On Tony Scott...

UPDATE: Tony Scott is currently reported to not have had inoperable brain cancer.

When something as horrible as death occurs close to the cultural mindset, my first fear is that people will pollute the air with gross comedic jabs. That's generally what I expected with the news of Tony Scott's reported suicide this morning, since Scott is far from what you'd claim to be a master filmmaker. In past years I have written him off as one to avoid, since both "Unstoppable" and "The Taking of Pelham 123" left me not just cold, but reeling from a battered headache. Those films are a distinguished part of what made his name as a director, which is a certain stylistic sensibility that pushed action to full-throttle, no matter how the audience liked it.

It does me good to see people focusing on the good in Tony Scott's career, with "Crimson Tide", "Top Gun", and "True Romance" coming to the front of the conversations in his favor. Scott had 16 features to his name at the time of his death, which isn't so much of an oppressive thing for the fact that there is an apparent explanation for it. Scott had been supposedly diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and it appears he decided to do something about it. Not as some condoning of his methods, but jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles is one hell of a way to go. In death as in life, Scott pushed things to the edge, for better or worst.

Box Office Update: Spread the Joy

This weekend had very little real chances of conquering Avatar's opening weekend last year, and I'm still sure that this Christmas weekend will garner far fewer earnings than last year. Nevertheless, this weekend was a pretty successful one, because it managed to spread the wealth around to several different feature. TRON: Legacy came out on top, but didn't fare as spectacularly as anticipated. If it were a better film, I'd be a little less hesitant to say that it could make most of it's profits from repeat business. As it is, I'm surely not going to pay for a ticket to see the film again, but consider a pretty great experience.

Yogi Bear came in second, because people apparently bought tickets for the film, then went into see The Fighter or Black Swan. Talking of which, The Fighter managed a pretty good total this weekend on 2200 screens. Black Swan came in seventh, edging out the opening weekend of How Do You Know. Dawn Treader and The Tourist took less than 50% drops each. Ultimately, this weekend managed to be only a small fraction below the box office of the same weekend last year.

1. TRON: Legacy (First Weekend; $43.6 million)
2. Yogi Bear (First Weekend; $16.7 million)
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Second Weekend; $12.4 million)
4. The Fighter (Second Weekend; $12.2 million)
5. The Tourist (Second Weekend; $8.7 million)
6. Tangled (Fourth Weekend; $8.6 million)
7. Black Swan (Third Weekend; $8.3 million)
8. How Do You Know (First Weekend; $7.6 million)
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Fifth Weekend; $4.8 million)
10. Unstoppable (Sixth Weekend; $1.8 million)

Box Office Update: Adandon Ship

Several have shot unfriendly remarks at Disney's decision to pull out of the Chronicles of Narnia franchise, but it was ultimately a wise one. I was going to see the new film this weekend, but ultimately decided that it wasn't worth paying the price of 3D admission, because I didn't have the option of seeing it in 2D. Dawn Treader ultimately wasn't able to post numbers half as spectacular as the openings of the first two films. So in case it wasn't clear for anyone already, Narnia is pretty much done for, and 20th Century Fox has screwed themselves over once again. The same could be said of the action-thriller The Tourist, which similarly lacked a spark at the box office.

It wasn't necessarily a bad weekend, as it was slightly higher than the same weekend last year when The Princess and the Frog opened to #1 with roughly the same income as Narnia achieved this weekend. The really fantastic news to come from the box office this weekend was Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky's ballet thriller that has been gaining speed at an amazing rate. It garnered more than $3 million on the 90 screens it was playing on nation-wide. It definitely foreshadows great prospects when the film goes into wide release in a matter of two weeks.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (First Weekend; $25 million)
2. The Tourist (First Weekend; $17 million)
3. Tangled (Third Weekend; $14.6 million)
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Fourth Weekend; $8.5 million)
5. Unstoppable (Fifth Weekend; $3.8 million)
6. Black Swan (Second Weekend; $3.3 million)
7. Burlesque (Third Weekend; $3.2 million)
8. Love and Other Drugs (Third Weekend; $3 million)
9. Megamind (Sixth Weekend; $2.5 million)
10. Due Date (Sixth Weekend; $2.5 million)

Oscar 2010: Semifinalists for Visual Effects

Well it looks like my outside guess that Toy Story 3 would make it into this category was as completely unfounded as all my other outside guesses. Maybe I'm just stupid, but I certainly hope not. This visual effects shortlist has been announced, and it includes a few unlikely choices like Shutter Island and Unstoppable. It would be interesting if Shutter Island ends up pulling out a surprise nomination for Best Picture, but it's unlikely at this point. My current guesses at what will be nominated are pretty clear. You can check them out at the Oscar Predictions page, and the semifinalists are listed below. Feel free to weigh in on your opinion, but you won't because nobody ever comments.

Alice in Wonderland
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Clash of the Titans
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2
The Last Airbender
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Shutter Island
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Tron: Legacy
Unstoppable

Box Office Update: Still Life

After a few nice weekends at the box office, we're back to the dull tedium that is the year 2010. This weekend only offered one new film, and it was The Warrior's Way. Sadly enough, it did not make much of a dent in the box office, and didn't even make it into the top five. The real race this weekend was between Tangled and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 for the top spot. Harry Potter has been holding on for two solid weeks, but it unfortunately suffers from the lack of the jacked up prices of 3D. Sometimes there is a cost to class. So Tangled took the top frame for its own, dropping merely 56%.

That's not to say that Deathly Hallows didn't do well for itself, seeing as it should pass $250 million by the start of next weekend. Still, don't expect the film to do as well as this year's Twilight: Eclipse. It's doing honorably for itself, given that it is only half a film. As we head towards the end of the year, focus shifts from the films at the top spots to the films with the highest per-theater averages. This weekend, Black Swan took $1.4 million in only 18 theaters, garnering a per theater average of $77,000. This weekend was down about 13% from the same weekend last year.

1. Tangled (Second Weekend; $21.5 million)
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Third Weekend; $16.7 million)
3. Burlesque (Second Weekend; $6.1 million)
4. Unstoppable (Fourth Weekend; $6.1 million)
5. Love and Other Drugs (Second Weekend; $5.7 million)
6. Megamind (Fifth Weekend; $5 million)
7. Due Date (Fifth Weekend; $4.2 million)
8. Faster (Second Weekend; $3.8 million)
9. The Warrior's Way (First Weekend; $3 million)
10. The Next Three Days (Third Weekend; $2.7 million)

Box Office Update: It Feels Like Magic

I think it's a safe bet that a fantasy film and a family flick from Disney will always have the best chance at owning Thanksgiving weekend. We kind of knew that Harry Potter would take the top spot this weekend, and we knew it would take a sizable drop after that massive opening. The epic fantasy is now sitting on about $220 million, on its way to becoming the second highest grossing film in the series. As for the other top film released this weekend, Tangled dominated the area of family entertainment, and probably ensnared the regular viewers who trust that Disney knows what they're doing when it comes to traditional animation. They didn't disappoint with Bolt, so I don't think that they're going to start any time soon.

The highest grossing of the live-action new releases was, oddly enough, Burlesque. Love and Other Drugs and Faster just seemed to fade away, while the musical extravaganza took hold of a great majority of the female audiences. Not enough to make much of a dent, but that's certainly telling of what's wrong with this year. What is most interesting is what didn't crack the top 10, which is the opening bid of The King's Speech. The historical drama was able to attain $350,000 in only 4 theaters, so its prospects certainly look bright. This weekend couldn't really compete with the same one last year, where conquered and The Blind SideTwilight: New Moon whimpered.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Second Weekend; $50.3 million)
2. Tangled (First Weekend; $49.1 million)
3. Megamind (Fourth Weekend; $12.9 million)
4. Unstoppable (Third Weekend; $11.8 million)
5. Burlesque (First Weekend; $11.8 million)
6. Love and Other Drugs (First Weekend; $9.9. million)
7. Faster (First Weekend; $7.8 million)
8. Due Date (Fourth Weekend; $7.3 million)
9. The Next Three Days (Second Weekend; $4.8 million)
10. Morning Glory (Third Weekend; $4 million)

Box Office Update: It's A Kind Of Magic

It was a rather fantastical weekend at the box office, with the biggest opening weekend we've had since Toy Story 3 opened in July. Unsurprisingly, but more than welcome, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 took the top spot this weekend, posting the highest opening weekend for the beloved franchise, as well as the second best November opening, behind the infamous Twilight: New Moon. I'm glad to know that our fanbase isn't as crazed or insane as that one. It's still a really impressive take, especially considering that they didn't get the added price that comes with 3D. This definitely paves the way for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 to break some serious records.

Meanwhile, The Next Three Days disappointed, opening in fifth place with a meager amount. Megamind held on exceptionally well, barreling past the $100 million mark. Tony Scott's Unstoppable continues to defy the odds and succeed with audiences. I wish I could say that this weekend was up from the same last year, but for obvious reasons, that didn't happen. Still, it was favored better than the same weekend two years ago, when Twilight began to warp the minds of our teens.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (First Weekend; $125.1 million)
2. Megamind (Third Weekend; $16.2 million)
3. Unstoppable (Second Weekend; $13.1 million)
4. Due Date (Third Weekend; $9.2 million)
5. The Next Three Days (First Weekend; $6.8 million)
6. Morning Glory (Second Weekend; $5.2 million)
7. Skyline (Second Weekend; $3.4 million)
8. Red (Sixth Weekend; $2.5 million)
9. For Colored Girls (Third Weekend; $2.4 million)
10. Fair Game (Third Weekend; $1.5 million)

Box Office Update: Safely Derailed

Well I'm feeling pretty confidant right now. Clearly not confidant enough to come up with a better title for this segment, but we can't expect all the problems with the world to be solved in one day, now can we? Needless to say that Megamind ended up keeping the top spot for one additional weekend, dropping a mere 35% despite the blunt force that Unstoppable was beginning to accumulate. Tony Scott's new thriller has a chance to post a higher total before the weekend is officially over, but I doubt it will end up topping the Dreamworks favorite. 3D sells when it is used properly and in service of a good story. As for Unstoppable, I'd much rather watch this SNL sketch that premiered last night than the actual film. You get the point easily from it.

Skyline didn't post a debut as high as analysts were expecting, though it somehow did break even this weekend due to a short budget. Morning Glory held up much better than I expected, though still nothing too impressive. Due Date dropped 52%, but only went down to third place, so it can still be called a success. Not as huge as The Hangover, but that's too much to hope for. For Colored Girls took to biggest drop of 65%, proving that audiences didn't quite adore it so much as expected. This weekend certainly paled in comparison to the same weekend last year, when 2012 opened in first with $65 million. Expect a huge increase next weekend when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 opens big while setting new records.

1. Megamind (Second Weekend; $30 million)
2. Unstoppable (First Weekend; $23.5 million)
3. Due Date (Second Weekend; $15.5 million)
4. Skyline (First Weekend; $11.7 million)
5. Morning Glory (First Weekend; $9.6 million)
6. For Colored Girls (Second Weekend; $6.8 million)
7. Red (Fifth Weekend; $5.1 million)
8. Paranormal Activity 2 (Fourth Weekend; $3.1 million)
9. Saw 3D (Third Weekend; $2.8 million)
10. Jackass 3D (Fifth Weekend; $2.3 million)

The Weekend Report: Back in (light) Blue

After a four week absence, The Weekend Report is back, giving you my insight on what you should and shouldn't see this weekend, based on my narrow perspective. We have three new releases, one of which has already had a trial run of two days, just to give it a head start. Morning Glory is the romantic comedy of the week, and it did have some potential to it. It seemed like an almost Devil Wears Prada sort endeavor, with Harrison Ford playing the Miranda Priestly sort of antagonistic force, while Rachel McAdams plays the naive female protagonist who falls for one of her coworkers, but not Ford himself. Unfortunately, reviews haven't been kind, and the film only raked in 1 million on its first day. It opened on silent buzz, and just hasn't delivered yet, so skip it.

The other two releases are varying action films with very different approaches. On the bottom of the spectrum is Skyline, which I was thinking of seeing because it has cool-ish visual effects. Then I found out from one reviewer that the aliens in the film want the humans for their brains, and that kind of killed any thought I had in my mind. If I ever see it, it will be on redbox. Finally, the film that I've already seen and weighed in on is Tony Scott's Unstoppable. I made my point clear that Scott's directing style just didn't rub me the right way. I suppose if I had seen more of his films, which it turns out are worse than this, I would've liked it more. As it is, the film gave me a pulsing headache throughout, not out of confusion, but out of sheer, loud, dumb fury.

What astonishes me about Unstoppable is that critics actually like it, and in fact love it. Maybe I'm just stupid. Maybe my site isn't actually legit. I don't know. So if you shouldn't go out to see any of the new releases this weekend, what should you see? Well, I've already given Megamind a huge thumbs up, and I just couldn't wait until the weekend to see it again. I almost made it, but it was Veterans Day and I wanted to celebrate not having any classes. It's a film worth seeing twice, and if you do decide to see it, see it with your friends, or better yet, your family. It's a ton of fun. Other than that, you could always go out and rent Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, now out on DVD. Then again, this is probably the weekend when everyone will be throwing their own Harry Potter marathon in preparation for the new film, so my opinion ultimately doesn't matter. In any case, comment below on what you want to see this weekend, or on what you've already seen and what you thought of it.

For Your Acknowledgement: Train Wreck

Unstoppable starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine is releasing this Friday, and I've already offered my two cents on the production. I obviously believe that you shouldn't see it, as it's a waste of money, but that's up to you. However, to persuade you in the proper direction, I have offered the most dull and boring clip from the movie that I could find. Check it out below, and have at it. Comment on your thoughts!

Film Review: Unstoppable

They say that if you've seen one Tony Scott film, you've seen them all, and I have now seen one Tony Scott film, which is apparently the best. The sad thing is, if I was going to see a new film next weekend, this would've been the film I chose. At least I saw it in advance, so I can tell you to avoid this one. Unstoppable is a film about a runaway train going at high speeds into a populated area, and the two train conductors who go after it to try and stop it. It's said very early on that this is based on a true story, which I highly doubt because I can't believe that events would occur this conveniently or that business executives would be as dumb as they are here.

You can expect a rather shortened film review, because there really isn't that much to say. The first forty to fifty minutes is spent establishing characters and the story, and it fails on that part. We're somehow supposed to believe that Will Coleson (Chris Pine) and Frank Burns (Denzel Washington) have only been working for a day, but have fostered some emotional connection. We don't, because they haven't. Pine and Washington are given one note characters, and turn out two note performances. Nothing that will get you to especially care about these characters too much, but they add a splice of charisma in occasionally.

About five minutes into the film, you realize that the ultimate villain of this film is a train. It's not the sort of unbiased aggression the trailer tried to sell it as. It's a train, with no actually threatening persona attached to it. The film doesn't really pick up speed until an hour in, and even then, we don't quite get the thrills we should. We know the good guys are going to save the day, and that's that. This actually felt a lot like some cheap Michael Bay film. Not like Transformers 2 where the action will sustain you throughout the runtime. The type where you don't quite feel the necessary momentum, and yet it is always loud and headache inducing, which is the feeling I received while watching this train wreck (No pun intended). That might just be the vibe emanating from Kevin Dunn's stupid performance. The cinematography is observational rather than intimate, and it's of a rather poor quality. The picture attached to this review is at the highest resolution it's ever going to be at. That is truly pathetic. All I know is that it took entirely to long to get to the point where things start blowing up, and people start gripping their seats. It's ultimately not worthy of your time, so just skip it.

C+