2. Street Kings – $12.0M
April 14th, 20081. Prom Night (2008) – $22.7M
April 14th, 2008Dr. Phil screws the pooch again
April 13th, 2008
Dr. Phil tried to score himself some "exclusivity" this weekend after shooting himself in the foot with the Britney Spears fiasco. But life must hate the Phil because this attempt fired yet another bullet into his hoofer. You see, Satan's doctor wanted an exclusive interview with one of the eight teens that lured a 16-year-old girl into a house where she was beaten on camera (CBS4 report here.) The motive: Make a killer You-Tube video that their friends would OMGZ! over. (One vasectomy, please!) Anyway, here's how Dr. Phil's producer botched their "exclusivity," according to TMZ:
Here's the way it all went down: The good Doc's executive staff sent a seasoned producer down to Florida, along with a P.A. to chase the story of 8 teens who allegedly beat a classmate on tape. We're told the folks back home were horrified when they saw Mr. Large-and-In-Charge putting the smack down on local reporters after springing 17-year-old Mercades Nichols from the pokey. We're told execs on the show were pissed that the experienced producer allowed the P.A. to be in a position to embarrass the show in front of the cameras.The best part is, after all these shenanigans, there's a gag order on the case so none of the kids could've talked anyway. HA! Now Dr. Phil just looks like an opportunistic butthole. Well, more so than usual. In the meantime, someone told me that children are the future. Super. Does anyone have a shotgun I can borrow? I just want to fire it into my ear canal for a second. You can have it right back. Video of the P.A. squawking about "exclusivity" after the jump.
The bigger question -- who hatched the plan to pay the bail for the woman accused of kidnapping and videotaping the brutal beating? The show issued a statement saying certain staff members "went beyond their guidelines," but the buzz on the Paramount lot is that it would be impossible for the producer to pay the $3,300 for the bail and put up $33,000 in collateral without the full knowledge and approval of higher-ups on the show.
The Ruins (2008)
April 13th, 2008
I’m not quite sure what message moviegoers are sending Hollywood these days. Or what message Hollywood is sending the audience. Take a look at The Ruins, a horror film based on a best selling suspense novel, written by Scott Smith. Smith, who is also known for adapting his book A Simple Plan to the big screen. The suspense is there, the mystery is present, we get an R rated horror film…and in its opening weekend in the US, almost nobody shows up. For years, there have been watered down horror films and thrillers where “fans” moan about the genre not being R rated anymore. Then there’s a backlash over the sub-genre of horror dubbed ‘torture horror’ or ‘torture porn’. Now Hollywood listens, and seats are empty. What is more troubling than the studio not giving screening to critics? The film isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s rather good. (more…)
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April 13th, 2008Movie Review: Smart People
April 13th, 2008Should have been better. Character drama held back by lack of character.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I sat down to watch Smart People. Based on the trailers I was hoping for a smartly written tale of characters who are intelligent, but still have a lot to learn. That sounds good, but it's not entirely accurate, I think I was more interested in seeing Ellen Page in her first outing since her Oscar-nominated…
Movie Review: The Brood (1979)
April 13th, 2008A twisted film from early Cronenberg.
David Cronenberg's The Brood is a pretty twisted picture. If you're familiar with his other work, then this won't surprise you. The Brood was made right around the same time as Scanners and Rabid. It's right smack in the middle of when he was making some of his most disturbing films.Frank Carveth (Art Hindle) is the father of a…
DVD Review: By Brakhage – An Anthology
April 13th, 2008…we?re born, we have sex, we have children, we die…
If you search Google on the terms “birth sex death god,” you get 363,000 hits (as of my latest attempt) and adding the unlikely term “Brakhage” to that list returns a still whopping 1,030. Stan Brakhage made 373 films during his life, most very short, all very experimental, and one can certainly describe his body of work as…
DVD Review: I Am Legend
April 13th, 2008One man tries to save the world from our own handiwork.
Imagine a world where you think you're the last one alive. This is what Will Smith thinks in I Am Legend, a movie from Warner Bros. A cure for cancer is found in the not so distant future, but something goes drastically wrong once the cure is used on the entire population. It kills some and turns others into zombies. One man survives along with…
The Brave One (2007)
April 13th, 2008
Jodie Foster has, in some way, come full circle with The Brave One. Ever since her performance in Taxi Driver, Foster has proven herself to be a versatile actress that can headline a studio film. In Taxi Driver, Foster plays a prostitute imprisoned by circumstances only to be rescued by a deranged vigilante killer. In The Brave One, Foster plays a victim who becomes a vigilante killer. Both films take place in New York City and both are compelling in their own ways. (more…)
