I have to say, when I saw the trailers for Jon M. Chu's Crazy Rich Asians (based on Kevin Kwan's novel of the same name), I wasn't really sure what to expect. The first time I see any given trailer, I tend to take in more of the overall tone and atmosphere than anything else... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: December 25, 1993 Production budget: $35,100,000 Worldwide gross: $70,172,621 For those who might not be aware, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were a common theatrical comedy duo, much like the pairings of Don Knotts and Tim Conway, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, or Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Their first movie... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: July 17, 2009 Production budget: $7,500,000 Worldwide gross: $60,722,734 It's hard to believe that (500) Days of Summer is now over nine years old (that's 3,304 days of (500) Days of Summer, to be exact). Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, the film was the first to be directed by Marc... Continue Reading →
Back in November, I watched the original Mamma Mia! film for the first time for a #ThrowbackThursday column that basically everyone ignored (but you can read it, now, by clicking here). That was good timing as I didn't even realize that this sequel was on the way, meaning my homework was already done for its... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: October 4, 1951 Production budget: $2,724,000 Worldwide gross: $6,981,000 (I'm trying another true classic, this week. The last time I did a movie such as this one, it was Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and it went entirely ignored for over a full year (you can find that column here). If... Continue Reading →
This one has been on my radar for a while, now. Having first been released about a month ago, it's been slowly expanding around the country and finally made its way within reasonable driving distance. The trailer came off as powerful and affecting and what genuine film lover can resist the tag team of Rachel... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: December 12, 2003 Production budget: $17,461,000 Worldwide gross: $31,466,789 Based on Tracy Chevalier's novel of the same name, Girl with a Pearl Earring had a rather tumultuous journey to the big screen - far more tumultuous than is typical for low-budget independent Oscar bait such as this. Originally, Mike Newell was slated... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: November 12, 2008 Production budget: $15,000,000 Worldwide gross: $377,910,544 For the second time in three weeks, we have an Academy Award Best Picture winner as the focus of #ThrowbackThursday. Two weeks ago, I featured the 2007 winner in Martin Scorsese's The Departed. This week's featured film, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire won the trophy... Continue Reading →
From director Scott Speer comes teen romance Midnight Sun. Targeting the same audiences as films such as the Twilight series and heartbreakers like Me Before You, the film spotlights a pair of fresh faces in the form of up-and-comers Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger (the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, though he kind of looks like... Continue Reading →
As Black Panther continues to dominate the box office and resonate with audiences all around the world, there's little question that its monumental success is largely rooted in its appeal to the underserved African-American audience. Their culture and heritage is presented on screen in a major blockbuster film in a way that no one has ever... Continue Reading →
The Movie March! 