01/28/10

Tops at the Box: Whether it’s still the No. 1 grossing film of the week come next issue or not, I promise not to talk about blue man dollars after this week’s column. We’re at way past boring at this point. Like it or not, this whole boring Na’vi thing is full-blow, Star Wars-level cultural phenomenon. Movies rarely make it to this level of cultural influence. This past weekend Avatar not only topped the boring box office, but became the No. 2 grossing boring film ever made. By the time you read this column it will very likely be the No. 1 grossing film of all-time, passing James Cameron’s own Titanic. I’ve seen both films multiple times - this because I care. And I like movies. I’d give Titanic a boring C+ and Avatar a D+. Needless to say, I’ve had lots of awkward, boring conversations about Avatar lately, the best of which usually have to do with Cameron’s awesome new-age-dude hairstyle. I typically segue said conversations into better territory by saying “have you seen Cameron’s ex-wife’s new film, The Hurt Locker, yet?” 

More From the Box: Supernatural horror flick Legion, starring Paul Bettany in his first major lead, took the No. 2 spot last weekend, bringing in a surprising $18 million over it’s first three days. Victory for the angel with the uzi! The Hughes Brothers’ The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and the endlessly annoying brunette from “That 70s Show,” took the No. 3 spot with another $17 million in its second week, upping its so-far total to over $62 million after only 10 days. Looks like a fun action flick. The Tooth Fairy and The Lovely Bones took the No. 4 and No. 5 spots; both films are shaping up to be financial bombs. Awesome. A handful of awards season-type films are selling more tickets than usual, including Up in the Air, Crazy Heart, A Single Man, The White Ribbon and The Young Victoria. So at least us cultural rebels have that going for us.

New This Week: Warner Bros. new Mel Gibson thriller, Edge of Darkness, hits screens everywhere this week. Meh. When In Rome, starring the always engaging Kristen Bell, also hits screens. Neither will get too many excited, which is probably a good thing, considering Avatar, Eli and a couple others still have quite a bit of buck to make. Truth is, there’s not much to look forward to at the Cineplex right now; this is the time of year where the studios dump their trash and focus on awards shows and DVD sales. So, until things heat up, we have a dozen or so smaller art house films seeing wider releases and, of course, Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island, set to hit screens on February 19. (Fingers crossed on that one; could go either way.) ‘Tis the season to rent, rent, rent.

The Buzz: Hot Tub Time Machine. This will either be a new cult classic or a movie that people argue is a new cult classic - nothing in-between. The film certainly has much going for it: it stars John Cusack in his oft-loved playful mode; it’s directed by Cusack’s friend, Steve Pink, who co-produced and co-wrote both Hi Fidelity and Gross Point Blank; and it also stars the underrated comedic talents of Craig Robinson (“The Office”) and Crispin Glover. The film also has a whole lot going against it: I’m hearing that it’s aimed at the folks who like The Hangover, a film I did not like; and, oh, it’s about a hot tub that doubles as a time machine. (Full circle for Glover?) Also buzzing this week is the upcoming Oscar Award season; nominations are announced on February 2 with the awards show on Sunday, March 7. Hopefully Avatar becomes a punchline by then and people wise up to the magic of Sam Rockwell’s performance in the great Moon. For now, check out the SAG Awards nominations. Again, not so great.

New to DVD: Nothing too essential hitting the shelves this week. Adam was a stellar drama starring the swoon-worthy Rose Byrne in one of her best roles yet; Adventureland is a decent enough zombie comedy; Love Happens, a rom-com starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart, is a good Valentine season release; a shload of flicks are getting the Blu-ray treatment (including Casablanca, The Godfather and Milos Forman’s excellent Amadeus); and, lastly, we have Amelia, a should-be-huge biopic that no one saw and very few critics liked. I’m not a huge fan of biopics, but the trailer for this one makes me hope I’ll accidentally see it some very bored day.

Archival Pick of the Week: British situation comedy “Peep Show.” My friend Sean put me on to this show a couple of months ago and I’ve already watch every episode at least twice. The set-up is simple: two friends from college share an apartment together in South London while entering their 30s. They both chase women and fumble through life, one hoping to go unnoticed and have average success and the other hoping to be the next Chemical Brother. Sounds a bit ordinary and tedious but, throw in a device (the show relies on POV-filming techniques and thinking-man voiceovers) and you have one of the smartest, funniest shows ever. You’ll currently only find season one available in the U.S., but most episodes are available online. Recommended if you like “The Office,” “Extras” or “That Mitchell and Webb Look.” If you’re still not convinced, let me cheapen the argument by mentioning that it’s one of the highest rated shows of all time on IMDB. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.

Written by G. William Locke