“Movies for Kids (and their Families)” are shown every weekend at noon as well as some holidays and school vacations. To kick off the New Year, the five films scheduled for January and February feature Gene Kelly, singing and dancing his way across the big screen in such films as Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris. During the school break in February, two Charlie Chaplin films, The Gold Rush and City Lights, will be shown at noon. For a complete listing of films and dates, or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at burnsfilmcenter[dot]org. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office which opens one hour before showtimes on weekdays and 11am on weekends.
Monday, December 27, 2010
JBFC Announces One Dollar Kids Films In 2011
The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) has announced that tickets for children for the “Movies for Kids (and their Families)” series will be $1.00 for 2011, in celebration of its 10th Anniversary. “We would not be able to offer tickets for $1.00 without Club Fit’s generous support. While Club Fit is a founding sponsor of the JBFC, we are especially pleased that they have chosen to direct their support in this way,” Steve Apkon, executive director of the Film Center said. “We are thrilled to be able to enhance our longstanding partnership with the JBFC by underwriting the cost of the tickets for this series,” Ellen Koelsch, vice president of Club Fit said.
“Movies for Kids (and their Families)” are shown every weekend at noon as well as some holidays and school vacations. To kick off the New Year, the five films scheduled for January and February feature Gene Kelly, singing and dancing his way across the big screen in such films as Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris. During the school break in February, two Charlie Chaplin films, The Gold Rush and City Lights, will be shown at noon. For a complete listing of films and dates, or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at burnsfilmcenter[dot]org. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office which opens one hour before showtimes on weekdays and 11am on weekends.
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“Movies for Kids (and their Families)” are shown every weekend at noon as well as some holidays and school vacations. To kick off the New Year, the five films scheduled for January and February feature Gene Kelly, singing and dancing his way across the big screen in such films as Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris. During the school break in February, two Charlie Chaplin films, The Gold Rush and City Lights, will be shown at noon. For a complete listing of films and dates, or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at burnsfilmcenter[dot]org. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office which opens one hour before showtimes on weekdays and 11am on weekends.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Ajay Devgn confident of the success of Toonpur Ka Superrhero
Ajay Devgn seems very confident of the success of his next home production Toonpur Ka Superrhero. Though the release date of the movie is clashing with that of Tees Maar Khan , the actor-producer seems unfazed.According to him, the film which is based on a unique concept will be appreciated by the audience and the critics alike. " My movie has a new concept.
It is especially for kids. So, I think the concept will pull the audience to the theatres. With so many films being made and released simultaneously, you cannot expect to have a single release date. Whichever release date I choose, it will clash with some or the other film at the box office. Then why should I get scared? Most of my movies are released with big films.So it has now become very natural," he said.
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It is especially for kids. So, I think the concept will pull the audience to the theatres. With so many films being made and released simultaneously, you cannot expect to have a single release date. Whichever release date I choose, it will clash with some or the other film at the box office. Then why should I get scared? Most of my movies are released with big films.So it has now become very natural," he said.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Yogi Bear – movie review
Yogi Bear is based on a TV show under the same name from the late 50′s. The Warner Brother film adaption stays true to the original series, with Yogi being the leader and BooBoo being his more down to earth sidekick. The story is set in Jellystone Park, and they, of course, are “smarter than the average bear.” They think up of new schemes that in the long run hurt Jellystone. Now with their home being in danger of being replaced, they have to try to help save it. The question is, can they save the park? They try to work their smarts to help save their home and Ranger Smith’s job.The trailer for the movie does not really do it justice; despite the fact that they marketed it to kids, it is something many adults will enjoy. They tie in a lone love story and of course plenty of adventure, yet they do add in enough humor for adults to laugh along with the kids. They did a great job to keep the whole family entertained by the Yogi Bear; in my theater I heard many other adults have laughs, especially at some of the grown-up jokes like the city’s mayor getting filmed admitting his real goals.
I loved all of the characters, but BooBoo and Yogi are my favorites. While Yogi is vain and sometimes comes up with bad ideas, he always means well. BooBoo is the voice of reason, and he is just a really sweet bear. How can anyone not like BooBoo? I did not mind any of the humans; if I had to choose my favorite humans it would be Ranger Smith and Rachel. However, all of the characters were great in the movie–even the bad ones.
I loved the plot; it was cute, funny, and an example of a true family film. The writers did an amazing job on it, and I hope that they will make a sequel just because it is such a cute movie. It was easy to follow and understand, which makes it great for really young kids to watch. They kept it without any violence, which includes anything that you might see in a cartoon show like Looney Tunes. The actors and voice actors did a great job at really giving each character personality in this movie.
The CGI graphics that they used were amazing, and while they were not perfect, they did look real most of the time. Most of it was live action, so I am sure that helped with some of the real-looking CGI graphics. Most mixed live action and CGI films do not come out looking as good as this one did, so this is a bonus point for Yogi Bear. They also filmed the live action part in a beautiful area and used great sets for the indoor scenes. I will also point out that some of the stunts that Yogi did and how they placed him in the stunts was well above what is typical in CGI live action movies.
I will also say that this is a rare movie that all age groups can really enjoy, and even toddlers can watch. It is a simple and fun film to watch as a family or as part of a slumber/birthday party; it will be a great option for any reason. That is a tough thing to find these days, and I am happy that I was able to find such a movie like this. All in all, this movie was cute and is one you will remember later down the road. While it is not Oscar or Gold Globe worthy, it still has its place and is something I would not mind seeing again. It really hit the spot that they were aiming for, and I think they went well above their goals with this film. As I stated earlier in this article, I hope they will make a sequel, since my only issue is that I feel like the story could go on longer. They left a lot untold, I think, and I hope that they will keep the story going for a little longer. Other than that, it was a solid movie and I enjoyed it a lot. For my rating 1 out of 10, I give this an 8 ½. Very good, but as I said it could have told us more. If you want a family movie to see this holiday season and have young kids, this is the one. Even if you are older and want to see a lighthearted movie, this one would be worth your time to see.
Monday, December 13, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW: Whiz Kids
This documentary follows three high school seniors from different backgrounds, as they prepare for a science competition and the chance to win $100,000 in scholarship money. It’s interesting how this highly overrated documentary shows what three smart kids can do if they work hard. You see, in the other highly overrated documentary Waiting for Superman, they talked about how horrible public schools were. These 17-year-olds aren’t from rich families, or “great” schools, yet they’re doing just fine in life. They’re going to do just fine at college, and in their careers. It proves what I’ve always thought – you can be at a horrible high school – if the child and their parents have them working hard in their classes, they’ll probably succeed.I’m not sure why so many uninteresting documentaries are being praised these days. Maybe I have a higher standard.
I don’t think every movie has to be Hoop Dreams or Spellbound. Spellbound (not to be confused with the Hitchcock film) followed eight kids that prepared for the national spelling bee. This movie only follows three.
One is a first-generation Ecuadoran girl that seems sweet. The other was a slightly annoying, precocious gal from West Virginia working on water purification. The third is a Pakistani immigrant working on fossil dating. He’s a very likable kid that I was really rooting for. Although, it’s hard to say you’re rooting against any child that’s working hard to win a competition.
I’m not sure if the film is hurt by the fact that most people don’t know what the Intel Science Talent Search is. It’s not like the spelling bee competitions, where the local news loves showing footage of young brainiacs spelling words we don’t even know.
You quickly get the gist of how important this science competition is. I just wish that as we learned more about the kids, it would’ve been more interesting. This is a movie that should’ve just aired on KPBS. Why somebody would want to spend $12 to go see it in the theatres is beyond me.
And nobody that recommends this movie can complain about people that watch reality TV shows that follow folks around. Sure…the models, chefs, singers, or people living on an island probably have half the IQ of these kids. That doesn’t make watching them for almost an hour and a half more interesting – probably less so.
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I don’t think every movie has to be Hoop Dreams or Spellbound. Spellbound (not to be confused with the Hitchcock film) followed eight kids that prepared for the national spelling bee. This movie only follows three.
One is a first-generation Ecuadoran girl that seems sweet. The other was a slightly annoying, precocious gal from West Virginia working on water purification. The third is a Pakistani immigrant working on fossil dating. He’s a very likable kid that I was really rooting for. Although, it’s hard to say you’re rooting against any child that’s working hard to win a competition.
I’m not sure if the film is hurt by the fact that most people don’t know what the Intel Science Talent Search is. It’s not like the spelling bee competitions, where the local news loves showing footage of young brainiacs spelling words we don’t even know.
You quickly get the gist of how important this science competition is. I just wish that as we learned more about the kids, it would’ve been more interesting. This is a movie that should’ve just aired on KPBS. Why somebody would want to spend $12 to go see it in the theatres is beyond me.
And nobody that recommends this movie can complain about people that watch reality TV shows that follow folks around. Sure…the models, chefs, singers, or people living on an island probably have half the IQ of these kids. That doesn’t make watching them for almost an hour and a half more interesting – probably less so.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Watching R-rated Movies Ups Odds of Teens Smoking
Teens who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are more likely to take up smoking than teens whose parents bar them from viewing mature movie content, according to new research. In fact, the study authors estimated that if 10- to 14-year-olds were completely restricted from viewing R-rated movies, their risk of starting to smoke could drop two to threefold.
However, the study found that only one in three young American teens is restricted from viewing R-rated films, which are restricted at the box office to teens 17 and older unless the child is accompanied by an adult. "When watching popular movies, youth are exposed to many risk behaviors, including smoking, which is rarely displayed with negative health consequences and most often portrayed in a positive manner or glamorized to some extent. Previous studies have shown that adolescents who view movie smoking are more likely to begin smoking," said the study's lead author, Rebecca de Leeuw, a doctoral student at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
"Our findings indicate that parental R-rated movie restrictions were directly related to a lower risk of smoking initiation, but also indirectly through changes in children's sensation seeking," de Leeuw added.
"Sensation seeking is related to a higher risk for smoking onset. However, children with parents who restrict them from watching R-rated movies were less likely to develop higher levels of sensation seeking and, subsequently, at a lower risk for smoking onset," she explained.
Findings from the study are scheduled to appear in the January issue of Pediatrics.
The study included data from a random sample of 6,522 American children between the ages of 10 and 14 years old. The average age of the children at the start of the study was 12.
The children were followed for two years, and given periodic re-evaluations at 8, 16 and 24 months to see if they had begun smoking during that time period.
Just 32 percent of children reported that their parents fully restricted them from seeing R-rated movies at the start of the study.
The researchers found that the percentage of children who were willing to try smoking went up with their parents' level of permissiveness regarding R-rated movies. Only about 8 percent of children who had never seen an R-rated movie had tried smoking during the study period, while nearly 30 percent of those who could see R-rated movies "all the time" had tried smoking. The researchers felt that the parents' permissive attitudes, coupled with exposure to sensation-seeking behaviors in movies, probably influenced the increased risk of smoking in teens.
"This study really adds to the whole body of work that has shown that regular exposure to smoking in movies makes it more likely that a teen will take up smoking," said Dr. Deborah Moss, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "Parents should not be afraid to say no. Restricting exposure to R-rated movies reduces smoking, and smoking is a gateway behavior. [Restricting R-rated movies] is one more thing that parents can do to raise a healthy teen," Moss added.
"Many parents relax their restrictions regarding R-rated movies during adolescence, but our results suggest that continued restriction is an effective means of reducing adolescents' risk for smoking onset," noted de Leeuw. In addition, de Leeuw said, the study authors think that movie theaters and video stores should help parents by enforcing policies restricting anyone under 17 from viewing or renting R-rated movies without a parent present. "This may prevent children from watching R-rated movies without their parents' knowledge," she added.
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However, the study found that only one in three young American teens is restricted from viewing R-rated films, which are restricted at the box office to teens 17 and older unless the child is accompanied by an adult. "When watching popular movies, youth are exposed to many risk behaviors, including smoking, which is rarely displayed with negative health consequences and most often portrayed in a positive manner or glamorized to some extent. Previous studies have shown that adolescents who view movie smoking are more likely to begin smoking," said the study's lead author, Rebecca de Leeuw, a doctoral student at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
"Our findings indicate that parental R-rated movie restrictions were directly related to a lower risk of smoking initiation, but also indirectly through changes in children's sensation seeking," de Leeuw added.
"Sensation seeking is related to a higher risk for smoking onset. However, children with parents who restrict them from watching R-rated movies were less likely to develop higher levels of sensation seeking and, subsequently, at a lower risk for smoking onset," she explained.
Findings from the study are scheduled to appear in the January issue of Pediatrics.
The study included data from a random sample of 6,522 American children between the ages of 10 and 14 years old. The average age of the children at the start of the study was 12.
The children were followed for two years, and given periodic re-evaluations at 8, 16 and 24 months to see if they had begun smoking during that time period.
Just 32 percent of children reported that their parents fully restricted them from seeing R-rated movies at the start of the study.
The researchers found that the percentage of children who were willing to try smoking went up with their parents' level of permissiveness regarding R-rated movies. Only about 8 percent of children who had never seen an R-rated movie had tried smoking during the study period, while nearly 30 percent of those who could see R-rated movies "all the time" had tried smoking. The researchers felt that the parents' permissive attitudes, coupled with exposure to sensation-seeking behaviors in movies, probably influenced the increased risk of smoking in teens.
"This study really adds to the whole body of work that has shown that regular exposure to smoking in movies makes it more likely that a teen will take up smoking," said Dr. Deborah Moss, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "Parents should not be afraid to say no. Restricting exposure to R-rated movies reduces smoking, and smoking is a gateway behavior. [Restricting R-rated movies] is one more thing that parents can do to raise a healthy teen," Moss added.
"Many parents relax their restrictions regarding R-rated movies during adolescence, but our results suggest that continued restriction is an effective means of reducing adolescents' risk for smoking onset," noted de Leeuw. In addition, de Leeuw said, the study authors think that movie theaters and video stores should help parents by enforcing policies restricting anyone under 17 from viewing or renting R-rated movies without a parent present. "This may prevent children from watching R-rated movies without their parents' knowledge," she added.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
2010: It Wasn’t All Bad
Ten things that cheered me up in 2010, not necessarily the most cheerful of years:10. The San Francisco Giants’ first World Series championship! (And my favorite name for a ballplayer, or just about anybody: Buster Posey.) Go, eccentric underdogs, go!
9. Patti Smith’s emotional speech accepting the National Book Award in nonfiction for her memoir of bohemian life in sixties and seventies New York, “Just Kids.” Recalling her days as a clerk at Scribner’s bookstore, Smith said, “I dreamed of having a book of my own, of writing one that I could put on a shelf. Please, no matter how we advance technologically, please don’t abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than a book.”
8. The intelligent and thorough ruling in favor of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage written by district court Judge Vaughn Walker in August. Now onward and upward to the Supreme Court.
7. The new neo-soulish album “Good Things” by Aloe Blacc, and especially the song “I Need a Dollar,” a seductively catchy anthem for crummy economic times. And, while I’m at it, another example of galvanizing neo-soul: the Cee-Lo Green album, “The Lady Killer.”
6. The fact that California voters chose as their new governor Jerry Brown, a quirky septuagenarian with an undeniable dedication to public service, over the Republican eBay C.E.O. Meg Whitman, who spent an astonishing hundred and sixty million dollars on her campaign. And the cartoon that had an indignant Whitman saying, “But I was the highest bidder!”
5. And while I’m being cheerful about HBO: “Treme,” David Simon’s music-besotted portrait of post-Katrina New Orleans, which has been renewed for a second season—and its irresistible soundtrack album.
4. Gabriel Byrne as Dr. Paul Weston on HBO’s “In Treatment.” He makes listening sexy. And he’s helped to transform the show from a procedural about talk therapy into a meditation on the practice of compassion.
3. The Chilean miners’ rescue. And more than the rescue itself, the fact that the people involved in the operation thought so creatively for sixty-nine days about how to help the trapped men, providing everything from psychological and medical consults to movies, dominos, and empanadas, all through a tiny borehole that extended twenty-three hundred feet underground.
2. The fact that “The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1,” published, by the University of California Press, a hundred years after Twain’s death, is a bestseller.
1. Hermione Granger, as played by the lovely Emma Watson in the most recent Harry Potter movies, especially “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” At last: a heroine you and your tween daughter can both appreciate. Neither a hot-and-bothered vampire crush object nor a brat (obnoxious being the translation for “spunky girl” in so many recent kids’ movies), Watson’s Hermione is instead a person of character and playful intelligence.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale film review
They don't come much weirder than this kids' festive film in which Santa Claus is not a rosy-cheeked man in red but a sinister, naked child abductor. While it does the soul good to know somebody out there is making movies this far removed from standard multiplex fare, just who is going to see this film? Not kids, that's for sure.Set in a snowbound Finland in the days leading up to Christmas, a US expedition is digging into a mountain where Santa has been buried for hundreds of years. And it's not long before the reindeer are being slaughtered, the local children are going missing and a sinister old man is discovered bleeding and unclothed in an animal trap.
Revolving around a young lad called Pietari, this feels very much like one of those old 80s kids' films that wasn't afraid to scare its young audience but, while Rare Exports is certainly spooky, the plot is too thin to engage while its gratuitous use of the F-word and full frontal male nudity make it a children's film unsuitable for children. File under 'curio'.
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