In 1984’s The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger said “I’ll Be Back”—and he was right. He came back for Terminator 2 and the third instalment called Rise of the Machines. While he was busy being the Governator in California, he missed Terminator Salvation (and the acclaimed but short-lived TV series), but he is now back again in a big way in Terminator Genisys.
In this instalment, the story goes back to the original movie but in true time-travel fashion, they change things up. Described as a “retcon” (Retoactive Continuity) rather than a reboot, it starts the storyline of the original movie when the T-800 (ingeniously done with footage from the original and CG) is sent back to the past to kill Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), but that model is quickly dispatched by Connor and “The Guardian,” a reprogrammed T-800 with aged human tissue (Schwarzenegger as he is now).
The story begins anew with her actually saving her protector from the first movie, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), and thus begins the action with altered timelines. With the return of Schwarzenegger to the franchise and plans for at least two more sequels, hopes are high that this one is a hit. Terminator creator James Cameron has already seen it and has given it his stamp of approval, calling it respectful of the first two movies and counting it as the official third film in the franchise.
Set three years after Mike (Channing Tatum) left the stripper life at the top of his game, Magic Mike XXL catches up with him and the rest of the Kings of Tampa who are likewise ready to throw in the towel. However, they want to go out with a last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach with their legendary headliner. On the road to their final show, they make stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends. Returning in the sequel is Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias and new cast members include Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover, Amber Heard, Andie MacDowell, Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Strahan.
If you are a ‘Dead-head,’ you will want to check out Fare Thee Well: 50 Years of the Grateful Dead showing Sunday, July 5 at 5 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. In an epic, unprecedented live event broadcast from Soldier Field in Chicago, the four original members will be joined by three other renowned musicians including Bruce Hornsby. Almost 20 years after the last Grateful Dead concert with Jerry Garcia, this will be the last time the band will ever play together.
Also at the Paramount Theatre this week is the Canadian romantic comedy My Ex-Ex. When Mary’s boyfriend Ted invites her out to a fancy restaurant, she’s convinced he’s going to pop the question, but instead she gets dumped. To cheer her up, her friends take her to a psychic who says she will connect with her ex-boyfriend. However, the ex turns out to be her college boyfriend Patrick, who she starts falling for again. And when Ted realizes he made a mistake and wants Mary back, she becomes torn between her two exes. My Ex-Ex shows for one show only, Wednesday, July 8 at 7 p.m.
