Eat, Pray, Love Reviews

Wow.

Have you ever been to a movie that was sold out? On August 17th, our group found out! The 6:30 showing of Eat, Pray, Love at the Oxford was the most-well-attended screening they've had in two years. There were almost no empty seats (which unfortunately led to our group being split up) and the movie started late due to the long lines.

But what did our moviegoers think? While there were a range of reactions, the most common comment was "long." Understandable, given the two hours and 15 minutes run time.

• Excellent movie - you cannot go wrong with Julia - Rhonda W
• I didn't hate it. Could I, too, be a discontented WASP-y love-phobe? - John W
• Loved it. This movie touched a personal space in my heart; it came at the right time. Lesson learned. - Karen C
• Scenery was beautiful. Julia was beautiful. What else can I say? Bellisimo. - Dianna P
• Too long, I fell asleep! - Sue A
• Overall it was good but long. I liked Italy and India but not Bali. - Laurie M
• Liked her assertiveness but felt that there were too many stereotypes of certain countries (like the elephant). - Sara
• Good movie. Makes you really think. A little too long. - Mary
• I really enjoyed this movie so much! Tears, smiles and feel relaxed. Thank you. - Tammy P
• I love it! - Ken B
• Prophetic! - Martin T
• Balance. Watch. This. Movie. - Les C
• hot! Hot! Hot! - K. W.
• Scrumptious, romantic, sweet and funny, funny, funny. - Mary Kate A
• Some good messages almost lost in a long movie. - Richard S
• More Bali, less India. - Brad A
• Eat. Pray. Love. Sleep. - Doug B

Thanks to everyone who came out. See you in September!

Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog & Serenity

On Friday, August 13th, Hal-Con hosted an late-night screening of Joss Whedon's Serenity, preceded by a big-screen showing of the very popular Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Hal-Con was also nice enough to give us two free tickets to give away to the screening.

Doug B won our contest but generously gave his tickets to boyfriend Richard S. Here's Richard's review:

"Having seen both “Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog” and “Serenity” before, I went to the theatre, roommate in tow, prepared to be delighted and entertained by the double feature. When I arrived at the theatre, there was already a sizable line of expectant movie-goers waiting for admittance. Rather than being an off-putting experience, it added to the anticipation. Most people attending were talking amongst themselves and had obviously seen at least one, if not both, of the movies before. Die-hard fans could be spotted by their Jayne Hats – garish knit toques with ear-flaps made to look like the hat a character in “Serenity” received from his mother in one episode of the TV series “Firefly”- or dressed as their favourite character.

The event was well attended, with few empty spots in the upper tier of seating. The organizers were good natured and provided pre-show entertainment, singing “The Ballad of Jayne Cobb” accompanied by the ukelele. Free t-shirts were also lobbed at the crowd, which resulted in a particularly athletic display as one patron vaulted over the railing for the stairs in order to secure some swag for himself.

The first movie, Dr. Horrible, began with a cheer from the crowd, many of whom chanted “Play!” as the DVD menu was projected on the screen. A goodly proportion of the audience also sang along as Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion once more surprised me with their singing abilities. If you've seen Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog before, you can take it from me that seeing it on big screen makes it that much better. If you haven't, then I totally suggest that you go out and watch it so you can realize how much you missed out.

After Dr. Horrible, there was a brief intermission where the audience was briefly decimated by the need for concession and bathroom breaks. The opening credits for “Serenity” were also met with a great cheer from the crowd. After seeing “Serenity” now for the third time in theatre and the umpteenth time in total, I'm still not certain what my favourite part is. Summer Glau's character, River, has got to be one the biggest highlights. She goes from an unusual and unsettled young girl whose only response to a high-speed chased culminating in a near-crash experience is to say that she swallowed a bug, to an unusual young girl who can totally kick some ass. The writing is also in contention for favourite part of the movie. The banter between the characters and the juxtaposition of that humour with a bleak situation makes for an entertaining movie. The cast also helps to maintain the suspension of disbelief necessary for science fiction. Their chemistry is such that you can easily let yourself believe in the story for that hour and a half."

Well said.

Thanks again to Hal-Con for giving us the tickets!

Find out more about the Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Comic Convention (starting October 29th at the Lord Nelson) via:

• Hal-Con's Web site
• Hal-Con's Twitter
• Hal-Con's facebook page

Our August 17th outing is...

Out @ Eat, Pray, Love

With 54%, Eat, Pray, Love is a clear winner. The competition still pulled in respectable numbers (Scott Pilgrim vs the World with 27% and The Expendables with 19%) but clearly the majority want to see Julia Roberts star in what is sure to be a blockbuster based on the best-selling novel.

Big change this month: We're going to the Oxford! While in the past, we've always gone to Park Lane, we can change things from time to time.


When: Tuesday, August 17th; movie starting at 6:30.
Where: Oxford Theatre (6408 Quinpool Road) . We'll meet outside - look for the guy in glasses and an orange ball cap. We'll head in to grab snacks and seats at 6. If you arrive a bit late: we'll be aiming for the balcony.
How much: Only $5.99 for tickets!
Who: You, me and our friends! Feel free to invite your friends! You can also RSVP to the facebook event.
What: Tim Hortons. That's where we'll head after the movie - it's just across the street. This is your chance to chat with your fellow moviegoers and write up reviews for the blog!

---

Eat, Pray, Love

Cast: Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem, Tuva Novotny, Ali Khan, Lidia Biondi, Arlene Tur

Plot: Liz Gilbert had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having -- a husband, a house, a successful career -- yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/eatpraylove/

Trailer:

See you at the cinema!


Kirk

Win Two Tickets to Serenity!

Hey moviegoers and film fans!

What are your plans for the night of Friday, August 13th? How would you like two free tickets to see the movie Serenity at Park Lane at 11 pm? That can be done. Read on for details on the first-ever Out @ the Movies ticket giveaway!

First: who's giving away the tickets? Well, the fine folks at Hal-Con, of course! HAL-CON is a not-for-profit association that will be holding a Science Fiction/ Fantasy/ Comic/ Gaming convention in Halifax on October 29 to 31, 2010 at the Lord Nelson Hotel. They've been hosting a wide variety of screenings and other special events during the summer to build interest.

On Friday, they'll screen Serenity; the movie follow-up to the acclaimed (but short-lived) TV series Firefly. Does that mean you had to watch the TV show to understand the movie? Heck, no! The movie's accessible to all with a great cast and, oh, did I mention, written and directed by Joss Whedon?!

That's right: the guy behind Buffy and Angel! Which means you know you can expect sharp writing and biting dialogue.

Take a look at the trailer:

And here's a summary on the plot:
Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family--squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal. When Mal takes on two new passengers--a young doctor and his unstable sister--he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Hunted by vastly different enemies, they begin to discover that the greatest danger to them may be on board Serenity herself.

Oh and there's some "internet sensation" thing called Dr Horrible's Sing-Along screening before the movie. It would appear that gay fave Neil Patrick-Harris is in that. Huh.

Okay, got your interest? Here's how the contest will work:

1. Guess a number between 1 and 200.
2. E-mail your name, phone number and guess to halifax.out.movies@gmail.com.
3. Only one entry per e-mail address. Entries must be received by 6 p.m. AST on Thursday, August 12th.
4. The person who comes closest to the number (without going over - just like The Price is Right) wins! In the event that two people submit the same guess, whoever submitted it first wins.
5. Winner* will be announced on Thursday evening.
6. The winner will be contacted to confirm if they are able to attend. If not, the person who was second closest wins.
7. Winner will pick up their tickets from the Hal-Con volunteers on the night of Friday, the 13th.

For those of you who aren't lucky enough to win, you can still attend! Tickets are only $6 and can be purchased in advance (cash only) at Strange Adventures, Quantum Frontier and the Last Game Store. You can also purchase them online or at the door.

To find out more about the screen and Hal-Con, check out:

• The official facebook event
• Hal-Con's Web site
• Hal-Con's Twitter
• Hal-Con's facebook page

So, get guessing!

And take a look at what that asterisk next to "Winner" up above meant:
*Please note - Winner must agree to:

• Have their name and image published on this blog and related electronic media (e-mail, facebook, Twitter, etc).
• Write a short review of the movie-going experience; both the movie itself and the experience. Said review to be submitted by e-mail no later than Sunday the 15th.

Love the Expendable Pilgrim

The reign of summer blockbusters continues!

Our August movie night (Tuesday, August 17th) is fast approaching. So it's time to get to voting! This month we have three choices, all of which come out on Friday, August 13th:

• Eat, Pray, Love; a romantic "finding yourself" drama
• Scott Pilgrim vs the World; a comic-book influenced love story/action flick
• The Expendables; pure action

Take a moment to read a little bit about each and then cast your vote! Voting will close on Tuesday, August 10th.

Eat, Pray, Love

Cast: Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem, Tuva Novotny, Ali Khan, Lidia Biondi, Arlene Tur

Plot: Liz Gilbert had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having -- a husband, a house, a successful career -- yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/eatpraylove/

Trailer:

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Alison Pill, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Satya Bhabha

Plot: Scott Pilgrim has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It's getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who broke his heart-and now is back in town-to the teenage distraction he's trying to shake when Ramona rollerblades into his world, love hasn't been easy. He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes controls her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor.

Web site: http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/

Trailer:

The Expendables

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Giselle Itie, Eric Roberts, David Zayas, Steve Austi

Plot: "The Expendables" is a hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. Once the mission begins, the men realize things aren't quite as they appear, finding themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal. With their mission thwarted and an innocent life in danger, the men struggle with an even tougher challenge - one that threatens to destroy this band of brothers.

Web site: http://expendablesthemovie.com/

Trailer:

Cast your vote here:

(Can't see the poll? Go to http://poll.fm/24grm)