School is back in session. How much of an impact will that have on the box office? Probably a lot. This weekend brings a few films with very different target audiences. There is the younger skewing supernatural tale, a story of unsolved murder in Hollywood which will likely bring in an older crowd, and then there is the foreign language martial arts film for those action junkies.
The Covenant. (2006, 97 minutes, PG-13, thriller, trailer) From the producers of Underworld and the director of Exorcist: The Beginning comes a new tale of supernatural outsiders, or something like that. I cannot say that this looks terribly enticing; from its cast of unknowns with seemingly poor acting ability, to the poor use of CGI in the commercials, this could turn out to be real chore to sit through. On the other hand, it could turn out to be an enjoyable little movie with which to waste some time.
Hollywoodland. (2006, 126 minutes, R, drama, trailer) This may be my most anticipated movie of the weekend. It is the story of George Reeves' mysterious death, a death deemed to be suicide despite evidence indicating otherwise. Reeves is played by Ben Affleck, while the investigator looking into the potential murder is played by Adrien Brody. Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins co-star.
The Protector. (2006, 109 minutes, R, action, trailer) Tony Jaa follows up Ong Bak with this new dose of martial arts action. It has a rather straightforward storyline, concerning outsiders defiling his culture, so he takes the fight to them. Jaa is an absolutely amazing fighter, and is poised to become the next big star after Lee, Chan, and Li. How long before he does an English language film?
Also opening this week, but not near me:
- The Aura
- Broken Bridges
- I Trust You to Kill Me
- Rolling Family
- Sherrybaby
- This Film is Not Yet Rated
Box Office Predictions
No clever witticisms this week, just some guesses:
| Rank | Title | Box Office |
| 1 | The Covenant | $9.5 million |
| 2 | Invincible | $7.5 million |
| 3 | The Illusionist | $7 million |
| 4 | Hollywoodland | $6.5 million |
| 5 | Little Miss Sunshine | $6 million |
| 6 | Crank | $5.5 million |
| 7 | The Protector | $4 million |
| 8 | Barnyard | $3.5 million |
| 9 | Talladega Nights | $3 million |
| 10 | World Trade Center | $2 million |
What are you seeing this weekend?
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