FREE Tickets To Advanced Screening of JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama at an advanced screening for: 

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (PG13)

Saturday, February 23^rd

12:00PM

AMC River East

322 E. Illinois

Chicago, IL 60611

*Note that seating is first-come, first-served and not guaranteed so please arrive about a half hour early.

Thanks to Gofobo, ChiIL Mama's readers can get a sneak peek at an exclusive advanced screening of JACK THE GIANT SLAYER!   Click this link to download up to 4 FREE tickets per family (1st 100 ChiIL Mama Readers).

IN THEATERS MARCH 1

Click here to check out their main site, for free video games, fun facts and more.

Check out Jack the Giant Slayer on Facebook.

We can't wait to check it out and we're super stoked to be able to bring a bunch of our friends & loyal readers along for the ride!   We'll have a full review up shortly.

We’re also getting some pretty cool promotional materials for this release—JACK THE GIANT SLAYER-themed t-shirts, hats, bean-shaped ear buds, little bags of jelly beans, temporary tattoos, etc. and we'll be at Beat Kitchen next weekend, passing them out at the Concerts for Kids Series we sponsor!   We'll also be handing out goodies at CircEsteem Circus Arts School!

An age-old war is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. 

Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of his life to stop them.  Fighting for a kingdom and its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend… and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer directs the 3D epic action adventure “Jack the Giant Slayer,” starring Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: First Class,” “Warm Bodies”) in the title role.  The film also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Deadwood”) as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as the giants’ leader, General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” “The Ghost Writer”) as palace guard Elmont.

               

Singer directs from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin.  The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer, Patrick McCormick and Ori Marmur, with Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brenner, Michael Disco and John Rickard serving as executive producers. 

The creative filmmaking team includes director of photographer Newton Thomas Sigel, production designer Gavin Bocquet, editors John Ottman and Bob Ducsay, and costume designer Joanna Johnston. The music was composed by John Ottman.

A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, “Jack the Giant Slayer” opens March 1, 2013 and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Disclosure:  Thanks to Gofobo and Warner Bros. for providing us with review and giveaway tickets and cool promotional giveaway swag.  You rock!   All opinions are our own.

Otter 501 Feature Film Highly Recommended Eco-Friendly Fun

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING:

Can you say OTTER WATCHER 5X FAST?

For our nationwide followers--OTTER 501 is now open in San Fran, Berkeley and Monterey and will be opening in a slew of cities the 18th, 19th and beyond.  Click here for all current Showings.

ChiIL Mama had a chance to run a private Chi-Town screening and OTTER 501 was a huge hit with the kids and adults.   Eco-friendly and informative, OTTER 501 moved us to tears.   This movie goes beyond the "cute factor" to educate and entertain.  Katie is a great protagonist, as a smart, real life, down to earth, girl of action.  We're thrilled to see a role model that's not a Hollywood Barbie or Photoshopped, airbrushed cover girl.   It was truly a pleasure to have the chance to preview and review this feature film.

One of the greatest gifts parents can give their children is the wonder and appreciation of nature, animals and our earth.  People tend to tune out and shut down when problems like global warming, rampant pollution, and extinction seem too big and overwhelming.   But the fate of the planet is our fate, and our best chance of surviving and thriving ourselves and making life saving changes for other species, is teaching our kids to care.  OTTER 501 is a huge step in the right direction.   Gorgeous camera work, a compelling script, science that's not heavy handed, and a cast of wild otters that tug at your heartstrings make this movie a fascinating must see. 

Back in the early 90's I worked at Shedd Aquarium and spent my daily lunch hour with the Beluga Whales, Dolphins, playful Sea Otters, and intriguing creatures of the deep.   I loved to watch the quirky fish that spit rocks and the puffer fish.   Although I was employed as a writer (my little sister's the west coast dweller with the marine biology degree), those aquarium days gave me a lasting love and awe for the diversity of our oceans.   We have an obligation to curb the havoc that mankind has wreaked on the earth.   Many are in complete denial, despite hard, scientific evidence that our lifestyles are harmful to most other species we share the planet with.   Otter 501 is a true gift of a film, which educates without preaching, entertains and enlightens.   

As a social media writer/influencer, I was also happy to see that Facebook plays an active, on screen role in this film.   The internet is a powerful tool for education, information and change.  We've already been promoting this film over on ChiIL Mama's Facebook page and twitter feed for months.  We will be keeping our readers up to date as the Otter 501 fame spreads and new showings are added.   You can also track them through the usual channels on Facebook, Twitter and the main Otter 501 Website for more fab footage, furry cuteness, and scientific process.   If Otter 501 is playing near you, we highly recommend checking it out on the big screen.   If not, shoot them a FB post or an e-mail asking for a showing in your home town.    You can still follow along via social media and check out their YouTube channel.   Highly recommended!

*Disclaimer:   We were sent a press preview copy of the Otter 501 film and a bag of microwave popcorn :).   All opinions are our own.

Joyful Noise Move Sneak Peek-20 Free Family 4 Packs For Our Readers!

ChiIL Mama's stoked to be able to offer our readers a free, sneak peek at the movie, Joyful Noise, this Monday, 1/9/12.  We'll pick 20 winners for family 4 packs, so spread the word.  Tell all your friends and get in out of the cold, for a warm hearted story.  Be the first to see and hear this moving, music filled movie.

Enter here through 12:01 on the 8th.  Winners will be notified by e-mail and their names will appear in the Rafflecopter widget on this page.  Good luck!

*Wait for Rafflecopter to load up right here (if you've gone through RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on the actual page title and it should pop right up).   Entries are easy.   Winning rocks!   Start your new year off right with a free movie night!

Are You Ready to Hop and Roll? #HOPtoit

We were all hopped up after seeing a preview of HOP on Sunday.    This movie rocks, and it's sure to become an Easter classic.   Hop has a funky, fun soundtrack that's as appealing to the adults in the audience as the littles.   E.B. is one rockin' rabbit with attitude who's hard to resist.



Of course, I had to snicker a little when I heard the feature track, I Want Candy.   Back in the day, I performed in children's theatre productions, and during one of those stints where I played a number of fairy tale legends (IE: Little Red-Alice-Hood) I was in the cast with an entertainer named Tim.   He was a well known Midwestern magician who performed children's shows and opened with a fabulous number featuring a gingerbread house and a disappearing assistant, all set to the version of "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow.   






Tim was also an entertainer of another sort.   By night he was a male dancer, where he also did a routine to "I Want Candy" for his adult audiences.     I guess you never get too old to crave a little candy, eh? 


ChiIL Mama highly recommends Hop as family friendly fun all ages will enjoy.    There are timeless themes of family expectations, the pain and joy of following your dreams, and the insidious results of coup d'états by power hungry underlings.    We particularly loved the genius use of Easter Island as the Easter Bunny's headquarters.    We all laughed out loud multiple times, along this would be drummer's road to rock.   This is a buddy film as much as a bunny film.   Hop is quirky, cool and utterly original.





Check out their website at http://www.iwantcandy.com/ for lots of fun videos (don't worry-none feature my magician/dancer friend!)  The site features loads of fun games, show specifics and more.   Du Jay's been rockin' the Hop games on Poptropica and Sagezilla has been playing them through Webkins, where you can get a Hop bunny for your own house.  You can even follow Hop on Twitter and Facebook.   Hop officially opens April 1st, so hop to it and reserve your tickets today!