film criticism by maryann johanson | celebrating 25 years: 1997–2022
green light (definitely check it out): The Edge of Love: I saw this on the plane going to England last fall. Good stuff about Dylan Thomas — it’s got Keira Knightley and everything! [Amazon U.S.] [now available at Amazon U.K.] Mad Men: Season 2: Funny how it makes the 60s look cool and stylish and … more…
The tweens have spoken, again: 1. 17 Again: $23.7 million (NEW) 2. State of Play: $14 million (NEW) 3. Hannah Montana: The Movie: $13.4 million (2nd week; drops 59%) 4. Monsters vs. Aliens: $13.2 million (4th week; drops 39%) 5. Fast & Furious: $11.8 million (3rd week; drops 57%) actual numbers, not estimates I said … more…
Ahhh! It’s a giant 3D movie! 1. Monsters vs. Aliens: £4.3 million (NEW) 2. The Boat That Rocked: £1.8 million (NEW) 3. Knowing: £.97 million (2nd week; drops 61%) 4. Marley & Me: £.82 million (4th week; drops 51%) 5. The Haunting in Connecticut: £.75 million (2nd week; drops 33%) (actual numbers, not estimates) I … more…
Cars go vroom: 1. Fast & Furious: $71 million (NEW) 2. Monsters vs. Aliens: $32.6 million (2nd week; drops 45%) 3. The Haunting in Connecticut: $9.5 million (2nd week; drops 59%) 4. Knowing: $8.1 million (3rd week; drops 45%) 5. I Love You, Man: $7.7 million (3rd week; drops 39%) actual numbers, not estimates I’ve … more…
The end of the world is always good for box-office business: 1. Knowing: £2.5 million (NEW) 2. Marley & Me: £1.7 million (3rd week; drops 2%) 3. The Haunting in Connecticut: £1.1 million (NEW) 4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop: £1 million (2nd week; drops 21%) 5. The Damned United: £.6 million (NEW) (actual numbers, not … more…
People like cartoons: 1. Monsters vs. Aliens: $59.3 million (NEW) 2. The Haunting in Connecticut: $23 million (NEW) 3. Knowing: $14.7 million (2nd week; drops 40%) 4. I Love You, Man: $12.7 million (2nd week; drops 29%) 5. Duplicity: $7.7 million (2nd week; drops 45%) actual numbers, not estimates MvA enjoyed the third biggest opener … more…
It’s almost impossible not to be sympathetic to any character Virginia Madsen (The Number 23) plays, she’s so irresistibly likeable a screen presence, but that gets tried sorely in this rote haunted-house flick, which telegraphs its obvious scares, even the ones it has shamelessly stolen from far superior scary movies. The year is 1987, and … more…
Ai-ya, as the Chinese say. I’ve been dealing with something over the last 24 hours that I may or may not be able to tell you about eventually, but it has been eating my brain, not to mention my time. And I’m also contending with a non-movie-related project — due on Friday! — that is … more…
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… The message: Don’t sleep in the basement! Oh, you know, why don’t the dead just die already? Don’t they know they’re really pissing us off? Also: Connecticut? So not scary. Unless your talking about real estate prices in Greenwich. The Haunting in Connecticut opens in the U.S. … more…
