Toronto Screen Shots
Meant to mention this earlier, but I did a recap of the Philly Film Fest for my buddy James‘ new Web site. Enjoy.
The Hawk Is Rising
Region 1 DVD Releases for May 29, 2007
Remember a month ago when I said it was a slow week? I didn’t know what I was talking aobut.
Hannibal Rising (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Basically the only recognizable title coming out this week, which is unfortunate since, by most accounts, it’s pretty sucky. Then again, I liked Hannibal. Extras include some featurettes and some deleted scenes.
The Hawk Is Dying
Paul Giamatti cares for an ailing hawk (insert Dick Cheney joke here). Got a start at Sundance ‘06, but never quite found a theatrical audience. Loads of extras including Scenes From “On the Set of The Hawk Is Dying.” They couldn’t get the whole thing?
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
Before you just assume this is gay porn, let me remind you…this has Mink Stole. Seems more like a wacky comedy. Apparently in the first one, the straight roomate pretends to be gay. In this one, the gay roomate pretends to be straight. And you gotta love the title, huh? Did I mention it was a slow week?
Katherine Hepburn Collection
This might not seem like a slow week selection until you realize that you probably haven’t heard of most of the six titles included. That’s not to say they’re obscure. Morning Glory gave Hepburn her first Oscar nod. Without Love pairs her with Spencer Tracy (and Lucille Ball). In Dragon Seed she’s, you know, Chinese. Undercurrent also stars Robert Mitchum. Sylvia Scarlett and The Corn Is Green are both George Cukor films, and the former has Carey Grant. It’s just not The Philadelphia Story or The Lion in Winter we’re talking about here.
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story of H.P. Lovecraft
Kind of an interesting backstory here. The original Lovecraft tale was written in 1926, in the silent film era. So, the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has decided to render this adaptation in that style. Fans seem to love it.
More here.
Drag Coefficient
Pirates huffed and puffed but could only blow down the Memorial Day weekend record, taking five days (with a Thursday night open) to achieve what Spider-Man 3 did in three. The cumulative drag of Spidey’s thrid frame and Shrek’s second is the popular culprit. Of course, since all of these films are going to make approximately one gazillion dollars, after a while we’re just picking gnat shit out of pepper.
The movie itself lacks momentum. Not the worst sin, but given the pedigree, a notable one. More on the overall disappointment of the May of the Tres in a later post.
6/1
Wide
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Kevin Costner gets his Lecter on.
WILL IT SUCK?
I’ll give writer/director Bruce A. Evans the screenplays for Starman and Stand By Me and even, God help me, Kuffs (which he also directed), but since then we’ve got to talk about the scripts for Jungle 2 Jungle and Cutthroat Island. Still, early buzz is good. And isn’t it time we got Dane Cook and William Hurt in a movie together? Keep an eye out for Reiko Aylesworth (Michelle on 24).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Will be lucky to come in third to Knocked Up and the second frame of Pirates. $36mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
The lighter side of unplanned parenthood.
WILL IT SUCK?
Probably the best movie I’ve seen this summer so far (granted it’s early). More here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The combination of Hostel II and Ocean’s 13 the following weekend might present a bit of a challenge, but this should open well and taper off gently. $100mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Before there was Mia Hamm, there was…Gracie!
WILL IT SUCK?
From the director of An Inconvenient Truth, so if the bulk of the film is Gracie giving a PowerPoint presentation on why women should be allowed to play soccer, this will fucking rock. Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Very competitive field. Their 17-city tour might help. But probably not. $5mil.
Limited
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Fight for the Chalk of Fate. Seriously.
WILL IT SUCK?
Watch this trailer and tell me you don’t want to see this movie. I was actually underwhelmed by Night Watch, but still wanted to see the sequel, even before I saw the trailer or the positive buzz.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Like its predecessor, this was a box office record-breaker in its native Russia. Like its predecessor, that probably won’t help here. $2mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
I Spit On Your Vampire Crypt
WILL IT SUCK?
Why the trailer says “from the writer of Gothika” instead of “from one of the writers of Snakes on a Plane” is beyond me. That having been said, early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If you’re gonna be an indie vampire flick, don’t open against Day Watch. $1mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Would you marry the man who threw acid in your face?
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. This doc was co-directed by Fisher Stevens. How cool is that?
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Should be pretty free of competition. $3mil
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Story of the last hangman in Britain.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good, and if you want to see Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) whack 433 people, there’s really no other way.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Does have the advantage of not being about vampires, but that might not be enough to make it stand out. $250,00.
Next Week: You know what would be neat? A movie about penguins.
See You in 2008
I suppose Sopranos fans are used to long waits, but I’m beginning to find more and more of my favorite shows are taking their sweet time with new seasons. Lost just finished last night, gonna have to wait til February to see how that all turns out. For 24, this is nothing new, although after this season I’m not exactly on pins and needles. And finally, Battlestar Galactica - and this came as a big shock because (a) I didn’t realize I was watching the season finale until the end and (b) I didn’t realize I was going to have to wait until January for what may be their last season - which ended on arguably the biggest cliffhanger of any of these and will have, in fact, the longest wait.
Spider-Man to Shrek: “$122 million? That’s cute.”
Yes, Shrek broke the record for highest animated opening and holds the third highest opening of all time now, but you know some exec at DreamWorks is out there whispering, “Fuckin’ Spider-Man!”
5/25
Wide
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
ARRR, WHAT BE THE PITCH?
Pirates vs. Dutch East India Co.
ARRRR, WILL IT BE SUCKING THIS TIME?
It’s a simple enough maxim: Dance with the one that brought ya. This franchise has stuck with Gore Verbinski at the helm and Terry Rossio & Ted Elliot (Both in the first Shrek writing pool, btw) for all three. Chances are, this will be just as good as the first two (yes, I liked the sequel). Adding Keith Richards and Chow Yun-Fat to the mix should be fun, and bringing back Geoffrey Rush probably won’t hurt, either.
ARRR, HOW MANY DOUBLOONS WILL IT BE STEALIN’?
Again, if we calculate the improvement in performance of the sequel (now the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time) to the original, the next step proportionally is $583mil. Again, I’m going to wuss out on that prediction. $437mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
I’ve got bugs crawling under my skin, man!
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed - some consider this to be William Friedkin’s third best film after The Exorcist and The French Connection, others are less impressed. Interesting, though, to see a horror film adapted from a stage play.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
No real horror competition, but Lionsgate has got to bump up the ad campaign. $16mil.
Limited
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Touched by a Really Hot French Angel
WILL IT SUCK?
Buzz has it that like most post-Professional Luc Besson, it looks beautiful but is as cheesy as hell.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
People want action from Besson and they’ll get it - from Timur Bekmambetov’s Daywatch the following week. $2mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Anime Dreamscape.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Writer/director Satoshi Kan has scored before with Tokyo Godfathers and the transcendent Millennium Actress, one of the few animes I’ve actually understood.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Unless your name is Miyazaki, your anime is gonna have trouble getting traction in the States. $750,000.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Guy hires an actor to pretend to be the president of a company.
WILL IT SUCK?
Comedy has a new name and it is - Lars Von Trier. Well, this time, anyway. Read more.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Last time Von Trier tried to be funny, it didn’t turn out so well. $500,000.
THE GOLDEN DOOR
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Romance on the high seas - an immigrant boat, actually.
WILL IT SUCK?
Cleaned up at Venice. Trailer looks cheesy, though, and a lot of early reviews support that notion.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The fact that they slapped Scorsese’s name on it and got a Tribeca slot might help. $1mil.
Next Week: The movie with the best trailer of the summer.
Pour Some Out for Mars
The smartest show on television is about to die. After two more episodes, Veronica Mars will cease to exist. My only comfort is that the CW is launching a new show with a pilot directed by Kevin Smith. But I would have much rather had more Mars. It’s backlogged on my TiVo right now so I’ve only seen one of the final five. But judging by that, even in its death throes it kicks more ass than most shows in their prime.
On the other hand, the best show on television will live.
All Hail Apatow
Saw a sneak of Knocked Up last night. Freakin’ hilarious. So funny that I’ll have to see it again just to catch the lines I missed because I was laughing so hard. Office fans take note, Craig Robinson (Darryl) has a cameo toward the end that damn near steals the film. Judd Apatow is quietly securing his slot as a singular voice in American comedy.
“Help Me, USPS! You’re My Only Hope!”
As soon as the USPS dropped one of these near us, I think Dr. Wife knew what I had in mind before I even asked her…
This almost makes up for the price hike, you magnificent bastards!