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J.K. Rowling Follows ‘Harry Potter’ with ‘The Casual Vacancy’

Damon Houx — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:45:27 +0000

Creating a such a successful seven book and eight film-long franchise as Harry Potter makes you a global phenomenon. The pressure must have been intense for author J.K. Rowling, not only in finishing what she had started and meeting the demands of critics and fans, but then the pressure of figuring out what’s next. As for the latter, she’s written her follow-up to the Potter universe and that work is The Casual Vacancy.

The book is set to premiere on September 27, and The Wall Street Journal has this synopsis:

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

This is being described as Rowling’s first adult novel, though it will be interesting to see how adult it is and also how many of her fans follow her to the next project. The good thing for Rowling is that those fans who stayed with her Potter books from beginning to end are now adults, and might enjoy seeing something a little older from her. This also seems to follow Rowling’s political bent, as the piece has some resonances to the world today. If the rich are at war with the poor, that doesn’t sound to far removed from the recent Occupy protests.

But to ask a question that may sound negative: How bad does this have to be not to sell millions of copies, and how does it have to be not be optioned and adapted to the big screen? If the book is finished, Rowling may have the power to keep it from hitting the galleys too early, but most producers are likely already clamoring to get their hands on this material, unless Rowling already has a contract with the people she’s worked with previously. If we don’t see The Casual Vacancy on the big screen by 2014, it’s either because the book is a complete botch, or because it came out in 2013.

Will you buy Rowling’s new book?

To The Point: Five Problems with Franchise Blockbusters

Damon Houx — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:00:32 +0000

I liked The Hunger Games. A lot. I have no problem with that. But I think that it’s also a film that should be graded on a curve, the franchise/blockbuster curve to which Hollywood seems most comfortable turning everything into (they’re trying to make a Horrible Bosses 2). As such, it’s worth noting that these films – including The Dark Knight - have very noticeable flaws. Here are the top five problems with every blockbuster franchise film.

1. They are Always Too Long and Made by People with Limited Range

We’re in the era where more is more, and most event films have around two and a half hour run times. It almost makes the original Spider-Man feel short in comparison in that it’s just barely over two hours (and the first X-Men positively anemic with it’s under two hour run time). Length isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but what often happens in big event filmmaking is that there’s a sag toward the end. Usually it’s because there’s a big action scene in the middle and the film then has to ramp up again from there. What that often means is that the third act feels a bit saggy. The Dark Knight is a prime example of this, it peaks with Joker’s big plan and the final building section gets a bit tiring. And I like that movie, but still.

The directors often have their specialties. Outside of Steven Spielberg (who pooped the bed with his Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull), most filmmakers excel in certain areas and fail in others. Michael Bay does great special effects work, but his performers are usually left to their own devices. Christopher Nolan picks one action scene to concentrate on, but the rest is usually not that great (Inception has the zero gravity fight, but the stuff in the snow is borderline incomprehensible). Gary Ross is great with the actors, but when he has to deliver action it goes for the shakey cam. Et cetera. To be fair, Paul Greengrass – with his Bourne films – is one of the best.

2. In Servicing the Hardcore Fans, The Films Feel Incomplete

From the last Harry Potter movies to The Hunger Games, we’re seeing elements of the films that don’t really add to or explain the narrative that are there (or forgiven) because they’re a part of the source material. Liam Hemsworth‘s character in Games has literally nothing to do for much of the film but watch Katniss. Though it’s an interesting idea, it doesn’t pay off – at least in the film proper. He’s a sequel ringer, and that may make his role more important when the franchise is done, but in the film it feels like it’s spending too much time with a character who has nothing to do. Or – in the case of the Potter films – they don’t really explain basic storytelling elements, like how Harry Potter survives as he does in the movie. It’s somewhat spelled out in the first half of Deathly Hallows, but even though the last film is very long, that Harry can withstand a death curse is not really established in the film. That’s just bad storytelling. But in both cases the faithful don’t care, because they know.

3. There Will Be Great Actors Slumming

Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Toby Jones, Stanley Tucci, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, John Turturro, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and many other great actors have no problem working in films like Clash of the Titans, Transformers, The Hunger Games and the Harry Potter films even if they have a couple minutes of screen time and little character development. Often this is about a big paycheck for little work, so who can blame them, but it seems they are there to give gravitas to lesser and sometimes terrible material. The problem is that they usually have nothing to do or play. They’re there to be recognizable more than deliver good performances.

4. Not Really About Much

Arguably Superhero films are about responsibility and duty, and the Potter films are about growing up and also responsibility, but there’s generally very little going on under the surface. The Dark Knight was made slightly more interesting (even if thematically it’s muddled) because it dealt with surveillance and terrorism. But suggesting that the Joker is a version of Osama Bin Laden gets the point confused. The Hunger Games at least uses modern senses of television and gladiators as Reality television, but even there, it’s hard to suggest that it’s saying too much. Watching these movies is ephemeral. And that’s fine, I don’t know if they need to deal with weighty issues, but it also makes them forgettable and age poorly, especially with their self-evident flaws.

5. They are Virtually Impossible to Kill

What if The Dark Knight Rises is a bad movie? What if the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels are terrible? It doesn’t matter. There’s virtually no doubt that The Dark Knight Rises will make $300 Million domestically. There’s no doubt the film won’t open above $100 Million dollars opening weekend. Part of that is the goodwill for that franchise, but who liked Transformers 2 (other than Armond White)? Shouldn’t Transformers 3 have taken more of a hit from the second film sucking? Though it didn’t make as much domestically as the second film (which did over $400 Million), it still made north of $350 Million domestically, and over a billion worldwide.

And if a series falters or the creative team decide to close off the series? With The Amazing Spider-Man we get the corporate answer: Reboot. And even when an audience rejects an franchise film, like they did with Superman Returns, again reboot. To be fair, sometimes this works. See: Rise of the Planet of the Apes. And if they’re running out of material, why not make the source material into two parts for maximum profit? These are decisions made not because of art (which has never really been the case), but name recognition. And we as audiences keep falling for it. But now that we’ve seen the last book of Harry Potter in split into two films, we can also now see that they don’t fit together that well, and it doesn’t work as a five hour narrative.

These aren’t bad films, it’s just frustrating that they all show the same problems, which often come about from having piecemeal scripts. As we near the summer, you’re going to be seeing a lot of this.

What’s your biggest problem with Blockbusters?

ScreenCrave’s Top 10 Worst Films and Trends of 2011

Damon Houx — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:08:48 +0000

With year-end worst of lists, it’s rarely fun to pick on films that are dead and buried. Is it really worth rehashing why I Am Number Four or Apollo 18 are bad movies? In five years no one’s going to remember those films, to say nothing of Shark Night or One Day. in fact it’s likely everyone’s forgotten them. What’s much more disappointing and terrible is cinematic good will squandered. And so here is our list of the ten worst films and trends in cinema in 2011:

10. The Artist (as an Oscar Contender)

There’s nothing all that wrong with Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist as a film. A throwback, it attempts to recreate the look and feel of a silent movie with some laughs and some forced melodrama. But as an end of the year film that is now looking like the Best Picture winner to beat, it’s all wrong. The filmmakers don’t seem to really love silent movies and so the film works more as a homage to something they’ve never directly experienced than a period movie. Perhaps that’s the point, but a light soufflé such as this can’t stand the heavier implications of greatness. If it does go on to become one of the best pictures of the year it will join the class of films like Driving Miss Daisy or Crash as “things that seemed like a good idea at the time” or “what the heck were they thinking?” winners. And in a year as rich with cinematic treasures as 2011, that’s just sad.

9. Hall Pass

Bobby and Peter Farrelly have unleashed two terrible cinematic nuggets on us this year. The first would be the trailer for The Three Stooges, but more painfully (and much more feature length) would be Hall Pass. A film that seems to suggest that its filmmakers are on the verge of divorce, Hall Pass is neither unfunny or insightful. The Farrelly brothers had the perfect mixture of gross-out and heart in There’s Something about Mary, and have spent the last decade trying to reproduce the formula. At this point, they should stop.

8. Thor

Though most would argue that The Green Lantern is the lesser of the two, Thor – in some ways – stands in for all these recent films that function more as franchise empire-building than cinema. Routine and poorly staged, Thor falls apart by using one of the most boring conventions of big-budget cinema: the main character can’t use his superpowers for an hour of the film’s running time because it’s too expensive. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are perfect casting, and there’s some beautiful sets, but the end result is a film that exists to get viewers to The Avengers, and there’s nothing so offensive as a film that functions as a trailer for the next one. If The Green Lantern has a saving grace, it’s that it doesn’t seem to inspire future projects as readily.

7. Faithful Adaptations

Speaking of, this year we’ve had films like Harry Potter and Breaking Dawn bifurcate their narratives to supposedly service fans, and we’re about to get David Fincher’s take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, where the book was too successful for Fincher to strip it down to what worked and what doesn’t. We’re in a culture where fans are being spoon-fed adaptions. The end result – while none of these films are terrible in and of themselves – are movies that don’t so much function as films proper but either collections of scenes that add up to a translation of the books – or a cliff notes version – with no sense of pacing. There’s a great scene in the classic film The Bad and the Beautiful where a director tells the producer that you have to choose what are the most important scenes in a film, and it appears that none of these movies have had to make those decisions. And on top of that, it’s simply a craven way to milk more money out of a popular franchise.

6. Another Earth

Another Earth is an art-house film that was a Sundance triumph, and represents the worst sort of pretentious meandering drivel that often passes for deep. “What if there was a parallel Earth where maybe our alternate selves didn’t make the same mistakes?” Maybe you should learn better film-making skills and drop the philosophy 101 courses. It’s also a film that’s hit a lot of best of lists, but it’s painfully obvious narrative suggests that too often low and no budget films get passes for having ideas.

5. The Change-Up

Body swap comedies were the fad in the late 80’s (meaning it spawned about four films), and so perhaps the genre was due for a re-imagining, but the end result feels slapped together, and makes you feel sorry for Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann and Olivia Wilde for appearing in such an empty and mean-spirited comedy. Throw in some over the top feces humor, and CGI nudity, you get one of the least enjoyable comedies in since Hall Pass. There’s nothing so unfunny as an unfunny comedy, and with such talented performers, it’s a travesty.

4. Cowboys and Aliens

With such a talented cast, it’s impressive that Jon Favreau managed to lay such a goose egg. A non-western, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford are wasted in what amounts to a chance for talented people to dress up like cowboys and waste money. The plot is terrible, but more offensively, there’s a good movie in there somewhere. This probably kills the chance for any reasonably budgeted western from the studios for the next three years. Thanks.

3. 3-D

Though 2010 took the cake for terrible 3-D post conversions (last minute jobs like The Last Airbender and Clash of the Titans), we still saw many of the summer’s biggest films in 3-D for little reason other than a ticket price bump. There’s nothing wrong with the format per se, but after a year of bad 3-D in such films as Thor, Fright Night, Conan the Barbarian, Pirates 4, the Greens (Hornet and Lantern) it’s something that needs to be done by people who are paying attention (like Martin Scorsese or – god help us – Michael Bay), and not slapped on to increase ticket sales. As we’ve seen, it often doesn’t help.

2. J. Edgar

With the recent SAG nominations it’s quite possible that J. Edgar will be an awards contender, even though the film died at the box office. There may be a critical divide on this film, as some have noted those over 40 seem to enjoy the film more. But if we are to accept the argument that Clint Eastwood is a truly great director (and the man has made at least two masterpieces), then this Wikipedia page summary of J. Edgar Hoover’s life and times deserves to be lambasted as a terrible work. Bad old age make-up aside, the film never feels like it has a spine so much a collection of J. Edgar’s greatest hits assembled in a way where sum is much less than the parts. Naomi Watts, Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer waste themselves in a film that seems to have been made simply as Oscar bait.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

One of the laziest and least imaginatively staged blockbusters of all time, On Stranger Tides is half baked every step of the way, from its nonsensical plotting to barely awake performances from Johnny Depp. Directed – terribly at that – by Rob Marshall, it was the least successful of the series domestically, and yet crossed a billion dollars worldwide. Which means we’re getting more. What makes this the worst movie of the year is that everyone involved knew they could half-ass it and still make money. And there is nothing so offensive as successful people making crap simply because they know they can get away with it.

What did you like the least about the past year in film?

News Roundup: Lindsay Lohan, X-Factor, Harry Potter and More

Laura Aguirre — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:22:17 +0000

This week featured news about crying kids, ridiculous feuds, and yes, more Lindsay Lohan. In the list of news bits we’ve compiled for you, you’ll find details on Lohan’s much anticipated Playboy issue, due out January/February. Also, more details on the feud between Daniel Craig and the Kardashians, which unfortunately is still going strong. And for all of you Harry Potter fans (well, if you’re a fan you probably already know this piece of information but just in case you missed it) find out what new magical development is happening really soon.

Catch up below…

Final Destination Makes Kids Cry: British children have cried, and their cries have been heard. Five months after the release of Final Destination 5, the British government has banned a poster campaign saying it caused “fear and undue distress to children.” The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the U.K. received a number of complaints from parents saying that the poster (of a skull with nails stabbed through the eyes and mouth) was bringing their children to tears.
X Factor Judge Makes Kid Contestant Cry: All-around awful person Nicole Scherzinger made 13-year-old Rachel Crow, a former contestant on “X-Factor,” cry. During last night’s judging, Scherzinger had to choose between Crow and another contestant to let go, and she chose Crow. That put Crow on the hot seat for elimination, and America chose to boot her off the show. The teenager broke into tears, and even Simon Cowell rushed to the stage to console Crow. But there are no hard feelings from Crow to Scherzinger. Crow told People that she isn’t mad at the judge for her decision.
New Gig For Radiohead’s Lead Guitarist: The amazing Jonny Greenwood will be scoring Paul Thomas Anderson’s next movie, The Master. This isn’t the first time Greenwood has collaborated with the auteur. In 2007, the talented musician scored Anderson‘s gritty and critically acclaimed film There Will Be Blood; and Greenwood has scored a couple of films since then (Norwegian Wood and We Need to Talk About Kevin). This is truly something to look forward to.
Daniel Craig vs Kardashians: It was very bold of Daniel Craig to call the Kardashian family a bunch of “fucking idiots” during an interview with a popular magazine, but did he think he was going to get away with that comment without a fight? Unfortunately, not even James Bond can escape the Kardashian clan. TV reality-star Kris Jenner is asking for an apology from the well-respected actor. In an interview with Heat magazine, Jenner said that Craig crossed the line, and that the right thing for him to do would be to issue a public apology. She added, “The easy thing would be to criticize his career now, but our family won’t stoop to that level.” Oh brother. Jenner has to be careful with the way she phrases things (Stoop? Really?). As for Mr. Craig, he has much more important things to worry about, like the release of his amazing-looking film The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo.
Lindsay Lohan Playboy Cover: This is something we’ve secretly been waiting for – the Lindsay Lohan Playboy issue. Well, folks, the magazine’s cover has been leaked, and it features the troubled actress straddling a red Playboy bunny-shaped chair. Yes, La Lohan is naked, but the chair conveniently covers it all. Check out the cover below.
American Reunion’s Nostalgic Poster: The newly released poster for American Reunion (out April 2012) recreates the original 1999 American Pie movie poster. There are a few differences – no flute, more clothes, less pie – but the whole cast is there, looking noticeably older, but just as happy. Check it out below.
Creator of the Movie Trailer Has Passed Away: In other news this week, sadly, Joseph Farrell, the creator of the movie trailer, has passed away. He was 76. This is someone who actually changed the game in Hollywood. The release of a movie trailer is an event, something people anticipate, and it’s all thanks to this one man.
Harry Potter is Coming to Hollywood: On a lighter note, there’s some exciting news for all of you Harry Potter fans based in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas– Harry Potter is coming to Universal Studios Hollywood. I was fortunate enough to visit the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Orlando when it opened last year, and now it’s been decided that there will be a Wizarding World, complete with a Hogwarts castle and roller coasters, in the West Coast park. Oh, happy day!

PHOTOS:

That’s the end of our round-up. Keep checking back at ScreenCrave for more entertainment news.

What are you excited for?

Warner Bros. To Discontinue All Harry Potter DVDs And Blu-Rays In December

Travis Woods — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:53:12 +0000

In case you just so happen to be one of the three of four Harry Potter fans on Earth that, for some reason, hasn’t built a shrine of Potter DVDs and Blu-Ray around your TV, well, you might want to hop on that—looks like Warner Bros. will stop producing any more copies of the Potter films on home video on December 29, 2011. As in, they will never be available again.

It’s basically the Disney home video release model—make a beloved film only available for purchase for a short window of time, essentially forcing fans to fork over their money all at once to nab the flick. So, for those of you who find yourselves fans of children who possess the power of magic despite the fact that you are a grown adult watching children’s entertainment, you might want to set aside a few extra bucks to buy the eight-film Harry Potter box set that’s coming out this November—because we simply do not live in a world in which there are companies which will rent these films to you via the mail or a home computer or television streaming service. I mean, it’s also not like there is a global system of interconnected computer networks from which you can illegally download pristine, HD-quality versions of these films whenever you like. So you better grab these movies when you can.

What do you think of Warner Bros.’ decision?

Source: The AV Club

2011 Teen Choice Awards Recap: Bieber, Twilight, Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, etc.

Travis Woods — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:31:44 +0000

Well, the headline says it all—teen culture, as it has pretty much always been (except for maybe when teens went gaga for the Beatles back in the day), is pretty much screwed. Basically a live action version of TigerBeat!, the 2011 Teen Choice Awards took place in L.A. last night at the Gibson Amphitheatre, in what was essentially a morbid orgy of cultural mediocrity and inexplicable celebrity worship. But Justin + Selena looked soooooooo cute together, you guyz, OMG!!!

Speaking of hyper-bland teen/ twentysomething coupledom just empty enough for teen girls to use to fill in their daydream fantasias, US Weekly inexplicably strings words together into sentences concerning Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner.

E! Online offers a breakdown of the night’s winners, and which way the prevailing winds are blowing in the land of teenagers, but let me break down for you in the simplest terms: Harry Potter, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Glee, the Kardashians, Gossip Girl, and The Jersey Shore. So, um, there’s no hope for the future, right?

E! was also so kind to lay out the evening’s most “jaw-dropping” moments. There’s something about Ashton Kutcher in there, so I can’t actually recommend that you read it.

What did you think of the 2011 Teen Choice Awards?

Box Office Prediction: Cowboys And Aliens To Ride Into Top Spot

Scott Schachter — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:54:13 +0000

After last weekend’s strong debut, Captain America: The First Avenger will attempt to hold on to the top spot as it faces stiff competition from The Smurfs, The Steven Spielberg-Produced Cowboys & Aliens, and the Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. It should be a hectic week at the box office. Now for our predictions.

For the third time this summer, Steven Spielberg is behind one of the big summer movies. First it was Super 8 then Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, and now Cowboys & Aliens. Directed by Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau, and starring Indiana Jones /Harrison Ford and James Bond/Daniel Craig. Initial reaction to the Cowboys & Aliens trailer was harsh – with some audiences laughing it off the screen. Recent trailers have been better, reminding audiences that this a Spielberg-produced movie from the director of Iron Man with plenty of cool action. In addition Harrison Ford has been hitting the talk show circuit promoting Cowboys & Aliens every chance he can. Poor reviews should have some impact, stopping Cowboys & Aliens from having a break out first weekend, but not enough to stop the film debuting in the # 1 spot.

Dropping to the #2 spot this weekend will be last week’s winner Captain America: The First Avenger. Midweek sales have been good, which shows that audiences have taken a liking to Cap. Its second weekend drop shouldn’t be too large, but stiff competition for the same audience from Cowboys & Aliens will knock The First Avenger out of the top slot.

Looking to be the next Alvin & the Chipmunks comes possible-franchise starter The Smurfs. With Cars 2 sliding at the box office, The Smurfs seems poised to have strong opening weekend. The film not only appeals to young children but to adults and even tweens who have all grown up watching The Smurfs. Reviews will be expectedly harsh for a film targeted at kids, but that shouldn’t matter when The Smurfs claims the #3 spot.

Dropping to #4 should be Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 which is partly because the faithful went quickly, but there’s still some muscle in its numbers. Steve Carell returns to the cinemas post-The Office in Crazy, Stupid, Love. The timing is perfect: adult audiences have had nothing to choose from since box office disappointment Larry Crowne debuted a few weeks ago, though this summer has already been peppered with adult comedies (perhaps the PG-13 rating will help). With decent reviews and an all-star cast Crazy, Stupid, Love should be able to hit the top five, but just barely.

Our Predictions for the Top Ten for July 29th-31st.

Cowboys & Aliens:$40 Million
Captain America: The First Avenger: $35 Million
The Smurfs: 30 Million
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Part 2: 25 Million
Captain America: The First Avenger: $18 Million
Friends With Benefits: $10 Million
Horrible Bosses: $7.5 Million
Transformers 3: $6 Million
Zookeeper: $5 Million
Cars 2: $ 3 Million

What do you want to see this weekend?

Weekend Box Office: Captain America Triumphs Over Harry Potter

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:00:56 +0000

Captain America has topped Harry’s huge success and taken the No. 1 spot at the box office. We did not see that one coming. Captain America: The First Avenger was expected to have a successful weekend, but not to the point where it would knock Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 off its spot. The Superhero film made a debut of $65.8 million – over $100 million less than Harry Potter made last weekend. The new romantic comedy Friends with Benefits landed itself third with a weekend gross of $18.5 million. This weekend was full of surprises, check out the complete numbers…

Captain America: The First Avenger | NEW | Paramount | Weekend Gross $65,827,000 | Average Per Theater $17,719 | Total Gross $65,827,000 | Film’s Budget – $140 | Week 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | Last Week #1 | Warner Brothers | Weekend Gross $48,065,000 | Average Per Theater $10,986 | Total Gross $274,182,000 | Film’s Budget – N/A | Week 2
Friends with Benefits | NEW | Screen Gems | Weekend Gross $18,500,000 | Average Per Theater $6,323 | Total Gross $18,500,000 | Film’s Budget – $35 | Week 1
Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Last Week #2 | Paramount | Weekend Gross $12,000,000 | Average Per Theater $3,556 | Total Gross $325,789,000 | Film’s Budget – $195 | Week 4
Horrible Bosses | Last Week #3 | Warner Brothers | Weekend Gross $11,720,000 | Average Per Theater $3,776 | Total Gross $82,402,000 | Film’s Budget – $35 | Week 3
Zookeeper | Last Week #4 | Sony | Weekend Gross $8,700,000 | Average Per Theater $2,706 | Total Gross $59,204,000 | Film’s Budget – $80 | Week 3
Cars 2 | Last Week #5 | Buena Vista | Weekend Gross $5,726,000 | Average Per Theater $2,146 | Total Gross $176,445,000 | Film’s Budget – $200 | Week 5
Winnie the Pooh | Last Week #6 | Buena Vista | Weekend Gross $5,141,000 | Average Per Theater $2,138 | Total Gross $17,573,000 | Film’s Budget – $30 | Week 2
Bad Teacher | Last Week #7 | Sony | Weekend Gross $2,600,000 | Average Per Theater $1,278 | Total Gross $94,335,000 | Film’s Budget – $20 | Week 5
Midnight in Paris | Last Week #10 | Sony Classics | Weekend Gross $1,899,000 | Average Per Theater $3,058 | Total Gross $44,878,000 | Film’s Budget – $30 | Week 10

On Harry Potter terms, Captain America‘s weekend debut wasn’t too great. Captain America‘s $65.8 million is nothing compared to Harry Potter‘s $169.1 million. But the outcome of this weekend really took us by surprise because it’s expected for the biggest blockbuster to reign week after week. This coming weekend we’ve got Cowboys & Aliens and The Smurfs. And from the look of things, one of those two will take the No. 1 spot from Captain America.

What did you watch this weekend?

Weekend Box Office: Harry Potter Sets New Records for Opening Weekend

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:04:43 +0000

There’s something very appealing about being the very last of something. Everyone wants a piece, and that’s what happened this weekend with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. At least three records were broken during the last few days including The Dark Knight‘s highest-grossing opening weekend of $158.4 million by over $10 million. Harry Potter also beat out the other phenomenon, Twilight, by breaking two of its records — biggest opening day with $92.1 million and highest midnight previews with $43.5 million. Most films, along with Transformers: Dark of the Moon, were completely overshadowed by the Wizard boy movie. Check out the numbers below.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | NEW | Warner Brothers | Weekend Gross $168,550,000 | Average Per Theater $38,526 | Total Gross $168,550,000 | Film’s Budget – N/A | Week 1
Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Last Week #1 | Paramount | Weekend Gross $21,250,000 | Average Per Theater $5,425 | Total Gross $302,800,000 | Film’s Budget – $195 | Week 3
Horrible Bosses | Last Week #2 | Warner Brothers | Weekend Gross $17,630,000 | Average Per Theater $5,625 | Total Gross $60,002,000 | Film’s Budget – $35 | Week 2
Zookeeper | Last Week #3 | Sony | Weekend Gross $12,300,000 | Average Per Theater $3,532 | Total Gross $42,352,000 | Film’s Budget – $80 | Week 2
Cars 2 | Last Week #4 | Buena Vista | Weekend Gross $8,344,000 | Average Per Theater $2,568 | Total Gross $165,326,000 | Film’s Budget – $200 | Week 4
Winnie the Pooh | NEW | Buena Vista | Weekend Gross $8,000,000 | Average Per Theater $3,326 | Total Gross $8,000,000 | Film’s Budget – $30 | Week 1
Bad Teacher | Last Week #5 | Sony | Weekend Gross $5,200,000 | Average Per Theater $1,956 | Total Gross $88,505,000 | Film’s Budget – $20 | Week 4
Larry Crowne | Last Week #6 | Universal | Weekend Gross $2,573,000 | Average Per Theater $1,125 | Total Gross $31,628,000 | Film’s Budget – $30 | Week 3
Super 8 | Last Week #7 | Paramount | Weekend Gross $1,925,000 | Average Per Theater $1,319 | Total Gross $122,242,000 | Film’s Budget – $50 | Week 6
Midnight in Paris | Last Week #11 | Sony Classics | Weekend Gross $1,891,000 | Average Per Theater $2,678 | Total Gross $41,793,000 | Film’s Budget – $30 | Week 9

Although the Harry Potter numbers are incredible and go beyond our own expectations, one can’t help but be a bit disappointed that most of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2‘s success isn’t because it’s the last of its kind, but because of inflated ticket sales like 3D and IMAX 3D. The spectacles aren’t necessary. If you’re going to go watch it again, or are one of the few who hasn’t seen it, go 2D. It’s the way to go.

What did you watch this weekend?

Emma Watson and Rupert Grint Discuss Their Future and Working On Other Projects

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:35:40 +0000

11 years ago, three kids got extremely lucky when they landed starring roles in what would become one of the most successful film franchises of all time. While Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is busy singing and dancing in his latest Broadway venture How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, his co-stars and friends Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are thinking about what the future holds for them. In a recent interview for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, Watson and Grint talked about being on other sets and working on other projects. Grint and Watson may never reprise their roles and Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, but that doesn’t mean their acting careers are over.

Watson recently wrapped The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on the beloved novel by Stephen Chbosky. She’ll be playing the role of Sam alongside Logan Lerman and Paul Rudd. Watson, who is accustomed to working on the set of Harry Potter with a familiar cast and crew says she was nervous to take on a role where she would have to be in a foreign country and speak in a different accent.

“A lot of moments on this last movie I made in Pittsburg The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I was terrified. My first day I was so nervous. Doing a different accent, being on a new movie set in a foreign country with a crew I didn’t know and a cast I didn’t know. There’s a scene when I have to mimic Susan Sarandon in Rocky Horror Picture Show and I’m standing in a corset in front of all of these extras trying to do this dance and I felt ridiculous. It’s funny, coming out of [Harry Potter] I’m constantly doing things that are new. That takes bravery, I guess. I think it’s trying to have faith in yourself and believe in yourself and know that it’ll come right in the end, hopefully.”

But despite the jitters, it was The Perks of Being a Wallflower that reassured Watson that she wanted to be an actress.

“I’m very excited about [The Perks of Being a Wallflower]. Having an experience like that outside of Harry Potter was what really convinced me that acting really was what I should be doing and that I was good at it. It really solidified that for me.”

For Grint, working on other films whilst still working on Harry Potter was refreshing and different.

“I’ve always enjoyed stepping unto a different set when I could in between the films. Harry Potter is quite hard to compare anything to because it’s quite a unique machine. It’s a very different experience, these smaller films because you’re not with this familiar crew that you’ve grown up with. There’s new people and it always takes a little while for me to adjust. I learn a lot from these other films. It’s nice to be a different character and quite refreshing.”

Grint finished his latest film, Comrade – an anti-war film based on a true story – where he’ll star alongside German actor David Kross. Grint expresses that he enjoys acting and doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.

“I’ve always loved acting and doing these other films in between. I want to do more of that. I did a film a few months ago, WWII story. I want to move on and play different roles.”

As for his co-star, Watson is busy reading scripts before she heads to Oxford to study abroad (which is really home for her).

“Now just reading reading reading and trying to find the next thing that really speaks to me and that I really care about. Finding great directors who will keep teaching me so I can keep learning, but I’m excited about the idea of being an actress now in a way I wasn’t so sure of when I was younger.”

Harry Potter put these young actors on the map, there’s no doubt about that, but what they make of themselves after this franchise is over is entirely up to them. So far it seems like we’ll continue seeing a lot of all three stars, and that sits alright with me.

Where do you think these young actors will end up?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:30:02 +0000

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the long awaited finale is finally here, and though fans will be able to cheer along to the film, my biggest problem is that they won’t really be able to cry. It’s hard not to like this film on some levels because even though it would never stand alone and won’t be the film we all remember from the series, it’s the finale! As always there’s plenty of fine acting, another special effects Oscar win for them lined up, and our lovable characters, BUT it’s all turned into a bit of a Soap Opera and for the end of something SO grand, the film never really makes the decisions to emotionally or tonally go HUGE which was needed in order for it to truly succeed.

(Note: And if you want me to talk about the 3D I can’t and won’t. For all of the other films to be made in 2-D and then this one to swap at the last second was a miss-step and only showed a side of the series that Harry Potter himself would scoff at — it’s not all about money for the viewers. It’s a “smart” business move, but this film should be in 2-D, is beautiful that way, and the 3D is a waste of your time, money and integrity.)

The Players:

Director: David Yates
Actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon and MANY more
Screenplay: Steve Kloves
Novel: J.K. Rowling (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”)
Original Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography by: Eduardo Serra

The Plot:

The last film of the Harry Potter series. It all comes to an end.

The Good:

Our Trio: I still don’t know if it’s great casting, great teachers, growing up around such amazing actors, or just three amazing kids, but not only have our three main characters grown throughout the films, but they’ve grown into three mighty fine actors. Equivalents to the greats that supported them throughout the series. Despite the problems with the film, they’re always believable and seem to bring you back into almost any scene. This is their world and they were the ones who brought it to life for the audience – beautifully done.
Supporting Cast: Through the years, this has always been one of the highlights of the series, and once again it hasn’t failed them. Alan Rickman has always played one of my favorite characters and again he gives a great performance, Matthew Lewis who plays Neville Longbottom gave my favorite monologues of the film, Julie Walters as Molly Weasley fills your with delight and with one foul word will have you cheering… I can’t list everyone because I would just be listing the entire cast. All the little moments with the actors were really well done and appreciated.
The Effects: As always the Visual Effects department has stretched themselves and created an absolutely beautiful world for us to feast our eyes on (and no need for it to be done in 3D, the 2D color is better and gives you everything you need!.)

The Bad:

No Tears: I walked into this wanting to cry, wanting to get emotional, wanting to cheer and then sob my heart out — and there was nothing. There were moments of cheering, which was nice, but never I was never moved to emote anything more.Which leads to my overall problem of all of this being far too happy and never allowing for the film to settle in those dark moments and really revel in everything that’s happened and let the audience feel the severity of the situation. Also (SPOILER) when Voldemort finally faces off with Harry Potter, the last thing we want it a gag from Beatrix (who is great but was wrongly used in the moment). This was the moment we’ve been waiting for, for ten damn years! It’s a shame that it wasn’t taken more seriously.
Soap Opera-y: They had too much to explain and too many special effects to get in and as a result, it started to feel like they were forced to cram in as much information in one scene as possible so that they could spend time blowing up stuff in another. Harry was where? When? With who? She did what? Which means? Oh someone is running! But the action never had enough meaning to really hit home mainly because some of the exposition was weak at best and felt almost like an after-thought needing to tie things together.
Alan Rickman’s Make-Up: No excuses! A film like this should be visually perfect and despite the impressive special effects, Alan Rickman’s make-up was horrible! His eye liner looked like it was from Pirates of the Caribbean not ANY of the other Potter films! Small detail, but one that kept driving me nuts seeing as he’s one of my favorite characters!
The VERY End: (SPOILER) They’re supposed to have aged 19 years, Hermoine (Emma Watson) looked 25 tops, I don’t think it’s possible for a woman to age THAT gracefully (though maybe she knows a spell?). The only one who actually might have looked realistic was Ron (Rupert Grint), but overall the aging was really poorly done.
Didn’t Work as “Part 2″: I thought by them turning the last film into two films that they would have the time to really delve into the drama of it all, but instead the first film took away the severity needed to make the second film work. Without that direct pressure that the first film built, the second film is flimsy at best. Though I was excited about the idea of there being two films, they didn’t do it right. The ending would have meant so much more if both films would have been tied into one and they took out the excess and allowed the serious subject matter to really hit home.

Overall:

I loved Hogwarts the first time I saw it on the screen and the idea of it being destroyed and the series coming to a close is emotional, and I wanted to sob as I saw it fall to the floor, but the film just never moved me. The saddest part about this ending is the lack of sadness in the film. That being said, I’m still a fan of the series and perhaps watching both Deathly Hallows films back to back would give me the emotional closure I was hoping for. If you want to full effect, I’d recommend giving it a try.

Rating: 5/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hits theaters July 15th!

Photos:

Trailer:

Harry Potter Roundup: Let’s Toast to the End of an Era!

Laura Aguirre — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:46:20 +0000

In a few hours the lines will start to form. There will be rows and rows of people dressed in Hogwarts’ attire with tiny little light bolts drawn on their foreheads, all waiting for the end to begin. Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part II hits theaters at midnight, but there’s a lot more things happening than just the release of the movie. There’s everything from news about Harry Potter celebrations to the type of 3D glasses you’ll be wearing come midnight. We’ve gathered all types of neat details, videos, and pictures for you to enjoy. We know you’re on the verge of tears (withdrawals, suicide, etc.) because the end is so near. Harry Potter wasn’t just some kid from a movie. He was our friend, our peer. We’re all sad to see him go, but happy to have grown up reading and watching such an amazing story. Read ahead for all things Harry Potter!

Warner Bros. is kicking things off with an “ultimate fan celebration” in Los Angeles. If you’re in town and feel like going the extra mile, then head over to the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Power 106 will be hosting a major Harry Potter celebration from 9:00 p.m. until midnight, when the film is finally released.
So chances you’ve probably seen the video of the World’s Biggest Harry Potter Fan, but it doesn’t hurt to watch it again. This guy calls himself Harry Potter and he has three rooms full of memorabilia. It would be cool, if he wasn’t so creepy.
Mugglenet, one of the biggest Harry Potter fan sites, is hosting an awesome giveaway. One winner gets a Kymera Magic Wand, which allows users to turn on their TVs. Talk about magic!
The Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA joined the celebration by hosting a massive Harry Potter Tribute Art Exhibition. The show launched a few days ago and will go through August 1. The show features over 100 works from over 50 artists. Go to the Gallery Nucleus’s official website for more info.
Staying on the subject of art, ever thought how Harry Potter characters would look, à la Star Wars? I bet you have. Unreality magazine shared a collection from a die hard Harry Potter fan who shows how the characters would look as a ‘stylized space saga.’
Hero Complex gives word of a new Patronus application from Warner Bros. Harry’s Patronus is a stag. Hermione’s is an otter, and Ron’s is a dog (mine is a fox). Now you can find out yours through this new application on the Warner Brothers website.
While the most complicated love story we got in the Harry Potter franchise was between Ron and Hermione, there’s a new music video depicting how love would be between a Gryffindor girl and a Slytherin boy. The video “Wizard Love” comes to us from meekakitty.
And just to show you that you’re not the only one feeling down about this whole ‘end of an era’ deal, this year some UCLA students put together a skit titled P.P.D. (Post Potter Depression). The video takes us through a therapy session with hard core Potter fans, posing the question, “So what are you going to do now that Harry Potter is over forever?.” Hopefully you can’t relate to any of their questionable dilemmas. I’d be a little afraid for you.
Lastly, if you were one of the lucky ones to buy 3D tickets to one of the midnight screenings, good for you! You’ll be watching Deathly Hallows Part II, Harry Potter style. Someone who works at a theater was nice enough to share what audiences will be given during midnight screenings of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II 3D. Check it out!

So now that we’ve distracted you from your own Potter depression, we hope that you do enjoy the film. Remember to be happy that you were a part of something super awesome, and hope that the studios don’t go bananas and try to reboot the franchise during your/our lifetime.

How are you celebrating tonight?

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 5/10

Photos:

Trailer:

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