MCN Weekend Archive for October, 2012
Friday Estimates
Argo is well on its way to a solid $16m+ start, but the highly praised international thriller is what some will consider a disappointing #3, behind the new horror film Sinister, and the second weekend of Taken 2, off 62%, but still potent. Don’t expect the 3 titles to be in the same order by weekend’s end.
Read the full article »Wilmington on Movies: Seven Psychopaths
That’s sixteen characters (and one Shih Tzu) altogether, including the four psychopaths we already mentioned. You’ll just have to figure out who the other three psychos are yourself, or wait until McDonagh shows one of them in the movie, and flashes the title “Psychopath One” (or whatever) on screen. There are some surprises. But I’d go see a movie with any three of the seven actors playing actual psychopaths in this one, in a trice. Or a movie just with Chris Walken and any two others, even the dog.
Read the full article »The DVD Wrapup: Rock of Ages, Little Shop, Prometheus, Cat in Paris, People Like Us … More
As so often happens when Broadway goes Hollywood, the musical was edited to please studio executives who probably hadn’t attended a live musical since high school. Geffen told the director to expect heat on the apocalyptic ending, but let him shoot it anyway. To his credit, Oz doesn’t waste any time on the commentary track complaining about something that happened 25 years earlier. He agrees that the changes helped at the box office and is happy viewers finally will be able to see the original ending, which he still defends. Even the opinions of a test audience and studio suits couldn’t screw up this bullet-proof gem, however. Neither was “Little Shop” damaged by expanding its scale. The skid-row sets, which were built in several soundstages at Britain’s Pinewood Studios, look terrific and the production numbers take up as much space as they need. The songs remain wonderful, as well, even with the fresh level of gloss and polish applied to them.
Read the full article » 1 Comment »Wilmington on DVDs: Prometheus
PICK OF THE WEEK: NEW Prometheus (Also 3 or 4 Disc Blu-ray Combo Packs) (Four Stars) U. S.: Ridley Scott, 2012 (20th Century Fox) I. PART ONE, THE SET-UP John Hurt, anyone? Prometheus is Ridley Scott’s first science fiction movie since Blade Runner three decades ago, and a prequel of sorts to his first…
Read the full article »The Weekend Report
If it ain’t broke… don’t… Like its father, Taken 2 outpaced expectations with an estimated $50.2 million to lead weekend film sales. The session’s only other wide debut was the animated Frankenweenie that slotted fifth overall with a disappointing $11.7 million bow. Following last weekend’s limited opening, Pitch Perfect expanded nationality and tuned up good results of $14.7 million that ranked it third in the lineup.
Read the full article »Friday Estimates
Last weekend, Hotel Transylvania took the record for a September opening. This weekend, we have Taken 2 threatening the record October opening of Paranormal Activity 3 ($52.6m). It may come up a little short, but it will almost certainly be the biggest sequel (as opposed to three-quel) opening in October ever.
Read the full article »The DVD Wrapup: Dark Shadows, Cinderella, Iron Sky, Flying Swords … More
Everything about Tim Burton’s feature-length remake of the ancient TV soap opera, Dark Shadows, must have seemed perfect on paper, at least.
Read the full article »Wilmington on DVDs: Peace, Love and Misunderstanding; Red Lights
PEACE, LOVE, & MISUNDERSTANDING (Two and a Half Stars) U.S. Bruce Beresford, 2011 (MPI Home Video) In Peace, Love & Misunderstanding — a cinematic salute/love ballad to the survivors of the ’60s — Jane Fonda plays Grandma Grace, whom you might describe as a permanent ambassador from Woodstock Nation. A devotee of sex, drugs…
Read the full article »Wilmington on DVDs: Dark Shadows
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: NEW DARK SHADOWS (Three Stars) U.S.: Tim Burton, 2012 The original TV “Dark Shadows” was a hell of a soap, a classic of ‘60s-’70s pop/trash culture. When you watch it today, you can almost hear a ghostly backdrop chorus of Nixon and McGovern speeches, Walter Cronkite reporting the Vietnam…
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