Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "The Freshman" (1925)

Harold Lloyd was one of the great silent comedians of the 20th Century, and even though Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are more well known and revered among today's film scholars, Harold Lloyd was actually the most popular star during his time and the biggest box office attraction. You can see why in his films, where he plays the nerdy, socially awkward stumbler, but that awkward relatability helps his persona to hold up sometimes even better than the other two. And he was just as funny- watch The Freshman, one of his best movies, to see why; it's just as hilarious as ever. Lloyd had influences on everyone from Woody Allen to the Marx Brothers.

Trailer for the restored edition:

TRAILER #2: "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Really good new trailer for one of the superhero movies I am looking forward to this summer. Bryan Singer returns as director for the latest installment in the X-Men franchise and this one combines the old and new casts, giving you a good look at every mutant (although I have to say it's interesting that because Mystique is now Jennifer Lawrence, you get to see her in "human form" a LOT more than we ever saw Rebecca Romijn when she played her- I'm pretty sure she only got one single scene as herself in the old X-Men movies). This one's coming out May 23rd:

And here's the new poster, which is also pretty cool, I have to say:

BOX OFFICE 3/21-3/23: 'Divergent' Dominates

The latest young adult novel adaptation, Divergent, got off to a strong start this weekend, finishing in first with $56 million. Aimed at the same crowd that loves The Hunger Games, this one wasn't quite as successful and even came in slightly below expectations, but it's still a big opening and should hold well with that same audience. As expected, the audience was 60% female and under the age of 25, and gave the poorly received film an "A" Cinemascore, so this trend is likely to continue for a while. The best thing I can say about it is that with all the superhero movies dominating the box office every year, at least these ones have a female action hero, which is fairly new.

The other new release, Muppets Most Wanted, opened to disappointing numbers, pulling in just $16 million in second place. The last movie opened in 2011 to $29 million over Thanksgiving weekend and was frontloaded by a surprisingly older audience that was being driven by nostalgia, so this pretty much tells me that this generation's kids have no real connection to the beloved puppet franchise. Mr. Peabody held on in third with $11 million, so the family audience wasn't too drawn in by the Muppets, and it's now grossed $81 million overall. 300 was in fourth with $8 million and rounding out the top five was God's Not Dead, a low budget, no name movie about a college student who defends his belief in God to a professor. Faith based films are turning out to be surprisingly strong at the box office this year, with Mark Burnett's Son of God and now this movie turning a profit ahead of next week's Noah.

Top 5:

1. Divergent- $56 million
2. Muppets Most Wanted- $16.5 million
3. Mr. Peabody and Sherman- $11.7 million
4. 300: Rise of an Empire- $8.7 million
5. God's Not Dead- $8.6 million

Next week it's the release of Noah amid a swirl of controversy over whether Christian audiences will turn out for a film that has been rumored to not follow the biblical story to a tee (after all, this is Darren Aronofsky we're talking about, director of Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan), but it's already pulled in a large haul in foreign markets, particularly the largely Catholic Mexico, so it's going to be interesting to see how it does.

TRAILER: "The Giver"

The long-awaited adaptation of Lois Lowry's Newbury Award-winning novel, The Giver, is finally coming out this year. A sci-fi story that will be familiar to many who've read the book, the movie stars Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep and is set to come out August 15th. Looks like it has potential, although it could turn out to be another Ender's Game. We'll see:

Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "American Hustle" (2013)

The best blu-ray offer this week is another new release, David O. Russell's hit comedy about con men in the 1970's. Filled with energetic performances from the entire cast plus Russell's frenetic direction, which makes for his best entry to date. Fun, fresh and lively, it actually was nominated for 10 Oscars and walked away with none, joining the ranks of films like The Color Purple and Gangs of New York for that dubious honor, but it was a great movie anyway, so take another look at it now that it's out. 

Trailer:

TEASER: "Peanuts"

A teaser for the new Peanuts movie is out. I'm dreading this movie, because I love the Peanuts, and the idea of turning them into a big CGI spectacle just makes me gag. I mean, we all remember how well that worked out for the Smurfs and the Chipmunks, right? But Charles Schulz's beloved creations ought to remain un-violated by that kind of degradation, if you ask me. But here it is anyway, set for release in 2015- the best I can say is that it looks like they may still resemble their 2D selves, at least. Can someone tell me what the problem is with making a 2D movie anyway? Why do they have to be turned into this?

Movie of the Day: "The Quiet Man" (1952)

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody! For the occasion it's a special entry here, John Ford's The Quiet Man from 1952. John Wayne is an American former boxer who comes to Ireland and falls for Maureen O'Hara- this is different kind of movie for John Wayne, in that it he wasn't either a cowboy or a soldier, and I think because of that it's one of his most appealing roles. He and O'Hara had such great chemistry that they went on to make four more films together, and this one is also notable for actually being shot in Ireland. It's a perfect choice for the holiday, a great romantic comedy that holds up today, due to its stars being such a perfect match.

Original Trailer:

TRAILER #3: "Maleficent"

The third and presumably last trailer for Maleficent is out, with this one heavily drawing on the goodwill towards the cartoon version. I don't understand why anyone in this movie has to have a fake British accent, because I'm pretty sure none of the characters in the cartoon did. And I also don't think the three good fairies are supposed to look so creepy and off-putting either- what happened there?

REVIEW: "Veronica Mars" (2014) Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring. Dir. Rob Thomas

What any die hard fan of a beloved but pre-maturely canceled TV show wants is closure on what happened to their favorite characters. They mostly want to see them one last time, and to that end, the long awaited, fan-funded Veronica Mars movie will satisfy every one of those die hard fans and then some. It's mostly an extended reunion episode of the show, but with nearly every major character making an appearance and not missing a beat in their personalities, quirks and the surrounding atmosphere of the fictional town of Neptune, CA- it's entirely satisfying in every possible way. 

Veronica Mars ran from 2004-2007 on UPN (now the CW) and followed the exploits of a teenage private eye in the sassy, snappy Veronica, who investigated the morally and ethically corrupt citizens of the town in which she lived. Fans like me were devoted to the world the show created and the characters who populated it, especially Kristin Bell as our heroine, who has never found a better role in her subsequent movie career. She fits back into Veronica's shoes with ease- it seems to be a relief to wear the part of the hardened, wisecracking sleuth, who's now on the verge of starting a big law career in New York, only to be called back to Neptune by her ex-boyfriend Logan, who's of course being accused of murder (what else is new?) She and Logan (Jason Dohring), her main love interest on the series, are still drawn to each other, even after nine years of no contact. The case brings her back home and conveniently on the weekend of her high school reunion, giving her a chance to reconnect with old friends and foes, and giving the audience a chance to reunite with however many actors from guest shot episodes they could get back (unfortunately, the murder victim that the whole mystery is centered around was Carrie Bishop, a character played by Leighton Meester, who did not return- come on Leighton, Gossip Girl made you so big you couldn't film a 10-second flashback and pose for some pictures?)

The story behind how this film was made is widely known, as creator and director Rob Thomas and Kristin Bell asked fans to contribute to a Kickstarter program, which was wildly successful, as the show's passionate fanbase donated nearly $6 million to the film's budget in less than three days. In light of that situation, Thomas can hardly be blamed for seeing the rationale for this movie to be created mostly as an act of fan service, and that affected much of the storyline as well. Indeed, this particular murder mystery is not one of the show's most compelling (Logan doesn't even seem that broken up about his latest girlfriend's death), and it mostly works as an excuse to get Veronica back in Neptune with Logan, Mac, Wallace, Weevil and her dad Keith (Enrico Colantoni, still terrific in his interactions with Bell, reprising one of the most memorable father-daughter relationships ever on TV). But there's enough set-up and establishment of the ongoing and maybe worsening corruption and class war in Neptune to give plenty of ammunition to the idea of hopefully, a sequel or even a resurrection of the show in miniseries form (come on, Netflix, come to the rescue!) The cast seems game, as it's obvious everyone is thrilled to be back and the film was truly a labor of love for all involved. 

As for me, I don't know if this is a movie that has anything to offer non-fans or people who'd never seen the show (although you should, as it was one of the great series of the last decade), but for this devoted marshmallow, it was everything I could have hoped for and more, as it leaves the promise of a return to Neptune in one way or another. And in this present era where beloved shows can be saved by other networks (The Killing), long-canceled favorites can return in new formats (Arrested Development), and even shows that had a good long run can be brought back for miniseries events (24), it's now official that fans have more power and options than ever before, and it's not crazy to hope for life among the ranks of those labeled "gone too soon." It's a new world, folks, and I for one am excited to be living in it.

* * *

BOX OFFICE 3/14-3/16: 'Mr. Peabody' Tops a Slow Weekend

Dreamworks' Mr. Peabody and Sherman took #1 this weekend, pulling in $21 million for the top spot, while the new releases failed to gain any traction. The animated film has now earned $63 million total but faces direct competition from Muppets Most Wanted for the family audience next week, so we'll have to see how it holds up then. 300: Rise of an Empire fell to second place with $19 million and a 57% drop from its debut, mounting a total of $78 million domestic, well behind the chart numbers of the first movie.

The weekend's new opener Need for Speed pulled in a disappointing $17 million, even though its overseas grosses were much bigger, taking in about $45 million from several European countries and China. Meanwhile Non-Stop is hanging on well, coming in fourth with $10 million, and Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club bombed with just $8 million, his lowest opening weekend ever.

Top 5:

1. Mr. Peabody and Sherman- $21.2 million
2. 300: Rise of an Empire- $19.1 million
3. Need for Speed- $17.8 million
4. Non-Stop- $10.6 million
5. Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club- $8.3 million

In limited release, The Grand Budapest Hotel continues to be a big success, earning over $3 million on just 66 screens, while Veronica Mars, released on Video on Demand and in 270 theaters nationwide, pulled in $2 million. Next week it's the wide releases of Divergent and Muppets Most Wanted, which should amount to a much bigger box office overall than this weekend.

Movie of the Day: "What's Love Got to Do With It?" (1993)

The story of Tina Turner is next up for Women's History month, as this shattering musical biopic (based on Tina's own autobiography) gives us the life of Anna Mae Bullock in visceral, energetic close-up. It covers the bases of the formula biography movie but differs in its portrayal of the relationship between Ike and Tina, which is shown in harrowing and unflinching fashion. Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne gave two dynamic performances, for which they were both nominated for Oscars in 1993. Frankly, they should have both won too- they're outstanding in the movie and their scenes together blow everyone else off the screen. Tina Turner's ultimate triumph against her abusive, violent and controlling husband comes as a life-affirming, powerful inspiration for all victimized women. 

Trailer:

TRAILER: "Get On Up"

The trailer for the James Brown biopic is here, starring Chadwick Boseman of 42 fame, as the man himself. I have to say, it looks like a fairly generic musical biography, which I guess shouldn't be surprising since it's coming from Tate Taylor, director of The Help. Still, we know it's gonna have some good music in it, so hopefully Boseman can do more than just an imitation here. Can't really tell from this trailer though. Get On Up is set to come out in August: