With a whimper, we leave Summer 2017 behind. After a dismal August at the box office, we are prepared to move into the Fall movie season.
This said, let’s dwell on the recent past for a bit longer and take a look at the best and worst films of the Summer, ordered chronologically by release date.
The tongue-in-cheek TV series adaptation Baywatch just doesn’t feel Continue reading Top 9 Best & Worst Movies of Summer 2017
Mid-June 2017 sees the release of four new wide release films at the domestic box office, all in various genres. The Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me, releasing in 2,400 theaters, will look to bank off of the success of 2015’s similar Straight Outta Compton. Shark thriller 47 Meters Down—3,500 theaters—will look to bank off of the minor success of last year’s The Shallows.
Then there is Disney-Pixar’s Summer effort Cars 3. The first sequel in the series made about $50 million less than the original, which itself is only the 10th highest grossing film in the Pixar family.
Along with these new films, potential flops like The Mummy and runaway successes like Wonder Woman continue their box office runs this weekend.
With all of these films competing, let’s try to maneuver a box office top five for this weekend. Shall we?
Continue reading Weekend Box Office Predictions: June 16 – June 18
June has a lot going for it at the domestic box office. Following Wonder Woman‘s record breaking opening weekend ($103 million), this weekend is going to impress with the added release of Universal’s The Mummy. Two other new releases—A24’s It Comes At Night and Bleecker Street’s Megan Leavey—look to compete against the impressive lineup of current releases that also includes Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
With all of this competition, who comes out on top?
Continue reading Weekend Box Office Predictions: June 9 – June 11
The first weekend of June is looking to be a smash at the domestic box office. A strong opening for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales could translate into an equally strong second week. The impressive run of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is looking to continue into June.
And then there’s this little movie. This DC Studios film by the name of Wonder Woman.
Continue reading Weekend Box Office Predictions: June 2 – June 4
Franchises, by their very nature, are formulaic. As such, those who enjoy the Pirates of the Caribbean formula will likely find some enjoyment in this fifth installment. Because it is exactly the same film as the others.
The glaring issue with these films is quite clear. Pacing. Set pieces in Dead Men Tell No Tales, from moment one, are overblown and tiresome. The introduction of the enigmatic Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) begins light and humorous, but this apt intro is squandered when the chase sequence extends far beyond its reach.
Aside from these pacing issues, in which scenes continue far past their natural expiration date, the attempt at story in this fourth sequel is Continue reading Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) Movie Review
I’m about a month late to this game, but, you know, life gets in the way sometimes. Who are you to judge? This said, I am cheating a bit with a month’s worth of data already available.
Either way, it is time to take a look at what Hollywood blockbusters will top the domestic box office in Summer 2017 (Summer 2017 in this case encompassing the period between the first weekend in May and Labor Day weekend). Shall we?
The Top Ten: Continue reading 2017 Summer Box Office Predictions
May kicks off the Summer movie season: One of the best…no that’s not right…one of the most underwhelming periods in the Hollywood calendar.
Alright, that’s not entirely fair. But there have been some clunky Summers in recent years when it comes to U.S. theatrical releases. Every year there are films that are on the schedule that look great on paper (Jurassic World), or at least acceptable on paper (Independence Day: Resurgence), and then turn out to be major disappointments. (Yes, I realize Jurassic World was by no means a major disappointment in terms of money or general audience response. But mark my words that that film will not hold up over time).
And sure, there can be May surprises (Mad Max: Fury Road, a second example), but Summer is generally Continue reading Summer 2017 Movie Preview: May
CineFiles Movie Reviews 