March 17, 2006

New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Featuring V for Vendetta

Three new releases will grace the silver screens this weekend. Will they be winners? Will they be bombs? Maybe both? Who knows? All I know is that I plan on finding out.

Find Me Guilty. (2006, 124 minutes, R, trailer) Yet another film based on a true story, this centers on Frank DiNorscio, a member of the Lucchese crime family. He is in jail and refuses to testify against the family. During the trial, he decides to defend himself. The trailers actually look pretty funny. It stars Vin Diesel as the subject, and Peter Dinklage. It was directed by Sidney Lumet, who also made Dog Day Afternoon.

She's the Man. (2006, 105 minutes, PG-13, trailer) Believe it or not, but here is a teen comedy of Shakespearean proportions, it is based off of The Twelfth Night. Amanda Bynes stars as a girl attempting to pose as her twin brother at his boarding school. The problem comes when she falls for her roommate, who thinks she's a guy and loves someone else, and that person loves someone else, and then her brother comes back, unaware of her disguise. It was directed by Andy Fickman, who last helmed the recent Reefer Madness: The Musical.

V for Vendetta. (2006, 132 minutes, R, trailer) This is the one I have been waiting for. More than any other film so far this year, this is the one I desire seeing the most. It doesn't matter that Alan Moore doesn't care for the adaptation, the more I see, the more I want. It is the story of a future where the UK is a fascist state, the masked V plays the role of terrorist in an attempt to take the power back for the people, to fight the oppression of the government. The film is being championed by the Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix Trilogy) and directed by James McTiegue, making his debut in the big chair. The film stars Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, and Stephen Rea.

Brooklyn Lobster. (2005, 90 minutes, NR, trailer) Danny Aiello and Jane Curtin star in this film from director Kevin Jordan. It tells the story of a lobster business that is all that Frank Giorgio (Aiello) lives for, at the expense of his family. The family is forced to rally around the patriarch as the bank threatens foreclosure on the business.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. (Germany, 2006, 120 minutes, NR, trailer) This film was nominated for the best foreign language film Oscar at the recent ceremony. The film is about The White Rose, an underground student resistance movement dedicated to overthrowing the Third Reich. More specifically, it is about Sophie Scholl, who was captured during a mission of dissent, this follows her incarceration, trial, and sentencing. The film was directed by Mark Rothemund.

Duma. (2005, 100 minutes, PG, trailer) This is a family film that has been well received by the critical world. It is based on the true story of a young boy in South Afica and his pet cheetah. The cat was found as a cub and taken in by the boy and his family. Years later the family is moving to the big city and cannot take the fully grown cheetah, named Duma. So, he decides to return his pet to the wild, yet does not tell his parents that he is going. The film was directed by Carroll Ballard, who previously tackled the family realm with The Black Beauty.

Also opening this week, but not near me:
  • The Big Question
  • Church Ball
  • Don't Come Knocking
  • Don't Tell
  • Steve Harvey's Don't Trip.... He Ain't Done With Me Yet!
  • Summer Storm
  • Thank You for Smoking
  • The Zodiac

Box Office Predictions

Hmmmm, how will this week shakedown? Here's how I think it will play out.

  1. V for Vendetta. There is a lot of hype attached to this one, hopefully it will pay off.
  2. Failure to Launch. Despite the lack of critical support, I think this will still do well.
  3. The Shaggy Dog. Will it be a sleeper hit?
  4. She's The Man. This will probably do well with the tweens, but I think the promotion has been a bit lax.
  5. The Hills Have Eyes. Possibly the best horror film so far this year.
  6. 16 Blocks. Good action flick.
  7. Eight Below. Showing surprising strong legs, this will still be up here.
  8. Madea's Family Reunion. Continuing to draw them in.
  9. The Pink Panther. Likewise, wish this would go away.
  10. Aquamarine. Clinging on to the last spot is this tweener flick.

What are you seeing this weekend?

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