The Big Screen Bulletin 11.23.09: Brand New Day
Posted by Steve Gustafson on 11.23.2009
This week Steve Gustafson takes over for Chad Webb and continues reporting the latest movie news! Check out the box office results from the weekend, take a look at the Harry Potter pictures leaked online, scan the top 10 movie trailers making a buzz, and catch up on the comic book movie rumors!
Welcome to The Big Screen Bulletin and welcome to the Steve Gustafson Era!
I would like to take a moment to say a few words about Chad Webb. I owe Chad a huge debt of gratitude, respect, and thanks. He, along with Ashish, brought me into the 411mania family, and he has been nothing but supportive as my editor, fellow writer, and movie lover. As an editor he is quick to praise and offer insight on how to improve. When it comes to movies, we differ, and I fully admit that Chad has a better understanding of how movies work. I've read, along with all of you, his numerous reviews, and sit back in jealousy of his skillful use of wording and his ability to relate his thoughts in a direct approach about any given film. It's a gift and he uses it well. One only has to read the words of his lovely and spirited fiancee to see that his passion for movies extends beyond 411mania. Like many of you, reading The Big Screen Bulletin every Monday was a great way to start the week. Chad, thank you.
When Chad offered me the huge opportunity to write The Big Screen Bulletin, I had to read the email several times to make sure it wasn't a joke. I consider this report to be the flagship to lead the week in movie news, to set the pace for other talented writer's like Jeremy Thomas, Mike Gorman, George H. Sirois, Shawn S. Lealos, Owain J. Brimfield, Trevor Snyder, Will Helm, Len Archibald, Jason Chamberlain, Joseph Lee, Al Norton, Erik Luers, Ron Martin, Bryan Kristopowitz, Leonard Hayhurst , Ben Piper, Porfirio Diaz, Cory Johnson, Tony Farinella, Michael Weyer, and yes, even AJ Grey. If you aren't checking them out already, I challenge you to do so. I would put their contributions up against any other writer on the internet and say when it comes to reporting and opinions, we can hang with the best of them.
So what am I going to do with Big Screen Bulletin? To be honest, I feel like Jay Leno taking over for Johnny Carson. It's a huge undertaking and something I will take serious. Well, as serious as I can be. One, report the big news that happened over the weekend. Two, give my two-cents on where the movie industry is at, and where's it going. Three, continue the same level of quality that Chad, and Scott Rutherford before him, have set. How will it change? I have some ideas but nothing drastic. As you'll see, I've separated the sections, changed the movie trailer format, and added a comic book movie segment. In the coming weeks I'll be doing some...creative movie reviews, along with a few other surprises. Stay tuned.
I love movies. From the rumors to post-production, they carry a simple air of magic about them. Along with loving movies, I love to discuss and debate them. Get insight from others. That's where you, the reader, come in. The Bulletin lives and dies on you. If you have an opinion, I want to hear it. You don't agree with something, I want to hear it (I'm sure I don't really need to remind you of that.). So thank you for stopping by. I promise I'll do my best to make it worth reading and earn my title of Mr. Weekend!
Now let's get into it!
Twilight Bites the Top Spot!
1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon $140,700,000 ($140,700,000) Read the review!
2. The Blind Side $34,510,000 ($34,510,000)
3. 2012 $26,500,000 ($108,221,000) Read the review!
4. Planet 51 $12,600,000 ($12,600,000)
5. A Christmas Carol $12,230,000 ($79,791,000)
6. Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire $11,008,000 ($21,403,000) Read the review!
7. The Men Who Stare at Goats $2,773,000 ($27,624,000) Read the review!
8. Couples Retreat $1,952,000 ($105,001,000) Read the review!
9. The Fourth Kind $1,730,000 ($23,343,000) Read the review!
10. Law Abiding Citizen $1,615,000 ($70,027,000) Read the review!
No matter what your feelings on The Twilight Saga: New Moon, this is beyond impressive. Fans of the movie helped break box office records for best opening day, taking the title away from The Dark Knight, and earning a whopping $72.7 million on Friday. That included an estimated $26.3 million from its midnight opening, which was also a record. Estimates have it bringing in $140.7 million over the weekend, good enough for the #1 spot. Counting overseas markets, the film has already topped $250 million worldwide.
Also debuting, the sports drama The Blind Side, which posted a strong $10.9 million, ranking as the highest-grossing opening day ever for a sports drama. Last weeks winner, 2012, plummeted 65 percent from last Friday, while critic favorite, Precious expanded into nationwide release (629 theaters) and boasted a solid estimated $3.6 million, bringing its total to $14 million in 15 days. Meanwhile, Planet 51 opened to a modest estimated $3.15 million. Just outside the Top 10, Michael Jackson's This Is It and Pirate Radio came in 11th and 12th respectively.
Coming into Thanksgiving weekend we have a diverse grab bag. While none of these entrants are going to unseat New Moon, my sleeper pick is Old Dogs. With families gathering all over, it's the kind of picture that can pull in a decent first weekend haul this holiday. Also opening is The Road, which may hurt from opening so close to another "end of the world" flick, 2012. Look for Ninja Assassin, Me and Orson Welles, and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee coming to theaters as well.
The 30 Second Soapbox!
(The 20 Second Sermon has morphed into The 30 Second Soapbox! A weekly topic that lies on the outer reaches of movie related news.)
From 1985 to 1995, Calvin and Hobbes was the world's most beloved comic strips. Then, just like that, the strip ended and it's creator, Bill Watterson disappeared from public life, leaving behind no official merchandise, no movie franchise, no plush toys. Oddest of all...Hollywood hasn't made a huge effort to lure him into making a big screen adaptation. My question is: Should it? With Hollywood mining books and comics for movie fodder, isn't it time to bring Calvin and Hobbes to the big screen?
Calls and emails to Mr. Watterson for his thoughts were not returned by the time this went to press.
The OFFICIAL News Bulletin
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards®. Thirty-seven pictures had originally qualified in the category. The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:
The Cat Piano, Eddie White and Ari Gibson, directors (The People's Republic of Animation) French Roast, Fabrice O. Joubert, director (Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films) Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, Nicky Phelan, director, and Darragh O'Connell, producer (Brown Bag Films) The Kinematograph, Tomek Baginski, director-producer (Platige Image) The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte), Javier Recio Gracia, director (Kandor Graphics and Green Moon) Logorama, Nicolas Schmerkin, producer (Autour de Minuit) A Matter of Loaf and Death, Nick Park, director (Aardman Animations Ltd.) Partly Cloudy, Peter Sohn, director (Pixar Animation Studios) Runaway, Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada) Variete, Roelof van den Bergh, director (il Luster Productions)
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Aren't you sick of watching the Oscar ceremony and not knowing what some of the nominees are in "those" categories? Outside Partly Cloudy, I dare say the majority of you haven't seen, or heard of the others. This coming Oscar season should be an interesting one since they are making a concentrated effort to update the show and including more nominees in the Best Picture category. While the Animated Short Film category won't generate buzz, the selections they have are worth checking out.
Over the weekend images of Xenophilius Lovegood from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hit the web. Rhys Ifans will be playing father to the unforgettable Luna Lovegood in the upcoming flick and judging by these first images he's got the right facial expressions for the loony and over the top character from the books.
Here's a seasonal tale of mince pies, presents, false beards and vicious in-fighting: Mike White, best known for scripts like School Of Rock and last seen being attacked by the undead in a tiny cameo in Zombieland, has signed on to write Santa Wars, an incredible story of rival professional Santas that is, it turns out, based on a true story. Yes, it's all about the discord and bitter disagreement that developed between the two founders of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, who first formed the Santa union and then tore it apart, with the original board of directors largely expelled. Mix all this amid accusations of un-Santa-like behaviour between members, and the establishment of a rival Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, and you surely have a Hollywood classic ready to go. It's all based on a radio show segment from This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass and written by Joshua Bearman, which aired last year. Scott Rudin, who also worked on School of Rock, is producing.
I scanned this headline and skipped over it but something made me go back and give this a read. They gave me enough to make me interested in seeing this project come to life...on-screen. I can see this film starting off as a semi-dramatic role and quickly becoming a comedy. A type of film that soon becomes "hard to label" by the studio and gets lost in the shuffle. While they are sure to cast a big name in the lead role, I hope they don't force Jack Black into the role of Santa. If nothing else, share this news with family and friends as you sit around the table enjoying your Thanksgiving meal!
Remember the days before Eddie Murphy starting churning out family comedy after family comedy? Those days could soon be returning. Paramount are looking for writers for Beverly Hills Cop 4, and Murphy is attached (currently only as producer, but we'll see) to The Misadventures of Fluffy. Which is not what it sounds like. Fluffy is, at the moment, developing as an R-rated comedy, again for Paramount. Sam Pitman and Adam Cole-Kelly (behind Tyler Perry's mooted The Diversification of Noah Miller) are currently writing the script, which is reportedly a social buddy-comedy a la Trading Places, about a journey across New York. Featuring talking animals. Talking animals have worked for Murphy before of course, to the tune of half a billion in box office for the Dr. Doolittle films. But this sounds like rather a different proposition, and we hope to see him in front of the camera on this one, as well as behind it. It sounds weird certainly, but a bit of risk-taking from Murphy wouldn't go amiss. If it misfires, there's still Shrek Forever After and A Thousand Words to fall back on.
Eddie Murphy's career is teflon. No matter how many bombs he unleashes, audiences are quick to forgive him. While I'm hesitant on Beverly Hills Cop 4, The Misadventures of Fluffy sounds like a mess. Talking animals? Doesn't sounds promising.
QUICK BITS...of News! Two women were slightly hurt on Sunday when they were struck by bulls that escaped the set of Knight and Day, a new film that stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Filming has been halted while they investigate..........Uma Thurman and Rob Pattinson will opposite one another in an adaptation of Guy de Maupassant's short story Bel Ami. Kristin Scott Thomas also has joined the cast..........Peter Jackson told Reuters that he recut Lovely Bones after a test screening. Why the change? Audience "wanted far more violence"..........James Cameron's Avatar, will have a running time of 150 minutes, according to Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution for 20th Century Fox, which is handling the release of the movie.
DVD Pick of the Week!
Angels & Demons - Yes, it scored 36% on the tomatometer but pulled in $485,900,330 worldwide. So why is this getting my DVD pick of the week? Easy, while I skipped seeing it in the theater, Chad's review has made me curious.
Four Christmases - Hey! Just in time for the holidays! A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day...sounds innocent enough. OK reviews make this one a rentable suggestion.
Santa Buddies - How many of these overly cute puppy movies can they crank out? I was quick to dismiss this as harmless tripe until I saw George Wendt and Christopher Lloyd starred in this. So THAT'S where they've been! I'm not going to bad talk this movie. We need light fair like this for the children! That and I'm a sucker for puppies.
Funny People - This movie divided people right down the middle. Either you loved it or hated it. Again, I'm going back and sharing Mr. Webb's review with you. I thought it was good but didn't like how the trailer really gave away the whole movie.
Shorts - If I was a kid I would have LOVED this movie. At least from the trailer and plot. A young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it. I don't know about the average reader but good for the little ones out there.
Imagine That - Eddie Murphy. He's like the baseball player who always swings for the fences. Either he hits a home run or strikes out. Badly. Guess which one this is? Bryan Kristopowitz takes one for the team and reviewed it for the site.
Gomorrah - I saw this in the theater and reviewed it, right here on 411mania! Don't pass this by just because it has subtitles!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Another one...Just in time of the holidays! Disney does it right and packs this one full of bonus features and high quality picture and sound. Go ahead and buy it, I won't tell.
2009 World Series Highlights - If you are looking to get something for George Sirois this holiday season...here you go!
The Maiden Heist - Did this get pushed back again? With a cast of Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, Marcia Gay Harden, and William H. Macy, I'm looking forward to this one.
Gone are the days of just visiting a website to get the full experience. Are you a fan of 411mania on Facebook? Keep up-to-date on news and contests! Don't forget to participate in our message boards! There is a section for everyone! I'm giving Chad's review of Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire another plug because it deserves it. Ebert wishes he could write like that.
You can't go a day without hearing the latest comic book news or rumor. I'll be rounding up the up-to-the-minute comic book gossip in one spot, for you to peruse and debate.
Spoiling Spoilers: Batman
When it comes to movie rumors, it's almost a separate industry on its own. You can't go a few days without casting assumptions on Spider-Man or spoilers on Iron Man 2. In Spoiling Spoilers I cut out the fat and give you the straight dope. First up is the Batman franchise and we answer the BIG questions when it comes to the Dark Knight.
Will Christopher Nolan return to direct? According to numerous sources, director Christopher Nolan's recent deal with Warner Bros. for the film INCEPTION, at least includes an agreement between the studio and the acclaimed director to helm his second sequel to BATMAN BEGINS. Looking at his schedule, if he was to do it, we are 2 to 3 years away.
What about villains? Are Two-Face and The Scarecrow returning? This is easy. With no director confirmed, any news you hear about villains is heresay. While Aaron Eckhart and Cillian Murphy are both open to returning, nothing has been officially discussed. Sorry, that includes Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Phillip Seymor Hoffman as The Penguin. While both have said in interviews that they are curious, until the captain of the ship is signed (I'm talking about a director) any news you read on casting is strictly wishful thinking.
Everybody's Talkin'...Comics!
In this video from Collider, you'll see Joel Silver talk about the Lobo movie and what does he think of Jeffrey Dean Morgan for the role. Also, he talks about Sherlock Holmes, The Losers, Sgt. Rock, Unknown White Male, and The Book of Eli.
Comic Quotable
Robert Downey, Jr. spoke to Entertainment Weekly and might have given fanboy's (and girl's!) worldwide a scare. His statements suggest that he is not obligated to appear in another Iron Man movie or in The Avengers, which is contrary to the multi-picture deal that he is said to be under. Was he just having a rough day or is the return to the spotlight taking its toll on Mr. Comeback?
"I have no set plans for my future. I've never had it this good — this is my day in the sun — and I certainly don't want to look a gift horse in the molars. But [my wife] Susan and I want to begin to be in our lives as much as we are in our jobs. I'd love just to sit here and say, 'What movie's playing tonight?' I'd love to finish the new book about D-day I'm reading. I love painting, I love music. I'm f***ing really good at what I do — and have been for a long time, so I don't waver on that. But here's the thing: I can only be a guy on a call sheet probably, I don't know, maybe a couple more times. It's something I'm so grateful to have in my palm, and yet I already see its inevitable decay. If Sherlock Holmes performs well, I could be busy for the next 5 or 7 or 10 years."
Chad was the trailer master. He could dissect a trailer better than anyone I know. By the time "Coming Soon..." flashed on the screen he already knew if it was a hit or miss. I don't have that ability. So I'm taking a page from Billboard and starting my trailer rankings. Every week we'll look at the Top 10 trailers that week. Rankings will be based on popularity, feedback/reaction, and content. Some weeks the list may not change much, other times it might be 10 new trailers. You're vote counts too. Once a movie opens, the trailer is no longer in contention for the Top 10. Release dates are for the US.
Remember to bookmark 411Mania.com or, even better, set it as your browser's homepage, so you can get your pop-culture news and views fresh and hot whenever you want them, only from 411Mania.com.
That will do it for me! Thank you for reading and hope the Big Screen Bulletin continues to be the first thing you read on Monday morning and the last thing you talk about on Monday night. I'll see you next week! Make sure you check out Jeremy Thomas and the Hush Hush News Report and Mike Gorman's Babes, Bombs, & Blockbusters tomorrow so you don't miss the latest in movie news and opinions!
