Though it is getting only middling reviews, 2 Guns made the top spot at the box office, making a good bid on its $61 million budget with an estimated $27.4 million. It was not as good a debut as The Wolverine, which had to settle for second and a heavy drop-off, earning an estimated $21.7 million. While already a money maker worldwide, it remains to be seen (though likely) if it will be a domestic...[Read More]
The Wolverine, Hugh Jackman’s latest venture as the perennially gruff superhero, appears to have redeemed the series in the eyes of the critics, but even though it took the weekend with an estimated $55 million, it fell behind both the prequel X-Men: First Class and only managed to do slightly better than the original X-Men released in 2000. Nevertheless, counting worldwide sales the film has made...[Read More]
The Conjuring is generating a lot of buzz…not only for its high reviews, but for its money-making potential. Budgeted at $20 million, the film (directed by James Wan, who previously found success in the world of horror with the Saw franchise) brought in an estimated $41.5 million, making it the second highest opening weekend ever for a supernatural horror film (beaten only by Paranormal Activity 3...[Read More]
Once again the box office has proven that keeping a film’s budget reasonable is a good idea, whether the movie is well-received or not. Despicable Me 2 held the top spot for a second week, making an estimated $44.8 million and holding off newcomers Grown-Ups 2 (estimated $42.5 million) and Pacific Rim (estimated $38.3 million). Grown-Ups 2 has been almost universally panned by critics, and still h...[Read More]
Ever since I was a kid, I have loved Japanese monster films. They played a big role in developing my love of cinema, and I consider the original Godzilla (1954) one of the finest examples of allegorical science-fiction in film history. And for almost a decade now, I’ve loved the films of Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican filmmaker who previously brought us Cronos (1993), Mimic (1997), The Devi...[Read More]
Memorial Day weekend is always one of the prime release spots in the summer movie season, and this year there are three films coming out this holiday weekend – The Hangover Part III, Epic, and Fast & Furious 6 – none of which I care one whit about. Instead, I plan to finally see Star Trek Into Darkness, which I missed this past weekend. And speaking of movies I do care about, this week’s...[Read More]
Now that the 2013 summer movie season has finally kicked off with the release of Iron Man 3 – go see it if you haven’t – we’re off to the races, and the blockbusters will be coming in fast and furious. And in the spirit of big summer movies, this week’s Trailer Trashin’ column takes yet another look at Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming sci-fi epic Pacific Rim. Premise: In...[Read More]
We’re halfway through January, and the hype machines for many of the big films of 2013 are already chugging away. And after Star Trek Into Darkness a few weeks ago, it’s time for another movie to get a surprisingly quick revisit. This week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ examines the new CES trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. Premise: Giant monsters ident...[Read More]
It’s been an embarrassment of riches, dear readers. In the past week-and-a-half, new trailers have been released for no less than six of next year’s big movies. Obviously, these trailer are coming out in conjunction with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which was a ton of fun, and I highly recommend you go see it. Because there were two trailers in particular that I wanted to examine...[Read More]