Posts Tagged ‘Sucker Punch’
Thursday, April 14th, 2011
With all the discussion about Sucker Punch and whether it’s empowerment, empornement or just fantasy fun, a similarly themed film with Emily Browning is landing in Cannes.
Clearly, Sleeping Beauty is more in the Breillat, Belle du Jour camp (as in, ” it will take itself very seriously”). And the titles, cutting, and music on the trailer mean that someone thinks it’s Kubrickian. But will it be an important compare-and-contrast moment for people who like to consider cinema in a serious way, aside from the high-minded comparisons? Will this film somehow force some of us to take Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch more seriously? Or will it be a teaching moment, showing how the same idea can be made with or without insight ?
Of course, Sleeping Beauty could be worse than Snyder’s film. It could be prurient. Breillat’s work certainly flips between masturbatory (literally and figuratively) and brilliant. Just because it’s a woman creating the soft-core porn doesn’t make it smart.
We’ll see…
Sleeping Beauty from Pollen Digital on Vimeo.
Tags: Sleeping Beauty (2011), Sucker Punch
Posted in MCN Blogs, The Hot Blog | 13 Comments »
Sunday, April 10th, 2011
The Best That You Can Do is …
Audiences continued to Hop to it as the animated Easter eggs-travaganza topped weekend tickets sales with an eggs-timated $21.6 million. The film bounded well ahead of a quarter of new national releases that saw the remake of Arthur and the distaff thriller Hanna competing for the second slot with the former squeaking ahead by about 200k with a $12.5 million tally. The inspirational Soul Surfer bowed to $10.9 million and the tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler Your Highness swiped $9.5 million.
Among the new niche releases were the non-fiction nature study Born to Be Wild with $820,000 from 206 cages (194 in 3D) and the Mexican comedy No Eres Tu, Soy Yo that grossed $530,000 at 226 venues. Bollywood entry Thank You failed to revivify that sector with a $253,000 bow from 92 engagements.
Exclusives this weekend saw a couple of glimmers of hope including the minimalist western Meek’s Cut Off with $19,800 at two screens. Solo outings for docs Blank City on Manhattan’s early Punk scene and American: The Bill Hicks Story profiling the late comic genius respectively rang up $10,600 and $6,400 in ducats.
The frame’s overall tally generated roughly $118 million and slipped 5% behind last weekend’s biz. It was a slightly more severe 7% lag from 2010 when the second weekend of Clash of the Titans led with $26.6 million; edging out the $25.2 million gross for newcomer Date Night.
Hopes weren’t particularly high for any of the quartet of newcomers with Arthur given the best prospects that ranged from $12 million to $18 million. Your Highness was also overestimated with pundits pegging its bow somewhere between $11 million to $15 million. Conversely the mavens viewed Hanna’s topmost performance at $10 million with similar expectations for Soul Surfer that proved to be accurate.
Hanna’s strength largely came from unexpected response from males that composed slightly more than half of its audience. Soul Surfer drew a resounding 80% female crowd and was the only one of the four new films that had a majority under 25 demographic with 56%. Arthur was 64% older, Your Highness was 55% dominated by plus 25s and Hanna was at the high end with 69%.
The shift so far this year to an older set of ticket buyers has largely been cited as a reflection of weak product though one can hardly imagine what aspect of such films as Sucker Punch or Drive Angry could possibly draw a mature buyer to the multiplex. The industry mantra is that younger male avids will be back in force come May when the summer tentpole fun rides are unleashed.
What appears to have stumped the pundits is what exactly are these bulwarks of movie going doing during this apparent hiatus? No one appears to have done surveys that might indicate whether a trend exists or if there’s an absence of a conclusive shift to other activities. Regardless, no one believes this segment is staying at home and exercising their fast food options. So, clearly the new VoD initiatives are directed toward them and their involvement in the movie experience remains vital to the industry’s health and welfare.
Weekend (estimates)
April 8 – 10, 2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (avg) |
% chng |
Theaters |
Cume |
Hop |
Uni |
21.6 (5,980) |
-42% |
3616 |
68.1 |
Arthur |
WB |
12.5 (3,810) |
NEW |
3276 |
12.5 |
Hanna |
Focus |
12.3 (4,850) |
NEW |
2535 |
12.3 |
Soul Surfer |
Sony |
10.9 (4,910) |
NEW |
2214 |
10.9 |
Insidious |
Film District |
9.8 (4,060) |
-26% |
2419 |
27.2 |
Your Highness |
Uni |
9.5 (3,420) |
NEW |
2769 |
9.5 |
Source Code |
Summit |
9.0 (3,040) |
-39% |
2971 |
28.6 |
Limitless |
Relativity |
5.6 (2,130) |
-40% |
2642 |
64.3 |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules! |
Fox |
4.9 (1,690) |
-52% |
2881 |
45.5 |
The Lincoln Lawyer |
Lions Gate |
4.4 (1,830) |
-35% |
2420 |
46.3 |
Rango |
Par |
2.3 (1,140) |
-49% |
2007 |
117.5 |
Sucker Punch |
WB |
2.1 (1,180) |
-66% |
1755 |
33.9 |
Paul |
Uni |
1.7 (1,040) |
-59% |
1667 |
35.1 |
Battle: Los Angeles |
Sony |
1.5 (1,090) |
-57% |
1408 |
81.2 |
Jane Eyre |
Focus |
1.2 (4,780) |
-3% |
247 |
5.2 |
Win Win |
Fox Searchlight |
1.2 (5,220) |
4% |
226 |
3.5 |
The Adjustment Bureau |
Uni |
.88 (1,120) |
-59% |
783 |
60.1 |
Born to Be Wild |
WB |
.82 (3,980) |
NEW |
206 |
0.82 |
The King’s Speech |
Weinstein Co. |
.55 (810) |
-52% |
675 |
137.6 |
No Eres Tu, Soy Yo |
Lions Gate |
.53 (2340) |
NEW |
226 |
0.53 |
Red Riding Hood |
WB |
.52 (670) |
-71% |
777 |
36.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total
($500,000+ Films) |
|
$113.80 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
-7% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
-5% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
Thank You |
UTV |
.25 (2,750) |
|
92 |
0.25 |
Kill the Irishman |
Anchor Bay |
91,600 (1,760) |
-19% |
52 |
0.85 |
Miral |
Weinstein Co. |
55,700 (1,920) |
-24% |
29 |
0.25 |
In a Better World |
Sony Classics |
48,600 (4,050) |
47% |
12 |
0.1 |
Meek’s Cut Off |
Osciloscope |
19,800 (9,900) |
|
2 |
0.02 |
Blank City |
FilmsWeLike |
10,600 (10,600) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Meet Monica Velour |
Anchor Bay |
7,300 (3,650) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
Ceremony |
Magnolia |
6,800 (2,270) |
|
3 |
0.01 |
Henry’s Crime |
Moving Pictures |
6,600 (3,300) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
American: The Bill Hicks Story |
Variance |
6,400 (6,400) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
To Die Like a Man |
Strand |
2,150 (2,150) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic Market Share (Jan. 1 – April 7, 2011) |
|
|
|
|
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
|
|
|
Paramount (9) |
413.6 |
18.20% |
|
|
|
Sony (10) |
370.9 |
16.30% |
|
|
|
Universal (8) |
276.1 |
12.10% |
|
|
|
Warner Bros. (14) |
273.6 |
12.00% |
|
|
|
Buena Vista (6) |
255.2 |
11.20% |
|
|
|
Weinstein Co. (4) |
133.4 |
5.90% |
|
|
|
Fox (6) |
127.6 |
5.60% |
|
|
|
Relativity (4) |
90.5 |
4.00% |
|
|
|
Fox Searchlight (4) |
82.9 |
3.70% |
|
|
|
CBS (3) |
56.6 |
2.50% |
|
|
|
Lions Gate (6) |
47.5 |
2.10% |
|
|
|
summit (4) |
31.8 |
1.40% |
|
|
|
Focus (3) |
25.1 |
1.10% |
|
|
|
FilmDistrict (1) |
17.4 |
0.80% |
|
|
|
eOne/Seville (7) |
14.5 |
0.60% |
|
|
|
Sony Classics (6) |
12.3 |
0.50% |
|
|
|
Other * (99) |
44.3 |
2.00% |
|
|
|
|
2273.3 |
100.00% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* none greater than 0.4% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top Domestic Grossers *
(Jan. 1 – April 7, 2011) |
|
|
|
|
Title |
Distributor |
Gross |
|
|
|
The King’s Speech * |
Weinstein Co. |
119,361,676 |
|
|
|
Rango |
Par |
115,230,893 |
|
|
|
Just Go With It |
Sony |
101,651,979 |
|
|
|
True Grit * |
Par |
100,131,192 |
|
|
|
The Green Hornet |
Sony |
98,588,503 |
|
|
|
Gnomeo and Juliet |
BV/eOne |
97,075,887 |
|
|
|
Battle: Los Angeles |
Sony |
79,700,377 |
|
|
|
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never |
Par |
72,707,468 |
|
|
|
No Strings Attached |
Par |
70,662,220 |
|
|
|
Black Swan * |
Fox Searchlight |
65,964,914 |
|
|
|
Little Fockers * |
Uni |
64,117,440 |
|
|
|
Unknown |
WB |
62,821,544 |
|
|
|
The Adjustment Bureau |
Uni |
59,231,700 |
|
|
|
Limitless |
Relativity |
58,688,230 |
|
|
|
The Fighter * |
Par/Alliance |
54,624,687 |
|
|
|
Tron: Legacy * |
BV |
54,483,200 |
|
|
|
I Am Number 4 |
BV |
53,949,381 |
|
|
|
The Dilemma |
Uni |
48,800,147 |
|
|
|
Hop |
Uni |
46,456,305 |
|
|
|
Hall Pass |
WB |
44,034,990 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* does not include 2010 box office |
|
|
|
|
|
Tags: Arthur, Battle: Los Angeles, Born to Be Wild, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Hanna, hop, Insidious, Jane Eyre, limitless, No Eres Tu, Paul, Rango, Red Riding Hood, Soul Surfer, Source Code, Soy Yo, Sucker Punch, The Adjustment Bureau, The King's Speech, The Lincoln Lawyer, Win Win, Your Highness
Posted in Columns, Klady, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 10th, 2011
And this is why weekend-to-weekend looks so crappy. Last year on “this” weekend, there were $27m in openers. This weekend, $46m. But the weekend is still well behind last year because Sucker Punch was WB’s entry, not Clash of the Titans, and there was no DWA film (last year, it was a leggy Dragon) doing $25m in a third weekend while Hop, which is a success story (but a mild one), did $21m in Weekend Two. Those two holdovers and one $25m opener (Date Night) overpower nearly $20m in more opening firepower this year than last.
If you simply flipped last year’s WB entry for this year’s, “this year’s weekend” would be ahead of “last year’s weekend” by over $15 million. And if wishes were fishes… But you get the point, no? It’s about the movies, not the market. Until there is a much longer lasting set of data that involves a more muscular set of movies being off by similar amounts, I’m not taking any “slump” seriously. Of course, if you want to believe that somehow Clash of the Titans would have done half the business it did if it opened this year or that Sucker Punch would have done more than double what it’s doing opening last year, please, feel free to make the argument.
One genre that may be nearing its end in this cycle as an industry cash cow is the stoned comedy. Since the Superbad/Knocked Up back-to-back smashes, Team Apatow has racked up just one $100m movie (Step Brothers) in 8 attempts. And while Apatow had nothing to do with the two movies gently opening this weekend (Arthur/Your Highness), they are both bastard children of his camp. Like many niche genres in Hollywood, no reason that this one can’t go on. But costs have to be contained and then these are the kinds of legged-out doubles that studios can use to keep the balance sheet positive build library, an occasionally get a surprise big hit. But right now, they are a little expensive and aren’t delivering on the expectations that the studios have when greenlighting them. (Expectations from tracking come long after the horse is out of the barn.)
Hanna is a really nice opening for Focus. They picked up the film in most of the world (Sony has some territories), extending their relationship with Joe Wright, and this opening is better than any two weekends of Atonement domestic grosses combined. Given some strong word-of-mouth (and a soft market for good movies), it could even end up passing Atonement‘s $50m gross.
Bob Berney is back in business. Soul Surfer is a Sony release, but Film District marketed it for Sony, and the results are strong for what could well have been a much smaller feel-good film. And Insidious had a 26% hold, which is almost unheard of for any film in this front-loaded market, much less a horror film. This is one of this year’s real success stories already, likely heading to more than $50m domestic.
Source Code didn’t hold quite as well, but it does seem that we are in the first stretch of commercial movies this year that anyone is happy to recommend.
Tags: Arthur, Battle: Los Angeles, Born to Be Wild, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Hanna, hop, Insidious, Jane Eyre, limitless, No Eres Tu, Paul, Rango, Red Riding Hood, Soul Surfer, Source Code, Soy Yo, Sucker Punch, The Adjustment Bureau, The King's Speech, The Lincoln Lawyer, Win Win, Your Highness
Posted in Box Office, MCN Blogs, The Hot Blog | 31 Comments »
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
Tags: Sucker Punch
Posted in MCN Curated Headlines, Movie City News | Comments Off on “Sucker Punch is quite possibly the most colossal collective misreading of satire since Paul Verhoeven was accused of being a fascist for Starship Troopers.”
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
As I sat through Sucker Punch, the film’s many filmic parents sprung to mind, one after the other. In the end, however, I was struck by the remarkable correlation the film has to Rob Marshall’s Nine, which is to say, it is an incoherent series of “numbers” strung together by the weakest of screenplays and an absolute failure to mine the core idea in a thoughtful way.
Thing is, Nine is a minor masterpiece compared to this film. Rob Marshall, in spite of a bad habit of reducing away the smart stuff and getting only the camp out of the genius he imitates slavishly – Bob Fosse – exhibits some very good taste. The two films only really meet in the weak whore segment with Fergie as little more than an object of the lens.
Snyder’s Sucker Punch is really the straight geek version of Burlesque, with Carla Gugino and her breasts stepping in for Cher and her mask, Emily Browning and her young ripe body and dance panties in for Christina Aguilera’s actual talent in the face of an aging soft-focused physique (by show biz sex goddess standards), Abbie Cornish in as the sexy bitch with curves in place of Kristin Bell with comedy chops and no curves, and Scott Glenn (who else can be Perry White in McZ’s Superman?) as the old queen with action chops in for Stanley Tucci as the old queen who can be so charming he distracts the audience from the crap they’re watching. Add an assortment of little known/irrelevant T&A and beefy boys and you have high camp that arouses immature men or men who love men… your choice.
Sucker Punch exposes Snyder as a one-trick pony. This is where he shares the McG problem. The difference is that McG used insane editing to try to cover for his lack of coverage or interest in storytelling while Snyder uses gags like he was doing an animated short, of interest for an instant, but briefer and less long lasting than a lingering shot of a milky thigh… and milky thigh shots turn up in this film like necks in a vampire film.
Here Snyder is, really given his chance to fly, and he comes up with a Roger Corman women-in-prison movie with a coat of CG paint and the lack of courage that Corman had to show the boys the goodies they were craning their necks to see and instead just delivers Ultimate Upskirt: The Motion Picture. I am as pleased to look at toned inner thighs and the very top of the thigh as it meets the buttocks as any guy… but there is something a bit creepy about the director slowing down the movie every time the heroine (seemingly playing a teen, but actually 22) flips over in a fight so we are looking up her short skirt so that we can see every muscle flex more clearly than if we were on a date on which she was about to be assured a happy ending.
(more…)
Tags: Sucker Punch
Posted in MCN Blogs, MCN Originals, Movie City News, Movie Review, Reviews, The Hot Blog | 148 Comments »
Sunday, March 27th, 2011
Burger King
Rodrick indeed ruled as Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 trumped fellow debutante Sucker Punch to take the weekend box office crown with an estimated $24.5 million. The visually bombastic head game Sucker settled in the second slot with $19.2 million.
The session was chock-a-block with entries in limited and exclusive debuts. The inspirational sports-themed The 5th Quarter proved to be a low scorer with $208,000 tally from 123 courts while in Canada the local vigilante carnage of Hobo With a Shotgun blew away $168,000 at 47 box cars. Also in Canada, Brit import West is West (following up on East is East) compassed to $39,800 from 17 venues.
Exclusives saw good results for the controversial Palestine-set Miral of $65,600 from four screens and $84,300 at seven locales for French comedy Potiche. Also Gallic, animated prize winner Mia and the Migoo rang up $16,400 from a single reported engagement.
Weekend revenues topped $120 million for a slim 5% boost from seven days earlier and sank a further 7% from the 2010 comparable. A year ago the bow of How to Train Your Dragon led with $43.7 million and newcomer Hot Tub Time Machine slotted third with $14 million.
With only a single weekend bettering last year’s record, Q1 domestic box office is running an alarming 23% behind 2010. That’s a lot of catching up to do and certainly a daunting challenge to generate comparable admission stats.
Tracking pegged the weekend as an easy win for Sucker Punch with pundits convinced young males would propel the slightly salacious fantasy of young femme warriors to low to mid-$20 million box office. Indeed exit polling showed the audience as 64% male and 45% under the age of 25. A further 29% were aged 26 to 35 and should those kind of demos continue as they have this year, the summer tentpoles won’t be quite at the level of past seasonal fare.
The second installment of kid lit fave Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules was pegged to gross between $18 million to $22 million, or at the high end slightly less than what the first episode grossed its opening weekend. Rather it bettered the original by 11% with males edging out females with a 51% slice if the audience. The target audience of youth and families resulted in a crowd comprised 59% under the age of 25. Mars Needs Moms notwithstanding, pictures aimed at the very youngest movie goers have been least effected by viewing declines in 2011.
The other resilient audience segment has been plus 25 women and this weekend that translated into strong holds for the likes of The Lincoln Lawyer and The Adjustment Bureau. As for the elusive four quadrant movie, the only evidence of its existence in Q1 was True Grit.
Weekend Estimates
Weekend (estimates)
March 25 – 27, 2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change |
Theaters |
Cume |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules! |
Fox |
24.5 (7,730) |
NEW |
3167 |
24.5 |
Sucker Punch |
WB |
19.2 (6,340) |
NEW |
3033 |
19.2 |
Limitless |
Relativity |
15.2 (5,410) |
-20% |
2805 |
41.2 |
The Lincoln Lawyer |
Lions Gate |
10.7 (3,960) |
-19% |
2707 |
28.7 |
Rango |
Par |
9.9 (2,710) |
-35% |
3645 |
106.4 |
Paul |
Uni |
7.5 (2,660) |
-43% |
2806 |
24.6 |
Battle: Los Angeles |
Sony |
7.4 (2,370) |
-49% |
3118 |
72.4 |
Red Riding Hood |
WB |
4.3 (1,570) |
-41% |
2715 |
32.4 |
The Adjustment Bureau |
Uni |
4.2 (1,840) |
-27% |
2282 |
54.8 |
Mars Needs Moms |
BV |
2.2 (1,000) |
-59% |
2170 |
19.1 |
Beastly |
CBS |
2.1 (1,350) |
-33% |
1585 |
25.3 |
Hall Pass |
WB |
1.7 (1,400) |
-35% |
1204 |
42.3 |
The King’s Speech |
TWC |
1.6 (1,480) |
-23% |
1062 |
134.9 |
Gnomeo and Juliet |
BV/eOne |
1.5 (1,080) |
-36% |
1364 |
95.8 |
Just Go With It |
Sony |
1.5 (1,330) |
-34% |
1116 |
100.2 |
Jane Eyre |
Focus |
.96 (10,670) |
106% |
90 |
1.9 |
Unknown |
WB |
.62 (900) |
-51% |
688 |
62.2 |
Tangled |
BV |
.52 (1,730) |
-16% |
301 |
198.5 |
I Am Number 4 |
BV |
.48 (940) |
-52% |
512 |
53.5 |
Win Win |
Searchlight |
.46 (20,040) |
207% |
23 |
0.67 |
Cedar Rapids |
Searchlight |
.41 (1,200) |
-22% |
342 |
6.1 |
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son |
Fox |
.37 (910) |
-48% |
406 |
36.9 |
Of Gods and Men |
SPC |
.35 (2,960) |
26% |
120 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$115.60 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
-7% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
5% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
The Fifth Quarter |
Rocky Mtn |
.21 (1,690) |
|
123 |
0.21 |
Hobo With a Shotgun |
Alliance |
.17 (3,570) |
|
47 |
0.17 |
Kill the Irishman |
Anchor Bay |
.14 (3,440) |
1% |
41 |
0.5 |
Potiche |
Music Box |
84,300 (10,540) |
|
7 |
0.08 |
Miral |
TWC |
65,600 (16,400) |
|
4 |
0.07 |
West is West |
D Film |
39,800 (2,340) |
|
17 |
0.04 |
Winter in Wartime |
SPC |
26,200 (3,270) |
75% |
8 |
0.05 |
White Irish Drinkers |
ScrnMedia |
17,900 (2,980) |
|
6 |
0.02 |
Jaloux |
Seville |
17,700 (2,210) |
|
8 |
0.02 |
Mia and the Migoo |
Gkids |
16,400 (16,400) |
|
1 |
0.02 |
My Perestroika |
INFC |
14,600 (14,600) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Catch Me I’m in Love |
ABS |
6,200 (6,200) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Peep World |
IFC |
5,800 (1,940) |
|
3 |
0.01 |
Bal (Honey) |
Olive |
4,300 (4,300) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic Market share
(Jan. 1 – March 24, 2011) |
|
|
|
|
|
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
|
|
|
Paramount (9) |
393.3 |
20.20% |
|
|
|
Sony (10) |
352.5 |
18.10% |
|
|
|
Buena Vista (6) |
246.8 |
12.60% |
|
|
|
Warner Bros. (13) |
227.2 |
11.60% |
|
|
|
Universal (7) |
204.5 |
10.50% |
|
|
|
Weinstein Co. (3) |
129.3 |
6.60% |
|
|
|
Fox (5) |
86.1 |
4.40% |
|
|
|
Fox Searcchlight (4) |
79.5 |
4.10% |
|
|
|
Relativity (4) |
57.8 |
3.00% |
|
|
|
CBS (3) |
52.6 |
2.70% |
|
|
|
Lions Gate (6) |
23.5 |
1.20% |
|
|
|
Focus (3) |
21.9 |
1.10% |
|
|
|
eOne/Seville (7) |
13.9 |
0.70% |
|
|
|
Summit (3) |
12.2 |
0.60% |
|
|
|
Sony Classics (5) |
11.1 |
0.60% |
|
|
|
Other * (83) |
38.3 |
2.00% |
|
|
|
|
1950.5 |
100.00% |
|
|
|
Tags: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules, Sucker Punch
Posted in Columns, Klady, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | Comments Off on The Weekend Report: March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26th, 2011
An eye-pleasing byproduct of Zack Snyder’s write-about-able feature: The Trenches. Below, Dragons, Distant Planet and Feudal Warriors. All animated by Ben Hibon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM96TDja_Jo&feature=player_embedded
(more…)
Tags: Sucker Punch
Posted in MCN Blogs, Movie City Indie | Comments Off on Four Animated Shorts Inspired By SUCKER PUNCH
Friday, March 25th, 2011
Sucker Punch (Two and a Half Stars)
U,S.: Zack Snyder, 2011
Great visual effects. Lousy script. That seems to be a consensus on Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, even among some people who like it. And I guess I’d agree. Sort of. The movie is too incoherent and confusing to be really counted a success, too brilliantly executed on many technical levels to be dismissed as worthless trash. And even if that’s what’s wrong with many big studio movies today — they tend to give us stunning technique and visuals at the service of half-baked scripts or woefully unrealized ideas — well, stunning technique is nothing to sneeze at. Sucker Punch has it.
But what is this complex, flashy, elaborately designed, rock-’em sock-’em show about really? Freedom? The World of the Imagination? Or just Babes with Guns in Hot Pants?
(more…)
Tags: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, monogamy, Sucker Punch
Posted in Columns, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, MCN Weekend Reviews, Movie City News, Movie Review, Reviews, Wilmington | Comments Off on Wilmington on Movies: Sucker Punch, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Monogamy
Friday, March 18th, 2011
The Prizes include the Movie Poster, tee shirts, temporary tattoos, bags, a collectable Zippo lighter, the Art of Sucker Punch book, and a leather Corset Cuff.
The Rules Contest Rules: Drawing May 12, 2011 from entries received no later
5:00 p.m.(PDT) on May 10, 2011. You may enter once per day. One prize per person.
Tags: Sucker Punch
Posted in Film Docket, misc | 77 Comments »
It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon