May Movie Preview (Flack’s Preview)
Posted on | May 4, 2012 | Add Comments
And just when you thought I was gone….. I’m back with updated May box office predictions! And let me tell you: you have not seen this before! I will talk about The Avengers, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Dark Shadows, Battleship,What To Expect When You’re Expecting, Moonrise Kingdom, and Men In Black 3. The Avengers is the massive month of May movie that out of all these films I (and 1 billion other people who will help make it a box office success) am looking forward to the most month. NOTE 1: All the films I will talk about except The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, and Dark Shadows are in 3-D. NOTE 2: OWG means opening weekend gross, DTG means domestic total gross, an ITG means international total gross all for my box office predictions. May the 4th be with you…………….always!!
May 4th: Walt Disney has made only a little over $200 million so far this year (that’s about $300 million off from the the highest amount from a studio so far which is $500 million). Luckily they’ve made a deal with Marvel Studios and are producing The Avengers. The film was released on April 27th in the rest of the world (Marvel’s foreign high was Iron Man 2‘s $316 million and this will likely surpass that number this weekend). This will definitely be the second highest grossing movie of the summer. Marvel’s largest opening weekend was Iron Man 2‘s $128 million and the lowest was The Incredible Hulk‘s $55 million. Here are some other stats: Domestic Money: Iron Man‘s $318 million is the most but The Incredible Hulk‘s $134 million is the least. International Total: The lowest was The Incredible Hulk‘s $128 million. However this film will likely do a lot better than all of those movies, not least because all the characters are being combined.Why? Fan anticipation, a recognizable previous franchise, added 3-D money, and a current 92% on Rotten Tomatoes will help this movie avenge at the box office. The will also likely beat The Hunger Games as the third highest opening weekend ever. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will likely get a weak $1 million US opening.Meanwhile this will also be a weekend where past weekend releases The Hunger Games (now 4th spot: $5 million), The Lucky One (3rd spot: $8 million), and Think Like A Man (2nd spot: $10 million) will die down. The Avengers OWG: $157 million DTG: $500 million ITG: $1 billion The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: OWG: $1 million OWG: $15 million ITG: $75 million
May 11th: This will be one of the closest weekends of the summer. If Dark Shadows didn’t open the weekend after The Avengers then it might make more money but it will be top spot (The Avengers is safe with a $60 million second weekend, dwindling a little over 50%, similar to The Hunger Games although The Hunger Games would have done worse if it opened during the summer). Alice in Wonderland‘s $116 million opening is way out of reach but Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street‘s $9 million is also a lot lower goal. This will be in the middle of Johnny Depp\Tim Burton collaborations, which is not bad for an adaption of a 1960′s soap opera TV show. Meanwhile April releases and The Hunger Games will basically stop making money. Dark Shadows: OWG: $65 million DTG: $200 million ITG: $300 million
May 16th\18th: Another close weekend. Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie The Dictator will easily get $25 million, which is not terrible for an R rated political spoof comedy. Cohen’s comedies have done okay in the past and this should do just a bit worse (there are a lot of comedies being released this summer). Dark Shadows will probably have about$26 million and The Avengers is a good bet for $40 million. Meanwhile the big new opener is Battleship which will wind up close to the first Transformers movie (in tone, style, critics reviews, and box office money). The film itself looks bad, but then so does Transformers. Meanwhile, What To Expect When You’re Expecting is a star studded romantic comedy that should open fairly high, due to it’s prestigious cast lineup. The Dictator: OWG: $24 million DTG: $75 million ITG: $175 million Battleship: OWG: $70 million DTG: $210 million ITG: $310 million What To Expect When You’re Expecting: OWG: $25 million DTG: $100 million ITG: $200 million
May 25th: The Avengers will be massive but to a lesser extent I’m predicting Men In Black 3 will too. The two previous Men In Black films (from 1997 and 2002) mad $51 million and $52 million on their opening weekends, $250 million and $190 domestically, and $589 million and $441 million, respectively. Of course adjusted for inflation these movies made a lot more, though the second film is widely considered to be one of the most disappointing sequels in movie history. However the first is said to be a comedy classic. The latest film should be a comeback movie and after the fun, funny trailers it should open to $55 million at the least. Also the movie is in 3-D which could boost it’s box office haul. Will Smith has not been in a blockbuster since Hancock (2008 so people will have an oppurtunity to see him in an action movie again. Tommy Lee Jones is back and Josh Brolin joins as Lee’s character in the 1960′s. Meanwhile that very same weekend Moonrise Kingdom gets a limited release and the movie it should open closest to is Midnight In Paris (OWG: $5 million DTG: $56 million ITG: $148 million). Both are star studded summer romantic comedies that open Cannes. Men In Black 3: OWG: $85 million DTG: $20o million ITG: $500 million Moonrise Kingdom OWG: $5 million DTG: $60 ITG: $145 million
May will have a massive blockbuster (The Avengers), a small art house flick (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) a surprise success (Dark Shadows), a profitable comedy (The Dictator),a big, bad blockbuster (Battleship), a comedy success ( a comeback hit (Men In Black 3), and an indie hit (Moonrise Kingdom). I can’t wait to see The Avengers and Men In Black 3, I hope to see Moonrise Kingdom, and wish I could see Dark Shadows. Bye- Bye!!!!!
Summer Movies 2012: Part 3
Posted on | May 2, 2012 | 1 Comment
This is the last of the three Summer movie previews. I’m going to talk about the movies that I’m personally looking forward to this summer. I will also predict what rating I’ll give the movies out of 5 and give an overview of other films coming out (that I don’t really want to see). Don’t forget to read Summer Movie Preview Part 1 (Flack’s Box Office Predictions) and Summer Movie Preview Part 2 (Flack’s Critics Predictions). Hope you enjoy “The Epic Conclusion To The Summer Movie Legend”. Clue: Watch the trailers of all the films I talk about and find what movie I just referenced.
Movies I’m Most Anticipating:
The Avengers This 2 hour 22 minute super hero epic movie looks very entertaining. Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor will assemble, along with Black Widow, the Hulk, Nick Fury, and newcomer Hawkeye to battle Loki, Thor’s brother. If Robert Downey Jr. has great chemistry with all the other actors, then this will be hilarious. I think it would have been a good idea to have John Favareau direct it, but Joss Whedon might be a good choice, but I haven’t seen his other movies. I don’t think the story will be excellent, because all of the super heroes together might be a bit too much. But it should be overall entertaining. Reel prediction: 4 stars Release Date: May 4th
Men in Black 3 I have not seen the first 2 MIB films, but I have heard that they are entertaining. Some people say the second one was not as good as the first, so the third might not be either. I think this could follow the path of Indiana Jones, can Josh Brolin be as great as Sean Connery? The trailer looks pretty funny, especially Will Smith’s description of Tommy Lee Jones’ smile. Reel prediction: 3 stars Release Date: May 25th
Brave Pixar’s latest film is a departure from their previous work, but after the mediocre Cars 2 we’re also hoping that it’s a return to form. The latest trailer looks promising but not they’re best. Rude humor and an annoying song are some of the detractors. Meanwhile the brilliant animation, big castle battle, and stunning archery tournament all look amazing. Of course with any trailer there are also some intriguingly mysterious elements. In this case 2 shots in which Merida, the heroine, is caught between two black bears. I don’t think this movie will be as bad as Cars 2, but not as good as the Toy Story trilogy, WALL-E, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Monsters Inc., or any of the other Pixar classics. Reel Prediction: 4 stars Release Date: June 22nd
The Amazing Spider-Man I am looking forward to this film a great deal. The actors all seem great, the trailer has loads of exciting action, and the director Marc Webb has been calling this more personal than most superhero movies. The only bad thing in it is the part in the first trailer when he’s flying and it looks too much like a video game. In the second trailer they didn’t put that part in: Could they secretly be hiding a huge mistake? Reel Prediction: 4 1/2 stars Release Date: July 3rd
Paranorman This looks like the must see August movie of the year. Last year August, a usually lackluster month for summer movies, (because they can’t play all summer long) brought us two surprise hits: The Oscar winning The Help and the massive blockbuster prequel Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Can this be the surprise hit of August? I am sure hoping so!!!!! Reel Prediction: 4 stars Release Date: August 17th
Family Films That Look Just Okay:
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green Peter Hedges, the Oscar winning writer/director of Dan In Real Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape presents a new Disney movie that (based on the short trailer, there will probably be another one soon) promises to be a sappy, formulaic, yet intriguing and fun, kids movie. Sounds way different than Academy Award winning indie pictures but no matter how this film turns out I am excited to see what it’s like. Go watch the trailer. Flick calls it “The Tree of Life for kids.” I’d call it “a realistic Peter Pan“. Reel Prediction: 3 stars Release Date: August 15
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted I am not particularly excited to see this film but the trailer looks okay and it’s playing out of competition at Cannes. I haven’t seen any of the others in this series because the annoying theme song and rude humor seemed unappealing. Still, potty joke seeking kids will definitely enjoy this summer movie. Add in a catchy new circus song, it’s festival schedule, and a trailer with great 3-D and no rude humor parents and critics may enjoy the film as well. Reel Prediction: 2 stars Release Date: June 8th
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift I know many people around the world will see this film. The previous installment, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs made $886 million worldwide (and the highest foreign box office ever for an animated movie:surprising but true). The rest of the series was not terrible but this is not top of my must see summer movie list. However, if you liked the other ones then you’ll probably like this one. Reel Prediction: 2 1/2 stars Release Date: July 13th
Other Movies That I Would Like To See, But Probably Can’t:
The Dark Knight Rises This is the most anticipated movie of the summer and quite possibly of the year. It’s a superhero threequel that continues the story line of The Dark Knight (4 years ago, in 2008) which followed the story of Batman Begins (7 years ago, from 2005). The newest trailer is awesome. After The Dark Knight became the highest grossing superhero movie ever made (a little over $1 billion worldwide) and won 2 Oscars (including Best Supporting Actor for the late Heath Ledger) a sequel became inevitable. Adding Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon Levvit, and Marion Cotillard has added to fan’s anticipation. Will this new film get good as good reviews as the first ones (85% and 94%, respectively)? Will there be superb special effects and awesome action, as well? Find out this summer when this last in the trilogy movie is released. In the trailer Catwoman says “You don’t owe these people anymore”. Batman responds “Not everything. Not Yet.” Empire Magazine said that Batman’s answer could be applied to Christopher Nolan. Reel Prediction: 4 stars Release Date: July 20th
Moonrise Kingdom A shot in R.I. Wes Anderson film with a star studded cast including Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartznam, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, and newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward: sounds like an Oscar hopeful and quite possibly an opening night Cannes summer smash hit. As for the plot, it’s a romantic comedy with a bit of adventure and drama, as it tells the story of two teenagers in love who run away from their families and then get looked for by their parents, the police, and a pack of cub scouts. Reel Prediction: 4 stars Release Date: May 25th
Dark Shadows Johnny Depp and Tim Burton team up to make an adaption of the TV soap opera series of the same name. Romance, fantastical humor, Burton weirdness, vampire violence, and a cast including previous Burton stars (Depp, Burton’s wife Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, and Michelle Pfeiffer) and newbies (Jackie Early Haley, Eva Green, and Chloe Grace Mortez). Many people disliked the first trailer but I thought it was very funny. Don’t forget to check out a special featurette on Apple Trailers about the film. It has new clips from the movie and behind the scenes insights from Burton and Depp. Reel Prediction: 4 stars Release Date: May 11th
And now last and least, the summer movies that seem to be all action, no story:
Battleship Transformers on water? Maybe. Robots, things blowing up, big battles, massive explosions, and possible aliens. Sounds a bit far from the board game. Reel Prediction: 2 stars Release Date: May 18th
G.I. Joe Retaliation Bringing in Dwaye Johnson and especially Bruce Willis will boost box office power but keeping Taylor Kitsch in the series was probably a bad move (after Battleship and John Carter but not Savages). The film looks like it has a smudge of fun action to it but not looking like a something that will become an all time classic at all ever. Reel Prediction: 2 1/2 Release Date: June 29th
Piranha 3DD Looks bad except for the title of course.Reel Prediction: 1 star Release Date: June 1st
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Lincoln will probably be a lot better. Reel prediction: 2 stars Release Date: June 22nd
Other summer movies being released that I will not do Reel Predictions for (they are not ones that I necessarily want to see a lot) include:
Dramas: Lawless (with an all star cast), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (with another all star cast), Savages (with a bigger all star cast than the two movies that I just mentioned), and To Rome With Love (with Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, and more)
Fantasy: Snow White and the Huntsman (with Kirsten Stewart as Snow White)
Musical: Rock of Ages (starring Tom Cruise) and Sparkle (with Whitney Huston)
Action Movies: The Bourne Legacy (a prequel to the previous trilogy of Bourne movies) Preminum Rush (an N.Y.C. bicycle action movie), and The Expendables 2 (with Sylvester Stallone and other famous action heroes)
Comedies: The Campaign (a political comedy with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakas), The Dictator (a political spoof starring Sacha Baron Cohen), What To Expect When You’re Expecting (starring Cameron Diaz), That’s My Boy (starring Adam Sandler), Ted (with Mark Wahlberg and a teddy bear), Neighborhood Watch (with Jonah Hill and Ben Stiller and maybe some aliens), and Hope Springs (staring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carrell)
Sci- Fi: Total Recall (a remake of the 1992 Arnold Schwarsenegger but now starring Colin Farrell) and Prometheus (a Ridely Scott sci-fi horror movie with a tough Noomi Rapace, a flat Charlize Theron, and a scared Idris Elba)
Documentaries: ReGENERATION (from the 2010 PCFF) and First Position (from TIFF kids)
Thank you for following me on my epic journey of a trilogy of summer movie madness!! Thank you as well to my family for helping me and movie websites for increasing my movie knowledge (IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo, Lights Camera Jackson, EW, and The New York Times). Please don’t forget to COMMENT, COMMENT, COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also you should watch the trailers of the films I talked about about (on Apple Trailers) so you might have a little idea of what I have been talking about over the past three articles. During the summer movie season look for articles, reviews, news and maybe some videos and podcasts from Flick and I (in other words not a break from May 31st to August 21st like last summer, hopefully). And last try to go to the movies in the summer and COMMENT and COMMENT some more. You should make your own summer movie schedule of what you want to see for fun!!!!!!!! See you later!!!!!!
2012 Summer Movies: Top 15 Blockbusters Part 1: Flack’s Predictions
Posted on | March 31, 2012 | Add Comments
Here is the first of my 3 summer movie preview articles. I will talk about my predictions for the top 15 biggest money making blockbusters from May to August 2012. I will have my predictions for the opening weekend (OWG), domestic total (DTG), and international total (ITG) box office grosses. The next 2 articles are my guesses for the top 15 best critically reviewed movies and my list of the ones I want to see. I have researched on such various websites as IMDB, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Entertainment Weekly, and Empire as well as The New York Times. I’ll say why I think these movies will be big and why they might not be big. Plus I’ll throw in a few funny jokes and more.
15. The Bourne Legacy Release Date: August 3 Why it will be big: The three previous Bourne movies grossed $121 million, $176 million, and $227 million. Their opening weekends were $27 million, $52 million, and $69 million. That means this one should do pretty good. The bad bars in the trailer are annoying but with a Casino Royale (violent spy prequel) approach it might just work. Why it might not be big: Casting Jeremy Renner instead of Matt Damon could be a mistake. The movie was Bourne to be in 14th place. OWG: $45 million DTG: $130 million ITG: $250 million
14. ParaNorman Release Date: August 17 Why it will be big: Despite only making $75 million, Coraline still got a good Rotten Tomatoes score (90%). ParaNorman is another movie from the same studio, Laika Entertainment, and is shaping up to be a hit. Why it might not be big: Another movie from Laika Entertainment, 9, only grossed $31 million, with a budget of $30 million. Also August is a bad release date because then the movies don’t play all summer long. However last year The Help and Rise of the Planet of the Apes were breakout box office biggies but were still released in August. Still, ParaNorman does not seem likely to make paranormal grosses at the box office. This will have to do a lot better than 9. OWG: $50 million DTG: $150 million ITG: $255 million
13. G.I. Joe: Retaliation Release Date: June 29 Why it will be big: Channing Tatum (he is in six movies this year) returns in this action-packed sequel. Adding Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis to the cast is a great idea and should give it an overall boost. The trailer suggests non-stop ridiculous action. Joe will go to 13th place. Why it might not be big: Stephen Sommers, the director of the first film had directed films with Dwayne Johnson, but for the sequel they have brought in Jon M. Chu, the director of the documentary, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Although the first film (G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra) in the series made $150 million and had a $54 opening weekend, it got a 34% SPLAT on Rotten Tomatoes, which means it got bad reviews. Big box office and bad reviews is a combination likely to happen again. OWG: $65 million DTG: $155 million ITG: $265 million
12. Neighborhood Watch Release Date: July 27 Why it will be big: Watch out this movie will be in 12th place. This sci-fi comedy stars Jonah Hill and Ben Stiller, a comedy duo that seems like it will work. Add in aliens and a good end of July release date, and you have got a hit. It’s the director’s first film (Akiva Schaffer), but Shawn Levy (director of the Night at the Museum movies, Date Night, and Real Steel) is producing it. The trailer shows both ridiculous comedy and funny comedy. Why it might not be big: Will a combination of sci-fi and comedy work? Will the actors have good chemistry? OWG: $55 million DTG: $200 million ITG: $270
11. Snow White and the Huntsman Release Date: June 1 Why it will be big: This movie will hunt down 11th place. The Twilight meets Alice in Wonderland without the humor approach will probably work. Add in the fact that it stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron, and the movie will probably do good at the box office (or at least better than Mirror Mirror). Why it might not be big: Mirror Mirror will draw in family audiences, but will enough teenagers and adults want to see this dark version of the tale. OWG: $65 million DTG: $200 million ITG: $300 million
10. Dark Shadows Release Date: May 11 Why it will be big: Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter have made some big blockbusters, with such massive money makers as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ($472 million) and especially Alice in Wonderland ( $1 billion). Their newest effort will have tons of wildly eccentric comedy and the trailer looks pretty entertaining. Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, and Chloe Grace Mortez round out the supporting cast. Horror comedy and fantasy romance should prove to be a strong enough combination to beat The Dictator at the box office on the same opening weekend. Why it might not be big: Most people are not enjoying the trailer and few people are familiar with TV show (although that might be good, because fans of the TV show are saying that it is way too different). OWG: $65 million DTG: $205 million ITG: $315 million
9. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted Release Date: June 8 Why it will be big: This movie is wanted by 9th place. The two previous Madagascar movies made $47 and $63 million in their opening weekends, $180 and $193 million in the domestic total, and $532 and $603 million in their international total. Now, those are some movies that like to move it to the box office. Will the third film follow those foot steps? Why not? I mean it has 3-D, which the others did not have. Plus there’s a new villain played by Frances McDormand, some circus fun, bad pop songs, and Jessica Chastain. The makers even moved the rude humor out of the movie (or at least they moved it moved it moved it out of the trailer). Why it might not be big: Also being released on June 8 is Prometheus, which is although being targeted for a totally different audience will beat this at the box office. Will people still find this series likable? I haven’t seen any of them because they looked so terrible, but I might see this one if I have to. I think that this one will not make as much as the others because nobody wants to watch this movie series anymore. OWG: $70 million DTG: $210 Million ITG: $350 million
8. Ice Age: Continental Drift Release Date: July 13 Why it will be big: This movie will drift into 8th place. The previous Ice Age movies have all made over $176 million domestically, and more than $383 million internationally. The most recent movie made $886 million internationally, which means this one is sure to make money. The trailer shows a lot of action and comedy, a combination which well worked in the others. In this one the characters think the world is ending, and there are some new creatures joining them, including a band of evil pirates. Many family audiences will definitely rush out to see the movie. Why it might not be big: Will people have series fever and be tired of the Ice Age movie series as I’m guessing they might be with Madagascar. Probably not too much, but I don’t think this one will be quite as big a hit, as the previous two films internationally. OWG: $70 million DTG: $200 Million ITG: $400 million
7. Battleship Release Date: May 18 Why it will be big: The Transformers series did remarkably well. The first film had a $70 million opening weekend, made $319 million domestically, and even grossed $709 million internationally. Battleship is based on a game and has a trailer involving things blowing up, robots blowing up, people blowing robots up, things blowing up robots blowing up people blowing robots up etc. The movie looks like it has been created in the same mold as the Transformers series. What does this have though, that Transformers does not have? A star studded cast including Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna, Alexander Skarsgard, and Brooklyn Decker, a newbie who is also in the ensemble comedy romance What to Expect When You’re Expecting, which also opens on May 18, the same weekend as Battleship. Why it might not be big: The trailer looks like a dreadful mix of things blowing up robots blowing up people blowing up blowing up up up up up up up, you get the idea, a boring story, and uninteresting characters. Peter Berg, the director had stressed that the film had a great story and that no aliens are in it for over half an hour. After watching the trailer I can already tell that there is no story. And I bet that even if there are no aliens in it for a while that there is still just guns and other non-alien action. And the movie is probably 2 and a half hours or something. I love long movies but only when they have a story. But still people like and sometimes sadly love that stuff so why should they even care. OWG: $75 million DTG: $250 million ITG: $415 million
6. Prometheus Release Date: June 8 Why it will be big: Prometheus stars Noomi Rapace (the original Girl with The Dragon Tattoo), Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Patrick Wilson, and Idris Elba. It is a science-fiction horror movie from the acclaimed director Ridley Scott, and is said to be distantly related to the Alien franchise. With a cool yet scary trailer, this could be the biggest horror movie of the year. Why it might not be big: Because I can’t see it. Yeah, but a billion other people can and will, so it does not really matter. I think this movie will be the Super 8 of the Summer, meaning a surprising sci-fi film that has secrets and is a little scary. The only problem is that Super 8 was not a huge blockbuster (the good news: Super 8 was the best summer movie of last year, 2011 and the second best movie of the year). Also the Alien movies never made over $85 million domestically and $161 million internationally. OWG: $95 million DTG: $280 million ITG: $425 million
5. Men in Black 3 Release Date: May 25 Why it will be big: The previous 2 Men in Black movies were massive box office smashes. The first film got 91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, but the second got a 39% splat, even though it was a box office success. That means 10 years after the third will have to be really good, make a lot of money, and do well with critics, in order for the series to continue. This will have to be a case like the Indiana Jones series, where the first one has good box office and does well with critics, the second one only does good at the box office but then the third one they bring in a new actor, Sean Connery, or in this case, Josh Brolin and the series is better than ever. Based on the funny and action-packed trailer, there’s no reason why this shouldn’t be a smash. Why it might not be big: As I said before the second MIB movie didn’t do well with critics, the third might not either. another problem is that like with other series, people might be tired of it. OWG: $100 million DTG: $285 million ITG: $450 million
4. Brave Release Date: June 22 Why it will be big: The people who work at Pixar are the best animation makers in the world. They also do good at the box office. Toy Story 3 made $110 on it’s opening weekend, $415 million domestically, and $1 billion internationally. It also got a 99% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and easily earned back it’s $200 million budget. Meanwhile their next film, Cars 2 made $66 million on it’s opening weekend, $191 domestically, and $559 million internationally. It also got a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned back it’s $200 million budget. Well let’s hope that Brave is more like Toy Story 3 (which has a better trailer than Brave) than Cars 2 (which does not have as good a trailer as Brave). Anyway medieval action sword fights, a strong cast of characters, and Pixar’s classic comedy plus a female heroine should prove to be a strong combination. It’s also a good idea to release Brave at the end of school, just exactly like Toy Story 3 and Cars 2. Why it might not be big: Will the female heroine work? Yes. Will the fairy tale elements work? Probably. So, what’s not to like? OWG: $105 million DTG: $300 million ITG: $500 million
3. The Amazing Spider-Man Release Date: July 3 Why it will be big: This movie will swing amazingly into 3rd place. With one of the top 3 trailers of the year (in my opinion) and involving a lot of action, this is sure to be a blockbuster. However, many people are hoping for a more emotional story than the previous 3 Sam Raimi directed, Tobey Maguire starred, movies. That’s because the director Marc Webb’s only other movie is the independent hit (500) Days Of Summer and the star of this version is The Social Network actor Andrew Garfield. Add in there a cool villain The Lizard played by Rhys Ifans, a love interest played by Emma Stone, some awesome 3-D, great web-slinging action, and a script by Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves and TA-DAAAAAAAA!!!!! I have high hopes. Why it might not be big: People are saying this is too soon for a reboot. I mean, Spider-Man 3 came out 5 years ago and this very same origin story was shown on screens just ten years ago, in 2002 when Spider-Man was released. Also I doubt this will do Spider-Man 3 numbers at the box office (that movie was the highest grossing of the year and made $151 million on its opening weekend). OWG: $125 million DTG: $400 million ITG: $850 million
2. The Avengers Release Date: May 4 Why it will be big: I think it’s a great idea that the movie is being release on May 4th, not only with the 4th be with it, but also it’s a great way to start the summer movie season. Marvel used this technique with both the Iron Man movies and Thor being released on May 2nd, May 7th, and May 6th, respectively. They debuted at $98 million, $128 million, and $65 million, respectively. Meanwhile Captain America: The First Avenger, on July 22, with $65 million. The Incredible Hulk was released on June 13th and made $55 million on the opening weekend. The worst domestic total was The Incredible Hulk at $134 million, meanwhile the best was Iron Man with $318 million. The worst international total was The Incredible Hulk with $263 million, meanwhile the best was Iron Man 2 with $623 million. This plan will be used again for the Iron Man 3 release planned for May 3rd 2013. Combining all these super hero characters together will surely pay off in some aspects: It will be fun watching them battle each other, and with so many actors they’ll have to have great chemistry. Joss Whedon is an acclaimed TV writer/director. If he writes a script anywhere as good as the one he did with 3 other people for Toy Story, this will be an amazing movie and one of the best super hero movies of all time. Why it might not be big: It’s possible that with so many characters the movie will become both distracting and bad.Will the focus be on Iron Man? I hope so because he’s the coolest. Will it be on Hawkeye? I think so because he’s the new character. Or will it be on Captain America? He’s the most likely because he’s now in 2012 not the 1940s and will be re-introduced to the Avengers in the same way the audience is. OWG: $155 million DTG: $450 million ITG: $900 million
1. The Dark Knight Rises Release Date: July 20 Why it will be big: This movie will rise to 1st place. With Christian Bale returning as Batman, fans are going crazy. And for fairly good reason. Batman Begins grossed $48 million on it’s opening weekend, $205 domestically, and $372 internationally. It also got an 85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, earned back it’s $150 million budget, and became the 12 biggest superhero movie of all time. Meanwhile the 2008 sequel to the 2005 prequel, The Dark Knight, did the impossible. Making $158 million on it’s opening weekend (beat only by HP 7 part 2, but at the time the best ever), $533 domestically, and $1 billion internationally. It also received a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, got back it’s $185 million budget, and became the biggest superhero movie of all time. Hopefully this final film in the trilogy will be just as fulfilling as Toy Story 3. The cryptic yet exciting trailers make this the event movie of the summer. Just like in 2010 (Toy Story 3) and in 2011 (Hp 7 Part 2) this year the biggest movie of the summer (and possibly the year) is another beloved franchise coming to a close. Why it might not be big: The consensus of preview screening buzz is that Bane, the bad guy played by Tom Hardy, has a hard to understand voice. If he doesn’t work out though Anne Hathaway as Catwoman certainly will certainly work out. In addition to Tom Hardy other Inception actors in the movie include Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotilard, as new characters, but will they make the story too confusion and complex. If they do prove too confusing, then at least there will be older fan favorites such as Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. Although these problems are all possibilities, the movie is still likely to be a success. Why? Because with an intriguing cast, cool special effects, and the rising anticipation, the movies is going to be a hit. I think this movie is going to be 8th highest grossing film of all time and it will have the best opening weekend of all time. OWG: $175 million DTG: $550 million ITG: $1 billion
Honorary Independent Blockbuster. Moonrise Kingdom Release Date: May 25 Why it will be big: The movie stars a great cast including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Frances Mcdormand, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, and newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayard. It’s directed by Wes Anderson, maker of wacky comedies and dramas. I think this movie will be the Midnight in Paris of the year, because just like that other film it will be the opening night movie at Cannes and is a comedy/romance/drama. This movie could be nominated for Oscars just like Midnight in Paris. Plus another massive factor is the film was shot in Rhode Island, the smallest and best state. Why it might not be big: Will the newcomers be good or will this be their last movie? OWG: $5 million DTG: $55 million ITG: $150 million
Honorary Original Blockbuster. Preminum Rush Release Date: August 24 Why it will be big: David Koepp, the writer and director also wrote Spider-Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Mission:Impossible, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and more. Plus it stars Michael Shannon and Joseph Gordon- Levitt. The trailer shows an odd yet original combination of crazy stunts and realistic action. Why it might not be big: I doubt it will rush past 15th place. Sadly but truly originality isn’t very popular these days so will the “you’ve never seen this before” approach. work or not? OWG: $35 million DTG: $100 million ITG: $150 million
Other Possible Blockbusters: The Expendables 2 Release Date: August 12 OWG: $40 million DTG: $115 million ITG: $300 million, The Dictator Release Date: May 11 OWG: $30 million DTG: $140 million ITG: $230 million, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Release Date: June 22 OWG: $40 million DTG: $200 million ITG: $240 million, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Release Date: June 22 OWG: $30 million DTG: $100 million ITG: $130 million, Total Recall Release Date: June 22 OWG: $35 million DTG: $125 million ITG: $175 million, Rock of Ages Release Date: June 15 OWG: $35 million DTG: $125 million ITG: $200 million, The Campaign Release Date: August 10 OWG: $35 million DTG: $125 million ITG: $190 million, The Odd Life of Timothy Green Release Date: August 17 OWG: $30 million DTG: $125 million ITG: $150 million, and The Wettest Country Release Date: August 31 OWG: $25 million DTG: $50 million ITG: $100 million
Okay then, that’s it! Wait no, it’s not! Look out for a parts 2 and 3 (you’ll get to comment on favorites and critically acclaimed movies) coming soon to a computer near you. In the comments section tell me what you think will be the highest grossing movies of the summer and your OWG, DTG and ITG predictions. Also you can tell what you think of my predictions.
Box Office Battle Brews (Flack’s Report)
Posted on | March 14, 2012 | Add Comments
When 2011′s total box office total grosses were announced to be the lowest since 1995, high expectations were already being set for 2012. I was personally surprised about 2011, considering that the last Harry Potter installment, not one but four super hero films, Transformers 3, and two Steven Spielberg films were all released. But with Batman 3, a Spider-Man movie, the Avengers, and another Steven Spielberg movie all being released in 2012, excitement is starting to brew.
So far the box office is 24% higher at this than point last year. But not quite as high as 2009 and 2010 at this point. Coraline and Pink Panther 2 were released in early 2009 and Avatar was released in December 2009 and obviously carried over into early 2010. This year 3 movies have already passed the 100 million dollar mark. In order from least to greatest, they are: the action movie, Safe House ($116 million), the romance, The Vow ($118 million), and the family film, The Lorax ($129 million). Those movies also have the highest opening weekends, with $40 million, $41 million and $70 million. Also twenty movies have passed the 30 million mark. Still there have been a large number of commercial flops, such as, This Means War, The Woman in Black, The Grey, Red Tails, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and so far John Carter.
Now let’s take a look at what other March blockbusters are coming up.
March 16, 2012: The Big Opening: 21 Jump Street. Why it will be big? Starring comedian and Oscar nominee, Jonah Hill. And with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%, it’s likely to become a semi-big commercial, crowd pleaser. Why it will not be big: It’s rated R, which means that younger audiences won’t go. Also others might not be old enough to remember the TV show. My box office predictions: Opening Weekend: $35 million, Domestic Total: $155 million, and International Total: $255 million. Other movies opening that week: Seeking Justice staring Nicolas Cage, Jeff who Lives at Home staring Jason Segel, and the Spanish film Casa de mi Padre starring Will Ferrel.
March 23, 2012: The Big Opening: The Hunger Games. Why: This is the biggest non-summer, non-holiday movie of the year. Comparisons to Twilight could give it a push…. or not. The first Twilight opened to 69 million dollars in it’s opening weekend, but this is likely to do better. It has a massive, massive, massive fan base and could get great reviews. Why not: It’s possible because not everyone is familiar with it, it might not do well. My box office predictions: Opening Weekend: $80 million, Domestic Total: $350 million, and International Total: $400 million. Other movies opening that week: The Raid: The Redemption, and Brake.
March 30, 2012: The Big Openings: Wrath of the Titans, and Mirror Mirror. Why? The first Titans movies was released to a $61 million weekend, suggesting this could very well possibly follow in its footsteps. The first Titans movie was badly reviewed, and got a 28% splat on Rotten Tomatoes. The 2 worst reviewed elements, however, are back: Sam Worthington and 3-D, but the first earned $300 million overseas, making this one a potential blockbuster. Also people now know that they didn’t like the first one so they might not return for a sequel. Meanwhile Mirror Mirror is the more family-friendly of the two Snow White movies, opening in 2012. It also stars Julia Roberts. But it’s not a summer movie, an action movie, or a Kristen Stewart movie, or even a movie with Thor in it, which the other one is all of those. My box office predictions for Wrath of the Titans: Opening Weekend: $40 million, Domestic Total: $200 million, International Total: $300 million. My Mirror Mirror box office predictions: Opening Weekend: $25 million, Domestic Total: $115 million, International Total: $170 million.
One last note, I wanted to point out is that all top 1o movies at the box office right now have a SPLAT on Rotten Tomatoes, which means they are badly reviewed. However I expect that to change for new movies coming out, particularly the first two ones I was just talking about Many people are saying that all this good box office will lead people into the Summer, however I hope that some of the Summer movies get good reviews. In December, I’m expecting The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to be the big holiday movie and Lincoln (directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day Lewis) to be the big Oscar movie and a potential blockbuster. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will probably be first or second place along with The Dark Knight Rises for the whole, entire year. The Amazing Spider-Man, Skyfall, and The Avengers will round out the top 5 for the year (not in order). More Summer movies preview for 2012 are coming soon.
Tags: Box Office Predictions
84th Annual Academy Awards 2012 Predictions Part 3
Posted on | February 23, 2012 | 2 Comments
Flick and Flack talk about their 2012 Oscar Predictions in Part 3 of a 3 part video series. In this video, Flick and Flack discuss the Best Picture category and give their predictions for this year’s Academy Awards.
Part 3 (28 minutes, 1 second)
Flack’s rankings of the Best Picture nominees from least likely to win to most likely to win.
9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
8. The Tree of Life
7. War Horse
6. Moneyball
5. Midnight in Paris
4. The Descendants
3. The Help
2. Hugo
1. The Artist
Flack’s rankings of the Best Picture nominees from least favorite to most favorite of the ones I’ve seen.
8. Midnight in Paris
7. The Artist
6. The Tree of Life
5. Moneyball
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
3. Hugo
2. The Help
1. War Horse
Flick’s rankings of the Best Picture nominees from least likely to win to most likely to win.
9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
8. The Tree of Life
7. War Horse
6. Moneyball
5. Midnight in Paris
4. The Help
3. The Descendants
2. Hugo
1. The Artist
Flick’s rankings of the Best Picture nominees from least favorite to most favorite of the ones I’ve seen.
8. Moneyball
7. The Artist
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
5. Midnight in Paris
4. The Help
3. The Tree of Life
2. War Horse
1. Hugo
84th Annual Academy Awards 2012 Predictions Part 2
Posted on | February 23, 2012 | 1 Comment
Flick and Flack talk about their 2012 Oscar Predictions in Part 2 of a 3 part video series. In this video, Flick and Flack discuss the acting, directing and screenplay categories and give their predictions in all of those categories for this year’s Academy Awards.
Part 2 (37 minutes, 56 seconds)
2012 Providence Children’s Film Festival: Jumping Boy
Posted on | February 23, 2012 | Add Comments
Flick interviews Josh about Jumping Boy on Day 4 of the 2012 PCFF.
The Tree of Life (Flack’s Review)
Posted on | January 22, 2012 | 1 Comment
5 Stars
The Tree of Life is about a man who has just gotten the news that his brother died. The man, named Jack remembers and reflects on his childhood. When he was a boy he lived in Texas in the 50′s with a mom, a dad, and two younger brothers. The mother says early on in the movie that there are two ways of life: the way of nature and the way of grace. Jack thinks about his memories including his rough relationship with his father, his mother’s niceness, his attitude towards his brothers, and his desire to fit into the world.
If you’re thinking this sounds like your average drama it’s not. The family flashbacks are interspersed with sequences involving dinosaurs, jellyfish, outer space, and the formation of Earth. These breathtaking moments are magical and quite obviously intended to be seen on the big screen. However it’s testament to the power of the director Terrence Malick’s vision that when I watched the movie on an iPad in a bumpy car that I was still completely wowed by, for example, a scene in which the entire universe is created. But although the film could be the most epic independent movie ever made I’ll pause from raving about the special effects for a minute and talk about the actual story.
I was very connected to all the characters because of how great the actors all were. A startlingly mature Brad Pitt and the angel-like Jessica Chaisten are equally fantastic at respectively embodying nature and grace. I was also amazed by the stunning Hunter McCracken in his debut role as the young Jack. There are scenes that are very sad including one in which the Father loses his temper. Pitt is very different than he was in Moneyball. In Moneyball he was a good person in tough situations, but in this film he’s a troubled person in touch situations. I disagree with others that there are scenes that ramble on and I was surprised that I never got bored because I was so fascinated with the story.
I can understand when critics say that they think Malick has made this movie for himself rather than an audience (says ABC radio) but this is the kind of movie that is meant to be discussed and debated. But seriously what is Mike Ward (of Richmond.com) talking about when he says “I admire The Tree of Life – in the same way I admire the white-haired lady in the Guinness Book of World Records with 28-foot fingernails.” With a story this intensely emotional however I found it completleey impossible not to be hooked by this tale of love, family, space, life, and death.
It is very interesting how Malick displays his thoughts bout god and the universe. I think that all the characters are in some way trying to fit in the world or understand what life is about. The reason that Malick has decided to include scenes of dinosaurs is because he shows how different people have different thoughts in different situations for example when the dinosaur decides not to kill the other dinosaur, it’s an example of grace. Both ways of life come with consequences, because nature can make you lonely because you are the only person who has everything they want and grace could make you disappointed that even though you are helping many others you don’t have what you wished. The director’s point is not to decide which is necessarily the right way, but rather for others to decide and form their own opinions.
Amidst all the shots of stars and space is a very personal story about life and death. I suspect this film will become a classic. Many people will have different ideas about it, but when I was done watching it, the idea that was most in my head was this was a truly great film.
My favorite scene is near the end of the movie so I won’t spoil it. It involves people talking about a gun. I like it because of the great performances from Hunter McCracken and Laramie Epler and the scene is also very moving and emotional.
I am not sure who my favorite character is because I didn’t fully agree with any of their beliefs. Also the actors are all equally great so it really is hard to pick. I think Sean Penn was kind of wasted because he didn’t really do anything. I would like to point out that the rising star Jessica Chaisten was good and very different than how she was as Celia Foote in The Help. I also thought Brad Pitt was good and different than how he normally is. I also am guessing McCracken will soon become very popular.
The Tree of Life is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some thematic material, and I agree.
This is one for the best movies of 2011 and it’s truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen. I suggest you see it right away because the cast is great, and the special effects are stunning. This is magical movie making at it’s most magical.
The Tree of Life (Flick’s Review)
Posted on | January 22, 2012 | 1 Comment
41/2 stars
A religious family of five must deal with the pains of life after they lose one of their sons. One of the boys, Jack grows up to become a highly successful architect. But Jack is not happy with his life, and feels as if he is trapped in his work. Jack wonders if he has made the right decisions in his life… and what god thinks of him.
Terrence Malick’s idea, that life has a meaning is abstractly shown in his delightfully artistic film, The Tree of Life. I think Malick believes in a god. Malick just wants to show people, to tell the world what he believes in. The culmintion that Malick’s vision results in is something of beauty. The scenes in which Malick films the creation of the universe use special effects in a very real way. The effects are used to create malick, I mean magic. It is evident that the effects would have to be used in a way that seems real, after all the creation of the universe is anything but fake.
Brad Pitt’s performance rivals his in Moneyball and in the end is better. The relationship that Pitt’s character, Mr. O’Brien has with his son, the character Hunter McCracken has is the key to the film. To understand the film you must understand their relationship. The complexity of their friendship is deeply moving and emotional. Not often are two characters portrayed on screen with such strong performances upholding such strong characters. Pitt and McCracken are not the only actors with performances that are unbelievably good. The two other young boys, Larmie Epler and Tye Sheirdan also give unforgettable performances. The art of Sean Penn’s performance is created by facial expressions; Penn uses little to no dialogue to play the adult Jack. Then there’s Jessica Chastain who starred in over five films last year, ranging from The Debt to Coriolanus to The Help to Take Shelter and more. Chastain’s character, Mrs. O’Brien is deeply admired by all of the other characters in the film. It seems to me as if Malick wants Mrs. O’Brien to resemble an angel.
My favorite character is Jack because of the way he deals with situations. Once Jack grows up he starts to wonder if he has lived life to the fullest.
My favorite scene is when Mr. O’Brien teaches his three sons to fight because it shows the different sides to the O’Brien family.
The Tree of Life is rated PG-13 for thematic material. The film deals with some very intense situations making it not very family friendly.
The Tree of Life is an indelible experience. It balances so many different ideas on so many different levels resulting in bold cinematic storytelling.
Midnight in Paris (Flack’s Review)
Posted on | January 8, 2012 | 4 Comments
4 Stars
Midnight in Paris is set in 2010 and is about Gil Penders, a Hollywood screenwriter who longs to write a great novel. When he travels to Paris with his girlfriend, Inez and is bored with all the parties and dancing, he decides to take a stroll. The clock strikes midnight and Gil is escorted to Paris in the 1920′s and there he meets F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso and more. But as his writing career falters and he realizes he doesn’t have much in common with Inez, he wonders what will happen.
This is the first Woody Allen movie I have ever seen and it’s very entertaining. Owen Wilson leads a great cast and the supporting actors are delightful. Before I saw this movie I read a New York Times article about the famous people Gil meets in the film, so I understood the movie better. If you don’t know anything about Picasso or Fitzgerald you might be a bit bored… But if you do you’ll have a great time! Charming and witty at the sometime, this is a great film.
The story is fun and magical. Woody Allen directs magnificently. In some scenes you really feel like you are in the 1920′s with Gil in Paris. The film has some nice twists and turns and the music is perfect. There is not much depth to the character and it would be interesting if the conversations between Gil and the other writers and artists, were longer but the movie is still a lot of fun. Also it’s interesting to learn about all the famous people.
My favorite character is Gil because it’s interesting when he gets advice from writers. Also Owen Wilson is great at switching from seriousness to silliness effortlessly.
My favorite scene is when Gil talks to Adriana (Marion Cottilard) and tells her the only thing he has in common with his girlfriend, Inez, is that they both like pita bread, and my other favorite is when Gil talks to Salvador Dali (Adrian Brody). I love those scenes because they are both funny.
This movie is rated PG-13 for smoking, drinking, kissing and some romance.
Midnight in Paris is a wonderful movie. Even though its not that complex, it still has a great cast, a marvelous story, excellent music, fun scenes, super direction, nice shots of Paris and hilarious moments.
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