HomeTheaterReview.com's managing editor, Andrew Robinson, and our production team are about to release a film in about 20-25 theaters called April Showers that speaks directly to the AV needs, wants and desires of home theater enthusiasts and videophiles on many levels. April Showers is the first movie made natively in 4k video (about eight to ten times more resolution than Blu-ray at 1080p). April Showers is a movie about school shootings and how it affects the kids, the community and the nation. It's not your typical Fox News "Why did the shooter do it and who can we blame" type of story. The movie stars Tom Arnold (True Lies), Illeana Douglas (To Die For), Kelly Blatz (Prom Night, Disney's Aaron Stone) and Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids) and is based on actual events from Robinson's life, as he is a survivor of the 1999 Columbine shootings. The movie has a strong charitable element, as it is also a vehicle for donating money to schools. April Showers will also day and date its release on iTunes on May 5, 2009, which is the second time ever that a film has been released this way for download.
April Showers is going to open on about 20 screens nationwide. For readers close enough to get to the theater, it is a film that deserves attention on many levels.
Why You Might Want To Go See April Showers on 4/24/09...
1. April Showers tells a story that needs to be told. School shootings are more prevalent today than they were ten years ago and there needs to be awareness at a national level about why this happens and how it can be prevented.
2. This is a damn good movie that will make you laugh, think and possibly tear up. The love story is engaging and the young actors give strong performances. Everyone who has pre-screened the movie has been specifically raving about Daryl Sabara's portrayal of Jason.
3. April Showers is the first movie to be shot natively in true raw 4k. 4k is light-years ahead of 1080p video resolutions seen today on the best Blu-ray discs. This film is a technological benchmark in terms of video resolution. If you are a videophile, you must see April Showers on the big screen, as the level of resolution that you will see will challenge the way you think about movies and video. It's that impressive. The depth of field is what we aspire to with our 1080p video systems, yet we have never had the chipsets and/or content to see until now.
4. Half of the proceeds of the first week's box office will be donated to local schools near the theaters where the film is shown. While state budgets are being slashed, we put the schools ahead of the investors (myself included) in giving back to the communities that support the film.
5. Theater chains are starting to install digital projection systems, but they don't see a lot of demand for 4k content. April Showers is being closely watched by the biggest of electronics companies, movie studios and movie exhibitors that are monitoring its success. With your help, more theaters will take the deep plunge for 4k projectors, meaning your theatrical experience is only going to be better and better each time you pop for a $10 ticket.
The following is a list of theaters that will be showing April Showers on April 24, 2009. The www.AprilShowersMovie.com site is adding theaters every day. There are links to maps for the theaters and sites where you can buy tickets.
April 24: Majestic Cinema | Brookfield, WI | (262) 798-6800
April 24: The Pavilion Theater | Brooklyn, NY | (718) 369-0836
April 24: Rave Theater Westroads 14 | Omaha, NE | (402) 393-9200
April 24: Rave Theater Patton Creek 15 | Birmingham, AL | (205) 982-4778
April 24: Rave Theater West Chester Village 18 | Cincinnati, OH | (513) 463-2316
April 24: Rave Theater Polaris 18 | Columbus, OH | (614) 781-8228
April 24: Rave Theater Northeast Mall 18 | Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX | (817) 591-8540
April 24: Rave Theater Yorktown 15 | Houston, TX | (832) 427-1540
April 24: Rave Theater Metropolis 18 | Indianapolis, IN | (317) 839-0525
April 24: Rave Theater Colonel Glenn 18 | Little Rock, AR | (501) 687-0499
April 24: Rave Theater Bayou 15 | Pensacola, FL | (850) 475-2240
April 24: Rave Theater Festival Plaza 16 | Montgomery, AL | (334) 244-1300
April 24: Rave Theater Avenue 16 | Melbourne, FL | (321) 775-1210
April 24: Rave Theater Promenade 16 | Philadelphia, PA | (610) 709-8635
April 24: Marcus Theaters Gurnee 20** | Gurnee, IL | (847) 855-9940
April 24: Marcus Theaters Ultra Cinema Oakdale** | Oakdale, MN | (651) 770-4994
April 24: Marcus Theaters Renaissance | Stuartville, WI | (262) 886-2900
Thank you for allowing me to pitch you on our grassroots independent (it doesn't look like an Indie film when you see it) project. With your support, we hope to be able to make our mark on the future of home video and the digital cinema standard, as well as making the absolute best-looking, reference-standard Blu-ray disc ever (April Showers will likely be out on Blu-ray in June). Additionally, we hope to make a meaningful charitable donation, thanks to the success of the film.
