And so, in what seemed like an impossible dream to just about every comic book geek in the world, the first-ever major superhero crossover film finally opens in America today. There’s really no point in pretending that this won’t absolutely kill at the box office this weekend, it’s just a matter of how high it can soar at this point:
Read more on Weekend Openings (May 4-6)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Bill Nighy, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, comic book films, Demi Moore, Dev Patel, fanboyism, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, iron man, Jeremy Renner, Joss Whedon, judi dench, Maggie Smith, Mark Ruffalo, middlebrow art films, Mother's Day, popcorn movies, Rebecca De Mornay, remake, robert downey jr, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, superhero movie, the avengers, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Thor, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Wilkinson, Weekend Openings
 Was anyone especially clamoring for a remake of ‘Red Dawn’? I didn’t think so, but hey…here we have one nonetheless. It doesn’t come out until November, so this is a VERY early review of the film (I was lucky enough to be invited to take a look, along with a rather small audience), but the flick has been done for quite some time (it got caught up in the MGM bankruptcy after going before cameras in 2009, just like ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ did…you can see by the expected release date on the poster to the left just how long this has been shelved) now, so what I saw should be the same thing that you wind up seeing later this year. Now, is this new ‘Red Dawn’ any good? It’s actually a surprisingly entertaining, if clearly flawed, action movie with an interesting enough take on the original 1984 film. The basic story is the same, but a lot of details have been tinkered with, making for a similar yet different flick. This is the type of movie where you can sort of decide if it’s going to be for you before you even see it. Do you like action? Are you a fan of the original movie? Does incredibly shaky camerawork bother you? Are you a stickler for character development? Can you root for characters who essentially are terrorists? As long as those questions don’t immediately turn you off, you’re likely in for a good enough time here. For my part, I found parts of it to be rather good, with other parts annoying enough to keep me from fully embracing and completely recommending it with no caveats. It’s an above average action flick, but that’s somewhat damning the film with faint praise, now isn’t it?
Read more on Red Dawn (**½)…
 Well, Sharlto Copley is having himself quite a week, isn’t he? After signing on to Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake and the movie Open Grave, Deadline has learned that Copley is in negotiations to join Maleficent as King Stefan, the father of Princess Aurora. Angelina Jolie is already signed on to play evil sorceress Maleficent. This movie will attempt to tell the story of Sleeping Beauty from the point of the villainess. Read more on ‘Maleficent’ adds Sharlto Copley…
 Though ‘The Avengers’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ have almost all of the attention, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ is still a comic book flick that one should be looking forward to. I liked the footage I saw back in January, and this new Trailer showcases all of the things that will hopefully make this reboot stand out from the prior Spidey films (namely the backstory of Peter Parker’s parents and the villain The Lizard). After the jump you can see the trailer, but the movie is looking pretty good to me. Check it out below and let us know what you think!
Read more on Final Trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man!…
 There are 89 movies listed in IMDB with Tarzan in the tittle and it looks like we will be getting one more to make it an even 90. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that a new motion capture 3D adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs literary mainstay is being developed by Constantin Films. Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett in the Twilight films, is signed on to star as the central character and Spencer Locke will play Jane.
Read more on New motion capture ‘Tarzan’ announced, Lutz to star…
 After his live action debut Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol made $700 million world wide, Brad Bird has been looking for his next live action feature. Deadline is reporting that Bird has signed on to direct 1952, an original script written by former Lost producer Damon Lindelof and Jeff Jensen. Disney commissioned the script and is hoping to make this a tentpole franchise.
Read more on Brad Bird to direct ’1952′…
 Last week, 10 minutes of footage from ‘The Hobbit’ was shown at CinemaCon, and while the film itself supposedly delivers, something else entirely was the talk of the town afterwards. Peter Jackson filmed the project at 48 frames per second, a potentially revolutionary new method of making movies (this is twice the normal rate of 24 frames per second). The reviews, however, left something to be desired. Some claimed that the film appeared to lose its cinematic nature and resembled television, while others complained of headaches. There were defenders of the new format to be sure, and they speak highly of how it’ll improve 3D technology and make it easier to watch, but this was hardly the love-fest that Jackson and others were likely hoping for. Entertainment Weekly has a response from Jackson on the issue that you can read here, but after the jump I’ll speculate on if we’re on the verge of a 48 frames per second invasion or not.
Read more on ‘The Hobbit’ being shown at 48 frames per second?…
 Even with Joseph Gordon-Levitt being unable to appear in ‘Django Unchained’, it’s not unreasonable to assume that this could be the year of JGL (just like we spoke of last year being the year of Brad Pitt and/or Ryan Gosling, though honestly that could be this year too in Gosling’s case). In addition to notable supporting roles in hotly anticipated titles like ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ for Christopher Nolan and ‘Lincoln’ for Steven Spielberg, he’s also starring in Rian Johnson’s sci-fi action flick ‘Looper’ and the thriller ‘Premium Rush’ as well. Throw in his upcoming directorial debut (a Don Juan style tale) and there’s lots to be excited about if you’re a fan of his. Well, it looks like you can put another project on your anticipated slate. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting here that Gordon-Levitt is eyeing a remake of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and could very well star in it. I’ll discuss this a little more after the jump, but in short…count me in!
Read more on Joseph Gordon-Levitt to star in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’…
|
