Now on DVD & Bluray: "Another Year", "True Grit", & More

I don't always get the chance to catch films while they're in theaters, either by choice or by unfortunate circumstance. The ignorance of today's modern culture scorning the theatrical experience as something lesser is something I've commented on numerous times. Yet there is merit in the home viewing experience as well, because it's the ultimate test for any film. While blockbusters are usually better suited to the big screen, they often are diminished by the transition to the small, as Inception fell most victim to this past year. So, I introduce this weekly segment where I bring in the DVD/Bluray releases that are most worth checking out.

On the top of my list is Another Year, which is one that I had the unbelievable good fortune of seeing before it came to home video. However, I still feel a stroke of bad luck for having not seen it in time to slide it into my "Best of 2010" list, because the way things are stacking up, it would've landed somewhere near the top. It's a film that devastated me in the theater, and that continues to affect me upon renewed viewings. This is something you should make an effort to see.

A film that did make it on my end of year list for 2010, much higher than it should have been in retrospect, is True Grit. Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the best working directors out there right now, and they're work as a duo has been immaculate thus far, for all I know. I haven't seen Ladykillers, so that's probably the biggest gap in my knowledge of the two. This one, after months of recall, sits proudly below A Serious Man in terms of excellence. That may sound bad since I like Burn After Reading and No Country for Old Men better, but it's still a badge of honor, and an aesthetically pleasing film I'd gladly see again.

Box Office Update: Calculated Retreat

This weekend wasn't really a victory, but certainly not a defeat. We're on a course towards revival at the box office, and it wasn't going to come right away. We're still going through the dullest of material to get to the real gold, if it even exists. I personally am pretty excited about the films coming out this Friday, which may not exactly be great, but are still probably good. As for this weekend, there was no bright side to be seen in terms of movies, and you could tell by the nonsensical defenses people gave for Battle: Los Angeles. I have no problem saying that I had a ridiculously fun time with the film, but it didn't really have anything to do with the film. The film was abysmal, but in a way that you could so enjoyably poke fun at.

So it comes as little surprise to me that a film I compare to the works of Michael Bay came on top of the weekend. It wasn't terribly high, and doesn't exceed what Rango turned in last week, but it was above the norm. It's just unusual that films aren't opening above $50 million so far this year. I would've pegged this weekend to do much better than it did, but it turns out the quality kind of mattered to audiences. Red Riding Hood came in third with an opening figure that doesn't even fill up a third of what any of the Twilight films have made opening weekend. Mars Needs Moms, a 3D animated kids flick, came in fifth with a truly sad figure below $10 million.

Rango fell to #2, and I suspect that the lack of 3D caused that dip to be a little lower. It held on more than you would've expected it to, but it was still a bit disappointing. The Adjustment Bureau fell 45.8% to fourth place, and I think audiences have gotten about as much mileage as they're going to get from it. The King's Speech spends what is likely to be its last weekend in the top ten, making it to nearly $130 million. In the limited circuit, Jane Eyre recieved $182,317 at four theaters, which makes for the highest per theater average of this weekend. I wish I was in a position to see it. This weekend was down only 13% from last year, when Alice in Wonderland held on to to #1 for its second weekend.

1. Battle: Los Angeles (First Weekend; $36 million)
2. Rango (Second Weekend; $23.1 million)
3. Red Riding Hood (First Weekend; $14.1 million)
4. The Adjustment Bureau (Second Weekend; $11.5 million)
5. Mars Needs Moms (First Weekend; $6.8 million)
6. Hall Pass (Third Weekend; $5.1 million)
7. Beastly (Second Weekend; $5.1 million)
8. Just Go With It (Fifth Weekend; $4 million)
9. The King's Speech (Sixteenth Weekend; $3.6 million)
10. Gnomeo and Juliet (Fifth Weekend; $3.5 million)

Box Office Update: To Another Day...

Well, 2011 still continues to pale in comparison to 2010, but this weekend could actually be considered a modest success. I'm going to consider 2010 an anomaly, as it started out huger than it had any right to, and then eventually drowned into the doldrums of summer before making it to a decent winter season. This year seems to be moving at a pace that's more agreeable, even if it's seen as a massive failure right now. This weekend was never going to beat out the same weekend last year, mostly because last year ushered in the surprise success of Alice in Wonderland. That film truly robbed the 3D market a month before ticket prices escalated and people began to question the value of 3D.

This weekend, we had Rango, which is a completely new enterprise that's only working off the children's demographic and Johnny Depp's name, even though it's animated. So from that perspective, I'd say it opened pretty spectacularly, especially seeing as it should hold onto those numbers in the following weeks. Gnomeo and Juliet is on its way to $100 million, mostly through promising repeat business, and when the decision props up between seeing Rango and Mars Needs Moms, I think people will pick the former. As for the live action option of this weekend, The Adjustment Bureau underperformed, as expected. I guess the less-than-amazing reviews did take a beating to the morale of moviegoers.

Beastly, surprisingly enough, managed the third spot on the chart, garnering just over $10 million. That's crazy for a film opening at under 2000 sites, but I imagine it won't be doing too well over the next couple weeks, because reviews for the film have been anything but pretty. The only other thing worth commenting on is The King's Speech's post-Oscar weekend, which boosted the undeserving film above Inglourious Basterds to be The Weinstein Company's highest grossing feature. This weekend was a 37.2% drop from last year, but a 17.3% increase from 2009 when Watchmen opened in the top spot.

1. Rango (First Weekend; $38 million)
2. The Adjustment Bureau (First Weekend; $21 million)
3. Beastly (First Weekend; $10.1 million)
4. Hall Pass (Second Weekend; $9 million)
5. Gnomeo and Juliet (Fourth Weekend; $6.9 million)
6. Unknown (Third Weekend; $6.6 million)
7. The King's Speech (Fifteenth Weekend; $6.5 million)
8. Just Go With It (Fourth Weekend; $6.5 million)
9. I Am Number Four (Third Weekend; $5.7 million)
10. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Fourth Weekend; $4.3 million)

Box Office Update: So Weak

Looks like animated fanfare is gaining speed, while everything else is quite literally stalling. Gnomeo and Juliet finally took the top spot after holding strong over the past two weeks. Hall Pass was the biggest new release, but didn't really astonish with its numbers. Drive Angry came in eighth with only $5 million the first weekend, which is far less than it probably deserved. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never released the extended director's cut, which only slightly held back the decline. The King's Speech is probably the most notable, expanding to 300 more locations to make for nice hold on Oscar weekend. Surprisingly, despite everything, this weekend had only a 10% decrease from last year. It looks like we've finally reached the turnaround in the box office.

1. Gnomeo and Juliet (Third Weekend; $14.2 million)
2. Hall Pass (First Weekend; $13.4 million)
3. Unknown (Second Weekend; $12.4 million)
4. Just Go With It (Third Weekend; $11.1 million)
5. I Am Number Four (Second Weekend; $11 million)
6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Third Weekend; $9.2 million)
7. The King's Speech (Fourteenth Weekend; $7.6 million)
8. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (Second Weekend; $7.5 million)
9. Drive Angry (First Weekend; $5.1 million)
10. The Roommate (Fourth Weekend; $2.1 million)

Box Office Update: Half-Hearted Benefits

Last weekend was a nice step in the right direction in terms of where the film industry is financially and where it needs to be, so there are about two ways that you can respond to these numbers. You can keep with the pessimistic tone of the last several weeks and say that the box office is regressing back to where it was before, or you can keep hope alive and see the decent numbers for what they are. I can confidently say that the array of poor films earned far more than they probably deserved to, and that's a good thing. It means that audiences are still making as poor decisions as they always have, and they haven't just gotten tired of going to the movies.

Liam Neeson ruled the box office this weekend, with Unknown coming in just $3 million short of Taken's opening two years ago. I Am Number Four came in at number two, although that might change when numbers for Monday's earnings make their way in. Big Mommas earned far more than it should have, and it makes me sad that people actually wasted their time with it, and even worse, that some actually enjoyed it. Gnomeo and Juliet held onto third place, dropping only 23.5%, with Just Go With It and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never dropped 40.4% and 53.9% respectively. Finishing it off on a lighter note, Black Swan and The King's Speech passed the $100 million mark this weekend, meaning that more than half the Best Picture nominees this year have reached that milestone. I don't believe that people don't notice or appreciate quality filmmaking anymore. Just look at those numbers.

1. Unknown (First Weekend; $21.8 million)
2. I Am Number Four (First Weekend; $19.5 million)
3. Gnomeo and Juliet (Second Weekend; $19.4 million)
4. Just Go With It (Second Weekend; $18.2 million)
5. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (First Weekend; $17 million)
6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Second Weekend; $13.6 million)
7. The King's Speech (Thirteenth Weekend; $6.6 million)
8. The Roommate (Third Weekend; $4.1 million)
9. The Eagle (Second Weekend; $3.6 million)
10. No Strings Attached (Fifth Weekend; $3.1 million)

Box Office Update: Sandler ≥ Bieber

After several depressing weekends at the box office, none of which were boosted by any bouts of quality cinema. In at least one respect, this weekend was a step in the right direction. It was a tight race for the top spot, and Adam Sandler came out on top of the Valentine's Day box office with the romantic comedy Just Go with It. There was a pretty modest increase from Friday to Saturday, so it's a safe bet that it'll persevere through the coming weeks. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never came rather front-loaded on Friday, causing an 11% drop on Saturday. Concert films like this are usually hits for one week before generally disappearing, so I'd expect a similar outcome here.

The real surprise of the weekend was Gnomeo and Juliet coming in third with $25.5 million, making it the highest grossing narrative 3D of this year so far. That's not necessarily saying much, but if kids keep heading out to see it, as we know they will, it shouldn't drop more than 30% per week. The weakest of the new releases was The Eagle, so it seems that Channing Tatum's grizzled exterior can only do so much to draw in the female audience members, and the promise of a roman action film has lost its taste on young men. Most traces of the post-2010 Oscar film boost has faded from the top ten, aside from Best Picture frontrunner The King's Speech. Ultimately, this weekend was still down nearly 30% from where it was last year, when Valentine's Day opened in first, but it's headed in the right direction towards rejuvenation. It's going to be an uphill battle from here on out.

1. Just Go with It (First Weekend; $31 million)
2. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (First Weekend; $30.2 million)
3. Gnomeo and Juliet (First Weekend; $25.5 million)
4. The Eagle (First Weekend; $8.6 million)
5. The Roommate (Second Weekend; $8.4 million)
6. The King's Speech (Twelfth Weekend; $7.4 million)
7. No Strings Attached (Fourth Weekend; $5.6 million)
8. Sanctum (Second Weekend; $5.1 million)
9. True Grit (Eight Weekend;$3.7 million)
10. The Green Hornet (Fifth Weekend; $3.6 million)

The Weekend Report: Not Bad; Not Good

At the onset of this year, I would've considered this a pathetic weekend at the movies, but we've already been through at least four truly pathetic weekends this year. Given the circumstances, this weekend seems like a surprising breath of fresh air. I don't plan on seeing anything that comes out this weekend, but they are going to do well at the box office. Justin Bieber is in a solid position to rule the weekend, because he's the headline of a 3D concert pick. Never Say Never is going to draw in most of his enormous fanbase, and a few of us who are just looking for an optimistic alternative to the drivel of the market.

Talking of which, Adam Sandler's new film Just Go with It also has a nice chance at posting some solid numbers by Sunday afternoon. I really don't think he deserves it, but he usually opens above $30 million, so that's where I'd rely on his latest film landing. Any children who aren't drawn to Bieber or Sandler will be heading to the CG circuit for Gnomeo and Juliet. It's not exactly the perfect kids film for this time of year, but it's the first chance for the kids to really get out there this year. Thus far, we've had to sit through adult horror flicks like The Rite and action-vehicles like The Green Hornet, not to mention No Strings Attached. The kids deserve something to go see, and they won't care if it's awful. Look at the cash The Last Airbender brought in last year.

What's Next?: Best Actress

It is so easy to talk about what the nominations for Best Actress, because most of them have plans for the oncoming year. The one who doesn't, Annette Bening, is currently in pre-production on Hemingway & Fuentes, a film I am absolutely uninformed about. Nicole Kidman of Rabbit Hole has an even more unfortunate lineup for the following year. She has a mysterious role in the Adam Sandler comedy Just Go With It, and later this year's shes going to be in Trespass. I don't know much about the film other than the fact that it's directed by Joel Schumacher. Why do they still allow him to make films?

Jennifer Lawrence has a lineup of pretty outstanding bounce-back performances. She's slated to play Mystique in the upcoming period superhero film X-Men: First Class, a romantic interest for Anton Yelchin's character in The Beaver, and a supporting role in the recent winner at Sundance, Like Crazy. I doubt she'll be securing another nod for next year's awards, but she'll definitely be around. Natalie Portman has probably the most packed schedule for this year, having already released No Strings Attached and The Other Woman. The rest of her year includes the fantasy-comedy Your Highness and the superhero film Thor. No awards potential in the near future, but enough entertaining offerings to keep you going until after her pregnancy period. The only one amongst these women who has a potent chance of returning here next year is Michelle Williams. She's not only got the release of the western Meek's Cutoff to look forward to, but also her rendition of Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. She's definitely one to watch for the following year.

Image: Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn

For Your Anticipation: That's A Spicy Meatball

I didn't have the heart to ever even consider seeing Just Go With It. There are a few actors that I consider omens of death for a picture, and among them are Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, and Adam Sandler. The only Adam Sandler film I've ever truly enjoyed, and in fact loved, was Funny People, and that was spearheaded by Judd Apatow. I don't care for anything else he has ever done, because he's not the slightest bit interesting. I make a notion of avoiding him. As for Jennifer Aniston, I never saw what people saw in her. She is the second weakest of the Friends crew, in my humble opinion, right below Ross. The only reason I would ever see Just Go With It is the mysterious appearance of Nicole Kidman. Nobody knows what she's playing in the film, but it's the main and only draw for critically minded cinephiles.