Welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I hopelessly predict the weekend box office tallies. After the two complete and utter failures of last weekend (Tom Cruise’s “Rock of Ages” and Adam Sandler’s “That’s My Boy”), there is no place for this weekend’s releases to go but up. It helps that one […]
Box Office Beat: Weekend of June 22 Read More »
Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg’s first collaboration, the R-rated “That’s My Boy,” didn’t work out so well (read James’ review here), but knowing that film would tank at the box office probably wouldn’t have changed Sony’s decision to green-light the pair’s subsequent foray into family-friendly animation. In “Hotel Transylvania,” Sandler voices none other than Count
New trailer: “Hotel Transylvania” Read More »
Pierre Morel’s “Taken” was the movie that launched the Liam Neeson Renaissance, which elevated Neeson from “admired character actor”-status to “action star”-status. It grossed a whopping $226 million worldwide, and this was made all the more impressive by the fact that 64 percent of the total came from the United States — highly unusual for
New international trailer: “Taken 2” Read More »
Few trends have damaged the quality of modern filmmaking more than the growing importance of opening weekend box office numbers. For a movie to be considered a hit, it must perform well on Day One; the industry no longer supports 10-week engagements that allow quality films to grow based on audience word-of-mouth. As a result,
Review: “Peace, Love & Misunderstanding” Read More »
Andrew Sarris, one of the defining voices in modern film criticism, died today from an infection developed after a fall. He was 83. Sarris rose to prominence in what many refer to as the golden age of film criticism, the 1960s, when the studio system was in decline and the era of the international auteur
Film critic Andrew Sarris dies at 83 Read More »
In their third adaptation of a historically-set novel, director Joe Wright and actress Keira Knightley are tackling Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” Given that the duo’s prior collaborations (“Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement”) are the best things they’ve ever done in their respective careers, it’s hard not to watch this trailer with giddy optimism. “Anna Karenina,”
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In one of the stranger pieces of entertainment news in some time, it was announced today that Nicolas Winding Refn, director of “Drive” and “Bronson,” will remake the 1960s cult classic “Barbarella” for European television. Yes, that “Barbarella,” the film that starred a young Jane Fonda as a warrior-like sex symbol assigned by the President of
Nicolas Winding Refn to adapt “Barbarella” for television Read More »
Citing a lack of enthusiasm from those involved at studios New Line Cinema and Warner Bros, Jim Carrey has quit the “Dumb and Dumber” sequel, just three months after it was formally announced. Carrey told E.T. Online of his departure: “I would have thought ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ [sic] was a no-brainer. After all, it’s implied in
Jim Carrey quits “Dumb and Dumber” sequel Read More »
The first teaser trailer for Disney/Pixar’s “Monsters University,” a prequel to their immensely popular “Monsters Inc.,” has hit the web. Despite being college-aged in the new film, Mike and Sully seem very similar to their older selves, so fans of the original should be very excited for this one. (I personally think “Monsters Inc.” lesser
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Now that Bella and Edward have gotten all the mushy romantic stuff out of the way, it’s time for war. The new teaser for “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” promises an epic battle or two — not between vampires and werewolves this time, but rather the Cullens and the Volturi (you know,
New teaser: “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Read More »
