Win free movie tickets

Editor's note: Comment on today's "Cinema Chat" for a chance to win free movie tickets to the Michigan Theater. Some time between now and 6 a.m. Wednesday, leave a comment on this column, written by the Michigan Theater's Russ Collins. Offer your opinion on a recent movie you've seen, or on anything Russ mentions. We'll randomly select a winner and notify that person via the email address they signed up with. They will get two passes to a movie of their choice.

Werewolves and vampires and fun (but bad) B-movies For many, the BIG film news this week is the opening of the new “Twilight” franchise film “Eclipse” — which by general consensus is the best film of the series to date. David Slade, director of the Sundance Film Festival opus “Hard Candy,” takes the reins — which, according to the Dallas Morning News, is good news: “Slade skips the stultifying slow-motion fantasy sequences that so weighed down ‘New Moon’ in favor of a well-paced blend of action and introspection.” “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” is already playing at theaters everywhere.

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival offers free movies downtown on Washington Street in front of the Rackham Building on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays for the next 10 days. This Sunday, see Harrison Ford in all his glory in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” On Tuesday you can see last summer’s art-house hit “(500) Days of Summer.”

Tonight you can see the Ed Wood B-movie "classic," “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever made. Filled with drive-in movie style fun, it is the perfect set up for “Cinematic Titanic” coming on Friday at 7:30 and 10 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.

“Cinematic Titanic” is the BIG event this week for film geeks. It is a feature-length movie-riffing show from the creators and original cast of “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” The Cinematic Titanic riffs on "the unfathomable," "the horribly great," and just plain "cheesy" movies. At the 7:30 show you can see and hear the clever comments from the cast about “East Meets Watts,” a 1974 low, low budget film about a young black man teaming up with a Chinese kung-fu expert to fight a drug ring. The 10:00 show is “The Oozing Skull” (also known as “Brain of Blood”) and, you know what, the plot doesn’t matter, because you just need to go and enjoy the fun! To get tickets from the Michigan League Ticket Office (911 North University Avenue), call 734-764-2538 or online at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival website.

Also opening this week

Opening exclusively at the Michigan on Friday is “The City of Your Final Destination,” starring Laura Linney and Sir Anthony Hopkins. This Merchant Ivory film (the same folks that gave us “A Room with a View” and “Howards End”) is about a graduate school student who dupes school officials into awarding him a grant to study a famous author. The duplicitous student travels to Uruguay to attempt to get authorization from the late author’s widow, brother and mistress. Filled with style and wit, and the Village Voice loved it: “James Ivory and cast make every scene flutter with feeling in this adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2002 novel, written for the screen by Ivory's collaborator-of-50-years, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.”

The Academy Award nominated Best Foreign Language Film “Ajami” opens at the Michigan on Saturday. Palestinian director Scandar Copti and Israeli director Yaron Shani collaborated on this independent drama, which examines how the troubled relationship between their countries colors everyday life in the Middle East. Roger Ebert says, “The specifics of the plot in “Ajami” aren't as important as the impact of many sad moments that build up one after another. Hatred is like the weather. You don't agree with the rain but still you get wet.”

Summer Classics continue at the Michigan with the Marx Brothers classic “Animal Crackers” on Sunday July 4 at 1:30 p.m. and Tuesday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m. The Summer Documentary Series on Monday, July 5 at 7 p.m. features “Soul Power,” about the legendary soul music concert staged in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974 featuring performances by James Brown, Celia Cruz and the Fania All-Stars, B.B. King, and more!

Admission is free for US veterans and active military personnel to these films, and all regular movies at the Michigan Theater Friday through Monday.

Also opening at your local multiplex is the M. Night Shyamalan fantasy film “The Last Airbender,” based on the popular cartoon series “Avatar” (not to be confused with that other “Avatar” from a few months ago). While no reviews have been released yet, writer/director Shyamalan has an eye for style and it certainly looks like he captured the world of the cartoon in this film. It stars Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, and Jackson Rathbone. See you at the movies!

Russ Collins is executive director of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Tune in to the audio version of “Cinema Chat” on WEMU radio (89.1-FM) each Thursday at 7:40 a.m. and 5:40 p.m., or listen to it online at WEMU's website.