Some will call this a slow weekend, but it may be better to think of it as the calm before the storm. Next week, the summer movie season begins and people are saving their pennies for 'Iron Man 3,' so it's not really surprising that this was an uneventful couple of days at the multiplex. At least the folks behind 'Pain and Gain' can be glad that their film led an otherwise quiet weekend.
'Iron Man 3' may not have opened in the United States yet, but it's already a smash hit overseas, earning more money in its opening weekend than 'The Avengers' did. There's a reason why movie studios are starting to think internationally when it comes to their blockbusters -- people in other countries want to see these movies just as much as Americans and a successful international release can double or triple a domestic gross.
Ever the busy producer, J.J. Abrams not only has 'Star Trek,' 'Star Wars' and 'Revolution' on his plate, his company Bad Robot is looking to get the rights to Stephen King's '11/22/63' and bring it to the small screen.
Jon Favreau, the man behind the first two 'Iron Man' films and 'Cowboys and Aliens,' is looking to go the indie route with his next feature. Favreau is currently in negotiations to write, star and direct the indie film 'Chef.'
This week, we've got two new flicks that could hardly be more different in style, subject matter or personnel. The first is a Michael Bay-directed action thriller starring The Rock, the second a family comedy about a middle-aged divorced couple starring Diane Keaton. Take your pick!
I watch a lot of 'Project Runway.' My wife likes it -- and, yeah, I like it too. A show dedicated to fashion design that features creative and powerful women is a weird thing to think about while watching a Michael Bay movie but that's exactly what I did during 'Pain and Gain.' Bay could learn a thing or two from that show about editing. Not in the cinematic, cutting shots together sense; that he's got. This is a different kind of editing.
It's the kind that is often called out by the 'Runway' judges when they tell the contestants (I'm paraphrasing), "This is too busy. You need to edit. That blue fuzzy hat that looks like a tribble distracts from the gorgeous, ornately sequined dress. The dress is enough. You don't need the tribble hat. Edit."
A Michael Bay movie -- particularly 'Pain & Gain' -- is a sequined dress with a blue tribble hat.
4 weeks ago
The developmental process in Hollywood can be slow and arduous, something Martin Scorsese is well aware of. 'Gangs of New York' was a film he wanted to make in 1979, but it took twenty-three years to finally get it to the big screen. It seems that he's going through a similar struggle to adapt 'Silence,' based on the novel by Shusaku Endo, as he has been attached to it since 1991. But now there's light at the end of this tunnel.
