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)

Box Office Update: Running Out Of Ideazzzz...

I don't know how I can possibly be surprised about the negative turn of events in the box office recently. When the only films you release are a poor-CG disaster film from James Cameron and The Roommate, you're going to get what you deserve. We don't have any incentive to go out to the theaters, least of all this weekend. I've seen two new films release this year, and I must say that I lucked out. No Strings Attached was mildly likable romantic comedy, just as long as expectations are kept low, and The Green Hornet may have only been worth it for Christoph Waltz's performance, but what a performance it was. Search online for every scene with him in it, and nothing else. You'll be satisfied.

The Roommate managed the top spot this weekend, much like The Rite nabbed the top spot last weekend. It was based on star power alone, and Leighton Meester is a decent draw for the right demographic. Expect a sizable drop next weekend, seeing as The Rite dropped 62.4% from its opening. The King's Speech, True Grit, and Black Swan continue to soldier on toward impressive totals. That doesn't mask the depression in the box office. So far this year, the box office is a whopping 34.8% lower than it was at this point last year. We can't blame the lack of Avatar anymore. We blame the lack of anything worth our time. I can't wait for the promises of next weekend, but not in terms of quality. A weekend with new releases from Channing Tatum, Adam Sandler, and Justin Bieber is almost guaranteed for success.

1. The Roommate (First Weekend; $15.6 million)
2. Sanctum (First Weekend; $9.2 million)
3. No Strings Attached (Third Weekend; $8.4 million)
4. The King's Speech (Eleventh Weekend; $8.3 million)
5. The Green Hornet (Fourth Weekend; $6.1 million)
6. The Rite (Second Weekend; $5.6 million)
7. The Mechanic (Second Weekend; $5.4 million)
8. True Grit (Seventh Weekend; $4.8 million)
9. The Dilemma (Fourth Weekend; $3.5 million)
10. Black Swan (Tenth Weekend; $3.4 million)

Film Review: No Strings Attached

In another sad statement about how low the film industry has sunk in this past month, a romantic-comedy starring Ashton Kutcher turns out to be the best of the year thus far. That's not to say that I loved No Strings Attached, because there's only so far adoration can go for a merely good film. If you haven't already heard the story, then you're lurking in a globe of films like Avatar. Ashton Kutcher plays an up-and-coming writer on a Glee ripoff show, and Natalie Portman plays a resident at the local hospital. The two have come in contact three times in the past, and on the fourth time, they have sex. From there on, they use each other as Fuckbuddies, which is what the film was called before all the naming rights situation with Friends with Benefits.

Right from the beginning, you should know that this isn't going to take any turns that you don't really expect. It's not going to break the shell between clean-cut comedy to Apatow emulating raunch-fest. It's simply an entertaining, if still mildly cliched, rom-com. You shouldn't really be expecting much more, or else you deserve to be disappointed. The one thing exasperating this from other films like it is Portman's depiction of Emma. Everything else in the film ranges from one-dimensional to two-dimensional, but Emma is a fully formed and actively complex character.

Adam is the exact sort of good-hearted idiot that you'd expect Ashton Kutcher to play, but Emma has a secret emotion behind her eyes. She's emotionally closed off to a legitimately emotional relationship, so she doesn't really understand what the history between her and Adam means. She's not an idiot, but there's both loneliness and fear of commitment that make up her defining characteristics. It's as good a follow-up performance to Black Swan as Portman could've given. She's got a long palette between now and June, so if she manages mild successes like this consistently, then I'll be contented.

Ashton Kutcher is still an awful actor, and I can only wonder if somebody else could've taken the role he received. In all seriousness, Paul Rudd can't be in enough movies these days. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is the best of Kutcher's two sidekicks, and he's the one you'll remember well past the end. Greta Gerwig is my favorite supporting actress of the film, and it wonderfully complements the main arc. Olivia Thirlby had a surprise appearance that I didn't anticipate in the least, and it made the experience so much more fulfilling. The real gem is Portman, and Kutcher is the wall that is keeping No Strings Attached from reaching B status.

B-

Box Office Update: In the Depths of Hell

As grim as the outlook may be for the next month, take solace in the fact that it could never be as underwhelming as January 2011 was. We have some heavy catching up to do for the rest of the year. I know that many perceive the weekend of Season of the Witch to be the lowest our year has ever sunk, but I beg to differ, offering this weekend as a substitute. I'm just so underwhelmed by the box office performances that we've endured. Obviously the Oscar prevalent contenders are doing as well as always, with Black Swan looking to be the next film to break the $100 million barrier. The new releases of this year could use some improvement.

This week's new releases were The Rite and The Mechanic, but I honestly didn't notice until I had to comment on my expectations for them this weekend. Based on reviews, you'd expect the Jason Statham vehicle to do better in the box office, but that doesn't seem to be the way the world works. Instead, Anthony Hopkins garnered a short opening of $15 million, which should be easily overtaken next weekend. At this point, I still need to see No Strings Attached, but it's been doing fine enough for itself in the paltry competition it's had thus far. The only real question I have is why Yogi Bear is still in the top ten. Is the world really that pathetic?

1. The Rite (First Weekend; $15 million)
2. No Strings Attached (Second Weekend; $13.7 million)
3. The Mechanic (First Weekend; $11.5 million)
4. The Green Hornet (Third Weekend; $11.5 million)
5. The King's Speech (Tenth Weekend; $11.1 million)
6. True Grit (Sixth Weekend; $7.6 million)
7. The Dilemma (Third Weekend; $5.5 million)
8. Black Swan (Ninth Weekend; $5.1 million)
9. The Fighter (Eighth Weekend; $4.1 million)
10. Yogi Bear (Seventh Weekend; $3.2 million)

Box Office Update: Where's Our "Way Back"?

I didn't end up seeing No Strings Attached this weekend, much to my dismay and disappointment. It still managed to do well enough this weekend, raking in reasonable total for a film sporting a man who I hate. The foursome of major Oscar contenders, The King's Speech, Black Swan, True Grit, and The Fighter, brought in a grand total of $28 million altogether, and that shouldn't drop much after the Oscar nominations are announced on Tuesday, which I'm very excited about. I have no idea how and Little Fockers, and Yogi Bear are still raking in money, but I know they should stop right now. The box office was down about 26.6% from the same weekend last year, so we've got a lot of improvement to make. Does it eeem like anything's missing? If not, I don't necessarily blame you, because The Way Back opened on quiet buzz, and it has nobody to blame but itself for the poor box office results it took in.

1. No Strings Attached (First Weekend; $20.3 million)
2. The Green Hornet (Second Weekend; $18.1 million)
3. The Dilemma (Second Weekend; $9.7 million)
4. The King's Speech (Ninth Weekend; $9.2 million)
5. True Grit (Fifth Weekend; $8 million)
6. Black Swan (Eighth Weekend; $6.2 million)
7. The Fighter (Seventh Weekend; $4.5 million)
8. Little Fockers (Fifth Weekend; $4.4 million)
9. Yogi Bear (Sixth Weekend; $4 million)
10. TRON Legacy (Sixth Weekend; $3.7 million)

The Weekend Report: Sex and the Himalayas

It feels like this weekend should be the real start of the new year, with a somewhat relevant romantic-comedy and a newly released drama from a well respected filmmaker. It's crazy to believe that this weekend will best its predecessor, so it's better not to try. Instead, this weekend should simply provide some worthwhile entertainment, after several weeks of receiving anything but that. Oddly enough, the film that I'm most required to see, and oddly enough most anticipating, is No Strings Attached from director Ivan Reitman. I went soft on the "Dread Locks" list for January, and this is the outcome. From here on out, I will only pick films with a guarantee of being absolute garbage.

Natalie Portman has five new films releasing this year, although I doubt any of them will come anywhere near to the level of celebrity that Black Swan garnered her. If anything, 2011 is her victory lap. She's about to win her first Academy Award, has met the love of her life, and is now pregnant with child. She has pretty much earned the right to give us whatever she wants this year, and to act like a bit of a dork. If you don't see No Strings Attached, I can't say you'll be missing a life-changing opportunity, but it should be tolerable at the very least.

Peter Weir's The Way Back is the other major release of the weekend, and it obviously won't be getting the same attention as the more commercial enterprises of this weekend. If anything, I expect probably a $10 million opening weekend tally, and little more. It's definitely worth seeing more than the romantic-comedy, but somehow I don't think I'll get around to it just yet. It's not just that it's not playing in my area. I just don't feel like seeing it at the time. However, if you're looking for something to do tonight, I must suggest that you stay home and watch Fringe at 9 p.m. on FOX. It's definitely the most worthy choice in my opinion.

No Strings Attached
The Way Back

For Your Anticipation: I've Got The World On A String

It's a certain sign of the depressing atmosphere we've been stuck with this month when I'm actually looking forward to an Ashton Kutcher film. In all honesty, No Strings Attached doesn't necessarily look like an awful film as originally assumed, but anybody expecting a great one should leave those expectations at the door. Aside from Kutcher, the film has a great cast including Greta Gerwig, Mindy Kaling, and the eventual Oscar winner Natalie Portman. She's got a flood of films on the way before taking a break because she's getting kind of pregnant, and that works against quite a few character choices. I assume that's one of the reasons she didn't get the role of Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises. That would certainly change Nolan's plans pretty quickly.

<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=7ad35202-87aa-45db-88b3-6a311738695d&from=en-us&fg=dest" target="_new" title="'No Strings Attached' Exclusive Clip: "A Period Mix"">Video: 'No Strings Attached' Exclusive Clip: "A Period Mix"</a>

Dread Locks: February 2011

In case you haven't heard, and you probably haven't, the early critical analysis of No Strings Attached is mildly positive, so congratulations. You had the opportunity to inflict misery upon me and you messed it up. Then again, it could be my fault for putting No Strings Attached on the list in the first place, so there's that. We're about halfway through the month of January, and a great deal of voting has already taken place for next month's film. I'm pretty focused on you guys choosing a film that mostly likely won't be good. If you don't already know this month's choices, they are as follows.

The Roommate, releasing on February 4th, is a typical thriller about a girl who becomes obsessed with being her new roommate's best friend, and is willing to kill for it. It stars Leighton Meester, so there's a pretty safe chance it won't be good. Next is Gnomeo and Juliet, releasing February 11th, and it's an animated retelling of Romeo and Juliet with garden gnomes being the main protagonists. I don't know if they're actually going to go ahead with both main characters killing themselves in the end, but I rather doubt it. The final film on the list is Drive Angry, releasing February 25th, and it's about a man who escapes hell in order to rescue his daughter's baby from a group of thugs, all while the devil's henchman is chasing after him. Need any more convincing? It stars Nicholas Cage, and for every one good film he makes another ten bad ones. There are your choices. Click the links provided for trailers, vote in the sidebar, and please comment below on why you think these picks may be the worst of the year.

Red-Band Trailer Faceoff: No Strings Attached vs. Friends With Benefits

I was looking over the upcoming slate of films to be released in 2011, and I found something rather interesting. We already know that Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher are appearing in the upcoming romantic-comedy No Strings Attached, which was at one point called Friends With Benefits. The reason it is no longer called that is because another film with the same name and plot already had it, except it was starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake, and they won out the battle. Now, both films have red-band trailers out, and while No Strings Attached looks better than it did before, I'm leaning towards the Will Gluck (Easy A) directed Friends With Benefits. Both trailers are featured below, and I encourage you to check them out now!

No Strings Attached

Friends With Benefits

Films To See In 2011: January

The year is coming to a close, which means that we're now headed into the cold season. It's always a bit depressing to go from the rich and enjoyable films of Oscar season to the barren and irritating first few months of the year. There's a fair bit of doubt amidst us concerning exactly how 2011 will do in comparison to 2010. I haven't a doubt that the film industry will do well financially, with an extremely fertile slate of Summer films on the way. It's impossible to tell what will be the critically successful films of the year, especially this far before the festival circuit. That will take a fair bit of patience.

As for the start of the year, it's obviously going to be a long haul. It always is. January is the hardest in terms of new releases, which is why I rely mostly on the wide expansions of the late 2010 flicks that I didn't see before the year was over like Another Year and Blue Valentine. There is the obvious crap that lies in the marketplace, and for once I am going to indulge in that crap. I'll be skipping the obvious failures like Season of the Witch and From Prada to Nada. However, at the time being, it looks like I'll be settling in to see No Strings Attached when it is released. Keep hitting up the poll in the sidebar before it's too late. There are only two new releases that I can actively recommend for you to see. Take a look after the jump!

Dread Locks: January 2010

This year has been a largely disappointing one in terms of feature films, but I have luckily been able to steer clear of certain failures such as Killers, Sex and the City 2, and Clash of the Titans. At the same time, I count them as missed opportunities. I don't have the bravery to deliberately choose an obviously bad film to see, so this is pretty much your opportunity to deliberately inflict misery onto me. If you haven't noticed by now, in the sidebar, there's a poll where you get to vote for one of three awful films for me to see. This month includes the Ron Howard directed comedy The Dilemma, the Natalie Portman rom-com No Strings Attached, and the Anthony Hopkins horror flick The Rite. Follow the links provided see the films' trailers if you're uncertain of what they are, though be cautioned that none of these films are expected to be good. Then cast your vote in the sidebar.

Theatrical Trailer: No Strings Attached

We've gotten a long string of romantic comedy trailers recently, and while most of them have missed their target, this one I found oddly endearing. There's always something I hate about Ashton Kutcher, who is simply an actor past his prime, which wasn't that high to begin with. He's only ever been as good as his leading lady, and in the case of No Strings Attached, that is Academy Award nominated actress Natalie Portman. I know that this sort of story has been done several times before, but I genuinely liked this trailer. It was more fun than the average one, even though the film will probably not match up in quality. Check it out, and let me know what you think.