Universal 100th Anniversary Fan Tribute

I'm a little late on posting this to here. I made this tribute last year in honor of Universal Pictures centennial anniversary.

Universal has played a big role in my life starting with ET, Back to the Future and especially the Florida theme park.

2012 CAPA Summer Movie Series Announced

Here is the just released list for the 42nd CAPA Summer Movie Series presented by PNC. For more details visit the CAPA Website.


Casablanca (1942)
Friday, June 15, 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 16, 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 17, 2 pm & 7:30 pm



Goldfinger
Wednesday & Thursday, June 20 & 21, 7:30 pm



DOUBLE FEATURE
Way Out West (1936)
International House (1933)
Friday, June 22, 7:30 pm



Cartoon Capers
Saturday, June 23, 10 am



Hello, Dolly! (1969)
Saturday, June 23, 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 24, 2 pm & 7:30 pm



To Have and Have Not (1944)
Wednesday & Thursday, June 27 & 28, 7:30 pm daily


Laura (1944)
Friday, June 29, 7:30 pm


Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Saturday, June 30, 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 1, 2 pm & 7:30 pm


Adam's Rib (1949)
Thursday, July 5, 7:30 pm


FRIGHT NITE FRIDAY WITH FRITZ!
Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Friday, July 6, 7:30 pm


Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Saturday, July 7, 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 8, 2 pm & 7:30 pm


High Anxiety (1977)
Wednesday, July 11, 7:30 pm


Robin Hood (1922)
Thursday & Friday, July 12 & 13, 7:30 pm


High Society (1956)
Saturday, July 14, 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 15, 2 pm & 7:30 pm


Psycho (1954)
Wednesday & Thursday, July 18 & 19, 7:30 pm


Sixteen Candles (1984)
Friday, July 20, 7:30 pm


Cartoon Capers
Saturday, July 21, 10 am


Girl Crazy (1943)
Saturday, July 21, 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 22, 2 pm & 7:30 pm


The French Connection (1971)
Wednesday, July 25, 7:30 pm


War of the Worlds (1953)
Thursday & Friday, July 26 & 27, 7:30 pm daily


Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Saturday, July 28, 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 29, 2 pm & 7:30 pm


Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Wednesday, August 1, 7:30 pm
Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963)
Thursday & Friday, August 2 & 3, 7:30 pm


Guys and Dolls (1955)
Saturday, August 4, 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 5, 2 pm & 7:30 pm


Dinner at Eight (1933)
Wednesday & Thursday, August 8 & 9, 7:30 pm


Gaslight (1944)
Friday, August 10, 7:30 pm


Funny Lady (1975)
Saturday, August 11, 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 12, 2 pm & 7:30 pm

Through My Daughter's Eyes

For Addy.

When I started this blog a year ago, my daughter was only 15 months old. Movies were not in her repertoire. Then came her first movies.

Follow That Bird, Bolt, The Little Mermaid, Shrek and Superman.

We're at the stage now where she only likes certain scenes before she grows tired and demands for the next showing from the projectionist (me).

I still and will always remember the first time I sat with her on my lap and we watched Superman for the first time together. I had seen it millions of times before. This one was special.

I proceeded to relay to my daughter what was happening in the movie so that she would understand.

I told her that Jor-el was Superman's daddy and he was a good guy and the 3 villians, Zod, Non and Ursa were the bad guys. The Phantom Zone was of course "time out."

When young Clark kicks the football she always "oooo"'s and she yells "TRAIN" when Clark traverses the Kansas wheat fields.

 I didn't know how I would to tell her when Pa Kent suffers his heart attack. "He's sleeping." (Later my wife informed me you shouldn't relate death to sleeping. Good point) The next viewing when that camera goes wide and you see Jonathan hunch over, she repeated my same words. "He's sleeping." I cried.

And of course, the most damaging of all is all I have to do is hum those 3 notes, C, C, G, and she yells "SUPERMAN."

Having children is such a rewarding experience. But to have them love the movies you love is breathtaking. I grin from ear to ear thinking of the days when she'll be old enough to watch Back to the Future, Jaws, A Clockwork Orange....strike that last one.

Do you remember...

I know it's been a while since I've posted. It's been hectic with school starting back up and I'd rather post quality than quantity.

Anywho, more and more lately I've been having vivid flashbacks to when I was younger. A lot of them related to movies.

The sights, sounds, surroundings, feelings rush at me and emotionaly knock me over.

For example:

Casper was released on May 26, 1995. I don't remember seeing it in theaters but I do remember that the VHS came out in October of that year. It was the stretch between Halloween and Christmas when I remember my Sundays were spent after homework was done, the fireplace crackling, following my then crush, Christina Ricci and Casper on their adventure at Whipstaff Manor. Never did I ponder that I'd be thinking about those moments 15 years later.

First off, Hook is not a bad movie. I'm not certain if people are turned off by Peter Pan growing up or what. Music is wonderful by John Williams. Yes I may be biased because it's a Spielberg film but there are worst movies. Hook will be celebrating it's 20th Anniversary in December of this year. I remember going to see this in a theater in Chillicothe with my dad and sister, who now that I think about it was only 4 1/2 at the time. I wonder if she remembers. Anywho, I remember the theater was down a hill and the roads were wet from snow that had fallen. When we went in, it was light out, but something happened that when we left it was twilight. I sit here writing and I feel that something about that was magical to me.

Finally, the E.T. VHS came out on October 27, 1988. The casing was black with the top shield being green. I thought that was totally awesome that they did that for the movie because of E.T's home, the Green Planet. Turns out it was to detect counterfeit tapes. Pepsi also ran promotions with the video release. I have somewhere in my collection a cutout from a 12 Pack Pepsi case, featuring a drawn Elliott and E.T. whisking away from the moon. I rode my back around the neighborhood, Spring of 89' thinking I was being followed. I would lift up on the handle bars, hoping I would soar into sky.

On the negative side, the thing I remember about seeing "Hitch" was that I broke up with an ex the next day.

My point is we can remember a movie and like, love or hate it. But there is so much more.

So think about it. Think about a favorite movie or the first time you saw a film. What do you remember?

TRAILER: WAR HORSE (2011)

From director Steven Spielberg comes “War Horse,” an epic adventure for audiences of all ages. Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, “War Horse” begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.

“War Horse” is one of the great stories of friendship and war— a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the great directors in film history. Music by John Williams and produced by Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy. (Synopsis provided by Dreamworks)

And there's no aliens.

Set to open December 28, 2011