FilmCrave Movie Blog 01/2012

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: You're In Time to Drive The Thing to a Dream House

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/31/12 at 11:23 AM CT

My cup runneth over with the plethora of options to choose from this week. You have award-worthy recommendations, science fiction and horror plus a major dud that might see a second life on DVD.

1) Although it hasn't gotten near the attention it deserves, Drive is a film that should be on any list for people who like movies. With Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks …

Weekend Box Office: The Grey Claws Its Way to the Top, Man on a Ledge Barely Clings to Top Five

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/29/12 at 09:03 PM CT

It was another successful box office weekend (compared to last year) as Liam Neeson held off a pack of wolves and wound up on top while scathing reviews didn't stop One for the Money from being a modest hit.

Coming out on top with $20 Million, The Grey represents another solid film for leading man Neeson. While it opened a bit lower than both Taken ($24.7 million) and Unknown ($21.9 million) …

New Movies to Crave: Get Lost in The Grey or Hang Out with a Man on a Ledge

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/27/12 at 11:37 AM CT

It's been a good start to the 2012 movie season so far; Liam Neeson and Sam Worthington hope to keep these good times rolling as their respective films lead the charge this weekend.

1) On the surface, The Grey looks like Alive vs. that part in The Day After Tomorrow where wolves attack people. Yet even with the wolves in the picture, I have a feeling The Grey is more than meets the eye, if …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Fighting Robots, Cancer Comedy and More Paranormal Activity

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/24/12 at 11:03 AM CT

On a day the Oscar nominations were announced, it's funny that none of the new releases coming out this week will be featured. But then, boxing robots and terrifying entities are not usually recognized by the Academy.

1) In what I like to term Rocky meets Rock'em Sock'em Robots, Real Steel features Hugh Jackman as a promoter who has lost his touch but may just find it again when he discovers …

Weekend Box Office: Underworld Awakens Box Office, Red Tails Flies in Just Behind

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/22/12 at 11:11 PM CT

Looks like the fourth time is the charm for the Underworld series. With Kate Beckinsale back in the picture as vampire warrior Selene, Underworld: Awakening took in $25.4 million to claim the top spot at the box office. It also helped lead the total box office to a 26% improvement compared to last year.

While it wasn't quite enough to top Beckinsale's last Underworld appearance (Underwold: …

New Movies to Crave: Go Haywire, Fly with Redtails or Join the Underworld Awakening

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/20/12 at 10:00 AM CT

Hopefully you're in the mood to add a little action to your life, as you have a triple dose coming at you that deal with action in slightly different ways, but in the end, it's still action.

1) If you like your action in the pure adrenalin form, Haywire should be right up your alley. MMA star Gina Carano plays a black ops agent who faces betrayal so does what anyone would do: gets revenge. …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: No Need to Beware The Ides of March or a Courageous Abduction

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/17/12 at 12:07 PM CT

This week runs the gamut from new films that deserved to be watched to new films that deserved to be buried and never, ever spoken of again - I'll list them and somehow I think you fine folks will be able to figure out what I mean.

1) If anyone can tell me that there's a better match up then Ryan Gosling and George Clooney, I'm all ears. You have amazing up-and-comer paired with the …

What Have We Learned from the Golden Globes?

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/16/12 at 08:41 PM CT

Well - besides the fact Rickey Gervais isn't nearly as funny when he retrains himself. Actually, it turns out the Golden Globes were much more interesting this year. Are there clear-cut winners? Yes - but I don't think it's as cut-and-dried as some years, which should make for a more interesting Oscar night.

First, off, I don't think anyone can argue that The Artist and The Descendents ended …

Weekend Box Office: Contraband Smuggles Its Way to the Top of the Box Office

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/16/12 at 11:49 AM CT

In a battle between new and old, new won the day, but it was smiles all around as once again the total box office was on an upward tick compared to last year.

Contraband, the action/crime drama with Mark Wahlberg heading the cast, took in $24.1 million over the weekend. It represented was Wahlberg's sixth-best opening of his career, besting the likes of Four Brothers ($21.2 million) and The …

My Top 10 of 2011

patjohnson76 - wrote on 01/15/12 at 12:48 AM CT

I know this is coming late, but it's only because there were so many great movies released late in 2011 that I wanted to try and see before making a "best of" list. I'm also creating this list with an important disclaimer: there are some critically beloved movies of 2011 that I have yet to see, most notably The Descendents, Moneyball, and Hugo... but those are probably going to be Netflix …

Female Empowerment - The Most Badass Women on Film

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/14/12 at 11:38 AM CT

On January 20th, MMA star Gina Carano looks to join an exclusive club: that of the tough-as-nails, take charge fierce female. These are women that don't just hand with their male action counterparts, they could probably reduce them to quivering mounds of jelly. From the looks of the trailers and clips of Carano, she ends up beating just about everyone else in the movie. It just goes to show, if …

New Movies to Crave: Be Our Guest in 3D, Contraband Optional

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/13/12 at 10:48 AM CT

Despite horrendous critical and audience reaction last week, The Devil Inside managed to get the 2012 new movie season off with a bang with an impressive nearly $34 million debut. This week has a couple of new films, one nationwide expansion and one 3D re-release that has a good chance of beating them all.

1) Disney found a gold mine when they decided to re-release The Lion King in 3D last …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: The Killer Elite Take the Moneyball and Run

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/10/12 at 12:39 PM CT

With award season finally getting into high gear, now is the perfect time to catch up on all those would-be, could-be 2012 nominated films before the big Oscar night. While there is only one decent film coming out on DVD this week that may show up, it's a good one to choose.

1) Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright bring a much different kind of sports movie to the …

Weekend Box Office: The Devil Made Audiences Do It

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/08/12 at 10:16 PM CT

Despite some harsh critical reviews and ambiguous audience reaction, The Devil Inside joins Insidious and Paranormal Activity in being another low-budget horror film that hits it big.

Now, I'm not saying the film is going to perform as well over time as those films, but the $34.5 million opening the movie scared up is good enough for the third-best January opening ever (behind Cloverfield's …

New Movies to Crave: The Devil is in the Details

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/06/12 at 11:07 AM CT

In what is usually a slow time of the year for new releases, there is only one new wide release coming out and I have a feeling that we're up for a repeat three weeks running.

1) That's because The Devil Inside looks to bring nothing new to the table. A mix of Fallen, The Last Exorcism and pretty much any other "possession" film of the last five years, unless you're really desperate for a …

Worst Movies of 2011

patjohnson76 - wrote on 01/05/12 at 05:29 PM CT

I've been wanting to create a Best of 2011 list, but I'm behind on my movies and there's are some high-profile films I've yet to see. However, I saw plenty of bad movies in 2011 so I thought I could make a list of my least favorite movies of the year. Granted, there are some poorly reviewed movies I never saw (such as anything with Nicolas Cage) but I usually don't see a movie I know I wouldn't …

Ten Films That Will Make or Break 2012

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/05/12 at 01:32 PM CT

Bid farewell to 2011 and the disappointing box office numbers, and welcome 2012, in which Hollywood hopes to bounce back. In that regard, there are a number of films that will shape the landscape. These new releases in 2012 will either boost the box office or fail in their endeavors and provide another lackluster year. Yet considering the slate of films, I have a feeling 2012 will be, if not a …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Contagion Spreads but Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/03/12 at 11:43 AM CT

Out with the old, in with the new. Hollywood isn't wasting any time with presenting a decent lineup for the start of the 2012 new DVD releases season. Last week was scant, at least this week you have a few choices. Whether you approve of them or not is another matter.

1) If you're not a germaphobe already, Steven Soderbergh will try his best to make sure you think twice about touching …

New Year Weekend Box Office: It's Mission: Possible Once Again for Ghost Protocol

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/02/12 at 11:27 PM CT

The year might not have gone out with the bang Hollywood wanted, but it was a solid final tally from one year to the next.

As expected, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol held on to its first-place position. Taking in $29.6 million over the weekend (and an additional $8.7 million on Monday) it leaped past M:I III with a $141.2 million total. It should have little problem surpassing the $181 …



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