Comic book retailers are enjoying the collateral benefits of a bumper crop of big-budget movies featuring superheroes created decades ago by industry giants Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Mike Fan, owner of Spandex City Comics on Mount Holly-Huntersville Road, said movies bring both children and their parents into the store.
The Memorial Day weekend, which for Hollywood officially starts today (Thursday) and concludes on Monday, is expected to be memorable, with Warner Bros.’ R-rated the Hangover II pulling in one camp of moviegoers and the family film Kung Fu Panda 2 pulling in another. Warner Bros. has high hopes for its latest Hangover, which it has been promoting like a tentpole release. (At the Cannes Film Festival there were as many posters on display for the movie — which wasn’t shown at the festival — as there were for any festival entry. Oddly, it’s being released in France under the title very bad Trip — printed in English.) “There is enormous pent-up demand to see this film, and the 18-to-35 demo is going to come charging through the door,” Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman told the Hollywood Reporter . “Thursday and Friday,” he predicted, “will be extremely strong.” He’s estimating that the film will earn more than $100 million over the five-day holiday. Paramount is being a bit more conservative about the prospects of its DreamWorks Animation feature, Kung Fu Panda . It’s figuring that it will earn $70 million over the holiday. Commented today’s Los Angeles Times “If both of the new releases deliver on the high end of expectations — and holdover Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides doesn’t drop too drastically — this could become the highest-grossing Memorial Day weekend ever.”
But even before I walked inside the school-turned-Kodak-Theatre for the night and saw the glittering stars on the ceiling, the movie posters on the walls, even before the lights dimmed and the films began; even before I was blown away by original music, written and produced by high school kids, and witnessed all the talent, hard work, and community that went into this event, I was bewitched.
Sunday, June 05, 2011 12:00 AM | 
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Lonny Earnhardt of Granite Quarry has won the Charlotte Area Transit System’s ‘Bus Operator’s Roadeo’ five times, the state title four times and has competed in six national championships. Photo by mark Wineka, Salisbury Post 
Lonny Earnhardt poses with some Ñ not all Ñ of the first-, second- and third-place trophies he has earned in Charlotte Bus Operator’s Roadeo competitions since 1999. Photo by mark Wineka, Salisbury Post 
Lonny Earnhardt’s wife, Jimmie, sometimes protests that his many trophies are big dust collectors in their Granite Quarry home. Photo by mark Wineka, Salisbury Post
GRANITE QUARRY — Tall, straight and silver-haired, Lonny Earnhardt has the look of “Hollywood” — what many of his fellow Charlotte bus drivers call him.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
London, England (CNN) — There are no pictures of A-list actors or screaming quotes from five-star reviews — but the simple, bold designs of Cuban movie posters instantly catch the eye.
Star Tours was one of those rides that was an instant classic. It had Star Wars, cutting edge technology, a great queue line and Paul Ruebens (Pee Wee Herman). It admittedly, was a little predictable but it was still amazing. Then the Star Wars Prequels happened. all of a sudden it wasn’t so cutting edge and amazing. Finally after a long time in development Star Tours 2: the Adventure Continues has opened.
Salon 94, a new York-based gallery, is set to hold an upcoming gallery, dubbed “For the Kids,” which will feature classic sports lithographs from the archives of the Costacos brothers, John and Tock.