Tampa Film Fan

nightmare collection volume 2 dvd promotion

Received via email:

Enigma Films and The Nightmare Collection bring you a very special opportunity.

Collect as many raffle tickets as you can between April 15 and June 15 to increase your chances of winning. During the June Monthly Tournament, the drawing will be held. Actress Krista Grotte, a.k.a. Necro Nancy, will be on hand to pull the lucky ticket and the winner will be announced. Good luck and happy hunting.

Visit www.enigma-films.com or www.finaltableofdeath.com for more info.

run fat boy run poster giveaway

Simon Pegg’s newest comedy Run Fat Boy Run, co-starring Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria, opened nationwide today.

“Five years ago Dennis (Pegg) was at the altar about to marry Libby (Newton), his pregnant fiancée. He got cold feet and ran for the hills and he’s been going in circles ever since. When Dennis discovers Libby’s hooked up with high-flying-go-getter Whit (Azaria), he realizes it’s now or never. He enters a marathon to show he’s more than a quitter but then finds out just how much sweat, strain and tears it takes to run for 26 miles. Nobody gives him a chance but Dennis knows this is his only hope to be more than a running joke.”

Thanks to publicist extraordinaire Linda, I’ve got Run Fat Boy Run posters to give away. If you want a poster, send your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com. First come, first served. Offer good while supplies last.

the orphanage screening ticket giveaway

Picturehouse and TampaFilmFan.com invite you to an advance screening of The Orphanage. The screening is January 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the AMC Veterans theater. Here’s a synopsis of the film:

The Orphanage (horror/suspense); rated R; in theaters January 11

Laura spent the happiest years of her childhood growing up in an orphanage by the seaside, cared for by the staff and fellow orphans whom she loved as brothers and sisters. Now, thirty years later, she returns with her husband Carlos and Simon, their 7-year-old son, with a dream of restoring and reopening the long abandoned orphanage as a home for disabled children. The new home and mysterious surroundings awaken Simon’s imagination and the boy starts to spin a web of fantastic tales and not-so-innocent games. As the opening day draws near, tension builds within the family. Carlos remains skeptical, believing that Simon is making everything up in a desperate bid for attention. But Laura slowly becomes convinced that something long-hidden and terrible is lurking in the old house, something waiting to emerge and inflict appalling damage on her family.

If you want a pass for two to this screening, send your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com. First come, first served. Offer good while supplies last. This pass doesn’t guarantee admittance, so get to the theater early.

giving away tickets to november 28 advance screening of the perfect holiday

I’ve got passes for two to an advance screening of The Perfect Holiday on Wednesday, November 28, at 7 p.m. at the AMC Veterans theater. Here’s a synopsis of the film:

An African-American take on the classic and beloved Christmas family film, The Perfect Holiday tells the story of Nancy (Gabrielle Union), a divorced mother of three who is so busy raising her children that she’s forgotten to take care of herself as well. With Christmas fast approaching, she decides to take her kids to the mall to meet Santa Claus, not knowing that her youngest daughter Emily (Khail Bryant) has sensed her mother’s sadness and is determined to use her time with Santa to make her mom happy again. Just a few days prior, Emily heard her mom say that all she wanted for Christmas was a compliment from a man, so that’s exactly what she tells Santa. Ironically, Santa, as it turns out, is office supply salesman and struggling songwriter Benjamin (Morris Chestnut), who ends up giving Nancy just what she wants for Christmas, and much, much more. Also stars Queen Latifah and Terrence Howard. In theaters December 12.

If you want a pass for two to the November 28 screening, send your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com. First come, first served. Offer good while supplies last. The pass doesn’t guarantee admittance, so get to the theater early.

king of kong:a fistful of quarters posters to give away

Thanks to publicist extraordinaire Linda, I have some King of Kong:A Fistful of Quarters posters to give away. If you want one, send your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com and I’ll mail you one. First come, first served; while supplies last.

What is the film about, you ask? Read on:
 
A middle-school science teacher and a hot sauce mogul vie for the Guinness World Record on the arcade classic Donkey Kong.
 
In 1982, Billy Mitchell became the Guinness World Record high-score holder for the video game Donkey Kong, with 874,300 points. In 2003, after months of practice, Steve Wiebe completely decimated Billy’s record with an unimaginable 1,000,000 points. But Billy wasn’t going to take the defeat sitting down, and the two men took on an ultimate championship to determine who would be the king of Kong, all of which was captured in this fun documentary.

Film critic Bob Ross gave King of Kong:A Fistful of Quarters a B+.

new season of it’s always sunny in philadelphia starts tomorrow night

I had seen the previews for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but had never watched the show until I received a sneak peek DVD in the mail that contained the first four episodes of Season Three. The show is an acquired taste….it’s not for everyone, but I can see how it would appeal to some people. Sunny is a meaner, more-caustic version of Seinfeld. (The TV critic for the Chicago Sun-Times wrote today that “Sunny raises the bar on offensive fun.”)

The show is about four friends — Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) — who co-own a Irish bar in Philly. Danny DeVito plays the father of twins Dennis and Deandra. Everyone is selfish, narcissistic, greedy and petty, and no one seems to have anything to do except hang out at the bar and get caught up in wacky adventures. Here’s my take on the first four episodes of Season Three:

Episode 1:The Gang Finds A Dumpster Baby — This wasn’t the best introduction to this series, because it’s about Dee and Mac finding a baby in a dumpster and trying to use him to make themselves rich and famous. They call the baby “DB” (for “dumpster baby,” ha ha). They take him to a children’s acting agency (”because who has better lives than child stars?”) and then to a tanning salon so DB can play a Hispanic baby. Meanwhile, Frank and Charlie see An Inconvenient Truth and decide to become as green as possible. So-so. Slightly appalling to me, given the subject matter, but that’s just because I hadn’t been exposed to the “sunny” black humor before.

Episode 2:The Gang Gets Invincible — This was a very funny episode about Mac and Dennis trying out for the Philadelphia Eagles. Dee decides to try out — disguised as a guy — to prove that she’s in better shape than the guys. (They reference the Mark Wahlberg football movie Invincible, hence the name of the episode.) Frank and Charlie tailgate the try-outs, drop a little acid and face off against their arch-enemies the McPoyles. Hilarious.

Episode 3:Dennis and Dee’s Mom is Dead — When their mom dies, Dennis inherits the mansion and Dee and her dad Charlie get bumpkus. Dee and her dad cook up crazy schemes to get some of the inheritance, while Dennis, Mac and Frank get things started at their “party mansion.” Realizing that they have few friends, the guys begin advertising for “good looking guys to party with” and get into all sorts of situations. Very funny. The gay double entrendres were a little tiresome and predictable, but still entertaining.

Episode 4:The Gang Gets Held Hostage — Three of the McPoyle siblings take the gang hostage at Paddy’s. Charlie just happens to be crawling around in the ventilation system, so he accidentally becomes a part of the kidnapping fun. Amusing, but not laugh-out-loud funny.

Season Three of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia kicks off on FX at 10 p.m. on Thursday, September 13.

p.s. I’ve got one item to give away: a green T-shirt, medium size, with “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” in small text on the front and “Paddy’s Irish Pub” in big letters across the back. First person to email me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com with his/her mailing address gets it.

i’m giving away passes to see 2 days in paris at tampa theatre

2 Days in Paris opens at the Tampa Theatre on Friday, August 31. I have some passes for two — good for Monday through Thursday only — to give away. If you’d like a complimentary movie pass to this film, email your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com. First come, first served; while supplies last. Here’s a description of the film:

New York couple, French photographer Marion (Julie Delpy) and American interior designer Jack (Adam Goldberg), attempt to re-infuse their relationship with romance on a European vacation. Their week in Venice didn’t work out as planned–the food didn’t agree with Jack and, when he was well enough to go out, he was so focused on capturing the trip with his digital camera that he forgot to experience it. They have higher hopes for their last two days in Paris. But the combination of Marion’s offbeat and overbearing non-English speaking parents and flirtatious ex-boyfriends, with Jack’s continuing photography obsession and conviction that French condoms are too small, don’t make for an auspicious beginning. Will they be able to salvage their relationship? Will they ever have sex again? Or will they merely manage to perfect the art of arguing?

Email away!

free tickets for advance screening of el cantante

Thanks to the wonderful Jan at Picturehouse, I’ve got some tickets (passes for two) for a sneak preview of the new film El Cantante at 7:30 p.m. August 2 at the AMC Veterans on Anderson Road. If you would like me to mail you a pass for two, email your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com. First come, first served until I’ve given away all my tickets. Here’s some info on the movie:

El Cantante is the dramatic-biography of Puerto Rican salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe. The film follows Lavoe’s (Marc Anthony) passionate relationship with Puchi (Jennifer Lopez) and his skyrocket to international fame. But even when he has it all, Lavoe is unable to escape the allure of drugs and his personal pain.

Visit www.ElCantanteMovie.com for more info on the film.

news and notes:free tickets at steve persall’s blog, upcoming films from picturehouse, local movie 100 tears

• The St. Pete Times’ film critic Steve Persall might have some movie tickets to give away on his blog Reeling in the Years. I love free stuff, but I LUV free movie tickets!
• Received via email: La Vie en Rose (opening at the Tampa Theatre June 29) is released by Picturehouse, the theatrical motion picture company that produces, acquires and releases feature films, and has brought to the screen some of our favorite films including A Prairie Home Companion, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Gracie. This summer, from Picturehouse, you can look forward to El Cantante, a music-infused biography of Puerto Rican, salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe, starring Jennifer Lopez and her husband, Marc Anthony; and Rocket Science, the first narrative film from Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound) which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it received rave reviews and won the Directing Prize and many more. For more information about upcoming releases visit www.picturehouse.com.
• Congratulations to local filmmakers Marcus Koch and Joe Davison for the recent press attention their new movie 100 Tears recently received in the Tampa Tribune. I wasn’t able to attend the movie’s premiere at Channelside Cinemas this past weekend, but I heard that the turnout was good and the film was well received.

la vie en rose coming to tampa june 29

The Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose opens locally June 29 at the Tampa Theatre. I have some movie posters to give away, courtesy of the good folks at Picturehouse. If you’d like me to mail you a La Vie en Rose poster, email your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com. (First come, first served; while supplies last.) (Another local blog is giving away tickets to this film here.)

The swirling, impressionistic portrait of an artist who regretted nothing, writer-director Olivier Dahan’s La Vie en Rose stars 2005 Cesar Award-winner Marion Cotillard (A Very Long Engagement, A Good Year) in a blazing performance as the legendary French icon Edith Piaf. For more information and to see a trailer visit www.edithpiafmovie.com.

For showtimes at Tampa Theatre visit www.tampatheatre.org.