Weekend Box Office Numbers December 3rd-5th

By: Robert Acosta

December is here and while November brought good money to a lot of movies, mostly Harry Potter, I don't see many movies making over $100 million this month. Actually I only see one movie doing it and that would be Tron: Legacy.

Tron: Legacy will be out in a couple weeks but until then, let's see what this past weekend brought us:

1. Tangled   $21.5 Million
2. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1   $16.7 Million
3. Unstoppable   $6.1 Million
4. Burlesque   $6.1 Million
5. Love and Other Drugs   $5.7 Million
6. Megamind   $5 Million
7. Due Date   $4.2 Million
8. Faster   $3.8 Million
9. The Warriors Way   $3.1 Million
10. The Next Three Days   $2.7 Million

In a slight surprise, Harry Potter is in 2nd place this week. I thought with no real new release to threaten Harry Potter, it would surely grab the top spot  for at least one more week. In this case, Tangled, which nearly beat out Harry Potter for #1 last week, gets the last laugh this week.

The only new release we saw this week was The Warriors Way, and that only made a bit over $3 Million. 

Nothing too notable from this weeks list. Next week we see The Chronicles of Narnia with its next film in the series and an interesting, yet horrible placed, thriller in The Tourist. I definitely expect both to be in the top 5 next week, with Narnia maybe taking the top spot.

The Spot News: Singer Looking At Young Men For His Giant

Bryan Singer Is Looking For Young Actors To Star In Giant Killer

By Jose

*yeah I know bad joke but considering the rumors of Bryan Singers methods of casting movies I couldn't resist

JACK THE GIANT KILLER is gearing up and Singer is meeting with a collection of Hollywood's young men about the possibility of starring in his film. Singer is looking at Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Hoult, and Aneurin Barnard to play his main hero of the film. While Adelaide Kane, Lily Collins and Juno Temple are up for the role of the princess.

The Spot News: Throwing Out The Dead

Frank Darabont Fired The Walking Dead Writers

By Jose

According to Deadline, Frank Darabont has fired all of the staff writers attached to season one and is looking to press ahead with season two without any. This doesn’t mean he’ll be writing every script himself – though, given the time to do so properly, I’m sure he’d do a wonderful job. Instead, he seems interested in getting scripts the way that, for example, Doctor Who does.
This entails hiring a series of freelancers and tasking them with the writing of their own episode, in isolation, away from any writer’s room. There’s a possibility that staff writers from last time will be re-employed as freelancers.

Robert Kirkman the creator of the comic is rumored to be writing an episode or two for next season.

Source: Deadline, Bleedingcool.com

The Spot New: Paul Dano Going For A Loop

Paul Dano To Join Willis, Gordon-Levitt, and Blunt in Looper

By Jose

Looper is a crime thriller with a scifi twist and an exciting cast to boot. Writer-director Rian Johnson (Brick and The Brothers Bloom) has already signed Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt to this tale of present-day hitmen whose victims are selected by a crime syndicate that exists in the future. Variety announced today an addition to the cast, Paul Dano, who will join Gordon-Leavett as a Looper, the name for the assassins who can commit the perfect crime.
The Playlist has revealed that Dano will play Seth, a character that is pivotal despite being confined to the first act of the film. Dano, well-known from There Will Be Blood, most recently appeared in Knight and Day and will be seen next year in another highly anticipated movie that mixes its genres, Jon Favreau’s Cowboys and Aliens. Gordon-Levitt’s Looper is called Joe and, perhaps hinting at a twist or two, Bruce Willis plays Joe as an older man.
Filming on Looper is set to start in New Orleans, Louisiana, early in 2011. The release date has yet to be set.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/12/01/paul-dano-to-join-willis-gordon-levitt-and-blunt-in-johnsons-scifi-thriller-looper/


Source: Bleedingcool.com

The Spot News: Final Knight

The Next Batman Film Will Be Nolan's Last

Director Christopher Nolan confirmed the film will be the last "Batman" film he makes. There is already speculation that Warner Bros will continue the tone of the cycle or deviate entirely an resurrect the "Superman/Batman" concept. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Indiewire's Anne Thompson reports Nolan confirmed Tom Hardy's place in the film, but not who he will play. "[He has] key role, not saying good or bad," said the director. Nolan, along with the stars of "Inception," appeared at an industry function promoting the home video release of that film.

The Spot News: The Return Of Joker?

Is Heath Ledger Going To Return As Joker?

By Jose

This is an old rumor to come up again. Chris Nolan is considering the use of unused footage from The Dark Knight in The Dark Knight Rises, giving Heath Ledger another big screen outing in the guise of The Joker. They do stress that there is only a “snippet” of film up for possible use and that the appearance of The Joker would only be “fleeting”, as well as pledging that the approval of Ledger’s family will be sought.

But an update the The Hollywood Reporter who has spoken with Emma Thomas, Nolan’s partner in life as well as movie producing, and offer the following quote:
"I heard the rumor. We’re not doing that."

Now I would not mind to have some sort of nod or small homage to Heath Ledger/Joker in the next Batman film. But if it would be added for the sake of adding it then don't do it.

The Spot News: Kellan Lutz Is Bourne

Kellan Lutz Wants To Be The New Bourne

By Jose

Here's what Kellan Lutz had to say to the NYPost.

"I want to be the Matt Damon of my generation. Someone who can do a serious drama and then a really funny movie like “The Informant" and then kick some butt in The Bourne franchise. I want to get my hands on something like that because I’m very athletic, I love action movies – I love those real world action heroes. I look up to Matt Damon’s career. He’s a very intelligent actor and person. I try and study what he does.

(About Bourne) I have been throwing many hats into that ring. I’ve had a couple great meetings and it’s something I’m really pushing for as much as I can. That's one role I want. I want it baaaad."

He has the look and body to pull off a action movie star. Matt Damon didn't have to "act" that much in the other Bourne films so I don't see a problem with going with Lutz. Especially if he can bring his Twilight audience to bump up box office.

Black Swan Review

By: Robert Acosta

Cast:
Natalie Portman as Nina
Mila Kunis as Lilly
Vincent Cassel as Thomas
Winona Ryder as Beth

Plot: A ballerina, Nina, lands the biggest role of her life as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. Though landing that role changes her life, she has to deal with the struggles and immense pressures of the role.

Review: I don't know too many people are fans of ballet, be it dancing it or watching others dance. Black Swan kind of makes ballet interesting but more so, it tells an extremely good story that everyone can relate to in some way.

Black Swan follows a dancer, Nina, who has worked hard and struggled to make an impact. She finally lands the role that is going to take her to the next level, the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. What she doesn't realize is that there is a great amount of pressure and paranoia awaiting her, that takes form in a couple ways.

Natalie Portman, who i've always been fond of, puts on a performance of a lifetime. She embodies the role fully and it comes off as more than believable, which is exactly the performance that we should in all movies by all actors/actresses.

Her counterpart, Mila Kunis as Lilly, is just as convincing. When I mentioned above that the pressure and paranoia of the character Nina comes in a couple ways, Lilly is one of them. Or so it seems. Black Swan can come off as confusing as hell but when you sit with it, it may become clearer. As I have it, Nina only thought Lilly was after her role because she was feeling the pressure of it. But because Mila Kunis plays the role very deviously, you honestly believe Lilly is out to get Nina. So as I have it, Nina literally imagined most, if not all of  Lillys wrong doings. It gets confusing.

The story is one of the better ones from this year and definitely even of recent years. It's a story of perseverance, hard work, control and obsession. Nina had to persevere all of her crazy imaginings and her obsessive mother who lives her ambitions through her daughter.

The one thing that may hold it back is the fact that it loses some slight unique points. The director Darren Aronofsky shot it the exact way he shot his last classic, The Wrestler. So every times he shoots a special movie, he's going to shoot it the exact same way? Not that it hurts the overall movie, but people who saw The Wrestler will catch on, and may not be as impressed.

Overall, Black Swan is a classic movie. Will it be brought to wide release anytime soon? I don't know yet but when I find out, you'll be the first to know. This is a movie you don't want to miss out on.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

December Movie Releases/2011 is knocking on the door

By: Robert Acosta

See my little buddy up there? He's going to do what most of you should do this month. Instead of going to the movies(to see what?!), just relax.

We are now one month away from 2011! 2011, the year that is shaping up to blow this year out of the water! In terms of movies anyway.

So enough with the facts. Ok, let me add one more, kind of, fact. December has never been a strong month of movies. One big releases, maybe none. It's a filler month, a month just to fit in movies that couldn't come out earlier in the year.

This year, we do see one big release, if we can even call it that.

NOTE: (x)=Limited Releases

December 3rd

• The Warriors Way
• Black Swan(x; Dec 1st)
• I Love You Phillip Morris(x)
• All Good Things

December 10th

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Fighter
• The Tourist
• The Tempest(x)

December 17th

• Tron: Legacy
• Yogi Bear
• How Do You Know
• Rabbit Hole(x)
• And Soon the Darkness(x)

December 22nd

• Gulliver's Travels
• Little Fockers
• True Grit
• Somewhere(x)

December 29th

• The Debt
• Biutiful(x)
• Blue Valentine(x; Dec 31st)

See what I mean?

You know a month has a bunch of shitty offerings when you want to see the limited release movies more than the wide releases.

For the first week of December, if you can, go see Black Swan. It is a tremendous movie, that is both creepy and effective in its message. I Love You, Phillip Morris features two very recognizable names in Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in a romantic comedy. 

For me, The Chronicles of Narnia series has never been too high on my list. I'd still rather watch it over any movies in the Twilight Series but still. The Narnia series is pretty boring and probably nothing like the books portray. The Fighter on the other hand, could be alright. The Story of retired boxer, Micky Ward. Hell, I never really knew he had a great struggle to get to the top but it seems very interesting.

We get to the only big release of the month in the 3rd week of December when Tron: Legacy hits. The movie has received a substantial amount of hype, though it looks well deserved. It looks beautiful, looks like a good action movie but i'm still on the fence on how good Tron could be. Then we have Yogi Bear coming to the big screen in what will probably be a bust. Yogi fans must avoid. 

Finally, we have December 22nd, which just looks crap after crap to me. I hope that Gulliver's Travels does not kill the career of either Jack Black or Jason Segal but damn, it just looks terrible. Thrown in the mix of that week is True Grit, the horribly placed Western movie. Not that western movies are completely dead but, in recent memory, they've mostly sucked. The cherry on top of it all is Little Fockers. The unnecessary, unwanted 3rd movie in the Focker series. See why December just sucks?

DVD Releases November 30th

By: Robert Acosta

We look to end November on a high note with this weeks DVD releases. The holidays are here and the shopping season is in full swing, so let's start shopping for loved ones and get them movies!

Now, let's check out what comes out this week that you could grab:
NOTE: Bold means DVD is also available in Blu-Ray

• Knight and Day
• The Sorcerers Apprentice
• Going the Distance
• Vampires Suck
• Fantasia/Fantasia 2000(Special Edition)
• Meet the Parents
• Meet the Fockers
• Parks and Recreations(Season 2)

Is there much here to really get excited about? Ehh not really.

Knight and Day was an expected, and did, bust in both quality and box office numbers so why would the DVD even matter to you?

Sorcerers Apprentice was a solid movie, had its moments of slight action and comedy, still only just a solid movie.

I've heard good things about Going the Distance, a nice romantic comedy that seems like it underachieved. Out of everything this week, this could be the safer bet.

Finally, Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers make their debut on Blu-Ray. Meet the Parents is by all accounts, the funnier movie and better movie. I think, you can't go too wrong with picking up either of the movies.

Next week we have a Twilight movie coming to DVD(Actually Saturday) and possibly the best movie of the year comes out on DVD.