The Screening Log - blogging film

Weekend of May 29 – 31, 2009

Pixar’s “Up” safely landed at the No. 1 spot at the North American box office this weekend with $68.2 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Directed by Peter Docter, the animated family adventure opened at 3,766 locations, scoring an average of $18,109 per theater. The story follows a 78-year-old widower who decides to fulfill his dream and take his entire house on a trip to South America.

Last week’s champion “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” dropped to second place, earning another $25.5 million for a domestic total of $105.2 after a strong two-week run.

Debuting at No. 3 with $16.6 million from 2,508 locations was Sam Raimi’s horror flick “Drag Me to Hell.” In the film, Alison Lohman plays an ambitious loan officer whose life turns into a living hell after she’s cursed by a creepy old lady.

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Saturday

23May2009

'Museum' defeats 'Salvation' at Friday box office

Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:41AM | By

Shawn Levy's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" took over the North American box office lead Friday with an estimated $15.3 million in ticket sales.

Starring Ben Stiller, the film scored $3 million more on opening day than its 2006 predecessor "Night at the Museum." The sequel follows main character Larry Daley as he heads to the Smithsonian to rescue his pals from the hands of a ruthless Egyptian leader (Hank Azaria).

Thursday's box office winner "Terminator Salvation" slipped to No. 2 Friday, taking home $14.8 million for an impressive two-day total gross of $28.2 million. Directed by McG, the action spectacle stars Christian Bale as John Connor, who leads the resistance in the war against the machines.

At No. 3, Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons" pulled in $6 million, reaching a domestic total of $66.1 million. Following in fourth place with $5.7 million was J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot, which brought its cume to $167.4 million.

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Saturday

23May2009

Movie Review: “Dance Flick”

Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 1:39AM | By

Seen on: May 22, 2009

The players: Director: Damien Wayans, Writers: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Craig Wayans, Damien Wayans Cast: Damon Wayans Jr. , Craig Wayans, Shoshana Bush, Essence Atkins, Affion Crockett

Facts of interest: The Wayans also brought you "White Chicks."

The plot: Small-town girl Megan heads to Musical High School, where she falls in love and gets ro fulfill her dream and dance.

Our quick thoughts: The Wayans brothers are back in action on the big screen, and this time, they spend about 83 minutes spoofing all kinds of dance flicks, including “Save the Last Dance,” “Step Up” and “Stomp the Yard.” But is it a good spoof? And most importantly, is it funny?

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Friday

22May2009

'Dance Flick' web reviews

Friday, May 22, 2009 at 9:48AM | By

The Wayans brothers are back on the big screen, and this time, they are spoofing dance flicks including "Step Up" and "Save the Last Dance." Damien Wayans' "Dance Flick" stars Shoshana Bush, Damon Wayans Jr., Essence Atkins and Amy Sedaris, and here is what some of the Web's critics think about the film:

• Ron Henriques at LatinoReview: "It came as a shock to me that most of the brothers worked on the script since the material feels so dry."

• CinemaBlend's Katey Rich: "Maybe the problem isn't that the Wayans have lost their touch for absurdity, but that the spoof genre got away from them, morphing into something not even they could steer."

• Cole Abaius at FilmSchoolRejects: "It’s just sad to see that comedians that were once at the forefront of the game have failed to keep up with the envelope after pushing it."

• Brian Orndorf at BrianOrndorf.com: "At its worst, “Dance Flick” incites a few groans and uncomfortable silences. At its best, it’s an energetic, slaphappy comedy with a cheerful attitude."

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Monday

18May2009

This week's new movie releases - May 22, 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009 at 1:34PM | By

This week, we're looking at three wide releases: McG's "Terminator Salvation" with Christian Bale; Shawn Levy's sequel "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" with Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson and Robin Williams; and Damien Wayans' comedy "Dance Flick" with Damon Wayans Jr. and Shoshana Bush:

TERMINATOR SALVATION

Synopsis: In 2018, after the world has been all but destroyed by a nuclear holocaust, the human resistance faces off against Skynet, a networked artificial intelligence bent on destroying what remains of humanity. Predestined resistance leader John Connor is having a hard time rising through the ranks, as his deep knowledge of Skynet makes other resistance members suspicious.

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Thursday

30Apr2009

New TV spots for 'Star Trek' and 'Dance Flick'

Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 2:37PM | By

Yeah, I know, the TV spots for J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek" reboot just keep coming, don't they? Well, if they bored me to death I'd probably ignore them, but to be honest, pretty much each spot I've seen during the last couple of weeks caught my attention. So did this latest one, which features a bit of new footage from the film. Check it out below, and enlist in Star Fleet May 8, 2009.

The second TV spot I have for you today is for Damien Wayans' upcoming comedy "Dance Flick." Well, it's a Wayans production, so my best guess is the film will be retarded (yes "White Chicks" fans, you can hate me for it). Anyway, this is their way of spoofing flicks like "Save the Last Dance" and "Step Up," and all I can say is it looks rather lame. "Dance" hits May 22.

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Friday

14Nov2008

Trailer radar: 'Dance Flick'

Friday, November 14, 2008 at 12:49PM | By

Earlier this week, we brought you the first poster for the Wayans brothers' latest comedy "Dance Flick," a comedy spoofing all those, well, dance flicks we've seen over the past years.

“Save the Last Dance,” “Step Up” and “Hairspray” are just a few of the films Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Ivory Wayans are making fun of in their latest pic. Nephew Damien Wayans is directing.

The poster didn't really win me over, and neither does the trailer. What you can see after the jump is the preview for yet another unnecessary atrocitiy, filled with stupid slapstick and unfunny gags. At least, that's certainly what it looks like. "Dance Flick" opens Feb. 6, 2009.

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Monday

10Nov2008

Wayans brothers return with ‘Dance Flick’

Monday, November 10, 2008 at 2:57PM | By

Yep, the Wayans brothers are at it again, and according to MTV, their latest film is “Dance Flick,” a comedy spoofing all those dance films we’ve seen over the years.

“Save the Last Dance,” “Step Up” and “Hairspray” are just a few of the films Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Ivory Wayans are making fun of in their latest pic.

“Dance Flick” is directed by Damien Wayans, and the movie is scheduled for release Feb. 6, 2009. You can check out the poster from MTV after the jump.

I hate to waste any more words on this, but what the heck: the poster sucks, and I’m sure the movie will too. Argh, I’m getting spoofphobia here…