The Box Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Weekend Box Office: '2012' Feeds Appetite for Destruction
Filed under: New Releases », Box Office »
Occasionally you'll hear a movie branded as "criticproof," which I take to be a derisive term implying that the masses will flock even though the movie in question is garbage If there's an entire genre that may now get described as "criticproof" it's the disaster movie. No amount of bad reviews could keep people away from watching Roland Emmerich destroy the world anew in 2012, which made $65 million domestically and $225 million worldwide. The domestic numbers are comparable to The Day After Tomorrow which, among other things, ran 40 minutes shorter. The foreign numbers are even stronger. Those who've seen the movie shouldn't be surprised. Think of it what you will (it's probably my favorite Emmerich film, which is not saying a lot), but it's pretty incomparable as special effects spectacle.2012 had the box office pretty well to itself this weekend. Its only new competition in even semi-wide release was Pirate Radio, which largely flopped despite the enthusiastic pimping of the Love Actually connection -- under $3 million on 880 screens. Faring better was Precious, which expanded to just under 200 screens and earned $6 million. With Precious and Paranormal Activity, this is proving to be a good season for slow roll-out platform releases; Precious seems to be doing a nice job of building awards buzz, too.
As expected, A Christmas Carol turned out to be durable, still running way ahead of The Polar Express, and looking to get a bump from the Thanksgiving holiday in a couple weeks. Look for this one to stick around the top 5 for a little while. On the other hand, the reign of 2012 meant big hits for the holdover genre films, including The Fourth Kind, The Box, and Paranormal Activity.
The box office chart after the jump.
Watch This: Before 'The Box' There Was ... 'Black Button'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Shorts », Trailers and Clips »
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It's always hard to believe it when filmmakers say they had never seen or heard of another, similar film when they made theirs. Such is the case with Black Button, a 7-minute short from some aspiring Australians made for a mere $200 featuring a well dressed man who offers a person $10,000,000 if he'll simply press a button, killing someone else in the process.
Dark Heart Productions, the makers of Black Button, claim to have no knowledge of Richard Matheson's Button, Button, the Twilight Zone episode that inspired The Box, and in this particular case I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their short has a very different ending and moral core than either incarnation of Matheson's story; and unlike The Box, at only a handful of minutes, Black Button doesn't have nearly enough time to spread itself too thin.
Watch the short film over at SciFi Squad, then let us know which one you liked better: Black Button or The Box?
Review: The Box
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Warner Brothers », Theatrical Reviews »
Richard Matheson's original short story, "Button, Button," was a nifty little morality tale about a couple faced with a peculiar opportunity -- if they push a button in a box, they'll get a sum of money but kill a stranger in doing so. That version of the story ended with the wife pushing the button and killing her husband, a man she didn't really know. As an episode of "The Twilight Zone" in 1986, the story ended with the couple paid off and assured that the device would then go to another couple to whom they qualify as strangers. Now, Richard Kelly's The Box takes that same basic premise and spins it into a mind-bender of the most baffling degree, starting out as another "Twilight Zone"-worthy variant but eventually reaching the outer limits of both patience and reason.
Box Office: Carol Boxes With Men and Goats
Filed under: Animation », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Box Office Predictions »
Halloween slowed down box office figures, but Michael Jackson's This Is It still managed the top honors for the weekend. Here's the top five:
1. Michael Jackson's This Is It: $23.2 million (total of $34.4 million)
2. Paranormal Activity: $16.3 million
3. Law Abiding Citizen: $7.4 million
4. Couples Retreat: $6.4 million
5. Where the Wild Things Are: $5.9 million
With only one wide release last week studios are making up for it with four new flicks this week.
The Box:
What's It All About: A couple in a tough financial situation are given a box that will grant them riches, except every time they use it someone somewhere will die.
Why It Might Do Well: Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly is at the helm, with a script based on a Richard Matheson story.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 55% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $16 million
A Christmas Carol:
What's It All About: Jim Carey stars in several roles in this 3D animated version of the classic Dickens Christmas tale.
Why It Might Do Well: This Robert Zemeckis guy has got some decent flicks on his resume.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Good lord, how many times has this been adapted before?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $42 million
1. Michael Jackson's This Is It: $23.2 million (total of $34.4 million)
2. Paranormal Activity: $16.3 million
3. Law Abiding Citizen: $7.4 million
4. Couples Retreat: $6.4 million
5. Where the Wild Things Are: $5.9 million
With only one wide release last week studios are making up for it with four new flicks this week.
The Box:What's It All About: A couple in a tough financial situation are given a box that will grant them riches, except every time they use it someone somewhere will die.
Why It Might Do Well: Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly is at the helm, with a script based on a Richard Matheson story.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 55% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $16 million
A Christmas Carol:What's It All About: Jim Carey stars in several roles in this 3D animated version of the classic Dickens Christmas tale.
Why It Might Do Well: This Robert Zemeckis guy has got some decent flicks on his resume.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Good lord, how many times has this been adapted before?
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $42 million
Discuss: Which Film(s) Are You Anticipating Most This Fall?
Filed under: Action », Animation », Comedy », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », New Releases », Fandom », Family Films », Movie Marketing »
I may be a jaded and cynical movie 'professional', but that doesn't mean I don't like to get in touch with my innocent side every once in awhile -- which is why, after all this time, I still get excited about the fall movie season. Now, traditionally, the fall season is the time to release those serious Oscar-type films (or awards contenders), but this year there's more to offer than just drama, and this year's slate has a little something for everyone.
This season is littered with kids movies, sci-fi and horror, and a little touch of comedy -- basically you're looking at a line-up that's all over the map. But, everyone has their own tastes, and what makes me froth at the bit may leave you cold, and inevitably some films just naturally find their way the top of your must-see list. So today, I've laid out some of my most anticipated fall flicks, and I hope you'll do the same.
September:
Well, we're already a week into the start of the season, and we've gotten Mike Judges' Extract and the action no-brainer Gamer from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, but there are still some pretty tasty selections coming in the following weeks. So let's get started, shall we?
9 (09/09/09)
Shane Acker's tale of a post-apocalyptic world packed with 'stitchpunks' and killer machines may have had the bonus of getting a bit of a boost from the reputations of its producers (Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov), but there is still plenty of reasons to recommend the animated sci-fi tale. Judging by the buzz surrounding this flick, it could turn out to be one of the big sleeper hits of the season, but there's still the small matter of whether or not Acker's flick will be more than style over substance.
After the jump: the rest of what September has to offer, and my top picks for October and November...
D'oh! McAdams Spoils 'Time Traveler's Wife' on Daily Show
Filed under: Drama », Romance », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Home Entertainment », Trailers and Clips »
I understand why actors and actresses go on TV shows and promote their upcoming movies, but at some point prior to their appearance, you might think someone might say, "Hey, by the way, let's not reveal these details because they kinda spoil the entire film." Unfortunately, no one said that to Rachel McAdams yesterday when she appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as it only took, like, one or two questions before the girl just opened up and spewed plot points from The Time Traveler's Wife as if someone injected her with a dose of truth juice.
Don't get me wrong, McAdams seems like a sweet girl and all, but c'mon! Even Jon Stewart tried to stop her from ruining everything by doling out his usual shtick, but the girl kept going and going -- it was seriously a complete trainwreck. Recently at Comic-Con, Cameron Diaz did something similar while sitting on a panel for The Box, giving away a major twist in that film, which incited a debate between a bunch of folks on Twitter wondering why these people aren't prepped before these types of appearances. And if they are prepped, shouldn't they be smart enough to know what to say and what not to say?
Which brings us to an interesting topic: How much or how little should an actor, actress or filmmaker be able to talk about their film while promoting it on television? Usually at a press junket they'll open up about everything because everyone there has seen the movie, but what sort of adjustments should these folks make when they go on, say, The Daily Show? Was McAdams wrong for giving away all those plot points, or are we just making a big deal out of nothing?
Watch the video after the jump ...
Is Richard Kelly's 'The Box' Cursed or What?
Filed under: Fandom », Exhibition »
I sometimes wonder if the best way to enter Hollywood is with the littlest splash, whether that be with a terrible feature one can look back at with humor, or a moderately good film -- one that pleases without setting up terribly high expectations. Would Richard Kelly's path had been different if Donnie Darko wasn't his introduction to the cinematic world?After being juggled back and forth like an angry pinball, and almost getting a breath of relief with a Halloween release date, Bloody Disgusting reports that The Box has been bumped again. It's not going back to the Thanksgiving release it once had, but rather November 6 -- up against A Christmas Carol, Precious, Men Who Stare at Goats, Pirate Radio, and The Fourth Kind. Will this date stick? Your guess is as good as mine. Once a film gets shot around, anything is possible.
More at HorrorSquad!
Trailer Park: Spreading, Bending and Breaking
Filed under: Trailer Trash »
The Box
Richard Kelly didn't exactly set the world on fire with Southland Tales, but his previous film Donnie Darko is one of my favorite movies of all time and I'm hoping this new film is more along those lines. Based on a short story by Richard Matheson, The Box stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple whose financial problems can be cleared up quite simply. If they press the button on a mysterious box then they will be given a million dollars but someone they don't know will die. Sounds like a classic Twilight Zone moral dilemma, and Matheson did pen a few episodes of the series. We can find out what's in the box on October 30.
Ponyo
I really like the look of this animated feature since it doesn't look like Disney's typical work (they're releasing it here in the States) and it looks kind of atypical for Japanese anime as well. Hayao Miyazaki, the man behind Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro directs. I'd be more interested if the trailer gave a better idea of what the movie is about -- but Miyazaki's resume speaks for itself. This one gets a limited release on August 14.
First Trailer for Richard Kelly's 'The Box'
Filed under: Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Mystery & Suspense », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
Our good friends (and partners) over at Moviefone have just debuted the first trailer for Richard Kelly's (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) much-anticipated freaky little sci-fi thriller The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella. Due in theaters on October 30th (just in time for Halloween), the film follows the story of a couple who receive a mysterious box that grants them one million dollars, but with one catch: once they open the box, a person who they do not know will die. Pretty catchy premise and based on the trailer alone, the movie definitely looks to bring the thriller-ish vibes. I've always loved the look of Kelly's films, and The Box is no exception (something about it -- the cold, stark wintry chill, perhaps -- reminded me of The Shining). Perhaps a more commercial tale will help heal Kelly's former box office woes. He's a darn good filmmaker, and so I hope that's the case here.
Check out the trailer after the jump (or in HD over on Moviefone) and let us know what you think.
Is Cameron Diaz a 'Bobbie Sue'?
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Warner Brothers »
OK, I don't necessarily consider myself the biggest Cameron Diaz fan around; seriously, I never really got why everyone found her so funny and lovable on screen (and yes I have seen There's Something About Mary, and yeah; still don't get it). But, comedy seems to be where audiences like her, so why not give them what they want? Variety reports that Diaz might be headed back to the world of comedy for the battle of the sexes flick, Bobbie Sue. According to Variety, the story will center on "a hard-charging female ambulance chaser whose mindset makes her the ideal candidate to be the face of a prestigious law firm when a powerful client is sued in a sexual discrimination case." Dana Fox (What Happens in Vegas) has already been hired to start polishing the screenplay for Warner Bros, but let's just say I'm not holding my breath that Fox is hard at work turning this script into a scathing comedy about gender politics. In fact, my guess is that we will probably end up with something a little more along the lines of The Proposal.
If you are a regular reader around these parts, then it is no secret that I've got a few problems with 'Chick Flicks' and unfortunately those are usually the only roles that Diaz can score. Now, I might be in the minority, but I have always thought that Diaz's best performances were the ones that finally let her be something other than just a hot chick. Say what you want about Vanilla Sky, but Diaz's turn as a woman who thinks she is immune to the emotional pitfalls of casual sex is probably one of the best things she has ever done. Hopefully when Richard Kelly's The Box hits theaters this fall, it will remind those casting agents out there that Diaz is capable of much more than just dancing around in her underwear.
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