Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Unlike 95 percent of the world's population, I don't detest Tom Cruise. I may not agree with his religious beliefs, but as an actor I think he is one of the top 15 that is currently working today. With that said, his new film "Valkyrie" has been pushed back for the second time by United Artists. It will no longer open on Oct. 3 just in time for Academy Awards season. Instead, it will hit theaters on Feb. 13, 2009 (President's Day weekend). "When an opening became available for President's Day weekend, we seized the opportunity," Clark Woods, MGM domestic distribution president, said in a statement. "Having seen a lot of the film and how great it is going to play once it's finished, moving into a big holiday weekend is the right move." Give me a brake Clark. When has pushing a movie back ever been a top-notch move by a studio? How is basically eliminating this film from Oscar contention by releasing it in early 2009 better business? I guess nothing says, "Let's go to the movies!" like remembering Calvin Coolidge's McNary-Haugen Farm Relief Bill of 1926. This year, President's Day landed on Feb. 18. Movies released the Friday before were: "Jumper" (made $32.1 million), "Definitely, Maybe" (made $11.5 million), "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (made $24.7 million), and "Step Up 2: The Streets" (made $22.1 million). Good, but not great numbers for all films. I wish studios would just come out and be honest for once. Admit there's some problems, fellas, and you need the extra time to do some tweaking. Don't get me wrong, the movie could still be a good one. But lying to me about why your pushing back the release date isn't making me feel too confident right now.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Easter fellow film freaks.

 

Saturday, March 22, 2008

If I was composer Dario Marianelli, I would be so pissed off at the DVD marketing campaign Focus Features is putting out for the film "Atonement." Marianelli just won the Best Score for this beautiful work at the most recent Academy Awards and what does Focus Features do during a commercial for the DVD? They play the song "Apologize" by One Republic, I guess to try and hit the younger demographic. Sure, there is another commercial for the DVD with Marianelli's original haunting score, but I think it's ridiculous and deceitful to try and sell this movie as if it was an episode of "One Tree Hill" or something. "Atonement" is set in 1930's England, what the hell does a pop/rock band have anything to do with that?

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008

So, the Academy Awards just finished up. We had a few friends over to the apartment as always. I was horrible this year with my Oscar predictions getting only 11 of 24 correct. That would be amazing if I was a baseball player. Nothing this year made me totally angry about the Oscars like back when "Crash" beat "Brokeback Mountain" for Best Picture, but I was still a bit disappointed that "There Will Be Blood," my favorite film of 2007, didn't pick up the biggest award of the night. Don't get me wrong, the Coen Brothers and "No Country for Old Men" was brilliant, too, but I swear to everyone reading this blog...when it is all said and done and movies are obsolete (what a horrifying thought) people will look back at "Blood" as one of the best films ever made. We already know Daniel Day-Lewis already falls under that category for his performance.

Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008

Yesterday, the Hollywood Foreign Press announced that this year's Golden Globes would be cancelled because of the writer's strike. If this writer's strike doesn't end and, sigh, the Oscars are somehow affected, I am going to go into a year-long depression until the next awards season. The Oscars are like my Super Bowl. I've been watching them every year since as far back as I can remember. If they take that away from me, what do I have left to look forward to in February? Jessica Alba in "The Eye?" "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both World's Concert Tour?" "Fool's Gold" with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson? Someone gouge my eyes out now. KM