Archive for June, 2008

Weekend Box Office Report (June 27-29, 2008): “Wall-E” Blasts Off

June 29, 2008 at 8:27 pm · Filed under Movies ·Tagged , ,

“Wall-E” reaches for the stars. Photo from Yahoo! Movies.

Well, it wasn’t a shocker, but “Wall-E” won the weekend with $62.5 million, which fell short of some prognosticators’ predictions of $70 million. It did, however, beat the $47 million debut of “Ratatouille” last year on the same weekend. The reviews have been positive from critics and the public alike, so don’t expect too much of a drop next weekend.

The big box office story this weekend actually turned out to be “Wanted.” All signs pointed to a debut close to $30 million, but it smashed expectations with a gigantic total of $51.1 million. It’s the second-best total ever for a movie that didn’t win No. 1, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Wanted” also packed in more viewers into the theaters, probably because it was showing in less venues. It will probably not experience a steep decline next weekend.

Fourth of July weekend will be pushing out two kid-friendly movies: “Hancock” and “Kit Kittredge.” “Hancock” will likely make $100 million because it features three ingredients to instant box office success: 1) 4th of July 2) superheroes 3) Will Smith. Together, they makes dynamite. Look at “Men and Black” and “Independence Day,” and then add “Iron Man” and “Spiderman” to that. “Kit Kittredge” has gotten positive reviews, and it made bank in its small premiere last weekend- but it made a measly $106,000 this weekend (though it took in $21,200 per theater). Expect good numbers, but a good thumpng from “Hancock” and “Wall-E.”

In other news, “Get Smart” held steady with a 48% drop, but it will take a steeper dive this weekend against “Hancock.” “The Incredible Hulk,” however, is not holding up well. In its third week, it took a nasty 58% fall. This does not spell good news for a sequel. In other bad news, “The Love Guru” nosedived 61% in its second weekend. Mike Myers’ box office mojo has taken a big hit. This is just what I had predicted.

In small movie news, “The Visitor” continues to be an indie favorite, still raking in a good revenue in its twelfth week. Best Foreign Film nominee “Mongol” did reasonably well this weekend when it expanded, getting $845,00 to end up at No. 13.

If you want to know where I get my numbers, go here.

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So You Think You Can Dance Season 4 Top 16 Results Recap

June 27, 2008 at 5:44 pm · Filed under Television ·Tagged ,

Will Thayne & Comfort emerge as a new super duo? Photos from fox.com.

Last night America said goodbye to the personality-deficient contemporary dancer Chris and the bubbly contemporary dancer Chelsea. Chris’ problem was obvious; he wasn’t adept at any dance form, and I expected him to leave last week. Chelsea, on the other hand, was entertaining and warm; unfortunately, she just couldn’t wear heels and dance to save her life. Thus, we are now left with the pairing of Thayne and Comfort, an odd duo who nonetheless will probably provide more sparks.

Kourtni and Matt also ended up in the bottom 3 again, though it wasn’t a shocker. Take the hint, judges; we don’t like them! They are awkward and don’t pack sparkling personalities. Their outfits didn’t help either, but that was hardly their fault. Anyway, Matt’s solo was the best we’ve seen this year, and he justified his presence in the competition. Kourtni, however, wasn’t that great. I don’t know what the judges see in her. I would’ve preferred that she leave.

Movers and Shakers:

  • Chelsie and Mark had another hit performance with their third, a slick hip-hop routine. They are arguably the couple to beat; Adam Shankman agrees.
  • Courtney & Gev are doing remarkably well despite being extremely petite and appearing quite awkward.
  • Will is an amazing dancer, but I’m still unsure about Jessica. I think they need to get rid of her so that he can shine at his full potential.

In other news, the frontunners are being clearly defined, as are those at the bottom. Here are my rankings of the remaining couples.

Top 14

1) Chelsie & Mark

2) Katee & Joshua

3) Kherington & Twitch

4) (predicted) Comfort & Thayne

5) Courtney & Gev

6) Jessica & Will

7) Kourtni & Matt

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Wall-E

June 27, 2008 at 4:42 pm · Filed under Movies ·Tagged ,

Photo from Yahoo! Movies.

Last night I watched Pixar’s latest CGI masterpiece, Wall-E, at a midnight showing. Not only was I one of the first people to see the movie, I also received a blue rubber wristwatch emblazoned with pixelated imprints of Wall-E and EVE. Wall-E was well worth the $12 ticket and staying up past my average bedtime.

The film is about a lonely robot called Wall-E stuck with the task of cleaning up Earth’s plethora of trash in a future roughly 800 years from now. He keeps a cockroach as company and collects human knick-knacks in his spare time. One day, EVE, a probe from the human spaceship, arrives to try and find vegetation on the planet. Wall-E is awestruck by the beautiful and modern, but also cold, girl robot. After a lengthy and often explosive courtship, EVE finally begins to show some affection. Unfortunately, she almost immediately experiences a complete shutdown. So ends the odd first half of the film that plays out like a sophisticated silent film set in an abandoned wasteland utopia.

The rest of the movie is more like your average children’s film, with your average journey and trials before a complete and satisfying ending. I rather enjoyed the humans in the movies; they are gelatinous life forms confined to moving chairs, using robots and electronics for everything, and sipping fatty foods through giant Slurpee cups. They were absolutely repulsive, but at the same time, they were a horrifying reflection of what our future could be like. The robots, of course, are the main attraction; EVE and Wall-E both exhibit more emotion than many human actors can. I felt tears well in my eyes several times during the film, though this may have occurred because I love cute robots (I used to cry during the Chevy commercial they premiered two years ago during the Super Bowl that featured a lonely car assembly robot).

Pixar films are probably the most reliable form of entertainment in today’s society. They are consistently excellent and far superior to the generic animated films pushed out by DreamWorks and other studios. Pixar films are creative and innovative in their storylines, and they offer gorgeous visuals. They enthrall both children and adults, as well as film critics. I would be careful about calling Wall-E Pixar’s best because all of their films are of such a high caliber. Being a big original Toy Story fan, I would call Wall-E their second best, just above Finding Nemo. Ratatouille, Cars, and The Incredibles were great films, don’t get me wrong, but Wall-E is a big step above Pixar’s recent fare. It’s a shoo-in for Best Animated Picture. In my dreams it would also be nominated for Best Picture, just as I had dreamed that Ratatouille could easily replace the lukewarm Atonement in last year’s running.

Wall-E is can’t-miss-entertainment for all ages. The movie is a polished and flawless piece that reaches outside ordinary moral stories. Wall-E is more about romantic love and loneliness, sustainability and being green, health and exercise. There are also many fun references to other sci-fi works, especially 2001: A Space Odyssey. Adults and children alike will enjoy the movie, whether it be for different reasons. You could even see the movie as a critique on the current American lifestyle. Whatever you do, stay for the credits; there are no cool bonus scenes, but the illustrations are a highly amusing glance at life after the movie.

Grade: A

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

June 26, 2008 at 5:41 pm · Filed under Books ·Tagged

Photo from Amazon.com.

     Ashamedly, I had been storing this book along with Life of Pi on the floor of my closet, wrapped in paper for a friend’s birthday. However, I never got around to giving her that present because I forgot the actual date of her birthday, and I didn’t want to look like an idiot, so I kept them. It’s been 3 years, and I’ve fallen out of touch with that friend. I figured it was time to unwrap them and enjoy them for myself.

     So that’s how I finally picked up The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I read it in a span of 24 hours, staying up late at night reading it in bed instead of reading my film book. I even read it while I was treading water in the pool. To be honest, the book was rather short and not much of a challenge in regards to difficulty. That doesn’t matter. The story was engrossing and emotional, despite the fact that the protagonist can’t really comprehend what emotion is. Christopher is a seemingly autistic 15 year-old with a knack for math. He takes on the mysterious case of who killed his neighbor’s dog and acts as an investigator, writing down his detective story with help from a teacher.

     Christoper breaks the rules  and pushes his own emotional boundaries so that he can solve the puzzle. In the process, he learns a lot more than what he bargained for as he unearths family secrets and finally discovers who killed Wellington the dog.

     You will feel pangs in your heart as you read Christoper’s story. You can’t really define who the villain is or who you’re supposed to be rooting for other than Christopher, and that’s what makes it wonderful. It gives an intriguing look into the mind of a high-functioning autistic teen while offering up family drama and a mystery. Even though the protagonist is a far cry from the average reader, I found myself relating to him.

      The only disappointing part was the indefinite ending, but even that was sweet. Overall though, the book is a brief read full of twists and heart. It’s the best I’ve read in a long, long time.

Grade: A+

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Kung Fu Panda

June 26, 2008 at 5:14 pm · Filed under Movies ·Tagged ,

    

Picture from Yahoo! Movies.

First off, I must apologize for not posting anything in quite a long time. I’ve been slacking on everything Internet-related because I’ve become absorbed with reading the L.A. Times (I’m trying to keep up with the elections and the Zimbabwe crisis) and the fantastic The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and I’ve been binging on acclaimed movies that they play on HBO at around midnight (Blood Diamond, Notes on a Scandal, Little Children). I also finished off my first year of college and moved out of my dorm. I’m now taking a summer class in the area of film; so far, I’m not liking it one bit. And today also happens to be my birthday! I’m going to see the midnight showing of Wall-E tonight!

     I saw Kung Fu Panda several weeks ago when my friends were in town. Their tastes extend towards animation, comedies, and superhero movies, so we decided to see the Jack Black-voiced DreamWorks film. I was not expecting to like it because Jack Black makes my skin crawl; the only performances from him that I have liked were in School of Rock and The Holiday. I ended up finding Kung Fu Panda better than the last two Shrek movies and Cars ( a movie I despise- I can’t wrap my mind around a world made entirely of cars). It was mercifully brief, something I admire about movies for children. It was also entertaining for the most part, though I felt my mind drifting away during the fight scenes near the end of the movie.

     My favorite part of the entire thing was the old turtle who was the master of kung fu or something. I have a thing for turtles, so imagine what it was like seeing an old wise turtle dispense universal truths while being absolutely adorable. The visuals were also better than expected; the village and the vivid colors made for a beautiful movie. Also, the moral of the movie wasn’t as awfully saccharine as in other movies- “you are the special ingredient.”

Grade: B+

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