April 24, 2024
The Hot Blog
amit on: Review: Frozen 2 (spoiler-free)
movieman on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
Christian on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
movieman on: Review: Marriage Story (spoilers only in the broadest sense)
movieman on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
movieman on: Review: Frozen 2 (spoiler-free)
YancySkancy on: Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
Hcat on: Why You Should Be Afraid Of The End Of The Paramount Decree
movieman on: BYOB Fall Back, Film Forward
movieman on: I Should Be Doing Box Office
Review: Little Women (no spoilers)
Why You Should Be Afraid Of The End Of The Paramount Decree
Review: Frozen 2 (spoiler-free)
Review: Marriage Story (spoilers only in the broadest sense)
| Friday | Screens | % Chg | Cume | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Gross | Thtr | % Chgn | Cume |
| Venom | 33 | 4250 | NEW | 33 |
| A Star is Born | 15.7 | 3686 | NEW | 15.7 |
| Smallfoot | 3.5 | 4131 | -46% | 31.3 |
| Night School | 3.5 | 3019 | -63% | 37.9 |
| The House Wirh a Clock in its Walls | 1.8 | 3463 | -43% | 49.5 |
| A Simple Favor | 1 | 2408 | -50% | 46.6 |
| The Nun | 0.75 | 2264 | -52% | 111.5 |
| Hell Fest | 0.6 | 2297 | -70% | 7.4 |
| Crazy Rich Asians | 0.6 | 1466 | -51% | 167.6 |
| The Predator | 0.25 | 1643 | -77% | 49.3 |
| Also Debuting | ||||
| The Hate U Give | 0.17 | 36 | ||
| Shine | 85,600 | 609 | ||
| Exes Baggage | 75,900 | 62 | ||
| NOTA | 71,300 | 138 | ||
| 96 | 61,600 | 62 | ||
| Andhadhun | 55,000 | 54 | ||
| Afsar | 45,400 | 33 | ||
| Project Gutenberg | 36,000 | 17 | ||
| Love Yatri | 22,300 | 41 | ||
| Hello, Mrs. Money | 22,200 | 37 | ||
| Studio 54 | 5,300 | 1 | ||
| Loving Pablo | 4,200 | 15 |
| 3-Day Estimates | Weekend | % Chg | Cume |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Good Dead | 24.4 (11,230) | NEW | 24.4 |
| Dolphin Tale 2 | 16.6 (4,540) | NEW | 16.6 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | 7.9 (2,550) | -23% | 305.8 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 4.8 (1,630) | -26% | 181.1 |
| The Drop | 4.4 (5,480) | NEW | 4.4 |
| Let's Be Cops | 4.3 (1,570) | -22% | 73 |
| If I Stay | 4.0 (1,320) | -28% | 44.9 |
| The November Man | 2.8 (1,030) | -36% | 22.5 |
| The Giver | 2.5 (1,120) | -26% | 41.2 |
| The Hundred-Foot Journey | 2.5 (1,270) | -21% | 49.4 |
Review: Little Women (no spoilers) - The Hot Blog
Box Office First Look - The Hot Blog
Why You Should Be Afraid Of The End Of The Paramount Decree - The Hot Blog
I caught up to Shaft the other night, which wasn’t otherwise too remarkable to mention but as I was sitting there watching, I had the hardest time placing one of the actresses. I knew I had seen her in something but what?? She looked like a cross between Lisa Lisa and Leah Remini. I get online and find out it’s Luna Lauren Velez. She’s worked a ton so I wondered if I hadn’t seen her a time or two and it stuck with me even if I couldn’t remember. But then I never saw Dexter nor did I watch How to Get Away with Murder. Was it Oz or Ugly Betty?? But then I saw a picture of her from way back that triggered it, she was the lead in I Like it Like That.
It was like seeing someone you hadn’t seen since high school at a class reunion. Nice to see she’s worked consistently the whole time through.
I was disappointed in Spiderman: Far From Home. I don’t know how much of that was due to me loving Spiderman: Homecoming and thinking Into the Spider-Verse, in which Luna Lauren Velez voices the mom, was prolly the best movie I saw last year, of if I’ve got superhero fatigued?? I hope film quality for the 2nd half of the summer and fall picks up!!
Thanks for the “I Like It Like That” reminder, Triple.
That was a favorite of mine back in the day.
Velez and Jon Seda were fantastic together.
Like Nancy Savoca, Darnell Martin deserved a longer-lasting career w/ (a LOT) more opportunities.
I’d like to think both would have fared better in today’s more inclusive climate.
Friday
7/12
(Estimates)
1 SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
Sony / Columbia
4,634 $13,365,000
+49.7% / $2,884
$242,594,305 / 11
2 TOY STORY 4
Buena Vista
4,210 $6,254,000
+41.1% / $1,486
$331,958,574 / 22
3 CRAWL
Paramount
3,170 $4,330,000
— / $1,366
$4,330,000 / 1
4 STUBER
Fox
3,050 $3,083,000
— / $1,011
$3,083,000 / 1
5 YESTERDAY
Universal
2,755 $1,950,000
+57.2% / $708
$43,516,525 / 15
6 ALADDIN (2019)
Buena Vista
2,557 $1,768,000
+50.7% / $691
$327,384,720 / 50
7 ANNABELLE COMES HOME
Warner Bros. (New Line)
3,209 $1,725,000
+56.3% / $538
$56,935,434 / 17
8 MIDSOMMAR
A24
2,707 $1,144,465
+36.4% / $423
$15,999,736 / 10
Seeing Crawl tomorrow and I’m excited. Love that it’s 88 minutes. That’s all the premise requires and I love movies that get it done and send you home early. Aside from Midsommar. I could have watched another hour.
I really really hope The Farewell goes wide. The trailer almost had me in tears. I want to see it so badly.
1 1 Spider-Man: Far from Home Sony $45,300,000 -51.1% 4,634 – $9,776 $274,529,305 $160 2
2 2 Toy Story 4 BV $20,665,000 -39.0% 4,210 -330 $4,909 $346,369,574 – 4
3 N Crawl Par. $12,000,000 – 3,170 – $3,785 $12,000,000 $13.5 1
4 N Stuber Fox $8,043,000 – 3,050 – $2,637 $8,043,000 – 1
5 3 Yesterday Uni. $6,750,000 -32.9% 2,755 +141 $2,450 $48,316,525 $26 3
6 5 Aladdin (2019) BV $5,873,000 -21.9% 2,557 -201 $2,297 $331,489,720 $183 8
7 4 Annabelle Comes Home WB (NL) $5,550,000 -41.3% 3,209 -404 $1,730 $60,760,434 – 3
8 6 Midsommar A24 $3,551,571 -45.9% 2,707 – $1,312 $18,406,842 – 2
Congrats to A24 on launching The Farewell in just 4 theaters with a $88k per screen average. Pretty remarkable given that its only star was Awkwafina, who has more range than her previous comic roles would indicate. It’s also a really good movie too, and I think expands soon.
That puts Farewell right around their openings of Lady Bird and Moonlight. The expansion could of course lead anywhere but that has got to be encouraging, topping the limited openings of Fighting with My Family and Late Night. I would imagine that if this ended in the twenties they would be over the moon. Glad they have been keeping Summer interesting the last couple years.
CRAWL is the real fucking deal. An absolutely perfect example of its genre that has tons of scares, great pacing, awesome FX and it tight as fuck at 88 minutes. That’s hard to do. This is a really terrific movie. One of the Summer’s best. Didn’t they see they a little sleeper winner her? Very few previews. Studios are getting dumber and dumber
re crawl, i’d like to think it might usher in a new gen of decent little lower-budg b-/monster movies but i guess if it doesn’t kill at the BO that might be too much to hope for
———– possible spoilers re CRAWL ————-
a couple observations/questions:
– i liked how events happen in real-time, which is rare in movies nowadays (not including the beginning with the swim meet/sisters communicating stuff, but after she gets sugar at the condo and arrives at her pop’s place it’s all of a piece)
– why is it always so great to see barry pepper (kaya is also good and they have a natural chemistry, can’t buy that)
– were the gators so bloody aggro because they had a little spawning ground there? (i might have missed a few things here and there cuz i saw it with a group of distracting chatty cathys). aslo, in terms of spatially, did that rather huge drain pipe with the bung grate that lead to where the gaters were spawning/feeding through which haley got out of the house, did that lead to under dave’s actual house? i mean what’s that all about, doesn’t seem legit but my perception might be wrong.
So this is what I don’t like about this whole prestige TV thing. It took 9 years for Iannucci to followup In The Loop, now without the television distraction he is able to followup Stalin with only a two year gap. I know people adore Veep but I feel cheated out of three to four features from a unique voice. I’m glad he and Arnold are able to hopefully achieve lifelong financial stability and increase their profile, but the movie world does not shine as bright without them.
I didn’t quite get the drain pipe either Leah but I had bought into the whole thing by that point that I didn’t care. Maybe someone can explain.
And I just figured they were gators being gators: looking for some food. Also they knew they were in a monster movie so, like Jaws, they put on a show.
Apex predators. That’s a lot of very big gators in one place. Crawl is a total blast. Characters do dumb shit and not all of it adds up but that’s easy to ignore or accept in something that’s so well-paced and so fun (not that I don’t appreciate the questions here). Seems like a bargain at $15 million. Reminder that Aja has serious chops. Love that guy. Indeed the visual effects are pretty damn good. Some nice gore with one highlight in particular. It just works. An ideal summer movie. And Paramount for sure left money on the table. I think it was under embargo until Wednesday or Thursday. Maybe they didn’t anticipate 88% on RT and such strong reviews. They should have showed it earlier, let reviews hit, and allowed some buzz to build. Such a shame. We need more aquatic horror. I share your hope there leah.
So will the sequel also have them battle those pythons that scramble around down there?
or an army of iguanas?
or Tampa residents?
or a horde of overweight Disney tourists?
the possibilities are endless as Florida is a godless hellhole.
i kind of ran out of time re: ‘crawl’ but it was refreshing that aja and crew clearly endeavoured to keep it more real-world and go for suspension of disbelief and compelling intimacy/conflict of the daughter and father in a dreadful situation to draw the viewer in (and sugar of course, go wee girl) and ratchet up the stakes and tension rather than just OTT monster gators wreaking havoc – i believe this is why it works, and it’s so rare now.
re the drain pipe, it certainly wasn’t a deal-breaker, i just wondered if i’d missed some logical reason it seemed to go under his house in what was a bad enough gator-infested area that warnings were signposted (note to self: never ever live in this area, which will soon be underwater anyway so no worries).
speaking of this, on the warning signs, the last bit says: THEY WILL HUNT YOU. this should have been the title of the movie rather than the rather mundane ‘crawl’.
Q: what do you want to go see tonight at the flicks?
A: THEY WILL FUCKING HUNT YOU!
A2: oh yeah fuckin’ A that gator movie!
(option two: Q what do you want to go see tonight? A crawl. Q crawl, like a pub crawl? blah)
I continue to be vexed by superhero movies. Shazam isn’t terrible, but it’s not good either. The first hour has some good laughs and fun moments, and the performances are winning, but as well as Crawl is paced is how poorly Shazam is paced. The final confrontation with Mark Strong lasts 45-50 minutes. It’s so excessively long and dull and familiar. I checked out long before the end credits. The charm of the first hour is but a faded memory as all the typical superhero shit is going down. Also the Seven Sins are incredibly goofy and the CGI not good. It’s an OK movie at best yet it’s considered exceptional. Different strokes I guess.
I liked the cheesy, old school goofiness of Shazam but yea it’s too long and poorly paced. It has so much going for it that if it were tightened up it’d be wonderful. I’m a sucker for the positive message. And I liked the classic FX look of the flying sequences late in the movie. But it just goes on too long and I don’t see myself sitting through it again soon much less purchase it
I liked “Lion King,” but can see why it’s not getting rave reviews.
The “wow” factor that made “Jungle Book” feel so groundbreaking three years ago is over, even if the technology is even more sophisticated (and uncannily life-like) this time.
Plus, there’s the simple fact that the 1994 “LK” is still pretty fresh in everyone’s minds whereas Favreau’s “JB” opened 49 years after the cartoon version.
Also–and this is the most important factor–the ’94 “LK” is perfect: one of the greatest of all animated films, and the pinnacle of Disney’s ‘toon renaissance that started w/ “Little Mermaid.” It can’t be improved upon.
The ’67 “JB,” despite a catchy score, is pretty mediocre overall.
Its was the last gasp of the old Disney era/regime and felt like it.
Therefore, the new “LK” inevitably suffers from a “why even bother?” factor.
I did enjoy it. It’s absolutely gorgeous, the vocal casting is fine (Billy Eichner steals the movie) and–since it has the exact same story/character beats as the original–is funny and touching in equal measures.
I’m just not sure whether it was “essential.”
But you can say that about pretty much every studio movie these days, can’t you?
When the movie ended, there were LOUD cheers throughout my auditorium: I’d never heard anything like that before at a local theater.
Maybe that sort of overheated enthusiasm is commonplace at Thursday night preview screenings of Marvel movies, but I still found it pretty remarkable.
Bet it’s as huge as everyone is predicting, and will definitely be the #2 hit of the season…after “Endgame,” of course.
I’m really happy that neither of my kids wants to see The Lion King. Obviously it’s going to be a huge hit, but despite taking them to several movies over the last few months, we never saw the trailer for it. Not sure they even know it exists. If they do they don’t care. Grateful for that.
That’s wild, SB.
How old are your kids?
If you can somehow manage to avoid the opening weekend/week crowds, all power to you.
It ain’t gonna be pretty: more like a mash pit at Chuck E Cheese.
They are 11 and 5. Some Disney stuff they are all over, but for some reason this one hasn’t resonated with either one.
I’m sure that automatically distinguishes them from 90% of the American (kid) population.
Congrats on raising children with a sense of their own individuality.
If you do have to escort them to “Lion King,” you could do a lot worse. (“Angry Birds 2” and “Dora the Explorer” are in the wings after all.)
And what’s with that DreamWorks “Abominable” ‘toon? Isn’t it “Missing Link” dumbed down for the wee-est of bairns?
P.S.= I meant “mosh pit.” Spellcheck always thinks it knows better (groan).
P.P.S.= Love how EW went monthly a month before the announced August target date.
JFC.
If it lasts until the end of my current subscription (which will never-ever be renewed), I’ll be shocked.
Put it out of its misery: puh-leeze!
Friday
7/19
(Estimates)
1 THE LION KING (2019)
Buena Vista
4,725 $78,520,000
— / $16,618
$78,520,000 / 1
2 SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
Sony / Columbia
4,415 $6,010,000
+39.2% / $1,361
$304,669,412 / 18
3 TOY STORY 4
Buena Vista
3,750 $4,370,000
+42.3% / $1,165
$365,303,349 / 29
4 CRAWL
Paramount
3,170 $1,725,000
+56.7% / $544
$19,559,810 / 8
5 YESTERDAY
Universal
2,662 $1,390,000
+61.9% / $522
$53,886,465 / 22
6 STUBER
Fox
3,050 $1,140,000
+57.7% / $374
$13,221,864 / 8
7 ALADDIN (2019)
Buena Vista
2,105 $1,111,000
+24.2% / $528
$337,351,714 / 57
8 ANNABELLE COMES HOME
Warner Bros. (New Line)
1,981 $815,000
+80.9% / $411
$64,737,201 / 24
9 MIDSOMMAR
A24
1,105 $490,620
+16.5% / $444
$21,373,648 / 17
10 THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2
Universal
1,380 $420,000
-28.2% / $304
$150,441,165 / 43
11 AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Buena Vista
985 $367,000
+30.9% / $373
$853,384,193 / 85
4 of the top 11 are huge sequel/reboot Disney properties. 5 if you count Spidey.
Cannibalize much?
Crawl should be doing so much better. At least Don’t Breathe money. It’s a really fun, tight movie.
July 19-21, 2019
Weekend
1 N The Lion King (2019) BV $185,000,000 – 4,725 – $39,153 $185,000,000 – 1
2 1 Spider-Man: Far from Home Sony $21,000,000 -53.7% 4,415 -219 $4,757 $319,659,412 $160 3
3 2 Toy Story 4 BV $14,600,000 -30.3% 3,750 -460 $3,893 $375,533,349 – 5
4 3 Crawl Par. $6,000,000 -50.0% 3,170 – $1,893 $23,834,810 $13.5 2
5 5 Yesterday Uni. $5,100,000 -24.0% 2,662 -93 $1,916 $57,596,465 $26 4
6 4 Stuber Fox $4,000,000 -51.4% 3,050 – $1,311 $16,081,864 – 2
7 6 Aladdin (2019) BV $3,800,000 -38.4% 2,105 -452 $1,805 $340,040,714 $183 9
8 7 Annabelle Comes Home WB (NL) $2,660,000 -52.7% 1,981 -1,228 $1,343 $66,582,201 – 4
9 8 Midsommar A24 $1,599,155 -56.4% 1,105 -1,602 $1,447 $22,482,183 – 3
10 9 The Secret Life of Pets 2 Uni. $1,530,000 -52.3% 1,380 -940 $1,109 $151,551,165 $80 7
11 11 Avengers: Endgame BV $1,199,000 -43.0% 985 -458 $1,217 $854,216,193 $356 13
12 19 The Farewell A24 $1,171,570 +229.4% 35 +31 $33,473 $1,674,997 – 2
13 33 The Art of Self-Defense BST $1,055,658 +823.0% 550 +543 $1,919 $1,214,947 – 2
14 12 Rocketman Par. $980,000 -41.8% 720 -612 $1,361 $93,997,371 $40 8
15 13 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum LG/S $660,000 -50.5% 584 -561 $1,130 $168,891,227 – 10
16 10 Men in Black International Sony $505,000 -77.2% 554 -1,058 $912 $78,129,108 $110 6
17 14 Super 30 Relbig. $445,674 -48.8% 189 -128 $2,358 $1,735,375 – 2
18 27 Maiden SPC $255,715 +17.1% 84 +16 $3,044 $850,195 – 4
19 23 Wild Rose Neon $255,000 -13.9% 195 +34 $1,308 $1,169,663 – 5
20 18 The Last Black Man in San Francisco A24 $249,918 -30.6% 149 -58 $1,677 $3,829,483 – 7
21 24 Pavarotti CBS $230,000 -17.3% 143 -53 $1,608 $3,956,192 – 7
22 28 Echo in the Canyon Greenwich $207,459 +0.2% 133 -14 $1,560 $2,684,024 – 9
23 29 Dark Phoenix Fox $183,000 -7.6% 185 -15 $989 $65,359,540 – 7
24 22 Late Night Amazon $153,544 -53.3% 146 -184 $1,052 $15,152,075 – 7
25 60 Apollo 11 Neon $75,000 +1,460.9% 107 +92 $701 $9,033,165 – 21
26 38 Biggest Little Farm Neon $62,750 -31.6% 69 -30 $909 $4,062,520 – 11
27 46 Sword of Trust IFC $62,714 +224.4% 12 +10 $5,226 $87,457 – 2
28 26 Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable ENTMP $55,000 -77.2% 138 -67 $399 $445,024 – 2
29 39 Anna (2019) LG/S $50,000 -35.1% 73 -19 $685 $7,597,489 – 5
30 44 Dumbo (2019) BV $44,000 -3.8% 65 -27 $677 $114,714,281 $170 17
31 N David Crosby: Remember My Name SPC $41,050 – 4 – $10,263 $41,050 – 1
32 – Free Trip to Egypt INDEP $8,140 – 1 – $8,140 $13,336 – 4
33 N Rosie Blue Fox $2,970 – 2 – $1,485 $2,970 –
1
34 N I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians BWP $2,176 – 1 – $2,176 $2,176 – 1
35 N At War CLS $1,550 – 1 – $1,550 $1,550 – 1
36 74 Halston Orch. $947 -53.9% 3 – $316 $143,690 – 9
37 82 Meeting Gorbachev 1091 $453 -71.5% 2 -4 $227 $242,600 – 12
TOTAL (37 MOVIES): $253,247,443 +99.5% 33,473 -6,244 $7,566
<<Last Weekend <Last Year
Decent numbers for Midsommar. It was never gonna make $40 million like Hereditary.
And 50% is sorta decent hold for Crawl.
“Lion King” was as big as expected (even with middling reviews).
If any movie this year was critic-proof (besides “Endgame” which actually got effusive reviews), it was “LK.”
$400-million seems like a lowball figure for a domestic cure.
How high can it go?
$450?
$500?
More?
It’s pretty much a lock to hold the #1 spot for the next two weekends.
Who knows? It might even hold at #1 until “It 2.”
Certainly nothing opening between “Hobbs and Shaw” until September 7th looks remotely competitive.
The Farewell continues to post amazing numbers. Over a $1 million in just 35 theaters.
MM, if I’m reading you correctly, are you saying Hobbs and Shaw isn’t going to open at number one? I mean, LK is strong, but I don’t think it’s THAT strong.
It goes against everything I stand for but I reserved a seat for Hobbs & Shaw opening night. It looks far too idiotic and ridiculous to miss.
And , maybe if it’s good we’ll get more “F&F Presents.” Maybe Fast and the Furious Presents “Silas Marner,” with Stathem in the lead. Or Fast and the Furious Presents “The Sweet Hereafter 2: Canadian Drift,” wherein The Rock has to fight con artists trying to make money from the bus accident. Or Yetis. I don’t. I’m not a writer
can someone please press the reset button this timeline reeks
I think I saw a $50-million estimate for “H&S”‘s opening weekend, Palm.
Would seem as if “LK” could exceed that # in its third weekend.
But, who really knows anything anymore?
“H&S” could overperform, and “LK” might take a nosedive after its second weekend.
…and “The Farewell” will be #1 the weekend of August 2nd (just kidding, lol).
Nice to see that Annapurna & Co. are actually spending ad/pub money on “Bernadette.”
Have seen beaucoup TV spots already.
Maybe it won’t be another Linklater non-starter.
Looking at the current state of the box office and what is to come for the rest of the year, the only seemingly guaranteed $200m + grossers are IT2 and Jumanji. With Toy Story 4, Lion King and Star Wars all guaranteed to be $400m grossers, everyone else is just playing for scraps. Sad. And I haven’t even mentioned Frozen 2 and Maleficient.
I know F&F is an idiotic franchise. But that idiocy is weirdly delightful to me. Like who would’ve thought the silly street racing movie would become a blockbuster superhero franchise. And also bonus, they cast Cliff Curtis as an actual Pacific Islander. So yes, I’m gonna enjoy this one (ironically enjoy it perhaps but still) with Bill.
Just about every time I decide to watch a F&F movie, I go through the whole spiel with myself. Turn your brain off. Just a good movie time. The action sequences are like an opioid.
And then five minutes in I can’t take how fucking dumb it all is and I just can’t.
This isn’t a snob thing either. I still like and laugh at Hudson Hawk.
I love “Hudson Hawk”!
The scene where And McDowell does a dolphin imitation?
Priceless.
Two weeks ago the trades reported that Hobbs & Shaw is tracking for a $65 million-plus opening weekend. I haven’t seen a Fast & Furious movie since the second one. But I might see this one. I like the cast and it looks like a good summer movie. Plus my 11-year-old said he wants to see it.
They must have updated the estimate, SB.
The original esteem that I saw (which, admittedly, seemed low to me) was in the $50-million range.
Can’t say I’m a big “F&F” fan, but I’ll see it (duh).
I’m more interested in “The Farewell” which is slated to go wide next weekend.
Seeing “The Farewell” tonight with my wife – a rare date night dinner-and-a-movie! (While the kids are with their grandmother for the week.)
Also very much looking forward to The Farewell. Definitely more interested in that than H&S.
Who else would be more enthusiastic if the Rock and Statham were starring in “Calvin and Hobbes”?
and to think, the kazillion dollars it took to make another absurdist whiffy bowel movement like ‘hobbs’ could’ve been used to create something fresh and hard out, like about this absolute legend of a spy: https://twitter.com/CIA/status/972571538925981697
fuck all this shit
I’d be down for a Calvin and Hobbes movie. I’m actually surprised we don’t have one yet.
https://twitter.com/HarrietFilm/status/1153644731928207360
wow that was fast
Harriet looks great. Wasn’t on my radar but sure is now.
wonderful – and about bloody time! – that she’s finally getting a proper cinematic treatment (since learning about HT in my terrific american history class/doing my first serious longform research essay on her i’ve hoped for this – an american hero of the highest order and one of the greatest freedom fighters in history); in a way i thought doing something a bit different, such as a tight kickin’ spy/action thriller that focused specifically on one particular HT mission – such as the raid on the combahee river described briefly in that CIA link – would have been an interesting choice cinematically but i understand taking what looks like a more expansive dramatic approach of course.
(somehow i wasn’t even aware of this movie, which is doubly weird given my long-suffering tubman obsession; my son pointed out its existence to me just before, bless)
RIP Rutger Hauer. He was great.
LOL…when you posted your original comment, I thought you were saying the Harriet movie should’ve had a bigger budget or been treated more like a superhero movie. The timing of your comment was too uncanny to just be random. The fact that you demanded a Harriet movie at the same time the trailer dropped is amazing.
Second that on Rutger Hauer.
He was a unique presence on screen.
i demand a movie that already exists! (what a weird koinkindink; maybe my HT radar was activated by tubman-ness out there in the universe and didn’t realise why! nah not really i’m too cynical for that but it is odd timing)
rutger hauer, an icon of cinema leaves behind this mortal coil, RIP
i imagine i’d be in the serious minority on this but thinking about all his great roles, i think the one that most terrifies me is john rider. i remember going to a matinee with my friend one day knowing virtually nothing about ‘the hitcher’ apart from the cast (RH from blade runner & ladyhawke at that point i think) and me and my mate being horrified by the movie, just relentlessly grim and dreadful. good times. thanks for the memories RH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOMKEm3x0dY
(*clip feat graphic gun violence, just a warning in case anyone is feeling fragile and prefers not to view gorey gunshots)
This was the early artwork I saw for the Harriet Tubman movie.
https://joindiaspora.com/uploads/images/thumb_large_6a0fefe27ddcc74b74cd.jpg
zing
Perfect casting. She is so versatile. Glad she’s finding work.
Versatile doesn’t even begin to describe her! She actually plays multiple roles in Harriet, including one scene where she’s both Harriet and the tree that Harriet is sitting under.
There was only one person on the planet who could play that tree.
Dear Leah,
You are right. I was wrong. United States of America is over.
Everyone fucking duck, he’s gonna be re-elected.
Mueller was never going to save us. He was hogtied from the beginning and isn’t willing to express that in layman’s terms in front of cameras. So the options are
A) Begin Impeachment hearings with what is there and hope to hell you can make the case (based on yesterday, the house can’t seem to find their footings on how to do that).
B) Wait for another shoe to drop, DuetscheBank or SDNY or something from Epsteins closet and start with that fresh outrage
C) Elect him out, though it seems so very far away, and the strain the world will take in the interim seems too much, this will be the cleanest option. And then hit him with everything as a private citizen, prove moneylaundering and take all he owns in a RICO case flushing the entire family of rats out to sea.
Election is really the only dependable thing we have anymore. It’s what gave us this Congress that could pull of a Mueller hearing in the first place. Still can’t believe in a country that is so gung-ho about its democracy that we can’t be bothered as citizens to show up at the polls, literally the one job we have to do in democracy.
I need to be clear:
*My* expectations for Mueller was never Trump being removed from office. Same goes for impeachment. My expectation from day 1 until now is that the only means Trump is leaving office is via ballot. No problem!
However, what bothers me about yesterday is how the Dems are playing a prevent defense game that is from every losing Dem playbook from my entire lifetime.
Take it from me, guys: I am a former conservative Republican from just a few years ago that’s had a midlife political change of conscience. I’m telling you: the same goofy “loser Dems” I used to make fun of for being spinless and guileless in the face of “badass” Republicans are all right here running Dem leadership’s strategies right now.
Pelosi should have started impeachment, at least an inquiry. Use the GOP’s wagon circling as an albatross. Press the fucking case. And yeah, maybe yell a little. Lindsay Graham almost singe handedly saved the Kavanaugh hearing with that phony purple rage out. We need a little of that. Instead, it’s just business as usual.
So there’s that. Now we get to the next part of this: who fucking cares which dem wins? Will it matter? GOP won’t allow a single bill to get through. Not a single accomplishment. And if they retake the House, which is possible because Dems have made no compelling argument to keep them there, then what? I promise you President Democrat will be impeached in NOOOOO time. And yes, I do believe the GOP would go so far as to remove. Fuck yes. Why not? They have made it completely clear it’s all about power power power now.
We are toast. We backed an 85 year old multimillionaire as the leader of the Resistence. Shame on us.
What Amblin said–except the part about being a former conservative Republican.
I feel little but abject despair these days.
As long as Dems remain spineless (and let “woker/purer than thou” types run roughshod over everyone else–i.e., until election day when, like in 2016, they won’t f***ing show up), Trump and his enablers will continue to destroy what’s left of “American Democracy.”
ugh my heart breaks for you, for all of us
(you know that scene in ‘the abyss’ when lindsay has proper drowned and bud is pounding and slapping the shit out of her lifeless body out of sheer love and determination, screaming at her that she’s never backed away from anything in her goddam life so FIGHT!!! and she comes back? don’t y’all dare give up, go down fighting for the best and loftiest ideals of your country, stand up for those more vulnerable than yourselves, be like harriet)
“Proper drowned” just struck me as so funny. I m HOWLING at 7:31am PST in my office.
I’m not “fighting”, but I have my ideals and no one will corrupt. I give what time and money I have, I proselytize where appropriate, and speak out when bullshit happens in front of me. I think my main point is I have zero expectations for 2020, for this country, for my fellow Americans. 40% of us have been revealed to be so hateful of the other 60% I can’t even see a way out regardless.
2020 is a must win for Dems. But even so, Pandora’s Box has been opened. The battle is far from over.
Still amazes me how much the Dems are failing at messaging. When Trump repeatedly said “Repeal and Replace” how come the Dems didn’t come back with “Replace with What”, over and over again? Put the ball in their court. “I like heroes who weren’t captured.” Dems should have rolled out a convention of former POWs. “Grab em by the pussy” should’ve been on a permanent loop on fucking Spotify. It’s way the Republicans are winning. They know that power begets power. They got their President, but it wasn’t really about Trump. It was about the Supreme Court, and the lower Courts, and controlling the Electoral districts to ensure they could win the next election while losing by an even wider popular vote. The Dems just don’t seem to have the big picture in mind and are still engaging in the circular firing squad to be left with the last battered and bruised person who’s the most “woke” as their candidate. They didn’t believe Trump could win in 2016. I’m wary that they are heading toward making the same mistake in 2020. If it’s this bad now, think about a Donald Trump, who doesn’t have to run for re-election. It’ll be a total scorched earth policy and we, not just Americans, will be unceremoniously FUCKED!