Box office loves Ian McKellen

Looks like The Da Vinci Code has the 2nd highest box-office opening for an adult geared film. (The Passion of the Christ is the first.) 77 million is great, but chump change compared to the 107 million X-Men 3 has clocked so far. Not knowing anything whatsoever about X-Men, I doubt I will be seeing it. I did however see The Da Vinci Code today.
It was alright, they did a nice job of cutting out the "Oh gee what could this mean let's talk about it for a few pages" stuff, but unfortunately those were my favorite parts from the book. I also thought it felt too rushed. I don't mind complicated plots, I just don't like it in adaptations when everything from the book is being crammed unceremoniously into a two hour movie. (Or three hour, in the case of The Return of the King.)
The acting and cinematography were nothing to write home about either. That being said, I did like the first part of the movie, and the last scene. And how Tom Hanks could high-light the letters of words in his brain.
I have a horrible confession to make. I actually liked *cringe* Mission Impossible Three better than The Da Vinci Code. *Watches hell freeze over* The thing with M:I:3 was I got exactly what I expected. A dopey Tom Cruise spy movie. I would have been very surprised if it was clever, realistic, or deep.
Alright, enough summer blockbusters, I want to see Water and Friends With Money!

Critics? who needs 'em!?

Good news for Sony, The Da Vinci Code opened with a healthy 77 million this weekend, despite the bad reviews.


Bad news for Sopia Coppola, her latest movie was met with jeering from the Cannes Film Festival audience.

James Schamus announced Ang Lee's next project, Lust, Caution. Production set tentatively for the fall.

And, finally we have some Oscar Predictions!!!

So much for originality....

I haven't updated for a long time! One would think that would mean I have a lot more to say, but that's not the case. I have some serious movie blurb writers block.
I'm still trying to shift my brain over to this year's Oscar race instead of last year's. But it's hard to do during the summer blockbuster months. I have assembled my 2005 Top Ten list in hopes of some closure.
My list is NOT in order of importance. It's actually in reverse alphabetical order (I'm such a crazy fool), because I'm stumped on what my favorite movie was.

Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit
Walk the Line
Pride and Prejudice
Junebug
Hustle and Flow
Howl's Moving Castle
Crash
The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Capote
Brokeback Mountain


Oh no. I just realized all these movies were nominated for Oscars. I can think for myself you know! I swear! At least my list only slightly resembles Ebert's. In my defense, I have seen very few lists that include Hustle and Flow, or Howl's Moving Castle.

Rumors! Tabloids! Scandal! (ok, not really)

Here's a random grab bag of gossip and observations

There have been a lot of rumors over who's going to direct Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Currently hot money's* on Terry Gilliam. Yes, the one from Monty Python, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Brothers Grimm.
Hey, I think it could be very interesting to see what he does with it.

Woody Allen dropped his summer project about three Americans in Paris. He even started casting people, Michele Williams and David Krumholtz. I guess they'll have to find something new to do with their summer, meanwhile Woody is going to start filming Scoop, the latest Scarlett-Johanson-falls-in-love-in-London movie.

Charlie Kaufman is working on something! IMDb calls it "Untitled Charlie Kaufman/Spike Jones Summer Project" Who will star? What is it about? When will it be out? Will it be conventional and down to earth?**

Mission Impossible 3 has been estimated to only make $50 million over the weekend, instead of the $60 million guess from Friday. How sad, only a five with seven measly zeros behind it. Paramount is dumbfounded. Who is to blame? Is it Cruise? Mixed reviews? The lack of horror movie violence? Well, Tom Cruise is an easy target, which is probably why Hollywood is pointing fingers his direction. I still say $50 million is a damn good opening.



*Don't gamble, kids

** Ha! Seriously, I'm just messing with you

Superman Oscar bait?

Summer blockbuster season, the dry patch for Oscar nominees. (Maybe I should switch to predicting the box office. Will Mission Impossible 3 make more than War of the Worlds?) But none the less, I do have some Oscar predictions.
The Da Vinci Code could get nominations for Cinematography, Art Direction, or maybe Best Original Song.
John Williams is always a safe bet, but he was nominated twice last year, and the Academy might not look too kindly on Superman Returns.
Prairie Home Companion could draw attention, but the early release might still hurt it (maybe it should take a page out of Crash's book), not to mention people saying it's not Altman's "greatest" work.
Thank You For Smoking (Wow! Something that's OUT!) could get nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, so long as Oscar voters don't forget about it. It might do well at the Independent Spirit Awards.
And hey, how about Wylie Stateman getting a Best Sound Editing nomination for Poseidon? He's been nominated three times before.
Ah, technical categories. You gotta love 'em.

The man must not sleep

I swear, you look away for one second, and Steven Speilberg has twenty projects going. Crazy!
As far as directing goes, he's working on an Untitled Steven Speilberg/Abraham Lincoln project. So far, Liam Neeson is cast for Lincoln, and it's based on a biography by Doris Kearns Goodwin. He's also making another Indiana Jones, with Harrison Ford acting, and George Lucas, and Frank Marshell producing.

Spielberg is producing a number of movies, TWO with Clint Eastwood, and Paul Haggis. Flags of our Fathers, and Red Sun, Black Sand. (Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!)
He's also doing Monster House, Disturbia, When Worlds Collide, Jarassic Park IV, Transformers: The Movie, and The Talisman.