According to The New Zealand Herald this past Sunday, a man was found dead at a Wellington theater after a 6 p.m. showing of The Twilight Saga’s third chapter, Eclipse. Autopsy results have not been disclosed; however, many possibilities exist:

(a) He died after an overabundance of excitement known as ‘Twilight euphoria.’

(b) He couldn’t bear another agonizing moment of teenage heartache.

(c) The confusion over the on-off, KStew-RPattz relationship gave him an aneurism.

KStew and RPattz get close and personal in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

Obviously, ‘Death by Twilight’ is an unlikely culprit here. But I must admit, my cinematic self is teetering on the verge of a death knell. Truth be told, this year has presented some of the most dreadful cinematic fare in recent memory. There are more sequels than you can count (Iron Man 2, Sex and the City 2, Shrek 4), more remakes than you thought were possible (A-Team, The Karate Kid, Clash of the Titans), and enough dribble to make you flat line faster than you can say ‘Last Airbender, i.e. Marmaduke, Killers, Jonah Hex.

Still, with every passing week, a fresh new set of entrees comes packaged and delivered with the hope of capturing imaginations, educating, and entertaining our very core. The joy of seeing old friends take on new challenges in Toy Story 3, a remake done right a la The Karate Kid that reminds us it’s okay to cheer even when we know the ending, or the thrill of a starmaking performance, like Jennifer Lawrence’s in Winter’s Bone, a harrowing tale of a teenager who risks everything for her impoverished family.

These are the moments that keep us coming back to the theater. The moments that don’t suck or cause an unexpected coronary. These are the ones I hope to highlight for you in the weeks ahead, right here in the 303 Blog.

-Mark Sells, “The Reel Deal”

This Week’s Picks:

  • Despicable Me – While not quite on par with Pixar in story and animation brilliance, Universal Pictures’ Despicable Me instead goes for goofy, good-natured fun. The story follows maniacal, super villain, Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell), and his attempt to steal the moon. Armed with freeze rays, gigantic aircraft, and an army of minions, Gru is virtually unstoppable. That is, until three little orphaned girls show up to test his moral fiber.
  • The Kids Are All Right – A breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival, Kids is a genuine, funny, heartwarming family drama about two teenagers conceived by artificial insemination and raised by their two mothers, Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore). As teenagers, the kids seek out their biological father, whose independent, carefree lifestyle brings forth additional, unexpected twists to their modern family.

Film Event On the Radar:

Michael Cera and Jonah Hill in "Superbad."

 

  • Superbad – Film on the Rocks. Tuesday July 13that 7:00 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheater – Morrison,CO. High school awkwardness, vulgarity, and a whole lot of McLovin’ as envisioned by Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and director, Greg Mottola. The film follows the hijinks of two high school buddies out to score alcohol for a party before heading off to college (thinking it will help them with the ladies). But anxiety quickly settles in, leading the two on a wild and unexpected adventure.

For tickets, go to the Denver Film Society – Film on the Rocks