Friday, October 22, 2010

Alternative Movie Options, Why Aren't There More?

One of my favorite things as a kid was when my grandmother would take my sister and me or me and one of my friends to see a movie at the old Movie 6 in my hometown. The theater had been around for good 30 years and was even where my parents went on their first date to see the disaster movie Earthquake (hey, it won an Oscar!), but after the new mall opened with a 12 screen multiplex Movie 6 became second fiddle in town.

The best thing I remember about Movie 6 is that they always played movies after they had left the big move theater and the tickets were $2. Seriously. $2. And that was in the late 90s when typical movies were still at a relatively reasonable $6.50 for adults. Movie 6 is definitely where I would've taken my dates if it wasn't shut down by the time I was in high school and driving. And therein lies the problem. It was shut down.

Movies are becoming more and more expensive to make. This means studios have to make more money on each film to try and at least break even if not make a profit, and that in turn is passed along to the movie theaters who have to raise prices so they can stay afloat. It's difficult for the little theaters to get by on $2 or $4 tickets and no one wants to pay $11 to sit in a rundown theater that has gum on the seats from the 70s. So does this leave us at the mercy of the megaplexes with their ever increasing ticket and concessions prices?

Yes. And No.

While many smaller towns lack the public interest or persons with resources (sorry Salisbury, MD and Hastings, NE) to open and run smaller "niche" theaters, there is hope in places like Richmond, VA and Washington, DC.

Richmond sports the amazing Byrd Theatre, which has been maintained in its original styling from its 1928 opening. Plush seats, deatiled interior architecture, a functioning organ, and an actual curtain that is pulled back before the start of each movie makes the theatre seem more like an opera house than a place to watch 300. The Byrd plays second-run movies (Inception is currently on their docket) as well as special features (like documentaries that don't make it to "big" theaters) and throwback nights with movies like Back to the Future, The Phantom of the Opera (1925), and The Princess Bride. General features only cost $1.99. Awesome.

DC sports the Arlington Cinema and Draft House with its second-run movies (these are the ones that just left the main theaters but aren't quite out on DVD or on-demand) for $1 on Mondays with prices increasing by a buck each night until the weekend. Instead of the usual theater seating, ACDH (I just made up that acronym but feel free to use it) has table and bar (facing the screen of course) seating. They also serve you food and beer from a full menu before and during the movie.

I also recently discovered that West End Cinema is opening next Friday (10/29) in, well, the West End of DC (between Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle metro stations). While this is not a second-run theater like the Byrd or ACDH, West End Cinema will play films that don't make it to a theater near you (see what I did there?). It's a more "refined" and "intellectually-minded" theater that will serve "beer wine and gourmet nibbles as well as the usual popcorn, candy and soda" and is "fashioned more along the lines of the cinematheques of Europe." Although it boasts the ability to hold teleconferences and show non-film performance like an "opera simulcast," I'm more excited to see the likes of Howl, which as far as I know never made it to a mainstream theater.

While several larger cities like New York City may be the best places for the small theater and the opening of West End Cinema and their reasonable success (they're still open, so count your blessings) of the Byrd and ACDH is promising, there are still far too few independent and price/experience minded cinemas out there. But as the expense of blockbuster studio movies continue to grow, so does the popularity of independent films. If we are lucky, then the smart curious populations of every town in America will show entrepreneurs that the market does exist for more of these types of cinemas in a town near you.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Dear Sister

Dear Sister,

Please don't send anymore e-mails to the family saying that you are going to be an aunt in the subject line without clarifying that your husband's sister just found out she's pregnant. I was worried that you knew something that I didn't.

Thank you,
Your Brother

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

2010 MLB Playoffs-National League

It's hard to believe how fast the season has flown by. The hometown Nationals are once again way below .500 and were at times hard to watch, and the end of September means another long winter of speculation and remorse and a spring filled with hope that will go once again unfulfilled. But for lucky fans of 8 teams October means one thing, Playoffs. So let's go ahead and take a look at this year's National League playoff teams.

Atlanta Braves
Who are they?
The Once and (possibly) Future Champions. The Braves dominated the National League through most of the 90s and a part of the last decade, but the Bravos have slumped a bit as of late. Maybe you can blame this on the rise of the Phillies to the position of Beast of the (NL) East, but either way the Braves are looking to restake their claim as the cream of the National League.

Player to watch.
Man do I wish I could say Chipper Jones here, but the third baseman has been out for much of the second half of the season and wont' make an appearance in the playoffs. So, we're going to go with rookie phenom Jason Heyward. The next obvious choice? Maybe, but Heyward has had a very good season as a rookie (.277/18/72) and it'll be interesting to see how this stud can perform in the playoffs.

Why you should want them to win?
This is legendary Atlanta manager Bobby Cox's last season. There may be no better way to send the man out then on top as World Series Champions.

Why they might win.
Like most of the playoff teams this year, Atlanta has solid pitching. But they also have an ace up their sleeve with rookie reliever Kenny Powers who may be the Jesus figure we all perceive him to be.

Why they'll lose.
Injuries have forced the Bravos to float around some of their infielders to fill in the gaps. The lack of continuity was clear in their last regular season series against the Phillies when fielding errors were an issue.

Random fact.
This guy used to be the Braves mascot.


Cincinnati Reds
Who are they?
The Big Surprise. No one really expected the Reds to win the NL Central that the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols have dominated for the last decade, but here we are with the Reds ready to make their first playoff appearance since 1995.

Player to watch.
Joey Votto. This NL MVP candidate is a guy that I can tell you almost nothing about without having to do some intense research, so yeah. I'm sure if you watch any of these games the commentators won't shut up about him, so you should do that. Go Joey Votto!

Why you should want them to win.
Not only have the Reds been irrelevant over the last few years, but they come from one of the hardest divisions in baseball to win. The NL Central sports 6 teams in its divisions while all other teams have 5 (except for the AL West, which only has four); it's true. Seems unfair right? Well, the NL Central does have the Pirates and they barely counts as a team. So maybe it is even. Either way, the Reds need to take advantage of their postseason ticket before St. Louis remembers next year that they're the class of the division.

Why they might win.
They have a pitcher whose first name is Bronson! What a bro.

Why they'll lose.
They play in Cincinnati. Yuck.

Random fact.

I just found out that Joey Votto is Canadian. That's disappointing.


Philadelphia Phillies
Who are they?
The Dynasty in the Making. Four straight NL East titles, two-time defending NL Pennant winners, and 2008 World Series Champions. What's that tell you? That these guys are damn good and probably won't stop. Prepare for all the "dynasty" talk as the Phils make their way through the playoffs. Also prepare for the drunken shenanigans of their fans.

Player to watch.
Roy Halladay. One of the most dominating pitchers in the Majors since 2002, Halladay is getting his first taste of postseason play. Forced to pitch for the Blue Jays (perhaps as punishment for a misdeed in a past life) in the brutal AL East for over a decade, "Doc" finally made his way to a winning team with a chance to win it all. He already boasts a Cy Young Award from his time in Toronto (and may win a second this year), but without a World Series ring he becomes the Dan Marino of baseball - getting captured by a cross-dressing former catcher and, along with the Phanatic, needing to be rescued by Jim Carrey in a Hawaiian shirt. Hilarity ensues. [Editor's note: Halladay pitched only the second no-hitter in playoff history Wednesday night against the Reds. Wow am I smart.]

Why you should want them to win.
Because if they lose this will happen, but if they win this will happen.

Why they might win.
This guy. This guy. And maybe even this guy.

Why they'll lose.
My roommate is a huge Phillies fan.

Random fact.

June 23, 1971, Phillies right-hander Rick Wise pitches a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds, Hitting two home runs and becoming the fourth Phillie to pitch a no-hitter - and the only one to do it wearing glasses. Ha, made you learn something.


San Francisco Giants
Who are they?
The Pitching Team. Two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum has not been as dominating as he was the past two seasons, but he's still one of the best. Matt Cain has shown that he has the ability to get it done (going 3-0 with 29 strikeouts and a 2.19 ERA in September), and Jonathan Sanchez has come into his own as the second best arm in this team's rotation. This team doesn't need a lot of run production to get the job done.

Player to watch.
The offense. I have faith in the pitching staff's ability to do their thing, but if no one in the lineup can get on base on hit successfully in a scoring situation, this team may find itself on the wrong side of a few 1-0 or 2-1 pitching duels. The bats need to come alive for the Giants if they have any hope of going deep in the playoffs, let alone winning themselves a ring.

Why you should want them to win.
The Giants haven't won a playoff game since Barry Bonds was with the team. A World Series title (something the team hasn't accomplished since leaving New York in the 50s) in the pitching-strong, post-Bonds era would be a great way for the franchise and the city to erase the memories of a roided-up egomaniac that's currently under indictment from the U.S. government and move on to a bright future.

Why they might win.
Pitching, pitching, pitching. The starting rotation for the Giants is absolutely stacked and their reliever is a Beach Boy. That's good enough for me.

Why they'll lose.
As much as I've complimented their pitching staff, the Phillies have a better rotation.

Random fact.

Their third baseman is a Panda.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

2010 MLB Playoffs- American League

It's hard to believe how fast the season has flown by. My beloved O's are once again way below .500 and were at times hard to watch, and the end of September means another long winter of speculation and remorse and a spring filled with hope that will go once again unfulfilled. But for lucky fans of 8 teams October means one thing, Playoffs. So let's go ahead and take a look at this year's American League playoff teams.

Minnesota Twins
Who are they?
The All-American Midwest Team. Led by homegrown super star Joe Mauer, the Twins are the kind of team that epitomizes what a lot of people believe baseball should stand for. Selfless players who play for the team and their city (or region/state in this case) and try to win one for the fans.

Player to watch.
Jim Thome. Mauer is the obvious star of this team, but everyone will be watching him anyway. Keep your eye on Thome who quietly batted .283 with 25 HR's on the season as a part-time DH. The 20 year veteran is eighth on the all time HR list, Thome is just 11 dingers from 600 and is first all time in walk off HR's. This may

Why you should want them to win?
Because if you don't then you hate America and everything it stands for. This is not an opinion; it's a fact. Also, this may be the aforementioned Thome's (one of the classiest players of the last two decades) to win a ring.

Why they might win.
A strong offense that can mash the ball all over the field and a starting rotation that is better than a lot of people think.

Why they'll lose.
The loss of former MVP Justin Morneau due to injury hurts their offense and their bullpen is a liability outside of Jon Rauch and Matt Capps.

Random fact.
The Twins' intertwined "TC" logo stands for the Twin Cities (hence, the Twins), which are Minneapolis and Duluth. I learned this by watching Fargo. The Twin Cities part, not the hat part. That I figured out on my own.

New York Yankees
Who are they?
The Evil Empire, but if you seriously needed to be told that then just stop reading this column and move along. Move along.

Player to watch.
AJ Burnett. Sitting awkwardly on the bench. Because Yankees Manger Joe Girardi doesn't trust him to pitch. That's $16.5 Million that can't be trusted to pitch in the playoffs. Gotta love New York.

Why you should want them to win?
Winning the WS after the death of owner George Steinbrenner, who brought the Yankees back to a dominating franchise after purchasing them in the 70s, earlier this year would be a fitting tribute to "The Boss". (But seriously, don't root for the Yankees. Don't be that guy. No one like that guy.)

Why they might win.
Hellloooooo highest payroll in baseball.

Why they'll lose.
Because if there is a God then he doesn't want me to suffer through obnoxious Yankees fans or seeing Jeter/A-Rod hoisting the trophy on the ESPN "Champions" clip every day for the next year.

Random fact.
Jay-Z made the Yankees hat more famous than a Yankee could.

Tampa Bay Rays
Who are they?
The Young Guns. A team that was irrelevant for its first 10 years (without one playoff appearance or even a winning season), the Rays came out of seemingly nowhere to win the very strong AL East in 2008 and made it all the way to the World Series. Stacked with young talent (from all the high draft picks from years and years and years of losing), the Rays may be one of the top future franchises in the league.

Player to watch.
David Price. He was a rookie making his first MLB appearance in the 2008 playoffs, but now he's a stud pitcher who has been mentioned in the AL Cy Young Award conversation. He pitched well all year and has some experience in the World Series as a relief pitcher against the Phillies in '08, so it'll be interesting if he can put everything together and be a rock for this rotation.

Why you should want them to win?
Worst to first? I'm in! Ok, so it would've been better if it had happened two years ago when the magical transformation began, but it's hard to root against a team that's turned around a really miserable franchise.

Why they might win.
Young. Talented. Well managed. Enough said.

Why they'll lose.
Despite being one of the best teams in baseball this season, their stadium is constantly empty. Karma may come around to bite the fairweather fans in the butt.

Random fact.
The turnaround of the franchise began the same year the team's name was changed from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the Tampa Bay Rays. Maybe other languishing franchises should try that out. I'm looking at you Pittsburgh.

Texas Rangers
Who are they?
Just one guy named Walker who plays every position on the field. Also, owned by the most ornery old man you've ever met.

Player to watch.
Why you should want them to win?
Why they might win.
Why they'll lose.
Random fact.
Despite the lack of serious content above, the Rangers are the team I'm most rooting for in this year's playoffs. This is a franchise that has had lots of ups and downs over the years, has only one postseason win, was recently sold to a Baseball/Pitching/Texas legend, and is led by an AL MVP candidate that only 5 years ago was out of baseball because of drug addiction. Everyone should be praying that Josh Hamilton can return and make a push to get his team to the World Series. There's a lot of likeable talent with none of the infighting or universal disgust that follows so many professional sports teams. Plus I can't wait to see how many newspapers/websites have the headline "Don't Mess with Texas" after they win it all.