‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Still on Top

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is still king of the box office at number 1 with $36.4 million dollars, with a domestic total of $354.6 million dollars and a grand total of $733 million dollars worldwide. It’s doubtful that it will reach ‘The Dark Knight’ total neither domestically nor worldwide, which were $533.3 million dollars and $1.002 billion dollars respectably.

Len Wiseman’s remake of ‘Total Recall’ premiered at number two with $26 million dollars far from the amount it took to make which was around $140 million dollars, making it a big flop. This isn’t surprising since the main star Colin Farrell has been part of box office failures for most of his career; this one adds one more to his list.

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ the third one of the ‘Wimpy Kid’ series opened at number 3 with $14.7 million dollars, the lowest debut for the film franchise. Since Fox spent only $22 million dollars on it, this won’t affect the studio much.

The Top 10 in the Box Office are:

1. The Dark Knight Rises – $36.4 mil

2. Total Recall – $26 mil

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days – $14.7 mil

4. Ice Age: Continental Drift – $8.4 mil

5. The Watch – $6.4 mil

6. Ted – $5.5 mil

7. Step Up Revolution – $5.3 mil

8. The Amazing Spider-Man – $4.3 mil

9. Brave – $2.9 mil

10. Magic Mike – $1.4 mil    

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Movie Review)

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ is not very different from the last two films of the series; it is simply yet another chapter full of mishaps and quirky moments. One thing that is nice about these films for pre-adolescent kids is being able to follow the same set of characters throughout different stages of their lives. These are the kind of movies you can let your kids watch from home, as going to the theater might bore adults with the story, since there is not much intellect that drives it.

This movie combines two books from the wimpy kid series The Last Straw and Dog Days; here Greg (Zachary Gordon) is ready for summer but not being the outdoorsy type he plans on spending it playing videogames with the curtains drawn. His plans change as his dad Frank (Steve Zahn) tries to get him to enjoy the summer by playing sports and joining a camp. Thanks to his friend Rowley (Robert Capron) he’s able to escape from his dad by joining him in a country club, where he bumps into his crush Holly (Peyton List) and his summer plans quickly begin to change.

The thing I disliked most about the film is how much Greg prefers videogames to being outdoors, and while this is an attitude most kids unfortunately undertake nowadays, it almost seems like the movie is promoting it. I don’t have much of a problem with Greg’s dependency but more so with his actions, and although this might be realistic I think it might teach bad habits. The simple plot will easily bore adults; it is mainly aimed at its younger audience who will probably enjoy it from either following the books or the movie series.   

One important thing it teaches is how much interaction and bonding between the parents and children are needed no matter how it’s done, since it helps to create a more understanding relationship. Another important thing is how it shows that even when things don’t go as expected the world isn’t over and there’s always a way to see things positively and to have fun.

I think director David Bowers has made it so that anyone can easily watch the film whether or not you’ve followed the books or movies, as you can easily get the characters and the familiarity that surrounds the film. These movies can easily work as a TV series and hence the reason why I think it best to watch it from home, since it doesn’t offer anything out of the ordinary to force you to spend the extra money at the movie theater.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is #1

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ continues at number one with $64.1 million dollars, this is below the expectations and is less than ‘The Dark Knight’ had earned at the same point. Unfortunately, because of the current events in Colorado and with the London Olympics 2012 it’s had a rough time and about a 60 percent drop since its opening day.

‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ remains at number two with $13.3 million dollars, giving it the lowest domestic total of any of the ‘Ice Age’ films of $114.8 million dollars. This is not to say that Fox is unsatisfied as surely this one will stay in the top 10 for a while longer.

Fox’s comedy ‘The Watch’ premiered at number three with $13 million dollars, the poorly scripted film had very few interested. The set backs the film had in pre-production with changing the original title of ‘Neighborhood Watch’, as well as its advertising technique had nothing to do with the sum it earned, as critics have agreed it’s not worth watching.

The Top 10 in the Box Office are:

1. The Dark Knight Rises – $64.1 mil

2. Ice Age: Continental Drift – $13.3 mil

3. The Watch – $13 mil

4. Step Up Revolution – $11.8 mil

5. Ted – $7.4 mil

6. The Amazing Spider-Man – $6.8 mil

7. Brave – $4.2 mil

8. Magic Mike – $2.6 mil

9. Savages – $1.8 mil

10. Moonrise Kingdom – $1.4 mil 

Jerry Seinfeld is back after 14 years

14 years after Jerry Seinfeld’s last show, he’s ready to do his famous signature stand-up presentation well known to the City of New York. He will perform five presentations in each New York City borough, for five straight Thursday nights this fall.

Seinfeld, was born and bred in New York, he began his career as a comedian in the city in the 1970s, besides doing some presentations for benefits or short sets for special occasions in local comedy clubs, he hasn’t done a full length presentation in a theater in NYC since his sold-out Broadway show, ‘I’m Telling You For the Last Time’, in the Broadhurst theater in 1998, a little after his hit TV show Seinfeld finished.

” I was born in Brooklyn, went to school in Queens and started out as a comedian in Manhattan. I feel like New York City taught me how to be funny. I’m so excited to perform a special series of shows for my beloved home town,” said Seinfeld.

Seinfeld’s presentations will be done Thursday nights, just like his famous TV show Seindfled was on- he will have a Colin Quinn, as a special guest. Seinfeld directed his hit Broadway show ‘Colin Quinn: Long Story Short’ in the Helen Hayes theater in 2010-11.

Tickets for the five-borough show will go on sale for the general public Monday July 30th at 10am. All presentations begin at 8pm.

PLAYING SCHEDULE:

Manhattan

Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 8pm

The Beacon Theatre located at 2124 Broadway

Tickets are available online at www.BeaconTheatre.com or by calling 866-858-0008

Bronx

Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 8pm

Lehman Concert Hall located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West

Tickets are available online at www.LehmanCenter.org or by calling 718-960-8833

Queens (Flushing)

Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 8pm

The Colden Auditorium at Queens College located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd.

Tickets are available online at www.KupferbergCenter.org or by calling 718-793-8080

Staten Island

Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 8pm

The St. George Theatre located at 35 Hyatt Street

Tickets are available online at www.TicketMaster.com or by calling 718-442-2900

Brooklyn

Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 8pm

The Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College located at 2900 Campus Road

Tickets are available online at www.BrooklynCenter.com or by calling 718-951-4500

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ only $160.9mil in the box office

The final chapter of Batman ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ of course premiered at number one and became the best 2D release of all time, earning $160.9 million dollars. The events of last week in the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado seem to have affected the amount people were expecting it to collect. It certainly didn’t reach the number ‘The Avengers’ made on its opening weekend of $200 million dollars. Nonetheless, Christopher Nolan has broken a record, and surely the movie will be hard to beat for the rest of the summer.

The animated film ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ dropped to the second spot with $ 20.4million dollars. The prehistoric animal film starring Ray Romano, Dennis Leery and John Leguizamo is sandwiched between two very different superhero movies, and it seems to be holding its ground now.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ dropped yet another spot to number three collecting $10.9 million dollars. Despite of the fact that this film has some better performances and techniques than its predecessor, it doesn’t seem to have captured the heart of many as that one did.

The Top 10 Movies in the Box Office are:

1. The Dark Knight Rises – $160.9 mil

2. Ice Age: Continental Drift – $20.4 mil

3. The Amazing Spider-Man – $10.9 mil

4. Ted – $10 mil

5. Brave – $6 mil

6. Magic Mike – $4.3 mil

7. Savages – $3.4 mil

8. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection – $2.2 mil  

9. Moonrise Kingdom – $1.8 mil

10. To Rome with Love – $1.4 mil

Being Flynn

Watching ‘Being Flynn’ is like eating a heavy meal right before you go to bed, it is very hard to digest. The subject matter is so loaded that it took me a while to understand how I felt about the movie, and that effect on its own says a lot. The movie is entertaining up to a certain point because the story develops delicately and although it only runs for 1hour 42 minutes, there’s a precise moment in the end where if it would have finished, it would have been enough. This true-life story no doubt is interesting but perhaps it is this very element of realness what drags it down.

The film narrates the life of Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) from his childhood to his adulthood. He tells us of his absent father, Jonathan (Robert De Niro) and about his obsessiveness of being a writer. Despite many obstacles in his childhood his single mother, Jody (Julianne Moore) was able to raise a somewhat normal child. Although he does seem to be struggling, he starts putting his life on track by working at a shelter in Boston and just as he seems to be shaping his life how he wants it his father comes in to mess with any kind of confidence or goals that he may have. The struggle between these two is what carries the movie forward and what brings on the heavy sentimental tiring subjects.

Dano does a good job at capturing the very complicated life of this man who’s had very little in his favor to reach his goals. De Niro plays well the character of an arrogant, self-centered alcoholic; he really is such a versatile actor that you can almost believe him to be this character in real life. There’s no denying that the movie is most intense in the homeless shelter scenes, it is such a haunting dose of reality because of the sense that nowadays specially with the economic crisis anyone can end up in this situation.

Most true-life stories that turn into movies usually have great success because of all the elements that it combines, but in this one the sad reality is way heavier than the uplifting moments; therefore you come out depressed and pensive. The fact that it does open our eyes more to certain things we overlook such as homeless people is a very positive point of the movie but having to deal with all the other emotions it brings is too much of a burden to want to be excited about seeing this film. 

‘End of Watch’: First official clip!

‘End of Watch’ will open in theaters nationwide September 28, 2012. The Open Road Films action thriller production stars Mexican-American Michael Peña and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal as two young Los Angeles police officers that patrol the toughest streets in South Central vs. the Mexican cartel.

The movie shows an interesting picture of the city’s most dangerous places, the police partners that put their lives at risk working there and the stakes they and their families are forced to face. The film is written and directed by David Ayer the screenwriter for ‘Training Day’.

The film also stars: Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera, Anna Kendrick,  Frank Grillo and David Harbour. Watch the first official clip of the movie, which premiered this past weekend at Comic-con in San Diego. Also, don’t forget to check out the poster at the bottom.