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Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
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Box Office Breakdown: Marley & Me Ends 2008 on Top

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Fox Searchlight, MGM, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Foreign, Foreign Language, Period, Religious, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Marley & Me

Aside from a few changes at the bottom of this week’s Top Ten, every single movie remained planted in their positions from last Monday. Since Friday’s new entries (Good, Defiance) were only offered in limited release, there really wasn’t much of a battle.

Over the last three days, tacked on another $24 million and officially crossed the $100 million mark. The Fox adaptation became the 25th film from 2008 to accomplish that. Meanwhile, the only new charter was #10’s . Although it was only shown in 612 theaters (that’s down two from last week), the Fox Searchlight feature helped push The Spirit down to #13. The probable Oscar contender also earned a better per screen average than all the films ahead of it.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Marley & Me Ends 2008 on Top

Read More | Variety

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Getting Into Character: Meryl Streep as Julia Child

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Columbia Pictures, Adaptation, Upcoming Releases

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

is back at it again.

In the upcoming Julie & Julia, the Oscar winner cooks up another distinctive voice to play famed chef Julia Child. The movie, an adaptation of Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, tells the story of a temp worker () who attempts all the recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The film also recounts Julia’s life with her husband (Stanley Tucci) in Paris during the ‘40s and ‘50s.

The Nora Ephron film will be served up on August 7, 2009.

Read More | Entertainment Weekly

In Theaters This Weekend: January 2, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Foreign, Independent, Period, Political, Religious, Lists, New Releases

Defiance

Here are some few new suggestions for the first weekend of 2009:

  • Defiance* (R): starring Daniel Craig, Liev Schrieber, Jamie Bell (directed by Ed Zwick)
  • Good* (NR): starring Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs, Jodie Whittaker (directed by Vicente Amorim)

*limited and/or gradual release


Box Office Breakdown: Marley & Me is the Weekend’s Top Dog

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, Miramax, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Period, Political, Religious, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Marley & Me

When it comes to the box office, has no problem pushing best friends (Courteney Cox), exes (Brad Pitt) or former leading men (Jim Carrey) aside.

After a record-breaking Christmas Day, pulled in approximately $36.4 million over the last three days. The PG-rated film, which earned nearly $51 million since December 25, gave Aniston bragging rights and Owen Wilson his best Friday-Sunday gross ever.

Although he eventually lost out to Jen, Brad Pitt really had nothing to complain about. , the weekend’s #3 finisher, had the 2nd best ($12 million) Christmas day opening. Meanwhile, Bedtime Stories - starring Adam Sandler and Courteney Cox - now ranks 3rd ($10.6 million) on the all-time Dec. 25 debuts list.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Marley & Me is the Weekend’s Top Dog

Read More | Variety

Revolutionary Road Another Hit for DiCaprio and Winslet?

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Adaptation, Drama, Romance, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews

Revolutionary Road

Eleven years ago, and made film history in Titanic - truly, an on-screen pairing even more epic than Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. With Revolutionary Road, the two are reunited.

But despite this star power, many critics aren’t raving about . MSNBC called the flick “another sinking ship,” to poke a little fun at the Titanic history of this on-screen couple. The same review goes on to call the movie a “dreary film adaptation” and says both main characters are “thoroughly mediocre, uninteresting people.”

The Associated Press calls the film “brutally tedious,” hardly high praise. Many reviewers are comparing the subject matter of the film to a watered-down version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and the look of the piece to TV series Mad Men.

Somewhere in the middle of it all are DiCaprio and Winslet, whom - everyone seems to agree - both delivered great performances. If nothing else, the film is worthwhile for these two alone. And not all the reviews are negative - Variety calls the flick “constantly engrossing.”

That’s hopeful, right?

Read More | MSNBC

In Theaters This Holiday Week: December 25, 2008

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Period, Political, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

The Spirit

Here are some possible suggestions for your holiday weekend:

Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Say Yes to Jim Carrey

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Period, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Yes Man

How will remember Winter Solstice 2008? As the weekend he placed second.

Prior to Friday’s premieres, number crunchers were already predicting a close race between headliners Jim Carrey and Will Smith. Unfortunately for Warner Bros., ‘s ultimate victory felt slightly hollow. The comedy’s $18.2 million gross was nowhere near the figures Carrey used to generate. (Bruce Almighty‘s premiere earned $68 million in 2003; Liar Liar took in $31.4 million in 1997.) Yes did, though, do better than 2005’s Fun with Dick and Jane. (That film raked in $14.1 million during its open.)

Will Smith didn’t have much to celebrate over the last three days either. His latest film, , only took in $14.8 million. That’s a number almost unheard of in Smith-land. The drama, directed by Pursuit of Happyness’ Gabriele Muccino, was the actor’s lowest grosser since Ali. (That film earned $14.7 million when it debuted in December 2001.)

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Say Yes to Jim Carrey

Read More | Variety

Remake News: Buck Rogers, Romancing the Stone, The Crow and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Upcoming Releases

Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers: Could Twiki be the one that makes us forget Wall-E? Frank Miller (300) is now aiming to tackle another period for his next big-screen adaptation. If Odd Lot Entertainment is able to secure the rights to Buck Rogers, Miller will write and direct a much “darker” version of the sci-fi tale. Rogers, which began comic serial back in the 1920s, told the story of a United States Army Air Corps officer who found himself in the 25th century long after an gas exposure incident. Buck has already been the subject of a radio program, a movie serial and a two television programs (including the NBC production starring Gil Gerard).

Click to continue reading Remake News: Buck Rogers, Romancing the Stone, The Crow and More


Twilight’s Taylor Lautner Talks About Possible New Moon Replacement

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Adaptation, Drama, Romance, Sequels, Celeb News, Celebrity Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases


If Taylor Lautner’s really at risk of losing his job, the actor is not going to go down without a fight. Or at least an extra push-up.

In an interview last week with MTV, the 16-year-old addressed rumors that he may be left out of the upcoming sequel. According to a recent report in Entertainment Weekly, the studio was looking to find someone else to tackle Jacob Black’s beefier role in New Moon. Since that time, Michael Copon (Scorpion King 2) and Ben Barnes’ (Prince Caspian) names have been thrown out as possible replacements. (Copon has even gone so far as to imply on his own Facebook page that he was already given the role.)

Click to continue reading Twilight’s Taylor Lautner Talks About Possible New Moon Replacement

Read More | MTV Movies

2009 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations (Film)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: FOCUS, Fox Searchlight, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Period, Political, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Awards, Lists

Doubt

Although last January’s were spared from the writers’ dispute, SAG is facing its own strike this year. Regardless, the awards season must go on. Next month’s event - scheduled to air on Sunday, January 25th on both TNT and TBS - will come just three days after the Oscar nominations are announced.

Here are some of the noteworthy mentions from this year’s list of film nominees:

  • led this year’s crop with three nominations. Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button came in second with two nods each.
  • Richard Jenkin was honored for The Visitor while Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino) was left off.
  • added another nom to his belt. Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for his turn in Tropic Thunder.
  • Kate Winslet was named for both The Reader and Revolutionary Road. Leonardo DiCaprio was left empty-handed.
  • The Dark Knight, Revolutionary Road and The Reader were all left out of the Best Ensemble categories.

Click to continue reading 2009 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations (Film)

Read More | Screen Actors Guild Awards

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