Getting ready for Twilight

If you’re not already aware of it, get ready for the next big book to movie phenomenon (like the Harry Potter series) that will be huge for tweens.   The excitement for Twilight has been growing for months, from the hundreds of fan sites to the now rapidly increasing sales of tickets.

Twilight opens early Friday morning at 12:01am.

Just like other highly anticipated movies before it, there are midnight shows already selling lots of tickets… but this presale and marketing extravaganza may see numbers that approach those of The Dark Knight.

For example, as of today, Celebration! Cinemas in West Michigan is already reporting 2,000 tickets sold for midnight shows in their circuit of theaters in Grand Rapids.    In a press release, Ron VanTimmeren, Vice President of Programming for Celebration! Cinema says “We expect that number will nearly double by Thursday afternoon.  We will continue adding shows to ensure there is a seat for everyone.” When its all said and done, the theater chain expects to sell out 10 midnight shows in the area.

Twilight is a PG-13 romantic/horror/thriller based on the #1 New York Times Best-Selling book series (more than 17 million books in print) by Stephenie Meyer about a teenage girl who risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire.

Twilight is directed by Catherine Hardwicke

The movie stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke

“Twilight” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

Poster and New Photos from the set of “The Steam Experiment”, now in post-production

"The Steam Experiment" filmed in Grand Rapids, set for a 2009 release

Its been awhile since I’ve had an update on the first movie I’ll be able to follow from its rumors, to announcement, to shooting in Grand Rapids, to a chance to go on-set, to the eventual release of the film.

So here they are, the poster and new photos for the suspense/thriller “The Steam Experiment” from the production company (Cinepro Pictures).

The photos show Val Kilmer in his role as “Jimmy” who takes his ridiculed theories on global warming to a deadly extreme, creating “The Steam Experiment” - and turning up the heat on his subjects.

Most of the photos are from on the set inside the turkish bath shot on set at Deano’s in Grand Rapids… with Eve Mauro, Patrick Muldoon, Quinn Duffy and Megan Brown.  Eric Roberts and Cordelia Reynolds (not pictured) are also Jimmy’s unsuspecting victims.

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“Role Models” is funny, dirty, and charming all at the same time… this was a fun “R” rated comedy… imagine an older Steve Stifler (”American Pie”) and an unmarried Pete (“Knocked Up”) then mix in two great young actors and a bunch of low-brow but funny jokes and gags with a nice, albeit predictable storyline… and you get your money’s worth (at least for a matinee)…

AGAIN, I HATE TO HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT THIS MOVIE HAS AN “R” RATING… while this was not as potentially offensive as “Zack and Miri”, it should be noted that I continue to see young kids (under 10) at these movies…. don’t say I haven’t tried to warn you….

“Role Models”

(2008) (rated: R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity) (1 hr, 39 min)

Starring: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Elizabeth Banks, Jane Lynch

Genre: Comedy/Raunchy-Comedy

The Plot: Wild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program.

MY TAKE:

Okay, its nice to get back to the funny and less offensive “R” rated comedies… (more…)

Some changes are coming next for a Grand Rapids movie theater… there are a lot of rumors out there… but here’s what we know at this point:

** Studio 28 will be eliminating some matinees starting Monday, November 3rd **

A spokesperson tells me that’s because “Studio has a centalized location and has had to share its part of the matinee market with the other theaters for a few years now.”   Steve VanWagoner says “we do 90 percent of our business at Studio during evening shows”.  

So starting next Monday, November 3rd - Studio 28 will begin eliminating two matinees each day Monday through Friday, one matinee on Saturday, and one on Sunday.

But, there is some good news for movie fans: during the week, the shows between 5pm and 6pm will still be considered matinees.

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” number one again at weekend box office

New movies last Friday: “Body of Lies”, “City of Ember”, “Quarantine”, “The Duchess” (wider release)

“Quarantine” was 2nd - more than making up its entire $12 million budget in one weekend… which is good because it was disappointing to a lot of viewers, so its numbers ARE GOING TO DROP NEXT WEEKEND… 
“Body of Lies” (15 to see this Fall/Holiday Season) should have opened stronger given the cast of Crowe and DiCaprio, but the subject matter may have kept some away…
“The Express” was 6th - perhaps because the general public didn’t realize it was about more than just college football… 
“City of Ember” made about what I thought it would when I first saw the trailer, but I thought last week’s success of another family movie (”Chihuahua”) would have helped it to higher than 11th place…. 
“The Duchess” move into wide release moved it up from #20 to #9.

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):

1. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $17.50 million
(2nd week, 2nd week at #1, lost 40% of its audience from last week)

2. “Quarantine” - $14.21 million (1st week)

3. “Body of Lies” - $12.88 million (1st week)

4. “Eagle Eye” - $10.91 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 38% of its audience from last week) (more…)

Looks like Hollywood is coming to a Howell School… apparently producers hope William H. Macy will join the cast… the deal means thousands of dollars for the school district, but the subject matter has at least one parent concerned

CLOSED SCHOOL OPEN FOR MOVIE MAKERS

Last week, word coming from Howell Public Schools that they reached a deal and the school board approved to lease a school - Parker High School that has been closed for months - for the filming of a medium-budget/ independent movie called “High School”.

Parallel Media of Studio City, California is the production company making the movie.

Filming of the $9.5 million budget movie could begin in late October… and is expected to last three months.

The Livingston Community News reports: “The Howell School District estimates its budget will get a revenue boost of about $120,000 from the film production company that will spend three months creating a movie in the district’s unused Parker High School…. the district will receive $15,000 a week for the 12 weeks the production company will use the facility.”

Parker High School was built after voters approved a 2003 bond issue but was used for just the 2007-2008 school year and closed because the district couldn’t afford to run both it and Howell High School.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

You may remember a deal that fell through for Grand Rapids (more…)

“CHERRY” SET TO BEGIN FILMING IN KALAMAZOO LATER THIS MONTH

Independent Film will also be a learning experience for Kalamazoo College and WMU students

We’re learning this week that principle photography for “Cherry”, a feature-length movie will be filmed on the campuses of Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, with other scenes filmed at various locations around Kalamazoo.

Filming is set to begin later this month and go for about 24 days.

MICHIGAN TAX INCENTIVES ATTRACTED THE PROJECT

According to a press release, the movie’s writer and director Jeffrey Fine says “We were attracted to Michigan because of the new tax incentives offered to filmmakers.   Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University provide the perfect combination of picture postcard looks and high-tech facilities that our script requires. Plus, educators and local officials have been very supportive of our production goals.”

WEST MICHIGAN COLLEGE STUDENTS WILL BE INVOLVED IN PRODUCTION

The release says Students from Kalamazoo College and WMU will fill roles in front of and behind the camera during the filming of “Cherry”.

Fine says “We intend to (more…)