DVD Geek: Camelot

One can speak derisively of Blu-rays for their operational legthargy, but there are amazing things that the format can accomplish, and a very good example is that they can turn bad movies into good movies. Musicals have always played by different rules than other movies, and that is what is at work here. Rather than dwelling on the film’s failures, the BD enables one to embrace what does succeed in the film, and allows those glories to reign.

Wilmington on DVDs: A Night to Remember

It‘s a masterly historical reconstruction — and despite its typically British, somewhat staid cinematics, an absolutely thrilling film. As gripping and excitingly visual as Cameron‘s movie may have been, this picture, even more, is the movie Titanic to remember.

Wilmington on DVDs: The Secret World of Arrietty

The everyday beauty and transcendent charm of The Secret World of Arrietty — the latest feature cartoon import from Japan’s master animator/writer/director Hayao Miyazaki ) — is a balm to the restless spirit, a tonic for the troubled heart.

Wilmington on DVDs: The Woman in Black

“The Woman in Black” is an old-style British horror movie with some new-style violence, a film that takes advantage of the new screen freedoms and technology, but that also employs, often pretty effectively, a lot of the familiar archetypes and tropes of British literary and movie horror, particularly the ones for the haunted house sub-genre.

The Weekend Report: Shipwreck!

No one expected the trio of new national releases to unseat “The Avengers” … they just expected them to be more competitive. “The Avengers”‘ third weekend prevailed with an estimated $55.2 million with “Battleship” not quite right behind with $25.3 million. Third spot went to “The Dictator” with $16.7 million and the third freshman, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” slotted fifth with $10.5 million.

Wilmington on Movies: The Dictator

Of course the Marx Brothers were partial to non sequiturs too, and several crtics have compared this film to both Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, and the Marx Brothers’ “Duck Soup.” But in their greatest films, Groucho, Chico and Harpo made their comedy work through sheer brazenness, through adroit asides and clever playing to the audience. That kind of wacky genius isn’t really a Cohen forte.

Wilmington on Movies: Battleship

Gallantly, Alex rushes out to get her said burrito, which he does by breaking into a nearby convenience store, tearing up the ceiling, stealing and (I presume) microwaving a chicken burrito and then resisting arrest, a feat of insane derring-do that so impresses the hottie, Samantha Shane (Decker) that she falls madly in love with Alex. Samantha, incidentally, turns out to be the daughter of Stone’s boss, Admiral Shane, the commander of the entire Pacific Fleet (played by Liam Neeson).

Friday Estimates — May 18, 2012

The Avengers continues to lead the pack as expected, leaving the board game adaptation, the pregnancy book adaptation, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator to duke it out for the other top slots. Tim Burton-Johnny Depp franchise Dark Shadows slips 61% in the wake of mixed reviews, and The Hunger Games edges closer to $400 million. A full slate of indies also debuts, including Hysteria, Lovely Molly and Polisse.

Box Office Hell — May 18

Our Players|Coming Soon|Box Office Prophets|Box Office Guru|EW|Box Office . com Marvel’s The Avengers |53.2|64.4|60.0|58.0|n/a Battleship|34.0|41.6|42.0|37.0|n/a What to Expect When You’re Expecting|23.7|14.3|16.0|19.0|n/a The Dictator |17.4|18.2|16.0|15.0|n/a Dark Shadows |14.5|18.9|13.0|14.0|n/a

Critics Roundup – May 17

Battleship |Red||||Yellow The Dictator |Yellow||||Yellow What to Expect When You’re Expecting |Red||||Yellow Elena (NY) |Green||Green|Green| Hysteria (limited) |||Green|Green| Mansome (limited) |||Yellow|| Polisse (limited) |Red||Yellow|| The Samaritan (limited) |||Red|| Lovely Molly (limited) ||||Yellow|

Wilmington on Movies: What to Expect When You’re Expecting

The movie, which tries hard to leaven its sunny comedy and advice with a little darkness and realism, succeeds only in dredging up unwelcome memories (to me) of Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve, and unpleasant thoughts of a possible “What to Expect When You’re Expecting: The Musical.” Is that likely? Is that conceivable? I’m afraid to ask.

The DVD Wrapup: The Grey, Golf in Kingdom, Norwegian Wood, We Were Here, My Perestroika, 42nd St. Pete’s 8mm Madness … More

Normally, it wouldn’t be unusual for a filmmaker of any ethnic or cultural background to choose a Beatles song for the title of his or her movie. “Norwegian Wood,” however, is a particularly significant track in the band’s repertoire, both for its enigmatic Lennon-McCartney lyrics and George Harrison’s choice of the sitar as a lead instrument. That it was based on an affair between Lennon and a friend’s wife also set it apart from the “yeah, yeah, yeah … I wanna hold your hand” bunch.

Wilmington on DVDs: Certified Copy, The Report

The story of “Certified Copy,” according to Godfrey Cheshire’s exemplary notes, comes from a tale of two people that director Kiarostami once told to Binoche in Tehran: a story he initially claimed was true, and had actually happened to him, but which he later confessed was a fabrication.

Wilmington on DVDs: The Devil Inside; My Perestroika; Who’s Minding the Store?; Who’s Got the Action?; The Spiders

Jerry Lewis, that’s who. Without Dean. And since this Frank Tashlin-written-and-directed farce — set in a department store that Jerry, as the well-meaning but accident-prone Norman Phiffler, systematically demolishes — dates from Lewis’ biggest commercial (and even artistic) period, the early ’60s, that means we’re going to see plenty of the man doing his thing: all-out slapstick, spazzy chaos and wild mugging.

Wilmington on DVDs: The Grey

Fitting that this movie is called The Grey, because grey it certainly is—cold, and bitter, and sunless, a suspense picture full of existential terror, untamed nature, overwhelming anxiety and relentless death, always a step or two behind. And wolves. And Liam Neeson.

The Weekend Report: May 13, 2011

“The Avengers” continued to hold sway, easily outpacing any potential competition with an estimated second weekend box office of $103.8 million. Granted there was but a single new national release with “Dark Shadows” that ranked second overall with an opening salvo of $28.5 million. In limited release, single mom drama “Girl in Progress” bowed with an OK $1.2 million. “Avengers” aside, the wow bow was Tollywood newcomer “Gabbar Singh” that collected $643,000 from 45 engagements for an impressive per screen average of $14,290.

Wilmington on Movies: Dark Shadows

Most interestingly the filmmakers take a lead character, Barnabas C., whom I remember as something of an epicene icon, and they let Depp (who has said that he interprets many roles with a gay slant) make Barnabas so unabashedly heterosexual with his lady loves — Eva Green in Lara Parker’s old role of witch/bitch Angelique Bouchard and Bella Heathcote as both eternal 18th century love Josette Duprez and ’70s governess Victoria Winters — that they either die or kill for love of him.

Friday Estimates: May 11, 2012

“The Avengers” continues to break domestic records and will hit $300m in 9 days, still pacing ahead of “The Dark Knight.” Meanwhile Team Burton/Depp/Bonham-Carter opens just about where they do when they aren’t digging into a mega-franchise from another medium. The number will be almost the same as “Sleepy Hollow” and significantly better than “Sweeney Todd” (or “Mars Attacks,” for that matter).

And “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”‘s expansion yielded a very similar Friday number to last year’s expansion of “Midnight in Paris.” It’s the next expansion—near 1000 screens—that will tell the bigger tale, but for now, Searchlight has to be very happy with last night’s results.

Box Office Hell — May 11

Our Players|Coming Soon|Box Office Prophets|Box Office Guru|EW|Box Office . com Marvel’s The Avengers |97.5|87.5|98.0|100.0|111.0 Dark Shadows |38.5|34.8|38.0|35.0|33.0 Think Like a Man|4.5|4.3|4.5|4.7|5.0 The Hunger Games |3.1|3.7|3.5|3.8|4.0 The Pirates! Band of Misfits|3.0|3.5|n/a|3.7|3.7

Critics Roundup — May 10

Dark Shadows |Yellow||Green|Red|Green God Bless America (limited) |||Green|Green| I Wish (limited) ||||Green| Under African Skies (limited) ||||Green| Romeo and Juliet in Yiddish (NY) ||||Yellow| Where Do We Go Now? (NY, LA) |Green||Red|Yellow| Patience: After Sebald (NY) |||Green|| You Are Here (NY) |||Green|Green| The Cup|Yellow|||| Steve Jobs: Lost Interview|Yellow||||