SPEARE'S TIPS - 12/29 + Ten Most Anticipated Films Jan-Apr

[Shrykespeare]

Nearly there. One week left before we crown our Super League 2010 champions. A whole year of preparation, consideration and blind luck will come to fruition for a select few. Not only that, it’s that time of year for every major critic and publication to compile their “Best of 2010” lists, and we hopeful amateurs at the Fantaverse are no exception. But before we can do that, it’s time to officially close the door on 2010.

This past weekend, Little Fockers was able to easily take #1 at the box office, though bad reviews will probably ensure that it will not come anywhere near the other films in the Meet the… series. And it’s just continued the pattern, hasn’t it? Megamind did okay but not spectacular, earning only $142 million. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 was supposed to surpass $300 million easily, but hasn’t. Tron Legacy has done reasonably, but still has a long way to go to earn back its budget. And other winter hopefuls The Tourist, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Yogi Bear, How Do You Know and Gulliver’s Travels have all gotten off to terrible starts. Even Tangled and Unstoppable can only be considered mild financial successes. (True Grit debuted incredibly well, the best in the Coen Brothers’ history, though we’ll have to see how firm its legs are before that can be conclusively determined.)

Frankly, the only films in the past two months that can be considered triumphs would be the limited-release Oscar-bait films. Films like 127 Hours, The King’s Speech, The Fighter, Black Swan and this past weekend’s Somewhere have been the best investments in the waning weeks of the 2010 game. Which is why it’s fitting that the last few titles to talk about are also limited-release films.

Note to all: the Javier Bardem Spanish-language drama Biutiful, which was supposed to be released this week, has been moved, for gaming purposes, to January 28. Box Office Mojo made this change, and since that site’s tracking of date changes is the final authority for the game, it will now no longer count in the Oct-Dec leagues (even if it is released before then).

This coming Wednesday (December 29th) will herald the release of 2010’s last two films. Both are well-reviewed critical darlings with high User Ratings. The first up is Blue Valentine, an official selection of both the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals earlier this year. It has also garnered Golden Globe nominations for its two lead actors, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, and it currently holds an RT score of 95% (36/38 positive). Not a bad pedigree heading into theaters.

Blue Valentine centers on a young couple, Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams), charting the evolution of their relationship by telling it in non-linear fashion. Though they seem the perfect couple at times, they also face problems of their own, mainly involving Cindy’s career ambitions pitting themselves against Dean’s wishes to center his life around Cindy and their child.

This film, originally given an NC-17 rating by the MPAA but then reduced to an R after an appeal by the Weinstein Company, is being called “intimate”, “intense”, “emotional”, “honest”, “beautiful”, “sad”, “passionate” and “devastating” by critics. It currently holds a Rating of 8.1 with over 700 votes, and it will be showcased in only four theaters starting Wednesday. PTA points are practically guaranteed, probably for multiple weeks. Since January starts off with an incredibly sparse schedule, getting over 10 PTA points is a definite possibility. For $6, this could be one of the few must-haves of the entire season.

If Blue Valentine is about young love and its ups and down, then this week’s other film, Another Year, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It, too, centers on a married couple, but one who have been managed to remain happy and content for many decades of marriage. The couple, Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are followed over the course of one year of their lives. Each of the four seasons bring its share of family members, old friends and colleagues, all of whom seem to be having some degree of strife and unhappiness in their lives.

Director Mike Leigh (Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky) has assembled a notable cast of British actors, including Peter Wight, David Bradley, Martin Savage and Leslie Manville (who won the Best Actress award from the NBR). Another Year also has a 95% score on RT (on, ironically, an identical 36/38 clip), and it, too, has a tremendous Rating at the moment (8.0 with over 900 votes). It’s actually priced at $1 cheaper than Blue Valentine, at $5 in the December Ultimate leagues. Six theaters are all that will be showing it, so it definitely has possibilities to climb to the top of the PTA chart and stay there for several weeks.


I’ve got some room left, so I’ll fill the space by letting you all in on my Top Ten Most Anticipated Films of 2010 (Jan-Apr).

10. Limitless (3/18) – From director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) comes this interesting-looking story about a failing writer (Bradley Cooper) who is given a drug that somehow unlocks his brain’s potential, increasing his intellect and productivity by a quantum leap. Of course, with success comes scrutiny, side-effects, fallout and dire consequences. Robert DeNiro and Abbie Cornish co-star. There’s not much pre-summer that looks intriguing, and this one passes that test, barely.

9. I Am Number Four (2/18) – It’s simply because D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye) is behind the camera for this one that I am interested. Though the demographic skews a little young, this story of a band of young aliens with superhuman-abilities-upon-adulthood being hunted by other aliens looks pretty cool (and with Steven Spielberg AND Michael Bay co-producing, why wouldn’t it?). I’m not sold on Alex Pettyfer as a bankable star yet, which is why I have some reservations.

8. The Lincoln Lawyer (3/18) – I am really not a Matthew McConaughey fan, but I do like him best when he gets his serious face on (like in Contact and A Time To Kill). I am, however, a fan of mystery thrillers, and this story based on a Michael Connelly novel may bring with it an interesting story, that of an attorney (McConaughey), who does business out of his Lincoln town car, who takes the case of powerful businessman’s son (Ryan Phillippe) accused of murder. Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy and John Leguizamo co-star. Opening against Limitless, I wonder which one I’ll see first?

7. Just Go With It (2/11) – Adam Sandler is very hit-and-miss with me. Additionally, I haven’t liked any film he’s done with Dennis Dugan since Happy Gilmore in 1996. However, this premise may be good for a few laughs: Adam plays a guy who woos chicks by pretending to be in a loveless marriage, but when he meets the girl of his dreams, he has to convince his boss (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his soon-to-be ex. And I think Nicole Kidman is in there somewhere, and you just know Rob Schneider will be too. It could be hilarious, or it could be another Zohan.

6. Fast Five (4/29) – It took me four movies to get into this franchise, and it’s been mildly entertaining. But I was really surprised by how much I liked the fourth film, Fast and Furious. Add Dwayne Johnson into the mix for this latest in the saga, and I’m there. I’m seriously jonesing for a throwdown between Johnson and Vin Diesel of badass proportions. Fast cars, hot chicks, what’s not to like?

5. The Green Hornet (1/14) – Since there’s no equivalent of The Book of Eli this January, I’ll have to take this one. A modern-day take on a 1930’s radio program, a wealthy playboy (Seth Rogen) takes on the role of crimefighter after the death of his father. With a high-kicking sidekick (Jay Chou), a hot love interest (Cameron Diaz) and a colorful bad guy (Inglourious Basterds’ primo villain Christophe Waltz), there’s no reason to think this film won’t outshine every other title this January. Michael Gondry (Be Kind Rewind) was an interesting choice to direct, to be sure.

4. Unknown (2/18) – I’ll probably see anything action-y with Liam Neeson in it, because he rarely fails to disappoint (Taken, The A-Team, even his cameo in The Next Three Days). And he’s back to his butt-kicking best in this film, as a man who awakens from a coma only to find that his entire life appears to have been stolen out from under him. Produced by Joel Silver (who’s produced more cool movies than I can even count), Unknown is definitely one I’ll be there on opening weekend for.

3. Source Code (4/1) – Now we’re talking. Taking elements from Quantum Leap and Seven Days, two TV shows that I used to love, comes this sci-fi actioner from director Duncan Jones (Moon). It centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal) who takes part in a program where someone can transplant their consciousness, backwards in time, into the body of another person in the last few minutes of their life, for investigatory purposes. Now THIS is intriguing. The trailer was all it took to hook me.

2. Rango (3/4) – Given my penchant for animated movies, it’s probably no surprise that this film is near the top. This outing from Nickelodeon Pictures re-teams Johnny Depp with his POTC director Gore Verbinski, with Depp voicing a domesticated chameleon who reluctantly finds himself in the role of hero when he finds himself in a town right out of a spaghetti Western, battling baddies who would just as soon kill him as look at him. I’m hoping that Depp’s charisma will shine through as Rango, which I think is the first animated role he’s tackled.

1. Sucker Punch (3/25) – Whatever you think about Zack Snyder’s movies, there’s no denying that he knows how to make a compelling trailer. Mix the ass-kicking action of 300 with the mysterious aura of Watchmen and you might get this film, which includes “dragons, B-52 bombers and brothels”, centering on a girl (Emily Browning), whose adventures in the dream-world give her extraordinary abilities that help her escape the tragedy of her real life. Shutter Island meets Inception? Who cares? In terms of coolness, nothing else in this four-month period even comes close, on its surface anyway.


I also plan to possibly see: Season of the Witch, The Dilemma, The Rite, The Mechanic, Sanctum, The Eagle, Drive Angry, The Adjustment Bureau, Battle Los Angeles, Red Riding Hood, Paul, Your Highness, Hanna and Rio.

So that’s my Ten Most Anticipated Films of the first third of 2011. What’s yours?


My predictions for the weekend of December 31, 2010 to January 2, 2011:

1. Little Fockers - $16 million
2. True Grit - $14 million
3. Tron: Legacy - $11 million
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - $8 million
5. The Fighter - $5 million

Well, that will do it for me, once again, for another year (heh). I want to thank each and every one of you for continuing to read my stuff, and I hope you will all continue to enjoy movies, play the game, call me out on my opinions (which are, more often than not, bollocks), and post stuff on the Message Boards. I have no idea what 2011 will bring to our little community, but it’s still the coolest place on the Web to come.

Happy New Year, everyone!

[Buscemi]

Sucker Punch and Source Code look like rehashes of other movies (The Spirit for the former, Inception for the latter) which continues the proof that fanboys will eat up anything that you give to them (this is also why David Fincher hasn't gotten any flak for selling himself out for Oscars).

Anyways...

Most Interested

1. Rango (3/4) (It's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a gecko! And Johnny Depp returns!)
2. Your Highness (4/8) (A homage to 1980's fantasy something outside of the box. My only complaint is that Zooey Deschanel is playing the damsel in distress rather than the warrior.)
3. The Way Back (1/21) (Peter Weir doing The Great Escape. I'm there!)
4. The Beaver (3/23) (Despite Mel Gibson's recent issues, this looks interesting.)
5. Paul (3/18) (I'm only seen the trailer and already I know it's going to better than the vastly overrated Scott Pilgrim)
6. Sanctum (2/4) (James Cameron + 3-D + based on a true story = this could work)
7. The Green Hornet (1/14) (I'm probably the only person who can take Seth Rogen seriously as a dramatic actor. And yet, everyone thinks Jesse Eisenberg has more than one dimension to his acting. Why?)
8. Barney's Version (1/14) (Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman, great pairing)
9. Win Win (3/25) (The Station Agent and The Visitor were of high quality so I expect Tom McCarthy to deliver again)
10. Biutiful (1/28) (it had a good trailer and it's Javier Bardem)

Least Interested

1. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2/11) (Do I need to say anything else?)
2. The Dilemma (1/14) (Vince Vaughn's ego directs another movie that looks the same as his others. And this will be the first Jennifer Connelly film that I will not be seeing.)
3. Sucker Punch (3/25) (So the Snyder fanboys endlessly trashed Legend of the Guardians because of this? I think they should be thanking him for Legend of the Guardians because this looks awful.)
4. Hall Pass (2/25) (The Farrelly Brothers redo the There's Something About Mary formula yet again while New Line's pet Jason Sudeikis gets another starring role to act terribly in)
5. The Roommate (2/4) (Single White Female gets remade. Badly.)
6. Fast Five (4/29) (they should have killed this franchise long ago)
7. No Strings Attached (1/21) (why hasn't Ashton Kutcher been reduced to straight-to-DVD movies yet?)
8. Madea's Big Happy Family (4/22) (after I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Why Did I Get Married Too, I have finally given up on Tyler Perry)
9. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2/18) (did we really need another one of these)
10. Battle: Los Angeles (3/11) (basically Skyline with a higher budget)

[transformers2]

My Top 10 most anticipated for Jan-Apr
10.Unknown
9.Hall Pass
8.The Mechanic
7.Cedar Rapids
6.Drive Angry
5.Fast Five
4.Paul
3.Your Highness
2.The Green Hornet
1.Sucker Punch

Also want to see: Battle:Los Angeles

There is a ton of movies that I am unsure about and even more that I have no intrest in. The first 4 months aren't looking that good for 2011.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

My Top 10 Anticipated:

10. Red Riding Hood
9. Paul
8. Sucker Punch
7. Hanna
6. Battle: Los Angeles
5. The Green Hornet
4. The Adjustment Bureau
3. I Am Number Four
2. Source Code
1. Fast Five

I'll also probably see: Rango, Limitless, Rio, Scream 4, Hop, The Beaver, and Hall Pass


Wow, besides The Dilemma and Green Hornet, January looks absolutely atrocious. I won't be surprised if it's one of the lowest grossing months ever.

And on the flipside, March looks jam-packed.

[numbersix]

Jan-Mar is Award Season over here, in that we get all the arthouse stuff that was released in Nov-Dec in the US. So next month I'll be checking out True Grit, Black Swan, 127 Hours, and Blue Valentine.

As for the new stuff, the only film I really want to see is Source Code, just to see if Moon wasn't a one-hit wonder. I've some interest in seeing Hanna, Paul, Red Riding Hood, Biutiful, and Your Highness.

[undeadmonkey]

Will go see
The Way Back
Eagle
Just Go With It
I Am Number Four
Rango
Take Me Home Tonight
The Beaver
Hanna
Scream 4
Soul Surfer
Water For Elephants


Might Go See
Season of the Witch
Fast Five
Source Code (am i the only one who has a problem accepting the science shown in the trailer, hopefully in the movie it can be explained plausibly, but as of right now, i have too many questions)
Battle Los Angeles (could be good, or could be another skyline)
Unknown
Shelter
What's your Number



Wouldn't touch with a long pole
Justin Beaber's Never Say Never
Big Mommas 3
Apollo 18 (i am so done with the 'found' footage movie)
Hop
Insidious (has to be one of the most awful recent trailers i've seen for a wide release)

[Chienfantome]

As far as US releases go, here are my 10 most anticipated movies of the first part of 2011 (in no particular order) :


- The Green Hornet
- The Company Men
- The way back
- The Eagle
- I saw the Devil
- Battle Los Angeles
- Paul
- Source Code
- Meek's Cutoff
- Your Highness

[silversurfer19]

Movies I will be seeing in the cinemas (*are yet to be released over here):

Tangled*
The Fighter*
The Green Hornet
Black Swan*
True Grit*
127 Hours*
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
Rango
Sucker Punch
Hanna
Scream 4
Thor (released 28th April over here)
Biutiful
Paul
Source Code

[Buscemi]

From what I've read, Insidious is actually quite good. It was received well enough at Toronto for Sony to buy almost all the rights to it (they are licensing the film to FilmDistrict for theatres due to a deal between them).

[Shrykespeare]

Sunday Estimates

Top 5:
5 points - Little Fockers, $26.3M
4 points - True Grit, $24.5M
3 points - Tron Legacy, $18.3M
2 points - Yogi Bear, $13M
1 point - Narnia 3, $10.5M

So just about every movie in the Top 20 did BETTER this weekend than last weekend, the only exceptions being the Top 3. Yogi Bear was actually up 65.9%, Tangled +55.7%, and Gulliver's Travels +44.3%. King's Speech went up 70.1% and just cracked the Top 10.

Little Fockers cracked $100M after all. True Grit will by next week. Tron Legacy is at $130M and virtually assured of $150M (more sequels, anyone?). Yogi Bear is up to $66M, and while it won't make $100M, it's not the horrible failure it looked like two weeks ago. Even Narnia looks like it will indeed crack nine digits.

The Fighter and Black Swan will easily crack $50M next week, which means that for films that started out as limited releases, they are turning out to be very good picks in Box Office as well. How much more steam King's Speech will pick up, we'll have to see... it's currently at 700 theaters (will it go even wider, Boosh?).


PTA:

5 points - Blue Valentine, $45,000
4 points - Country Strong, $21,500
3 points - Another Year, $20,000
2 points - Somewhere, $17,875
1 point - The Illusionist, $16,933

Those are some damn fine numbers.

[Shrykespeare]

Sunday Actuals

Top 5:
5 points - Little Fockers, $25.8M
4 points - True Grit, $24.4M
3 points - Tron Legacy, $18.8M
2 points - Yogi Bear, $12.4M
1 point - Narnia 3, $10.3M


PTA:

5 points - Blue Valentine, $48,432
4 points - Country Strong, $20,753
3 points - Another Year, $18,645
2 points - Somewhere, $17,302
1 point - The Illusionist, $15,472