MCN Originals Archive for January, 2016
The DVD Wrapup: Sicario, Sleeping With Other People, Maneater, Cruel, Broad City and more
Stripped to its narrative framework, Sicario is a powerfully rendered procedural that, while chronicling a strike against a cartel kingpin, forces viewers to endorse or decry the extralegal tactics used in the elimination of so-called narco-terrorists. In the same way that Osama Bin Laden was denied the luxury of a trial by a Navy SEAL hit squad, the target of the CIA-led commando unit in Sicario isn’t likely to require the services of a lawyer, either. Do we care? No more than we sweated the details of the raid on Bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan. Villeneuve reserves those questions for Blunt’s ethically grounded FBI agent.
Read the full article »Gurus o’ Gold: Down To The Nomination Wire…
For a very confused season, things seem to be coming into focus, at least for the Gurus. Opinions are firming up on 8 Best Picture candidates. The Big Short is the big mover, rising to contention in a number of categories and even the top slot for Adapted Screenplay. Carol has suffered from a lack of guild nominations. And only one category seems wide open, even for the 5-slot… Supporting Actress. But will it all change again?
Read the full article » 16 Comments »The Weekend Report
Domestic box office for 2015 set a new record of $11.2 billion, a 7.3% revenue bump from 2014. Star Wars: The Force Awakens remained the top title in the universe with an estimated $88.8 million. There were no new national releases but The Hateful Eight expanded and shot up third with $16 million.
Read the full article »Friday Box Office Estimates
Star Wars: The Force Awakens continues to dominate the known universe, likely to announce a Sunday estimate topping Avatar‘s record domestic gross. The film will pass $700 million today, 16 days into its run, while Avatar hit the mark on its 72nd day of release.But Avatar maintains a $1.3 billion lead in international theatrical.
Daddy’s Home will pass the $90m mark that Get Hard achieved this last spring, marking Will Ferrell’s third $90m+ domestic hit in the last two years. The Hateful 8 expanded earlier than expected, delivering a solid $7,500 or so per-screen for the weekend, but significantly behind the opening of Django Unchained in 2012.
Read the full article »2015: The Studios
Disney is, simply, in a different business than anyone else. There are good parts. There are bad parts. But for now, they are the only one in the business they are in… and here is why…
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