The Pearl Closing

   Over the weekend, The Pearl Theatre at Avenue North closed after 10 years of business at the intersection of Broad and Oxford. Philly.com reports that Avenue North developer Bart Blatstein plans on replacing it with a “high-end” movie-theater from AMC Theatres.

“It is a testimony for the support of this theater and how great the community around it is,” Blatstein said of the new AMC Theater on Monday. AMC will convert the Pearl into it’s own location. Details on the amenities that AMC will bring to the new theater have not been released yet.

   Customers of the Pearl were notified of it’s closing via a message on it’s large sign that normally listed movie times and an automated message on the theater’s phone line.

Despite not being able to view these movies at the Pearl, we hope you enjoy our reviews of films you can check out elsewhere in the meantime.

War Dogs

   The biggest strength of “War Dogs” is in how it’s ridiculous story — as crazy and as hectic as it may sometimes get — is also 100 percent true. Okay, maybe not every detail is right to the actual story, but here’s the gist: Two guys in their twenties, David (Miles Teller) and Efraim (Jonah Hill), are getting away with selling arms to government agencies and making millions of dollars, with little to no repercussions for their actions. This sounds too wild to believe, but somehow, it’s all true.

   Director Todd Phillips (“the Hangover” trilogy) knows how to tell this kind of wacky story and make it as exciting and fun as it sounds on-paper. On film, the story of “War Dogs” still works; there’s not a lot of deep and heavy-thinking underneath all of the arms wheeling and dealing, but what the movie lacks in substance, it more than makes up for in entertainment. With the summer winding down, it’s nice to get a blockbuster that’s not only for the adults, but to have it be as entertaining as most of the other blockbusters this past summer were supposed to be. Unfortunately, “War Dogs” may not be the highest note to go out on, but it’s something that makes me forget some of the stinkers from these past few months.

Sausage Party

   An R-rated animated flick? With the voices of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Michael Cera, and, believe it or not, Edward Norton? Well, yes, believe it or not, this movie does exist and this movie also happens to be called “Sausage Party.”

In it, a hot dog named Frank (voiced by Rogen), dreams of being taken out of the grocery store and taken to the “promised land,” where he will finally be united with his girlfriend, a bun named Brenda (voiced by Wiig). However, little does Frank, nor the rest of the grocery items know that the “promised land” isn’t all that it’s made out to be, and throughout the whole hour-and-a-half, we sit and watch as Frank, as well as many other food-items contemplate just what is awaiting for them out of the grocery store.

   The movie deals with a lot of questions about the afterlife, religion and race, but honestly, is more concerned with telling raunchy jokes. Which is fine, because despite it not being nearly as hilarious or fun as it may sound, what it still does right is that it delivers the laughs and gets you hooked into this weird world that, quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind going back to. •