07/29/10

Tops at the Box: Inception, for the second straight week, was the No. 1 film at the box office last weekend, bringing in another $43.5 million, upping its 10-day US total to $143 million (that’s $228 million worldwide). Success! Director Christopher Nolan’s seventh film has pretty much already made back its production budget and, by this time next week, will have likely made back its promotional budget, too. Pretty cool when the good guys (i.e. directors who work on creative, well-made films) make some money and score some solid press. Thus far people seem to like the movie quite a bit - even if only because they like arguing about the specifics and theories on IMDB. There are complaints, but none that I get. Is this really the kind of work that’s worth knocking? Seriously? If so, please e-mail me at the below address explaining why. 

More from the Box: Director Phillip Noyce’s return to big dollar cinema, Salt, took the No. 2 spot last weekend, bringing in a solid $36.5 million over its first three days. Not bad. Noyce, who first became known for five consecutive commercially successful films, Patriot Games, Sliver, Clear and Present Danger, The Saint and The Bone Collector, is a solid-as-hell filmmaker, for sure. After that hugely successful stretch he released two very good indie films, The Quiet American and Rabbit-Proof Fence, and now we have Salt, starring Angelina Jolie, Live Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor. We hear it’s surprisingly great. Coming in at No. 3 last weekend was Despicable Me, upping its three week total to over $160 million; at No. 4 with just under $10 million was Nic Cage vehicle The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which is underperforming in a major way thanks to the success of Inception; and rounding out the Top 5 last weekend was the great Toy Story 3, upping its so far total to a whopping $380 million.

Opening this Weekend: Three major releases look to take some of that Nolan green this weekend, starting with Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore. Looks sooooo awful. Also out are Charlie St. Cloud (cheesy tearjerker starring Zac Efron) and Dinner for Schmucks. Starring Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and a huge number of people you know in medium sized roles, Schmucks could very well be one of the breakout comedy hits of the summer. Lots of promotion, lots of cameos and two leads who have been filling theaters for the last two years. Still, though, looks kind of mediocre to us. Four indie films will begin to test this weekend as well, including Get Low and The Extra Man. Both look very promising.

Industry Buzz: A number of great new trailers have surfaced in the last few weeks, starting with Howl, an Allen Ginsberg biopic starring James Franco, David Strathaim, Jon Hamm, Bob Balaban, Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels. Easily one of the best trailers we’ve seen in ages. Stone, starring Edward Norton and Robert De Niro, looks promising, if predictable, while Waiting for Superman, a documentary about the US education system smells like a minor breakout hit. The trailer for Boston-based heist flick Town, Ben Affleck’s second crack at directing, looks surprisingly excellent, while Mesrine: Killer Instinct, a French crime thriller starring Vincent Cassel looks like a new classic to us. Three more trailers, Todd Solondz’ Life During Wartime, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Jack Goes Boating and Get Low, all look great as well.

New to Home Video: Releases new to shelves this past Tuesday, July 27: The Art of the Steal; Clash of the Titans; Repo Men; Blu-ray editions of Fanboys, G.I. Joe: The Movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (!!!) and more; the complete “21 Jump Street”; “season two of “The City”; season two of “Pawn Stars” and “NBA championship 2010.” Out this coming Tuesday,  August 3 are three of the year’s best films, Kick-Ass, Un Prophete and The Ghost Writer. Also out are these not-nearly-as-good releases: Diary of a Wimpy Kid; To Save a Life; Blu-ray editions of Bull Durham, Charlie’s Angels, The Breakfast Club, Escape From New York and more; season four of “Heroes”; and season nine of “Hawaii Five-O.” We recommending seeing Un Prophete ASAP if you’ve not already seen it. Easily the best movie of 2010 so far.

Written by G. William Locke