Michigan Made – The Next Hollywood?

As a life-long Michigan resident, I can tell you that we have been one of the worst hit states with the economy.  This is why we need to bring as many jobs to Michigan as possible.  The good news is in February 2012, Governor Rick Snyder signed a law to offer a new five-year incentive program for Movie Production Companies to film in the state of Michigan!  This is awesome for so many reasons including creating jobs, helping Michigan businesses increase revenue, and a benefit for me would be to run into Bradley Cooper if he was filming here.

  

Michigan Film Production Incentives: 

•   Projects must have a minimum spend of at least $100,000 in Michigan to be eligible

•  27% of direct Michigan expenditures

• Claim an extra 3% for expenditures at a qualified facility or post production facility

•  Michigan Personnel 32%

• Non-Michigan Personnel 25%

• Qualified Personnel Expenditures 27%

• Caps: Payments for MI producers shall not exceed 10% of expenditures, 5% for non-MI producers, $2 million qualifying salary cap per employee per production

 

Qualifying Projects:

• Motion Pictures
• Documentaries
• Television Series
• Television Specials
• Music Videos
• Interactive Games
• Internet Videos
• Digital Animation

                                                                                                                                                                             

I believe that Michigan could become the next Hollywood because we do have beautiful scenario, creative residents, four wonderful seasons (maybe not winter), surrounded by the Great Lakes, and the city of Detroit is historic in itself.  Upper Michigan offers calming surrounding of nature and unbelievable landscapes to help produce amazing movies.  I hope that Movie Production Companies will take advantage of these incentives and make Michigan an even better place than it already is. 

                                                       Tahquamenon Falls

Butter Please

 

Not only do I have to decide what movie I want to see, now I have to decide what flavor popcorn I want.  I remember when the only two options of popcorn were with or without butter.  Now choosing what flavor popcorn I want when I go to the movies is an experience in itself.  

Well, I guess when choosing my popcorn flavor I have to decide if I want dinner, dessert, or a snack on my popcorn.  To get a complete understanding of what I mean here is a list of the unique popcorn seasoning flavors.

• White Cheddar
• Nacho Cheddar
• Butter
• Ranch
• Parmesan & Garlic
• Carmel
• Sour Cream & Onion
• Salt
• Kettle Corn
• Cheesy Jalapeno
• Apple Cinnamon
• Chocolate Marshmallow
• Barbeque
• Cajun
• Chili Lime
• Salt & Vinegar
• Milk Chocolate Carmel
• Jalapeño
• Pizza
• Bacon Cheddar
• Buffalo Wing

Wow, who would have thought that you could have pizza popcorn, buffalo wing popcorn, and apple cinnamon popcorn?  I am guessing you want to know if I tried any of these unique flavors.  For the purposes of having a unique movie experience, I sure did.  I actually tried seven different flavors throughout several weeks and I must say my favorite is, wait for it, Parmesan & Garlic!!  For me this flavor popcorn fit my taste buds because I love parmesan cheese and garlic flavors.  However, I did have a major aftertaste which in turn made me drink more soda, which is essentially what movie theaters want.

The pizza flavoring was interesting, it actually tasted like you were eating a pizza.  I however enjoy eating a real piece of pizza instead of on my popcorn.  The Cajun flavoring was also very good however it got a little hot for my taste buds.   The salt and vinegar popcorn seasoning was good; it tasted just like salt and vinegar chips.  The barbeque flavor popcorn was okay, however I prefer barbeque flavor on ribs as opposed to popcorn.

So now that I have experienced a different spin on traditional popcorn, I challenge each and every one of you who is reading my blog to try a different flavor of popcorn besides butter the next time you go to the movies!

Breaking Records

 

Will the Avengers be the biggest and best movie of 2012?  So far it's breaking records left and right and is getting very high reviews from movie critics.   

The Avengers is based on comic book characters and brings them together in one movie.  Nick Fury and Black Widow recruit a super team which includes Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, and Thor to fight the evil Loki who brainwashes Hawkeye and steals a cosmic cube from the underground.  Loki makes a deal with aliens to fight the super heroes so he can rule the earth.

 The Avengers Current Records:

• Biggest Opening Weekend Film in North America
• Tied the Record for the Fastest Film to Gross $1 Billion Worldwide
• Third Highest-Grossing Film

 

 The Avengers Cast:

• Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Shark/Iron Man
• Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America
• Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk
• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
• Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki
• Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson
• Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
• Stellan Skarsgard as Dr. Erik Selvig
• Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

The Avengers is based on comic book characters which produced a large audience following.  The Avengers did a very good job promoting their movie through social media outlets.  In January 2012 a live twitter chat event was held to bring buzz about the movie and the release date in April. 

The Avengers Big Numbers:

• Has Earned in Total $1,363,714,486 worldwide as of June 3, 2012
• $557,214,486 in North America
• $806,500,000 in Other Countries
• It only took 12 days to cover the estimated $220 million dollar production costs

I have to say The Avengers was not my first choice movie to go see but sometimes we have to compromise for the ones we love.  There was a lot of movie buzz about The Avengers so I wanted to see if it was a truly good movie.   I am not a big comic book fan however I went to see the movie with a positive attitude.  I have to say this movie definitely kept my attention because there were a lot of super heroes and a lot of action throughout the movie.  Is this the best movie I have every scene, I would have to say no.  I prefer Batman Movies over The Avengers, just saying!   

And the Winners Are

Who’s a fan of award shows?  I know I am especially when they are on MTV.  The MTV Movie Awards aired on June 3 and were hosted by Katy Perry’s ex, Russell Brand in Los Angeles California.  I am a fan of the MTV Movie Awards because they supply a relaxed atmosphere with off the wall awards and exciting acceptance speeches.  MTV makes sure they incorporate music performances into the show to entertain the audience and viewers.

I thought Russell Brand did a good job at hosting the show.  He always knows how to push buttons and go over the sensitive line.  Russell Brand had fun poking jokes about Charlie Sheen and having an interactive conversation with him while he was in the audience.  The MTV Movie Awards added two new awards to this year’s line-up which included Best On-Screen Dirtbag and MTV Trailblazer. 

Here is a complete list of all the winners from the 

MTV Movie Awards: 

Movie of the Year

"Bridesmaids"
"The Hunger Games"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
"The Help"
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"

Best Male Performance

Daniel Radcliffe, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Ryan Gosling, "Drive"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "50/50"
Josh Hutcherson, "The Hunger Games"
Channing Tatum, "The Vow"

Best Female Performance

Jennifer Lawrence, "The Hunger Games"
Kristin Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
Emma Stone, "Crazy, Stupid, Love"
Emma Watson, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"

Best Comedic Performance

Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
Zach Galifianakis, "The Hangover Part II"
Jonah Hill, "21 Jump Street"
Oliver Cooper, "Project X"

Breakthrough Performance

Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Liam Hemsworth, "The Hunger Games"
Elle Fanning, "Super 8"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Cast

"Bridesmaids"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
"The Hunger Games"
"21 Jump Street"
"The Help"

Best On-Screen Transformation

Elizabeth Banks, "The Hunger Games"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Johnny Depp, "21 Jump Street"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Colin Farrell, "Horrible Bosses"

Best Fight

Daniel Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig, "The Hunger Games"
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill vs. Kid Gang, "21 Jump Street"
Tom Hardy vs. Joel Edgerton, "Warrior"
Tom Cruise vs. Michelle Nyqvist, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"

Best Kiss

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, "Crazy, Stupid, Love"
Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, "The Hunger Games"
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, "The Vow"
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"

Best Gut-Wrenching Performance

"Bridesmaids" (Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McClendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper)
"The Help" (Bryce Dallas Howard)
"21 Jump Street" (Jonah Hill and Rob Riggle)
"Drive" (Ryan Gosling)
"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (Tom Cruise)

Best On-Screen Dirtbag

Bryce Dallas Howard, "The Help"
Jon Hamm, "Bridesmaids"
Jennifer Aniston, "Horrible Bosses"
Colin Farrell, "Horrible Bosses"
Oliver Cooper, "Project X"

Best Music

"Party Rock Anthem," LMFAO ("21 Jump Street")
"A Real Hero," College & Electric Youth ("Drive")
"The Devil Is in the Details," Chemical Brothers ("Hanna")
"Impossible," Figurine ("Like Crazy")
"Pursuit of Happiness," Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki remix) ("Project X")

 

MTV Movie Award Highlights:

• Johnny Depp playing with the Black Keys
• Christian Bale getting emotional about Heath Ledger
• Mark Wahlberg defending Mila Kunis against a heckler in the audience
• Emma Stone’s acceptance speech for Trailblazer Award
• Jennifer Aniston expressing how much she appreciates winning “Best Dirtbag Performance”
• Russell Brand's uncensored jokes and comments

I can't wait to see what excitement next years MTV Movie Awards will bring!!!

Dinner & Drinks Please

Who would have ever thought that movies would turn into a VIP experience!  Emagine Movie Theaters have enhanced the movie experience and have made dating just a little more expensive.  How would you like to have a beer, glass of wine, or delicious cocktail and gourmet pizza while in enjoying a movie with stadium seating and surround sound?  Count me in. 

 Emagine Movie Theater in Royal Oak, Michigan Details:

 

 

 


  Wall to Wall Movie Screen

  

Reserved Luxury Seating with Leather Rocking 
Chairs and Table 

 1900 Seats Stadium Style 

 3-D Enhanced Movie Screens

 Star Bowling Lanes

 Shuffleboard and Pool Tables

Drinks & Dinner  

Gourmet Food

Once movie goers are done enjoying a unique movie experience they can burn off those drinks by bowling at Star Lanes located in Emagine Theater.  The bowling lanes are one of a kind and light up with neon lights.  To enjoy this VIP bowling experience it will cost you a little more than the usual corner bowling alley.  The Star Lanes in Emagine Theater price bowling per hour and charge much higher prices during the prime times on the weekend. 

PRICING BY HOUR

 

Monday – Thursday
11am – 4pm      $20 per lane
4pm – close       $25 per lane

Friday – Saturday
11am – 4pm     $30 per lane
4pm – 7pm       $25 per lane
7pm – close     $45 per lane

Sunday
11am – 4pm     $25 per lane
4pm – close     $30 per lane

For the ultimate movie experience at Emagine Theaters make sure to bring at least $100 (maybe even more) if you are on a date because rolling VIP at the movies isn’t cheap!!

The New Girl in Town

Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old character who is the star in the well acclaimed movie The Hunger Games.  Katniss Everdeen is played by Jennifer Lawrence, which truly showed amazing acting in this movie and won over audiences all around the world.  The Hunger Games is based on a book written by Suzanne Collins and was first published on September 14, 2008.  The Hunger Games book received enormous attention so Hollywood decided to turn it into a movie.  

  

The Hunger Games movie is about a girl who lives in a district where teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 are picked to compete in a competition where only one will survive out of 24 teenagers.  The teenagers are sent to fighting grounds and must try to survive and kill each other to be the ultimate survivor.  Talents are essential in order to be able to battle and outsmart others who are battling and trying to survive to the end.  Katniss Everdeen sacrifices herself because her younger sister’s name was picked to go fight and she knew her sister would not be able to survive.  Along with Katniss a boy named Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson was also picked to compete for survival until the end. 

I seen this movie on the weekend it was released and the movie theater was packed full of teenagers who were eager to see this book play out on the big screen.  I was very impressed with this movie because it kept your interest throughout the movie and was a nail biter until the end.  Katniss was very inspirational and she deeply touched everyone she came in contact with.  This movie definitely pulled on my heart strings.  The ultimate question is will this movie series be as popular as the Twilight Series? 

Back in Time

 

How many people can say they have experienced a drive-in movie?  Today not many people because there are only 366 open drive-in movie theaters left in the United States.  This is compared to the existence of 4000 drive-in movie theaters at the peak of the drive-in industry in 1958.  

Drive-In Movie Theater Benefits:

• Double Feature Admission Pricing 
• Affordable Concessions
• Unique & Relaxed Atmosphere
• Quality Family Time
• Most Drive-Ins are Pet Friendly

This weekend I decided to experience a drive-in movie with my friends and had the best time.  I went to the Ford Drive-In located in Dearborn, Michigan which is considered the largest drive-in in the world.  The Ford Drive-In always has newly released movies playing and offers many different show times throughout the week and on weekends.   I would absolutely recommend you experience a drive-in movie one time in your life because it is a movie experience like no other.

Admission Prices:

 Adult: $8.50,

Ages 6-12: $3.00

Ages 5 and younger: Free

Examples of Movie Times and Double Feature Offers:

View Showtimes for Another Day:
Ford Drive In Showtimes for Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13) Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth 127 minutes Trailer	9:25, 1:45 AM Double Feature: Snow White & the Huntsman with Battleship
Chernobyl Diaries (R) Jesse McCartney, Jonathan Sadowski 90 minutes Trailer	9:30, 1:05 AM Double Feature: Chernobyl Diaries with Dark Shadows
Men in Black 3 (PG-13) Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones 106 minutes Trailer	9:25, 1:25 AM Double Feature: Men in Black with Think Like A Man
Battleship (PG-13) Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch 131 minutes Trailer	11:40 PM Double Feature: Snow White & the Huntsman with Battleship
The Dictator (R) Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris 83 minutes Trailer	9:30, 12:40 AM Double Feature: The Dictator with Cabin in the Woods
Dark Shadows (PG-13) Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter 113 minutes Trailer	11:05, 2:30 AM Double Feature: Chernobyl Diaries with Dark Shadows
Think Like a Man (PG-13) Kevin Hart, Arielle Kebbel 122 minutes Trailer	11:20 PM Double Feature: Men in Black with Think Like A Man
The Cabin in the Woods (R) Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford 95 minutes Trailer	11:05, 2:10 AM Double Feature: The Dictator with Cabin in the Woods

 www.forddrivein.com

Tips for Attending a Drive-In Movie:

• Call ahead to make sure drive-in allows pets
• Drive-ins have limited show times make sure to check movie listings
• Arrive early to get a good spot to view movie
• Bring lawn chairs, blankets, sleeping bags, and portable radio if you decide to sit outside your car
• To help prevent a dead battery you may want to start your car occasionally