This week brings some great Criterion titles, a solid David Cronenberg film, and some of the worst films from the end of the 2011–both Oscar nominated flicks and kiddie movies. Hey, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was nominated for Best Picture, so it can’t be all that bad, can it? (Answer: Yes it can). Check out the highlights of this week’s releases….
The climax of award season is finally upon us–the Oscars have been announced and, for once, there are a few surprises in the mix (but that’s not exactly a good thing). The Artist is, rather shockingly, not leading the pack with the most reviews (see what film is after the jump), while the critically slammed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close nabbed some major noms and, yes, 2012 is the year in which Bridesmaids was nominated for an Oscar.
Kate Beckinsale jumped from one top spot to another. The fierce actress remained at the top of the box office with her new movie Underworld Awakening, which brought in a solid amount of $25.4 million. In the No. 2 spot was Red Tails which made a surprising solid debut of $19.1 million. Contraband, Beckinsale’s other movie, fell to No. 3. The heist thriller grossed $12.2 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $46.1 million. Five weeks after its debut, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close finally broke into the top 10 with $10.5 million, coming in before Stephen Soderbergh‘s Haywire. The 9/11 film came in at No. 4, while Haywire rounded out the top 5 with $9 million.
Check out the numbers…
This weekend you can watch a lot of women kick butt. Not only is there Kate Beckinsale in Underworld: Awakening, Gina Carano makes her acting debut in Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire. And then there’s George Lucas‘s Red Tails, which highlights the African American pilots who fought and flew in World War II. And for those looking for something more heartwarming, you can watch Tom Hanks die on 9/11 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Something for everyone. Who wins? Find out…
This Fall has been modest in comparison to many other recent years, in terms of major film releases. On paper there were a number of films that could have been $100 Million plus titles, but only Breaking Dawn has done blockbuster business, and has remained on top of the box office for three weeks. That’s going to change with the release of New Year’s Eve. Still, it’s been a slow, slow Fall.
Is Tom Hanks Old Yeller in Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? It seems likely. Honestly, it’s surprising that it’s taken ten years for Hollywood to make a film that uses (and perhaps exploits) the tragedy of September 11, 2001 to make a movie about death (and perhaps a chance to feel good about being alive). Hanks stars with newcomer Thomas Horn, and vets like Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Viola Davis, and James Gandolfini. Take a look at the trailer…
Move over Ryan Reynolds and Meg Ryan, your rom-com movie partners are going on hiatus. Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks might team up for a post-9/11 drama called Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close according to a report from Variety. The duo are in talks to headline the Paramount and Warner Bros collaboration but haven’t confirmed their roles just yet.
