Television trailers: AMC's THE WALKING DEAD Season 2 |
Written by USTownhall staff
|
Sunday, 31 July 2011 13:28 |
AMC's hit television series The Walking Dead returns for its second season on Sunday, October 16, 2011.
|
Review: SECRET AGENT CORRIGAN vol. 2 |
Written by Scott Katz
|
Thursday, 16 June 2011 00:00 |
Now this is what adventure looks like!
Like a well-deserved left cross to the kisser, the stories presented in X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan, volume 2 (of a projected five volumes) satisfy on a visceral, straight-to-the-point level. In each arc of the classic newspaper comic, which in this volume first saw print between September 1969 and April 1972, a week's worth of strips is used for set up, and then it's full steam ahead as the action plays out in brisk fashion over the next two-and-a-half to three months. Secret Agent Corrigan is unadorned meat-and-potatoes adventure so in terms of plotting, there isn't really any new ground covered here. We have the usual hallmarks of the genre: women kidnapped, guy gets mixed up with the mob/syndicate, people staging their own kidnapping or attempts on their lives for personal gain only to have it backfire, hero gets mixed up in political hotspots around the world, and the like. However, a master storyteller like Archie Goodwin, the writer on the series from 1967 to 1980, knows why these plots work and exploits them to their fullest potential in the limited space available to him. If you're a fan of those great half-hour television dramas of the 1950s – such as Dangerous Assignment or Patrick McGoohan's Danger Man – you will love Corrigan.
In the best tradition of the iconic newspaper adventure strips, Goodwin's laconic FBI agent Phil Corrigan muscles his way balls-first into one deadly situation after another propelled by pure testosterone and the desire to get the job done. He's a guy's guy in a way that seems quaintly retro when contrasted to the way men are depicted in the media today, but Corrigan's uncomplicated sense of himself is very refreshing because of it. Goodwin's stories are elevated to a new level by his collaborator Al Williamson, an illustrator squarely in the Alex Raymond tradition of more realistic figure drawing.
It must have been quite a daunting task to follow in the footsteps of two legendary creators of genre fiction, but that is exactly what Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson set out to do when they took over this classic comic strip which began life under the name Secret Agent X-9.
|
Above: strip from September 4, 1969, "Prince Kasim" storyline [Image provided by The Library of American Comics]
|
Secret Agent X-9 began publication as a daily newsapaper comic strip on January 22, 1934 and lasted until February 10, 1996. What makes X-9 stand out from among the many other action-adventure comic strips that populated the newspapers back in the 1930s was its pedigree. The creators of X-9 were no less than Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond. Hammett is widely recognized as one of the progenitors of the genre of hard-boiled detective fiction. Athough he wrote only five novels, Hammett's influence is far-reaching as his works – which include the creation of Sam Spade for The Maltese Falcon and Nick and Nora Charles for The Thin Man – have been adapted to film and television numerous times over the decades and are known worldwide. The artist on the strip Alex Raymond is no less a luminary in his own right being the creator of the seminal space fantasy comic strip
Flash Gordon. Interestingly, Raymond's Flash Gordon and Hammett's Thin Man novel saw print on January 7 and January 8, 1934 respectively – a scant two weeks earlier than their collaboration on Secret Agent X-9 – quite an historic month for the two! However, in spite of the talent of the creators involved, the strip was not a big hit for them and both left after about a year.
X-9 continued through the decades in the hands of several creators, most notably artist Mel Graff who drew the strip for about 20 years and gave X-9 his real name of Phil Corrigan.
When Goodwin and Williamson took over in 1967, they brought a pedigree of their own. Al Williamson made his mark as artist on some of the most notable comic magazines of all time including EC's Weird Science and Weird Fantasy as well as Creepy and Eerie, the flagship magazines of EC's spiritual successor Warren Publishing. Archie Goodwin is recognized in the comics industry as being one of the finest writers and editors that the medium has ever produced. Like Williamson, Goodwin made his reputation at Warren's Creepy and Eerie, but as head writer and editor. For Marvel Comics, Goodwin served a short stint as Editor-in-Chief during the 1970s and later inaugurated the Epic Comics line which was Marvel's creator-owned imprint. For DC Comics, Goodwin wrote or edited a number of Batman-related projects and created the 1970s Manhunter character who appeared in a classic serialized story in Detective Comics with art by Walt Simonson.
|
Above: Williamson's expert use of black & white on display in sequence from March 7, 1972 during the "Doctor Seven Returns" storyline. [Image provided by The Library of American Comics] |
So do the talents of Goodwin and Williamson compare favorably with X-9's creators Hammett and Raymond? It's almost blasphemous to say this, but in some regards, they actually exceed them. Hammett's dialogue has more wit of course, but Goodwin's pacing is superb, and he manages to maintain an ever-present sense of tense urgency throughout the stories. In reading the 280 pages of stories that comprise this volume, one continually feels swept up in a tornado of gunplay, fists, leaps, and one death-defying scenario after another. Goodwin's terse dialogue and quick cuts are at times too good – you have to force yourself to slow down to admire the crisp, drool-worthy black-and-white art of Al Williamson – but don't fail to do so. Williamson is a master craftsman who lays out the breathless action to perfection and excels at balancing light and dark in each panel in order to create convincing depth and texture. He is an illustrator in the classic sense in that he brings all his considerable skills to the forefront in service of the story rather than resorting to over-obvious flash that only serves to call attention to the artist at the story's expense. Aspiring artists, and quite frankly, many of today's top comic book artists, will find a lot to learn here from basic figure rendering to advanced composition and layout. As a team, Goodwin and Williamson mesh flawlessly. They are clearly of one mind working toward a common goal: delivering a narrative gut punch – a giddy thrill ride of action, excitement, narrow escapes, exotic locales, and femme fatales.
The eleven capers presented in X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan volume 2 are as follows (unofficial story titles provided by us for convenience):
- "Prince Kasim" - Corrigan's wife Wilda is kidnapped by Prince Kasim of the Middle Eastern nation of Turistan to be his wife as he ascends to the throne.
- "Byron Jagger" - Spy novelist Jagger tries to goose sales of his book by faking attempts on his life and saying they're the work of Cain, a notorious spy thought dead who Jagger claims is still alive. Turns out Jagger is correct, and Cain decides to silence the writer for real.
- "Clete Bowman" - Bowman decides to give up his failed acting career for a shot at real money by becoming a courier for an espionage ring trafficking in stolen defense plans.
- "Gorstrom" - Big game hunter and syndicate bigwig Gorstrom hunts the biggest game of all on his private Caribbean island – Phil Corrigan, who is playing bodyguard to government witness Karen Holt.
- "Charlene Amberson" - Rich girl Amberson arranges her own kidnapping to score some cash to run away with the guy her father disapproves of. The ruse turns deadly when the couple's cohort decides to make the kidnapping real.
- "Jonas Branveldt" - Corrigan heads to the South American jungle of Arumba to find the notes of presumed-dead Dr. Branveldt who made a discovery that could make atomic weapons obsolete. What he finds is a very much alive Branveldt along with a lost valley unchanged since the Mesozoic era filled with danger – and dinosaurs! Exceedingly entertaining story with page after page of bravura Williamson art.
- "Doctor Seven" - Corrigan meets recurring enemy Dr. Seven and his henchwoman Lushan for the first time as our FBI guy gets loaned out to the CIA to track down US space satellites knocked out of orbit and brought to the nation of Kalipur.
- "R. Barcroft Baxter" - Movie producer Baxter seeks to undermine Galaxy Studios head Kay Stirling in order to take over the company and run it as a syndicate-controlled enterprise.
- "General Drax" - Corrigan is assigned to bodyguard Drax, the dictator of Balkania under threat of assassination, as he prepares to address the United Nations.
- "Jonas Garth" - Corrigan heads to the African nation of Ukhari on the trail of Jonas Garth, a treasure hunter who is wanted for murder back in the States.
- "Doctor Seven Returns" - Blamed for Corrigan's defeat of Dr. Seven, Lushan trades information about Seven's next scheme for Corrigan's protection.
Once again, The Library of American Comics has outdone itself on this compilation using thick matte paper for the best combination of readability and durability. An essay by Goodwin's wife Anne T. Murphy opens the book with insights into Archie and Al both individually and as creative partners. The strips themselves were reprinted from Al Williamson's personal proofs provided by his wife Cori, and are of uniformly excellent quality resulting in the definitive showcase for what is considered to be the last great action-adventure newspaper strip. A must-buy for any lover of American newspaper comic strips.
|
Weekend Box Office Summer 2011 |
Written by USTownhall staff
|
Sunday, 08 May 2011 20:21 |
Summer movie season officially kicked off on Friday, May 6, 2011, and we'll be bringing you the actual box office results for the domestic market (USA+Canada) each Monday in an easy-to-read chart. Which will be the hits, and which will be the bombs? Follow your favorite movies throughout the summer and see whether they live up to box office expectations.
SEPTEMBER 2-5, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
The Help
(Disney)
|
$19,881,571 |
+36.8% |
$124,272,124 |
In this final weekend of the summer movie season, The Help surges almost 37% to capture the top spot for a third straight week. This uniquely American tale isn't really translating overseas, but its bargain-priced $25 million budget has been recouped a few times over anyway.
|
2 |
The Debt
(Focus Features)
|
$12,851,600 |
debut |
$14,753,014 |
|
3 |
Apollo 18
(Weinstein/Dimension)
|
$10,705,556 |
debut |
$10,705,556 |
|
4 |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
|
$10,325,485 |
+16.4% |
$162,550,178 |
|
5 |
Shark Night 3D
(Relativity)
|
$10,126,458 |
debut |
$10,126,458 |
It's got sharks. It's got 3D. It just doesn't have an audience. Along with Judy Moody, Relativity chalks up another bomb in this bummer summer.
|
6 |
Columbiana
(TriStar)
|
$9,570,213 |
-8.1% |
$24,132,335 |
|
7 |
Our Idiot Brother
(Weinstein Company)
|
$7,038,249 |
+0.4% |
$17,273,593 |
|
8 |
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
(Weinstein/Dimension)
|
$6,801,885 |
+13.2% |
$31,201,190 |
|
9 |
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(FilmDistrict)
|
$6,382,227 |
-25.1% |
$17,822,416 |
|
10 |
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
|
$5,724,093 |
+20.4% |
$133,676,705 |
|
11 |
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
|
$4,261,090 |
+37.1% |
$75,464,794 |
|
12 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$3,401,110 |
+32.6% |
$375,552,093 |
We were wrong. Potter logs yet another week in the top 12 thanks to the four-day weekend.
|
AUGUST 26-28, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
The Help
(Disney)
|
$14,536,118 |
-27.4% |
$96,833,423 |
Great word of mouth continues and The Help has the smallest drop in the top 10 allowing it to remain on top and hold off three new releases.
|
2 |
Columbiana
(TriStar)
|
$10,408,176 |
debut |
$10,408,176 |
|
3 |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
|
$8,867,741 |
-45.0% |
$148,674,018 |
|
4 |
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(FilmDistrict)
|
$8,525,728 |
debut |
$8,525,728 |
|
5 |
Our Idiot Brother
(Weinstein Company)
|
$7,011,631 |
debut |
$7,011,631 |
Lackluster debut for this Paul Rudd comedy that is getting some good reviews. However, it was made on an impossibly miniscule production budget of $5 million, so it might actually make a small profit during its theatrical run.
|
6 |
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
(Weinstein/Dimension)
|
$6,007,180 |
-48.4% |
$21,990,229 |
Another failed remake.
|
7 |
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
|
$4,754,766 |
-39.1% |
$125,948,234 |
|
8 |
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
(Lionsgate)
|
$3,185,094 |
-68.2% |
$16,660,669 |
There won't be a sequel to this $90 million budgeted disaster. The audience simply didn't care about this film.
|
9 |
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
|
$3,108,178 |
-35.2% |
$69,732,502 |
|
10 |
Fright Night (2011)
(Disney)
|
$3,103,227 |
-59.8% |
$14,281,778 |
Another of last week's openers that suffered a huge dropoff. We'd like to hope that this signals the ending of the 80s remakes, but we know better – especially with both Footloose and Dirty Dancing coming up.
|
11 |
30 Minutes or Less
(Sony Picutres)
|
$2,687,165 |
-58.0% |
$31,789,438 |
|
12 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$2,564,370 |
-43.2% |
$370,805,062 |
The final Harry Potter flick logs its final week in the top 12, and will likely top out around the $375 million range domestically. Add about $1 billion more in international sales, and this last chapter goes out with a bank.
|
AUGUST 19-21, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
The Help
(Disney)
|
$20,018,659 |
-23.1% |
$71,340,829 |
Fantastic word of mouth leads to a miniscule dropoff, which allows The Help to move up to the pole position in its second week
|
2 |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
|
$16,119,502 |
-42.1% |
$133,583,862 |
|
3 |
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
(Weinstein/Dimension)
|
$11,644,672 |
debut |
$11,644,672 |
This week's top debut only manages to climb to number 3. Fortunately, it was made on a shoestring budget of $27 million.
|
4 |
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
(Lionsgate)
|
$10,021,215 |
debut |
$10,021,215 |
Remake lacked the muscle of the Arnold Schwarzenegger original. Doesn't have a shot at recouping its $90 million production budget.
|
5 |
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
|
$7,802,377 |
-43.2% |
$117,546,882 |
|
6 |
Fright Night (2011)
(Disney)
|
$7,714,388 |
debut |
$8,114,388 |
Another failed remake.
|
7 |
Final Destination 5
(New Line Cinema)
|
$7,703,466 |
-57.3% |
$32,326,686 |
|
8 |
30 Minutes or Less
(Sony Picutres)
|
$6,402,602 |
-52.0% |
$25,864,430 |
|
9 |
One Day
(Focus Features)
|
$5,079,566 |
debut |
$5,079,566 |
Romantic low-budget drama starring Anne Hathaway suffers from lack of promotion and almost premieres outside the top 10.
|
10 |
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
|
$4,797,364 |
-32.0% |
$64,266,969 |
|
11 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$4,511,411 |
-37.8% |
$366,007,900 |
|
12 |
Cowboys and Aliens
(Universal)
|
$4,215,780 |
-46.0% |
$89,498,305 |
|
AUGUST 12-14, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
|
$27,832,307 |
-49.2% |
$105,208,226 |
Logs a second week at the top in spite of an almost 50% drop. On track to make $160-170 million.
|
2 |
The Help
(Disney)
|
$26,044,590 |
debut |
$35,918,416 |
Excellent debut for this civil rights drama. Will undoutedly recoup its meager $25 million production budget.
|
3 |
Final Destination 5
(New Line Cinema)
|
$18,031,396 |
debut |
$18,031,396 |
New Line went to the well once too often as the fifth installment opens weaker than any of the previous four.
|
4 |
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
|
$13,733,081 |
-33.7% |
$101,778,741 |
Superb holdover vaults the kiddie favorite over the $100 million mark. Also doing quite well overseas, which is no surprise given the international appeal of the property.
|
5 |
30 Minutes or Less
(Sony Picutres)
|
$13,330,118 |
debut |
$13,330,118 |
Comedy caper failed to find an audience and will likely drop out of the top 10 in a week or two.
|
6 |
Cowboys and Aliens
(Universal)
|
$7,811,305 |
-50.3% |
$81,674,015 |
|
7 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$7,251,414 |
-41.7% |
$357,337,355 |
|
8 |
Captain America: The First Avenger
(Paramount)
|
$7,210,902 |
-44.6% |
$156,971,108 |
|
9 |
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
|
$7,054,228 |
-41.3% |
$55,526,524 |
|
10 |
The Change-Up
(Universal)
|
$6,306,645 |
-53.4% |
$25,838,850 |
|
11 |
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
(20th Century Fox)
|
$5,961,231 |
debut |
$5,961,231 |
Glee's appeal extends beyond television to music, but stops at the cinema with a dead-on-arrival opening weekend outside the top 10.
|
12 |
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
|
$2,438,498 |
-46.8% |
$110,003,144 |
|
AUGUST 5-7, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
1 |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
|
$54,806,191 |
debut |
$54,806,191 |
2 |
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
|
$20,702,415 |
-41.9% |
$75,904,246 |
3 |
Cowboys and Aliens
(Universal)
|
$15,729,455 |
-56.8% |
$67,349,520 |
4 |
The Change-Up
(Universal)
|
$13,531,115 |
debut |
$13,531,115 |
5 |
Captain America: The First Avenger
(Paramount)
|
$13,021,922 |
-49.0% |
$143,203,967 |
6 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$12,445,031 |
-43.4% |
$343,086,045 |
7 |
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
|
$12,017,146 |
-37.1% |
$42,102,252 |
8 |
Friends with Benefits
(Sony Screen Gems)
|
$4,687,883 |
-49.5% |
$48,526,287 |
9 |
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
|
$4,583,252 |
-36.2% |
$105,125,415 |
10 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
|
$3,086,145 |
-49.3% |
$344,244,486 |
11 |
Zookeeper
(Sony Pictures)
|
$2,168,776 |
-49.6% |
$73,613,540 |
12 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$1,222,836 |
-47.9% |
$184,807,330 |
JULY 29-31, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
1 |
Cowboys and Aliens
(Universal)
|
$36,431,290 |
debut |
$36,431,290 |
2 |
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
|
$35,611,637 |
debut |
$35,611,637 |
3 |
Captain America: The First Avenger
(Paramount)
|
$25,554,303 |
-60.7% |
$117,421,571 |
4 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$21,977,093 |
-53.7% |
$318,511,602 |
5 |
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
|
$19,104,303 |
debut |
$19,104,303 |
6 |
Friends with Benefits
(Sony Screen Gems)
|
$9,275,692 |
-50.2% |
$38,175,973 |
7 |
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
|
$7,189,365 |
-39.5% |
$96,290,917 |
8 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
|
$6,086,311 |
-49.5% |
$338,007,725 |
9 |
Zookeeper
(Sony Pictures)
|
$4,301,893 |
-50.6% |
$68,832,733 |
10 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$2,349,142 |
-58.5% |
$182,118,690 |
11 |
Winnie the Pooh
(Disney)
|
$1,777,625 |
-65.6% |
$22,435,490 |
12 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$1,156,947 |
-35.9% |
$46,851,966 |
JULY 22-24, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
Captain America: The First Avenger
(Paramount)
|
$65,058,524 |
debut |
$65,058,524 |
Box office came in about the same as Thor in May, but had a larger audience due to fewer people opting to see it in 3D.
|
2 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$47,422,212 |
-72.0% |
$273,539,281 |
Enormous drop in box office, but mitigated by the record-breaking first weekend.
|
3 |
Friends with Benefits
(Sony Screen Gems)
|
$18,622,150 |
debut |
$18,622,150 |
Could not have ranked higher than third given the competion, and box office was on par for a film of this type and stars of this caliber. Did only $1.1 million less than Ashton Kutcher's & Natalie Portman's No Strings Attached.
|
4 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
|
$12,051,735 |
-43.5% |
$325,841,185 |
Already 2011's highest grossing movie, but Harry Potter just might unseat it before each ends its theatrical run.
|
5 |
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
|
$11,884,319 |
-33.1% |
$82,566,703 |
Doing slightly better than fellow R-rated, high concept comedy Bad Teacher did at this point. Both will likely cross the $100 million mark domestically.
|
6 |
Zookeeper
(Sony Pictures)
|
$8,702,055 |
-29.4% |
$59,206,255 |
$80 million budget greenlit when it was thought that Kevin James was a movie star after Paul Blart hit big two years ago. James did not deliver the goods a second time.
|
7 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$5,655,857 |
-32.7% |
$176,375,295 |
Not a good summer for Disney toons as both Cars and Winnie the Pooh are performing below expectations.
|
8 |
Winnie the Pooh
(Disney)
|
$5,162,046 |
-34.3% |
$17,594,297 |
Is Pooh past his prime? Not doing well either domestically or internationally.
|
9 |
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
|
$2,610,925 |
-49.3% |
$94,365,688 |
Should just make it over the $100 million mark if it can stay in theaters a few more weeks.
|
10 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$1,804,662 |
-3.8% |
$44,783,206 |
Woody Allen's biggest hit in years holds relatively steady in its tenth weekend.
|
11 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$1,325,985 |
-23.0% |
$163,832,870 |
Sleeper hit of the summer stays in the race in its eleventh weekend. With a $32.5 million production budget, Bridesmaids has already made tons of profit.
|
12 |
Larry Crowne
(Universal)
|
$1,019,475 |
-61.7% |
$34,327,405 |
High profile failure for stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
|
JULY 15-17, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
1 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
|
$169,189,427 |
debut |
$169,189,427 |
2 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
|
$21,328,545 |
-54.7% |
$302,878,797 |
3 |
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
|
$17,777,464 |
-37.2% |
$60,149,603 |
4 |
Zookeeper
(Sony Pictures)
|
$12,330,512 |
-38.5% |
$42,382,978 |
5 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$8,407,529 |
-44.7% |
$165,389,754 |
6 |
Winnie the Pooh
(Disney)
|
$7,857,076 |
debut |
$7,857,076 |
7 |
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
|
$5,152,447 |
-42.2% |
$88,457,639 |
8 |
Larry Crowne
(Universal)
|
$2,664,550 |
-55.1% |
$31,719,560 |
9 |
Super 8
(Paramount)
|
$1,970,377 |
-59.3% |
$122,287,359 |
10 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$1,876,588 |
-28.8% |
$41,778,698 |
11 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$1,722,205 |
-34.5% |
$161,329,580 |
12 |
Mr. Popper's Penguins
(20th Century Fox)
|
$1,368,355 |
-56.6% |
$61,473,016 |
JULY 8-10, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
1 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
|
$47,103,276 |
-51.9% |
$261,078,700 |
2 |
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
|
$28,302,165 |
debut |
$28,302,165 |
3 |
Zookeeper
(Sony Pictures)
|
$20,065,617 |
debut |
$20,065,617 |
4 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$15,212,015 |
-42.1% |
$148,831,530 |
5 |
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
|
$8,914,412 |
-38.5% |
$78,671,819 |
6 |
Larry Crowne
(Universal)
|
$5,936,405 |
-54.7% |
$26,197,690 |
7 |
Super 8
(Paramount)
|
$4,838,205 |
-38.9% |
$118,069,546 |
8 |
Monte Carlo
(20th Century Fox)
|
$3,800,604 |
-49.0% |
$16,125,507 |
9 |
Mr. Popper's Penguins
(20th Century Fox)
|
$3,154,435 |
-43.0% |
$58,051,209 |
10 |
Green Lantern
(Warner Bros.)
|
$3,147,225 |
-52.0% |
$109,731,181 |
11 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$2,634,785 |
-26.4% |
$38,579,052 |
12 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$2,628,285 |
-27.9% |
$158,142,030 |
JULY 1-4, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
|
$115,886,050 |
debut |
$180,651,397 |
Obviously the best debut of the year, but does noticeably less than the previous entry in the series. It's not accurate to call this an underperformer, but it's another franchise that is seeing diminishing returns this summer.
|
2 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$31,629,695 |
-52.2% |
$122,560,310 |
Big drop considering it's $200 million production budget. |
3 |
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
|
$17,261,534 |
-45.4% |
$62,707,505 |
Holding over quite well. Made on a miniscule $20 million budget, Bad Teacher will make a tidy profit just on theater grosses alone. DVD, pay-per-view, and cable revenues are just gravy. |
4 |
Larry Crowne
(Universal)
|
$16,098,795 |
debut |
$16,098,795 |
Surprisingly low number considering the star power here, but it was made on a $30 million budget, which makes it a worthy investment. |
5 |
Super 8
(Paramount)
|
$9,527,129 |
-20.8% |
$110,070,156 |
|
6 |
Monte Carlo
(20th Century Fox)
|
$8,588,318 |
debut |
$8,588,318 |
|
7 |
Green Lantern
(Warner Bros.)
|
$7,928,176 |
-56.0% |
$103,616,460 |
Once again, GL has the steepest drop in the top 12, and it lost many 3D screens to Transformers.
|
8 |
Mr. Popper's Penguins
(20th Century Fox)
|
$6,702,940 |
-33.9% |
$51,727,662 |
|
9 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$4,382,382 |
+5.1% |
$34,582,454 |
|
10 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$4,354,515 |
-17.2% |
$153,728,880 |
|
11 |
X-Men: First Class
(20th Century Fox)
|
$3,617,628 |
-45.8% |
$139,329,355 |
|
12 |
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
|
$2,799,390 |
-49.8% |
$248,651,272 |
|
JUNE 24-26, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
|
$66,135,507 |
debut |
$66,135,507 |
Just-ok debut for the latest Pixar feature in terms of audience attendance.
|
2 |
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
|
$31,603,106 |
debut |
$31,603,106 |
R-rated comedy came in around expectations. Opened better than Bridesmaids, and if word of mouth is strong, it can be another sleeper hit. |
3 |
Green Lantern
(Warner Bros.)
|
$18,028,056 |
-66.1% |
$88,989,477 |
The news keeps getting worse for GL as it suffers the largest percentage drop in the top 12. Will likely not even hit the $120 million mark domestically. Foreign box office is likewise lackluster. Won't get anywhere near recouping its $200 million production budget in theaters. |
4 |
Super 8
(Paramount)
|
$12,028,092 |
-44.0% |
$95,114,324 |
In contrast to GL, Super 8 will break even on its $50 million production budget with theatrical grosses alone. |
5 |
Mr. Popper's Penguins
(20th Century Fox)
|
$10,145,662 |
-45.0% |
$39,293,341 |
Not a terrible drop, but considering how low opening weekend was, this really does count as a high-profile bomb for Carrey. |
6 |
X-Men: First Class
(20th Century Fox)
|
$6,680,480 |
-44.0% |
$132,895,408 |
|
7 |
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
|
$5,574,179 |
-44.7% |
$243,651,860 |
|
8 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$5,260,290 |
-25.9% |
$146,547,315 |
|
9 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(Disney)
|
$4,928,925 |
-25.8% |
$229,287,226 |
|
10 |
Kung Fu Panda 2
(DreamWorks)
|
$4,173,144 |
-53.8% |
$153,065,641 |
|
11 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$4,171,047 |
-14.6% |
$28,270,637 |
|
12 |
The Tree of Life
(Fox Searchlight)
|
$1,328,026 |
+14.1% |
$5,843,290 |
|
JUNE 17-19, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
Green Lantern
(Warner Bros.)
|
$53,174,303 |
debut |
$53,174,303 |
Worst debut of the summer blockbusters and with good reason. Mass audience didn't get it, and those that went often wish they didn't.
|
2 |
Super 8
(Paramount)
|
$21,472,020 |
-39.4% |
$73,002,809 |
Small drop for the genre. Positive word of mouth kept Super 8 in the game.
|
3 |
Mr. Popper's Penguins
(20th Century Fox)
|
$18,445,355 |
debut |
$18,445,355 |
Disastrous opening for a Jim Carrey movie. Likely won't even get to $75 million total domestic. |
4 |
X-Men: First Class
(20th Century Fox)
|
$11,933,524 |
-50.5% |
$120,358,086 |
|
5 |
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
|
$10,071,339 |
-43.0% |
$233,110,617 |
Stll hanging in there with a fourth consecutive $10 million-plus weekend. |
6 |
Kung Fu Panda 2
(DreamWorks)
|
$9,027,671 |
-45.4% |
$143,670,468 |
|
7 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$7,097,735 |
-29.5% |
$136,450,725 |
The undisputed sleeper hit of the summer so far has made tens of millions of dollars in profit in theaters alone.
|
8 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(Disney)
|
$6,646,249 |
-39.3% |
$220,746,502 |
In spite of the relatively lackluster performance domestically, Pirates has made a ton of money overseas. Enough for a Pirates 5?
|
9 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$4,884,800 |
-16.2% |
$21,446,614 |
|
10 |
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
(Relativity Pictures)
|
$2,103,465 |
-65.4% |
$11,029,307 |
Lethal second weekend actually upstages bummer debut. We won't be seeing any more of Judy at the multiplex. |
11 |
The Tree of Life
(Fox Searchlight)
|
$1,163,923 |
+40.7% |
$3,900,355 |
More than doubles its theater count leading to an uptick in box office, but still a far cry away from recouping its $32 million budget. |
12 |
Thor
(Paramount)
|
$1,145,076 |
-53.0% |
$176,111,078 |
Thor will be part of the Avengers movie next summer, but will we get a Thor sequel?
|
JUNE 10-12, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
Super 8
(Paramount)
|
$35,451,168 |
debut |
$36,451,168 |
Relatively soft debut given the hype. A manageable budget of $50 million may still allow a profit to be made even before it gets to DVD and cable.
|
2 |
X-Men: First Class
(20th Century Fox)
|
$24,128,986 |
-56.2% |
$98,023,335 |
Standard drop for the genre. First Class will likely top out at under $160 million domestically.
|
3 |
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
|
$17,667,329 |
-43.7% |
$215,727,461 |
Even with another big drop, Hangover II has already more than doubled its $80 million production budget. |
4 |
Kung Fu Panda 2
(DreamWorks)
|
$16,543,166 |
-30.7% |
$126,813,240 |
|
5 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(Disney)
|
$10,945,764 |
-39.0% |
$208,873,258 |
|
6 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$10,066,290 |
-16.4% |
$123,815,865 |
|
7 |
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
(Relativity Pictures)
|
$6,076,859 |
debut |
$6,076,859 |
Looks like the summer will be a bummer for Judy after all. Will likely not even get to $20 million.
|
8 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$5,830,723 |
+110.5% |
$13,909,196 |
Woody Allen's latest opens wide and becomes his highest grosser since Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Still needs to make more than $10 million to exceed it, though.
|
9 |
Thor
(Paramount)
|
$2,435,215 |
-42.7% |
$173,664,723 |
|
10 |
Fast Five
(Universal)
|
$1,727,330 |
-45.4% |
$205,094,205 |
|
11 |
The Tree of Life
(Fox Searchlight)
|
$827,009 |
+33.8% |
$2,361,655 |
Terrence Malik's latest, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, is doing nice business at fewer than 50 theaters domestically. |
12 |
Rio
(20th Century Fox)
|
$670,101 |
-9.3% |
$137,780,829 |
|
JUNE 3-5, 2011 |
|
Title |
Weekend Gross
(US+Canada)
|
change from
last week
|
Total Gross
|
Analysis |
1 |
X-Men: First Class
(20th Century Fox)
|
$55,101,604 |
debut |
$55,101,604 |
Prequel entry becomes the worst opener in the series. Excellent film may prove to be a costly failure given its $160 million budget.
|
2 |
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
|
$31,381,234 |
-63.5% |
$185,808,194 |
Huge drop considering it was a comedy, a genre which tends to hold over better in succeeding weeks
|
3 |
Kung Fu Panda 2
(DreamWorks)
|
$23,887,914 |
-49.9% |
$100,028,372 |
|
4 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(Disney)
|
$17,954,603 |
-54.9% |
$190,200,880 |
Box office has been very lopsided for this film. It's already made $615 million overseas, but this fourth entry will undoubtedly be the lowest grosser domestically. |
5 |
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
|
$12,040,875 |
-27.3% |
$107,167,230 |
|
6 |
Thor
(Paramount)
|
$4,250,044 |
-55.4% |
$169,122,948 |
|
7 |
Fast Five
(Universal)
|
$3,165,355 |
-50.6% |
$201,979,665 |
|
8 |
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
|
$2,769,992 |
+43.6% |
$6,796,731 |
|
9 |
Something Borrowed
(Warner Bros.)
|
$848,013 |
-54.4% |
$36,673,330 |
|
10 |
Jumping the Broom
(TriStar)
|
$844,909 |
-53.7% |
$35,907,300 |
|
11 |
Rio
(20th Century Fox)
|
$738,518 |
-59.1% |
$136,690,395 |
|
12 |
Water for Elephants
(20th Century Fox)
|
$694,517 |
-36.1% |
$55,733,195 |
|
|
Click here to view MAY 2011 box office charts!
|
Written by USTownhall staff
|
Monday, 18 July 2011 21:11 |
Derivative to the max, the live action flick Tekken arrives in stores July 19, distributed by Anchor Bay Films and Manga Entertainment. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Tekken is based on Namco's arcade video game that debuted in 1994. The story of the movie trots out many – if not most – of the tropes of post-apocalyptic genre fiction: world destroyed by war, corporations rise to ultimate power and control everything and everyone with an iron grip, arena-style death matches played out for the masses to keep them docile, hero out to avenge killing of his family, throbbing techno soundtrack, etc. etc.
Tekken adds nothing new to these clichés nor does it portray them in an interesting manner. We are told by the characters what is about to happen, and then it happens with no twist to the formula. Lead hero Jin is among a motley band of fighters who are paired up in cage matches with the ultimate goal of becoming the winner of the Iron Fist tournament that is sponsored by the world's most powerful corporation, the titular Tekken.
As Jin is repeatedly pummeled to the point of almost certain death, a well-placed flashback of his childhood training sessions with his tigermom – who offers such Yoda-like pearls of wisdom as "Defeat is a choice!" – gives him the reserve of strength he needs to win the battle – until the next battle when the same thing happens all over again. Finally, Jin faces off with the main villain of the piece who, to use another Star Wars analogy, turns out to be his father. Does Jin defeat him, win the day, and give hope to the masses that they can one day be free of the jackbooted tyranny of the Tekken corporation? What do you think?
There really are no big stars in the movie, but perhaps the most recognizable name would be Ian Anthony Dale, one of the leads of the recently-canceled NBC series The Event. Dale is cast as the main bad guy Kazuya Mishima, father to our hero Jin Kazama, portrayed in a competent yet by-the-numbers
|
Tekken (2010) |
|
Feature run time: 91 minutes
Formats: DVD $26.98 MSRP
Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital copy combo $39.99
Available July 19, 2011
|
performance by Jon Foo. Kelly Overton rounds out the main cast as mixed martial arts fighter Christie Monteiro, a hot babe in a belly shirt who befriends Jin and serves as a friend and requisite girl hostage as the story demands.
With the script never rising above formulaic tripe, Tekken will likely only be of interest to fans of the video game or action genre fans. On that level, Tekken is worth a rental as its brisk 90-minute run time glides by quickly and its fight sequences do deliver some kinetic kick. Still, with a $35 million budget, much, much more could have been done in terms of deepening the script and staging more variety in the action sequences to lift Tekken out of the confines of its genre.
As for the DVD itself, both the regular format DVD and the Blu-Ray version are crisp, clean prints, which is to be expected on a film of such recent vintage. Audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital and delivers a satisfying roundhouse kick to the profuse gunfire and many punches, chops, and well, roundhouse kicks contained within. Extras include a 50-minute behind-the-scenes feature, "Stunt Stars," detailing the stunts and spotlighting the people who performed them. Tekken is available now in both standard DVD and Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital copy combo packages.
|
|
|