[Avon-theatre-news] AVON THEATER NEWS---JAN. 27th, 2012

[Skip Huston]

WEEK OF FRIDAY, JAN. 27th thru THURSDAY, FEB. 2nd  ONLY!! 
Check out our way cool website at: www.TheAvon.com
NOTE: PLEASE PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE ABOVE EFFECTIVE DATES FOR 
THIS NEWSLETTER!!  

Click this link: http://www.facebook.com/TheAvonTheatre
OPENING:

 THE ARTIST (PG13) 10 Oscar nominations including "Best Picture'!!
CONTINUING:
 THE IRON LADY (PG13) 2 Oscar nominations including "Best Actress" for MERYL STREEP!!

 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG13) 2 Oscar nominations including "Best Picture" Tom Hanks & Sandra Bullock!!
COMING SOON:
 YOUNG ADULT (R) Charlize Theron & Patrick Wilson in a highly-anticipated "dramedy"!!

 THIS MEANS WAR (PG13) Reese Witherspoon juggling two dangerous men! Opens Valentine's Day!

 SAFE HOUSE (R) Denzel Washington & Ryan Reynolds!!

+++++++++++++++++++

THE ARTIST (PG13)
NOMINATED FOR 10 OSCARS INCLUDING "BEST PICTURE"!!
As we do sometimes, here is the bona fide Avon fan LEONARD MALTIN'S review of THE ARTIST:

THE ARTIST reviewed by LEONARD MALTIN
If Michel Hazanavicius’ 'The Artist' were merely an homage to silent films, it would be easy to dismiss as an amusing stunt. But his hand is so sure, his actors so engaging (and engaged), that the movie plays as well as any other picture made this year—if not better. Leading man Jean Dujardin, who was named Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, has charisma to spare, and his perky leading lady, Bérénice Bejo, is a perfect match. 'The Artist' is an utterly charming film that earns its audience’s support the old-fashioned way. 

Hazanavicius and his star have worked together before, on the James Bond parody OSS 117 and its sequel, OSS 117: Lost in Rio. If you glance at the trailers for those popular French films online you’ll see that Dujardin’s stock-in-trade is a cocky attitude and a winning smile. In 'The Artist', he is called upon to delve beneath the surface of that personality, and does so in a way that seems as effortless as his mile-wide grin. Bejo brings warmth and shading to her performance as a girl who works her way up the ladder in Hollywood as Dujardin’s star begins to fade with the coming of talkies. (She patterned her performance after flapper-era Joan Crawford, while he studied Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.)



The attention paid to finding authentic Los Angeles locations and the casting of supporting roles and bit players who seem to fit the period have all paid off handsomely. Costars John Goodman and James Cromwell hit just the right notes, and never overplay their parts. The highest compliment I can pay Hazanavicius is that there were times when I forgot I was watching a brand-new movie. By LEONARD MALTIN (used with permission)
Ok, this is the BIG one!!
A more definitive "Avon movie" you will never find!!
(And pay close attention to the music playing in the theater before the movie starts, this is a special mix of bona fide music from the 1920's era, put together just for the Avon crowd!)

THIS IS ANOTHER "AVON EXCLUSIVE", FOLKS!!

‘The Descendants’ is the best movie I’ve seen this year. I hope hordes of people go to see it…and that it inspires other filmmakers.
Watching a film as mature, moving, original and unpredictable as ‘The Descendants’ renews my faith in American movies, and reaffirms Alexander Payne’s status as one of our most gifted storytellers. He has also bestowed the gift of an exceptional role on George Clooney, who gives the best performance of his career. Clooney can be a charmer, but here he embodies a character devoid of that trait. He’s a successful lawyer in Hawaii who, as he freely admits, has become so consumed by work that he has neglected his wife and two daughters. Fate intervenes when his wife is injured in a water-skiing accident that puts her in a coma. Overnight, he is forced to become a full-time father to his alienated teenage daughter (Shailene Woodley) and her younger sister, who needs to be sheltered from the dire news about her mom. In the midst of this, Clooney also has to make a momentous decision about a huge parcel of virgin land on the island of Kauai that is owned by his large, diverse family. The challenge in describing the film is that it doesn’t neatly fit into any pigeonhole. It’s a serious movie that happens to have a sense of humor, because Payne and his collaborators see the absurdity in everyday existence. They know that life can turn tragic in the blink of an eye and an encounter between two characters can play out as high drama or be undercut by humor. That’s one of the qualities that distinguishes all of Payne’s movies and makes this one so special. (The screenplay was first developed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from a little-known novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.)Hawaii is more than just a backdrop for the story; it is part and parcel of the characters’ lives, which becomes clearer as the story progresses. That’s not to say that there aren’t breathtaking beauty shots peppered throughout the film; they help us understand what this island paradise means to the people who live there full-time and call it home.Although he’s inevitably described as “director Alexander Payne,” it is his writing, usually in collaboration with Jim Taylor, which helps define the filmmaker’s sensibilities. While he’s not above making fun of his characters (think of the hapless schoolteacher played by Matthew Broderick in ‘Election’, or the often-clueless Jack Nicholson in ‘About Schmidt’) he never trivializes them. There is an unexpectedly funny moment in ‘The Descendants’ in which Clooney, fired up with rage, impulsively runs to a friend’s house…but because he’s wearing flip-flops, the dramatic impetus for the scene is somewhat defused by audience laughter at the sheer incongruity of the moment. That’s Payne in a nutshell. Clooney’s character isn’t a bad person; he’s imperfect, like most of us, and in the face of some extraordinary challenges, he tries to summon his better self. That’s what I love about ‘The Descendants’: it makes us reflect about how we conduct our lives, and how we might strive to be better.‘The Descendants’ is the best movie I’ve seen this year. I hope hordes of people go to see it…and that it inspires other filmmakers. Watching a film as mature, moving, original and unpredictable as ‘The Descendants’ renews my faith in American movies, and reaffirms Alexander Payne’s status as one of our most gifted storytellers. He has also bestowed the gift of an exceptional role on George Clooney, who gives the best performance of his career. Clooney can be a charmer, but here he embodies a character devoid of that trait. He’s a successful lawyer in Hawaii who, as he freely admits, has become so consumed by work that he has neglected his wife and two daughters. Fate intervenes when his wife is injured in a water-skiing accident that puts her in a coma. Overnight, he is forced to become a full-time father to his alienated teenage daughter (Shailene Woodley) and her younger sister, who needs to be sheltered from the dire news about her mom. In the midst of this, Clooney also has to make a momentous decision about a huge parcel of virgin land on the island of Kauai that is owned by his large, diverse family. The challenge in describing the film is that it doesn’t neatly fit into any pigeonhole. It’s a serious movie that happens to have a sense of humor, because Payne and his collaborators see the absurdity in everyday existence. They know that life can turn tragic in the blink of an eye and an encounter between two characters can play out as high drama or be undercut by humor. That’s one of the qualities that distinguishes all of Payne’s movies and makes this one so special. (The screenplay was first developed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from a little-known novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.)Hawaii is more than just a backdrop for the story; it is part and parcel of the characters’ lives, which becomes clearer as the story progresses. That’s not to say that there aren’t breathtaking beauty shots peppered throughout the film; they help us understand what this island paradise means to the people who live there full-time and call it home.THE ARTIST  (PG13)
(Showtimes in brackets denote $5.75 "Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (4:00) - 7:00  
SAT: (1:00) - (4:00) - 7:00
SUN: (1:00) - (4:00)
MON thru THURS: 7:00
+++++++++++++++++++

EXTREMELY LOUD and INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG13)
NOMINATED FOR 2 OSCARS INCLUDING "BEST PICTURE"!!

Oskar (Thomas Horn) is convinced that his father (Tom Hanks), who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, has left a final message for him hidden somewhere in the city. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock) and driven by a relentlessly active mind that refuses to believe in things that can't be observed, Oskar begins searching New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key he found in his father's closet. His journey through the five boroughs takes him beyond his own loss to a greater understanding of the observable world around him.
‘The Descendants’ is the best movie I’ve seen this year. I hope hordes of people go to see it…and that it inspires other filmmakers.
Watching a film as mature, moving, original and unpredictable as ‘The Descendants’ renews my faith in American movies, and reaffirms Alexander Payne’s status as one of our most gifted storytellers. He has also bestowed the gift of an exceptional role on George Clooney, who gives the best performance of his career. Clooney can be a charmer, but here he embodies a character devoid of that trait. He’s a successful lawyer in Hawaii who, as he freely admits, has become so consumed by work that he has neglected his wife and two daughters. Fate intervenes when his wife is injured in a water-skiing accident that puts her in a coma. Overnight, he is forced to become a full-time father to his alienated teenage daughter (Shailene Woodley) and her younger sister, who needs to be sheltered from the dire news about her mom. In the midst of this, Clooney also has to make a momentous decision about a huge parcel of virgin land on the island of Kauai that is owned by his large, diverse family. The challenge in describing the film is that it doesn’t neatly fit into any pigeonhole. It’s a serious movie that happens to have a sense of humor, because Payne and his collaborators see the absurdity in everyday existence. They know that life can turn tragic in the blink of an eye and an encounter between two characters can play out as high drama or be undercut by humor. That’s one of the qualities that distinguishes all of Payne’s movies and makes this one so special. (The screenplay was first developed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from a little-known novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.)Hawaii is more than just a backdrop for the story; it is part and parcel of the characters’ lives, which becomes clearer as the story progresses. That’s not to say that there aren’t breathtaking beauty shots peppered throughout the film; they help us understand what this island paradise means to the people who live there full-time and call it home.Although he’s inevitably described as “director Alexander Payne,” it is his writing, usually in collaboration with Jim Taylor, which helps define the filmmaker’s sensibilities. While he’s not above making fun of his characters (think of the hapless schoolteacher played by Matthew Broderick in ‘Election’, or the often-clueless Jack Nicholson in ‘About Schmidt’) he never trivializes them. There is an unexpectedly funny moment in ‘The Descendants’ in which Clooney, fired up with rage, impulsively runs to a friend’s house…but because he’s wearing flip-flops, the dramatic impetus for the scene is somewhat defused by audience laughter at the sheer incongruity of the moment. That’s Payne in a nutshell. Clooney’s character isn’t a bad person; he’s imperfect, like most of us, and in the face of some extraordinary challenges, he tries to summon his better self. That’s what I love about ‘The Descendants’: it makes us reflect about how we conduct our lives, and how we might strive to be better.‘The Descendants’ is the best movie I’ve seen this year. I hope hordes of people go to see it…and that it inspires other filmmakers. Watching a film as mature, moving, original and unpredictable as ‘The Descendants’ renews my faith in American movies, and reaffirms Alexander Payne’s status as one of our most gifted storytellers. He has also bestowed the gift of an exceptional role on George Clooney, who gives the best performance of his career. Clooney can be a charmer, but here he embodies a character devoid of that trait. He’s a successful lawyer in Hawaii who, as he freely admits, has become so consumed by work that he has neglected his wife and two daughters. Fate intervenes when his wife is injured in a water-skiing accident that puts her in a coma. Overnight, he is forced to become a full-time father to his alienated teenage daughter (Shailene Woodley) and her younger sister, who needs to be sheltered from the dire news about her mom. In the midst of this, Clooney also has to make a momentous decision about a huge parcel of virgin land on the island of Kauai that is owned by his large, diverse family. The challenge in describing the film is that it doesn’t neatly fit into any pigeonhole. It’s a serious movie that happens to have a sense of humor, because Payne and his collaborators see the absurdity in everyday existence. They know that life can turn tragic in the blink of an eye and an encounter between two characters can play out as high drama or be undercut by humor. That’s one of the qualities that distinguishes all of Payne’s movies and makes this one so special. (The screenplay was first developed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from a little-known novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.)Hawaii is more than just a backdrop for the story; it is part and parcel of the characters’ lives, which becomes clearer as the story progresses. That’s not to say that there aren’t breathtaking beauty shots peppered throughout the film; they help us understand what this island paradise means to the people who live there full-time and call it home.EXTREMELY LOUD and INCREDIBLY CLOSE  (PG13)
(Showtimes in brackets denote $5.75 "Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (5:00) - 8:00
SAT: (2:00) - (5:00) - 8:00
SUN: (2:00) - (5:00)
MON thru THURS: 6:15
 +++++++++++++++++++

THE IRON LADY (PG13) 
NOMINATED FOR 2 OSCARS INCLUDING "BEST ACTRESS"!!
The Iron Lady is a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century's most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world. 
THIS IS ANOTHER "AVON EXCLUSIVE", FOLKS!!
THE IRON LADY (PG13)
(Showtimes in brackets denote $5.75 "Bargain Matinees")
FRI: (5:15) - 8:15
SAT: (2:15) - (5:15) - 8:15  
SUN: (2:15) - (5:15)
MON, TUES & WED: 6:30
(No Thursday Showing) 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

RANTS, RAVES & RAMBLINGS FROM THE HEAD HONCHO
We've certainly been on a "roll" for the past few months, folks!
Yes, with only 3 screens to program we have to make some brutal sacrifices in our film choices...
Sometimes, a few of the films we have to skip we get back to later for a special week or two "fill in", and sometimes we never get back to them at all...

It is definitely a challenge to have only 3 screens!

But, then there are the times the planets are all in position, and we pull off some amazing coups!

This week with our EXCLUSIVE offering of the muti-award winning and 10 Oscar nominated THE ARTIST, we have continued a streak that started with THE HELP last summer, and continued with important films like THE DESCENDANTS, WAR HORSE, THE DEBT, THE IRON LADY, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, J. EDGAR & EXTREMELY LOUD and INCREDIBLY CLOSE to name just a few highlights.
And, think about THIS: Most of those films were EXCLUSIVE to THE AVON!!! (That means the local competition no gots them!)

On another front, our new expanded menu offerings in the Avon Twins, along with our new lounge-type seating in the Twin's lobby, is all a part of an ongoing "evolution" the Avon complex started back in 1999 when I first envisioned re-opening the long-closed old Avon Theater. 

It'll be 14 years in April of this year that I thought there was a better way to run a theater in Decatur, and even though the media lately seems to expend barrels of ink on the misfortunes and missed opportunities of a certain "other" local theater project, I guess the best testimonial to the Avon is what you are reading right here...

The Avon Theater IS ALIVE & HEALTHY!
Thanks to YOU! 
++++++++++++++++
Come See Me This Weekend!!
I'll be looking for ALL of YOU!!
-Skip Huston  
+++++++++++++++
NOTE: The parking garage across from the Avon will be closed to non-ADM
people after this weekend from Mon thru Fri 6 AM to 5 PM.
This should not affect us at all, except for the parking for Friday matinees, and there is plenty
of parking on BOTH sides of Water Street now (with no meters!).




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