Ho ho ho! Who’s got a big white beard and does magical things this weekend? No, not Santa, the Box Office Wizard. And it could be you! All you have to do is predict which five movies will place in the top five of this weekend’s U.S. domestic box office. It’s that easy. I will make my own predictions here and explain them to you each week to give you some sort of reference point. It’s then your job to enter a comment with your top five.
It’s a somewhat rare occasion to get to look at the same story through the lens of two different filmmakers, and even rarer to get an opportunity when both films are good. Between the two movies, the plots are virtually the same, as is most of the dialogue. It’s the choices those involved make that give each film its own idiosyncrasies (obvious sentence is obvious.)
While the title of our featured clip this week on Player Affinity may have nothing to do with your expected gift load this holiday season, you may find this star-studded thriller a fun treat to look forward to in the coming year. Well go on; tear open that wrapping — its Trailer Tracker.
Who ever thought a film about a nurse named Gaylord Focker meeting his future in-laws, one of whom is ex-CIA, would ever pave the way for a comedy trilogy? The simple idea to capitalize on the tension of the in-law relationship made Meet the Parents a hit with audiences back in 2000 and consequently its sequel, Meet the Fockers, holds the box-office record for most successful live-action comedy of all time (though “The Hangover” gave it a scare).
This week, at least for me in my podunk city, Black Swan finally made its debut, and it blew me away. Darren Aronofsky’s story of a ballerina obsessed with perfection totally immersed me in its world. Natalie Portman’s performance should lead to her first Oscar, and deservedly so. If you haven’t seen it yet, go now. I give it my highest recommendation. For those of us who have, and enjoyed it, you might consider a film I was reminded of following my screening of Black Swan, Stanley Kubrick’s last film, 1999’s Eyes Wide Shut.
‘Tis the season for Box Office Wizardry. All you have to do is predict which five movies will place in the top five of this weekend’s U.S. domestic box office. It’s that easy. I will make my own predictions here and explain them to you each week to give you some sort of reference point. It’s then your job to enter a comment with your top five.
Whether you specifically asked for it or not, Tron: Legacy is the blockbuster centerpiece of the holiday season. Disney has sunk hundreds of millions in making this follow-up to the cult-classic 1982 film the hit it believes it can be. Naturally, there’s some doubt as to whether the Mouse House can pull this off. We (Steven and Max) weigh in on the film looking to ignite the dork in all of us.
There are great actors that can take an ordinary role and turn it into something magical. And there are characters so well-written that they can make any actor look good. Angelina Jolie is the only good thing about Girl, Interrupted. And Haley Joel Osment could have made a career out of his tender and terrified turn as Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense. Sometimes a studio picks just the right actor and sometimes it’s the guy in front of the lens that got lucky. The Fighter seems to be a combination of strong writing and adept acting.
Tired of all that sissy Christmas music and those hideous knit sweaters? Craving Thor, Transformers and Pirates or the Caribbean instead? Well forget about being nice, bring on the naughty and pour some rum into that eggnog because this ain’t your momma’s Trailer Tracker!
The eagerly anticipated The King’s Speech is soon to be released on a greater scale. There is a high amount of Oscar buzz already for this historical film, which was nominated yesterday for a best seven Golden Globes. Many kings, queens, emperors, princes and princess have ruled in films, in factual and fictional stories. Here are some of the good and bad rulers we have seen in film so far.
