Since I am a giant dork with lots of free time on my hands, I go see a bazillion movies. One may be thinking, though, where I see such a variety of films. So this post is all about the theaters I frequent. Hey, it's 1:25 am right now. This is as exciting when it comes to news.
The Harris Theatre is located on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Along with the Regent Square Theatre in Edgewood and the Melwood Screening Room in Shadyside, The Harris helps comprise Pittsburgh Filmmakers, an organization dedicated to the preservation and education of film. The Harris and Regent Square only have one screen, but they showcase some great foreign films as well as some interesting documentaries. I most recently saw Meg Ryan's new comedy Serious Moonlight and the Japanese vampire flick Thirst as part of the Three Rivers Film Festival at the Regent Square Theatre. The Harris has an awesome balcony to sit in as well.
The Southside Works Theatre is located, well, in the Southside Works. I like how the theatre is located right alongside other stores and restaurants such as Urban Outfitters and the Cheesecake Factory. The lobby is really small and you have to take the stairs or escalators to get up into the actual theaters. Escalators always make things a lot more fun. They used to have a fun circular couch in the center of the downstairs lobby, but I guess they took it out because people like yours truly jumped on it too much...this picture may, or may not, be used as evidence!!!
The Squirrel Hill Theatre and the Manor Theatre are probably my favorite theatres in the city because they are located in my favorite neighborhood, Squirrel Hill. The Manor is a four-screen theatre on Murray Avenue (i.e. the top of the hill), whereas The Squirrel Hill is a six-screen theatre located on Forward Avenue (i.e. the bottom of the hill). Both showcase their fair share of independent films, but the Squirrel Hill tends to play more mainstream flicks. Since both are owned by the same company (Cinemagic), they also share movies (it is quite routine for a movie to get passed from the Manor to the Squirrel Hill after a few weeks of release). It is definitely worth a trip to experience a charming area of the city.
Finally, we have AMC Loews Waterfront Theatre located in Homestead. AMC has a whopping 22 screens (I have probably seen movies in all of them, let's be honest), and a concession stand roughly the size of my house. If you have seen pictures of me on Facebook, more than likely I am sitting at the Waterfront. I LOVE this theatre because it is gigantic and they have a full restaurant and bar upstairs known as the Loews Club Restaurant and Lounge (drunken Mamma Mia! sing-a-long anyone?). In addition to playing a huge variety of movies on an innumerable amount of screens, they can play 3D movies and recently installed an IMAX screen. I think my favorite part about this theater is that they play a lot of midnight shows as well as host a ton of events. Every time I see a Harry Potter movie at midnight, I see it here. The annual Best Picture Showcase (they show all 5 Best Picture nominees back to back the day before the Academy Awards) may not happen this year because there will be ten movies instead of the usual five.
I hope that was illuminating!!!
Since I am a giant dork with lots of free time on my hands, I go see a bazillion movies. One may be thinking, though, where I see such a variety of films. So this post is all about the theaters I frequent. Hey, it's 1:25 am right now. This is as exciting when it comes to news.
The Harris Theatre is located on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Along with the Regent Square Theatre in Edgewood and the Melwood Screening Room in Shadyside, The Harris helps comprise Pittsburgh Filmmakers, an organization dedicated to the preservation and education of film. The Harris and Regent Square only have one screen, but they showcase some great foreign films as well as some interesting documentaries. I most recently saw Meg Ryan's new comedy Serious Moonlight and the Japanese vampire flick Thirst as part of the Three Rivers Film Festival at the Regent Square Theatre. The Harris has an awesome balcony to sit in as well.
The Southside Works Theatre is located, well, in the Southside Works. I like how the theatre is located right alongside other stores and restaurants such as Urban Outfitters and the Cheesecake Factory. The lobby is really small and you have to take the stairs or escalators to get up into the actual theaters. Escalators always make things a lot more fun. They used to have a fun circular couch in the center of the downstairs lobby, but I guess they took it out because people like yours truly jumped on it too much...this picture may, or may not, be used as evidence!!!
The Squirrel Hill Theatre and the Manor Theatre are probably my favorite theatres in the city because they are located in my favorite neighborhood, Squirrel Hill. The Manor is a four-screen theatre on Murray Avenue (i.e. the top of the hill), whereas The Squirrel Hill is a six-screen theatre located on Forward Avenue (i.e. the bottom of the hill). Both showcase their fair share of independent films, but the Squirrel Hill tends to play more mainstream flicks. Since both are owned by the same company (Cinemagic), they also share movies (it is quite routine for a movie to get passed from the Manor to the Squirrel Hill after a few weeks of release). It is definitely worth a trip to experience a charming area of the city.
Finally, we have AMC Loews Waterfront Theatre located in Homestead. AMC has a whopping 22 screens (I have probably seen movies in all of them, let's be honest), and a concession stand roughly the size of my house. If you have seen pictures of me on Facebook, more than likely I am sitting at the Waterfront. I LOVE this theatre because it is gigantic and they have a full restaurant and bar upstairs known as the Loews Club Restaurant and Lounge (drunken Mamma Mia! sing-a-long anyone?). In addition to playing a huge variety of movies on an innumerable amount of screens, they can play 3D movies and recently installed an IMAX screen. I think my favorite part about this theater is that they play a lot of midnight shows as well as host a ton of events. Every time I see a Harry Potter movie at midnight, I see it here. The annual Best Picture Showcase (they show all 5 Best Picture nominees back to back the day before the Academy Awards) may not happen this year because there will be ten movies instead of the usual five.
I hope that was illuminating!!!
My goal this year was too see more movies in the theater than I did last year. Last year, I saw 181 movies. I didn't think it was possible, but I am steadily on my way to beating my own goal.
I currently stand at 174 movies for the year 2009. I have yet to see everything that came out in wide release last week (The Blind Side, Planet 51--I know, I know), and I am going to see The Road the moment I finish Cormac McCarthy's book. I think I should be able to surpass my personal best before December even starts...
My goal this year was too see more movies in the theater than I did last year. Last year, I saw 181 movies. I didn't think it was possible, but I am steadily on my way to beating my own goal.
I currently stand at 174 movies for the year 2009. I have yet to see everything that came out in wide release last week (The Blind Side, Planet 51--I know, I know), and I am going to see The Road the moment I finish Cormac McCarthy's book. I think I should be able to surpass my personal best before December even starts...
New Moon broke The Dark Knight's single day box office record. Are you planning on seeing this teenage vampire love story? If so: Team Edward or Team Jacob?
I'm not big on tough yet worthless decisions. Two guys, one girl...hmmm, I know what can remedy this!
There's been a lot of talk about MTV's new show Jersey Shore set to debut on December 3rd as being offensive to both Jersey-ites and Italian-Americans. As if we in the Garden State don't catch enough flak already, thank you MTV for another batch of pseudo-entertainment. I honestly don't worry about people trashing my home state anymore because I've been around the country to know there's people from Jersey everywhere. I'll probably wind up watching this piece of garbage too, and I bet half of the people are really from Philly like they were in MTV's recent True Life: Jersey Shore. Does anyone else notice the startling similarities between the casts of this show and VH1's Tool Academy 2? I know I'm splitting hairs but that show was hilarious.
I have been wary to review The Twilight Saga: New Moon on here for a few days simply because it will only end in a bitter diatribe. I am going to give it a go...
I will say that I gave the first Stephanie Meyer book, Twilight, a go last year, but Meyer's unintentionally funny dialogue made it harder than treading through a fresh snow drift. I feel the first book lacks any sort of tension or depth. It is just a badly written romance for teenage girls who are looking for something to occupy their short attention spans.
After only a year, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is developing an aging complex. When you are dating the west coast's hottest vampire, you are natually going to start reaching for anti-wrinkle cream. Edward (Robert Pattinson providing supporting work next to his massive hair) reassures he will love her no matter what she looks like but, being Bella Swan, literature's newest self-proclaimed "complex heroine, she has her doubts.
Bella cuts her finger at her birthday party, sending Edward's brother Jasper into a frenzy for her blood. Soon after, Edward tells her that he cannot be with her anymore because, despite his incessant promises of protection, Bella will eventually get hurt somehow, someway. This sends Bella on the most ridiculous recovery process ever committed to film. She screams and writhes in bed because she NEEDS him...she rides motorcycles with strange men because she NEEDS him...she constantly sees his face everywhere she goes because THEY ARE THE DESTINED TO BE TOGETHER!!! They ARE Romeo and Juliet!!!
Bella begins bonding with Jacob Black (the perpetually shirtless Taylor Lautner), a neighborhood boy who has secrets of his own. She is afraid of getting too close to him because she is supposed to be with Edward (even though he basically broke his promise and abandoned her--you Twilighters are aware of this, right?) and because she would be giving in to statutory rape.
In case you have been living under a rock, I will break the news that Jacob is a wolf. Not even something cool like a legimate werewolf who lives the tortured existence of turning into a monster at a full moon. Just a guy who grows large and hairy when he gets really, really angry. No offense Mr. Lautner, but I have seen more deeply rooted anger at my family reunions. But hey! I am glad to see you beat the odds and beefed up bigger than pickup truck! And may I just say, that when I attended the packed midnight show, that the audience only reacted to the impressively built Lautner, not Pattinson. Your 15 minutes of fame is currently clocking in at 14:45, Mr. Pattinson, just an FYI.
I am going to close with this. You girls are smarter than the shit you are reading. Go home and breed your potential!!!
I have been anxiously awaiting the poster for Nine and they are finally here!
The Weakerthans' video for "Sun In An Empty Room" is one of my favorites in recent memory. It features the once-booming and affluent North End of Winnipeg, a city that reminds me so much of Asbury Park in how a traumatic handful of years can be devastating for decades. Oh, and the song is pretty good too. The first time I listened to it I was driving just outside of Washington D.C. during sunset, it was perfect.
