Teens will have a blast with Ender’s Game, a science fiction adventure that’s well acted and directed. The much-read novel by Orson Scott Card focuses on the target audience putting youngsters in the roles of saving the Earth. Using amazing special effects that transport the audience into space, the book transfers to the screen exceptionally well. It’s an action thriller from start to finish. Even though the story does tend to get little implausible, the focus on the fine young actors will have the teenagers demanding a sequel.
Last Vegas, A Blast For The Past (Film Review)
October 31st, 2013 
John Delia There’s a lot of buzz going on about Last Vegas and rightly so. The high-energy comedy casts a dream team of actors, a top notch director and a story by the writer of The Guilt Trip that turns up the laughter in every scene. With Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline in the lead roles, it’s The Hangover for the geriatric crowd, but that’s a good thing for all moviegoers. Getting this quartet of actors together is a dream come true and the audience will be well rewarded for it.
A Monster-ous Location Exclusive – Revisited! ~ Monster Squad
October 31st, 2013 Kevin Stern 
A Monster-ous Exclusive – Revisited!
Last Halloween, Beyond the Marquee’s own LOCATION, LOCATION, Location? feature posted an exclusive of sorts detailing the filming location for an obscure, yet well-remembered ‘horror’ film from the 80’s – The Monster Squad. The success of that film as a cult movie classic and the continuing interest in it (which grows year-by-year as new generations discover it) led us to repost the article for this Halloween as well. Beyond the Marquee would love to hear your memories of watching The Monster Squad as a kid (if you grew up in the 80’s) or comments from anyone who has a fond appreciation of this fun and spooky favorite. Feel free to post below and enjoy the freshly dug up post from our crypt …
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It’s that time of year again when late night movies on TV tend to turn to the monster-ous side of things and we here at Beyond the Marquee have an exclusive location treat for you. Back in the 80’s, when kids lives typically revolved around repeated viewings of their favorite films on VHS, one movie consistently stood out amid the more popular hits like Ghostbusters, Gremlins, The Goonies and Teen Wolf .
Can ‘ya Guess It?
SUPERHEROES UNMASKED (and the fanboys who hate them) PART 2
October 31st, 2013 Steven D'Arcangelo 
Happy Halloween! There’s no better day than today to follow-up on Superheroes Unmasked Part 1. Haven’t read that P-Booth yet? Click here and then click back.
Movie stars never play Superman. They may become stars after the fact, but first they’re plucked from obscurity to inherit the red cape (and some fall back into obscurity after bestowing the cape to the next guy. Eh, Dean Cain?). Unknowns are cast so that the audience can identify with a fresh, unmasked actor without preconceptions. Batman, on the other hand, is always played by stars. Actors hidden behind masks are hard to relate to, so having a familiar face under them gives us someone we can immediately connect with.
Let’s say you’re the producer of the next superhero blockbuster. You’ve cast the lead role. You’ve approved costume designs that previewed well at Comic-Con. Now production begins. You still have a dilemma, however, because your protagonist isn’t sans mask like the Man of Steel or Wonder Woman. Whether it be a Quarter Mask, Half Mask, or the dreaded Full, he or she sports some form of facial obstruction (the thesaurus is running out of mask synonyms).
When your headliners slip into their costumed personas, how do they continue to connect with an audience, particularly non-fanboys, that can no longer see the whites of their eyes? It’s been handled via various methods over the years. Some good. Some bad. Some that make you say W.T.F.?!
Future Comic Book Artists? – Check out the Marvel Creativity Studio!
October 30th, 2013 Beyond the Marquee 
Disney/Marvel Creativity Studio Stylus and App for iPad
Do you know or have kids who are budding comic book artists or just like comic book heroes and drawing? Well, we think we have the app for you.
Disney Consumer Products and Marvel Entertainment recently announced the launch of the Marvel Creativity Studio Stylus and App, created by eKids, exclusively for iPad. The app delivers a creative space for kids to learn to draw, color and animate their favorite Marvel Super Heroes and villains fromAvengers Assemble, The Ultimate Spider-Man and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., while the stylus adds special and enhanced play value.
Read on to find out more!
Turkey Talk: FREE BIRDS (Film Review)
October 29th, 2013 David Derks 
It’s turkeys versus the pilgrims in this time-travel fantasy.
It isn’t Thanksgiving yet, but Hollywood is already serving up turkey.
With the holiday season fast approaching, what better way to celebrate it than watching a time-travel film that includes a group of turkeys, pilgrims and a wise-cracking time machine? If you’re feeling adventurous and want to see a film that goes off the beaten path, Free Birds might be something you’ll want to put on the Thanksgiving menu. A word or warning: if you have children and plan on eating turkey this Thanksgiving holiday, your children may have second thoughts on what they want to eat after seeing the movie.
We Triple-Dog Dare You! Stick Out Your Tongue Next Time You’re in Northwest Indiana
October 29th, 2013 Kevin Stern 
“I triple-dog dare you!”
“A Christmas Story”
Remember the famous triple-dog dare scene at the flagpole from the holiday classic, A Christmas Story? Well, that moment which has been immortalized on film will now get a real-life counterpart starting today. Tourism officials from the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority in Hammond, Indiana have unveiled a bronze statue of ‘Flick’ from A Christmas Story as he makes good (or bad) on the dare his classmates put before him at the flagpole. The statue will sit outside the Indiana Welcome center just south of Interstate 80-94 in Hammond which has been home to A Christmas Story displays in past years. Actor Scott Schwartz, who played ‘Flick’ in the film, attended the unveiling. Read on for more!
