Barbenheimer - Ten Great Box Office Showdowns

by Christopher James

This is the summer of "Barbenheimer". What started as a rivalry has morphed into a marketable double feature. In a way, they’ve hyped each other up, making this past weekend (July 21st-July 23rd) the most exciting and anticipated movie weekend of the summer. Both movies exist at opposite poles of the gendered film divide to a comical degree - the hot pink colored Barbie against king of the film-bros Christopher Nolan and his three hour 70mm extravaganza, Oppenheimer. The ultimate winner is the audience, who get two big-budget auteur-driven swings in one weekend. (Barbie won but both movies had huge opening weekends which will talk about tonight when the actuals come in)

This isn’t the only time counterprogramming has pitted a “boy movie” and “girl movie” against each other for a star-studded showdown. Here are our top 10 box office showdowns that served as fabulous precursors for Barbenheimer...

Click to read more ...

Some thoughts on David Fincher's 60th birthday

Today, The Academy tweeted this image of David Fincher's filmography and asked which three you'd choose to watch in a marathon.

But even before they did we were thinking about David Fincher...

Click to read more ...

Four Handfuls of Link

• Deadline Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) has passed away unexpectedly at 67. He was shooting a film called Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic. RIP
• Vulture Alison Willmore asks where the abortion thriller goes to next after recent films like Happening, Lingui the Sacred Bonds, and Never Rarely Sometimes Always
• Deadline Ellen DeGeneres bids her talk show farewell after 19 seasons on air

More after the jump including Gone Girl's legacy, frequently naked Clae Bang, Tom Cruise's all time biggest hits, Kevin Doyle from Downton Abbey A New Era, and a fascinating history of where streaming fits in the history of Hollywood...

Click to read more ...

Lisa Banes (1955-2021)

Sad news to report. We mentioned a week ago that the stage and screen actress Lisa Banes was in critical condition after been hit by a scooter or motorbike of some kind on the upper west side (the driver has still not been found). She has now died at age 65 and is survived by her wife. You might not know Banes' name but chances are you've seen her since she's been working professionally for decades...

Click to read more ...

Posterized: Rosamund Pike

by Nathaniel R

Pike earlier this month in LAYou can see Rosamund Pike's acclaimed performance as a war journalist in A Private War today in movie theaters -- the movie's now gone wide. Pike, who is 39, was born in Hammersmith London, the only child of musician parents. We've been fans of Pike since her slyly terrific work in An Education (2009). Though she's headlined one huge hit (Gone Girl) it still seems like she's waiting for that one role / star vehicle to cement those career gains, and make people remember her name, doesn't it? If you were her agent or management what would you be fighting for right about now? I know I'd immediately put the kabosh on 'the girl' in male-driven action ensemble pictures and fight for more complex female leads -- why not another play? She hasn't been onstage in quite a while.

I'd also be looking for a drama which flirts with mysterious woman elements to capitalize on her Gone Girl fame and her sometimes deliciously remote aura without attempting to recreate that film. Just make sure it's a juicy role because she's up to the task. 

After the jump all the posters from her feature film filmography. How many have you seen? And did you remember that she was in them (since you probably saw a few before Gone Girl!) 

Click to read more ...