New on DVD and Blu-Ray Week of December 31 - January 06
Harley Lond - wrote on 12/31/19 at 06:44 AM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
There are no major releases this week.
THIS WEEK'S BEST BETS:
"The Peanut Butter Solution": (1985 -- Canada), starring Mathew Mackay, Siluck Saysanasy, Alison Darcy, Michael Hogan. If you were a child in the 80s, you were likely traumatized for life by repeated viewings of this film on cable or VHS. If you’ve never seen it, nothing can prepare you for the damage that …
Weekend Box Office: Rise of Skywalker Wins While Little Women, Uncut Gems Make Merry
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/29/19 at 08:50 PM CT
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker came out swinging on Christmas Eve and Christmas day - and was pacing ahead of Last Jedi until the weekend. As it stands, while the final film in the new trilogy may still be lagging, it's still going to be a monster hit. Newcomers showed strength as well, with Little Women the big winner, Uncut Gems showed a healthy expansion and Spies in Disguise performed in …
New on DVD and Blu-Ray Week of December 24 - December 30
Harley Lond - wrote on 12/27/19 at 06:38 AM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
"Judy," a heart-rending bio of the last days of Judy Garland, covering the Winter of 1968 when the showbiz legend arrived in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town. Renée Zellweger turns in a bravura performance as Garland wrangles with management, reminisces with friends and fans, and embarks on a whirlwind romance with soon-to-be …
New in Theaters December 25: Little Women, Spies in Disguise
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/25/19 at 03:27 PM CT
Merry Christmas out there for all who celebrate! Because the holiday falls smack dam in the middle of the week this year, Hollywood is gracing us with the two new films... also smack dam in the middle of the week. While Star Was is pretty much guaranteed to continue its steak atop the box office, new challenger arrive in the form of Little Women, a new adaptation that has been getting very good …
Weekend Box Office: Skywalker Rises to Top, Cats Neutered, Bombshell Fizzles
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/22/19 at 07:27 PM CT
There was no question that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was going to win the weekend - the big question was if J.J. Abrams saga-ending film would rise to the challenge of pleasing audiences. It certainly didn't please critics, suffering the harshest reviews since The Phantom Menace. And while Rise of Skywalker may have come in on the low end of expectations, it was a still a massive opening …
New in Theaters December 20: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Cats
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/18/19 at 07:40 PM CT
It's almost the end of the year and Disney, already setting records for how much a studio can make in a given year, isn't done yet. Star Wars is set to yet again dominate the year-end box office as J.J. Abrams is back on board the finale of not just the new trilogy, but over four decades worth of what is arguably the most popular sci-fi franchise of all time. But, if seeing the culmination of …
New on DVD and Blu-Ray Week of December 17 - December 23
Harley Lond - wrote on 12/18/19 at 09:33 AM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
"Downton Abbey," the long-awaited big screen porting of the amazingly popular PBS series; "Abominable," an aninated family film about three teenagers who must help a Yeti return to his family; "Ad Astra," a sci-fi actioner starring Brad Pitt as an astronaut who undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father; and "Rambo: …
Birds of Prey and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/17/19 at 07:14 PM CT
This could be the last bulletin for the year (or second to last - not sure how the board does their vacation during the holidays) but, in any case, it's going out with a whimper, not a bang. At least there's something to discuss this week as one major film - the mouthful Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn - is getting the ratings treatments. Seeing as how Joker …
Weekend Box Office: Jumanji Flattens Competition, Richard Jewell, Black Christmas Stumble
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/15/19 at 07:30 PM CT
It was a stampede of epic proportions for Jumanji, as the sequel opened up at the top of expectations, opened bigger than Welcome to the Jungle and looks poised to be a big winner for Sony. On the other hand, Richard Jewell, following some controversy, suffered one of the worst openings for director Clint Eastwood. Black Christmas also couldn't find any reboot love despite an interesting …
New in Theaters Dec. 13: Jumanji: Next Level, Bombshell, Richard Jewell, Uncut Gems, Black Christmas
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/11/19 at 11:27 PM CT
While Frozen II has proven adept at keeping its place on top of the box office, the sequel's reign is about to come to an end. While last week only brought a single non-challenger, this week is much different with five new releases, many of which should do pretty good at the box office. The biggest among the new releases is sure to be Jumanji: The Next Level, a follow-up to the well-received …
A Depressingly Short Update from the MPAA Ratings Board
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/11/19 at 10:23 AM CT
After last week's huge bonanza of ratings updates, this week, once again, we have a list that is not only incredibly short, but has nary a single wide release to discuss. And so, yet again, all I have for you is a short list comprised of a single limited release and a bunch of other non-wide release titles. I guess the MPAA Ratings Board spoiled us last week - let's hope the rest of December …
New on DVD and Blu-Ray Week of December 10 - December 16
Harley Lond - wrote on 12/10/19 at 06:43 AM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
"Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood": Writer-director Quentin Tarantino finessed himself with this outrageously funny yet serious homage to the dying days of old Hollywood and to the end of the free-for-all 1960s. It's 1969 in Los Angeles and former TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry …
Weekend Box Office: Frozen II Pushes Disney to New Milestone, Playmobil Flops Hard
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/08/19 at 11:12 PM CT
It was a tale of two animated stories this week. While Disney's Frozen II continued to post impressive numbers - and push the studio to new heights, STX had a much different story with Playmobil, which fell well outside the top 10. In fact, the top five this weekend is the exact same as last weekend. I can certainly say that won't be the case next weekend, but for now we can celebrate all the …
New in Theaters December 06: Playmobil: The Movie
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/04/19 at 11:32 PM CT
While the end of December is going to bring an onslaught of releases, this weekend is the calm before the all-encompassing storm, bringing but a single, new wide release. It's yet another toy-based film but unlike LEGO and Trolls that struck while the iron was hot, Playmobil, based on a lesser IP, looks to make little impact at the box office. Even The LEGO Movie 2 suffered from fatigue - and I …
Rise of Skywalker, Dolittle, Like a Boss, Cats, Playmobil in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/03/19 at 10:57 PM CT
It's one of the most exciting updates the MPAA Ratings Board has delivered in a long time. From creepy Cats to the culmination of the world's greatest sci-fi sage - there's a lot going on. Robert Downey, Jr. flexes his post-Iron Man legs by taking on a classic character, we have dueling female leads about running a beauty company and an animated take on a classic building block toy line (no not …
New on DVD and Blu-Ray Week of December 03 - December 09
Harley Lond - wrote on 12/03/19 at 06:42 AM CT
FROM THE BIG SCREEN:
"Ready or Not," an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek horror thriller about a young bride (Samara Weaving) who competes in a time-honored tradition with her new husband (Mark O’Brien) and his insanely rich and eccentric Le Domas family (Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell). The bride’s wedding night takes a turn for the worst when she realizes she is at the center …
Thanksgiving Weekend Box Office: Frozen II Gorges On Record, Knives Out, Queen & Slim Open Strong
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/01/19 at 07:17 PM CT
It was a definite feast for audiences over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Frozen II set some new records - both for Thanksgiving and the weekend - while Knives Out performed great as counter-programming and the action-oriented and timely Queen & Slim found a place in the top five. All told, it was an excellent weekend all around and continues the strong push towards the end of the year, …
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