Seattle Movie Fan

Don Summers reviews "A Serious Man"

2012-04-11T13:27:00.001-07:00

Please click on this image to view a movie review by my wonderful colleague who passed away last month.

Captain America sweepstakes

2011-07-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

There are lots of sweepstakes for the new Captain America movie that is opening on July 22. There's a sweepstake for a Harley Davidson from 7UP and Dollar General Stores: https://www.7upamerica.com/

There's a sweepstakes offer through Good Morning America on the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GoodMorningAmerica?sk=app_28134323652 You are automatically entered on this sweepstakes if you log on to Facebook and click on "Like" Good Morning America.

Cowboys and Aliens sweepstakes for $5,000 in gold

2011-07-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Cowboys and Aliens sweepstakes for $5,000 in gold.

Daniel Craig's and Harrison Ford's new adventure movie has a sweepstakes contest funded by Coca Cola. Find out the rules and entry requirements at http://www.cowboysandaliensmovie.com/roundup/

Sony Sweepstakes for the release of the Green Hornet on DVD and Blu-ray

2011-04-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sony has a sweepstakes offer for a 55 inch 3D TV with 3D glasses and a Blu-ray home theater system. You can enter at http://www.ugo.com/entertainment/kato-vision-sweepstakes

Lifetime Movie Channel is offering the Vacation of a Lifetime sweepstakes

2011-04-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

This sweepstakes offer from Lifetime Movie Channel has a grant prize for a family vacation at a Walt Disney World resort, but also weekly prizes for a Sony Bloggie camera.

Click on the link below to enter the sweepstakes:

http://sweepstakes.lifetimemoms.com/disney-memories-of-a-lifetime/prizes

Exciting 5 minute trailer for Thor movie opening on May 6

2011-04-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

The trailer for Thor features in FBI agent that appeared in Iron Man 2. It points to the eventual integration of several super hero movies under "The Avengers."

Thor Movie Teaser Trailer 2011 - More amazing videos are a click away

Sweepstakes for private screening and 10 free two-person vouchers to Born to Be Wild 3D

2011-04-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Warner Brothers has sweepstakes for one private screening for you and your friends (whole theater) and 10 free two-person vouchers to an IMAX theater for Born to Be Wild 3D. Together with the ticket vouchers prize winners get posters and t-shirts.

Here's the link: http://insiderrewards.warnerbros.com/members#activities/sweepstakes/exclusive-sweepstakes

Sweepstakes from Disney on the release of Tangled

2011-04-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

My 26 year old daughter dragged us to see Tangled over Christmas. I thought that I was going to get bored. But to my surprise, I was very entertained. The story of Rapunzel is retold in a new way with new twists. The characters are engaging, the animation was beautiful, and the singing was wonderful. I loved that movie. I heartily recommend it for all but the most jaded movie viewers.

Here's the link to the sweepstakes:

http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/tangled/#/sweepstakes/?int_cmp=tan_WDSHE_VOD_EmailBlast_0415_SweepsURL_Intl

Two Trailers for Hangover Part II

2011-04-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hangover Part II takes place in Bangkok, Thailand. The first short trailer shows Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis are walking with a monkey. It is a terrible trailer. No wonder the studio decided to pull it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKOVoJQyd0

The second trailer for Hangover Part II is over 2 minutes long and is much better than the first one. The background is Bangkok, Thailand, like the first trailer, but it gives you a lot more information about the movie. By the way, Zach Galifianakis has his hair shaved and Ed Helms freaks out when he sees Mike Tyson's face tatoo on this face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWl7AbvY1h8&feature=youtu.be

Lincoln Lawyer sweepstakes

2011-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

The new movie, Lincoln Lawyer, is offering sweepstakes for a 42 inch HDVD and some DVD sets. It may be worth entering if you have time to do it.

http://lincolnlawyer.venturaassociates.net/

Iron Man 2 Sweepstakes from Hershey's Peanut Butter Cups

2010-04-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

While this sweepstakes offer requires a purchase (buying a specially marked package of Hershey's Peanut Butter Cups), the prizes are impressive.

The top three prizes are all valued at over $5,000 with the winner and a guest all traveling either to Hawaii where a new Marvel Comics hero movie is being filmed, or to the premiere of a Marvel Film. The grand prize includes a walking role in a Marvel film which would make the value of that prize "priceless."

The sweepstakes offer also includes 100 individual copies of the new Iron Man 2 video game from Sega.

You can read more information about this sweepstakes offer at: http://www.hersheys.com/ironman/

Prince of Persia Sweepstakes Top Prize $10,000

2010-04-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, a sweepstakes worth entering. Disney is offering a top prize of $10,000, or one of ten $100 gift cards for the upcoming May 28 release of Prince of Persia. You can enter up to 10 times a day.

http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/princeofpersia/?section=sweeps&cmp=dmov_dpic_pop_emc_041910_pri_sweeps2

Review of "Letters to Juliet"

2010-04-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

This review was submitted by my colleague Dick Sleight. Dick, his wife Nancy, and two of their friends attended a screening for "Letters to Juliet" at the Lincoln Center theaters in Bellevue, Washington.

Dick and his wife had two totally different reactions to the movie. Nancy thoroughly enjoyed the movie and thought that it was delightful. Dick thought that the movie was formulaic and predictable. In some ways, "Letters to Juliet" was reminiscent of romantic comedies from the 1950s and 1960s where romantic love always wins. From the moment that the movie opens, you can tell that Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her fiance are not meant to be together. Her fiance's primary focus is his life as a chef. He is totally uninterested in Sophie's interests. Sophie (Amanda) works as fact checker for the New Yorker so she is a good researcher. She follows clues and tries to bring together two people who were in love 50 years ago, but that were separated by life. Vanessa Redgrave plays the role of a noble English woman who fell in love with a young Italian man 50 years ago. According to Dick, Vanessa Redgrave sparkles. She has the strongest presence in the movie. Her speech at her wedding with the love of her life is very moving.

Dick biggest complaint was that the trailer for the movie gave away too much of the story line. He wishes that there were more twists to the plot and less predictability. On the other hand, he believes that the movie will do well with its core audience - women.

The Hot Tub Time Machine is crude and full of swearing

2010-03-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

I went to a free screening of the Hot Tub Time Machine and I was surprised by how crude the humor was. In addition, every tenth word was a swear word. Definitely, this was NOT my kind of movie. I felt bad that I dragged my husband to the screening with me. I also felt bad that I forwarded the link to the free screenings to my colleagues. I had expected that the movie was going to poke light hearted fun to the eightees, but I was terribly wrong. This movie appeals to the lowest denominator and would have been rated NC-17 just a few years ago.

Another sweepstakes offer for "Valentine Day"

2010-02-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

1-800-Flowers and Funjet Vacations offering a 4-day Valentine's getaway sweepstakes. You can enter the sweepstakes once a day.

To enter click on http://1800flowers.promo.eprize.com/romanticholidaygetaway/

Does Mel Gibson conquer evil in the Edge of Darkness?

2010-01-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time, the top movie in the box office was "Taken" starring Liam Neeson as a dad whose daughter was abducted while visiting Paris by a gang engaged in the sex slave trade. Neeson's character was an action hero who extracts revenge from the scum who abducted not only her, but many young women. The end of "Taken" was very satisfying not only because he saves his daughter, but he rebuilds his relationship with her.

"The Edge of Darkness" is a much darker movie. A more apt title would have been "Darkness Without End." The reviews of "Edge of Darkness" have been good, but viewers must be prepared to sit through a much darker movie than "Taken."

Does Mel Gibson conquer evil in "The Edge of Darkness?" To read the answer click on "Read More."

Conquering darkness is a relative term. Mel Gibson daughter is murdered early on in the movie. Mel Gibson dies of radiation poisoning in the end. The movie has a large number of evil and corrupt characters. Neither businesses, nor government officials can be trusted. Good people are murdered throughout the movie. But, in the end there is hope that those responsible for these evil acts and their co-conspirators will be brought to justice. In spite of the darkness, this is a good action movie and Mel Gibson does an excellent job in his role.

Review of When in Rome: Light and Sweet

2010-01-28T09:34:00.001-08:00

I saw “When in Rome” when at a screening in Seattle Wednesday night. Three quarters of the audience was composed of young women who had been eagerly awaiting the release of this movie.The audience roared with laughter during the first part of the movie, was quiet during the middle, and seemed to really enjoy the end.

The first part of the movie was indeed very funny. There were many funny scenes that were not in the previews and the audience appreciated the humor. The middle of the movie seemed to drag which was a strange since the movie was only about 90 minutes long. But, the pace picked up towards the end, and the audience seemed to enjoy the humor once more.

My overall assessment is that the movie is light and sweet, like whipping cream. It is enjoyable, but there isn’t much there.The highlights of the movie consist of the very funny first part (about 20 minutes), Kristen Bell’s performance, and Danny DeVito.

Valentine's Day movie car and trip sweepstakes

2010-01-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day will open on Feb. 12, 2010. The movie is a charming romantic comedy with a stellar cast. The sweepstakes for Valentine's Day includes two trip packages to LA for the movie premiere. One of the prizes includes a 2011 Ford Fiesta.

The sweepstakes runs through 3/31/2010. Enter at:
http://fordvehicles.emipowered.net/valentinesdaymovie/landing.html?

The Tooth Fairy: Heartwarming and Funny

2010-01-21T22:29:00.000-08:00

I attended a screening of The Tooth Fairy on Thursday night. The audience included lots of families with kids as these are the primary target market for the movie. I found myself more interested in the movie than I thought I would be.

I know that most critics gave negative reviews of this movie. However, I find that many of the criticisms are unwarranted. For example, several critics have said that the plot is totally improbable. I want to correct them and point out that plot is totally impossible. Everyone knows there is no such thing as the tooth fairy, or a group of organized entities that function as "the tooth fairy." I also know that elephants cannot fly regardless of how big their ears are and that houses cannot be carried to the southern hemisphere regardless of how many helium balloons are used. The improbability or impossibility of a plot line need not interfere with the enjoyment of the movie.

As I acknowledged earlier, I had initially expected to be bored by this movie. The advertising campaign was neither imaginative, nor impressive. However, after sitting in a theater filled with families who appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, I thought that plot was more substantial than what I had expected and the funny scenes were funnier than what I had expected. In addition, the Rock gave an excellent performance as the hockey player nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy" for knocking opponents' teeth out who was turned into an unconventional tooth fairy.

The movie has many of the plot elements that generally appear in heartwarming family comedies (the value of having dreams, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and finding one's calling), but it was not a cliché. It was a good mix of comedy and story line that entertained the audience from the beginning to the end.

Dear John KeepandShare Sweepstakes offers

2010-01-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

Dear John will open in theaters on February 5. The story on a young man who has enlisted in the military and a young woman who is attending the University of North Carolina. A chance encounter brings them together, but time and distance break them apart. That's where the "Dear John" letter comes in. But in the end, selfless love changes all their lives.

The sweepstakes includes electronics devices to keep in touch with those you love. The top prize includes two Cyber Power PC laptop computers, two Logitech Webcam Pro9000 and ClearChat PC Wireless Headsets, and a digital camera. You can enter the sweepstakes at:

http://www.keepandshare.com/sweepstakes/dear-john/dear-john-sweepstakes-entry.php

I am so excited! I won free screening passes to When in Rome

2010-01-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

In my previous post, I included a link for free screening passes to When in Rome. I followed my advice and got two free screening tickets to When in Rome for January 27. It is so incredibly cool. I will let you know of additional free screening passes as they become available.

Free movie screening passes for When in Rome

2010-01-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

Free screening passes for When in Rome will be available for the Seattle market this evening. Here's the link:
http://www.filmmetro.com/events/view/6563

I hope that some of you got free screening tickets for Legion last week. I didn't go to the FilmMetro site in time to get one.

Why is Denzel Washington always wearing sunglasses in The Book of Eli?

2010-01-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

Denzel Washington's post-apocalyptic new thriller, The Book of Eli, has hit theaters this weekend. If you have already seen Avatar once or twice, and have seen Sherlock Holmes once, there are very few other movies that are worth seeing this weekend.

I am not a huge fan of post-apocalyptic settings because they paint a future that is so grim, you feel as sorry for the survivors as you do for the ones who passed away during the war, or the plague, or whatever else bought about the destruction of society.

Anyway, the Book of Eli has some surprises, some of which are easier to believe than others. And now, a spoiler alert. If you don't want to find out some key details about the plot of the movie, DON'T click on "read more." If you want to find out a few more things about The Book of Eli click on "read more" to find out.

Eli (Denzel) is blind, but has substantial fighting and survival skills. Equally important, he can read Braille.

The Book of Eli is a King James translation of the Bible in Braille.
The mayor of a "town" (Gary Oldman) wants to find a copy of the Bible to bring order back to society.
He chases Eli hoping to get this book. To his surprise, he finds out that book is in Braille and cannot find anyone to translate it (a blind woman working for him pretends she cannot read Braille).
Eli is injured. In the end, the hope for society rests with the curator of Alcatraz (Malcolm McDowell). Eli recites the Bible to the curator word by word. The curator writes it down and in order to create a new copy of the Bible. Eli passes away from his injury, but hope for the world does not die.

From Paris with Love sweepstakes

2010-01-16T01:09:00.000-08:00

John Travolta is at his best when he plays bad guys. His new movie, "From Paris with Love," opens on Feb. 5 and seems promising.

Most importantly, the sweepstakes offer for the movie is pretty nice because it offers two round trip tickets to Paris and five nights of accommodations.

http://www.frompariswithlovesweepstakes.com/

Xbox teams with the movie "Legion" for a give-away of thousands of Xbox Live points

2010-01-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing opportunity for those who have an Xbox LIVE account. Xbox is giving 10 prizes of thousands of LIVE points each week until January 24.

You can click on the title to this post for information of the sweepstakes and the link for entering.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/events/downloadandwin/legion/default.htm