Review: ‘American Gangster’
Posted by David Onda Categories: Universal, Action, Drama, Period, Political, Thrillers, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews,
American Gangster is based on the true story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), an African American drug kingpin in 1970s Harlem who smuggles heroin in the caskets of dead soldiers returning from Vietnam. Lucas buys the drug wholesale from the source and sells a more purer form at half the price, effectively putting his competition out of business and making him one of the most powerful men in New York. Russell Crowe plays Detective Richie Roberts, a straight-laced cop who is assigned to solve the city's drug problem.
Bottom line: Ridley Scott turns a spellbinding American story into a riveting three hours of cinema. I foresee Oscar nominations abound for this flick.
Check out my detailed review after the jump and find out which Goonie put out one hell of a performance.
Click to continue reading Review: ‘American Gangster’
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Box Office Breakdown: A Gangbusters Weekend for Washington, Crowe
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, Miramax, Lionsgate, New Line, Sony, Touchstone, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Combine Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington’s star-wattage and you’re bound to get a hit. But did anyone expect a $43 million debut for American Gangster? Why did these Oscar-winners do so well when others have only done okay? How did an R-rated film beat out an animated PG flick? Why didn’t the movie’s long running-time (157 minutes) turn people away?
Gangster’s #1 spot was just one of the film’s many weekend achievements. The movie also marked the biggest opening weekend for both lead actors (Russell’s Gladiator earned $35 million; Washington’s Inside Man grossed $29 million). It also had the 2nd best debut for a drama in November (right behind 2002’s 8 Mile).
Unfortunately, all this good news was lost on comedian Jerry Seinfeld—the hardest working self-promoter of 2007. Even though NBC spent countless hours of airtime sucking up to its former Golden Boy, Seinfeld’s Bee Movie was stung with a 2nd place finish. Although $38 million take is nothing to complain about, I expect next week’s Fred Claus will slide right in to become the week’s best-grossing comedy.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: A Gangbusters Weekend for Washington, Crowe
In Theaters This Weekend (11/2)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, MGM, New Line, Universal, Warner Independant Films, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Comedy, Lists, New Releases,
- American Gangster (R): starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe (directed by Ridley Scott)
- Bee Movie (PG): starring Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger (directed by Steve Hickner, Simon Smith)
- Martian Child (PG): starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet (directed by Menno Meyjes)
- Wristcutters: A Love Story (R): starring Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon (directed by Goran Dukic)
- Darfur Now* (PG): starring Don Cheadle, George Clooney (directed by Ted Braun)
*limited or gradual release
This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: October 23, 2007
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: 20th Century Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Classics, Documentary, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Music, Mystery, Romance, Satire, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Distribution, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases,
Whether you’ve made the choice and actually picked a side in this format war, one thing can be agreed upon by all sides—this is a good week for high-definition.
It so happens that Warner Home Entertainment has yet to pick a side in this battle of video/audio quality—a decision that, when the time comes, could end the war for good. For now, however, they are throwing down some pretty good releases to please everyone, and this week is no exception.
The late Stanley Kubrick, idiosyncratic director of some of America’s most cherished cinema, is honored this week with the release of a few classics in dual format—finally, we can all see Jack Torrance’s nose hairs as he axes the hotel door and screams his classic “Here’s Johnny!” After all, Halloween is quick approaching, and a high-def copy of The Shining might make the perfect late-night creepfest. And if horror is your bag, both formats have some decent titles this week. Check the full list after the jump.
Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: October 23, 2007
FilmCrunch 056: Deja Vu, Hot Fuzz, Night at the Museum, Freedom Writers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: 20th Century Fox, Touchstone, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Family, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, DVD Reviews, Full Episodes, Theatrical Reviews, Videocasts,
In this episode of FilmCrunch, Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review the theatrical releases of Hot Fuzz, Deja Vu, and Freedom Writers, as well as the DVD release of A Night at the Museum.
Now we want to hear from you - hit the forums and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch next, and any other recommendations you have for the show.
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