Thursday Triple Features

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe, Thursday Triple Features. Throughout college, I would often head to the movies for three films in a row on a Friday or Sunday, and I’m excited to recall some of my most memorable experiences. I don’t necessarily advocate that you try this at home, but I’ll explore that as well.

My third triple feature experience kept me at only two theaters and didn’t include terribly excellent films, but it did allow me to take advantage of discount prices for specific movie times. This particular adventure was on a Sunday.

December 9, 2007

Movie #1: Beowulf
Theatre: AMC Lincoln Square
Time of Day: 10:45am
Runtime: 115 minutes

This film was most notable for being terrible and for having one awesome scene in which Beowulf compares himself to many other terrific things and ends with a ferocious declaration of “I…Am…Beowulf!” What makes its inclusion here exciting is that AMC theatres in New York City offer a discounted matinee (before 12pm) price of $10 for a film that is both in 3-D and IMAX. This movie still wasn’t worth $10, but oh, well. One of my friends left midway through because it was too loud and bloody; I stayed through the whole miserable thing.

Movie #2: Grace is Gone
Theatre: AMC Lincoln Square
Time of Day: 2pm
Runtime: 85 minutes

This quiet, somber film was the movie that could have won John Cusack an Oscar for his bespectacled performance as a father who must find a way to tell his daughters that their mother has been killed in Iraq. The film wasn’t as strong as its premise, and, aside from a great original song, also called “Grace is Gone,” wasn’t too memorable.

Movie #3: Enchanted
Theatre: Regal Cinemas Union Square
Time of Day: 6:50pm
Runtime: 107 min

It’s funny to think of this film now that “Once Upon a Time” is airing on ABC and puts a whole new spin on fairy tale characters coming to life. In this case, Amy Adams’ overly bubbly performance didn’t do it for me, and the very literal notion of animation coming to life wasn’t all too appealing either. I understand why people like this film, but it’s just not for me.

The review: I hated “Beowulf,” didn’t love “Grace is Gone,” and thought “Enchanted” wasn’t my cup of tea. Not bad for a day’s work.
The grades: F, B-, C+
A good lineup? Not my best selection, but these were three films that were all buzz-worthy for extremely different reasons at the time.

Coming next week: fast-forward to August for my first legendary quadruple-feature!