FilmCrave Movie Blog 11/2011

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Smurfs with Benefits in 30 Minutes or Less

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/29/11 at 12:11 PM CT

It's a Smurf-tacular week for new releases - in fact, you just might get a little blue at all the money you could spend on everything in all-out blitz.

1) Even though I personally find it an affront to my childhood memories, for some reason The Smurfs was incredibly popular at the time of its releases. I blame sugar and uncaring parents. Still, I bet there are a lot of babysitter looking …

Weekend Box Office: Breaking Dawn Stays on Top, The Muppets Wins Battle of Family Films

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/27/11 at 11:41 PM CT

The long holiday weekend was good news for fans of vampires and fuzzy puppets. It wasn't too bad for fans of art-house films, either.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 blew past the $200 million mark over the weekend. With an estimated $62.3 million the popular franchise now stands at $221.3 million. While its total couldn't match the $66.3 million that New Moon took over the …

New Movies to Crave: Muppets, Hugo & Arthur Attempt to Take On Twilight

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/25/11 at 12:07 PM CT

Will a trio of family-friendly films be enough to topple Twilight? Some movies got a pre-weekend jump due to Thanksgiving, and it looks like they will have to work extra hard if they want to muscle Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 out of the spotlight.

1) Hugo is going to get the most buzz, if only because Martin Scorsese is behind the camera. Critical response has been favorable and it looks like …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Super 8, Conan and Spy Kids - Oh My!

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/22/11 at 01:00 PM CT

Before stuffing yourself with obscene amounts of food before waiting in line at the crack of dawn this week - take a moment to reflect and give thanks for this week's new releases.

1) J.J. Abrams' ode to Steven Spielberg, Super 8 is still one of my favorite films of 2011. It has that sense of adventure, plucky characters, good humor and a lot of heart. It doesn't stray too far into …

Weekend Box Office: Twilight Breaks the Competiton in Near Record-Breaking Fashion

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/21/11 at 12:07 AM CT

Twilight fans show they had teeth this weekend as they helped Breaking Dawn: Part 1 take first place and the competition could only look on with envy.

The $139.5 million that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 took in was only the 5th-best opening of all time - and it was just below New Moon's $142.7 million - though I'm guessing the studio isn't too worried about that. It's obvious that …

New Movies to Crave: Dawn Breaks for Twilight Fans, Happy Feet Two & Descendents Fight for Scraps

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/18/11 at 01:00 PM CT

All (tween) eyes will be glued to the screen this weekend as the fate of Bella, Edward and Jacob is decided... well, at least the first part of fate.

1) There is no escaping from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1. Mobs of hysterical fans (some of them adult) who will swarm theaters this weekend guarantee this film will open #1. Now, how high it will open depends on repeat viewings. …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Explore Some Stranger Tides with Larry Crowne

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/15/11 at 12:13 PM CT

It's a little light on the new releases side of things but Blu-Ray saves the day with some impressive releases sure to please fans.

1) Still, this week has one blockbuster contender in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Now, while I myself might not have been enamored with this entry, on a global scale it simply dominated - grossing over $1 billion. This means even if the U.S. gross …

Weekend Box Office: Immortals Cuts Down Jack, Jill & J. Edgar

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/14/11 at 02:35 AM CT

The debut of Immortals may not quite have been godly, but it was good enough for first place.

With a $32 million opening, Immortals may have fell short of 300 ($70.9) and Clash of the Titans ($61.2) but considering it was released in the fall, and outside of the major studios (Relativity Media released this - also it's best debut) - one could say it was still a good debut. The film also …

New Movies to Crave: J. Edgar Faces Off Against Immortals, Jack & Jill

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/11/11 at 04:08 PM CT

Another diverse lineup coming this weekend: a potential Oscar contender vs. an action spectacle vs. Adam Sandler pulling double duty. How will tastes run this weekend?

1) I give the edge to J. Edgar only because Clint Eastwood has good (though not flawless) track record as a director. However, his films don't often pull in huge amounts of money, even when the critical praise runs fairly high. …

Hey, It's That Guy!

TheWolf - wrote on 11/09/11 at 04:00 PM CT

Has it ever hit you how many times you watch a movie and you suddenly recognize an actor who seems familiar? You've been watching the film for a while and suddenly some random character meanders across the screen, says something witty, gets hit by a car, or acts like a complete ass, and you think "I've seen that guy before!" but you can't exactly place what you've seen him in before.
This has …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: A Fond Farewell to Harry Meets The Change-Up

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/08/11 at 06:13 PM CT

For anyone who has been wild about Harry since J. K. Rowling first put pen to paper, seeing the last film in theaters may have been like bidding an old friend goodbye.

1) Fear not Potter fans, the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 gives you one last glimpse at the boy wizard and providing you go with this release, plenty of extras as well. Additional scenes, a look at …

What Once Was a PG Rating

patjohnson76 - wrote on 11/07/11 at 11:27 AM CT

Yesterday I decided to revisit a film I haven't seen since...well, probably when Reagan was President, Tootsie. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's one of Dustin Hoffman's best films - a 1982 comedy about an actor who, struggling to find work, decides to dress as a woman and audition for a soap opera. He gets the role and wouldn't you know it, his character becomes a break-out star. Add …

The Top Gadgets/Gizmos/Goodies I’d Like to Yank Right Off of the Silver Screen

Ghost Seed - wrote on 11/07/11 at 02:17 AM CT

The Top Gadgets/Gizmos/Goodies I’d Like to Yank Right Off of the Silver Screen. (For one reason or another)

by Carla Rene Mastrangelo


1. The DeLorean/Flux Capacitor – Back to the Future (1985) – Sure, the more sensible person of today would simply take the Capacitor with the hope of installing it into a more durable, safe, snazzy modern vehicle. But I, having never been known as …

Weekend Box Office: Tower Heist, Harold & Kumar Can't Take Down Puss in Boots

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/06/11 at 11:56 PM CT

It wasn't a stellar week for Stiller and Co. nor for a stoner duo as instead audiences gave an animated spin-off the most attention for the second week in a row.

Not only did Puss in Boots take the top spot, with a just a 3.1% drop in its second week, it was the smallest non-holiday drop for any film playing in over 2,500 theaters. Taking in Just over $33 million, the animated film now stands …

New Movies to Crave: Get High on Christmas with Harold & Kumar or Join the Tower Heist

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/04/11 at 12:10 PM CT

Two comedies will duke it out for weekend supremacy, unless a certain cat can show he still has claws.

1) I'm giving the edge to Tower Heist, simply because I like the timely matter of the story and the ensemble cast, including a reactivated Eddie Murphy, actually looks like they're having fun. It looks like a straight comedic version of the Ocean's film - who can resist Ben Stiller paired …

Does Filmcrave Feed Your Movie Addiction?

Daniel Corleone - wrote on 11/03/11 at 10:40 PM CT

My very first film viewed in a theater was Stand By Me. I can vividly remember the four friends traveling along the railroad encountering a myriad of adventures. It had elements of drama and comedy and I enjoyed the experience especially watching it with my class back in grade school, since our school sponsored it.

Another major influence was viewing Star Wars in Betamax format. Who …

New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Water Those Elephants, Fall Crazy in Stupid Love & Cars Too!

Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/01/11 at 11:59 AM CT

A little romance to warm up the coming winter - and something to keep the kids occupied while you snuggle away.

1) Out of the two romantic options, I'm throwing my weight behind the one that's also a comedy. Crazy, Stupid, Love also has the benefit of having a great cast, including Steve Carell, indie favorite Ryan Gosling and just cute-as-a-button Emma Stone. If I have to be subjected to …



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