The Evolution of Film

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Summer Box Office/Grade Predictions- June

  June is the month I'm most excited for this summer, with some great looking movies coming out.  But a lot of them are very difficult to figure if they're good or not, or how successful they'll be.  Here are my predictions for grades and box office.  Again, I am only really giving predictions to movies that I know of and have a pretty good idea as to what it is.

Snow White And The Huntsman (June 1st)- I originally thought this would have underwhelming box office, and end up similar to "Red Riding Hood" last February, but I was surprised to here how many kids want to see this, even those who think princesses are "icky," so this film may have an impressive box office turnout.  But the movie itself looks a little dull.  Who knows.  GP: C; BOP: $175 Million 

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (June 8th)- Of all the sequels, prequels, adaptations, remakes, and spin-offs coming this year,  "Madagascar 3" is the one I'm curiously least excited about.  It never really got me dying to know more about it.  And I don't think anybody was really asking for a third, let alone a sequel.  This looks like a drag.  GP: D+; BOP: $145 Million

Prometheus (June 8th)- I don't know a lot about this movie, but it's starting to remind me of last year's "Super 8."  It has a lot of anticipation going into it, but I don't know if it will live up to that.  I also don't know how well it will perform, but the R rating will definitely hurt it.  It obviously won't hit $200 Million, but it can still impress us.  GP: A-; BOP: $165 Million

Rock Of Ages (June 15th)- This looks like the cheesiest movie of the summer, and the one that will probably annoy me the most.  But with well liked director Adam Shankman and an all-star cast, this could be very successful.  GP: C-; BOP: $95 Million

That's My Boy (June 15th)- It feels like it's been done before, and looks like a pretty dull exercise of a comedy.  It does have Adam Sandler, who (For some reason) is a box office draw, but that's mainly with kids.  His last adult comedy "Funny People" disappointed, and that had a high profile director.  GP: C; BOP: $60 Million

Brave (June 22nd)- After "Cars 2" disappointed many (Not me), Pixar has a lot of pressure to make their next film "Brave" become a big hit.  The plot is a little derivative, and this film might not appeal to younger boys, but the fact that it is the first original Pixar film in three years should draw audiences.  Also, the two other big family movies are animated sequels, which have been struggling lately.  By the way, the movie looks fantastic. GP: A; BOP: $215 Million

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22nd)- A great comp for this movie is last year's dud "Cowboys and Aliens," another movie with an outrageous title.  The difference is, though, "Cowboys and Aliens" was PG-13 and "Vampire Hunter" will be R, "Cowboys and Aliens" had a high-profile director, and it was science fiction, not a weird historical horror film.  This looks pretty dumb, and probably the biggest disappointment of June. GP: C; BOP: $40 Million

Ted (June 29th)- Moving this two weeks earlier was a great move, so now it won't burn out in its second weekend against "The Dark Knight Rises."  It looks very funny, and has a lot of appeal.  Who wouldn't want to see a movie about an R-rated teddy bear?  GP: B; BOP: $85 Million

After my May predictions were way, way, way off, let's hope I'll do a little better for June.

The Artist

  I finally got around to seeing "The Artist" the other day, and even though it won Best Picture at the Oscars in February, I still went in with fairly low expectations. This is because we have all gotten around to hating the Academy for picking the most obvious Oscar bait as their victor.

  But "The Artist," while their were certainly many better films than it in 2011, it still managed to be one of the most entertaining and irresistible films of that year. Very, very nostalgic. Nostalgia has become a huge theme lately. Films such as "Hugo," "War Horse," "Super 8," "The Artist" and so many films this past year try to go back to a different time when film was supposedly better. This one, like "Hugo," was not only a trip to a different era, but its plot was actually about film.

  This is a silent film, not necessarily because the director thought it would be fun to make one, but because it's following the personality of George Valentin, who refuses to leave his era. That's a common theme in this movie, refusing to allow the future and staying with your own time period. This is true, and I had evidence all around me, because 75% of the theater was above the age of sixty. This is why I have decided to allow the 3D revolution to grow.

   What I loved about "The Artist" was how interpretable it was.  What I've noticed, is films with minimal dialogue ("Drive," "WALL-E") tend to be the easiest to analyze and interpret.  I picked up several truly great interpretations of this film that the director might not have even noticed.

  Something I'd also like to point out was I originally thought these actors winning Oscars was ridiculous, but after seeing the movie, I realized how you can make a great performance by saying nothing.  These actors told story through their actions, and captured great emotion.  I don't think they deserved to win the Award, but they definitely deserved their recognition.  This movie also contained the best performance from an animal.  Toast to Uggie.

  This feels like it was really made in the 1920s, and has a fantastic score that keeps with the mood of the film.  "The Artist" was not the best movie of 2011, but it was certainly up there.

A-



 

Summer Box Office/Grade Predictions- May

  I would like to make a post to test myself, and see if I have a career in box office analyzing or psychics.  Probably not, but here are my  grade and box office predictions for the first half of summer.  Please note I am only giving predictions to moderately big films, that I am at least somewhat aware of.

The Avengers (May 4th)- I remain one of the only people who see "The Avengers" being a disappointment.  The most popular character is obviously Iron Man, and his first movie grossed $318 Million, and the second grossed less.  Still, these are great numbers, but it must mean the Iron Man character is losing some popularity, and the other characters are minor and their movies weren't as successful.  The movie also might be fun, but its trailer makes it look a lot like "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon," which I hated. GRADE PREDICTION: B-; BOX OFFICE PREDICTION: $290 Million

Dark Shadows (May 11th)- This looks like a throwback to older Tim Burton comedies, and it actually looks hilarious, but nostalgic movies like this have only done alright at the box office ("War Horse," "Hugo").  Both of those had some of the biggest directors of all time, but Tim Burton has become popular with families along with older crowds, and the summer release should gain it solid numbers.  GP: B+; BOP: $75 Million 

The Dictator (May 16th)- Coming off of Sacha Baron Cohen's disappointing "Bruno," "The Dictator still looks like a big box office draw, and with a small selection for adults this May, should be successful.  It also looks very funny.  GP: B; BOP: $110 Million

Battleship (May 18th)- While it looks like a bad "Transformers" ripoff, I don't think the audience will care, and I see this being a big blockbuster that will launch another franchise.  Could struggle because of "The Avengers,"but that came two weeks before and probably will have lost interest by then.  GP: D; BOP: $300 Million

What To Expect When You're Expecting (May 18th)- Even if it's not very good, it's starting to look like the next "Bridesmaids," as there aren't really many choices for women this month.  GP: C+; BOP: $125 Million

 Men In Black III (May 25th)- This film looks the most likely to be a disappointment in early summer, and waiting this long for another sequel to a franchise fifteen years old and not even that popular seems like a bad idea.  But then again they thought the same thing with "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol."  Will Smith's star power will help, but what this film really needs is good word-of-mouth.  I will definitely be seeing it as I loved the first two, and the trailer makes it look good enough.  GP: B; BOP: $115 Million

Moonrise Kingdom (May 25th)- People I know who aren't fans of Wes Anderson are saying this looks horrible, and watching the trailer makes it seem like only his fans will care.  Could benefit from good word-of-mouth.  GP: B+; BOP: $35 Million

Most Anticipated Movies: Summer

  Summer is nearly here, and for the first time in years, there isn't a movie that has truly got me itching to see.  That might be a good thing, as last year, I was dying to see "Super 8" and I ended up thinking it was just okay.  Maybe I'll end up loving a film I didn't even know existed before its release.  But for now, here are the ten films I want to see most:

10. Premium Rush- I don't know much about this film, as it's a completely original idea and it's coming out in August, but I loved the trailer, and if any film is going to surprise, it will probably be this.

9. ParaNorman- The trailer for this stop motion animated feature was very edgy and cool, and it's apparently a cross between "Night Of The Living Dead" and "The Goonies."  Sounds like fun.

8. Men In Black III- This movie has gotten a lot of bad buzz around it, but then again, so did 'John Carter."  It also comes from one of my favorite franchises of all time.  Even if it does get bad reviews, I'm still seeing it.

7. The Dark Knight Rises- I for one think its predecessor "The Dark Knight" is slightly overrated, but this is supposed to be the final installment, and it is in good hands with director Christopher Nolan.  I'm also excited to see Tom Hardy as Bane, because I think he's a great actor and I'm curious as to what he'll put into the new villain. 

6. Dark Shadows- Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborate once again, and "Dark Shadows" looks like a hilarious throwback to Burton's older, lighter films.

5. Moonrise Kingdom- Two words: Wes Anderson.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man- With a great new actor and director to put your faith in, along with my favorite Spider-Man villain, this looks like an awesome chapter in the Spidey series.

3. The Avengers- What every fanboy has been waiting for is finally here.  This looks absolutely awesome.  Nothing more to say.

2. Prometheus- The Alien prequel (Or is it?), has been anticipated all year, and has lots of mystery surrounding it.  My favorite: Big budget science fiction epic.  Could be this year's "Super 8" though.

1. Brave- Yes I am surprised by my number one pick too.  Coming off of the disappointing "Cars 2" (To some, I for one loved that movie), "Brave" has a lot of pressure to get Pixar back on track.  It looks pretty epic, and has Pixar potential.

How "John Carter" Bomb Could've Been Prevented

  Disney's science fiction epic "John Carter" is now considered one of the biggest bombs of all time, and is being compared with films such as "Ishtar" and "Heaven's Gate."  It is subject to several media parodies, making fun of the film.  It has only gained $66 million as of April 11th 2012, according to boxofficemojo.com (It does have a solid $263 million worldwide, but that's still not enough).  And we can't forget its awful current 50% on rottentomatoes.com.  I have seen "John Carter" twice now and I think it is one of the best science fiction epics of all time.  I also think critics would've called it this if not for all the bad buzz around it.  But people love watching a bomb go off, and "John Carter" was the unlucky film it happened to. Now, here are my opinions on how this could've been prevented.

If only Disney...

Didn't make the white ape scene a key part of marketing: Nearly every ad for the movie included the scene where John Carter fights off two giant white apes in an arena.  Truth is, it looks a lot like "Attack Of The Clones," a movie many people disliked.

Made ads more appealing to families: The ads are very serious and violent, and yes the movie is serious and violent, but it also funny and light at several points.  When you see the Disney logo in front of a movie that is very violent, you must be sure to include humorous moments in the marketing.  I recommend using Woola the lizard dog.

Paid attention to love story in marketing: What do "Gone With The Wind," "Titanic" and "Avatar" all have in common? They are some of the biggest movies of all time and they all have epic love stories. "John Carter" does too, but you wouldn't know that from the advertisements.  They clearly gave no appeal to have the population, and they definitely paid the price for it.

Didn't scratch off the "Of Mars:" After "Mars Needs Moms" bombed last March, Disney immediately changed "John Carter Of Mars" to "John Carter."  Now, audiences were scratching their heads wondering where the heck this movie took place. They do care. Now, people are going to think Mars movies by Disney are "cursed," which is really not true.  "Mars Needs Moms" bombed for different reasons, and "John Carter" bombed partially because of "Mars Needs Moms."

Made a three minute trailer: "John Carter" has a lot of plot in it, and none of the trailers really established it.  A trailer three to four minutes long could truly get the story across, and audiences would actually care.

Very specifically noted movies it inspired: While at the last minute they did, they should've pushed to note "John Carter" was based off an influential story from 1912, not a ripoff of other science fiction films.  Contrary to several directors' belief, audiences aren't that smart, and will falsely accuse it of ripping off other films.

Didn't make the awful Super Bowl ad they did: The Super Bowl is the most watched television event of the year, and for decades studios have been using it to truly get people interested in their films.  And when I saw the "John Carter" ad, I realized this movie would have a rough run.  Even after all that criticism for its theatrical trailer, they failed to establish any identity.

Created false anticipation: Going back to the "audiences aren't that smart" thing, if Disney had created dramatic "In X days" advertisements, or teasers for trailers, audiences would think they care about a movie they actually didn't originally.

Put Andrew Stanton's name in marketing: It obviously put Disney in an awkward position, having the director of a PG-13 science fiction, only have a history as the director of "Wall-E" and "Finding Nemo." But putting his name in marketing, but not saying what he's made, would probably help.

 And also, if only Andrew Stanton...

Changed Taylor Kitsch's outfit: The truth is John Carter's appearance is very reminiscent of Dastan's in "Prince of Persia."  From the ads you'd think "John Carter" was a sequel.

Used better 3D: The 3D isn't necessarily bad, but it's nothing special.  While the medium has gotten some criticism, for the past three years the top movie has been, in fact, in 3D.

 

The Hunger Games

  I was never a fan of these books. I have a theory that kids just want another series to obsess over and The Hunger Games got lucky. The first book was pretty good, the second was awful in my opinion, and I didn't bother to read Mockingjay. But I'm not reviewing the books, I'm reviewing the movie.

  This movie comes from Gary Ross, a surprising choice because his other films are a lot lighter. His direction is disappointing. He has a cinematography gimmick to supposedly make it more intense and realistic, but if anything it's just a distraction. The visual effects look like those of a computer game. Also, he never does a great job at defining these characters, and it feels like the actors are doing all the work to get this together.

  These are just minor complaints though. The acting is great, for example, particularly from Jennifer Lawrence and Woody Harrelson. They are definitely highlights.

  The fighting is very intense and emotional, for the better. Bloody and rough, but you can't really see the deaths because of the cinematography.

  Now, you can tell how desperate this film is to please its fans. Most people love watching what they read exactly in screen but I can't stand it. I love originality.  What I would've liked to see happen just to add climax would be Peeta and Katniss forced to kill one another in the end. It would shift the plot around drastically, but it would definitely hook in the audience. This movie plays it very safe just to satisfy annoying fans.  In the end, it's not really an original story. It's like a futuristic "Gladiator" with teens.

  So, like the first book, it's good, not great. It keeps you entertained the entire two and a half hours, but it should be better.
B-