The Force Is Strong With Writer/Director Rian Johnson's Work On The Excellent Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Waking up this morning after seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi last night, I was shocked to discover that the film has already generated a bunch of controversy from various corners of the internet populated by Star Wars fanboys who are irritated that the feature didn't spend its runtime clarifying every aspect of Supreme Leader Snoke's backstory or validate their fan theories that have been stewing int he two year gap between The Force Awakens. It's been kind of fascinating to watch this unfold since none of this stuff was anywhere near my mind when I exited my screening of The Last Jedi (though I'm notoriously anti-fan theory and, for that matter, never had any expectations that The Last Jedi would flesh out the backstory of Snoke).

Oh Hey, J.J Abrams Is Now The Director Of Star Wars: Episode IX

Hey, remember when I used to do news pieces on a regular basis on this website? Ah, 2014 memories....

So, real quickly, it appears J.J. Abrams is in the bag to direct Star Wars: Episode IX, stepping in for Collin Trevorrow who departed the project last week over "Creative differences". The predominant rumor had been that Rian Johnson may stick around after The Last Jedi to help wrap up this trilogy, but nope, looks like J.J. Abrams is coming back to the fold. As a major fan of J.J. Abrams as a director (Super 8 is one of my favorite movies of 2011), I'm OK with this news but also kinda wishing we could have gotten someone a bit more bold and unexpected to help this forthcoming Star Wars movie.

Paterson Is A Splendidly Gentle Tribute To Everyday People

"Everybody's got a story" sounds like the kind of corny thing you might find inscribed on a wooden book trinket in a Cracker Barrell, but honestly, it is the truth isn't it? Everybody's living their own individual lives, going about their business as they try to do the best they can. Sometimes their stories have triumphs, sometimes they have grand defeats while most days they just have days filled with normalcy as one page of their flips to the next. And when we all manage to interact, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in more overt ways, our individual stories manage to briefly intersect and impact each other.

The Trailer For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Is Here!

It's a Star Wars world, and we're all just living in it. After The Force Awakens broke every box office record in the book, not to mentioning earning acclaim from both moviegoers and critics alike, Disney/Lucasfilm are off on their plan to make a new Star Wars movie every single year. The current plan is for every other year to deliver a traditional Star Wars episode chronicling the tale of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron, while alternating years will be home to spin-off features that are a "Star Wars Story".

Deadpool Chows Down On Box Office Records Like They're Chimichangas In Record Breaking Opening Weekend

Prior to this weekend. everyone was fairly certain Deadpool would do large numbers at the box office, thanks to the lack of blockbusters in the marketplace and its incredible marketing campaign. But nobody saw it doing this kind of gargantuan record busting business, especially for a character who was previously seen as just a cult item. Now, Deadpool can officially call himself one of the biggest cinematic superheroes of all-time, and is demonstrating that certain R-rated films can make big bucks at the box office.

Leonardo DiCaprio Seizes The Box Office Again Amidst Snowy Weather And Raunchy Robert DeNiro Antics

A big o'l snowstorm left much of the country in a winter wonderland (meanwhile, down here in Texas, we're getting a high of sixty degrees today), closing many businesses, including movie theaters. It's hard to say how much this impacted the box office, though many holdovers like Ride Along 2 and The Revenant had sharper than expected declines that could be attributed to the inclement weather.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Is A Multi-layered Millennial Manifesto

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a way for the media conglomerate that is Disney to create new methods of sucking your wallet dry. Every piece of merchandise is perfectly calculated to be just reasonably priced and enticing design wise (I know those characters on that shirt!) to be irresistible to the average consumer, especially given the fact that all of this apparel is debuting alongside the motion pictures release around the financially lucrative holiday season. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, essentially, is the cinematic incarnation of a Disney shareholders most blissful dream.

The Force Keeps On Gobbling Up All Of The Money While The Hateful Eight Scores A Solid Opening Weekend Over New Years

Another week, another opportunity for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to break some more box office records. Scoring the biggest New Years Day gross as well as by far the larger third weekend on record, Star Wars: The Force Awakens took in $88.3 million over the weekend, a 41% decline from last weekend. It has now reached $700 million in record time, in just 16 days. For comparisons sake, Avatar took 72 days to reach that mark. This J.J. Abrams feature has now taken in $740.2 million, and is currently the second biggest movie of all-time unadjusted for inflation. It'll overtake domestic box office champion Avatar likely on Tuesday, its 19th day of release. It's also now taken in $1.51 billion worldwide, putting it just behind Furious 7 and The Avengers on the biggest movies of all-time worldwide. And it hasn't even been released in China yet!

What A Twist!: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoiler Discussion

Alright, it's been about a week and a half now, I guess we can freely talk Force Awakens spoilers.


Here we go...

Star Wars Searches For And Finds More Money Over Christmas While Will Ferrell And Mark Wahlbergs Daddy's Home Is A Smash Hit

Y'know what? I think this whole Star Wars thing just might catch on.

My 18 Hour Theatrical Star Wars Marathon Experience

Six days ago, I got a call from a good friend of mine who had an early birthday present to give me; he was taking me to the all-day Star Wars marathon at the Cinemark West Plano and XD theater. This would be an event where all six Star Wars films would be shown on the big screen and then culminating in the premiere of The Force Awakens. It sounded crazy, it sounded bonkers, it sounded like the type of undertaking only a madman would do.

So of course, I was pumped out of my mind for it. No kidding here, this was probably one of the best birthday gifts I've ever received in my life.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Celebrates A Day Of Peace, A Day Of Harmony By Demolishing Every Box Office Record In The Book Over The Weekend

I don't know if y'all heard about this one, but a new Star Wars movie opened over the weekend. And it did pretty strong business too, with the film pulling in audiences like a tractor beam to the tune of $238 million. That's by far the biggest opening weekend of all-time (the previous holder of that record was the $208 million opening of Jurassic World) and out-pacing the previous biggest December opening weekend (the $84 million bow of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) by 278%.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Begins Its Box Office Domination By Shattering Box Office Records On Friday

I normally just cover the weekend box office, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the sort of box office juggernaut that defies convention, and the numbers it's generated yesterday leave me with much to discuss and analyse. So, the newest entry in this saga set in a galaxy far, far away amassed $120.5 million yesterday, by far the biggest single day gross in history, beating out the previous holder of that record (the final Harry Potter film, which accumulated $91 million on its first day of release) by a massive $29 million. It's also the first time a film has grossed $100 million in a single day and has surpassed the previous biggest December opening weekend of all-time (the $84.6 million haul of the first Hobbit movie) in one day. This is utter insanity, to put it gently.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

Warning: This is a spoiler free review of The Force Awakens, but thanks to the uber secretive marketing, pretty much every aspect of the film is being kept under wraps. Ya wanna go into this one colder than the Snow Miser? Don't read this review, which won't spoil plot twists or spoilers, but will basic information about the characters that hasn't been spelled out in the TV advertisements. 

During the 135 minute running time of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there is nary a glimpse of Max Rebo or any other member of his blue, super adorable, pachyderm resembling species. Therefore, I dub this film a failure of the highest order and ask J.J. Abrams to spend the rest of his life in a Yoda-esque exile.

OK, OK, all super nerdy Star Wars joking aside, let's march onward with the review of what's likely the most anticipated film in the past decade.

Holiday 2015 Box Office Predictions (PART ONE)

The holiday season always brings a bevy of new films to movie theaters across the country, so, hey, why not, just for fun, we take a look at how these new features may fare at box office? Yes, we all know the new Star Wars adventure will rake up big bucks, but what about In The Heart Of The Sea or The Big Short or Daddy's Home? The financial fates of those films is less clear, so I'm here to offer my predictions on how those will do!

Just a heads up, this is part one of these box office predictions. There are ten wide releases coming out over the next three weeks (I'm counting the expansions into wide release that The Big Short and The Danish Girl will undergo on Christmas Day), so today I'll look at the five closest to release films and then tomorrow I'll look at the remaining five features. Sound good? Alright then, on with the show!

December 11th
In The Heart Of The Sea
Warner Bros. moving this one from its original March 2015 perch to a December 2015 date was deemed a curious tactic by many once it happened, especially since the marketing for the film was already well underway. In The Heart Of The Sea will likely drum up solid, though not extraordinary business once it opens up, with the best box office comparison for this one maybe being Everest. Both are "men-enduring-the-elements" films, though Everest had a far more famous location at the center of its marketing (Mt. Everest of course), it also burned off demand with a one week play in IMAX 3D before debuting to $13.2 million in its first weekend in wide release. A similar number will likely occur for In The Heart Of The Sea, which, while dealing with far lesser known true story elements, won't burn off demand with a one week stay in IMAX 3D locations, which should help it match the opening weekend of Everest.

Opening Weekend: $14 million
Total Gross: $65 million

December 18th
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
So, card's on the table, laying it all out there...I'm gonna wager Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn't break the opening weekend record set by Jurassic World.

Could I be wrong on this? Hell yeah. If any franchise is gonna prove anyone wrong, it's Star Wars, king of subverting expectations (sometimes for good, sometimes for bad). But December releases typically act far different than summertime fare, with grosses being more spaced out thanks to people being off for extended periods of time for the holidays. This leads to movies sticking around a bit longer, with films like current biggest December opening weekend The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey turning an $84 million into a $303 million domestic haul. There's also the fact that inclement weather may damper its grosses, as Avatar (which opened on this exact date six years ago) experienced massive dips in major cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C. from Friday to Saturday of 75 and 86 percent, respectively, thanks to bad weather.

All that being said, this is still gonna easily become the first December release of all-time to make over $100 million in its opening weekend and it should also have no trouble at all soaring past $150 million. Disney has done a great job mining peoples nostalgia while promising plenty of new characters and adventures, and if reviews turn out to be positive, that could only add to the deafening hype surround the feature.

Opening Weekend: $183 million
Total Gross: $710 million

Sisters
While opening against Star Wars: The Force Awakens might sound foolhardy, Sisters is actually pretty damn smart counterprogramming, as both films serve different audiences. Moviegoers looking for more action-packed fare will have Star Wars, while those looking for a move overtly humorous feature will have the R-rated Sisters. Interestingly, this film marks one of the most high profile films for both Tina Fey and Amy Poehler yet, the duo not having worked together in a film since Baby Mama and since then the two have mostly done family films (Poehler has done two of the Alvin And The Chipmunks sequels and Inside Out, Fey has been busy with MegaMind and Muppets Most Wanted), but their work together on the Golden Globes and on SNL has certainly cemented them as a beloved duo, and the prospect of seeing them work together in a new film will likely hold lots of appeal. Toss in a marketing campaign that's brought out some memorable gags, and I'm going gutsy with this one and predicting it'll be the sleeper hit of the Christmas season.
Opening Weekend: $25 million
Total Gross: $120 million

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip
Yeah, the bloom is off the rose for this franchise. The first Alvin And The Chipmunks film had the novelty (if you could call it that) of seeing these well-known pop culture icons in the "real" world, while the sequel brought female counterparts to the table. The third entry already saw a major dip in its domestic gross (a sharp 40% drop from $219 million to $133 million), and after a four year break, this new chipmunk tale will doubtlessly see another domestic box office tumble. No compelling new plot details, gags, characters or even musical covers are presented in the trailers, and with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Good Dinosaur out in the marketplace, parents have other places to turn for family friendly entertainment.
Opening Weekend: $10 million
Total Gross: $60 million

December 23rd
The Big Short
Trying to get a head start on fellow Christmas Day dramas Joy and Concussion by opening two days before Christmas is The Big Short, which is unlikely to find mainstream box office success despite the presence of four big name stars (none of whom are without box office blemishes of course). It's premise dealing with Wall Street and the 2007 Financial Crisis is unlikely to appeal to conventional moviegoers looking for more upbeat and kinetic entertainment over the holidays. Luckily, this one wasn't too costly (this one has a $28 million budget), and its early reviews are extremely positive, meaning it may have legs at the box office.

Opening Weekend: $9.6 million ($11.8 million over its first five days)
Total Gross: $44 million

Come back tomorrow when I'll be looking at the other five box office releases that'll be unleashed onto the populace on Christmas Day!

Final Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer Is Here!

And lo and behold, the final trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is here.

I imagine J.J. Abrams just hovering over the trailer editor, rubbing his little hands together and cackling "LESS FOOTAGE!! LESS FOOTAGE!! THE MYSTERY BOX MUST BE PRESERVED!" And, truth be told, that feels like a mighty fine approach for this movies marketing. It feels awesome that in two months one of the biggest movies of all-time launches, and yet, 59 days from its release, we know zilch about it in terms of the features overall plot.

But what we do know is that this thing has some beautiful sets and shots, holy hell. This looks like a magnificently crafted film when it comes to its numerous technical aspects (costumes, sets, etc.), with that opening shot of Rey (Daisy Ridley) waltzing around an abandoned spaceship alone giving me shivers. And oh my God, Harrison Ford looks awesome as Han Solo. Is he...is he actually emoting? Good for him! Plus, Oscar Isaac looks to be in trouble, poor Finn (John Boyega) is trying to hold his own in a lightsaber fight against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and our first look at Leia (Carrie Fisher)!

I don't think there really needed to be any marketing to get everyone to go see a new Star Wars movie, but goddamn if this new trailer and its marketing forefathers haven't done the trick.

Star Wars Is Coming To Disney Infinity!

The June 2015 Game Informer cover announcing the Disney Infinity Star Wars action figures

Disney Infinity is quite a fun game, way more so than I thought it would be. The action figures are well made and the Toy Box mode that allows you to go hogwild with the characters and environments are quite fun. Now, the next version of the game has been announced via Game Informer, who have announced all the details on Disney Infinity 3.0, which brings Star Wars into the realm of Disney Infinity.

The Official Batman v. Superman Trailer Is Here To Ask...Do You Bleed?

The trailer for Batman v. Superman leaked last night, and for some reason, major publications like The AV Club and Variety decided to run this bootleg version of the trailer instead of waiting for Warner Bros. to release something official. The studio has done just that now, with a teaser trailer (emphasis on teaser) for the 2016 film that you can watch below.

The New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer Has Arrived!!

Star Wars Celebration (a recurring fan event that's pretty much San Diego Comic Con for Star Wars geeks like yours truly) is underway today, and one of the first panels of the event was one centered around the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Lucasfilm was kind enough to live stream the event to all of us not in Anaheim, California. Excitingly, the event brought a new trailer for Episode VII, which I'm proud to say you can watch now!

Star Wars 2016 Spin-Off Film Named Rogue One, Plus Episode 8 Release Date!

Well, some big news from that galaxy far far away just dropped today, as some crucial details about the next Star Wars films has been unveiled!