Welcome to your one stop to the weekend's releases. Well, not really, but I try. Hopefully there is something that you will find worthy of your time.
Cry_Wolf. Not sure about this one. It could be an interesting take on urban legends and the slasher genre, or it could completely fall on it's face. The cast is primarily unknowns, so there isn't much banking there. I hope for the best, but expect the worst.
Just Like Heaven. Not really a big fan of Reese Witherspoon, but we could always use a good romantic comedy. The big question is whether this will be one of the good ones. It's been awhile since a ghost was incorporated into the mix, so we'll have to see if Reese and Mark Ruffalo hit it off. Plus, this will be a chance to see if Jon Heder is more than just a quick flash of "Dynamite."
Lord of War. This looks like it could be very good. A film around the life of an arms dealer. Nicolas Cage stars, and his dead pan delivery seems to fit the role perfectly. It was written and directed by Andrew Niccol who has been behind some interesting tales before, Gattaca and Truman Show come to mind. This looks to be the most interesting of the wide releases.
Venom. This is getting a release a little on the small side. It is being released due to the upcoming Miramax/Disney split. It is another horror film populated with mostly unknowns. This one is set in Louisiana, and actually has an R rating. Now that's something that seems kind of rare in this day. Again, hope for the best, expect the worst.
Touch the Sound. This is opening at the local arthouse, and could prove to be quite fascinating. It is a documentary about one of the world's best percussionists who also happens to be deaf. Not completely, but enough that hearing aids are a requirement, that is unless she is playing, that is where they have no place.
The Edukators. Another one at the arthouse, which could also prove to be fascinating. It follows a duo who break into the homes of the rich and rearrange their possessions. It is a statement about the alienation of the rich. It all goes well, until the girlfriend of one of them starts some casing of her own.
Also opening this week, but not near me:
- Corpse Bride (Opens wide next week)
- Crazy Like a Fox
- Everything is Illuminated
- Hellbent
- Proof
- Screen Door Jesus
- Separate Lies
- The Thing About My Folks
- Thumb Sucker
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Article comments
1 - Bob A. Booey
All bombs.
"Just Like Heaven" may get mild box office support, like a $7 million opening, but there's no way it makes more than $40 million total gross.
"Lord of War" will be yet another ill-conceived, expensive bomb that probably won't crack $35 million. When will studios learn not to release stuff like this? The title alone is ponderous.
"Cry Wolf" will get a few teens to show up, but the scary IM weirdo movie has already been done with that horrible Swimfan movie.
Looks like a weak slate of openings this weekend.
That is all.
2 - Chris Beaumont
I have hopes for Lord of War, I like the work Niccol has done in the past, although this seems like new territory for him. I think it will fare the best of this weekend.
I am interested in the numbers that the limited Corpse Bride will take. Nothing but good word surrounding it.
3 - Bob A. Booey
Corpse Bride will do pretty decently in wider release. It almost looks like an animated Beetlejuice.
Lord of War is a period piece, right? Those are box office death right now.
The big studios greenlight nothing but crappy, commercially unviable films these days. Even their "prestige" films are big, clunky period pieces about war or history featuring some wasted $15-$20 million a picture A-list lead that no young moviegoers will ever see.
That is all.
4 - Chris Beaumont
I didn't thnk of Lord of War as a period piece....
5 - Bob A. Booey
I stand corrected.
It's a thinking man's action film about arms smugglers.
That's why you can't have bad titles like "Lord of War." Even fruity media whores like me have no idea what the film is about. That title definitely sounds like a period piece title.
That is all.
6 - Dave Haber
Check out this hilarious game....Staple the @#%$@# out of Kevin Pollack.
Great movie by the way!
7 - DrPat
The Thing About My Folks looks good -- first, it's got Peter Falk, always a good sign. Plus, it's about parents as they were before kids (us) arrived to mess up the chemistry.
It's the quintessential boomer movie for all of us who no longer have our parents to discover anymore...
8 - Chris Beaumont
The little I've seen on it looks good. If it comes to my area I may try and catch it.
9 - Phillip Winn
I didn't know anything about Lord of War until I noticed the ad here on Blogcritics.org a few days ago. After watching the trailer, I'm frustrated.
I'm frustrated because I think Nic Cage sucks, but the movie looks interesting, so I'll probably see it, which supports him continuing to suck. ArgH!
10 - Chris Beaumont
Well forget about Cage, who I am not a fan of but still like some of his performances. Focus on Ethan Hawke, and seemingly new "it" guy Jake Gyllenhal. :)
11 - The Theory
I like Nicholas Cage... if it wasn't for him the trailer for Lord of War would be terrible. But he might make the movie entertaining.
12 - Bob A. Booey
I hate Jake Gyllenhall. He may have a nice circle of young actor friends in New York and may get a lot of work, but he'll never be the "It" guy because he's ugly and can't be a major box-office leading man except in quirky roles.
I'll up Lord of War to $50 million total box office gross, which is still a money-loser and big bomb.
That is all.
13 - Chris Beaumont
"I find all men ugly and repulsive"
I think Jake is a good actor, but I think he is going to get overexposed (no pun intended) soon, I went to the movies a week ago and 3 of the trailers featured him: Lord of War, Jarhead, and Brokeback Mountain. I think he has at least one other set for the fall...
I agree that he probably will never be a true lead. He actually almost (rumored anyway) took over Spider-man in part 2.
14 - Bob A. Booey
He would have made sense replacing Toby as the Peter Parker nebbish-turned-hero. Toby's not a true leading man either, but he's better-looking than Jake.
Brokeback Mountain is that cowboy homosexual love movie that's been getting all the buzz, right?
That is all.
15 - Chris Beaumont
Yeah, when I saw the trailer for it, I couldn't help but think of the South park episode where Cartman says all indie movies are about"gay cowboys eating pudding."
16 - Bob A. Booey
They totally picked the name "Brokeback Mountain" because it sounds like "Bareback."
Hello, Andrew Sullivan :)
That is all.