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FYE – Save $8 per Green Lantern movie ticket

Did I take advantage of this offer, or was I the one taken advantage of? Let’s analyze my last purchase together and I’ll find out right alongside you. Can you guess which one I’m hoping for?

The Offer: Buy two specially marked movies at FYE, and receive a card good for eight dollars off one admission to see Green Lantern at participating theaters.

The Selection: There were many DC-themed movies and animated films to choose from, ranging from good to bad to ugly. Yeah, you know the ones I mean. Here’s the main ones I recall:

• Green Lantern: First Flight
• Superman: Doomsday
• Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
• New Frontier
• Wonder Woman
• Superman II: The Donner Cut
• Batman: Gotham Knights
• Batman: Under the Red Hood
• Catwoman
• Watchmen: The Black Freighter
• Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics
• All Star Superman
• Supergirl: The Movie
• Batman & Robin
• Batman Forever
• JLA: Crisis on Two Worlds
• Superman/Shazam
• V for Vendetta
• 300
• Applesauce … something or other…

And a few others were there, as well. All in all, it was a pretty good assortment if you didn’t already own them. Plus, you could always grab something for a gift.

The Discrepancies: Two-disc sets and singles were priced the same; moreover, some copies of the exact same movie had price tags, differing by as much as $5. Of course, this has always been the case with FYE, that’s why you have to look over each individual case.

The Purchase: I ended up with Secret Origin, All Star Superman, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. I chose the Batman titles, because I already owned most of the others, and these were some of the cheaper titles I could get away with. My son should like them … They’re colorful.

The Extras: They were nice enough to allow me to use a separate transaction to pick two other DVDs and acquire a second card for my wife. Note: I assume this is something they’ll all do, but don’t be surprised if they stick to the one ticket/one patron rule. Another extra: I didn’t already have an FYE membership card, so I signed up and saved an additional six bucks.

The Pros: I received a ticket plus a couple of cool movies. I think that Secret Origins will be pretty informative and entertaining to boot. Not too mention the variety of titles to choose from.

The Cons: In last year’s Black Friday blitz, I was able to pick up three or four animated DC movies at Wal-Mart for under two dollars each. If I were a gambling man, I’d bet they’ll have those same movies and perhaps some newer ones this November. However, that would require you to wait another five months to purchase them. And, you wouldn’t receive the Green Lantern “free” pass. Of course, it won’t be a completely free ticket for me, as I’ll still have to pay a dollar, or more, per ticket.

The Conclusion: Did I come out a winner? Yes, because come blackest night or brightest day, I’m going to see Green Lantern, regardless; and this way, I got to get a little something extra along the way.

The Disclaimer: Be sure to check out FYE.com or your local FYE store for full details.

The summer blockbuster season is in full swing, which means big movie releases each week. This Friday, it’s Super 8, the new film directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. The movie is rated PG-13, ranks higher than the hotel chain on Google search, and opens today in 2D and Imax.

1. What’s it about?

In late 1970s Ohio, an Air Force train derails and mysterious things start happening. People and pets disappear, along with a host of other very unusual events. A group of kids who are filming a movie begin investigating the crash and discover more than they expected.

2. Will my kids like it?

Most likely, they will love it. The movie is action-packed, fast-paced and the protagonists are a bunch of kids who are independent, smart and more adept at figuring out what’s going on than the adults. Plus, the cast of characters Abrams has assembled will likely provide someone for just about every kid to identify with, which makes the film more enjoyable for kids. Still, it is rated PG-13 and intense at times. If your child is easily frightened, this may not be the best movie for him or her.

3. Will I like it?

To be honest, I’m past enjoying being scared by the sudden attack that directors rely on in so many movies these days. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Super 8 a lot. The kids in the movie are truly wonderfully geeky in a way that will likely remind you of your own childhood, while tickling your memory with celluloid echoes of Stand by Me and The Goonies. The casting of the kids was spot-on and between their acting and Abrams’ direction, the essence of youth and its pitfalls were captured perfectly. There’s too much Spielberg influence at the end, but it helps to make the movie a better experience for younger viewers, I think.

4. Is it scary?

There are some scenes that are pretty intense. As seen in the trailer for Super 8, there’s a massive train wreck that is loud, long and pretty harrowing. As the movie progresses there are quite a few action packed scenes and more than a few involve some “gotcha” surprise scenes that are coupled with sudden loud music, choreographed to make you jump out of your seat. If you’ve been drawn into the movie, as we were, they have their expected effect. While the scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat are largely created by suspense, there is very little blood in Super 8. Like Cloverfield, another movie Abrams was involved with, there is more scare in what you don’t see than what you do. Still, at the end of the movie, there’s nothing that will likely cause nightmares for most moviegoers.

5. Why is it rated PG-13?

There’s some drug use and references to drugs, but the movie also carries an anti-drug message, which the kid characters are smart enough to figure out. There’s a bit of adult language and some pretty intense action scenes, most of which is science fiction in nature, and some violence.

6. Any good previews?

There was nothing really new before Super 8, which surprised me. The upcoming Transformers movie was featured, along with Captain America, Cowboys & Aliens, Real Steel and the newest Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer. There was also a preview for an upcoming Kevin James movie called Zookeeper, which you will likely enjoy if you like Kevin James’s movies.

7. When’s a good time to  head to the bathroom?

Super 8 clocks in just under two hours, so you may have to step out and there are really only two times that made sense for sneaking to the restroom. First, about 30 minutes after the movie begins, the main character, Joe Lamb, heads over to his friend’s house for breakfast – this is a good time to run out. Second, an hour into the movie, Joe gets a late night visitor to his bedroom. While you learn a little backstory, it’s not integral to the film and it’s likely you’ve figured out the reveal at this point. Head for the powder room, but move quickly!

8. Should I stay for the credits?

Absolutely! There’s a nice little reward for those who watch the beginning of the credits that will leave you smiling, but after it’s over (and you’ll know), there’s nothing more to see.

Who’d’ve guessed that Marty McFly, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Padmé Amidala would all share a birthday — or, rather, that the actors famous for playing those roles would? Yes, as it happens, June 9 is a big day in geek history, apparently, and today happens to be a milestone birthday for two of the three actors, too!

Michael J. Fox, who will forever be known for his iconic role as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy, hits the half-century mark today! If that makes you feel really old, remember that when the first of the BttF movies came out he was already 24, and by the time the third one hit theaters he was just shy of 29. To put it another way, remember Fox made up as “old” Marty in BttF II? Well, “old” Marty was supposed to be 47 years old, and Fox is three years older than that already. Most of Fox’s other roles were in movies outside of the geekier genres, especially if we forget (as we’d like to) Teen Wolf. Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 20 years ago, and since publicly revealing his diagnosis in 1998 has become a prominent activist for research into finding a cure for the disease, including speaking out strongly and often in support of stem cell research.

Johnny Depp, who has been acting in geeky movies off and on since 1990’s Edward Scissorhands, turns 48 today. Most moviegoers today know Depp, of course, as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, a role in which it is simply impossible to picture another actor — I think it’s safe to say that, without Depp in the role, there would only have been one PotC movie, because, let’s face it, nobody went to the sequels to see Orlando Bloom, right? Anyway, Depp is certainly one of the finest, and quirkiest, actors of his generation, and I figure it’s only a matter of time before he gets an Oscar (he’s been nominated three times, but hasn’t won yet). Depp’s other geeky movie credits are too numerous to list here, but some favorites of mine are Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which many people disliked, I realize, but I really enjoyed his interpretation of the role) and Ed Wood in the eponymous film.

And last, but not least, today is Natalie Portman’s 30th birthday! For someone so young she’s managed to build quite a career for herself already, helped of course by the fact that she made her first films at the age of 13. Aside from an appearance in Tim Burton’s love-it-or-hate-it Mars Attacks! in 1996, her primary contribution to the world of geeky films is, of course, her role as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The fact that those movies are — how shall I put this? — bad is certainly in spite of her rather than in any way because of her: I doubt any actor in the world could deliver the lines Portman was given any better than she did, because the dialogue is really just that lousy. I mean, really: “What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?” Anyhow, crappy dialogue aside, she did kick some ass, and give birth to Luke and Leia, so Portman does belong among those whom geeks celebrate.

So, please join all of us at GeekDad in wishing a very happy birthday to Michael J. Fox, Johnny Depp, and Natalie Portman, and many more to come!

Photo of Michael J. Fox by mars_discovery_district on Flickr; Photo of Johnny Depp by Ricky Brigante on Flickr; Photo of Natalie Portman via Wikimedia Commons.