Free Refills

What's 'The Game Plan?'

New at the Eagle: The Game Plan is family fare, with enough Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson beefcake to bring in a more, uh, discerning female audience. There is a thoughtful review here to give you a heads up on the film.

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We conclude our "Second Chance September" promotion with a two movies--Transformers and Ratatouille. I saw both of them when they came out and I recommend them both. They were surprisingly good and certainly worth the $3 admission we are charging this week for them.

I watched 3:10 to Yuma last week, and it was one of the best 10 films I have ever seen. I didn't know what to expect, but it was an outstanding film. I had a flashback to my childhood when I watched "Shenendoah," the Jimmy Stewart film about a family coping during the Civil War. "

Yuma

" is set shortly after the Civil War, and is based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. The theme of family weighs heavy, as it did in "Shenendoah." Russell Crowe delivers an Oscar-worthy performance.

We couldn't get "

Yuma

" on the national break date, and had to wait two weeks to bring it here. You've heard me rant and rave about this before, but the good news is that "

Yuma

" did very well for us in its first week here. That gives our booker ammunition to go back to the studio and say: "See how well the film did on week three--think how well it would have done if you had picked Eagle Theater on the break." Money talks in

Hollywood

, B.S. walks. Your loyalty to the theater and good first week attendance for "

Yuma

" may make it easy for us to book films in the slow season. Thanks.

By the middle of October, film availability should be loosened up, as we become the latest bestest friends of studios looking for holiday grosses. The relationship between studio and theater is not a marriage for "better for worse," but more like a transaction in a house of ill repute.

'Rock' on...

Beefcake Alert: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson opens at the Eagle on Friday night with "The Game Plan." this wrestling superstar has made the transition to the silver screen, even if he hasn't carried any blockbusters yet...

If you know the answer to our question this week, and are the 13th person to provide it, you win a free pass to the Eagle. Just put your answer in the subject line of an email to trivia@eagletheater.net. If you have included great thoughts within the body of the email that you want us to read, then put a "*" by your answer to clue us in. One entry per email address, please.

In 2004, The Rock would have been playing the part of Buford Pusser, but in this remake of a 1973 film, Pusser became Chris Vaughn and Joe Don Baker became Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. (Sidenote: Bo Svenson played Buford Pusser in an indescribably bad television series based on the original movie.)

Totally confused yet? We are looking for the name of the 2004 movie where The Rock played Chris Vaughn. Go for it!

The mysterious Amanda Brooks

Amanda Brooks is a young British actress who stars in "Dragon Wars," which starts Friday at the Eagle Theater. You can comb the internet, but you won't find out much about her--and she is NOT the former adult escort from Texas who has her own website and non-profit organization (we do this research so you don't have to!).

If you are the 11th person to send us the correct answer to our (sort-of) Amanda Brooks question, you earn a free pass at the Eagle. Just put your answer in the subject line of an email addressed to trivia@eagletheater.net.

Ready?

Amanda Brooks had a bit part in a Jodie Foster movie a few years ago about a woman whose child vanished while on an airline flight--and no one on the plan will admit that the girl was ever on the plan! What was the name of this Foster film that first brought the obscure Ms. Brooks into the Eagle Theater?

Dragon Wars and more...

Dear Movie Guests, Dragon Wars and Knocked Up are the two new movies this week, with Knocked Up being "semi-new." As one of the films in our Second Chance September series, it is only $3 to see. **** September is the slow season, when studios cut back on their print distribution to match the expected grosses of their middling-fare. Hollywood is restocking for the holiday season, and the garage is being cleaned out and the used and tattered put on sale. The cut corners mindset extends even when Hollywood releases a decent movie. Russell Crowe's "3:10 to Yuma" is by all accounts a pretty good film and did decent business in its first week. ("Decent" is a relative term--it's $14 million gross would be considered an abject failure for a Thanksgiving release.) However, it's a western, and Hollywood only dabbles in westerns these days, treating them like freakish occurences, like Halley's Comet or a Dick Cheney sighting. One MIGHT think that Hollywood would seek out smaller markets for westerns--someplace where pickup trucks actually hauled things, for example. Here in our own little backwater, Hollywood hedged its bet and wanted to know how another western grossed locally. However, the western they looked at played before Eagle Theater was open. Now that's a Catch 21 1/2 at least. So we wait for "3:10 to Yuma." I've got my six shooter trained on it, and we'll haul it in soon so you can do justice with it. ***** As a blog reader, you care not only about movies, but about having a local theater. This is the month where we play on the heartstrings of your loyalty, and urge you to come on out for a good time even though the movies aren't blockbusters. Movies are an affordable entertainment option, and there is still something "right" about watching a film with a group of people. Come see us! ***** Jon Kennedy won our free pass this week by having the 17th correct answer to the Anne Hathaway trivia question. You can play this week by looking above and answering the Dragon Wars question. Kennedy now works for a bank, but he is best known to me as the starting pitcher for the 1976 edition of the Heath baseball team in minor league. He had a blazing fastball, and 31 years later he hasn't entirely gone to seed. Congratulations, Jon.

Tom Welsh's brain freezes

Chick flick alert! Chick flick alert! <Sound of wailing sirens, followed by sobbing>

Becoming Jane is coming here this Friday, and features the delightful Anne Hathaway:

"Anne Hathaway concludes the thorough evolution from Disney princess to serious actress. With commanding wit and a deft British accent, she's more than convincing as a wickedly intelligent woman restricted by proper society." --Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star

Actually, I think that I will see it...

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A year ago this week we set a record for lowest attendance at the theater. Let's not break THIS one, alright?

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We are pleased to report that our Ping Pong Pro, Brad Siler, smoked 23 out of 24 challengers at last Saturday's Balls of Fury grudge match. Josh Rodrick from Oblong took two of three points from Siler, who is past champion of Stoy and runner up in the Greater Latvia competition. Rodrick won a free pass to the theater AND a FREE sandwich and sides from BackPorch SmokeHouse.

Speaking of the BackPorch, John Agan is the new manager there, and I have been tutoring him on the theater's ping pong table, which alas, will be going back to owner Don Hoagland soon. As a ping pong player, Agan makes a good restaurant manager. I wouldn't say that his forehand is weak, but if it was a weightlifter, feather pillows would not be in any danger. I schooled him four matches in a row before sitting down to write this. Make sure you comment on his prowess when you see him at the Porch.

It might be a good idea to eat at the Porch and then see a movie. Make sure you leave room for our new frozen drinks. We tried them Wednesday night and they gave Manager Tom Welsh a brain freeze, but none of the staff noticed.

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The best bargain of the week is Wild Hogs, which we are bringing back as part of our "Second Chance September" promotion. This film is the dollar box office recordholder for the Eagle, and runs just behind "Passion of the Christ" for number of tickets sold.

You can see it for only $3 on the big screen this week.

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Troy Allen is last week's trivia winner. He was the 11th correct entry, and knew that Jamie Lee Curtis was in the original Halloween, which enters its second week at the Eagle. You too can be a winner!

The Princess and Anne (trivia)

Anne Hathaway stars this week in "Becoming Jane," a wonderful film based upon Jane Austen's life. Our trivia question is about her, and if you are the 17th correct entry, you win a free pass. Send your answer in the subject line to trivia@eagletheater.net. As always: (1) One entry per email address, and (2) If you want us to read the body of the email, put a "*" in the subject line.

Hathaway has come a long way as an actress. From her starring role in "The Princess Diaries" (and its dreadful sequel) and "Ella Enchanted," Hathaway spread her dramatic wings as Lureen Newsome in "Brokeback Mountain." (Beware of whiplash for THAT change in genre). Our trivia question, though, concerns Hathaway's role in a 2006 film that also starred Meryl Streep. The tagline for the movie, based on Streep's portrayal of Miranda Priestly, was "Hell on heels." What was the name of this film?

Sure Sign of the Apocalypse

(Actual conversation at McDonald's)

"I'd like an Egg McMuffin and a small drink."

"Did you say you want it 'to go'?"

"No."

"Then you want it here?"