Weekend Box Office Totals March 28-30

1. 21 - $24,105,943
2. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - $17,740,106
3. Superhero Movie - $9,510,297
4. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns - $7,481,508
5. Drillbit Taylor - $5,713,585
6. Shutter - $5,221,016
7. 10,000 BC - $4,947,174
8. Stop-Loss - $4,555,117
9. College Road Trip - $3,457,756
10. The Bank Job - $2,780,168
11. Never Back Down - $2,359,406
12. Run Fat Boy Run - $2,340,743

Yikes to a disappointing number eight debut for Stop-Loss and wow to Horton Hears a Who, which has pulled in a total of $117.6 million in just three weeks. One question, though: who actually spent ten bucks to see Superhero Movie in the theater and why?!

For more information about this week's box office, click here. For the complete list, click here.

From My Netflix Queue...

In honor of Stop-Loss coming to theaters this weekend, I'd like to bring another movie about the Iraq War to everyone's attention. In the Valley of Elah may have been a commercial failure when it was released last year, but I think that it was one of the best movies of the year and it did earn Tommy Lee Jones an Oscar nomination for his turn as Hank Deerfield, a man searching for the truth about what happened to his son, who disappeared after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Jones' performance is particularly heart-wrenching; he plays Deerfield, a former military policeman, as outwardly reserved but with obvious pain and guilt creeping through beneath the surface. Deerfield starts off as a patriotic veteran who has sent both of his sons off to war, but, as a result of his investigation, learns things about the war's effects on soldiers that make him question what he once believed in.

The latest movie from writer/director Paul Haggis, who worked on both Crash and Million Dollar Baby, In the Valley of Elah tries to give the audience a glimpse of how difficult it is for soldiers to reacculturate themselves back into society after being in Iraq, as well as how their experiences in war continue to haunt them long after they leave the battlegrounds. Also, interestingly, many of the actors who play soldiers in the movie actually were a part of the armed services in real life.

In order to watch the trailer for this movie, click here. If anyone sees or has seen this movie, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

New to Theaters This Weekend

21
starring: Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth

Based on a true story, this film follows six MIT students as they become expert card counters and win millions at Las Vegas casinos.




Superhero Movie
starring: Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Leslie Nielsen

Another incarnation of the stupidly "funny" spoof movie. This one takes on, obviously, superhero movies, from Batman Begins to Fantastic Four.







Stop-Loss
starring: Ryan Phillippe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum

A soldier returns home from his tour of duty in Iraq, only to learn that he has been stop-lossed, or ordered to report back for a second tour with the Army.

New DVD Releases 3/25/08

Take a look at this week's new DVD releases:

The Mist
starring: Thomas Jane, Toby Jones, Marcia Gay Harden

In this horror film based on a Stephen King novel, a group of small town citizens takes shelter in a supermarket and tries to fight off a species of violent creatures that were unleashed after a storm.




The Kite Runner
starring: Khalid Abdalla, Atossa Leoni, Shaun Toub

Based on the best-selling novel, the film follows Amir, who has lived in California for years, as he returns to his homeland of Afghanistan in order to help his childhood friend. This film had a lot of early Oscar buzz but lost momentum after its release had to be postponed due to issues with some of the Afghani child actors (although it was nominated for Best Original Score). I haven't seen it yet, although I have heard good things about it, so I would recommend it to those who don't mind watching a foreign language movie.


Control
starring: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton

A filmography of singer Ian Curtis, the frontman of Joy Division, whose personal and professional troubles led him to commit suicide at age 23.

Coming Soon

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?Morgan Spurlock (the guy who ate McDonald's three times a day for 30 days in his 2004 hit Supersize Me) is back with his second full-length feature. In this documentary, Spurlock, inspired by the impending birth of his first child, sets out to make the world a safer place by locating Osama Bin Laden. In order to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, Spurlock visits several Middle Eastern countries and talks to the people there about the war on terror and their view of America. The movie premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival and is set to open in limited release on April 18.

Trailer:



Click here to read a review of the film written after its Sundance showing. Click here to listen to an interview with director Morgan Spurlock.

Weekend Box Office Totals March 21-23

1. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - $24,590,596
2. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns - $20,082,809
3. Shutter - $10,447,559
4. Drillbit Taylor - $10,309,986
5. 10,000 B.C. - $8,934,064
6. Never Back Down - $4,827,250
7. College Road Trip - $4,697,683
8. The Bank Job - $4,191,773
9. Vantage Point - $3,805,541
10. Under the Same Moon - $2,770,000
11. Doomsday - $2,249,880
12. The Other Boleyn Girl - $2,038,236

For more information, click here and for the complete box office list, click here.

More Movies Based on Comics!

This summer is gearing up to be the summer of the comic book movie. Besides the highly anticipated new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, which will hit theaters on July 18, there are three other films coming to theaters this summer whose characters originated on the pages of comic books. Here's a preview:

The Incredible Hulk
starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
release date: June 13, 2008
Trailer

Physicist Bruce Banner seeks a cure for the condition that turns him into a giant green monster whenever he experiences emotional stress. This film started out as a sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 film Hulk, however, after Edward Norton signed on to star, he rewrote the script and made the film completely independent from the 2003 version. The Incredible Hulk's origin story is now going to be told in flashbacks and revelations.


Iron Man
starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges
release date: May 2, 2008
Trailer

After an accident forces Tony Stark to create a life support suit in order to stay alive, he decides to use the technology in the suit to fight crime.

**It's true! The long rumored crossover between Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk has been confirmed! William Hurt has confirmed that he has a scene in the Incredible Hulk with Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man in the May release.


Hellboy II: The Golden Army
starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, James Dodd, John Alexander, Luke Goss
release date: Jul y 11, 2008
Trailer

Hellboy and his team must save mankind after the mythical world stages a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth.

Finally Being Released...

Two controversial films have finally gotten release dates after months of being in limbo. Here's your first look at them:

Hounddog
starring: Dakota Fanning, Robin Wright-Penn, Piper Laurie, and David Morse

A troubled young girl living in the South in the 1950s finds solace in the music of Elvis Presley.

This movie stirred up controversy when a promotional reel was shown at last year's Sundance Film Festival because of the scene, though implied and not actually shown, where the lead character, played by a then 12-year-old Dakota Fanning, is sexually assaulted.

It was announced last week that Empire Film Group has acquired all distribution rights for the film and has initiated a marketing campaign to release the film to more than 500 theaters on July 18.

Here are two press releases from Empire Film Group with more information on the deal:
Empire Film Group Closes Major Acquisition for All North American Rights to "Hounddog"

Empire Film Group Enters Into $2 Million Advertising Pact With Tradewell for "Hounddog" Theatrical Campaign

Trailer:



Chapter 27
starring: Jared Leto, Lindsay Lohan

A film about the infamous Mark David Chapman, focusing on the days leading up to him murdering John Lennon.

The film had been delayed from 2006 after its controversial subject matter caused petitions and protests and because it had failed to find a distributor.

Peace Arch Entertainment has now revealed that the film will finally be released in select cities, starting March 28 at New York's Angelika Film Center.


Click here to view the rest of the premiere dates.

Trailer:







Anyone going to check these movies out?

New to Theaters This Weekend

Celebrate the coming of spring by going to the movies this weekend! Here's what's new to theaters (I admit, it's slim pickings...):

Meet the Browns
starring: Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett, and Rick Fox

A single mom takes her family back to Georgia after the death of her father, a man she never met, and is introduced to the loud, fun-loving Brown family.






Drillbit Taylor
starring: Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson returns to the screen after facing personal problems this summer with this comedy about three nerdy kids who hire a personal bodyguard to protect them from the playground bully.





Shutter
starring: Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor

Newlyweds investigate when they discover gruesome images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident.

Enchanted vs. Classic Disney

To celebrate the release of Enchanted on DVD, Disney has released a bunch of photos comparing shots from Enchanted with shots from some of its classic films. It's amazing the amount of thought that went into all of these shots and I love that Enchanted was used to pay homage to classic Disney. How many of these were you able to spot?

Snow White:
Lady and the Tramp:

Cinderella:

Beauty and the Beast:
The Little Mermaid:
Sleeping Beauty:
Also, there are some Disney references sprinkled throughout the movie. For example, the pizza restaurant from Enchanted was called Bella Notte, which just happens to be the name of the song from Lady and the Tramp! Can you think of any other ones?

Click here for more pictures and trivia!

New DVD Releases 3/18/08

Take a look at what's new on DVD for this week:

Atonement
starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan

A young girl ruins lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.




I Am Legend
starring: Will Smith

After a plague kills most humans and turns the rest into monsters, the only surviver in New York City must find a cure.






Enchanted
starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden

After a fairytale princess is sent to New York City as part of an evil queen's spell, she meets a handsome lawyer and is educated about life in the real world.

Weekend Box Office Totals March 14-16

1. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who - $45,012,998
2. 10,000 B.C. - $16,773,312
3. Never Back Down - $8,603,195
4. College Road Trip - $7,810,400
5. Vantage Point - $5,462,747
6. The Bank Job - $5,054,961
7. Doomsday - $4,926,565
8. Semi-Pro - $3,043,162
9. The Other Boleyn Girl - $2,882,846
10. The Spiderwick Chronicles - $2,335,238
11. Jumper - $2,025,810
12. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - $1,940,781

For an article on this weekend's box office, click here and for the complete list, click here.

HBO's John Adams Premieres Tonight!

HBO's John Adams, a 7-part miniseries, premieres tonight at 8 p.m. with 2 back-to-back episodes. The miniseries was executive produced by Tom Hanks and stars Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney as John and Abigail Adams. I strongly recommend it to all HBO subscribers, not only because I think Paul Giamatti is one of the best actors of our generation, but also because of the strong attention given to detail and historical accuracy.

Check out the trailer:





Also, here is an excellent "Making Of" feature that shows how the visual effects were created, as well as all of the thought that went into the sets and costumes:



Finally, here is a review of the miniseries and an article that features Giamatti, as well as David McCullough, who wrote the book on which the miniseries was based.

New to Theaters This Weekend

Happy Friday! Here's what's new to theaters this weekend:

Never Back Down
starring: Djimon Hounsou, Sean Faris, and Amber Heard

A rebellious teen satisfies his desire to fight by training under the wing of a mixed martial arts veteran. Before heading off to see this movie, I suggest reading the reviews, which have all mostly slammed it.




Horton Hears a Who
starring: Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell

Animated family film based on the classic Dr. Suess story of an elephant who tries to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors.






Doomsday
starring: Caryn Peterson, Emma Cleasby, Rhona Mitra

A futuristic thriller about a group of people who try to prevent a disaster that would threaten the future of the human race.

Top Ten Shots of 2007

I found this pretty cool site that has ranked the top 10 shots of 2007. It's interesting because it allows you to think of a film as a series of photographs, which, in essence, it is. Here are the top 5:

5. from Michael Clayton
4. from There Will Be Blood

3. from Atonement
2. from The Bourne Ultimatum

1. from The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
For commentary about these shots, you can go here. For the rest of the top ten list, you can go here. Enjoy!

New DVD Releases 3/11/08

It's Tuesday, which means that there are new DVD releases. And here they are:

No Country for Old Men
starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin

Thriller about a hunter who finds more than $2 million in cash, a stash of heroin, and some dead bodies, and who then must deal with a psychopathic killer on his trail. This film won the Best Picture Oscar, as well as a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Javier Bardem.






Bee Movie
starring: Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger

Animated family flick about a bee who discovers that humans eat honey and, therefore, decides to sue them.







Dan in Real Life
starring: Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche

Romance about a widower who mistakenly falls in love with his brother's girlfriend.








Happy renting!

Weekend Box Office Totals March 7 - March 9

What movie came out on top this week? And did Semi-Pro recover from its embarrassing debut last week? Here are the top 12 movies at the box office from this weekend:

1. 10,000 BC - $35,867,488
2. College Road Trip - $13,601,419
3. Vantage Point - $7,356,236
4. The Bank Job - $5,935,256
5. Semi-Pro - $5,786,032
6. The Spiderwick Chronicles - $4,712,945
7. The Other Boleyn Girl - $4,048,026
8. Jumper - $3,662,375
9. Step Up 2 The Streets - $3,062,501
10. Fool's Gold - $2,782,416
11. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - $2,490,942
12. Penelope - $2,106,696

Despite horrible reviews, 10,000 BC still managed to rake in $35.8 million this weekend, making it the number one movie in the country. Semi- Pro, however, falls to number five, only making another $5.7 million this weekend. Yikes, I guess basketball is the one sport people aren't interested in watching Will Ferrell attempt to make funny.

Another random observation: I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, has made $255.6 million in 13 weeks! What other movies have made over $200 million? National Treasure: Book of Secrets ($216.9 million in 12 weeks) and Alvin and the Chipmunks(!) with $214.4 million in 13 weeks.

To see the complete box office list from this weekend, click here.

New to Theaters This Weekend

Take a look at this weekend's new releases:

10,000 BC
starring: Steven Strait and Camilla Belle

A prehistoric drama about a young mammoth hunter who goes on an epic journey to rescue the woman he loves. No word on whether the Geico cavemen make a cameo.






College Road Trip
starring: Martin Lawrence and Raven Symone

A high school senior with big dreams sets out on a college tour with her overprotective father.





Married Life
starring: Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, and Rachel McAdams

In this 1940s-era drama, a man begins an affair with a younger woman and decides to kill his wife instead of putting her through the humiliation of divorce.






Also new to theaters:

- The Bank Job
- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
- Snow Angels
- Paranoid Park
- CJ7

To see where these movies are playing and to watch their trailers, click here.

New DVD Releases

Take a look at some new DVD releases:

Awake
starring: Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen, and Terrence Howard

Generic "thriller" about a man who suffers from "anesthetic awareness" during surgery and finds himself awake but unable to move or to tell his doctors.






Into the Wild
starring: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, and Hal Holbrook

In this Sean Penn directed drama, a recent college graduate gives away his possessions and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Hal Holbrook earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role.




Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
starring: Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman

Family film about a magical toy store and its eccentric owner.








Also new on DVD:

- Things We Lost in the Fire
- 101 Dalmatians ( 2 Disc Platinum edition)

Weekend Box Office Totals Feb. 29 - March 2

Wow, it was a slooow box office weekend, with the top grossing movie pulling in only $15 million. Let's see what movies round out the top 12 highest grossing of the weekend.

1. Semi-Pro - $15,075,114
2. Vantage Point - $12,819,245
3. The Spiderwick Chronicles - $8,700,378
4. The Other Boleyn Girl - $8,203,061
5. Jumper - $7,568,462
6. Step Up 2: The Streets - $5,742,479
7. Fool's Gold - $4,418,229
8. No Country for Old Men - $4,114,994
9. Penelope - $3,802,144
10. Definitely, Maybe - $3,382,005
11. Juno - $3,264,570
12. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins - $2,646,570

Some noteworthy observations from this week include the disappointing debut of Semi-Pro, as well as the boost No Country For Old Men has received from its Best Picture win at last week's Oscars.

Interestingly, Vantage Point is the only movie that came out last week to remain in the top 12 for this week. Even Be Kind, Rewind, starring Jack Black, has dropped to number 13. Considering this fact, I'm perplexed as to why Fool's Gold and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins have stayed in the top 12 in their fourth week of release.

Another observation I thought was funny: Eva Longoria Parker's movie Over Her Dead Body has brought in about $7.5 million in its five weeks of release, while the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour has brought in about $63 million over the same five weeks.

For more information about this week's box office, click here and for the complete list click here.