Monsters vs Aliens

Plays first.

Rated: G

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Transformers 2

Plays second.

Rated: P

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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Plays first.

Rated: G

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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Plays second.

Rated: P

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Each year, the Eric Hoffer Award for books presents the Montaigne Medal to the most thought-provoking title(s). These are books that either illuminate, progress, or redirect thought. The Montaigne Medal is given in honor of the great French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who influenced people such as William Shakespeare, René Descartes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Eric Hoffer.

"I felt all the time he was writing about me. He knew my innermost thoughts."

-Eric Hoffer, from his memoir, Truth Imagined

Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Coarse Language, Substance Abuse, Violence)
Runs: 102 minutes
Director: Christine Jeffs
Country: US
Released: 2009
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn

“Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) once led a charmed life, a high-school cheerleading captain in love with the team quarterback. Then life took a spiral downhill and now after 20 years, Rose is a single mom working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is a slacker still living at home with their dad (Alan Arkin), a failed salesman who never met a get-rich-quick-scheme he didn’t like. When Rose needs to get her son into a good school she convinces her n’er do-well sister to go into business with her cleaning up after crime scenes. In finding success in doing these dirty jobs, Rose and Norah not only turn their professional lives around, they discover things about themselves and each other they never dreamed possible. This terrifically quirky and entertaining character comedy is led by two-time Oscar-nominee Adams. Here she etches a very recognizable character - the small-time girl who achieved greatness in school only to make some bad personal choices and flame out after graduation. Mustering all the self-esteem she can find, Adams’ Rose shines brightly despite all the obstacles standing in her way. She and Blunt as Norah are flat-out wonderful together. Blunt plays the lazy sister who recoils at the thought of her sibling’s new money-making plan but becomes fascinated by the things people leave behind after they die. It’s a keenly observed character and Blunt is subtle perfection. As their father, Arkin is homespun, understanding and endearing. Standouts also include Steve Zahn as Rose’s one-time high school boyfriend and now married lover and Clifton Collins Jr. as his rival for Rose’s affections... A rich and revealing character study revolving around two siblings with small-town hopes and dreams. Every character, no matter how little screen time, is beautifully written and acted.” - Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

Rated: Parental Guidance (Language May Offend, Mature Theme)
Runs: 94 minutes
Director: John Crowley
Country: UK
Released: 2008
Starring: Michael Caine, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey

“Michael Caine gives a mesmerising performance as an ageing magician in this absolute charmer of a movie. Witty, poignant and very touching, this is the British comedy of the year. The veteran actor plays Clarence, a bad-tempered and fiercely independent conjurer who becomes a reluctant resident of the Lark Hall retirement home. A struggling family business run by a husband-and-wife team, their young son Edward resents being forced to give up his room to make way for the latest arrival. A troubled 10-year-old, the lad has developed an obsession with death, even tape-recording the home's residents as they breathe their last, looking for signs of an afterlife, hence the film's title. Meanwhile, Caine's Clarence is a class-A codger with little time for anyone, especially kids... What follows is an odd-couple comedy as Bill and Clarence form an unusual friendship that unexpectedly allows both of them to lay their demons to rest. Caine is reliably on form as the prickly but vulnerable grump, while Milner is also memorable, making for a richly rewarding movie sure to prompt as many tears as chuckles.” - David Edwards, The Daily Mirror

Rated: Parental Guidance (Language May Offend, Mature Theme)
Runs: 94 minutes
Director: John Crowley
Country: UK
Released: 2008
Starring: Michael Caine, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey

“Michael Caine gives a mesmerising performance as an ageing magician in this absolute charmer of a movie. Witty, poignant and very touching, this is the British comedy of the year. The veteran actor plays Clarence, a bad-tempered and fiercely independent conjurer who becomes a reluctant resident of the Lark Hall retirement home. A struggling family business run by a husband-and-wife team, their young son Edward resents being forced to give up his room to make way for the latest arrival. A troubled 10-year-old, the lad has developed an obsession with death, even tape-recording the home's residents as they breathe their last, looking for signs of an afterlife, hence the film's title. Meanwhile, Caine's Clarence is a class-A codger with little time for anyone, especially kids... What follows is an odd-couple comedy as Bill and Clarence form an unusual friendship that unexpectedly allows both of them to lay their demons to rest. Caine is reliably on form as the prickly but vulnerable grump, while Milner is also memorable, making for a richly rewarding movie sure to prompt as many tears as chuckles.” - David Edwards, The Daily Mirror

Rated: 14 Accompaniment (Coarse Language, Substance Abuse, Violence)
Runs: 102 minutes
Director: Christine Jeffs
Country: US
Released: 2009
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn

“Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) once led a charmed life, a high-school cheerleading captain in love with the team quarterback. Then life took a spiral downhill and now after 20 years, Rose is a single mom working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is a slacker still living at home with their dad (Alan Arkin), a failed salesman who never met a get-rich-quick-scheme he didn’t like. When Rose needs to get her son into a good school she convinces her n’er do-well sister to go into business with her cleaning up after crime scenes. In finding success in doing these dirty jobs, Rose and Norah not only turn their professional lives around, they discover things about themselves and each other they never dreamed possible. This terrifically quirky and entertaining character comedy is led by two-time Oscar-nominee Adams. Here she etches a very recognizable character - the small-time girl who achieved greatness in school only to make some bad personal choices and flame out after graduation. Mustering all the self-esteem she can find, Adams’ Rose shines brightly despite all the obstacles standing in her way. She and Blunt as Norah are flat-out wonderful together. Blunt plays the lazy sister who recoils at the thought of her sibling’s new money-making plan but becomes fascinated by the things people leave behind after they die. It’s a keenly observed character and Blunt is subtle perfection. As their father, Arkin is homespun, understanding and endearing. Standouts also include Steve Zahn as Rose’s one-time high school boyfriend and now married lover and Clifton Collins Jr. as his rival for Rose’s affections... A rich and revealing character study revolving around two siblings with small-town hopes and dreams. Every character, no matter how little screen time, is beautifully written and acted.” - Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

Rated: Parental Guidance (Language May Offend, Mature Theme)
Runs: 94 minutes
Director: John Crowley
Country: UK
Released: 2008
Starring: Michael Caine, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey

“Michael Caine gives a mesmerising performance as an ageing magician in this absolute charmer of a movie. Witty, poignant and very touching, this is the British comedy of the year. The veteran actor plays Clarence, a bad-tempered and fiercely independent conjurer who becomes a reluctant resident of the Lark Hall retirement home. A struggling family business run by a husband-and-wife team, their young son Edward resents being forced to give up his room to make way for the latest arrival. A troubled 10-year-old, the lad has developed an obsession with death, even tape-recording the home's residents as they breathe their last, looking for signs of an afterlife, hence the film's title. Meanwhile, Caine's Clarence is a class-A codger with little time for anyone, especially kids... What follows is an odd-couple comedy as Bill and Clarence form an unusual friendship that unexpectedly allows both of them to lay their demons to rest. Caine is reliably on form as the prickly but vulnerable grump, while Milner is also memorable, making for a richly rewarding movie sure to prompt as many tears as chuckles.” - David Edwards, The Daily Mirror