LandOfTheLost Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Drag Me to Hell
Girl says no to woman at the bank, and soon falls under the wrath of the woman's witchy gypsy ways. It sounds like you're regular ol' horror movie, but it's also Sam Raimi's return to the genre. I wasn't the biggest fan of the film, but considering the fact that most of the people I know loved it, I'll defer to them. In his review, Peter Martin said: "Raimi has made a joyful romp through his personal horror playground and come up with a very entertaining horror-comedy that gets back to the basics." Buy it. Also on Blu-ray.

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The Proposal
Sandra Bullock is an easy-to-hate boss ... until she's about to be deported back to Canada. Desperate to keep her job and stay in the U.S., she whips up a marriage of convenience with her assistant Ryan Reynolds. In her review, Jette Kernion said the film "offers little that is fresh or new for romantic comedy fans ... but perhaps watching Sandra Bullock in her element will be enough for many of her fans. Me, I'm still waiting for her to find a film that better matches her talents." Still, Rent it to hang with Betty White. Also on Blu-ray.

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Land of the Lost
In Hollywood's ever-moving push to remake old Hollywood, we got the picture you'd never imagine, taking the most cult classic of super-low-budget television and turning it into a big-money experience. I wish they stuck to the old formula. But Todd Gilchrist says "Land of the Lost offers a sobering alternative to the pre-packaged and otherwise conventional blockbuster fare offered by studios this summer, even if its charms would ultimately benefit from (if not require) chemical enhancement of some kind to be properly enjoyed." Rent it. Also on Blu-ray.

Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon

Also out: Natural Born Killers Director's Cut, The Stepfather, Hardware, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Happy Birthday to Me, Moonlight & Mistletoe, An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, Wuthering Heights, A Christmas Carol, Infestation, The Christmas Choir, American Violet, The Killing Room, The Objective, iMurders, Shark City, West 32nd

One big-budget box office disappointment does not usually signal the end of a movie star's reign. The woeful under performance of Land of the Lost has observers looking for someone to blame, however, and Will Ferrell is under suspicion. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, columnist Patrick Goldstein suggests: "He's in danger of becoming the comedy equivalent of George Clooney, someone who enjoys a great deal of goodwill but who isn't actually a real movie star."

Goldstein doesn't provide his definition of a "real movie star," but in the context of his column, it clearly is all about the ability to open a big tent pole production to big box office numbers. Goldstein claims: "The verdict in Hollywood: Ferrell hasn't done a good job of managing his brand. [Adam] Sandler is the master of dumb hijinks. Eddie Murphy has become a cuddly family star. But who is Will Ferrell? No one knows anymore."

The theory is that Ferrell made his bones playing "the stupid guy" in a string of raunchy comedies (Old School, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) but hasn't been accepted when it's branched out (Melinda and Melinda, Bewitched, Stranger Than Fiction). Ferrell evidently plays another "stupid guy" in Land of the Lost, but it wasn't sufficiently outrageous for the teen/20s crowd, who flocked to The Hangover, and was too potentially scary for families, who returned to Up.

Why did you skip Land of the Lost? Confused by the marketing? Burned out on Will Ferrell? Do you want to see him return to raunchy, R-rated comedies -- like The Hangover? Are Ferrell and George Clooney "real" movie stars?

Up's 35% second-weekend drop -- allowing it to barely hang on to first place with $44.2 million, at least according to Sunday estimates -- is remarkable, placing it very nearly in Finding Nemo territory. (It's currently running around $7 million behind Pixar's highest grosser.) I am loving Up's success, not just because it's a terrific film, but because it has the least obviously commercial concept Pixar's ever tackled. (Though, as I mentioned last week, Wall-E -- which Up will now surely top -- is actually the more challenging film.)

The Hangover, meanwhile, rode great buzz and good reviews to $43.3 million, which is the second highest opening weekend ever for an R-rated comedy, behind American Pie 2. (Unless you subscribe to the ludicrous notion that Sex and the City is a comedy, in which case it's third.) If you've seen the movie, you know why it's been rapturously received. If you haven't, you should.

On the other hand, Land of the Lost was punished by reviews and a muddled marketing message, landing in 3rd place with $19.5 million. The folks at Universal tried hard to push this into the summer blockbuster A-list, but I think they would have been better off pushing it as what it is: an above-average Will Ferrell comedy. As it stands, the funny film got its ass kicked by Semi-Pro, which is sort of unacceptable.

Drag Me to Hell had a disappointing second weekend, with hopes that good word-of-mouth would help it overcome its weak opening weekend evaporating. I suppose the movie was likely inexpensive enough that its $40-million-or-so domestic final won't be seen as a total bust.

Nia Vardalos' half-hearted comeback attempt My Life in Ruins grossed $3.2 million in 9th place, which is... exactly how much Connie & Carla made in its first weekend in 2004. Oh well.

The full top 10 after the jump.

In spite of the some rather negative early reviews, I plan on plunking down my cash to see Land of the Lost this weekend. It's a silly move, but I can't help myself; I blame my addiction to Danny McBride. Plus, I wasn't around for the original series, so it's not like Ferrell can mess up any childhood memories. But it did get me thinking; sci-fi and comedy are two genres that usually work pretty well together, right? So what does any movie geek do in this situation? That's right, we make a list. So now I present in no particular order, my top ten sci-fi comedies:

1. Hellboy
So technically, maybe not a pure sci-fi flick (it has gadgets...does that count?). But you definitely can't argue with funny; and it made for a nice departure for those of us tired of seeing our heroes 'brood' all the time.

2. Innerspace
Most people I know hate this movie; and to be fair, it hasn't aged well. The F/X are a little creaky, and Meg Ryan is downright annoying, but when I saw this film as a kid it was the height of hilarity -- score one for nostalgia.

3. Idiocracy
How could you not love Mike Judge's vision of a dystopic future where the #1 rated TV show is Ow! My Balls!

4. Ghostbusters
When it comes to sci-fi comedy, Ghostbusters is the granddaddy. To this day I consider it one of the funniest films ever made; and thanks to Bill Murray, I grew up to be the smart-a** that my family and friends know and love.

5. Sleeper
Woody Allen and sci-fi probably aren't two things that most people think would work well together. But Allen transplanted his nebbish New Yorker into the future, and still managed to make jokes about sex and health food stores.

After the jump; the final five...

No longer is Land of the Lost merely a wonderful series from the seventies with atrocious acting and laugh-worthy, unforgettable special effects. June 5th marked the new incarnation, where unintended laughs make way for scripted chuckles and big-budget effects as Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, and Anna Friel take over the series.

In honor of the remake, I couldn't help but go back to the original. Perhaps this look back is unnecessary -- out of the six reviews I've skimmed about the film thus far, only one was remotely positive. Then again, Paul Blart wasn't a mecca of achievement and it did really well, so back we shall go.

There really is nothing like the original series, where even the opening sequence (seen below) doesn't get the slightest lick of a budget -- where the trio's boat looks like it's traveling in a fishtank before landing next to a dinosaur finger puppet. But that's the charm, and as cool as FX dinos are, I can't help but wish that they'd gone the spoof angle and made it all as ridiculous and hand-made as the original. Maybe next time.

Hit the jump to watch the video and an extra treat featuring Jake Gyllenhaal's rockin' ode to Land of the Lost in Bubble Boy.

It's that time again -- time for you to scrape together an absurd amount of money to go see a summer movie in theaters this weekend, and then report back on its quality by telling us what you thought on a scale of 1-10. We've been doing this all summer long, and so far it looks like Pixar's Up might have stolen a little thunder from Star Trek, as last I checked it was rockin' a perfect 10. But keep in mind it also depends on how many people vote, so Trek definitely still has a shot, as does this weekend's big special effects-laden summer blockbuster: Land of the Lost, starring Will Ferrell as a down-on-his-luck scientist who embarks on what looks like the trippiest alternate dimension vacation ever.

From Todd Gilchrist's review: "If Hunter S. Thompson were to write a story about his trip to a parallel, prehistoric dimension, then Land of the Lost might be the most accurate representation possible of its subsequent film adaptation. Directed by Brad Silberling and starring Will Ferrell, this update on the Sid and Marty Krofft television series from the 1970s is the strangest, filthiest summer movie I think I've ever seen – and it opens against one that features Mike Tyson, a tiger and Zach Galifianakis. But just as strangely, it's also damn entertaining, although it's hard to know whether you should or definitely shouldn't be indoctrinated beforehand to its weirdness."

You know what to do next -- feel free to vote in our poll and share your comments on the film below.

Because of the commercial pressures Hollywood places on filmmakers these days, many directors adopt a sort of "one for them, one for me" career strategy that allows them to exercise their creativity while maintaining a degree of viability at the box office. Brad Silberling, despite an array of films that really do run the gamut from intimate character studies to effects-laden opuses, seems to have effectively synthesized the two more and more effectively with each subsequent effort. Starting with straightforward studio fare like Casper, he quickly graduated to meatier projects, including the semi-autobiographical Moonlight Mile, before tackling an adaptation of the first book in Daniel Handler's Lemony Snicket series.

But he seems to have truly captured both his own creative idiosyncrasies and the demands of a summer blockbuster with Land of the Lost, a sprawling, bizarre big-screen reimagining of the Sid and Marty Krofft TV series from the 1970s. The film stars Will Ferrell as a disgraced scientist trying to rebuild his reputation while dodging aliens, dinosaurs, and oversized crabs, and Silberling brilliantly brings the film's fantastic world to life. Cinematical recently spoke to the director via telephone from the film's Los Angeles press day, where he discussed the prospect of making a madcap, foul-mouthed summer movie, explained how (and why) he managed to include an extended homage to "A Chorus Line," and talked about the summer movie that inspired him to become a filmmaker.

If Hunter S. Thompson were to write a story about his trip to a parallel, prehistoric dimension, then Land of the Lost might be the most accurate representation possible of its subsequent film adaptation. Directed by Brad Silberling and starring Will Ferrell, this update on the Sid and Marty Krofft television series from the 1970s is the strangest, filthiest summer movie I think I've ever seen – and it opens against one that features Mike Tyson, a tiger and Zach Galifianakis. But just as strangely, it's also damn entertaining, although it's hard to know whether you should or definitely shouldn't be indoctrinated beforehand to its weirdness. Regardless, Land of the Lost offers a sobering alternative to the pre-packaged and otherwise conventional blockbuster fare offered by studios this summer, even if its charms would ultimately benefit from (if not require) chemical enhancement of some kind to be properly enjoyed.

This past weekend marked Pixar and Disney's tenth consecutive number one opener as Up took the box office by storm. Sam Raimi's new scare-fest Drag Me To Hell did okay taking third, but was still nudged down by last week's leader Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Here's the top five:

1. Up $68.1 million
2. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: $24.4 million
3. Terminator Salvation: $16.4 million
4. Drag Me to Hell: $15.8 million
5. Star Trek: $12.6 million

All three of this week's new releases are going for laughs but in very different ways.

The Hangover
What's It All About: Four friends head to Vegas for a bachelor party blowout, but the next morning the groom is missing, there's a tiger in their hotel bathroom and someone has left a baby with them. Yeah, if I had a nickel for every time...
Why It Might Do Well: Based on the trailer, this is the sort of drunken escapade everyone wishes they could brag about. At the moment Rottentomatoes.com is giving the flick a pretty sweet 100% fresh rating.
Why It Might Not Do Well: There's a lack of star power and some serious competition.
Number of Theaters: 3,200
Prediction: $26 million

Land of the Lost
What's It All About: In this reimagining of the classic Saturday morning TV show, Will Ferrell plays a scientist who finds himself transported to a world full of dinosaurs and lizard people.
Why It Might Do Well: Between the nostalgia factor and Ferrell's box office appeal, there will be some money made here.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Will Matt Lauer's fans keep away after the dissing he takes in the trailer?
Number of Theaters: 3,300
Prediction: $35 million

Did the Marx Brothers ever get serious? Pixar seems to have perfected the art of mixing dramatic themes into their comic adventures, pleasing audiences both young and old. (Moviefone's current poll of readers on Pixar's best reflects this as well, with a top choice that may surprise you.) Up is a rather magnificent tale that's filled with witty dialogue, visual gags, and laugh out loud moments, even as it "moves smoothly from romance to drama to fantasy to comedy to action-adventure and then back to sentimental drama again," in the words of Jette Kernion. Sam Raimi took modern horror in a new direction by coupling jolts with jokes in The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, expertly playing one against the other. His latest, Drag Me to Hell, marketed as a straight-up horror tale, is, in fact, "a convulsively funny movie with chills and thrills," as I've written before. Really, it's more of a comedy than anything else.

This week's widest releases appear to be more straightforward comedies: Todd Phillips' The Hangover stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis as three friends who stumble around Vegas after a bachelor party gone wild; Brad Silberling's Land of the Lost stars Will Farrell as a scientist who stumbles around a prehistoric world with dinosaurs and fantastic creatures. Meanwhile, Donald Petrie's My Life in Ruins looks more like a traditional romance with comedy and drama, starring Nia Vardalos as a Greek tour guide.

How do you like your laughs? Do you prefer your comedy straight up, no chaser? Or would you rather have other elements added to the mix: drama, horror, adventure? Take our poll and let us know.