movies now showing

BABYLON A.D.

A mercenary charged with delivering a young woman from Russia to Canada learns that she has been manipulated by a synthetic virus and what lies inside her could doom the human race. Vin Diesel muscles his way from Eastern Europe to New York City in this post-apocalyptic thriller. French director Mathieu Kassovitz (La Haine, Gothika) helms this film based on the novel Babylon Babies by Maurice G. Dantec. Starring: Vincent Cassel, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry and Gerard Depardieu. Rated PG-13. babylonadmovie.com

DEATH RACE

Terminal Island, New York: 2020. Overcrowding in the U.S. penal system has reached a breaking point. Prisons have been turned over to a monolithic Weyland Corporation, which sees jails full of thugs as an opportunity for televised sport. Adrenalized inmates, a global audience hungry for violence and a spectacular, enclosed arena come together to form the ‘Death Race,’ the world’s biggest, most brutal sporting event. Five-time NASCAR champion Jensen Ames is a man who has become an expert at survival. After eight years of hard time, he has only six weeks before reuniting with his family. But when Weyland demands a driver to headline the big game, Ames is forced to submit. Donning the costume of mythical rider Frankenstein, the racer becomes an instant crowd favorite, an unequaled sporting superstar. Driving a monster car outfitted with machine guns, flamethrowers and grenade launchers, Ames must now kill or be killed to win the most treacherous spectator sport on Earth: ‘Death Race’. Starring: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson and Natalie Martinez. Rated R.

THE HOUSE BUNNY

Shelley Darlington has lived at the Playboy mansion for the last nine years. She is Hef’s favorite and acts like a den mother to the other girls. On her birthday, she is unceremoniously evicted from Hef’s pad for ‘being too old.’ Homeless and without essential skills, Shelley wanders around L.A. until she finds a new job as the housemother at the most unpopular sorority on campus the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish their goal, they need Shelley to teach them the ways of makeup and men; at the same time, Shelley needs some of what the Zetas have– a sense of individuality. The combination leads all the girls to learn how to stop pretending and start being themselves. Starring: Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Rumer Willis, Kat Dennings and Katherine McPhee. Rated PG-13. thehousebunny.com

TROPIC THUNDER

Written and directed by Ben Stiller who is joined by Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. as a stellar laugh trio complete with automatic weapons and explosions galore. Comedy fans can start drooling immediately at the thought of these three funnymen joining forces. A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film. But after ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys. The men star as a trio of actors whose filming experience in southeast Asia gets a little too real as they must become as tough as the characters they play to get out of a crisis. Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel and Nick Nolte. Rated R. tropicthunder.com

special movie showings

Not Just for Baby Boomers Film Series
Enjoy free showings of Boomers’ favorite films on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month at 5:45 pm in the Main Library’s Hicks Auditorium. September 11- PILLOW TALK, NR and September 25- BRINGING UP BABY, NR Info: 630-1741 or jpl.coj.net.

Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society
Monthly meeting of Jacksonville’s chapter of The International Laurel & Hardy Appreciation Society (a.k.a. Sons of the Desert) will take place on Monday, September 8, 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm. Free to all ages; free light snacks and sodas will be served. Movies to be screened at the meeting: Popeye cartoon, I Wanna Be a Lifeguard (1936), L and H silent short subjects The Finishing Touch (1928) and Bacon Grabbers (1929), and their 1933 sound shorts The Midnight Patrol, Busy Bodies and Dirty Work. Pablo Creek Library, 13295 Beach Blvd., Info: 992-7101 or jpl.coj.net

Night Owl Cinema
The St. Augustine Amphitheatre will show movies every other Friday night through November 7. Doors open at 6:30 pm and movies begin at 8 pm. Food is available from local restaurants. Friday, September 12- TOY STORY, PG and Friday, September 26– GREASE, PG-13. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is located on A1A South in St. Augustine. Info: (904) 471-1965 or staugamphitheatre.com

Movies in the Park
On Friday, September 19, JaxParks presents Movies in the Park with a showing of LIL RASCALS, rated PG. Come and picnic on the lawn of A. Philip Randolph Park – 6:30pm. Movie starts at dusk. Info: 630-4100 or coj.net.

Film Auditions
KillaCozzy Productions Present “Self-Portrait” and will hold a casting call for extras on September 13, 12 pm – 3 pm and September 20, 1 pm – 4 pm at the Lobby of the Fine Arts Center at UNF. Info: killacozzy.com/selfportrait

Books Alive
On the fourth Saturday of the month come and spend an afternoon at the movies with Books Alive!- a screening series from the Jacksonville Film Festival in partnership with the Jacksonville Public Library featuring films created from children’s literature. Read the books and watch the movies. For kids of all ages and accompanying adults. On September 27- THE NEVERENDING STORY, rated PG. Main Branch Library, 303 North Laura Street- 2:30pm Info: 630-2665 or jpl.coj.net.

changes in the local movie scene


     
With moviegoer’s demand for ever-improving technology AMC Theatres has announced plans to open two giant IMAX theatre screens here. Both area AMC’s, Regency and Orange Park are converting auditoriums within each complex. Look for many of our area popcorn palaces to be going more high-tech to attract the crowds to hawk their varieties of over-priced concessions. Digital projection and more 3-D films are scheduled from all the major film companies.


      From the cutting edge to the cutting room floor, movies are designed to enthrall and entertain. At one time so were the theatres designed to enthrall and amaze patrons. One of the grand emporiums of Jacksonville has announced it will be re-opening. The Five Points Theatre delighted this writer in the late 50’s when they showed Cinerama films (an early forerunner to IMAX), which consisted of three conjoined theatre screens and three synchronized projectors. In 1959 is was an incredible spectacle. Then in March of 1972 the Five Points opened The Godfather which held over for a nationwide, record-shattering 52 weeks. It takes someone with vision and determination to take on this new drive to regain its popularity. That person is Mike Shad (Yes, that guy with the Ford dealership. Maybe some of ole Henry Ford’s genius rubbed off). The theatre will present a variety of first run, independent and foreign films bringing smiles to faces throughout Riverside.


      Several months ago when Jacksonville’s last drive-in movie theater went dark, it appeared this type of entertainment was gone for good. Dan and Angela Tuchmann, the owners of Epicurean Delight Bakery and restaurant, had other ideas. According to Chef Dan Tuchmann, “We felt this city needs more events that you can bring the entire family to and without taking out a loan from the bank.” The only problem was they didn’t know how to get the movies into their restaurant without building their own theater. That’s where local film historian and movie memorabilia collector ED Tucker came into the “big” picture. In addition to being an expert on cult motion pictures, Tucker has an impressive collection of both 16mm films and movie posters. Epicurean Delight is well under way to hosting its own movie series for people who enjoy the look and feel of actual film. The restaurant will offer a special menu and muchies from their deli, a dairy-free bakery on movie nights and also has beer and wine available. Films are shown on Saturday nights at 8 pm. Epicurean Delight is located at 2777 University Boulevard West at the Dollar Tree Shopping Plaza and further information can be obtained by calling 355-0789.

At the Earth’s Core
Saturday, September 6



Dalek Invasion of Earth: 2150 AD
Saturday, September 11



Damnation Alley
Saturday, September 18



Yellow Submarine
Saturday, September 25



Without Warning
Saturday, October 2



Destroy All Monsters!
Saturday, October 9



Blood of Dracula’s Castle
Saturday, October 16



Giant Spider Invasion
Saturday, October 23



Night of the Living Dead
Saturday, October 30