How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
April 20, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who didn’t know that upsetting a bunch of blue people would have so many repercussions: Avatar (available Thursday)
What more is there to say about a movie that approximately everyone in America has seen? I mean really, the movie made a disgusting amount of money at the box office. And I don’t use the term lightly; Avatar literally made more money than any movie ever. To date, the James Cameron pic has earned $745.1 million in the States. With worldwide receipts included, Avatar has amassed $2.71 billion. Unadjusted for inflation, Avatar has a $143 million lead over its nearest Stateside competitor, Titanic. Worldwide, the difference between the two is a staggering $870 million. Think of it this way: Internationally, Avatar = Titanic + The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Yowza.
Visually, Avatar is unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s sparkly and beautiful, and is the only 3-D release I’ve seen that was worth the extra green at the ticket counter. Its story, though, felt familiar. Many critics drew comparisons between it and Dances with Wolves. Strangely, those same critics failed to see the similarities that Avatar shares with Pocahontas. A friend of mine once said to me that Avatar is “Pocahontas on the moon.” As much as I dug the movie, that’s still the best four-word film review for Avatar I’ve heard.
What I can’t wrap my head around is the fact that the Avatar Blu-ray/DVD includes no special features of any kind. No deleted scenes, no alternate endings, no audio commentary, no trailers. Nothing. According to Reuters, a special edition disc will be released later in the year, with a 3-D version to follow in 2011. Yet in the interim, we have one sad disc being released on Earth Day.
Disc includes: None!
For people who think Tom Cruise is in need of a new pair of eyes: Minority Report [Blu-ray]
One of my favorite movies of the 2000s gets released on Blu-ray today. It’s Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg and loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story, The Minority Report. Set primarily in the nation’s capital in 2054, Minority Report revolves around a specialized police department that arrests criminals who have yet to actually commit their crimes. The department relies on the intelligence gathered from three psychics – called precogs – who see others’ misdeeds before they take place. All is good in the world until Precrime officer John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is accused of murder by the precogs.
Much like Tom Hanks in Forest Gump, Tom Cruise in Minority Report does an incredible amount of running. I don’t blame him for it though; he’s evading police. His character also tools around in a sexy, futuristic Lexus. Eight years later and I still remember the make of the vehicle. In my opinion, a company would have to be crazy to regret joining forces with Spielberg. The people at Hershey are probably still getting a kick out of the promotion they received in E.T. after Mars declined to have M&Ms appear in the movie on account of E.T. being too ugly.
Disc includes: The Future According to Steven Spielberg featurette; Inside the World of Precrime featurette; Philip K. Dick, Steven Spielberg and Minority Report featurette; Minority Report: Future Realized featurette; Minority Report: Props of the Future featurette; Highlights from Minority Report: From the Set featurette; Minority Report: Commercials of the Future featurette; Previz Sequences featurette
For people who like watching Jeff Bridges noodle around on his guitar: Crazy Heart
Jeff Bridges was the coolest cat in all of Kodak Theatre just a few months back when he accepted his first Academy Award win (after four previous nominations) for his work in Crazy Heart as Bad Blake. It was certainly one of the more laid back speeches I’ve heard in awhile. Bridges threw down a bunch of “mans” and shook his Oscar around like it was any old thing. It was as if Bridges had already won several before (which he hadn’t) and/or he was back on the set of The Big Lebowski. It was fantastic.
Based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb, Crazy Heart is a musical-drama about a country music singer-songwriter who tries to instill some positive change into his down-and-out lifestyle after beginning a relationship with a young journalist, Jean Craddock. I’ve got no qualms with the woman of his choosing; Jean is portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Reminiscent in story to Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, Crazy Heart did modest business for Fox Searchlight since its December release date. Worldwide, the movie has made $43.7 million against a budget of just $7 million.
Disc includes: Deleted scenes and alternate music cuts; Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall on What Brought Them to Crazy Heart featurette
For people who get creeped out by Stanely Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Many months before its release, a wave of confidence swept the nation that said The Lovely Bones would likely be a contender for the big film prizes in the new year. (It’s based on a bestselling novel, it’s got a December release date, it’s got Peter Jackson, it’s got Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci, it’s got a kick-ass trailer). Then The Lovely Bones came and went, disappointed both financially and critically – and, save for Tucci’s performance, the movie turned out to be little more than a blip on Hollywood’s radar. Produced for $65 million, The Lovely Bones earned just $44 million in America and another $48 million internationally.
With a cast rounded out by Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Michael Imperioli, The Lovely Bones is the story of a teen in the 1970s who watches her family and friends try to move on with their lives after she was raped and murdered. Meanwhile, from heaven, the girl comes to terms with her own death.
Disc includes: 15-week Diary Segments Hosted by Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens featurette
April 20, 2010
Blu-ray
44 Inch Chest
American Experience: Earth Days
The Basketball Diaries
Batman
Batman & Robin
Batman Forever
Batman Returns
Big Gay Musical
Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This
Crazy Heart
Creatures of the Thaw
Earthscapes: Four Seasons
Fist Of Legend
A Fork in the Road
IMAX: Wild Australia, The Edge
Incognito: Live In London 30th Anniversary Concert
The Last Shangri-La
The Lovely Bones (Special Edition)
Mick Taylor Band: Tokyo Concert
Minority Report
Summer Hours (Criterion Collection)
The Telling
Vivre Sa Vie (Criterion Collection)
The Young Victoria
DVD
200 Motels
44 Inch Chest
Avatar
The Basketball Diaries
Battleship Potemkin
Big Gay Musical
Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This
Crazy Heart
The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!
Falcon Crest: The Complete First Season
Heartland: The Complete First Season
Janis Joplin: The Final 24 Her Final Hours
The Last Shangri-La
The Lovely Bones (Special Edition)
Merlin: The Complete First Season
The Office Season 1 / Parks & Recreation Season 1 (Back-To-Back)
Spot: Where's Spot? (30th Anniversary Edition)
Summer Hours (Criterion Collection)
Vivre Sa Vie (Criterion Collection)
Xena Warrior Princess: Season One
The Young Victoria