Analysts are forecasting some box-office woes this weekend, even though Labor Day wasn't as bad as it has been in years past thanks to The Possession. With lower theater counts for The Words and The Cold Light of Day, you might want to check out something you might have missed in August instead, or explore some independent alternatives. If that doesn't do it for you, guess which adventuring professor is on the big screen again, and in IMAX?
The Words
What’s It About? This drama centers on a struggling writer (Cooper) who stumbles upon a manuscript that he claims as his own. Success finds him quickly, but so does the actual author.
Early Reaction: The Words debuted at Sundance earlier this year to middle-of-the-road reviews, but now that critics across the country have seen it, middling has turned into bad.
Metacritic: 44/100
Rotten Tomatoes: 16%
What to Watch For: The ensemble cast - It's hard to believe a film that attracted Cooper, Saldana, Irons, Wilde, J.K. Simmons, Dennis Quaid and Ben Barnes is as bad as 16% indicates it should be. The material must be the item in question, so let's see how they deal with it.
The Cold Light of Day
What’s It About? Your future Clark Kent/Superman, Henry Cavill, stars as a Wall Street man who meets his family for vacation in Spain. When they're kidnapped, he discovers his father (Bruce Willis) works for the CIA and he become embroiled in some of his unfinished business.
Early Reaction: We were supposed to get this film from Summit back in April, but their acquisition by Lionsgate messed things up. Neither release date would've elicited much hope for this generic action thriller and not many critics have gotten the chance to see it at this point. Our own Simon Brookfield did, and he was none too kind.
Player Affinity Rating: 2.5/10 (Read the Review)
Metacritic: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: 8%
What to Watch For: Henry Cavill as an action star — We got a taste of his capability in Immortals last November, but that film was larger than life. How is he as a gritty hero?
LIMITED/INDEPENDENT RELEASES
Raiders of the Lost Ark in IMAX - This Indiana Jones classic jumps to the big (big) screen for a limited engagement. This might well be your best option this weekend if there's an IMAX near you. – Paramount
Branded – This dystopian tale imagine a future in which corporate branding has taken over our minds, only there's a bigger conspiracy at work here and only one man can see these mysterious forces controlling our world. The film was co-financed in Russia. – Roadside Attractions
[REC]3 Genesis – This is the third of four films from Spanish filmmaker Paco Plaza centered on a viral zombie outbreak. This installment follows a couple on their wedding day. [REC]3 premiered at South by Southwest and has already arrived in most international markets. (Metacritic: 41/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 41%) – Magnolia
Bachelorette – Considered a sharper, black comedy version of Bridesmaids, Kristen Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan stars as friends who become bridesmaids for a girl they ridiculed in high school. Also available on video on demand. (Metacritic: 49/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 48%) – The Weinstein Company
Hello I Must Be Going – A recently divorced woman (Melanie Lynskey) finds herself living in her parents' house again. Down and out, she begins in affair with a younger man (Christopher Abbott of HBO's Girls). (Metacritic: 58/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 67%) – Oscilloscope Pictures
The Inbetweeners Movie – The British TV comedy hits the big screen and now North American audiences. Four geeky high school friends go on an outrageous vacation. (Metacritic: 42/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 58%) – Wrekin Hill
Toys in the Attic – This Czech answer to Toy Story tells the tale of an attic divided into good and evil sides. When Buttercup the doll is kidnapped by the Head of State, her toy friends endeavor to cross territory lines to save her. (Metacritic: 62/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 80%) – Hannover House
Keep the Lights On – Two men meet in Manhattan in 1997 and as their fling grows more serious, so do their personal problems. Winner of the Teddy award for Best Feature Film at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival. (Metacritic: 79/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 86%) – Music Box Films
Las Acacias – A Spanish-language film from Argentina about a loney truck driver who agrees to take a woman to Bueno Aires and finds out she's towing an 8-month-old baby. (Metacritic: 72/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 75%) – Outsider Films
Girl Model – This documentary tells the story of two women involved in the modeling industry that sees young women sent from Siberia to Tokyo with dreams of becoming successful models. (Metacritic: 68/100; Rotten Tomatoes: 89%) – First Run Features