Off the beaten track trailer of the day - "Rabbit Woman" (Mujer Conejo)

Let's say you're shooting a film about a Chinese lady who lives in Argentina and has to flee Buenos Aires to avoid being targeted by a Triad. Said young lady winds up in the pampas and must now deal with an infestation of mutant bunnies. Let's say funds dry up before you complete your picture (though I can't imagine why that would happen). What do you do? My guess is that you animate whatever is left. Nobody'll notice anyway.

The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 9 - August 11, 2013

1) Elysium	$29.8 Million
2) We're the Millers	$26.4 Million
3) Planes	$22.2 Million
4) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$14.4 Million
5) 2 Guns	$11.2 Million
6) The Smurfs 2	$9.3 Million
7) The Wolverine	$8 Million
8) The Conjuring	$6.6 Million
9) Despicable Me 2	$5.9 Million
10) Grown Ups 2	$3.6 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Universal's "The Bourne Legacy" which debuted in the top spot with a $35.7 million weekend take.

(Green indicates new release)

RIP: Karen Black

Karen Black was a constant presence on movie screen from the late 60's through the early 80's. Her first big role was in Dennis Hopper's seminal counterculture film "Easy Rider". She followed that up with starring roles in, among other films, "Five Easy Pieces" opposite Jack Nicholson (for which she received an Oscar nomination) and a few years later in Robert Altman's sweeping treatise on an America in transition; "Nashville".

She kept busy over the past two decades working in TV and on numerous short films and low budget independents but there was a time when Karen Black was the epitome of the sultry Hollywood star, every bit the equal of contemporaries like Faye Dunaway.

Karen Black was 74.

New trailer for Ridley Scott's "The Counselor"

What I've always loved about Ridley Scott's work is that he doesn't pull any punches in his depiction of the real world as a sprawling, overbuilt mess where the have's revel in their "have-ness" and spend their time playing unethical, dangerous power games while the have-nots are either their errand boys or simply collateral damage. "The Counselor" seems to carry on that tradition beautifully. I hope the actual film lives up to the trailers 'cause the trailers look amazing.


"The Counselor" starring Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz hits theaters this October 25th.

New trailer for "Thor: The Dark World"

Where the first full trailer was more or less earthbound this one makes a welcome return to Asgard (where it's apparently pile-on-Loki Day). I'm glad to see Tom Hiddleston's character front and center here since it was announced recently that he will not be part of "The Avengers: Age of Ultron". Idras Elba also makes his first Thor 2 appearance, albeit briefly. Beyond that this trailer has a lot more 'umph' than the last and overall doesn't seem nearly as disconnected from the first film as the previous trailer did. Enjoy.


"Thor: The Dark World" hits theaters November 8th.

The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 2 - August 4, 2013

1) 2 Guns	$27 Million
2) The Wolverine	$21.3 Million
3) The Smurfs 2	$17.5 Million
4) The Conjuring	$13 Million
5) Despicable Me 2	$10.1 Million
6) Grown Ups 2	$7.9 Million
7) Turbo	$6.2 Million
8) Red 2	$5.5 Million
9) The Heat	$4.6 Million
10) Pacific Rim	$4.4 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Warner Brother's "The Dark Knight Rises" which held on to the top spot for a 3rd consecutive week with $35.7 million in box office receipts.

(Green indicates new release)

"Pacific Rim" continues to find life overseas

Though its domestic total should come to rest right around the $100 million mark - which isn't causing anyone at Warners to dance in the street - "Pacific Rim"s performance overseas is raising eyebrows and turning those domestic frowns around. In its first 5 days in communist China Guillermo del Toro's Kaiju epic pulled in a whopping $45 million which helped to bring its international total to a cool $200 million. Considering it still has to open in Spain, Brazil and Japan (and that it's run in China has just begun) "Pacific Rim" could wind up turning a tidy profit before its theatrical run is over. In fact it should ultimately be a very tidy profit when you consider TV rights and DVD sales as well.

New trailer for "Riddick"

Vin Diesel returns as Riddick in this much-welcome throwback to "Pitch Black" that keeps the badassery up front at the expense of all the intergalactic politicking that made "The Chronicles of Riddick" such a bore.


"Riddick" opens September 6th.

Whedon clarifies the whole Thanos/Avengers 2 thing; sort of

Thanos appearing for no apparent reason at the end of "The Avengers"

After implying at the end of "The Avengers" that we'd be seeing Thanos as the bad guy in "Avengers 2" Marvel threw a wrench into the expectations of Thanos fans last month by announcing that the sequel would be titled: "The Avengers: Age of Ultron". Ultron? I don't remember seeing him in any teaser footage? What happened to Thanos?

Well, Whedon has apparently heard some of the kvetching his sequel title generated because in an interview with TotalFilm he addresses it: “We have to stay grounded. It’s part of what makes the Marvel universe click – their relationship to the real world. It’s science-fiction, and Thanos is not out of the mix, but Thanos was never meant to be the next villain.”

It's your movie and you can do what you want, but don't blame fans for the expectations you set in motion Joss.

New poster for "Thor: The Dark World"

This new poster looks promising though personally I'm just hoping this film isn't too much of a letdown following as it does in the footsteps of the amazing Kenneth Branagh directed original.

"Thor: The Dark World" is due in US theaters November 8th.