Now in Theaters Everywhere

by Kenneth Turan

Book Overview

In his popular Never Coming to a Theater Near You, Kenneth Turan celebrated the great films that you may have missed because they never got the screen time they deserved in a blockbuster-dominated... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586483951
• ISBN13: 9781586483951
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Celebration of the Blockbuster

My first introduction to Kenneth Turan was NEVER COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU, a book that contained reviews of independent and art house films that are of merit, but never hit blockbuster status. My hunch is that many of those who read the book soon went to video stores or Netflix and viewed some of the great films he recommended. Since he's a critic for a major newspaper, he sees more than just the small art house films. More than likely he's paid to review the films most people see in theaters and I'm sure he sees more than his share of the good, the bad, and ugly (borrowing from the movie title). In his latest work NOW IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE he uses the same format he used in his earlier book but examines films that have been successful in theaters and have qualities that make them both entertaining and worthwhile as art. Turan's purpose in writing this book is interesting. He admits he loves smaller independent films, but he's sees a trend happening. These independent films, thought by many to be disappearing, are on the increase, and large Hollywood studio films are getting so expensive. Combine expense with changes in viewing habits, and there's a danger that fewer will be made. He also wanted to pay tribute to films that sometimes get snubbed at awards ceremonies simply because they are products of Hollywood, his case in point being the critically acclaimed and very popular film directed by Clint Eastwood MYSTIC RIVER. The book is divided into five categories: action/adventure, comedy, drama/romance, animation, and spectacle. His choices include some of the most popular films of recent years: SCHINDLER'S LIST, THELMA AND LOUISE, FINDING NEMO, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, SPEED, and TOY STORY. There are some interesting omissions: FOREST GUMP, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and TITANIC to name three. He also includes a number of films that don't normally make the best of lists, but are loved by audiences such as the remake of THE PARENT TRAP, THE ROOKIE, and SISTER ACT. Each film he includes has a review and reasons why he sees it as a good work. This is the perfect book for a film lover. There are some many guides with basic summaries available; having a book that has content about great movies is a great find for anyone who loves film. People will agree and disagree with his choices and reasons for including a particular film, but no one will question his love for movies of all types.

If you're a movie lover!

This book is a companion book to the 2004 Never Coming to a Theatre Near You: A Celebration of Certain Kind of Movie. Author and bestselling film critic Kenneth Turan profiles "intelligent" and original "big-budget" Hollywood films that sophisticated moviegoers may have missed--or dismissed simply because there were made in Hollywood. Dividing movies into several categories: Action/Thriller, Comedy, Drama/Romance, Animation and Spectacle, he details why these movies should be seen by people who care about "intelligent entertainment." I was pleased to see that a few my favorites were included--movies that I actually took the time to go see in the theatre, vs. waiting for the home versions. I love when I stumble onto a "sleeper," that's good enough for me to tell everyone, and if it starred my favorite actor, Kevin Kline, as in DAVE, all the better. The book started with explaining why when the sci-fi "art film" Blade Runner was first introduced in 1981, it didn't do that well. And of course it didn't help that ET was introduced a month earlier (it grossed $300 million). In 1989 someone found an old version and it was re-released in fall 1991 in art theatres to great attendance. Turan lists 32 thrillers, stating that Hollywood still knows how to make thrillers like Oceans Eleven, The Manchurian Candidate (both original and sequels). These kinds of movies translate well whether in the US or Japan, giving them global appeal. He lists 22 comedies. Critically successful comedies are surprisingly too rare. Why? Comedy (and horror) are geared to the tastes of under and 25 set of moviegoers. He lists American Pie, Clueless, School of Rock and Spy Kids--movies that were not placed in a high school, done with gifted actors who could sometimes make unlikely material funny: Jim Carrey, Hugh Grant, Eddie Murphy, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Whoopie Goldberg, Cameron Diaz, Will Ferrell and Will Smith. In the Drama/Romance category Turan lists 35 movies. Many selected in the drama category also had a romantic aspect--as if they think we don't want drama without romance to soften it. Armchair Interview says: If you are a movie lover, you'll find this very interesting. If you wonder if there are still movies worth your time and money, his insights may change your mind.