Minion Meet & Greet for Despicable Me 3

Despicable Me 3 is coming out this Friday and it’s one of the biggest family films of the summer. Gru is back and better than ever with his 3 adorable girls and his minions that function like his 3000 additional children.

Despicable Me 3 is the 3rd movie installment in the Despicable Me series. The franchise “has grossed over $955 million domestically and 2.7 billion worldwide with the first three movies (including spinoff Minions).” Despicable Me 3 was an inevitable next step and is expected to smash the box office.

What’s Despicable Me 3 About?

After failing to capture the most wanted villain Balthazaar Bratt, Gru and his wife Lucy are fired from the Anti-Villain League. Soon after, he learns that he has a long-lost twin. With an abundance of new found time, Gru travels to Freedonia to meet Dru. Dru is a blonde-haired version of Gru and tries to convince Gru to join the dark side again. Sibling rivalry ensues and the lovable villain gone good, Gru, has to face his sibling, a former 80s child star villain, and what he wants his own future to look like.

Steve Carrell plays dual roles in this movie as both Dru and Gru. South Park’s star Trey Parker joins the all-star cast of Kristen Wiig Miranda Cosgrove, Russel Brand, Jenny Slate and more! There is so much to love about animated movies and their random love of hodgepodge casting.

Meet a Minion Red Carpet Event with FREE Face Painting

To celebrate this beloved series, we are having a minion red carpet event on Friday, June 30th and Saturday June 31st! Be sure to arrive early to Stars and Stripes Drive-In Movie Theater with your family, grab some food, get your face painted, meet your favorite minions, and watch the premiere of Despicable Me 3!

Alien: Covenant - Alien Universe Timeline

When Alien hit theaters in 1979, it blew up the alien archetype and revolutionized the science fiction genre by taking a step away from the friendly, space imagery to a scarier perspective of space. With the upcoming release of the sixth installment of the series, it can be hard to keep track of the timeline. Below is a general overview of the series to help you brush up on your Alien knowledge to prepare for the premiere of Alien: Covenant.

Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus takes place 30 years before the first Alien movie (1979). Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan-Marshall Green) lead a team that are searching for the origins of humanity. They journey on the ship Prometheus and arrive on a distant world in the same region in which Alien is found. They discover the remains of an advanced civilization and terror elicited by a horrific alien race. This is not necessarily a prequel to Alien, but is set in the same universe.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Alien: Covenant is set 10 years after Prometheus. A crew travels to an unexplored paradise hoping to find exactly that. They encounter sole inhabitant David (Michael Fassbender) and realize that the paradise they were hoping for is far, far from a utopia.

Alien (1979)

A commercial mining ship is heading back to Earth is diverted after receiving a signal from an unknown planetoid. The crew wakes to answer the signal only to find a destroyed ship laden with thousands of egg-like objects. One crew member approaches one of the eggs, it hatches, latches onto his face, and renders him unconscious. As the crew brings him onto the ship, the man wakes up seemingly fine but soon and alien bursts from his chest and grows rapidly and goes on a killing rampage.

Aliens (1986)

57 years after the first Alien encounter, sole survivor Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is found by a salvage team. Her horror story is not believed and when they arrive at LV-426, they find only one survivor, a 9-year old girl. But, this team of marines are no match for the aliens that has invaded the colony.

Alien 3 (1992)

Again, Ellen Ripley defeats the odds and escapes to a planet that is home to former inmates of the planet’s maximum security prison. Not much time has passed between Aliens and Alien 3. Unbeknownst to her, there were a few aliens aboard the ship she escaped on and before long, the aliens grow and hunt down anyone that crosses their path. They have no weapons nor technology of any kind and must battle the destructive creature.

Alien Resurrection (1997)

200 years later after Ellen Ripley died. A team of scientist clone Ellen Ripley by using genetic samples that were collected and remove the alien queen embryo that was growing inside of her. Attempting to revive the alien species, the scientists have no idea what they are in for as the aliens escape and destroy everything and everyone in their path.

By marrying horror and sci-fi, the Alien franchise paved a way to a new subgenre.

Check out our movie times for the latest installment of the world-renowned series, Alien: Covenant. We have other movies showing at Stars and Stripes Drive-In too! Take a look at our selection.

What We are Excited to See in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

On May 5th, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is zooming into Lubbock theaters and we could not be more excited. Last year, the Hollywood Reporter quotes that Guardians of the Galaxy was projected to gross $65 million, but smashed the box office expectations with a 94.3 million dollar US 2014 opening weekend debut.

With opening day of the highly-anticipated sequel creeping around the corner, we thought we would share a few things we are excited to see in Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2:

1. STINKIN’ CUTE BABY GROOT

This one is obvious because everyone just about lost their minds when they saw the adorable sapling sprout in place of beloved Groot. We can’t get enough of this cuddly, baby, tree creature. For you Baby Groot skeptics out there, according to an article in Polygon director James Gunn states that making “Groot a baby was never a marketing ploy. Instead, Gunn said that he has troubles writing an adult Groot for the sequel” and that Baby Groot molded easily into the group.

Well, we can’t saw were mad about it. And we aren’t mad at they decided to put a tiny outfit onto his tiny, branchy body.

2. A Killer Soundtrack

In the first movie, the nostalgic, cassette mixtape had everyone over the age of 30 exuding soft giggles and reminiscent sighs of yesteryear. “Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2,” Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2’s soundtrack is bound to be an awesome partner to the first. If their trailer theme song, The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, is a taste of what is to come, give us a heaping plate full and about 20 extra servings.

3. Family Oriented Sentiment

We are suckers for the plot line that focuses on a squad of misfit characters teaming up to save the world. There is something so relatable about the hodgepodge of characters, their quirky personalities, and their bantering group dynamic. Its familial feel broadens the definition of family. 

Also, we are interested to see what the father/son relationship looks like between Peter Quill and Ego, the (quite literal) Living Planet. Hmm…

4. Yo, Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell

Although Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone won’t be sharing the screen together like they did in Tango & Cash, we are excited to see these stars added to the impressive cast list. With slight mystery around Stallone’s character and Kurt Russell as a literal astronomical force, it only adds to the anticipation.

We hope you are as excited as we are. Don’t just go to a regular movie theater in Lubbock to watch this epic movie. Watch Guardians with us at Stars and Stripes Drive-In Movie Theater in Lubbock. Get your tickets today.

See you soon!