Usually I wait until later in the review to mention the overall time at the movies, but this week extenuating circumstances and a huge crowd of fans did affect our experience (I went with my three kids). But don’t worry, we still enjoyed it. Heading out to the Louis Joliet Cinemark was an adventure. A carnival in the mall parking lot snarled traffic and the opening night of this spring’s blockbuster The Avengers meant a longer line than usual to get into the theater. Even though I ordered tickets online a day in advance, we still had to queue up behind four generations of moviegoers, which …

I was prepared to despise The Cabin the Woods based on its previews, and until the last minute, I debated going to see Chimpanzee instead. I am so glad I took a pass on the primates and opted for the horror instead. There’s nothing subtle about Cabin (and subtlety is overrated anyway), but there’s enough humor and tongue-in-cheek (more like tongue-on-the-floor-after-it’s-been-chopped-off) pop culture references in this one to keep even the most desperate-for-amusement moviegoers intrigued. The premise seems like one we’ve all heard before: Attractive college-aged kids decide to escape for a …

I really enjoyed The Hunger Games. There, I’ve said it. I should have hated it for three prime reasons: 1) I didn’t read the book, 2) I’m not in the targeted demographic (teens) and 3) the film contained barely any humor. But somehow, the filmmakers here engaged my attention and kept it, despite the marathon length of the picture (a whopping two hours and 22 minutes — I did take a much-needed personal intermission at approximately the halfway point). I went on Sunday morning at 10, and probably 200 other patrons joined me at the Cinemark Louis Joliet Mall, including a 40-something couple all …