(UPDATED with final numbers) Star Wars: The Force Awakens continues to demolish records, racking up several in its second weekend: Best 10-Day Gross, $540.3 million (Previous Record: Jurassic World, $402.8 million) Fastest to $500 million, 10 days (Previous Record: Jurassic World, 17 days) Fastest to $400 million, 8 days (Previous Record: Jurassic World, 10 days) Biggest 2nd [...]
Over its first seven days of release, Star Wars: The Force Awakens took in a staggeringly unprecedented haul of $391.1 million, crushing the previous first-week mark of $296.2 million set this past summer by Jurassic World. It almost seem pointless to mention, but the mega-blockbuster's seventh-day take of $27.1 million more than doubled Avatar's previous Christmas Eve record of [...]
**** out of **** My review of The Revenant, at Crosswalk.com, inspired by a 19th Century American Frontiersman's real fight for survival - and revenge. The Revenant is ranked #1 on my Top Ten List for 2015. An excerpt from my review: "...a grueling, often torturous tale, testing the limits of both its actors and audience...Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) [...]
*** out of **** Rated R for strong bloody violence, a scene of violent sexual content, strong language, and some graphic nudity Released: December 25, 2015 limited; December 31st nationwide Runtime: 168 minutes Digital; 187 minutes 70mm film “Roadshow” Edition (only 100 screens nationwide) Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Bruce [...]
***½ out of **** Rated PG-13 for language (including brief strong language ) Released: December 25, 2015 Runtime: 124 minutes Directed by: David O'Russell Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Isabella Rossellini, Édgar Ramírez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Bradley Cooper Joy is ranked #19 in the Honorable Mention section of my Top Ten List for 2015 Just when it seems like we’re [...]
Another record for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has seen the end of the previous Tuesday high, but The Force will have to be monumentally strong with this one if it'll see the end of Wednesday and Twilight: Eclipse's $68.5 million. Still, another major record has already been obliterated. On Tuesday, The Force Awakens took in another [...]
*1/2 out of **** Rated PG-13 for thematic material including disturbing images, and language Released: December 25, 2015 Runtime: 123 minutes Starring: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse, Arliss Howard Sony Pictures is to be applauded for tackling (forgive the pun) the issue of NFL concussions head on (with helmet-to-helmet intent, no less) [...]
***1/2 out of **** Rated R for pervasive strong language and some sexuality/nudity Released: December 11, 2015 limited; expands December 23 Runtime: 130 minutes Directed by: Adam McKay Starring: Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Jeremy Strong, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Hamish Linklater, Brad Pitt The Big Short is ranked #20 (tie) in the Honorable Mention section of my Top Ten List [...]
Now you can add another record to the growing list of them being set by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And this time, it's one that's stood for over a decade. On Monday, Episode VII hauled in over $40 million to set a new Monday standard, crushing the benchmark that stood since 2004 when Spider-Man [...]
**1/2 out of **** Rated R for some sexuality and full nudity Released: November 27, 2015 limited; expands December 25 Runtime: 120 minutes Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Amber Head, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch Transgender sexuality has vaulted to the forefront of our cultural conversation. It’s as charged and divisive as any social issue today. [...]