Top 7 Movies of the Summer (2009)

7.  Funny People

While not as strong as his first two creations, Judd Apatow’s Funny People was a bold attempt in the dramedy genre.  Close to 2 1/2 hours, the movie was a roller coaster ride of emotions.  With the sensitive issue of death as a main component to the plot, many times the serious tone overshadowed the comedy element.  But even though the movie struggled to find a balance, actors Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Eric Bana, and Leslie Mann displayed great chemistry together.

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6.  The Hangover

The sleeper hit of the summer starred a three-some of funny actors who were under the radar: Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, and Zach Galifianakis.  This buddy-mystery-roadtrip-party-movie had it all.  I enjoyed the over-the-top situations thoroughly.  Galifianakis stole the show from the other actors even though everyone was hilarious.

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5.  District 9

A message film hidden behind a sci-fi/action about aliens living in the ghetto of District 9 being mistreated by the humans.  There is a lot to take from this movie.  Whether it’s the blinding parallels to apartheid or just the sheer excitement of the suspense and action, this film left you with a lingering feeling.  To me, I left the theater with satisfaction that originality still exists and how a summer film can challenge the audience to think.  Although the film was a bit uneven, it was still effective and very well-made.

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4.  The Hurt Locker

This was an extremely intense and suspenseful film that excelled in its simple story structure.  The film is about a group of three men who diffuse bombs in Iraq.  I haven’t seen this perspective of the war yet and therefore that was refreshing.  The theme of “War is a drug” was apparent as we watched the hero, William James, degenerate from a human to a war machine.  There were a lot of things done right in this war-film.  Very well done.

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3.  Up

Pixar comes through with another home run with their most recent animated feature.  This was the most emotionally invested film from the studio’s collection to date, which might play into how this ranks among my favorites.  It’s truly brilliant how Pixar is able to create films that appeal to both children and adults at the same time.  Up is no different as the wild colors, adorable creatures, and humorous characters entertained the kids.  But for adults, the film told a tale of an elderly man coping with the death of his wife and the much-needed father figure of a little Asian-American boy.  Aww.

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2.  Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino makes “cool” movies.  So what did I expect when viewing a fictional World War II film about a group of Jewish Americans using guerrilla tactics with one mission only: to kill Nazis?  I expected blood, action, and awesomeness.  But Tarantino delivered so much more than that.  Led by Christoph Waltz as Nazi Col. Hans Landa, his performance alone is worth watching Inglourious Basterds.  Of course, the Basterds were nothing short of kick-ass, led by Brad Pitt and Eli Roth.  This is one of those films meant for pure pleasure and entertainment, and Tarantino nailed it.

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1.  (500) Days of Summer

Just like my favorite films of last summer, I had high expectations that were exceeded by this movie.  Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel shine in this non-love story, romantic-comedy.  You can really feel the independent approach in this film from the direction and the raw emotions expressed by the characters.  And let me just add, this movie is very funny.  On top of that, this movie is very heart-breaking (that’s not a spoiler).  Overall, this was my favorite movie of the summer and is one I know I’ll watch over and over again for years to come.

Box Office Results: Harry Potter flies, Bruno falls

Studio Estimates for July 17-19:

1.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – $79.5 million
2.  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – $17.7 million
3.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $13.8 million
4.  Bruno – $8.4 million
5.  The Hangover – $8.3 million

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Well well well… this weekend came as a bit of a shocker (slightly).  We all had the same Top 5 predictions, and therefore none of us predicted all of the movies correctly.  We had Public Enemies in the #5 slot and the sleeper hit of the summer, The Hangover, somehow managed to squeak past Public Enemies and The Proposal for the fifth spot.

What else?  Well, Bruno had a horrendous second weekend, grossing only $8.4 million (almost falling out of the Top 5).  Oh yeah, and then there was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that had the all-time highest midnight gross… yet failed to keep up the momentum through the weekend.  Harry Potter grossed (only?) $79.5 million, which was below all of our predictions.

We promise to do a better job next weekend, though that’s going to be tricky.  There are three new releases:  The family adventure, G-Force; the horror film, The Orphan; and the romantic comedy, The Ugly Truth.

Box Office Results: Transformers rise to the top

Studio Estimates for June 26-28:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $112 million
2.  The Proposal – $18.5 million
3.  The Hangover – $17.2 million
4.  Up – $13 million
5.  My Sister’s Keeper – $12 million

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Well there was no surprise that Transformers 2 would destroy this weekend’s box office, but how many people expected it to go toe-to-toe with The Dark Knight’s records?  In 5 days, Transformers 2 has grossed $201 million, second all-time only to The Dark Knight that grossed $204 million during it’s first five days.  Should we expect a total gross near The Dark Knight’s $533 million?  I don’t think so.  The reviews for Transformers are extremely poor and the public reaction is widely mixed.  The Dark Knight and Titanic grossed so much because of their longevity in the theaters that was assisted by positive reviews, word-of-mouth, and multiple viewings.  You have to be pretty bored to see Transformers multiple times.

As for our predictions, I was the most accurate although Chris’ gross estimate for Transformers was the closest (unless we’re playing by The Price is Right rules).

Check back for our new predictions Friday when the 4th of July weekend offers two mega blockbusters that will compete against Transformers for the box office crown:  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies.

Box Office Predictions (June 26-28)

It’s the end of June and the summer has seen a bunch of blockbuster films that have been banking in their success along with a few surprise hits.  But now the big guns have been pulled out.

Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has already hit theaters since Wednesday and will definitely take the weekend by storm.  Grossing $16 million from its midnight showings and approximately $60 million on Wednesday, I think it’s safe to say that this super-sequel will top the box office.  The question is… how much will it make?  If you haven’t heard, the critics are bashing this film to no end.  How much will that affect the public?

Also opening this weekend is My Sister’s Keeper.  This drama starring Cameron Diaz will open in about 2,600 theaters.  This film doesn’t scream “blockbuster” at all since it’s a serious drama about a girl wtih leukemia.  This will be a tear-jerking film in the middle of the loud and funny summer.  Can it survive?

Here are our predictions…

My Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $102 million
2.  The Proposal – $20 million
3.  The Hangover – $18 million
4.  Up – $14 million
5.  My Sister’s Keeper – $10 million

Chris’ Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $115 million
2.  My Sister’s Keeper – $22 million
3.  The Proposal – $20 million
4.  The Hangover – $14 million
5.  Up – $9 million

Phil’s Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $50 million
2.  My Sister’s Keeper – $24 million
3.  The Hangover – $14 million
4.  The Proposal – $10 million
5.  Up – $8 million

Sheehan’s Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $84 million
2.  The Proposal – $24 million
3.  The Hangover – $20 million
4.  My Sister’s Keeper – $15 million
5.  Up – $14 million

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To no surprise, the Predictions Panel has Transformers 2 winning the box office, though our gross estimates differ greatly.  Chris and I believe Transformers will break the $100 million mark for the weekend while Phil thinks the negative reviews will hinder its success.  Meanwhile, Phil and Chris have My Sister’s Keeper in the #2 slot, predicting the movie will make over $20 its opening weekend, but Sheehan and I think the movie will make significantly less.

Let’s see how our predictions hold up.  Check back on Monday for the box office results.

Box Office Results: The Proposal gets rid of The Hangover

Studio Estimates (June 19-21):

1.  The Proposal – $34.1 million
2.  The Hangover – $26.9 million
3.  Up – $21.3 million
4.  Year One – $20.2 million
5.  The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $11.3 million

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Finally, The Hangover falls out of the #1 spot in its third weekend at the box office, beaten by the opening weekend from The Proposal.  With $34.1 million, The Proposal is Sandra Bullocks’ biggest opening weekend ever (which is surprising because she’s been in a number of hits).  Pixar’s Up continues to make a run at the summer’s biggest movie, though Transformers and Harry Potter should hold that title by summer’s end.  The other new release this weekend, Year One, grossed a decent $20.2 million but placing 4th was disappointing.

As for our predictions, I was the only one able to predict all the Top 5 films and in the correct order.  Aside from Sheehan’s gross estimate for The Proposal, his estimates were the most accurate.

Check back on Friday for our new weekend predictions.  There are two new releases this weekend:  the heavy drama, My Sister’s Keeper, starring Cameron Diaz.  And the super blockbuster, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Box Office Predictions (June 19-21)

In the past few weeks, The Hangover and Up has had a strangle hold on the box office.  In addition to that, June seems to be the month of comedies as the genre has filled the theaters while the action films of May are fading out.  To keep the trend going forward, we have two new comedy releases this weekend, The Proposal and Year One.

The Proposal is that annoying romantic comedy you’ve been bombarded with commercials and trailers starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.  The premise is that Bullock faces deportation and on a whim she says she’s marrying her assistant.  So they go to Alaska to spend the weekend with Reynolds’ family, which is supposed to provide for a number of humorous situations.  But we all know how this movie is going to play out and we know how it’s going to end.  Still, romantic comedies for chicks is usually a hot ticket and I don’t expect The Proposal to be any different.

And then we have Year One, the biblical comedy starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as two cavemen who leave their village and explore the world.  So I assume this is going to be a buddy, road trip style of film but in an nontraditional setting.  Michael Cera has appears in some of the most successful comedies in the past few years like Superbad and Juno.  And if Jack Black is still himself, this duo has the potential to provide a lot of laughs.

Here are our predictions:

My Predictions:

1.  The Proposal – $25 million
2.  The Hangover – $24 million
3.  Up – $18 million
4.  Year One – $14 million
5.  The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $12 million

Chris’ Predictions:

1.  Year One – $55 million
2.  The Proposal – $20 million
3.  Up – $18 million
4.  The Hangover – $16 million
5.  The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $11 million

Phil’s Predictions:

1.  Year One – $30 million
2.  The Proposal – $25 million
3.  The Hangover – $18 million
4.  Up – $14 million
5.  The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $8 million

Sheehan’s Predictions:

1.  The Hangover – $27 million
2.  Up – $25 million
3.  Year One – $20 million
4.  The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $18 million
5.  The Proposal – $15 million

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As you can see, this is going to be a very interesting and closely watched weekend at the box office.  The top 3 or 4 films should be relatively close with one another.  Sheehan is still sticking with The Hangover to continue its incredible box office run.  He predicts it’ll win a third straight weekend, which would be a great feat especially during the summer.  Phil and Chris both have Year One winning the weekend and I think The Proposal will slightly edge out The Hangover for the top spot.

Let’s see how our predictions stand.  Check back on Monday for the box office results.

Tweetle Dumb: The Week’s Worst Tweets

There’s nothing that irks me more than misspelling a movie title.  Also, saying the movie is “laughable” usually isn’t a good thing.  Just a heads up.

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Hence the profession of acting.  And then he says, “seriously blown.”  Too many jokes.

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Why do people even talk like this.  No, wait… why do people even type like this?

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Of your life?  Explain.

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Yeah I don’t think that should be considered “winning.”

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There were about three thousand other tweets like this.

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False.  Transformers isn’t and will not be the movie of the year (unless you’re a moron).

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Yes you are.

The Weekly Top 5

1.  The trailer for Martin Scorcese’s Shutter Island.  Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and based on a book by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), this is the tri-fecta of brilliance.  This movie is going to kick so much ass!

2.  A sequel to “The Hangover”? Say it ain’t so!  The enormous success of this R-rated comedy this summer has sparked sequel discussions within Warner Brothers.  The leading men and director Todd Phillips appear to be excited about the opportunity of a sequel, but I’m a lot less enthusiastic.  Sure, The Hangover was a hilarious and fun movie that almost everyone has enjoyed, but should there really be a sequel to it?  This is just the studio trying to squeeze every buck of out of a current trend.  But hey, I could be wrong and the sequel to The Hangover might be better than the original.  It could happen.

3.  I’m glad I’m not the only one who believes Pixar is the greatest movie studio in the business.

4.  Clint Eastwood’s new film, Invictus, has a release date: December 11.  That’s right, smack in the middle of Oscar Season.  Also starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, this movie boasts a lot of acting talent.  Needless to say, there are high expectations for Invictus.

5.  “The Hangover” based on a true story?

Box Office Results: ‘The Hangover’ lasts for a second straight weekend at the top

Studio Estimates (June 12-14):

1.  The Hangover – $33.4 million
2.  Up – $30.5 million
3.  The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $25 million
4.  Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – $9.6 million
5.  Land of the Lost – $9.2 million

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For a second straight weekend, The Hangover topped the box office thanks to a very strong word-of-mouth and weak new releases (whose combined grosses didn’t match The Hangover’s $33.4 million).  Up had another strong total for its third weekend with $30.5 million (with a current cumulative gross of $187 million).  Third in the box office was the Denzel Washington and John Travolta remake, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 with $25 million.  The Eddie Murphy family/fantasy movie, Imagine This, bombed this weekend with $5.7 million, which landed them at #6.

As for our predictions, Sheehan was the most accurate by guessing all of the Top 5 films, with top three in order.  And his gross estimates were almost exactly on the mark.  Kudos.

Check back on Friday for our new predictions when two new comedies hit the theaters:  the romantic comedy, The Proposal, and the adventure comedy, Year One.

Review: The Hangover

The Hangover (2009)
100 minutes
Rated – R
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring:  Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis

Grade:  B

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The first comedy of the summer movie season is a hell of a good one.  I laughed a lot, partly due to the ridiculous situations and partly due to the excellent blend of personalities among the characters and sub-characters.  The premise is golden:  three friends take the to-be-groom to Las Vegas for his bachelor party, only to wake up the next day with no memory of last night and without the groom.  So it’s a race against time to find the groom so he can attend his wedding, which almost turns into a race against time because they don’t know if he’s seconds from death.

The opening sequence has Phil (Cooper) talking with the fiance where he tells her that there’s no way the wedding is happening.  Phil along with three other guys, none of whom is Doug (the groom), are seemingly stranded in the middle of a desert.  Flash back two days ago where the adventure is just getting started.

Doug is the typical good guy who is happily getting married.  He takes along Alan (Galifianakis) to the bachelor party along with his two best friends Phil and Stu (Ed Helms).  Phil is a elementary school teacher who uses his students’ trip money to bulk his pocket up for the party and who jokes about hating his life and his family.  Stu is a kind but fragile individual who constantly is bullied by his girlfriend of three years.  And then there’s Alan who is weird and creepy but lovable at the same time.  These four guys get to Las Vegas, purchase a suite for $4,200 a night, take a few Jagermeister shots on the roof of their hotel, and then blackout.

The following scene is one of the more hilarious ones of the entire film.  One by one, they slowly wake up in their suite and discover the chaotic state the room is left in.  There’s a tiger in the bathroom, a chicken, Stu’s missing a tooth, a baby, and a missing groom.  The rest of the film shows this trio of funny guys piecing the night back together in order to find their friend.

To me, I felt that The Hangover was a very risky film while being very safe at the same time.  They certainly pushed the boundaries of the R-rating to its limit, but meanwhile it never strayed from the buddy-film formula.  I’m not saying that’s a fault of the film, but it’s not a strength either.

The actor that stood out the most from the group of leading men was Zach Galifianakis.  Though he had the best written part of the movie, he didn’t miss his opportunity and nailed it.  Will this be the 39-year-old’s breakthrough performance to more comedies in the future?  I sure hope so.

Overall, The Hangover supplied more than enough laughs to kick off the comedy genre of this summer.  Will it be the best comedy of the year?  Too early to tell with other R-rated movies like Bruno and Funny People coming out this summer.  But The Hangover is a laugh-out-loud experience powered by Galifianakis.  And if you didn’t find yourself laughing that much during the movie, the still photos during the credits will definitely tickle your funny bone.