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| << June28, 2007 - Reel 2 Reel #159 ~ Happy Birthday America! |
July13, 2007 - Reel 2 Reel #161 ~ Dusk Til Dawn @ Sky-Vue! >> |
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Howdy Adventureland Friends: I hope your 4th. of July was better than mine. They allowed us to set through a downpour before calling off the fireworks at the last minute. The rain date is this saturday. This same saturday is triple feature night at Sky-Vue Drive-in. Do I enjoy 3 movies for the price of 2 or choose free fireworks? I need to track the weather before I make my decision. Happy belated birthday to Natalie. Her birthday was June 30. She shares this day with David Alan Grier (1955), Mike Tyson (1966) and Brian Bloom (1970). Have you signed up for Blingo? If not, I urge you to do so. I just won a $5 gift card from Amazon just for using their search engine. What could be simpler? http://www.blingo.com/friends?ref=LJt9EIXsXBaBuP-fW5DaMrkkYSk +===================================+ Find your showtimes @ Adventureland http://advland.bravehost.com +===================================+ <> <> <> BOX OFFICE <> <> <> +===================================+ 'RATATOUILLE' INFESTS WEEKEND BOX OFFICE Disney has put a rodent on top of the box office, though not the studio's mascot, Mickey Mouse. "Ratatouille," an animated comedy about a gourmet rat that gets a chance to cook in a French restaurant, debuted at No. 1 with $47.2 million, according to studio estimates. 20th Century Fox's "Live Free or Die Hard," Bruce Willis's return as cop John McClane, opened in second-place with $33.15 million. Since opening Wednesday, the movie has grossed $48.2 million. In narrower release, Michael Moore's health care documentary "Sicko," released by the Weinstein and Lionsgate, took in $4.5 million in its nationwide debut to finish at No. 9. The movie opened in one New York City theater a week earlier. Focus Features' drama "Evening," with an all-star cast that includes Meryl Streep, Vanessa Redgrave, Glenn Close and Claire Danes, opened at No. 10 with $3.5 million. The previous No. 1 movie, "Evan Almighty," fell to No. 3 with $15.1 million, raising its 10-day total to $60.6 million. The movie's 52% fall from opening weekend dims the studio's prospects for recouping the enormous $175 million production budget. While "Ratatouille" dominated the weekend, it had the smallest debut by Disney's Pixar unit since 1998's "A Bug's Life" opened with $33.3 million. The other 5 Pixar films since, among them "Toy Story 2," "Finding Nemo" and "Cars," had opening weekends between $57.4 million and $70.5 million. Chuck Viane, Disney's distribution head, said "Ratatouille" was up against more competition than past Pixar flicks. With sparkling reviews, Disney is counting on the staying power at theaters that other Pixar films have had. "Our whole idea was to set ourselves up for what we call the 10-day opening," Viane said of the upcoming Fourth of July week. "We look at this as one extended playtime. We're in this for the long haul. We're glad we're No. 1, but we're not trying to make this just a weekend wonder." Willis returned to the "Die Hard" franchise after a 12-year absence, and as Sylvester Stallone did last year with "Rocky Balboa," he proved that an aging action hero still could pack theaters. "John McClane is everyman. He's a hero, but he's thrust into situations, and I think people love that," said Bert Livingston, GM of sales for Fox. "He's clever, he's funny and he gets the job done." "Sicko," Moore's dissection of U.S. health care, played in 441 theaters, about half the number for his last movie, 2004's $100 million hit "Fahrenheit 9/11." With a $23.9 million opening, "Fahrenheit 9/11" did 5 times as much business, though. Still, "Sicko" had the second-best documentary debut ever behind "Fahrenheit 9/11." By comparison, "Ratatouille" opened in nearly 4,000 theaters, about 9 times as many as "Sicko." Harvey Weinstein, co-chair of Weinstein Co., said he wanted to roll "Sicko" out slowly to give it a longer shelf life and keep Moore's stand for universal health care on the front burner. "The idea is to hold during the summer and just continue to build this thing," Weinstein said. "I just think the debate in this country is going to catch up with the movie, so we've got to keep it slow." Weinstein and Moore said they hoped "Sicko" would do in the range of the $21.6 million total for the filmmaker's award winning "Bowling for Columbine." If Sunday estimates hold, Hollywood's overall revenues will be up slightly, snapping a 4-week downturn that has surprised analysts who had expected the industry to do record business this summer. The top-12 movies took in $146.7 million, up 2% from the same weekend last year. "For now, I'm glad we broke the down streak," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "Four down weekends turns into five, which turns into eight, and then we have a slump on our hands. We didn't want to go in that direction." Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC: 1. "Ratatouille" @ $47.2 million. 2. "Live Free or Die Hard" @ $33.15 million. 3. "Evan Almighty" @ $15.1 million. 4. "1408" @ $10.6 million. 5. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" @ $9 million. 6. "Knocked Up" @ $7.4 million. 7. "Ocean's Thirteen" @ $6.05 million. 8. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" @ $5 million. 9. "Sicko" @ $4.5 million. 10. "Evening" @ $3.5 million. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/ +===================================+ <> <> <> NOW SHOWING <> <> <> +===================================+ SICKO (2007) Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore sets out to investigate the American healthcare system. Sticking to his tried-and-true one-man approach, Moore sheds light on the complicated medical affairs of individuals and local communities. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. http://www.sicko-themovie.com/ "...Moore's most sincere portrait of American life in the trenches since the groundbreaking Roger & Me." -- filmcritic.com, Chris Cabin "...a fascinating exploration and powerful indictment of a pressing national problem." -- USA Today, Claudia Puig "In a summer of dumb, shameless drivel, Moore delivers a movie of robust mind and heart. You'll laugh till it hurts." -- Rolling Stone, Peter Travers +===================================+ <> <> <> COMING SOON <> <> <> +===================================+ July 11, 2007 HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) A 15-year-old Harry Potter is an adolescent, complete with rage, rebellion and a crush. It's been another infuriating and boring summer with minimal contact from his non-Muggle friends. Harry is feeling edgy, wondering when the evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Will returning to Hogwarts be a relief? Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images. http://www.harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com/ July 13, 2007 TALK TO ME (2007) Follows the life of African American ex-convict Petey Greene, who became a radio and television talk show success, but couldn't overcome his alcohol addiction. Rated R for pervasive language and some sexual content. http://www.focusfeatures.com/talktome/ +===================================+ <> <> <> SHINING STAR <> <> <> +===================================+ MARVIN NEIL SIMON DOB: July 4, 1927, The Bronx, New York. This playwright who is one of the world’s most prolific writers; his plays have been adapted to film more than any other writer in his genre. In 1961, Simon wrote his first comedy, "Come Blow Your Horn," which lasted for 677 performances on Broadway. From there, Simon continued to write hit productions, many of which took place in his home state of NY. Some of his plays include Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple (1965), Sweet Charity (1966), Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), Biloxi Blues (1985) and the Pulitzer Prize winning Lost in Yonkers (1991). Simon has earned 4 Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and was recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors in 1995. FACTOIDS: His brother, Danny Simon, started writing the "The Odd Couple" but was not able to finish it. He asked Neil to take it over, Neil did in exchange for sole author credit. He paid Danny 10% of everything the property generated. The Alvin Theater at 250 W. 52nd Street on Broadway was renamed the Neil Simon Theater on June 23, 1983. QUOTABLES: On Hollywood: "Everyone in Hollywood is looking for a blockbuster. They tell you their last movie 'only grossed $70 million,' as if that were some kind of crime." http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0800319/ +===================================+ <> <> <> SNACK BAR <> <> <> +===================================+ CAPPUCCINO CHEESECAKE Ingredients 1 3/4 cups (about 18 cookies total) crushed chocolate cookies 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided 1/3 cup butter, melted 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 1 cup French Vanilla Flavor NESTL? COFFEE-MATE Liquid Coffee Creamer 4 large eggs 6 teaspoons NESCAF? TASTER'S CHOICE 100% Pure Instant Coffee Granules 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup NESTL? TOLL HOUSE Premier White Morsels 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream, at room temperature Directions PREHEAT oven to 350? F. COMBINE cookie crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. BAKE for 5 minutes. BEAT cream cheese and Coffee-mate in large mixer bowl until creamy. Combine eggs and coffee granules in medium bowl; stir until coffee is dissolved. Add egg mixture, flour and remaining sugar to cream cheese mixture; beat until combined. Pour into crust. BAKE for 45 to 50 minutes or until edges are set but center still moves slightly. MICROWAVE morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Stir in sour cream. Spread over top of cheesecake. BAKE for 10 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Servings: 12 +===================================+ <> <> <> BOOK MARKS <> <> <> +===================================+ HOME THEATER GUIDE Home Theaters allow for friends and family to relax and watch the latest movie or sporting event. There are some basic fundamentals to creating and starting a home theater. The subjects below will give you some insight and guidelines that should be considered. http://www.htmarket.com/home-theater-guide.html +===================================+ <> <> <> INTERMISSION <> <> <> +===================================+ 7-11 BECOMES 'KWIK-E-MART' 4 'SIMPSONS' Over the weekend, 7-Eleven turned a dozen stores into Kwik-E-Marts, the fictional convenience stores of "The Simpsons" fame, in the latest example of marketers making life imitate art. Those stores and most of the other 7-Elevens in North America will sell items that until now existed only on television: Buzz Cola, KrustyO's cereal and Squishees, the slushy drink knockoff of Slurpees. It's a campaign to hype the July 27 opening of "The Simpsons Movie," the big-screen debut for the long-running television cartoon, which loves to lampoon 7-Eleven as a store that sells unhealthy snacks and is run by a man with a thick Indian accent. For 20th Century Fox and Homer's creators at Gracie Films, the stunt is a cheap way to call attention to their movie, since 7-Eleven is bearing all the costs, which executives of the chain put at somewhere in the single millions. At 7-Eleven, they're hoping it shows the ubiquitous chain has a trait seen in few corporations - the ability to laugh at themselves. "We thought if you really want to do something different, the idea of actually changing stores into Kwik-E-Marts was over the top but a natural," said Bobbi Merkel, an executive for advertising agency, FreshWorks. "It shows they get the joke." The monthlong promotion has been rumored - it's hard to keep a secret known by suppliers and franchisees - but 7-Eleven managed to keep the locations of the stores quiet until early Sunday morning. That's when the exteriors of 11 U.S. stores and one in Canada were flocked in industrial foam and given new signs. The U.S. locations where a 7-Eleven store was transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart are New York City; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Burbank; Los Angeles; Henderson, Nev.; Orlando; Mountain View; Seattle; and Bladensburg, Md. The idea grew out of conversations between Fox and 7-Eleven's advertising agency, FreshWorks. "We wanted to make sure the movie stands out as a true cultural event this summer," said Lisa Licht, a marketing VP at Fox. "It has to stand out from other summer movies and TV shows." The Fox/7-Eleven deal is an example of a practice called reverse product placement. Instead of just putting products prominently in a movie or TV show, fake goods move from the screen to reality. 7-Eleven has contracted with manufacturers of similar products to make their Kwik-E-Mart counterparts. Malt-O-Meal, the cereal maker, will conjure up KrustyO's, for example. In others, existing products will simply be renamed. One flavor of 7-Eleven's own Slurpee will be sold as "WooHoo! Blue Vanilla" Squishee. Other recent examples of reverse product placement include Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which spun out of the Harry Potter movies, and Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurants, which opened after "Forrest Gump." 7-Eleven has done other movie-themed promotions, including one this spring for the Spiderman. After Fox pitched a 7-Eleven tie-in last year, representatives from the studio, the stores, and Gracie Films - including creator Matt Groening and executive producer James L. Brooks, met in LA to kick around ideas. Brooks added one - holding a contest to let one fan be drawn into a future episode. 7-Eleven executives loved the idea. They had surveys showing a strong overlap between their customers and fans of the show - both tend to be young and male. "They've been looking at Squishees and KrustyO's and Buzz Cola for years and have never been able to put their hands on it," said Merkel, the advertising executive. But they won't find Duff beer. The movie will be rated PG-13, and selling a Simpson-themed beer "didn't seem to fit," said Rita Bargerhuff, a 7-Eleven marketing executive. "That was a tough call, but we want to make sure it's considered good, responsible fun." Bargerhuff predicted extra sales to Simpsons fans will offset the cost of the promotion and create new customers. She also said the chain is prepared for crowds and will have extra security and clerks at the Kwik-E-Marts. The promotion is not risk-free. The proprietor of Kwik-E-Mart is a man named Apu who speaks in a heavy Indian accent. He is based on a manager at a 7-Eleven in LA 20 years ago and plays to stereotypes about Asian immigrants. Many of 7-Eleven's franchisees are Indian. Bargerhuff said they were "overwhelmingly positive" after hearing of Kwik-E-Mart idea, but "it was not a 100 percent endorsement." "There was definitely a concern of offending people," she said. "But they seemed to understand that 'The Simpsons' makes fun of everybody. The vast majority saw this as a great opportunity." That's the case for Kumar Assandas, a 28-year-old franchisee whose parents immigrated from India. His store in Las Vegas is a temporary Kwik-E-Mart. "I know it's a stereotype, but it doesn't bother me. Everybody knows it's a joke," Assandas said. "I'm a big Simpsons fan myself, and maybe subconsciously it even inspired me to become a 7-Eleven owner." http://www.7-eleven.com/ 'DRACULA' LOOKS 2 SELL HIS 'CASTLE?' An heir of Romania's former royal family put "Dracula's Castle" in Transylvania up for sale, hoping to secure a buyer who will respect "the property and its history," a U.S. investment company said. The Bran Castle, perched on a cliff near Brasov in mountainous central Romania, is a top tourist attraction because of its ties to Prince Vlad the Impaler, the warlord whose cruelty inspired Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, "Dracula." Legend has it that Vlad, who earned his nickname because of the way he tortured his enemies, spent one night in the 1400s at the castle. Bran Castle was built in the 14th century to serve as a fortress to protect against the invading Ottoman Turks. The royal family moved into the castle in the 1920s, living there until the communist regime confiscated it from Princess Ileana in 1948. After being restored in the late 1980s and following the end of communist rule in Romania, it gained popularity as a tourist attraction known as "Dracula's Castle." In May 2006, the castle was returned to Princess Ileana's son, Archduke Dominic Habsburg. Habsburg (69), a New York architect, pledged to keep it open as a museum until 2009 and offered to sell the castle last year to local authorities for $80 million, but the offer was rejected. On Monday, he put the castle up for sale "to the right purchaser under the right circumstances," said Michael Gardner, CEO of Baytree Capital. "The Habsburgs are not in the business of managing a museum." No price was announced, though Gardner predicted the castle would sell for more than $135 million. He added that Habsburg will only sell it to a buyer "who will treat the property and its history with appropriate respect." Habsburg said in a statement: "Aside from the castle's connection to one of the most famous novels ever written, Bran Castle is steeped in critical events of European history dating from the 14th century to the present." According to a contract signed when the castle was returned, the government pays rent to Habsburg to run the castle as a museum for 3 years. After 2009, Habsburg will have full control of the castle, Gardner said. The government has priority as a buyer if it can match the best offer for the castle, he said. Opposition lawmakers have claimed the government's decision to return the castle to Habsburg was illegal because of procedural errors. In recent years, the castle - complete with bats flying around at twilight - has attracted filmmakers looking for a backdrop for films about Dracula and other horror movies. Some 450,000 people visit the castle every year, Gardner said. http://brancastlemuseum.ro/ http://www.baytreecapital.com/ +===================================+ <> <> <> DVD SHOWCASE <> <> <> +===================================+ Buy your favorite DVDs @ Adventureland http://psgoods.bravehost.com +===================================+ <> <> <> NOW SHOWING <> <> <> +===================================+ DREAM A LITTLE DREAM 2 (1995) Two pairs of magical sunglasses cause problems for two pals from Cleveland living in Hollywood. Rated PG-13; Contains adult situations, language, violence. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109666/ DRIVING LESSONS (2006) A coming of age story about a teen boy. Ben's world is turned upside down by an eccentric actress. She enters Ben’s life, whisking him away on adventures. When his freedom is taken away, Ben must choose; should he conform, or be his own man? Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and some thematic material. http://www.sonyclassics.com/drivinglessons/ +===================================+ <> <> <> COMING SOON <> <> <> +===================================+ July 10, 2007 THE LAST MIMZY (2007) Two children discover a mysterious box that contains strange devices. As they play with the "toys," they display greater intelligence. A blackout then shuts down the city and the government traces the source of the power surge back to their house. Things quickly spin wildly out of control. Everyone realizes they are involved in something incredible... but what? Rated PG for some thematic elements, mild peril and language. http://www.mimzy.com/ July 10, 2007 THE ASTRONAUT FARMER (2007) As a child, Charles Farmer had one goal: to be an astronaut. Earning his degree and joining the Air Force, Farmer was a natural for NASA when a family situation forced him out. He spent the next decade building his own rocket. On the eve of the launch, a problem arises. Farmer catches the attention of the FBI, CIA, FAA, NASA and U.S. Military, all whom will do anything to shut him down. Rated PG for thematic material, peril and language. http://theastronautfarmermovie.warnerbros.com/ +===================================+ <> <> <> FUN & GAMES <> <> <> +===================================+ OH, WHAT A DAY? Brandon, my grandson was working at a pet store that offered free replacement fish to any that die. A lady called and stated that her hamster had died. The salesperson who answered the phone misunderstood her, thinking it was a fish, told her to place it in a plastic bag with water and return it so it could be replaced. The lady followed instructions to a "T" and brought her dead hamster in a bag of water and handed to my grandson and said "my hamster died." Laughing he replied, "Was that before or after you placed it in the bag of water?" <> <> <> <> <> Within two weeks of moving into a new house, the homeowner had to call an electrician, a roofer and a carpenter. One afternoon he returned early from work and saw a plumber's truck in the driveway. "Lord," he pleaded, looking skyward, "please let her be having an affair." +===================================+ <> <> <> TRADE TALK <> <> <> +===================================+ HOLLYWOOD'S BIG SUMMER TURNS HO-HUM Summertime in Hollywood is not as hot as it looked. While the 3 May blockbusters - Sony's "Spider-Man 3," DreamWorks's "Shrek the Third" and Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - have combined for $1 billion in domestic revenue, overall business and movie attendance are well below what many expected. In fact, attendance is running behind last summer's and has even fallen below that of summer 2005, a year of duds that had some analysts predicting audiences were abandoning movie houses for home theaters. With studios offer a stronger late-season lineup than normal, attendance likely will pick up and lift Hollywood to a respectable summer. Still, early forecasts of Hollywood's first $4 billion summer look like wishful thinking. Through last Sunday, the industry had pulled in $1.9 billion since the first weekend in May, according to Media By Numbers. About half of that came from the third "Spider-Man," "Shrek" and "Pirates" flicks. "... I looked at these 3 films in May and said, 'Oh, record summer,' like everyone else did," said Paul Dergarabedian, Media By Numbers president. "... You have to have a solid bullpen or backfield to support the weight of those big blockbusters to build up the overall box office." Hollywood's best summer for revenue came in 2004, when the industry took in $3.95 billion domestically for the season. Based on admission prices, which rise every year, the best summer for movie attendance was 2002, with 653 million tickets sold. Hollywood is behind both records this summer. Through Sunday, 279 million tickets had been sold, compared with 315 million in 2002. This summer's $1.9 billion in revenue is also shy of the record pace in 2004, when receipts were at $2.04 billion at this point. While revenues this season are ahead of the $1.8 billion pace during the summer of 2005, attendance is down 4 million. The summer has not been for lack of hits. Along with the big 3 blockbusters, Universal's "Knocked Up," Warner Bros. "Ocean's Thirteen" and 20th Century Fox's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" all have topped $100 million. Disney's animated "Ratatouille" and Fox's "Live Free or Die Hard" both got off to solid starts this past weekend. While there have been some underachievers such as Universal's "Evan Almighty," Sony's "Surf's Up" and Warner Bros. "Nancy Drew," Hollywood has yet to deliver an outright bomb this summer. Part of the shortfall results from high expectations for sequels, none of which have approached their franchises' highest-grossing predecessors. "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and "At World's End" all will finish above $300 million but well below the $400 million domestic gross of the best of their earlier installments. To pessimists, that creates the two-sided perception of a $300 million blockbuster also being something of a disappointment. "When we start snubbing our noses at $300 million, that's a problem," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution. Overseas, big Hollywood franchises are making up for lower grosses at home. "Spider-Man 3" is Sony's biggest hit ever with $900 million worldwide. "At World's End" has climbed beyond $900 million globally and will finish as No. 2 on Disney's all-time hit list, behind the $1.05 billion of last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." "Shrek the Third" has rolled out more slowly overseas but is edging toward $600 million worldwide, with plenty of life left outside the United States. Studio cheerleaders say there's also plenty of life left in the summer, starting with Paramount's newly released "Transformers." Still to come are "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Rush Hour 3," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," "The Simpsons Movie," and "Hairspray." That leaves Hollywood with at least one big new movie every weekend through mid-August, a time when theater business normally is petering out for the summer. "I think the second beginning of summer is right around the corner," said Viane from Disney, which closes out its summer with "Underdog" in August. "There's so many good movies coming. You've got to let summer run its course. We may just have loaded all the stuff the public wants in the back end." After the record-breaking debut of "Spider-Man 3," which pulled in $151.1 million in its first 3 days, a record summer looked inevitable. "Shrek the Third" and "At World's End" followed with $100 million-plus opening weekends. The industry and audiences nowadays are preoccupied with first weekends, when theaters are packed to the rafters for big releases. But few movies stick around in subsequent weeks the way they once did. "We're all focused on the biggest opening you can get on these films. If you don't have a $100 million opening, there's a lot of negativity, which shouldn't really be," said Nikki Rocco, distribution head at Universal. The studio delivered this summer's exception with "Knocked Up," which opened with $30.7 million but hung on to reach $122 million and climbing. With analysts and studio executives expecting a strong finish to summer 2007, the season still could go down as one of modern Hollywood's best. "I was one of the people who figured on this being a record-breaking summer, no doubt about it," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "I'm a little surprised, but I do think that it's still going to be. Maybe not in the exact formula we thought. It's still going to be up. Just maybe not as up as most thought." http://www.mediabynumbers.com +===================================+ <> <> STEALS & DEALS <> <> +===================================+ TAKE A BITE OUT OF STEEP DVD PRICES! DeepDiscount.com is dedicated to providing the Lowest Total Price alternative when shopping for DVDs, CDs, Books, and Video Games. We strive to make the process as simple as possible with fast, accurate searches, easy check-out procedures, and FREE standard delivery. http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=93094&merchantID=1175&programmeID=3706&mediaID=0&tracking=&url= A UNIQUE GIFT IDEA 4 MOVIE BUFFS MovieTexts are a totally new way to send greetings or just keep in touch. Tap in your message and we turn your words into their own little movie. Each has been crafted by an experienced filmmaker. We'll deliver it for you by e-mail or mobile phone. We can send it at any time - up to one year in the future. http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=93094&merchantID=2111&programmeID=5701&mediaID=0&tracking=&url= HOME THEATER, GAME ROOM & SNACK BAR HomeBarCentral.com is the premier site for furniture. We have thousands of products. We are dedicated to providing you the best possible customer service with great quality products at affordable prices. Free Shipping on orders as little as $49. If you would like something we do not carry please let us know. We will do our best to locate it, and even if we cannot provide it, we will tell you where you can find it. http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=93094&merchantID=2211&programmeID=5827&mediaID=0&tracking=&url= LOOK NO FURTHER 4 YOUR VIDEO GAME NEEDS! GameExpress.com is the net Online Store of Game Express, Inc., a retail chain based in the New York Metro and New Jersey area. With over 15 years of experience in video game retailing, our company has grown to more than 11 stores. We offer video games from Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance! Our mission is to offer the best prices on quality games! http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=93094&merchantID=1800&programmeID=4858&mediaID=0&tracking=&url= +===================================+ <> <> <> NEWS REELS <> <> <> +===================================+ MOORE & BORAT INSPIRED ONE ANOTHER Michael Moore looked to Borat to help muster the nerve to sail into Guantanamo Bay. Moore met Sasha Baron Cohen at Toronto International Film Festival. Cohen told Moore he had drawn inspiration from the filmmaker's documentaries and thanked him for helping to provide the courage for his own adventures. Moore told the AP, "So after I saw 'Borat,' if he says I was an inspiration for those things, I now have to up the ante for him." After seeing news reports about quality medical treatment the prison provided, Moore went there to seek care for ailing Sept. 11 rescue workers. Moore got no response from Guantanamo, so he took them to Cuba, where they received treatment. What was Moore thinking as he stood on the boat, calling through a bullhorn outside Guantanamo? Moore said, "What the hell am I doing? There's mines. This whole bay is mined... There's guard towers, there's soldiers with guns. How crazy is this?" http://www.sicko-themovie.com/ FAREWLL 2 'GMA' FILM CRITIC/REPORTER Joel Siegel, movie critic for "Good Morning America," died Friday, ABC said. Siegel (63), who got his start at the network by working for New York's WABC-TV, had battled colon cancer. "Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him," ABC News President David Westin said. Siegel was known for his sense of humor, movie acumen and sharp judgment. He never let an actor off the hook for a lackluster performance. Born in LA on July 7, 1943, Siegel graduated from the University of California, LA. He landed in New York in 1972 and worked for WCBS-TV. Four years later he jumped to WABC, cementing his reputation as a film critic over the next 3 decades. In 1981, he joined "GMA" as entertainment editor. Survivors include his son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20166201 DEVITO 2 BE HONORED @ CZECH FILM FEST Danny DeVito will receive a special award for his outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the 42nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The festival opened Friday with 14 mostly European movies. "Danny first caught the attention of Central Europeans when he performed so brilliantly in our countryman Milos Forman's masterpiece 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,'" said President Jiri Bartoska. "He has continued over the decades to challenge himself as an actor and has achieved honors not only in that field but in the fields of directing and producing as well." Award will be presented July 7. http://www.filmcenter.cz/ HARRY POTTER OPENS IN TOKYO First kisses can be tricky. Even for Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter, said Friday while in Tokyo for the premiere that it took a few takes to get over the nerves of getting the young wizard through his first on-screen kiss. And even then, he didn't really feel the magic. In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the latest in the series based on J.K. Rowling's books, Harry comes of age and has his first on-screen kiss, with longtime crush Cho Chang, played by Katie Leung. "Order of the Phoenix," a Warner Bros. release, opens in the United States on July 11 and in Britain the next day. The next Harry Potter frenzy will be the publication of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" on July 21. http://www.harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com/ http://www.jkrowling.com/ JAMES EARL JONES OPENS JULY 4 EXHIBIT The voice of Darth Vader and King Mufasa will be the voice of the Declaration of Independence. James Earl Jones was in Philly to open an exhibit featuring the Magna Carta at the National Constitution Center. He recited the Declaration of Independence at "Magna Carta: Foundation of Freedom" exhibit. The exhibit, presented by the National Education Association and sponsored by Verizon, will run from July 4 to July 25. The Magna Carta is on loan from Great Britain's Lincoln Cathedral. In addition to the Magna Carta, the 1215 document that inspired the Declaration of Independence, the center features a signed Emancipation Proclamation and the U.S. Constitution. http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ FAREWELL 2 TAIWANESE DIRECTOR YANG Edward Yang (59), who won best director in 2000 at Cannes Film Festival, has died of complications from colon cancer. Yang, an American citizen, died at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. Friday. Yang had been battling cancer for 7 years but kept his illness private. Born in Shanghai in 1947, his family moved from mainland China to Taiwan. He received a master's degree at the University of Florida and worked as a computer engineer before becoming a filmmaker. Yang favored stories set in Taiwan. Among his works are "A Brighter Summer Day," a 1991 film set in 1950s about Elvis-worshipping teen boys. He is survived by his wife, Kaili Peng and his 6-year-old son Sean. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0945981/ WOODY ALLEN 2 MAKE "BARCELONA" MOVIE Woody Allen hopes to create a portrait of the Spanish city of Barcelona on a par with his 1979 film, "Manhattan." Allen said he will begin filming July 9. The movie, starring Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, is not yet titled. The 71-year-old said he wanted to picture Barcelona "the same way I presented Manhattan to the world through my eyes." Allen said he looks forward to working in Barcelona "with great, great enthusiasm." Johansson (22) starred in Allen's "Matchpoint" and "Scoop." http://www.woodyallen.com/ FAREWELL 2 LONGTIME DISNEY ANIMATOR Longtime Disney animator Art Stevens (92), who began his career working on "Fantasia" has died. Stevens died May 22 at his home after a heart attack. Stevens applied for a job at Disney in 1939. In his early years, Stewart was an "in-betweener," who created the drawings that made the characters move on the screen after main animators outlined the scene. He worked on "Fantasia," "Bambi" and other '40s features before becoming a full-fledged animator with the 1953 film "Peter Pan." He co-directed 1977 film "The Rescuers" and co-produced and co-directed "The Fox and the Hound," which became Disney's highest-grossing film in 1981. Stevens also worked on the Disney shorts and helped animate the title sequences for live-action features such as "Freaky Friday." He retired in 1983. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828245/ TOYS 'TRANSFORM' BOX OFFICE RECORD The sci-fi adventure "Transformers" had a Tuesday haul of $27.4 million in its debut, beating a record of $15.7 million set last year by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." "It's the biggest Tuesday ever," said Mike Vollman, for Paramount. Directed by Michael Bay and based on the Hasbro toys. Cast Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Josh Duhamel and John Turturro opened in 4,011 theaters and previewed at 3,050 theaters. "...an incredible total for a Tuesday, which is just not known as a big box office day," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "The timing on this movie was perfect, with the holiday in the middle of the week. This film has 6 days plus a preview to stretch its legs." This could help Hollywood recover from a month long downturn. "This could be the movie that transforms the summer back into the blockbuster we were hoping it would be," said Dergarabedian. http://www.transformersmovie.com BOTSWANA GETS HOLLYWOOD TREATMENT Botswana welcomed a crew making a film of a popular series of detective novels set in the south African country. The film based on the series by Alexander McCall Smith is expected by Christmas. "Africa for the first time will be shown in its true warmth and welcoming spirit," Kitso Mokaila, Botswana's tourism minister, said. The film will be directed by British director Anthony Minghella. Myra Sekgororoane, CEO of Botswana Tourism Board, said Smith's books already have increased Botswana's profile, and the movie would do so even more. American producer Amy Moore said the movie had the backing of a Botswana healer, known as a sangoma. She met the sangoma, and asked him about her project's prospects. "The sangoma said to me: 'It is going to be a very long journey but a very successful journey,'" said Moore. Smith's books have been best sellers and critical successes. http://www.mccallsmith.com/ +===================================+ <> <> <> DVD NEWS <> <> <> +===================================+ We have some DVD fireworks for you. Once again we're showcasing some of the biggest new DVD announcements. The third season of 'The Office' comes to DVD on Sept. 4. This 4-disc set has deleted scenes, selected episode commentaries and Michael & Dwight's Lazy Scranton music video. The young TV sleuth lives on with 'Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season.' This 6-disc set contains the final 20 episodes as well as special features like unaired scenes, gag reel and an interview with creator Rob Thomas on what could have been in the fourth season. It arrives on DVD on Oct. 13. 'Jericho' did survive TV's grim reaper. The first season of this CBS favorite makes its way to DVD on Oct. 2. The release contains commentaries, deleted scenes, and a nuclear arms trade documentary. The Steve Austin flick 'The Condemned' will make its way to DVD Sept. 18. Bonus features include a 5-part 'making of,' video, audio commentaries and more. The NBC breakout hit 'Friday Night Lights' comes to DVD on Aug. 28. The high school football-themed drama will have deleted scenes and a documentary. Best of all, the 5-disc set will carry a discounted price. Cult classic 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars' will finally come to DVD Sept. 18. This Criterion Collection is stuffed with features such as high-def transfer, commentary with key crew members, a newly produced featurette and an informative booklet. REMINDER & NOTIFICATION EMAILS MyVideoStore.com will send you messages when the movies you want to see are available on video or DVD. REMINDERS tell you when a movie has been released. NOTIFIERS tell you about a movie's upcoming release. http://myvideostore.com/content/movies/reminder.html?client=myvideostore +===================================+ <> <> <> TECH TALK <> <> <> +===================================+ HD DVD BANKING ON NET READY FEATURE HD DVD has recently faced some head wind in its struggle to become the high-definition successor to DVD, but its supporters are playing an ace from their sleeve with the first discs that take advantage of its players' built-in Internet connections. The first Internet-enabled disc - a Japanese animated feature titled "Freedom" - was released Tuesday. Buyers who connect their HD DVD player to a broadband Internet line will be able to download a HD trailer for another movie, change menu styles and download additional subtitles. Those relatively modest Internet-dependent features will be beefed up in soon-to-be-released discs like the epic "300," due the end of July but demonstrated by Kevin Collins, Microsoft's "director of HD DVD evangelism." The HD DVD version of "300" will allow users to re-edit the movie, selecting and ordering the scenes as they see fit, and upload their edit to Warner Bros. The edit will be accessible to other users, who can download it to their players in its new form. "300" will be available on the competing Blu-ray HD disc as well, but will lack the re-editing feature and a few other extras like a strategy game, Collins said, because not all Blu-ray players can connect to the Internet. "Blood Diamond," out July 3 on HD DVD, will allow watchers to participate in polls after watching. The movie is already available on Blu-ray. Blu-ray, championed by Sony, scored a major win 2 weeks ago when Blockbuster said it would not stock HD DVDs when it expands its HD offerings next month. Blu-ray has stronger backing from Hollywood. The Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures release Blu-ray discs but not HD DVDs, while Universal Studio is the only major studio that releases HD movies exclusively on HD DVD. Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures are releasing movies in both formats. Collins downplayed the significance of Blockbuster's choice. He said Blu-ray appears to have stronger momentum now because owners of PlayStation 3 game console are buying Blu-ray movies because there aren't enough games for the device. The focus of buyers will switch back to games when more become available, he said. "We've sold more players, which is what studios are really looking at," Collins said. Toshiba had a 70 percent market share in HD players in April and May, according to NPD. The 30 percent market share of Blu-ray players does not include PS3s. Toshiba's market share has come as a result of price-cutting - its cheapest player, the HD-A2, has been selling for $299 after an "instant rebate." Toshiba has made that rebate permanent, as of July 1. Collins said Toshiba has sold 150,000 players in the U.S., of which 50,000 were sold after the rebate came into effect. Sony has responded to Toshiba's rebates with a price cut on the player it launched in June. The BDP-S300 has a list price of $499, $100 less than the company had initially announced for the device. http://www.toshibahddvd.com http://www.blu-raydisc.com TOTAL HIGH DEF DVD DISC LAUNCH DELAYED With Hollywood studios still split over competing formats for high-definition DVDs, Warner Bros. will delay the launch of a dual-format disc until next year. The studio, a unit of Time Warner, introduced its Total HD disc earlier this year as a compromise between the incompatible Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Total HD discs contain a Blu-ray copy of a movie on one side and an HD DVD version on the other. But the concept has yet to gain traction because only 2 studios produce DVDs in both formats - Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom. Warner believes other studios must embrace both formats and release at least 10 popular titles before stores would be willing to devote shelf space to the dual-format discs. That is unlikely to happen by the fourth quarter, leading the company to push back the introduction until early next year. "We need a critical mass of titles to go to retail with so they can establish a section," said Steve Nickerson, Warner's SVP of marketing. "The concept is the right concept. It is more important to execute it correctly than to execute it quickly." Warner is hoping to convince other studios that overall movie disc sales are boosted when titles are available in both formats. "You can't really use the disc until you have bought the concept that publishing in two formats is better than publishing in one," Nickerson said. A majority of studios, including Walt Disney and Sony Pictures, are squarely in the Blu-ray camp. Only Universal Studios, owned by general Electric, sells DVDs exclusively in the HD DVD format. Warner has said its double-sided disc would eliminate the need to declare a winning technology and reduce consumer confusion and fear of choosing the wrong format. Several hardware makers sell players that can accommodate both formats. The high-def discs, which offer sharper pictures and more room to hold interactive features and games, won't play on standard DVD machines. +===================================+ <> <> TIME CAPSULE <> <> +===================================+ July 1, 1934 - Federal Communications Commission replaced Federal Radio Commission as the regulator of broadcasting in the United States. July 2, 1961 - Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, ID. July 4, 1776 - The Declaration of Independence, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, was signed by John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress in America. July 6, 1928 - "The Lights of New York" was previewed in New York's Strand Theatre. It was the first all-talking movie. July 6, 2000 - In Orlando, FL, the body of Cory Erving was found in his vehicle in a pond near his families home. Julius "Dr. J" Erving had reported his son missing on June 4, 2000. July 7, 1998 - A jury in Santa Monica, CA, convicted Mikail Markhasev of murdering Ennis Cosby, Bill Cosby's only son, during a roadside robbery. +=================================+ Have you noticed our new Adventureland Friends? We lost some of our Adventureland Friends @ topica. But move to Zinester has really changed that. Very soon we will number 100+ again. Thanks for joining us. Remember the old Voting Booth? Well, I am giving it another try. Please, stop in and share your views on the survey I had proposed. Thank you for your help. http://pub39.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=3302539054 Well, that is a wrap for this week. See you soon! The end, Paul @ Reel 2 Reel mailto:advland@iwon.com?=Reel_2_Reel Make tonight a movie or game night! http://adventureland.moviefever.com Make tonight a movie or game night! http://adventureland.moviefever.com |
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