Out all the surprises last weekend the Bollywood movie Housefull 2 reaches no.9 at the US Box Office. The film is directed by Sajid Khan, brother of ace director Farah Khan. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh (only 2 originals from the first part). New faces are seen with John Abraham, Asin, Shreyas Talpade and a few others. Veteran actors Mithun Chakraborty, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Boman Irani feature in supporting roles. There is also an item song by Malaika-Arora Khan.
The Hunger Games reaches the $300m mark in 3 weeks. And I'm sure audiences are hungry for more. Worldwide the film has made just above $466m at a budget of only $78m.
I'm surprised I didn't expect such a film to have a $847,132 opening in the US but anything is possible nowadays. John Carter continues its flop reign in the US with a total of just a little close to $68m off a mega budget of $250m. Globally, it has made just a little over $260. Although crossing its budget the mega-financed film is now a mega disappointment for Disney. But I have to see for myself if the film is as suckish as believed, many disliked the company's Prince of Persia which was a blast.
Two more movies opened last weekend. American Reunion, the 4th theatrically released film with all of the major characters from the original trio, has surprisingly failed to beat The Hunger Games. It debuts at number 2. Titanic 3D enters at no.3 - another big surprise as I had predicted it would land straight at the top. It has made a global cumulative of $61m (budget of only $18m for the 3-D conversion). So definitely this will be the 2nd film to reach 2 billion after Avatar. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is at no.8. The film stars one of my favourites Ewan Mcgregor (Star Wars), and actress Emily Blunt. It is a drama film about a British man with Asperger Syndrome and how he stars gaining faith for a business idea after meeting his dreamgirl. I expect it to feature high class acting from Mcgregor as always.
And finally Journey 2 has left the office making just about $99m domestically.
April 07, 2012
This comedy seems that it borrowed a lot of cheesy one-liners from a multitude of other funny films. The film is directed by David Gordon Gr...
This comedy seems that it borrowed a lot of cheesy one-liners from a multitude of other funny films. The film is directed by David Gordon Green best-known for Pineapple Express (2008) which you can actually called laughable. I expected the same from this one. The film follows a college dropout having to babysit three kids for one evening.
The Sitter stars teen comedy star actor, producer and screenwriter Jonah Hill famous for Superbad and 21 Jump Street. So in comparison to Superbad this is a major disappointment. To star with the pros: the kids acted superbly. Their roles were distinct from each other so you expect some comic genius after the 1st half hour. New flash - you don't get it. The story is cliched and it seems Jonah Hill could've written it better even though he is 28 years old. Landry Bender acted the best of the three little musketeers and Sam Rockwell's role as a drug dealer was worth noting. Both roles outshined Hill's.
Now for more cons: only some parts make you laugh - a great minority. Most of the film borrowed ingredients from other teen coms but ended up with damaging the formula. Seriously, in some parts you can't figure out whether to smile or frown. Limited released ones have done it better.
The films also gets super predictable after the first half hour. Veteran comedy viewers won't like this although it will be OK for newer watchers. Still, it's just a time-pass film as nothing more. The film made just above $34m on a budget of $25m and deserving such The screenplay by Brain Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka is too weak. Hope for more originality from both the writer, and a better choice of films to direct for Green. Micheal De Luca also produced one of the worst comedies ever The Love Guru 2009 and one of the modern greats Fright Night 2011. Here, he has produced a combination of the two.
1.5/4...
Rotten Tomatoes 22%.
IMDB 5.6/10.
April 06, 2012
Willem Dafoe is probably best known to international audiences for playing the comic book villain Green Goblin in the Spider-man series of f...
Willem Dafoe is probably best known to international audiences for playing the comic book villain Green Goblin in the Spider-man series of films and also the Americans for Antichrist and Daybreakers. All in all he is a terrific versatile actor.
The film is Australian. It's been filmed entirely in Tasmania. The story follows hunter Martin (Dafoe) assigned to find the seemingly extinct Tasmanian Tiger for a company. This eco-thriller would've been done better with a stronger screenplay. The directing on the other hand is top notch and many will be distracted by the scenery captured in most scenes. Still, it does not distract viewers from the slowness of the plot. Character development is strong but worthless as there is so less thrill and more drama. Adventure is not even strongly felt for the audiences that want it.
The Hunter fills in the non-suspense modes with mountain footage instead of progressing the plot further. Dramatic scenes bring a feel-good atmosphere but more emphasis should've been made on the hunter's search. The Grey relied on thrill over drama and rightfully so.
Dafoe is great as always but not as Oscar worthy as Liam Neeson's in The Grey. Sam Neil has a strong screen presence. Seems he likes to star in films with a fossilised history (starred in all 3 Jurassic Parks). The beautiful Frances O'Connor stars as the female lead. But I think her role was not that necessary,
The film was released to the Aussie public on 29 Sept 2011. It is directed by Daniel Neitheim with a screenplay by Alice Addison adapting the novel of Julia Leigh with the same title.
A 2.5/5 from me.
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%.
IMDB: 6.7/19.
April 06, 2012
Action dramas don't always stand out in the mainstream. They either have too little action or too much drama. An exception is Drive (201...
Action dramas don't always stand out in the mainstream. They either have too little action or too much drama. An exception is Drive (2011).
The film has already gained cult status. The plot follows as the unnamed Driver (Ryan Gosling) moonlighting as a getaway driver and how his relationship with his next door neighbour Irene played by Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan affects his dual life.
Gosling is elegantly bad-boyish in the lead. It seems that he was destined for this role. Mulligan also suited the unhappy wife with one son act but there's no sizzling chemistry between the two stars. The driving scenes stand out from most car films. This could give Fast and Furious a run for their money. The story seems cliched in the first half hour but boils into a superb mystery afterwards. The story is carried out greatly. Ron Perlman's role may be the best he has had ever since his debut. Although, it does get too slow in some parts, action lovers still get a taste of what they want.
The movie has made a total of just a little over $75m on a budget of only $15m. Great work by Danish director (who is famous in Europe for his Pusher films) and screenwriter Hossein Amini who adapts the novel by James Sallis not only for the screen but as a work of art. It achieved a standing ovation at Cannes as well.The film also stars Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac and Christina Hendricks.
3 stars out of 4.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%.
IMDB: 8.0/10.
April 03, 2012
TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 1 The Hunger Games...
New releases Wrath of the Titans and Mirror Mirror no match for The Hunger Games. Seem it's really making moviegoers hungry since its initial release.
I knew Wrath would end up at no.2 or 3 for the 1st weekend. The trailer didn't show a first place film to start with. But I'm surprised Mirror Mirror directed by Immortal's Tarsem Singh, and starring veteran julia Roberts beat 21 Jump Street which was 2 last week. Didn't expect that though Jump Street will definitely cross the $100m mark in the US at a budget of $42m, impressive!
Safe House has finally made an exit. Can't wait to see it. John Carter continues its flop reign. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a new romantic drama that opened last weekend. It stars one of my favs Ewan Mcgregor and Emily Blunt in the leads. Act of Valor will surely exit the next weekend but will finish off with above $70m in the US. Eddie Murphy's A Thousand Words has only made its weekend run in thousands so it may end up at 10 or leave the next weekend. Journey 2 still at 10 but will surely end its top 10 run with $100m in the US.
March 26, 2012
TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 N The Hunger Games...
I couldn't believe at first the weekend gross of The Hunger Games. Based on the best-selling young adult novel by Suzanne Collins. Although I agree the book has been super popular and profitable from its initial release, my expectations were that the adaption would just cover the budget. The film star Jennifer Lawrence best-known for starring as Mystique in the overrated X-Men: First Class, along with Miley Cyrus' boyfriend Liam Hemsworth, and the skinny-sexy Elizabeth Banks.
It has grossed $155m off $78m. Last week's first 21 Jump Street seems not so colossal against The Hunger Games but has been declared both a critical and commercial success worldwide. The Lorax is also impressive in its 4th week but John Carter continues its commercial unpopularity. Big loss for Disney as they themselves have announced losing $200m at the end of March. Lead actor Taylor Kitsch may consider early retirement although he was good as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Maybe they could've starred him in X-men Origins: Gambit...
October Baby 2012 new entry at 8. A drama film winnings a couple of Best Picture awards at the Red Rock Film Festival. The weekend proves lucky as it outgrosses its budget of $1m. And it's lucky as the competition was against The Hunger Games as teenage girls were expecting to gather for both. Safe House is at 9 and Journey 2 is at 10. The former making an estimated $190m and the latter making just a little over $304m worldwide.
March 24, 2012
To begin with, ATM is ridiculous. The plot is rather absurd: Three co-workers stop off at an ATM late at night and soon find themselves co...
To begin with, ATM is ridiculous. The plot is rather absurd: Three co-workers stop off at an ATM late at night and soon find themselves confined to an enclosed area made up of an ATM booth and car park by an unknown hooded killer lurking outside. Newer horror fans might take this in but for veterans like myself it would be hard not to be judgmental.
The horror film star Brian Geraghty, Josh Peck (pictured), and Alice Eve. Peck is best known for starring in the Nickelodeon teen comedy series Drake & Josh. He's a good actor as also seen in the film. Geraghty acted the best of the trio. Eve was disappointing. It seemed as if she were laughing when crying and vice versa. So do not expect a future scream queen. As the title suggests most of the film takes place in the ATM long past midnight. The only creepy thing is the background - it's a cold frosty night. Apart from that the film is not even scary. No wonder they tossed the blonde (Eve) in.
The director couldn't even save this one. It had bad written all over it from the moment the three co-workers entered the booth. This movie falls in line with the failed slashers that occurred mostly in the aftermath of the original Halloween. Same amount of gore or even more but lacking the charisma that makes viewers scream inside out. The film is directed by David Brooks and not doubt this is his first feature venture. Hope he improves drastically in his next ones. The writer Chris Sparling globally famous for Buried 2007 which is a must-watch thriller if you haven't seen it and a better alternate to the overrated 127 hours, fails to show the same talent in ATM. I'm so shocked that he wrote this. Trust me, it's better to watch I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel this slasher.
My score: 0.5/4.
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A.
IMDB: 5.2/10.
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