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<DIV><FONT color=#ff0000 size=5 face=Impact><U>AVON THEATER EXTRA!
EXTRA!</U></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT size=3 face=Tahoma>Hiya, Folks!!</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Just in case you missed the FOUR STAR review in this
morning's Decatur Herald & Review, and have not heard the rave reviews all
over the country for this extraordinary new movie starting today at the Avon,
here is Avon-fan Leonard Maltin's very positive review!<BR><BR>...And just so I
make the case one more time: We will offer this in incredible, eye-popping 3D,
and the regular 2D. The 3D has a $2.00 upcharge, and the 2D is at regular
prices. <EM>(Keep in mind those "other guys" charge a whopping $3.50 3D
upcharge!)</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>I strongly recommend seeing this in 3D! The 3D is a very
important part of the overall experience!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>Trust me on this one. This is the 3D you were wowed by in
AVATAR, HUGO, and THE LIFE OF PI; this is not some cheap-o post-conversion 3D,
like so many these days. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>If you are can, choose the 3D version on this
one!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma>-Skip</FONT></DIV>
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face="Times New Roman"><EM></EM></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>GRAVITY reviewed by Leonard
Maltin<BR></DIV></STRONG></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><EM>Gravity</EM> is a knockout. It’s also a rare
example of a mainstream movie that defies pigeonholing. It is science-fiction?
Yes, in the broadest sense, but it’s the fundamental human story that matters
most. Is it a showcase for dazzling visual effects? Yes again, but they exist to
illustrate (as seamlessly as possible) the main character’s journey, not to show
off a lot of cinematic bells and whistles. Is it a highbrow think-piece in the
tradition of <I>2001: A Space Odyssey</I> or simply a piece of entertainment?
The answer is simple: it’s both. Co-screenwriter Jonás Cuarón says he wanted to
take audiences on a thrill ride but admits that he and his father (director and
screenwriting partner Alfonso Cuarón) were thinking in larger, metaphoric terms
as well.<BR></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P><FONT
face=Arial><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></O:P></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>In many ways the most important
ingredient in <I>Gravity</I> is Sandra Bullock. Without her movie-star charisma
and everywoman relatability, the film wouldn’t work nearly as well as it does.
It is essential that we identify with her character and connect with her
roller-coaster swell of feelings as she finds herself adrift in outer space. I
hesitate to describe her adventure any further, as I think audiences should
experience the journey for themselves.<O:P></O:P></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>George Clooney is ideal as her
lighthearted partner in the space mission; his casting is as canny as Bullock’s.
Cuarón counts on the friendly, familiar personas of these stars to make us feel
comfortable as we begin our odyssey into the unknown.
<O:P></O:P></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>It takes a supremely confident
filmmaker to trust his content (and cast) by shooting long, unbroken takes, but
that is the visual hallmark of this daring film. Cuarón doesn’t feel the need to
show off, and he knows that Bullock and Clooney will hold our attention. (I
can’t wait to see the making-of documentary to learn how he and cinematographer
Emmanuel Lubezki accomplished their goals, using unprecedented techniques and
custom-made machinery.<O:P></O:P></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><I>Gravity</I> is a genuine original
in every possible way: involving and immersive, moving and memorable. It’s
definitely worth seeing in 3-D, although the real dimensionality lies in the
concept and the screenplay as much as any photographic technique.
<O:P></O:P></STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>For once, at least, the hype over a
new Hollywood movie is justified.</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Leonard Maltin (used with
permission)<O:P></O:P></STRONG></FONT></P></BODY></HTML>