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Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
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This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 08, 2008

Zodiac HD DVDThis week marks the release of the first batch of high-definition DVDs since on-the-fence Warner landed decidedly on the Blu side; I must admit, as an HD DVD man, the day feels a bit colder than normal. But no matter—the format war is far from over.

On a lighter note, both formats have some exciting titles to speak of, including the Blu-ray release of one of my favorite movies from 2007, Sunshine; Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning film, The Pianist, on HD DVD; and the long-awaited special edition of David Fincher’s Zodiac, also on HD DVD. The DVD release from July contained nary a special feature, so this two-disc director’s cut ought to please those Fincher fans waiting for a decent version.

Check out the full list of high-def releases after the jump.

Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 08, 2008


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Box Office Breakdown:  Resident Evil Fights Off Competition

Resident Evil

Between the cheesy trailer and a cast that includes Ashanti—I never would have predicted much for Resident Evil: Extinction.  But given the success of ‘three-quels’ this year, I’m not sure why I was surprised.  Extinction nearly doubled the the box office take of it’s nearest competitor (Good Luck Chuck) and had the biggest debut of any Resident Evil installment.

But the real winner this weekend may be Into the Wild.  The film, based on the Jon Krakauer novel, earned over $51,000 per screen—one of the best averages ever for a movie in limited release.  Given the full-hour coverage on last week, Wild will probably be able to build on its impressive debut.  (The film goes nationwide on October 5th.)

Eastern Promises also turned out some promising numbers after its wide release.  The film took in nearly $6 million in its second week (though it still underperformed the last David Cronenberg/ movie, A History of Violence).  I’m hoping word-of-mouth about the fully-naked Mortensen fight scene (did I grab your attention?) will give this film the lasting power it deserves.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown:  Resident Evil Fights Off Competition


Box Office Breakdown:  The Brave One Reaches #1

The Brave One

The Brave One took in nearly $15 million in its debut, making it the #1 film of this past weekend.  Although some may consider the gross disappointing for a film, I choose to think of it as a feat for women.

I decided to do a little research today and came away with some very unsettling news.  Since FilmCrunch started reporting Box Office numbers in mid-January, no female-led movie has reached the top of the pack.  That’s unless you count with , and I don’t.  Even then, that was almost 3 months ago.

, and made a stand for strong female roles during Sunday’s Emmys—and maybe it’s time that someone finally spoke up for women in film.  Until then, I’ll be counting the days until makes her royal return in Elizabeth: The Golden Years (out October 12th).

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown:  The Brave One Reaches #1


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