Chitown And All Around: movie screenings

Showing posts with label movie screenings. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Movie Screening: The Good Dinosaur

With the hub bub of life, I haven't been able to take the time to watch all the awesome movies that have been coming out. Luckily I have really awesome friends and family that don't mind taking my place :p. Everyone please welcome the lovely Kim C. as she takes over as today's guest blogger!

"The Good Dinosaur" asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo (voice of Raymond Ochoa) makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

Initially when I saw the preview of Good Dinosaur, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought it might be similar to a rendition of the Dinosaur movie back in 2000; I must say I was hugely mistaken. This was basically based on the idea that the meteor that eradicated all dinosaurs missed the planet therefore dinosaurs continued to live. It’s a heartwarming story about the relationship between a dinosaur named Arlo and a cave boy named Spot fighting through external forces of nature and surviving. My daughter also watched it and when I asked her to describe the movie, she said it took her on an emotional roller coaster but in a good way.

I have to say one of the best things about this film is how realistic everything looked - from the shrubbery to the waterfalls to the movement of each character right down to the details of the Arlo’s skin and Spot’s hair. It was pretty amazing! But that’s Pixar for you; they put in a lot of detail into all their movies.

Like a lot of animated movies, the humor is really set for adults but the kids seemed to enjoy it. There was a particular part that was made specifically for adults. It seemed like all the adults in the theater were dying of laughter including myself. My daughter on the other hand leaned over to me and asked, “What’s going on?” I’m not going to tell you exactly what happened but just to give you an idea Arlo and Spot accidentally ate hallucinogenic berries. It was pretty hilarious!

This movie is another great addition to the Pixar collection! Would me and my daughter watch this again? Absolutely!

Directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream (“Cars 2”), Disney•Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” opens in theaters on Nov. 25, 2015.

Website: http://movies.disney.com/the-good-dinosaur

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Friday, May 1, 2015

Movie Screening: Avengers: The Age of Ultron

The moment I saw the trailer for the new Avengers movie, I knew I had to see it ASAP. The first Avengers movie locked me with all the action and attention to detail so I knew this follow-up movie was going to be epic. For those of you who missed all the excitement, here's a little synopsis for you:

"Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jump start a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision."

This movie had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. It was completely entertaining from start to finish. I was definitely expecting all the action, but I was thoroughly surprised at how often I actually laughed throughout the movie as well. In this follow-up series you can feel the bond amongst the crew. It's as if they were like siblings in a way, bickering every so often and poking fun at their "brother". The wittiness and light - hearted spirit kept the movie fun and entertaining. To me, it even helped bond with the characters a little more. The thing I liked the most about the spunky dialogue was that it was so family-friendly. There were movies in the past that I've taken JAM to and the sly sarcasm and jokes would go right over his head. It was a nice change of pace to get to giggle together and recap the scenes after the fact.

As easy as it is to choose Captain America, Hulk, or Iron Man as the fan favorite, JAM and I both agreed that Hawkeye captured our hearts this time around. I know that you're reading this thinking we're crazy. Honestly, Hawkeye stepped forward with his fancy bow and arrow right into the shiny spotlight. He naturally was always looked at from the shadows or as a sidekick but I really loved how his character shined in the Age of Ultron. You'll have to check it out if you don't believe me. Overall, JAM's movie favorite was the Maximoff siblings. Their powers of speed and mind manipulation had JAM floored. Plus, they're like the new "shiny toys" of the movie so I can't blame him.

The Avengers return in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” on May 1, 2015.

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Comment below and let me know what you thought of the movie!

Friday, May 30, 2014

Movie Screening: Disney's Maleficent

JAM and I got invited to attend an advanced screening of Disney's newly anticipated movie, "Maleficent". I can't say that I'm a wild fan of Angelina Jolie, but Disney hasn't really shown the villain's point of view so I was intrigued. Disney made me fall in love with their movies once again with their last popular movie release of "Frozen" so I couldn't wait to see what they had lined up next. Here's a quick synopsis for you:

"Maleficent" explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

Disney has done it once again with this movie. Without giving too much away, I appreciate that Disney has gone back to their roots and has created movies that I feel will turn into classics. For being a movie about a villain, it wasn't as dark of a movie as I anticipated. It was a great balance between evil, action, and humor. However, I think that this movie is better suited for kids JAM's age (ages 6+) mainly because some of the action scenes can get a little intense for the wee ones. My BFF loves taking her nieces and nephews to the movie theater and I did mention that last year's "Oz the Great and Powerful" movie was a lot darker and scarier for the little ones in my opinion. So, if your kiddos were able to handle Mila Kunis' Wicked Witch character, then they'll be just fine watching "Maleficent".

Disney's "MALEFICENT"..L to R: Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites)..Photo Credit: Film Frame..©Disney 2014

It's been a long time since I've watched "Sleeping Beauty", but I do remember the gist of it all: Princess Aurora has fairly godmothers that care after her, but Maleficent puts a curse on her where Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle and put her into a deep sleep that can only be broken my her true love's kiss. "Maleficent" referred back to that whole aspect throughout the whole movie, but after looking back at the movie as a whole, this untold story was more beautiful and magical than you could ever imagine. It shows a side of Maleficent that I never knew about, and it tells the tale of the delightful relationship that Aurora and Maleficent actually had. Angelina Jolie did an amazing job showing the villain side of Maleficent, but also wore her heart on her sleeve when needed. You felt her pain, her happiness, and her determination. Her sarcastic quirkiness throughout the whole movie just made it all come full circle and was the icing on the cake to make me fall in love with her character.

Out of all the characters, however, JAM's favorite was Diaval, Maleficent's right hand man. He was a simple raven that Maleficent can change into a human or various animals with her magic. JAM loved watching Diaval transform throughout the movie, especially into a fire-breathing dragon. The coolest thing that I loved about this character is that even though Jolie's character changed this raven into various animals, it kept it's raven-like features so it was understood that it was still Diaval. For example, Jolie's character transformed Diaval into a horse. He had all the features of a horse but he was black in color, he had a feather-like texture instead of horse hair, and his head had distinct features of a raven. All the transformations were executed wonderfully and Sam Riley did a great job balancing out Maleficent's personality throughout the whole movie.

Maleficent opens nationwide TODAY! JAM and I both give it two thumbs up, and I already can't wait until this movie comes out on DVD. Go see it!!

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Have you seen it yet? Tell me what you think below!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Movie Screening: Delivery Man

Man! This winter there are some pretty awesome movies being released! When I first saw the previews for "Delivery Man" starring Vince Vaughn, I was a little intrigued by the storyline. Originally based off the screenplay "Starbuck", Vince Vaughn plays the affable underachiever David Wozniak, whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become. 533 kids?! JAM is an only child and is a handful within itself. I can't imagine waking up one day and finding out that I'm the biological parent to 533 children. I was offered press passes to see the advanced movie screening for this movie but all opinions in this post are completely my own. To switch it up a little, Lil' Sis tagged along for the ride.

If you've seen Vince Vaughn films in the past, you'll understand when I say this movie is definitely "Vince Vaughn humorous". He has that awkward hilarity to him where you can't help but laugh at his random facial expressions or interesting one-liners. Here's one of my favorite scenes from the movie that my little sister and I can't stop quoting:

My sister and I were literally laughing every five minutes throughout the movie. Lil' Sis is NOTORIOUS for falling asleep during movies, but there was so much going on in this movie that she actually managed to stay awake until the end (which says a lot). I admit, there were a good amount of scenes that were fairly predictable. However, it still didn't take away from the excitement of the scene once it occurred. Even though the movie was comical throughout, it was still a heartfelt, feel-good movie. We were definitely rooting for Vince Vaughn as he took on the journey of parenthood head on. As a mommy I know how scary being a first-time parent could be so I could only imagine how David Wozniak felt when he found out he was a dad (x 533). Thankfully, David had his bff/lawyer Brett, played by Chris Pratt, to help him through it all. Brett definitely added that extra comical oomph in the movie, helping give David that parental perspective he was seeking. Lil' Sis and I had a blast attending this advanced movie screening. I definitely recommend "Delivery Man", especially for a cute date night out. On a side note, right when I got home from the movie screening, I asked Mahal if he'd even donated his sperm to any sperm banks in the past (I doubt it, but you never know haha). Of course he said no and looked at me like I was crazy.

"Delivery Man" is NOW PLAYING!

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What would you do if you or your spouse found out they were the biological parent to 533 children?

Friday, November 8, 2013

Movie Screening: Thor - The Dark World

I honestly have not seen the first Thor movie that came out so when JAM and I were invited to see a press screening of "Thor: The Dark World", I was a little worried that I'd have a hard time following this new movie. The only background information I knew about Thor was from what I've seen in The Avengers movie and from whatever JAM told me about Thor. For all of you newbie's out there, here a synopsis of the second Thor movie in the series:

Marvel’s "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s "Thor" and "Marvel’s The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. To defeat an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor sets upon his most dangerous and personal journey yet, forced into an alliance with the treacherous Loki to save not only his people and those he loves…but our universe itself.

I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. I'm not a major super hero buff, but having a 7 year old son, super heroes are kind of hard to avoid. Like I've said before, the only Marvel movie I've ever taken interest to was "Marvel's The Avengers". "Thor: The Dark World" was comical yet action-packed. There were so many twists and turns throughout the movie that it definitely kept you on your toes. This movie is shown in Digital 3D and RealD so JAM and I wore those neat theater glasses. The graphics of the movie were breathtaking, especially in scenes where they are visiting Thor's home of Asgard. I remember sitting in the theater wishing that I could be the gatekeeper of Asgard for a day just to witness the beautiful views. When it comes to Natalie Portman's movies, I feel like it's a hit or miss type of situation. However, in this movie, Natalie Portman's charater paired with Chris Hemsworth's wittiness as Thor, the movie was definitely a hit. I'm not familiar with much of Chris Hemsworth's work, but he did a stand out job playing Thor. I expected him to be this macho, "hoo-rah" type of guy, but he ended up being strong, caring, and quite funny throughout the movie. In the end, Kat Denning's character, Darcy, ended up being my favorite character from the movie. Her gung ho personality paired with her hilarious sarcasm was totally relatable to me, and she kept the movie light-hearted when necessary in my opinion.

HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Actress Kat Dennings attends Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on November 4, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/WireImage)

All in all it was a great movie and a must-see this weekend. All the characters were excellent in the movie regardless if their part was major or minor. JAM had a blast and loved every moment of the movie. Go figure his favorite character aside from Thor was his brother Loki. JAM is always amazed by Loki's witchcraft and illusions. As usual, stay until after the credits role to get a great bonus scene in the end *wink wink*.

THOR: The Dark World opens nationwide on Friday, November 8, 2013

Are you planning on checking out "Thor: The Dark World" this weekend?

Monday, August 19, 2013

Movie Screening: Planes

If you haven't taken your kiddo to check out Disney's new animated film PLANES, you're definitely missing out! JAM and I got invited to a Press Screening for it in 3D and we absolutely LOVED it! I mean, honestly, who doesn't love a little bromance/underdog story?? Here's a little synopsis if you need a little background story:

“Disney’s Planes” is an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar."

Just from the synopsis alone, I'm sure you can see a few similarities to Disney's CARS. However, you and the family won't be disappointed, trust me. This movie is definitely unique in it's own way. As usual, JAM was most excited to wear his cool 3D glasses once we arrived. Going in, JAM had already decided that Ripslinger was going to be his favorite character because he's the fastest, coolest, plane in the whole movie.


"PLANES" (Pictured) RIPSLINGER ©2013 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Right off the bat, PLANES had us laughing, and that definitely continued throughout the whole movie. Dusty the crop duster, has big dreams of being an awesome air racer, but every sign is telling him that he'll be nothing more than just a smelly farm plane. Thanks to second chances, Dusty gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he was allowed to compete in the "Wings Around the Globe" tournament with some of the best air racers in the world! You get to follow Dusty on his amazing trip around the world as he makes new friends, conquers his fears, and has you on the edge of your seat as Dusty proves that everyone is made for excellence. As much as JAM loved Dusty's character, by the end of the movie JAM changed his mind and decided that El Chupacabra was his favorite character. He couldn't resists El Chupa's comical wit.

Disney's PLANES is Now Playing!

Check them out at Disney.com/Planes

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Who was you family favorite?

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Movie Screening: Despicable Me 2

Last week JAM and I attended an advanced Press Screening for Despicable Me 2! We loved the first movie so I was so excited to tell JAM that we get to attend the movie screening for the second one! Here's a little synopsis of the movie if you've never seen it before:

Synopsis:

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster Despicable Me entertained audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10^th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. In summer 2013, get ready for more Minion madness in Despicable Me 2.

Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy adventure featuring the return of (former?) super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), his adorable girls, the unpredictably hilarious Minions...and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.

As you know, JAM absolutely loves 3D movies so you can imagine his excitement when he found out this screening was in 3D. We watched the screening at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, NV; a nice switch from our usual locations at the Palms Hotel or Town Square. We grabbed our 3D glasses and got comfy in our Press section seats. Right from the opening credits we were both laughing. The minions always add a fun touch to the movie. There were moments where JAM was laughing so hard that he tapped me on the shoulder to tell me he was crying ha ha. I always get disappointed when I watch movie trailers and the clips from the trailers are the only funny parts of the movie. Not with Despicable Me 2. There were TONS of hilarious scenes to tickle your fancy. There was even a couple "adult humor" lines to keep us grown ups intrigued. Both JAM and I agreed that our favorites scenes were definitely any scene that featured the minions. Their gestures and interaction with each other are always super funny so we couldn't choose just one favorite scene. JAM said he definitely loved their disguises in the mall scene if he did have to choose specific scene. I'd give Despicable Me 2 an overall 8 out of 10 rating (with 10 being the highest of course). Absolutely family friendly and I might go ahead to say that I actually liked it more than the first one (*gasp*)!

DESPICABLE ME 2 opened nationwide on Wednesday, July 3, 2013.

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WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART FROM THE FIRST DESPICABLE ME?

Friday, March 22, 2013

Movie Screening: Admission

Earlier in the month I was able to attend an advanced screening for "Admission". Once again I was able to attend as Press, which meant that I received a complimentary pass to view the movie and give my thoughts on it all.

You can read about my first time Press experience with JAM here, but for this movie screening I went solo. It was kind of different since the last time since this screening was in the morning so the movie theater was basically empty. I, along with about 20 other critics, were escorted to the theater and it was definitely a different experience. This theater was smaller than the ones I'm used to. It was more like those home theaters you see in celebrity homes on TV with the plush seats. Well, before the movie started I was actually quite excited to see this movie since I'm already a fan of Tina Fey (20 Rock) and Paul Rudd (This is 40) movies. Their movies tend to be fairly comical and this was the first time they were on-screen together so I knew I'd be in for a belly of laughs.

Honestly, as a whole, the movie kind of dragged. I think that it was a little longer than necessary and although this movie is classified as the new comedy/drama, I feel that it was more drama than comedy. It still is a Tina Fey/Paul Rudd movie so there were definitely some funny parts thrown in there, but I think that Portia's (Tiny Fey) iconoclastic mother, Susannah (Lily Tomlin) took the cake. Lily Tomlin was hilarious in this movie and her character was perfect. I think that without Susannah, I'd probably drift off mid-movie. In my opinion, Admission wasn't Fey and Rudd's best movie to date but all in all it was decent. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Admission is rated PG-13 and will open nationwide on Friday, March 22, 2013

What is your favorite Tina Fey or Paul Rudd movie?

Friday, March 8, 2013

Movie Screening: "Oz The Great and Powerful"

Earlier this week JAM and I had the opportunity to attend a movie screening a little differently this time around. Usually we get free passes like I talked about in my previous post about movie screenings, and we'd have to arrive 2 hours early to wait in a line to insure that we'd get good seats. This time around we were invited to sit in the "sacred" Press section, which are prime seats that are front and center. These seats are usually blocked off by the fancy red velvet rope and people wish they could sit there since they're some of the best seats in the house. Well, this time around JAM and I got to cross that rope and enjoy an advanced screening of the new Disney movie, "Oz The Great and Powerful". Here's a little synopsis about the movie if you haven't heard about it yet:

Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

We got to watch this movie in 3D, which JAM loves so he's been looking forward to this screening for a couple of weeks. He hasn't seen the original 'Wizard of Oz' movie so he didn't know what to expect except whatever he's seen in the movie trailers on TV. If haven't seen it like Jam, however, this movie is great on it's own so I don't feel like you'd need to see 'Wizard of Oz' in order to understand this movie. I have to say, this movie surprisingly exceeded my expectations, but also caught me off guard in negative ways as well. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that the visual effects and animation were amazing with today's technological capabilities and Disney's quest to always go above and beyond. The movie did a great job at making things look so vivid and eye-catching. The storyline was great and intriguing the whole way through, but much of the humor was for the mature mind in my opinion. I honestly didn't expect to laugh as much as I did, but JAM didn't seem to understand the jokes as much. If he was laughing it was because the characters were being goofy not because he understood the puns of the gestures. I naturally love James Franco movies and when I asked JAM what his favorite parts of the movie were, they all had to do with Franco's character. He definitely did a great job playing Oz. My favorite character was the flying monkey, Finley (voiced by Zach Braff). He was most of the reason why I was laughing throughout the movie, plus he's just so cute!

On the flip side, I was surprised at how many scary parts there were. Being a Disney movie, I assumed that it would be kid-friendly but in my opinion there was a lot of scary noises and scenes. Disney did warn us at the end of their movie trailers that some scenes may be too intense for kids, but it got to the point where I caught JAM covering his eyes and ears through those parts of the movies. I get that they're trying to make the effects come to life with vibrant sound effects but I think some of it could have been turned down just a bit. I mean, I even jumped out of my seat a few times. For example, If you've watched the 'Wizard of Oz' then you understand the flying baboons. In "Oz The Great and Powerful" it was just a little too evil and aggressive for a kid's movie in my opinion. The same with the wicked witch scenes. JAM is about to be seven years old this summer, and I don't think I would take any kids younger than JAM to this movie. It would be a lot of fun if I brought my best friend or someone who is a tween and older though.

Regardless, all in all JAM and I had a great time. On the way home he was raving about all the funny parts and we were quoting the movie until bedtime. If you enjoy the original 'Wizard of Oz' as much as I do, grab your gal pal and check out this movie. It's definitely a must see! It has a great A-list cast who pulls off each of their characters amazingly, the visual effects are beautiful, and the storyline had you intrigued from beginning to end. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Movie Screenings

With movie tickets being so expensive at the movie theater, I try to find more frugal ways to watch movies. One very common thing that I love to do is attend movie screenings! This is definitely a match made in heaven for me. Not only do I live walking distance to the hotel that hosts most of the movie screenings, it's also FREE to participate! The only catch is that it's first come first serve so to guarantee me a seat (and a great seat in the theater) I have to arrive about 2 hours early and wait in line. For those of you who don't know how it works, two sites that I love to use to attend these screenings are Gofobo's website and 43Kix Las Vegas facebook page. You can check periodically on Gofobo's website for open screening, and on average you get a maximum 2 passes per movie and usually 4 passes for family/kids movies. You need these passes to attend, but it DOES NOT guarantee you a seat since it's first come first serve, hence, the two hour line waiting I mentioned. A little trick that I do is if all the passes are taken on Gofobo's website is that I can go on 43KIX Las Vegas' facebook page, and sometimes they post a link for the same screening. Through their link you can get passes that are available exclusively for them even though Gofobo's site says there are no more available! All you do is type in your zip code to find your nearest movie screening on Gofobo, and for 43Kix, just search your city to see if they have a facebook page. I know they have one for Chicago!

With that said, JAM was really excited to see the new Madagascar 3 movie, but I wasn't too excited to spend $30 on just movie tickets. Not to mention probably another $20 on the concession products he's gonna whine to get. Thankfully, 43KIX released passes to see it this past weekend! The downside: the movie theater that was hosting it didn't think their line arrangements through thoroughly. They made us form a line in the 100 degree weather that already peaked at 9am.

It was HOT! Luckily people around me had umbrellas for shade and we had water. JAM found some lovely shade at a nearby restaurant, which also had misters while I burned in the sun to hold our place in line (the things I do for my son). Regardless, Madagascar 3 was great! Tons of funny jokes for the whole family, and if you loved the first two movies, you'll definitely love this one. Another plus, it was in 3D! Some people don't like it, but my kid loves it. After the movie, the promoters asked 5 kids to dance to the "I like to move it move it" song that's popular with this movie for a prize. My son was too shy of course, but they ended up giving all 5 kids prize packs to the upcoming Ringling Bros. Circus! BUMMER! At the very least, we saw another fun movie for free and they had these fun paper wigs and temporary tattoos for the kids after the movies.

All in all another successful movie screening. I'll probably stick to movie screenings that are hosted at the hotel that is walking distance to my place from now on though since this theater lets you wait inside instead of in the heat.

P.S. I didn't receive any form of compensation for speaking about these sites or movie. I just wanted to share another frugal tip of mine and some family fun ideas for the weekend.