DVD Wrapup: Myth of American Sleepover, Hugo … More

David Robert Mitchell’s debut feature easily qualifies as one of the most criminally under-screened and neglected movies of the young century. While Hollywood continues to search in vain for the new John Hughes and independents hope to capture the same lightning in a bottle as “American Pie,” “The Myth of the American Sleepover” was there all along. Even in DVD, it succeeds at almost every level in capturing the joys, angst and insanity of being a teenager in middle-class America.

The Weekend Report, February 26, 2012

Oscar went bump in the night as the mockuventure Act of Valor ascended to the top of the weekend ticket charts with an estimated $24.7 million. Runnerup was another freshman _ Good News from Tyler Perry _ with $15.6 million. Further done the list the comedic Wanderlust bowed to a disappointing $6.6 million and the thriller Gone went missing with $4.8 million.

In the niches the hockey antics of Goon grossed a solid $1.1 million in Canada while a trio of Indian imports failed to shake up that sector of domestic box office. Exclusive starter were largely inert save for the controversial Albanian drama The Forgiveness of Blood that opened to $29,700 at three venues.

This weekend’s projection is up 23% from last year.

Wilmington on Movies: Act of Valor

With its cast of real-life Navy Seals playing characters based on themselves, in a script partly drawn from real life, in scenes that the Seals actors helped design and choreograph, Act of Valor should really be the last word in Seals combat realism.

Wilmington on DVDs. Pick of the Week: Classic. The Conformist

The Conformist (Four Stars) Italian: Bernado Bertolucci, 1970 (Arrow Video) Bernardo Bertolucci‘s 1970 The Conformist is an art film classic regarded by many cinematographers as the most beautifully photographed movie of its era. Vittorio Storaro, at his best, did the brilliant cinematography and the film’s main visual/stylistic influences include the American romantic/cynic Josef von Sternberg…

Box Office Hell — February 23

Our Players|Coming Soon|Box Office Prophets|Box Office Guru|EW|Box Office . com Act of Valor |18.7|16.5|20.0|17.0|19.0 Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds |15.3|21.0|14.0|18.0|17.0 Safe House|12.6|14.4|14.0|13.0|13.0 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island|12.0|14.2|13.0|13.8|13.5 The Vow |11.5|14.3|12.5|12.5|12.5

Critics Roundup — February 23

Act of Valor |||||Yellow The Forgiveness of Blood (NY, LA) |Green||Yellow|Green| Hipsters (NY) |||Green|Green| How To Start a Revolution (Rerun, DUMBO Brooklyn) |||Green|| Wanderlust |Green||||

Wilmington on DVDs: Tower Heist

Tower Heist. Wheww! That was one hell of a movie. Hell of a movie! Brett Ratner: Rush Hour! Rush Hour 2!!. Rush Hour 3!!! He‘s one moviemaker who can really make a movie move. Didn’t ya think?

DVD Geek: Design for Living

Made before the Production Code cleaned up his innuendos and flagrant sexual metaphors, Lubitsch constantly teases the viewer with his balancing act of sharing and hiding what the characters are thinking and doing. Almost as an afterthought, each man’s fortunes rise because of his association with Hopkins’ character, and yet, for each, it is a downward trajectory of spirit when she turns her attentions elsewhere.

The DVD Wrapup: J. Edgar, Puss in Boots, On the Bowery, more

It’s the rare documentarian whose sympathizes don’t lie with common men and women, especially those dealt a weak hand at birth. Compassion isn’t something that can be taught at film school, like cinematography, history and theory. It pretty much has to be bred in the bone.

Wilmington on DVDs. J. Edgar

This is a movie you should see both for its storytelling skills and the intense interest of the story it tells. So the hell what if it’s not constructed like the usual movie. Who wants it to be?

Wilmington on Movies: Ghost Rider

No screenings for critics here on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance — for reasons that become quickly apparent when you watch it — so I decided to fork over coin of the realm anyway and catch it at a multiplex. After all, I thought, how bad could it be? I mean really: How bad?

The Weekend Report: Feb 17-19, 2012

Weekend box office pushed to about $160 million and a 12% slippage for the three-day portion of the holiday frame. It was however 9% improved from the comparable 2011 session when newcomers Unknown and I Am Number Four ranked one and three in the lineup with $21.8 million and $19.4 million.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance had been tipped to top the charts by pundits with estimates in the low to mid $30 million range. While hardly a review driven title, the picture received withering response and diminished the crowd composed 61% male and 52% aged 25 years older plus. According to studio sources just 352 playdates were 3D engagements and accounted for 72% of box office … but those details seem highly questionable.

Friday Estimates: February 18, 2012

The Vow continues to hold the lead, keeping the return of Ghost Rider in the 2 spot. And Safe House, in #3, holds off This Is War.

In holdovers, The Woman in Black has become CBS Films’ highest domestic grosser. And Star Wars: Episode 1′s 3D re-release has to be seen as a bit of a bust.

Wilmington on Movies: The Secret World of Arrietty

Who, I pondered, were the craftsmen who made all the wonderful furniture and clothes and hand-crafted-looking household items that graced the Clocks’ house? Did these objects come from dollhouses? Are Pod and Homily master artisans as well as brilliant borrowers? As I said, I thought about it, but not much.

Box Office Hell — February 16

Our Players|Coming Soon|Box Office Prophets|Box Office Guru|EW|Box Office . com Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance|37.2|23.6|35.0|29.5|30.0 The Vow |25.0|22.7|26.0|30.0|31.0 Safe House|24.5|22.2|28.0|27.0|28.0 This Means War |23.5|16.0|17.0|17.0|18.0 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island|23.0|16.5|24.0|26.0|27.0 The Secret World of Arrietty |5.0|6.4|6.0|n/a|5.5

Critics Roundup — February 16

The Secret World of Arrietty |Green||||Green Undefeated (limited) |Green||Green|| Michael (limited) |||Yellow|| On the Ice (limited) |||Green|Green| Undefeated (limited) |||Green|Green|Green Thin Ice |||Red|Yellow| Jess + Moss (NYC — reRun Theater) |||Green|Green| Bullhead |Yellow|||| Roadie(LA) |Yellow||||

Wilmington on DVDs. Mozart’s Sister

The movie begins lyrically, with a scene that recalls the openings of both Bergman’s The Magician and Max Ophuls’ Lola Montes: the Mozart family traveling to an engagement in a nearly broken down coach through the woods. When it does break down, we’re made painfully aware of how vulnerable their existence really is, the dilemma of many artists.

The DVD Wrapup: Take Shelter, Tiny Furniture, More …

You’ll either buy into Aura and her world or you’ll find Tiny Furniture excruciatingly pretentious and boring.

Wilmington on DVDs: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn; A Fish Called Wanda

The movie, despite its hollow dialogue and sometimes punishing slow pace, does look sort of good. But it seems odd at times that this movie was directed by a man who made a movie about the Kinsey Report.

Wilmington on Movies: Safe House

I didn’t dislike it. But I didn’t like it much (except for Washington), and I kept feeling that I should like it — that there was so much fuss being taken over Safe House, and so much obvious talent involved, that I was being somehow ungrateful in remaining unmoved — or in wishing that two or three of the action or chase set-pieces (say, the soccer stadium scene) had been replaced with a few more scenes devoted to character and dialogue and human interaction.