Spitball Army

I live in the Crestwood neighborhood of Birmingham. There is a movie theatre down the street from me called The Edge 12. I can walk there from my home, if I so desire. This theatre has twelve screens. They frequently show films of great merit. They also show films for everyone else. We all get to choose.

(photo: spitballarmy.com)

Three new films have opened at The Edge 12 this week:

Final Destination 5 (2011)
Directed by Steven Quale.
Starring Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta, Tony Todd.
Rated R.
Screening in 3D.

Survivors of a suspension-bridge collapse learn there’s no way you can cheat Death. They then proceed to get picked off one by one, in increasingly gruesome scenarios that push the envelope of credibility. Ominous warnings by a coroner named Bludworth do not help, especially since Bludworth is portrayed by actor Tony Todd, known most famously for his role as the murderous Candyman.

The Help (2011)
Directed by Tate Taylor.
Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Jessica Chastain, Cicely Tyson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney.
Rated PG-13.

Based on the best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett. Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives – and a Mississippi town – upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen (Davis), Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up, to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter’s life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories. As it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly and unwillingly caught up in the changing times.

30 Minutes or Less (2011)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer.
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Michael Peña, Fred Ward.
Rated R.

Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank, or else.

The following ten films have been extended for another week:
• Beginners
• Captain America: The First Avenger (3D)
• The Change-Up
• Cowboys and Aliens
• Crazy, Stupid Love
• Friends with Benefits
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (3D)
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• The Smurfs
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2D)

The following three films ended their current run this week:
• Cars 2
• The Tree of Life
• Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

The Edge 12 has some ongoing promotions. Tuesdays have been dubbed “$5.00 Tuesdays”: most films can be seen for just a $5.00 admission ticket. And, on Fridays, The Edge 12 offers free popcorn at all shows.

The Edge 12 Theatre is located at 7001 Crestwood Boulevard. A recording detailing all movie times can be accessed by telephoning (205) 795-3500; a real live human answers the phone at (205) 795-3595. Showtimes can also be found on the MovieTickets website. The theatre has a Facebook page under the name The Edge 12 Birmingham and tweets under the handle @Edge12Bhm.

Information in the capsule summaries above might have been provided, in varying degrees, by IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia.