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Monday, November 23, 2009
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2009-06-16
A strangely busy week for spotlight reviews with ten of them representing nine DVDs and seven Blu-rays. It would have been a bigger list, but several are late. As for the best of the best, I'm giving an tentative DVD Pick of the Week rating to Transformers - Generation One - 25th Anniversary Edition - Season One. However, those will to wait for the retail version of Matrix of Leadership - Complete Series, or willing to spend more on the limited release will want to give this one a pass. Additionally, we have a DVD Puck of the Week, as the Canadian release, Murdoch Mysteries - Season One, is a must have for all loyal Canucks. With the number of spotlight reviews, the column had to be split into to, with the second part found here.
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2009-06-16
A strangely busy week for spotlight reviews with ten of them representing nine DVDs and seven Blu-rays. It would have been a bigger list, but several are late. As for the best of the best, I'm giving an tentative DVD Pick of the Week rating to Transformers - Generation One - 25th Anniversary Edition - Season One. However, those will to wait for the retail version of Matrix of Leadership - Complete Series, or willing to spend more on the limited release will want to give this one a pass. Additionally, we have a DVD Puck of the Week, as the Canadian release, Murdoch Mysteries - Season One, is a must have for all loyal Canucks. With the number of spotlight reviews, the column had to be split into to, with the second part found here
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2004-05-17
Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. It's the week of the Special Edition with no fewer than a dozen DVDs sporting that title, or a title very similar, (Limited, Collector's, etc.) And while a few are actually worthy of the Special Edition moniker, it is a selection from the TV on DVD section, Smallville - The Complete Second Season (Buy from Amazon) that is my DVD pick of the week.
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2004-02-23
2004 is turning into a disaster. Over the weekend four movies opened to a combined 21% positive and $10 million below expectations. Post holiday weekends are usually a bit of a slump, but this weekend dropped by nearly 25% and below the $100 million mark. Compared to last year the weekend is down an astounding 17.5% and 10% year to date. And the news doesn't get any better; next weekend the box office has to go head-to-head with the Oscars.
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2004-02-20
Well, it had to happen, after a great start to February first critically and then financially, it all comes crashing down this weekend. Four movies open wide this weekend and none of them impressing critics and neither do they have much of a shot at a stellar box office. On the plus side, this weekend last year was weak, so we should see 2004 gain some ground on 2003. Or at least do better than the nearly 9% year to date decline.
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2004-02-18
Mixed would be the best way to describe the weekend results. With the exception of the number one film, all movies beat Friday's predictions. However, the overall box office was again failed to match last year's pace. Valentine's Day and President's Day helped the 3-day total increase by more than 10% from last weekend, but it was down 14% from last year. The four-day total fared better, but by a barely noticeable margin dropping 13%.
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2004-02-13
With both Valentine's Day and President's Day occurring this weekend, there are twice as many reasons to see a movie. And with only one movie opening wide, it should open huge. Holdovers should also perform well given the extra day, but they will have a hard time living up to last year.
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2004-02-09
February started out strong, at least compared to January, with two of the three wide releases performing strongly. And even though we saw a sharp 17% increase from last weekend, 2004 continues losing ground to 2003. It fell 8% from last same weekend last year and maintaining its year to date decline of 8%. And next week 50 First Dates will need a near record performance lest 2004 drop even further back.
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2004-02-06
10 movies opened white in January, and only one movie earned overall postive reviews, (and that movie bombed at the theatres.) The first full weekend in February see three movies opening, two with positive reviews. But it will take a lot to help 2004, which is heading for the largest year-to-year box office drop-off in more than a decade.
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2004-02-06
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates including the winner for the week. Miracle - Official Site. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
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2004-01-30
It's been a while since the prospects for catching a good movie at the theatres was this bad. And it's not like there's lack of wide releases this week. There are three of them. Three wide releases with combined reviews of only 17% positive. In fact, the box office race for top spot should prove more interesting that any of the movies trying to get there.
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2004-01-29
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates including the winner for the week. It was a two-way race this week as most sites on today's list had either small updates or launched flash sites that were mostly marked 'coming soon.' In the end, Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed took this week's top prize. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
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2004-01-22
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of new releases, updated sites, and some upcoming releases that slipped through the cracks, including the winner for the week Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! - Official Site . If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
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2004-01-08
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. This week we have a larger list to make up for the holidays, but a winter storm took out my internet access on Tuesday / Wednesday so the column is a little late today. Here the list of new releases, updated sites, and some upcoming releases that slipped through the cracks, including the winner for the week Along Came Polly - Official Site . If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
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2003-12-11
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here's a list of highlights, (including this week's winner Big Fish - Official Site ) plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
Big Fish
Current Content: The movie opened yesterday in limited release and the website added most of its content during the past week. The site has the usual features, including very extensive behind the scenes information, and several extras. Most notably is the Script to Screen, which shows how one scene looked at different stages and has commentary from the producers and the actress. There are also four Tall Tales illustrations, but all but one are marked coming soon. Along with the illustrated tall tales are audience submitted tall tales that you can vote on, (when they are all on site.) The only problem with the site is the really bad looping on the background music. But that is not enough to stop it from winning the embellished Weekly Website Award.
The Butterfly Effect
Current Content: Cast and crew bios were added to the site.
Chasing Liberty
Current Content: The flash site went live this week, and while the format is not bad there's a lack of content. Important sections like, 'About the Film' are marked coming soon, so it's hard to tell if this will be a good site or not. It does have a bit of sound and animation and enough marked coming soon to make you want to come back.
The Chronicles of Riddick
Current Content: Just an in-depth introduction.
Club Dread
Current Content: Typical Fox Searchlight placeholder site with the synopsis, cast and crew and a note saying, 'Website coming soon.'
Cold Mountain
Current Content: The flash site launched this week, but before I get into that … How can Renée Zellweger, who was born and raised in Texas, have such a bas southern accent? Nicole Kidman was raised in Australia and Jude Law is British, so their bad accents are understandable. But Renée Zellweger? Anyway, back to the site. The first thing I noticed was the music; different sections have different background music, which is an excellent addition. The usual features are there, with a couple of extras marked coming soon (Clips, Book and Soundtrack.) Not a lot of content, but miles ahead of most Miramax sites.
Girl With a Pearl Earring
Current Content: This site is, in a word, subdued. Which is probably for the best. The main difference from when the site first launched is the number of reviews posted on the site.
Honey
Current Content: Every week for nine months I looked at this site, and now that it was released I won't be checking it out anymore. And I miss it already. Anyhow, while I'm on the subject there was a huge addition to the media section. Four TV spots, four clips, and twenty-four interviews clips! Ok, they're short clips, but that's still a lot.
I, Robot
Current Content: None, just a redirected to the Fox movie pages.
Japanese Story
Current Content: Definitely a modest site that hits all the major areas, but has little in the way of extras. There's some animation, but no sound outside the trailer.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Current Content: A section on Weapons and Warfare was added. It is mostly text with an image gallery. As I was checking to make sure the link was right, two new features were added: A photo gallery of the premiere and Digital Horses, which is about bringing the huge battle sequences to the big screen.
Love Don't Cost a Thing
Current Content: The film opens tomorrow and the Story section of the site is still marked coming soon.
Man on Fire
Current Content: None, just a redirected to the Fox movie pages.
Miracle
Current Content: So far just the synopsis and trailer are on this placeholder site.
The Passions of the Christ
Current Content: The flash site launched this week and while it has most of the usual features, it has little in the way of flash. (There are some minor animations but no sound.) The synopsis is also marked coming soon, but lets face it, if you don't know the plot you are not in the movie's target audience.
Peter Pan
Current Content: The bios were added to the site, but the clips are still marked coming soon. In many cases clips from the movie are not added to the site till after the movie opens in theatres.
Something's Gotta Give
Current Content: The film opens this week, but there were no changes in the site since it was reviewed last.
The Statement
Current Content: I've got a bone to pick with this site, under the History section the site states that Adolf Hitler said, "one can either be a German or a Christian, but not both." That was actually a quote from Martin Bormann, Hitler's private secretary. This site as all the usual features, synopsis, cast and crew bios, trailer, image gallery, etc. And a few extras like the aforementioned History section, and a section where the five main actors briefly speak about their characters. Before you go to the site, be warned than the long synopsis gives away many key details of the plot and should probably be avoided unless you've already seen the movie or read the novel it is based on.
Stuck on You
Current Content: Two for the Road was added to the site. Each part deals with one aspect of the twins life and has an accompanying video segment.
Torque
Current Content: The flash site was added. But despite the change in format the content is mostly the same. E-cards and some downloadables were added, but the game is still marked coming soon.
Way Off Broadway
Current Content: Another film opening tomorrow, it has a simple site without sound or animation (outside the trailer that is.) It does hit all the main points a film site should.
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
Current Content: The trailer was added to the placeholder site, and there's a new poll on the Tad Hamilton fan site, which isn't as fun to mess with. Not that I messed with the first poll. That would be unethical for a journalist to do.
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