Dear Movie Guests,

What are you doing tonight? We are showing Alice in Wonderland a 12:05 a.m. Friday (that's Thursday night!).

This is Tim Burton's interpretation of "Alice," and Johnny Depp turns in an incredible performance as the Mad Hatter. It is rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.

This is a visually stunning family movie that adults will probably like. It is probably the first big movie of 2010, and it is right here at your little hometown theater.

****

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

We have Oscar buzz at the theater this weekend. Nominated for nine academy awards, including best picture, we are pleased to bring you The Hurt Locker. "Avatar" and The Hurt Locker are the two films battling it out for best pic--one a crowd-pleasing blockbuster by James Cameron, the other a modest war epic directed by

Why do you go to the movies?

Most of us pick a movie to go to based upon whether we like the genre or the actor. Me too. But there are some movies that should also be chosen even though they are BEYOND what we might normally like. These are movies that are so incredibly well-done that you sit there at the end and say, "wow, that was powerful stuff."

Some movies are meant to be experienced so we can better participate in the conversation around us. A total of 97 percent of the critics at www.rottentomatoes.com gave The Hurt Locker a thumbs up. The reviews are peppered with phrases like "must see," "will make history," "gripping," "on the edge of our seats," and "exciting and "

The film is R-rated for war violence and language, but as a parent, I am making my 16-year-old son see this film with his dad. As a community we send the troops in Iraq books and care packages and our thanks. This might be the definitive movie about their war and their experience, albeit through the eyes of the soldiers whose mission is to defuse bombs.

****
We begged, pleaded, wheedled and cajoled...

...And it worked.

We got a print of Shutter Island here for you--the number one movie in America last week. It has grossed $75 million and theaters have been hanging onto their prints.

We couldn't get a print at our Robinson theater, so Clinton has the better schedule this week. With this lineup and our midnight show of Alice, it would be great if the new theater out grossed the old one. It's up to you!

****
Next Friday night (that's March 12--not tomorrow!) we are planning a midnight showing of New Moon, the second film of the Twilight saga. This is to get you in the mood for this summer's showing of Eclipse. Here's the deal. Tickets are on sale now, and your ticket price includes popcorn and drink for that  midnight show. And... if you attend, we'll add your name to an early notification list and you will get first dibs on our midnight showing of Eclipse.

****
Gary Alsup of Clinton is this week's trivia winner. He was the 25th person to know that the Bruce Willis we were looking for was "The Sixth Sense." Willis stars in Cop Out, which is currently playing.

This week we are looking for the 20th correct answer, and if you win, you get a free pass. Put your answer in the subject line of an email to trivia@eagletheater.net. Put your name, city and any great thoughts you have in the body of the email. If you add any great thoughts beyond your name and city, make sure you put a "*" by your answer in the subject line so we are smart enough to open the email!

The director of The Hurt Locker is Kathryn Bigelow, who has made her mark in small, independent films. In proof that life imitates art (and also proof that Hollywood is a very small world), Bigelow's main competition for a Best Director Oscar is her ex-husband, James Cameron. Easy question--what Cameron movie is up this year for the best picture nod?

See you at the movies!

Eric Gubelman
Alien identification commander