FilmCrave Movie Blog 01/2013

New in Theaters February 1: Warm Bodies, Bullet to the Head, Stand Up Guys

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/31/13 at 01:54 PM CT

January has come to a close and, for Hollywood, it's not going to be a month they look back on fondly. But, then again, the month is usually a rough one following the big December releases. How shall February fare? While March has been a big month recently, February usually doesn't stand out. That doesn't mean there won't be some surprises, but I have a feeling that they will be few and far …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of January 29 -- February 4

Harley Lond - wrote on 01/29/13 at 12:42 AM CT

THIS WEEK'S PICKS:
Directed by writer-director Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges"), the black comedy "Seven Psychopaths" follows a Hollywood screenwriter and his oddball friends, who all end up embroiled in an outrageous kidnapping scheme gone wrong. Marty (Colin Farrell) is a struggling writer who dreams of finishing his screenplay, "Seven Psychopaths"; he needs a lot of focus and inspiration since …

Weekend Box Office: Hansel and Gretel Shine, Parker, Movie 43 Tank

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/27/13 at 10:38 PM CT

It was another rather slow weekend, as only one newcomer managed to make any waves. Due the rather dubious openings, compared to last year at this time the box office was off 10%. The only real bright spots continued to be the strong showings of award-season darlings, but even they can hold only so long.

1) HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

Thanks to a clear marketing campaign and the …

J.J. Abrams and Star Wars - A Match Made in Sci-Fi Heaven

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/26/13 at 04:17 PM CT

As the huge Star Wars nerd I am, I have been following the "whose-in-whose-out-whose-potentially-on-board-to-direct-the-now-Disney-owned-Star Wars Episide VIII" fracas that has sent fans into states of shock, denial and all manner of rumor mongering. It seems at one time everyone in Hollywood was mentioned as a potential director for this project, and some of the possibilities, as far out as …

New in Theaters January 25: Movie 43, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Parker

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/24/13 at 03:39 AM CT

While this year hasn't exactly been a barn burner at the box office - it has surprisingly been horror that has driven the top films since the new year dawned. This week, though, there is no horror to be found. You have a comedy, an action/fantasy piece and another pure action film (that will hopefully do better than The Last Stand). Do any films have a chance at standing up to some serious Oscar …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of January 22-28

Harley Lond - wrote on 01/22/13 at 03:15 AM CT

THIS WEEK'S PICKS:

"End of Watch," director David Ayer's follow-up of sorts to "Training Day" (which he wrote; he also wrote the screenplay for the original "The Fast and the Furious"), is a no-holds-barred look at the bloody war raging on the streets of Los Angeles between the cops and the Mexican gangs. As in "Training Day," Ayer doesn't glamorous his cops -- but he does glorify them to a …

Weekend Box Office: It's a Horribly Good Weekend for Jessica Chastain with Mama, Zero Dark Thirty

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/21/13 at 12:26 AM CT

It was a good weekend for at least one of the new films opening. It was also a good weekend for Jessica Chastain, who starred in the two biggest films of the weekend. Still, as audiences are fickle, it wasn't such a good weekend for Arnold Schwarzenegger or Mark Wahlberg - both of whose new films got off to a very rocky start. And awards season buzz continued to play a part at the box office as …

New in Theaters January 18: The Last Stand, Mama, Broken City

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/17/13 at 07:01 PM CT

Last week Zero Dark Thirty brought a bit o drama and awards-season buzz to the box office. This weekend, we're going to be dialing things down a notch - well, a few notches. One serious crime drama, an over-the-top action flick and another example of the "January-is-the-new-October" horror entry. Considering how random the top movies have been (Texas Chainsaw 3D, A Haunted House... almost). I …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of January 15-21

Harley Lond - wrote on 01/14/13 at 09:18 PM CT

THIS WEEK'S PICKS:
"Taken 2"
Ahhh, Liam Neeson. The dignified star of "Schindler's List" and "Kinsey" has carved quite a career for himself playing hardened killers and action heroes; the most notable on his fighting card being "Taken," "The Grey" and "Unknown." It's been four years since Neeson starred as ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills, and the now 60-year-old is back to mop up what he started in …

Weekend Box Office: Zero Dark Thirty Nabs First, A Haunted House a Surprising Second

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/13/13 at 10:16 PM CT

It was a good weekend for new films, as all three new wide releases finished in the top three spots at the box office, though the order of those movies wound up a bit of a surprise. Still, with the Golden Globes tonight and Oscars on the way, several films with awards ties managed to get a good bump as well.

1) ZERO DARK THIRTY

Critics, controversy and award possibilities helped this hunt …

2013 Oscar Nominees Official - So Who Should Win?

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/11/13 at 01:26 AM CT

Now that we have the official nominations for the 2013 Oscars, it's time to predict the winners. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the strongest years for film in a few years. For once, I've seen the majority of films up for the biggest awards (though not all of them, yet) and I feel I have a pretty good grasp of where things stand. That doesn't mean I'm going to be right, but this is my …

New in Theaters January 11: Gangster Squad, Zero Dark Thirty, A Haunted House

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/10/13 at 01:57 AM CT

Last week it was, in my eyes, a surprising win for Texas Chainsaw 3D. But, as we have learned from the past, opening a horror movie early in the year often leads to decent returns (also see: The Devil Inside). Something tells me that the celebration is going to be short-lived, as horror movies also tend to be dreadfully front-loaded and fall pretty hard in their second weekend. But fear not, …

Will The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Sweep the Razzies? One Can Only Hope...

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/09/13 at 03:14 PM CT

Every year while the best and brightest are celebrated by the likes of the Golden Globes, Oscars, Critics Choice Awards and many more prestigious awards, there is also the other end of the coin. The Razzie Awards celebrate the absolute bottom of the barrel - the "best" of the worst if you so choose. Past award "winners" include the likes of Battlefield Earth, Howard the Duck, Gigli, Leonard Part …

New on DVD and Blu-ray Week of January 8-14

Harley Lond - wrote on 01/07/13 at 11:02 PM CT

There's not much excitement on the theatrical-to-DVD shelves this week; here's some brief rundowns on the major releases:

Has Tim Burton run out of ideas? You might think so with his latest, "Frankenweenie," a 3D stop-motion animated adventure that revisits the director's original 1984 short. It's a cheery, creepy tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved pooch …

Weekend Box Office: Chainsaw Massacres Django, Les Mis and The Hobbit

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/06/13 at 10:54 PM CT

Never underestimate the power of deprived horror fans. It turns out this demographic can only go for so long without getting a fix. The Collection dropped on Nov. 30th, Paranormal Activity 4 on Oct. 19 - so apparently horror fans have been biting their nails and pulling their hair out with anticipation ever since then.

1) TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D

Taking the top spot with $23 million, Texas …

Anticipating the New Films of 2013 - Can the New Year Match the Last?

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/05/13 at 08:29 PM CT

There is no doubt that for me at least, 2012 is one of the strongest years for film that has come along in a long time. From big-budget blockbusters to dramatic Oscar contenders to indie hits - it seems that everything came together. While there are surely disappointments to be found, I would say that I've enjoyed far more movies this year than I would have through - and even some of the weaker …

New in Theaters January 4: The Promised Land, Texas Chainsaw 3D

Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/03/13 at 03:01 AM CT

With the blockbusters out of the way, it's not entering into the more subdued time of the year. And by subdued, I mean the dumping grounds for less than stellar movies. In this case we have a horror film (a kind of reboot sequel) and some kind of political drama. I have a feeling that neither film is going to make much of an impact at the box office and that we're looking at a top five that may …



View Archive

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?