Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac Team Up in 'Soul Men' Trailer
Filed under: Comedy », Music & Musicals », Trailers and Clips »
What a pity it is that we lost both comedian Bernie Mac and musician Isaac Hayes in such short order, and what a stroke of good fortune that they both happened to have completed their roles in the upcoming comedy, Soul Men, in which Mac's character tries to get Samuel L. Jackson to join him for a televised reunion concert.
Yahoo! Movies has released the trailer for the film, and it reflects both the best tendencies of director Malcolm D. Lee and his worst as a writer (though he isn't credited as one here). There's the good-natured nostalgia of something like 2005's Roll Bounce, balanced out with the mean-spirited and utterly un-hilarious antics of this year's Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (I'm sure that if there could've been room for Jennifer Coolidge in that gem, she would've removed her dentures for fellatio there instead).
In all fairness, the writing duo that is credited were last responsible for Man of the House, so maybe we shouldn't be so surprised. I'd like to think that Mac and Jackson could make the most of the material regardless, but we can't say for sure until November 7, when Soul Men tentatively opens opposite Role Models and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa -- for which Mac lent his voice.
The Exhibitionist: Theatrically Appropriate
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Horror », Exhibition »
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the theatrical inappropriateness of Cloverfield and was subsequently chewed out by my readers. As much as it sucks being told you're wrong by three pages worth of commenters, though, I appreciate that so many people disagreed with my argument. There's nothing better than sparking a conversation, even if it means I have to single myself out and appear as a fool to do so. That isn't to say I don't still believe in what I wrote or that I meant only to be provocative, but I did become convinced by some of the points made, and was able to rethink a lot of the issue. However, I'm not about to redo that column; instead, I'm simply going to contemplate the more general idea of theatrical appropriateness and hopefully continue the discussion.
This week I heard from some college film professors dealing with the sad truth that their students don't actually go to the movies anymore, that they instead watch films primarily on DVD or other home entertainment formats (these particular professors teach in New York City, where there's countless old and new films to see every week, by the way). One professor caught herself, though, telling a class that while many films, such as No Country for Old Men, need to be seen on a big screen, DVDs are fine for comedies, which tend not to lose much in the translation to the small screen(s). As this class was on American film comedy, she quickly corrected herself and noted that comedies too are best viewed in a theater, because we're more prone to laugh when doing so in large groups.
Review: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Universal », Theatrical Reviews »
Somewhere inside Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins -- buried in frenzied improvisations and manic mugging, adrift in a sea of easy sentiment and familiar family-drama moments -- there's a kernel of a good idea, as successful L.A. self-help guru Dr. R.J. Stevens (Martin Lawrence) comes back home to the South for a family celebration. R.J.'s got it all -- the syndicated, Montel-styled talk show, the beautiful fiancée, the Hollywood good life -- but that doesn't seem to impress the family he hasn't seen in 9 years, who know him as Roscoe Jenkins. Much like Dan in Real Life, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins puts a self-help expert who is in desperate need of help for himself into the middle of a sprawling, squalling family, and that environment makes the distance between the persona and the person readily, painfully apparent. And, much like Dan in Real Life, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins skims the surface of that idea, scooping up a few laughs and a bit of drama, but it never digs too far below that, or really engages with the central plot.
Box Office: Roscoe's Wild West Gold
Filed under: Box Office »
Hannah who? OK, not only did the Hannah Montana movie surprise me and most of the participants in last week's competition, but it broke the record for a film opening on Super Bowl weekend (previously held by the 2006 remake of When a Stranger Calls) as well as the record for the smallest number of theaters for a film debuting at number one. This was aided in part by the fact that most venues were charging $15 per ticket, but the teen concert flick still raked in more than twice as much as The Eye which took second. 27 Dresses held third place for the second week running. Here's the rundown:
1. Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert: $29 million.
2. The Eye: $13 million.
3. 27 Dresses: $8.4 million.
4. Meet the Spartans: $7.3 million.
5. Rambo: $7.1 million
There's not much in the way of genre diversity this week as all three new flicks are comedies, though admittedly three different kinds of comedy.
Fool's Gold
What's It All About: A surf bum turned treasure hunter (Matthew McConaughey) attempts to reconcile with his his estranged wife (Kate Hudson) as the two embark upon a search for a fabulous treasure that was lost at sea in 1715.
Why It Might Do Well: These two strong leads are joined by Donald Sutherland and Alexis Dziena (who had a particularly memorable show stopping scene in Broken Flowers) making for a cast worth seeing. McConaughey and Hudson starred together in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which made $177 million worldwide, so the folks who saw that one may come back for more.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The trailer makes this seem like a retread of Romancing the Stone and rottentomatoes.com is giving this a mere 7%.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $20 million
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - From Hollywood to the Heartland
What's It All About: Concert film shot during a thirty day tour in which Vince Vaughn emceed a group of "renegade" comics, also including footage shot behind the scenes.
Why It Might Do Well: Well, Hannah Montana proved a concert film with a small release can kick some butt, so why not this one? That was a joke, people.
Why It Might Not Do Well: I still haven't forgiven Vaughn for the dreadful The Break-Up, and I may not be the only one holding a grudge.
Number of Theaters: 800
Prediction: $6 million
1. Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert: $29 million.
2. The Eye: $13 million.
3. 27 Dresses: $8.4 million.
4. Meet the Spartans: $7.3 million.
5. Rambo: $7.1 million
There's not much in the way of genre diversity this week as all three new flicks are comedies, though admittedly three different kinds of comedy.
Fool's GoldWhat's It All About: A surf bum turned treasure hunter (Matthew McConaughey) attempts to reconcile with his his estranged wife (Kate Hudson) as the two embark upon a search for a fabulous treasure that was lost at sea in 1715.
Why It Might Do Well: These two strong leads are joined by Donald Sutherland and Alexis Dziena (who had a particularly memorable show stopping scene in Broken Flowers) making for a cast worth seeing. McConaughey and Hudson starred together in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which made $177 million worldwide, so the folks who saw that one may come back for more.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The trailer makes this seem like a retread of Romancing the Stone and rottentomatoes.com is giving this a mere 7%.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $20 million
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - From Hollywood to the HeartlandWhat's It All About: Concert film shot during a thirty day tour in which Vince Vaughn emceed a group of "renegade" comics, also including footage shot behind the scenes.
Why It Might Do Well: Well, Hannah Montana proved a concert film with a small release can kick some butt, so why not this one? That was a joke, people.
Why It Might Not Do Well: I still haven't forgiven Vaughn for the dreadful The Break-Up, and I may not be the only one holding a grudge.
Number of Theaters: 800
Prediction: $6 million
Trailer Park: What's in a Name?
Filed under: Comedy », Documentary », Drama », Trailer Trash », George Clooney », War »
What do films like Serpico, Forrest Gump and Batman have in common? Like the trailers we're looking at this week, they place the main character's name right in the title, letting you know immediately who the film is about. What's in a name? Let me show you...
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Martin Lawrence stars as a successful talk show host who brings his fiance to meet the family from whom he has spent years trying to distance himself. There won't be any surprises here for members of Lawrence's fan base. The trailer consists of the type of broad slapstick humor he is known for, with one of the big jokes being that he's forced to wear a ridiculous looking pair of pants. Suffice it to say, it doesn't work for me. I asked myself what the heck Michael Clarke Duncan was doing in this mess, then I realized James Earl Jones was in it too, and suddenly the world just didn't make sense anymore.
Mama's Boy
OK, "Mama's Boy" isn't exactly the character's name, but this new comedy that stars John Heder looks like it could be fun, and it seems like a return to Napolean Dynamite country. Heder plays a twenty-nine year old geek who is perfectly happy to still be living with his mother, who is played by Diane Keaton, but mom has a new boyfriend and the titular Mama's Boy is cramping her style. Anna Faris also stars as the object of Heder's characters affections. The scene in which Keaton gushes to the point of embarrassment because her son has finally brought a woman home was particularly memorable. Looking forward to this one.
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
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