By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

There are people who have seen Marvel’s The Avengers three times already, making little time for Dark Shadows, which opened at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery IMAX Theater last weekend.

Grossing a respectable $28 million, the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration, Dark Shadows, is a loving tribute to the old afternoon soap opera on ABC Network television.

This film has its ups and downs. On a positive note, director Tim Burton’s affection for the subject pays dividends for monster mavens, including cameos from Sir Christopher Lee, Alice Cooper and the original cast from the television soap opera. Sadly, this tribute drags in the second half and the fine line between comedy and terror loses its clever touch.

Opening tomorrow, Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story is a documentary about the older brother of the current Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. This film is a biography of Yoni told within the timetable of the raid on Entebee, circa July 4, 1976.

Culled from letters and Yoni’s creative writing, Follow Me is eyewitness history about Israel’s early statehood. The Netanyahu family is presented as a typical loving family, who happen to have bombs dropping in their backyard.

As the violence becomes more personal, Yoni’s letters reveal a man whose concerns grow from trivial matters to that of national security. At age 18, Yoni joins the Israeli Military. After 12 years of honorable service, Yoni Netanyahu served in the Special Operations Unit during the successful raid on Entebbe.

First screened locally at the 17th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival last month, Follow Me is an introspective documentary. In particular, one sees Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s steely resolve today when talking about his big brother’s sacrifice for the Israeli homeland.

Next weekend, the Memorial Day blockbuster movies kick into high gear with entertaining, but not very serious, flicks. While serious, Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story is a heartfelt documentary that will induce laughter and tears.