December 2014 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the films I plan to see in December:

Wild (12/5/14)
"A chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe."x
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, written by Nick Hornby, starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, and Thomas Sadoski.

Exodus: Gods and Kings (12/12/14)
"The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues."x
Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine, and Stephen Zaillian, starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver, and Ben Kingsley.

Inherent Vice (12/12/14)
"In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend."x
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, Owen Wilson, and Benicio del Toro.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (12/17/14)
"Bilbo and Company are forced to be embraced in a war against an armed flock of combatants and the terrifying Smaug from acquiring a kingdom of treasure and obliterating all of Middle-Earth."x
Directed by Peter Jackson, written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, starring Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Fry, Billy Connolly, and Christopher Lee.

Mr. Turner (12/19/14)
"An exploration of the last quarter century of the great, if eccentric, British painter J.M.W. Turner's life."x
Written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson, and Richard Bremmer.

Two Days, One Night (12/24/14)
"Sandra, a young Belgian mother, discovers that her workmates have opted for a significant pay bonus, in exchange for her dismissal. She has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job."x
Written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, starring Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, and Catherine Salée.

American Sniper (12/25/14)
"A Navy S.E.A.L. recounts his military career, which includes more than 150 confirmed kills."x
Directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Jason Hall, starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, and Luke Grimes.

Big Eyes (12/25/14)
"A drama centered on the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s."x
Directed by Tim Burton, written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, starring Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Danny Huston, and Terence Stamp.

Selma (12/25/14)
"Martin Luther King, Lyndon Baines Johnson and the civil rights marches that changed America."x
Directed by Ava DuVernay, written by Paul Webb, starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth, Dylan Baker, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Oprah Winfrey .

Unbroken (12/25/14)
"A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II."x
Directed by Angelina Jolie, written by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Jai Courtney, and Miyavi.

A Most Violent Year (12/31/14)
"In New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history."x
Written and directed by J.C. Chandor, starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, and Albert Brooks.

Leviathan (12/31/14)
"In a Russian coastal town, Dmitri is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man's arrival brings further misfortune for Dmitri and his family."x
Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, written by Oleg Negin and Andrey Zvyagintsev, starring Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Elena Lyadova, Aleksey Serebryakov, and Roman Madyanov.

Which December releases are you looking forward to the most?

Weekend Preview: Desolation

The smoke is settling from the fire that caught the nation three weeks ago, but this weekend a dragon will rise from the ashes to add to his gold hoard. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will unleash dragonfire in 3,903 theaters this weekend. Tyler Perry seems to be the only person brave (or dumb) enough to stand up to Smaug the Stupendous, with his latest crossdressing outing Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas opening in 2,194 theaters. Two of the years biggest Oscar contenders are also starting their domestic runs this weekend, but in few enough theaters to sneak under the dragon's radar, like a thief with a magic ring. American Hustle opens in six theaters, and Saving Mr. Banks opens in fifteen.

The Hobbit is going to rule the weekend. With the first movie in the trilogy not as universally loved as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, it's a little unclear if Desolation will suffer a little in its opening weekend. The will probably be some people that wait to see if this one is better than the first, and of course there will be those who were so put off by the 3D high frame rate that they're going to wait until the movie hits Netflix. But I think they are going to be in the minority. I already have my tickets for the double feature in IMAX 3D, and I know that I'm not the only one. An Unexpected Journey set a Middle Earth record when it opened to $84.6 million domestically, but its $303 million final gross fell short of all three LOTR films. If Desolation sees a typical sequel decline, it should open no higher than $80 million. I'm still holding onto the hope that it has a shot at $90 million.

As for Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas, my expectations are much lower. Madea has made a lot of money for Perry (she stars in his three highest grossing films), but her last two films both opened to $25 million, much lower than her best outing: Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail which opened to $41 million. Perry's name also seems to be faltering, as evidenced by Tyler Perry Presents Peeples' $9 million total domestic gross. He merely "produced" that film though, so it shouldn't do too much damage to his return as his most popular character. The film definitely won't break any records, but it should be able to match Madea's last two $25 million outings.

Mary Poppins is one of the most beloved films of all time. The story of its journey from book to screen, starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P. L. Travers seems to be a match made in Oscar heaven. It may even get close to being as heartwarming and beloved as Mary Poppins. The film has been getting a little early awards recognition (though not as much as this weekend's other awards contender), with Thompson receiving nominations for the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. I think the film should have a shot at reaching $1 million from its fifteen theaters this weekend before expanding nationwide.

American Hustle on the other hand scored seven Golden Globe nominations, for best picture, director, screenplay, and all four acting categories. If Hustle continues the trend set by director David O. Russell's last two films, Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, then it may steal close to half a million this weekend on its way to over $100 million domestically and Oscar gold.

Also opening this weekend:
Afternoon of a Faun - one theater;
Here Comes the Devil;
Liv & Ingmar;
Nuclear Nation.

Tune in next week for new releases Anchorman: The Legend Continues, Walking with Dinosaurs, and in limited release Her, plus expansions for American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Saving Mr. Banks.

December 2013 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the films I plan to see in December:

Inside Llewyn Davis (12/6/13)
The Coen brothers add another entry into their very impressive resumes with this intimate look at a folk singer-songwriter trying to survive in 1960's New York.

Out of the Furnace (12/6/13)
Christian Bale stars in this action thriller as a desperate man trying to save his younger brother (Casey Affleck) from the sadistic leader of a dangerous crime ring (Woody Harrelson).  Director Scott Cooper's sophomore film has already gained some recognition from the 2013 Rome Film Festival, though it's still a long shot for some Oscar love.

The Last Days on Mars (12/6/13)
Another very interesting looking indie sci-fi flick, starring Liev Schreiber as part of an eight member research crew stationed on the red planet.

American Hustle (12/13/13)
David O. Russell's crime drama about the FBI ABSCAM operation of the 70's and 80's stars Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jenifer Lawrence.  This has a better shot at some Oscar luck than Bale's other film, though at this point in the race it's still a dark horse since few people have seen it yet.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (12/13/13)
Whether or not you think the first Hobbit film lived up to the book's reputation or your expectations, you can't deny that the second film looks epic. EPIC!  With Benedict's Smaug, Beorn, and Tauriel, this installment should be much more action packed than the first.  And that's without even reaching the Battle of Five Armies! 

Saving Mr. Banks (12/13/13)
Tom Hanks plays the perfect Walt Disney in this look at how Marry Poppins became one of Disney's most beloved films. Both Hanks and co-star Emma Thompson (who is equally perfect as author P. L. Travers) are very likely to get Oscar nominations for this film.

Her (12/20/13)
Spike Jonze gives us possibly the most modern love story ever filmed: an introvert writer (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his AI operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Festival reviews are raving Phoenix and Johansson's performances (and she won best actress at the Rome Film Festival), as well as co-star Amy Adams'.

The Wolf of Wall Street (12/25/13)
After much speculation as to whether it would be released this year (and finally kicking Jack Ryan off Christmas day), Martin Scorsese tries again to get Leo his Oscar. I really hope it works this time, because this film looks incredible.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (12/25/13)
Ben Stiller directs and stars in this remake based on the short story by James Thurber. Its festival reviews have been mixed, but I'm still looking forward to watching Stiller's day dreamer have the adventure of a lifetime. Plus the first trailer introduced me to Of Monsters and Men, so I kinda feel like I owe them one for that.

Which December releases are you looking forward to the most?

Box Office Review: December 2012

During the month of December, the domestic box office as a whole made a decent $934 million, which was just enough to help 2012 claim the title for highest grossing year of all time. Compared to past Decembers, 2012 ranks fourth all time. It's way behind December 2009's record gross of $1.066 billion, but it's nicely ahead of both 2010 ($882 million), and 2011 ($877 million).

What worked:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Part one of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy easily scored the highest domestic gross of the month with $228 million. That is a respectable number by itself, but in day-to-day comparison it trails The Return of the King by $54 million and The Two Towers by $25 million. This proves that goodwill from The Lord of the Rings wasn't quite strong enough to overcome the 48fps and one-book-three-movies issues. But as I've said before, that's not going to be enough to stop the company of Thorin Oakenshield from reaching $1 billion worldwide.

Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino's follow up to 2009's Inglourious Basterds is supposedly darker, bloodier, and funnier than its predecessor, but it is definitely grossing more. Django has grossed $68 million in seven days, which is $15 million more than Basterds had at the same point. Django should easily pass $120 million to become Tarantino's highest grossing film, with a final gross between $150 and $175 million.

Les Miserables
Here's another directorial follow-up to a recent and very well liked film (not to mention Oscar winner) that is aiming to outgross its predecessor (and win more Oscars as well). Tom Hooper's The King's Speech earned $138 million back in 2010 and won the Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Original Screenplay. There's not much point in comparing the two films' day-to-day grosses since they were given different release patterns, but it did take Speech about two months to reach Les Mis's six-day gross of $66 million. I definitely think Les Mis should reach Speech's final gross and become the fourth highest grossing musical of all time (behind Grease, Chicago, and Momma Mia!), though if the Academy voters are kind it may gross even higher.

Holdovers
November holdovers Lincoln, Skyfall, Rise of the Guardians, Life of Pi, and Breaking Dawn, Part Two all grossed over $40 million during December. This is quite an accomplishment considering the overbooked nature of the holiday box office due to the plethora of new releases between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Limited Releases
In only five theaters, Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty has grossed $1.368 million in twelve days. That isn't the most impressive limited start of the year, but it should, along with the upcoming Oscar Nominations announcement, generate enough buzz to take first place for the weekend of its nationwide expansion. The Impossible also did some good business ahead of its nationwide expansion by making $529,000 through eleven days in only sixteen theaters. Its expansion won't be as impressive as Thirty's, but it should still fare well in the lean month of January.

What didn't work:

While everybody was out seeing the films mentioned above, almost nobody took the time to see the rest of December's new releases. Jack Reacher ($44 million), This is 40 ($36 million), Parental Guidance ($34 million), The Guilt Trip ($21 million), Monsters, Inc. 3D ($18 million), and Playing for Keeps ($12 million) were all lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Were they overlooked unfairly or did they deserve to be cast to the wayside? I don't know. I didn't see them.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Directed by Peter Jackson.

Like most fans of Tolkien's legendarium, I have been eagerly awaiting the release of The Hobbit ever since Peter Jackson finished his Lord of the Rings trilogy.



And so I bought my ticket for the midnight release in IMAX 3D the minute they went on sale. My choice to not see it in 48fps was based on the fact that my favorite IMAX theater wasn't showing it in that format. (And though I have seen it a couple more times in the theater, I still haven't seen it in the higher frame rate, so unfortunately I can't discuss that with you all yet.)

So the misses and I arrived at the theater almost three hours early, yet were still 99th in line. We collected our set of five beautiful posters and settled in for a long, exciting wait. The biggest disappointment of the night came for us before the movie began, when we found out that we were at a theater that wasn't showing the Star Trek Into Darkness preview. We got to see the new trailer, but we had been expecting the preview. So thank you, Paramount, for not releasing the list of theaters where the preview would be playing in time for those attending midnight releases to get tickets to showings at those theaters.

Anyway....

I absolutely loved the movie. I can definitely concede the main criticisms of the film (other than the 48fps business), because the film was very long, occasionally slow, and two prefaces may be a little much. However, the acting was phenomenal. The cinematography was amazing. And those mountains take the breath away from the word breathtaking. I would gladly watch a three hour movie made up of solely helicopter shots of New Zealand's landscapes. I would also gladly watch a three hour movie of just the Riddles in the Dark scene. Martin Freeman's Bilbo (which is, dare I say it, even better than Ian Holm's) and Andy Serkis' Gollum are both perfect and a delight to watch interact.

So... Was it perfect? No. Does Jackson have his work cut out for him attendance retention-wise for The Desolation of Smaug? Yes. Will I be in line four hours early for the midnight release on December 13? YES.

Agree? Disagree? Think I'm a load of bunk? Want to prove that someone actually read this? Leave a comment below! :D

4.99 out of 5 Stars
Viewed 12:01 AM December 14, 2012 at Cinemark 17 and IMAX in Dallas, TX.

December 2012 Preview!

Here is a quick list of the films I plan to see in December:

Hyde Park on Hudson
Bill Murray is FDR during the weekend in 1939 when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth become the first King and Queen of England to visit America.

Les Miserables
Tom Hooper looks to repeat the formula that won him a few Oscars in 2011. Am I totally ok with that and excited to see this one? YES.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
XD
Give me a minute to calm down....
Do I think the 48 fps is an issue? I would stand in line for days to see this even if Jackson had shot it using his iphone (or whatever he has). So he decides to split the book into three movies? Please take my money, Peter. TAKE ALL OF THE MONEY. And it comes out on my girlfriend's 21st birthday, so we'll definitely be at the midnight premier in IMAX 3D.

Django Unchained
It's Tarantino. And Christoph Waltz is back as a good guy? Yesplz.

Which December releases are you most excited about? Let me know!