The Screening Log - blogging film

Weekend of August 21 – 23, 2009: The 'Basterds' rule them all...

Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” stormed the North American box office and secured the No. 1 spot this weekend with an estimated $37.6 million in ticket sales, the biggest opening for a Tarantino film.

“Basterds” opened at 3,165 locations, scoring a solid average of $11,881 per theater. In the R-rated WWII drama, Brad Pitt stars as Lt. Aldo Raine, who assembles a gang of Jewish soldiers making it their mission to kill every Nazi they encounter on their way to Paris.

At No. 2, Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi action thriller “District 9” delivered another strong performance, bagging $18.9 million for a domestic total of $73.4 million after only a little more than one week in release.

Print Article tagged

G-Force,

Inglourious Basterds,

The Time Traveler's Wife,

Post Grad,

Shorts,

X-Games 3D: The Movie in

Box Office,

News

Sunday

16Aug2009

Box Office: 'District 9' scores big with $37M

Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 1:14PM | By

Weekend of August 14 – 16, 2009: Alien spectacle defeats time travel romance

Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi action spectacle “District 9” flew past its competition to the top spot at the North American box office this weekend with $37 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Pulling strong reviews, the Peter Jackson-produced film scored a solid average of $12,135 per theater at 3,049 locations. “District 9” is set in a world where unwelcomed aliens are living as refugees in slump-like conditions on Earth.

Print Article tagged

Bandslam,

The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard,

Ponyo,

Box Office,

News

Saturday

15Aug2009

'District 9' destroys competition at Friday box office

Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 5:22PM | By

The badass marketing campaign and awesome reviews for "District 9" really worked, because Neill Blomkamp's excellent sci-fi thriller landed at the top spot at the North American box office Friday with an estimated $14.2 million. That's not a bad launch for the film.

Playing at 3,049 locations, "District 9" is set in a world where aliens are living as refugees on Earth in slump-like conditions. The Peter Jackson-produced action film doesn't have any big names attached to it, but glorious reviews and a lot of buzz gave it the necessary boost to storm the box office.

Also opening this weekend is Robert Schwentke's romance "The Time Traveler's Wife," which debuted at No. 2 Friday with a daily gross of $7.7 million. Starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, the film follows a man who involuntarily travels through time and tries to maintain a romantic relationship with a woman.

Print Article tagged

Bandslam,

G-Force,

The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard,

Ponyo,

Box Office,

News

Friday

14Aug2009

Movie Review: “The Time Traveler’s Wife”

Friday, August 14, 2009 at 9:39PM | By

Seen on: August 14, 2009

The players: Director: Robert Schwentke, Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin, Cast: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean, Arliss Howard

Facts of interest: Based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger.

The plot: The film chronicles the love story between a young woman and a man who involuntarily travels through time.

Our thoughts: Even though I really tried to make it last a bit, my interest in Robert Schwentke’s big-screen romance “The Time Traveler’s Wife” almost disappeared as quickly as Eric Bana does in the film. I know it can be tough to take a movie like this one seriously in the first place, but I definitely tried. Alas, what I got in return almost wasn’t worth my time at all…

1 Comment |

Print Article tagged

Novel,

Theatrical

Tuesday

11Aug2009

This week's new movie releases - August 14, 2009

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 1:03AM | By

This week, we're looking at five wide releases: Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi spectacle "District 9," "Bandslam" with Vanessa Hudgens, "The Time Traveler's Wife" with Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" with Jeremy Piven, and Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo":

DISTRICT 9

Synopsis: Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world.The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them.

The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard,

Print Article tagged

Ponyo,

Other

Monday

03Aug2009

What to expect at the movies in August '09

Monday, August 3, 2009 at 10:28AM | By

August of 2009 has arrived, and it will be quite the busy movie month. July was not a bad month, and although some films really disappointed me, others definitely kept me entertained. But hey, that's a thing of the past now. Let's look at what this year's August has in store for us hungry moviegoers:

The first weekend of the month is certainly action-packed, as Stephen Sommers' "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" rolls onto the big screen. I've heared it's silly but wildly amusing, and hey, sometimes, that's exactly what I'm looking for in a summer flick. Plus, it's got Sienna Miller kicking butt and wearing ridiculously tight costumes, so, what more could you want?

Also opening on the 7th is "Julie & Julia," a comedy with the great Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, who already proved they've got what it takes to star in a film together. For those prefering something more intense than a bunch of cooking/life lessons, this weekend's also got "A Perfect Getaway" lined up, a thriller with Milla Jovovich. Does that one get me excited? Not so much.

1 Comment |

Print Article tagged

Halloween 2,

Inglourious Basterds,

Taking Woodstock,

The Final Destination,

Other

Friday

12Jun2009

'The Time Traveler's Wife' trailer appears

Friday, June 12, 2009 at 10:53PM | By

Here's the trailer for Robert Schwentke's upcoming romantic drama "The Time Traveler's Wife," based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger.

Eric Bana stars as Henry, a time traveler cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control.

Despite the fact that Henry's travels force him and his love Clare (Rachel McAdams) apart with no warning, she desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.

I haven't read the book and don't know what to expect, but the trailer does look interesting. I'm all for tearjerkers as long as they carry solid characters and a strong plot. Enjoy the preview below.

1 Comment |

Print Article tagged