The Screening Log - blogging film

Weekend of April 24 – 26, 2009

Beyoncé Knowles' thriller "Obsessed" defeated its competition at the North American box office with $28.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

In the film directed by Steve Shill, Idris Elba co-stars as a successful asset manager who gets into trouble with his wife (Knowles) when his new temp (Ali Larter) starts stalking him.

At No. 2, last week’s box office winner “17 Again” collected another $11.6 million, lifting its domestic total to $39.9 million. Starring Zac Efron, the comedy follows a 37-year-old who gets to relive his past as a 17-year-old.

New release “Fighting” debuted in third place with $11.4 million. Directed by Dito Montiel, the drama follows Channing Tatum in the role of a poor chap trying to score big in the world of underground street fighting.

Moviegoers feel 'Obsessed,' film scores $11M Friday

Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 1:45PM | By

Beyoncé Knowles' thriller "Obsessed" topped the North American box office Friday with a surprising $11.1 million in ticket sales. Directed by Steve Shill, the film follows a successful asset manager whose life takes a turn for the worse when his new temp starts stalking him.

Debuting in second place with $4.4 million was Dito Montiel's "Fighting," which stars Channing Tatum as a poor chap trying to make moola in the world of street fighting.

At No. 3, last week's box office champion "17 Again" pulled in $3.8 million, lifting its total gross to $32.1 million after two weeks in release. Zac Efron stars in the film about a 37-year-old who gets to relive his past as a 17-year-old.

Joe Wright's "The Soloist," the weekend's third major release, finished fourth with a daily gross of $3.2 million. Robert Downey Jr. stars as a newspaper columnist building a special friendship with a homeless musician (Jamie Foxx).

Meanwhile, Disney Nature's "Earth," which opened Wednesday, took home $2.9 million for a domestic total of $8.5 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

Movie Review: “Fighting”

Friday, April 24, 2009 at 3:42PM | By

Seen on: April 24, 2009

The players: Director: Dito Montiel, Writers: Dito Montiel, Robert Munic, Cast: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Zulay Henao, Michael Rivera, Luis Guzman

Facts of interest: Montiel also helmed "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints."

The plot: Channing Tatum plays a poor chap who gets a shot at a bunch of money by diving into the world of underground street fighting.

Our thoughts: In Dito Montiel’s latest directorial effort “Fighting,” Channing Tatum plays Shawn MacArthur, a poor small-town guy who’s now living in New York City but clearly has a hard time getting by. In other words, he spends his days selling fake crap on the sidewalk…

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Friday

24Apr2009

'Fighting' web reviews

Friday, April 24, 2009 at 8:13AM | By

Directed by Dito Montiel, "Fighting" follows a struggling young man whose life abruptly changes when he enters the world of underground street fighting. Channing Tatum, Terence Howard and Zulay Henao star, and here is what some of the Web's critics have to say about the film:

• CinemaBlend's Katey Rich: "Stuck between the aggressively dumb and violent and movie its audience might be expecting and the subtle, tender movie Montiel seems to be aiming for, Fighting never quite finds its groove, though there will probably be plenty of audiences willing to show up to watch Tatum slam another guy into a marble floor."

• LatinoReview's George Roush: "I went into this movie thinking I'd see a whole gauntlet of cool fights and tough struggles with just enough scenes for fighter/trainer development, but I didn't."

• RopeOfSilicon's Brad Brevet: "The only thing Fighting is missing is a half-naked street brawl in the pouring rain with Missy Elliott rapping over Timbaland beats, an idea that would have actually been welcome considering the mess this film is."

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Monday

20Apr2009

This week's new movie releases - April 24, 2009

Monday, April 20, 2009 at 5:50PM | By

This week, we're looking at four wide releases: Joe Wright's "The Soloist" with Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx; Steve Shill's "Obsessed" with Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larter; "Fighting" with Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard; and Disney's documentary "Earth," which starts Wednesday:

THE SOLOIST

Synopsis: In "The Soloist," an emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music, journalist Steve Lopez discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives.

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Tuesday

24Mar2009

What to expect at the movies in April '09

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 9:07PM | By

This year's March at the movies has been a lot better than January and February, and while I still ended up seeing quite a bunch of weak flicks this month, I feel things are slowly improving. Well, April is coming up fast, and here is a brief look at what you can expect in theaters over the next 30 days.

The first weekend in April doesn't look that bad, primarily because I'm really excited to check out Greg Mottola's latest comedy "Adventureland." In the film, Jesse Eisenberg plays a college grad who takes on a job at a local amusement park. The trailer looks hilarious, the cast sounds great too, and with "Superbad," Mottola already proved he's capable of delivering top-notch comedy.

Also opening April 3 is Justin Lin's anticipated sequel "Fast & Furious," starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. I'm not sure they'll be able to reboot this franchise with style, but the recent trailers and TV spots at least promise plenty of explosive car action. That's what this is all about anyway, right?

Trailer radar: 'Fighting'

Friday, January 9, 2009 at 3:57PM | By

Dito Montiel, director of "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," returns with "Fighting," an action drama starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.

In the film, Tatum stars as Shawn, a poor dude selling counterfeit stuff on the streets of New York. But when he meets scam artist Harvey, his life takes a drastic turn.

Offered a ton of money for competing in dangerous streetfights, Shawn quickly rises to fame in this corrupt underworld, a place that will push him to his limits and show him that the life he's been looking for isn't all that glamorous.

Looking at this first trailer for the film, I don't know exactly what to think about this. Will it work as a decent drama, or is it just another brainless fight flick like "Never Back Down."?

We'll see when the film opens April 24, 2009. And by the way, this title sucks, right?

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