What did you see this weekend?
Sunday, August 23, 2015 at 7:04PM Question: Do you think that that amazing Straight Outta Somewhere internet meme, which was going strong for weeks before the film opened, helped the amazing box office tally for Straight Outta Compton?
The film has no "name" actors and is performing like a true blockbuster these past two weekends. I mean even I got into the act on twitter and instagram (see image below) and I have no real emotional connection to N.W.A. (Rap and Hiphop were never really an interest of mine outside of Missy Elliott in totality and a couple of dozen other songs and/or artists)
In limited release both Grandma and Learning to Drive had solid starts and if word of mouth kicks in they could be looking at healthy runs. Phoenix, the German sleeper hit, continues to expand and will break the magical $1 million mark for arthouse imports any second now. Joe Swanberg's latest Digging For Fire with Rosemarie DeWitt had a tough time finding its audience though.
BOX OFFICE WIDE
August 21st-23rd estimates
01 Straight Outta Compton $27.8 (cum. $112.5)
02 Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation $11.7 (cum. $157.7) Tim's Review
05 Sinister 2 $10.5 new Interview
03 The Man From U.N.C.L.E. $7.6 (cum. $26.8) Kyle's Review
04 Hitman Agent 47 $7.5 new
05 American Ultra $5.7 new
06 The Gift $4.3 (cum. $31) Jose's Review
07 Ant-Man $4.2 (cum. $164.6) Tim's Review, Podcast, on Paul Rudd
08 Minions $3.9 (cum. $320.1) Tim on the Minions phenom
09 Fantastic Four $3.6 (cum. $49.5) Tim's Review
BOX OFFICE LIMITED (EXCLUDING PREVIOUSLY WIDE RELEASES)
August 21st - 23rd estimates
01 Mr Holmes $.6 (cum. $15.3) on 430 screens
02 The End of the Tour $.5 (cum. $1.6) on 355 screens
03 Phoenix $.3 (cum. $.9) on 108 screens Interview
04 Mistress America $.2 (cum. $.3) on 32 screens
05 Diary of a Teenage Girl $.1 (cum. $.4) on 69 screens Michael's Review
06 Amy $.1 (cum. $7.6) on 100 screens Glenn's Review
07 Grandma $.1 on 4 screens NEW Nathaniel's Review, Joe's Review, Posterized: Lily Tomlin
08 Learning to Drive $.06 on 4 screens NEW
09 Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet $.04 (cum. $.1) on 24 screens
10 Listen to Me Marlon $.04 (cum. $.2) on 26 screens Amir's Review
Reader Comments (37)
I saw Trainwreck. Consistently funny throughout. Tilda Swinton was genius casting. Amy Schumer was surprisingly good. I hope the movie she is pitching with Streep and Apatow comes through for her. She has great potential as a star actress. Joan Rivers gave me her blessing at a recent seance. Take care.
I saw American Ultra. It was pretty solid all around but nothing that'll make my Top Ten of the year. Good fun, though.
I saw Mission Impossible 5. I noticed that both Mission Impossible 5 and Mission Impossible 4 had scenes where women took off their high heels to run and kick ass without anyone (i.e. a man) telling them to. And I also realized I can't think of too many other movies I can say that about.
I played catch up. I saw Ant-Man, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Shaun the Sheep Movie, and Dior & I. Deciding if I want to put myself into a movie coma and watching Tom at the Farm.
Ice Cube and Dr Dre remain as relevant as Streep to the overall cultural space they each occupy. Straight Outta Compton needed no gimmicks to gain a large and interested audience. What you will not like about the movie is the deletion of women from their story. Rap group JJ Fad, singer Michel'le, rappers Yo-Yo and Lady of Rage.
Have you seen the film yet?
Not much as I spent the week watching The Human Condition trilogy as I'm still working on my review of all three films for my Blind Spot assignment.
"The Man From U.N.C.L.E " which despite it's gorgeous window dressing still plays like James Bond light or one of those James Bond wannabes produced in the 60's. But seriously is Henry Cavill should be play Tyrone Power . "Sean the Sheep" was sweet, charming and very funny take the kids.
I saw Straight Outta Compton. Solid movie, but nothing earth shattering.
Also saw I Love You Again with Myrna Loy and William Powell. Everyone I know who has seen it loves it. I thought it was meh.
Saw a bunch of movies via Netflix, but nothing worthy to talk about. BUT I did see TANGERINE in theaters and it's as fabulous as y'all said it was.
MISTRESS IN AMERICA
A worth follow up to Framces Ha. Even my BF loved it.
'Irrational Man', which officially makes 'Magic in the Moonlight' the only Allen movie I skipped in the theaters since 'Bullets Over Broadway' (It was such a memorable experience for the movie itself and because I was the only person in that early afternoon show) and the only of his I've never seen. I would say I have fallen out of love with him as an artist. His recent movies and their themes actually influence the way I remember his movies I once loved in a not-so-good way. He no longer has something unique to say and the writing is not there anymore, I'm mostly uninterested or afraid to revisit his work lately, which was something I'd often do about 10 or 15 years ago. Allen's worldview, once charmingly neurotic, has turned into a flat balloon over the years, mostly due to the repetitive use of stories and "types" over the years.
Case in point: The whole scene with Emma Stone's character and the fact she is asked to stay after class. She has exactly the same story arc and personality as Juliette Lewis's in Husbands and Wives - without Lewis's originality and ability to imbue interestingly rich subtext into her characterizations. Not unlike Rain in that movie, Stone's character is a writing prodigy, an intellectual who has read EVERYTHING. She is paid a compliment by Phoenix's character about her assignment, says the line "Am I blushing?", strolls with her professor on campus while disagreeing on their opinions (I was waiting for Stone to slip on the wet ground like Juliette Lewis did for real), the fact she actually criticizes his work out of personal disagreement with his shallow/pessimistic worldview and her challenging him causing sexual sparks even though all of it is completely inappropriate and unethical and their eventual affair is a huge distraction and a painfully sad experience to witness. The artist dying in front of you, maybe being a candidate to prove Tarantino's theory about aging directors. Also, another Edna Millay reference wasn't impactful like the first time around.
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl" during the week. A very courageous, astonishingly frank exploration of adolescent female sexuality to be commended, but none of the promotional materials prepared me for how sordid it gets. It's as if it's massively overcorrecting for the paucity of honest female representation in other films, and I understand that, but did it need to be so prurient?
Totally second Mr. Goodbar.
Yeah, the words "Straight Outta Compton" are as big of a brand as almost any single actor.
glenn -- but not every movie about famous rock stars opens like that. I just think there must be something else in the air about it.
Saw "Slow Learners" which was fine but mainly worth seeing if you're already a fan of the cast. Also finally saw "Waitress", which was odd but appealing. Felt especially weird for 2007, but I'm having a hard time articulating why; at the very least it wasn't a boom period for rom coms.
Nat: ... something else in the air about it.
Race in America? The police?
I saw The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and I agree that it was prurient... also depressing (I had to come home and watch School of Rock as a palate cleanser). I kept wondering how the whole thing would wrap up, and I completely did not buy the too-neat happy ending. Also, I felt it sort of condescended to Kristen Wiig's character, like the film wanted to pretend that the teenage girl had gained some wisdom by the end that her mother, in all her years of living, hadn't earned. Pop culture can be really hard on mothers.
Because I'm a Streep completist, I forced myself to watch The Giver. That has to be the worst movie on Streep's CV. Terrible performances from the kids and Katie Holmes (how does she ever get cast in anything?) and totally illogical plot points.
Paul Outlaw: Pretty much. (I was expecting mixed reviews (40-50% on RT), a $20-25 million opening and no Oscar chances. Now? With the subject it has, a $60 million opening and 89% on RT, I've got it as a high probability for one of the Best Picture slots.)
Suzanne - I thought "The Giver" was jaw-dropping, in a bad way. Its politics were so clumsy and literal and bizarre - it has anti-vacc undertones, and then in one scene the government literally tries to throw a baby away? Like in a garbage chute? Unreal.
The meme helped increase awareness and expand its audience beyond those who know about NWA. Trust me, if they don't need anything to sell "Straight Outta Compton", they wouldn't bother building that internet-friendly website. I am guessing it pushed the opening weekend from $35 - 40 million to $60.
I watched Clouds of Maria Sils on DVD, which left me with the following thoughts:
1. I need to devote crucial time to viewing more of Juliette Binoche's filmography. What a ferocious, raw, honest, lived-in performance she wrought.
2. Kristen Stewart finally is becoming an intriguing actress, and I'm loving it. Her work in the film is sharp, intuitive, and has a natural ease.
3. Chloe Grace Moritz has only two modes -- stare and snarl, and neither has ever been particularly riveting. Was neither of the Fannings available?
Irrational Man. Mr. Goodbar pretty much nails all the problems with Emma Stone's character - she, and her dynamic with Phoenix, feels like the stalest recycling of a Woody staple yet. That said, I thought the rest of the movie - specifically, Phoenix's relationship with Posey, and the overall premise - was quite interesting, and I wish Woody had focused on that. As it is, it feels like Woody had a great premise for a short (a woman realizes she has inadvertantly helped her lover plan and execute "the perfect murder"), and decided to flesh it out to feature length by stealing - badly - from himself.
I also saw Shaun the Sheep, which was delightful and gentle and just the sweetest little thing.
Finally saw Under the Skin on Amazon Prime. I'm jealous of those that got to participate in the HMWYBS series for that film as UTS has stuck with me after watching it twice last night. So haunting and thought provoking.
"Dark Matter" TV marathon.
Dark Matter is a summer replacement space opera TV series, 13 episodes, that turned out to be a lot of fun. I watched this over the summer in combination with "Killjoys", another space opera series.
This one reeled me in. Great idea to have old pros like Roger Cross and Anthony Lemke, who can handle any sci-fi plot that's thrown their way. And I came to realize that Jodelle Ferland, although she's only 20, is also an old pro.
And when you need starship captains, absolutely cast from musical theatre. From Eponine to kick-ass space pilot, of course. Melissa O'Neil just gets better.
I saw Phoenix based on a friend's recommendation, despite my normal aversion to WWII films (seriously, how many more do we need?). I found the story to be lopsided - it somehow managed to have a devastating, strong ending and yet I wanted that to be the halfway point and see what happens afterward. But the actors and cinematography are great (so beautiful without glamorizing its milieu) and manages to be suspenseful, intriguing and surprising even with its relatively slow, steady pace.
I saw Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles by Chantal Akerman. I would looooooooove to know what your opinion on the film is, Nathaniel, since its quite the actress showcase (Delphine Seyrig) and it has influenced filmmakers like Sofia Coppola, Gus van Sant and Harry Savides.
Saw Diary of a Teenage Girl, which I am really wrestling with. A lot of good scenes and acting, but tonally it was awkward. Still haven't made up my mind on it as a whole. Anyone else catch it?
We saw The Man From Uncle. What a fun afternoon at the movies. Style = sensory sensation. A visual feast. Armie and Henry are lovely blocks of wood. And Alicia continues her Taylor Swiftian takeover of the world.
James - Any favorite images from Under the Skin you'd want to share?
but not every movie about famous rock stars opens like that. I just think there must be something else in the air about it.
Hip Hop is a relevant music genre whether you participate in it or not. The audience for the movie is multi-generational. See the movie. Because you being on the outside looking in is annoying.
Troy H - OMG the Moretz/Fannings comment is the funniest thing I've read all day. Totally agree.
Caught up with Terminator:Genisys (what was the point of doing that flick?), Lucy (braindead but fun while it lasted) and The duke of Burgundy (dazzling technique and Knudsen is aces but it´s really, really slow...)
3rtful - I understand what you're saying about the film's appeal, but I don't think it's controversial to suggest that "Compton" exceeded most predictions (it did) or that a 2.5 hour musician biopic is not the typical summer blockbuster (it's not), especially in what has otherwise been a pretty sleepy late summer box office.
And while the film industry has a history of underestimating and underserving certain audiences, it's also not inherently a knock on a film to be curious about what contributed to its success; all films have a context. (I.e. it doesn't detract from what's good about "Jaws" to point out that it used TV advertising far more than was common at the time, etc...)
Dave S -- Black subject movies always surprise Hollywood when they are successful. Sure black audiences are not quick to watch historical movies where they are mistreated because it is outright depressing. But projects which are clearly design to entertain will attract the majority who desire to see escapism with their own as the focal point. And non-black audiences love Hip Hop too.
Pam, she's so far out of her depth that it was distracting to me. Everything rang false and came off hollow, which typically is the case with her, but when surrounded by actors who were all bringing it, it was all too noticeable.
New films:
MR. HOLMES - I've never really been a Condon fan (too formulaic) but this was SO disappointing, despite solid performances from McKellan and Linney
IRRATIONAL MAN - Allen light, but I almost always am in the rhythm of an Allen movie (I try to forget TO ROME WITH LOVE) so I enjoyed despite the familiar tropes
DOPE - finally made it here to Oz. Fun and fresh, but did the female characters REALLY have to be reduced to "dream girl, sex object, token lesbian"? Detracted from the movie for me.
Old films:
the local film festival of the moment is Israeli. I caught SALLAH SHABATI (dated, but Topol is fun despite the boorishness of the character) and BROKEN WINGS (interesting, but also dated. How did this 90s-cliched movie win awards in Berlin in 2003?)