Coming to a theater near you on Wednesday, July 15/09

The much anticipated, and long awaited for, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens this week. I have an early screening for the movie tonight. Be sure to watch for my review which will come out early Wednesday morning.

In the meantime, what can you expect from the latest in the Potter franchise? The stars of the movie say there will be lots of romance, but there will also be some heartbreak as well.

Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter, said…
“Hormones are at an all-time high at Hogwarts.”

Harry & The Gang Are Growing Up

Rupert Grint, whose character Ron Wesley has a new girlfriend in the movie, said he liked the romance because it lightened up the tone of the movie. Grint went on to say “It was quite good fun doing all the romantic stuff. It doesn’t really happen often in Hogwarts, so it was a nice new lift to the film because, essentially, it is quite a dark film.” Grint also said his co-stars were giving him a hard time over his kissing scene with co-star Jessie Cave. He said it was a stressful day because he’d only known her for about a day when they had to shoot the kissing the scene.

However, for the Emma Watson fans, her character, Hermione Granger, doesn’t have as much fun as the others in the film. She’s left heartbroken by Ron’s new relationship, which Watson saw as an acting challenge. Watson said “I wouldn’t say it was fun to play. I’d say it was challenging. From an acting perspective to play someone who is obviously quite devastated, it was fun to be challenged.”

But then again, maybe it’s just as well Watson didn’t get to kiss Rupert Grint. The actor recently revealed he had a bout of the H1N1 swine flu.

Yours in entertianment news!
Dr. Rus

Movie gets panned by critics, but it’s still #1.

While it grabbed the number one box office spot, it certainly didn’t grab it by much. It’s more of a novelty than anything else and it will probably plummet down the box office ranks very quickly too.

What movie am I talking about? - Bruno!

Yes, it’s true, Sacha Baron Cohen’s next assault on our senses did end up at the top of the box office over the weekend. But, when you look at the actual numbers, in comparison to previous weekends, very few people went to the movies. It was probably a matter of little new to choose from so Bruno rose to the top. Of course it’s far from the best of the cream rising to the top. This is probably more like curdled milk rising to the top. Bruno debuted over the weekend with an estimated $30.4 million in ticket sales. Even though that’s not a lot of money, it did pass the $26.5 million made by Cohen’s earlier movie, Borat, when it opened in 2006.

Another interesting aspect of the box office revolves around Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. While it came out of the gate in a big way, it couldn’t beat the animated animals of the latest Ice Age flick. I have a feeling people have quickly figured out it’s nothing more than a special-effects-bonanza.

What will happen this week at the box office? There will probably be a new leader as the next Harry Potter movie is scheduled for release on Wednesday.

The Rest of The Box Office Story

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was the runner-up at the weekend box office picking up $28.5 million. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen slipped to the number three spot. Meanwhile, the debut of the high school flick, I Love You, Beth Cooper, struggled to a seventh place finish with just $5 million. But, don’t forget, it opened on less than 2,000 screens.

1. Bruno - $30.4 million
2. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - $28.5 million
3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - $24.2 million
4. Public Enemies - $14.1 million
5. The Proposal - $10.5 million
6. The Hangover - $9.9 million
7. I Love You, Beth Cooper - $5 million
8. Up - $4.7 million
9. My Sister’s Keeper - $4.2 million
10. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 - $1.6 million

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

There’s not a lot of action in the way of new movies opening this weekend. You could say we’re in a lull, for at least a week anyway. The big news and much anticipated release of the next Harry Potter movie hits the big screen next Wednesday. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the box office next weekend.

In the meantime…

It will be interesting to see if Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen holds the number one spot for another weekend. Or, will the close second Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs snap up the number one spot. Or, will the rude and crude Sacha Baron Cohen be a weekend surprise and grab the top stop.

Time will tell! This weekend there are two new movies hitting the big screen. One in a big way, one in not so much of a big way.

One Rated R Movie & One Wanna Be Rated R Movie

Bruno - Rated R on 2,755 screens
Sacha Baron Cohen returns as another one of his alter egos, a gay Austrian fashionista Bruno. The title character is a TV personality who visits America to become a celebrity, making a lot of people very uncomfortable in the process. In other words, Cohen pushes the envelope even more than he did in his 2006 movie Borat. This time around there’s even cameos from Paula Abdul, Elton John, U2’s Bono and other stars.

I Love You, Beth Cooper - Rated PG-13 on 1,858 screens
A beautiful cheerleader named Beth Cooper, played by Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere, is surprised at her high school graduation when geeky class valedictorian Denis reveals during his speech that he has a crush on her. The two then go on to have some wild adventures together that night. This is a film adaptation of the 2007 Larry Doyle novel.

While these two movies may be new on the big screen this week, they will have a hard time scratching out an existence at the top of the box office. Even though Bruno is opening on approximately 2,700 screens, that’s far less than the current box office leaders are on.

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen continues to rake in big box office dollars. In the two weeks since it’s release, the robot flick has pulled in more than $300 million. Those numbers make it the second fastest movie to top the $300 million mark since The Dark Knight did it last summer in 10 days.

But, will the latest Transformers movie stay on top with the big numbers? Time will tell. Especially with the arrival of the next Harry Potter movie due to hit the big screen next Wednesday. The much awaited sequel in the Potter franchise was originally scheduled for release last summer. But, Warner Bros. decided to hold off for a year as they rode the big buck wave of Gothom City’s Dark Knight last year.

In other movie news…

A Little of This…A Little of That…

Eric Dane, the star of Grey’s Anatomy, has reportedly signed on for the Gary Marshall comedy Valentine’s Day. Others already signed for the upcoming flick include, Julia Roberts, Emma Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Shirley MaClaine, Ashton Kutcher and more! It certainly is a star-studded cast!

For the Cameron Diaz fans, she’s apparently in talks to star in the upcoming Green Hornet movie. She will star opposite Seth Rogen, who also wrote the script with Evan Goldberg. The film has a release date of July 9, 2010.

In other new movie news…

Will Smith is re-teaming with I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence for an in-development movie entitled City That Sailed. Smith is cast to play a father living in New York City who’s reunited with his daughter, who lives in England. The pair come back together when the island of Manhattan literally breaks away and floats across the Atlantic.

Brooke Shields recently showed up at the Michael Jackson memorial. Now, after an absence of nearly 10 years, she’s also returning to the big screen in a comedy titled Furry Vengance. Shields will play Brendan Frasier’s wife in the movie, which also stars Dick Van Dyke, Ken Jeong and Samantha Bee.

Last, but certainly not least, from the police blotter…

19 year old Jamie Waylett, who plays Draco Malfoy hanger-on Vincent Crabbe in the Harry Potter movies, is due to appear in court in the U.K. later this month. According to Britain’s Daily Telegraph, Waylett’s appearance is connected with his April arrest on drug charges. Waylett was arrested after police found 10 marijuana plants in his room in his mother’s home in Camden. The teen actor is facing up to 14 years in prison in prison for cannabis production, and another possible five years in prison for possession.

Yours in movie news!
Dr. Rus

Reese Witherspoon hasn’t announced any plans to marry current love Jake Gyllenhaal. But, movie fans enjoy watching Witherspoon playing a bride on the big screen!

A new survey conducted by Blockbuster asked fans to vote for their favorite on-screen bride. When the votes were counted, Witherspoon’s role as Melanie in Sweet Home Alabama topped the list as the most beautiful movie bride. Katherine Heigl as Jane in 27 Dresses was second. Kate Hudson as Liv in the movie Bride Wars finished third.

Aside from top brides, the survey also ranked favorite movie wedding settings;

1. Jane and Kevin’s beach wedding in 27 Dresses
2. Melanie and Andrew’s garden nuptials in Sweet Home Alabama
3. Gloria and Jeremy’s big church wedding from Wedding Crashers
4. The dual nuptials at the Plaza Hotel in Bride Wars

Who’s the favoritie groom? Matthew McConaughey’s Steve from The Wedding Planner was named the best looking groom.

Yours in entertainment news fun!
Dr. Rus

Box Office Official Total For Top Spot

The final count is in and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen held onto the top box office spot by a narrow margin. The Shia LaBeouf Transformers sequel officially finished in first place for the July 4th weekend box office returns. Revenge of the Fallen pulled in $42.3 million for the Friday through Sunday weekend totals. Meanwhile, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs debuted in second place with $41.7 million.

Initial estimates had Transformers and Ice Age tied for the number one spot with and estimated sales for Ice Age at $42.5 million.

All in all however, the weekend box office results does confirm something I said earlier. While the new Transformers flick made a huge splash in the box office the week before, it opened by itself. While it’s true the flick has pulled in a record box office take for the year so far, the question remains…

Will it have the staying power of the first Shia LaBeouf Transformers?

Other Movie News…

Star Trek star Simon Pegg is a new Daddy!

The 39 year old actor’s wife, Maureen McCann, recently gave birth to a little girl. It’s the first child for the couple who’ve been married since 2005.

Meanwhile, Dane Cook’s half-brother is in trouble for banking what wasn’t his. Prosecutors in Woburn, Massachusetts say 43 year old Darryl McCauley has been indicted on 20 additional counts of larceny. According to court documents, he allegedly stole more than $11 million from the comedian. Authorities say McCauley wrote checks to himself while serving as business manager for Cook’s company, Great Dane Enterprises. McCauley has entered a not guilty plea.

In movie news…

Dreamworks Studio is developing a film based on the beloved toy - the View-Master! You remember that toy right? It’s the one which displays 3D images of movies and tourist attractions using circular slides.

Last, but certainly not least - Peter Krause has been signed to appear in the movie Beastly. It’s a modern day version of the classic Beauty and the Beast franchise. Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen will also star in the upcoming movie. Krause, who appeared in the ABC series Dirty Sexy Money, will also star in NBC’s new adaptation of the movie Parenthood.

Yours in entertainment news!
Dr. Rus

It Felt Like Incest!

Emma Watson, the co-star of the Harry Potter franchise, says Rupert Grint is more like a brother than a boyfriend. The 19 year old Watson, who plays Granger in the movies, said she had to kiss Grint during the filming of the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movies which is based on the final book of the series.

But, apparently Watson was not thrilled with the kiss. She said “There are millions of girls out there who would probably chop their left ar to kiss Grint. But, to me, it just felt like incest. That’s the only way I can describe it.”

I guess we won’t be hearing any rumors of a love affair between those two Harry Potter stars.

Of course, even though Watson was commenting on the Deathly Hallows flicks, Harry Potter fans are now anxiously awaiting the release of the latest in the Potter franchise. Originally slated for release last summer, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince finally hits the big screen next Wednesday, July 15.

Yours in entertainment news!
Dr. Rus

Robots vs. Mammoths

Another weekend wrapped up at the box office, and right now, it looks like a tie. The official numbers will come out later today. But when looking at estimates, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is tied for the top spot with the animated characters of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

Since opening last Wednesday, Ice Age has pulled in $67.5 million. Since it’s opening, Transformers has grossed a total of $293.5 million, passing Up to become the highest grossing movie of the year. For some reason the beer-soaked Hangover is still holding in the top five pulling in another $10.4 million over the weekend. That puts the flick at a box office total of $204.2 million. That puts it in the same category as Up, Transformers and Star Trek, as movies to break the $200 million mark for this year.

Public Enemies, the other new release which opened last Wednesday, finished in third spot in the box office with $26.2 million.

Top 10 Box Office Movies With Ticket Sale Estimates

1. (tie) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - $42.5 million
2. (tie) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - $42.5 million
3. Public Enemies - $26.2 million
4. The Proposal - $12.8 million
5. The Hangover - $10.4 million
6. Up - $6.6 million
7. My Sister’s Keeper - $5.3 million
8. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 - $2.5 million
9. (tie) Year One - $2.1 million
10. (tie) Night at the Museum: Battle of Smithsonian - $2.1 million

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

Rated R for ganster violence and some language
Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes

In what’s described as an action-thriller, filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger. Public Enemies looks at the life of the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis. At the same time however, Dillinger was also a folk hero to many of the downtrodden public.

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone - from his girlfriend Billie Frechette, to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

A Folk Hero Come To Life On The Big Screen

Johnny Depp once again proves why he’s one of the best actors
in Hollywood these days.

It doesn’t matter if he’s playing the wild Captain Jack, Willie Wonka, or some other animated creation from the mind of Tim Burton - Depp is an amazingly versatile actor who’s presence simply captures the screen no matter what he’s doing. Johnny Depp transforms the character of John Dillinger into a multi-faceted look at the tormented life of the man known as Public Enemy #1 in the 1930’s. Then, when you place Depp side by side with Christian Bale who plays a great straight-face and serious FBI agent, you simply have a winning on screen combination of talent. But, just in case that’s not enough, toss in Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s love interest, and it just doesn’t get much better.

Over all, Public Enemies is a fascinating journey looking at the escapades of John Dillinger and his gang in 1933. However, it’s also worth noting that Public Enemies is not an attempt to glamorize the life of Dillinger. If anything, this is a peak behind the scenes looking at what pushed him into his life of crime. One scene clearly explains what made Dillinger the person he was. After a somewhat violent coat check scene, Dillinger explains to his girlfriend that he is the way he is because his “mother died” when he was young and the only way his dad knew how to raise him, was to “beat him”.

Public Enemies picks the storyline of John Dillinger up at the tail end of what could be called his glory days of bank robbing. As Dillinger watches his friends die one by one, he falls in with the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson. His later days, while trying to remain untouchable, turned tragic. Also woven into the fabric of this movie is the story of the early days of the FBI. J. Edgar Hoover was looking for a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. In the face of doubting Judges who challenged his expertise, Hoover made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent Agent Purvis to catch him in Chicago.

Great Movie - With Few Issues

While there’s much to like about this movie, there are some issues along the way too. Over all, we really like the simplicity of film technique in Public Enemies. That’s not to say this is a poorly done movie. Quite the contrary. It’s the simplicity and at times graininess of film quality that adds to the genius of Michael Mann. We applaud him for not going overboard with special effects and trying to tart up the wild car chases and incredible shootout scenes. On top of film technique, if you watch closely, you may even notice some cut ins of what just might be original film footage of when Dillinger was arrested and transferred to Indiana. Mann does another cool trick with film footage from a Clark Gable movie too! Watch for the technique, as it’s the little things like this, that make for a truly great film production.

However, even though we applaud the filmmakers for technique, Public Enemies clocks in at close to 2 and a half hours. While it would be hard to cut much out of the film, there are times when it’s a little on the slow side. Also, if you’re looking for a movie that’s going to leap off the screen with dynamic action all the time, you will not find that in Public Enemies. This is really more of a thinking movie, than a turn your mind off movie.

A Soft R Rated Movie

As for the rating, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect since Public Enemies is Rated R. The warning says for gangster violence and some language. But, we really wondered if it would be some language, or a lot of language. Too often filmmakers miss the mark when making era sensitive flicks. Instead of keeping the language time sensitive, they think they’re making an era-sensitive movie, with modern day language.

We went into the movie wondering if it would be filled with
curse words and f-bombs.

If those involved with Public Enemies stooped to that language low, we would have been very disappointed. We’re happy to report, they did not. I think the f-bomb was dropped just once. And even then, it was said low enough that it was barely audible. While there was some harsher language tossed in along the way, over-all, nothing seemed out of place.

So, why the R rating? That’s because the MPAA really has no idea how to rate movies. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again - The MPAA is nothing more than an out of date, out of touch concept, ruled by people who can be bought - In the end, the MPAA really have no clue what to do when it comes to ratings. If a filmmaker ponies up enough pressure and money, they can get whatever rating they want.

Public Enemies is once again a prime example of the need for a Adult 17 movie rating. While this is far from a PG-13, a mature crowd of even 16 and up, could see Public Enemies with no problems at all. The warning says Rated R for gangster violence. But, aside from a couple close ups of what happens when a bullet goes through you and the resulting blood, there’s nothing any more violent here than some of what you can see on TV during prime time. Then, on top of that, while there is one bathtub scene, there is little to no nudity! Even the bathtub scene is shot with class and nothing is seen that shouldn’t be seen. We’ve seen more nudity in PG-13 movies that leave our head shaking than what’s in Public Enemies. Again, we applaud the filmmakers for this, while at the same time say boo to the MPAA people who need to look hard and close at what they’re doing.

With that in mind, Public Enemies is not family-friendly.

But, we are saying it’s a soft R. If you’re looking for our opinion for age appropriate and determining what a 16 up crowd should see. As parents, our 16 year old wants to see the R rated Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino. As parents, we believe that movie is not appropriate for him. Gran Torino is Rated R for a reason. It is a violent movie. However, our son also wants to see Public Enemies. Personally, I would have no issues or problems with taking him to see the movie. Keep in mind though, I said “I” would take him.

In other words, parents, go to the movie with your 16 and up age group kids if they really want to see Public Enemies.

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

Karl Malden - March 1912 - July 2009

Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden died on Wednesday, July 1 of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 97 years old. Malden is survived by his wife, Mona Greenberg, whom he married in 1938. His daughters Mila and Cara, three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

A Classic Film Actor

Karl Malden, instantly recognizable by his voice and nose, had a career which spanned seven decades. It included theater and television. His most famous role came in the 1970’s TV police drama The Streets of San Francisco. In that show he starred opposite a then 28 year old Michael Douglas. Malden also earned a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in the 1951 movie A Streetcar Named Desire. He picked up an Emmy for his character in the 1985 miniseries Fatal Vision. His other movie credits also include Patton, Baby Doll, How the West Was Won and The Sting II.

But, many also recognize the voice of Karl Malden as he provided the voice for a number of American Express TV commercials where he always warned people…

“Don’t leave home without it!”

The American Express commercial campaign lasted for 21 years. His last official film or TV appearance was in the first season of The West Wing in the year 2000.

Malden was also the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences from 1989 to 1992. The Academy is of course best known for its annual Oscars ceremony.

Karl Malden, may you rest in peace.
Dr. Rus