Weekend Box Office: Big Take for Marvel, McFarlane, and Pixar - CinemaNerdz - Part 175
Weekend Box Office: Big Take for Marvel, McFarlane, and Pixar
Talk about winning streaks…Marvel, already rolling in dough with its major success of The Avengers, opened The Amazing Spider-Man on an off-kilter Tuesday debut. Turns out they may not have needed it: even without that extra cash, it entered at number one on the list with an estimated $65 million. But besides breaking records for Tuesday openers, it actually managed to best its reported $230 milli...[Read More]
Batman on Film: Tim Burton Brings the Dark Knight to the Modern Cinema
As I mentioned in part one Batman on Film, Batman (1966) was my first experience with the Batman character. Even though Adam West will always hold a special place in my heart and I’m able to separate his Batman from any of the “modern” interpretations of the character, it’s Tim Burton’s vision of the Batman universe that I grew up with and considered the one true cinematic representation (until Ch...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: It’s Up Meets Short Circuit in Robot & Frank
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Whatever you do to celebrate – have a barbecue, go to the movies, watch fireworks – enjoy yourself. I’ll be watching my local parade, having lunch at the Coney Island, and then watching my traditional double feature of Jaws (1975) and Independence Day (1996). But in the meantime, let’s take a look at the first trailer for the upcoming indie sci-fi comedy...[Read More]
Weekend Box Office: Bears Big at the Box Office as Ted and Brave Take Two of Top Three Spots
Seth McFarlane’s name is gold, whether its on his three TV shows on FOX or in the theaters, as his comedy Ted did quite well for itself in its debut weekend. The adventures of the walking, talking, R-rated teddy bear made an estimated $54.1 million (already making back its $50 million budget), and is getting positive reviews as well. So is the second place finisher, Magic Mike, which made an even ...[Read More]
Batman on Film: Batman (1966)
My first real exposure to Batman came as a kid with the 1966 movie starting Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as his faithful ward Robin. Sure, I saw a few Super Friends episodes from time to time, but it was that movie that really hooked me. There I was, watching it for free at an outdoor summer festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan called Top of the Park. I look back on that first viewing ...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: Pixar Enters the Prequel Game with Monsters University
Well, faithful readers, this is a day I’ve awaited since I started writing this column – I finally get to write about a Pixar movie! This week brings us the first teaser for the first Pixar prequel, Monsters University. Premise: Set about ten years before the events of Monsters, Inc., this is the story of how James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski met during their college days at the U...[Read More]
Dear White People: A Reason to Return to the Theater
Never mind the group-specific title. Dear White People is a movie we can all be excited about. Billing itself “a satire about being a black face in a very white place,” Dear White People follows the events leading up to a race riot at a prestigious, predominately white university through the perspectives of four, very different, black students. “While the script was culled from my own college expe...[Read More]
Weekend Box-Office: Pixar Need Not Be Scared with the Performance of Brave
Put Pixar’s name on practically anything and you are guaranteed success at the box office…even the critically panned Cars 2 made over $550 million worldwide. So it should be no surprise to see their newest entry, Brave, make a solid opening weekend with an estimated $66.7 million. Though not earning quite the high praise of earlier Pixar efforts, it is far and away better reviewed than the aforeme...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: The Resident Evil Series Continues to Not Interest Me with Resident Evil: Retribution
I’ve been on a good run with Trailer Trashin’ these last couple weeks, but I knew it would happen eventually – I have to write about a movie I have no interest in. On the chopping block this week is the second trailer for Resident Evil: Retribution, the fifth entry in the film series loosely based on the Resident Evil video game franchise. Premise: Alice (Milla Jovovich) is captured by...[Read More]
Weekend Box-Office: A Week Later and Little Has Changed
The Father’s Day weekend belonged to last week’s top draws as Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and Prometheus remained in the top spots, earning an estimated $35.5 million and $20.2 million, respectively. While both experienced significant drops from last week, both have done quite well in the domestic market and abroad, Madagascar 3 pulling in $277.5 million and Prometheus a solid $217.5 millio...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: Tarantino’s Django Unchained Looks Off the Hook
As I said last week, the summer is a time when movie studios start promoting their big films and Oscar hopefuls that are coming out in the fall and winter. And just like last time, this week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ is looking at a promising December release – Django Unchained, the new film from writer/director Quentin Tarantino. Premise: Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave, tr...[Read More]
Weekend Box-Office: In the Battle of the Franchises, Who Will Win? Alien or Madagascar?
With two big, very hyped contenders coming out this weekend, it is no surprise that they would score big, but which of them would come out the winner? As it turns out, family fun did…Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted took the top spot with a projected $60.4 million, while Prometheus, the sort-of prequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien, settled for second with an estimated $50 million. While both films ha...[Read More]