This looks like a parody trailer right down to the voiceover, doesn't it? But apparently it's real, which means Paramount has no idea how to market this movie. It premiered at AFI fest to a somewhat divided reaction, but some people really loved it- Adam McKay directs a dense, wonky look at the Wall Street fiasco from 2008, and supposedly it was just too complex for a lot of viewers to grasp. It's coming out on Dec 23rd.
Gal Gadot Debuts Wonder Woman
A new picture of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman was released the other day and she looks a little more like a Jedi than a superhero, don't you think? I wish the movie was going to be good, I really do, but I have no hope for most of the WB heroes movies. They've taken Zack Snyder's approach with all of it and it's absolutely the wrong way go about DC's mostly lighthearted, fun, and comic book-y superheroes, aside from Batman. They can't all be dark.
BOX OFFICE 11/20-11/22: Final 'Hunger Games' Opens on Top
In one of those weird box office stories where a massive opening is perceived as a slight disappointment, Mockingjay-Part 2 topped the charts this weekend as expected, but with "only" 101 million, about 20 million or so off predictions and over a 50 percent drop from the last movie's opening weekend. What does this mean? Well, how about the studios stop splitting the final book in a successful series into two unnecessary movies that makes both of them worse than if it had been one film? That's what I would take from this, but the truth is, how can anything that makes 100 million on a debut weekend be labeled disappointing? Yes, it'll make less than the other films in the series, but in fairness, this was also by far the worst book. I'm just happy these things are over.
The other releases didn't make 15 million, with Seth Rogen's The Night Before coming in with 10 million, and Julia Roberts' thriller The Secret in Their Eyes, opening with just 6.6 million, the lowest of her career. Spectre and The Peanuts Movie filled out the holdovers, with Spectre's total rising to 153 million, and Peanuts closing in on 100, with 98.9 million in the bank.
Top 5:
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2- 101 million
- Spectre- 14.6 million
- The Peanuts Movie- 12.8 million
- The Night Before- 10.1 million
- The Secret in Their Eyes- 6.6 million
In the specialty box office, Carol opened strong in 4 theaters with 248k and a 62k per screen average, good for the third highest PTA of the year, behind Steve Jobs and Sicario. Of course, the story with these is all about expansion, but you can probably count on The Weinstein Co. to make sure this Oscar contender is not perceived as a failure, so look for a slow rollout. Spotlight meanwhile, expanded to about 600 locations and earned over 3 million, marking its entry into the top ten as it looks to bring in the adult audience over the next two months. Thanksgiving week sees the debuts of Pixar's The Good Dinosaur and Creed, along with Victor Frankenstein and The Danish Girl in limited release. I'm personally rooting for Creed next week, but we'll see how it goes. See you after Turkey Day everybody.
Kevin Hart and The Rock Team Up for 'Central Intelligence'
I have yet to see Kevin Hart in a single movie that he actually stars in, and since this one is from the guy who made We're the Millers, I don't think it'll be my first. However, with these two guys in it, I'm sure it'll be a big hit, no matter how awful it turns out. Yeah, that fat Rock joke? Shudder. And yes, I'm still calling him the Rock and always will.
Melissa McCarthy is Michelle Darnell in 'The Boss'
If Melissa McCarthy tickles your funny bone, this looks good for a couple of chuckles, but there are warning signs because it's not directed by Paul Feig, and is in fact another one written and directed by McCarthy's husband Ben Falcone. In case you don't remember, he's the guy she collaborated with on Tammy, one of the worst movies of last year. It's also notable that Melissa's dropped about 50 pounds now and looks decidedly different in this trailer than she ever has onscreen. Good for her, health-wise.
Gerard Butler Stars in 'Gods of Egypt'
I don't think this is another movie based on a videogame, but it sure looks like it. Does anything on the screen in this trailer look real to you? Even the actors only look barely there. I wonder if this is already a catalyst for worst movie of 2016, a month and a half before the new year even starts.
Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson in 'How to Be Single' Trailer
I guess it really pays off to be the priveleged child of celebrity parents, doesn't it? There's no other explanation for the fact that Dakota Johnson, aka the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, gets to actually star in movies now. Does anyone else find that as annoying as I do?
Michael Shannon Stars in Trailer for 'Midnight Special'
Independent filmmaker Jeff Nichols, director of Take Shelter and Mud, is re-teaming with his Take Shelter star for a new movie, this one about what looks to be an alien kid. His past work has been interesting in every case, even if I wasn't totally crazy about Mud, so I'm definitely on the lookout for this.
Chris Hemsworth Returns in 'The Huntsman: Winter's War'
I seem to remember Snow White and the Huntsman being something of a Kristen Stewart vehicle when it came out, so I guess this is more of a spinoff than a sequel. But now we have Chris Hemsworth's huntsman fighting off Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain- could it really be any good? I doubt it, but who knows.
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are Back in New Trailer for 'Zoolander 2'
Zoolander 2 is the latest 15 years later sequel to get a trailer in the last few days, and you know what- this one actually made me chuckle a couple times. Any movie that actually kills Justin Bieber in it can't be all bad, at least in principle. I hope it's just as silly as the first one, which also made me laugh in spite of myself.
Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "The City of Lost Children" (1995)
This week a modern cult classic of French cinema has its 20th anniversary blu-ray edition come out, and it's a sci-fi film really worth seeing that will likely blow your mind with the visuals and sheer strangeness of the universe. Co-directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet, whose other films Delicatessen and Amelie also employ a surreal and fanciful style, this one is about a little girl who teams up with a young Ron Perlman to go on a journey to retrieve his little brother from a mad scientist who kidnaps children and steals their dreams. The world they inhabit is inspired by a steam punk look and the mere sight of everything in this film is awe-inspiring. I urge you to check this one out- it's a gem.
Trailer:
Academy Honors Spike Lee, Gena Rowlands, Debbie Reynolds
The Academy Governor's Awards were held on Saturday night, and among the honorees were the usual slew of people campaigning for Oscars this season- casts from the movies Room, Brooklyn, Spotlight, The Hateful Eight, Joy, Bridge of Spies, all the expected players this season, which has turned the event into one of the primary campaign stops of the year, when it's actually supposed to be the one place that's really about the recipients. But you can't stop anything from being political, can you? The speeches were classy though, and always worth listening to. It's a shame they can't find a place for lifetime achievement awards on the actual Oscar telecast, especially since it's the only award given out that's probably not political in nature.
Spike Lee came last and gave the most interesting speech of the night:
Gena Rowlands receives her honorary Oscar:
