Its January and that means that 95% of the new releases are going to range from mediocre to terrible. This weeks new releases don't look to change the curve. Luckily we have a lot of Oscar contenders releases and that just means more reviewing in the coming weeks. Expect this week to be dominated by holdovers.
New releases this week include One Missed Call as the only wide release and the Killing of John Lennon. One Missed Call sounds like something ripped right off the Ring, of course it doesn't help that the trailers look awful and buzz has been low. Its gonna get about 2200 theaters though so i think it will end up getting the teen audience in their and earn a good $7-8 mil. I'm hoping for half that.
The Killing of John Lennon sounded like an Intriguing story but The buzz is almost at zero and with reviews are only, it faces an uphill battle. With the biggest PTA opener of the year going into its second week,(there will be Blood). Don't count on this one scoring big with audiences or even expanding.
Juno expands to 1880 theaters and is already past 30 million! I'll have a review as soon as I see it. Expect it to do in the 13 mil range. Atonement is expanding further to 500 theaters and it should add an extra 3 mil or so in its already successful run. In other limited releases, The Orphanage, is expanding to 40 theaters this weekend, It did in the ok to good range last week but I really can't see this connecting with a wide audience.
National Treasure should win the week, followed by Alvin, Juno, I am Legend and Charlie Wilson's War.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
No Country For Old Men Review
I recently Caught a screening of one of the most hyped flicks of the year at my local dollar theater with a friend of mine,(I'm a cheap prick). Needless to say that we were both excited to check out the Coen Brothers latest endeavor. We entered the medium size theater expecting a slow paced action flick, But nothing could prepare us for what we were to witness.
What we saw that night was a visually and emotionly stunning film which defies movie formula and by the end, truly becomes its own genre. The kind of movie that doesn't leave you once you left the theater. This is the kinda movie that proves that film making isn't just about being famous, It's an art. This ladies and gentleman is how its done. Lets get on with the review.
Without giving away too much of the plot,(I wouldn't forgive myself) A hunter, played by actor of the year Josh Brolin, Finds a bunch of dead bodies, Heroin, and two million in cash. He gets greedy and takes the cash, but not before the scariest damn antagonist of all time finds out that he has the money. What results is quite possibly the most emotional thrill ride I've ever seen. This is a tale of cat and mouse at its finest.
Why it works is because its like two different movies. It starts off as an action for the first 3/4 of the movie, Then the rug gets pulled from under you in a scene which has audiences more divided than any movie I've ever seen. The Coens stuck very close to the source material here and its a refreshing change of pace. This is also one of the most beautifully shot films of the year, right up there with Into the Wild.
The performances here are all top notch. In fact out of the three leads I really don't know which one was better. But for me Javier Bardem as the unrelenting, yet loyal contract killer is the real standout. In what is the most chilling characters I've seen in cinema, he brings it all to the table. I even like the haircut. Tommy Lee Jones as Ed Tom Bell is at first scene as a side character and comic relief, Yet this character continues to evolve throughout the story and hearing about his dream still brings me to tears. Josh Brolin is excellent as Llewelyn Moss. The former Goonie starts off as rather boring yet turns into a resourceful, yet caring person. Woody Harrelson and Kelly macdonald both shine even though their screen time is rather minor
I seriously cannot find one glaring flaw in this masterpiece. I can only hope the Coens and the cast receive some well deserved Oscar attention and this films finds more of an audience. If your reading this and still debating on whether to see this, get off your ass and go see it with an open mind. Your brain will thank you later.
What we saw that night was a visually and emotionly stunning film which defies movie formula and by the end, truly becomes its own genre. The kind of movie that doesn't leave you once you left the theater. This is the kinda movie that proves that film making isn't just about being famous, It's an art. This ladies and gentleman is how its done. Lets get on with the review.
Without giving away too much of the plot,(I wouldn't forgive myself) A hunter, played by actor of the year Josh Brolin, Finds a bunch of dead bodies, Heroin, and two million in cash. He gets greedy and takes the cash, but not before the scariest damn antagonist of all time finds out that he has the money. What results is quite possibly the most emotional thrill ride I've ever seen. This is a tale of cat and mouse at its finest.
Why it works is because its like two different movies. It starts off as an action for the first 3/4 of the movie, Then the rug gets pulled from under you in a scene which has audiences more divided than any movie I've ever seen. The Coens stuck very close to the source material here and its a refreshing change of pace. This is also one of the most beautifully shot films of the year, right up there with Into the Wild.
The performances here are all top notch. In fact out of the three leads I really don't know which one was better. But for me Javier Bardem as the unrelenting, yet loyal contract killer is the real standout. In what is the most chilling characters I've seen in cinema, he brings it all to the table. I even like the haircut. Tommy Lee Jones as Ed Tom Bell is at first scene as a side character and comic relief, Yet this character continues to evolve throughout the story and hearing about his dream still brings me to tears. Josh Brolin is excellent as Llewelyn Moss. The former Goonie starts off as rather boring yet turns into a resourceful, yet caring person. Woody Harrelson and Kelly macdonald both shine even though their screen time is rather minor
I seriously cannot find one glaring flaw in this masterpiece. I can only hope the Coens and the cast receive some well deserved Oscar attention and this films finds more of an audience. If your reading this and still debating on whether to see this, get off your ass and go see it with an open mind. Your brain will thank you later.
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