I Have Returned!

Weekend Predictions: April 5-7

1. Evil Dead - $25.5m - $8.430 PTA
2. The Croods - $20.3m (-24%) - $5,233 PTA
3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation - $19.2m (-52.6%) - $5,142 PTA
4. Jurassic Park 3D - $14.5m - $5,232 PTA
5. Tyler Perry's Temptation - $8.3m (-61.6%) - $4,054 PTA
8. Olympus Has Fallen - $8m (-43.5%) - $2,576 PTA
7. Oz: The Great & Powerful - $7.8m (-33.3%) - $2,685 PTA
8. The Host - $5m (-52.8%) - $1,624 PTA
9. The Call - $2.9m (-41.1%) - $1,448 PTA
10. Admission - $1.8m (-44.4%) - $1,279 PTA

We've got two throwbacks this weekend, each of a different variety. One is a grisly remake of one of the scariest movies ever made, whereas the other is a 3D re-release of Steven Spielberg's beloved 1993 hit film, Schindler's List. (I kid, I kid)

Evil Dead has enjoyed much online buzz (Including huge twitter buzz and a #1 rank on Fandango.com's top 5 sellers) thanks to the effective marketing touting an epic gorefest from cringeworthy trailers. Indeed, people will be up for the challenge, and given the strong buzz and the brand name of one of the most famous horror franchises out there, you can bet that this film is going to do well.

Jurassic Park may not do quite as well. The 3D re-release will surely draw film buffs into the theater, but recent 3D re-releases, such as The Phantom Menace and Finding Nemo 3D, have disappointing at the box office, and are currently going on a downward trend. It doesn't help that the film was recently released on blu-ray, one of the problems of The Phantom Menace's re-release. It should still perform decently, but don't expect T-rex sized numbers for this.

Also, you can expect animated caveman comedy The Croods to pull ahead of G.I. Joe: Retaliation this weekend. The film has been pulling great weekdays, and without another animated option until Epic, this could be primed for some very good legs.

Spaghetti's Final Oscar Predictions

With the Oscars coming up tomorrow, it's about time that I post my final predictions as to what will win, as well as what I think deserves to win.

Note: I have not seen Amour yet.

--------------------------------

BEST PICTURE
What Will Win: Argo
What Should Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Argo's pretty much won every possible award. The Critic's Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild, Director's Guild, BAFTAs, etc.. This massive sweep of guilds and special awards only happened twice this centurty, with Return of the King and Slumdog Millionaire. Argo is one of the safest bets of the night. I too loved Argo, but Zero Dark Thirty made for a hypnotic, jaw dropping examination of the killing of worldwide terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Still, Argo would make a very satisfying, albeit predictable, choice for Best Picture.

BEST DIRECTOR
Who Will Win: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Who Should Win: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

As long as Steven Spielberg didn't mess things up, Lincoln was going to be a near-masterpiece of contemporary cinema. Come November, it became clear that he didn't mess up. While this category is still a bit of a toss up due to a lack of Ben Afflect, (the only person with a 0% chance of winning, IMO, is Zeithlin) I'm going with the filmmaking legend.

BEST ACTOR
Who Will Win: Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)
Who Should Win: Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)

It's a shame that Denis Lavant wasn't nominated here, but Daniel Day Lewis is truly remarkable (as he always is) in becoming the 16th president of the United States. Bravo, good man.

BEST ACTRESS
Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Who Should Win: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Lawrence won over audiences as Tiffany, the young woman with an attitude in Silver Linings Playbook. Much like everyone else in the movie, she was admittedly pretty good. Perhaps not Oscar worthy, but still very strong. I'd still love to see it go to Jessica Chastain's film commanding performance as an agent hellbent on bringing justice to Osama Bin Laden. That, and I just love Jessica Chastain in general. It could still go to Emmanuel Riva for Amour, however, who gained traction after winning the BAFTA. Still, the Weinstein pick is probably safest.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR  
Who Will Win: Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook)
Who Should Win: Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

This is just a gut feeling, especially considering how DeNiro hasn't won any big awards for his role, but his performance as a father with OCD might win over the Academy, especially with his prestige. I'd rather see the award go to Phillip Seymour Hoffman's masterful (no pun intended) performance as the leader of a new religion, and perhaps a cult.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 
Who Will Win: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Who Should Win: Amy Adams (The Master)

Much like the rest of the world, Fantine made me cry. Given her numerous wins, Anne Hathaway is one of the clearest locks of the evening. Still, I'd like to see The Academy make the brave choice of Amy Adams in The Master. She gives one of the most haunting and intriguing performances in recent years, and she deserves some recognition for it. 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Who Will Win: Michael Haneke (Amour)
Who Should Win: Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

With the traction that Amour's been getting, it could make a move at more than just winning Foreign Feature, and this is probably the place where it can succeed the most. It should be able to blow past Tarantino and Boal, who were both previous winners unlike Haneke. Having said that, you should probably be able to guess what my choice winner is.
  
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 
Who Will Win: Chris Terrio (Argo)
Who Should Win: Chris Terrio (Argo) or Tony Kushner (Lincoln)

It's hard to choose between Terrio and Kushner, as both of them wrote some of the best scripts I can remember. Both combined political intrigue, shining star moments, intense drama, and even humorous moments to create some truly fantastic scripts. I'd be thrilled with either one winning, and Terrio looks to win easily given the massive love for Argo everywhere. I'd be very annoyed if any of the other three nominees won.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
What Will Win: "Skyfall" (Skyfall)
What Should Win: "Skyfall" (Skyfall)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Who Will Win: Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi)
Who Should Win: Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi)

BEST FILM EDITING
Who Will Win: William Goldenberg (Argo)
Who Should Win: William Goldenberg (Zero Dark Thirty)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Who Will Win: Claudio Miranda (Life Of Pi)
Who Should Win: Roger Deakins (Skyfall)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Who Will Win: Sarah Greenwood & Katie Spencer (Anna Karenina)
Who Should Win:  David Gorpman & Anna Pinnock (Life Of Pi)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Who Will Win: Jacqueline Durran (Anna Karenina)
Who Should Win: Jacqueline Durran (Anna Karenina)

BEST MAKEUP
Who Will Win: Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell (Les Miserables)
Who Should Win: Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

BEST SOUND MIXING
Who Will Win:  Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes (Les Miserables)
Who Should Win:  Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes (Les Miserables)

BEST SOUND EDITING
Who Will Win: Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton (Life Of Pi)
Who Should Win: Paul N.J. Ottoson (Zero Dark Thirty)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Who Will Win: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott (Life Of Pi)
Who Should Win: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott (Life Of Pi)

 

President's Day Weekend Predictions

 

 Note that these predictions are for the 4-day weekend.

1. A Good Day To Die Hard - $39.6m (NEW) - $11,145 PTA
2. Safe Haven - $26.3m (NEW) - $8,155 PTA
3. Identity Thief - $23.9m (-30.8%) - $7,551 PTA
4. Escape From Planet Earth - $15.7m (NEW) - $4,775 PTA
5. Beautiful Creatures - $15.5m (NEW) - $5,254 PTA
6. Warm Bodies - $8.4m (-26%) - $2,830 PTA
7. Silver Linings Playbook - $7.2m (+12.1%) - $3,270 PTA
8. Side Effects - $6.5m (-30.1%) - $2,495 PTA
9. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters - $3.9m (-32.2%) - PTA Unknown
10. Zero Dark Thirty - $3.1m (-22.6%) - $2,036 PTA

We've got four new releases this weekend, each with some box office potential. Will these four live up to it?

First, we have A Good Day To Die Hard, the fifth installment to the classic action franchise. Bruce Willis is back as John McClean, and he's going to Russia this time. Unfortunately, the film's been critically panned so far, with a pathetic 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences defied the critics' warnings with Identity Thief last weekend, so it should be likely that A Good Day To Die Hard is safe from box office harm. However, whether or not it has any staying power will depend on word of mouth. Taken 2 seems like the best comparison, so expect this fifth installment to finish with around $110m-$120m.

Safe Haven, the adaption of the Nicholas Sparks novel, was also cruelly treated by the critics. However, young women will still swoon over this movie, and it's exploding on online social networking websites. Johj Duhmael and Julianne Hough don't have the same star power as Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams, etc., but expect a decent run for this. However, a high share of its five day gross is coming from tonight, the day of love.

Third in the line-up is Beautiful Creatures, a young adult fantasy featuring magical people, southern accents, and excessive scenery chewing. Safe Haven is probably going to steal a good share of the audience away from this, so it'll be hard pressed to become the next big young adult phenomenon. In fact, I doubt that we'll get another Hunger Games/Twilight/Harry Potter like franchise until Divergent. Still, it's fair to expect a modest run around a high teens/low 20s 5-day weekend and a total around $40m-$50m.

Finally, there's Escpae From Planet Earth, an animated movie from an independent studio. The fact that it comes out tomorrow and there's not even a single review up probably means that it's a stinker, but families might be less picky considering how they haven't had a certain family audience film since Rise of the Guardians. Don't expect a Gnomeo-esque run for this, but decent numbers are still in the cards for this.

Top 10 Movies Of 2012 (Part 2)

5. Django Unchained (Directed by Quentin Tarantino)

What happens when you get an all star cast, brilliant supporting performances, and a sharp script? You get Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's slavery revenge fantasy. What he did with Basterds to World War II, he's doing here for Antebellum America and the Civil War. The film doesn't work quite as well as Basterds, but it's a fantastic film in its own regard. Jamie Foxx is fine as Django, but the true scene stealer is Christoph Waltz as the charming psychopath Dr. King Schlutz. He's basically playing the same character as he did in Basterds, but he's a good guy now.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson are also fantastic, especially considering that their roles were pretty despicable characters. The ending was the only weak link to me in the movie, but that's hardly a reason to call this film anything other than great.

4. Zero Dark Thirty (Directed by Kathryn Bigelow)

At a runtime of 157 minues, much like everything that came out over the holidays, Zero Dark Thirty is constantly hypnotic. Jessica Chastain shines bright in the first two hours, which acts as the ultimate procedural drama. The film provides great excitement and intrigue for this duration of the film. Even while Chastain was great, she's being supported by one of the best ensembles of the year, with highlights such as Jennifer Ehle, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong, and Jason Clarke. As for the last half hour, the killing of Bin Laden, you're witnessing some of the most intense moviemaking of the year. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and we all knew how it was going to end. Kathryn Bigelow gives us what may be the best possible take on this highly intriguing story.

3. Argo (Directed by Ben Affleck)

Argo proves that Ben Affleck is one of the decade's best directors. His adaption of an unbelievable true story, involving the rescue of hostages using the front of a fake movie, combines comedy, drama, thrills, and intrigue to create an all around unforgettable experience. Chris Terrio's script for this may very well be the best script of 2012, beating films like even Lincoln, Django, and ZDT! Even when it was a little slow, Ben Affleck's filmmaking skill, on top of his solid performance, is clearly evident here. This is a truly fantastic movie, one that I would recommend in a heartbeat to anyone, be it a film lover or a history lover.

2. Moonrise Kingdom (Directed by Wes Anderson)

Okay, you got me. I'm a sucker for Wes Anderson, so it should be no surprise that I loved this movie. This tale of young love, set across the backdrop of a New England island in the 60s. The ensemble for this movie is so unique and wonderful, led me two wonderful performances by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, who play youthful lovers Sam and Suzy. On top of that, you've got Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Tilds Swinton, and of course, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. With Moonrise Kingdom, you get what you pay for, and if you love Wes Anderson, you're sure to love this movie.

 

So my list is too much like any old critic's list, huh? Well, COMBO BREAKER.

1. Cloud Atlas (Directed by Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Tom Twyker)

The most underrated film of the year, Cloud Atlas, is truly a modern masterpiece. Six stories, all combining humor, drama, action, and wonder, combine, telling the story of how we are all but incarnations of our own soul over different time periods.  The three directors clearly put a lot of passion into this movie, and boy did it all pay off. The unique storytelling methods, visual richness of the film, and the poignant themes help Cloud Atlas to transcend its time period and create one of the most unique movie going experiences of the 21st century. (I was very upset upon learning that this recieved zero nominations for Academy Awards.) Given its demanding runtime, I can see why some would call it boring, but I couldn't disagree movie. For the whole 172 minutes, Cloud Atlas is an incredibly engaging film. I recommend this film whole-heartedly.

Thank you for listening.

My Top 10 Movies Of 2012 (Part 1)

Well, I guess that it's time to reveal my top 10 movies of 2012. Most critics and publications have released theirs by now, but I still had to catch up on a few movies. There are some that I didn't get the chance to see before the creation of this list, most notably Holy Motors and Amour, but I've still seen enough to have a solid foundation of my list.

Warning: Some of my blurbs contain minor spoilers.

10. Life Of Pi (Directed by Ang Lee)

 
Ang Lee's wonderous adaption of Yann Martel's seemingly un-adaptable novel was truly a marvel of filmmaking. The thing I loved most about this film was its two messages. The first was that there are many stories in this world (such as what Pi Patel has been through) that are worth telling. The inclusion of Pi telling his story while it occurs is a familiar tactic in films, but it works brilliantly here. Secondly, Pi was able to find faith and hope even in the most adverse of situations. I feel like it was less about pure religion and more about hope, somewhat like The Shawshank Redemption. My one minor quibble was that while the film was certainly pretty, it was a little bit excessive at times. That was somewhat distracting. Having said that, this is still a wonderful film, one deserving of its nomination for Best Picture.
 

9. The Master (Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)

 Paul Thomas Anderson is quite the director. His attention to detail and his eye for the time period is strongly evident in his Scientology allegory. This story of Freddie Quirrel (who is given a brilliant performance by Joaquin Phoenix, earning himself a deserved Oscar nomination) and his experiences with a charismatic leader of a rising movement (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who gives another fantastic performance) and his wife (played by Amy Adams, and do I even need to say it?)  This film builds to an ending that may leave some audience members leaving the theater feeling dissatisfied, but conveys a significant message about how Freddie's experience did little to change him. It's definitely a film that you appreciate more over time.

8. Les Miserables (Directed by Tom Hooper)

  

Quite possibly the biggest explosion of feels in 2012, Les Miserables is a pulpy, bombastic, marvelous experience. This is helped by the fantastic ensemble, most notably Hugh Jackman as ex-convict Jean Vaijean, Anne Hathway as poor factory worker Fantine, and Samantha Banks (a newcomer to film) as Eponine, a young girl who finds redemption in the midst of a revolution. The songs aren't quite as strong as you would get with broadway voices, but all of the actors nail the emotional intensity. Tom Hooper's direction works most of the time, although the cinematography was disappointing, with excessive close-ups. WE GET IT, TOM HOOPER. THESE ARE SAD PEOPLE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHOW US ALL OF THEIR TEARS! Having said that, I love this movie.

7. Looper (Directed by Rian Johnson)

One of the most inventive, smart, and entertaining sci-fi films of the 21st century, Looper is one of those films that must be experienced. The film asks the question, "What would happen if you met your future self, but you actually had to kill him or her?"  Joseph Gordon Levitt is as charming as ever, and the supporting cast is also strong. The key to the film's success is Rian Johnson's brilliant script, which was unfortunately snubbed at the Oscars. Johnson tells an exciting sci-fi story with slick action, humor, drama, and some definite surprises. We don't get films like this all of the time, so I recommend that all of you see this movie (and it's on DVD, so I'll rephrase my original statement: See this movie NOW.)

6. Lincoln (Directed by Steven Spielberg)

It seemed too good to be True: Steven Spielberg directing to story of our 16th president, with an all star cast. I was convinced that it was going to dissapoint. Lo and behold, it did nothing of the sort. Lincoln combines fantastic filmmaking, brilliant performances, and a sharp script to create a fine political drama. Daniel Day Lewis is truly a chameleon. He dissolves into his role as Abraham Lincoln, and he completely nails it. I don't think this guy could give a bad performance if his life depended on it. On top of that, you've got people like Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Hal Holbrook, and so much more. Lincoln is a truly marvelous experience, and I've got no problem with this film winning Best Picture.

Top 5 coming tomorrow!

Spaghetti's Oscar Predictions!

With the announcement of Oscar nominations coming surprisingly early this year, (tomorrow!) it's probably time to do my Oscar predictions. Followed below is my predictions for the outcome of each category, with comments on my predictions for the more highly regarded awards. Enjoy!

My personal picks should come this weekend, once I get to see Zero Dark Thirty.

BEST PICTURE
Argo
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

I think that there's going to be a full 10 nominees this year. Argo, Les Miserables, Life Of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, and Zero Dark Thirty seem like safe guesses. Django will probably get in too, considering the success that Basterds had, and how reception to this is similar, albeit not quite as strong. Moonrise Kingdom and Beasts have gotten the important Critic's Choice and Producers Guild awards, so they should be able to sneak in. Skyfall will probably sneak in, because it seems to be the blockbuster favorite of the year.

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck (Argo)
Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)
Ang Lee (Life Of Pi)
Tom Hooper (Les Miserables)
Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

The fifth spot for me was between Ang Lee and David O. Russel for Silver Linings Playbook. I decided to give it to Ang Lee because of the more unique style that Lee brought in adapting this. He also got in at the globes over Russel. Hooper will probably get in, considering how they loved his style in The King's Speech. Les Mis will probably hit the right notes with these guys, too. (No pun intended.) Affleck, Bigelow, and Spielberg are pretty obvious.

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
John Hawkes (The Sessions)

Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)
Denzel Washington (Flight)

This was a pretty easy category to predict. The fact that all five of these actors got nominated for an SAG is also promising. This seems like a strong line-up.

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Riva could probably be overtaken by Mirren, but Amour has gotten a lot of raves, and the Academy might want to recognize the prestige of the legendary French actress. The other four have been consistently nominated, so expect easy nominations for them.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 
Javier Bardem (Skyfall)
Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Any of the supporting roles in Django Unchained, most notably Waltz, has a chance of sneaking in here, but these are probably safe bets for the Oscar. Having said that, I'll predict him anyway. I'm a rebel like that. The academy often likes giving supporting actor nods to big films which can't often get bigger nominations. Examples include Bridesmaids, The Dark Knight, and Tropic Thunder. Bardem also has an Oscar, so his name has extra prestige here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams (The Master)
Judi Dench (Skyfall)
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

Judi Dench may make for another nod for Skyfall, which may surprise us tommorow! With Field, Hathaway, and Hunt essentially locks for nominations, it's between Amy Adams and Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy) for the last spot. I gave the edge to Adams, because support for The Master is light, but passionate.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Amour
Django Unchained
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

I'd love to see Looper sneak in an Oscar nomination here, but Amour seems more likely to snag the last spot. Both Andersons, Boal, and Tarantino are no strangers to this category, so expect easy nods for the other four films.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Argo
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
The Sessions
Silver Linings Playbook

Much like the other screenplay category, and most categories I've discussed, actually, we have four locks and a duel for the last spot. It's between Beasts Of The Southern Wild, The Sessions, and Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I decided to give it to the Sessions because I'm not certain that Perks is really going to click with a lot of the academy members, and Beasts specialized in direction rather than screenplay, at least in my opinion.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Anna Karenina
Cloud Atlas
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Before My Time" (Chasing Ice)
"Learn Me Right" (Brave)
"Skyfall" (Skyfall)
"Suddenly" (Les Miserables)
"Touch The Sky" (Brave)

BEST FILM EDITING
Argo
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anna Karenina
Les Miserables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

BEST ART DIRECTION
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Anna Karenina
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Mirror, Mirror

BEST MAKEUP
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Lincoln

BEST SOUND MIXING
Les Miserables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST SOUND EDITING
Django Unchained
The Dark Knight Rises
Les Miserables
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life Of Pi
Marvel's The Avengers

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
Rise Of The Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph


BEST FOREIGN FEATURE
Amour
The Intouchables
Kon-Tiki
No
A Royal Affair


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Detropia
The Gatekeepers
How To Survive A Plauge
The Invisible War
Searching For Sugar Man

--------------------------

NOMINEE COUNT
Lincoln - 13
Les Miserables - 11
Life Of Pi - 8
Skyfall - 8
Zero Dark Thirty - 8
Silver Linings Playbook - 5
Django Unchained - 5
Argo - 4
Anna Karenina - 4
Django Unchained - 4
Amour - 3
Brave - 3
The Master - 3
Beasts Of The Southern Wild - 2
Moonrise Kingdom - 2
The Sessions - 2
Cloud Atlas - 2
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - 2
The Dark Knight Rises - 2
Marvel's The Avengers - 1
Chasing Ice - 1
Flight - 1
Rust & Bone - 1
The Impossible - 1
Frankenweenie - 1
ParaNorman - 1
Rise Of The Guardians - 1
Wreck-It Ralph - 1
The Intouchables - 1
Kon-Tiki  - 1
No  - 1
A Royal Affair - 1

Detropia - 1
The Gatekeepers - 1
How To Survive A Plauge - 1
The Invisible War - 1
Searching For Sugar Man - 1
Mirror, Mirror - 1

Weekend Predictions: January 4-6

1. Texas Chainsaw 3D - $20.5m
2.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - $18.2m
3. Django Unchained - $18.2m
4. Les Miserables - $16.1m
5. Parental Guidance - $9.4m
6. Jack Reacher - $8.6m
7. This Is 40 - $8.2m
8. Lincoln - $5.1m
9. The Guilt Trip - $4.2m
10. Promised Land - $4m
-The Impossible - $2m
-Not Fade Away - $0.9m

Apparently the word "massacre" is too much for the first wide release of 2013. That's right, it's Texas Chainsaw 3D. Horror plus 3D plus famous franchise? What could possibly go wrong? Indeed, it's probably going to get some business. Twitter buzz has been huge, albeit having a positive:negative ratio of 1:1. However, the holdovers are still doing just fine, so maybe they might steal thunder from Texas Chainsaw. Either way, with WOM being iffy so far, don't expect any good legs for this reboot.

Django Unchained and Les Miserables will each cross $100m this weekend, and they're on their way to do even more, especially of both earn Best Picture nominations. Les Mis will probably end around $140m-$150m, while Django, if current patterns hold up, has a slight chance to outdo True Grit's massive $170m take back in 2010.

Promised Land has minimal buzz, and it lacks strong reviews for Oscar attention. It has a relatively strong theater count, but even Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy numbers seem unlikely for this. The Impossible could have done moderately well this weekend, but Summit should have released it on more theaters. (It's not even a wide release!) Seriously, Perks of Being a Wallflower and now this? What are the distributors smoking here? Not Fade Away....if it couldn't even be a hit in platform release, it's not looking good for its pseudo-wide release.

SMAP: Bigger And Better For 2013!

Sorry it's been a while. I'm going to try and post more during this next year. Fortunately, I've got a lot of surprises for January. These include my personal picks for the best movies of 2013, oscar predictions, and of course, more weekend predictions.

My top picks of 2013 will come as soon as I see Zero Dark Thirty and/or Silver Linings Playbook. (I'm not a fancy critic, so I have to wait and see it at my local cineplex on January 11th. Talk about a first world problem.)

Oscar predictions will be coming sometime this week. I had no idea that they were being announced next week!