MCN Originals Archive for February, 2014
The Weekend Report
The Lego Movie snapped the industry to attention with a record-breaking estimated debut of $68.8 million. The bridesmaid slot went to another freshman, fact-based Second World War caper The Monuments Men, with a sterling $22.1 million.
Read the full article »Friday Estimates
Build them, and they will come: The Lego Movie fields WB’s dreams.
Read the full article »Wilmington on Movies: The Monuments Men
George Clooney’s The Monuments Men, which is pretty good, but not as good as it should have been, is based on a fascinating historical episode, unknown to me (and to many others, I’m sure), that makes for one of the most inspiring stories of World War II.
Read the full article »Gurus o’ Gold: Frontrunners & Potential Upsetters
This week, The Gurus offer their weekly look at the Top Ten and then, a look at the category frontrunners and potential upsets. Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o, Frozen, and the screenplay of 12 Years A Slave are the five clear frontrunners, with all 15 Gurus voting for them. The most competitive categories, by this measure, are Original Screenplay… and Best Picture.
Read the full article » 1 Comment »Review-ish: The Grand Budapest Hotel
I actually feel a little stupid trying to review this movie. You see, Wes Anderson is a painter. His canvas is film. His paints are all the tools one can use to create a piece of art, including actors. To reduce a painter to each stroke is only interesting from a distant perspective.
Read the full article » 13 Comments »Picturing Sundance 14: Awards Night
Middle of the week, familiar faces aren’t recurring so often, Sundance theaters are mostly full, but not completely. But the traffic. The traffic never stops. Sundance 2014 was the first festival I’ve been to where what would once have been a workable schedule of screenings went to hell repeatedly because of traffic standstills all around Park City. The good thing about that is three or four films I would never have seen, but saw because they were the next option, half an hour forward, an hour forward, and they were good. I Pollyanna’ed that idea day and night long. Sundance: wherever you are, you’re where you were meant to be.
Read the full article »The DVD Wrapup
Dallas Buyers Club, Armstrong Lie, McConkey, Case of You, Scorned, White Queen, Code Red and more.
Read the full article »20W2O: What The Oscars Should Learn From This Super Bowl
The Oscars benefit from and have long benefited from what the Super Bowl does. It is an institution. Like all live events (and ironically, like opening a movie), no one knows what the content of the show is going to be. All they know is that they want to participate in that event. They want to have fun. They want to go, “ooooo.” They want to get ticked off. They want Jen Lawrence to trip going up the stairs but to be the world’s biggest movie star once she gets to the podium.
Read the full article » 8 Comments »Wilmington on Movies: Labor Day
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Read the full article » 1 Comment »The Weekend Report
Ride Along led the pack again with an estimated $12.3 million. And there was good news for debuting rom-com That Awkward Moment that took second with $9 million. The session’s only other debuting title was the under-the-radar drama Labor Day that ranked seventh, cutting a thin slice of $5.3 million. Exclusive newcomers largely shaped up as commercial casualties. Acclaimed nonfiction Tim’s Vermeer entered the marketplace with a talkative $54,600 tally from four engagements.
Read the full article »Friday Box Office Estimates
The buddies of Ride Along will wrestle the buddies of That Awkward Moment for the top slot… though as this is Ride Along‘s third weekend on top, it can’t really lose. Even more so, both Universal and Focus are Comcast Kids, so the family is happy. Lone Survivor and The Wolf of Wall Street pass 100, Frozen passes 350, and The Nut Job stays on pace to outgross Jack Ryan: Shadow Flop.
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