MCN Weekend Archive for July, 2013
Wilmington on DVDs: Safety Last!
The sight of Jazz Age comedy icon Harold Lloyd, in Safety Last!, desperately clinging to the hands of a clock as they bend and dangle him above the street, has to be one of the imperishable images in all American movie comedy.
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Despicable Me 2 set a new box-office record with an estimated $83.1 million opening weekend. That left the frame’s other major debut The Lone Ranger, on the distant horizon with $29.4 million. And it was stand-up business of $9.9 million for Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain in his concert performance. Among the limited/exclusive freshmen The Way, Way Back passed on its way, way down the water chute to an excellent $558,000 launch at 19 vacation spots.
Read the full article » 1 Comment »Friday Box Office Estimates
A dominant opening by Despicable Me 2 threatens the record July 4 weekend grosser, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon‘s $97.9 million… but will probably come up just short. Meanwhile, The Lone Ranger will open to about a $47m 5-day, which leaves Disney praying for international, just like many of the films that have been touted as summer hits based on somewhat better openings. The Way, Way Back, on just 19 screens, is looking at around $25k per, which is solid, but not overwhelming.
Read the full article »Wilmington on Movies: The Lone Ranger
There are one or two good pictures buried inside Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger, which stars Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger, and is actually long enough (149 minutes) to have several movies extracted from it.
Read the full article » 6 Comments »Wilmington on Movies: Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain
Standup comedians are, in some ways, the decathlon athletes of show business. They have to do it all, do it fast, do it strong.
Read the full article » 1 Comment »Wilmington on Movies: Despicable Me 2
Zippily done, but somehow less emotional and more forgettable this time around, Despicable Me 2 is our second antic cartoon look at the despicable if lovable bad guy Gru (a bald, fat, knife-nosed super-villain voiced by the ubiquitous Steve Carell) and his despicable, if lovable Minions (pop-eyed little ambulatory yellow balls voiced by the movie’s super-directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud). Together, they made a wry, horrific ensemble and they‘re joined (or rejoined) this time by Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Benjamin Bratt and other skillful, funny actors playing bizarre, if sometimes lovable, people and creatures.
Read the full article »The DVD Wrapup
“Dobie Gillis,” The Girl, Inescapable, Into the White, Tai Chi Hero, 6 Souls, Blood for Irina, House I Live In, Burn … and so much more.
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