The New Movie Thread -- Been to the Multiplex Lately?

I plan on seeing Superman Returns in 3D at the IMax next week.

It'll be the first time I've been to a movie theater in months. The last time I went to a movie was the first time in over a year.





An to think, it wasn't that long ago that I often went to two movies on the same day....

At theaters now, the box office and the Rotten Tomatoes rating (percentage of critics who wrote favorable reviews).


1 1 Invincible 2 $15.4M $38.1M $5.3k 2921 70%

2 new Crank 1 $12.9M $12.9M $5.1k 2515 63%

3 new The Wicker Man 1 $11.7M $11.7M $4.2k 2784 13%

4 3 Little Miss Sunshine 6 $9.6M $35.7M $6k 1602 93%

5 14 The Illusionist 3 $8.1M $12.2M $8.4k 971 75%

6 2 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby 5 $7.6M $138.3M $2.5k 3001 73%

7 10 Barnyard: The Original Party Animals 5 $6.6M $63.8M $2.3k 2907 24%

8 5 World Trade Center 4 $5.9M $63.8M $2k 2902 69%

9 6 Accepted 3 $5.6M $29.1M $2k 2822 37%

10 8 Step Up 4 $5.6M $58.5M $2.2k 2553 21%

12 4 Beerfest 2 $4.6M $14.7M $1.5k 2964 39%

13 new Crossover 1 $4.4M $4.4M $4.3k 1023 0%

14 11 How to Eat Fried Worms 2 $4M $9.5M $2.1k 1870 59%

15 7 Snakes on a Plane 3 $3M $31.6M $1.2k 2505 69%

16 9 Idlewild 2 $3M $10M $3.1k 975 47%

17 13 Material Girls 3 $1.3M $10.5M $1.1k 1188 6%

18 16 Monster House 7 $1.1M $70.9M $2k 568 72%

19 20 Superman Returns 10 $1.1M $196.8M $4k 281 76%

20 21 Cars 13 $1.1M $242M $2k 555 76%

21 19 The Devil Wears Prada 10 $1M $122M $2k 501 78%

22 15 Pulse 4 $0.8M $19.3M $1k 787 11%

23 24 The Ant Bully 6 $0.8M $26.7M $1.9k 409 64%

24 17 The Descent 5 $0.5M $25.4M $1.2k 426 83%

25 18 Miami Vice 6 $0.5M $62.8M $1.2k 412 48%

26 23 You, Me and Dupree 8 $0.5M $74.6M $1.2k 397 22%

27 28 Trust the Man 3 $0.5M $1.1M $1.8k 260 26%

28 25 Click 11 $0.5M $136.5M $1.6k 281 29%

29 27 John Tucker Must Die 6 $0.4M $40.1M $1.2k 361 24%

30 new Lassie 1 $0.4M $0.4M $2.2k 169 91%

31 30 Deep Sea 3-D 27 $0.4M $18.4M $9.6k 37 90%

32 22 Zoom 4 $0.3M $11.4M $1.1k 303 0%

33 33 Half Nelson 4 $0.3M $0.8M $8.3k 36 88%

34 31 The Boynton Beach Club 25 $0.3M $2.1M $4.7k 63 60%

35 34 An Inconvenient Truth 15 $0.3M $23.2M $1.1k 265 92%

36 26 Scoop 6 $0.3M $10.2M $1.7k 165 39%

37 32 Quinceañera 5 $0.2M $1.2M $2.9k 86 87%

38 58 The Quiet 2 $0.2M $0.3M $0.7k 366 21%

39 41 Lady in the Water 7 $0.2M $42M $0.9k 261 25%

40 40 Factotum 3 $0.2M $0.5M $4.1k 46 74%

41 new Idiocracy 1 $0.2M $0.2M $1.4k 130 71%

42 35 Over the Hedge 16 $0.2M $155M $0.9k 200 74%

43 38 My Super Ex-Girlfriend 7 $0.2M $22.2M $1k 160 40%

44 29 Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna 4 $0.2M $3.2M $5.4k 30 83%

45 37 Nacho Libre 12 $0.2M $80.2M $0.9k 179 37%

46 39 Wild Safari 3D: A South African Adventure 0 $0.1M $11M $8.4k 12 86%

47 52 Another Gay Movie 6 $0.1M $0.5M $4.6k 19 26%

48 42 The Lake House 12 $0.1M $52.2M $0.7k 118 36%

49 44 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 12 $0.1M $62.5M $1k 72 36%

50 45 The Break-Up 14 $0.1M $118.7M $1.1k 63 33%



Opening This Week, and the RT rating:


65% Hollywoodland

54% The Protector

(NYR) The Covenant

88% Le Petit Lieutenant

53% Sherrybaby



Upcoming Movies

The Black Dahlia (R) Plot: Master storyteller Brian De Palma, known for such classic crime dramas as The Untouchables, Scarface and Carlito's Way, as well as his suspense thrillers ... more...
Directed by: Brian De Palma Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Josh Hartnett, et al.



Gridiron Gang (PG-13) Plot: IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 Wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and rapper Xzibit costar in the real-life story of a counselor who organizes a football ... more...
Directed by: Phil Joanou Starring: The Rock, Xzibit, et al.



The Last Kiss (R) Plot: "The Last Kiss" is a contemporary comedy-drama about life, love, infidelity, forgiveness, marriage, friendship…and coming to grips with turning 30. Zach Braff ("Garden State," TV's ... more...
Directed by: Tony Goldwyn Starring: Zach Braff, Casey Affleck, et al.



Everyone's Hero (G) Plot: In EVERYONE'S HERO, a young boy (Jake T. Austin) finds himself at an extraordinary crossroads: He has a chance to be a hero - ... more...
Directed by: Colin Brady



Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles (PG) Release: Limited
Plot: For the first time in many years, Gou-ichi TAKATA (Ken TAKAKURA) takes the bullet train to Tokyo from the quiet fisherman's village where he ... more...
Directed by: Zhang Yimou Starring: Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai, et al.



Keeping Mum (R) Release: Limited
Plot: KEEPING MUM stars Atkinson as an absent-minded vicar of a rural parish who is so distracted by the pressures of his job that he ... more...
Directed by: Niall Johnson Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Maggie Smith, et al.



Al Franken: God Spoke (NR) Release: Limited in NYC
Plot: From his USO tour in Iraq, to the studios of liberal radio network Air America and on the campaign trail, filmmakers Nick Doob and ... more...
Directed by: Chris Hegedus



The U.S. vs. John Lennon (NR) Release: Limited in NY/LA
Plot: "The U.S. VS. John Lennon" is a compelling and provocative look at John Lennon's transformation from beloved musical artist to anti-war activist to iconic ... more...
Directed by: David Leaf



Haven (R) Release: Limited
Plot: Imagine you just got a fax that the Feds will be at your door in a matter of minutes. The government has remembered the ... more...
Directed by: Frank E. Flowers Starring: Orlando Bloom, Bill Paxton, et al.



Pierrepoint (R) Release: Limited
Plot: Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle before him, Albert joins the 'family business' in 1934. He rises through the ranks to ... more...
Directed by: Adrian Shergold Starring: Timothy Spall, Juliet Stevenson, et al.



Aurora Borealis (R) Release: Limited
Plot: Duncan Shorter (Joshua Jackson). Bright. Charming. Never met a job from which he couldn't be fired. His buddies are growing up and beginning lives ... more...
Directed by: James Burke Starring: Donald Sutherland, Joshua Jackson, et al.



The Ground Truth (R) Release: Limited
Plot: The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends is a feature documentary that looks at how our soldiers are trained to kill, and the effects ... more...
Directed by: Patricia Foulkrod



Beer League (R) Release: Limited
Plot: IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 An unemployed loser (played by Artie Lange) finally finds his calling in life after his New Jersey softball team are ... more...
Directed by: Frank Sebastiano Starring: Artie Lange, Ralph Macchio, et al.



The Painted Veil (NR) Release: Limited in NYC/LA
Plot: IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 Based W. Somerset Maugham's classic story of an unhappy marriage and the unexpected directions it takes, John Curran's drama stars ... more...
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, et al.



Jimmy & Judy (R) Release: Limited
Plot: A brilliant but troubled college-dropout, Jimmy (Edward Furlong), uses his video camera to manipulate the people around him and to exact revenge on the ... more...
Starring: Edward Furlong, et al.



Week of September 20, 2006



Old Joy (NR) Release: Limited in NYC
Plot: Two old friends, Mark and Kurt, reunite for a weekend camping trip in the mountains outside Portland, Oregon. Kurt is still the free spirit, ... more...
Directed by: Kelly Reichardt Starring: William Oldham, Daniel London, et al.



Week of September 22, 2006



Fearless (PG-13) Plot: Already a boxoffice hit in Asia, Jet Li's Fearless, directed by Ronny Yu (helmer of the Hong Kong classic The Bride with White Hair), ... more...
Directed by: Ronny Yu Starring: Jet Li, et al.



(NR)



Flyboys (PG-13) Plot: "Flyboys," the first World War I aviation film in over 40 years, is inspired by the epic, courageous tale of the American young men ... more...
Directed by: Tony Bill Starring: James Franco, Jean Reno, et al.



All The King's Men (PG-13) Plot: IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 Willie Stark, a charismatic, larger-than-life Louisiana governor, holds sway over his constituency and threatens the powers-that-be with his vaguely socialist ... more...
Directed by: Steven Zallian Starring: Sean Penn, Jude Law, et al.



Jackass: Number Two (R) Plot: After smearing the world with all sorts of ridiculous crap, the original creators and cast of the MTV series "jackass" and "jackass the movie" ... more...
Directed by: Jeff Tremaine Starring: Bam Margera, Johnny Knoxville, et al.



Confetti (R) Release: Limited
Plot: A sharp and affectionate comedy featuring an ensemble of UK comedic talents, CONFETTI follows three couples as they duke it out to win a ... more...
Directed by: Debbie Islitt Starring: Martin Freeman, Jessica Stevenson, et al.



The Science of Sleep (R) Release: Limited in NYC/LA
Plot: "The Science of Sleep," a playful romantic fantasy set inside the topsy-turvy brain of Stephane Miroux (Gael Garcia Bernal) an eccentric young man whose ... more...
Directed by: Michel Gondry Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gael Garcia Bernal, et al.



Renaissance (R) Release: Limited
Plot: Paris 2054. Ilona Tassueiv, a young and brilliant researcher is violently kidnapped. Avalon, a giant multinational corporation and her employer, wants her found at ... more...
Directed by: Christian Volckman Starring: Patrick Floersheim, Daniel Craig, et al.



American Hardcore (R) Release: Limited
Plot: Generally unheralded at the time, the early '80s hardcore punk rock scene gave birth to much of the rock music and culture that followed. ... more...
Directed by: Paul Rachman



Laura Smiles (R) Release: Limited
Plot: A light-splashed meeting between two soon-to-be-married young lovers shows Laura (Wright), a fledgling actress, and Chris (Kip Pardue - "Imaginary Heroes", "The Rules of ... more...




Week of September 27, 2006



The Last King of Scotland (R) Release: Limited
Plot: In an incredible twist of fate, a Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) on a Ugandan medical mission becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world's ... more...
Directed by: Kevin MacDonald Starring: Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, et al.



Week of September 29, 2006



The Guardian (PG-13) Plot: After losing his crew in a fatal crash, legendary Rescue Swimmer, Ben Randall (KEVIN COSTNER), is sent to teach at "A" School, an elite ... more...
Directed by: Andrew Davis Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Costner, et al.



School for Scoundrels (PG-13) Plot: In SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS, Jon Heder plays Roger, a beleaguered New York City meter maid who is plagued by anxiety and low self-esteem. ... more...
Directed by: Todd Phillips Starring: Jon Heder, Billy Bob Thornton, et al.



Open Season (PG) Plot: IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 It's the hunters versus the woodland creatures in this heart-warming animated tale of a grizzly bear and a deer who ... more...
Directed by: Anthony Stacchi



Jesus Camp (PG-13) Release: Limited in NYC
Plot: A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America whereby Christian youth must take up the leadership of the ... more...
Directed by: Heidi Ewing



Facing the Giants (NR) Release: Limited
Plot: A losing coach with an underdog football team faces their giants of fear and failure on and off the field to surprising ... more...




Week of September 30, 2006



The Queen (NR) Release: Limited in NYC
Plot: "The Queen," an intimate, revealing, often humourous portrait of the British Royal family immediately following the death of Princess Diana, stars Helen Mirren as ... more...
Directed by: Stephen Frears Starring: Helen Mirren, et al.



GI Jesus (NR) Release: Limited
Plot: A Mexican national returns to California from Iraq where he had soldiered in exchange for grant of US citizenship, suffers trauma related to his ... more...




Week of October 04, 2006



The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (R) Plot: The origins of the legendary horror character Leatherface will finally be revealed in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. The film, which is set ... more...
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman Starring: Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, et al.



Week of October 06, 2006



Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (PG) Plot: Alex Rider is a 14-year-old orphan who has been unwittingly trained all his life by his uncle with the skills to become a secret ... more...
Directed by: Geoffrey Sax Starring: Ewan McGregor, Alex Pettyfer, et al.



The Departed (R) Plot: IN THEATERS OCTOBER 6, 2006 An all-star cast brings this remake of Wai Keung Lau and Alan Mak's INFERNAL AFFAIRS to the screen. Martin Scorsese's ... more...
Directed by: Martin Scorsese Starring: Matt Damon, Leonardo Di Caprio, et al.



Employee of the Month (PG-13) Plot: Employee of the Month is set in Super Club, the largest high-volume, bulk-discount retailer in the country, where membership has its privileges. For ... more...
Directed by: Greg Coolidge Starring: Jessica Simpson, Dane Cook, et al.



The Queen (NR) Release: Limited
Plot: "The Queen," an intimate, revealing, often humourous portrait of the British Royal family immediately following the death of Princess Diana, stars Helen Mirren as ... more...
Directed by: Stephen Frears Starring: Helen Mirren, et al.



Shortbus (NR) Release: Limited
Plot: A sexual symphony quite literally reaches an explosive climax - and all this in just the first few minutes alone. MuchMusic alumnus and current ... more...
Directed by: John Cameron Mitchell Starring: Raphael Barker, Lindsay Beamish, et al.



Little Children (NR) Release: Limited in NYC/LA
Plot: In a suburban town full of perfect parents devoted to rearing their children for Harvard futures, a stay-at-home mom has an affair with an ... more...
Directed by: Todd Field Starring: Patrick Wilson, Kate Winslet, et al.



49 Up (NR) Release: Limited
Plot: 49 UP is the seventh film in a series of landmark documentaries that began 42 years ago when UK-based Granada's WORLD IN ACTION team, ... more...
Directed by: Michael Apted

Wow,that's one hell of a list there L.W.

I'm looking forward to seeing...

Jackass:Number 2.....just to satisfy the child in me.

Pierpoint...AKA....The Last Hangman

Flyboys...just because I love planes.

Great list, LW!

I've heard some good things about "Crank", so I might go to see that.

Helen Mirren' role as "The Queen" has been highly praised (and honoured) so that's another on the list.


"You, me and Dupree" I will avoid like the plague.

Any particular film that you would recommend?

"School for Scoundrels" sounds like a re-make of the marvellous film by the same name, from about 1960 ish, which starred Ian Carmichael (I have his autograph, somewhere) and the wonderful Terry Thomas... not forgetting my favourite actor from that era, Alistair Sim.

Will it be as good, I wonder?

Maybe it's nostalgia speaking, but I am eagerly awaiting All the King's Men.

You realize that film was based on the Potter writings (no, not that Potter) who authored the "One-upsmanship" books. It's the art of being on top of another person or group without them realizing it. The tennis match in the original movie is a hoot. I don't see how they can bring across the subtlely glib British humor of the original. They have a tendancy to bludgeon one with the laughs in Hollywood comedy

"The Queen" is expected to bring in some winners and the Venice Film Festival, now considered the most prestigious of film awards even over Cannes which is being cricitized for too much Amercian influence.

"All the King's Men" is a classic B & W film, edgarblythe, and Hollywood has a poor record of remakes of those vintage movies.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041113/

What a cast in the original, including Broderick Crawford, Mercedes McCambridge and Will Wright, who was a character actor in so many Westerns and ended up on 50's & 60's TV in "The Andy Griffith Show", and finally in "Bonanza." He died of cancer in 1962 at 68 years old.

Good idea for a thread, LW.

I can confirm that The Wickerman is indeed a horrible horrible movie... and those 13% that gave it a good rating are lying or being paid.

Can't say there's much I would pay $10 to see, maybe "The Illusionist". I'm waiting for the reviews on "Marie Antoinette" opening in October.

Matinee, anyone? I rarely go to the evening performances of films and especially with our recent heat wave in Southern California. Couldn't wait to get into the air-conditioned theater (well, although we have air conditioning at home, it is inadequate for that kind of heat).

I believe All the King's Men could prove to be an exception to the remake rule.

Certainly, casting did their job right:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405676/

I've been anticipating The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry for quite some time now, pretty upset that it will be a limited release. Guess I'll have to wait till it comes on DVD.

Indies and foreign films are art house cinema fare. Phenomena like "The Crying Game" and "Brokeback Mountain" are few and far between, the box office taking off in limited release and the studios releasing the films for wide release.

Children Of Men
Went to the local multiplex to see what turned out to be one of the best films I've seen this year.The story is set in a totaly believable future,no flying cars but very beat-up buses.Kind of like 1984 and Brazil,but not! A cracking film As usuall,for much better reviews SEE HERE

Rotten Tomatoes is gauging that film, "Children of Men," at 80% affirmative reviews and Clive Owen has to be one of my favorite actors of the recent ten years.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_men/


The new Scorcese "The Departed" is so far the film of the year with the critics at a whopping 100% --

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/departed/

This is in the tradition, it seems, of "Mean Streets" and the classic Scorcese everyone expects from this director, easily one of the best ten film directors of all time.

I withdraw the assertions I made about All the King's Men. Had to be a real bomb.

The critics trampled "All the Kings Men." It will take some incomprehensible motivation to even sit through an hour and twenty-minutes movie which is decisively a mediocre remake. I'll watch the original black-and-white, thanks.

10% favorable reviews? That wasn't much of a payoff for the studios.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_the_kings_men/

It's also failing at the box office.

Superman Returns was decidely mediocre... even 3D didn't save it.

There's better fare on television.