Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office results. And it’s not just any weekend at the movies, but a four-day one, seeing as Monday is Martin Luther King Day. Between this and posting my Top 10 Films of 2012 last weekend, it finally feels […]
Box Office Beat: Weekend of January 18 Read More »
Honorable Mentions: “Argo” – Ben Affleck continues his career resurgence in front of and behind the camera with the year’s best crowd-pleaser. Centering on the true story of how the C.I.A. extracted several Americans from Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis posing as a film crew, “Argo” manages to be an affectionate satire of Hollywood
James Frazier’s Top 10 Films of 2012 Read More »
Despite a lackluster crop of summer blockbusters—“The Dark Knight Rises,” in particular, was a colossal disappointment—2012 turned out to be a very good year at the movies. Two weeks ago, with several key films left to see, I began actively wishing that I would be disappointed by my remaining viewings because I didn’t want to
Danny Baldwin’s Top 10 Films of 2012 Read More »
The killing of Usama bin Laden is widely regarded as the United States’ biggest foreign policy triumph since the Cold War, so when the inevitable film about how the C.I.A. accomplished the heroic task was announced, it was reasonable to dread that the result would be blindingly patriotic and full of phony climaxes. I pictured
Review: “Zero Dark Thirty” Read More »
Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office results. After coming within $100,000 of the estimate on “Texas Chainsaw 3D” last weekend, which surprised many by breaking $20m, I’m nearly feeling the impulse to quit while I’m ahead and not even bother with this
Box Office Beat: Weekend of January 11 Read More »
Billy Crystal’s Oscar schtick ceased being funny years ago, but if the actor’s lack of a regular paycheck from the Academy was what compelled him to spearhead “Parental Guidance”—his first starring role in a decade—then I suggest that we anoint him the ceremony’s permanent host. Enduring Crystal’s hum-drum video-package and monologue is nothing compared to
Review: “Parental Guidance” Read More »
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching numerous Chinese historical dramas on Blu-Ray this past year, it’s that Chinese moviegoers must know a lot more about their country’s history than Americans do ours. With little exposition, these films plunge the viewer into complicated situations where prior knowledge is essential to finding one’s bearings. As
Blu-Ray Review: “The Assassins” Read More »
“Jack Reacher” is based on Lee Child’s “One Shot,” the ninth mystery novel in a series of 17 that have cumulatively sold over 60 million copies worldwide, but you’d never guess this by only watching the film, which is exceedingly unexceptional. Paramount executives could have saved a lot of money on licensing fees by simply
Review: “Jack Reacher” Read More »
The title and advertised premise of Judd Apatow’s “This is 40” are diversion tactics. Yes, the focal couple turn 40 during the film and there are plenty of jokes about growing older—Debbie (Leslie Mann) pathologically lies about her age, while Pete (Paul Rudd) asks her to examine an irregularity he finds on his anus via
Review: “This is 40” Read More »
Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office results. Now that the holidays are over with, we’re back to movies being released on the standard Friday, so extrapolating predictions from existing comparisons is easier. There are only two new wide releases this weekend, so
Box Office Beat: Weekend of January 4 Read More »
