[Avon-theatre-news] AVON THEATRE NEWS 4/11/08

Skip Huston Skip at TheAvon.com
Wed Apr 9 13:10:19 EDT 2008


AVON THEATRE NEWS & VIEWS
Showtimes, Programs, Erudition and Miscellaneous Folderol 
WEEK OF FRIDAY, APRIL 11th  thru THURSDAY, APRIL 17th ONLY!! 
"All of Life's Answers are in the Movies!"  -Prof.Skippito Hustonovitch
Check out our cool website at: www.TheAvon.com 

OPENING FRIDAY: 
BELLA (PG13) LIMITED ENGAGEMENT!! A MOVIE YOU WILL RAVE ABOUT!!

CONTINUING:         
LEATHERHEADS (PG13) GEORGE CLOONEY - RENEE ZELLWEGER!! 
NIM'S ISLAND (PG) JODIE FOSTER - GERARD BUTLER - ABIGAIL BRESLIN!!

COMING SOON FOR SPRING & SUMMER!!
APRIL 25th: BABY MAMA
MAY 2nd: IRON MAN
MAY 9th: WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...
MAY 22nd: INDIANA JONES 4
MAY 30th: SEX AND THE CITY
JUNE 13th: THE HAPPENING
JUNE 20th: GET SMART
JULY 18th: THE DARK KNIGHT
JULY 18th: MOMMA MIA!
JULY 25th: THE X-FILES SEQUEL
AUG 2nd: HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
AUG. 2nd: THE MUMMY--Part 3
...and more to be announced soon!!
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BELLA (PG13) I heard about this movie many times over the past few months... It even played a sparsely-attended run at the "other guys" some time back...Then, when Decatur St. Mary's hospital booked their annual movie fest for their major contributors, and specifically requested BELLA to be shown, I started to get interested... St. Mary's sponsored an additional showing last Saturday morning to a sold-out Twins #2, and now I was REALLY interested! I waited to see what people thought of the film, and, let me tell you: They LOVED IT! Oddly enough, we had a hole on our schedule for the 11th, and I got the (hopefully) brilliant idea to bring in BELLA for one-week-only! This is a film with heart, folks. It is about love and family and redemption. I hope you will come and see it for yourself! ONE-WEEK-ONLY (unless you come in droves and change my mind about that one too!).
BELLA (PG13) 
(Showtimes in brackets are $5.50 'Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (4:00) - 7:00
SAT & SUN: (1:00) - (4:00) - 7:00
MON, TUES & WED: 6:15
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LEATHERHEADS (PG13) What other George Clooney movie has a visual reference to the Decatur Bears?? The character Renee Zellweger plays also states she is from "Champaign, Illinois", but we'll let them toot their own horn... The box-office analysts were buzzing on Monday that this was not as big at the box-office as had been hoped, and gave the reason for that as it "skewed to boomers and seniors" as opposed to the "all-important teenagers and young adults" HELLO???? Let me tell you, folks: If I have to consider only the teenagers and young adults as "all important", I am not interested in doing this any longer, see? THE AVON considers ALL OUR CUSTOMERS as "all important", and that ethos does not necessarily fit into the pigeon hole these Hollywood idiots think we should be concentrating on... 
(Gee, maybe that's why we did so much better on LEATHERHEADS than the "other guys"?? 'nuff said?)
Here is an old-fashion screwball comedy of the kind they don't make any more! Think Preston Sturges or Frank Capra (if you don't know who they are, you need to enroll immediately in my Richland film classes in order to save your immortal soul!) 
See it at THE AVON, where we appreciate the 'boomers and seniors!
LEATHERHEADS  (PG13) 
(Showtimes in brackets are $5.50 'Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (5:00) - 8:00
SAT & SUN: (2:00) - (5:00) - 8:00
MON thru THURS: 7:00
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NIM'S ISLAND (PG) Man, is this one a lot of fun! It's about time that Jodie Foster lightened up a bit, and Gerard Butler is such a huge up-and-comer, I think the ladies would watch him in virtually anything! Add to that Abigail Breslin (that "Little Miss Sunshine" girl) and you have all it takes for a great time at the movies for the entire family! This has elements of ROMANCING THE STONE, in that it involves an author who writes adventure novels, but is not in the least connected to her two-fisted character. This was #2 at the national box-office last week, but it should have been #1!!(So, should have LEATHERHEADS!) 
NIM'S ISLAND (PG)
(Showtimes in brackets are $5.50 'Bargain Matinees") 
FRI: (4:15) - 7:15
SAT & SUN: (1:15) - (4:15) - 7:15
MON, TUES & WED: 6:30
THURS: 7:15
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CHARLTON HESTON R.I.P.
BEN-HUR changed my life.
I remember in 1959, my late-father took our family up to Chicago so my Mom and sister, Stephani, could do some shopping, and he and I could have some father/son bonding... We went to the enormous Michael Todd Theater to see BEN-HUR in its original roadshow presentation. 
Important movies used to be "hard ticket" attractions, and played for a few months in the big cities before making their way to towns like Decatur...

It was right then and there that my love for the "epic" movie was forever born!
Seeing that spectacular panorama on the huge screen, with the cast of thousands, and the gargantuan sets (that were NOT computer generated) not only profoundly affected me then, but has carried over to this day in the way in which we promote the "biggest screens" at the Avon.

-And, BEN-HUR has been in my "Top Ten" favorite movies ever since!

Today, my 12 seat basement theater (ironically in the same house where I lived as a kid back in 1959 when I first saw BEN-HUR) boasts several large posters from not only the 1959 BEN-HUR, but the 1926 silent version, and the Victorian-era stage-play from the pre-movie days.

CHARLTON HESTON, to me, was the epitome of the hard-chiseled legendary hero!

Heston's mammoth 1961 movie EL CID is another of my "Top Ten" favorites...
His portrayal of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar ("El Cid"), medieval Spain's greatest national hero, elevated his ability to make historic icons into flesh and blood, yet larger-than-life people, to an art that has never been equaled.

So many memories from that silver screen...
-Heston as Moses in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS stretching that staff out over the Red Sea as he intones in that magnificent voice "Behold his mighty hand!", and the waters part with a divine power... 
-Heston as Judah Ben-Hur rowing into battle as a galley slave, determined to not show any exertion as his Roman captors test him...
-Heston as El Cid forcing King Alfonso VI to swear on a huge bible that he had no complicity in his brother's murder...
-Heston as Michelangelo, in THE AGONY & THE ECSTASY, stubbornly taking his own sweet time to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling while an imperious Pope Julius II rants and raves down below the scaffolding...
-Heston as Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson, a role he would play twice; once in 1953's THE PRESIDENT'S LADY and again in 1958's THE BUCCANEER, silently contemplating and fondly remembering his recently dead wife in THE PRESIDENT'S LADY...
 
The only other possible actor working today who is capable of playing such historic figures is Russell Crowe, yet even though his talents are staggering, he is a far cry from having Heston's unique talent for portraying towering characters with such verisimilitude.

Not to mention Heston was an Illinois boy!

Farewell, Mr. Heston.
We won't see your like again on this earth...
But we will have you forever in the movies!
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Here is the official announcement of Avon pals Troy  & HavenTaylor's new store in downtown Decatur!
Prairie Fire 
Grand Opening Celebration April 19! 
Join us on Saturday, April 19 for a grand opening day for Prairie Fire, 
the new retail store in downtown Decatur!!
Hours: 12 - 5 PM
228 West Main Street in downtown Decatur
(across from the Salvation Army offices)
(217) 424-1600
Here's some words about Troy and Haven Taylor's NEW store:
      Our new retail store, Prairie Fire, will officially open for business on Monday, April 14! Feel free to stop in anytime and be sure to join us on Saturday, April 19 for our Grand Opening celebration at the new store! Our open house event will include a book signing with author Troy Taylor, a drawing for a free gift basket of special items from the store, samples of some of our gourmet and hard-to-find dips, salsas and other items, and more. We'll look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 19 for this exciting afternoon! 
      What can you expect to find at Prairie Fire?
      * Specialty teas, bulk teas, organic teas and a selection of tea-related gifts
      * Gourmet food items, including dips, sauces, vinegars and more
      * Bulk and packaged herbs & spices, seasonings and medicinal herbs
      * A wide selection of hot foods, including salsas, spices, sauces & rubs
      * Pastas, mixes and other food items
      * Natural soaps and Zum bars from Indigo Wild
      * The complete line of Whitechapel Press books
      * Tickets for the Haunted Decatur Tours
      * And much more! 
     
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BIG NEWS!!!
NOW AVAILABLE IN OUR CONCESSION STAND!!
We have promised it for years, and now it is really happening!
You can now buy some of our incredible popcorn flavors pre-bagged!!

Look for the display tree in both of our lobbies for...
The return of MR. POPCORN!! (Sue and I's Gourmet Popcorn line from Oregon in 1985)
Try some of our wild flavors and get hooked on such delicious unlikely popcorns as...
GREEN APPLE POPCORN
CHOCOLATE POPCORN
VANILLA POPCORN
WATERMELON POPCORN
COCONUT CREME POPCORN
TOFFEE POPCORN
BANANA SPLIT POPCORN (Mix of Banana, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Cherry)
ORANGE POPCORN
BLUE RASPBERRY POPCORN
THE AVON'S OLD-FASHIONED CARAMEL CORN
...and our popular CHEEZE POPCORN FLAVORS!!

AVAILABLE ONLY AT THE AVON THEATRE!!
(and soon to be available at the new store "Prairie Fire" too!)
And, yes, folks: It is made right on the premises too!!
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Come See Me Soon!
I'll Be Watching for YOU!!

-Skip Huston


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