Location, Location, Location

When you combine two of my favorite things–movies and superb advertising–I cannot look away. This genius screening of Pixar’s Planes from Disney and a Dutch airline KLM is perfection. It shows that without an unforgettable experience, you don’t really have much to stand apart from everyone today. And why no detail should go overlooked (I mean, the outside atmosphere to this piece?!).

The fact it’s strictly for little kids is stellar. There is magic in the power of flight, even when you’re grounded.

Via Advertising Age

 

Because Everybody Loves Movies

We street teamed on Sunday. We’re previewing tonight. The Junior Board is ready.

It’s nearly time for the 49th Chicago International Film Festival!

Some of the board, though everyone was there in spirit (see banner in the background)

Wind’s in the East

Aside from her hair texture, her wit and her cheekbones, Mom passed something else down to me. The love of Mary Poppins. It’s one I wear proudly (see Halloween Costume) and have written a ton about. Naturally, I couldn’t put in a few words on the latest Mary Poppins hoopla with Saving Mr. Banks.

1) I had no idea they were making this movie.
2) I had no idea this story existed (the book rights story).
3) I don’t think I can wait until Christmas.
4) The movie poster is genius.
5) This cast!

Just watch, enjoy and get ready for that mist to come in…

 

Wish Granting Factory

I bought The Fault in Our Stars last week to read on my Colorado trip. Except I didn’t make it that far. Instead, I laid in bed reading for five hours until I finished the book. That’s one of my favorite feelings in the world; getting so consumed by a book the only way to stop is for the book to run out of pages and words.

I can say of all the years of book reading, I’ve never cried in a book. Sure, I might have cried during a movie adaptation, but I’ve never cried while reading. I’ve actually found myself a tad jealous of those who can get so lost in their imaginations and the written word to produce such powerful emotion.

And then it happened. The eyes welled up. A few tears trickled down. I regained composure. A full-on sob. Followed by I-can’t-quite-breathe sobs. And then again, pulling it together to finish the ending and more sobs. Then for some reason, I felt compelled to reread the ending. Puffy eyes greeted me in the morning.

The tale is about two teens who meet during a cancer support group. You know something bad/sad is going to happen, it’s inevitable right? But man oh man, the way John Green makes you fall in love with these characters so that you’re not worrying about their stories but more so their thoughts and feelings is truly genius. You get so wrapped up in Hazel’s and Augustus’s day-to-day that you don’t even have time to contemplate, read into foreshadowing or figure out where the story’s landing.

Just like Augustus and Hazel, I finally got my wish.

Summer Reading List

Two years ago during the Film Festival, we screened The Descendants and had a Q&A with the lead opposite George Clooney, Shailene Woodley. I remember sitting there thinking how well-spoken, down to earth and real she was while holding a mic and speaking to a room full of strangers. She had a command and presence that just pulled you in.

Fast forward to today, and she is blowing up. With the lead in the Divergent series (which by the by, is a FANTASTIC series and highly recommended if you enjoy/ed Hunger Games) and The Fault in Our Stars (just picked up the book, plan on reading it during this weekend’s Colorado trip), she’s in this spectacular trailer, The Spectacular Now. It’s also based off a book.

There’s your Summer reading list courtesy of Shailene Woodley’s movie career.

Oh and naturally, I’m all about the song in this trailer– “Feel Again” by OneRepublic

Boys of Summer

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film that truly strikes me and leaves me feeling like I can take over the world. This past week, we screened The Kings of Summer (a Grand Prize Jury nominee at this year’s Sundance) and it did just that. In the trailer, there’s a critic quote that sums up this movie part-Stand By Me and part-Superbad. And it’s spot on.

The carefree spirit of these three boys the film follows (Joe, Patrick and Biaggio) makes you immediately drawn to them. You sit there thinking of the someones from your past that remind you of these very characters. Which in turn, makes you so sad to see the movie’s end.

With parental roles played by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, you don’t know who you’re rooting more screen time for, these eccentric two or our boys of summer. The film opens May 31 and is a must see. It’s everything you want, miss and crave from summer.

Hands down my favorite scene was scored by MGMT’s “Youth.” I just wanted to relive that moment over and over and over again. Just like summer.

Heads up, the song in the trailer is super addicting. We Were Promised Jetpacks // “Keeping Warm”

A Grand Vision

“I like large parties. They’re so intimate.”  — The Great Gatsby

Next week, after an early screening of the highly anticipated The Great Gatsby, we’re hosting a Junior Board after party Gatsby would love; full of champagne, cocktails, finger foods and of course dancing at the PUBLIC Hotel. Just looking at photos from this iconic hotel, it’s easy to get into the Roaring 20s mindset. And we’ll kick it up a notch by having partygoers dress in their favorite Gatsby attire (read pearls, red lips, cigarellas).

Aside from loving the book, I’ve been pumped for this film. Even Maggie, the not-so-movie-goer said, “Even I’m excited for this screening!” With a visual-spectacle director like Baz Luhrmann, it’s sure to be a treat. But I’m most excited for the music. The trailer alone features a handful of songs that I wish ran their full length (and it seems a new trailer is coming out every week).

Florence + the Machine’s song for the movie is my current go-to.

 

Paper Yourself With Love

It’s Friday. And in the words of Tom Haverford, Treat Yo’ Self.

And do so with this Oscar-nominated, animated short from Disney. Titled: Paperman.

The Post Hunger Games World

If you’re like me, you devoured The Hunger Games trilogy. And now, have to get your fill of that world in the movies (which are just as fantastic). But fret no more. I’ve been tipped of a series that’s similar in nature minus the arena. It’s called Divergent, by Veronica Roth (who’s 24, cue my jealousy). I was hesitant when Maggie first told me about this, because let’s be honest, nothing could ever compare to The Hunger Games.

Borrowed the first book from a co-werker (Divergent) and read it in three days. Got the second one (Insurgent) and missed my bus stop this morning from reading for too long. 

I’m hooked. And if you have a gaping hole the size of Panem, this just might be something to tide you over until Catching Fire comes out. I should note, the third and final book of the Divergent series is not out. Which means you’ll have to sit around twiddling your thumbs, just like you did when you finished a Harry Potter book. The Divergent trilogy is slated for Hollywood, though I refuse to see a casting list until I finish the second book.

Also to note, this book takes place in Chicago in the very distant future. But Roth still makes current landmark Chicago references (every time I look at Millennium Park, I think of a scene from the book). And I love every minute of it.

Bond With Believing

Sponsored Post: Everywhere, LLC provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.

As we continue to move our television, video gaming and movie habits to smaller and smaller screens, I can’t help but wonder if we’re missing a key part of the experience. Naturally, I was eager to head to the IMAX and see a film how it was supposed to be seen, and felt. Figuring it couldn’t get better than James Bond on a big(ger) screen, I went where few Chicagoans go: to Navy Pier on a Saturday afternoon. It was there I caught Skyfall among Bond fans, tourists and gals eager to see Daniel Craig in a larger-than-life way.

It.did.not.disappoint. From the very beginning, I felt like an added character. And peripheral vision? Forget it. No matter where I looked, the scene happened right before me.

Yet the screen did more than just make me feel like I had to duck and roll with James Bond. An IMAX screen did something I never imagined: tuned out the world around me. That man crinkling his plastic bag…heard it for four seconds and…wasn’t thinking of it anymore. The loud breather…the sound took away his breath for me while the movie’s score engulfed me.

I highly recommend the IMAX experience for any film with detailed elements (looking at you Pixar® Films) and action films. After watching the two-minute trailer for the upcoming Hobbit movie, I knew watching any other way would be disappointing. As we continually opt for the screens of laptops, phones and tablets, it’s nice to get a reminder of how movies should be seen. A nice big, six-story, massive reminder.

For more information on IMAX:

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