[Avon-theatre-news] AVON NEWS, OCT. 9th, 2009

[Skip Huston]

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW MIDNIGHT SHOWS
NEXT FRIDAY & SATURDAY!! $10 TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!
AVON THEATRE NEWS & VIEWS 
Showtimes, Programs, Erudition and Miscellaneous Folderol 
"All of Life's Answers are in the Movies!"  -Dr. Skippy P. Huston
WEEK OF FRIDAY, OCT. 9th thru THURSDAY, OCT. 15th ONLY!!  
Check out our way cool website at: www.TheAvon.com

OPENING FRIDAY: 
COUPLES RETREAT (PG13) Vince Vaughn and a great cast in a rollicking comedy about "marriage encounter"!!
SURROGATES (PG13) Bruce Willis in a good sci-fi actioner from the Phillip K. Dick novel!
                       
CONTINUING:
THE INFORMANT! (R) If you haven't seen it yet, you better get to it!!!...4th HUGE WEEK!!


COMING SOON:
*OCT. 16th & 17th: MIDNIGHT SHOWS OF "ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW"!!
OCT. 16th: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (G) From the beloved children's book! Finally on the screen!
OCT. 23rd: AMELIA (PG13) Hilary Swank & Richard Gere in the acclaimed bio-pic of Amelia Earhart!
OCT. 30th: CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (PG13) Michael Moore's new docu-opinion piece!! Ready to get ANGRY???
*HALLOWEEN NIGHT: FREE SHOWINGS OF TWO HORROR CLASSICS: "The Wolfman" & "Black Sunday"
NOV. 6th: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (G) Jim Carrey's new version!! WHY PAY HIGH 3D PRICES??? See it at The Avon!!!
NOV. 6th: COCO BEFORE CHANEL (PG13) The French sensation starring Audrey Tautou!!
NOV. 6th: THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (PG13) George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and more in a side-splitter!!
NOV. 20th: NEW MOON   (Part 2 of the Twilight Saga!!!) Talk about a monster hit!!!
NOV. 25th: OLD DOGS (PG13) John Travolta and Robin Williams!! This will be HUGE!!!
...and LOTS more!!
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COUPLES RETREAT (PG13) The always fun VINCE VAUGHN heads a great ensemble cast including JASON BATEMAN and KRISTEN DAVIS in a wild and funny look at a "marriage encounter" resort, and all the attending hilarity that comes from 4 very diverse couples seeking therapy for their marriage. It's a good setting for some real laughs!
COUPLES RETREAT  (PG13) 
(Showtimes in brackets are $5.75 'Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (4:15) - 7:15 
SAT & SUN: (1:15) - (4:15) - 7:15
MON thru THURS: 7:15
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THE INFORMANT! (R) Ok, MATT DAMON is about to take his leave of Decatur, so you better hurry! This has been here for 4 record-setting weeks now, but all good things have to end sometime! You need to see this at least twice to "get" much of the sly humor (and to look for friends of yours in the background scenes). As one patron told me: "See it once for the story, then see it more for the background". I couldn't agree more!
You won't be lukewarm about this. You'll either really like it, or you really won't!
BUT, you can't make a decision based on "what you have heard" from other people, SEE FOR YOURSELF!!
THE INFORMANT! (R)
(Showtimes in brackets are $5.75 'Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (4:00) - 7:00
SAT & SUN: (1:00) - (4:00) - 7:00  
MON thru THURS: 7:00
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SURROGATES  (PG13) Occasionally, I let my friend (yes, really) LEONARD MALTIN weigh in on a movie that I think has not been given a fair enough coverage, so here we go...Take it way, Leonard!

SURROGATES - The way the folks at Disney are treating this film you'd think it was a turkey; it's anything but. It may not be as hard-hitting or provocative as District 9, but it's still science-fiction with some real thought behind it. The setting is the near future; people have grown lazy and now send sophisticated, good-looking robots out into the world to live their lives for them. As a result, crime has been virtually wiped out-until now. A renegade has gotten hold of a high-tech weapon that's not only killing surrogates but their "controllers" as well. FBI agents Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell-or rather, their surrogates-set out to solve the case, and immediately begin to discover skeletons in various closets. Ving Rhames plays a character called The Prophet, who leads a band of holdouts that reject the idea of surrogates, believing that people are surrendering their very humanity. Meanwhile, Willis has issues of his own at home with a wife (Rosamund Pike) who refuses to participate in their marriage, allowing her surrogate to take over completely. 
The notion that technology has run ahead of morality is both timely and intriguing; that's one reason Surrogates is so interesting. But the reason the movie works is that it's primarily interested in offering a good story with plenty of action and visual effects; the message follows along. I'm not familiar with the graphic novel (by Robert Venditi and Brett Weldele) that inspired this movie, or how closely the screenplay (by Michael Ferris and John Brancato) adheres to it, but my curiosity has been piqued. There are some aspects of the plot that might have been explored more fully; with a bit more effort this could have been a great film, instead of merely a good one, but on the whole I think Surrogates accomplishes what it sets out to do. Bruce Willis does a fine job in what is essentially a dual role: as the surrogate, sporting a toupee and waxy skin, and as the world-weary man behind the avatar who wants to feel things first-hand again, even if that process causes him pain. 

A friend recently told me that the trailer made this movie seem like a cross between Westworld and The Matrix. It isn't. In fact, I'd call it an original; that's why I enjoyed it. 
-LEONARD MALTIN (used with permission)

SURROGATES  (PG13) 
(Showtimes in brackets are $5.75 'Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (5:00) - 8:00 
SAT: (2:00) - (5:00) - 8:00
SUN: (2:00) - (5:00)
MON thru WED: 6:30
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NEW FILM CLASSES START THURSDAY, OCT. 15 @ 6:30 PM.
"8 Great Movie Directors" - WKS 8833
Sect. 01:  Thurs., Oct. 15 - Dec. 3

Time:  6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Instructor:  Skip Huston

Cost: $80

Location:  Avon Theatre, Downtown, Decatur, IL

Join film historian and Avon theater owner, Skip Huston, in a look at 8 of our greatest film directors and what elements are indigenous to their films!

Screened will be a prime, full-length movie example of the director's work and a detailed introduction and discussion of the filmmaker's career. 

Towering movie greats like Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Cecil B. DeMille, Ridley Scott, and Michael Mann are being contemplated! As is always the case, the movies to be shown are never divulged beforehand!



Contact the Continuing and Professional Education Division at Richland Community College to register by calling 875-7211, Ext. 265 or you can register the night of class with a Richland official.

JOIN US AT THE AVON at 6:30 ON THURSDAY, OCT. 15th to ENROLL!! (Be there a little early if you need to sign-up).
(Flyers are available in our lobbies now!)
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Grand groovy guy, and Decatur radio icon, ORV GRAHAM is back on the air on Sunday mornings from 8 AM to 12 noon on 95.9. If you are longing for some easy listening music and some good local talk, give Orv a twirl!
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If you have not experienced THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW the way the Avon does it, with the Millikin Shadow cast up on the stage acting out the movie, and leading the crowd in dancing and responses, you need to do this at least once in your life! 
You may get hooked! 
Remember: Costumes are encouraged, but please, if you tend to be on the "prudish" side, you must prepare yourself for a lot of scantily-clad people!
It's all part of the ritual, and, as they all say: "What happens at 'ROCKY HORROR', stays at 'ROCKY HORROR'"!!!
Prop bags will be available for purchase at the door, and security will be checking to make sure you do not bring any props that are not allowed. (Basically no outside food).
The shows are FRIDAY, Oct. 16th and SATURDAY, Oct. 17th at MIDNIGHT!
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE AT OUR BOX-OFFICE!!
ONLY $10, for a Decatur Halloween tradition!!!
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at THE AVON!!!!

Come See Me Soon, Folks!!
-Skip Huston
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