film criticism by maryann johanson, not an AI | since 1997
While crazy cops and zombie farmers do well, too: 1. Shutter Island: $22.7 million (2nd week; drops 45%) 2. Cop Out: $18.2 million (NEW) 3. The Crazies: $16.1 million (NEW) 4. Avatar: $13.7 million 5. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: $9.6 million (3rd week; drops 37%) actual numbers, not estimates Over its … more…
Biggest ever for both star DiCaprio and director Scorsese: 1. Shutter Island: $41.1 million (NEW) 2. Valentine’s Day: $16.7 million (2nd week; drops 70%) 3. Avatar: $16.2 million 4. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: $15.3 million (2nd week; drops 51%) 5. The Wolfman: $9.9 million (2nd week; drops 69%) actual numbers, not … more…
Surely I am not the only dork who, upon seeing a picture of the new observation module astronauts just installed on the International Space Station, thought, “Holy crap, they turned the ISS into a TIE fighter!” And I thought that was pretty nerdy. But it’s not much compared to the lengths some film geeks will … more…
If the weekend box office estimates hold once the final numbers are released later today, it looks like Shutter Island earned a little over $40 million since it opened on Friday. That estimate would have to shift downward by more than $10 million — which won’t happen, of course; estimates aren’t usually off by more … more…
Every week my browser gets cluttered up with tabs for stuff that I stumble across and figure I might be able to use as a Question of the Day or a WTF Thought for the Day or grist for some other post. And inevitably, I end the week with most of that material unused. But … more…
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but they won’t let you of the special hospital without a good reason. But you can have a multiplex-like experience right in your room with a collection of the right DVDs. And when someone asks you on Monday, “Hey, did you … more…
If what I think is happening here, is happening here, it better not be…
When I posted the trailer for Shutter Island (opens in the U.S. and Canada on February 19, and in the U.K. on March 12) back in June of last year, the film was scheduled to open in October. That release date got pushed back, and I thought that at some point between then and now, … more…
As of this writing, 8 movies will open wide in North America in the month of February. Which means that even if you’re an active moviegoer and see a movie each week, you’ve still gotta pick and choose (and it’s even worse if you’re in a city on the arthouse circuit, but let’s not make … more…
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… If it were any other director, I’d say, “Well, they just gave away the whole movie. Of course Leo’s gonna escape from the island.” But with Scorsese, I’m not so sure. And it’s not just Scorsese, either. This is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, who … more…
