FilmCrave Movie Blog 03/2017

New in Theaters March 31: Ghost in the Shell, The Boss Baby

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/30/17 at 07:41 AM CT

Beauty and the Beast had little trouble with keeping itself atop the box office for the second weekend in a row, despite healthy competition. This week sees two more contenders that will strike right where it hurts: Boss Baby looks to court the family crowd while Ghost in the Shell will go after nostalgic adults (who aren't bothered by the casting decision). I think the race to top the box …

Phoenix Forgotten and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/29/17 at 10:47 AM CT

Oy vey, it's not a very exciting update this week, I'm sorry to say. Only one wide release film is getting a rating and, to be honest, it's not even one I was aware of until this bulletin came out. Anyway, it's yet another "found footage" horror film, with a sci-fi twist - that is actually based on a real event, though the film itself is an entirely fictional account of said event. It's …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of March 28-April 3

Harley Lond - wrote on 03/28/17 at 06:02 PM CT

FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
Though "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" takes us to a new era of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, decades before Harry Potter and half a world away, inspired by the Hogwarts textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” written by her character, Newt Scamander, this fantasy action adventure is no Harry Potter retread. Rowling and director David Yates …

Weekend Box Office: Beauty Still Beastly as Power Rangers Opens Strong While Life, CHiPs Flounder

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/26/17 at 08:29 PM CT

Disney continued to extend their excellent run at the box office as Beauty and the Beast became their fourth film in a row to top $600 million worldwide as it shows no signs of slowing down. Power Rangers had a remarkably strong opening in the face of such competition though, alas, the same could not be said for Life or CHiPs. Still, the top 12 took in $192.3 million, which was up a huge 63% …

New in Theaters March 24: Power Rangers, CHiPs, Life and Slamma Jamma

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/23/17 at 07:51 AM CT

We've had blockbuster after blockbuster this March - which is kind of a strange month to have such big films, but I guess March is the new July. In any case, Beauty and the Beast, Logan and Get Out are going to have to contend with four new wide release films. Power Rangers is based on the long-running TV show but ditches the cheese factor and looks more like Chronicle than your basic …

Wonder Woman, Leap! and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/22/17 at 10:51 AM CT

While the list hasn't shrunk much from previous weeks, it is a bit light on the major films receiving their ratings. There are only two films to remark upon this week. One is a major superhero movie, and the first fronted by a female (thanks, Marvel, for never giving us a Black Widow stand-alone... jerks). Wonder Woman is coming, and she just might be able to lift DC out of their funk when it …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of March 21-March 27

Harley Lond - wrote on 03/21/17 at 03:10 PM CT

FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
Due this week: "Sing," an animated musical set in a world entirely inhabited by animals, about Buster Moon, a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times and who has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition. Sing features the voices of Matthew McConaughey, …

Weekend Box Office: Beauty is a Beast in Record-Setting Fashion

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/19/17 at 08:27 PM CT

There was no doubt about Beauty and the Beast taking the top spot at the box office, the only question was how big was is going to open? It turns out, even bigger than most had expected - in fact, the top 12 took in $249.5 million, the biggest weekend since The Force Awakens opened back in 2015. It wasn't just good enough to break March records, it broke several. But Beauty and the Beast wasn't …

New in Theaters March 17: Beauty and the Beast, The Belko Experiment

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/16/17 at 07:44 AM CT

We have had some good debuts this March, but one thing is for certain, we haven't seen anything yet. Disney has figured out a new formula and while at first I thought it was mainly a cash-grab on the studio's part, it has actually turned out for the better. They have been turning out live-action versions of some of their most cherished animated films - and they have been very successful. And if …

Baywatch, Dunkirk, Life and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/15/17 at 09:49 AM CT

The ratings gods have once again blessed me with a reasonable update - which means I can bless y'all with a reasonable blog. In any case, it looks like the upcoming Baywatch movie is going to be a bit more raunchy than the cheesy TV show, as it earns an R rating. We also get a rating for the next big war movie with Dunkirk and, just in the nick of time (because it comes out on the 24th of this …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of March 14-March 20

Harley Lond - wrote on 03/14/17 at 04:31 PM CT

FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
"Elle" is one of the most wickedly nasty films of the year, featuring a terrifically convoluted scenario, great performances (including a tour-de-force turn by Isabelle Huppert, who won this year's Golden Globe for Best Actress), and lots of off-kilter sex. It's a psychological thriller that casts a jaundiced eye at marriage, family, business and relations between the …

Weekend Box Office: Kong Dominates as Logan, Get Out Hold Their Ground

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/12/17 at 09:08 PM CT

It was a monster weekend, led, of course, by one of the biggest monsters of them all, Kong. The great ape had little trouble topping the box office and his might helped propel the top 12 to $152.5 million - up 3.5% compared to the same weekend last year. While 2017 has lagged a bit behind 2016, the next few weekends should provide a much-needed boost to the box office with a lot of major films …

New in Theaters March 10: Kong: Skull Island

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/09/17 at 07:48 AM CT

Hugh Jackman and his Wolverine alter ego went out with a huge bang - even bigger than expected with an $88.4 million weekend. That is an impressive total for an R-rated superhero movie. There is only one new wide release looking to crash the Logan party, and he's a big guest. Kong: Skull Island takes place in the same universe as the Godzilla (2014) movie and is supposedly the next step in …

Ghost in the Shell, Spark, Saw: Legacy, King Arthur and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/08/17 at 10:54 AM CT

Well, I've recovered (for the most part) over last week's illness and apparently the MPAA Ratings Board has recovered from providing me with nothing. In fact, this week offers a deluge of new ratings, including the upcoming live action Ghost in the Shell film, yet another Saw movie, an animated film featuring a super-powered monkey, another animated film about a unique superhero and yet another …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of March 7-March 13

Harley Lond - wrote on 03/07/17 at 12:27 PM CT

FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
Disney's latest foray into animated musical family fare is "Moana," a fantasy tale about Moana, the only daughter of a Polynesian chief in a long line of ocean navigators. When her island's fishermen can't catch any fish and the crops fail, she learns that the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) caused the blight by stealing the heart of the goddess, Te Whiti. The only way to …

Weekend Box Office: Logan Eviscerates Competition as Get Out Holds Strong, The Shack Impresses

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/05/17 at 09:13 PM CT

It was a March weekend for the record books as Logan performed outstanding, Get Out held on incredibly well and The Shack opened to respectable numbers. The only disappointment was Before I Fall but was somewhat mitigated by the resurgence of Moonlight following its Oscar win for best picture. In any case, it was a an excellent weekend and should bode well for the weekends ahead, which feature …

New in Theaters March 03: Logan, Before I Fall, The Shack

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/02/17 at 07:40 AM CT

With both Split and Get Out having two of the best domestic totals of the year, one could say horror has been dominating the box office charts. That should finally change this weekend when Hugh Jackman takes on the role of Wolverine for the final time. This has been getting rave reviews as well and is about as far from a typical superhero film as one can get. Aside from Logan, there is also The …

This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/01/17 at 10:01 AM CT

Well, this is a first - and something I don't hope to repeat. While the ratings board still handed out their reviews this week, there is not a single wide-release or even decent limited-release film that is on the list. That means I have literally no film to showcase this week. Thus, I guess I'll just have a nice list for everyone to peruse and have to hope that next week brings some movies of …



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