I just finally saw GOTG today, and boy I was glad to have seen it. Prior to today, I felt Captain America 2 was the best of Phase Two thus far, but Guardians definitely stood up strong to take that crown. Such a great cast, direction, editing, script and VFX. I really couldn't put anything wrong with the film because it was great from start to finish. It truly deserves the praise it received and deserves to be watched, coming from someone who honestly hadn't heard of them prior to being named as an upcoming Marvel film. What was nice was the theatre was reasonably full for its 4th week in the cinemas, so it's great to see that it managed to jump back to #1 this week after sitting behind TMNT for a week or two. I give it an 'I am Groot'/10.
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2014 In Film
- Thread starter Dagger Dias
- Start date
So far the highest grossing films of 2014 are the following:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,072,426,000
2. Maleficent
$748,501,000
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,389,166
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$611,185,000
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$591,976,000
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
$547,710,000
9. Godzilla
$507,972,193
10. Rio 2
$495,936,398
Guardians of the Galaxy moved up a couple of spots, much deserved. I would not be surprised if it made it to at least the top 5. Such an amazing film. There isn't a whole lot else going on in the top 10 at the moment. Maleficent is still a distant 2nd from Transformers which could end up taking #1 for the entire year. We'll see. The next release is Mary Kom which will be released on 9/5. I doubt it even comes close to making what Rio 2 did, so don't expect the top 10 to change next week much.
Upcoming releases:
9/5: Mary Kom
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,072,426,000
2. Maleficent
$748,501,000
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,389,166
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$611,185,000
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$591,976,000
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
$547,710,000
9. Godzilla
$507,972,193
10. Rio 2
$495,936,398
Guardians of the Galaxy moved up a couple of spots, much deserved. I would not be surprised if it made it to at least the top 5. Such an amazing film. There isn't a whole lot else going on in the top 10 at the moment. Maleficent is still a distant 2nd from Transformers which could end up taking #1 for the entire year. We'll see. The next release is Mary Kom which will be released on 9/5. I doubt it even comes close to making what Rio 2 did, so don't expect the top 10 to change next week much.
Upcoming releases:
9/5: Mary Kom
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (in 3D!)
I waited nine years for this? Hard to shake this feeling after the movie.
A Dame To Kill For is a disappointing and underwhelming sequel. Josh Brolin is...well he's boring and dull as Dwight, and there's no chemistry between Brolin & Dawson here. It's non-existent the second time around, and you can clearly see it throughout the "A Dame To Kill For" storyline. Bottom line, Clive Owen was more entertaining as Dwight. It's painfully obvious, and it's a big problem, because the Dwight/Gale relationship was one of the major highlights in the first Sin City film.
Another big problem is Jessica Alba. Alba's not a great (or very good) actress, but I don't believe she's as terrible as everyone makes her out to be. She's a capable and competent actress with the right character. Still, she's not believable as a darker and more vindictive Nancy. The scarred face and Nancy's drunken tirades (Nancy is supposed to be an angry and depressed alcoholic the second time around) can't solve the problem.
Eva Green continues to prove herself as an entertaining villain (Dark Shadows and the new 300 film) with Eva. You get the impression Green is someone, who genuinely enjoys being evil during her performances, and she has the sex appeal to pull off a believable seductress. And I spent a lot of time drooling over Green's nude scenes (yes, she has the body of a "goddess").
To make matters worse, the endings for each storyline (including Joseph Gordon-Levitt's storyline) are anticlimactic, and the movie ends with a weak grand finale (Nancy's quest for vengeance).
It's easy to see why A Dame To Kill For flopped with an opening at #8, and the movie dropped out of the top ten altogether this week. They tried to hook everyone in with "SIN CITY IS BACK!", but nine years is just too long to wait. After a while, the vast majority didn't give a shit anymore, it shows in the box office numbers, and it doesn't help, when you produce a sub-par sequel with mixed reviews.
Maybe a 5/10 or 4/10 for this one, and that's being generous for Green and Powers Boothe as Senator Roark. As far as the 3D goes, once you get past the intro, there's nothing special about it, at all.
As Above, So Below
Ugh. I feel like an idiot for letting the trailers and TV spots sucker me in for this.
As Above, So Below starts off with an intriguing premise, but when the group enters the catacombs, As Above, So Below slowly devolves into a generic found-footage film with mind-numbing stupidity.
Let's ignore a SERIES of creepy warning signs, including a topless cult of women performing a ritual, a working telephone with no lines or cords, trusting a disturbed man/old friend, who lives in the catacombs, a warning about crossing an opening that leads to the gates of hell, and a piano. Nevermind how a fucking piano of all things is sitting in the catacombs, who put it there, and how the piano has a connection to one of the main character's past (I forgot his name). Let's keep moving, because we have to find the stone! (long story short, it's a stone that supposedly holds the power of immortality).
That's another annoying problem in As Above, So Below: the main character, Scarlett. She constantly risks the lives of her teammates, because "I have to do this no matter what!", and Scarlett's persistence to walk into one death trap after another is beyond frustrating.
The catacombs provide an eerie and spooky atmosphere, with a genuine sense of claustrophobia, and the one true jump scare here is predictable, but it's well-executed. And the tense finale packs a strong punch with a good amount of suspense and thrills. Overall, it's an average film with nauseating shaky cam bullshit, and it's a real disappointment, because they squandered a unique premise.
As Above, So Below never took the time to explore the being consumed and haunted by your own fears and past side of the story. They scratch the surface, but that's about it. And I'll tell you this now, don't get your hopes up for the piano scene and the scene with the burning car. Both scenes are promising standouts in the trailer...but that's the problem. What you see in the trailer is what you get in the movie for the most part, with a little bit of extra footage tacked on, especially the piano scene.
As Above, So Below opened at #4, but the movie is a financial success with a reported production budget of $5,000,000 and a worldwide total gross of $12,722,000
Let's Be Cops
Gets a 3/10 from me. A few sporadic laughs here and there, but I was bored with Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans, Jr.) impersonating cops after the first twenty minutes or so. The ending is too predictable, and the scenes that were supposed to be hilarious barley pulled a smile out of me. Also, the trailers showed a more raunchy and outrageous film, but the final product is tamed.
No surprise with Guardians Of The Galaxy at #1 again this week. GOTG easily took the spot over TMNT with a weekend gross of $17,077,000 , while TMNT sits in the #2 spot with $11,902,000.
GOTG should hold on at #1 for another week, because there's no real competition around this week. There's a slight chance for No Good Deed having a shot at #1 on the 12th, but we'll see a real difference in the top five, with The Maze Runner and A Walk Among The Tombstones two weeks from now.
I waited nine years for this? Hard to shake this feeling after the movie.
A Dame To Kill For is a disappointing and underwhelming sequel. Josh Brolin is...well he's boring and dull as Dwight, and there's no chemistry between Brolin & Dawson here. It's non-existent the second time around, and you can clearly see it throughout the "A Dame To Kill For" storyline. Bottom line, Clive Owen was more entertaining as Dwight. It's painfully obvious, and it's a big problem, because the Dwight/Gale relationship was one of the major highlights in the first Sin City film.
Another big problem is Jessica Alba. Alba's not a great (or very good) actress, but I don't believe she's as terrible as everyone makes her out to be. She's a capable and competent actress with the right character. Still, she's not believable as a darker and more vindictive Nancy. The scarred face and Nancy's drunken tirades (Nancy is supposed to be an angry and depressed alcoholic the second time around) can't solve the problem.
Eva Green continues to prove herself as an entertaining villain (Dark Shadows and the new 300 film) with Eva. You get the impression Green is someone, who genuinely enjoys being evil during her performances, and she has the sex appeal to pull off a believable seductress. And I spent a lot of time drooling over Green's nude scenes (yes, she has the body of a "goddess").
To make matters worse, the endings for each storyline (including Joseph Gordon-Levitt's storyline) are anticlimactic, and the movie ends with a weak grand finale (Nancy's quest for vengeance).
It's easy to see why A Dame To Kill For flopped with an opening at #8, and the movie dropped out of the top ten altogether this week. They tried to hook everyone in with "SIN CITY IS BACK!", but nine years is just too long to wait. After a while, the vast majority didn't give a shit anymore, it shows in the box office numbers, and it doesn't help, when you produce a sub-par sequel with mixed reviews.
Maybe a 5/10 or 4/10 for this one, and that's being generous for Green and Powers Boothe as Senator Roark. As far as the 3D goes, once you get past the intro, there's nothing special about it, at all.
As Above, So Below
Ugh. I feel like an idiot for letting the trailers and TV spots sucker me in for this.
As Above, So Below starts off with an intriguing premise, but when the group enters the catacombs, As Above, So Below slowly devolves into a generic found-footage film with mind-numbing stupidity.
Let's ignore a SERIES of creepy warning signs, including a topless cult of women performing a ritual, a working telephone with no lines or cords, trusting a disturbed man/old friend, who lives in the catacombs, a warning about crossing an opening that leads to the gates of hell, and a piano. Nevermind how a fucking piano of all things is sitting in the catacombs, who put it there, and how the piano has a connection to one of the main character's past (I forgot his name). Let's keep moving, because we have to find the stone! (long story short, it's a stone that supposedly holds the power of immortality).
That's another annoying problem in As Above, So Below: the main character, Scarlett. She constantly risks the lives of her teammates, because "I have to do this no matter what!", and Scarlett's persistence to walk into one death trap after another is beyond frustrating.
And what about the big plot hole with the strange and pale woman walking around in the background? You see her in the background on the outside during the club scene, and she pops up twice in the catacombs. You get the feeling she's stalking the group, but why and, who is she? They never bothered explaining any of this.
The catacombs provide an eerie and spooky atmosphere, with a genuine sense of claustrophobia, and the one true jump scare here is predictable, but it's well-executed. And the tense finale packs a strong punch with a good amount of suspense and thrills. Overall, it's an average film with nauseating shaky cam bullshit, and it's a real disappointment, because they squandered a unique premise.
As Above, So Below never took the time to explore the being consumed and haunted by your own fears and past side of the story. They scratch the surface, but that's about it. And I'll tell you this now, don't get your hopes up for the piano scene and the scene with the burning car. Both scenes are promising standouts in the trailer...but that's the problem. What you see in the trailer is what you get in the movie for the most part, with a little bit of extra footage tacked on, especially the piano scene.
As Above, So Below opened at #4, but the movie is a financial success with a reported production budget of $5,000,000 and a worldwide total gross of $12,722,000
Let's Be Cops
Gets a 3/10 from me. A few sporadic laughs here and there, but I was bored with Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans, Jr.) impersonating cops after the first twenty minutes or so. The ending is too predictable, and the scenes that were supposed to be hilarious barley pulled a smile out of me. Also, the trailers showed a more raunchy and outrageous film, but the final product is tamed.
No surprise with Guardians Of The Galaxy at #1 again this week. GOTG easily took the spot over TMNT with a weekend gross of $17,077,000 , while TMNT sits in the #2 spot with $11,902,000.
GOTG should hold on at #1 for another week, because there's no real competition around this week. There's a slight chance for No Good Deed having a shot at #1 on the 12th, but we'll see a real difference in the top five, with The Maze Runner and A Walk Among The Tombstones two weeks from now.
Here are the current highest grossing films so far in 2014....
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,077,736,069
2. Maleficent
$753,751,615
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,784,640
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$641,685,085
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$605,412,162
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
$586,365,199
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Nothing really changed in the top ten this week. I expect to be saying the same thing in a week as none of the four films being released this week will likely make more money than Rio 2 has. I'm more interested in seeing Guardians of the Galaxy climb further up on the list than it already has.
Upcoming releases:
9/12: Dolphin Tale 2
9/12: The Drop
9/12: No Good Deed
9/12: Search Party
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,077,736,069
2. Maleficent
$753,751,615
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,784,640
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$641,685,085
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$605,412,162
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
$586,365,199
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Nothing really changed in the top ten this week. I expect to be saying the same thing in a week as none of the four films being released this week will likely make more money than Rio 2 has. I'm more interested in seeing Guardians of the Galaxy climb further up on the list than it already has.
Upcoming releases:
9/12: Dolphin Tale 2
9/12: The Drop
9/12: No Good Deed
9/12: Search Party
The November Man is an enjoyable action/thriller, with a few decent twists and turns towards the end. It's hard to ignore the noticeable cliches, but Brosnan is spot on, as the aging agent, who's trying to move on and start a new life.
They tease a sequel with the cliffhanger at the end, and from what I remember, Brosnan confirmed a sequel a little while ago. I can't imagine The November Man having any real success as a series, but Brosnan proved he's still capable of delivering the goods in the lethal spy role.
Guardians Of The Galaxy holds on to the spot for four weeks in a row, but there's a chance things could change with No Good Deed this week. No Good Deed has a shot to knock GOTG out of the #1 spot, because I can't imagine too many people packing theaters to see Dolphin Tale 2.
If we're talking about The Drop, it's James Gandolfini's final appearance in a feature film, and you can sense some Tony Soprano nostalgia in the trailers and the commercials. Also, we're in a slow slump right now for new resales, but The Drop's chances of squeezing into the top spot are slim.
In the end, it's a tough one to call between No Good Deed and GOTG taking #1, because you can't ignore GOTG's dominance, but I'll go with No Good Deed for the new #1 film. Four consecutive weeks at #1 is impressive. In fact, GOTG joins The Dark Knight, Avatar, and The Hunger Games as the last four films to hold on at #1 for four weeks in a row in the past decade. Still, we're in a slow slump at the box office right now, and No Good Deeds should be the first sign of things picking up again, with The Maze Runner, A Walk Among The Tombstones, The Equalizer, and The Boxtrolls continuing the trend in the coming weeks.
They tease a sequel with the cliffhanger at the end, and from what I remember, Brosnan confirmed a sequel a little while ago. I can't imagine The November Man having any real success as a series, but Brosnan proved he's still capable of delivering the goods in the lethal spy role.
Guardians Of The Galaxy holds on to the spot for four weeks in a row, but there's a chance things could change with No Good Deed this week. No Good Deed has a shot to knock GOTG out of the #1 spot, because I can't imagine too many people packing theaters to see Dolphin Tale 2.
If we're talking about The Drop, it's James Gandolfini's final appearance in a feature film, and you can sense some Tony Soprano nostalgia in the trailers and the commercials. Also, we're in a slow slump right now for new resales, but The Drop's chances of squeezing into the top spot are slim.
In the end, it's a tough one to call between No Good Deed and GOTG taking #1, because you can't ignore GOTG's dominance, but I'll go with No Good Deed for the new #1 film. Four consecutive weeks at #1 is impressive. In fact, GOTG joins The Dark Knight, Avatar, and The Hunger Games as the last four films to hold on at #1 for four weeks in a row in the past decade. Still, we're in a slow slump at the box office right now, and No Good Deeds should be the first sign of things picking up again, with The Maze Runner, A Walk Among The Tombstones, The Equalizer, and The Boxtrolls continuing the trend in the coming weeks.
Roman Empire
Dark Match Winner
Phase Two of Marvel has been some absolute $$$$$$ for me. Guardians was the surprise hit for sure. It went beyond anything else Marvel has done, which is crazy because the MCU is chock full of quality. Captain America 2 was balls out action/espionage. Anthony Mackie will make a great Cap whenever they kill off / age Rogers.
Here are the highest grossing films in 2014 so far:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,564,000
2. Maleficent
$753,868,784
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,837,321
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$668,666,000
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$611,526,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$609,040,000
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Guardians of the Galaxy climbed up another spot, the list remains the same as last week otherwise. I predict no changes for next week as none of the four films seeing a release this week would be likely to make the top 10. We shall see what happens.
Upcoming releases:
9/19: The Maze Runner
9/19: This Is Where I Leave You
9/19: Tusk
9/19: A Walk Among the Tombstones
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,564,000
2. Maleficent
$753,868,784
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,837,321
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$668,666,000
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$611,526,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$609,040,000
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Guardians of the Galaxy climbed up another spot, the list remains the same as last week otherwise. I predict no changes for next week as none of the four films seeing a release this week would be likely to make the top 10. We shall see what happens.
Upcoming releases:
9/19: The Maze Runner
9/19: This Is Where I Leave You
9/19: Tusk
9/19: A Walk Among the Tombstones
I guess I need to read the book, because the movie didn't do anything for me. The Giver was bland, dull, and excruciatingly boring. I get the whole point behind the robotic "I apologize" performances, because everyone is supposed to be a brainwashed and obedient zombie, but it's kind of hard to pick a stand out, when the vast majority of the cast is cut from the same cloth character wise.
Jeff Bridges delivers the best performance, and it's nothing special, but Meryl Streep's performance takes 2nd place. Still, as a movie The Giver feels like a random and ordinary sci-fi/thriller about an ordered society with a futuristic setting.
It's not a big surprise, but No Good Deed grabbed the #1 spot for the weekend with $24,250,283, more than enough to end Guardians Of The Galaxy's run (currently in the #3 spot) in the #1 spot. The critics panned No Good Deed overall. I haven't seen it yet, but the movie is still holding a 13% RT, and the last minute push to advertise the "twist" for No Good Deed worries me. And Dolphin Tale 2 took the #2 spot with $15,873,397 ($17,173,397 for the worldwide gross).
Interesting week with The Maze Runner, This Is Where I Leave You, A Walk Among The Tombstones, and Tusk coming up. Out of all the new releases this week, I'm really looking forward to Tusk. Although, IF Kevin Smith is following in the footsteps of The Human Centipede, I'm hoping he'll follow The Human Centipede (First Sequence), while ignoring The Human Centipede Centipede 2 (Full Sequence). The First Sequence was a good film, but The Full Sequence is a pile of dogshit. And the big problem I have with the movie is it's just gross for the sake of being gross (i.e. the laxative scene).
Also, The Guest, The Zero Theorem, and Space Station 76 are a few limited releases I'm looking forward to.
As far as the #1 spot goes, it's up in the air. GOTG's time in#1 spot is over, and I have a hard time believing in No Good Deed sustaining the momentum for two weeks in a row at #1. I'm not saying it's impossible, but No Good Deed fits the mold for a one and done at #1 film. We should see a lot of changes in the top ten (for the weekend), because you have two new releases (The Maze Runner and A Walk Among The Tombstones) with a lot of potential to be the new #1 film.
Jeff Bridges delivers the best performance, and it's nothing special, but Meryl Streep's performance takes 2nd place. Still, as a movie The Giver feels like a random and ordinary sci-fi/thriller about an ordered society with a futuristic setting.
It's not a big surprise, but No Good Deed grabbed the #1 spot for the weekend with $24,250,283, more than enough to end Guardians Of The Galaxy's run (currently in the #3 spot) in the #1 spot. The critics panned No Good Deed overall. I haven't seen it yet, but the movie is still holding a 13% RT, and the last minute push to advertise the "twist" for No Good Deed worries me. And Dolphin Tale 2 took the #2 spot with $15,873,397 ($17,173,397 for the worldwide gross).
Interesting week with The Maze Runner, This Is Where I Leave You, A Walk Among The Tombstones, and Tusk coming up. Out of all the new releases this week, I'm really looking forward to Tusk. Although, IF Kevin Smith is following in the footsteps of The Human Centipede, I'm hoping he'll follow The Human Centipede (First Sequence), while ignoring The Human Centipede Centipede 2 (Full Sequence). The First Sequence was a good film, but The Full Sequence is a pile of dogshit. And the big problem I have with the movie is it's just gross for the sake of being gross (i.e. the laxative scene).
Also, The Guest, The Zero Theorem, and Space Station 76 are a few limited releases I'm looking forward to.
As far as the #1 spot goes, it's up in the air. GOTG's time in#1 spot is over, and I have a hard time believing in No Good Deed sustaining the momentum for two weeks in a row at #1. I'm not saying it's impossible, but No Good Deed fits the mold for a one and done at #1 film. We should see a lot of changes in the top ten (for the weekend), because you have two new releases (The Maze Runner and A Walk Among The Tombstones) with a lot of potential to be the new #1 film.
Here are the current highest grossing films in 2014:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,757,000
2. Maleficent
$754,299,600
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,934,369
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$681,447,000
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$632,269,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$609,380,000
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Yep, no major changes again this week. Just some of the top 10 earning more money. Hope to see some new films making the list soon, I don't see that happening this week either though. This might just be our top 10 for a good while.
Upcoming releases:
9/26: The Equalizer
9/26: Believe Me
9/27: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,757,000
2. Maleficent
$754,299,600
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$745,934,369
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,294,944
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$681,447,000
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$632,269,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$609,380,000
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Yep, no major changes again this week. Just some of the top 10 earning more money. Hope to see some new films making the list soon, I don't see that happening this week either though. This might just be our top 10 for a good while.
Upcoming releases:
9/26: The Equalizer
9/26: Believe Me
9/27: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks
The book was ok, nothing special and something that I would say shouldn't be adapted into a film. When news came out that a film adaptation came out, I was meh to it, as well those who have read it before. I doubt I'll ever give the film a viewing to be honest.
I saw The Maze Runner opened to $32.5 million this weekend, I don't expect it to go too far. I feel like it's an adaptation of a dystopian future based YA novel that's come where that franchise has run out of steam and that once The Hunger Games is finished, the interest will be completely gone. Some have praised it, some have not. But again, it's something that doesn't interest me as much, in comparison to THG. Speaking of which, I wonder how Mockingjay: Part One will fare come its November release? The book is the weakest of three and (as my wife says) really should have been two books based on how much goes on at once from how Collins rushed to finish it. I think this could be the one exception where splitting the book into two films could work in favour for the franchise and not necessarily be an unnecessary cash grab, but I'm not holding my breath. I will probably see it with my wife though as we do enjoy the books, and the first two were superbly adapted.
Catching Fire hit $424,668,047 with the domestic take, and $864,565,663 overall for the worldwide gross. Catching Fire was a massive financial and critical success, with comparisons to The Empire Strikes Back as one of the best sequels ever made, so there's a good chance they'll have the momentum going forward, when we're in November.
Mockingjay: Part One should have a have strong, profitable run at the box office. When Part One hits theaters, Interstellar should be in the #2 spot after two weeks in theaters. After that, you have Horrible Bosses 2 (I don't have a lot of faith in Horrible Bosses 2 having a successful run at the box office) opening the following week, and it wouldn't surprise me if Part One held on to the #1 spot for more than two weeks in a row. So when you look at the big picture, Part One won't see any real competition until December (the third Hobbit film) rolls around.
Antoher busy week!
No Good Deed
It's really not as bad the critics are making it out to be. Not a good or great film (more on that later), but No Good Deed is not some unbearable and unwatchable abomination.
Oh, and the twist.....
In the trailer, you get the impression Colin Evans (Idris Elba) randomly wandered to Terri's (Taraji P. Henson) house to seek shelter and a hideout after the car crash after he escaped the guards during the transport. Well, that's not the case.
Colin didn't randomly pick Terri's name out of a hat. He chose her house for a specific reason: revenge. Remember the petrified woman in the trailer? The one, who says "I tried to wait for you" and Elba responds with "No you didn't." Well, she's Colin's ex-girlfriend....and Terri's husband is having an affair with her. Colin chose Terri's house, because he wanted to murder the man, who took his girlfriend away from him.
Colin didn't randomly pick Terri's name out of a hat. He chose her house for a specific reason: revenge. Remember the petrified woman in the trailer? The one, who says "I tried to wait for you" and Elba responds with "No you didn't." Well, she's Colin's ex-girlfriend....and Terri's husband is having an affair with her. Colin chose Terri's house, because he wanted to murder the man, who took his girlfriend away from him.
As far as nail-biting tension goes, No Good Deed delivers during a few noteworthy scenes (i.e. the scene with the cop), but it's hard to ignore the ridiculousness and preposterous bullshit throughout the movie. For starters, I didn't know Elba's character had superpowers. Henson constantly bashes him over the head with blunt objects (including a candlestick
), and somehow Elba comes right back with no real signs of a serious injury. Towards the end, Terri shoots Colin in the lower abdomen, and afterwards, he can move around and overpower Terri with no real problems AND without bleeding to death? As far as Terri goes, somehow she conveniently finds a weapon or a tool to help her fight Colin. In the beginning, it's a fire extinguisher, and towards the end, Terri uses a shard from a pot as a cutting toll to break free, after Colin ties her legs and feet together. And the shard was inches away from her hands
.The twist is logical, and I didn't have a big problem with it, because it not one of those purely for the sake of shock value twists that's loaded with plot holes. But at the same time, it's nothing earth-shattering or jaw-dropping.
Again, No Good Deed is nowhere near as bad as the critics are making it to be. Henson and Elba share good chemistry, and a good example of this is a scene, where Colin forces Terri to undress in front of him, with Terri saying "please" and Colin responding with "Please what?" Collin comes back with "don't flatter yourself". Terri's response? "Fuck you." To delve deeper into the context of this scene, you get the impression Colin was about to rape Terri, and Terri was offended (and angered) by Colin's dismissive "I'm not interested" attitude.
With all that said, No Good Deed is not something to remember after you're done with it. It's a mediocre home invasion thriller at best, and it's a shame, because the potential is there.
A Walk Among The Tombstones
A barely above average crime thriller/noir film. They take the slow burn approach to the big finale, and you need a lot of patience for this one. Neeson delivers in the leading role, but the tedious through the motions/step by step style of storytelling really hurts the movie, and you'll see a few obvious cliches for the genre.
Tusk
The biggest surprise for me was Genesis Rodriguez. Usually, Rodriguez is just eye candy, but there's no glamor surrounding her character here. Sure, she's an attractive woman, but Rodriguez has a chance to act and show some character in Tusk, and she deserves credit for a strong effort.
As far as the movie itself goes, I'm actually surprised I enjoyed it. Tusk is bizarre, strange, gory, and genuinely disgusting. Michael Parks performance is the main highlight. He's genuinely creepy, devious, and evil as Howard Howe. Parks did a wonderful job of slowly making the transition from this reclusive and seemingly harmless old man, who's bound to a wheelchair to a sadistic and nasty madman, with more than a few loose screws.
The humorous side of the film is hit and miss, with too many inconsistent laughs. A prime example is the one running joke with the name of Wallace (Justin Long) and Teddy's (Haley Joel Osment) podcast The Not-See Party. It's supposed to be a play on words joke, because if you don't spell it out, it sounds like The Nazi Party. Problem is, when they explain the joke for the first time, it's kind of hard to laugh at it, with the exception of the one scene, where Rodriguez is talking to the police on the phone, and the guy hangs up on her, when she says The Not-See Party, as she's trying to describe the podcast.
And Wallace's stupidity during the beginning is unbelievable. Obviously, there's something wrong with the tea (Michael Parks' character drugged the tea), BUT Wallace just drinks away like there's nothing wrong. To make matters worse, Wallace slowly slips away before he passes out....and he continues drinking the tea, without realizing something is wrong. Eye rolling stuff.
Johnny Depp's cameo as Guy Lapointe? Eh, I thought it was okay, and that's coming from a big fan of Johnny Depp. The big problem for me is the scene at the place that serves slider burgers with Rodriguez and Joel Osment. The whole scene just drags on and on, and the flashback drags everything into the dirt. Guy Lapointe strikes me as the type of character that works better in small doses, and that's saying a lot, because he doesn't appear until the tail end of the movie.
During the surgery, a dismembered Justin Long's appearance as the walrus is grotesque, and the final product is revolting. The close up shots of Long and his tusks really work, and when you see the body of Long as a walrus in full view, well, it's a nasty sight to look at it.
During the surgery, a dismembered Justin Long's appearance as the walrus is grotesque, and the final product is revolting. The close up shots of Long and his tusks really work, and when you see the body of Long as a walrus in full view, well, it's a nasty sight to look at it.
Tusk is a top three Kevin Smith film on my list. I hope he'll continue the trend of stepping outside of his comfort zone ( I guess I'm one of the few, who didn't have a big problem with Red State), and I could've enjoyed the movie more, but some asshole a few rows behind me in the theater felt the need to hysterically laugh at every other scene in the movie.
Upcoming stuff
I'm with Phoenix on The Maze Runner. A sequel is in the works, but we've already seen a few YA adaptations with a dystopian future this year, and it's not out of the realm of possibility for audiences to burn out on the reoccurring trend. Speaking of one and done films at #1, No Good Deed dropped all the way to #4 this week.
I honestly don't expect The Maze Runner to go far, and it wouldn't surprise me if the movie dropped a few spots. To add to The Equalizer opening this week, you have Annabelle (can't think of anything else now, so you could say Annabelle is the most anticipated horror film in 2014) and Gone Girl hitting theaters next week, so there's a very good chance for The Maze Runner falling out of the top three in the coming weeks.
The Boxtrolls has a chance to be #2, and I fully expect The Equalizer to be the new #1 film. Denzel is a proven box office draw, and The Equalizer is not the type of film that'll need an overwhelming amount of positive reviews for help.
These are the current ten highest grossing films of 2014 so far:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,870,000
2. Maleficent
$756,489,220
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,987,681
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,689,160
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$693,605,000
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$644,292,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$611,076,665
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Yep, my prediction was correct in that we have seen no major changes this week. The same may hold true again for this week. Left Behind may be worth a look, it's a reboot of 2000's Left Behind: The Movie. Not so sure about the other titles being released this week and I don't think any will make the top ten.
Upcoming releases:
10/3: Annabelle
10/3: Gone Girl
10/3: Left Behind
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,870,000
2. Maleficent
$756,489,220
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,987,681
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,689,160
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$693,605,000
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$644,292,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$611,076,665
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$495,982,375
Yep, my prediction was correct in that we have seen no major changes this week. The same may hold true again for this week. Left Behind may be worth a look, it's a reboot of 2000's Left Behind: The Movie. Not so sure about the other titles being released this week and I don't think any will make the top ten.
Upcoming releases:
10/3: Annabelle
10/3: Gone Girl
10/3: Left Behind
I always forget to put this in here, but a random note on something....
This Is Where I Leave You gets a solid 8/10 from me. Consistent laughs, the right amount of sentimentality without any corny or over the top stuff, and the casting is impeccable. From top to bottom everyone is the right fight for their characters (took me a while to notice Corey Stoll from The Strain. The balding look threw me off), and the performances are spot on.
To no real surprise, The Equalizer took the #1 spot over the weekend with $34,137,828. The Boxtrolls opened at #3 with $17,275,239, while The Maze Runner slipped to #2 with $17,437,020.
It's finally here! Annabelle hits theaters this Friday, but I'm kind of nervous about it. For starters, I've re-watched The Conjuring two or three times since theaters, and it's a chore to sit through at certain points, especially the jump scare scenes, because you know what's coming.
Also, I haven't seen any early reviews for Annabelle yet. From what I remember, The Conjuring had a good amount of early reviews before the release date. I understand refusing early screenings is par for the course, when it comes to horror films, but that's a bad sign 98% of the time either way you look at it. And this might sound like a nitpicky complaint, but I roll my eyes at Alfre Woodard's "protect your family" line in the trailers. It's one of the most cliched lines of dialogue in horror films, especially horror films that feature a family taking one last stand against a malicious supernatural threat.
I'm also looking forward to Gone Girl. David Fincher is one of my favorite directors, and the trailers are superb.
As far as #1 goes, it's a tough pick. I haven't seen it yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if The Equalizer took the #1 spot two weeks in a row, but I'm going with Annabelle for the new #1 film. The Conjuring finished with $318,000,141 worldwide during its theatrical run, and with no Paranormal Activity 5 this year, Annabelle has to be the most anticipated horror film in 2014.
Christopher Lloyd has two of the best cameos in 2014 with A Million Ways To Die In The West and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
This Is Where I Leave You gets a solid 8/10 from me. Consistent laughs, the right amount of sentimentality without any corny or over the top stuff, and the casting is impeccable. From top to bottom everyone is the right fight for their characters (took me a while to notice Corey Stoll from The Strain. The balding look threw me off), and the performances are spot on.
To no real surprise, The Equalizer took the #1 spot over the weekend with $34,137,828. The Boxtrolls opened at #3 with $17,275,239, while The Maze Runner slipped to #2 with $17,437,020.
It's finally here! Annabelle hits theaters this Friday, but I'm kind of nervous about it. For starters, I've re-watched The Conjuring two or three times since theaters, and it's a chore to sit through at certain points, especially the jump scare scenes, because you know what's coming.
Also, I haven't seen any early reviews for Annabelle yet. From what I remember, The Conjuring had a good amount of early reviews before the release date. I understand refusing early screenings is par for the course, when it comes to horror films, but that's a bad sign 98% of the time either way you look at it. And this might sound like a nitpicky complaint, but I roll my eyes at Alfre Woodard's "protect your family" line in the trailers. It's one of the most cliched lines of dialogue in horror films, especially horror films that feature a family taking one last stand against a malicious supernatural threat.
I'm also looking forward to Gone Girl. David Fincher is one of my favorite directors, and the trailers are superb.
As far as #1 goes, it's a tough pick. I haven't seen it yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if The Equalizer took the #1 spot two weeks in a row, but I'm going with Annabelle for the new #1 film. The Conjuring finished with $318,000,141 worldwide during its theatrical run, and with no Paranormal Activity 5 this year, Annabelle has to be the most anticipated horror film in 2014.
Here are the highest grossing films so far of 2014:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,927,000
2. Maleficent
$756,775,754
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,028,683
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$696,846,886
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$653,760,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$613,466,858
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
No changes in the top 10 this week. Lots of releases this week though on the 10th. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" looks hilarious. If anything makes it into the top 10 this week that would be the one, I doubt it but we shall see.
Upcoming releases:
10/10: Addicted
10/10: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
10/10: Dracula Untold
10/10: The Judge
10/10: Kill the Messenger
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,927,000
2. Maleficent
$756,775,754
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,028,683
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$696,846,886
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$653,760,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$613,466,858
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
No changes in the top 10 this week. Lots of releases this week though on the 10th. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" looks hilarious. If anything makes it into the top 10 this week that would be the one, I doubt it but we shall see.
Upcoming releases:
10/10: Addicted
10/10: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
10/10: Dracula Untold
10/10: The Judge
10/10: Kill the Messenger
The Maze Runner
Middle-of-the-road rating (4/10) for this one. A few sporadic thrills towards the end, and Dylan O'Brien is a decent enough leading man, but that's about it. The Maze Runner is not as bad as other young adult adaptations, but at the same time, it's not good enough to stand out amongst the pack.
Más Negro Qué La Noche (Darker than Night) in 3D!
I watched the 1975 original, and I was lucky enough to find this at a theater near me. I enjoyed it, but Darker Than Night is a frustrating film.
Darker Than Night had all the ingredients to be a memorable film: a solid cast, a crisp style of directing from Henry Bedwell, a few effective and well executed jump scares, a story with some real depth, and a handful of mesmerizing (and creepy) set pieces.
Unfortunately, Darker Than Night succumbs to some obvious haunted house horror film tropes, and I rolled my eyes at a few stupid moments towards the end. Obviously, there's something wrong with Greta (the main character), and the rest of the cast had plenty of chances to leave the house and escape....but they stay too long, and when all hell breaks loose, it's too late.
If we're comparing the remake and the original, you'll notice a good amount of changes. For starters, the story is more thorough, and they give a more detailed background for the strange and reclusive aunt, who's obsessed with the black cat (Becker). In the original, they take a "one by one" slow burn approach to the aunt's mission to kill off the main characters. That's not the case in the remake.
As far as the 3D goes, it's nothing special. In fact, you'll only see two true 3D moments in the movie (the maid pointing towards the screen and a bunch of leaves blowing in the wind).
If you're a fan of haunted house flicks, and art house style horror, Darker Than Night is worth a try. But you'll have to follow the subtitles, and you need a lot of patience for this one.
Annabelle
Honestly, I don't understand all the hate for this one. Is Annabelle perfect? Absolutely not, but it's not as awful as everyone is making it to be. A prime example......
Of course, I understand the complaints about a shallow screenplay, and performance wise, there's nothing wrong with Annabelle Wallis (the wife) and Ward Horton (the husband), but they're stuck with two very boring and generic characters.
Although, I'll give Annabelle some credit for John (Horton). When Mia (Wallis) pleads for help after a series of demon and ghost sightings, John supports and trusts his wife, and he doesn't question anything. Usually, in supernatural (or sci-fi) horror films, the husband refuses to believe the wife, and the husband labels her a delusional nutcase, who needs psychiatric help. Towards the end of the movie, he changes his tune, and the husband (or boyfriend) suddenly believes his wife after indisputable evidence surfaces, but it's too late now! So when it's all said done, I'm happy Annabelle avoided this familiar trope.
Annabelle is not as good as The Conjuring, but that's part of the problem. The Conjuring is still on a high pedestal, it's a slightly overrated, and a lot of people had unrealistic expectations for this one. The Conjuring is a good film, but it's not a flawless masterpiece.
Gone Girl took the #1 spot with $37,513,109 ($85,549,069 for the overall worldwide gross), and Annabelle opened in the #2 spot with $37,134,255 ($66,904,188 for the overall worldwide gross).
The Judge and Dracula Untold are the big releases this week. Dracula Untold holds a 28% on RT and The Judge is sitting at a 49% with mixed reviews. There's a good chance for a Gone Girl repeat in the top spot, but I'll go with The Judge as the new #1 film. The trio of Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, and Robert Downey, Jr. should be more than enough to overcome any real competition from Dracula Untold (my pick for #3), with Gone Girl falling to #2 for a close race to the top spot.
Middle-of-the-road rating (4/10) for this one. A few sporadic thrills towards the end, and Dylan O'Brien is a decent enough leading man, but that's about it. The Maze Runner is not as bad as other young adult adaptations, but at the same time, it's not good enough to stand out amongst the pack.
Más Negro Qué La Noche (Darker than Night) in 3D!
I watched the 1975 original, and I was lucky enough to find this at a theater near me. I enjoyed it, but Darker Than Night is a frustrating film.
Darker Than Night had all the ingredients to be a memorable film: a solid cast, a crisp style of directing from Henry Bedwell, a few effective and well executed jump scares, a story with some real depth, and a handful of mesmerizing (and creepy) set pieces.
Unfortunately, Darker Than Night succumbs to some obvious haunted house horror film tropes, and I rolled my eyes at a few stupid moments towards the end. Obviously, there's something wrong with Greta (the main character), and the rest of the cast had plenty of chances to leave the house and escape....but they stay too long, and when all hell breaks loose, it's too late.
If we're comparing the remake and the original, you'll notice a good amount of changes. For starters, the story is more thorough, and they give a more detailed background for the strange and reclusive aunt, who's obsessed with the black cat (Becker). In the original, they take a "one by one" slow burn approach to the aunt's mission to kill off the main characters. That's not the case in the remake.
To add another change, Greta is possessed by her aunt, and the evil version of Greta leads a vicious attack to kill off her friends and her boyfriend (the boyfriend sparked Greta's descent into madness after a one night stand with one of her friends) during a quick killing spree.
Also, they changed Becker's death for the remake. In the original, the friends beat him to death, and they lied about it after Becker killed a pet canary. In the remake, one of the friends (I lost track of the names after a while) drowns Becker in the pool after Becker (allegedly, they never show it, but it's heavily implied Becker is responsible for the death) mauled her pet ferret to death.
The drowning scene is more effective for pulling a reaction out of you, because they show Becker's floating corpse in the pool, and the friend rubs it in. She's talking to Becker's dead body, and she says goodbye with a cold "no hard feelings."
Also, they changed Becker's death for the remake. In the original, the friends beat him to death, and they lied about it after Becker killed a pet canary. In the remake, one of the friends (I lost track of the names after a while) drowns Becker in the pool after Becker (allegedly, they never show it, but it's heavily implied Becker is responsible for the death) mauled her pet ferret to death.
The drowning scene is more effective for pulling a reaction out of you, because they show Becker's floating corpse in the pool, and the friend rubs it in. She's talking to Becker's dead body, and she says goodbye with a cold "no hard feelings."
As far as the 3D goes, it's nothing special. In fact, you'll only see two true 3D moments in the movie (the maid pointing towards the screen and a bunch of leaves blowing in the wind).
If you're a fan of haunted house flicks, and art house style horror, Darker Than Night is worth a try. But you'll have to follow the subtitles, and you need a lot of patience for this one.
Annabelle
Honestly, I don't understand all the hate for this one. Is Annabelle perfect? Absolutely not, but it's not as awful as everyone is making it to be. A prime example......
The nighttime sequence in the elevator is executed to perfection. The wife (Mia) runs to the elevator for a quick escape, but when she pushes the button, the elevator returns to the basement. The moment where she runs towards the exit sign is a real nail-biter, because you had to wonder if the demon would pop up again. Lots of tension, the perfect spooky atmosphere, and Annabelle Wallis (Mia) did a good job of selling the fear and panic for a petrified victim, with no clear paths for an escape.
Of course, I understand the complaints about a shallow screenplay, and performance wise, there's nothing wrong with Annabelle Wallis (the wife) and Ward Horton (the husband), but they're stuck with two very boring and generic characters.
Although, I'll give Annabelle some credit for John (Horton). When Mia (Wallis) pleads for help after a series of demon and ghost sightings, John supports and trusts his wife, and he doesn't question anything. Usually, in supernatural (or sci-fi) horror films, the husband refuses to believe the wife, and the husband labels her a delusional nutcase, who needs psychiatric help. Towards the end of the movie, he changes his tune, and the husband (or boyfriend) suddenly believes his wife after indisputable evidence surfaces, but it's too late now! So when it's all said done, I'm happy Annabelle avoided this familiar trope.
Annabelle is not as good as The Conjuring, but that's part of the problem. The Conjuring is still on a high pedestal, it's a slightly overrated, and a lot of people had unrealistic expectations for this one. The Conjuring is a good film, but it's not a flawless masterpiece.
Gone Girl took the #1 spot with $37,513,109 ($85,549,069 for the overall worldwide gross), and Annabelle opened in the #2 spot with $37,134,255 ($66,904,188 for the overall worldwide gross).
The Judge and Dracula Untold are the big releases this week. Dracula Untold holds a 28% on RT and The Judge is sitting at a 49% with mixed reviews. There's a good chance for a Gone Girl repeat in the top spot, but I'll go with The Judge as the new #1 film. The trio of Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, and Robert Downey, Jr. should be more than enough to overcome any real competition from Dracula Untold (my pick for #3), with Gone Girl falling to #2 for a close race to the top spot.
Here are the current top 10 highest grossing films of 2014 so far:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,939,076
2. Maleficent
$757,002,849
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,039,152
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$699,220,345
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$687,077,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$614,704,955
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
No changes to the top 10 again this week. We have three films getting released this week. I expect The Book Of Life to do well, so let's see if it makes it into the top 10 or not.
Upcoming releases:
10/17: The Best of Me
10/17: The Book of Life
10/17: Fury
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,939,076
2. Maleficent
$757,002,849
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,039,152
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$699,220,345
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
$687,077,000
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$614,704,955
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
No changes to the top 10 again this week. We have three films getting released this week. I expect The Book Of Life to do well, so let's see if it makes it into the top 10 or not.
Upcoming releases:
10/17: The Best of Me
10/17: The Book of Life
10/17: Fury
I really enjoyed The Equalizer. I wasn't too crazy about the dialogue in certain parts, but as usual, Denzel delivers in the leading role with a commanding on-screen presence. The Equalizer needed a worthy villain to balance the scale with Denzel as this lethal and unstoppable killing machine, and Marton Csokas did a good job as the cold-blooded sociopath.
I missed the mark with my pick for The Judge. The Judge opened at #5 with $14,716,226 for the overall worldwide gross. I haven't seen the movie yet, but if I'm using the reviews as a warning sign, a lot of critics are trashing The Judge for being too generic and wasting a talented cast with a cliched script.
Gone Girl repeated at #1 with $26,406,134 for the weekend, bringing the total worldwide gross to $139,987,324, and Dracula Untold opened at #2 ($86,114,615 for the total worldwide gross). And I completely for forgot about this one, but Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day opened debuted at #3 with $18,360,230 (domestic only).
The Birdman film starring Michael Keaton and The Town That Dreaded Sundown remake/sequel are a few low profile limited releases I'm looking forward to this week. Fury should debut as the new #1 film with no real problems, but the new release date worries me a little bit. Originally, Fury was scheduled for a November 17th release date, and that's around the time, where the push for Oscar season kicks into high gear. I'm not saying we're looking at another surprise flop, but when you make the choice to move a film out of Oscar season, that's not a good sign nine times out of ten.
I missed the mark with my pick for The Judge. The Judge opened at #5 with $14,716,226 for the overall worldwide gross. I haven't seen the movie yet, but if I'm using the reviews as a warning sign, a lot of critics are trashing The Judge for being too generic and wasting a talented cast with a cliched script.
Gone Girl repeated at #1 with $26,406,134 for the weekend, bringing the total worldwide gross to $139,987,324, and Dracula Untold opened at #2 ($86,114,615 for the total worldwide gross). And I completely for forgot about this one, but Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day opened debuted at #3 with $18,360,230 (domestic only).
The Birdman film starring Michael Keaton and The Town That Dreaded Sundown remake/sequel are a few low profile limited releases I'm looking forward to this week. Fury should debut as the new #1 film with no real problems, but the new release date worries me a little bit. Originally, Fury was scheduled for a November 17th release date, and that's around the time, where the push for Oscar season kicks into high gear. I'm not saying we're looking at another surprise flop, but when you make the choice to move a film out of Oscar season, that's not a good sign nine times out of ten.
Here are the current highest grossing films of 2014....
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,939,076
2. Maleficent
$757,214,328
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,045,700
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
$732,636,000
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$700,363,365
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$614,869,955
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
Guardians moved up in the rankings this week into 4th place, when last week it was 7th. The same titles are in the top 10 otherwise. Four new films are coming out for release this week. I highly doubt any of them will beat Rio 2 to earn a spot in the top 10.
Upcoming releases:
10/23: Happy New Year
10/24: John Wick
10/24: Ouija
10/24: St. Vincent
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,080,939,076
2. Maleficent
$757,214,328
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,045,700
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
$732,636,000
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$700,363,365
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$614,869,955
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
Guardians moved up in the rankings this week into 4th place, when last week it was 7th. The same titles are in the top 10 otherwise. Four new films are coming out for release this week. I highly doubt any of them will beat Rio 2 to earn a spot in the top 10.
Upcoming releases:
10/23: Happy New Year
10/24: John Wick
10/24: Ouija
10/24: St. Vincent
Gone Girl
Outstanding. Gone Girl gets a 9/10 from me, and Rosamund Pike was incredible.
The only reason why I'm uneasy about the perfect score is the ending. I didn't think it was horrible or anything like that, but the home stretch dragged a little bit too long for my taste. Still, a superb film, but I'm hesitant to put in my top three for David Fincher films (sorry, I have soft spot for The Game).
The Judge
It's not as bad as some of the critics are making it out to be, but for the love of all things holy why did they feel the need to drown the script in every cliche imaginable?
The bulk of the cliches are tied into the dysfunctional father/son relationship between Robert Duvall Robert Downey, Jr., with Duvall as the strict and overbearing father. He was tough on Joesph (Downey, Jr.) as a child, because he wanted him to be a successful man, and of course, Joesph resents "The Judge," because he needed a father instead of a no-nonsense disciplinarian.
And The Judge features a few eye rolling scenes. At times, the movie feels like a bad episode of Jerry Springer or The Maury Povich Show. A prime example is a scene, where Joesph arrives at Duvall's house. The two trade insults, Duvall mocks Joesph's impeding divorce, and they start shouting at each other.
Pay close attention to the trailers, and you should be able to easily predict how the movie ends. Yes, Duvall and Downey, Jr. deliver a pair of strong performances, Downey, Jr. is hilarious as usual (i.e. the scene in the hometown bar, where Joseph insults the rude locals and their girlfriends), and Vincent D'Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, and Dax Shepard complete a solid supporting cast. Also, Billy Bob Thornton's character had a lot of potential as this smug and callous prosecutor, but when he finally pops up, the character is overshadowed by the father/son feud, especially during the big courtroom scene at the end.
It's a real shame, because The Judge had an air-tight cast and the potential to be a four star film, but the end result is a dull, barley above average, and forgettable drama.
Dracula Untold
Uninspired and boring. I can't count the number of times I completely zoned out throughout the movie, and Dracula Untold suffers from an identity crisis, with mixed tones for a horror film and an action/fantasy film.
When Luke Evans transforms into Dracula, it's a big disappointment. Basically, they stick to an annoying and repetitive formula with Evans using a combination of his super strength and transforming into a group of bats to fight the armies by himself, Evans using his powers to control other bats to fight for him (i.e. the big bat fist in the trailers), and he flies every now and then.
The story feels rushed and underdeveloped, the events leading up to the big battle towards the end are mind-numbingly stupid, and the finale itself is mind-numbingly stupid.
To make matters worse, the through the motions sacrifices towards the end are painfully predictable, and Dominic Cooper is an uninteresting antagonist. Luke Evans deserves credit for a strong effort in the leading role, and there's nothing wrong with his performance, but in the end, Dracula Untold is a forgettable snooze-fest.
And for those, who don't know Dracula Untold is supposed to be the first film to lay the bricks for Universal's planned interconnected movie monsters universe (there's a cliffhanger at the end). So far, Dracula Untold has a worldwide gross of $139,725,390 off of a reported production budget of $70,000,000. The teaser at the end is ambiguous with no real clues, but I'll say this now, if Dracula Untold is a sign of things to come for this planned cinematic universe, I don't have high hopes for the future.
Upcoming weekend
Fury as the #1 film this past weekend is no real surprise at all.
According to Box Office Mojo.com's predictions for the weekend, Ouija is set to open as the new #1 film this week, with Fury dropping to #2, and John Wick opening at #4 behind Gone Girl.
As far as Ouija goes, we're on the home stretch for Halloween season, and it's a heavily promoted horror film, so that's a recipe for success. It's the time of year, where moviegoers are looking for a horror film with a haunting theme, cheap jump scares, and dimwitted protagonists screaming and making stupid choices every five minutes. Going by the trailers, Ouija looks like a generic and predictable pile of garbage, the critics are tearing it to shreds, and Ouija currently holds a 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.
On the flip side of that, John Wick has an 85% on RT, the critics are praising John Wick as one of the best action films of the year, and a possible career revival for Keanu Reeves (Reeves' "people keep asking me if I'm back.....yeah, I'm thinking I'm back" line in the trailers is more than enough to sell me on them movie). But if John Wick flops, I'll say it's a case of bad timing. As I said before, we're on the home stretch for Halloween season, and people are looking for horror movies (think about the Saw re-release next Friday, and Horns opens in theaters with a limited release).
Outstanding. Gone Girl gets a 9/10 from me, and Rosamund Pike was incredible.
Pike's smooth transformations from the distraught wife to the sympathetic victim to this icy, and vindictive psychopath/bitch are something to admire. Just an amazing performance.
The only reason why I'm uneasy about the perfect score is the ending. I didn't think it was horrible or anything like that, but the home stretch dragged a little bit too long for my taste. Still, a superb film, but I'm hesitant to put in my top three for David Fincher films (sorry, I have soft spot for The Game).
The Judge
It's not as bad as some of the critics are making it out to be, but for the love of all things holy why did they feel the need to drown the script in every cliche imaginable?
The bulk of the cliches are tied into the dysfunctional father/son relationship between Robert Duvall Robert Downey, Jr., with Duvall as the strict and overbearing father. He was tough on Joesph (Downey, Jr.) as a child, because he wanted him to be a successful man, and of course, Joesph resents "The Judge," because he needed a father instead of a no-nonsense disciplinarian.
And The Judge features a few eye rolling scenes. At times, the movie feels like a bad episode of Jerry Springer or The Maury Povich Show. A prime example is a scene, where Joesph arrives at Duvall's house. The two trade insults, Duvall mocks Joesph's impeding divorce, and they start shouting at each other.
Also, the finale was way too sappy and unbelievable. Duvall's on the stand, and Joesph is throwing everything at him, but Duvall doesn't want to reveal he's dying of cancer (long story short, the side effects from chemotherapy caused Duvall's memory loss), because he's more concerned with protecting his reputation, as this esteemed authority figure.
During Duvall's testimony, Joesph and The Judge go back and forth in a heated argument to relive a lot of painful memories from the past. The whole scenario is way too far fetched, with the teary eyed judge, the jurors, and the entire courtroom listening in silence, as Duvall and Downey, Jr. have another "I HATE YOU! NO I HATE YOU!" argument.
During Duvall's testimony, Joesph and The Judge go back and forth in a heated argument to relive a lot of painful memories from the past. The whole scenario is way too far fetched, with the teary eyed judge, the jurors, and the entire courtroom listening in silence, as Duvall and Downey, Jr. have another "I HATE YOU! NO I HATE YOU!" argument.
Pay close attention to the trailers, and you should be able to easily predict how the movie ends. Yes, Duvall and Downey, Jr. deliver a pair of strong performances, Downey, Jr. is hilarious as usual (i.e. the scene in the hometown bar, where Joseph insults the rude locals and their girlfriends), and Vincent D'Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, and Dax Shepard complete a solid supporting cast. Also, Billy Bob Thornton's character had a lot of potential as this smug and callous prosecutor, but when he finally pops up, the character is overshadowed by the father/son feud, especially during the big courtroom scene at the end.
It's a real shame, because The Judge had an air-tight cast and the potential to be a four star film, but the end result is a dull, barley above average, and forgettable drama.
Dracula Untold
Uninspired and boring. I can't count the number of times I completely zoned out throughout the movie, and Dracula Untold suffers from an identity crisis, with mixed tones for a horror film and an action/fantasy film.
When Luke Evans transforms into Dracula, it's a big disappointment. Basically, they stick to an annoying and repetitive formula with Evans using a combination of his super strength and transforming into a group of bats to fight the armies by himself, Evans using his powers to control other bats to fight for him (i.e. the big bat fist in the trailers), and he flies every now and then.
The story feels rushed and underdeveloped, the events leading up to the big battle towards the end are mind-numbingly stupid, and the finale itself is mind-numbingly stupid.
So Dracula's people learn the secrets about his powers. The people turn on him (mind you this happens out of nowhere, with no real build, and the lazy foreshadowing includes suspicious stares), and they try to burn him alive in a tent. Of course, Dracula survives.
To turn the tables for the big showdown at the end, Dracula turns his people, so they can have the upper hand in the battle as vampires. So Dracula trusts the people, who tried to murder him, and Dracula's people allow their leader to turn them into vampires, but they tried to murder him, because he was an evil vampire, who sold his soul to the devil? Okay then.
Dracula saves his son, and Dracula's vampire army brutally slaughters the enemy in a lopsided battle.......but Dracula's people turn on him (again)? They try to kill his son, because you know, vampires are the superior race nowdisappointed. But Dracula trusts the safety of his son to a Monk, and Dracula uses his powers to move the dark clouds, allowing the sunlight to destroy all the vampires.
To turn the tables for the big showdown at the end, Dracula turns his people, so they can have the upper hand in the battle as vampires. So Dracula trusts the people, who tried to murder him, and Dracula's people allow their leader to turn them into vampires, but they tried to murder him, because he was an evil vampire, who sold his soul to the devil? Okay then.
Dracula saves his son, and Dracula's vampire army brutally slaughters the enemy in a lopsided battle.......but Dracula's people turn on him (again)? They try to kill his son, because you know, vampires are the superior race now
disappointed. But Dracula trusts the safety of his son to a Monk, and Dracula uses his powers to move the dark clouds, allowing the sunlight to destroy all the vampires.To make matters worse, the through the motions sacrifices towards the end are painfully predictable, and Dominic Cooper is an uninteresting antagonist. Luke Evans deserves credit for a strong effort in the leading role, and there's nothing wrong with his performance, but in the end, Dracula Untold is a forgettable snooze-fest.
And for those, who don't know Dracula Untold is supposed to be the first film to lay the bricks for Universal's planned interconnected movie monsters universe (there's a cliffhanger at the end). So far, Dracula Untold has a worldwide gross of $139,725,390 off of a reported production budget of $70,000,000. The teaser at the end is ambiguous with no real clues, but I'll say this now, if Dracula Untold is a sign of things to come for this planned cinematic universe, I don't have high hopes for the future.
Upcoming weekend
Fury as the #1 film this past weekend is no real surprise at all.
According to Box Office Mojo.com's predictions for the weekend, Ouija is set to open as the new #1 film this week, with Fury dropping to #2, and John Wick opening at #4 behind Gone Girl.
As far as Ouija goes, we're on the home stretch for Halloween season, and it's a heavily promoted horror film, so that's a recipe for success. It's the time of year, where moviegoers are looking for a horror film with a haunting theme, cheap jump scares, and dimwitted protagonists screaming and making stupid choices every five minutes. Going by the trailers, Ouija looks like a generic and predictable pile of garbage, the critics are tearing it to shreds, and Ouija currently holds a 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.
On the flip side of that, John Wick has an 85% on RT, the critics are praising John Wick as one of the best action films of the year, and a possible career revival for Keanu Reeves (Reeves' "people keep asking me if I'm back.....yeah, I'm thinking I'm back" line in the trailers is more than enough to sell me on them movie). But if John Wick flops, I'll say it's a case of bad timing. As I said before, we're on the home stretch for Halloween season, and people are looking for horror movies (think about the Saw re-release next Friday, and Horns opens in theaters with a limited release).
The highest grossing films of 2014 so far are....
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,087,289,076
2. Maleficent
$757,436,390
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
$752,650,120
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,045,700
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$707,248,158
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$614,979,349
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
Guardians moved up to #3 this week, that was the only major change. Oddly enough, I could not find any releases whatsoever for this week. The next film seeing a release will not be until November 5th. On a related note, Transformers: Age of Extinction (despite my dislike of the series) has reached the point of being the 10th highest grossing film of all time. Frozen, the highest grossing film of 2013, is currently the 5th highest grossing film of all time.
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,087,289,076
2. Maleficent
$757,436,390
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
$752,650,120
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,045,700
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$707,248,158
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$614,979,349
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$496,691,616
Guardians moved up to #3 this week, that was the only major change. Oddly enough, I could not find any releases whatsoever for this week. The next film seeing a release will not be until November 5th. On a related note, Transformers: Age of Extinction (despite my dislike of the series) has reached the point of being the 10th highest grossing film of all time. Frozen, the highest grossing film of 2013, is currently the 5th highest grossing film of all time.
No new movies for me this week, but Ouija debuted at #1 last week (currently sitting at $24,419,810 for the overall worldwide gross), with John Wick coming in at #2 ($19,860,154 for the current overall worldwide gross).
According to Box Office Mojo.com's predictions, Nightcrawler is set to debut as the new #1 film. The vast majority of reviews for Nightcrawler are positive, praising Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, and Nightcrawler currently holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
I need to catch up with some other films first, but I'm pumped for Nightcrawler. There's a lot of promise with Gyllenhaal portraying this skeevy lunatic, and going by the trailers, Gyllenhaal might have a shot at an Oscar nomination next year.
To round out the new release for Halloween, I'm looking forward to Horns, but I don't have high hopes for Before I Go To Sleep. BIGTS has a 39% on RT, and the trailers are boring and dull.
Also, and I'm coming around on this, but I'm considering the Saw re-release. I take my fair share of shots at Saw, and it annoys me, when horror fans and horror enthusiasts praise the original Saw as a modern-day classic.
But when Billy The Puppet pops up on an old TV screen, and his head slowly turns to the camera to say "Greetings and welcome. I want to play a game" with Tobin Bell's creepy and distorted voice, and the rules of the game conclude with "live or die, make your choice," I'm hooked in, and I have to stick around to watch the rest of the movie. And I missed the Halloween '78 re-release (again
) this week, so if I choose Saw 2004, I'm settling for the third-rate choice.
According to Box Office Mojo.com's predictions, Nightcrawler is set to debut as the new #1 film. The vast majority of reviews for Nightcrawler are positive, praising Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, and Nightcrawler currently holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
I need to catch up with some other films first, but I'm pumped for Nightcrawler. There's a lot of promise with Gyllenhaal portraying this skeevy lunatic, and going by the trailers, Gyllenhaal might have a shot at an Oscar nomination next year.
To round out the new release for Halloween, I'm looking forward to Horns, but I don't have high hopes for Before I Go To Sleep. BIGTS has a 39% on RT, and the trailers are boring and dull.
Also, and I'm coming around on this, but I'm considering the Saw re-release. I take my fair share of shots at Saw, and it annoys me, when horror fans and horror enthusiasts praise the original Saw as a modern-day classic.
But when Billy The Puppet pops up on an old TV screen, and his head slowly turns to the camera to say "Greetings and welcome. I want to play a game" with Tobin Bell's creepy and distorted voice, and the rules of the game conclude with "live or die, make your choice," I'm hooked in, and I have to stick around to watch the rest of the movie. And I missed the Halloween '78 re-release (again
) this week, so if I choose Saw 2004, I'm settling for the third-rate choice.
The highest grossing films of 2014 so far are:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,087,289,076
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
$765,068,000
3. Maleficent
$757,464,074
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,045,700
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$707,442,782
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$615,001,225
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$498,681,682
Guardians took 2nd place this week in the rankings for this year so far, that's impressive and very much deserved. I don't think it will be able to beat Transformers unfortunately. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 might have a chance, but we have a couple more weeks before it comes out. This week has Big Hero 6 seeing a release, it might beat Rio 2 earning a spot in the top ten. It looked funny in the previews so I'll probably go see it. Meanwhile, over in the all-time rankings.... Transformers is still holding onto 10th place. Guardians Of The Galaxy would have to surpass the mark of $775,398,008 to make it onto the top 50 of all time listing, it would knock none other than the original Star Wars out of the top 50 if this happens. I'll be keeping an eye on the all-time rankings as well through the end of the year.
Upcoming releases:
11/5: Interstellar
11/7: Big Hero 6
11/7: Jessabelle
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,087,289,076
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
$765,068,000
3. Maleficent
$757,464,074
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
$746,045,700
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
$714,083,572
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
$708,982,323
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
$707,442,782
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2
$615,001,225
9. Godzilla
$524,976,069
10. Rio 2
$498,681,682
Guardians took 2nd place this week in the rankings for this year so far, that's impressive and very much deserved. I don't think it will be able to beat Transformers unfortunately. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 might have a chance, but we have a couple more weeks before it comes out. This week has Big Hero 6 seeing a release, it might beat Rio 2 earning a spot in the top ten. It looked funny in the previews so I'll probably go see it. Meanwhile, over in the all-time rankings.... Transformers is still holding onto 10th place. Guardians Of The Galaxy would have to surpass the mark of $775,398,008 to make it onto the top 50 of all time listing, it would knock none other than the original Star Wars out of the top 50 if this happens. I'll be keeping an eye on the all-time rankings as well through the end of the year.
Upcoming releases:
11/5: Interstellar
11/7: Big Hero 6
11/7: Jessabelle
While I enjoyed Maleficent and Angelina Jolie's performance, I'm happy to see Guardians Of The Galaxy take the #2 spot. It's the better film overall, and a serious contender for the best superhero film in 2014.
Saw 10th Anniversary Re-Release
Overall, it's still an average film in my eyes.
And one of the more famous scenes in the movie with Cary Elwes still works. It's the scene, where Dr. Gordon finally reaches his breaking point, and he makes the decision to cut off his foot with the rusty saw. James Wan never shows Gordon's dismemberment in full, just the initial contact and a little bit of blood. Instead of taking the easy way for a run of the mill gross out reaction by showing a gory mess, Wan delivers a more thought-provoking reaction with Elwes' bulging eyes, and Adam's frantic screaming.
Still, it's hard to ignore the slumps of boredom, and the storyline with Danny Glover seeking revenge for Tapp's death is a momentum killer. One a side note, I don't know what they're doing at other theaters, but I got a shiny commemorative collector's card for the 10th anniversary. I have no idea what I'm gonna do with it, but it's nice to look at.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
So many mixed feelings on this one. First of all, Michael Keaton and Edward Norton deliver a pair of superb performances. Keaton is this washed up train wreck (mentally and emotionally), who's desperately clinging to one last chance at a career revival. Keaton's performance is impressive, and you have to admire how he's able to switch gears from this selfish asshole to a sympathetic broken man, who's depressed, and looking for one last chance (or chances) to turn his life around.
Edward Norton is hilarious as this narcissistic and pompous diva, and the supporting cast is strong from top to bottom. Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Naomi Watts, and I have to say Emma Stone delivers one of the best performances of her career, as the angry and recovering drug addict, who hates her father (Keaton).
Also, Lindsay Duncan's screen time is brief, but she plays a high profiled critic. She's hell bent on destroying Keaton's play with a bad review, and Duncan's frigid presence, as this nasty bitch is spot on (the scene, where Keaton confronts Duncan towards the end is a good example).
But my big problem with Birdman is Micahel Keaton's daydream sequences. When Riggan (Keaton) snaps and looses his temper, or when he's close to the edge (literally), Riggan (as Birdman) appears as a split personality to talk (or bully) Riggan into a comeback as Birdman. When Riggan (as a normal guy) looses his temper or his nerves during the daydreaming sequences, you'll get the impression Riggan is using his superpowers to trash his dressing room, or he's using his powers to fly over the city.
The problem is, the supernatural stuff ruins the more poignant and serious moments in the movie....
Birdman is a damn good film, with a top notch cast. Keaton and Norton are amazing, but the movie slightly misses the mark for perfection. With a straightforward black comedy approach, there's no doubt it's a five star film, but the supernatural side of the film drags this one down a bit with bad timing for one too many ridiculous and over the top moments.
Upcoming weekend
Well, Ouija held on to the #1 spot for two weeks in a row. Ouija finished with $10,740,980 ($42,503,950 for the overall worldwide gross) to win a close race with Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler opened at #2 with $10,441,000, and with Halloween on Friday, you had to expect a horror film to stay in the top three, with a realistic possibility of taking the #1 spot.
Going off of every review I've read, Ouija sounds like a formulaic and generic horror film, with dumb protagonists, cheap jump scares, and a through the motions story. But it's the type of horror film that's a nice fit for Halloween season, and you can turn your brain off to laugh at the predictability throughout the movie.
If we're talking about the upcoming weekend, there's no doubt Interstellar will open as the #1 film. It's just a matter of how much money it'll make for the opening weekend. I want to see the movie, but I'm not looking forward to the reported runtime of two hours and forty-nine minutes.
Saw 10th Anniversary Re-Release
Overall, it's still an average film in my eyes.
Although, the finale with Jigsaw/Kramer saying "game over" in a deep, croaky voice, while slamming the door shut on a screaming Adam with the creepy darkness backdrop is still an amazing visual.
All in all, the entire sequence is executed to perfection with Jigsaw slowly rising to his feet in the background, while a shocked Adam listens to the final tape recording. When Adam realizes the key to the chain was lost in the drain at the begging of the film, he tries to go for the gun to shoot Jigsaw out of frustration and anger, but Jigsaw uses the remote to electrocute him before Adam has the chance to pull the trigger.
The only downside to this finale is Saw tries to recapture the same shocking feeling with a plethora of twist cliffhangers, featuring a mashed up highlight reel to tie up the loose ends throughout the series.
All in all, the entire sequence is executed to perfection with Jigsaw slowly rising to his feet in the background, while a shocked Adam listens to the final tape recording. When Adam realizes the key to the chain was lost in the drain at the begging of the film, he tries to go for the gun to shoot Jigsaw out of frustration and anger, but Jigsaw uses the remote to electrocute him before Adam has the chance to pull the trigger.
The only downside to this finale is Saw tries to recapture the same shocking feeling with a plethora of twist cliffhangers, featuring a mashed up highlight reel to tie up the loose ends throughout the series.
And one of the more famous scenes in the movie with Cary Elwes still works. It's the scene, where Dr. Gordon finally reaches his breaking point, and he makes the decision to cut off his foot with the rusty saw. James Wan never shows Gordon's dismemberment in full, just the initial contact and a little bit of blood. Instead of taking the easy way for a run of the mill gross out reaction by showing a gory mess, Wan delivers a more thought-provoking reaction with Elwes' bulging eyes, and Adam's frantic screaming.
Still, it's hard to ignore the slumps of boredom, and the storyline with Danny Glover seeking revenge for Tapp's death is a momentum killer. One a side note, I don't know what they're doing at other theaters, but I got a shiny commemorative collector's card for the 10th anniversary. I have no idea what I'm gonna do with it, but it's nice to look at.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
So many mixed feelings on this one. First of all, Michael Keaton and Edward Norton deliver a pair of superb performances. Keaton is this washed up train wreck (mentally and emotionally), who's desperately clinging to one last chance at a career revival. Keaton's performance is impressive, and you have to admire how he's able to switch gears from this selfish asshole to a sympathetic broken man, who's depressed, and looking for one last chance (or chances) to turn his life around.
Edward Norton is hilarious as this narcissistic and pompous diva, and the supporting cast is strong from top to bottom. Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Naomi Watts, and I have to say Emma Stone delivers one of the best performances of her career, as the angry and recovering drug addict, who hates her father (Keaton).
Also, Lindsay Duncan's screen time is brief, but she plays a high profiled critic. She's hell bent on destroying Keaton's play with a bad review, and Duncan's frigid presence, as this nasty bitch is spot on (the scene, where Keaton confronts Duncan towards the end is a good example).
But my big problem with Birdman is Micahel Keaton's daydream sequences. When Riggan (Keaton) snaps and looses his temper, or when he's close to the edge (literally), Riggan (as Birdman) appears as a split personality to talk (or bully) Riggan into a comeback as Birdman. When Riggan (as a normal guy) looses his temper or his nerves during the daydreaming sequences, you'll get the impression Riggan is using his superpowers to trash his dressing room, or he's using his powers to fly over the city.
The problem is, the supernatural stuff ruins the more poignant and serious moments in the movie....
A prime example is the scene, where Riggan's contemplates suicide towards the end. He runs towards the edge of the building, he jumps....and he's flying around the city in a matter of seconds.
Birdman is a damn good film, with a top notch cast. Keaton and Norton are amazing, but the movie slightly misses the mark for perfection. With a straightforward black comedy approach, there's no doubt it's a five star film, but the supernatural side of the film drags this one down a bit with bad timing for one too many ridiculous and over the top moments.
Upcoming weekend
Well, Ouija held on to the #1 spot for two weeks in a row. Ouija finished with $10,740,980 ($42,503,950 for the overall worldwide gross) to win a close race with Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler opened at #2 with $10,441,000, and with Halloween on Friday, you had to expect a horror film to stay in the top three, with a realistic possibility of taking the #1 spot.
Going off of every review I've read, Ouija sounds like a formulaic and generic horror film, with dumb protagonists, cheap jump scares, and a through the motions story. But it's the type of horror film that's a nice fit for Halloween season, and you can turn your brain off to laugh at the predictability throughout the movie.
If we're talking about the upcoming weekend, there's no doubt Interstellar will open as the #1 film. It's just a matter of how much money it'll make for the opening weekend. I want to see the movie, but I'm not looking forward to the reported runtime of two hours and forty-nine minutes.
Nightcrawler
If it does not become immediately apparent from my review that I adored this film, then first let me put it beyond any immeasurable doubt. This movie, could potentially be, the best film you see this year. And I say that fully aware of the great films that have been released over the course of the last 11 months.
Firstly, Jake Gyllenhaal is simply stunning in it - turning in a magnificent performance that is, quite rightly, going to be there or there abouts come award season. His transformation between inspirational dreamer to narcissistic over achiever is sublime. Strangely, it reminds me a lot of Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad. You can't help but root for him but by the end, you just wish he gets what's coming to him.
That said, his performance is perfectly balanced out by the cold and commanding performance of Rene Russo. The chemistry between the two is brilliant - a theme that is not lost on the other stars of the film.
Tense, uplifting and genuinely gripping, Nightcrawler ticks all the boxes.
Go and see it!
10/10
If it does not become immediately apparent from my review that I adored this film, then first let me put it beyond any immeasurable doubt. This movie, could potentially be, the best film you see this year. And I say that fully aware of the great films that have been released over the course of the last 11 months.
Firstly, Jake Gyllenhaal is simply stunning in it - turning in a magnificent performance that is, quite rightly, going to be there or there abouts come award season. His transformation between inspirational dreamer to narcissistic over achiever is sublime. Strangely, it reminds me a lot of Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad. You can't help but root for him but by the end, you just wish he gets what's coming to him.
That said, his performance is perfectly balanced out by the cold and commanding performance of Rene Russo. The chemistry between the two is brilliant - a theme that is not lost on the other stars of the film.
Tense, uplifting and genuinely gripping, Nightcrawler ticks all the boxes.
Go and see it!
10/10
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