Happy Groundhog’s Day. Feel like your life is the same, boring day over and over again? Change it.

Black Magic, MacArthur on Ice, O’Connor Frikin Night, Loni Love, Holiday Light at the Beach, Fresh Fridays, d’ARTini Night, Ghent’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Caroling, Art after Dark, The Concise Dicken’s Christmas Carol, The Fighting Jamesons, 10th Annual Fair Trade Festival…

The Best Kind of Corporate Theft: Watching Viral Videos at Work

“‘Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas’ is fun for the whole Addams family, as well as for anyone else inclined to appreciate the spectacle of Santa Claus being kidnapped and harassed.”

Get out before everyone else is out shoving their Christmas spirit down your throat.

Take a lesson from Plan B and get out of the bad relationship fast!!!!

Lola’s, Venue on 35th, Great American Trailer Park Musical, Hansel and Gretel do opera, Fighting Jamesons, Sharx!, Belmont, JewMa, Freedom Marathon, MONSTER JAM, Plan B Comedy, Ramp Jam, B-boying, CRUSH…

“To me, (movies) all say the same thing, which is basically don’t judge other people till you know the complete story, and nobody really knows the complete story unless maybe they’ve done an analysis. Don’t be so quick to judge others.” – John Waters

If you’re into Japanese Punk Rock, cake, puppies, women, anime, the 1960s, art, guns, easy money, festivals, bikes, photography, pottery, women, movies, drinks, great food, dancing, or even fairy tales, then there’s a good chance the perfect activity awaits you this weekend.

In my opinion it’s the perfect weekend. You can be whoever you want, whatever you want, and however you want to be. You make the rules.

Last year Norfolk had its moment. Like the undead, our moment is back.

There will be a cash bar and the usual tomfoolery so get there a little early. Opening remarks will be made by both an alive and undead Mayor Fraim… don’t miss it!

They say it’s going to rain this weekend, but I refuse to be locked inside. No t-storm or puddle is going to keep me from having fun. And it shouldn’t stop you either.

New York and L.A. will be fine on their own, but we are all we have. We have to stick together.

We took it as proof that you could say anything in a British accent and it would come off as polite and darn near acceptable. Example: turn to your friend and repeat this quote from the movie, “I fart in your general direction.” with a heavy British accent. See what I mean?

Stopped they must be; on this all depends.

These videos–made by Hollywood’s pal Mark Fussell–prove it.

After Pulp Fiction and Big Lebowski, I was quite sure I had reached a peak of happiness. Then came BTTF.

Bold watches, patterned bottoms, and other tubular ways to wear the 80s.

48 hours to make a movie start to finish. That’s some manic talent right there.

An ODU communications professor takes a deeper look into the magic and mystery of The Big Lebowski, the White Russian of American cinema.

AltDaily abides on July 15th.

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own documentary or fiction film but thought to yourself, “How? I don’t have a fancy camera or even know where to start,” then have we got the class for you…

On June 6th AltDaily teamed up with the Naro to present The Princess Bride. You guys come out in full force, dressed in magnificent costume, and gave us an array of hilarious film quotes recited to a T. Here’s the video of the night.

The Princess Bride is the ultimate love story, although it can be hard to remember this in the midst of crazy sword fights, greedy pirates, giants, and deathly battles.

Here’s a taste. #2: $2 PBRs. #5: Parker Posey. #8: To find out the true meanings behind the images on the dollar bill. Let’s just leave it at this: “George Washington was in a cult, and the cult was into aliens, man.”

Some movie stars seem insecure and tortured if they haven’t gotten that Oscar nomination yet. Every few years they ugly themselves up and do an indie movie or a prestige picture in desperate hope for a little precious respectability. McConaughey doesn’t have time for such silliness.

A lightsaber battle to commemorate Intergalactic Star Wars Day is to take place on Wednesday, May 4th in the expansive Blue Bird Park nestled in West Ghent.

“Many people say we can’t or shouldn’t improve the gun laws in this country. I’m part of the next generation. I reject that premise, and I say we can and should do better.”

They tried. Well, at least Hathaway did, whereas I’m still trying to figure out if Franco was stoned out of his mind.

This is a brief story about a beloved theater and the consummate showman and entrepreneur who built it, William S. Wilder.

What would I do if I could do it all over again? Would I continue acting the same, treating people the way I do? Or would I just do it all the same?

A professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at ODU gives her take on “The King’s Speech,” which focuses on Prince Albert’s stutter.

“Non-Jews may have the opportunity to learn about Jewish history/culture during some of the films. All films are well-produced and entertaining.”

Plus, the best documentaries that came through Norfolk in 2010.

Natalie Portman’s arduous training for this role certainly paid off. Her port de bras, épaulement, and musical phrasing are impressive.

Renegade bike scavenger hunt, Pee-wee punch, The Movie, and afterparty. Diiiiig it!

You probably don’t know this, but the very first job I ever told my mother that I wanted to have when I was a grown-up was ticket taker at the movie theater.

In the spirit of all things about the holidays you hate, we are presenting you with the anecdote: the most fun, bright, non-holiday, ridiculous, weren’t the 80s fun (and weird) movie we can think of.

Sure, he was a black NYC youth, an identity he clung to more and more at the end of his career. But he was also a visionary, a user, a poet, a trophy, an illustrator, lothario, social commentator, fashion model, and very, very young.

Make no mistake, this movie is not so much a film about a series of bank robberies as it is a film about people.

While my dad won’t be next to me for my third big-screen viewing of Pulp Fiction, I know I’ll be cool the moment Pumpkin and Honey Bunny hit the screen.

So married-Don screws better than Faulkner writes, but divorced-Don pays for sex with his secretary…

W. Jeffrey Frizzell, commissioner of the Hampton Roads Film Office, writes of the impact of the economic crisis on local film.

For those of you who like to brag about how “you saw it first,” you should also see this. It’ll be like when The Ring came out and you had already seen Ringu.

“I don’t believe that things happen for a reason,” Greenberg says. “But maybe me being out here right now… it’s happening for a reason.”

Watching the show with my mom, sister and niece. We’ve seen few of the films, but God help us, we have our opinions.

A 10-year veteran of film criticism and local writing says farewell.

Simply asking your local restaurants and super market managers “Where’s this produce from?” can make a real difference.

The Chair for the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Virginia Production Alliance’s mission to see every movie released in 2010.

“I used to be somebody,” sings Bad Blake, played by the incomparable Jeff Bridges. “Now I am somebody else.”

Even in this age of advanced media where we’re awash in visual images, a treasure of non-fiction films drew audiences to specialized art screens in big cities. Most of these films premiered locally at Norfolk’s Naro Cinema.

The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film takes place through Jan 31 at the Roper Performing Arts Center.

Jay talks about the gorgeous place in the Amazon basin where Texaco and Petro-Ecuador dumped over 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater, and nobody cared enough to clean up their mess.

“Imaginative” is the first word that comes to mind when discussing Avatar, and “boring” is the other.

I saw a room full of adults remembering how exciting it is to so ardently want that BB gun, to scheme and feel guilt and excitement about what Santa thinks of you, the disappointment of not getting what you want, the elation of surprise.

James Cameron’s epic 3D near-masterpiece ‘Avatar’ inspired a bunch of thoughts that felt deep at the time.

How could a man who stood for equal rights defend terrorists, rapists, and cop killers? (Showing tonight @ The Naro.)

The film (Tuesday @ The Naro) captures jaw-dropping insensitivity, ignorance, and racism in Prince William County, Virginia, a community only a few hours’ drive from Hampton Roads.

Tonight @ The Naro: The Beginning of The Festival of Peace, including a talk with host Frida Berrigan.

In all, more than 1,000 species of freshwater fish are currently facing extinction. Learn more tonight @ The Naro.

In “No Impact Man,” Colin Beavan drags his wife Michelle and daughter Isabella along for a 365-day project to live with no impact. That means absolutely zero environmental footprint as a result of their daily lives.

The process of growing up, really, is an incremental discovery that the world is just a different kind of scary. The villains are just different kinds of monsters.

A New York journalist is forced into the life of a yogi in the documentary “Enlighten Up!” Sweating and cynicism ensue.

Mira’s take on The September Issue, a behind-the-scenes look at the world of Vogue Magazine and its editor, Anna Wintour. (Film is now @ The Naro.)

What remains disturbing is that it took a movie to jerk me back into reality.

Silent movies at The Naro have become one of the few institutions here that never disappoint and always impress.

It’s Alive at the Chesapeake Central Library Friday Night, sensibly followed by It’s Alive 2.

Remember the first time you watched Wizard of Oz with Dark Side of the Moon turned up? Neither do I. (Cue self-aware stoner laugh.) Here’s your second chance.

When I first moved to Norfolk I got a little like the guy in (500) Day of Summer when he realizes it’s not going to work out with the girl, and his bedside table ends up filled with Twinkie rappers and empty fifths of liquor.

A showing of the film Food Inc. along with a discussion about disincorporating and decentralizing our food supply with people in the local food industry. Mmmmm!

Fantasmo brings The Last Man on Earth and House of Wax to the library tonight.

This clip, however, subtly (and awkwardly punctuated in that internet way) titled “Love Story” One Man. One Dream. One Chance., I think does need to be seen to be believed. Actually, seeing does not necessarily equal believing here, as I’m not sure this isn’t a fairly elaborate joke.

Marilyn Chambers died on Sunday.

Scott’s resume is impressive indeed. A 2007 Horror short that has won praise all over the world and taken top honors at two different film festivals. A Best Metal Video of the Year nomination by MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. A video featuring none other than living legend Willie Nelson. Not bad for a guy who graduated college in 2005. One of the things he does best is though is music videos, and he has done plenty of them for the bands of the 757.

So the trailer for Spike Jonze’ version of Where The Wild Things Are looks amazing, doesn’t it?

Things of Note: Zoe’s in Virginia Beach re-opens this evening. In our first issue of taste, Monroe Duncan reported in “Restaurants in the Revolving Door” about Zoe’s closure; however, chef-owner Jerry Weihbrecht has since teamed up with good friend and well-known sommelier Mark Sauter, and passionate gourmands Bill and Joni Greene, who all felt it [...]

What is the moral of this aimless story? I don’t know. Maybe that the inadaptable is often just a guise for a blockbuster comedy. It is recommendable to have Bill Murray cracking wise in it.

The plague of lame horror remakes is a sickness that is devouring theatrical horror alive (or at least undead).

Take a look at the website to figure out what all of this has to do with fighting global poverty and oppression of women.

And if you’re like me…laying about on a dreary Sunday in the Seven Cities, looking for some inspiration…here are some other beautiful short animations. Make yourself some hot cocoa. Chill out.

It should be no surprise that Ang Lee’s latest directorial adventure, Taking Woodstock, stars none other than the acting powerhouse that is…Demetri Martin? Really? I don’t know, okay. I guess I have no reason to complain. I mean, maybe, you know, Demetri just happens to be an awesome actor. Certainly no way to tell at this point.

I just solved a great mystery that might be useful to other posters here: misspell your profanity if you want your posts to actually show up!

In all of Bunuel’s great works, conventional movie-watching emotional shortcuts are subverted and toyed with as cinematic manipulation is revealed for the grand illusion it is.

You’re damn right. He is Shaft.

Tonight at the Chesapeake Central Library, Fantasmo Cult Cinema Explosion will be screening the first 3 entries in the Friday the 13th ten-and-a-half-ilogy.

As anyone who likes going to see movies knows, they tend to suck these days. They’re all action or horror or cartoons or dance contests between hot white chicks and hot black chicks… Have we become completely, totally, irretrievably base? Because what’s popular says a lot about who we are as a people, as a culture: our tastes, our values, whether we just want to be pacified, or if we demand to be inspired.

So, yeah, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences: if you love books so damn much, why do you bother making movies?

At the beginning of many residencies at the Bennington Writing Seminars, the late Liam Rector would screen this clip from Glengarry GlenRoss, leaving at least some of the new students squinting and wondering exactly what he meant by its display.  It’s the “Always Be Closing” scene, with Alec Baldwin aggressively berating the sales staff to [...]

The power here is in an accumulation of honestly earned emotions and real, believable situations. By the climax, which superficially follows the “big fight” sports movie cliche but completely sells it as real, one can’t help but feel heartbroken for Rourke.

The Sundance Film Festival just wheezed its last asthmatic, independent breath of the year in Utah, despite competition with a completely unforseen presidential inauguration. Really, it is not a great time for the independent film business. Reading the coverage that has come out of it, there are several movies I’m very curious to see over [...]

I guess it goes without saying I’m a major Star Wars freak. There are a lot of fan videos out there, but I wanted to create something original—something unique to my surroundings. I had an image in my mind of an AT-AT Walker (for you non-Star Wars freaks, that’s the giant four-legged armored vehicle in [...]