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: 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)

The Weekend Report: Locked In The Closet

I somehow had reservations set up to keep me from seeing a film that's been given mixed reviews, but when a film comes out with a certified rotten label on it, I show no hesitation. It's that sort of thing that led me into films like The Last Airbender or The Twilight Saga. As optimistic as I was at the outlook at this weekend, there really is no reason for you to head to the theaters. Case in point, The Roommate is likely to take the top spot in the box office this weekend. Any optimism in the year as it right now is undeserved, because we won't be getting to anything of outstanding quality until March at the earliest.

So, due to my inexplicable eagerness to subject myself to such films as the kind Leighton Meester dishes out, not to mention the outcome of last month's Dread Locks poll, I will be seeing The Roommate this weekend. If you're going to see one of the new releases this weekend, which I still advise against, you're probably better off going with Sanctum. I have no interest, due to disgusted reviews of the film, but 3D and James Cameron usually have a way of selling despite those disadvantages. I would suggest The Other Woman, Natalie Portman's second film this year, but reviews haven't been too kind to that one either. It looks like were back to the good old days of me being completely wrong in what I'm most anticipating. If you want to hear my suggestion, stay inside and catch up on the first three seasons of Fringe until you watch the Superbowl. That's my honest opinion, and it could work out well for you.

The Roommate
Sanctum
The Other Woman

For Your Anticipation: You're So About To Get Spanked!

You know what the only mild comfort I have going into this weekend is? That despite the abysmal box office standings of the past month, that could all change because a James Cameron film is entering the market. Of course he didn't actually direct it, and the visual effects look occasionally terrible judging by these clips. Still, the man produced the feature, and that means that we might have another inexplicable box office success on our hands. I can't tell you what people liked about Avatar, because I don't see any reason to. Still, there must be a reason it made nearly $3 billion. I'm not saying I expect Sanctum to do anything close to those numbers. It'll be lucky if it manages more than $20 million this weekend. Just some wishful thinking.

Films To See In 2011: February

So what could possibly be worst than January in terms of theatrical enjoyment? It seems like that's February in terms of this year, because we are definitely stepping down in terms of quality. I've had a hard time picking out three films I actually want to see, because there are so few. At the same time, I had a hard time figuring out three bad films for you to vote for me to see, because there are so many. I'm obviously not looking forward to The Roommate, Gnomeo and Juliet, and Drive Angry, but I'm also not terribly excited to see Sanctum, The Eagle, I Am Number Four, or Hall Pass. There are probably only three films I'm truly pumped to see this February, and there's no guarantee that any of them will be good in the slightest. On the other hand, both The Rite and The Mechanic have been getting slightly good reviews, so maybe things aren't as bad as they seem.

#3.

"Unknown"
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

It's never a bad thing to release an action-thriller starring Liam Neeson early in the year. The man makes films playing these normal sorts of characters that turn out to be total bad-asses. He proved that with Taken, and it's impossible to tell if his latest thriller will be anything like that in terms of entertainment. It also has Frank Langella, January Jones and Diane Kruger taking supporting roles, so I'm in the seat on opening night, no questions asked. Why isn't this film higher up on my list? Because you know it's never going to be as awesome as it seems from the trailer. There is always going to be some corny plot twist ruining the entire thing, which happened with The Tourist (among other things), or the script is just not going to be entertaining. That's the constant fear for any film, but I'm willing to take the risk for Unknown.

#2.

"Cedar Rapids"
Directed by Miguel Arteta

I am ever puzzled by my own choices for what I'm most anticipating this month, because somehow a quirky and raunchy comedy using a storyline we've probably already seen before is making its way to second place. It might just be because the film is playing at Sundance, but I feel like there's a bit of indie classiness attached to this film. It features Ed Helms in the main role, which I always take as good thing because Helms isn't really known for leading man status. He's known as that guy from The Office or part of the ensemble cast of The Hangover. He doesn't need to be any more popular than that, and that makes this project a little more endearing. Besides, it just looks like a more entertaining film than your average pathetic comedy.

#1.

"The Other Woman"
Directed by Don Roos

The second film in Natalie Portman's post-Black Swan victory lap finds its way to the top spot on my list, perhaps because I so immensely trust the actress after what she's given us. It's a peculiar series of films she's got releasing between now and June. The ones that people are most aware of are obviously Thor and Your Highness, but the personal nature of The Other Woman really hits me. It's probably not going to be anything special, and I'm preparing myself for that possibility. The film was originally called Love & Other Impossible Pursuits, and that was only changed because of Love and Other Drugs. I trust this one to tread on a steadier emotional string than the Jake Gyllenhaal rom-com. The fact of the matter is that I think this could be another strong showcase for Portman's acting capabilities, and probably the only this year. If the film holds up, all the better.

Theatrical Trailer: Sanctum

Another film produced by James Cameron! It's sad that I just don't care anymore. Here's the set up for his latest production, Sanctum. A group of cave divers decide to explore the largest unexplored cave system on earth, when chaos strikes. If it sounds vaguely like The Cave or The Descent, then you drew the same parallels that I did. The core differences are that there is no monster trying to kill our team, which is always a mark against a film, and that it is being marketed in a similar vein as 127 Hours. Suddenly, I'm more inclined to like Danny Boyle's upcoming film. I'd like to be nicer to James Cameron and give him a shot, but I did that for Avatar and it cost me more than it benefited me. So watch the trailer, and let me know what you think.