGn8zUPun0wbqSSJ201qSx_pddFx4B6TQd_IDke3c2s15gLoeHNLnu2c6R0Zi4AHYB3bAwDHBRFvvlc/s1600/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stone_ver4.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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Mica and I would eventually see all eight Harry Potter movies at the Grand Lake, but we started at Emery Bay.<br />
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5. <i><b>Sweet Home Alabama</b></i> (2002)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2002/sweet_home_alabama_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFmuZ7fa_mgY_C5bs356Ju1O54mpfjcrPIQS9a2NoxvzUYTS2ElUVMxVu_0pFpSvfpXhZm22m2u5R6sQXO3wZFq5yc21APICVNFSBo2iQZRSaHBQ9AIcX3bzoYOM18hIkDpF-SbWzrrFG/s1600/sweet_home_alabama_ver2.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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For any given movie, I might disagree with someone on some nuance of what the desired outcome ought to have been, but in this Reese Witherspoon romance, Mica and I wanted her to end up with different beaus. Mica favored suave Patrick Dempsey, while I leaned toward salt-of-the-earth Josh Lucas.<br />
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6. <i><b>The Butterfly Effect</b></i> (2004)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2004/butterfly_effect.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCclcKEriMsCFwOoaBeWQ8DzjQpjyd2xVi2BVjpw_P1kqg-YcRKRIHE6_BIiskIe8Wy7ySkba-Z4WZntleZkdHy9_njPipk_CRgkgSleNr4xO2UnKk1kXbFlS9KSrvHROYsRRgLjzwfNXd/s1600/butterfly_effect.jpg" height="200" width="137" /></a></div>
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I've already discussed this movie as one of my <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/04/top-10-time-loops.html" target="_blank">Top 10 Time Loops</a>. What strikes me about it in hindsight is how much more I liked it than I thought I would, and how often I still think about it, trying to puzzle through its tangled premise.<br />
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7. <i><b>The Forgotten</b></i> (2004)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2004/forgotten.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpJL1TKt526cFPLhQC8xCs-hmZIVreUBb9BfZXs71N-VLR62Vzn8Hy-VGAlLexnFBx-Y57JRoZ3EYg1To69LZbR3_pBEaOnZLH4UukwwhB5rvavcodpRVDW3Zj8gvc6laWlOljZWCgUGz/s1600/forgotten.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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[Spoiler warning.] There are several gotcha moments in this movie, but none greater than recoiling from my driver's seat perspective of Julianne Moore as another car suddenly rams into her passenger door. I think I jumped backward about three rows.<br />
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8. <i><b>Valiant</b></i> (2005)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxrggiOY9o6GjMzpljv7IETL9jP1DpYOQwuMMYvzxzqWnVs9dNd55mGX8_6DNmiIu4D4Mwvfmv_rjgx1DAZOTHhAyQwhOt2f0TvzRXvEr4Nz5a1qtIWqMruT5_lI0hj8yUX4CIuNxHFM/s320/yellow1.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2005/valiant.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fYXjjE2IxmROeOQGRNY47EsqoOkcV7bcufavf4MOWUNxuNBIR0KLvA8_kI4RDOekbfrEd_Xb2oMj8gm6uiCBp6ItbYV6fVI0oV7ivxT00LtnqSAx5FVYxZHtv6RGPEQ9C-qo9HeJVNcL/s1600/valiant.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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Up until this point, digitally-animated films had either been great, or at least okay. <i>Valiant</i> brought the medium to full maturation by being completely boring and unworthy of a theatrical release. (Audiences agreed. Of 100 digitally-animated films that have sold at least one million tickets in the US, <i>Valiant</i> ranks 90th.)<br />
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9. <i><b>Babies</b></i> (2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/babies.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-rw425FL3UfRE3dnhUov7KNyVlj-eyfaeiWnApy7KeIitkyxTFY4SPuSSSmayb7Xrl82ORbI-O3z8CFr9yhm4T8Ieh0KLqAJ-fandjs2EAfAbZ6dJZHY1n01uCGDrpnYqA_ASXUxQR0K/s1600/babies.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
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(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/05/58-babies.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>.)<br />
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I like going to the movies by myself; I like going with a friend. Either way, I'm happy. At the Emery Bay, I went to 40 movies by myself, 22 with a single friend, and just 2 with two friends. Four friends accompanied me to <i>Babies</i>, making it a jolly good time.<br />
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10. <i><b>Safety Not Guaranteed</b></i> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/safety_not_guaranteed.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigblWND_6tzVxA5jEUY654QNt2cXojd4BXhQdC_UKr33LZ8G5b9nNBNG8RWwe5OOkBeqwbm_05-xBcgid9OPLHQIHvMbOxdTz2y4yoI0OQStq6AeOHTbKZpMPFhZtGiKZ-kIM4T-o2wb5p/s1600/safety_not_guaranteed.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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My second viewing of my second favorite movie of 2012 (after <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-video-roundup-february-2013.html" target="_blank"><i>Moonrise Kingdom</i></a>), and, like <i>Babies</i>, with four friends in tow. A reminder of what a magical experience a theater can create for its audience.<br />
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Thank you, Emery Bay. I'll miss you.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-59792110040402881722014-04-13T11:43:00.004-07:002014-04-13T11:43:53.074-07:00Home Video Roundup: May 2013<hr />
<b><i>Monkey Business</i></b> (1952)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1952/monkey_business.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK_f1XvTzJtsAb7zy5rHJ64aUSR1Uzrszt_khFsJNwV7vLjqIAlyfT67t4PVMRFh92dowEbfDuOWc9sUrkcwloOHM63ehHOV_qYr4SfR_a_MCOHJ2h1KF6qHhC59vNwyF0VFFBbnXha_U/s200/monkey_business.jpg" /></a></div>
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There is a trope in comedies whereby a reserved character gets drunk, high, or otherwise intoxicated, and subsequently acts outlandish, hopefully with hilarious consequences. Think Kristin Wiig’s airplane drunkenness in <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/06/bridesmaids.html" target="_blank">Bridesmaids</a></i> (2011), or Alan Tudyk dropping acid in <i>Death at a Funeral</i> (2007). As common as this technique is, it’s usually only good for shock embarrassment and a few chuckles. A character isn’t funny if that character must behave out-of-character to be funny. Contrast to Zach Galifianakis in <i>The Hangover</i> (2009); he’s unpredictable and zany with or without substance augmentation.<br />
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Looks like Hollywood has been leaning on this crutch at least since 1952. Cary Grant is a scientist, whose lab chimpanzee concocts a youth serum, which Grant inadvertently drinks. Soon he’s bouncing off the walls like a teenager, except not exactly like a teenager, but rather more like an adult pretending to be an exaggerated version of a teenager for the amusement of an adult audience. Ginger Rogers gets a shot of the stuff as well and begins acting like an eight-year-old. For the most part, the film is dull.<br />
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To express his youthfulness, Grant gets the in-vogue haircut of the day, the crew-cut. To the contemporary audience, this probably made him look/seem younger. I associate the crew-cut not with youth, but with specific bygone eras (1980s, 1950s), so his crew-cut actually aged him in my estimation. It will be interesting to see how youth-centric icons of the current era come to be associated with their generation, rather than the age of their inception. Will backwards ball caps and skate boards someday come to symbolize a geriatric generation still clinging to those totems of their youth?<br />
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<b><i>The General</i></b> (1926)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1926/general.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GcuK_Is8sYy2bxYFvgJwQ5tO8IPtym63KBPignp_svzjmVC3syZebPqX34cXxcM3FzB3d0J4ncOgZBfcbV9DEBn2whPAiT9GpAfG7_BY0lhROmSXD1AWh4AClgRMrjTbQ9KbX8Uwl7Yj/s1600/general.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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Buster Keaton, a railroad engineer, tries repeatedly to volunteer for the Confederate Army but is rejected because of his small stature. The woman he fancies (Marion Mack) is proud when her father and brother enlist; not knowing that Keaton is unable to join, she is ashamed that he won’t fight beside her family. When Union spies take Mack hostage and head back into Union territory on Keaton’s train (”The General”), it’s up to Keaton to rescue his love, retrieve his train, and thwart a Union invasion, all by himself.<br />
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This is my first of now five silent Keaton movies, too late for me to appreciate Keaton making an appearance as himself in <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/home-video-roundup-february-2013.html" target="_blank">Sunset Boulevard</a></i>. The man is a comic genius, and plays a character unlike any I’ve seen. A courageous, industrious buffoon, his acting style is a mixture of Jackie Chan’s physical comedy, Leslie Nielsen’s accidental catastrophes, Jay Baruchel’s endearing dweebism, Ben Stiller’s magnetism for insults, and Chris Pratt’s optimism and dauntlessness.<br />
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<b><i>Toki o kakeru shôjo</i></b> (<i>Time Traveler</i>, 2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1614408/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafmkVdt89Cd7xmI7-JWTo88ivcCCSDlXbTTpGl9hfVii-m5aVx1F-wcmaj959w6nejf0RidVR9De9chOr4FFzMmGWC1HcClYVt2jrGUykCZKqkeps_Pu0eqMqiVC3WwxN3FOD39-mgtaS/s1600/MV5BMjI2NDYwMjE2MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODM3NTc3NA@@._V1_SY317_CR5,0,214,317_.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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Adapted from the same Manga that gave us <i>The Girl Who Leapt Through Time</i>, this version’s Akari travels back to just before her conception. She befriends her mother, and meets the various men who could be her father. Attempting to blend in, she helps her parents with their experimental student sci-fi film, while also trying to get back to her own time, and to avert an impending disaster that is sure to kill one of the important people from her past. This film’s sci-fi conceit takes backstage to the quiet drama of a girl exploring the past in a personal way. Not as exciting as the more superpowered animated version, but interesting.<br />
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<b><i>Iron Man 3</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/iron_man_three_ver9.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7qVTZFfmAfLKLqThAiyig9SxMbLdgXRiDos-EFnD8geo1QpB8YWvxL1_V0CYugnL9wl4yKmiQ5bhkDSJTUw-jS0U_pW30ByT8h5b0neTgvBMNnLEsTRokbm9xdtaeJ_Z7teYYlzhbNR0/s1600/iron_man_three_ver9.jpg" height="200" width="124" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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The <i>Iron Man</i> franchise has rewarded us with a consistent if not predictable trio of arcs. In the first film, Tony Stark (Rober Downey, Jr.) faces off against business partner and engineer Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) wearing industrial-strength Iron Man armor. In the sequel, Stark and pal Rhodey (Don Cheadle), also wearing Iron Man armor, team up against an army of automated Iron Men controlled by two other evil engineers, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). In this third installment, his foe is not an army of Iron Men, but a a rebellion planned by the enigmatic Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and enforced by an army of fire-breathing magma men, the brainchildren of tech-competitor Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). The common thread seems to be that only Tony Stark can wield technology for good.<br />
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Whereas the second movie touched on Stark’s ego and alcoholism (more prevalent in the comics), this latest responds to the events in <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-cinemas-mightiest-heroes.html" target="_blank">The Avengers</a></i>, with Stark frightened of his own mortality, and the prospect of losing love-of-his-life Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to collateral damage. His journey will take him to a boy’s garage in the snowy mountains of Tennessee where he channels MacGyver to defend himself despite his armor being on the fritz.<br />
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With so many adversaries, Stark must rely on his allies more than ever. Rhodey returns, now as War Machine rather than Iron Patriot. Pott’s role continues to grow; from assistant to CEO in the second movie, and damsel in distress to super hero in the third.<br />
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Much of the movie’s technology doesn’t withstand casual questions, like how the armor can fly without Stark’s personal arc reactor, or for that matter how each piece of armor has enough fuel to fly itself across the country in dismembered parts.<br />
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As the eighth installment in the <i>Avengers</i> franchise (yes, I count both <i>Hulk</i> movies), the Avengers are now up there with <i>Harry Potter</i>, <i>Star Trek</i>, and <i>James Bond</i> as the franchises from which I’ve seen the most movies (though there is no shortage of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_series_with_more_than_ten_entries" target="_blank">long-running franchises</a>).<br />
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<b><i>Haywire</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/haywire_ver4.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUtRo3aMZ-bLYf2qVrsdk5RrF2xbSFX3cbwf1xwjM5yxhfQveJoDqCzXVvSSVirjwesyFwMdUw1gDBwHV_5qO_fIMK_MkRUxRenyuOY61so9e1-A_2TiTxhY9wFCxu7JSNn5ZbPsOsBGf/s1600/haywire_ver4.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
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The exceptional Steven Soderbergh continues to explore new genres, this time trying delivering a Jason Bourne-esque action spy thriller. Mallory Kane (mixed-martial artist Gina Carano) is a mercenary cut loose and framed by CIA headhunter Ewan McGregor. Kane must face off against former allies Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender in some of the most brutal close-quarters fights I’ve seen.<br />
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This is an excellent genre film. I’m very disappointed that Carano hasn’t been cast as Wonder Woman in the upcoming <i>Superman vs. Batman</i> movie; she has the perfect combination of athleticism and charisma, and by combat measure, is the toughest woman on the planet.<br />
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<b><i>Bronenosets Potyomkin</i></b> (<i>Battleship Potemkin</i>, 1925)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015648/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXJTzWSWNRwfmzAS8xG9XhvPqr1k-Bkjv280m5z4s3p7fW0bKcGvJ61Gg7TufxzPklhfGG4Y1X1ZCco9UnbmcjhrcLSFPuoYw_MAc_OngJ3cH52bIVRiXT3XJGyy7L08PaOnv9-4oZF70/s1600/MV5BNzMwMzU1NzQyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjUyMzkwMDE@._V1_SY317_CR13,0,214,317_.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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A battleship’s working-class crew mounts a mutiny against their officers who treat them poorly and serve rotting food. The nearby town rejoices at the uprising and sends relief to the heroic shipmen. The historical context is unfamiliar to me, the acting does not withstand the test of time, and overall it's a bit boring. I've heard a lot about this film being groundbreaking for its time, which is fine, but since I'm not a film historian, I don't really care if it doesn't entertain me now.<br />
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<b><i>Sherlock, Jr.</i></b> (1924)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015324/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4faicWk1lE-XjzjgalGX1RXJ8qY4o254rz0TNN2OeLyadkEt01Za6zAVl826YmEjMAzEvI1ZkfQFHQPBQ2SBn_vxAG7r0S1HaooGNNikYLl5LOydJfS_CouAEYVvgmg72KyAywxxm3Dxb/s1600/MV5BMjEwMDQ1MDMwNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzAwNjgwMTE@._V1_SX214_.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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Though the film industry was only a decade old, already it was producing a movie starring a film projectionist (Buster Keaton) who imagines he’s one of the characters in the movie. In real life, he’s been framed for stealing jewelry from his love interest. Using sleuthing skills he picks up from the movies, he tries to clear his name and win his gal. More than half the movie depicts a fantasized version of the narrative, making it difficult to tell which is real and which not.<br />
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Some of the stunts and special effects blew me away, like when Keaton jumps through a window against which he’s propped a hoop-shaped change of costume. When he lands on the other side of the window, he’s now dressed as an old woman. At one point, using either magic or an early form of split screen, a man holds up a suitcase, and Keaton jumps into the suitcase (though the man’s body, actually) and to the other side of a fence. Keaton leaps from a tall building onto a railroad crossing arm, riding it down to the back of a moving car. Awesome stuff that still looks good nearly a century later.<br />
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<b><i>Our Hospitality</i></b> (1923)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Hospitality" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5soVH_u598FSjaVa8p1wNozVIR1-zl3r7g_2kdT9mk509dlivMNdtNSZjaL50BqPUasH6CQS_p7UANTizaliYdOUaRis6w9T3PBsU4gtqdaMyzqTWtfbxrfWxe88afxtRjIbMzGIWVpQ/s1600/Keaton_Our_Hospitality_1923.jpg" height="156" width="200" /></a></div>
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Another comedy of errors in which Keaton, whose family was run out of town a generation ago by a violent feud, returns to his homeland to claim his inheritance (a crumbling old house). His return re-ignites the feud, but also the affections of the rival family’s daughter. Soon he’s wooing her, both because of genuine affection, but also because if he leaves her house, her father and brothers can stop playing host and start shooting.<br />
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<b><i>The Lorax</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/lorax_ver4.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EdSFFQWjLnkLpkiuxj82VfDl6j6Vfi3kDEcEHeJ9G6IYZvc1ZMuVWpCuZzz4w2RVy2CMFv4VDmvFaxsKM3-8TlPRmlojNphbfDujnnycmqHQFqd7p0Vam2GnE0HyxAA_fP6s0XWk3FcA/s1600/lorax_ver4.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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Digital animation is the perfect medium to bring Dr. Seuss's fantasy worlds to life. Like <i>Horton Hears a Who </i>(2008), <i>The Lorax</i> features a beautiful landscape populated by interesting-looking plants, creatures, and people. Danny DeVito's curmudgeonly Lorax is a bit of a bore, but the other characters are fun.<br />
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<b><i>Alter Egos</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1907614/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa8y6JEDRp9lSaGRzqeY4wcARXgJZMHQ502e_UyxYDE1DLlfltEK5AhnigxVo_2p8dvsPo8m-odR0oO2rYatJgdErVNXPcqDduMn0I2V3K9twSchh3qIHj5gYPiM6yFdnKHkJah_MCE40/s1600/MV5BMTQ5NzUzNDcyNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDM1MjE2OA@@._V1_SY317_CR4,0,214,317_.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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Like <i>The Specials</i>, <i>Alter Egos</i> demonstrates that a superhero movie doesn’t need a large budget or known characters to be good. Our central character, Fridge (freezing powers), is lured to an alpine motel by his colleague, C-Thru (x-ray vision, the least useful combat ability ever), to help interrogate a supervillain held captive in one of the motel rooms. Brandon (Fridge’s alter ego) is angry with his girlfriend because she’s having an affair. With Fridge. C-Thru points out that it’s not really cheating if she’s sleeping with the same man, but in two different guises, but Brandon asserts that because she doesn’t know he’s Fridge, it’s an act of infidelity. Think Mary Jane Watson juggling her affections between Peter Parker and Spider-Man.<br />
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<i>Alter Egos</i> is part comedy, part drama, exploring fun superhero terrain by leaning on good writing rather than fancy effects.<br />
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<b><i>Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxrggiOY9o6GjMzpljv7IETL9jP1DpYOQwuMMYvzxzqWnVs9dNd55mGX8_6DNmiIu4D4Mwvfmv_rjgx1DAZOTHhAyQwhOt2f0TvzRXvEr4Nz5a1qtIWqMruT5_lI0hj8yUX4CIuNxHFM/s320/yellow1.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2011/hoodwinked_too_ver4.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCRkhUNn1nk2hNdX4QYvNekULFNdQSD2oIEiJz3J-uG1uiBF8xChgCEYUwCBU2lPlScrVwFqW85SmrCD9yTgLvAR-zbsGS1H521_b0jSQALxCYrXcBkHKbWT3XZvfD55J8Zvgfv9W1T4W/s1600/hoodwinked_too_ver4.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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Terrible. None of the charm or wit of the first movie, and with worse animation. Somehow they earned a theatrical release for a direct-to-video-quality movie, and after shaving years off the age of the target audience. Probably the most disappointing sequel I’ve ever seen.<br />
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<b><i>Lunopolis</i></b> (2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1539313/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqt5hZWoEeUni57Ee5u2JRrCQ5bhJXP2V37jYbLxZSj-UpqBpOc2fSqQtQ2c9UiI4vCUXbai6V4lb0xT73uC0YnBpP4RMtzHx07UCNLU5pIjyKgwpjQqLvg6Yn3S014BRjWaHLHyuRpBj/s1600/MV5BMTk2OTM1Njk4MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzAxNTEwMw@@._V1_SX214_.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
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What a bizarre found-footage movie. The main characters are a team of filmmakers with a mythbusting-like television show. Investigating a cult of moon worshippers (who try to silence them), the filmmakers begin to uncover unexplainable phenomena and doomsday prophesies. Surprisingly engaging for such a low budget film. I was especially impressed by the acting of the leads, who were authentic and convincing as confident TV personalities descending into paranoia.<br />
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<b><i>Repeaters</i></b> (2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/canada/2011/repeaters.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjmnVPtp8yeeO_mJUZUXHCsxewEFEHPzQIVf2qbUvYrBKsHmoA7kkY6S4TCmygzEXtVQTpkjQM2juaDQv7_7kB6iO0rqW2CFvxneGkeE-BseUkgV4m9ZHbl7ptAtdbjZgpEnS5RwIh2PI/s1600/repeaters.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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<i>Groundhog Day</i> (1993) blew my mind. We debated it constantly at the swimming pool and over camp fires, strategizing about how best to prepare for an impending Groundhog Day (flexible locations, access to money), and theorizing what could be accomplished within the constraints of the daily reset. One of Bill Murray’s greatest films, its perfect blend of comedy, science fiction, drama, and romance keeps it relevant and watchable today.<br />
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With such a distinctive conceit, it’s not surprising that Groundhog Day has spawned few imitators. The only titles I can think of include <i>12:01</i> (1993, probably developed independently), <i>Day Break</i> (2006, television mini-series), <i>Repeaters</i> (2010), <i>Source Code</i> (2011), <i>12 Dates of Christmas</i> (2011), and the upcoming <i>Edge of Tomorrow</i> (2014).<br />
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In <i>Repeaters</i>, three teens in rehab are given repeated chances to atone for past mistakes. Whereas <i>Groundhog Day</i>, focusing on Murray's Phil, followed the likely trajectory of confusion to celebration to despair to realization, <i>Repeaters</i>’ three characters gives the movie more space to explore different reactions to the phenomenon, and to play them off each other. Even if one character behaves the same way twice, the outcome would only be the same if the other two did so as well, which of course they won’t.<br />
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Whereas some of the other films in this tiny sub-genre supply scientific reasons for the repetitions, <i>Repeaters</i>, with its dark tone and corrupted characters, allows us to infer that these three are in a sort of limbo of their own making (it does provide an event that would explain why these three in particular are connected). In <i>Groundhog Day</i>, Phil thinks he and his life are great, if only he could get out of this town. In <i>Repeaters</i>, none of the three are happy to begin with, and so travel a darker path toward escaping their confines. Well worth watching.<br />
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<b><i>Visioneers</i></b> (2008)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2009/visioneers.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BcOCcNUOTdTeQyoPaxZUa81ZzPOXV3zH-7wS-0gQk7aQQyvS1K6E10wE_3edUGV_xbfJ-3h9hFq5Cki3iDe-mLRNGGlod04zcr5aQ4cThOP6MLQu3Z0dDgAXZCBBdzlsgKu8NtGflsoe/s1600/visioneers.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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I’m not a fan of dystopian film. Aside from being inherently depressing, they seldom provide a plausible explanation for how society progressed from the viewer’s present to the twisted world of the film’s characters. <i>Visioneers</i> is able to skirt this criticism by being more absurdist. Zach Galifianakis is a bureaucratic cog, whose co-workers are literally exploding around him from the stress and/or tedium of their lives. He is unhappy in his marriage to Judy Greer, whose nuanced performance elevates her above mere foil to Galifianakis. Galifianakis's only healthy relationship is via phone with a woman in a different department whose voice is always tender toward him.<br />
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Almost an homage to the works of Terry Gilliam, the film is strangely good at some parts, but more often is just strange, keeping me at arms distance with it inexplicable society and unpredictable characters.<br />
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<b><i>Prête-moi ta main</i></b> (<i>I Do</i>, 2006)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478724/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x1QnQO1YZ9rasKwcwYJS032Ava4vZa6VIW5bTb-LKq8Uv5IgA3X3Isf8FQK4z18yqYTw11Icr7WObod4fOxgCFmlh3UZpYM9kb_-L0ewXxudykP8Offgj_RDUsgUgZRv7jchslq-NkYJ/s1600/MV5BMTg4MzM1MjI5NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDE3NzY3MQ@@._V1_SY317_CR2,0,214,317_.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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A man hires his friend’s daughter to be his fiance, and dump him, so that his matriarchal family will stop badgering him to get married. Predictable in all regards, except that he has an unusual occupation: he manufactures perfume, and his most valuable organ is his nose.<br />
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<b><i>Red Eye</i></b> (2005)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2005/red_eye_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjog3-wdwwAaXdqVI2rnu4vIn3pUb7_0pF6ilDyGC_8-jzlzm4UTD5M1DrUc9MKZUaVePmnJHuRaxLqJRbU2udZ-xGPlA500k2d3eBxn8mxk0iDaIXXnY1q6OkFKtypnrzxuSNjXpYwhV5A/s1600/red_eye_ver2.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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Cillian Murphy sits beside and holds hostage Rachel McAdams on a plane, using her as a bargaining chip in a scheme that unfolds while the plane is in flight. It's up to McAdams to understand the plot, and foil it, before the plane lands, and without her captor knowing. Well acted and tense from beginning to end. McAdams and Murphy at their best.<br />
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<b><i>La doppia ora</i></b> (<i>The Double Hour</i>, 2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/italy/2010/la_doppia_ora.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1goTtExp-0HLZxIUOzf2r5N9-f-n8pB0_lkwrIhKS8P10r__vke_CUWK5ytMviCwlqzXVitn0rxueQV913du0M9LCwWzvkHZkzVdlslNz_qgMrO6qddVyH5Ef8rzUelxaKWeFbW3O3Sm/s1600/la_doppia_ora.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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Sonia (Kseniya Rappoport) is a hotel maid, emotionally scarred by having found one of her guests dead. Detached from the world, she turns to a speed-dating service to meet people, and there begins a romance with Guido (Filippo Timi), an ex-cop who now manages the security of a private estate. A romantic weekend at the estate is interrupted by a robbery, during which Sonia is shot in the head. She survives, but with partial amnesia. As she tries to remember pieces of her life, Guido tries to identify the robbers, and the two are challenged to maintain their romance.<br />
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An intriguing film. Rappoport and Timi anchor their characters with emotional realism, making each scene a serious study.<br />
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<hr />
<b><i>The Great Gatsby</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/great_gatsby.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6kfs-dPMdxiAELske-ec6ZwpIW_eUpuAsdm2p8plMvClQqvwpwh1TBXsUyQPxgy94wKENQ_hcyDt5lf4J7xEnX7H0kKBXqahJn2VkUHXF0Rki54bSvHU3ytSSLcsglkrFcNlssO3ow9f/s1600/great_gatsby_ver15.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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You can't go wrong with a trailer for this movie, but my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7AFnJbETLw" target="_blank">favorite</a> is a beautiful, lavish, and emotionally intense mash-up of songs and imagery, wrapped up with Filter's devastating cover of "Happy Together". One of the best trailers I've seen in a while. The movie, unfortunately, is a bit dull in contrast.<br />
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Tobey Maguire is Nick Carraway, the film's naive narrator. During a summer internship in 1920s New York City, Nick befriends and is flattered by his Long Island neighbor, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), who absorbs Nick into Gatsby's high class world, attending parties, swimming, boating, riding in sports cars, and stepping into the speakeasy underworld. Through Nick's whimsical cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her rough-around-the-edges husband Tom (Joel Edgerton), Nick meets famous golfer Jordan (Elizabeth Debicki, a stunner in every scene), with whom he shares a light romance. Daisy and Tom live across the bay from Nick and Gatsby; no coincidence, it turns out, as Gatsby intends to employ Nick to reconnect with Daisy, Gatsby's ex-lover.<br />
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Perhaps what makes <i>Gatsby</i> work so successfully as a trailer is what hinders it as a film. The dramatic shots, frenetic partying, and modern music make the trailer exciting, but they distance me from the movie, reminding me of its artifice. (As does Nick's intrusive narration. I dislike narration in general, but it can work much more successfully in print, as in Fitzgerald's book, because the written word lends itself to the idea of someone telling a story to the reader. In a movie, as in this one, narration's superimposed, phantom voice interrupts the now-ness of the viewer's experience.) Gatsby and Daisy are wonderfully flawed together, with <i>The Great Gatsby</i> delivering the emotional sequel to director Baz Luhrmann's <i>Romeo + Juliet</i> (1996): what if the star-crossed lovers had not died, but had merely been kept apart for a decade? What happens when juvenile affection is rekindled in the adult world? It's tragic regardless, and like with Luhrmann's earlier film, this one makes a better music video.<br />
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<hr />
<b><i>Real Steel</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2011/real_steel_ver3.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qwNZ4DI9R3EvhGZ7KDfIe7cdfWsnksgoX-EapNZIXHmrGXIavayUfdjDVe13qeo1vnQqvBshk_23LBwTaV-_q-W_2-mHSrRFPKfKxgcLq7r9w3cgJk0yKV_O07FociU5aKQlieC45CKz/s1600/real_steel_ver3.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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I've never watched actual boxing, but boxing movies are so much fun. There are the <i>Rocky</i> movies (1976-2006), of course, but also <i>Snatch</i> (2000), <i>Girlfight</i> (2000), <i>Million Dollar Baby</i> (2004), and <i>The Fighter</i> (2010) (okay, maybe 'fun' isn't the right word). But replace the athletes with robots, and what was a sport of strength, endurance, and reflexes becomes an outtake reel from <i>The Transformers</i> (2007).<br />
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Hugh Jackman is a down-on-his-luck robot boxer. He owes money, he needs a break, he wants to impress his son, there's an underdog sparring robot noone takes seriously, etc. The script writes itself. It is predictable in all regards, not interesting as sci-fi, less interesting than humans boxing, and, most offensively, still tugged at my heartstrings at all the intended moments.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-80396473915177256342014-04-05T19:51:00.001-07:002014-04-06T17:15:45.923-07:00Captain America: The Winter Soldier<b>Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</b>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU9wJTN6Ord5oqwM7Bb2hDxltWvwzpS8HmbJIc4jZiLQKaH_cbh_9VZoXyALsAid1O3mLR7zDAyrHhPP9XQYhb8w1Xm47-A0WZGVKf63Cl2lPVrRP45BUZCS3mDRG0mnxDgwnj0bAI5M/s320/green5.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/11/enders-game.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<b>Trailers</b>
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In the fall, movies are preceded by tantalizing teasers for upcoming summer films. They merely hint at the glorious entertainment that awaits us. That's all I need to get the gist of the film, and to decide to buy the ticket. But by April, the full-blown trailers are revealing every detail possible, trying to makes us stand up and go buy advance tickets right now. They show everything. It's a huge annoyance and detracts from the one time I'll be able to see the film for the first time.<br />
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<i>Godzilla</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
<i>Godzilla</i>'s balletic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjKO10hKtYw" target="_blank">teaser</a>, opening with an assault team sky diving into an apocalyptic San Francisco, was beautiful, emotional, and captivating. The first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc" target="_blank">full trailer</a> is a mashup of backstory, destruction, and monster reveals. I skipped 1998's <i>Godzilla</i>, in which, as my college roommate described it, a 20-story monster somehow sneaks around New York City. I also skipped <i>Cloverfield</i> (2008), although Lizzy Caplan will compel me to watch it eventually. I would've said that I don't watch giant monster movies, but I have seen and enjoyed <i>King Kong</i> (2005), <i>Beowulf</i> (2007), <i>Monsters</i> (2010), <i>Trolljegeren</i> (<i>Trollhunter</i>, 2010), <i>Super 8</i> (2011), and <i>Pacific Rim</i> (2013). In contrast, <i>2012</i> (2010) saturated my appetite for disaster movies. <i>Skyline</i> (2010), which I hope to still review in full, was grotesquely terrible. <i>Battle: Los Angeles</i> (2011) featured good action, and <i>It's a Disaster</i> (2012) was great black humor, but the more recent <i>This Is the End</i> (2013) and <i>The World's End</i> (2013) were equal parts raunchy, disgusting, and disturbing. I don't want to see cities destroyed and thousands of innocent people killed. What victory can be claimed at the end of such a movie?<br />
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<i>X-Men: Days of Future Past</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
I closed my eyes for this one. So far I've managed to avoid all but a few production stills, and hope to be thoroughly surprised at next month's release. I'm now expecting this to be my favorite movie of the year.<br />
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<i>Maleficent</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
I closed my eyes again. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioEA5fWjvOE" target="_blank">teaser</a> was enough to set the stage for a beautiful fantasy world, inhabited by a dark, perhaps tragic anti-hero. I don't need to know more.<br />
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<i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
Closed my eyes for a third time today. I've also managed to avoid all but a few images for this movie. I'll be very interested to see how a Marvel movie performs when it doesn't employ any known heroes, and is more sci-fi than superhero. I didn't enjoy the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioEA5fWjvOE" target="_blank">original team</a> as it appeared in the early 1990s, illustrated by Jim Valentino, but thankfully the movie features a rebooted team, with a few characters I'm familiar with.<br />
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<b><i>Marvel Movies</i></b><br />
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What a glorious time to be alive. Fifteen years ago the only successful super-hero movies had come from the worse-as-they-went-along <i>Superman</i> and <i>Batman</i> franchises. Marvel's grim and boring <i>The Punisher</i> (1991) and not-really-a-superhero-movie <i>Blade</i> (1998) were all the publisher had to show for itself. But since 2000's <i>The X-Men</i>, it's been one terrific movie after another, with 28 Marvel titles released since 2000, and most of them good.<br />
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The publisher is no slouch on the home market either. Historically, Marvel's television offerings have been inferior to DC's. While Marvel was releasing a string of bright, bubbly, hastily drawn series in the mid 1990s (anchored by the well regarded, but not actually all that good <i>X-Men</i>), DC was establishing Bruce Timm's DC Animated Universe, with the dark and somber <i>Batman: The Animated Series</i> (1992), followed by <i>Superman: The Animated Series</i> (1996), and culminating in <i>Justice League</i> (2001), the greatest superhero show to date. But in the new millennium, just as DC was cementing itself on television (8 series, not counting the failed <i>Aqauman</i>) and the home video market (22 direct-to-video releases), Marvel has asserted itself as well, with 11 television series (half of them excellent) and 10 direct-to-video features (most of them good).<br />
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In the shadow of Christopher Nolan's <i>Batman</i> trilogy (portraying Batman as a thuggish everyman), and two excellent <i>Superman</i> movies (yeah, that's right), DC has been unwilling to risk a movie on another character other than <i>Catwoman</i> (2004, bad) and <i>Green Lantern</i> (2011, so-so). On the big screen, Marvel reigns supreme, selling 787 million tickets in the US since 2000. Discounting inflation, every American has seen roughly 2.4 Marvel movies.<br />
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Prior to its release in 2012, I predicted <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-cinemas-mightiest-heroes.html" target="_blank">The Avengers</a></i> would be awesome (it was), but I didn't know it would be so successful. Its per-capita ticket sales rank it 73rd of all time, just behind <i>The Dark Knight</i> (2008), each being seen by roughly 24% of the US population in their corresponding years. (Adjusted for <a href="http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/records/#alltime" target="_blank">inflation</a>, <i>The Avengers</i> made more, thanks to the higher ticket prices of a successful 3D campaign.)<br />
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I've updated chart from my <i>Avengers</i> post to reflect Marvel movies released in 2012 and 2013, and looking forward through the end of 2015 (there are more to come beyond that as well). Although 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise is about to hit its 7th title, Walk Disney's Avengers franchise, inclusive of the six movies produced by Universal and Paramount, now spans 10 movies, and except for the two Hulk movies, I give them all 4-stars or higher.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMeznfSpb89LsnVQ8YA-IwH7lmG-N5CIgQ0NnG60Ox-gNucr3UcP8-cFrM1gddTjWFHq0srMuboQgb2WzYCO3z3fe8JRkV94ZZ2RE-4JH7kCmiuZk19IBeiOCwG0HhBGaTKyQTfWZ7-65/s1600/MarvelMovies_2014b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMeznfSpb89LsnVQ8YA-IwH7lmG-N5CIgQ0NnG60Ox-gNucr3UcP8-cFrM1gddTjWFHq0srMuboQgb2WzYCO3z3fe8JRkV94ZZ2RE-4JH7kCmiuZk19IBeiOCwG0HhBGaTKyQTfWZ7-65/s1600/MarvelMovies_2014b.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Edit: Adding an infographic showing which Avenger characters have appeared in which of the franchise films, and to what degree. I'm excluding Sif and the Warriors Three because they aren't based on Earth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMk6rmYOoJ0Ne6ci3L-wagWDEm-pgyxbgcrO62qxgfSZ_3m1Y3RSKCsPfU3Fm3OhO7WvPV_sRwb355M67zseHUPxW2imz_w9chhSUPrye0qPPg4GBmTa2jWhsxUWT4O-BJC7Q1HxWQfPa/s1600/Avengers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMk6rmYOoJ0Ne6ci3L-wagWDEm-pgyxbgcrO62qxgfSZ_3m1Y3RSKCsPfU3Fm3OhO7WvPV_sRwb355M67zseHUPxW2imz_w9chhSUPrye0qPPg4GBmTa2jWhsxUWT4O-BJC7Q1HxWQfPa/s1600/Avengers.png" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Captain America</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2014/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_ver7.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtUZjWXvMGr8lt4UIWZf72GJxhAxYViSuBpGI-XpCYEvteqXtuUHOkqwfxaIrlkfkFY1tY-A-K9iGbUFA1jKRcaJzs4LfiljeOT5dsg2WMfSWAb4PS5DILUc3auEKlawNAr1Jdp7ej_IU/s1600/captain_america_the_winter_soldier_ver7.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a></div>
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Captain America is a tough character to pull off. Spider-Man has his guilt and witty banter, Batman his intelligence and obsessive vigilance, and Thor his arrogance and valor. Captain America is just, well, awfully darn nice. He has that cool shield, but contrasted to Spidey's webs, Thor's hammer, Wolverine's claws, and Iron Man's armor, you might think Cap showed up late the day everyone was picking signature weapons. He doesn't come from a doomed planet, mystical island, or even a dark alley; he comes from . . . our grandparents' generation. How did he get his powers? Steroids. Does he have to hide his secret identity? Balance crime-fighting with a day job? Keep his inner rage in check? No, no, and no. He combs his hair each morning, puts on an American flag, and does what he's told.<br />
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But Captain America isn't boring. Like Superman, he's driven by righteousness. He gives good orders and he follows good orders. As a tactician, he's able to distribute his teammates with lethal precision, leveraging their individual strengths, and trusting them to succeed. As a soldier, he runs toward the fight without regard for his own life. (It brings tears to my eyes thinking of the scene in the first <i>Captain America</i> in which he jumps on what he thinks is a live grenade, reflexively sacrificing himself to save the handful of people around him.)<br />
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<i>The Winter Soldier</i> is easily one of the strongest films in the <i>Avengers</i> franchise. Chris Evan's Captain America is 100% bad-ass, slinging his shield with such awesome proficiency I didn't want to blink, lest I miss out on him taking down another half dozen bad guys. He's backed up by Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), both of whom have more space to shine in this film than they did among <i>The Avengers</i>'s larger ensemble. Collectively they both kick enough ass to populate their own sequel. Anthony Mackie as Falcon is an outstanding addition to the team, reminding me that in the comic books, each Avenger in their own title is always supported by a core group of allies (whether superpowered or not), and among Captain America's team, I recall Falcon as his most stalwart friend.<br />
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Even in the grand shadow of <i>The Avengers</i>, <i>Iron Man 3</i>, and <i>Thor: The Dark World</i>, <i>Winter Soldier</i>'s action sequences impressed me. The film combines the speed and complex choreography of a martial arts movie with the constant super powered demonstrations of <i>The Incredibles</i>. The film is full of guest stars from other franchise installments, and teasers either of movies to come, or just of the wider Marvel universe. This movie is awesome.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-44287096643986654182013-11-12T22:10:00.003-08:002013-11-12T22:10:50.181-08:0084. RED<b>Los Gatos Cinema</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcpCHkzj9DEDLaFAB0529vw-qFcmVBCdh_h-lS47O9-lx6nd1mCLWEdv-3kdZ75vkFbXIgn9TFK_0AexXdZYjxZqd94itC4yuwJHenl3xnLiFE6Oiqp53SV84x4DwKVoqWJ2o8dpE5b4/s320/green3.png" /><br />
Opening as The Strand in 1916, and becoming the Premiere in 1929, the <a href="http://www.losgatostheater.com/index.html" target="_blank">Los Gatos</a> received its namesake and marquee in 1941 (source: <i>Theatres of San Jose</i>, Gary Lee Parks, 2009).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYIxEPvzoNdchWdFoekoqbR5XCh0NET3HtryIptu4yVVpIUzvgAo7MNVho7wRgR1vKc0iAnnQLPuamhSqbxrMo1mDlaqHBDcSp2VZpsXp6wrqDMCeWZ1OoS6Ao8iu2F4nNFI_p2ncX7PU/s1600/P1010001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYIxEPvzoNdchWdFoekoqbR5XCh0NET3HtryIptu4yVVpIUzvgAo7MNVho7wRgR1vKc0iAnnQLPuamhSqbxrMo1mDlaqHBDcSp2VZpsXp6wrqDMCeWZ1OoS6Ao8iu2F4nNFI_p2ncX7PU/s320/P1010001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The town of Los Gatos, incorporated in 1887, is bordered by Saratoga and Monte Sereno on the west, Campbell on the north, San Jose on the north and east, and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south. The city was home to several other theaters during the silent era, but only the Los Gatos survived, now the town's lone theater. Los Gatos is also home to Netflix headquarters; with the recent <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/tech/gaming-gadgets/blockbuster-video-stores-impact/" target="_blank">closure</a> of Blockbuster, Netflix is the reigning king of home video, and perhaps the biggest challenger to local theaters.<br />
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The Los Gatos theater was twinned across its midsection after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, resulting in two stubby theaters. When I visited in 2010, the theater was operated by Camera Cinemas. Earlier this year, the theater closed and gutted; when it reopens (supposedly by end of 2013), its auditorium will have been restored to its single-screen greatness.<br />
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A well-lit, recessed entrance invites passersby to the magic within.<br />
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Ornamentation, not original to the theater, has been exposed and covered up at various points in the theater's nine decade history.<br />
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The front auditorium sat 328. Concrete floors and ugly, narrow seating too close to the screen made for an uncomfortable viewing experience.<br />
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The theater showed ~42 different titles in 2010, mostly wide releases, though with the odd limited engagement now and then.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b></div>
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Factoid: Walt Disney won 24 Oscars.<br />
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Arc Productions, responsible for <i>9</i> (good), <i>Gnomeo & Juliet</i> (bad), and <i>Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil</i> (terrible), bring us the animated short "<a href="http://www.arcproductions.com/production/16" target="_blank">Enter the Sandbox</a>"about two toddlers in a park who transport themselves to a kung-fu sparring court to do battle over a plastic truck. Clever fun, and the rare pre-show entertainment that seems to be for the audience's enjoyment, instead of badgering us with advertising.</div>
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<b>Trailers</b><br />
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<i>Burlesque</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/09/80-easy-a.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Due Date</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO6hNUT0GOgBLF0yNa8Yhl8bLBsCpl-aouNw89dph5EoCNu-3bgGMtT9Q4_A-M8FfzIwNlYSK-SmdsqjJKumbEtcybVx1SaAkHNmB7P8lCKu4mwuYl-MbH7LoXbC97-xjbhR38T5NhZU/s320/blue2.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/12/70-inception.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Inside Job</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi751502873" target="_blank">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
From documentarian Charles Ferguson (<i>No End in Sight</i>) comes an unforgiving inspection of Wall Street following 2008’s financial collapse. Lots of 'for the people' interviewees accuse financial executives of not warning us, and even say they themselves had tried to warn us. Executives face tough comments from Ferguson ("You can’t be serious; if you would have looked, you would have found things") and legislators ("What do you think about selling securities that your own people think are crap?") Aerial shots of mansions drive home the thesis: corporate big wigs brought home astronomical paychecks while their customers lost their homes. Having seen roughly forty documentaries thus far, I'm tending to favor those with a less controversial subject, and whose editing is not so deliberately leading me toward a moral conclusion. 74 cuts.<br />
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<i>Hereafter</i> (Trailer 1)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/81-social-network.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Drive Angry</i> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2-hiHUh4UQ" target="_blank">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lyERQrp4ooY88yC1vwaCK517CtoT_sa4bx90g4LozFABtfYTiYZsirzC-_bgqz7wJzBd50wyGJfTGx54I3OumhzpI1e9suB6WezfjCBex_fXph37o9oYwq8Hq-NPkBjrNVI1m-cEYL8/s320/blue1.png" /><br />
When Nicolas Cage’s daughter is killed by a cult, he breaks out of Hell (yes, The Hell) to rescue his baby granddaughter from their clutches. William Fichtner is Satan’s Lieutenant, out to return Cage to the land of never ending damnation (that’s like the President of the United States sending the Vice President to personally track down an inmate who hopped the fence somewhere in California). Amber Heard shows up two-thirds through the trailer to give Cage a lift when, apparently, he decides to Drive Less Lonely. This trailer is bad in so many ways. A beat-up thug says, “Hell’s gonna walk the Earth”, to which Cage replies, “Hell’s already walkin’ the Earth”, but not before the trailer editor splices in a scene of Cage killing that same thug in an explosion. (Snappy one-liners aren’t so snappy if the audience is already dead.) Rebuffing Fichtner's threat on behalf of Satan, Cage says, "What's he gonna do, not let me back in?" As if Hell had but one climate-controlled, one-size-fits-all punishment room. Cage drives and drives and shoots and shoots. Heard wears tight shorts. Fichtner, one of few actors who is great even when playing a slimeball, uses his supernatural powers to rival Cage’s body count. At any moment I expected Cage's head to burst into flame; I was so confused until I realized this wasn't a trailer for <i>Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance</i>. Cage made some good movies as recently as 2010, but it’s been downhill since, and with his casting in <i>The Expendables 3</i>, he seems to have thrown in the towel. 118 cuts.
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<b><i>RED</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/red_ver7.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSel1fYmTh238D2zNsb7CG0pBbtW5taymSt_NTrvL7b-ck4je_cFq4AYfuLIVWE96C0RIGAJUjCa4G1OEe1FLd7aY4WnkH94Ka5Nt5tdYOqDIGiDfIAttJtoTQAXxLPWuXxQFEv0r8jvO/s320/red_ver7.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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How to endure the idleness of retirement after a career of killing people? (If this is your most pressing concern, please don't be my neighbor.) Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) wakes up at six o'clock every morning (without an alarm), does some pushups, washes his dishes after breakfast, then sits in his immaculate house waiting for the day to end. The highlight of his month is when his pension check arrives: he rips it up, an excuse to call Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) in HR to complain that it hasn't arrived yet. They speak at length, and if she mentions a romance novel she's reading, he reads it too.<br />
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Frank's boredom is interrupted when a government-sanctioned hit squad comes knocking, looking to tidy up. They didn't get the memo that Frank is a ninja in his own house. Looking for an ally, Frank tracks down his old colleague Joe (Morgan Freeman), who asks if Frank ID'ed any of the assassins. Frank holds up a bag of fingers. Joe, who has been equally bored in a retirement home, is soon also targeted. As a matter of survival, and to unravel the conspiracy against them, Frank, Joe, and a semi-kidnapped Sarah reunite with the rest of their team, conspiracist Marvin (John Malkovich) and MI-6 operative Victoria (Helen Mirren). Marvin is a tinfoil hat kind of guy who lives in an underground bunker next to a decoy house. Whereas Marvin's marbles are mostly gone, Victoria has stayed sharp by picking up an odd job here and there; when first we meet her she's using acid to dispose of a body in a bathtub.<br />
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<i>RED</i> (Retired Extremely Dangerous) is the perfect action comedy. The fight scenes are intense and brutal (Willis sparring with antagonist Karl Urban is one of the best fist fights I've seen), and the team dynamics are consistently funny. Rebecca Pidgeon, Richard Dreyfus, Julian McMahon, and a romantic ex-KGB Brian Cox are all excellent in supporting roles. The movie's more sedate moments are still filled with explosions, setting the tempo for a final sequence so packed with action, it's as if Danny Ocean said to his team, "Instead of being clever, let's just storm the Bellagio with bazookas!"Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-52309610420115925032013-11-11T21:23:00.001-08:002013-11-11T21:23:50.313-08:0083. A Somewhat Gentle Man<b>CinéArts @ Sequoia</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsxhRYjjtFTdhEUHLmLWYrylUpCIBm6vrRyCrHlOjZaFZZI-lIvaCZroX4UswalV-WmVatA2ETDBNEbuODVJlCdCILdWXm9SYb1kJRRwseJtx8UgqmftLW6EWRMjiEuzZUDCvLrvuG7E/s320/green4.png" /><br />
Nestled in Mill Valley's charming, redwood-dotted downtown, the <a href="http://www.fandango.com/cin%C3%A9artssequoia_aaqch/theaterpage" target="_blank">CinéArts @ Sequioa</a> and its towering façade were built in 1929 (designed by the Reid brothers, architects of the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/11-lovely-bones.html" target="_blank">Grand Lake Theatre</a>, among others) (<a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3228" target="_blank">source</a>). The Sequoia is predated by Mill Valley's other surviving venue, <a href="http://www.throckmortontheatre.org/" target="_blank">142 Throckmorton Theatre</a>, built in 1915, and now host to live performances.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAEoK_FLbIp1C7muCnU58sjpunC1drvKftShWVPFuhyphenhyphenMwazVUJhm-hgPs4dcNXQ1-jyjU0VaTM-m9u2kBGVwsy8VFgq8gXwNloVhV7_7tsRwfbS_6H2L6vZSocs6Hsqmmj-9mawbmwWBq/s1600/P1010002_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAEoK_FLbIp1C7muCnU58sjpunC1drvKftShWVPFuhyphenhyphenMwazVUJhm-hgPs4dcNXQ1-jyjU0VaTM-m9u2kBGVwsy8VFgq8gXwNloVhV7_7tsRwfbS_6H2L6vZSocs6Hsqmmj-9mawbmwWBq/s320/P1010002_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Along with 142 Throckmorton Theatre, Century Cinema in Corte Madera, and the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/6-broken-embraces.html" target="_blank">Rafael Theatre</a> in San Rafael, the Sequoia hosts the <a href="http://www.cafilm.org/" target="_blank">California Film Institute</a>'s <a href="http://www.mvff.com/" target="_blank">Mill Valley Film Festival</a>, one of the most prestigious festivals in the United States. Spanning a week and two weekends each October, the festival highlights more than a hundred shorts and feature-length films, some of them making their U.S. debuts. (My data indicate the Sequoia showed 46 different movies in 2010, however, the festival's daily showtimes were not consistently available on IMDB, and therefore my year-end counts are low for the above theaters.)<br />
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The lobby is cute, with an unusual snack bar featuring several unique items, including various cakes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtrhbgdNq9KWrUDnibxRaOJiDEtiSjrMIKzu11_ONmjByd5uA_C0yFBvifTKFc6Ze5go_56F65NQcP5EnUISjBd7vjoh8EOpjWuD9CclKWLHkE4rhKL1oiT9_esUV87G1R-xN4FaqweOB/s1600/P1010003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtrhbgdNq9KWrUDnibxRaOJiDEtiSjrMIKzu11_ONmjByd5uA_C0yFBvifTKFc6Ze5go_56F65NQcP5EnUISjBd7vjoh8EOpjWuD9CclKWLHkE4rhKL1oiT9_esUV87G1R-xN4FaqweOB/s320/P1010003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Twinned in 1975, the theater's two auditoriums seat 342 and 345, for a total of 687. The chairs are plush, with stadium seating in the rear and a healthy raked floor in the front. Golden fabric on the walls, classic patterns on the carpet, and lights on the steps help to make this the best CinéArts theater I've visited.<br />
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<img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTNV_at1FrBrGPyp8nM7Xd03OJo2tFV20IUur-72qMpg7YHj4_IoF2RbbYUi78aP2Kh5GoavlFNG0zON_xUNUB92PWFFyJckbahK91N_RDIxetfT_KzL-qc1II21TRbwL_nwluEzma7Ae/s200/Ticket83.jpeg" width="200" /></div>
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<b>Pre-Show</b></div>
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The familiar voice of Peter Coyote introduces a musician I'm supposed to be equally familiar with, but I'm clueless.<br />
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<b>Trailers</b>
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None.<br />
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<b><i>En ganske snill mann (A Somewhat Gentle Man)</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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At a remote prison in Sweden, the gates open to release Ulrik (Stellan Skarsgård) onto a snowy wasteland, without transportation or instruction. (Successfully reintroducing a felon into society is apparently not a priority for their penal system.) Ulrik doesn't complain; he makes his own way back to town, where he's admonished for trying to smoke in a diner (customs have changed), and people who recognize him are surprised that he's out already (how time flies when you're not incarcerated). His friends give him the Lando treatment, acting like they're mad at him, but then hugging him; for his part, Ulrik is so even tempered, he seems just as uncomfortable with the hug as with their feigned anger.<br />
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Something was mired in the translation of the film's title, as <i>A Complacent Man</i> would be more apt. (At one point, a dismissive "F*ck Otto!" was translated as "I'm screwing Otto!") When Ulrik's gangster friend, Rolf, arranges a job for him at an auto shop, Ulrik takes it. When his new boss says Ulrik can stay with his grumpy-looking sister, Ulrik accepts. When that sister makes an awkward sexual advance, Ulrik shrugs his lips then lies down on the bed. Being so easily nudged, it's no wonder he was pinched. Conditioned to follow orders, he must have adapted easily to the structure of prison life.<br />
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The boss is constantly giving speeches about second chances, and is genuinely decent to Ulrik, but that doesn't stop Ulrik from beginning an affair with the boss's wife, the auto shop's unhappy office manager. This new relationship makes Ulrik less interested in satisfying the urges of his landlady, whose foreplay is comically grotesque. Perhaps in that mechanical sexual exchange Ulrik first develops a backbone. Speaking nostalgically of when they used to steal cars together, Rolf attempts to draw Ulrik back into the criminal underworld, asking him to dispose of a pregnant woman who can finger them. Ulrik, in his own non-commital way, resists.<br />
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This film is enjoyable for its odd spectacle of characters and their stuttering interactions. Skarsgård keeps his emotions neutral, such that like Stephen Rhea's "I'm not good for much" in <i>The Crying Game</i>, it's unclear whether Ulrik even feels remorse, or if he just puppets his own body to match something he once saw on TV.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-29221632139338961932013-11-11T20:36:00.000-08:002013-11-11T20:36:07.676-08:00The Clock<b>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU9wJTN6Ord5oqwM7Bb2hDxltWvwzpS8HmbJIc4jZiLQKaH_cbh_9VZoXyALsAid1O3mLR7zDAyrHhPP9XQYhb8w1Xm47-A0WZGVKf63Cl2lPVrRP45BUZCS3mDRG0mnxDgwnj0bAI5M/s320/green5.png" /><br />
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (<a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/" target="_blank">SFMoMA</a>) opened in 1995, the same year I moved to San Francisco. Across the street from the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/44-promised-lands.html" target="_blank">Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</a>, the MoMA is also nearby to the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/10-nine.html" target="_blank">AMC Loews Metreon 16</a> and the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/9-fantastic-mr-fox.html" target="_blank">Century San Francisco Centre 9</a>.<br />
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(For some reason I neglected to photograph the front of the building on my two visits. The below image is from online magazine <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/06/06/sfmoma-expansion/" target="_blank">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a>.)<br />
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<a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/06/06/sfmoma-expansion/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBn5mIK75UJoVBvq_6KRRv-sUAOUeeQo63XYQsptguq_rJGB1cchnduUxeZvfadTXECy53NQvF8XkoAocGZ4bFV3TvoXHEI2X3OkwuhWV-UEVCd-tjA3xmaSTeodXr0AaTKLVvVw44xTr/s320/image05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Though not technically a movie theater, the museum does exhibit films now and then, including eleven different titles in 2010 when I was tracking Bay Area showtimes. As could be expected, the museum selects films that relate to art (<i>Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol</i>) or are concept pieces (the one-reel and incredibly boring <i>Russian Ark</i>).<br />
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The interior of the building is as striking as its exterior, filled with an extensive collection of artwork in various mediums. No other theater offers this much to look at before or after my movie.<br />
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I can't speak to which auditorium is typically used for film exhibition, but for <i>The Clock</i>, a line formed outside a u-shaped hallway (early in the morning, we entered the theater without waiting; by the time I gave up my seat, the line was quite long). Once I was admitted and rounded the bend in the hallway, an usher directed me to wait at the back of the theater where a few other patrons were queued up, able to watch the film from the rear of the auditorium while waiting for a seat. The room itself was a simple box shape, with three columns of couches stretching toward the screen (I estimate ten rows of couches, for a total seating capacity of 90). Several other ushers responded to people walking out by escorting the next person in line to take the vacated seat (I heard there was a bathroom policy, to gain re-admittance without waiting in line again, but I wasn't willing to risk it). In this manner, and unlike for any other movie I've seen, the audience was constantly rotating. Some people perhaps stayed only half an hour; others had been there all night. I stayed for two three-hour stretches, two weeks apart.<br />
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In June of this year the museum closed its doors for a three-year expansion project. When it reopens, MoMA will have added an adjacent building, more than doubling its gallery space. (See a time-lapse of the construction <a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/our_expansion/expansion_building/constructioncam" target="_blank">here</a>.) In the meantime, the museum is <a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events" target="_blank">sharing</a> its collection with the entire city.<br />
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View from the MOMA, looking toward Yerba Buena Garden.<br />
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<img border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfnJQL17Ky4fi4_iHsCHBmuyHDpH_YNohFZudPfo-I3Yw0v80ZOGjSc_tm6MPwFEqwbg9tN1CgNGI5t78X4Ts6eAP34Isu66YdTbF2MFywmtjyzbyU23Jo_yHT8g6qzQGoFEF_S1X76am/s200/The+Clock+1.jpeg" width="200" /></div>
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<b>Pre-Show</b>
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None.<br />
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<b>Trailers</b>
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None.<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">The Clock</b> (2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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Visual artist Christian Marclay and an impossibly dedicated team of data miners have gathered time-themed moments from thousands of films, stitching them together into a single, 24-hour time loop, where the time displayed in the film corresponds to the actual time of day the viewer is watching the film. The film is disjointed, mesmerizing, and fantastically indigestible. In advance of its three-year closure for renovation, SFMoMA began <a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/513" target="_blank">showing</a> <i>The Clock</i> 24-hours per day, inviting museum patrons to participate in a form of endurance art: how much can you watch before your body gives out?<br />
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A man asks what time it is. A woman, from another movie, answers. Someone looks at their watch; when they look up, they are someone else, somewhere else, but at the same moment of the day. Scenes hop from black and white to color, from noisy city streets to curtain-drawn bedrooms. Famous actors go from young to old in a matter of hours. A door opening in one movie is a portal into the next. Chase scenes spill across decades as a cornucopia of film stars manically eye their watches, obsessed with the passage of time. Wrist watches, cuckoo clocks, digital alarms, sun dials, giant clock-faced monuments, tiny displays in cars; times printed in newspapers, mentioned in conversation, or merely implied. People waking up, dressing, eating, leaving, arriving, meeting, chasing, fleeing, waiting, all with elapsing seconds weighing upon them, stepping them through an unavoidable yet arbitrary chaos.<br />
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With such a rigid conceit and limitless source material, the film threatens to collapse in unwatchable nonsense. Yet patterns emerge. Time plays a more important role in thrillers than in comedies. Train stations are inherently agitating. Some movies are obvious (<i>Nick of Time</i>, <i>High Noon</i>), as are some themes, like people waking to alarms in the morning. Less obvious is how long it takes <i>everyone</i> to wake up, underscoring how habitually out of synch we are, despite the shared time reference. I watched the installation from 10:45 AM to 1:30 PM in one sitting, then 7:15 AM to 10:45 AM in another; characters were climbing out of bed that entire time. Tension mounts as the top of each hour approaches, dipping into calm by a quarter past. The audio track plays a crucial role in orienting the viewer, with voices or sounds from the next scene beginning just slightly before the cut to cue the transition.<br />
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Movies appear and disappear so quickly, I had trouble placing even the ones I had seen. Perhaps someday Marclay will release an index; until then we must rely on ineffectual <a href="http://theclockmarclay.wikia.com/wiki/Crowdsourcing-The-Clock" target="_blank">attempts</a> to catalog them ourselves. Having seen only a chunk of it, I'm fascinated to see more. It reaches beyond the exercise of showing clock after clock; it chronicles a century of cinema, and exposes ad nauseum our modern obsession with time.<br />
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For more information on the artist and film, read Daniel Zalewski's excellent 2012 article in <i><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/03/12/120312fa_fact_zalewski" target="_blank">The New Yorker</a></i>.<br />
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(My girlfriend's mother commented that the film would make a nice wall clock hanging in a living room, a perpetual and cryptic time piece. I'm just hoping that someday it will be released to home video.)Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-52076989538108918162013-11-10T11:16:00.002-08:002013-11-10T11:16:26.312-08:00Home Video Roundup: April 2013<br />
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<b><i>The Host</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/host_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishxB3VH6pdTh835dasvLfwBxz5Qos5mQDi3mcBmRpLuYvE595zqqj2GypLtAf9v0X4jriV1ws6UtvluJc5hjNnzhj63WpNh8k00w5cgLONcJ9sPd461YRl0_MbLsY6zsGUFTsEbIVYA66/s200/host_ver2.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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Several friends have reported that Stephanie Meyer’s writing is not the highest of literature. Nonetheless, adaptations of her work are tons of heart-throbby fun. In the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/12-twilight-saga-new-moon.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Saga</i></a>, Belle’s central decision is to choose a boyfriend from among a vampire and a werewolf. <i>The Host</i> makes the selection more human, but the chooser less so.<br />
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Body snatcher aliens have successfully conquered Earth. From the perspective of the remaining humans, the blue-eyed hosts are monsters wearing the faces of their lost friends. Melanie (Saoirse Ronan), her brother Jamie, and her boyfriend Jared managed to evade the aliens during the initial takeover, but while on a foraging expedition, Melanie is captured.
In a typical possession movie, our hero's allies are taken from her one by one, feeding the zombie-like army in her pursuit. In <i>The Host</i>, our hero is the one compromised, and we are permitted to see the invasion from the perspective of a single host/alien pairing. Melanie’s consciousness continues to exist, linked telepathically with her alien invader, whom they agree to call Wanda. Melanie is a spectator, experiencing what Wanda does with her body, but unable to control it. With Melanie's incessant probing, neither is Wanda able to settle comfortably into the body.<br />
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When Melanie is reunited with Jared, he treats her as the villain who killed his girlfriend. His friend Ian (Jake Abel), however, begins to fall for Wanda. Good angsty drama, good sci-fi.
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<b><i>G.I.Joe: Retaliation</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/gi_joe_retaliation_ver14.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKscik5qaO61GQG6uLFcl5dIvU2oxVwNrQ0m5rNsXrqQq6uBxPMxWy1o4TNB21LTIKMip7xsVwSJ3ekGiUfFfeq56n_dPSErAv5ZEKfFI5xrTq78LbwGK548a2A49JixMbdSETz53Q93W/s200/gi_joe_retaliation_ver14.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.</div>
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The first <i>G.I.Joe</i> was great. Channing Tatum leading a team of high-tech soldiers against well financed global terrorists, themselves lead by a vengeful Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Bring. It. On. Good action. Fun character interactions. And for this nostalgic viewer, the perfect amount of tribute to what were my favorite childhood toys.<br />
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The sequel, whose tagline should be “If you loved the first movie, well, so what,” dumps most of the characters from the original (Duke, Scarlett, Ripcord, General Hawk, Destro, Baroness, Dr. Mindbender) and recasts others (Cobra Commander, and Zartan to a degree). In their place we get Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock, Bruce Willis as the original Joe (that's not even a toy!), Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, and minor roles for Jinx, Flint, and a few other recognizable names.<br />
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Ray Park (pictured below), who can't seem to <i>not</i> have super powers, returns as Snake Eyes. Byung-hun Lee reprises his role as Storm Shadow, even though Storm Shadow died in the first movie (his arc borrows from the best stories of the G.I.Joe comic book).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsHxkPxwKBDYLNwcJQGnYCHK4glN0RyHzFRSP3EjUN8vIpI6czqOaqTGlpiXHERZnZB4AQ5WPBVV0VggbLeQV7kxMiQQZeEqiLgCUw2t3zp4rzoOmCYDjlPj0aqoKDWfgf2Bd0s80FyKJ/s1600/Ray+Park.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsHxkPxwKBDYLNwcJQGnYCHK4glN0RyHzFRSP3EjUN8vIpI6czqOaqTGlpiXHERZnZB4AQ5WPBVV0VggbLeQV7kxMiQQZeEqiLgCUw2t3zp4rzoOmCYDjlPj0aqoKDWfgf2Bd0s80FyKJ/s320/Ray+Park.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes I like seeing more of my childhood toys come to life, but not at the expense of throwing out the others. Johnson and Willis have more range than what's allowed here; pairing them with this already cartoonish action plot just makes it all the more silly. Tatum and Gordon-Levitt anchored the first film in emotional reality. In contrast, the sequel is a ridiculously fluffy barrage of action sequences, with its heroes spraying bullets and launching rockets like the 80s B-Movie never died.<br />
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Now you know.<br />
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<b><i>Inception</i></b> (2010)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/inception.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyo3IGutfR1me3Ufzh-8e-X7B9l60FnCvXGCna8Zg6kwz9ZCOs1ULvu4Oe97WRu1K0CqLWyw7grEzyyUggIFyEGjWtEYjpl1aJy_Rvvqv9t-sl2FuEz2XbnhBmJCBv6nY0UZb3o_yXKHx/s200/inception.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/12/70-inception.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>.<br />
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Outstanding. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Your Sister’s Sister</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/your_sisters_sister.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpeEakTdCCyhwHHytX757rKVHVanJyEEKGeYLtzRHJgxW9A1lFaD7YWgNKB_MFVCozj-MfCGAsTzCjAFSDVCVQB3i6U_lfympTzakD54BLAAQ16wBrTDIvOaC2yZkHGwOX0iEJY2etuAl/s200/your_sisters_sister.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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At a one-year memorial for his brother, Jack (Mark Duplass) bitterly disparages his brother's commiserating friends, announcing that they didn't really know him. The brother's girlfriend and also Jack's best friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), intervenes to segregate him from the gathering. Recognizing that Jack has let himself go since his brother died, she offers him a private retreat at her family's cabin on a New England island. Jack accepts, but when he arrives expecting solitude, instead he finds Iris's sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), who has come to the cabin to heal from her recent breakup with her girlfriend. The two have a one-night stand, and have barely extracted themselves from bed the next morning before Iris shows up, planning to profess her love for Jack.<br />
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Although I haven't seen anything else from writer/director Lynn Shelton, I now plan to. This film's dialog is riveting and its relationships fascinating, with the three leads electrifying each scene. I enjoyed every minute.<br />
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<b><i>Celeste & Jesse Forever</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/celeste_and_jesse_forever.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEllqr5csp8kr2grZzncVa39dS0BrJUMs3snihvxzJIXTydPh5r5Y-J4JnWocNO5mbHMB5MFVgpXcIvmhJfhy00vFeCyaEphmPVVIQStv15pB-IqE5oyp37g0DpoUU2r7bCQ-yCyLUxwl/s200/celeste_and_jesse_forever.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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Wow, this is depressing. Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are best friends who do everything together. They also happen to be divorcing each other. Their friends think their relationship is unhealthy, and Celeste agrees. The film paints itself into a dim corner, with Celeste and Jesse perfect for each other in some ways, but too dysfunctional to survive. What am I supposed to root for?<br />
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<b><i>The Young Victoria</i></b> (2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/uk/2009/young_victoria_ver5.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BYCLPhWMozIWaZeIMAvt79mRgaTEcn_SJniICLusc0o-SZTc3mC8pRGfgjKznPiznt2I6u9tpNA1a2K43rMth-2juGZLhLn7D1ZcIITgh0VNmw0cDWeqBTI1voFxpBiwKuLZgUPkkLkr/s200/young_victoria_ver5.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/14-young-victoria.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>.<br />
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Not quite as enjoyable on this second viewing, but still quite good. I love all the political maneuvering as Victoria gathers her allies against her enemies. Emily Blunt is emerging as one of the great actresses of recent years. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>10 Years</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/ten_years.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9o_wGF7a5sDL48NE7BHdQOXE3Ab7HDcqR6Hc8YGLjSlBDX30TiA5S7C9iATjNuVRSZ6L6Rweb8LqcepcBH1O-1arpkf2NKQshYn4jZK9N-DPo_VweHc_yAier99mBs_t_EcEvBXhuLWCc/s200/ten_years.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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Reunion movies are great. There’s something satisfying in bringing together a group of people with a shared but stale history, and seeing what happens. Some still view high school as the best time of their life. Others, unpopular back then, hope to make a big impression now, to either prove themselves in some way, or score with the hottie they never had. Still others explore mutual unrequited love. A stellar cast makes every scene interesting: Lynn Collins, Rosario Dawson, Brian Geraghty, Ari Graynor, Oscar Isaac, Ron Livingston, Justin Long, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, Max Minghella, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Channing Tatum.<br />
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<b><i>Bai she chuan shuo (The Sorcerer and the White Snake)</i></b> (2011)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/china/2011/sorcerer_and_the_white_snake.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKdVacpUWs4WahmlvjJtjkAC9mZ1oge9E6fzno0Y1fyhjf0-ZVZK2mRSlfd-4LAmiQ319uiW4DAw-bRTXUHohhSQokbMc48tw6j_N1g5Rfrb9S8iKs8s-frD54qwAJWL2u7Py5iI-DGZT/s200/sorcerer_and_the_white_snake.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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Bizarre yet entertaining. A snake demon falls in love with a mortal from afar, and so assumes a human form to woo him, much to the distress of her female consort (herself a snake demon). Jet Li is a demon hunter; he and his protege move from village to village, tracking, identifying, and then capturing demons. Li’s instruction is absolute: all demons must be banished, even if they intend no harm. His protege becomes interested in the snake demon's consort, clueless that her presence is what often sets off his various magical demon-tracking devices.<br />
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This movie is all kinds of weird. Li is our main character, but his Jedi-like rigidity is off-putting; why banish all demons when clearly the white snake has sincere affection for this man? The more Li hunts her, the more she is forced to become the violent force he warns against, yet the less sure his protege is of their mission. Definitely one to rewatch.<br />
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<b><i>The Man with the Iron Fists</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxrggiOY9o6GjMzpljv7IETL9jP1DpYOQwuMMYvzxzqWnVs9dNd55mGX8_6DNmiIu4D4Mwvfmv_rjgx1DAZOTHhAyQwhOt2f0TvzRXvEr4Nz5a1qtIWqMruT5_lI0hj8yUX4CIuNxHFM/s320/yellow1.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2012/man_with_the_iron_fists.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpK3aZDRXQSymtiebjbwFnWClWrEp1zXv7sL0eJaJ339zHVkjVU3BkYdObIomY8znQOQ4ub7u7DWC-Nv0C8JW8o-zrvotWTrSk5BssWGTr7AXBWRJi4Y9nAAJawet10u83OvBsDCljvdA/s200/man_with_the_iron_fists.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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Awesome <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3669665049" target="_blank">trailer</a>? Check. Martial arts? Check. A diverse collection of warriors, each with their own power or signature weapon? Check. Endorsed by Quentin Tarantino? Wait, hold it right there. Despite having liked a few of Tarantino’s films, I’ve loved none of them but <i>Reservoir Dogs</i>, and they are all incredibly violent (even his cameo in <i>Alias</i> was in the series’ most gruesome episode). <i>The Man with the Iron Fists</i>, written and directed by RZA, has all the makings of an awesome throw-down, but it is just bad, bad, bloody bad. (To be fair, I was warned when, at the end of the trailer, the titular man actually punches out someone else's eyeball.)<br />
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<b><i>My Favorite Wife</i></b> (1940)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviepostershop.com/my-favorite-wife-movie-poster-1940" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6OHuhaumjlfLQWJmxx1dzhNELQJZE0J4bXBK1eQ8g_EBADw_-FjDWx-H9Rh3Lpg2WX9zrS6dAWHyVesjOCMGoF1UrI6dF6YrWZqjaJ9UA_snwx7qwOX2KKn3Ll-ENPtGiufRJt_6Yw69/s200/my-favorite-wife-movie-poster-1940-1020143601.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
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The first of what would be four Cary Grant movies I watched in short succession.
Cary Grant’s wife, Irene Dunne, is lost at sea. After several years of mourning, and after fighting with a judge to declare him a widower, Grant re-marries to Gail Patrick (<i>My Man Godfrey</i>). While Honeymooning in Yosemite, Grant is astonished when his wife resurfaces, intent on reclaiming her husband. What ensues is a comedy of errors in which spineless Grant is reluctant to tell his new bride that his first wife is still alive, and so invents continual excuses why they can’t consummate their marriage.<br />
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The film makes the misstep of assuming that just because the hero is currently ill-matched, that his new bride is not worthy of our respect. Yes, she’s a bit prissy, but that doesn’t mean Grant (or the movie) are justified in humiliating her and running her out of the plot, just to make way for Dunne. Once Grant and Dunne are alone together, the third act focuses on his jealousy that she was alone on an island with Randolph Scott that whole time. Contrived, and duller by the minute.<br />
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<b><i>Rebel Without a Cause</i></b> (1955)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1955/rebel_without_a_cause.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpy2Xp4k53UKBAdsBd0fMClD4NXNY5KyYz_JEUlsxMWNihbb0gJryMOFKJCbRjxP_nbKeu9vehUX-ixsjLsmkMauhSR5jsyEHLr6KuFuJ-4t-CRgseTTunccbOoO3WfiOq4q7FS0A9PQZ/s200/rebel_without_a_cause.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>
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Trying to fit in at his new school, Jim (James Dean) nonetheless makes enemies when he sticks up for puppy-dog classmate Plato (Sal Mineo). Jim is reluctant to get drawn into a fight with the gang of bullies; he postures like he can take care of himself, but he's obviously trying to stay out of trouble this time round. His good sense doesn't extend to staying away from bad girl Judy (Natalie Wood).<br />
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This is my first and so far only James Dean movie. I see why he became such a sensation. He is suave and emotionally complex. The scenes with his parents, where his mother belittles him, and he lashes out at his father for not coming to his side, are transfixing.<br />
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<b><i>People Will Talk</i></b> (1951)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviepostershop.com/people-will-talk-movie-poster-1951" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUj-sA9tP8_CRJi5JDVY2oZmYiSfMNaBsNvjpjuHuNUq1li8pIP3enp4EaF3_xev_t6qh6GIIcPzPG0o-iBvuIqtDDdUQU5WEDUflcGF-PGyK7I8AQ33YrMlIdLIlS-tWuMXJ_NKq42D9/s200/people-will-talk-movie-poster-1951-1020529132.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Here is a Cary Grant movie worth seeing. Grant plays an OB/GYN and university lecturer who takes an interest in a patient and student (Jeanne Crain) who is pregnant, but unmarried. (The film’s title refers to the woman’s predicament, rather than finding any fault with a professor dating his student, or a doctor his patient.) As their friendship and romance blossoms, one of Grant’s colleagues becomes increasingly jealous of Grant’s position in the faculty, and wary of Grant’s mysterious bodyguard. Grant and Crain have an odd attraction; he never quite proves that he loves her, rather than wants to marry her to protect her reputation. Still, the two are great together.<br />
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<b><i>I Was a Male War Bride</i></b> (1949)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1949/i_was_a_male_war_bride.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNG9eTBZhgkVI0r1K5Jcq8F2sZOIXl1nxeYrFn-ABmH2O9N0h6I7Wo08FNQfRgnM8838eBGCE3PLzXGHbOOZiFTRVeBq98AJ11xpu9yGOaKhnfGXVYGgfg1LILlJXBc2v4lavGg6IYAZzg/s200/i_was_a_male_war_bride.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Another Grant comedy with a one-joke conceit that outstays its welcome. Grant is a member of the British service and Ann Sheridan of the American service. They are partnered together, initially fight like <i>Much Ado</i>’s Benedict and Beatrice, but then profess their love and get married. With the war now over, the problem is an administrative one: there is no precedent for female soldiers marrying foreign men and bringing them back to the United States (other than the film being made for an American audience, it’s never made clear why the US is the only considered destination). The legal language and spouse accomodations all assume that male soldiers are bringing home their female brides. Enduring all manner of humiliation, Grant registers himself as a war bride, and attempts to emigrate with his wife. Hilarious? Not quite.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-13624537023226781042013-11-09T19:40:00.002-08:002013-11-09T19:43:34.001-08:00Ender's Game<b>Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU9wJTN6Ord5oqwM7Bb2hDxltWvwzpS8HmbJIc4jZiLQKaH_cbh_9VZoXyALsAid1O3mLR7zDAyrHhPP9XQYhb8w1Xm47-A0WZGVKf63Cl2lPVrRP45BUZCS3mDRG0mnxDgwnj0bAI5M/s320/green5.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzExH2DGIYUFbmd9zeExpvObAPt1rCaHTj_dSQJS7m5PRc0xNBROpIkodjJDddFnzJ7TqiWWG2qyyiClmjuNYKxUoDBC6LtzYRtrF-BWyRpBTt4I6Yxln-3DLoWcNJ1vBE5c4GeU5Uw8j/s1600/IMG_2553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzExH2DGIYUFbmd9zeExpvObAPt1rCaHTj_dSQJS7m5PRc0xNBROpIkodjJDddFnzJ7TqiWWG2qyyiClmjuNYKxUoDBC6LtzYRtrF-BWyRpBTt4I6Yxln-3DLoWcNJ1vBE5c4GeU5Uw8j/s320/IMG_2553.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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One nice thing about it getting dark earlier now is that there's more time to enjoy the Alameda's vertical blade, glowing red in the night sky. Depending on my vantage point, I can see it from several blocks away peaking above buildings. If I'm walking home at night, I like to take Oak Street, so I can cross Santa Clara Ave. and see the sign glowing off to my right, with its promise of romance and adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ysCUAa6TJDGluEm5I1FVgIWO8fn-vli3acXuKJrEX3pYtzo5uKWIe4hF-z9rWVgpVyYCaBgTnKnh5kQCFISSHS5XazsG2RwSpcEu0ay7-qfZWr3DlcGTH0S3d5Lj1CsX19fWPAfGsBs/s1600/IMG_2550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ysCUAa6TJDGluEm5I1FVgIWO8fn-vli3acXuKJrEX3pYtzo5uKWIe4hF-z9rWVgpVyYCaBgTnKnh5kQCFISSHS5XazsG2RwSpcEu0ay7-qfZWr3DlcGTH0S3d5Lj1CsX19fWPAfGsBs/s320/IMG_2550.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The theater's <a href="http://www.alamedatheatres.com/images/2013_Alameda_Fall_Classic_Series_72.png" target="_blank">classic movie series</a> continues with their fall schedule. Still to look forward to are <i>Blade Runner</i> (a favorite of my friend Eli; I'm not a fan), <i>Cleopatra</i> (1963), <i>The Shop Around the Corner</i> (1940), and <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i> (1946). Despite its thematic appropriateness, I cannot recommend <i>Polar Express</i> (2004).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcvOy18maNK1tmCGUKhNgmtDc3OAZ0fU3k2Urlf-PdM_ko5-IEjcyN9C1uztjP4fb85lf00NGAY_v9Xy-Tr7W7IUlxEPVD9chNy797L-ZA4FRNzUXs0Jp9OtkX4v-CSZ6_Yiak5j5CghD/s1600/IMG_2548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcvOy18maNK1tmCGUKhNgmtDc3OAZ0fU3k2Urlf-PdM_ko5-IEjcyN9C1uztjP4fb85lf00NGAY_v9Xy-Tr7W7IUlxEPVD9chNy797L-ZA4FRNzUXs0Jp9OtkX4v-CSZ6_Yiak5j5CghD/s320/IMG_2548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had never really noticed before tonight the wavy neon signs above the auditorium entrances.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b>
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The Alameda Theatre reopened in 2008. Its on-screen trivia is copy written 2006. Having visited the theater twenty-five times so far this year, I'm finding the trivia a bit stale. (a) Which was Paul Newman's last performance? (b) Which animated movie was the first to be nominated for Best Picture? (c) How old was Shirley Temple when she starred in her first movie? Earlier this year, when the trivia asked which movie marked the debut of Josh Brolin, two young children behind me shouted, <i>Goonies</i>! When children younger than the questions themselves have memorized the answers, it's time to change the trivia. (a: <i>Cars</i>. b: <i>Beauty & the Beast</i>. c: 6.)<br />
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One thing the theater has changed is part of its intro (animated by <a href="http://michaelmparks.com/Home.html" target="_blank">Michael Parks</a>). For years, the Movie Treat Team (Franklin, Kernel Pop, Candy, Rush, Cherry, Nacho, and an army of popcorn kernels) have told us where to get snacks, how to buy gift certificates, and to turn off our cell phones (Nacho is a ninja at thwarting annoying ringtones). Earlier this year the theater added a prologue to its Movie Treat Team segment, one devoted entirely to the theater's recycling program (oddly, a flopping fish was deemed garbage instead of compostable). Candy (a talking box of gobstoppers) told us to pick up our own trash because, "Remember, your mom doesn't work here". That always annoyed me a bit, with the suggestion that if I were a kid at home, it would be okay to leave my trash around because my mom would clean it up for me. Apparently I'm not the only one. A few months ago, the intro was re-edited, combining elements from the original and the new recycling segment. Most notable, Candy's line has been edited out; now Pop (a talking kernel of popcorn) says, "Everybody do your share." That's the spirit.<br />
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Most of the original intro was cribbed from a longer <a href="http://www.alamedatheatres.com/history2.html" target="_blank">documentary</a> Michael Parks animated for the theater. The revision includes new footage. Kernel Pop is less featured, with one of his Pop minions teaming up with Franklin in his place to discuss various policies. My favorite addition is a shot of the projection booth, complete with sci-fi submarine sound effects. The theater claims to have the world's brightest projector, which I took to mean <i>the</i> brightest. More accurately, the theater has installed a Barco DP 32B-3D projector (<a href="http://www.shopparkstreet.com/theatre.html" target="_blank">source</a>), and <a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/8000/brightest-digital-cinema-projector" target="_blank">Guinness recognized</a> one such projector in Belgium in 2010 as the brightest on record. It's not quite as impressive when a record breaker can be mass produced, but suffice it to say, the Alameda's screen will not be dim.<br />
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<a href="http://michaelmparks.com/Virtual_Interview.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOFvxv5wEtJw5pYMrS7j71UX46hceTIy52YeHYH65dTHQ36RBd2_AYYB1HidCH36UgaXjAjBUhqTQQRXMpiaB68bV3pJmBcq_oErhHV8vqnBV9grREHjoQj4JWMHg2DKcFFCpYRjY2pOc/s320/MovieTreatTeam.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Trailers</b><br />
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<i>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i> (Trailer 3 - Marathon)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
<i>Catching Fire</i> has such great visuals and dramatic posturing to draw from, it can't deliver a boring trailer. This new trailer advertises The Alameda Theatre's 'marathon' showing of the original and this sequel back-to-back on November 21st. I enjoyed the new footage, but not only would I prefer to have had nothing of the movie spoiled, but this trailer has the marathon dates plastered across the bottom of the screen in large type for the duration, distracting from the otherwise stunning shots.<br />
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<i>47 Ronin</i> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_-pqoPDVQ" target="_blank">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
Keanu Reeves is a "half-breed banished from our land" (for <i>The Matrix Revolutions</i>, no doubt), sought after by forty-seven masterless samurai to help them fight off an invasion. Guest stars a cave troll from <i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i>, one of those arena creatures from <i>Attack of the Clones</i>, and the green serpent from <i>Dragon Wars</i>. Mindless predictable action, with some cool mythological effects.<br />
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<i>The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</i> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGjmAQdQ8uY" target="_blank">Trailer 2</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
Our band of adventurers presses onward toward the Misty Mountains to reclaim their mountainous lair from the dragon Smaug. Departing even more from the book than did the previous film, this installment features Legolas and Evangeline Lilly as an invented elf. With more action to spread around, this movie should be less boring than the first. I appreciate, with this trilogy coming second, the care being invested in leading up to <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, with dark tiding of Sauron and the corrupting influence of the One Ring that was absent from the book.<br />
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<i>I, Frankenstein</i> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxOSPfUw3qw" target="_blank">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
Aaron Eckhart is Frankenstein's monster, a spurned creature with supernatural power, enticed by an army of shapeshifting angel/gargoyles to help protect the world from an invasion of his own kind. Senselessly violent and probably a boring movie, but great visuals for a trailer. We live in an age where screenwriters sit around at parties, pulling two nouns out of a hat and competing to see who can make the results into the silliest movie. Frankenstein's Monster + Demon Hunter. Abraham Lincoln + Vampire Hunter. Hansel & Gretal + Witch Hunter. Confederate Soldier + Martian Hunter. Donkey Kong + Lollipop Hunter. Eckhart is a great actor; I expect him to infuse his monster with the conflicted pathos we know from the Shelly's novel, but also an indignation that he, like the X-Men, is being asked to protect those who hate him.<br />
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<b><i>Ender's Game</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/enders_game.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjgcgt2LbLXuQ7Unbj34r4K-a95B6gOAfm65K7ELSmT1bZblhsIMXiN4x_gOpBp0R_086mxhyphenhyphenwZnEDphz_LTUoWToccqQNHMELHZFQCAVjZVtxZ-qag8cTjPVtN7AUQnnjh_abNo1WDt_/s200/enders_game.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>
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A generation after humanity narrowly repels an alien invasion, an elite group of children are trained as tactical commandoes, using their creative young minds to solve problems in ways the military’s veteran ranks cannot. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is one such cadet, prized by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) as humanity’s best chance to lead an offensive against the alien home world, to ensure they never make a second attempt for Earth. Graff, always obsessed with the final victory, wants to cultivate in Ender the perfect balance of empathy and violence: the boy must understand his enemy just well enough to destroy them. Major Anderson (Viola Davis), Graff's right hand, is presented in supposed contrast, more concerned for Ender's emotional well-being than is her commander. Yet she devises unwinnable games for Ender to see how he reacts to confused failure.<br />
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The third child of a military family, Ender was conceived with the express purpose of achieving in the academy what his two older siblings (and father) did not. It's never easy being a kid, but the difficulty is magnified when Graff singles out Ender for praise among his competitive classmates, and promotes him quickly into squadrons of older kids who resent the upstart. The pressure to be humanity's savior might inspire in Ender unprecedented brilliance, or it might simply crush him, as it has so many others before him.<br />
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Years ago, when I first heard this film was green lit, I was skeptical it would respect the young ages of the characters in the book. (Movies tend to skew characters, up or down, toward their twenties.) In the book, Ender is six years old; Butterfield was probably fifteen when shooting his scenes. That's a big difference, but one that goes a long way toward populating the movie with talented young actors, instead of small children (my girlfriend, a teacher, informs me that six year olds can hardly sit in a chair, let alone lead an armada). Butterfield, tall but scrawny and with a still-cracking voice, can be timid and awkward, confident, affectionate, dispassionately violent, and remorseful. Among the adult cast, Ford's Colonel Graff is neither the stiff father figure nor the crazed military leader we've seen in so many other films. His uneven cruelty and kindness toward Ender is balanced by his own emotional state of fearing for his people and hoping that Ender can help.<br />
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The film's science fiction spectacle is top-notch, with sleek space ships, believable anti-gravity, and stunning vistas of alien worlds. Most impressive are the aliens, as scary and insect like as the creatures in <i>Starship Troopers</i>, yet sympathetic nonetheless. This is that rare sci-fi story that suggests humanity in the monstrously non-human. The story delivers on all its promises, with Ender showing off his brilliance, and space battles worthy of <i>Star Wars</i>; it also leads Ender down a path unlike anything he or Graff could have imagined.<br />
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<b>Epilogue</b><br />
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<i>Ender's Game</i>, adapted from the novel by Orson Scott Card, is one of the very, very few movies I've seen where I had already read the book. The book is also distinguished in my best friend's family because at one point it was the only novel that he and his six siblings had all read.<br />
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Earlier this year it came to my attention that Card is <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/05/07/sci_fi_icon_orson_scott_card_hates_fan_fiction_the_homosexual_agenda_partner/" target="_blank">outspoken</a> against equality for gay couples, and that a boycott of <i>Ender's Game</i> had been organized to prevent money from being funneled toward Card. At the time, with much disappointment, I planned to join the boycott. It's an interesting intersection of liberty, free speech, capitalism, and ethics. Card is entitled to his views, and to express them. I wouldn't want someone denying me work just because they disagree with my personal views, in effect trying to starve me into changing my mind. Neither would I want someone to stifle my expression of those views (on this blog for instance). If I deny someone money hoping to change their beliefs, rather than their actions, that's more discrimination than boycott.<br />
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The system becomes more nuanced, though, when the person expressing their beliefs does so on a large scale, and in an influential way. Then we are supporting not just the individual, but a movement. Assuming I had a wide readership in this tiny corner of the blogosphere, someone with views different from my own might conclude that by hiring me to build them a FileMaker database, they were indirectly funding my promotion of veganism, or same-sex marriage, or superheroes. Likewise, if I support <i>Ender's Game</i>, I'm not just enabling Card to put food on the table, but also to be an active member of the National Organization for Marriage, which in turn was influential in passing California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 (ruled unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court and <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-144_8ok0.pdf" target="_blank">upheld</a> by the Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court of the United States, in a roundabout manner of sorts). Card has a right to have and express his views, and I have a right and an obligation to deny him financial support if my money might be used to undermine my own views. In this case, I would be participating in the boycott not to change Card's beliefs, but to ask him to stop expressing them louder than do most people.<br />
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Enter Lionsgate, the studio releasing <i>Ender's Game</i>. In July, Lionsgate released a <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lionsgate-enders-game-orson-author-584673" target="_blank">statement</a> that not only distanced themselves from Card's personal views (if you've seen that disclaimer before your home videos you'll know that studios distance themselves from opinion regardless of the content or source of that opinion), but affirmed their commitment to "same-sex unions and domestic partnerships". Not quite a full-out endorsement of gay marriage, but enough to make me feel comfortable that my money would be going toward pro-LGBTQ spokesperson Lionsgate, rather than toward anti-LGBTQ spokesperson Card.<br />
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The above was sufficient to ease my conscience in buying a ticket, but I'm also bolstered today by <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/orson-scott-card-boycott-enders-game-box-office-book-instead" target="_blank">this article</a>, citing unnamed Lionsgate sources who say Card's contract with Lionsgate is fixed and guaranteed. Having no backend deal or special compensation for his Producer credit on the film, he will "neither gain from its success, nor suffer from its failure." I.e., Card already got his money; my money is going toward Lionsgate. Good news. If <i>Ender's Game</i> is a blockbuster success, Card's other properties (including possible sequels) will get a second look, each with their own contract. So money given to Lionsgate now could lead to money handed over to Card later. That might be the long game. In the short term, I applaud Lionsgate for speaking up for gay rights, and for releasing an excellent movie.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-1021120403328934332013-11-04T21:05:00.004-08:002013-11-04T21:05:25.062-08:00About Time<b>Shattuck Cinemas</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU9wJTN6Ord5oqwM7Bb2hDxltWvwzpS8HmbJIc4jZiLQKaH_cbh_9VZoXyALsAid1O3mLR7zDAyrHhPP9XQYhb8w1Xm47-A0WZGVKf63Cl2lPVrRP45BUZCS3mDRG0mnxDgwnj0bAI5M/s320/green5.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/08/55-kick-ass.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6SDxm6KBATNFaEyWtNwAxThEUD0lBo2M6DLSNefW02fjL6rK7OGKe93NDDY2YSO99JX8R4a1neft7wYDlJ00A9x_U9dErgBzNBJwGZ75lcR_4R7RG-j_ijoDa-hbM3TIJdoqx3PsrFrZ/s1600/IMG_2072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6SDxm6KBATNFaEyWtNwAxThEUD0lBo2M6DLSNefW02fjL6rK7OGKe93NDDY2YSO99JX8R4a1neft7wYDlJ00A9x_U9dErgBzNBJwGZ75lcR_4R7RG-j_ijoDa-hbM3TIJdoqx3PsrFrZ/s320/IMG_2072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the recent past, the Shattuck was cash only. Now not only do they accept plastic, but they have two ticket kiosks in the lobby. If there is no line at all, it's faster to conduct a transaction with a box office attendant; but if there is at least one person in front of me, it's faster to use the kiosk. Their kiosks are unusual in that just before I confirm that I want my tickets, it gives me a heads up about how full the theater is right now (46% full,in tonight's case). This is helpful information, as it might scare me off the movie if I'm warned that I'll end up with a bad angle, and at a minimum it tells me whether I should rush to secure a seat, or if I have time to visit the bathroom or concession stand.<br />
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As it turns out, 46% full (or it might have been 46% of seats remaining, I forget) is pretty full. My girlfriend and I were still seated to one side and fairly close to the screen in one of the larger Egyptian themed auditoriums.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b>
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A black-and-white ad for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIWfpwYJA0w" target="_blank">Tanqueray gin</a> features a smooth, good-looking bartender mixing drinks to a rotating cast of characters throughout the evening; passing his fellow bartender's number to a lady in waiting; throwing out an obnoxious patron; cheering up a sobbing bride; disrupting the game of a bragging pool player; and generally being charismatic, professional, and admired. At evening's end, he makes his way to some other bar, where he relaxes at a piano and has a drink of his own. Doesn't make me want to drink gin, but it does make me want to hang out with <i>this</i> guy.<br />
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<b>Trailers</b><br />
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<i>Blue Is the Warmest Color</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2572069145">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
Two young women meet, fall in love, and perhaps fall out of love. The women look like they’ll have a magnetic attraction, but it’s difficult to tell, because as with most foreign language films, the trailer is too timid to have non-English dialog with subtitles, instead wasting much of its time with quotes from various reviewers and personalities. This makes for an uninformative trailer, but has spoiled little of the film. This trailer is notable for being the first I’ve ever seen where the film advertised is rated NC-17.
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<i>Saving Mr. Banks</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2341120281">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO6hNUT0GOgBLF0yNa8Yhl8bLBsCpl-aouNw89dph5EoCNu-3bgGMtT9Q4_A-M8FfzIwNlYSK-SmdsqjJKumbEtcybVx1SaAkHNmB7P8lCKu4mwuYl-MbH7LoXbC97-xjbhR38T5NhZU/s320/blue2.png" /><br />
Smooth talker Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) tries to convince Mrs. P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to allow his studio to adapt <i>Mary Poppins</i> for the big screen. Travers doesn’t approve of Disney’s free-spirited ideas about her character, and Disney can’t seem to figure out what makes Travers tick. But don’t worry, the trailer will explain everything for you in great detail, and I assure you, by movie’s end the Poppins will get made and the two artists will be fast friends.
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<i>The Book Thief</i> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92EBSmxinus">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
During World War II, an orphan is taken in by an older couple who pretend to be her parents, while they also hide a young man from the Nazis. Has there ever been a Holocaust movie that wasn’t dramatic and gripping? Let’s just assume the same will be true here, and focus instead on the nuances. First, Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson will be excellent. Second, having German characters speak English with German accents is annoying. Third, the narration is unnecessary.
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<i>How I Live Now</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi592029977">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO6hNUT0GOgBLF0yNa8Yhl8bLBsCpl-aouNw89dph5EoCNu-3bgGMtT9Q4_A-M8FfzIwNlYSK-SmdsqjJKumbEtcybVx1SaAkHNmB7P8lCKu4mwuYl-MbH7LoXbC97-xjbhR38T5NhZU/s320/blue2.png" /><br />
Saoirse Ronan falls in love with a boy in the Irish or English countryside, but war breaks out and separates the two. I’m intrigued by what war the film will concoct to keep them apart. Ronan has a perfect record of performances in the six movies I’ve seen her in, and she looks just as convincing and watchable here. The trailer, however, is discordant, overlaying peppy rock music to what should be tense chases and melancholy scenes of destruction.
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<i>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i> (Trailer 2)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/gravity.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<b><i>About Time</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/uk/2013/about_time.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr5atRAFzkfrxLcPH5MUFD_Bz7l55il77NiFHsuWX9LALkDTr_7alGye16RLwE8Y7EavySyg_7utZjdy9N9JAAnAOnSFSmuwpo5gDEx51yWWbH5pjmCy6bJicIgzf2qpM4cjnJsbX90KF/s200/about_time.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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In high school, my classmates and I scoffed when our history teacher, not much older then than I am now, told us he wouldn't want to be our age for anything in the world. Today at a birthday party for my friend's five-year old, another friend told me of a survey in which centenarians (he had to tell me what that was) were asked, if you could be any age again, which age would you want to be? And the resounding answer was 70: old enough to have figured it all out, retired, have kids and grandkids to enjoy, but still young enough to be healthy (they'd live another thirty years, after all). I'm finally old enough to get it: each day is better than the last, and I don't want to ever go back.<br />
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Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), an awkward redhead in search of a girlfriend, is thick as thieves with his dad (Bill Nighy), mother (Lindsay Duncan), and sister Kit Kat (Lydia Wilson), but has trouble making other friends. One day his father sits him down to reveal a family secret: the men in the family can travel in time. All they must do is clench their fists in a dark place and think intently on the moment in their own life they want to travel back to, and presto magico, they're back in the body of their younger self, able to change their own history. Tim's first thought is to use the ability to gain wealth or power, but his dad cites examples in their family tree where those goals didn't turn out so well. Tim's dad uses his ability for something much simpler and more personal; inspired, Tim decides to use time travel to get a girlfriend.<br />
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After moving to London, Tim dines at a concept restaurant (like in <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/27-when-in-rome.html" target="_blank">When in Rome</a></i>) in which he is led into a pitch black room to enjoy his food and company without benefit of sight. He hits it off with the nearby voice of Mary (Rachel McAdams); by evening's end they've exchanged numbers, flouting the age-old rule that a romantic comedy keep its lovers apart until the end. In <i>Groundhog Day</i>, Bill Murray uses repetition to his advantage to win over Andie MacDowell. Similarly, Tim recovers from a few social flubs with Mary by repeating encounters until he gets it right. But unlike Murray's manipulative Phil, Tim is well-meaning (mostly) and in general doesn't screw things up. With its romance on track, the film is free to explore deeper territory.<br />
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Time travel movies typically fall into one of three camps. The first is a moral tale, showing us that by attempting to change the past we'll only ruin the present, and we should just be happy with what we've got (see <i>The Butterfly Effect</i>). The second is a lesson in determinism, showing that no matter how hard we try to reshape events, they will converge unavoidably into our familiar present, so again we should just be happy with what we've got (see <i>12 Monkeys</i>). The third, usually in lighter movies (see <i>Back to the Future</i>) but not always (see <i>Deja Vu</i>) argue it's okay to change something major, so long as you really really want to.<br />
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<i>About Time</i>, written by Richard Curtis (<i>Notting Hill</i>, <i>Love Actually</i>), takes a more nuanced approach, with each timeline differing from the other in non-qualitative ways. In one timeline Friend A is happy, but in another Friend B is happy. Now that Tim has seen both, how can he in good conscience choose one over the other? A typical comedy would find some perfect third option, but this one punishes and rewards Tim with consequence. The film so invests us in Tim's relationships with Mary, Kit-Kat, and his dad, that for several scenes, time travel disappears altogether. It resurfaces at important moments in Tim's life, a proxy for the big decisions we must all make, and how we envision each of the possible outcomes and try to shape our future accordingly. Tim's decisions are heartbreaking and delightful, and by film's end, we are counseled on how to better our own lives with a little time travel of our own.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-43222459596450552122013-11-02T16:40:00.000-07:002013-11-02T16:40:03.167-07:00Home Video Roundup: March 2013In March, and shamed by having not yet visited my local library since moving to Alameda, I began a short-lived project to scour the library’s video section, from A-Z, looking for anything old. My one rule: I would check out films as I discovered them, in alphabetical order. I was filled with excitement at the prospect of so many great films awaiting my attention (using just the Best Picture nominees from the 1930s and 1940s as my barometer, I have a huge backlog to look forward to). But there was one major problem: disc quality. Remember those original ads for CDs that showed off how indestructible they were? Lies. The library's movie collection is well worn, and the discs are often unwatcheable. For every movie I finished, another I had to abandon, or skip over what could have been a crucial scene.<br />
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<b><i>The Best Years of Our Lives</i></b> (1946)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1946/best_years_of_our_lives.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CAalvacY4uvtoRskyL1TuMiak_iUv4ThJ88KnWC5nBSCuk1gWazRpmumTPhTY-1iGa5HpQzM8oO_CuWYcb97YxpiYa87j2Euj2SD-3j4Phuft0bYx6aRnAEAllQAEnMS4sj52jfkS7yg/s200/best_years_of_our_lives.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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Released just one year after the end of World War II, the film follows three veterans from different branches of the military who meet and befriend each other while enroute to their shared hometown. Each has trouble acclimating. Dana Andrews’s wife has moved on and doesn’t have much use for him. Harold Russell has returned with prosthetic hooks in place of his hands; his fiance loves him regardless, but he's ashamed on her behalf. Fredric March's family (wife Myrna Loy and daughter Teresa Wright) are swell, but he has nightmares each night, and begins drinking heavily.<br />
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On the one hand, the film is pure propaganda, reassuring the troops and public alike that returning soldiers will successfully re-assimilate, resuming their happy, productive lives. Watching this nearly seven decades later, I appreciate the movie for that very reason: it is a contemporary account of how one entity (in this case the movie studio) wanted people to feel about veterans. Though we might best remember 1946 for giving us <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i>, <i>The Best Years of Our Lives</i> was the year's second highest grossing film (behind <i>Song of the South</i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1946_in_film" target="_blank">source</a>), and it dominated the subsequent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_Academy_Awards" target="_blank">Academy Awards</a>. History aside, all three leads are fun to watch, and I fell in love with each of their love interests. I'm also impressed to read on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751174/" target="_blank">IMDB</a> that Harold Russell really had lost his hands (probably assumed by the contemporary audience, but nothing is given nowadays), and only two year's prior to the film's release. I imagine his character's struggles to adapt to prosthetic hands must have been a challenge he had only just conquered in real life.<br />
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<b><i>Beautiful Creatures</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/beautiful_creatures_ver3.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObUioe24lwhwEzm256vAzlpEYSI0I8h6VUwhMhKSGxHEYU6gPcXmtl-xhiB6WQkvcigkXKaTreLSpJtXvyX9udlfmYKZrWUKjn7wolxun5j32YZRp0b8kWP9f3H-Q7N6yS_dU8p7RV0cv/s200/beautiful_creatures_ver3.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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@ <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/05/58-babies.html" target="_blank">United Artists Emery Bay Stadium 10</a>.<br />
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Someday I might grow tired of melodramatic teeny-bopper sci-fi/fantasy, but not this day. Alice Englert is destined to become a witch on her 16th birthday. Various members of her family (including Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, and Emmy Rossum) vie to sway her to their side of the magical rift: the dark or the light. As we might expect of a teen, she rejects the pre-fabricated choices presented to her, instead falling in love with her charmingly cheerful classmate, Alden Ehrenreich. The chemistry between the leads is fun to watch, as is all the magical mumbo-jumbo.<br />
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<b><i>Quartet</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/uk/2012/quartet_ver4.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JAovy9TS6IvhCzXP2ZEN6kLUO59UJsbxpWKCUfENMX4zyfD1QsIet_f0xZ7TA5W6OTCoBGVT4WC_MoFd3pSC935kLSFqVXrDrC_uunCHLz4Gm94LJ0cPcWwvsDzbL_haR8gb2NPBJiH9/s200/quartet_ver4.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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A retirement home for operatic royalty. The same premise, if applied to any number of perrenial Hollywood professions, would yield a good script: retirement home for secret agents; retirement home for detectives; retirement home for adventurers, or superheroes, or hostage negotiators. But opera singers? If their lives were very interesting, we’d already have scores of movies about them in their prime, rather than waiting until their retirement. On the other hand, starting this late in the singers’ life means the movie has a wealth of backstory to draw upon: old friendships, old flames, and old rivalries.<br />
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Maggie Smith is the diva whom everyone resents. Tom Courtenay is the perfect gentleman, though he can't stand to be near Smith, his ex-wife (she cheated on him the day they got married). Pauline Collins, whom I've not seen since <i>Shirley Valentine</i> (1989), is ever cheerful, but frightened as she begins to lose her memory. Billy Connolly is a randy old ladies man powered entirely by Viagra and a refusal to let his best years be behind him. Everyone does a good job, though Connolly overplays his one-note role. The movie is both touching and boring.<br />
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<b><i>Jack the Giant Slayer</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/jack_the_giant_killer_ver10.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmFQqEGO7yp42P7qw4kFL5B6pxSL5uXvH6RvBGpNJffx5ZKLKRiKfQOgFkuakVlxBx2kULyG0MYBlaEy2XR55tMf_j0R9oiK6-lKyVtT-Bm7YrSpsOW6Jw6x8yIQ6ShAf07rFZZY4pc6J/s200/jack_the_giant_killer_ver10.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.</div>
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Sincere fairy tale movies are on the uptick. <i>Red Riding Hood</i> (2011), <i>Mirror Mirror</i> (2012), <i>Snow White & the Huntsman</i> (2012), <i>Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters</i> (2013), and now <i>Jack the Giant Slayer</i>. In principle I don’t mind, as it allows me to enjoy an old story with a fresh coat of paint, and with more attention toward an adult audience. The problem is that not one of these movies is particularly good (I haven’t seen <i>Mirror Mirror</i>). As Bilbo would say, their plots are spread thin like butter on too much toast.<br />
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However, I did enjoy <i>Jack the Giant Slayer</i> more than the rest. The three principal sets (ground level, the beanstalk itself, and the land of the giants) are each fun in their own way, and rich with visuals. Nicholas Hoult has swallowed some magic beans himself, transforming from the dopey kid in <i>About a Boy</i> (2002) to <a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2013/08/05/Nicholas-Hoult.jpg" target="_blank">this hunk</a>. The film allows its romantic leads, Hoult and princess Eleanor Tomlinson, more latitude than I expected: he's not fooled by her initial disguise, and she doesn't treat him like scum just because he's not of royal blood. Passable performances by Ewan McGregor (shining hero), Stanley Tucci (conniving slime ball), Ian McShane (honorable king), and Bill Nighy (gravely voice of the giant general).<br />
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<b><i>Dames</i></b> (1934)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviepostershop.com/dames-movie-poster-1934" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LYmPzd8dFpLK03SamAby6eVsKjKXzSHK8Zr4RaDb8m2hNqbS04mu40FeqB3Wg14jz4zEWH1TWmwYCm_TKG47pLjI2zNTOyXlhGXXa86pCCd-SvnLzAkriIduTgNPjOO076ZY8fvaiyeZ/s200/dames-movie-poster-1934-1020197043.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
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The early days of sound fascinate me. The long-form narrative had already matured during the preceding decade, but with staid dialog inserts no longer needed, fast-paced talking exploded. <i>The Thin Man</i> and <i>It Happened One Night</i> have some of the best dialog I’ve ever heard, and how could any silent era star compete on appearance alone when facing off against Errol Flynn’s smooth voice? Then there’s the fashion. William Powell looks more formal going to bed than I look going out. Everyone dresses up, even the schlubs.<br />
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I had never heard of <i>Dames</i> prior to renting it. An aging man, Uncle Ezra, whose wealth is matched only by his prudishness comes to stay with Mathilda and Horace, his last living relatives and whom he’s never before met, to audition them for an inheritance. The parents are capable enough of impressing him with their upstanding ways. Their daughter Barbara (Ruby Keeler) and her boyfriend Jimmy (Dick Powell) are less concerned, however. Jimmy is writing a musical, with Barbara in the lead, and they’re happy enough to struggle and love each other without trying to impress an old fogy. Because the rich relative considers theater a sin, the youngsters try to hide it from him. Meanwhile, they accidentally get him drunk on a high-alcohol substitute for his favorite all-purpose medicinal tonic.<br />
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The film follows the now familiar trope of trying to conceal a secret, with hilarious (or in this case amusing) consequences. The movie did well in theaters, perhaps suggesting that what’s old hat to me now wasn’t necessarily to audiences then. Plot-wise, I cannot recommend the film; it is dully written and cartoonishly acted. I was bored much of the time. But its final sequence, in which we get to watch the couple’s musical in its entirely, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. What begins as fantastically costumed dance numbers in clever sets soon expands into impossibly large sets, with hundreds of uniform dancers, swirling around in a fantastic kaleidoscope of shapes. At one point the camera pulls back so far that the entire stage of dancers becomes just the pupil in Keeler’s eye, and the camera keeps pulling back, to reveal Keeler dancing with an even larger ensemble. I don’t know how they did it, but it’s amazing.<br />
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<b><i>Citizen Kane</i></b> (1941)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1941/citizen_kane.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0Zldr7UREVTTeKMaiUqcpQCj5TnpvVUuY0n284gGBY_xquTEq63C8zEyEDFvactX-RLICb2TfinUBSrHjSoXgEzdbbKbPiM-sdwezI7q5jc6WXSEzHOXrXahhqHyDxeIgRgW2c3O38ND/s200/citizen_kane.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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People who laud <i>Citizen Kane</i> as the greatest film of all time are just plain wrong; that title belongs to <i>Clue</i>, and don't you forget it. <i>Citizen Kane</i>'s shots often have good composition, but so do those in <i>Jack the Giant Slayer</i>. Perhaps <i>Citizen Kane</i> was the first movie to do much of what it did, but we don’t call the Model T the <i>best</i> car just because it was the <i>first</i> car.<br />
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Okay, now I'm just picking on it because it's so well regarded. When I first saw this movie, in college, I did indeed think it was excellent. Now, having doubled both my age and the number of films I've seen, I find the movie boring, and its main character a jerk. Though it doesn't quite reward me for the entire viewing, I did enjoy the mansion full of treasures, and the revelation of his sled Rosebud. Does his dying word signify that he yearned for the innocence of his youth, and perhaps that had he not inherited money he might have lived a happier life? Or does he fixate on that lost sled ride, the singular thing in life that eluded him? (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Easter Parade</i></b> (1948)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/1948/easter_parade.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHdgyAzmz4U3U-OHuCVqEbNs3EZLqydKl4AfoY7oFbGcHm58M94BaHLn_1Bq9isablVwKEpPsmwAYkn5VVE4rMFJ5AW8xVk7QZSX3nYESQZSk2ipRgo1xkMP0Q0hCORBnayHX6px8iI2U/s200/easter_parade.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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Fred Astaire, bitter over his breakup with long time dance partner and lover Ann Miller, discovers Judy Garland in a small club and decides to train her to be his replacement partner. When they dance together, they are good. Their chemistry, though, is so lacking that not until he professes his love and the credits role did I believe that I was actually supposed to root for the romance. I enjoy musicals, but this movie feels like a caricature of a musical, with the song "A Fella with an Umbrella" meant in its sappy literal banality to suggest the essence of a musical. It was the sixth highest grossing movie of the year (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_in_film" target="_blank">source</a>), and I have to wonder if audiences at that time were just resigned to boredom.<br />
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<b><i>Baby Face</i></b> (1933)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.moviepostershop.com/baby-face-movie-poster-1933" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-AKm5Uz40MbkgiLtpWhahO5gwIMmEpgQSrr2tYhaN8KGr5SsTNOhgIcMHLTQoE830YA8lCZBIqQioV5m8MzoL-hCgQ5-DF4Cwakb5Os6_AdXeObi6nX8YPLiqUbYJeQfiMf8KPk1dsRb/s200/baby-face-movie-poster-1933-1020417044.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Barbara Stanwyck starts out as a factory town waitress, but has ambitions to make more of herself. She unscrupulously sleeps her way up the corporate ladder until finally setting her sights on the company’s young president. Where this film takes her character I did not expect, and her ultimate fate is both tragic and satisfying. Look for a very young John Wayne.
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<b><i>Game Change</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/tv/game_change.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyLDxamSRx91xOVATuqYTxzhb-v8vAj824xDRoLKATzgN_NpxQrbVGllPnefNRHAV1IBbkuVsEsIDZ0_U9-pnnv-Ytg8kaAXFRNRZj6_P2QVvE_jqZowYkj25KT1slG9s0E1C6nsfPahE/s200/game_change.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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If you’re a fan of Sarah Palin, don’t watch this movie. When John McCain (Ed Harris) chooses Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) as his running mate, he has met her just once, during what began as a vetting interview but ended in a confirmation. Palin is young and charismatic; both assertive and flattering; speaking as a country everywoman but with national talking points; she is the real deal. McCain and most of his staff are infatuated with the idea of her.<br />
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Unfortunately (and I’m speaking just of the character, not the actual person), she is unfit for the job. This movie plays out about as I’d expect if by some bad luck (on everyone’s part) a presidential nominee named me the running mate. I’m not entirely ignorant, but neither am I particularly well versed on current events, past events, education, the economy, national defense, world affairs, or any other topic I might in that office be called upon to understand. I would be a terrible running mate. Palin finds herself in such a situation, but she doesn’t understand that she’s in over her head. As her ignorance bubbles to the surface, and nervous McCain staffers try to prep her, she first tries to cope by recording on flash cards everything they say. When that doesn’t help her, and the staffers press harder, she begins to mentally shut down, refusing to talk to the staffers, insisting on returning home to campaign in Alaska (whose residents are sure to vote the McCain Palin ticket no matter what).<br />
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I pitied her. Her central flaw is that, when McCain asked her to join him, she lacked the wisdom to say no.<br />
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<b><i>Tai Chi 0</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/intl/china/2013/tai_chi_0_ver10.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-GN4mptTjwtlLYaFTzvvboN7BEscbQgT2e_eonR1XsFGRQMeXDpKq0-_KcWpxKAU5OtHZAizq04nH5UWFEVkSKRrl2TRkL-M7uun5pYlbVPGrhpZ_XO9Dmc5KW2BbzpOA4BtpRgAwqnO/s200/tai_chi_0_ver10.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi165389593" target="_blank">trailer</a>, one of the most exhilarating of the year, promised a steampunk kung-fu throwdown. And indeed that is what we got. With superpowers. With those credentials in mind, and doubting my own words as I write them, I confess it just wasn't very entertaining. It's missing something, but I don't know what.<br />
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<b><i>V for Vendetta</i></b> (2006)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2006/v_for_vendetta_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeT57YrEQ_dnKKnviDIhGpacSBtLYSuMD2SWu_cO-_13oGWzVQf5DNLWxQ8swonV9jsVoK7hHJQ1OiE1hQ6vEYLHAbHbt0gVuAsnNZcXROyliRWGrvNJirzv_I6G8HL1c6RMPtTKp3dJo/s200/v_for_vendetta_ver2.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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An outstanding film. It has lost a bit of its sheen after this handful of viewings, with the Evey/V scenes becoming a bit stale. But I'm still loving Stephen Rea's detective Finch, and Tim Pigott-Smith's diabolical Creedy. Couple this with <i>The Matrix</i> to cement the Wachowski siblings' claim to greatness, and just forget all about <i>Cloud Atlas</i>. (4th viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Push</i></b> (2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2009/push_ver2.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXAuYTl59ujZuAooEJKmYq7M-f2t_MTYNxq1UBgF5hPkZrN00BV_o7uCsdlmBz2s8s0LhDyAEhCl6g_pxeJpZ1ViBSNGzyvimoo1udpU3nwAS3kteoqvnZonVAj9ukDT6S8T6dmJxUL-a/s200/push_ver2.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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The typical arc of a super power plot marches our protagonist from ignorance, to learning about nascent powers, and finally to becoming the most-powerful-ever chosen one. I take my super power plots wherever I can get them, so I don't complain even if the plot is well worn. But <i>Push</i> bucks the trend in most regards. First, Chris Evans isn’t ignorant about the world of powers. He knows he has them (though his are limited), and that others do too. Second, the plot adheres to the reluctant hero model, focusing more on Evans stepping up to the challenge than on his wide-eyed discovery of his own potential. And third, everyone in this movie is bad-ass. Evans is full-fledged by the end, but he’s not the chosen one (if anyone is, it’s his girlfriend, Camilla Belle, or Dakota Fanning’s offscreen mom), and he’s no more powerful than the other mover. There are eight other types of super power, and they are each awesome in their own way. There are factions. There are rivalries. This movie comes closer than any other to showing a world full of super heroes. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer</i></b> (2007)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2007/fantastic_four_rise_of_the_silver_surfer_ver8.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionU1jSFgwUumwoEZ88E-t7zigeFeyPsuMS9He72uWNaworJsMj5ngexTi8qSjkqPyVo5CoMK26y4crKQhu_8rVxuVkobQITqnQftrJ7ovqVIw2L_n4Cu-hcOJlR85_2eQp6tQQ3obzbFc/s200/fantastic_four_rise_of_the_silver_surfer_ver8.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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I stick up for <i>Fantastic Four</i>. I name it as one of my <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/04/top-10-superhero-teams.html" target="_blank">Top 10 Superhero Teams</a>. And I still enjoy it. After this fourth viewing of the sequel, though, my disappointment is only growing. The power-swap plotline is fun to explore for an issue of a comic or episode of a show, but not for the first sequel. (<i>Spider-Man 2</i> makes the same mistake, compounded by <i>Spider-Man 3</i>’s costume plot.) Dr. Doom, already lacking the majesty of his comic counterpart, is further degraded by the sequel’s plot. Sue Storm’s irrational disapproval of Reed helping to save the world when he should be focusing on their wedding is annoying before she even starts doing it, and paints her as some anti-feminist status monger. Silver Surfer is awesome; I’m still impressed with how well such an odd character translated to the screen. The whole thing feels like a very simple three-act plot with no surprises, and not enough superhero action. (4th viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>The Dark Knight</i></b> (2008)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2008/dark_knight_ver4.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWYYkdCsV46icTDbaVH6dRYKGJWLz0uzgIyQ_watLN16MOwRk0UlBd_LyOOsomls3rccwPGDOpaDbSfcif7r2r_P9Lcrx6TuWtD-3JW7rUzk62LvAD6-yBs4RSmk52TQsVr5nkltRJD9T/s200/dark_knight_ver4.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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For the first three decades of my life, I liked Batman. I watched his goofy, crisp-voiced likeness on SuperFriends. A cousin of mine once had a Batman birthday cake, and I was envious (she also had pictures of Captain Marvel all over her bedroom). I read a few <i>Batman</i> comics here and there, and enjoyed Burton's two <i>Batman</i> films, especially Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. Yet none of these portrayals governed my idea of Gotham's hero. The animated series <i>Justice League</i> (and its precursor <i>Batman: The Animated Series</i>), however, have now trumped all other incarnations of the Dark Knight. The Bruce Timm Batman, voiced by Kevin Conroy, is <i>the</i> Batman. Period. He is a detective. An intellectual. A friend. An obsessed, morally-incorruptible, hero.<br />
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In contrast, Christopher Nolan's Batman, voiced by the incomprehensible Christian Bale, is a thug. He thinks with his fists, and leaves the creative work to sidekick Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Sure, they play detective by firing a bullet into a brick a lot like the bullet and brick at the crime scene so they can magically reconstruct a fingerprint on the bullet. That's not Batman. That's not even Zatanna. So Nolan's Batman can't compete in the same league as Timm's Batman.<br />
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Nolan's villains are a different story. Skipping over Liam Neeson's stoic Ra's Al Ghul, Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow is creepy and menancing, Heath Ledger's Joker is psychotically perfect, and Tom Hardy's Bane is mysterious and with an emotional depth not seen in any other Batman villain except Catwoman. Nolan does villains well. Period. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Black Hawk Down</i></b> (2001)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2001/black_hawk_down_ver1.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH2Xo6dQZYkgTm8abNozPNnpIEqN-c0QSh3W76OLuCA-XxGb_QvCki25DKBUf7PUgQ4TCQUvj19Qp08J9pqdtm0gxCW8E4KCdzIROvQVH4FZ_CUVxGsKZSsXOzIi65AQBrK5FNW8fdYQM/s200/black_hawk_down_ver1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Every time I think about <i>Black Hawk Down</i>, I want to watch <i>Black Hawk Down</i>.<br />
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Let's say for argument's sake that you need to neutralize some terrorists in a third world country. They're protected by roughly 1000 armed men. Those men aren't terribly good shots, but there's a lot of them, and they have RPGs and stuff. Time is of the essence, so you basically have to cobble together a team from a random assortment of nearby fellas. And here's who you get.<br />
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1. That cold-blooded assassin from <i>Sin City</i>. He can kill with his lips. Give the man a gun, and make him the centerpiece of your outfit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS-ZfC0DllfWJdkPxUbKRY4NF-KQ_73cYHJsObOzzuS21jz_CWgAGGKTXq4zODNNEDk-KkJiuqu_M4mgQU1L-mWPPcqIGwm0nGjSqK-g6IQqigDiitgAXJSxZNSNaFlUbQPdrtfOIQTr5/s1600/Hartnett.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS-ZfC0DllfWJdkPxUbKRY4NF-KQ_73cYHJsObOzzuS21jz_CWgAGGKTXq4zODNNEDk-KkJiuqu_M4mgQU1L-mWPPcqIGwm0nGjSqK-g6IQqigDiitgAXJSxZNSNaFlUbQPdrtfOIQTr5/s320/Hartnett.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Bane. Incredibly strong. Can defeat a fortress with his fingernails. He won't need it, but give the man a gun anyway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPK8Awq1t1FOnId4RfPhrtrAF7MKS8-s2K-l8bu_ICCMTsxRWfrATb8EFBJ1KKv5Tk8ocWrzkczRuYE8sQEucnhgjw3zKvj-NHDAAQPKC1Jmx0zhUFeGceE57ffVLL5lDKtkumUaXUrge/s1600/Hardy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPK8Awq1t1FOnId4RfPhrtrAF7MKS8-s2K-l8bu_ICCMTsxRWfrATb8EFBJ1KKv5Tk8ocWrzkczRuYE8sQEucnhgjw3zKvj-NHDAAQPKC1Jmx0zhUFeGceE57ffVLL5lDKtkumUaXUrge/s320/Hardy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. This guy, from <i>Saving Private Ryan</i>. Give him a gun. But he can keep the bazooka as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQidnRjfFJ38_TNW8fQpW48Isg_4czFmLdxncLTwC_u1J3YMeZzhtX5OQRWCxb5jocpScc86v12pume7pSnjmGAXt1sGFDu9nL1R3eexO4AtqsWhC9rANslrzFdocyzhyphenhyphenwtRR_QA2H95C/s1600/Sizemore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQidnRjfFJ38_TNW8fQpW48Isg_4czFmLdxncLTwC_u1J3YMeZzhtX5OQRWCxb5jocpScc86v12pume7pSnjmGAXt1sGFDu9nL1R3eexO4AtqsWhC9rANslrzFdocyzhyphenhyphenwtRR_QA2H95C/s320/Sizemore.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Wizard, elf-hater, Death Eater. Gun time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3attZWBghxADQMQtcmsMgSXy_92_r62ewxoa-ywsdU2zoy4ux4knMJLNxbM4wIcoChjepGstmSmx-GGeuNaM7k9BpxyqJG3HrGleUnzPnALvbgtAc93dlWl5TUulYCRoGw84HdkPibpNW/s1600/Isaacs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3attZWBghxADQMQtcmsMgSXy_92_r62ewxoa-ywsdU2zoy4ux4knMJLNxbM4wIcoChjepGstmSmx-GGeuNaM7k9BpxyqJG3HrGleUnzPnALvbgtAc93dlWl5TUulYCRoGw84HdkPibpNW/s320/Isaacs.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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5. That blind guy from <i>Contact</i>. He knows math and alien languages and can smell you before you walk in the room. Gun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9L59dmG1qWOWQR9dz4xg6ogfmqw08Hk-pp3rYnRvaQtVx2zJgPjldymR4c5bEzBNke94qiHbnSRUh6zmv_I-qSyiPSaJ9-LMmHdonWZk7goCG7BAVai0b0rC8Jn0nEYAiw8qnRE_EgV0/s1600/Fichtner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9L59dmG1qWOWQR9dz4xg6ogfmqw08Hk-pp3rYnRvaQtVx2zJgPjldymR4c5bEzBNke94qiHbnSRUh6zmv_I-qSyiPSaJ9-LMmHdonWZk7goCG7BAVai0b0rC8Jn0nEYAiw8qnRE_EgV0/s320/Fichtner.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
6. Another blind guy, this one from <i>Armageddon.</i> He saved the entire planet once. Gun. And a helicopter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoWG7wk2X1LdxM_EN72DX6MvxblFH4UYIUM4eQ_ffiyNUjmNHbJHijtlpT6wo346VDrldMx1-IMrOf-WJrqkNXY7FEXEWqf-CWqQ90qSH9-n474Xxf0icrq6GMLpsWTQ12nl3tpbE_IqN/s1600/Eldard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoWG7wk2X1LdxM_EN72DX6MvxblFH4UYIUM4eQ_ffiyNUjmNHbJHijtlpT6wo346VDrldMx1-IMrOf-WJrqkNXY7FEXEWqf-CWqQ90qSH9-n474Xxf0icrq6GMLpsWTQ12nl3tpbE_IqN/s320/Eldard.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
7. Legolas. Immortal. He sees death in the sunrise. Bow + Gun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpYR-zraslTef4SSxFYoteMCjuOgcmM3lfvYjX0kCRa-Wz5VB8CUhT3PNn0wb7CPSMTNv3jqWOdYrRtZ45NtZRYsb4VnAc7jywhvPVBKwBj0BJE5Tl4EJ9hzCo2gA8aNKYfi2WDvyOu8S/s1600/Bloom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpYR-zraslTef4SSxFYoteMCjuOgcmM3lfvYjX0kCRa-Wz5VB8CUhT3PNn0wb7CPSMTNv3jqWOdYrRtZ45NtZRYsb4VnAc7jywhvPVBKwBj0BJE5Tl4EJ9hzCo2gA8aNKYfi2WDvyOu8S/s320/Bloom.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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8. Mr. Fantastic. Smartest guy in the universe. The ultimate nullifier <i>is</i> a gun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIo6fN6p17HbfJ6RrszAIkaaNUBPUh6CLLbvam2yYEOH9MLnLs8TxFsV8L1tnOQGa8672ljkYkJ6EE2sO3ygRj9i8W_EWbqLVXD7uAlxJjifVPECKI4l2z27ur99xPX7Dox8hvy_0sTJuB/s1600/Gruffudd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIo6fN6p17HbfJ6RrszAIkaaNUBPUh6CLLbvam2yYEOH9MLnLs8TxFsV8L1tnOQGa8672ljkYkJ6EE2sO3ygRj9i8W_EWbqLVXD7uAlxJjifVPECKI4l2z27ur99xPX7Dox8hvy_0sTJuB/s320/Gruffudd.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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9. Obi-Wan Kenobi. In his prime. Light-saber, telekinesis, telepathy, super speed, gun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTsN2dHgrelTHSuSIHSuHgL2DE-rH0lYl9VNI2NUrowXqNhS-is3VUk-f_4Ot-2WPyzv30F2GWhvK70Gje9GWYVypaAd6XmprodJwZ6hZ-og6TtMhUkNzPblTwPLjG6kEzw3nTgqj-FhW/s1600/McGregor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTsN2dHgrelTHSuSIHSuHgL2DE-rH0lYl9VNI2NUrowXqNhS-is3VUk-f_4Ot-2WPyzv30F2GWhvK70Gje9GWYVypaAd6XmprodJwZ6hZ-og6TtMhUkNzPblTwPLjG6kEzw3nTgqj-FhW/s320/McGregor.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
10. The Hulk. Give the man a gun, a sharp pinch, and turn him loose.<br />
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11. But who to lead this ragtag band of misfits? How about this man, for no other reason than that he has actually touched Rachel McAdams.<br />
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(4th viewing.)Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-69285607660011451132013-10-30T16:31:00.001-07:002013-10-30T16:31:12.129-07:002010 Stats, Part 1: San FranciscoI've been chomping at the bit for three years to start posting year-end analysis for 2010, but I've always delayed under the belief that I should first finish with the reviews. Well phooey, I'm doing it anyway.<br />
<br />
Inspired by my recent review of the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/82-my-dog-tulip.html" target="_blank">Clay Theatre</a> (and discovering that it showed just 20 movies in 2010, contrasted to the nearby Vogue's 69), this first analysis will look at the theater and circuit patterns in San Francisco. Why should I criticize the Clay for showing so few titles, when really it was collaborating with four other Landmark theaters to bring film to the San Francisco community. How does the Landmark network stack up against its competitors?<br />
<br />
Note: I collected showtime data on 331 days in 2010 (~90% of the year). As this is an incomplete picture, all subsequent numbers are estimates only. IMDB was my source for daily showtimes. I'm not sure by what process IMDB receives its data, but some theaters reported inconsistently, e.g., they only reported Friday/Saturday showtimes, which would underrepresent their numbers below, or they didn't list the correct title, selecting an older title of the same thing, which would overrepresent the number of unique movies shown.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Theater Overview</b><br />
<br />
I tracked 25 San Francisco venues in 2010, totaling 1,153 different movies, shown a total of 103,968 times.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Circuit</th><th>Theater Name</th><th>Screens</th><th>Note</th></tr>
<tr><td>AMC</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/10-nine.html" target="_blank">AMC Loews Metreon 16</a></td><td>16</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>AMC</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/18-legion.html" target="_blank">AMC Van Ness 14</a></td><td>14</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Cinemark</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/9-fantastic-mr-fox.html" target="_blank">Century San Francisco Centre 9</a></td><td>9</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Cinemark</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/26-crazy-heart.html" target="_blank">CinéArts @ Empire</a></td><td>3</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Landmark</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/20-white-ribbon.html" target="_blank">Embarcadero Center Cinema</a></td><td>5</td><td><span class="Apple-style-span">Closed 2013 for </span>renovation<span class="Apple-style-span">.</span></td></tr>
<tr><td>Landmark</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/7-red-cliff.html" target="_blank">Opera Plaza Cinema</a></td><td>4</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Landmark</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/19-town-called-panic.html" target="_blank">Lumiere Theatre</a></td><td>3</td><td>Closed 2012.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Landmark</td><td>Bridge Theatre</td><td>1</td><td>Closed 2012. Review forthcoming.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Landmark</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/82-my-dog-tulip.html" target="_blank">Clay Theatre</a></td><td>1</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/22-single-man.html" target="_blank">Presidio Theatre</a></td><td>4</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>4 Star</td><td>2</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>Marina Theatre</td><td>2</td><td>Review forthcoming.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Peerless Entertainment</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/81-social-network.html" target="_blank">Vogue Theatre</a></td><td>1</td><td>Now run by CinemaSF.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Regal</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td><td>2</td><td>Review forthcoming.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sundance Cinemas</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/04/47-chloe.html" target="_blank">Sundance Kabuki</a></td><td>8</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/38-balboa-theater.html" target="_blank">Balboa Theater</a></td><td>2</td><td>Now run by CinemaSF.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/05/53-secret-of-kells.html" target="_blank">Roxie Theater</a></td><td>2</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/21-postman-always-rings-twice.html" target="_blank">Castro Theatre</a></td><td>1</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/28-sita-sings-blues.html" target="_blank">Red Vic Movie House</a></td><td>1</td><td>Closed 2011.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>1</td><td>Closed 2013 for renovation.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/45-corner-store.html" target="_blank">Victoria Theatre</a></td><td>1</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>1</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Independent</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>1</td><td><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<hr />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Screens per Circuit</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Nationally, the circuits with the most screens are Regal (6,729), AMC (4,612), and Cinemark (3,842). Landmark is a mere 16th, with 224 screens. In San Francisco, it's a different story. AMC still dominates the screen count with its two theaters, but Landmark is in second, above Cinemark and Regal.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Circuit</th><th>Theaters</th><th>Screens</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>AMC</td><td>2</td><td>30</td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>Landmark</td><td>5</td><td>14</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>2</td><td>12</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Sundance</td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>3</td><td>8</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Regal</td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>Peerless Entertainment</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td>Independent</td><td>10</td><td>12</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td><b>TOTAL</b></td><td><b>25</b></td><td><b>87</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Using <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-states/california/san-francisco" target="_blank">Cinema Treasures</a> as my rough barometer, San Francisco has hosted 151 theaters with a total of 222 screens, meaning 17% of its theaters and 39% of its screens were still in operation in 2010.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>Movies per Theater Screen</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
There exists a wide spectrum for how each theater programs its screens. The Castro absolutely dominates, showing 299 movies on its single screen. That number blows my mind; what an incredible cultural asset to the city. I should also note that most of the data I'm missing is from January, when I was only collecting data on Fridays. For mainstream theaters, Friday showings are usually indicative of the next week's offerings, and so their movie counts are fairly accurate; the Castro, however, usually shows several different films per day, and so is probably more under-reported here than are most theaters.<br />
<br />
VIZ Cinema, specializing in foreign animated features, comes in a surprise second.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Circuit</th><th>Theater</th><th>Movies</th><th>Screens</th><th>Movies Per Screen</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>Independent</td><td>Castro Theatre</td><td>299</td><td>1</td><td>299.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>Independent</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>106</td><td>1</td><td>106.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Independent</td><td>Red Vic Movie House</td><td>97</td><td>1</td><td>97.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Independent</td><td>Roxie Theater</td><td>147</td><td>2</td><td>73.5</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Peerless Entertainment</td><td>Vogue Theatre</td><td>69</td><td>1</td><td>69.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Independent</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>30</td><td>1</td><td>30.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>Independent</td><td>Balboa Theater</td><td>54</td><td>2</td><td>27.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Bridge Theatre</td><td>23</td><td>1</td><td>23.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>9</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>4 Star</td><td>41</td><td>2</td><td>20.5</td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Regal</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td><td>38</td><td>2</td><td>19.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Independent</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>18</td><td>1</td><td>18.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>12</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Lumiere Theatre</td><td>52</td><td>3</td><td>17.3</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Embarcadero Center Cinema</td><td>79</td><td>5</td><td>15.8</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>Marina Theatre</td><td>31</td><td>2</td><td>15.5</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>Presidio Theatre</td><td>61</td><td>4</td><td>15.3</td></tr>
<tr><td>16</td><td>Sundance Cinemas</td><td>Sundance Kabuki</td><td>117</td><td>8</td><td>14.6</td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>CinéArts @ Empire</td><td>43</td><td>3</td><td>14.3</td></tr>
<tr><td>18</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Clay Theatre</td><td>13</td><td>1</td><td>13.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>19</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>Century San Francisco Centre 9</td><td>99</td><td>9</td><td>11.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>19</td><td>Independent</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>11</td><td>1</td><td>11.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Opera Plaza Cinema</td><td>38</td><td>4</td><td>9.5</td></tr>
<tr><td>22</td><td>AMC</td><td>AMC Loews Metreon 16</td><td>124</td><td>16</td><td>7.8</td></tr>
<tr><td>23</td><td>AMC</td><td>AMC Van Ness 14</td><td>73</td><td>14</td><td>5.2</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Independent</td><td>Victoria Theatre</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>3.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Independent</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>3.0</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ6y-4LYOJuvLQWLq8uuS69DBLPPwzox2U4yu0WGhspnUDBGcal5r7J6X_QdJkDzNcnUluqCmc0WHXCsiTRGfmIpzYyteko84RLB2ilZSrxwi5ETvh3Us8_oDkZUG9imRJOMyIW7ye3am/s1600/San+Francisco+Movies+per+Theater+2010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ6y-4LYOJuvLQWLq8uuS69DBLPPwzox2U4yu0WGhspnUDBGcal5r7J6X_QdJkDzNcnUluqCmc0WHXCsiTRGfmIpzYyteko84RLB2ilZSrxwi5ETvh3Us8_oDkZUG9imRJOMyIW7ye3am/s400/San+Francisco+Movies+per+Theater+2010.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Movies per Circuit Screen</b>
<br />
<br />
If we compress the data by circuit, clumping together all the independents, we start to get a picture of how highly each circuit values variety. (Peerless, Regal, and Sundance are outliers in that they are part of a larger regional or national circuit, yet they each have but a single theater in San Francisco.) Although the Independent cluster is buoyed by the Castro's staggering numbers, they would still clock in at 38 movies per screen even without the Castro.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Circuit</th><th>Movies</th><th>Screens</th><th>Movies per Screen</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>Peerless Entertainment</td><td>69</td><td>1</td><td>69.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>Independent</td><td>768</td><td>12</td><td>64.0</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Regal</td><td>38</td><td>2</td><td>19</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>133</td><td>8</td><td>16.6</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Landmark</td><td>205</td><td>14</td><td>14.6</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Sundance</td><td>117</td><td>8</td><td>14.6</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>142</td><td>12</td><td>11.8</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>AMC</td><td>197</td><td>30</td><td>6.6</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td><b>TOTAL</b></td><td><b>1,153*</b></td><td><b>87</b></td><td><b>13.3</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
*Doesn't sum the column, to avoid double counting movies exhibited by multiple circuits.<br />
<br />
Regal surprises me; nationally, it's a mainstream circuit, but in San Francisco it shows independent film, and at a higher per-screen rate than does Landmark. Landmark bests the other two dominant circuits, Cinemark and AMC.<br />
<br />
AMC, though last in movies per screen, is third (just behind Landmark and the Castro) for number of unique movies shown.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Unique Movies per Circuit</b><br />
<br />
Treating each independent as its own circuit, how many movies did each circuit show that were unique to that circuit (i.e., no other circuit showed that movie)?<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Circuit</th><th>Unique Movies</th><th>Theaters</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>Castro Theatre</td><td>268</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>Roxie Theater</td><td>128</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Landmark</td><td>116</td><td>Bridge Theatre, Clay Theatre, Embarcadero Center, Lumiere Theatre, Opera Plaza Cinema</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>102</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>AMC</td><td>62</td><td>AMC Loews Metreon, AMC Van Ness 14</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Red Vic Movie House</td><td>56</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>Peerless Entertainment</td><td>37</td><td>Vogue Theatre</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>29</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>9</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>28</td><td>Century San Francisco Centre 9, CinéArts @ Empire</td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>18</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>16</td><td>4 Star, Marina Theatre, Presidio Theatre</td></tr>
<tr><td>12</td><td>Sundance Cinemas</td><td>12</td><td>Sundance Kabuki</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>11</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Regal</td><td>10</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>Balboa Theater</td><td>9</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>16</td><td>Victoria Theatre</td><td>3</td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td>2</td><td><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This answers my original question, showing that although the Clay might not be showing very many different movies, it is part of a circuit that showed more than a hundred movies that noone else did.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>Showings per Theater Screen</b><br />
<br />
Continuing from the previous section, it's not that AMC isn't exhibiting a variety of movies, it's just that they are spreading them out over many screens, and they are maxing out those screens, keeping the reels spinning all day long. This gives viewers more flexibility in terms of when they can watch those movies, either by time of day or day of week.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Circuit</th><th>Theater</th><th>Showings</th><th>Screens</th><th>Showings per Screen</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>AMC</td><td>AMC Van Ness 14</td><td>21,540</td><td>14</td><td>1,539</td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>AMC</td><td>AMC Loews Metreon 16</td><td>23,062</td><td>16</td><td>1,441</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Independent</td><td>Balboa Theater</td><td>2,834</td><td>2</td><td>1,417</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>Century San Francisco Centre 9</td><td>12,621</td><td>9</td><td>1,402</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Embarcadero Center Cinema</td><td>6,763</td><td>5</td><td>1,353</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>4 Star</td><td>2,488</td><td>2</td><td>1,244</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>Marina Theatre</td><td>2,475</td><td>2</td><td>1,238</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Regal</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td><td>2,457</td><td>2</td><td>1,229</td></tr>
<tr><td>9</td><td>Peerless Entertainment</td><td>Vogue Theatre</td><td>1,197</td><td>1</td><td>1,197</td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Sundance Cinemas</td><td>Sundance Kabuki</td><td>9,243</td><td>8</td><td>1,155</td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Cinemark</td><td>CinéArts @ Empire</td><td>3,276</td><td>3</td><td>1,092</td></tr>
<tr><td>12</td><td>Lee Neighborhood Theatres</td><td>Presidio Theatre</td><td>4,076</td><td>4</td><td>1,019</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Bridge Theatre</td><td>1,017</td><td>1</td><td>1,017</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Opera Plaza Cinema</td><td>4,058</td><td>4</td><td>1,015</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Lumiere Theatre</td><td>2,645</td><td>3</td><td>882</td></tr>
<tr><td>16</td><td>Landmark</td><td>Clay Theatre</td><td>865</td><td>1</td><td>865</td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Independent</td><td>Castro Theatre</td><td>855</td><td>1</td><td>855</td></tr>
<tr><td>18</td><td>Independent</td><td>Red Vic Movie House</td><td>769</td><td>1</td><td>769</td></tr>
<tr><td>19</td><td>Independent</td><td>Roxie Theater</td><td>1,114</td><td>2</td><td>557</td></tr>
<tr><td>20</td><td>Independent</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>517</td><td>1</td><td>517</td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Independent</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>37</td><td>1</td><td>37</td></tr>
<tr><td>22</td><td>Independent</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>27</td><td>1</td><td>27</td></tr>
<tr><td>23</td><td>Independent</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>26</td><td>1</td><td>26</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Independent</td><td>Victoria Theatre</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>3</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Independent</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
AMC leads this category, averaging 1,539 showings per screen over the year. That's 4.6 showings per screen per day.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
The Balboa sneaks in with the big dogs, keeping the projection booth hot more than any other theater of comparable size.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<hr />
<b>Days per Movie per Theater</b><br />
<br />
I'm valuing variety (more movies are better) and flexibility (more showings are better). But what about longevity? The typical movie goer will only visit the theater a few times a year; they don't care that the Castro shows 299 different movies throughout the year, because they are looking at just one or two Friday nights in particular. And for a filmgoer who wants to see a specific movie, but doesn't have flexibility in when they can go, it doesn't matter if the theater shows the movie a hundred times during the one week they're away camping. (<i>Extraordinary Measures</i> was an extreme example of this: both the Van Ness 14 and San Francisco Centre 9 debuted the movie with 5-8 showings per day. Fifteen days later, it was gone from both theaters, from San Francisco, and from the entire Bay Area.)<br />
<br />
So another ideal is to hold over a movie for a long period of time. If the movie is worth seeing, filmgoers will have maximum opportunity to find a convenient time to see it. How many days does each theater retain a typical title?<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Theater</th><th>Days (Mean)</th><th>Days (Median)</th><th>Longest Held (Days - Title)</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>AMC Loews Metreon 16</td><td>23.7</td><td>21</td><td>114 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/12/70-inception.html" target="_blank">Inception</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>AMC Van Ness 14</td><td>21.9</td><td>21</td><td>78 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/81-social-network.html" target="_blank">The Social Network</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Sundance Kabuki</td><td>20.4</td><td>17</td><td>75 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/26-crazy-heart.html" target="_blank">Crazy Heart</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Marina Theatre</td><td>18.8</td><td>16</td><td>46 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/81-social-network.html" target="_blank">The Social Network</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Century San Francisco Centre 9</td><td>18.4</td><td>15</td><td>82 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/37-alice-in-wonderland.html" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td><td>16.7</td><td>14</td><td>75 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/08/72-kids-are-all-right.html" target="_blank">The Kids Are All Right</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Presidio Theatre</td><td>15.6</td><td>14</td><td>62 - <i>The Town</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>CinéArts @ Empire</td><td>14.0</td><td>14</td><td>41 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/12/70-inception.html" target="_blank">Inception</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Clay Theatre</td><td>16.0</td><td>14</td><td>36 - <i>Please Give</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Balboa Theater</td><td>13.6</td><td>13</td><td>80 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/remembering-playland-at-beach.html" target="_blank">Remembering Playland At The Beach</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Opera Plaza Cinema</td><td>14.6</td><td>13</td><td>78 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/hurt-locker.html" target="_blank">The Hurt Locker</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Embarcadero Center Cinema</td><td>18.5</td><td>13</td><td>62 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/36-ghost-writer.html" target="_blank">The Ghost Writer</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>4 Star</td><td>11.1</td><td>10</td><td>38 - <i>Get Him to the Greek</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Lumiere Theatre</td><td>11.4</td><td>8</td><td>45 - <i>Flickan som lekte med elden</i> (<i>The Girl Who Played With Fire</i>)</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>Bridge Theatre</td><td>10.6</td><td>7</td><td>57 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/08/72-kids-are-all-right.html" target="_blank">The Kids Are All Right</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>16</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>3.3</td><td>2</td><td>16 - <i>The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>16</td><td>Red Vic Movie House</td><td>2.3</td><td>2</td><td>8 - <i>Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Roxie Theater</td><td>4.2</td><td>1</td><td>103 - <i>Exit Through the Gift Shop</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Vogue Theatre</td><td>5.6</td><td>1</td><td>33 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/81-social-network.html" target="_blank">The Social Network</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Castro Theatre</td><td>1.4</td><td>1</td><td>25 - <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/37-alice-in-wonderland.html" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland</a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>2.4</td><td>1</td><td>16 - <i>Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>1.3</td><td>1</td><td>6 - <i>L'armee du crime </i>(<i>Army of Crime</i>)</td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>1.2</td><td>1</td><td>4 - <i>Trash Humpers</i></td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td>1.0</td><td>1</td><td>1 - [various]</td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Victoria Theatre</td><td>1.0</td><td>1</td><td>1 - [various]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Not only does AMC show many different titles per year, but they also hold them over the longest. Both AMC theaters retain a typical title for three weeks. The Metreon also has the record for retaining a movie the longest, giving filmgoers almost four months to come see the excellent <i>Inception</i>.<br />
<br />
Small multi-screen theaters have the same flexibility as the larger theaters; the Balboa was able to dedicate one of its two screens to <i>Remembering Playland at the Beach</i> for more than two months, while the other screen rotated in new movies every two weeks. Single-screen theaters, in contrast, have to choose between variety and longevity. The Castro exhibited <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> for nearly a month, but most of its movies disappear after but a single night.<br />
<br />
I had criticized the Clay for showing only a third as many movies on its single screen as did the Vogue. The above table makes it appear that the Vogue was cycling movies in and out every day, while the Clay retained each movie for two weeks. Whereas the Castro really does churn through movies that quickly, the Vogue's numbers are being thrown off by its few festivals.<br />
<br />
In the below chart, I exclude all movies that were shown only a single time at the theater. This reduces the Castro from 299 movies to just 18, while the AMC theaters remain relatively unscathed. Now the Vogue and Clay are closer together, with only a day separating their typical movie time. This doesn't exactly come out in the Clay's favor, though, as the two charts demonstrate that the Vogue is able to match the Clay for longevity, yet still squeeze in triple the variety.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Theater</th><th>Days (Mean)</th><th>Days (Median)</th><th>Unique Movies</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>AMC Loews Metreon 16</td><td>26.8</td><td>22.0</td><td>126</td></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>AMC Van Ness 14</td><td>24.7</td><td>22.0</td><td>152</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Century San Francisco Centre 9</td><td>21.2</td><td>21.0</td><td>90</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Marina Theatre</td><td>19.3</td><td>19.0</td><td>33</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Sundance Kabuki</td><td>20.6</td><td>17.0</td><td>116</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>CinéArts @ Empire</td><td>17.2</td><td>17.0</td><td>57</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>16.0</td><td>16.0</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Embarcadero Center Cinema</td><td>21.1</td><td>14.0</td><td>69</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td><td>17.2</td><td>14.0</td><td>37</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Clay Theatre</td><td>16.0</td><td>14.0</td><td>20</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Presidio Theatre</td><td>15.8</td><td>14.0</td><td>74</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Balboa Theater</td><td>14.9</td><td>14.0</td><td>54</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>Opera Plaza Cinema</td><td>15.3</td><td>13.0</td><td>91</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>Vogue Theatre</td><td>12.3</td><td>13.0</td><td>28</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>Bridge Theatre</td><td>13.2</td><td>11.0</td><td>25</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>4 Star</td><td>11.9</td><td>11.0</td><td>73</td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Lumiere Theatre</td><td>11.9</td><td>10.0</td><td>87</td></tr>
<tr><td>18</td><td>Roxie Theater</td><td>7.8</td><td>6.0</td><td>75</td></tr>
<tr><td>18</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>6.0</td><td>6.0</td><td>1</td></tr>
<tr><td>20</td><td>Castro Theatre</td><td>7.2</td><td>5.0</td><td>18</td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>4.8</td><td>3.0</td><td>65</td></tr>
<tr><td>22</td><td>Red Vic Movie House</td><td>2.6</td><td>2.0</td><td>109</td></tr>
<tr><td>22</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>2.4</td><td>2.0</td><td>5</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td></td><td></td><td>0</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Victoria Theatre</td><td></td><td></td><td>0</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<hr />
<b>Visits per Theater</b><br />
<br />
You can click through to my reviews to determine which of these theaters is my favorite. But what isn't represented by the narrow scope of this blog is how much I have favored various theaters since moving to the Bay Area in 1995. The below table identifies how many times (as of writing this post) I've visited each San Francisco theater, including a few that were closed long before I began this blog. These numbers are underreported for visits prior to 2003 when I began more rigorously retaining my ticket stubs.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><th>Rank</th><th>Theater</th><th>Visits</th><th>Note</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>Sundance Kabuki</td><td>31</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>AMC Van Ness 14</td><td>23</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>Coronet Theatre</td><td>12</td><td>Closed 2005.</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Embarcadero Center Cinema</td><td>7</td><td>Closed 2013 for renovation.</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Century San Francisco Centre 9</td><td>5</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Presidio Theatre</td><td>5</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>UA Galaxy</td><td>5</td><td>Closed 2005.</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>AMC Loews Metreon 16</td><td>4</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Opera Plaza Cinema</td><td>4</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Regency I & II</td><td>4</td><td>Closed 1998.</td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Bridge Theatre</td><td>3</td><td>Closed 2012.</td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Castro Theatre</td><td>3</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Lumiere Theatre</td><td>3</td><td>Closed 2012.</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Alexandria Theatre</td><td>2</td><td>Closed 2004.</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Alhambra</td><td>2</td><td>Closed sometime after 1996.</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Balboa Theater</td><td>2</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>CinéArts @ Empire</td><td>2</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Clay Theatre</td><td>2</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>San Francisco Museum of Modern Art</td><td>2</td><td>Closed 2013 for renovation.</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>United Artists Stonestown</td><td>2</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Marina Theatre</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Red Vic Movie House</td><td>1</td><td>Closed 2011.</td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Roxie Theater</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Victoria Theatre</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Vogue Theatre</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>27</td><td>4 Star</td><td>0</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>27</td><td>Alliance Francaise</td><td>0</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>27</td><td>Oddball Films</td><td>0</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>27</td><td>VIZ Cinema</td><td>0</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<hr />
<b>Closing Comments</b><br />
<br />
I doubt I'll dive this deep on any other single city in the Bay Area, because no other Bay Area city offers this much variety. I might do some regional comparison (e.g., East Bay vs. South Bay), but these are more arbitrary in how I draw the boundary, and will undoubtably favor the more urban areas. But you can look forward to more analyses like this, as I have a long list of interesting ways to slice the data.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-2592284779022733642013-10-20T09:08:00.000-07:002013-10-20T09:08:05.040-07:002D vs. 3DAn article from <i><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/3d-movies-have-a-future-in-hollywood-2013-1" target="_blank">Business Insider</a></i> details a few reasons why film studios and theaters are offering 3D, and why the medium will endure. The first two reasons, that theaters are installing more 3D projectors and studios are releasing more 3D films, don't really say much about what the public wants. Taken in isolation, these might just be gimmicks to lure audiences away from home video; or it could be bad market research; or doubling down on an ill-advised upgrade policy; or at worst a collusion between film producers and exhibitors to raise prices. (The argument that 3D is doing well overseas would support studios making 3D movies, but not domestic theaters showing them.)
<br />
<br />
The third reason claims that 3D movies are bringing in money. In my college business ethics class, my professor was adamant that the sole purpose of a business was to provide a service to its customers. I don't agree with that from an ethical point of view or in practice, but I do believe that free market pressures can enforce his idea nonetheless: give us what we want, and we will pay you; treat us like dirt, and we won't. I.e., follow the money. No matter how much studios and theaters want to make 3D happen to increase their own profits, if we reject the medium and stop buying tickets, they will back off.
<br />
<br />
So how much do we want 3D? The <i>Business Insider</i> article isn't able to separate 3D sales from sales that would have happened even without the 3D. The numbers for <i>The Avengers</i>, widely available in both formats, suggests that when given a choice, audiences are split down the middle, with half of us preferring 3D. <i>The Avengers</i> is such an outlier, though, we might have flocked to the theaters even if the entire film had just been the schwarma scene. Also, 3D ticket sales for any given movie measures how much we thought we wanted to see it in 3D; only exit polls of consumer satisfaction would tell us if it was actually worth it.
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<br />
This <a href="http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/poll-do-you-prefer-to-watch-movies-in-3d-or-2d-589668.html" target="_blank">Fandango poll</a> (I don't know the sample size) seems reasonable, that half of movie viewers don't like 3D, another quarter might splurge for the right film (e.g., CGI/effects-rich movies), and the other quarter either prefer it, or want to prefer it if only the quality were good enough. I surmise that the poll would skew toward a youngish, internet-comfortable audience, slightly inflating numbers in favor of a technological innovation. (My parents, who both wear glasses while watching movies, were not excited at the prospect of layering on an additional pair of glasses for <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/gravity.html" target="_blank">Gravity</a></i>.) On the other hand, frequent movie goers (which I assume Fandango users are) should mind a price hike more than the infrequent movie goer, so if 15% are buying 3D tickets anyway, maybe America at large doesn't mind the price inflation so much.
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<a href="http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/poll-do-you-prefer-to-watch-movies-in-3d-or-2d-589668.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKM5THyNQN7qrD7t5BEBop9mgzchrEphHKHgYH6qz8K54Ry6RahDoWGtEdxNVnFFbDFR1Run1U_QYsqxFP5xp7EbVwocJ6vSeP1RCZTbEZupe78jiZbm860dsrsU27C7PFVTS6BiI-CHn/s200/Fandango+Poll.png" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div>
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For my own preference, I ask whether the addition of 3D merits an increase in ticket price and the slight discomfort of wearing glasses. Although I will often go out of my way to see a matinee showing for the reduced price, in general I don't think about how much individual tickets cost; I see as many movies as I want to and am able to, and just accept that the aggregate ticket price is the cost of having a fun hobby. So I'm not opposed to steeper prices if the product is superior.
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I believe I've seen the full gamut of 3D movies, from the red-and-blue <i>Jaws 3D</i> as a kid, to the made-for-3D <i>Avatar</i>, to the mass of post-processing imitators. But the true test is to see both versions of a film, and I have now done this for three separate movies: <i>Avatar</i>, <i>The Avengers</i>, and <i>Turbo</i>. So here's an exit poll of one consumer: not once did the 3D add any extra enjoyment for me. I disliked wearing the glasses, but other than that, I simply didn't care. Why pay extra for that?Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-22187990727377757982013-10-20T08:58:00.001-07:002013-10-20T08:58:47.763-07:00Gravity<b>Grand Lake Theater</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU9wJTN6Ord5oqwM7Bb2hDxltWvwzpS8HmbJIc4jZiLQKaH_cbh_9VZoXyALsAid1O3mLR7zDAyrHhPP9XQYhb8w1Xm47-A0WZGVKf63Cl2lPVrRP45BUZCS3mDRG0mnxDgwnj0bAI5M/s320/green5.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/11-lovely-bones.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed.</a>)<br />
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Although I now live just a few blocks away from the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre</a>, its only 2D showtimes for <i>Gravity</i> this evening were at 4:15 and 9:00, not the ideal 7:00 slot my parents and I were looking for. (3D showings were more available, but I'm not a fan.) So I was happy to make a return trip to the Grand Lake, which I had not visited since seeing <i>The Avengers</i> for a third time back in September, 2012.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8xg6CDvA1RcWhqmpBA5dQsOE_X2N2UHlXx2n8IUm1DvSZ22Egih1alu0EumcOW5nDR5OlW4ZD7hMkuWpcjULWXhjEGUSzGm3PnaXV2FBF-4S44zKYiEXDFon1jCptt-gdpDBP3VDX2WX/s1600/IMG_2055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8xg6CDvA1RcWhqmpBA5dQsOE_X2N2UHlXx2n8IUm1DvSZ22Egih1alu0EumcOW5nDR5OlW4ZD7hMkuWpcjULWXhjEGUSzGm3PnaXV2FBF-4S44zKYiEXDFon1jCptt-gdpDBP3VDX2WX/s320/IMG_2055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There has been one negative change in the intervening months: the concession stand no longer stocks those delicious (vegan) chocolate bars I've come to love. Other than that, the theater has lost none of its beauty, and has even added some in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's headshot guarding the staircase.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2BNa_jF8M_-K0Ur_9g-jD-512H82sXPQ6dQXWfPVOBz2_Ain8XoutWZY1Fj24vy5hwk1gPK6sLJYLH0h_ls8B8uP-nwgOZpFX25pGxVGH7shQ02Ts6QHyi11GIC1nEPZjL96xo9l9d9P/s1600/IMG_2027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2BNa_jF8M_-K0Ur_9g-jD-512H82sXPQ6dQXWfPVOBz2_Ain8XoutWZY1Fj24vy5hwk1gPK6sLJYLH0h_ls8B8uP-nwgOZpFX25pGxVGH7shQ02Ts6QHyi11GIC1nEPZjL96xo9l9d9P/s320/IMG_2027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(I will <i>not</i> be seeing <i>Bad Grandpa</i>.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDyWaqltepv3pLpCcwO7f8Wit07lYtDarDPBvuDRgXslkXnRn3ZYg1sw2Kj_0uCxTEnwmhyphenhyphenMdvLKbPOy-BMwGDG-9wlBpsf0Su3S3QBmS2K_Bry8etqBzTO8x1N5uWire3P5b_Yn0s__M/s1600/IMG_2029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDyWaqltepv3pLpCcwO7f8Wit07lYtDarDPBvuDRgXslkXnRn3ZYg1sw2Kj_0uCxTEnwmhyphenhyphenMdvLKbPOy-BMwGDG-9wlBpsf0Su3S3QBmS2K_Bry8etqBzTO8x1N5uWire3P5b_Yn0s__M/s320/IMG_2029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A better shot of the 'stained glass' window in the lobby than what I posted in a <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/05/date-night-2nd-visit.html" target="_blank">previous review</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_NhJQNzDZFxFcVNNVnw7XnjbOUbkEQmm1YLoXQ08zcU5YeFnmMWrx1cbCwy_lDzKwTLekG2FFXlIL2wboSde0ZWVGaLYXWb-MX-KsHQebVfwOHc6XTlGkp_dj19upG2TF9vSN6T4VbOI/s1600/IMG_2025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_NhJQNzDZFxFcVNNVnw7XnjbOUbkEQmm1YLoXQ08zcU5YeFnmMWrx1cbCwy_lDzKwTLekG2FFXlIL2wboSde0ZWVGaLYXWb-MX-KsHQebVfwOHc6XTlGkp_dj19upG2TF9vSN6T4VbOI/s320/IMG_2025.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i>Gravity</i> 3D had engaged the big screen, relegating 2D to the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/07/avatar-2nd-visit.html" target="_blank">Egyptian Auditorium</a>, but I don't mind. I still haven't been able to get a good photo of this, but the stars sparkling overhead in a midnight sky complete the ambience, especially for a movie like <i>Gravity</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jN082zmZol_pnB_tew3q1gIBZA3D_6gW3uTCy6uS1k1hOHKdKVD6quD2Dw3fp7nR_vkufG7jw2491NfLn3oFJntHdK96OqDDCmSq_VjTUNAOUkhyoHtmjFNUDtej_KHFk2nwrtnvv5Xs/s1600/IMG_2035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jN082zmZol_pnB_tew3q1gIBZA3D_6gW3uTCy6uS1k1hOHKdKVD6quD2Dw3fp7nR_vkufG7jw2491NfLn3oFJntHdK96OqDDCmSq_VjTUNAOUkhyoHtmjFNUDtej_KHFk2nwrtnvv5Xs/s320/IMG_2035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cD0zcbsxGWwguvwJdOyP8Th90XyArCcQ6fYjYAEjuzF3qpGJhmQM7nZqZdiNXL_bJ-zqDTTPCURiHdOQV4GcCuWQVNhZG0DRFEmpsWfM5Ui-_SZqEREqV4dcqM0Oc79dp3logoU-NVjo/s200/Gravity.jpeg" width="200" /></div>
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<b>Trailers</b>
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<i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1514841625/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">Trailer 1</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a stock market tycoon with an uncanny ability to make money, which he uses to throw lavish parties and to earn even more money. He soon runs afoul of the federal government. I dislike the rise-and-fall genre, with their depressing third act, and already-obvious morals. But as a two-minute Gatsby-esque party sequence, yeah, it’s entertaining. Jonah Hill costars, as does Matthew McConaughey, still looking thin from <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i>.<br />
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<i>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1541646617/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">Trailer 2</a>)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
If you can avoid this trailer, do. It shows none of the restraint of the first trailer, instead laying the groundwork for the entire plot sequence, and showing so many gorgeous visuals that I’m skeptical the movie will still be able to make me awe. I see the franchise is following the model established by <i>Harry Potter</i>, <i>Twilight</i>, and <i>The Hobbit</i>, dividing a single book into multiple money-making films.<br />
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<i>Enders Game</i> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3482626073/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">Trailer 2</a>)<br />
[no rating]<br />
I closed my eyes for this one. Having read the book, and already seen the first trailer numerous times, I don’t need anything else spoiled for me. I find the multiple-trailer model annoying, as it specifically targets people who have already seen the first trailer (otherwise they could just reuse that trailer), trying to ensure that we have as few surprises as possible going into our first viewing.<br />
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<b><i>Gravity</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/gravity.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRpCYefnWAB3kS-EeYZva7ELyPO7mrRGCyy7HHQ6SFgzdDPvMqnEk3e47n_SP5rQ927Bj-ZKGfOyKy121E5W9iz0zHD2Fp04wdD9eHbS-9cTBDHRw6baO2tz9MRWxfpNm4k6wVe6e5Evn/s200/gravity.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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In college I read a sci-fi short story about a spaceship built for super-long-distance, super-fast travel (those are technical terms), shielded from all manner of radiation/particle, no matter how small. It was a feat of engineering: the impervious vessel. On its maiden voyage, however, the entire crew perished, because the shipmakers had failed to account for something more invasive than particles: gravity. That blew my mind: gravity is everywhere; you can't stop it! My best friend was unimpressed, noting that of the physical forces known to science, gravity is actually on the weaker end of the spectrum, almost immeasurably weaker than weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and strong nuclear forces. (Weak as it may be, it's also a bit absurd to think that the shipmakers would have forgotten about it.) But that doesn't mean gravity is to be trifled with.<br />
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Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are astronauts on a mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Stone designed the circuitry, which accounts for her inclusion in the mission despite having trained for only six months (she doesn't yet have her space legs and is constantly trying to keep down her lunch). While she fiddles with the circuit board, Kowalski dances around the shuttle in his jet pack, attempting to break the spacewalking record set by Russian cosmonauts decades earlier (a record that actually <a href="http://www.space.com/22414-cosmonauts-break-record-longest-russian-spacewalk.html" target="_blank">fell</a> just a few months prior to the release of this film).<br />
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Space, despite its vastness, can nevertheless seem small and interconnected. Events on a distant Russian satellite trigger a chain reaction that soon reaches our heroes, who must scramble to detach the telescope from their shuttle and get safely inside. Something goes wrong, as it must, and soon the two are adrift in space, cut off from their colleagues and without radio contact, trying to make it back to Earth alive.<br />
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<i>Gravity</i> is an experiment in isolation narrative. With its tiny cast, and set entirely in space (no flashbacks or cutaways to Houston), the film puts all the pieces into play, gives them a nudge, and then revels in the chaos. Kowalski as the experienced pilot is able to pause from their predicament to appreciate Earth's beauty from such a vantage point. Stone, more in line with the audience's perspective, is terrified. With this film's release I doubt NASA will see a single person apply to be an astronaut, ever again.<br />
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The film's title is a bit of a misnomer. It suggests Earth's gravitational field is the villain, constantly trying to pull our heroes to their deaths. The true nemesis is inertia. When Stone lets go of a bolt, it starts to float away, not because it is more affected by Earth's gravity than she is, but because she cannot rely on friction to slow the bolt's movement, accelerated by the simple act of opening her hand. When Kowalski activates his jets to push him in one direction, he's created another problem for himself: how to slow down. The two are constantly twisting in space, with one almost able to stabilize their own rotation, before being yanked back into a spin by the taut cable that tethers them.<br />
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<i>Gravity</i> suffers a bit from being too pure in its conceit. It is a high-adrenaline thriller, but one without peaks or valleys. The odds are so against our heroes, and there are so few unknowns or unexpected discoveries, that we watch not so much to see what will happen next, but just to spend with them what few last moments we can before their inevitable demise. It's exhausting.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-68970855118577167572013-10-17T22:06:00.000-07:002013-10-17T22:07:21.807-07:0082. My Dog Tulip<b>Clay Theatre</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcpCHkzj9DEDLaFAB0529vw-qFcmVBCdh_h-lS47O9-lx6nd1mCLWEdv-3kdZ75vkFbXIgn9TFK_0AexXdZYjxZqd94itC4yuwJHenl3xnLiFE6Oiqp53SV84x4DwKVoqWJ2o8dpE5b4/s320/green3.png" /><br />
Now anchoring a trendy stretch of San Francisco's Fillmore St., Landmark's <a href="http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/SanFrancisco/ClayTheatre.htm" target="_blank">Clay Theatre</a> opened in 1910. Tied with the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/10/81-social-network.html" target="_blank">Vogue</a> only a handful of blocks away, the Clay is the third oldest theater in the city still showing movies. (Jack Tillmany's <i>Theatres of San Francisco</i> dates the Vogue to 1912, and the Clay to 1914, but I've chosen the earlier dates reported on the corresponding theater pages.) Originally opening as the Regent, and then later known as the Avalon, the Clay's original façade had a deeper inset under an arch, with the ticket booth an island in the middle. The arch is gone, but the front still looks good (excepting that strange window with curtains and Christmas lights). Some of that exterior real estate has been ceded to the lobby, and the ticket booth is embedded in one of the sides like the turret to a castle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto-THAKzwTIw9P0jUF9KOxdPbLfxHIGIM4QFvaLqwQwRQNuQGkJkBIh3g5K9337HobgchaSEQf5HfScRqNSIJGDZozfib21Rx-qijoOK-62tQGUdrQZ3MplafBzbmKw1n8J4uDCP2YtZC/s1600/P1010007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto-THAKzwTIw9P0jUF9KOxdPbLfxHIGIM4QFvaLqwQwRQNuQGkJkBIh3g5K9337HobgchaSEQf5HfScRqNSIJGDZozfib21Rx-qijoOK-62tQGUdrQZ3MplafBzbmKw1n8J4uDCP2YtZC/s320/P1010007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even in a single screen theater where a patron's purpose is unambiguous, I always appreciate a comfortable bench in the lobby (like at the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/19-town-called-panic.html" target="_blank">Lumiere</a>). If a lobby is worth having at all, why not make it attractive and comfortable to sit in? Like at other Landmark theaters, the concession stand is vegan-friendly, with veggie dogs, vegan cookies, and different tasty drinks (honest-ade, pomegranate blue). The theater's lobby and bathrooms are larger than the otherwise equally sized Vogue.<br />
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A shelf filled with postcards and schedules included Lankmark's San Francisco Film Calendar, the film guide for the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/21-postman-always-rings-twice.html" target="_blank">Castro</a>, and the 15th <a href="http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/saf/prj/bby/enindex.htm?wt_sc=berlinbeyond" target="_blank">Berlin & Beyond</a> Film Festival (now approaching its 18th year). I applaud the cooperation of theaters promoting each others' programs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH2DAXaoTY5q4RRt2D-ElJkFhz6KyU0K0gTuy86eAm7BWCNGgImhZyWQKqNbFlf67nOmNHR1OJ5GSj-1VOLDP5YWBHIfqAITwwveGXQUxpsz6X_uPIYCCYxgyfj7FMzsFgu1rPA1Ic9nz/s1600/P1010008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH2DAXaoTY5q4RRt2D-ElJkFhz6KyU0K0gTuy86eAm7BWCNGgImhZyWQKqNbFlf67nOmNHR1OJ5GSj-1VOLDP5YWBHIfqAITwwveGXQUxpsz6X_uPIYCCYxgyfj7FMzsFgu1rPA1Ic9nz/s320/P1010008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A red curtain hangs in the lobby to shield the auditorium from ambient light. Inside, red fabric walls are decorated with framed posters advertising <i>Amelie</i>, <i>Ed Wood</i>, and <i>City of Lost Children</i>, in their original French titles where appropriate. A shallow stage juts out from below the screen. The auditorium sports 320 comfortable seats for its single screen, almost identical in number (and resulting stats) as for the Vogue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdO7f116UGRMrUNNW0crGqC5vDKt1Y_0iL6ml57yxme9t9cweW_Ia8ykIJ9Ahdf3O4qly_0gB6Z4_0a7XOdvjxn9Vcyb5ws7Yo3nDZO1363MrtUsuFfBAxmaoW1HbtcZwHvj6F9bd7DXk/s1600/P1010009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdO7f116UGRMrUNNW0crGqC5vDKt1Y_0iL6ml57yxme9t9cweW_Ia8ykIJ9Ahdf3O4qly_0gB6Z4_0a7XOdvjxn9Vcyb5ws7Yo3nDZO1363MrtUsuFfBAxmaoW1HbtcZwHvj6F9bd7DXk/s320/P1010009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A major difference, though, is that while the Vogue showed ~69 different movies in 2010, the Clay hosted a mere ~20, the fewest of any theater in the Bay Area with daily showings. It held over <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/6-broken-embraces.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Los Abrazos Rotos</a> (<i>Broken Embraces</i>) for nearly two months, and three other titles for a month each. <i>My Dog Tulip</i> was on the disfavored side, being kept for just two weeks. The one aberration is a single showing of <i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</i> on the last Saturday of each month (I still have never seen that movie).</div>
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cQ1MtVGLQjwWf70hdWLKU5Tew3ZH2mCdgnCDOcfhMOXcPOr4Q9LhXbQCpjP32jxuBJzFgyQcPdd2cM1eVNFvAnCohoxiaVGEoCSvU3vVLJ5Yf7Y9CzYUymHPbbcAZjde9MyzEKUcE8u0/s200/Ticket82.jpeg" width="80" /></div>
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This was my second visit to the theater, after <i>March of the Penguins</i> in 2005. Just a few months before this visit, the Clay had threatened to close (<a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5126" target="_blank">source</a>); obviously it did not, and it remains open to this day.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b></div>
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Oasis's "Wonderwall" played, advertising their forthcoming greatest hits album. I had not heard about them since their successful 1995 album <i>(What's the Story) Morning Glory?</i>, but apparently they've released seven albums in total.<br />
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Also heard "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=801sv9HgcfQ" target="_blank">Ragdoll</a>" by Lucy Woodward, who sounds a bit like Jessica Rabbit.<br />
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A bizarre ad for tourism in South Africa features an elderly couple on vacation, being lead on private safaris and served lunch by a multitude of waitstaff, then commenting what a great time they are having and how lovely and hospitable the South African people are. The couple seems nice enough, and sincere. But the exorbitance of their vacation is stunning; either they are spending a fortune, or people in South Africa are paid dirt wages. Mostly speaking out of ignorance here, but shouldn't I be embarrassed to purchase a service in another country which I'd be unable to afford at home? The commercial concludes with the awkward, "It's possible".<br />
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<b>Trailers</b>
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<i>Today’s Special</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
Aasif Mandvi is a rising sous-chef, but must switch to preparing Indian cuisine when his father becomes too ill to run the family restaurant. With a cab driver as head chef and culinary mystic, Mandvi trades snobbery for an appreciation of masala. Other than the meat dishes, looks delicious. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi525244697/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">115 cuts</a>.<br />
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<i>Cool It</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
Documentaries make for some of the best trailers: once they state their thesis, you’ve basically seen the film, just minus the evidence. It’s like showing the hero defeating the villain, and all that’s left is the ninety minute lead up to tell us why the bad guy deserved it. Environmentalist Bjørn Lomborg objects to the scare tactics in Al Gore’s <i>An Inconvenient Truth</i>, arguing that alarmism will divert research and funding toward the scariest scenarios, even if they aren't the most dangerous. If we all drove hybrid cars, we would only shave off half a percent from the total emissions we need to decrease. His alternative seems to involve water and drawings on chalk board. Though the movie is on his side, it includes interviews with people looking for his head. The montage of natural disasters, interspersed with children’s drawings of the apocalypse and a creepy child voiceover make this trailer a fun watch. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1897371929/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">98 cuts</a>.<br />
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<b><i>My Dog Tulip</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/my_dog_tulip.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfokksI37dAaMaHLlwIM97n4bIjFJBT5NMA-RCTbqJgKeV-n4_tj8_ETzOzpkprnlZpS739MY2qrkG-Ac5-h7g5HTNWAfzVY2iPHnou8EFW28zNg-V9ucCAbIoyHaX1ivaNb9VZC9SURs/s320/my_dog_tulip.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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Based on J.R. Ackerley's memoir, <i>My Dog Tulip</i> chronicles a fifty-something man (voiced by Christopher Plummer) trying to find a mate for his German Shepherd, Tulip. He lives with his sister, a curmudgeonly meddler. The narrator's observations, and the physical comedy of pairing a sedate old man with an energetic dog, are amusing at times. But in general, the film is dull.<br />
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At its best, narration serves to fill in the gaps that would take too long to show or are otherwise missing from a story. In <i>My Dog Tulip</i>, the narration <i>is</i> the story, with the animation merely keeping step to provide a visual reinforcement of the monologue. It's as if the movie were filmed directly from the memoir, rather than attempting to first adapt it into a screenplay.<br />
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The credits disclaim, ”No paper was used for the animation of this film”, all the more impressive given the movie's hand-sketched feel with stray lines and erratic, sometimes not fully-colored shapes. With children as their target audience, too many animated films eschew human characters, instead featuring talking animals. In that context, it's refreshing to watch an old man walk his dog-like dog, no anthropomorphism in sight. The distinction in species also allows the protagonist to be intimately involved in his dog's bodily business without the audience becoming too uncomfortable.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-82069912995589656202013-10-16T22:27:00.000-07:002013-10-16T22:30:28.865-07:0081. The Social Network<b>Vogue Theatre</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcpCHkzj9DEDLaFAB0529vw-qFcmVBCdh_h-lS47O9-lx6nd1mCLWEdv-3kdZ75vkFbXIgn9TFK_0AexXdZYjxZqd94itC4yuwJHenl3xnLiFE6Oiqp53SV84x4DwKVoqWJ2o8dpE5b4/s320/green3.png" /><br />
Built in 1910, and just a few blocks from the Presidio, the <a href="http://www.cinemasf.com/vogue/" target="_blank">Vogue Theatre</a> is San Francisco's third oldest theater, after the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/45-corner-store.html" target="_blank">Victoria Theatre</a> (1908) and <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/05/53-secret-of-kells.html" target="_blank">Roxie Theater</a> (1909) (the Clay Theatre was also built in 1910). The Vogue is operated by the <a href="http://sfntf.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation</a> and CinemaSF, non-profits who together also run the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/38-balboa-theater.html" target="_blank">Balboa Theater</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_P8S6GCaC4WYLsdkOur8cNiJvK_WQG4j5gImrAw0WL_PvawTcsqN_yeBHiSzDcepUi1P31YDUU4swU9KnTmCfUFYghn42Jkz5a8LLkFnbnte6DuWKaoSxoOHdiPsXGsn4uUwUlzcKBzyB/s1600/P1010001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_P8S6GCaC4WYLsdkOur8cNiJvK_WQG4j5gImrAw0WL_PvawTcsqN_yeBHiSzDcepUi1P31YDUU4swU9KnTmCfUFYghn42Jkz5a8LLkFnbnte6DuWKaoSxoOHdiPsXGsn4uUwUlzcKBzyB/s320/P1010001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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With the closing of the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/28-sita-sings-blues.html" target="_blank">Red Vic Movie House</a> in 2011 and the Bridge Theatre in 2012, the Vogue is now one of only four surviving single-screen theaters in San Francisco, along with the Victoria, Clay, and <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/21-postman-always-rings-twice.html" target="_blank">Castro</a> theaters. (There are only twenty-six single-screen theaters left in the Bay Area, fewer than twenty of which are showing movies on a regular basis.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IfAIHotCnDl-HYGqcUmtpZxWy8MW0E1e7vj8YmVIIYuoSbCrZPugkUEFO2PUXgtF1atuAx4VmhzXPlmI0P794b-oBn8muErbGLzFCZzSDstU0JrdaVLWESH8kb_Ho-A7pyWBzgAB_5fm/s1600/P1010006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IfAIHotCnDl-HYGqcUmtpZxWy8MW0E1e7vj8YmVIIYuoSbCrZPugkUEFO2PUXgtF1atuAx4VmhzXPlmI0P794b-oBn8muErbGLzFCZzSDstU0JrdaVLWESH8kb_Ho-A7pyWBzgAB_5fm/s320/P1010006.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Vogue feels like an old neighborhood theater, with art deco elements in the lobby, and etched glass windows set into the auditorium doors. And there's fresh popcorn for the first showing of the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77OD9mb7Y_vcj-QfOekyuR1kyF_561-WJSThME8igjLBkkPGXeCINwyNDRb6pQk3h0aFUYbkXcr5KlXPLNJrmTYy5qOTMSRLHPbvsOrZbZFrk3hpyZUXB0z_0cbhC2iLDC1qEDu3dghh8/s1600/P1010005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77OD9mb7Y_vcj-QfOekyuR1kyF_561-WJSThME8igjLBkkPGXeCINwyNDRb6pQk3h0aFUYbkXcr5KlXPLNJrmTYy5qOTMSRLHPbvsOrZbZFrk3hpyZUXB0z_0cbhC2iLDC1qEDu3dghh8/s320/P1010005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The theater seats just 315, small for a single-screen theater, but larger than the largest screen at twenty multi-screen Bay Area theaters today. The Vogue exhibited an impressive ~69 different films in 2010 (bolstered by some film festivals and Oscars programming), the 6th most for a single-screen theater in the Bay Area, and more than did twenty-one multi-screen theaters in the Bay Area. A far cry from its seventy consecutive weeks of <i>The Gods Must Be Crazy</i> beginning in 1984 (<a href="http://www.cinemasf.com/vogue/?page_id=17" target="_blank">source</a>).<br />
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXJ_wiUKK8roGcbCSogh7ituQT7sxUKzSqpGCmXOV1b8Ufy9bhHEXVAHUYA4EKYjKwvaPKj3GJbpTMy0wk08XliIQnWbB27ZcBgU1nEKQ0eAXgdWcXB0cSFeYA5yQciD9B46NIJO7wVFx/s200/Ticket81.jpeg" width="192" /></div>
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This was my first visit to the Vogue, despite riding past it on the bus for years while living in San Francisco.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b><br />
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None.<br />
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<b>Trailers</b><br />
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<i>Love & Other Drugs</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO6hNUT0GOgBLF0yNa8Yhl8bLBsCpl-aouNw89dph5EoCNu-3bgGMtT9Q4_A-M8FfzIwNlYSK-SmdsqjJKumbEtcybVx1SaAkHNmB7P8lCKu4mwuYl-MbH7LoXbC97-xjbhR38T5NhZU/s320/blue2.png" /><br />
Jake Gyllenhaal is a charismatic pharmaceuticals rep poised to unleash Viagra on the world. He can have any woman he wants, but doesn’t know the true meaning of Christmas until he sees the enormous eyes of <i>Brokeback Mountain</i> co-star Anne Hathaway. With Oliver Platt, Judy Greer, and Hank Azaria in supporting roles, I would much rather see this same cast in a dark comedy, not the predictable romance suggested here. Gyllenhaal will be forced to transition from shallow womanizer who has only ever dated shallow women, to a man inspired to chase after a bus to get Hathaway back. Hathaway meanwhile has <a href="http://academic.sun.ac.za/forlang/bergman/tech/glossary/ebert_glos.htm" target="_blank">Ali MacGraw’s Disease</a>, which is what female characters contract when screenwriters don’t know what to do with them. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2329347609/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">128 cuts</a>.<br />
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<i>Red</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZYkxk9YqDGEPJvVnG2Atgm2PEpX_QmDR85yDvht6thR6G1KrEyajr6X6OuWrJCkacOm3eSlkmafI3j0rfjl3XCsSfbVEb7LS1FQnCx03rL7_ptK2OZVbZQ0k0rMx4sYoSser1rN5vSk/s320/blue4.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2011/06/68-twilight-saga-eclipse.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Hereafter</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
A former psychic with piercing blue eyes (Matt Damon) tries to live a normal life, but is constantly called upon by friends and neighbors to reach out to lost loved ones. (He utters the comic book cliché: “It’s not a gift; it’s a curse.” Remind me not to say that when I get superpowers.) A woman (Cécile De France) survives a tsunami, and questions what it means to die. A young boy (Frankie McLaren) loses his twin brother in a car accident and must adjust to solitude. All three are searching for answers, and somehow their stories will intersect. Great cast, and could be an unusually sedate role for Damon. The supernatural element takes a back seat to the journey of the living. Though it’s overkill to have the woman survive a tsunami (an event worthy of its own film, not just as a sub-plot), her survival among such great loss will contrast to the tiny drama of the boy losing his brother. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1485637913/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">78 cuts</a>.<br />
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<i>How Do You Know?</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
At one point in my life I was blonde, so don’t take this the wrong way. As progressive as it is, is Hollywood really ready for two blondes in one movie? Doesn’t that violate the unwritten rule that no more than one member of a movie couple may be a non-brunette? It’s confusing to movie goers, because when we say “The Blonde”, it won’t be obvious who we mean. Reese Witherspoon is kinda maybe sorta into Owen Wilson, and he’s sorta maybe kinda into her as well. She bumps into old friend Paul Rudd; Witherspoon and Wilson have a fight about Rudd; and Witherspoon spends a day over at Rudd’s place spilling her guts. He’s kinda maybe sorta into her as well, but he and his dad (Jack Nicholson) are being indicted on a federal charge, so his plate is full. In movies like this, each character is afforded but a single arc. Rudd needs to use the trial to bond with his dad. Wilson needs to watch <i>Love & Other Drugs</i> and realize it’s okay to settle down with just one woman. And Witherspoon needs better options. The movie looks bad, but the trailer is filled with Owen Wilson’s smooth humor. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3436250649/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">80 cuts</a>.<br />
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<b><i>The Social Network</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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A young Harvard student, real-life Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), creates an obnoxiously viral rating system, FaceMash, that pits female students' head shots against each other in a beauty contest. Having caught the eye of three student entrepreneurs (Max Minghella, Armie Hammer x2), Zuckerberg is recruited to build a social network for the school. Zuckerberg accepts the job, but instead builds a social network for the entire world. The movie chronicles the rise of Facebook, and the increasingly piddly-seeming lawsuit that lingers in its shadow.<br />
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Zuckerberg's abrasive personality is firmly established in the opening scene. He sits opposite a young woman in a bar, speaking quickly, changing conversation topics manically, and never pausing long enough for her to get a word in. This pick-up isn't going well, I thought; but then it's revealed that they are already dating. By the conversation's end, though, she has broken up with him, and it's not clear whether that was her intent all along, and perhaps he sensed it and was trying to steer clear of the topic, or if his verbal vomit pushed her over the edge. Later, at a school disciplinary hearing regarding his FaceMash site, rather than show contrition Zuckerberg has the gall to ask for some recognition of his efforts. Startled by his ego, the panel's moderator says, "I'm sorry?" But Zuckerberg, with his sociopathic inability to understand verbal cues, thinks it's the beginning of an apology, and invites her to continue, "Yes?".
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What is the source of the film's omniscient perspective? Zuckerberg didn't authorize it, and the other central characters, as a consequence of the legal battle, are bound by non-disclosure agreements. Are we meant to damn all these characters (few are portrayed favorably) based on tangential observation? Two characters are decent: Andrew Garfield as Zuckerberg's only friend and CFO, and Rashida Jones as his attorney. Yet neither is able to divert his self-destructive course. (Not all that destructive, actually; despite the unflattering portrayal of Zuckerberg, Facebook's membership has more than doubled since the film's release.) One of Hammer's Winklevoss twins is willing to drop the dispute, rather than drag his family's name into the muck, but his brother and Minghella are unrelenting. Zuckerberg befriends Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), and appears cordial in Parker's slimebag shadow.
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The film's editing is a bit uneven. In one scene, it expertly weaves together angles from a crew race, set to Gynt's "In the Hall of the Mountain King", and compels me to root for the Winklevoss twins despite their otherwise adversarial role. On a more macroscopic level, the movie constantly interrupts its narrative by jumping ahead to preparations for the trial. A movie needs a big ace up its sleeve to keep my interest despite reminding me over and over how it all ends.
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This biopic is unusual in that the protagonist is widely known, but his story is as yet incomplete. Fascinated with the clashing egos of its central characters, the movie is disinterested in examining Facebook's evolving role in the cultural landscape. At the time of the film's release, 7% of the world's population had an account (that number has now doubled), and the website was already purposing itself as an entire operating system. What happens when the masses can use social media to rally against oppressive governments, or when teenagers wield it to bully and exploit individuals? Do status updates and photos of delicious lunches make us hate our friends just a little bit? Zuckerberg's off-putting personality might make for good theater, but the real story, as the film's title suggests, is Facebook.
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(Every year around Oscar season a few 'good' movies get swept up in the frenzy and are elevated to 'great' status. Had <i>The Social Network</i> been released six months earlier, I doubt it would have been an Oscar contender. I was happily surprised, though, that Trent Reznor won for his unusually subtle score to the film. I'm an avid Nine Inch Nails fan, and have often fantasized about Reznor contributing a full score. I look forward to more.)Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-35660126707189786152013-10-16T09:32:00.002-07:002013-10-16T13:09:45.673-07:00When Is It Okay to Spoil?<div>
Note: this article contains spoilers for <i>Star Wars</i> and <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>.</div>
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On a <a href="http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/09/23/the-emmys-and-the-fall-season" target="_blank">recent episode</a> of WBUR's On Point, host Tom Ashbrook discusses the Emmy Award Show with guests Willa Paskin and James Poniewozik. One of the interesting topics they cover is the idea of spoiling a television show. They harken back to a day when everyone watched a show at the same time, and then discussed it around the water cooler the very next day. Now, however, viewers don't so much watch as consume shows (an entire season or even series at a time), and at their discretion (on a device of their choosing, and weeks, months, or even years later).<br />
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Ashbrook's guests side with the old standard of spoiler control. Paskin doesn't think it's her responsibility to stay tight-lipped about <i>The Sopranos</i>, and Poniewozik feels free to discuss plot points of <i>The Shield</i> (off the air for six and five years, respectively). What interests me is, as our viewing habits fragment, how we must quarantine ourselves from information to avoid spoilers, and how aware we must be of our friends' and colleagues' viewing habits to avoid spoiling for them.</div>
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Growing up without television, I never followed sports, other than occasionally checking stats in the daily <i>Chronicle</i> for the San Francisco Giants. Last year, and still without television, I began watching NFL football, using their Game Rewind subscription service, allowing me to watch games soon after they had completed (though with some annoying broadcast restrictions). Televised sports are on the opposite end of the spoiler spectrum from movies. Even though sports are pure entertainment, they are still treated as news, with absolutely zero spoiler control. Remember the opening scene of <i>Air Force One</i> where not even the President of the United States can make it onto his airplane without having a taped game spoiled for him? I might not watch a game until a day or even a week later; meanwhile, online newspapers will plaster the final score on their front page banner, as if it were the most important news in the world. Imagine seeing a headline Saturday morning after Friday's release of <i>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</i>: "Frodo Destroys Ring; Golem Dies in Lava". To avoid these spoilers, I can no longer look at newspapers, and I've written the names of my teams on a white board at work as reminder to not discuss these teams around me.</div>
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Media outlets are only following the cue of the television networks, who actually spoil one game while broadcasting another, with an ever-intrusive score update on the bottom of the screen, and occasional breaks from the current game to show plays from another.</div>
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Imagine it's 1980. You're sitting in a darkened theater watching <i>The Shining</i>, gripping your armrest as little Danny rides his plastic tricycle around a haunted hotel. The tension is building; at any moment something terrible is going to happen. Then the film momentarily pauses and an announcer's voice pipes in from the theater down the street, "You're not going to believe this folks, but Darth Vader is actually Luke's father! Back to you, Danny."</div>
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It's as if broadcast sports were stuck in a bygone era when it was impossible to watch a game if you didn't watch it live, and the network was doing you a favor by keeping you up to date on past and simultaneous games. Now, with taping a game, picture-in-picture, DVR, Game Rewind, opt-in highlight reels, and any number of other viewing tools, it's absurd that this spoiler practice continues.</div>
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With television shows this is becoming less of an issue, but I don't think it's because people are more sensitive about spoiling plots. There is so much variety in our viewing habits, whether in content (network, cable, web) or timeliness (live, on-demand, syndicated, home video), we no longer have the expectation of that conversation around the cooler, because noone is watching the same thing as anyone else. Noone can spoil <i>Foyle's War</i> for me, and I can't spoil <i>Breaking Bad</i> for them. The exception is when a friend recommends a show to me, but in that context the friend is almost always spoiler-conscious, and, taking pride in having introduced me to the show, will wait patiently for me to experience it spoiler-free just as they did.</div>
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As I attempt to catch up on my reviews from 2010, I'm trying to be conscious of spoilers. I feel more at liberty to discuss plot points of movies from three years ago, yet I must protect the review's primary purpose, regardless of the movie's age: to empower the reader to decide if they want to see the movie for themselves. What I'm not guarding, though, is the meta-data surrounding the movie. Now that 2010 is long over, and my statistics for that year fully compiled, I think it's okay to say of a movie released in October how it ended up faring against a movie that wouldn't be released until December. Likewise, I'm now able to give overall year stats for theaters as I review them, something that wasn't possible when I published the reviews in real-time.</div>
Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-12233317952707632042013-10-13T20:31:00.001-07:002013-10-13T20:31:06.803-07:00Home Video Roundup: February 2013More thoughts on movies watched at home, punctuated by a few outings to familiar places.<br />
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<b><i>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</i></b> (1967)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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Although I grew up watching westerns, I didn't see this classic until 2003. Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach are partners in a scam to turn themselves in for the same reward money over and over. Eventually they part ways unamicably (Eastwood leaves Wallach hanging from a tree), and Eastwood takes on a new partner. Wallach, not one to let end-of-the-rope bygones be bygones, catches up with Eastwood and forces him on a death march through the desert, where, by chance, they each hear a different half of a tale from a dying soldier about where he's buried some treasure. Unwilling to divulge their half of the secret, they must reforge their partnership and stay alive long enough to become rich (at which point, it can be expected, one of them will kill the other).<br />
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Before the <i>Dirty Harry</i> franchises and masterful directing and the empty chair, Eastwood distinguished himself in these Spaghetti Westerns (this is the third, but I never felt like I'd missed part of the story). He is cool as a cucumber, has a lighthearted smirk, and is the most proficient shooter in the world (which his adversaries always fail to realize until it's too late). Wallach's performance is gripping. He is obnoxious and dirty and mean, but also flattering and ingratiating; he wants to be your best friend and he'll kill you if you say no. Though Eastwood is right to not trust Wallach's volatility, if only he gave Wallach respect, Wallach would be a loyal friend, a somewhat despairing sub-theme of this otherwise fun and adventurous tale.<br />
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Along the way they must elude mean-as-can-be Lee Van Cleef and his band of mercenaries, also in pursuit of the treasure. At one point, Eastwood and Wallach find themselves on the wrong side of a river, with Union and Confederate soldiers bombarding each other daily in devastating battles, all to capture a strategic bridge that joins them. I was awestruck at the number of extras involved in these battle sequences, for what might have otherwise been a very low budget western. Taking a literal cue from a dying general, our duo decides the best way to cross the river (and to save countless lives, not that they care) is to destroy the bridge, thus ending the conflict. Side adventures like this one transform the film from simple genre piece to a true odyssey, where at every turn our heroes are met with unexpected adversity, or saved by happenstance.<br />
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As the film nears its end, Eastwood, Wallach, and Van Cleef find themselves facing off in the three-way duel promised by the movie's title (after an epic sequence in which Wallach circles a cemetery looking for a grave; I felt nauseated it lasted so long). And more than in any movie with a countdown, or characters waiting to see if their hero has perished or will emerge from the smoke, this movie knows how to ratchet up the tension until it pops. These three just stare at each other, daring someone to make the first move; pure deliciousness. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>A Prairie Home Companion</i></b> (2006)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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A thoroughly pleasing film, in which an ensemble cast enacts the last performance of the famous live radio show of the same name, that, seven years later, is actually still on the air. Every character is quirky and fun, and is permitted to shine. Garrison Keillor in particular surprises me; he is even better on screen than on the radio.<br />
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Though the radio program persists, this film does mark some 'lasts'. Lindsay Lohan's career hasn't quite been the same (not on account of her funny performance here). More notably, this was director Robert Altman's last film before his passing that same year at the age of 81. His directing career stretches back into the 1950s. With 1971's <i>MASH</i>, he began to receive award nominations; he was nominated for Best Director five times, but never won (he received an honorary award in 2006). I began watching his movies with 1992's <i>The Player</i>, and have seen every feature length film he's made since then with the exception of <i>The Gingerbread Man</i> (1998). This includes <i>Dr. T & the Women</i> (2000), <i>The Company</i> (2003), and two of my very favorite movies, <i>Cookie's Fortune</i> (1999) and <i>Gosford Park</i> (2001). I can't speak highly enough of those latter two. Altman's body of work is simply amazing, and I feel fortunate that there are still so many of his movies I've yet to discover.<br />
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On a humorous note, and one that will tie in to some other movies I watched this same month (see below), on May 4, 2010 I watched Howard Hawks's <i>The Big Sleep</i>. Just ten days later I saw Altman's excellent <i>The Long Goodbye</i> (1973) (look for a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger). Just ten days apart. Yet I sat through that entire Altman movie without realizing it was a sequel (of sorts) to Hawks's classic. I'm dense. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Michael Clayton</i></b> (2007)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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Simply put, this movie is perfect. If you haven't seen it, do so. I'll spare you further gushing.<br />
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This marks the directing debut for Tony Gilroy, who up to this point had penned many films, most famously the Jason Bourne trilogy. He followed (and borrowed actors from) <i>Michael Clayton</i> with the excellent <i>Duplicity</i> (2009). Next he wrote the screenplay for the American version of <i>State of Play</i> (2009), a superb film (though I'd recommend its even better British counterpart). If Gilroy would just stop with these Bourne movies (he wrote and directed the most recent in the series, <i>The Bourne Legacy</i>, 2012), he'll be on his way to being one of the great directors of our time. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Inside Man</i></b> (2006)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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I guess when Spike Lee goes big, he goes big. <i>Inside Man</i> earned more money worldwide than the combined gross of Lee's next five most successful films. Like <i>Michael Clayton</i>, <i>Inside Man</i> treats us to the villain's perspective (though Clive Owen's bank robber is immeasurably more sympathetic than Tilda Swinton's corporate attorney). This is my favorite Denzel Washington movie, and one of my favorite of his roles. The day he and Clooney are in a movie together, the Earth will end because its purpose will have been fulfilled. (5th viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Warm Bodies</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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Let's get the obvious disclaimer out of the way. I hate zombies. I hate zombie movies. I hate zombie games. I hate walking out of the supermarket and finding scrawled in the snow, "Survival" and an arrow pointing to the left, and "Zombies" and an arrow pointing to the right. I hate zombie costumes and zombie-themed candy and funny cartoon zombies and <i>Shaun of the Dead</i> and the billboards for <i>World War Z</i>. Hate 'em. So it is only with an ingenious marketing ploy on the studio's part, and an award-worthy open mind on mine that I even went to see this movie.<br />
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(In seeming contradiction to the above, I had an epiphany a while back, that I don't hate all zombies. I don't mind the zombies in Dungeons & Dragons, the type that are just reanimated corpses, through mystical means, who fight like skeletons and can be easily defeated. In D&D, zombyism isn't infectious. Which means anyone I'm fighting has been dead for a really long time, and they didn't necessarily die a terrible death either. What I hate are modern zombies, where 1) they try to eat you, which is disgusting and the absolute worst way to die, 2) they bite you and you become one of them, a total betrayal of all you stand for, and then 3) I am forced to fight you. With a chainsaw. No thanks!)<br />
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This film does have its gruesome moments, and there are some scary über-zombies on the prowl, so don't think it is completely lighthearted. But that aside, it's a cross between <i>Romeo & Juliet</i>'s star-crossed lovers from warring factions, and the "popular girl falls for awkward boy, but hopes her friends don't find out" trope. Nicholas Hoult is perfect as the zombie who has always been a bit different (he hoards human mementos in an airplane), and Teresa Palmer as the survivalist trained to kill zombies, terrified for her life, yet able to tell that Hoult is unique. Their relationship is captivating, despite the macabre backdrop. From a sci-fi/horror perspective, the movie also delivers the goods on showing zombie culture (like the vampire culture in <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/8-daybreakers.html" target="_blank">Daybreakers</a>), i.e., what happens to zombies when they've basically won?<br />
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<b><i>To Have and Have Not</i></b> (1944)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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When I first started streaming movies on Netflix in 2010, I thought I had discovered a limitless treasure trove of classic films, each more amazing than the one before it: <i>My Man Godfrey</i> (1936), <i>His Girl Friday</i> (1940), <i>Holiday</i> (1938), <i>It Happened One Night</i> (1934). <i>The Big Sleep</i> (1946) was the last of these, and then the market crashed: everything else on Netflix was crap. But <i>The Big Sleep</i> was so incredibly good; the perfect noir detective story, with sizzling chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.<br />
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Jump forward three years, and I'm perusing the classic section of my local video store (the excellent Video Factory on Park St. in Alameda, CA) when I see another Bogart/Bacall title, <i>To Have and Have Not</i>, their first together, and seemingly cobbled together from <i>Casablanca</i>'s cutting room floor. The two movies have almost identical plots: Bogart is an ex pat who runs a bar in a politically unstable sea-side city. A beauty (your choice of Bacall or Ingrid Bergman) walks in the door, turning his life upside down and forcing him to choose sides in a conflict he was quite comfortably profiting from. Bogart and Bacall are magical together, exchanging sexually charged dialog too quickly for me to catch it all. I can't wait to watch this one again.<br />
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<b><i>Dark Passage</i></b> (1947)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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Now hot on the trail of anything Bogart/Bacall, I turned to their third movie, one I had in theory seen at some point in my youth, but it was entirely unfamiliar. Beginning with a gimmicky first-person perspective whose only purpose seems to be to sidestep a special effects limitation, Bogart escapes from San Quentin Prison in Marin County and hitches a ride to San Francisco with motorist Bacall. At first Bacall seems to be just in the right place at the right time, but we soon learn that she knows Bogart, anticipated his escape, and specifically sought him out to give him a ride (it doesn't quite make sense, but when Lauren Bacall opens her car door, you get in). Bogart undergoes plastic surgery to conceal his identity, at which time we finally get to see his face (now as Bogart). The film is a bit clumsy, but the two leads are still good together, Agnes Moorehead delivers a marvelously shrewish performance, and the now antiquated San Francisco scenery is fun to explore. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Key Largo</i></b> (1948)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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The last of Bogart and Bacall's four films together. Bogart, discharged from the Army, arrives at a small resort hotel in Key Largo to pay his respects to the father of a fallen comrade. There he meets Bacall, the comrade's fiance, and a gang of thugs headed by Edward G. Robinson. Robinson, on the lam in Cuba, is awaiting a rendezvous with various heads of the New York (or Chicago, I forget) family, to discuss business and his possible return. They don't want any trouble (though they don't have any manners either), and neither do Bogart, Bacall, or Bacall's father. But a hurricane traps everyone at the resort, and the situation gets supercharged when the sheriff comes by to pursue a local matter.<br />
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When I reflect on this movie, I like it more than my rating indicates. It's very well done. But ultimately its close-quarters violence, endemic to the noir genre, turned me off. I like tension, but I have a tough time with thrillers where the heroes are often powerless to defend themselves against the villain.<br />
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<b><i>Meet John Doe</i></b> (1941)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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I'm a sucker for the incorruptible goodness of a salt-of-the-earth movie character. Amid the Great Depression, Barbara Stanwyck secures her position at her newspaper by fabricating a John Doe letter to the editor that lays out all that is wrong with the country, pointing the finger at the fat cats. Though the newspaper is owned by one of those fat cats, it can smell money in pandering to the common man, so it commands Stanwyck to hire John Doe as a columnist. She secretly auditions a number of down-on-their luck types, eventually settling for baseball-loving Gary Cooper, who, along with fellow hobo Walter Brennan (who also had a stint in <i>To Have and Have Not</i>), has been living under a bridge. Will Cooper, who just wants to work hard and earn a living, be corrupted by his sudden fame? Will Stanwyck become a political stooge for the paper's owner? Will director Frank Capra's sentimentality strike a cord with this modern viewer? Spoiler: No, no, and yes.<br />
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<b><i>Moonrise Kingdom</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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2012, all told, was an exceptional year for movies, even if you ignore all the great superhero titles. <i>Moonrise Kingdom</i> is the best of them all, and my favorite movie since <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/08/74-scott-pilgrim-vs-world.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Scott Pilgrim vs. the World</a> (2010). On a small island off the coast of Maine, a serious, misunderstood, and often violent girl (Kara Hayward) conspires to runaway with a serious, misunderstood, and often violent boy (Jared Gilman) stationed at a boy scout camp on the other side of the island. Her parents (Bill Murray, Frances McDormand) and his troupe leader (Edward Norton) must team up with the island's only police officer (Bruce Willis) to find the two before... well, they're on an island, so what's the worst that could happen?<br />
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Wes Anderson continues to astound me with his quirky, melancholy, and hilarious ensemble comedies. With the exception of the so-so <i>Darjeeling Limited</i> (2007), his movies keep getting better and better. Consider the excellent <i>Rushmore</i> (1998), topped by <i>The Royal Tenenbaums</i> (2001), which in turn was outdone by <i>The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou</i> (2004), <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/9-fantastic-mr-fox.html" target="_blank">Fantastic Mr. Fox</a></i> (2009), and now <i>Moonrise Kingdom</i>. The only other directors with such a consistent track record (in my book) are Robert Altman (see above), David Mamet, and, the biggest contender, Hayao Miyazaki. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Lawrence of Arabia</i></b> (1962)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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When the opening sequence of a movie shows the hero dying in a motorcycle accident, what remains for the movie to tell? We all die someday, sure, but won't a story of heroism be constantly undercut by such a banal end?<br />
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Lawrence: I crossed the desert that couldn't be crossed.<br />
Chorus: Yes, but very slowly. The way you should drive.<br />
Lawrence: I captured the city that couldn't be captured.<br />
Chorus: Maybe just watch those corners?<br />
Lawrence: I fought an empire even when my army had abandoned me. I endured torture. I am solely responsible for the creation of the Arab state. I should be worshipped!<br />
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I won't argue with this movie being expertly assembled, from its majestic music, to its majestic landscapes, to its majestic battles, etc. The movie is big, fine. The problem is that Peter O'Toole's Lawrence is too flawed for my taste. Beginning as a bit of a fop, he soon gets a taste for battle and an even bigger taste of his own ego. He confesses that he likes the violence, and what seems like brilliant strategy at first begins to morph into endurance art (the sort my friend Brian Schorn performed at Mills College where he <a href="http://www.circulus.us/index.php?/projects/performance/" target="_blank">smiled</a> into a camera for an entire hour), where his suffering is somehow a victory in itself. (2nd viewing.)</div>
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<b><i>Sunset Boulevard</i></b> (1950)<br />
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Speaking of movies where we see the main character dead at the beginning: <i>Sunset Boulevard</i> opens with a narration by William Holden, drawing our attention to his own dead body floating face down in a pool. But everything turns out okay after that, right?<br />
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(I have a theory that Hollywood is overly sympathetic toward introspections of their own industry. Mostly founded on <i>Hugo</i>'s nomination for an Oscar in 2011; I thought it was somewhat fun, but can't account for its nomination except that it celebrates pioneer filmmaker <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_M%C3%A9li%C3%A8s" target="_blank">Georges Méliés</a>. The winner that year was <i>The Artist</i>, which more directly explores Hollywood, but was also worthy of the win. Last year's winner, <i>Argo</i> (Hollywood Saves Hostages), continues my suspicions. <i>Sunset Boulevard</i> was nominated for Best Picture, but lost out to <i>All About Eve</i>, a similarly-themed film about an aging Broadway star.)<br />
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Gloria Swanson plays a wealthy but forgotten former star of Hollywood's silent era, a plot that would post-date the transitionary stories in <i>The Artist</i> and <i>Singin' in the Rain</i> (1952). The role parallels Swanson's own career, which dates back to the very beginning of film, but ends abruptly in the early 1930s with the changeover to sound. Holden is a down-on-his-luck screenwriter who catches her eye. She hires him to rewrite a script, penned by her, that she is sure will launch her back into the spotlight. Holden can't say no to the money, but neither does he decline her romantic advances, in essence becoming her gigolo.<br />
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The movie is a noir thriller in that we fear for Holden's safety as we realize how insane Swanson is, and become suspicious about what happened to her previous husband. But Holden becomes such a sleaze bag, it's tough to root for him (especially since I already know he dies in the end). Swanson's performance is manic and tragic, a dark warning to anyone who too tightly embraces their own fame.<br />
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I rate this movie 2 stars not for its composition or artistic value, but because I just didn't enjoy it. As I learned while watching <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/07/julia.html" target="_blank">Julia</a></i>, I get really uncomfortable with unlikeable protagonists.<br />
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<b><i>Dial M for Murder</i></b> (1954)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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Forget everything I just said about unlikeable protagonists. In the opening scene of this Hitchcock cat-and-mouse thriller, one of the movie's two stars, the charismatic Ray Milland, plots to kill the other, his wife, not-so-bad-herself Grace Kelly. We're tethered to his perspective just as closely as we are to hers, and it's absolutely riveting. After Kelly accidentally kills the hired assassin, and Milland must act the concerned husband, Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) arrives on the scene to work out the details.<br />
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The movie's theatrical roots show, with just a few sets (it takes place mostly in their apartment) and long, patient scenes. This wasn't one of Hitchcock's more successful movies <a href="http://www.the-numbers.com/person/66230401-Alfred-Hitchcock" target="_blank">financially</a>, but I'm happy to see that at least it's his 8th most popular over on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/filmorate?ref_=nm_flmg_shw_3#director" target="_blank">IMDB</a>. Though I've only seen it once, <i>Dial M for Murder</i> has jumped ahead of <i>The Trouble with Harry</i> as my favorite Hitchcock film.<br />
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<b>85th Academy Awards</b><br />
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My boss was kind enough to take my girlfriend and I as his guests to an Oscar party at the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/6-broken-embraces.html" target="_blank">Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center</a>, with the live telecast projected on the screen, and <a href="http://www.kqed.org/" target="_blank">KQED</a>'s Michael Krasny on stage filling the time during the commercial breaks.<br />
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In general I'm not a fan of the awards, partly because they differ from my own tastes, and partly because I've seldom seen the nominated movies (they come bunched in December, and drown out other equally worthy films from earlier in the year). When the awards rolled around for the 2010 crop, from which I'd seen 78 different movies for this blog, I was rewarded with having seen 7 of the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture. 2012 was a more typical year for me though, and at this particular Oscar party I found myself having seen just 2 of the 9 nominated films (<i>Argo</i> and <i>Lincoln</i>).<br />
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My favorite moments include Jennifer Lawrence's win (and recovery from her trip up the stairs); Ben Affleck's gratitude toward wife Jennifer Garner, and her beaming with pride for him; Daniel Day-Lewis's Margaret Thatcher joke; Catherine Zeta-Jones looking really good post-baby, reprising her "All that Jazz" number from <i>Chicago</i>; and most impressively, Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger". That woman can belt it.<br />
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Host Seth MacFarlane's "We Saw Your Boobs" song was funny, but too consistent with the sexist tone of the rest of his jokes. Adele's "Skyfall", a great song, was less impressive live (well, telecast live) than in the movie's score.<br />
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Oh, and <i>Moonrise Kingdom</i> not being nominated for Best Picture, and not even winning Best Original Screenplay? That just reopens the wound from <i>Gladiator</i>'s win over <i>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</i> for the 2000 awards.<br />
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The only category I feel qualified to speak about is Best Animated Feature. I had seen four of the five titles by Oscar night (<i>Brave</i>, <i>Wreck-It Ralph</i>, <i>The Pirates! Band of Misfits</i>, and <i>ParaNorman</i>), and have since seen <i>Frankenweenie</i> as well. Every one of those movies is excellent and worthy of the award. <i>Brave</i>'s win continues Pixar's domination of the category: the studio has won seven times in the category's 12-year history, missing only for its two <i>Cars</i> movies (and thankfully so), and for <i>Monster's, Inc.</i> in 2001, which should have won over <i>Shrek</i>. More notably, though, <i>Brave</i> is only the second winner to feature a female lead (the other is <i>Spirited Away</i>, 2002), and a kick-ass one at that. (Here's a spoiler: <i>Brave</i> is not about a princess finding a prince.) Miyazaki's movies aside, feature-length animation is absolutely dominated by male characters. For every Elastigirl there are ten Mr. Incredibles, and that has to stop.<br />
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Hollywood: When you say <i>half</i> of all children are girls, what do you mean exactly?<br />
Everyone Else: Well, half. It's kinda a math thing.<br />
Hollywood: Yeah, but more specifically, like '3-4%' half, or more like '5-8%' half? If it's the latter, we might want to throw in a female character here and there. By the way, apropos of nothing, if we put lipstick and eyeliner on a snail, will kids know it's a girl? Or should we give the snail breasts too? Obviously, there are a lot of unanswered questions here.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-813370676370305052013-10-10T22:22:00.001-07:002013-10-10T22:22:37.327-07:00Byzantium<b>The New Parkway</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU9wJTN6Ord5oqwM7Bb2hDxltWvwzpS8HmbJIc4jZiLQKaH_cbh_9VZoXyALsAid1O3mLR7zDAyrHhPP9XQYhb8w1Xm47-A0WZGVKf63Cl2lPVrRP45BUZCS3mDRG0mnxDgwnj0bAI5M/s320/green5.png" /><br />
The original <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1839" target="_blank">Parkway Speakeasy Theatre</a> opened in 1926 on the southeast side of Lake Merritt. Built as a single screen theater, the balcony was later carved out from the lower level to form a separate auditorium. Circa 1997 (<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Midwestern-bid-to-take-over-Oakland-s-Parkway-3231272.php" target="_blank">source</a>) the theater came under new management that saw a shift toward theme nights, second-run films, and, what would make it most well known, serving food and beer and replacing raked seating with couches. I can't count how many times people raved about the Parkway to me before its closure in 2009. I can only conclude that people who are enthusiastic about sitting on a couch and drinking beer while watching a movie don't actually go out to the movies more than a couple of times a year, because otherwise the Parkway would have been swimming in it. I only visited the old Parkway once before it closed, to see the Korean horror movie <i>The Host</i>. I had an unfavorable impression: the lobby was cramped, the upstairs auditorium was a bit dingy, and the movie was disgusting.<br />
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Fast forward three years. The <a href="http://thenewparkway.com/" target="_blank">New Parkway</a> theater opened in December, 2012, the only new theater in Oakland in the past 17 years. It hides in a graffiti-decorated brick-faced building on 24th Avenue just off Telegraph (an old glass-sheet factory, according to this <a href="https://oaklandnorth.net/2012/11/30/the-new-parkway-theater-gets-ready-to-open-its-doors-in-uptown-oakland/" target="_blank">source</a>), amid nearby bars and a surprisingly active night life for Uptown Oakland. (I worked Uptown a decade ago, when tumbleweeds came out every evening at five o'clock.)<br />
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A large bicycle rack sits right out front and is often crammed full of bikes on a busy evening. Inside the front door, patrons can either form a queue in the express line to buy just tickets, or move down the counter to buy tickets and order from a food menu. Even further down the counter there is another express line, one just for candy and drinks. I appreciate the segregation; if I'm cutting it close to showtime, I can get a ticket and go grab a seat without waiting behind people who are deciding what to have for dinner.<br />
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The <a href="http://thenewparkway.com/menus/New%20Parkway%20Menu.pdf" target="_blank">menu</a> has a medium-sized selection by restaurant standards, but is incalculably better than what is available at most movie theaters. Having eaten more than my fair share of Red Vines in recent years, I am deeply appreciative of the chance to eat real food at a theater. I confess, I used to poo-poo this notion, mostly out of ignorance (fearing distracting noises from my chomping neighbors, and suffocating aromas, and my own inability to focus on the movie while eating; none of it true). But I am now completely on board. I can leave work, meet my girlfriend at the theater, enjoy dinner, and then move into the auditorium just in time for the main event. Outstanding.</div>
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All this wouldn't mean much, though, if the food weren't both healthy and tasty. It is both. On all four of my visits thus far I've ordered the Vegan Mystery Meal. When ordering, I'm not told what I'll get, other than that it'll be vegan; a great concept. The dishes have ranged from crispy tostadas topped with sliced red cabbage, to beans and grilled mushrooms tossed with a salad, to a sort of potato casserole. Not only is the dish different from night to night, it changes with each person who orders it. If my girlfriend goes back to the counter to order the same thing I'm having, too bad! The world has moved on, and, as she tells her kids at school, you get what you get and you don't get upset. The mystery meal also comes in vegetarian and gluten-free varieties. The Big Salad hasn't been a big hit with us, but as dinner winds down we usually pick up an order of super salty saucy fries on our way to the screening room. (The menu includes the refreshingly honest disclaimer: "Vegan and gluten-free dishes are made in the same kitchen as our other dishes and thus may have some cross-contamination.")</div>
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Using an opt-in tracking system (take heed, NSA), you may sit wherever you like, whether in the bustling downstairs, or the cafe-like balcony, or in their eventual seat in the auditorium. Once seated simply place your order placard into a device at your table/seat, and the kitchen staff will know where to find you. If you're in the lobby waiting for your food but the movie is about to start, just re-register at your new seat. No problem.<br />
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The lobby's busyness will fluctuate throughout the evening as showtimes come and go. I've been one of only a few people there, and I've been standing in long lines for a sold out show. Contrasted to most theaters I've visited, this theater might actually be a place I'd visit just for dinner, or to hang out, even if a movie wasn't on the agenda (unlikely, but not a bad idea). Partly this is because admission is in the hallway, past the lobby, so there's no requirement that patrons see a movie. And partly because the ambiance is attractive enough that I'd actually want to. There are several Cinemark Theaters with ticket takers past the lobby and concession stand, but they haven't made themselves into desirable chill spaces. In addition to movies, food, and drinks, the New Parkway also has a (limited) selection of board and party games on a shelf in the balcony, complemented by art supplies for kids. Although I don't particularly care for the game selection, what this tells me is that it's okay to bring my own games to the theater, order a snack, and have a good time with friends, just as I might in any other cafe. Movie + vegan food + games = conspiracy theory: was this theater built with me in mind?</div>
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Between the delicious food and fun atmosphere, a wall plastered with movie-related promotional material and another wall devoted to a rotating collection of original artwork, it might be easy to forget you're here to see a movie. Here's a tip: when you get your ticket, make sure you find out 1) which of the two auditoriums you'll be in (it's not printed on your ticket), and 2) when the auditorium will open for seating. (The auditorium number is written on a chalkboard in the hallway if you forget.) Sometimes this is obvious because a line forms, or because a staff member makes an announcement; but I've been the chump spacing out in the balcony while all the best seats get taken.<br />
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Auditorium #1 seats 145 people. Several small tables dominate the central floor, with a hodgepodge of seating wrapping along the walls, and an upper balcony with chairs at odd angles on the side and slightly raked rows of narrow tables at the back. I've sat off to one side on the ground level, and didn't really mind being at an angle. The back row on the ground level, with seats low to the floor, has poor sightlines, blocked by the taller chairs in the middle of the room.<br />
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Auditorium #2 seats only 125 people, but is the larger and more plush space, with an even wider variety of seats along the floor (one is a beauty salon chair), and raked rows of couches in the back. I haven't sat down below, but I've enjoyed a movie even from a couch in the back corner of the auditorium.<br />
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The theater is focusing on first-run independent movies, second-run mainstream titles, and a backlog of favorites to populate their various <a href="http://thenewparkway.com/theme-nights.php" target="_blank">theme nights</a> (the theater was one of only 13 in the country to play <i>Byzantium</i>). All for only $6.00 a ticket. The New Parkway also shows short films, has mini festivals, and this week is broadcasting the playoff games between the As and the Tigers. Because the theater's debut post-dates my data collection from 2010, I don't know how many different titles they will have shown by the end of this (their first) year, but I imagine it will be much higher than the typical two-screen theater with just two engagements per week.<br />
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Interestingly, of the nine Bay Area theaters I've rated 5 stars, five are in the Easy Bay, and three of those are in Oakland. Joining the ranks of the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/11-lovely-bones.html" target="_blank">Grand Lake</a>, Piedmont, <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/03/46-bounty-hunter.html" target="_blank">Jack London</a>, and <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/24-rebecca.html" target="_blank">Paramount</a> theaters, the New Parkway is a welcome addition to Oakland's movie scene, and one I plan to frequent.<br />
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<b>Pre-Show</b>
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A humorous public service announcement shows an odd looking man holding flashcards depicting the various things patrons should not do during the movie. Don't talk, don't text, don't hit, don't doodle, don't splash, etc. A nasally voice-over offers artistic interpretation, in case the flashcards aren't clear enough. Quite amusing.<br />
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<b>Trailers</b>
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<i>Much Ado About Nothing</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFXFxiqS6HaiSOub9UiQ5m1I8EPFEWBjT7q8Sc6mDJY2U86cr6THrQvvWw7iQYX30oW1E-H_GW4s74HMORPVN2CKDQr77C7EWQDseFYeUS5ljEE1sDh5pQYGVDMJULtxNQnvPZFp4iLM/s320/blue5.png" /><br />
I'm a huge fan of Shakespeare's plays, but I've yet to see a stage or film adaptation that I've enjoyed. This could be the one, with its stellar cast and the Joss Whedon promise of excellence. Set at a party or perhaps wedding, self-proclaimed "love gods" endeavor to make two spatting adversaries (Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof) fall in love by evening's end. The mostly black-and-white trailer is punctuated with flashes of color (a blue dress, a golden martini, and neon outlines of thematic words like 'obsession', and 'hatred'), and is scored by a catchy jazz-like layering of cymbals, horns, and vocal sounds. Great editing work, and pure fun. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUWlPjXvFZU" target="_blank">89 cuts</a>.<br />
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<b><i>Byzantium</i></b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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I recall reading a YA novel as a kid that, to my naive standards, established the definitive laws of vampirism. It included familiar tropes like propagation through biting, and an aversion to garlic and Holy Water. But also included a bit of lore that has stuck with me ever since: if you pour a line of sand outside your windows, a vampire attempting to enter your room at night will be compelled to count each sand crystal in this protective barrier, and, being engrossed in so lengthy a task, will surely perish at sunrise. Although this fallibility wasn't original to my YA novel (it's called Arithmomania), what I failed to recognize as a child was that there is no definitive study of a mythological creature. Each author of a vampire story is empowered to cherry-pick the lore that best suits their narrative. A good author can even invent lore, gifting yet more options for vampire writers who follow.<br />
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In the past two decades, and owing in large part to <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> and the <i>Twilight</i> books, cinema and television have been flooded with vampire narratives. These vampires are invariably immortal blood suckers. But otherwise, each incarnation embellishes the tale in its own way. In <i>Buffy</i> (1997), vampires are demons inhabiting dead human bodies; and they're inexplicably proficient in martial arts. In <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/12-twilight-saga-new-moon.html" target="_blank">Twilight</a></i> (2008) they have super speed and super strength, sparkle in the sunlight, and can choose to feed on deer instead of humans. The excellent <i>Ultraviolet</i> (1998) mini-series (not the movie) asks what vampires would do in a world without humans, while <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/8-daybreakers.html" target="_blank">Daybreakers</a></i> (2010) actually shows us that world. Vampires can be traditional (<i>Shadow of the Vampire</i>, 2000), disgusting (<i>Blade II</i>, 2002), scheming (<i>Underworld</i>, 2003), or simply misunderstood (<i>Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant</i>, 2009). In the case of <i>Ultraviolet</i> (the movie, 2006), they might be vampires in name only.<br />
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Like playing a new trick-taking game, part of the joy of watching a vampire movie is in identifying the nuances of this specific take on the genre, i.e., learning the rules of the universe. Where do these vampires come from? What can they/can't they do? How can they be killed?<br />
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Neil Jordan's <i>Byzantium</i>, abandoned by the studio and released in only a handful of theaters, unencumbers the genre from its familiar tropes. More in the vein of <i>Låt den ratte komma in</i> (<i>Let the Right One In</i>, 2008), <i>Byzantium</i> carefully selects a few, essential vampire traits, and proceeds not with a supernatural thriller, but with a character study.<br />
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Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) has been a vampire for two centuries, wandering the British Isles with her mother, Clara (Gemma Arterton), for the duration. (Disappointingly, the film doesn't rationalize how, after two centuries, Eleanor would still be any less mature and autonomous than her mother, who has less than a two decade head start, but we are free to conclude that Eleanor's emotional development halted along with her aging.) Clara works as a stripper and sometimes prostitute. Does she use a vampire's superhuman power of seduction to enthrall her clients? No; the film is wise enough to realize it's sufficient just to be Gemma Arterton. Eleanor passes the time writing and rewriting her and her mother's story, then throwing the pages to the wind or sea for fear of them ever being read. How Eleanor reacts when one of her pages finds its way into the hands of an elderly man immediately sets her apart from her mother's more direct method of preserving their secret.<br />
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When someone from their past forces the two to uproot, they arrive in a coastal village that Eleanor remembers from her youth, though Clara claims to have never been there before. Here is the second and central difference between mother and daughter. Clara looks forward obsessively, both to wipe away her misery from before she became a vampire, and to obliterate all her wrongdoings since. She does what she must to protect herself and her daughter, but moves on before idleness can lure her into reflection. Eleanor, in contrast, cannot let go of the past. Trapped in an endless melancholy, she writes as if she is trying to create some fulfilling life for herself that predates her current condition.<br />
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Eleanor soon befriends a hemophiliac waiter with leukemia (Caleb Landry Jones), and it's unclear whose condition is more dangerous to the other. Their interactions have all the awkward haltings that I loved in the <i>Twilight</i> saga, where everyday teenaged angst is suddenly sensible given that the paramours might actually die for their affections. In turn, Clara takes pity on a john (Daniel Mays) who is devastated after losing his mother. Eleanor warns off her beau; Clara does not, expressing her pity by using the john's inherited hotel to open a brothel (the eponymous Byzantium Hotel).<br />
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The film is fantastically patient with its scenes, allowing its characters to drift quietly across beautiful, lonely landscapes (this is the rare film where I found myself admiring the composition of the shots). This patience makes it all the more powerful when the narrative is perforated by violent action. Though the movie clings more sympathetically to Eleanor's self-restraint, I was nonetheless fascinated with Clara's unending motherhood, her protective instincts stretched out century after century. Eleanor resents her mother's callous lifestyle, yet her naivety often forces Clara's hand in defense.<br />
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In any supernatural story I am hungry for the lore. I want to know how it all started, and which physical or metaphysical rules govern this fictional world. <i>Byzantium</i>, via the clumsy use of Eleanor's narration and writing (nothing is more boring on the big screen than writing; and nothing more heavy-handed than narration), does reveal the supernatural origins of our characters, and these origins prove much more interesting than merely having been bitten late one night. We never quite get to the absolute roots of how vampirism itself began, but what we do see is more satisfying than the tired "so-and-so was cursed, and so became the first vampire" tale.<br />
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The supporting cast are painted quickly but with depth, each existing believably within this world that is just like ours, but for a few aberrations. Eleanor's and Clara's relationship is engrossing, underscoring how different a journey two people can have, despite traveling together for so long. It's a shame this movie was so under-promoted; it's now my favorite vampire movie.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-20153430317899596342013-10-08T23:14:00.001-07:002013-10-08T23:14:43.817-07:00Home Video Roundup: January 2013I still have a backlog of 25 reviews from 2010, but the pressure of catching up is holding me up from posting shorter, more recent thoughts. This new column represents a quick way to alleviate that: a list of all the movies I watched at home over the course of a month (with a small sprinkling of theater visits). Nothing profound or deeply considered; just a way to share my rating of the movie, and anything else of interest.<br />
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In January, as in most new years, I typically focus on rewatching titles from my collection, either because January isn't the best month for theatrical releases, or because I'm itching to see a title again, or because I'm looking for titles that have outstayed their welcome so I can prune my collection. So, here are the 19 movies I watched in January, and which ones didn't make the cut.<br />
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<b><i>Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring</i></b> (2001)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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Having been underwhelmed by <i>The Hobbit</i>, my girlfriend and I decided to reward ourselves with an extended trip to Tolkien's land of epic adventure. I was also reading the <i>Silmarillion</i> at the time, and had a new perspective on perfect-seeming Galadriel.</div>
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There are few fictional places that can rival Middle Earth for its immersive world. The original <i>Star Wars</i> trilogy still stands at the pinnacle, but the <i>Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy is a close second. (I'm also continually impressed by <i>The Dark Crystal</i>, <i>Dune</i>, and the <i>Harry Potter</i> series.) Sitting down to watch <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> isn't just committing to the length of three movies, nor to a television season's narrative arc; it's giving myself over to a geographic and cultural landscape that takes me so far from the Shire's green hills, and so deep into the land of evil, that by the time Frodo is scaling Mount Doom I've forgotten there was ever a time when I wasn't on this journey with him.<br />
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There are some ways in which the trilogy has suffered over time. In a few cases, effects seem just slightly outdated. As is obvious from my reviews of the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/12-twilight-saga-new-moon.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight</i> saga</a>, I appreciate a movie that takes itself seriously. Nonetheless, <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> trilogy has suffered a bit from its own success, making it difficult at times to swallow the epic seriousness without cracking a smile. The formal, literary speeches; the pledges of fidelity; the impossibly dauntless courage. But these are minor, minor quibbles. Peter Jackson's trilogy remains one of the greatest cinematic achievements to date. (9th viewing.)</div>
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<b><i>Sense and Sensibility</i></b> (1995)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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I’ve read five of Jane Austen’s books and loved four of them (<i>Northanger Abbey</i> is the outlier, and I haven't read <i>Mansfield Park</i>). Ang Lee's adaptation is faithful to the spirit of Austen's drawing room drama, where every stilted word must be decoded for its romantic intent. But whereas the novels grow richer with repeated reading, the film adaptations do not. Alan Rickman coupling with Kate Winslet is still too bizarre to enjoy. Emma Thompson is fine as Elinor, but Hugh Grant’s awkwardness as the her eventual suitor has lessened in charm after seeing him in so many similar roles. My favorite rediscovery on this viewing was Hugh Laurie as the curmudgeonly friend of the family; I have a soft spot for characters who are rude and seemingly selfish, yet reveal their core character by coming to the aid of our heroes at the critical moment (okay, that's overstating Laurie's role; but I like the archetype nonetheless). (3rd viewing.)</div>
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<b><i>Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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Eighteen direct-to-video animated movies later, I've now seen enough DC Comics titles to detect a pattern in my tastes. I most enjoy the ensemble plots, like <i>Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths</i>. Though I tend to disfavor the solo Batman efforts, <i>Batman: Year One</i> and <i>Batman: Under the Red Hood</i> are both excellent.
<i>Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1</i> isn’t bad, per se, but it strays too far from the formula to be really enjoyable. Batman comes out of retirement to fight a large street gang who talk like they saw <i>Cloud Atlas</i> too many times (i.e., once). I don’t like decaying cities, I don’t like Mad Max-like biker punks, and most importantly, I don’t like an over-the-hill Batman (one of the reasons I’ve found it difficult to watch <i>Batman Beyond</i>). The movie also takes an undesirable cue from the Nolan trilogy by making Batman a bruiser first, detective distant second. Still haven’t made myself watch Part 2, but I will.<br />
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<b><i>Rise of the Guardians</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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Dreamworks hasn't guarded its brand as thoughtfully as has Pixar. Beginning with the standout <i>Antz</i>, and recently delivering <i>How to Train Your Dragon</i>, the animation studio has also deposited <i>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa</i> and <i>Shrek Forever After</i> along the way. I snuck off to see <i>Rise of the Guardians</i> on my birthday, not knowing where on the quality spectrum Dreamworks would lead me. I was not disappointed.<br />
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The eponymous guardians are Santa Claus, Sandman, Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Jack Frost, a team of mythological superheroes who protect Earth’s children from the Boogeyman. Each hero has powers, an origin story, and a headquarters, and most are backed by an army of minions, making for detail-rich scenery and massive battles. This is easily the best mash-up I’ve seen, both in terms of how much I enjoyed it, and how familiar its characters are. And with the exception of Jude Law as the villain, I didn't recognize the voices of Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman, or Isla Fisher, a sign of good voice acting in my book.<br />
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<b><i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i></b> (2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/9-fantastic-mr-fox.html" target="_blank">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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I love stop-motion animation. Love love love it. I’ve seen 11 feature-length stop-motion animated films, and so far <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/19-town-called-panic.html" target="_blank">Panique au village</a></i> is the only title I haven’t liked, followed by <i>Chicken Run</i> which I enjoyed, but find a bit simple. The rest are outstanding, including the bizarre and disturbing <i>$9.99</i>. Digital animation, having won out over cell animation, seems to be so plentiful and easy to churn out that studios can afford to scrimp on the script. Not so with stop-motion movies. Their manufacture is so painstaking (a team of artists can work all day for but a few seconds of footage) that their backers don’t move forward unless they have a rock-solid script. Maybe I just have a soft spot for these movies, having grown up watching 1964's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" TV special on betamax.<br />
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<i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i>, gorgeous and witty in every scene, gets better with each viewing. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Coraline</i></b> (2009)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2009/coraline.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsr2TtUEbcyAlnG01gTxSknFxpjJG2_OVqGGPRstCBh_UJNQUs8B_9GYm4tbsTjnmkICw57lD9YAHdYMJaZZXdxqbHQU-ZmHPM1OHBnGAl-itzUJdu_teLl7Bs_rZihg7_Je9XgjbMH-L3/s200/coraline.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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Have I mentioned I love stop-motion animation? Although I thought this was Laika’s first feature film (and their <a href="http://laika.com/" target="_blank">website</a> doesn’t suggest otherwise), IMDB also credits them with <i>Corpse Bride</i>. Add the excellent <i>ParaNorman</i> to the mix (the best of the three), and I conclude that Laika has the best track record of any animation studio, including Pixar (blemished by <i>Cars</i>). Laika is also the only animation studio I know to be pro-gay rights. I've fantasized about a movie nonchalantly revealing at the end that one of its characters is gay, and <i>ParaNorman</i> does just that. Even more courageous, in the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3499469081/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">teaser</a> for the upcoming <i>The Boxtrolls</i>, which will have been seen by millions of people out to see other films, the studio puts same-sex parenting on equal footing with opposite-sex parenting. I have so much respect for these folks.<br />
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<i>Coraline</i> is beautiful, grotesque, and thoroughly creepy. I recommend clicking on the poster link above to treat yourself to an entire 26-installment "A is for Adventures" alphabetic series of promotional posters. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Smilla's Sense of Snow</i></b> (1997)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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My best friend’s dad once told me that <i>Smilla's Sense of Snow</i> was his favorite movie of all time. Of <i>all time</i>. Wow, I thought, That’s worth checking out. I finally watched it about nine years ago, and did enjoy it, but was surprised it was his favorite; it didn’t seem compelling or original enough to merit such distinction. I guess every movie is going to be <i>someone's</i> favorite, though. When I asked him about it, he said, “Of all time? No way." Like I had made the whole thing up. He thought about it for a minute. "Maybe it’s in the Top 10 <i>weirdest</i> movies.” So either he downgraded it after a subsequent viewing (like I'm doing), or I completely misremembered the original conversation.<br />
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Julia Ormond is captivating. Between this, <i>Legends of the Fall</i>, and <i><a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Sabrina</a></i>, I count myself a fan. However, this movie is a bit bland on the second viewing. It portends <i>The X-Files</i> or <i>Outbreak</i>, but ultimately settles for corporate cover-up. And how evil is the corporation? During the timespan of the movie, they are evil enough to kill one of Ormand's allies, yet their cover-up also involves paying the medical expenses of an employee and his son who have been infected with an ancient virus. If the corporation were eeeevil, they would have just killed the infected pair outright.
Smilla’s expertise, snow, is unusual enough to be interesting. Her relationships with her father, her father’s new wife (younger than Smilla), her stuttering neighbor (Gabriel Byrne, a corporate plant), and her drunken neighbor whose boy was infected are all compelling. Other thrillers would be well served to paint such a rich backdrop for their central plot. But here, the plot can’t compete and ends up disappointing. I’d rather see Smilla give a lecture about snow. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Brick</i></b> (2006)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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Okay, so I can't hang <i>Smilla</i> on the neck of my best friend's dad, but what about my best friend's tastes? <i>Brick</i> is one of his favorites. I won’t say much, so as to not earn his ire, other than that I haven't yet connected with this movie. I find the lingo artificial and off-putting, and the characters foreign and undecipherable. Reminds me of <i>Bugsy Malone</i>, where an adult world of mobsters is enacted by a teenaged cast. Director Rian Johnson followed <i>Brick</i> with <i>The Brothers Bloom</i> (2008) and <i>Looper</i> (2012). <i>The Brothers Bloom</i> is strange; <i>Looper</i> is perfect. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>The Trouble with Harry</i></b> (1955)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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Of the nine Hitchcock movies I've seen, <i>The Trouble with Harry</i> is my favorite, yet the IMDB community <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/filmorate?ref_=nm_flmg_shw_3#director" target="_blank">ranks it 28th</a>, behind all the others I’ve seen. Conclusion: what I like about Hitchcock isn’t his capacity for suspense and paranoia, central to his more revered movies, but his ability to throw colorful characters together in amusing ways.
The movie is dated in that one of its core outdoor locations is so clearly a studio set, and its narrative so tightly resembles that of a play that I’d be shocked if it didn’t originate as one (well, I’m shocked: it was originally a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Harry" target="_blank">novel</a>). Nonetheless, the interaction between John Forsythe and Shirley MacLaine, and all the other principals, is just plain fun. I find it a great treat when a movie lets me hang out for a few hours with a bunch of interesting people. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Just Like Heaven</i></b> (2005)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4ivSySrvSlj-FzOtYn604hyphenhyphencehfwPJ8v8k2u0TyzPS2dGLmuxIabrx47EHNZQ__m1TfEdqJPAxEc3q4yrod6y9ROBw_wgyLEhgxLbD9aJr8XSexu5mxsqS0ibnMeTr3sI9UzSq5GNQ0/s320/yellow3.png" /><br />
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Simple romantic formula: bring together two people who initially bristle at the other’s personality, but eventually grow fond of each other and fall in love. Cast any two likable actors who haven’t yet headlined a romantic comedy together. And if in the end one of them must return from the dead, make sure it's just from a coma, because although Americans like a double helping of out-of-body experiences, we save our resurrections for the Messiah.<br />
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Reese Witherspoon had already established her romcom credentials in <i>Legally Blonde</i>, <i>The Importance of Being Earnest</i>, and <i>Sweet Home Alabama</i>. Mark Ruffalo was newer to the scene, but was perfect in <i>13 Going on 30</i>. Here they settle into type easily, with Ruffalo as the damaged schlub who requires mending, and Witherspoon as the uptight workaholic in desperate need of a good humping, as Duchovny and Moore would say. The movie hits all the right notes, and is one of the few gimmick romances I’ve enjoyed. Three viewings is probably enough. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers</i></b> (2002)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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The extended edition of this trilogy adds two hours of additional footage (11 hours 22 minutes in all) and is such an improvement over the theatrical release that I haven't returned to that shorter version. The extended edition adds more than just immersive time spent in Middle Earth. It takes us on tiny subplots, paying homage to parts of the book that didn't quite make it into the narrative (still missing: how the Hobbits came by their 'swords', gifted to them by Aragorn in the movie, but emerging as treasure from the Barrow-downs in a side adventure in the book). Scenes are fleshed out more, like Galadriel's gift giving that provides more context as to why Frodo's and Sam's cloaks act as camouflage. Supporting characters are given more breathing room. We see Eomer's party find the body of the King's son, and, a true loss for the theatrical version, Eowyn's gorgeous and hollowing dirge for her cousin. In the extended edition, Fangorn Forest migrates to Helm's Deep, explaining how Saruman's Uruk-hai were not just routed, but exterminated. And the third movie fills the noticeable gap between Aragorn's "What say you?" speech to the King of the Dead, in a mountain, to when he emerges from a corsair ship at Osgilliath, the undead army at his back (that transition just doesn't make sense in the theatrical version).<br />
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In a pinch, yes I might return to the theatrical version, just to experience Middle Earth in a more compressed timeframe. But what I'd find even more useful would be the ability to following just a <a href="http://xkcd.com/657/large/" target="_blank">single character</a> on their journey. When I'm itching for Middle Earth, but don't have 11 hours to spare, I could just watch the three-hour <i>The Adventures of Aragorn</i>. I recall discussing the movies a few years ago with my dear high school English teacher. With the novels as her point of reference, she was disappointed with Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, saying he was totally wrong for the part; I on the other hand thought him a huge improvement over the rotoscoped version in the 1978 animated version, and when I later read the books, any deviations from Mortensen's kingly performance were the book's shortcomings, not his. (7th viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Get Carter</i></b> (2000)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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My first viewing of this Sylvester Stallone revenge flick was from a rooftop apartment in Guatemala where I spent several months uncomfortably sick and watching nearly a hundred movies on TV (in English, with Spanish subtitles). Though I don't recall seeing <i>Get Carter</i> a second time, I did, in 2007, probably in response to receiving it from my dad's Christmas giveaway pile. Even after seeing the movie three times, it's still fairly hazy.<br />
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Stallone, a Vegas bodyguard, returns home for his brother's funeral, and to avenge his brother's death if it wasn't an accident (his brother was sober, yet died as a result of driving drunk). Simple. The movie doesn't commit to who is most out of their element: Stallone trying to penetrate the seedy underworld of drugs and pornography that encircled his brother, or his brother's secret keepers who treat Stallone like a lightweight thug instead of the heavy he is.<br />
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The more I think about this movie, the more I'm deluded that I must have liked it, because it has a great cast and several relationship arcs unusual to the genre. Miranda Richardson is Stallone's not-so-grieving sister-in-law, and Rachael Leigh Cook her daughter looking for a father figure. (A typical action movie would find a way to get Cook kidnapped by the end, but <i>Get Carter</i> is more sinister in how it involves her in the final drama.) Stallone tries to maintain a romance with Gretchen Mol, his boss's wife, and to evade John C. McGinley, his boss's Lieutenant. Beginning with his brother's employer, Michael Caine, Stallone works his way through his brother's contacts looking for a smoking gun. He meets Rhona Mitra, a junkie; and Alan Cumming, giving a great performance as a lolly-sucking above-the-law tech tycoon who ultimately miscalculates the persuasive power of his wealth. But all roads seem to lead to Stallone's old rival, Mickey Rourke, in a particularly dirtbaggish dirtbag role.<br />
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All that might sound like this is a good movie. It is not (the original, with Caine in the lead, looks even worse). Take a basic detective story where everyone is a suspect, but muck it up with mobsters, drugs, and fist fights, and we’re left with a boring tangle. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>This Is 40</i></b> (2012)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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@ the <a href="http://thenewparkway.com/" target="_blank">New Parkway</a> (to be reviewed at a later date).<br />
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In the tradition of such post-wedding movies as <i>The Story of Us</i> and <i>Dinner with Friends</i>, and intent on discouraging wise singletons from ever getting married, everyone in this movie treats each other like dirt, directly proportional to how much they once loved one another. Paul Rudd's father, Albert Brooks, extorts money from him; Leslie Mann's father, John Lithgow, has little use for her; and Rudd and Mann are so convincingly over each other that it's near impossible to imagine a scenario where they would have ever fallen in love. It's not funny to see people be mean to each other in realistic ways, and it's not fun to be asked to root for a relationship so similar to those we're rooting against in most other movies.<br />
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<b><i>Lord of the Rings: Return of the King</i></b> (2003)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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Twice I’ve watched the trilogy one disc at a time (there are six), first without the commentary then with it, sort of simultaneously watching two different versions of the epic. There are few movies so mind-blowing or rich in detail that I would want a crew member to pull back the curtain and expose its secrets. But <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, with its complex world so carefully built upon the ruins of its antecedent ages, is worthy of such scrutiny. Matching the trilogy's eleven-plus hours, the commentary is an epic performance in its own right. The care invested in the films is apparent in every scene, but Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens drive home how belabored was the process of bringing this fantasy to the screen. (The behind-the-scenes featurettes are the gold standard as well.) (6th viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters</i></b> (2013)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2013/hansel_and_gretel_witch_hunters.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJcig_kthhCTYBrA_T8StAqlEf-Uua0EDPdbwW4C9Py0g96psy7j_D7ZorSxqgSLOdz2rZl-UJG9JGaixHOXRPU72uBAikybYEhelyQJNPZlHJvLoIOddBj0vQtU0_l61d09Cg7sTp4S2/s200/hansel_and_gretel_witch_hunters.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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@ the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/17-sabrina.html" target="_blank">Alameda Theatre and Cineplex</a>.<br />
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Jeremy Renner has already proven himself as an action star, but Gemma Arterton finally lands a role more substantive than mere damsel in distress. These two kick ass together, but their fun sibling dynamic doesn’t save this movie from being a run-of-the-mill, mildly gross monster fest. The action is so-so, and the mythology would have been more interesting if not interrupted by chase scenes and bloody deaths. The best part (besides Arterton’s dominatrix Gretel costume) is also the worst: in the end, we are treated to a gathering of witches that pulls from an impressive variety of mythologies and cultures, resulting in a visually interesting cast of villains. However, it merely reinforces the movie’s premise that only women are witches, and mostly ugly women at that. All those women in history persecuted for being different? Probably for the best, it turns out. It’s a sickening stereotype that could have been avoided with just a bit of care.
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<b><i>Hostage</i></b> (2005)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQt4RjLGikinyvk-EMo8lw7hyphenhyphenGbxrO-HI1GAmezQU_hKPCj2n66c1989tEz2XyjLSfRiju1FnAsMBlEiixmX2Fzip0ITldLCQHNTySBKo7lKM4uRVtyLtfplKen0C6YlzvmCuNRWHC88/s320/yellow4.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2005/hostage.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4aDVcz7f_U2RBYXItrBe8N5TcM81lxl0mFpgoV4IAzftaMxUoRBdZ2wG6mWAGMZq3GvZNbcRBx5Okd_l-1M3SH7DQc_3Bzx1uiqfkPg0fsTDvQa163Rbn0xRBQ5aOYXEfh8wNJlzPEiu/s200/hostage.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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When I first saw this movie, I didn’t think I’d like it. I did. When I began to watch it a second time, I again thought I wouldn’t like it. Again I was surprised. This is a powerful and intense drama. Bruce Willis plays one of his more sedate and impotent roles as a washed up hostage negotiator; Ben Foster is completely psychotic; and the rest of the cast deliver nuanced and authentic performances. This is one of those dramas that is captivating from start to finish. It also features one of the coolest <a href="http://vimeo.com/21984361" target="_blank">opening sequences</a> I’ve seen. (2nd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Solaris</i></b> (2002)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAayFnUkiW66Z9vGBtpE6hSpVyV0CWJWXKfh4hj4RXGb7Nnyy8Wm8azcIeyRMYVQX_aPPqJ7uV8arFqAI1gS1TjqxETJnKgOLULYWJvGwDWFP2upEOG-vIc540YfsecUNppsLvOX_61E/s320/yellow5.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2002/solaris_ver3.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dfwLO8KqZ2jfCGckeKDPbMa-eR66hQMXTdvuLZZ3I7x_vIxItaWdzWX3-NZ_6ShFIIxxRms1XMcj0SmLDHWJxzf5amZpv2CVHcIPolcBIMEbcGIoU4zCQXk1MuEiLTffxOLB_GDtTkKc/s200/solaris_ver3.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Good sci-fi is difficult to come by. Recently desperate, I decided to give <i>Event Horizon</i> a chance, even knowing that it was billed as horror, which is my least favorite genre. I want the lore without the gore. Well, the lore was lacking, the gore was forthcoming, and I abandoned it halfway through, opting instead for the spoiler (which saved me from a thoroughly disgusting death scene). During that mostly bland hour, I kept reflecting back to <i>Solaris</i>, a remake of a 1972 Russian film of the same name (which I haven't seen).<br />
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Soderbergh’s remake has the same basic plot as <i>Event Horizon.</i> A small crew on a spaceship orbiting a distant planet are confronted by apparitions intent on delaying the crew's departure. (A similar plot is seen in <i>Ghost Ship</i>, also 2002, one of my least favorite movies ever.) Neither film delivers the lore, but whereas <i>Event Horizon</i> follows the horror trope of picking off its characters one by one, <i>Solaris</i> starts mid-attrition, where most of the characters are either already dead, or have entered a stand off with their individual demons. A bit like Yoda's warning to Luke when he wanders off on Dagobah, the astronauts circling the omnipresent, almost sentient planet Solaris are endangered only by that which they brought with them.<br />
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I typically like my sci-fi to treat subjects that couldn’t be tackled by other genres (try filming <i>Looper</i> without it being science fiction), a criteria <i>Solaris</i> fails, in that it could have been staged in a psych ward. Nonetheless, it’s one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. It's subdued, patient, eery, disturbing, heart-wrenching, and baffling. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Showtime</i></b> (2002)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2002/showtime.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-Ghc4KX4qMy9BDFAK5xW_WoESgYy3cad3psj6abUiw0mFpxVp9xm7Kuh6v05jqgEIYDdCGkc1ZtPyssuO8Xub0HdNLgpLqXL-XYHeySZflx3Cp3c7GIC6i3v8UbmeY59xHRemVJFQP6v/s200/showtime.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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That poster instantly communicates the central premise of every buddy cop movie: "I gotta work with <i>this</i> guy?" (see my review of <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/08/73-other-guys.html" target="_blank"><i>The Other Guys</i></a> for my opinion of buddy cop movies in general). <i>Showtime</i> at least manufactures a plausible reason why a police captain would find it advantageous to form such a dysfunctional partnership: entertainment value. De Niro plays De Niro and Murphy plays Murphy (though a slightly less cocky version of himself, who is aware of his acting shortcomings and aims to please). This movie is worth a watch for some chuckles, but it’s mostly garbage. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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<b><i>Starsky & Hutch</i></b> (2004)<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhMsMBevloJql_ACVL_yVLxsFeAYkfwq_w8Sr6jS80I5ezRLqzqCif-7Ob4uxz2uvmn1MrcDtugyJx4-5_PjPKSLrDcKeRXo09iWYWzCFop2zuuj9cAwnpIQ4OOq3RMqr9zGZcwlbP5A/s320/yellow2.png" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2004/starsky_and_hutch.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk_F3JgMmMHwkuMfLS9pYAA0e5YFu1FyK4Xd-uPm4hGS2zRqF4MDyLyVrir5hTz0mmhhWUZWQktVEkhkmkxGA2cctBCaKGHXP3kjxZ0fu04CVs8XOpiboxuHpn1Bihn8MVtRiRdOKt8qK/s200/starsky_and_hutch.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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Another buddy cop movie I'm more than happy to purge from my collection (note to self: just because it's free doesn't mean it comes without a cost). This retro film captures the vibe of cop shows I’d see on TV as a kid: boring. Amy Smart as a cheerleader and Ben Stiller’s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CgC1G92vms" target="_blank">dance off</a> with a disco king can't elevate this beyond predictable. It's a bad sign when a movie must spike the punch to get its characters into zany situations. (3rd viewing.)<br />
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Movies culled from my collection: <i>Sense and Sensibility</i>, <i>Smilla’s Sense of Snow</i>, <i>Just Like Heaven</i>, <i>Get Carter</i>, <i>Hostage</i> (excellent, but not a repeater), <i>Showtime</i>, and <i>Starsky & Hutch</i>.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4919095853118169743.post-61948150240389275042013-09-08T22:05:00.001-07:002013-09-08T22:05:12.221-07:0080. Easy A<b>Brenden Vacaville 16</b><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcpCHkzj9DEDLaFAB0529vw-qFcmVBCdh_h-lS47O9-lx6nd1mCLWEdv-3kdZ75vkFbXIgn9TFK_0AexXdZYjxZqd94itC4yuwJHenl3xnLiFE6Oiqp53SV84x4DwKVoqWJ2o8dpE5b4/s320/green3.png" /><br />
Brenden Theatres's <a href="http://www.brendentheatres.com/vacaville/index.php" target="_blank">Vacaville 16</a>, built in 1998, is the third of what grew by 2010 to be seven Brenden theaters across three states, including two others in the Bay Area: the Pittsburg 16 (built in 1990 as an 8-screen theater, but doubling its screen count by 1997), and the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/07/64-killers.html" target="_blank">Concord 14</a> (1997), the second theater by build date, but considered the flagship for some reason. Three Bay Area theaters made Brenden Theatres, in 2010, the 8th largest footprint in the Bay Area, tied with Lee Neighborhood Theatres (including the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/22-single-man.html" target="_blank">Presidio</a>) and Winchester Theatres (including the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/09/78-expendables.html" target="_blank">Winchester 21</a>). By screen count, however, Brenden's 46 screens put it in 5th place in the Bay Area, behind the big three (Cinemark, AMC, Regal, in that order by Bay Area count) and Cinema West's 50 screens (including the 3 screens at the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/31-precious-based-on-novel-push-by.html" target="_blank">Tiburon Playhouse</a>). (The "Big Three" should actually be the "Big Four", inclusive of Carmike Cinemas, though they have no Bay Area presence.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7pVsJg2SFfQpnI64kQwoCmb8e3yOY6xvhWztz_iut3ry4PnGNOLAOO7n2eresvLKPWhGT1GCNwC9ci81_d3TzejLvqBbsM29ON-a_yu86-aYigFJvn4eL_tkDPOIwmMFVRU45-J_-kv1/s1600/P1010073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7pVsJg2SFfQpnI64kQwoCmb8e3yOY6xvhWztz_iut3ry4PnGNOLAOO7n2eresvLKPWhGT1GCNwC9ci81_d3TzejLvqBbsM29ON-a_yu86-aYigFJvn4eL_tkDPOIwmMFVRU45-J_-kv1/s320/P1010073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I never made it out to the Pittsburg 16 for a movie, so I'll record a few interesting tidbits here. I had originally intended to include the Pittsburg 16 as part of a three theater loop, that included the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/06/59-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time.html" target="_blank">CineLux Delta Cinema Saver</a>, and the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/06/60-sex-and-city-2.html" target="_blank">Rave Brentwood</a> (now the AMC Brentwood), both in Brentwood. I even went as far as driving to the Pittsburg 16 and eating in the parking lot while waiting for my movie to start. But, exhausted from my blog in general, and theater visits on that day in particular, I balked. Instead, I walked across the parking lot to what was then Best Buy (but now, in 2013, is a Target), and bought a Blu-ray player. I went home and gorged on Netflix instant streaming.<br />
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The other interesting thing about the Pittsburg 16 is that, in 2013, it is no longer managed by Brenden Theatres. Even though it was their first theater, they closed it in 2012 (<a href="http://www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us/index.aspx?page=24&recordid=829" target="_blank">source</a>). (By then they had opened an eighth theater, this one in Colorado, so their 2013 theater count is back to seven; they are now sixth in the Bay Area by screen count.) The theater was then reopened that same year by Maya Cinemas, owner of the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/01/3-its-complicated.html" target="_blank">Salinas 14</a> where I saw my third movie of the year way back in January, 2010. The addition of the Pittsburg 16 to Maya Cinemas's holding brings their theater count to 4.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZNH73eDacCZKz6EaOmWzOfxikBeOGjm1s4tMtp-P9PxYXzn9bOSrT9M5_FRqxunJ8a6Pgfy32tWSRNGvYHfrsi42zC7mziTsHxI7p6O1ykwLP4v6LP3V1gI8JIoYy1O_E8LiKCw8YVdC/s1600/P1010074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZNH73eDacCZKz6EaOmWzOfxikBeOGjm1s4tMtp-P9PxYXzn9bOSrT9M5_FRqxunJ8a6Pgfy32tWSRNGvYHfrsi42zC7mziTsHxI7p6O1ykwLP4v6LP3V1gI8JIoYy1O_E8LiKCw8YVdC/s320/P1010074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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One thing I particularly appreciate about Brenden Theatres is their website's <a href="https://www.brendentheatres.com/company/index.php" target="_blank">company history</a> page. They are large for a privately owned circuit, but this page shows their pride in each theater they've opened. The big chains tend to want to appear brand new with state-of-the-art technology, and so tend to shun any mention of having been built before last Friday night.<br />
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The circuit's founder is also the grandson of Ted Mann who once had his own theater empire, Mann Theatres, that at its height reached 450 theaters, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre (the <a href="http://www.tclchinesetheatres.com/" target="_blank">TCL Chinese Theatre</a> as of 2011). Most of the Mann theaters are now operated by Carmike Cinemas (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann_Theatres" target="_blank">source</a>, <a href="http://www.brendentheatres.com/pressreleases/brendenprofile.php" target="_blank">source</a>).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zuHKBVejI8yAMtfEnfDy0n4zWHZnAi3ipmiM0xjJTmDL0c9JK_ciHL7HtjPON838T_J9NmAoQMj94B-SZQykRZyAsbCpBRnrTNbMIjAuqQU2Yn_nt8MN_N-3-rAqpGUwuqcXhgjvQIQa/s1600/P1010077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zuHKBVejI8yAMtfEnfDy0n4zWHZnAi3ipmiM0xjJTmDL0c9JK_ciHL7HtjPON838T_J9NmAoQMj94B-SZQykRZyAsbCpBRnrTNbMIjAuqQU2Yn_nt8MN_N-3-rAqpGUwuqcXhgjvQIQa/s320/P1010077.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the ticket counter, patrons have the option of making donations to muscular dystrophy, cancer, and a food drive, and there is information about donating blood as well. An airy outdoor foyer greets patrons as they walk from the ticket counter to the front doors. Inside, a megaplex-worthy concession stand dominates the large, inviting lobby, with a small arcade to one side. The hallways include benches, a claw arcade, and standees for <i>Jackass 3-D</i>, <i>Resident Evil: Afterlife</i>, <i>Life as We Know It</i>, and the (then) upcoming <i>Chronicles of Narnia</i> sequel. While waiting in the lobby, I noticed an unusual number of pregnant women or people with babies, even though I didn't see any particular "mom's night out" promotion.</div>
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(I appreciate the benches, especially near the restrooms where one party is often waiting for another. But something few theaters commit to is to build in public-facing space, that is accessible without having to buy a ticket. The way patrons can go to the restaurant at the <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/04/47-chloe.html" target="_blank">Kabuki</a> without actually buying a ticket. If arcades were always before the ticket taker, more kids might hang out at the theater, and then eventually buy a ticket. Or thinking more broadly, if there were a coffee shop with wifi off to one side of the lobby, again before the ticket taker, the theater might begin to become more of a destination, not just a place to visit for a movie and then leave.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg6HTkH5w4VHMISuqZ_5K3N9uBFpxM1g0pRpYgWbJk42Q7X6kGB_vHaBKi6rhynXlyyrY5riUBzct6cOZILrI6KBzJBdf9aXkOAXo1_QgytmWbTcGozYLMSj_EzJe4T99mO7UVZMfTmp3/s1600/P1010076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg6HTkH5w4VHMISuqZ_5K3N9uBFpxM1g0pRpYgWbJk42Q7X6kGB_vHaBKi6rhynXlyyrY5riUBzct6cOZILrI6KBzJBdf9aXkOAXo1_QgytmWbTcGozYLMSj_EzJe4T99mO7UVZMfTmp3/s320/P1010076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The auditoriums range in size from 99 seats at the smallest to 377 seats at largest, with at least 2813 seats in all (I couldn't get the seat count for two of the auditoriums). The seats are of the super tall rocket variety, in light blue. Blue and white stripes adorn the auditorium walls.<br />
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Gu-2WQE147SBMQwYBVwyK23ws8Rw0jYJC3lAKjxgw9nRLefShP0RM7m7-3QSMB8_cNsMqCl7ev_EBmnkC0XUyva0VVG36TX75mJxhn4p5S4xOAxZcoQtbUfmK0IsHvVSjdxfd-XgZMkb/s200/Ticket80.jpeg" width="168" /></div>
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<b>Pre-Show</b></div>
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Brenden Theatres's pre-show is called "Before the movie", but is otherwise not so different in programming.<br />
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An <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY66QCqNh1E" target="_blank">ad for <span id="goog_520874943"></span>Gatorade</a><span id="goog_520874944"></span> says that the sports drink has evolved from its inception in the 1960s. (I used to be a big-time Gatorade drinker in high school and college. I actually drank Gatorade far more frequently than I drank water. Now I probably haven't had any Gatorade for the past ten years.) This ad is fun for showing some dated sports moments from the past 50+ years, and is also interesting for ending with a 2010 shot of Peyton Manning drinking Gatorade, still in his Colts uniform (before moving to the Broncos).</div>
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<b>Trailers</b><br />
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<i>It’s Kind of a Funny Story</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/08/72-kids-are-all-right.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Catfish</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2013/09/76-american.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Secretariat</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO6hNUT0GOgBLF0yNa8Yhl8bLBsCpl-aouNw89dph5EoCNu-3bgGMtT9Q4_A-M8FfzIwNlYSK-SmdsqjJKumbEtcybVx1SaAkHNmB7P8lCKu4mwuYl-MbH7LoXbC97-xjbhR38T5NhZU/s320/blue2.png" /><br />
(<a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/07/62-letters-to-juliet.html">Previously reviewed</a>)<br />
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<i>Country Strong</i><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC6751Q9_2OukO07QjPIl33gkqnbPdmSlhcxUKkkaklGR0X03h93MewpH-_wz9HLTKbQN0qHCN2QFxijHhMlf_oj_uC6Xzcsz2uT-iM-7cNzEe4VQfplrlp4_FTg-MSvQu-ozhM8tKRw/s320/blue3.png" /><br />
Gwyneth Paltrow is a country music megastar exiting rehab and trying to regain her footing while touring with up-and-comer Leighton Meester, who worships Paltrow, but might also eclipse her if Paltrow can't maintain her sobriety. Tim McGraw is Paltrow's husband and manager, and Garrett Hedlund is an amateur singer himself who makes a connection with Paltrow while in rehab. Paltrow, Meester, and Hedlund do much of their own singing in the film, and, like in <a href="http://100movies100theaters.blogspot.com/2010/02/26-crazy-heart.html" target="_blank">Crazy Heart</a>, much care has been put into making the songs actually good by audience standards, not just for standards of the fictitious audience within the movie. I will see anything with Paltrow, and Hedlund is coming on my radar, but I'm now also impressed with McGraw, after his turns in <i>The Blind Side</i> and <i>Friday Night Lights</i>. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3633252633/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">95 cuts</a>.<br />
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<i>Burlesque</i><br />
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Christina Aguilera begins waitressing at Cher's burlesque nightclub, but becomes a front liner once her phenomenal voice gains her notice. Dancing, check. Singing, check. Fun costumes, check. Stanley Tucci as a manic and amusing stage manager, check. This movie looks like it will deliver exactly what it promises: lots of fun dance numbers. I've liked Aguilera's music since her debut album, but have been particularly fond of her after I saw an MTV segment during that same time period taking us behind the scenes of a music star-filled photo shoot. Off to one side, we can see a well known singer (I forget who) hitting on Aguilera while the cameras flash, and Aguilera just politely ignoring him and focusing on the shoot. Class act for a new singer. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1405094169/?ref_=tt_ov_vi" target="_blank">144 cuts</a>.<br />
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<b><i>Easy A</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.impawards.com/2010/easy_a.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lGyb1TELRMeAJrimVt4jhqQ9ZWXFtYbYSxbjy_1ilERlmzvyX5mum9kVuCmFyLi4CMXu8VNqJQnYKxj2JoXPUAMgtdmj2CQTn5rIQEGwf1GOTQ-Wpi76Hya8zMhqNuf7GoFF_zI0NZFQ/s320/easy_a.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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There is a sub-genre of party game in which each player gets to secretly pick their favorite something or other, and to guess what others will pick, and then your response is scored: you get more points for being in the majority of answers. E.g., What's your favorite color, and I answer yellow while four other players answer blue. I only get 1 point; all the other players each get 4 points. The problem is that a player's vote also doubles as their guess. My favorite color might be yellow, but that doesn't mean I think the group will favor yellow. If I know they will favor blue, then I should pick blue; but now I'm not indicating my own favorite color; and neither am I trying to guess what their favorite color is. Rather I'm trying to guess what most people are trying to guess. It's a silly system that just doesn't work. The simple answer: decouple the voting from the guessing.<br />
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In <i>Easy A</i>, Emma Stone pretends to be a floozie. It all starts when she helps her closeted friend stay in the closet by pretending to have sex with him while at a party. He can't keep his mouth shut, though, and soon all of geekdom is lining up at her door, offering her various forms of gift cards as payment to earn the right to say that they scored with her as well. The first exchange, with her friend, makes sense, because it's a very public display of their staged interlude. But how exactly do the lower castes benefit, when the availability of her services spreads faster than do the fabricated tales of conquest? (At one point, a boy she's genuinely interested in wants actual sex, and is willing to pay for it; apparently he didn't read the fine print.)<br />
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There's a large enough subset of the school population who actually believes the stories, though, to start an anti-Emma movement. Amanda Bynes leads a zealous prayer group that makes Christians look like they have nothing better to do than admonish their peers. Emma, for her part, is so thick skinned she embraces the slurs and manages to create an entire Scarlet Letter trollop costume in one night, which she proudly wears to school.<br />
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Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson steal the show as her always understanding, ultra-liberal parents. They could spin off into their own show. Their effervescent support leaves no doubt how Stone's ego could remain so intact in the face of criticism. Her English teacher, Thomas Hayden Church, though not particularly intrusive into her personal life, doesn't think it's healthy for her to flaunt her reputation as she does. But he has problems of his own, trying to rekindle the spark with his wife, Lisa Kudrow, the school's counselor.<br />
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Like with Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone's husky voice sets her apart. Her every-girl persona is charming and fun to watch, but in general <i>Easy A</i> just stumbles along after establishing its premise. Is there some lesson Stone is meant to learn? I'm a big fan of teen-angst movies; Hollywood's melodrama is right at home when presented by a young cast. But in <i>Easy A</i> I kept hoping the kids would take a back seat to the more interesting adults.Will M. Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03137121025848592346noreply@blogger.com2