Three major movies with local angles open today; what are you hoping to see?
In a rather odd accident of timing, three national movie releases with significant ties to Ann Arbor will screen this weekend.
• "Bully," the acclaimed documentary about the issue of bullying, has been in limited release for a couple of weeks, but tonight marks its local premiere, at the State Theatre. Katy Butler, an Ann Arbor student who herself has been bullied, led a successful nationwide effort to get the movie's rating changed from R to PG-13 so that more teens will be able to see it.
• "Chimpanzee," the latest true-life documentary from Disneynature, opens nationally today—and locally at Quality 16 and Rave Motion Pictures. University of Michigan Professor John Mitani played a key off-screen role in the making of the movie.
• "The Five Year Engagement," the high-profile romantic comedy starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, gets a special sneak preview screening at the Michigan Theater tonight as a benefit for 826michigan. (The movie opens in wide release next Friday.) "Engagement" was filmed primarily in Ann Arbor last year, and is also set here.
Which of the three are you planning to see?
Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.
Comments
Dog Guy
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.
I stopped going to movie theaters decades ago when a twenty-something-year-old guy from New York City was assigned to sit behind me every time and loudly explain everything to his date.
almightydanish
Sat, Apr 21, 2012 : 12:45 p.m.
Go ahead and come back to the movies - that guy just texts his date now. No talking, but a little bit of a glare from the screen.
johnnya2
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8:36 p.m.
Yes, because everything in the world is the same as it was decades ago. I assume your clothes, your house, your car, your phone, your computer, your life has not changed in 20 years. One thing is for sure, you just proved yourself to be THAT old guy that gives all people over the age of 40 a bad rep. Cant wait to hear your stories that all start with : when I was your age" and " damn kids get off my lawn"
Ed Kimball
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 7:40 p.m.
Wow! Did it ever occur to you that if you went to the movies again, that might not happen to you?
JDed
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 3:42 p.m.
Wouldn't more kids get to see Bully if it was released on YouTube? Oh right, there is no profit from that . . . . Maybe Katy should have petitioned the distribution company to release the movie on over the internet . . .
johnnya2
Sat, Apr 21, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
JDed, Do you not understand that making films costs money? You must PAY a camera man. You need to PAY the people who edit it. This is their JOB. If doctors are in it to save lives, why do they charge for their services? If people in the military are in it to defend their homeland and protect, why do they accept a paycheck. YOU do not get to decide how a person who makes films distributes them or charges for them. Maybe YOU need to get a clue.
JDed
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8:42 p.m.
wouldn't it be easier for people to "figure it out" if they could see the movie for free on Youtube, and there was no "ridiculous rating system"?
johnnya2
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 8:33 p.m.
For a film company to continue to make movies like Bully they need to have people PAY to see them. The TARGET audience for this film is 12-21 year olds and their parents. If most of those people are blocked because of a ridiculous rating system it needs to be changed. Based on your silly logic, books that are fact based and important to many kids should just be provided for free. Just give them all away. In fact, let's just give everything away for free. I am guessing JDed was a bully or has a child who is one, and hates the idea of others figuring it out
JDed
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.
Nope, just saying that if your promoting it "as a movie that everyone needs to see" and used campaigns to lower the rating of the film under the guise "so younger people could see it without their parents" it seems the logical thing to do would release on YouTube, or donate every cent of profit
Alex Swary
Fri, Apr 20, 2012 : 3:57 p.m.
Are you implying that the film studio shouldn't be able to make a profit from their movie?