By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

For most of his life, director/ writer Guillermo Del Toro dreamed of adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s novella “At the Mountains of Madness” into a film. He came close a few years ago, but funding fell apart. After a screening of Prometheus a few weeks ago and its similarities to the story, Del Toro no longer feels he needs to produce it.

Prometheus became the first motion picture to open at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery with an “R” rating. While lacking gratuitous violence and sex, it features intense scenes that are personal, painful and gory. This film also features good old-fashioned Sci-Fi fun with interesting theories about origins, science and theology.

While spelunking in the caves of Scotland, archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) connects pictograph dots that are similar to those seen in pictographs of Egyptian, Mayan, Aztec and Sumerian Cultures. Using the technology of the late 21st Century, Professor Shaw interprets these pictographs as road maps to the future.

She finds a sponsor in Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), assembles a crew and blasts off on the spaceship “Prometheus.” Four years later, the Prometheus crew lands on an uncharted planet with an alien fortress.

Revealing more about the plot would be a disservice to the big screen experience. Suffice it to say that reviewing the previous four Alien, three Predators and two Alien vs. Predator movies will increase your viewing pleasure. A review of Lovecraft’s novella and Erich von Däniken’s drugstore bestseller “Chariots of the Gods” will enhance comprehension of the deeper themes.

In a good way, Prometheus feels like older and more literature- based Sci-Fi. After 33 years, director Ridley Scott returns to the same universe that he helped create in Alien. What Prometheus lacks in narrative structure, Ridley Scott makes up with visual clarity.

If you are seeking one of the most cerebral motion pictures of the summer, then see Prometheus before it departs the big screen. The Amazing Spider-Man takes over the IMAX screen on July 3.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

This week’s column will review two diverse motion pictures, winner of Cannes Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, Elena, and the Museum of Discovery IMAX theater documentary To the Arctic 3D. Despite widespread production values, both films share a similar theme about maternal survival.

From Russia with English subtitles, Elena (Nadezhda Markina) and Vladimir (Andrey Smirnov), who are 60-year-old spouses on their second marriage. While the two enjoy this symbiotic relationship, both individuals dislike their new step children. Vladimir’s daughter has been estranged for many years and Elena’s son is struggling to feed his own child.

When Vladimir falls ill, the family dynamic changes. Elena becomes concerned about her future domestic life when Vladimir’s daughter returns to visit her ill father. Elena is oddly reflective of the South Florida senior culture. For those seeking a respite from high octane summer blockbusters, Elena is the slow-paced film for you.

To the Arctic 3D presents the story of mother Polar Bear’s fight to protect her cubs from predators and global warming. The film is pure Darwin; it is about the survival of the fittest.

Narrated by Meryl Streep with musical accompaniment from Sir Paul McCartney, To the Arctic 3D presents eyefilling landscapes and waterfalls on the IMAX six-story screen. Yet, for all of the beauty, the polar bears are presented as vicious beasts and are frequently shown with blood on their white fur.

FYI: Ridley Scott’s longawaited Prometheus will be shown at this IMAX; this is the first time in their history a rated “R” motion picture will be screened there.

Marvel’s The Avengers remains the best motion picture of the year, despite the full court synergy of Men in Black III, which opened last weekend with a $70 million gross.

The new Men in Black is the second best movie of the trilogy, which is an easy thing to write considering how limp Men in Black II was.

Men in Black III opens on a prison moon base. Boris aka “the Animal” (Jemaine Clement) escapes to settle a score with MiB Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). Back in 1969, Agent K amputated Boris’ arm as Apollo 11 prepared for blast off. Agent J (Will Smith) is kept in the dark to this history, until Agent K disappears into thin air.

With the help of Agent O (Emma Thompson), Agent J time travels to 1969 to kill Boris and rescue Agent K. On the radio, Agent J drives big cars with fenders and listens to rock ‘n roll on AM radio. He meets Andy Warhol (Bill Hader), who may be a MiB Agent. The MiB3 plot meanders until the predictable climax during the Apollo 11 lift off.

After the climax, MiB3 contains a surprisingly emotional revelation that explains the relationship between Agents K & J. This one emotional scene makes up for all of the superficial action of MiB2 and MiB3 combined.

As the younger version of Agent K, Josh Brolin does a decent impression of TommyLee Jones. Will Smith takes center stage this time, but like a good ringmaster, he knows when to defer the spotlight to his supporting players.

Cinema Dave had the chance to meet many celebrities at the May-Hem horror convention in Orlando Memorial Day weekend. (Pictured) Cinema Dave and actress Linda Hamilton, who is known best for her role as Sarah Connor in Terminator, but also played in TV’s “Beauty & the Beast,” the film “King Kong Lives” and others.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Given the juggernaut release of Marvel’s The Avengers and Dark Shadows at the Museum of Discovery IMAX Theater, this weekend’s big release, Men in Black 3 lacks the excitement of previous Memorial Day releases (There is no Batman, Star Wars nor Pirates of the Carribean).

For those wanting to go out of town this Memorial Day weekend, May-Hem, a horror convention, is being held this weekend May 25-27 in Orlando at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. (This is the last time at this location.) A long list of horror actors are scheduled to attend, everyone from The Terminator’s Linda Hamilton to Austin Powers’ Verne Troyer. The horror convention concept was begun nine years ago in Plantation by Petey Mongelli and moved to Orlando seven years ago. The popularity of the event has grown now that Petey has two conventions, his usual Weekend of Horrors in October and Memorial Day Weekend May-Hem.

Petey explained, “Spooky Empire grew bigger and bigger; we simply outgrew Broward County. We became one of the most respected horror event promotions companies in the United States, bringing to life two of the most popular horror conventions in the nation, with fans attending from all over the world.”

At some conventions and festivals, there is an invisible wall between the fan and the celebrity. Spooky Empire has consistently invited stars who are fan-friendly. As Malcolm McDowell said last October, “I try to do two or three of these appearances a year. It gets one in touch with the fan base. Ironically, you meet the sweetest people at horror conventions.”

To find out more about the convention, including the full schedule of events, visit www.spookyempire.com.

Have a great and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

The National Memorial Day Concert on PBS at 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, May 27, featuring Gary Sinise, Trace Adkins and Natalie Cole, looks like the best bet if you are staying local for the weekend.

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.

By Dave Montalbano

www.AdventuresofCinemaDave.com

The hype for Marvel’s The Avengers began quietly four years ago after the credits in an empty theater when the crowd departed “Iron Man.”

Sgt. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) surprised Tony Stark, alias Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and asked him to join “the Avenger’s Initiative.”

When The Hulk, Thor and Captain America were introduced, the “Avenger’s Initiative” began to take form, a plan to unite the afore-mentioned superheroes and their sidekicks in defense of planet earth.

Sgt.Fury’s precaution proved to be justified, as Thor’s brother and demi god, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), plots to enslave planet Earth. For the first time in four movies, Sgt. Fury appears worried. Picking up where the previous movies left off, Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Dr. Bruce Banner, alias Hulk, (Mark Ruffalo) are assembled.

With great superpowers, come great egos.

Upon their first meeting, Thor and Iron Man get into a fistfight. Captain America can’t understand his teammate’s narcissistic tendencies, while Dr. Bruce Banner tries to keep his temper in check. Until the Avengers learn how to play well with each other, Loki’s road to world domination seems assured.

From this point, Marvel’s The Avengers crosses the wall from fantasy to reality, especially given the high expectations of this superhero team up and box office potential. The astronomical box office records for a non-holiday weekend are now a given, but the plot, characters and spectacle remain variables. Until you see the movie…

Director and co-writer Joss Whedon managed to give every Avenger and their sidekicks a moment to shine with great visuals and brilliant dialogue about teamwork, sacrifice and individual heroism. This film is so insightful and relevant, Coach Erik Spoelstra should take the Miami Heat to go see this movie to motivate them to sweep the NBA crown.

Beyond the clarity of vision, Marvel’s The Avengers presents simple moments of subtle depth. When Loki makes his first cruel appearance in Germany and demands that people kneel before him, it is the courage of one elderly individual who refuses, based on memory of the Nazi tactics. This little moment teaches a major history lesson about living a life in freedom.

Are heroes an old fashioned notion? Marvel’s The Avengers debates this question with good old-fashion popcorn eating fun. Yep, this film will be on my Top 10 list for 2012.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

This Saturday at 6 p.m., the fastest two minutes in sports commences at the Kentucky Derby. Like the Superbowl and World Series, the

Kentucky Derby is a transcendental sport that gives everybody an excuse to party, even without being a fan. Unless there is Triple Crown contention, the spotlight will fade after this competition.

While The Cup is about the Melbourne Cup Race and NOT the Kentucky Derby, this film explains what goes behind stables leading up to the championship spotlight. Based on a true story, this film focuses on the Olivers, a family with a pedigree as horse jockeys.

As Jason Oliver (Stephen Curry) prepares for the race of his life, the 2002 Melbourne Cup, his only brother dies in a practice run. In cruel irony, The Oliver father died in a similar fashion when Jason and his brother were children. With the big race days away, the ethical question arises, should Jason race or not?

Without too many bells and whistles, The Cup is a straight forward drama. The action scenes raise it to a higher level when the Melbourne Cup begins. While performances are adequate, Brendan Gleeson steals the show as the stoic mentor to the Oliver family.

For those seeking lightweight comedy, the Farrelly brothers entertaining tribute The Three Stooges fills the bill. A victim of 11 years of expectation, this film features Sean Hayes as Larry, Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe and Will Sasso as Curly.

The film strings together three short subjects and presents an original story about why these three guys stay with each other, despite slaps, pokes and harmless eye gouging. While the belly laughs are inconsistent, this film is full of loving details.

Given the recent headlines about testimony given by Jennifer Hudson regarding the true-life murder of her family, her cinematic gospel, backed up by the Stooges, is pure joy. The slapstick is epic, but details like these will warm your heart.

When The Avengers opens tomorrow, Cabin in the Woods will likely be pushed aside. Co-written by Joss Whedon (Ironically, the director of The Avengers), this horror film has developed a cult following through wordof- mouth. Part H.P. Lovecraft, part Jason Voorhees, part Hunger Games, Cabin in the Woods fulfills this monster maven’s expectations and is pure popcorn-eating Saturday matinee fun. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

With the unseasonable chill in the air and the dawn of the summer blockbuster season, sometimes an odd film is released and the timing is perfect, such is the case for Monsieur Lazhar. Oscar-nominated for best foreign language film, Monsieur Lazhar relates to Florida students and teachers in their final month of the school year.

Set in Montreal, the film opens in a snowy schoolyard with children in recess. As per classroom routine, a little boy brings the snack to the classroom before recess ends. When he opens the classroom door, the little boy finds his teacher hanging from the ceiling in a successful suicide.

Enter Monsieur Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), an Algerian refugee who offers his services as a substitute school teacher. While the principal expresses concern over teaching credentials and the children find the Algerian’s teaching methods disruptive, Lazhar instinctively begins the healing process for the community.

For classroom authenticity, Monsieur Lazhar is a truthful motion picture. The emotional pain is real. However, youth has a way of distracting it with humor. The poker-faced Lazhar accepts this childlike behavior, yet his pain in private life is just as comparable.

With Sun Fest coming next weekend, May 2-6, to the north of us, and the welcome return of the Ft. Lauderdale Air Show this weekend, a quiet film like Monsieur Lazhar should not be lost in roar of the engines and the high decibels of a Fender Amplifier. It opens tomorrow at the Living Room Theater on the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) campus.

If you go Friday night, the Living Room Theater will host a red carpet Meet & Mingle Networking Drive event for the Palm Beach County Filmmakers. This event will raise funds for Caught in the Middle, which was written by students for students.

And in the spirit of shameless self promotion, autographed copies of The Adventures of Cinema Dave in the Florida Motion Picture World will be sold for $25. Each sale will include an artifact from the “Cave of Cinema Dave”, something Monsieur Lazhar would be proud to own.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

The 17th Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) wraps up tonight in Palm Beach Gardens.

Most of the films, especially the documentaries, proved to be serious fare. After viewing Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story and Free China: The Courage to Believe, one leaves the theater feeling annoyed by trivial topics like parking meters, bad customer service and chasing the brass ring of social circles.

Besides attending the world premier screening of Zombie Hamlet, Actress June Lockhart accepted her lifetime achievement award at the beautiful Lake Pavilion on the Waterfront in West Palm Beach. In her 15-minute acceptance speech, Lockhart talked about citizenship. She is actively involved in Los Angeles charities like International Hearing Dog and helps raise funds for Santa Monica Police Department Mounted Patrol and Big Band of Barristers. Though she was the fictional matriarch in Lost in Space, in reality, Lockhart has been an advocate for the N.A.S.A space program.

When asked about the future of N.A.S.A, June answered, “There is a great necessity for private companies to get involved. They have always been involved. There is so much science that comes out of research and it pays dividends.”

Being third generation thespian, Lockhart is very grounded in her approach to show business.

She said, “It is not a matter of survival, regarding work. Dad (Gene Lockhart) told me to audition for its own sake, meet the people, but don’t sweat an audition. Therefore, there is not pressure to get the job. It is only a means to an end.”

There is life after PBIFF.

Tomorrow night, at the Movies of Delray (7421 W. Atlantic Ave.), producer Zack Norman will attend the 7 p.m. screening of his ensemble comedy, Overnight, which will also be playing at the Muvico Pompano (2315 N. Federal Hwy).

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

In the past five years, The Avengers has easily become the most hyped comic book movie since the end credits of Iron Man. At the 2008 Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF), Iron Man’s costar Sayed Badreya walked the red carpet promoting his short subject Prisoners.

(This weekend, Badreya will be seen as an orderly in The Three Stooges).

Standing by my side on the red carpet was a Deerfield Beach High School student and photographer, Jeremy Emmerman. Look for Jeremy’s name at the end credits of The Avengers; he was one of the photographers.

Jeremy’s story is just one example of how PBIFF impacts our community on a local level. Two years ago, the festival was rumored to be going extinct, but last year’s fest revealed its resiliency; it has outlasted two competing festivals. This year, the staff, board and volunteers took additional steps to be more inclusive with the community.

The fact that PBIFF returns to Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center is a major bonus to our local community.

Formerly the Cartoon Museum, the screening room on the second floor will feature two fine documentaries about Jewish culture and Israel on Sunday afternoon – Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story and Violins in Wartime.

Set against the backdrop of the second Lebanon war of 2006, Violins in Wartime features master violinists teaching a music class to young prodigies who have gathered in Israel. Through the horrors of war, music provides solace for dark times.

This 50-minute documentary provides the intimate carpentry of Amnon Weinstein the Violin maker, the film’s central character. Master Soloist Ida Haendel, one of the master soloists in the film, will be at the 4 p.m. screening.

For those who feel like venturing to Palm Beach Gardens or Lake Worth venues, visit http://pbiff.festival genius.com/2012/schedule/ week for more details about screenings and events.

Who knows? One might see a local celebrity … like the return of Eric the Doorman this year!