Royal Brunch

“Ella, you have more kindness in your little finger than most

people possess in their whole body.”

-Cinderella’s mother, Cinderella

We at Aksarben Cinema pride ourselves on all the events and opportunities provided to our loyal guests, both young and old. We are pleased to announce that another event is coming up in the near future. On Saturday, March 14, 2015 Aksarben Cinema will be hosting an event for all the little princes and princesses out there - we’re calling it Royal Brunch.

           

The event will cost guests either $10 for brunch alone or $15 for brunch and a movie. The movie that will be screened is Cinderella. The film is a new adaptation of the classic Cinderella tale produced by Disney.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Open Door Mission.

The story you know, but different

In the film, Ella is the daughter of a merchant father and a woman who meets an untimely death. The young daughter then falls into a less enchanting life under the watchful eye of her evil stepmother. Ella’s life is turned upside down when she encounters a young prince hunting a giant elk. The young woman stuns the prince and he simply can’t stop thinking about her. From there, opportunity comes knocking in the form of a Fairy Godmother and well, you know the rest of the story.

This screening is also exciting because it will feature the short film Frozen Fever from the producers of Frozen. The short will have a new song written by the original Frozen songwriters. Could this event also mark the introduction to the next Let It Go smash?

Please join us for this momentous occasion and enjoy brunch, a wonderful film, and a royal activities!  Princes and princesses will also feel just like royalty with red carpet photos and storybook princesses ready to strike a pose.

Don’t miss out on this royal event and make sure to buy your tickets early, because they’re sure to go fast. Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office or online on the Aksarben Cinema website. For more information on Aksarben Cinema’s Royal Brunch, please visit us on Facebook. See you at the movies!

Lonely Boy

“Don’t let the green grass fool you.”

-Lonely Boy tagline

At Aksarben Cinema we are sometimes lucky enough to have the opportunity to premiere upcoming filmmakers’ movies. We are pleased to announce that Aksarben Cinema will be screening Lonely Boy directed by Dale Fabrigar and produced by Nebraska native Troy Daniel Smith. The film will be shown on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. and on Thursday, February 26^th at 7:00 p.m.

In addition to the film screening there will be a live Question & Answer session following. During this time, fans of the film can speak with those involved in producing the film about the filmmaking process and the intensity of independent filmmaking.

The film

Lonely Boy tells the story of schizophrenic bachelor, Franky, who has to deal with the harsh realities of the dating world, an instrusive, ball-busting sister, three overwhelming “roommates,” and a shot at love, all while seeking answers to a past he cannot remember.

The film stars Alev Aydin as Franky, Aydin is also the producer and writer of Lonely Boy and has some great deals in the works with Fox Digital Studios as well as 21 Laps Entertainment, so the chance to see this man’s film before he becomes a superstar should not be passed up. Actors also in the film include Natalie Distler (Rescue Me), Richard Riehle (Office Space), and Lynn Whitfield (How to Get Away With Murder).

Honors and awards

The film has received some prestigious honors during its journey through film festivals including the BolderLife Festival’s Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Length Film, the Casting Society of America Artios Award nomination for best casting in a low-budget drama (amongst Lonely Boy are some heavy-hitters from this year including Richard Linklater’s Boyhood), and Lonely Boy was named one of the top 15 independent films of the year by acclaimed writer Larry Richman.

Movie critic Maddie Crichton has this to say about Lonely Boy: “Lonely Boy is thought provoking and eye opening. Viewers will finish the movie with a very different mindset from when the film started. Without even trying to be, it is one of the bravest films of its kind, making it a must-see.”

            To purchase tickets to Lonely Boy please visit either Aksarben Cinema’s box office or go online to the Aksarben Cinema website or Facebook page. See you at the movies!

Will Smith’s Career

“My grandmother once told me, 'Don't let failure go to your

heart and don't let success go to your head.'”

-Will Smith

Will Smith is finally back and we couldn’t be more excited! His last film After Earth certainly wasn’t his best, but we’re confident that his new film Focus also starring the beautiful and talented Margot Robbie will make him the screen king again. Focus comes out February 26, 2015. Let’s take a look back on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and his journey from West Philadelphia to the big screen.

West Philadelphia, Born and Raised

Willard Christopher Smith Jr. (this name was a little too long for movie posters, hence the change to Will Smith) was born to Willard Carroll Smith, Sr., owner of a refrigeration company, and Caroline (Bright), a school board employee. Smith was a child of the middle class area of West Philadelphia and attended Overbrook High School. It was here that Smith got a nickname that stuck, Prince

It’s said that this nickname fit because Smith could charm his way out of trouble. That seems about right. Though Smith got into trouble, he was also incredibly bright and signed up for the Julia Reynolds Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School.

From the Fresh Prince to Hollywood Hero

 Smith, as most of us know, originally pursued a career in music where he met Jeffrey A. Towndes who later became known as D.J. Jazzy Jeff. Smith and Towndes began performing together and were rolling in cash, but unfortunately these two young performers were spending more than they were banking which nearly bankrupted the twenty-somethings.

 The Fresh Prince found a savior though in Benny Medina who pitched Smith a sitcom idea that centered around him as a Philadelphian who was forced to move to Beverly Hills. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was born! The rest is history. Will Smith became a household name with his six season stint on Fresh Prince and took off as a professional actor with huge roles in Men in Black (his breakout film role), Ali (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), I, Robot, I am Legend, and Hancock.

The Future of Smith

Now Smith is back in a big way and has no less than five films coming down the pipeline including the highly anticipated Suicide Squad which will feature DC Comics characters Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and the first performance of the Joker since Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance. Jared Leto will take clown duties this time around. Smith might also find himself in the running for Oscar again with his role in Concussion, a film that examines the head injuries football players suffer.

Focus is out at Aksarben Cinema on February 26, 2015. For more information on this and all our great films visit Aksarben Cinema’s website and Facebook page. See you at the movies!

McFarland, USA True Story

“These are good kids, smart kids, they just need a chance at a better future.”

-Mario Marisol portrayed by Vanessa Martinez, McFarland, USA

 You might have heard that McFarland, USA is a film starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, but what you might not know is that it’s also a true story of a fascinating Latino high school. McFarland, USA will be out in theatres on February 19, 2015 at Aksarben Cinema, so in anticipation of Costner’s latest film we present to you the true story of McFarland High School’s cross country team that defied the odds and succeeded despite people telling them it couldn’t be done.

Against all odds

Costner plays Coach White, a man struggling to find a career home who lands at a predominantly Latino high school. While there he struggles to connect with the students on a personal level initially until one day he discovers their talent. The high school boys can run! Coach White then learns to build relationships with these fine young men when he forms a team of runners for a cross country team.

White and this team of legendary runners built a powerful legacy of cross country championships that wasn’t broken until the film was in production. That fact, however, does not diminish the impressive twenty-four straight state championships achieved.

The film centers around Coach White and his personal struggle, but McFarland, USA is more about the young men that achieved the impossible with perseverance and passion. 

 Visit Aksarben Cinema’s website and Facebook page for more information about McFarland, USA and other wonderful films. Don’t miss out on this incredible true story when it comes out on February 19, 2015. See you at the movies!

Colin Firth’s Career

“I like playing strange characters. Some people might say it has something to do with a hidden part of myself, but I think it's a lot simpler than that: normal people are just not very interesting.”

-Colin Firth

 Colin Firth is one of the most well-beloved British actors to make his way across the pond and star in American films. His newest film is titled Kingsman: The Secret Service and it promises to be Firth’s first full-on action role and comic book movie. Now the real question is where did this unlikely middle-aged action hero come from?

Birth and Early Life

Colin Firth was born in Grayshott, Hampshire, England to a mother, Shirley Jean, and a father, David Norman Lewis Firth, who were both respected academics at Open University and Winchester University College, respectively. The young Firth caught the acting bug when he was only an infant when he starred as Jack Frost in a Christmas pantomime production.

An interesting fact about Firth is that he spent the first five years of his life in Nigeria with his missionary grandparents. After returning to England, Firth attended a comprehensive school in Winchester and then spent two years at the Drama Centre in Chalk Farm.

Early Career

While at Chalk Farm he was discovered playing the titular character Hamlet. After his discovery he performed in his first professional production as Bennet in Another Country. He went on to play a different role in the film adaptation of the play.

Firth has since worked steadily for years in character parts on both television and film. His first major award came in 1989 when he was recognized for his portrayal of Robert Lawrence in the TV production Tumbledown. He also received the Royal Television Society Best Actor Award and a BAFTA nomination.

Breakout Roles

He truly stood out to American audiences though in his breakout role as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 TV version of Pride and Prejudice. He received his second BAFTA nomination for this role. Finally Firth received what he deserved as an actor in 2010 when he accepted the Oscar for Best Actor for his stirring performance in The King’s Speech. Firth has since starred in films such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a brilliant slow-burning espionage tale, and Magic in the Moonlight, his first Woody Allen film.

Colin Firth’s most well-known films:

• The English Patient
• Shakespeare in Love
• Bridget Jones’s Diary
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Love Actually
• A Single Man

To see Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and a cameo from Mark Hamill, make sure you buy tickets to the action spectacle of the year in Kingsman: The Secret Service. For more information on this film (as well as all our new releases) check out our website and Facebook page! See you at the movies!

Galentine’s Day with Grey

“I don't know if I can be with him the way he needs me to.”

-Anastasia Steele

The time has come for Christian Grey to smolder his way onto the big screen and we’re pleased to announce an exciting event marking the arrival of the handsome billionaire.

On February 12, 2015 beginning at 6:30 p.m. we’ll host a special Galentine’s Day with Grey event that even Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation would have delighted in. Can you imagine a better opportunity to get together with all your gal pals?

Delight in desire at Aksarben Cinema with a special screening co-hosted with STEP // Group of the new film Fifty Shades of Grey starring Dakota Johnson and the irresistible Jamie Dornan. We’re melting inside just thinking about that rich, seductive glare.

Sip, sample, shop

As if the screening wasn’t enough, we’re also hosting multiple vendors including Statement, Beauty First, The Edge (a new beauty counter at Dillard’s), Jones Bros Cupcakes, Dudley’s Pizza & Tavern, Nearly Naked Lingerie Co., Noted Boutique, and Cloud 9. Luckily for all our guests, we’re constantly adding more vendors to make the night all the more enticing. Now you’re probably asking yourself what this tempting evening might cost you. For only $15 admission you're invited to sip, sample & shop brands before enjoying a special screening of the worldwide bestseller.

The film’s tagline is “CURIOUS?” and now that you’ve read all the details we bet you are! So join us on February 12, 2015 for a very special screening of the new film Fifty Shade of Grey. For more information on this event check out the Facebook event page and our website. See you at the movies….