Gran Torino Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Direct-to-DVD Release 'The Code' Tops the Charts
Filed under: Action », Independent », Thrillers », Distribution », Newsstand », Home Entertainment »
Hey, remember the Morgan Freeman / Antonio Banderas thriller, The Code (also known as Thick as Thieves)? No? That's ok, no one does! This poor film was doomed to go straight to DVD shelves, but there it was not forgotten. Home Media Magazine reports that the flick topped the rental charts last week, deftly knocking Gran Torino out of #1. (Mr. Freeman, did you call and crow over your pal Clint for that one? If not, you should. I'm sure he'll get a good laugh.)Scott Weinberg believes this is the first DTV movie to ever top the rental charts. If anyone out there knows of another one that has, you should correct him. But for now, history has been made by Mimi Leder!
The plot follows an aging jewel thief (Freeman) and the uppity young Turk he recruits to help him pull off one final job. They're not going after just any family jewels, but those most treasured by the Romanovs -- Faberge eggs! The ultimate goal of the heist is to pay off the Russian mob, and I'd like to think Banderas and Freeman are stealing the Faberge eggs just to really piss them off. Meanwhile, Radha Mitchell gets in between them, and makes things sexy. Check out the trailer below the jump, and contemplate renting it for yourself. It topped the rental charts, and millions of people can't be wrong!
Stars in Rewind: Clint Eastwood in 'Revenge of the Creature'
Filed under: New Releases », Trailers and Clips », Stars in Rewind »
I'm a little guilty (but perhaps no more than our own Jeff Anderson) of writing too many posts about Clint Eastwood lately, but seeing as Gran Torino comes out on DVD today, and it's slow on news, it's time for a blast from the past. Sure, we could post a clip focused on his iconic sneer and handiness with a gun, but I think his last role deserves to be celebrated by watching his embarrassing first. Take heart, up and coming actors, because everyone starts somewhere.
Look at him, all young and squeaky, with Inspector Callahan and the Man with No Name not even a glimmer in his eye. This is how you know that destiny plays some part in the mess that is Hollywood moviemaking, because he really should have been handed nothing but screwball comedies after this. (Not that he didn't try slapstick at least one more time -- watch The Witches if you haven't already.) Thank goodness for Rawhide, and for demanding a low enough salary that Sergio Leone hired him over just about everyone else he wanted. The rest is history, a fistful of Oscars, and a thousand cinematic homages.
If you want an extra laugh (and can put up with some YouTuber's annoying editing tricks), check out the MST3K version of Revenge, but the pure version is below the jump.
Look at him, all young and squeaky, with Inspector Callahan and the Man with No Name not even a glimmer in his eye. This is how you know that destiny plays some part in the mess that is Hollywood moviemaking, because he really should have been handed nothing but screwball comedies after this. (Not that he didn't try slapstick at least one more time -- watch The Witches if you haven't already.) Thank goodness for Rawhide, and for demanding a low enough salary that Sergio Leone hired him over just about everyone else he wanted. The rest is history, a fistful of Oscars, and a thousand cinematic homages.
If you want an extra laugh (and can put up with some YouTuber's annoying editing tricks), check out the MST3K version of Revenge, but the pure version is below the jump.
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 6/9
Filed under: New Releases », DVD Reviews », New on DVD », Home Entertainment »
Gran Torino
In his last acting stint, Clint Eastwood dances behind and in front of the camera playing a racist Korean War vet who faces his prejudices after a Hmong teen tries to steal his beloved Gran Torino. James Rocchi said: "Gran Torino is, bluntly, a pretty good film -- sleek and brawny like the title car, but a little clumsy on the corners and with no small amount of knock in its dramatic engine." Rent it on DVD or Blu-ray.
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The International
When you mix Run Lola Run helmer Tom Tykwer and Clive Owen, you get The International -- an action thriller where Owen plays an Interpol agent itching to battle corruption in the world's largest banks. In his review, William Goss said: "Throughout, The International is a thankfully, skillfully mature effort by Tykwer to produce a proper thriller for adults, that of a man on a mission, and one lent little extra resonance in our cash-strapped times." Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.
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Crossing Over
Not all Harrison Ford films get slapped on the big screen with a bang. There's the multi-story immigration drama Crossing Over. But it's not exactly a little-known gem, according to Jeffrey M. Anderson: "Crossing Over is a bad movie ... about as airless and preachy as movies come." Skip it.
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Also Out: Fired Up, Nobel Son, Strike, Guns
400 Screens, 400 Blows - Gran Ole Clint
Filed under: Columns », 400 Screens, 400 Blows »
400 Screens, 400 Blows is a weekly column that takes an in-depth look at the films playing below the radar, beneath the top ten, and on 400 screens or less.
I suppose everyone knows by now that Gran Torino (218 screens) was Clint Eastwood's final screen appearance as an actor, and that he plans to concentrate on directing from now on -- though the film's nearly $150 million gross and a spot at #77 on the IMDB All-Time Top 250 will probably result in many phone calls begging him to reconsider. But this raises an interesting question: was it Eastwood's appearance onscreen make the movie such a popular favorite? Does he still have all the right stuff, 40 years later, to rank as one of the all-time great movie stars? Or was it his skill as a director that paid off?
Any actor who also decides to direct must eventually face the choice of whether or not to direct his or her own performance. There's a long list of people who chose one side or the other with varied results. But though it's probably the more difficult choice, I think any actor would agree that it's easier to sell the film with his or her face onscreen. Even Spike Lee admitted to this when he acted in his first three films, up to and including his masterpiece Do the Right Thing. And certainly when someone like Woody Allen initially decided not to appear in his films, his fans did not take it well.
Fan Rant: Academic Failure
Filed under: Action », Documentary », Drama », Foreign Language », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Awards », IFC », Magnolia », Warner Brothers », Fandom », 20th Century Fox », The Weinstein Co. », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Oscar Watch », Miramax »
"Oh, good grief, it's Oscar."
--Lucille Bluth, "Arrested Development"
(The following post is written to the tune of Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler," which was not among those nominated for Best Original Song when the 81st Academy Award nominations were announced earlier today.)
Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free?
We'd call 'em by another name, the Academy
Have you ever seen a piece of pap that they all wouldn't eat?
If you've ever seen that Crash, then you'd agree.
Then you'd agree, The Dark Knight should've had more of a shot
Then you'd agree, Gran Torino deserved to go home with naught
Then you'd agree, I'm struggling to come up with just one more bon mot
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
We sure as hell would've asked for a whole lot more
Couldn't Let the Right One In have been recognized outside of Foreign?
If they'd even seen that movie, then they'd agree
Didn't The Reader leave most of these guys snorin'?
If they'd stayed up for this movie, then they'd agree
Then you'd agree, Dear Zachary... shouldn't have been snubbed from the start
Then you'd agree, The Fall was a tremendous work of art (direction)
Then you'd agree, they left off Gommorah too, old fart after old fart
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
We really would've asked for a whole lot more
Those nods that have comforted me, I drive away
For all of Milk's attention, I just cannot feel gay
The snubs here and there have caused far too much dismay
Have you ever seen a year where AMPAS actually got it right?
I'll plan to watch something else that February night...
Instead of a Geek Beat -- A Gran Torino
Filed under: Drama », Warner Brothers », Fandom »
First, a disclaimer: I may have studied Anglo-Saxon poetry until I could recite Beowulf in my sleep, but I've never been able to adopt their habit of boasting about one's accomplishments. The reason I'm posting this is because the inauguration left us without a lot of news, because Slashfilm is our friend, and because this is what I was doing instead of writing a Geek Beat on Monday ... not that you were wondering, I'm sure.Following in the /Filmcast podcast steps of Erik Davis, Scott Weinberg and William Goss is nothing short of daunting -- but when David Chen asked me to come on his podcast and try to defend Gran Torino, I decided I would give it my best shot. And if you look at Clint Eastwood's face to your right, you'll see that he wishes that it had been anyone but me. I may have an undying affection for his sneer, but it didn't make me much of a reviewer, nor did it make me very articulate.
But, if you ever wondered what this humble Cinematical blogger sounded like, or were compelled to know what I thought of Gran Torino, RocknRolla, Joaquin Phoenix's rap career, and recasting Mr. Miyagi, go check it out. It can be just one more thing to do while everyone else is at Sundance, and at least you have the thoughts of David Chen, Adam Quigley, and Devindra Hardawar to balance out my nervous ramblings.
Weekend Box Office: 'Mall Cop' Cleans Up
Filed under: New Releases », Box Office »
How Kevin James managed to open a movie called Paul Blart: Mall Cop to the tune of $39 million in the middle of January may become one of those cosmic mysteries, like the origin of the universe and what the "Frost Glacier Freeze" flavor of Gatorade actually is. It's kind of astonishing, and a little disturbing. What drew people, exactly? Was it the part in the trailer where he tries a rolling maneuver but misses and has to painfully drag his fat self behind a mall billboard?Two halfway-decent newcomers languished in third and fourth, though I would think that both My Bloody Valentine and Notorious are happy with their circa-$24 million 4-day bows. Notorious, in particular, opened on just over 1,600 screens, giving it the best per-screen average on the chart. Hotel for Dogs landed just below the two with $22.5 million -- also pretty good for a fairly anonymous little family film opening against a higher-profile family film.
As a footnote, $19.7 million of My Bloody Valentine's $24.24 million came from its pricier 3-D playdates, showing that 3-D is a considerable draw (and perhaps also that filmgoers are savvy to the fact that these films play in 3-D in some theaters and in 2-D in others).
Defiance expanded into wide release, ending up with a $10.7 million holiday weekend, which seems roughly commensurate with its failed Oscar hopes. Gran Torino and Slumdog Millionare both held up well, with the latter actually seeing a gain compared to last weekend, even if you don't count Monday (and even though its screen count dropped slightly).
The full 4-day top 10 after the jump.
Discuss: Clint Eastwood Attracts Biggest Female Audience Yet
Filed under: Action », Drama », New Releases », Warner Brothers », Fandom », Movie Marketing »
Clint Eastwood made a career landmark this weekend. Gran Torino was not only his biggest opener as both an actor or a director (unless you factor in the inflation, then Box Office Mojo says its Every Which Way But Loose), but he actually attracted the biggest female audience he's ever had. According to Warner Bros distribution president, Dan Fellman, 52% of the audience was female -- an audience Eastwood has never attracted in great numbers, and something especially surprising in a weekend they had Bride Wars to escape to. (Not that Bride Wars did badly with female audiences, it drew in $21.5 million of the under 25 crowd.)
It's actually something I noticed when I saw the film a few weeks ago. Half the audience was female, and weirdly reflected my group's ratio, which was 3:1. It's an interesting phenomenon, especially considering last week's assertion that women don't fantasize about hunting down bad guys, and aren't supposed to be drawn to the action films and antiheroes Eastwood built his career on. They're supposed to go see Bride Wars , especially when offered a frothy girl comedy over something gritty and gun-heavy (not that Gran Torino is an action flick, but you wouldn't know it from the poster or the trailer), they're supposed to choose the girly, pink colored movie. So, why did they choose Gran Torino? Were they dragged on dates, accompanying husbands and boyfriends? Was it because they all carried a flame for Eastwood, who was ridiculously hot in his youth?
It's actually something I noticed when I saw the film a few weeks ago. Half the audience was female, and weirdly reflected my group's ratio, which was 3:1. It's an interesting phenomenon, especially considering last week's assertion that women don't fantasize about hunting down bad guys, and aren't supposed to be drawn to the action films and antiheroes Eastwood built his career on. They're supposed to go see Bride Wars , especially when offered a frothy girl comedy over something gritty and gun-heavy (not that Gran Torino is an action flick, but you wouldn't know it from the poster or the trailer), they're supposed to choose the girly, pink colored movie. So, why did they choose Gran Torino? Were they dragged on dates, accompanying husbands and boyfriends? Was it because they all carried a flame for Eastwood, who was ridiculously hot in his youth?
Weekend Box Office: 'Gran Torino,' 'Bride Wars,' 'Unborn' Swarm the New Year
Filed under: New Releases », Box Office »
Gran Torino's expansion into wide release, plus strong openings for The Unborn and Bride Wars, combined for a surprisingly robust early January weekend at the box office.With Gran Torino, Warner Bros. appears to have pulled off a genuinely successful platform release -- which isn't easy (though perhaps somewhat easier when your movie is a populist crowdpleaser). The film crept along in limited release for four weeks before expanding to 2800 screens this weekend for a cool $29 million. Next week, Defiance will attempt a similar coup, and we'll see what happens; my guess is that it won't play nearly as well.
Bride Wars and The Unborn essentially tied for second place with around $21 million each. Both did well, which is not a huge shock; the obligatory January horror film tends to be easy money, and Bride Wars pretty much matched the precedent set by 27 Dresses last January. And Screen Gems found an audience for its African-American-led drama Not Easily Broken, which did an okay $5.6 million on just over 700 screens.
The first real post-holiday weekend was rough on the holdovers, which, with the exception of Slumdog Millionare, pretty uniformly took hits of 50% or more. Unsurprisingly, Marley & Me remains the biggest winner of the holiday season; it should top out around $140 million. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, meanwhile, is hoping to hold on for long enough to get a boost when the Oscar nominations come out.
The full top 10 after the jump.
Review: Gran Torino
Filed under: Drama », Awards », Warner Brothers », Theatrical Reviews », Oscar Watch »
Long before it opened, Gran Torino gave movie buffs plenty to watch -- the hue and cry over the news that this film would be Clint Eastwood's final performance as an actor, the (erroneous) rumor that it was a return to the screen for "Dirty" Harry Callahan, the puzzling and perfunctory trailer, with Eastwood growling "Get off my lawn!" at a group of young intruders, the news that New York's National Board of Review named the film to its Top Ten List and saw fit to give Clint Eastwood honors for Best Actor and Nick Schenk the award for Best Original Screenplay. All of this was fun to watch -- and, to be blunt, more interesting to watch than Gran Torino itself actually is. Gran Torino is not actively bad -- and there are parts of it which are actually quite good -- but it is not, in fact a film that would be worthy of any kind of enduring honor or long-term interest without the considerable power of Eastwood's myth nudging it into the zone of contention. Gran Torino is, bluntly, a pretty good film -- sleek and brawny like the title car, but a little clumsy on the corners and with no small amount of knock in its dramatic engine.
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/10
Fun with Math: The Huge Box Office Numbers for 'Precious'
Girls on Film: Domestic Violence and Media
'Spider-Man 4' Villain Rumor: Rachel McAdams as Black Cat
Original A-Team Making Cameos in New Movie?
