This week there are over 300 new DVD and/or Blu-ray titles coming out for your consumer consumption. It’s crazy how many new DVD’s and Blu-rays are coming out despite industry analysts saying that sales for such are declining!!! But I know you guys are snatching up the products. With that said, and over 300 new titles coming out, there are only a few that could be considered blockbuster-like.
This week we have a few strong titles coming out. There’s the 50th anniversary edition of the animated Alice in Wonderland Blu-ray, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, Conviction & Let Me In to name the headliners.
Check it out:
Movies
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Starring Odette Yustman- Let Me In [Blu-ray] Starring Chloe Moretz and Richard Jenkins
- Conviction Starring Hilary Swank
- Never Let Me Go Starring Keira Knightley
- Monsters Special Edition + Digital Copy [Blu-ray] Starring Scoot McNairy
- The Tillman Story
- Hatchet II [Blu-ray] Starring Tony Todd
- Welcome to the Rileys Starring James Gandolfini and Kristen Stewart
- An Affair to Remember [Blu-ray] Starring Cary Grant and Richard Denning
- Ray [Blu-ray] Starring Jamie Foxx
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When I read that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were partnering up to tackle a remake of the 1960′s goth soap, Dark Shadows, all I said was OMG and I said that for several reasons, all of them good.
Jonathan Frid
Dark Shadows ran from 1966 to 1971. It was created by Dan Curtis (Burnt Offerings) with Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennet & David Selby (The Social Network; on TV: Tell Me You Love Me) amongst the cast.
Despite a few efforts to remake the show and capture the imagination of fans, remake efforts have been a bit flat. For those who take the time to settle in and check out an episode or three of the original, the show seems to still have what it takes for appreciative fans.
But with Seth Grahame-Smith (TV: The Hard Times of RJ Berger) tapped to write the screenplay for the remake, I can’t help but wonder how much pressure comes from looking at an established classic tale of love & hardship amongst the supernatural genre of monsters? Yes, this was the soap that predates The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, True Blood and Twilight!
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The Spike TV SCREAM Awards is an event that honors the best in different categories of entertainment. The nominees that are selected for the different categories of the SCREAM Awards are chosen by what looks to me, to be a highly qualified advisory board that includes Tim Burton, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Damon Lindelof, Ridley Scott, Quentin Tarantino & Joss Whedon.
What I like about the SCREAM Awards is that once nominated by the advisory board, it’s up to you, the fans, to vote. That takes out the ever evil politicing factor out of the equation and we see real winners.
The movie with the most nominations looks to be Kick-Ass (17),
Inception (15) &
Iron Man 2 (13). The TV series with the most is True Blood (10).
But the problem is that this last year is stacked with some wonderful films.
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The NY Times article that inspired this Cinema Static commentary starts out, “If you can’t make it good, make it 3-D.” I think that pretty much says it all for the slew of 3D movies that have come out and the 60 odd movies that are planned for 3D distribution over the next few years. I am sure there are some flicks that are OK with the 3D, but all I see are movies that jam scenes directly at the viewer, one of the cheesiest 3D stunts in the book.
I didn’t see the Johnny Depp starrer, “Alice in Wonderland,” but the previews for that movie had blatant jump “in your face” scenes. For the upcoming “Resident Evil” movie that won’t have the cheap 3D post-processing applied, but will be filmed properly in 3D using James Cameron‘s tech, it too has almost all sad and gimmicky scenes with things and people coming at the viewer. That’s a shame. I’ve enjoyed the “Resident Evil” franchise to date.
Do I even want to go down the inflated box-office butt stomping that “Avatar” brought to the coffers of Cameron due to the over-priced 3D screenings? Nah, it’s obvious, but suffice it to say that the extra cost for 3D adds approximately 20% to the coffers.
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Welcome to the New DVD Release Report for the week of June 1st, 2010 from Cinema Static. Alice In Wonderland takes us into the first week of June and it seems like this film just came out a few days ago. I can’t remember a faster movie to DVD turnaround for a blockbuster. The Wolfman remake is also clawing for your DVD dollar as well as a ton of Clint Eastwood re-issues. So many in fact that I left most of them out. Needless to say if your looking for any films Mr. Eastwood has starred in or directed they’re now available repackaged for 2010.
DVD MOVIE OF THE WEEK
My DVD movie of the week is surprise, surprise, Alice In Wonderland! Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Cast have created the most stunning version if this bizarre tale yet. It will be decades before anyone would dare remake this film. Well maybe a decade? OK at least 6 years. {My honorable mentions are ~ highlighted ~ in the movie list.}
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Last year we started hearing about more and more 3D movies coming to the screen. I swear, it seemed like once everyone got a hold of the idea that James Cameron was doing 3D, the entire industry started wagging their tongues and running after the gravy train that passed them by. The problem with the chase of the 3D gravy train is that everyone was making their projects 3D, after the fact. James Cameron shot Avatar in 3D. Shooting in 3D versus post-processing for 3D is MASSIVE difference in the end result and all anyone is going to do to the market with their post-processed crap is hurt the potential for the 3D market.
And because of that difference, I wish studios would quit giving us 3D that’s applied after the fact. Joss Whedon’s project, The Cabin in the Woods, was put off a year so they can apply 3D after the fact. W* T* F*!? (And as we see, that decision has doomed the movie’s release, so far)
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Estimates for this weekend’s opening of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was $75 million. Alice in Wonderland has already passed that up with $116.3 million weekend in the U.S., and Sunday isn’t even over yet. It’s also sold $94 mil overseas.
These numbers set records for a March opening and a first quarter movie release.
In comparison, Avatar opened at $77 million. With this kind of early momentum, I can’t help but wonder if Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland just might give James Cameron’s Avatar a run for its money. No pun intended.
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This week, we have 2 movies opening on Friday, March 5th. The Johnny Depp starrer Alice in Wonderland and the Richard Gere platform, Brooklyn’s Finest.
I’m worried about the Tim Burton / Johnny Depp flick. Johnny Depp fans are pretty happy to have a new project with Depp in it, but the previews all seem very 3D gimmicky. The makeup looks 3 dimensional as it is, the previews have a lot of scenes where things come at you or away from you. Scene props look stacked in odd fashions that would take advantage of 3D. Maybe they’re pushing to give it an over-the-top 3D experience. We’ll see.
Also check out the pictured from the February 25th Alice In Wonderland Royal World Premiere in aid of The Prince’s Foundation for Children and The Arts.
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Over on the People’s Choice Awards website, I ran a survey asking the following:
Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland Trailer looks like it’s going to be gimmicky 3D filming. Do we really need another Alice in Wonderland movie?
Here were the results:
- Anything Tim Burton does is wonderfully twisted… Yes. – 51%
- I’ve seen too many 3D gimicks in the trailers, so NO - 21%
- If 3D is done right, SURE – 20%
- Tim who? – 8%
There ya have it! I was a little suspicious because everything in the ad for Alice in Wonderland was coming at the viewer, just like old style 3D type movies that made them as hokey as they used to be, so I am worried.
But Tim Burton fans are diehards! That’s good!
The PCA survey ran for 7 days on the website.
When Tim Burton comes on the scene, most of the time we forgive most potential foibles going into a movie. I mean heck, it is Tim Burton.
Yet this year seems to be an odd year for hitting on Alice in Wonderland. The Syfy Channel just did their version of a sequel for Alice in Wonderland called Alice. You can get Cinema Static’s take on the show in my review of Alice.
I ran up a quick survey on People’s Choice Awards site 46% of my respondents said anything from Tim Burton is good and will see it while 23% won’t see it if it seems gimmicky.
But I have to wonder.. and worry. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is geared towards 2 & 3D and the trailer for it really makes me ponder why Tim Burton pandered to the 3D gimmick. Watch it with a critical eye and tell me how many moments look like the old-school 3D shots and angles? (From about 1:17 mark and on is when most of the U.S. trailers start but they’re all blocked from sharing while this vid from Disney UK is sharable for now from YouTube. (I have got to learn how to snag videos like all the other sites out there do it! Sheesh!)
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