The Week That Was and the Week That Will Be - 4/16

I intended my post-Spring Break-break to last three or four days. Instead, it extended out to ten. I usually try my best to avoid gaps like that in this space but my real world job (the bane of blog productivity) got insanely busy and the time off was necessary. And honestly, it was good for me to take a little break. So thanks for sticking around and here's hoping I can get back on track over the coming days!

Movie News and Links
Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, and Liam Hemsworth have all signed on for Paranoia, a corporate thriller based on a bestseller from 2004. The idea of Ford and Oldman working together is pretty insane and Hemsworth impressed me in The Hunger Games. I'm already looking forward to this one.

Sin City 2 somewhat unexpectedly began production this weekend, to which I say: "Meh." Didn't care for the first one.

It was announced late last week that Alfonso Cuaron's next film, Gravity, which stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, will open with a 17-minute shot. Must say, I'm totally geeking out about this. Cuaron's last film, Children of Men (which I highly recommend), features one of the greatest long-shot sequences I've ever seen. This sounds AWESOME.

Ben Kingsley has been confirmed as the villain in the third Iron Man movie, due next May.

Steve Carell is in discussions to star in a screen adaptation of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day which was unquestionably my favorite book as a child. Great choice, Steve!

Ruth over at Flixchatter participated in Fandango Groover's Movie Year blog-a-thon and picked one of my favorite years for film, 2000. Check out her selections!

Matt at CinemaSlants dives into what could have been with the 1995 film Dead Presidents, a movie I quite liked when I was 15 and quite dislike now.  

Weekend Box Office Results

What a run for Jennifer Lawrence, Lionsgate, and everyone involved with the colossal smash-hit that is The Hunger Games! Hunger holds on to the top spot at the box office for the fourth consecutive week and crossed the $500 million threshold worldwide. Not bad for a March film made on a $78 million budget. And with another group of lackluster premiers on deck for the coming weekend, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that we’ll see Hunger in this same spot next week, too. As for this week’s new offerings, The Three Stooges played moderately well with audiences but was panned by critics while The Cabin in the Woods (which got my money) scored big time with critics and pulled in a solid, if unspectacular, box office number. Lockout, meanwhile, failed to find favor with either group, marking it as one of the more disappointing movies of the year so far. I didn’t expect it to grab a $35 million opening but I also didn’t think $15-20 was out of the question.

 

1. The Hunger Games - $21.5M ($337M)

2. The Three Stooges - $17.1M

3. The Cabin in the Woods - $14.85M

4. Titanic 3D - $11.62M ($44.14M)

5. American Reunion - $10.7M ($39.9M)

6. Mirror Mirror  - $7M ($49.46M)

7. Wrath of the Titans - $6.9M ($71.25M)

8. 21 Jump Street - $6.8M ($120.56M)

9. Lockout - $6.25M

10. Dr. Suess’ the Lorax - $3.02M ($204.48M)

New to DVD

What I’ve Seen and You Should, Too

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner

I must say, dear readers, I’ve been looking forward to this day for several weeks now. You simply cannot ask much more from an action movie than what MI4 has to offer. It serves as a reminder of both Tom Cruise’s ability to carry a film and how awesome action flicks can be when given a worthwhile plot to work with. If you haven’t seen Ghost Protocol, it is an absolute riot and comes highly recommended.

Also New

Shame – Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

The Divide – Michael Biehn, Lauren German

Eight is Enough: Season 1 (1977) – Dick Van Patten, Lani O’Grady

Born to Be Wild – Morgan Freeman

American Dad: Volume 7 – Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal

Treme: Season 2 – Khandi Alexander, Clarke Peters

Bob’s Burgers: Season 1 – H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz

Coming to a Theater Near You

The one bad thing about skipping out last week was missing the chance to smash on The Three Stooges throughout the course of the week. Actually, it was probably better this way. I still can’t believe that project got the green light. Also, does anyone remember when the Farrelley Brothers made comedies that were, you know, funny? What a waste. Moving on now…

The Lucky One – Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner

A young veteran (Efron) journeys to North Carolina in an effort to meet the woman who he believes saved his life during his tour of battle. They fall in love and stuff. Obviously I’m not the target audience for this sort of movie but good grief, this looks especially painful, even in comparison to the other Nicholas Sparks movies. I would be alright if this brand of film was stricken from the record altogether but alas, I don’t have the power to make it happen. Good luck, ladies. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 25%

Think Like a Man – Chris Brown, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Gabrielle Union

After discovering their respective girlfriends are using a relationship guide book to manipulate them, four friends decide to use the information in their favor. Apparently I’m in the VAST minority but I do not understand the appeal of Kevin Hart. I’ve yet to laugh at any of his shtick and I can’t imagine sitting through an entire film of it. It’s possible, though I would hate to admit it, that I’d rather see The Lucky One than this movie. I really don’t want to think about having to make such an awful choice but I’m not sure I could take Think Like a Man. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 40%

Chimpanzee – Tim Allen

Disney’s newest Earth Day adventure focuses on a young chimp who is separated from the group is taken in and cared for by a lone male chimp. This documentary series is far from hard-hitting but they’re always very well made and touching and this one looks to be no exception. Rotten Tomatoes prediction: 78%

Also new: Meryl Streep narrates another Earth Day special, To the Arctic…Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline fight over a lost dog in Darling Companion…Sarah Bolger suspects her new boarding schoolmate is a vampire in The Moth Diaries…and director Kevin Macdonald takes a look at the life of the Reggae superhero in his documentary Marley.