• The Dark Knight is awesome.
• Heath Ledger did an incredible job as the Joker.
• This is the best movie of the summer so far.

Uhhh.. YEAH. Those words definitely sum up what I thought of The Dark Knight. Honestly, it was a really incredible movie, very well done. DC comics has a definite hit in this movie, and it made the numbers that Iron Man put up look like nothing. Yes, The Dark Knight has set record after record, and I really feel that it deserves it.

This film picks up where Batman Begins left off. Gotham City, once overrun by crime, is starting to get some sense of order. With the help of Batman, the Mayor, Lieutenant Gordon, and the new D.A. Harvey Dent, the war against crime has an end that everyone can see. The mob’s money is being tracked, Batman is bringing people to Justice, and Dent is putting them away for good. Everything seems to be working out just fine, until a crazy guy who just goes by “The Joker” begins starting his own havoc. He doesn’t even seem to have any goal, he just wants to cause crime.

In steps Batman. He’s never faced an enemy like the Joker before, and has to use all his resources, and bring himself to the edge of his own morals to decide what to do.

I really really don’t want to spoil this for anyone, so I’m sorry if the synopsis I have there is a little lacking. What I can say is.. this movie is definitely worth seeing. There’s going to be a lot of talk about who is the better Joker, which one will really make more money, and which Batman movie is the best, but I’m not going to go there right now. I will definitely encourage you to make the trip out to go see it. The dark vision that Christopher Nolan was going for really worked. What this new franchise is providing is a deeper look into “who is Batman?”

Not everyone will agree with me, but for a character actor, Christian Bale really does Batman well. I’ve enjoyed his performances in the past two films, and I do hope that he continues in the franchise. I’m also going to say that I think Heath Ledger had a wonderful performance, and is deserving of all the talk of a potential post-mortum Academy nomination. You may not agree with me on that point either, but I would like to hear why, because I think he did a fanatastic job. It was scary how good that performance was.

If you’ve seen the movie, what do you think?

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars

- Best movie of 2008 so far!

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We live in an age where the internet is king.  Lots and lots of people use the internet to check movie times (I know I do), and many are using it to purchase their tickets as well.  However, just as when you check the paper for movie times, you have to be careful that the information that you have is accurate.  That’s basically what happened to me this weekend.

It was nearing the end of my shift, when I got called down and was asked to speak to a guest.  She was not happy at all because of our movie times.  She had emailed her friends and made plans to catch a 3:50 show of Sex and the City.  Sounds like a great plan, and a good time to be had by all.  However, she had checked the times on Thursday (and apparently one other time during the week), and was shocked to find that on Saturday afternoon, the 3:50 show was no longer available.  She felt that it was the theatre’s fault for false advertisement, and that the website was at fault.  I tried to explain to her that she should check to make sure that she had selected the correct date so that she would get the times for the right day, but that wasn’t enough.  I even checked the website again to make sure that it was right. (It was.)

She wanted us to provide her with something since the show she thought she was going to be able to see wasn’t available.  I don’t know what you think, but I don’t feel that we deserved to give her anything… she had improperly check the times.  I did feel bad, but I didn’t feel that she needed to escalate the situation the way she did.  In the end, she stated that we should not have a website that gives out false information, or have one that knows what day people want to see a movie.  I don’t think the latter is possible… and the information wasn’t false.  She had simply checked the wrong day.

So, the basic gist of what I’m saying here is… when you check your movie times, please make sure that you are checking the right day.  Some other things to keep in mind are:

• New movies come on Fridays.  The schedule will generally change on Fridays.
• Sunday is usually different than Friday and Saturday, as people don’t tend to go out as late.
• Monday - Thursday are generally the same, unless there are special screenings, or a movie opens early, like Hancock.
• When you go to the website, you’ll generally have a pull tab to pick the date, make sure it’s the right one!
• When in doubt… call the theatre!

Hopefully these tips help you out when you go to the movies.  Just trying to avoid unnecessary anger from guests, and frustration for myself and my employees.  Let me know if you have any other questions or comments!  And.. yes, the banners I’ve put up for Fandango are affiliate links.

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The Dark Knight - Rated PG-13, Directed by Christopher Nolan

Gotham city was overrun with criminals, until Batman, Harvey Dent, and the Police commissioner team up to eliminate crime from the streets for good. There’s just one criminal they didn’t plan on having to deal with… and he’s ready to take the town by storm. Batman will have his hands full with the Joker, as this criminal pushes him to limit of what is good and what is evil.

Joe’s Take - It’s Batman. What more can I really say than that. I’m extremely excited for this movie, and I hope to screen it and provide a review for you guys soon. This has had such an incredible marketing campaign with the viral sites and posters, and commercials. No doubt the film will also be aided by the unfortunate and untimely passing of Heath Ledger, who supposedly revolutionized the character of the Joker, really taking it and making it his own. I anticipate huge numbers for this movie. If Hancock can pull in 100+ million in 5 days, I’m positive The Dark Knight will pull in even more. $125 million for the first weekend alone, and it WILL become another member of the $300 million club before the end of the summer.

Mamma Mia - Rated PG-13, Directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

An all star cast led by Meryl Streep takes this feature film adapatation of a hit Broadway musical to the big screen. Featuring the music of ABBA, Mamma Mia tells the story of Sophie, the spirted daughter of former free spirit Donna. Sophie is about to be married, and while Donna has raised her all alone her entire life, she reveals to Sophie that she doesn’t know who her father is. Undeterred, Sophie invites three potential fathers to her wedding, leading them on a journey to find out who her father is before her wedding.

Joe’s Take - This is not a film for me, but I can anticipate some success from this movie, especially with a private screening already being bought out at my theatre. This reminds me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a movie that started out rather small, but ended up being a huge commercial success. It might take a few weeks, but Mamma Mia will definitely make its viewers happy. Don’t expect big things in the first week, as it has some stiff competition in The Dark Knight. I can’t imagine too many guys would be drawn away from that to see Mamma Mia.

Space Chimps - Rated G, Directed by Kirk de Micco.

An animated, intergalactic comedy featuring a band of astronaut chimps with the “wrong stuff”. Ham III is the slacker grandson of the first chimp blasted into space. Along with two other chimps, they are to embark on a dangerous mission through a black hole to another inhabited planet. When they are stranded there, they must aid the locals get rid of their tyrannical leader, and also figure out how to get back to Earth.

Joe’s Take - Ok, I don’t know who’s big idea it was to release this film on the same day as The Dark Knight, but they are definitely going to feel the hit. I am actually very intrigued by this film personally, and I wanted to see it, but if I had to pick one movie for the weekend, it would not be Space Chimps. It could be one for parents to dump their kids in while they see Dark Knight, but I find that unlikely. Sorry Chimps, you’re not going to make it too far on this weekend. $12 million opening, if they’re lucky.

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First off, Shlomi Ron presents The Cry - Il Grido (Michelangelo Antonioni - 1957) posted at cafe Pellicola - window to fine italian cinema. Some italian cinema is always good… and no one does it better than Shlomi!

Nigel Beale presents In Bruges: Movie Review by Nigel Beale. posted at NIGEL BEALE NOTA BENE BOOKS I’ve never seen this one, but it has to be good, I’ve read so many reviews on the movie at so many sites. Makes me think I’m missing out on something.

Next, my buddy over at The Stirrer presents Review: Hancock posted at The Stir Definitely an interesting name for a blog. Let’s see if he stirs up some interest from you guys. Luckily for him, it seems that he agrees with my thoughts on Hancock… it was great!

Christina M. Rau presents Don’t Say Assholeover at Livin’ The Dream (One Loser At A Time)… if you can’t tell, it’s another review of Hancock… and so far, the critics have spoken. Hancock is 2 for 2!

Manny the Movie Guy (always a great film reference) features GREAT VISIONARY DIRECTOR, GUILLERMO DEL TORO, TALKS ABOUT “HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY” over at his blog Manny The Movie Guy. How this guy gets those interviews, I will never know.

Eric Frey presents The Incredible Hulk: Movie Review posted at Eric Frey Dot Com. Does the big green guy get as rave reviews from Eric has he did from me? Check it out and find out!

Taking a more classic look at cinema, Gracchi presents Passionate Friends posted at Westminster Wisdom. Definitely an interesting read, and I suggest you check it out! Gracchi also posts La Veuve de St Pierre: Responsibility and Orders.

Redd Horrocks-Maier presents My Blueberry Nights posted at Earthlier Happy is the Rose Distilled Sometimes with posts like these, I feel like I’ve missed out a lot in terms of cinema… Check it out for more info!

Next, our ever faithful (and certainly more reliable) host submits his own material! Scott Nehring presents Movies Have Meaning in Our Lives posted at Good News Film Reviews I’m a huge fan of the blog, but I certainly need time to catch up. Check out what Scott has to say about Movies and their meaning in our lives.

On to one of my favorite movies of the cinema summer season so far! trench presents Wall-E (Theaters) posted at 7milesdown Awesome flick… check out this review then head to the theatres!

Interested in soem Indie articles? RT presents Indie-Action.com | Walk all over me - Review By Nadine Evans posted at Indie-Action

Why not? Mike Blitz offers up Review: Hancock posted at Kaboom Review. Will Smith will be 3 for 3? Check it out!

I call shenanigans! Alex Villalba presents Reinvention and James Bond posted at Today’s Shenanigans. An interesting look at Agent 007.

Next, but certainly not last (phew… tons of entries this week!) pacheco presents “Wanted” - Dir. Timur Bekmambetov posted at Bohemian Cinema.

Across the Atlantic (at least for me) for our final submissionL Naomi Stevens presents FOUR WEDDINGS BEST BRITISH FILM OF ALL TIME posted at Diary From England.

I hope you all enjoyed this edition of the Carnival of Cinema… I apologize for the lateness, but hope Scott will let me host again sometime!!!!

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Hancock is the anti-hero. He drinks, causes a ton of damage when he is fighting crime, and doesn’t get along with anybody. While a high speed chase and shooting is going on, Hancock is passed out drunk on a bench. He has to be awoken by a little boy and see the chase on TV to even think about going. Whenever he takes off, he leaves behind a path of destruction, not caring about what he does, but still getting the job done.

In comes Ray Embry, PR “expert”, and the guy who is going to turn Hancock’s life around. They meet when Embry’s car becomes trapped on some railroad tracks, and Hancock tosses his car on top of another to prevent him from being hit by an oncoming train. (Isn’t it usually a damsel in distress on the train tracks?) Anyway, the people around aren’t happy, criticizing Hancock’s techniques, calling him names, and booing him. The city of LA even called for him to leave because of the damage that he’s caused to the city.

Embry, however, feels that there is a side of Hancock that people have yet to see, and still need to see. His plan involves Hancock going to jail so that the city will miss him, and at the same time work on his image and other characteristics so people will approve of him when he comes back.

Does it work? Well, you’ll have to see the movie to find out. For me, Hancock was a very enjoyable film, providing action, and a surprisingly good back story. You really felt for Hancock (in the end), and it had some great humor as well. I would’ve liked to hear some more details of the back story behind the movie, mainly more history about who Hancock really was… how he came along, what he was, etc.

Overall, I’d rate Hancock a 7 out of 10… definitely something to consider seeing! Let me know how you feel about it!!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

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Alright, you made it!  There’s a few factors that I’m taking into my reasoning as to who will win Hell’s Kitchen.  So before I tell you why I think this person will win, let me tell you who (I think) is going to win.

My choice for the winner of Hell’s Kitchen 2008 is……

Christina

Source : Buddy TV

Now, I know that not everyone is going to agree with my selection, so let me explain why I feel she is the better candidate to win Hell’s Kitchen.

Age

Yes, I do think age comes into play here.  Christina is younger than Petrozza, so her mind is much more malleable than his, and Ramsay can mold her into his own executive chef.  Also, while I do believe Petrozza knows what he is doing, Christina has more capability to learn (in my opinion).  She showed this in the challenge where they had to cook the dish they had for lunch with their parents.  She was the only one to recognize that would be the challenge, and took the time to try to learn what was in it.

Progressively Getting Better

Christina did start out weak, I will admit that.  I will also admit that Petrozza has been surprisingly consistent, except for the one time he couldn’t remember the menu (which was also early on).  However, Christina has been involved in so many challenge wins, and elevated her game to win a majority of the individual.  Is my theory ruined by the fact that Petrozza won the last challenge?  I don’t think so.  It was by the skin of his teeth, and it won’t be the palate of an executive chef that determines who wins Hell’s Kitchen.  Christina proved that she is better at the pass, catching mistakes that Petrozza did not, and I think that’s an important part of getting better…recognizing what goes on around you.  That and Petrozza is messy….

Better at taking charge

Now I know this is very opinion based, but I think Christina takes the cake here too.  Why is that?  In the final challenge, you have to depend on your team.  Christina has Corey on her team, and we know that the two of them work very well together.   We’ve seen that Christina took charge at the pass, and took charge in the kitchen when she needed to.  This equals winner, in my opinion.

So there you have it, my prediction for the winner of Hell’s Kitchen.  What do you think?  Have you been watching?

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Sporting Events

Now I know that some theatres do show sporting events.  Actually, one of my local theatre chains (not a local chain, but the local theatres) show the Red Sox games on the big screen.  I think that’s awesome.  When you broadcast a sporting event on the big screen, there’s increased opportunities to sell concessions, and specialty items like posters and T-Shirts.

Basically, you’d be creating an in-game atmosphere for people somewhere else other than the game.  Can you imagine what it’d be like to have hundreds of fans gathering in one spot to watch the game?  Yes, you could go to the bar, but that’s not a friendly family atmosphere.  You could definitely bring families to the theatre to let them watch games.  For those locations that could sell alcohol, they could definitely bring about the bar scene if they wanted to.

TV Shows with Huge Followings

Here’s something I think could be really huge, and I thought about it because of the recent Sex and the City Movie, which was huge.  How many theatres do you think have showings with only a few people in them on weekday nights?  I think it’s safe to say that a lot of theatres do.  Now imagine that theatre filled with a couple hundred Star Trek fans.  Or maybe Simpsons fans.  I think that would be much more lucrative to a movie theatre than to show a movie that will only have a couple viewers.

How would I work it?  First of all, I wouldn’t charge admission.  I think that would defeat the purpose of heading out to see a TV show, since you can see it for free at home.  Next, I would offer discounted concessions for people going to see it, since the mark-up is already pretty big on concession items.  The increased amount of sales should make up the difference.  Finally, I think that this would draw people to go to the movies more often when they see that the theatre is a great place to be, or they have received great service there.

Video Game Tournaments

There’s a huge market out there with video gamers.  Video gamers always want the biggest and best of everything when they play, and it doesn’t get much better than a huge surround sound system and a huge screen.  With the quality of digital projectors, and wireless controllers, it wouldn’t be a problem to host a big video game tournament at a movie theatre.

I’m not saying that this should be something you do every week.  I would say a monthly or quarterly thing, where you charge people to enter the tournament, and offer theatre-related prizes, like free tickets or concessions.  Again, I’d go with discounted concessions, as you can be sure the gamers would get hungry and want something to snack on.  Personally, I think it’d be awesome to host a Halo 3 tournament at my theatre.

There ya have it.  What I think theatres are really missing out on.  There’s a lot of hidden potential that theatres just aren’t taking advantage of.  I don’t know if there are talks out there to get this stuff into theatres, but it’s something I feel should be considered.  What do you think?

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Do I need to calm down?

If you’re asking yourself this question, I would assume that the safe answer is yes. Now how would calming down help you out in a situation where you feel really strongly about something? Well… that’s what I’m about to explain!

When you come up to someone and are visibly upset, it’s likely that the person you are about to approach is bracing themselves for your complaint. If you are not calm, and blow up on this person, they will probably try to defend themselves rather than be completely concerned with your issue. Why is this? Well, if you’re out of control, you probably won’t be able to control everything that comes out of your mouth, and even though the person you’re talking to shouldn’t get mad, they probably will if you don’t address it properly.

If you ask yourself this, it gives you an opportunity to get things worked out the way you’d like.  A calm person will much more likely get what they probably deserve (in this case, a good resolution) than someone who is not.

What is the associate thinking?

This question is also very important to ask.  Not many people would take this into consideration I think.  This almost ties into my previous point, but let me try to illustrate this through an example.

If you come up to the person who may solve your situation angry and yelling, what do you think the associate is thinking?  If it were me…. this is what would be going through my head:

Great, I really don’t want to deal with this right now.  Why do they have to keep yelling at me?  It just makes me want to help them less. :-/

I can’t guarantee that everyone will think the same thing, but I’d say there’s a good chance someone would.  If you approach an associate nicely to try to explain the issue you are trying to have, there is a much better chance they will work hard to try to get your problem resolved.

And finally….

What should I get?  Am I expecting more than I should?

Now I know that whenever there is an issue, you would generally expect to get compensation, or at least have it resolved.  I’ve found that the more people expect to get, the less they may actually receive.  For example, there was a guest who explained very nicely to me the issue she was having with her film.  We actually took a couple minutes to try to figure out what I could do, what was actually causing the problem.  After talking with her for a few minutes about it, I realized that she had helped me a lot.  She had prevented this issue from happening to another guest, and wasn’t expecting anything.  So what did I do?  I made sure that she was compensated for the issue she had with her film, and she left happy.  Yes, she probably deserved it already, but I felt good being able to offer that to her.  I wouldn’t have felt so obligated to do so if she had demanded them in the first place.

Hopefully this article has helped you a little bit…. do you agree with me?  What would you do in this situation?

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Wall-E takes place many many years in the future… about 700 I believe. The earth has been abandoned due to the buildup of waste products and pollutants over the years. The company that has basically taken over the world, Buy N’ Large, has decided to take matters into it’s own hands. Large, luxurious cruise ships have been built to take people into space for a five year cruise, while Buy N’ Large uses robots to clean up the Earth, with the hope that people will be able to return afterwards.

Things don’t seem to have gone as planned. The movie begins following Wall-E around as he(?) performs his daily duties, taking trash in and compacting it. As he moves around, we see that there are many robots that are no longer functioning, as Wall-E’s only companion is a little cockroach who manages to get himself into a lot of squishy situations. Earth is a barren wasteland, but little Wall-E follows the same routine every day, compacting trash, and collecting items as he dreams of finding love (I know, cute huh?).

All of this changes one day when a probe ship comes, and drops off a probe to see what life is like on Earth now. In comes EVE, scooting around and probing everywhere, with Wall-E not far behind, as he has fallen in love. After finding some evidence of plant life growing on Earth, EVE is returned to the ship she came from where people have been waiting 700 years to return to Earth. Is this the sign that they will finally be going home?

Definitely going to recommend that you go out and check out the movie to find out about all the crazy antics Wall-E gets himself into. Something I really enjoyed about Wall-E was how they worked out the dialogue.
There really wasn’t much at all. However, the sounds that the robots emitted and the music set the tone very well. It was actually possible to feel the emotions that they were feeling, and get swept away in the journey. As usual, Pixar’s animation was stunning. Now that I think about it, I didn’t really even think of it as a computer animated movie. It felt just like any other regular movie.

No doubt Wall-E is more for the kids, as illustrated by the about 200 or so mothers, fathers, and screaming babies I saw it with, so definitely take that into consideration when heading out to see it. I recommend a late show if you really want to enjoy it in a quiet theatre, as that did mess it up a little bit for me. However, despite that annoyance, Wall-E is surely worth seeing. You’ll be swept up by the beautiful animation and great story.

The little featurette beforehand was awesome also!

Did you enjoy as much as I did?

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

- A Must See!

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Better Movies are Released During Holidays

This is true for the most part, but you can’t always guarantee quality.  A great example of a quality movie released during the holidays was the first Chronicles of Narnia. Narnia was definitely a holiday movie, with the setting of the movie in the winter time and all.  It definitely makes sense for a studio to release a movie at this time.. with more people home (as mentioned before), and better marketing opportunities available, especially at Christmas time.  I’d say that 90% of the Holiday releases are better than your typical fare, though probably not as good as the summer blockbusters.

More Time to Go the Movies, and it can cost less!

This is key.  A lot of times, people don’t want to go to the movies simply because they don’t have time (and cost).  The holiday season addresses both of these issues, at least partly.  Cost is a major contributing factor to the decline in moviegoing.  So why do more people go to the movies on holiday?  Gift Cards.  Gift cards make it seem like you’re not spending as much money because someone else gave you that money… you’re not spending your own.  When you get that brand spankin new gift card on Christmas day, what better thing to do with it than head to the movies to catch the latest release.  Most times, that card will even get you some refreshments!  Ok… maybe part of a drink or popcorn.

Time.. the other factor.  When you go to the movies, you generally don’t have to take care of much.  Getting yourself there, purchasing tickets, not extremely difficult things.  But, you have more time to do this during the holidays, and aren’t always rushing to make sure you make a movie on time, or rush so that you can make it home in time for work the next day.  Having this time is very conducive to going to the movies!

There are a couple things that I think lead to increased attendance on Holidays.  Basically, it revolves around convenience.  Studios aren’t stupid, and realize that people will go to see movies they wouldn’t have otherwise seen if they have the time to go do it.  Holidays provide this opportunity.

Take advantage of your holidays and plan accordingly.  Spending the day at the movies can be a fun, and often times cheaper experience than going on vacation!  Or.. drop the kids off, and let us take care of them for a couple hours while you enjoy your own little vacation..

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What Makes this Cool? Well, it’s got some pretty bada$$ looking creatures in it. I’m a huge fan of special effects, especially when they’re done right, and I think this is done right. I enjoy seeing a young Hellboy, especially with that huge hand. While the trailer pretty much gives away what might possibly happen in the movie (don’t all trailers do that?), it definitely sets you up for some pretty awesome action. You can’t really go wrong with awesome action and awesome special effects, right? Check it out, and let me know what you think!

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Let’s start it out with the film I want to see the most… and we’ll go down the list from there.

Wall*E - I have to admit that I’ve been looking forward to this for quite a while.  I’ve got both the teaser and actual release posters in my car right now, have to move them over into my room.  Personally, I think that this deserves all the hype that it’s received.  For a completely computer generated movie with very little dialogue, Pixar really did an excellent job and delivered a quality product.  The critics really liked it too:

It’s rare that a picture earns comparisons with Chaplin’s City Lights and Kubrick’s 2001. It’s rarer still that said picture is also praised as intelligent, visually remarkable, darkly funny, and ultimately, heartwarming family fare. However, critics say the good folks at Pixar have done just that with WALL-E, perhaps the studio’s most audacious film yet. - Rotten Tomatoes

The best reviewed film of the year so far??!?!  Definitely a must see, in my opinion.  I’ll be seeing it… how about you?

Hancock - Yay, a Will Smith movie!  Ok, so there was a little sarcasm in there, but I actually do want to see Hancock.  It is a history making film, as its supposed to be Will’s 8th consecutive $100 million plus opening weekend.  I do think they are kind of cheating, having released this movie on a Tuesday night, giving it a full 5 days to make that $100 million mark.  It’s an innovative film in it’s own way, but his reppin of the Lakers at the NBA Finals did put me off from wanting to see it a bit.  Good thing the Celtics won, but I really didn’t like that.

Will Hancock hit the big $100 Mil mark?  I think it will, but only barely.  A few people I know have seen it and have basically described it as “OK”, but I’ll be seeing it in the next few days, and I’ll let ya know!

Wanted - I feel bad putting Wanted at the number three spot for this, but it really is the one I want to see the least.  It feels more like a generic movie, a wannabe of… Gone in 60 Seconds or The Fast and the Furious.  Angelina looks smokin’ in the previews, and I’m sure I’ll see this at some point, but it does have to come in #3… there’s a lot of competition!

Working on a few more posts for y’all… so stay tuned!

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Why is this? Plenty of reasons, of course:

• Existing Fan Base
• Developed Storyline and Characters
• Actors/Actresses are potentially already cast
• You get to watch your favorite TV show on the Big Screen!

And there are plenty more. Not all TV show to feature film adaptations are successful.. S.W.A.T comes to mind, but there are a surprising amount that have been quite good. Here are my Top 3:

Serenity - To be honest, I didn’t really get into Firefly until well after the series was off the air… and I totally missed out. The epic stories, extremely likable characters and great acting are an example of why the networks don’t do it right sometimes. When I first got my hands on the DVDs, I watched them for 4 days nonstop (minus eating and other stuff, like work) until I had made my way through the whole series. It was absolutely incredible. I found myself wanting more, and being upset that something this good wasn’t still airing. Doing more research into what happened, I found out that Joss Whedon (the creator) still wants to make the show, but will never work with FOX on it. We all know that FOX has made mistakes when it comes to cancelling TV shows early… like Family Guy.

What Made the movie awesome: It was more of the same that the series brought you. I was so enthralled by the series, and the movie just added to it. Picking up at some point where the series left off, Whedon kind of used the movie as a way to finish off the series. He did a very good job, and with the same elements that made the series so great, made the movie great as well. He further developed the backstory behind River Tam more, which was awesome, and brought in a lot of elements that left the story open to more, if Whedon ever decides to pick up this project again.

One thing’s for sure, the Serenity gave Firefly fans a little hope… but with the movie not performing that well, who knows what will happen with it. I know that I look forward to the days when the quick wit of Captain Mal and his crew will find their way to TV sets… and maybe even the Big Screen again.

Transformers - Who didn’t grow up watching the Autobots and Decepticons wage war against each other. One was trying to gather as much Energon as they could, and the other was trying to prevent them from sapping the Earth’s resources. Transformers has to be one of my all time favorite cartoons. I looked forward to getting a new set of transformers minis every single christmas! I had hoped one day to gather a whole collection of them, but that didn’t happen…. I lost them all instead. But, as you can probably imagine, I was pretty darn excited when the Transformers movie finally came out (the non-cartoon version)!

What Made the movie awesome - Wow.. that line made me really think of Michael Bay and those Verizon commercials. Anyway, Transformers was exactly that…awesome. First, there was the smokin Megan Fox. Then, you add in giant robots battling, amazing special effects… and more Megan Fox. Ok, Megan Fox was not in the TV series, but that was a welcome addition to the movie. I’ve watched Transformers on my movie channels so many times it’s crazy! Needless to say, this movie did the original TV series justice, and thus makes it onto this list.

The Simpsons Movie - How can you have a TV to movie adaptation and not include The Simpsons? TV’s longest running cartoon has been ever changing with the times, keeping up with culture changes, current events, and has managed to stay cool through all the years. Yes, just about everyone has watched The Simpsons at some point, and I actually just tuned to it myself. Homer giving a sermon about the first christmas… classic. lol.

“A Pregnant Woman?!? That’s every man’s worst nightmare!!!”

What Made the movie awesome - The Simpsons Movie definitely drew upon the existing fan base element, and all of the pre-existing stories. They brought back so many characters, and had such a cool story! It was sad that they killed off one of my favs, but hey, it’s part of the hype and what made the movie so awesome. What else worked for me in The Simpsons? Oh.. the pig. That was classic. Harry Plopper? Had me rolling in my seat the entire time. Oh yeah! This was a great crowd pleaser, and one that I was happy to see with a large crowd… it really made the experience!

So there ya have it… my top 3 TV show to Movie Adapatations! Let me hear it… what were yours?

While you’re at it… check out Firefly, Transformers, and The Simpsons (aff)

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So, without further Ado, let’s announce the winner for the best theme song, as voted by you, the loyal readers of Intermission at Work!

The winner is………

STAR WARS

Yes, the beloved theme song (or music, for those of you who are going to be picky about it) created by John Williams so many years ago was the winner in the poll, with 17 out of the 59 votes on that poll. That’s a pretty good turnout, but I’m hoping to get better results with the next one. Unfortunately, to be eligible to win the soundtrack, you had to also leave a comment on the post. There were quite a few of you who did that… and I’m very thankful for that!

So… let’s announce our winner!

The Winner of the soundtrack was…..

Stephanie of Daily Skittle

Congratulations Steph! I’ll send you an email with the details on how to redeem your prize.

Hopefully you guys didn’t mind waiting so long for this post… I really wanted to get it out sooner. I would like to know if you agree with the selection… leave your thoughts down in the comments!

Rock on, folks. More to come soon!

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Last week featured a couple films that performed pretty well. We had The Incredible Hulk, which despite early predictions of huge numbers, pulled in a respectable $55 Million, short of what some thought, but still good. Also, there was The Happening, which fell short to a swift kick from Kung Fu Panda. What does this weekend have in store for us? Unfortunately for me, nothing I’m really looking forward to, though they do feature some very attractive women….

Get Smart - Directed by Peter Segal, Rated PG-13

Maxwell Smart has recently been promoted to field agent, and he is on a mission to thwart a plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate KAOS. However, Smart only came upon this job because the identities of all the secret agents in the US Spy Agency Control have been compromised. He will not be alone though, as he is joined by the lovely Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), even though he was hoping for a pairing with superstar agent 23. Armed with no talent, but some cool gadgets and some enthusiasm to boot, Smart must do everything he can to stop the doomsday plan for world domination.

Joe’s Take - Ummm… I’ve got a pretty big thing for Anne Hathaway. She the reason why I watched The Devil Wears Prada. Ok, her and Emily Blunt, but I’ve still got a thing for Anne. I would see this movie for her alone, though I’m not too excited about the concept or anything else really about it. It seems like Steve Carrell is becoming a little bit like Adam Sandler, where he keeps play similar characters. That being said, Zohan did fairly well at the box office, so I predict that Get Smart will be able to rake in at least $25 million this weekend.

The Love Guru - Directed by Marco Schnabel, Rated PG-13

Mike Myers returns to the big screen in Love Guru, which features love, hockey, and …. Indian Spirituality? This comedy explores how an indian love guru can help out a hockey team… and that’s about it.

Joe’s Take - Sorry about the short synopsis on this movie guys, but that’s all that Rotten Tomatoes really had to offer. I think that you’ve seen most of what this movie has to offer from the commercials, but I could be wrong. Uh… just like Get Smart. I think this one is going to be like Austin Powers, but in a different setting. It could be what we need for a breather from all the action/thriller movies, but then again, you have two to pick from this weekend that would fit that category and are new. Oh. But this one has Jessica Alba… a very big plus. I’d say they split it up in the end, $25 million each.

So there we go, the movies this weekend. Two very similar features, in my opinion. I can’t really pick based on the main male character, and I have to say that I can’t really pick based on the female leads either! I guess this will come down to what the lovely girlfriend wants to see… if she wants to go to the movies, that is.

Images for this post were provided by Movie Poster dot Com.

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Since he was first irradiated by gamma radiation and became The Hulk, Bruce Banner (A capable Edward Norton) has been declared an enemy of the United States Military. He was considered to have stolen military secrets, something the army wants back so they can use what happened to him as a weapon. However, Banner wants no part of this, and is doing his best to stay out of the whole situation. He has escaped to South America, doing odd jobs in a local bottling factory. In his spare time, he communicates with “Mr. Blue” under an alias to try to find a cure for his situation. Despite all of “Mr. Blue’s” help, their efforts are in vain. Everything they tried ends up failing.

However, after Dr. Banner sends a sample of his blood to “Mr. Blue”, a solution is found. Unfortunately for Banner, the US military is on to his location after a mishap with his blood ending up in an energy drink in the US. The US sends their best to trap Banner and bring him back, but they fail as The Hulk emerges. With Banner gone again, the military is left with just some traces, and a lot of questions as to what they have to face.

The story actually is more complicated than that, but you’ll have to see the movie to know what happens. I really enjoyed what they did with the story, and I personally think it works really well.

Now lets talk cast. Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/The Hulk really worked in my opinion. He really seemed to make the character his own, and in my personal opinion, was very much more believable as Bruce Banner than Eric Bana was. No offense to Eric, but I think Norton really just did it better. Now as for the heroine, I think Liv Tyler was adequate, but for some reason I kept seeing someone else in the role. I kept thinking Anne Hathaway… but that might be because they looked really similar in this movie. Also, the fact that I recently saw The Strangers made Liv Tyler a bit of strange choice. It’s a sharp contrast in the type of movie.

Overall, I’m going to say that I enjoyed The Hulk. Yes, Iron Man was a better movie, but nevertheless, the Hulk was enjoyable. I guess that does say that this prediction was wrong with the gross. The combination of action and development in the story worked for me. I’ll have to say that the volume (loudness) did detract from the movie for me, but that could be location specific so I’m not going to hold it against the film. I

Now that you have my ranking (below)… what did you think? Like or Hate it? Did you like the Green Man when he was angry?

‘m going to give it:

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

- See it if you get a chance!

Click Here for SMASHING Hulk Gear!

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This week has a couple films with the chance to do equally well. Who knows how well they’ll do though. There are some early predictions for one of them, but like I said, you can never know. On to the movies!

The Happening - Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Rated R

In this thriller from the creator of Signs and Unbreakable, Mark Walhberg plays a father who tries to escape with his family from an apocalyptic event. For unknown reasons, everyone around the world is just stopping in their tracks and dropping dead…. literally. Also costarring Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo.

Joe’s Take - For me, this is just another M. Night Shyamalan movie. Honestly, I think every single one of his movies is the same thing over and over again. Sometimes it might work, but for the most part, it’s just a lot of hype for not a whole lot of thrill. My favorite scene from one of his movies has to be in Signs, when you see the alien out of nowhere in the streets at the party. But other than that, it wasn’t that special. Since this is his first rated R movie, I’m going to give it a little bit of leeway. The Happening should pull in about $30 million, with the curiosity factor.

The Hulk - Directed by Louis Leterrier, Rated PG-13

A second adaptation of the famous comic book green giant. Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is hiding the shadows, trying to find a cure for his condition. However, there are plenty of people who are interested in finding him so they can use his condition for their own selfish military reasons, and they won’t leave him alone. After returning to civilization, Banner (as the Hulk) is pursued by The Abomination, a beast with similar powers to the Hulk himself. The fight between the two is sure to be epic, as Banner must use all his strength to save New York.

Joe’s Take - I have to admit, the first Hulk movie has left a sour taste in my mouth. It was just not what I expected it to be, and I was really disappointed. Then I heard that this was coming out… and I just wasn’t sure. That being said, I do think I want to see how different this will be… there’s been so much hype, and the commercials make it look like it could be a really cool movie. As soon as I see it, I’ll let you guys know how it turned out. Feel free to leave a comment if you’ve seen it, and let your opinion be heard!

There you have em, the major releases this weekend. I think that these two movies definitely won’t be helping each other at the box office, but might end up pretty even. The Hulk takes the weekend, raking in about $60 million. Great, but still behind Iron Man.

Images for this post were provided by Movie Poster dot Com.

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The Strangers is based on real life events, namely the Keddie Resort murders. The voiceover that introduces you to the film is very haunting, and really puts things in perspective. Things like what happen in this movie can happen in real life. Here’s what they say:

“The film you are about to see is inspired by true events. According to the F.B.I. there are an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year. On the night of February 11, 2005 Kristen McKay and James Hoyt went to a friend’s wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family’s summer home. The brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known.”

Actually brings a bit of a chill to my spine. I’ll admit I’m not the bravest soul in the world, and this is definitely the kind of movie that makes me think twice sometimes, especially those closing shifts at the theatre.

The basic plot of the The Strangers is that a couple, Kristin McCay and James Hoyt, have retreated to James’ parents home, where James has prepared a surprise for Kristen. He wants to marry her. However, things don’t quite work out as planned, and it turns out Kristin is not ready for marriage yet. This in itself sets a bit of a dark tone as to what’s going to happen. The two decide to spend the night, and will leave in the morning after they are rested. After a visit from a strange girl, James leaves to get some cigarettes for Kristin. While he’s gone, strange things start to happen. Kristin’s cell phone disappears, and a smoke detector she took off gets moved. What they don’t realize is that they’re not alone, and things are going to get a lot worse…..

You’ll have to see the movie to find out what happens next. When I first left the theatre, I wasn’t all too impressed with this movie. It seemed cookie cutter. As I reflect on it, The Strangers really grew on me. The acting by Liv Tyler was excellent, and Scott Speedman was very adequate as well. You could really feel the tension building throughout the movie, and really feel for the characters. It feels as if it’s happening to you almost. As I mentioned before, there wasn’t too much screaming in the theatre, it was more a sense of implied fear, with people feeling anxious as to what would happen next.

The imagery that the movie had was great as well. The scene that’s depicted in the poster was one of the all time creepiest things I’ve ever seen. I’ve even heard this movie put into the same category as Halloween and The Shining. It’s definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for a gripping horror flick. Yes, it can be cliche at times, but it worked for me.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

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This weekend takes a much lighter tone, with a huge kid’s movie, and another Adam Sandler movie. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Kung Fu Panda - Directed by Mark Osborne, Rated PG

This animated film features Jack Black as Po the Panda bear. Po is a waiter in a noodle bar, and a Kung Fu fanatic. However, Po definitely doesn’t fit the figure of a Kung Fu warrior, and is widely known as the laziest of all the animals in ancient China. With Powerful enemies threatening their gates, all of the land’s hopes are pinned on a prophesy that names Po as the Chosen One, destined to save the land. It’s going to be a huge undertaking for the martial arts experts of the land to turn this lazy creature into the hero they are hoping to save them.

Joe’s Take - Kung Fu Panda should do very well at the box office. It’s the first big film for kids this year, especially since Speed Racer was such a disappointment. It’s not Shrek, but I think that it has the legs to pull in $50 million in its first weekend. It seems really cute, and I’ve really enjoyed the “Silence is Golden” snipes that have featured Po the Panda:

You with the texting… I’m watching you!

I’m going to be seeing this, so hopefully I’ll have a review for you soon! I hadn’t realized that there were so many stars providing voices for this… should be great!

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan - Directed by Dennis Dugan, Rated PG-13

In this Judd Apatow and Robert Smigel screenplay, Adam Sandler is Zohan, an Israeli commando who has faked his own death so he can come to the United States and pursue his dream of becoming a hairstylist. Even though he’s escaped from the world of being a commando, he still uses his skills for his own benefit in the United States.

Joe’s Take - Ummmmm… not so sure about this one. I want to say that it’ll be funny, but it just seems to me like this could be just another “Adam Sandler” move. He seems to always play the same type of character and this doesn’t appear to be any different. However, comedies generally have a way of pulling in a crowd, and if someone’s gonna do it with something that seems like worthless drivel, it’s going to be Adam Sandler. I predict that this film pulls in $20 million it’s first weekend. I will try to see this one as well, but no guarantees…. I’m still deciding if it’ll be worth it.

There you have it, a look at this week’s major releases. Hope you are having a great blockbuster season so far, I know it’s really keeping me busy. I hope to be able to keep the posting frequency up, but please bear with me as it gets busier! Are you going to see any of the movies this weekend?

Images for this post were provided by Movie Poster dot Com.

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The thing I enjoyed the most about running that poll was reading your comments on the post, as to why you made the selection you did, and what exactly your selection was. That post had 26 comments! Yes, there were quite a few from me, but that was an excellent total for me!

What I would like to do right now, is take a moment to provide you all with a great opportunity to help promote your blogs, hence the reason for this world premiere!

What is this big announcement that I’m going to make?

I’m going to be giving away FREE advertisement for the top 3 commentators on this blog. There are only two things you need to do to qualify!

1. Subscribe to Intermission at Work by Email This way I can verify that you are interested in participating. If you’re already subscribed by email, you’re all set!
2. Start commenting! Of course, I will monitor the comments to make sure that you are adding to the conversation, but that’s all you need to do! Please no spam!

That’s it! Trying to keep it easy, and fun also! To break down the ads that are available to the top commentators:

• Top Commentator : 125 x 125 or 468 x 60 ad + TEXT LInk for the next month. (If you’re top in June, you get your ads for July)
• #2 Commentator: 125 x 125 or 468 x 60 ad for the next month.
• #3 Commentator: Text link for the next month.

Hope this world premiere makes you guys as excited as it makes me! I look forward to reading your comments. As always, let me know if you think I can improve this in any way!

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