I won’t waste anyone’s time with this installment of Weekend Openings. No pussyfooting around or trying to disguise the only new release worth discussing today:
Arguably the most anticipated film of the year, The Dark Knight Rises brings Christopher Nolan’s massively successful and influential Batman trilogy to an end, this time with Tom Hardy’s Bane pushing our hero to his breaking point in a plot to destroy Gotham City once and for all. This film has been the subject of just about every journalist and commentator associated with the entertainment industry as of late (with even this very site undertaking a Bat-marathon in preparation for it). What sequel to one of the major cinematic cultural phenomena of the previous decade wouldn’t be?
Read more on Weekend Openings (July 20-22)…
Even as commonplace as it has become in today’s moviegoing climate, I am still amazed from time to time at just how far some studios will go to milk a potential franchise for all its worth. When I saw the first Ice Age ten years ago, I would have never guessed that this charming but hardly noteworthy animated film would spawn three sequels, but lo and behold…
The mammoth Manny, Sid the sloth, and sabre-toothed tiger Diego once again are on an adventure together in Ice Age: Continental Drift after that lovable squirrel Scrat accidentally sets the continents adrift. Most critics are dismissing the film as a leaden affair that borrows most of its jokes from the previous installments, which shouldn’t deter its box office prospects any more than the other films in the series. I would not be surprised if, once again, Scrat’s wonderfully inspired cartoon slapstick will be the highlight of the movie and has probably been a major selling point for families both stateside and abroad. Once again the movie has made a killing overseas, already generating $200 million internationally, and with the distance between it and Brave should prove a solid moneymaker domestically as well for a good $50-55 million haul. As the only new wide release of the weekend, Ice Age: Continental Drift’s only competition will be from The Amazing Spider-Man. The reboot has admittedly done much better that even I predicted, so Sony shouldn’t have to sweat whatever last chance their film has to make a significant amount of money before The Dark Knight Rises obliterates everything next week. Read more on Weekend Openings (July 13-15)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Alps, Animation, based on a true story, Best Foreign Language Film, Giorgos Lanthimos, Ice Age: Continental Drift, movies allegedly for children, Oscar hopeful, Red Lights, Rodrigo Cortés, sequel, The Imposter, Weekend Openings
*Sigh* You guys…sometimes I don’t have the energy for this. Well, just because I personally cannot muster up any excitement whatsoever for the newest releases this weekend doesn’t mean I can neglect my duty to you, dear readers. Without further ado…
Look, I’m not naïve. I understand that moviemaking is a business, and with risky passion projects must also come those aimed to make a profit. I have no problem with companies exercising their power over franchise installments and popcorn flicks for commercial purposes. It’s business…it’s life. But dammit, a line has to be drawn somewhere, and the debate over whether or not a reboot of Spider-Man so soon after the previous trilogy ended was “necessary” sidesteps why it exists in the first place. Because the truth of the matter is that The Amazing Spider-Man – retelling the iconic superhero’s origin story with Andrew Garfield web-slinging through New York City – was made for the sole purpose of fulfilling a fine-print contractual obligation regarding licensing rights. There was no personal ambition in the creation of this film, either artistically or financially. Even the popular canard that Columbia and Sony Pictures are trying to redeem the franchise à la Batman Begins doesn’t fly; the only reason they didn’t move forward with a Spider-Man 4 was because Sam Raimi was frustrated with their strong-arming of the third film and called it quits when they were planning to do it again. Read more on Weekend Openings (July 6-8)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Andrew Garfield, Benicio Del Toro, Blake Lively, comics and superheroes, demian bichir, emma stone, Jay and Mark Duplass, John Travolta, katy perry, Marc Webb, Oliver Stone, popcorn movies, Rhys Ifans, Salma Hayek, Savages, Taylor Kitsch, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, Weekend Openings
Looks like this weekend will go down in the books as one of pleasant surprises, both financially and quality-wise. Whether that will translate into Oscar nominations may happen for at least one of them…
Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum take us into the world of male strippers in Magic Mike, about a seasoned dancer who takes a rookie under his wing and shows him the ropes. Based on the star’s own beginnings as a club dancer, critics have been very positive on the film, including our own Joey Magidson, who praised its writing, performances and direction from Soderbergh. Rather than being a bubbly dance flick aimed squarely at female audiences, Joey instead relayed back an offbeat and surprisingly in-depth character study of men in an odd profession. Nevertheless, the presence of handsome men taking their clothes off will certainly draw in one kind of audience and turn off another, no matter how different the actual film is. Online and Friday ticket sales were strong and should give the film a good $30-35 million haul. The critical acclaim, however, raises even more intriguing possibilities for its awards prospects. Too racy for the Academy, you say? Tell that to The Full Monty. I would not be surprised to see this among the Best Original Screenplay nominees next January. The performances are less of a certainty, and will probably require a focused campaign to give the well-received work of Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum or Alex Pettyfer a shot at an Academy Award nomination. My opinion is that good-looking men already have a hell of a time getting noticed by the Academy when they don’t draw attention to how attractive they are, so I am not betting on any of them any time soon, but that could change… Read more on Weekend Openings (June 29-July 1)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Channing Tatum, Magic Mike, Matthew McConaughey, Oscar hopefuls, People Like Us, Quvenzhané Wallis, Sarah Polley, Seth MacFarlane, Steven Soderbergh, Take This Waltz, Ted, Tyler Perry, Weekend Openings
Madagascar 3 finally gets a worthy opponent for dominance of the family friendly market, and it could be the biggest one of the year:
Pixar’s Scottish adventure Brave swoops into theaters like the cool highland breeze of…okay, I’ll stop. Starring Kelly MacDonald as a young princess who defies an ancient family custom, Merida takes it upon herself to end the curse it brings to her kingdom. One could argue that Pixar is the most trusted brand in Hollywood today, so it’s almost never a question of if their latest film will be a hit, but to what degree. This is the first film from the studio to star a female heroine, and with that landmark comes the expected (but not meritless) question of how much that will hurt its box office prospects. It is true that animated films, historically, fare worse when they’re perceived as “girl” movies (it’s no coincidence that the two highest-grossing Disney musicals of the nineties were Aladdin and The Lion King). Then again, Merida is portrayed here as a Strong Female Character in the vein of Katniss Everdeen, and let’s not forget that The Hunger Games made a killing at the multiplex just a few months ago. I’m pretty sure this movie is going make a cool $57-62 million before the weekend is out.
Read more on Weekend Openings (June 22-24)…
Oh my, what is this? One of the most anticipated movies of the year seems to be causing a bit of a stir if the early responses are an indication of what’s to come when everyone sees it (and certainly everyone from Awards Circuit will/has)…
That’s right; Ridley Scott’s long awaited sort-of-Alien-prequel-but-not thriller Prometheus is finally upon us! Is it the sci-fi masterpiece that fully lives up to the standard Sir Scott set with Blade Runner and Alien? Well…depends on who you ask. While the majority of critics are leaning positive overall for its visual wizardry and performances, some frustrations have been raised about the film’s script, including our own Mike Ward’s mostly positive take. Frankly, I welcome the debate. Even if it’s as flawed as some of its harshest detractors are saying, I’d rather watch a misfire with huge ambitions than a proficient example of assembly-line filmmaking.
Read more on Weekend Openings (June 8-10)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Ben Stiller, Best Animated Feature, Best Supporting Actress, Best Visual Effects, Bruce Beresford, Catherine Keener, Chris Rock, christina ricci, Christopher Walken, David Schwimmer, divisive films, Greta Gerwig, Idris Elba, Jane Fonda, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lola Versus, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Martin Short, Mia Farrow, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Oscar hopefuls, Peace Love & Misunderstanding, Prometheus, Ridley Scott, Robert Pattinson, sacha baron cohen, Safety Not Guaranteed, Selma Blair, Uma Thurman, Weekend Openings
If this summer is considered a “competition” among the major studio releases of a year, then June, August and possibly July are going to be rather boring to box office hounds because literally nothing can touch what will most likely be the biggest film of the entire year. But hey, that gives us at least one whole month to relax and enjoy the movies for what they are. Kicking off June is the “other” Snow White revisionist epic, the only new wide release of the weekend…
You see that up there? That drop-dead gorgeous woman finally embracing her fun side after years of post-Monster fussy dramatics smoldering at you in an elaborate costume? You’re looking at the major, no, make that sole reason that I absolutely have to see Rupert Sanders’ directorial debut Snow White & the Huntsman. In this darker version of the classic fairy tale, Theron’s Queen Ravenna rules over a miserable kingdom, sucking the life out of others to maintain her beauty. But when threatened by her stepdaughter Bella Swan, whose spirit can turn back the Queen’s evil influence, Thor is sent to track her down and bring back her heart. Critics have been impressed by Sanders’ impressive visual flair but have criticized the film’s pacing and sullen performance from Kristen Stewart. I couldn’t care less as long as Theron is as awesome as she looks in the trailer. Read more on Weekend Openings (1-3 June)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Best Animated Feature, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, crimes against art, Fantasy, Horror, kristen stewart, Piranha 3DD, Snow White and the Huntsman, Weekend Openings
- Another week has come and gone at The Awards Circuit. This week was especially important because we began our first ever ACCA TV. I hope everyone has voted for their favorites in television, because your nominations will be announced very soon! Personally, I absolutely have no idea which shows or performances jive with everyone, but that’s all part of the excitement. I suspect we’ll have a worthy nomination list after all the votes have been tallied. Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 5/27)…
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 5/27)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up Tags: american idol, anna belickis, award profiles, circuit 3, clayton davis, Daniel Ashtiany, Joey Magidson, joeys dvd pick of the week, John H. Foote, Joseph Braverman, Mark Johnson, Michael Ward, Robert Hamer, Terence Johnson, The Awards Circuit Power Hour, Weekend Openings
So last week, I made what I thought was a rather bold prediction that The Avengers might actually beat Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’s opening weekend record with just over $170 million! Gosh, could it really happen? Well, yes…and then some. So with that, let’s get some obvious things out of the way. The film will make $1 billion in its theatrical run. Period. This will also put it in prime position for the top ten highest-grossing films of all time. That’s not a leap of faith. Finally, I’m not going out on a limb in predicting that The Avengers will be the first movie in history to rake in $100 million during its second weekend in theaters. What will be the unfortunate victim of this juggernaut’s second go-round?
Luckily, it’s arguably the most tired actor/director collaboration of modern times returning again to trot out tired macabre “kookiness” as the most banal form of recognizable cinematic branding. Their last work together, Alice in Wonderland, was the absolute worst film I saw in 2010. Of course, it also happened to be a smash hit. Dark Shadows – loosely, loosely, loosely based on the cult gothic fantasy soap opera – stars Depp as Barnabas Collins, a wealthy aristocrat who breaks the heart of a vengeful witch is cursed as a vampire and buried alive. Finally freed in 1972, he sets out to restore honor to the family name. Very little of this is based on the original story beyond a few characters, but hey, a vampire comedy might be refreshing in this age of sparkly vampires in theaters and oft-screwing creatures of the night on HBO. Then again, maybe not, since critics are characterizing the film as a tonally and narratively scattershot mess. I can’t imagine a lot of die-hard fans of the show itching to see this film and families won’t be as eager to see this the way they suffered through flocked to Alice in Wonderland. It’ll be making $25-30 million under the shadow of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Read more on Weekend Openings (May 11-13)…
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
- Wow, where do I even begin? This was the James Cameron of weeks here The Awards Circuit. We delivered big, and as a result our success was tantamount to Camerons’ Avatar and Titanic in my book. As you can see, The Awards Circuit has undergone a huge transformation, evolving what you all know and love into the finest site for Movies, Television, and Awards Prognostication. The final bits will be completed on Tuesday, coinciding with the actual 4th Year Anniversary Day! The passion we have in making this site the empire we all know it will soon become is unlimited, and I hope all of you are genuinely satisfied with the new revamp. Furthermore, we didn’t slow down when it came to delivering the latest and greatest in movies and television. Without a doubt, this week was the most numerous in volume when it came to articles hitting the site on a daily basis. I hope you appreciate our boost in quantity and quality! Because this was an enormous week, I’ll try and boil everything down as definitively as possible, so bear with me.
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 4/29)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up Tags: american idol, anna belickis, award profiles, clayton davis, dancing with the stars, Joey Magidson, joeys dvd pick of the week, John H. Foote, Joseph Braverman, Mark Johnson, Michael Ward, Robert Hamer, Terence Johnson, The Voice, Weekend Openings
Almost there, folks. One week from today will be the official start of the Summer Movie Season: Franchise Flicks, Explosions, CGI, the whole works. As we say goodbye to the general dumping ground (with the occasional peppering of gems between them), we say hello to four new films debuting today:
A film about a wedding…a box office hit?! Ha! Like that’ll ever happen! Okay, okay, lame-obvious-sarcasm aside, the Judd Apatow-produced The Five-Year Engagement, about a couple whose engagement goes through the ordeal of having their Big Day perpetually delayed hopes to join the ranks of past nuptial-themed comedies that found unexpected success. Does it have a chance? It faces an uphill climb; reviews have been alright but hardly as rapturous as Kristin Wiig’s smashing success last year, with most critics praising the romantic chemistry between Jason Segel and Emily Blunt and the script’s mature views on marriage but with a running time that feels like five years. Online activity has also been solid and Segel has made a career of headlining films with respectable openings. I wouldn’t bet on a Bridesmaids-level success but certainly somewhere in the ballpark of $18-23 million.
Read more on Weekend Openings (April 27-29)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Bernie, Best Animated Feature, Emily Blunt, Jack Black, Jason Segel, Jason Statham, judd apatow, Richard Linklater, The Five Year Engagement, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The Raven, Weekend Openings
*Gasp* could it be?! The Hunger Games may be knocked off #1 this weekend? Hey, it had to happen sometime, and while the likely champ is a far cry from Gary Ross’ high concepty teen sci-fi thrilliness, Lost in Space and Dear John didn’t scream usurper when they were on the horizon, either…
Yes, it’s that time again when a film aimed at African-American audiences makes a lot of money and brings with it the usual amount of veiled white condescension and theater demographic number-crunching from media analysts still trying to figure out the existence of this thing called “black people” going to the movies. Plus, there’s also the usual lamenting from me at the kind of films that talented actors like Taraji P. Henson and Michael Ealy have to accept because they’re the only significant roles offered to them. But maybe Think Like a Man is worthy of their talents? It looks like a lazy, stereotypical rom-com (and some critics seem to agree after having seen it), but the film made headlines recently when it became one of Hollywood’s highest-scoring films among test audiences. There’s also the fact that Tim Story – the man behind the delightful Barbershop – directed this fiction adaptation of Steve Harvey’s relationship advice book about four men who find out about their mates reading the book and deciding to turn the tables. Regardless of whether or not Think Like a Man will exceed my own expectations, anticipation is rather high for it, leading me to believe it will gather anywhere between $23-28 million this weekend.
Read more on Weekend Openings (April 20-22)…
Did I just hear a cannon? It looks like Gary Ross will not be returning to direct Catching Fire, even though The Hunger Games will probably clean up at the box office for the fourth week in a row. It will be challenged by three new releases, one of which is apparently much better than anticipated…
Not only has the new creature feature from Drew Goddard and Joss “horror with a wink and a nudge” Whedon been receiving a lot of online buzz for a low-budget Lionsgate horror flick not called Saw, but it has been attracting some serious rave reviews. Critics have been calling The Cabin in the Woods a stupendously clever and genuinely frightening movie comparable to genre-bending classics like Evil Dead II. Because I am one of those who wants to see this movie with as little knowledge of the plot as possible, I’m not even going to publish a bare-bones synopsis beyond speculating that it has to do with a cabin located somewhere in a woodland area. For box office, I’m predicting a respectable $13-18 million opening just slightly below The Hunger Games. Read more on Weekend Openings (April 13-15)…
- It was another momentous week here at The Awards Circuit. Kicking things off, we began with Joey Magidson’s positive review of Kung-Fu Action Cinema’s newest treasure, ‘The Raid: Redemption.’ Despite the film containing 25% story and 75% action, it certainly proved more rewarding a view for Joey than its bizarre title. The recent high quality of action cinema continues to follow the likes of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Haywire. Good things should be coming our way with The Bourne Legacy. Julia Robert’s ‘Mirror Mirror‘ was the last film reviewed this week by our very own Michael Ward, whose tepid reception only seems to “mirror mirror” the state of Julia Robert’s current film career. Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 4/1)…
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 4/1)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up Tags: american idol, anna belickis, Awards Profile, clayton davis, Gold Geek, Joey Magidson, joeys dvd pick of the week, Joseph Braverman, Michael Ward, Mirror Mirror, oscar 2013 predictions, Robert Hamer, The Voice, Weekend Openings
This weekend, the odds will not be in favor of the two opening titles vying against The Hunger Games at the box office. Strong word-of-mouth and momentum of ticket sales throughout the weekdays could see it score a jackpot that may even challenge Avatar’s record for second-weekend grosses.
That’s not to say its take won’t fall a little, primarily due to competition from films like Wrath of the Titans. This sequel to Clash of the Titans finds Hollywood butchering Greek mythology yet again, with the Austrailian-accented Perseus leaving his quiet life as a fisherman once more to save the world when the Titans overthrow Zeus. Despite expressing a desire to continue this franchise, Louis Leterrier is not returning for this installment, instead ceding to Jonathan Liebesman of Darkness Falls and Battle: Los Angeles…which, you know, whatever. At least according to critics the special effects are an improvement, even if most of them say it is just as soulless and incoherent as the first film. Audience enthusiasm seems to be weaker than the last one as well, with online activity relatively weak and advance ticket sales being swamped by The Hunger Games, though it does have the advantage of being in more 3D and IMAX theaters. I’m expecting a $35-40 million weekend take.
Read more on Weekend Openings (March 30-April 1)…
So there’s this little film coming out this weekend. I’m not sure you’ve all heard of it. It’s called The Hunger Games, and um…yeah, I suggest checking it out. Oops, turns out my one million friends on Facebook already saw it, and gave it nearly $20 million in midnight show earnings. Never mind, things aren’t looking so bad for this small film after all. If you see it, great. If not, don’t sweat it. It’s not like it’ll break records or anything.
 Read more on Weekend Openings (March 23-25)…
We got a real short preview of the new releases this weekend. Only one film is making its wide premiere today, making it the guaranteed box office victor in the wake of John Carter’s failure (God! Who would’ve thought that film would be a flop?). But the arthouse circuit has its own share of interesting arrivals. Let’s check them out:
Read more on Weekend Openings (March 16-18)…
And so one season ends, and before you know it, the next one seems like a million years away. Tons of possibilities and opportunities (i.e. wishful thinking) abound here at Awards Circuit during the “off-season,” but that doesn’t mean the movies don’t stop coming. Whether or not they’re any good is another story…
The Lorax, the adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ famed children’s novel, is almost guaranteed to be The Artist of this weekend. Universal has been selling this one pretty hard and their efforts should pay off with a $42-47 million opening weekend. Personally, I’m a little put off by this classic story of anti-industrialization being given so many marketing tie-ins, but I suppose it could be worse, and truth be told it looks a lot better than the vast majority of Seuss films and even many animated films we usually get this time of year. Critics have mostly shrugged at this film, calling a colorful and charming but ultimately forgettable children’s yarn. Interestingly enough, this is arguably the first real Oscar contender of 2012, though a certain Scottish epic from Pixar will most likely block its prospects of actually winning Best Animated Feature… Read more on Weekend Openings (March 2-4)…
Whoa, where did I go? Well, duty called for the last few weeks, and in my stead Joseph graciously stepped in for me to inform you all of January’s openings. For this week I’ll be able to “drink to the foam” as they say and preview the new releases for the last week of January to distract us from, ahem, some news that hit last Tuesday. Gadzooks, one of them might even be good:
Liam Neeson vs. the elements. A winning combination if ever I’ve heard one. Successfully reinventing himself as a kickass action star with Taken and capitalizing on that with mixed results in Unknown, Neeson’s struggle to survive the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash looks to continue that formula. And why not? With so many blank-faced, talentless hunks headlining action pictures (but more on that in a minute), isn’t it nice to see audiences clamor for a cerebral, seasoned actor in these roles? Even better is that this film has been praised by critics as an almost unbearably intense survival thriller with surprising philosophical rigor. Its low-key marketing and extreme subject matter won’t make it a bonafide hit, but its star should propel it to the top of the box office with $13-18 million. Read more on Weekend Openings (January 27-29)…
Well it’s another January weekend release, folks. That just means that more movies that the studios want to get off their hands and distribute will be heading to thousands of theaters for us to soak up, even if their quality ranges from middle-of-the-road to downright unwatchable. Early word from the new releases, Joyful Noise and Contraband, has been generally mixed. They are not receiving praise across the board, and neither are they getting kicked to the dirt like last week’s The Devil Inside, which despite a 30 million+ weekend gross, received an “F” from CinemaScore. Unlike the scathingly reviewed horror flick, do not expect Contraband or Joyful Noise to break the bank.
 Read more on Weekend Openings (January 13-15)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Beauty and the Beast 3D, Ben Foster, box office, Contraband, Disney, Giovanni Ribisi, Joyful Noise, kate beckinsale, mark wahlberg, musicals, queen latifah, The Devil Inside, The Lion King 3D, Weekend Openings
Ah, January. Along with February (and to a lesser extent March) it’s that ever-so-reliable dumping ground for shitty movies not good enough for the Oscar season and not marketable enough for summer. The first weekend of 2012 sees the movie gods being especially gracious to us as they have only sent one wide release to test our faith in the power of cinema…
I suppose with the recent success of the “found footage” Paranormal Activity series and the historical success of The Exorcist, there was bound to one day be a horror flick that tried to capitalize on the success of both. Except…that film already happened over a year ago. So what new gimmick does The Devil Inside bring to the table? Oh, this time there are multiple demons possessing her! OOOOooooOOOoooo! At the very least, you can always count on an exorcism movie to pull out all the stops to try and get your attention. Even though the vast majority of critics say that it does nothing interesting other than pull out one of the worst endings in many years out of its ass, we can remain hopeful, right? It sure seems like the rest of the internet is, as online activity and lack of competition points to The Devil Inside making a healthy $21-26 million in its debut frame. Read more on Weekend Openings (January 6-8)…
New Year’s Eve weekend is a no-show for wide releases, and is even somewhat bare in quantity of limited releases (though quality is a different story). Let’s saddle up and see what we have to work with…
For Oscar-watchers, the most important new release of the year is arguably The Iron Lady, Phyllida Lloyd’s flattering biopic of Margaret Thatcher. Many of our more vociferous readers have been hopeful that this would net the distinguished actress her third Oscar (because my God, if she doesn’t win another one, it will be as if the Academy is spitting in her face!). Who knows, she just might do it this year: she’s already been singled out as the Best Lead Actress of the year from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. Then again, a younger and more ubiquitous contender has been snatching up even more precursor prizes, and many critics have not taken kindly to Streep’s vehicle (because let’s be honest, The Iron Lady exists mainly as an acting vehicle for her). Many reviews have slammed the film’s by-the-numbers biopic approach to storytelling and its noncommittal, doting treatment of one of the world’s most hotly controversial politicians. The film expands wider on the 13th of January. Read more on Weekend Openings (December 30-January 1)…
Per usual, the year’s end is very crowded with ambitious Oscar contenders and highly-anticipated prestige projects. The surprisingly (or perhaps it isn’t; Brad Bird is a movie maestro, no?) acclaimed Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol looks to edge past the competition by a hair, and based on Joey’s report is entirely deserved. But what of the new releases?
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been in theaters since Tuesday, but now mainstream moviegoers will get the chance to really turn out in droves for it; a rare feat for a disturbing serial killer mystery. Then again, David Fincher achieved commercial success with Se7en, and his newest is based on a best-selling novel, so why not another brutal and nasty box office success from him? I’ll estimate an $18-23 million take over the next three days. Joey and I were both pleasantly surprised by the unusual tension and lurid style of this remake/adaptation, though I still had serious issues with the story’s empty nihilism. Such dark material will prove a difficult sell for the Academy, and likely has little chances of making Best Picture, Director or Adapted Screenplay. Craft nods, on the other hand, are not out of the question, especially since many of them were feted last year from their Social Network nominations. Read more on Weekend Openings (December 23-25)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, In the Land of Blood and Honey, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Oscar contenders, Oscar hopefuls, Pina, The Adventures Of Tintin, The Darkest Hour, the girl with the dragon tattoo, war horse, We Bought a Zoo, Weekend Openings
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