01/14/10

Tops at the Box: Well, damn. What can I say? In the three or so weeks since we last offered a formatted column a couple of Christmastime blockbusters have come out and made the world make much less sense - this by making major dollars. At the top of that list is James Cameron’s Avatar, which will very likely end up being not just a major financial success, but one of the Top 3 grossing films ever made behind Cameron’s own Titanic, at No. 1, and Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight, at the well deserved No. 2 spot. Released just 24 days ago, Avatar has already made $429 million in the U.S. and over $1.3 billion worldwide. Major bux. If this keeps up (and we suspect it will), Avatar could very likely become the top dollar film ever made. Did we like the movie? No. We did not. But ScreenTime is thrilled that people are getting out to the theater, even if it makes us gag and cry. 

More From the Box: No. 2 at the box office this past weekend, and pretty much since it was released on Christmas day, was Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes film, which has already made $165 million in the U.S. in its first 17 days. Did ScreenTime like Holmes, you ask? No, not especially. We liked the set design and Rachel McAdams’ handsome face very much, but, again, not a film we’re too thrilled to see bring in the big buck. Third this past weekend was Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. This low-brow junker has made $178 million in its first three weeks. We’ve not yet seen this movie and will do whatever it takes to make sure we never do. Unless we’re drunk. Really, really drunk. Also of note recently are The Blind Side and Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. Blind Side because it’s been kicking all kinds of ass since hitting screens almost eight weeks ago, already bringing in over $220 million in the U.S. alone. Not bad, considering the film was shot for a modest $29 million. As for Frog, well, despite testing amazingly well and getting stellar enough reviews, the latest Disney offering has thus far only made $92 million in the U.S., making it the by-far worst selling animated Disney offering in some time.

New This Week: Finally, after much hype, Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones adaptation hits screens nationwide. Despite having a strong trailer, word on the street is that Bones is a major letdown. We’ll see about that. The Hughes Brothers’ new film, The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, is also set to hit screens. This trailer for this film, more than any we’ve seen in a while, reminds that almost anyone can make an aesthetically good looking film in this new digital era. Does that mean that we’re hopeful for Eli? No, not so much. But we suspect plenty of folks will go to - and very likely enjoy - this stylized action/adventure flick. And lastly, finally, we have the humor-filled comedy of The Spy Next Door. Stars Jackie Chan, Billy Ray Cyrus and George Lopez. ‘Nuff said, we think.

The Buzz: Drum roll … the abovementioned Avatar film will have a sequel. But we already knew that, didn’t we? I’d tell you more, but I’m watching Mike Leigh’s Naked at the moment (my third viewing this month). If you know anything about Naked, you know that it’s not the kind of film that will put you in the mood to talk about squeakquels. But, hey, good for all you Avatar fans; I know there are a whole lot of you folks and I’m sure you’re great people with big, happy hearts. Me, I’m the grump who went to see Sherlock Holmes simply because I knew that the trailer for Christopher Nolan’s new film, Inception, was set to debut before the period piece action kicked in. And it was worth it. If you’ve not yet seen said trailer, do yourself a favor and check out the first look at what just might be the best film of 2010. F’real. Nolan is king. Oh, and actress Brittany Murphy, known mostly for her rolls in 8 Mile, Sin City and Clueless, passed away since our last formatted column. A shame, considering how much promise her performances in The Dead Girl, Sidewalks of New York and Riding in Cars with Boys offered. (Note: Karen Moncrieff’s The Dead Girl is seriously excellent.)

New to DVD: Since we didn’t report on the week’s new DVD releases last week, we feel it necessary to mention a few gems that hit shelves. Out last week: Moon; The Hurt Locker; In the Loop; a Blu-ray issue of 8 ½; and Big Fan. Good all around. Oh, and Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself was also released, but we don’t much care about that, do we? This coming Tuesday, January 19 will see the following hit selves: Gamer, season five of “Weeds”; The Invention of Lying; Greta; Come Dance at My Wedding; and, most importantly, the release of Steven Soderbergh’s epic Che. Note to self: get money soon.; buy Moon, Che and The Hurt Locker.

Archival Viewing: Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven, originally released in 1978 as the follow-up to Malick’s classic debut, Badlands. On my birthday every year I try to watch one of my all-time favorite films, this year I watched Days of Heaven. And, really, every time I watch this flick - or Badlands, for that matter - I call it my No. 1 all-time movie. (I do the same for about 10 other films.) Heaven is the kind of film you have to rewind multiple times because the cinematography is almost too good to believe. It’s the kind of film that you make your best friends borrow. If you’ve not yet seen it, quit your job, go to the video store and do the right thing.

Written by G. William Locke