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Dear followers, occasional readers and random Google searchers,

Movie Muse is now on a new site, and you can access it here.

Although Blogger has been good to me, it was time to allow myself greater control of the content and logistics of the site. I also wanted to make the site look as professional as possible, including having the actual domain name, in the event that I should use it as a legitimate resume tool.

The new Movie Muse will be just the same as the old, only better-looking and easier to navigate. I will even begin to start improving the content of the site now that I have more controls at my disposal. So go check it out and start leaving me feedback on how to make the site even better!

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Thanks for reading! Happy Holidays!

Steven C

Review: The Princess and the Frog - 3.5/5 Stars

In a decade where CGI has dominated all animated forms of entertainment and a year where 3D has exploded into prime time, Walt Disney Studios steps back, reaches into its old bag of tricks and pulls out its first hand-drawn feature in five years. The decision might feel like a ploy to boost Disney merchandising with a new princess, but Disney has made plenty movies that achieve that end only they don't have half heart and soul poured into them that "The Princess and the Frog" does. Dedicated to moral-focused storytelling and creating lovable characters, Disney has rediscovered a touch of its former magic and delivered an age- appropriate children's film -- it's best effort of this kind since 1998's "Mulan" and maybe even "The Lion King."

Complete with musical numbers, this is Disney's old formula executed to a T. Princesses, wishing upon stars, a journey with new friends being made along the way, danger, transformation, talking animal sidekicks -- there's no question Disney wanted desperately to recreate the feeling of its classics. Set in Jazz Age New Orleans, Tiana is a dedicated young woman with a knack for cooking who aspires to open up her own restaurant one day and do the memory of her father proud. She knows all about the value of hard work when it comes to achieving one's dreams. Already, here is Disney making it clear that it wants to teach children a valuable lesson above all else.

The sacrifice made for that is adult-level humor. Whereas Disney threw in numerous jokes back in mid-'90s that flew over kids' heads, there's maybe only a handful of those chuckles in "Frog." Make no mistake, this one is for kids. Disney nostalgists will enjoy it too -- but the focus is kids. Lots of run-of-the-mill physical humor and talking animals acting silly: most of the time you'll laugh because it's cute and sweet.

The plot is okay. The foreign Prince Naveen comes to New Orleans and he has a run in with a hoodoo-voodoo witch doctor, the sinister Dr. Facilier (ala James Bond villain Baron Samedi in "Live and Let Die"), who in a spooky, smoky flash-bang big-band music number promises him wealth (prices can get cut off by their parents you know) and also his mutton-chopped assistant princely fame. Planning to use them as pawns of his own devise, he turns Naveen into a frog and the assistant into Naveen.

The frog Naveen finds Tiana and promises that if she kisses him, he'll make her restaurant dream come true. When she agrees, she ends up a frog too. Together, they journey through the Louisiana Bayou in hopes to find Mama Odie, who will have the power to turn them human again. Along the way they meet a cuddly trumpet-playing crocodile named Louis (after Mr. Armstrong, naturally) and a goofy Cajun firefly named Ray. Its when Louis and the frog Tiana and Naveen sing about what they'll do when they become human ("When We're Human") as they float down the river that suddenly you feel that old fuzzy Disney musical feeling and "Princess and the Frog" becomes a success.

Randy Newman's tunes are catchy and fun, representing a range of Southern music from jazz ("When We're Human) to banjo-plucking folk ("Gonna Take You There") to the film's best song, Mama Odie's moral-delivering number asking us all to "Dig A Little Deeper" in full gospel fashion. The last one aside, they're not all that memorable, however, most likely because they never give in to full theatricality. There just feels like a little reservation in making "Frog" an all-out musical jamboree on Newman's part as well as longtime Disney directors Ron Clements and John Musker. For many adult Disney-lovers, it might be the difference between a "cute" and a "great" Disney film.

Certainly, however, even if just in brief moments, Disney has tapped into the magic of old with this heart-warming story preaching that our personal dreams and desires don't mean nearly as much if they lose sight of love and family. It even manages to be pleasantly less predictable than one would expect in the end and it also avoids some past warranted Disney criticisms with regards to racism and stereotyping gender roles. Kids will love it (one girl in the theater was even dancing in the aisle ... out of plain sight of course) and parents will feel good about taking them to see it. A definite success for Disney.

3.5/5 Stars

"The Princess and the Frog"

Directed by: Ron Clements and John Musker

Written by: Ron Clements and John Musker (story and screenplay), Greg Erb and Jason Oremland (story), Rob Edwards (screenplay)

Starring: (voices) Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey, John Goodman

10 Greatest Disney (2D) Animated Features of All Time, Pt. 2

You've waited maybe 24 hours ... wait no more. This is for those of you that didn't see Part 1 (10-6)

5. Cinderella (1950)

Ahh, another classic tale just brimming with positive social concepts about women. Cinderella, however, is just a better film than Snow White. It’s a lot more magical and captivating in that dreamy fantasy sense although the concept of a beautiful girl forced into a state of solitude and slave labor due to others’ jealousy who enlists the help of talking animals still applies. In general, however, Cinderella executes better. For example, we hate Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters with a fiery passion more than we ever hate the Queen who dresses as an old hag in Snow White.

Cinderella is frankly a more redeemable story in addition to the extravagance of the ball and the glass slippers (which in hindsight, ouch anyone?). She’s aware of her cruel treatment and aspires to overcome it. Her daydream of being free and falling in love being realized by the Fairy Godmother and coming to life is vicarious wish fulfillment for all of us in one way or another. The classic storybook opening at the beginning and end is also money.

4. The Little Mermaid (1989)

Here’s where this gets tough. In my own personal list, this is top two. This was another one of those Disney home videos I was addicted to and it was one of the first movies I ever saw in theaters at age 2. Personal feelings aside, however, this was the game-changer for Disney. This launched them into the hits of the ‘90s and proved their sustainability as a company. From this point forward, Disney becomes a true powerhouse by capturing the next generation.

It all started with a simple decision. To write the music for The Little Mermaid, Disney turned to a man named Alan Menken. With his collaborator, lyricist Howard Ashman, the two would write the greatest songs in film history before Ashman’s death from AIDS in 1991. Disney owes Menken almost everything, in my opinion. “Under the Sea” became the first hit of a new generation of Disney.

“Mermaid” borrows on those timeless Disney themes of a princess being confined by her oppressive father who yearns to be something she’s not (human) and is envied by an evil sea witch who tricks the naïve girl into giving up her beautiful voice for a pair of legs. Disney wisely took us somewhere new and unknown to us in a world under the sea, delivering us important themes about being happy about who you are and where you come from. The only thing that keeps this one down at No. 4 is a weak leading man in Prince Eric and animation that wasn’t quite up to 1990’s levels yet.

3. Aladdin (1992)

Disney’s first decision in modern times to push the multi-cultural envelope pays off tremendously. Aladdin takes us to Arabia, completely unfamiliar Disney territory but one that it handles smoothly. Aladdin is maybe the most fun Disney ever had. Its main character is a thief and a troublemaker and the writers surrounded him with wackier pals in Abu the monkey, a magic carpet with a mind of its own and an insane genie voiced by Robin Williams who is easily Disney’s most successful supporting character of all time.

Aladdin is a bit more superficial in ways. Of course Princess Jasmine is still held back by her father and longs to get out and see the world and the man vying for her affections is a “street rat” so you have the timeless forbidden romance motif, but Jafar is a total cross-gender wackjob. Here’s where you get that villain that wants to possess all the power in the world (and also marry our leading lady), which made him just okay. That’s why they gave him a talking parrot voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. I mean, seriously, who needs Gilbert Gottfried as a complement to their character?

The key to this one was possibly the addition of two writers that would be frequent Disney collaborators: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. These two would go on to write Shrek (not Disney but Dreamworks’ most successful product) as well as the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Musically, the fantastic Tim Rice stepped in as lyricist for the songs that Howard Ashman had yet to help write. With Menken, they wrote the greatest Disney power ballad of all time in “A Whole New World” as well as the fantastically jazzy “Friend Like Me,” “One Jump Ahead” and “Prince Ali.”

2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Perhaps Disney’s most powerful thematic message comes from the ’91 classic Beauty and the Beast. Here comes this gorgeous new Disney princess who a) loves to read books and b) falls in love with a hideous man-beast because she has faith that he’s a good person at heart and that what’s on the inside counts. As a four-year-old, I was like “huh?” Disney managed to apologize for years of preaching superficiality to young girls by giving us Belle, a hot nerd who wards off her obnoxious suitors and goes for a beast who is not all that likable.

If you look at The Princess and the Frog, Disney is recycling this theme. Characters in that movie are humans transformed into swamp animals. In “Beauty” it was a Family Feud-style list of “name an inanimate object found in a mansion.” There’s Lumiere, the candlestick aka second coming of The Little Mermaid’s Sebastian the Crab, Mrs. Potts and Chip the tea cups, Cogsworth the clock and more. The characters were never more inventive and that’s why Beauty and the Beast became a first-rate Broadway production as well. Transformation is a powerful archetype that really works in Disney films. Not only is it magical, but also its impact is more fully realized by children. The concept and consequent themes are easier to grasp because it’s so visually distinctive.

Musically, the Alan Menken/Howard Ashman tradition of at least one huge upbeat number and one gorgeous ballad (“Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast”) continued. “Gaston” is also one of my personal favorite songs, celebrating Disney’s villain who is not so much evil as he is selfish and stubborn, championing ego and unkindness instead of the traditional Disney villain desires of power. Just another example of the excellent values being embedded into the Disney films of the ‘90s.

1. The Lion King (1994)

I don’t think there’s any doubt that The Lion King is the most beloved Disney 2D animated film of all time. I don’t think I would call it my personal number one, but if you surveyed a wide group, I think you’ll find this twist on the Hamlet story atop a majority of people’s lists and it’s certainly deserving of being there.

The most interesting thing about The Lion King is the absence of human characters. Disney liked using animals as goofy supporting roles or in the case of Robin Hood giving animals anthropomorphic physicality. Everyone in The Lion King is as the animal would be minus talking. And what a cast it is; there isn’t a dull or pointless character in this entire movie. Disney’s most successful comic relief duo in Pumbaa and Timon came here. The ruthless Scar was formidable and he was complemented by three crazy hyenas that made henchmen staples of good vs. evil storytelling. Then of course Simba and Nala were as good as any human Disney prince and princess.

But the coup de grace, if you will, was the most emotional scene in Disney history: the death of Mufasa. Not since Bambi’s mother had Disney killed off a major good character. What an aggressive choice to risk something that could traumatize young children but instead ended up grabbing their attention and opening their eyes to difficult themes like revenge and forgiveness.

In addition, Disney took a break from Alan Menken and hired, -- gee – Tim Rice and Elton John, never missing a beat in terms of music. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” match up with any other Disney song combo and “The Circle of Life” is simply breathtaking. And that’s leaving out “Hakuna Matata.” The Lion King also became Disney’s biggest Broadway hit and it wasn’t just because of the costumes.

So there you have it. Agree? Disagree? Pissed I left off Pocahontas? Feel free to comment! Just for fun, here are some superlatives.

Top 10 Songs

1. “A Whole New World” from Aladdin
2. “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas
3. “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
4. “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast
5. “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin
6. “Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the Beast
7. “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King
8. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King
9. “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid
10. “Go The Distance” from Hercules

Top 10 Villains

1. Scar from The Lion King
2. Captain Hook from Peter Pan
3. Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians
4. Ursula from The Little Mermaid
5. Jafar from Aladdin
6. The Hunter from Bambi
7. Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
8. Evil Stepmother from Cinderella
9. Hades from Hercules
10. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty

Top 10 Supporting Animals

1. Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King
2. Sebastian and Flounder from The Little Mermaid
3. Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio
4. Abu from Aladdin
5. Mushu and the Cricket from Mulan
6. Thumper and Flower from Bambi
7. Jock and Trusty from Lady and the Tramp
8. Meeko from Pocahontas
9. Gus and the Mice from Cinderella
10. Baloo and Bagheera from The Jungle Book

Weekend Preview (12.11.09)

Welcome back, Disney.

After five or ten years (depending on if you count anything after Tarzan), Disney delivers a new feature-length 2D animated film. What a statement to be making in 2009, the year of the 3D explosion in movie theaters.

Singing and dancing, talking animals, princesses and more, The Princess and the Frog offers at least the slightest promise of returning us for an hour and a half, to a time where all was right with the world. In an age where everything is speeding up and the economy is down, what a momentary pause from reality this film looks to be. “Frog” should do well and be received well as it begs of us to simplify – to acquiesce to classic stories of morality instead of those with commerciality.

Also entering the picture is Oscar hopeful Invictus, the Clint Eastwood film about Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) trying to use rugby to reunite South Africa in the wake of apartheid. Matt Damon also stars in the season’s one true uplifting biographical drama. The talent here is simply too good to be passed on (or make for a bad movie for that matter).

Add the expansion of Up in the Air this weekend to 72 theaters and there’s reason to get excited about movies this weekend. I feel like I haven’t been this enthusiastic about a weekend in a month.

My Endorsement: You can’t go wrong with almost anything coming out this weekend, but I have to recommend The Princess and the Frog because, quite frankly, when was the last time you got to see a movie like this in theaters? I haven’t even had the chance to get excited about a Disney 2D animated film in years so that prospect alone is enough to get me to theaters this weekend.

Red Flag: Wow, usually I have no idea what to recommend, not what to flag. I suppose don’t retread any of last weekend’s films. I mean, even the really limited releases this weekend look good (The Lovely Bones, A Single Man, Broken Lizard’s The Slammin’ Salmon). Don’t be stupid and go see Everybody’s Fine or Armored.

Box Office Prediction: I’m thrilled and ecstatic to be able to choose The Princess and the Frog for the box office winner this week. After such a downer weekend at the movies last weekend, the BO is primed for a new champion and “Frog” has the release (3400+ theaters), good press, reputation (Disney) and nostalgic buzz to do it. Judging by how Disney 2D films did in the late ‘90s when they were still hyped, I’m going to guess about $45 million.

Next will be Invictus. I’m calling for a modest $12 million, which you wouldn’t think good enough for second place, but this weekend it definitely should be (and provided I underestimated it, I have cushion).

For third and fourth place we go to the early Holiday season champions, The Blind Side and The Twilight Saga: New Moon, respectively. My guess is also $10 and $9 million respectively. I don’t expect such mainstream films to be leapfrogged by any films it beat out last weekend, but if anyone could do it it would be my No. 5 film, Brothers. A Christmas Carol should finally flicker out thanks to Disney’s new film don't expect it to finish all that far behind.

1. The Princess and the Frog
2. Invictus
3. The Blind Side
4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
5. Brothers

10 Greatest Disney (2D) Animated Features of All Time, Pt. 1

Almost everyone who grew up in the ‘80s and/or ‘90s has some kind of nostalgic attachment to a Walt Disney 2D animated feature. (It’s a sad world we live in now that “2D” is a required adjective in that sentence.) Hours of our childhoods were devoted to watching a singular Disney title over and over again and we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

An entire decade, however, missed out. Disney couldn’t churn out quality moneymaking 2D titles in the early 2000s having already opened the floodgates for CGI animation with Toy Story in 1995. Although 2002’s Lilo and Stitch found some love, the magic faded and ended in 2004 with the bust that was Home on the Range.

Kids born in the last few years, however, will have a chance at a more ideal childhood with Disney’s triumphant return in the form of The Princess and the Frog, which opens across the country on Friday. With African-American princess and a new “world” to explore in Jazz-Age New Orleans, Disney looks ready to reestablish itself as the class of meaningful, theme-driven entertainment in the age of A.D.D.

Also back is music. Longtime Disney collaborator Randy Newman has given “Frog” a southern Creole jazz soundtrack that fits the film and Disney perfectly. They might not be the Alan Menken-written showstoppers of the ‘90s, but in listening briefly on iTunes, they hold more promise than anything Disney’s done with music since then (with the exception arguably of the Phil Collins Tarzan soundtrack).

So thank you, The Princess and the Frog, for giving me an excuse to write about Disney classics and – more importantly – to rank them, which is always fun. Who hasn’t debated about which Disney movie is the best? Here’s my take. Feel free to argue.

10. The Jungle Book (1967)

I debated long and hard about which of many deserving films should grab that last coveted spot in my Top 10, and I had to award it to The Jungle Book, really the first of its kind for Disney. The Jungle Book was Disney’s first venture outside of that Caucasian comfort zone. Although certainly not a landmark for diversity in animated film by any means (they’d follow it up with plenty more white-centered features – plus thematically it preaches you should want to be a civilized human), it stands out as a unique achievement for Disney.

With a few great sing-a-long songs, namely “The Bear Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You,” The Jungle Book was one of Disney’s first easy-going, fun movies. Baloo the bear is a pretty lovable dude too. This is one of the first movies I’d like to revisit if I were to make a list of Disney films worth rediscovering as an adult.

9. Mulan (1998)

Mulan makes my list as the last Disney animated movie worthy of deeming a classic. Great music, same quirky supporting cast, wholesome family (albeit Asian) values – The Princess and the Frog would’ve been a great next step for them back at the turn of the century considering the diversity instead of heading down a non-princess path. Unfortunately, though the movie faired well, the relatively unknown story of a girl posing as a man conflicted with the cultural messages toward little girls and straight up baffled boys. Mulan the character as a result never achieved “princess” status.

“Reflection” was the ballad that gave rise to Christina Aguilera’s career. Why it didn’t get nominated for an Oscar baffles me, but then again the winner that year was The Prince of Egypt’s “When You Believe,” so that’s fair. Donnie Osmond’s performance of “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” was probably the best upbeat song in a Disney film since The Lion King. And who can forget the credits track “True to Your Heart” featuring Stevie Wonder and 98 Degrees? Yea, I totally rocked to that cassette tape.

8. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

If I were making a totally biased list that didn’t consider any thoughtful evaluation, Lady and the Tramp would make my top five. I was fascinated, I mean, completely entranced by this movie. It’s one of those films that has this quiet aura about it that’s slightly chilling but utterly captivating. The ups and downs of this movie were like a rollercoaster to me and just picturing them in my mind right now gives me goosebumps.

Looking back, I think what makes Lady and the Tramp sort of a cult favorite when it comes to Disney movies (along with The Fox and the Hound which I woefully had to omit from this list), is its perspective. The fact that it cuts all the humans off at the knees (with the exception of the Italian restaurant guy Tony) and really puts you in Lady and the other dog’s perspective makes it so easily identifiable for children. The dogs all vie for love and attention from the parental figures of the story and that is a connection children watching this film instantly make subconsciously that draws them in to feeling invested in the story. The happy ending to it all is the payoff that brings them back each time (though I should say I speak for myself).

7. Peter Pan (1953)

There’s a reason Tinker Bell became the iconic character of Disney. Peter Pan was really Disney’s first foray into action and fantasy. It began with Alice in Wonderland two years earlier, but this was the first successful attempt, namely because the story was also attractive to young boys. In fact, Peter Pan was the first entirely human male protagonist in a Disney animated classic. J.M. Barrie’s story was really perfect for Disney in the way that it had such a broad appeal to all children.

The execution is of course there too. That old-timey adult chorus singing “You Can Fly!” is memorable and one of Disney’s more effective “you can do anything if you put your mind to it” songs. Capt. Hook is one of the more formidable Disney bad guys and the whole fantasy world of Neverland is simply dreamy.

6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Here’s where we get into the matriarchs of the Disney movies, the ones responsible for everything we ever got afterward that turned Disney into a powerhouse of children’s entertainment. Snow White of course was Disney’s first full-length animated feature. The first memorable children’s tunes in movie history came from this picture. Everything about it is classic.

Granted, when looked at with a skeptic eye, Snow White can seem horribly anti-feminist and kinda screwed up. I mean, a drop-dead gorgeous woman with the fairest complexion in all the world ends up in a house with seven disgruntled midgets, does all their bitch work while they go mine the caves during the day and, because of her own dumb ignorance, is forced to wait for the elusive Prince Charming to kiss her so she can truly live happily ever after. But nonetheless, these are classic story archetypes and we owe them everything for laying the foundation for future classics.

Part 2 on Friday!

New on DVD and Blu-ray: Public Enemies - 4/5 Stars

It's been awhile since we've seen a good cat-and-mouse thriller done old school, and that's exactly what "Public Enemies" is. Merely trade in your usual summer crime movie full of thieves in ski masks wielding uzis for ones wearing suits and fedoras armed with tommy guns and suddenly you're getting entertained Great Depression-style. "Public Enemies" is a neat crossover between the action-packed thrillers of today and the mob movies of yesterday, and one that comes to us well-armed with the talents of Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and a master of the thriller genre: director Michael Mann.

"Public Enemies" is about 80 percent action thriller, 20 percent biography of infamous '30s bank robber John Dillinger (Depp). It gives us a colorful character portrait of Dillinger as a care-free crook with a sense of humor, but its main goal is to give us a handful of flashy crackling gun fights. It's not an intimate or dramatic character study that makes us think twice about what it means to be America's most wanted; the intention is to develop Dillinger enough so that Depp can make him an intriguing personality for us to follow on this 140- minute "catch me if you can" adventure. So check your Oscar-caliber expectations at the theater entrance.

Depp is a perfect fit as Dillinger, a man who lived in the moment, doing only as he wanted and hearing only what he wanted to hear, even when it was "you won't get away with this forever." He's a likable criminal type, not unlike a clean-shaven and articulate Jack Sparrow. Basically, he makes life hell for the Bureau of Investigation (it's his example that will later add the "F") and the chief detective on his case -- Melvin Purvis (Bale). He's the silly rabbit that keeps getting away, and Bale -- in a strong but unremarkable performance -- vows to hunt him down.

This isn't unfamiliar territory for director/writer Mann, whose thriller "Heat" was basically a more sophisticated modern version of the cat-and-mouse story with two other stars on opposite ends of the fight (De Niro and Pacino). Like that film, "Public Enemies" has a lot of exciting and dramatic nighttime action scenes. The gunfight at the Wisconsin getaway with the guns lighting up the cold night air is most memorable. Mann more or less film this movie like someone who's been here before. His only weakness is overuse of hand-held camera shots. In a period piece, you'd expect a filming style that would be a little more classic, framing every shot perfectly, but Mann insists on this modern technique that does sort of shatter the bubble of being in the '30s in spots. There is definitely a sense at times that these are just modern people playing gangster dress-up -- it's not a flawless recreation of the era.

I'm unaware of the historical truths surrounding Dillinger and his cronies "Pretty Boy" Floyd and "Baby Face" Nelson, or even if he had a relationship with a Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), but all their roles and the facts that may or may not accompany them are of little consequence to the enjoyment of the film for those who aren't crime history buffs. Billie is the best example of a character rendered ineffective because the movie cares little about her (despite Cotillard's talents). She's just there because every no-good gangster/mob guy has a girlfriend, which isn't great, but it's fine because it gives us another side of Dillinger and he's what is supposed to make the film stand out.

Keep in mind that "Public Enemies" was released in July and not December and you should enjoy it -- it's an action thriller done '30s gangster style, not an Oscar-contending biographic crime drama. It wouldn't be unfair to expect a bit more character conflict or development for all characters and actors not named "John," but it's definitely appropriate summer movie fare.

4/5 Stars

"Public Enemies" (2009)

Directed by: Michael Mann

Written by: Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, Ann Biderman, Bryan Burrough (book)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard

Weekend Recap: Box Office down, "Blind Side" on top

Predicting who will win the box office hasn’t been as hard as I thought, but this was one of those weeks where I’m pretty pleased with my prediction. The Blind Side, its third week, surpassed New Moon to take No. 1.

Box office winners have been clear-cut with a few surprises since I started this prediction business back in September. I’m 12-of-13 having only missed one weekend when Saw VI failed me.

But what does that really say? Has the box office become that predictable (when it comes to No. 1 at least)? I think that we do live in the age of surefire success. With undying fan devotion to books (Twilight and Harry Potter films) and this inherent “need” to see sequels regardless of the crap we probably know we’re in for, when it comes to scheduling film releases, the studios know what to avoid. Couples Retreat was the only wide release film that weekend in October when it came out. Everyone else knew they didn’t stand a chance. No huge films came out Thanksgiving Day because studios knew New Moon would still be rolling. Next weekend, only Clint Eastwood’s Invictus will compete with the wide release of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.

The Blind Side finally taking No. 1 three weeks in and the poor performance of the box office this weekend in general (as you’ll see below) is testament to the way movies are nowadays. People are spending a lot of money at the theaters and they want guarantees: overwhelmingly positive reviews, material they’re familiar with, stuff their kids will definitely enjoy and not find “too scary” and want to leave early, etc. “Blind Side” owes a lot to the most positive reviews of any wide release recently. Most well-received films come out in limited release at this time of year so they rarely impact the box office.

1. The Blind Side - $20 M (weekend) … $128.9 M (gross)
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $15.4 M … $255.4 M
3. Brothers - $9.5 M … $9.5 M
4. A Christmas Carol - $7.8 M … $115.2 M
5. Old Dogs - $6.9 M … $33.9 M
6. 2012 - $6.8 M … $149 M
7. Armored - $6.5 M … $6.5 M
8. Ninja Assassin - $5 M … $29.8 M
9. Planet 51 - $4.4 M … $34 M
10. Everybody’s Fine - $3.8 M … $3.8 M

The biggest surprise this weekend was the performance of Brothers at the box office. It made on the high end of what I expected, but it was good enough for third place. This could be one of those films that continues to perform at the same level for the next few weeks, maintaining popularity as more and more Oscar films come out.

The biggest flop was undeniably Everybody’s Fine. Okay to favorable reviews, Robert De Niro and old people weren’t good enough for this film to be a moneymaker. With under $4 million, its times like this where I wonder if America read my blog and subsequent recommendations.

Noteworthy are great performances outside of the Top 10 by limited release films Up in the Air and The Princess and the Frog. That’s a predictor of the kind of success those films will likely have, especially with all the critical acclaim “Air” has been getting in particular.

My guess is this will be the last really poor weekend of the year. Disney will give the box office a boost next week followed by the anticipated release of Avatar.

Deathly Hallows pt. 1 Teaser!

The trailer for the first part of the final installment in the Harry Potter films/books Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows appeared to be leaked online, but then apparently it was put out officially. Then again, the sites I read had a defunct link, so I found an average quality version of it on YouTube that hopefully you'll get to see before that possibly gets torn down.

View YouTube trailer (hopefully) here

UPDATE: Film School Rejects has the teaser plus an introduction from producer David Heyman and director David Yates.

The teaser is pretty much what director David Yates told us to expect: dark, dark, dark and darker. I know we've been saying that ever since "Order of the Phoenix" came out, but this one looks to be distinctly more realistic as Yates has indicated in interviews. Not a whole lot of magical stuff going on and a lot more real-world backgrounds and a distinctly scary/serious overtone.

"Hallows" part one comes to us in November 2010 and the second half in July 2011

Now on DVD: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009) - 2.5/5 Stars

In the tradition of the many other Will Ferrell-Adam McKay produced comedies with a colon in the title that's focused on a quirky character, "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" makes a pitch for awkward humor from a wide range of messed up characters. If you're an easy sell on that kind of humor "The Goods" is worth the time, but looking at it more critically, this movie is just trying to dress up used material so it can sell it like it's new.

Jeremy Piven is the latest comedian after Will Ferrel and John C. Reilly to attempt to pilot this ailing brand of comedy. Don Ready is a smooth-talking car salesman brought in to help a struggling dealership, a role that's perhaps a natural evolution (or de-evolution) for Piven's beloved "Entourage" character, Hollywood agent Ari Gold. Unlike those before him, Piven is not an "I can act so dumb it's funny" kind of guy so by no fault of his own, he fails to be the best character in his own film. He's just a hot shot stereotype ramblin' man character and that's why he's given such a large supporting cast.

"The Goods" overloads on whack-job character portraits. Andy Stock and Rick Stempson, writers of the straight-to-DVD colon comedy "Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach" starring Sean William-Scott, base their entire film around these character concepts. The plot is dumb, the events that happen are completely pointless: only the characters and the scenes written to utilize the character's comedic potential are given attention.

Naturally, Ready has a crew that mostly have no tangible sales skill. There's Brent Gage (David Koechner aka Champ Kind in "Anchorman"), the quasi normal guy who exists solely so the dealership's owner Mr. Selleck (James Brolin) can make awkward homosexual advances towards him, Jibby (Ving Rhames) who's had meaningless sex all his life and wants to "make love" to a woman and Babs (Kathryn Hahn), the horny sex-appeal saleswoman who battles both her lesbian desires and her sexual crush on the Selleck's 10-year-old son stuck in a man's body (Rob Riggle).

That's not even the half of them, however. The belief here is that the characters sell the comedy, so all the stops are pulled. Korean-American Ken Jeong ("The Hangover") plays a salesman named Teddy, there's a crazy old war vet (Charles Napier), a DJ with internal anger issues (Craig Robinson), the standard "normal girl love interest" in Mr. Selleck's daughter, her jerk fiancée who's actually a dork in a "man band" (Ed Helms) and more. Then of course there are cameos, after all this is a Ferrell/McKay movie.

There are hits and misses among them, the hits being the out-of-nowhere jokes that get a quick laugh thanks to the depths the writers and actors are willing to go with their characters, namely in terms of inappropriateness. It's not the kind of humor that has you laughing a whole scene. That kind of situational humor is minimal. After all the plot is a bunch of crazy sales consultants come in to save a dealership from going bankrupt and having to sell to the owner's future in-laws, specifically Alan Thicke; a plot that most of us could dream up in our sleep, minus the Alan Thicke part, probably. The cleverness comes not from the story, but "how far can we take a sexual metaphor for a baseball glove."

For those that find this type of comedy gets them every time, enjoy "The Goods" because this kind of humor is in the bargain bin and who knows how much longer it will last.

2.5/5 Stars

"The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" (2009)

Directed by: Neal Brennan

Written by: Andy Stock, Rick Stempson

Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn

Weekend Preview (12.4.09)

There’s always a one-week burnout period in this second weekend after Thanksgiving. We all sort of hit this wall when we realize Christmas isn’t actually for another three weeks and that we have to work and shop. The novelty wears off briefly but then maybe there’s a little snowfall and you hear some Christmas music and suddenly you get the spirit back.

The box office experiences that same kind of lull. Although last year we had the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still at this time of year, the big budget blockbusters usually hold out until at least the second (I Am Legend) or third (The Lord of the Rings) weekends in December. Naturally, the anticipated Avatar comes to us in another couple of weeks.

Instead, we’ve got uncertain hodgepodge this weekend. The widest release is Robert De Niro feel-good Christmas movie Everybody’s Fine going to 2,133 theaters nationwide, followed by Brothers, the domestic drama/thriller with Queen Amidala, Donnie Darko and Spider-Man. In about 1,900 theaters is Armored, the crime action flick starring Matt Dillon and up-and-comer Columbus Short.

My Endorsement: Is it too early to plug Up in the Air yet (released in 15 theaters)? I guess so. My recommendation is for leftovers. The Blind Side has been getting solid marks from just about everyone and there are still quality indies such as Precious, A Serious Man and An Education out there. I’d like to hype Brothers but early reviews are mixed and I was never all that sold on it to begin with.

Red Flag: Everybody’s Fine and you’ll be too if you go see this movie, but don’t expect a whole lot more than that. I flagged this movie in my preview because I’m still convinced nothing actually happens in this movie other than De Niro playing with little kids and lots of dialogue working out family issues. If you still want to see it, however, don’t go before dinner or you’ll be sure to be trampled by senior citizens hitting up the early bird.

Box Office Prediction: Weekends like this are tough with a trio of lame duck new releases (in that they’re not hyped, they’re in genres that don’t make a lot of money and they’re not being released in that many theaters). Everybody’s Fine has the best chance of any of them to take first place, but if so, it won’t be by much. I just don’t see it making more than $20 million, which isn’t good enough for first based on what New Moon and The Blind Side have been doing.

All that figured out, I’m going to be daring and choose the best-reviewed wide release film of the holiday season to hang around for No. 1, and that’s The Blind Side. Call me crazy for picking a film in its third week, but I don’t see this film falling more than 45 percent, so I’m picking it to win with $25 million.

Second, I’m scared to bet against the tweenies that want extra helpings of Taylor Lautner’s 8-pack on the big screen. I expect a near 50 percent cut for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, but good enough for second place with $21 million or thereabouts.

Third is my reasonable place to slot Everybody’s Fine considering its limited release. I think most people are going to overestimate this film and I don’t want to be the one to do it. I’m projecting $18 million.

This is where it gets tough. New releases with not that many theaters all things considered versus the box office winners from early November on their way down. I’m projecting 10-12 million for a few different films, so I’m going to have to take stabs. 2012 has done fairly well and has no new competition genre-wise, so I’m guessing $12 million.

Last, I’m going to take a chance with Armored at $10 million, which I also think is where A Christmas Carol will end up and Brothers just below that with $7-9 M, which is also where I expect Old Dogs to fall given its bad opening and probably Ninja Assassin as well. It’s going to be really scrunched in the bottom half of the Top 10 for sure.

1. The Blind Side
2. New Moon
3. Everybody’s Fine
4. 2012
5. Armored