A stealth marketing campaign and surprisingly positive reviews thrust Paramount Pictures’ new monster movie, “Cloverfield,” to box-office records with a holiday-weekend opening headed for nearly $50 million over four days.Producer J.J. Abrams’ film, made for about $25 million and rated PG-13, eclipsed box-office predictions by bringing in more older viewers than the studio had expected given the genre and cast of young unknowns.The audience was 60% male and 55% under age 25, Paramount said today. “Cloverfield” got the thumbs-up from 76% of film critics, according to the website Rottentomatoes.com.“The marketing campaign got people talking about the movie, but the reviews helped cement their interest in seeing it,” said Rob Moore, the studio’s vice chairman.Twentieth Century Fox’s “27 Dresses,” a romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl, matched industry expectations and came in a distant No. 2 with U.S. and Canadian grosses headed for $27 million through Monday.Warner Bros.’ comedy-drama “The Bucket List,” last weekend’s box-office leader starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, held up well in its second weekend of wide release, heading for a No. 3 finish with a four-day gross of roughly $18 million.”Cloverfield,” whose plot and title were kept under wraps until recently as studio marketers fueled a viral video campaign online, racked up $41 million in its first three days. That already set records for the highest January and King holiday openings.The 1999 “Star Wars” reissue had owned the January mark with a three-day opening of $35.9 million, while the King record was held by director Ridley Scott’s war drama “Black Hawk Down,” which took in $33.6 million over four days in 2002.josh.friedman@latimes.com.
The romantic comedy “27 Dresses” will work best for people who have never seen a romantic comedy. If you have, you might find it amusing to tally up the steals – I mean, homages.
What’s unusual about “27 Dresses” is that it doesn’t only filch from good movies, it also poaches the bad stuff. This is a movie that was practically inspired by “The Runaway Bride.”
Still, it’s January, folks, and any studio picture released this early in the year is almost, by definition, a dud. And so I’m pleased to report that “27 Dresses,” while it isn’t good, exactly, is no stinker. By January standards, it might even be said to be OK.
The main reason the movie is tolerable to sit through is Katherine Heigl, who plays Jane Nichols, always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Jane’s mother died when she was young, and ever since then she’s been the perfect helper to everyone from her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) to her large supply of marriageable female friends – 27 to be exact.
She’s also the perfect assistant to her wealthy boss, George (Edward Burns), who runs an outdoor equipment company. In a shocking plot development, we discover that Jane is hopelessly in love with George, who, of course, is clueless about her infatuation.
Enter Kevin (James Marsden), a roguish newspaper columnist who, in the real world, would be writing nasty gossip but here is consigned to his paper’s “Weddings” section. He has a soulful flair for writing up wedding announcements even though he claims to be cynical about marriage. In another shocking narrative twist, it turns out that he’s really a cream puff when it comes to romance.
The object of his ardor is, of course, Jane, who at first can’t stand him. He’s almost creepily persistent, though. They end up bonding in a roadhouse bar after their car breaks down in a storm and proceed to wail Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets” while the improbably ruly patrons gleefully chime in.
Jane and Kevin may not have “met cute” but they bond cute.
Since all romantic comedies have to have “heart” – i.e., heartbreak – Tess arrives on the scene to scoop up Jane’s one true love, George.
Soon they are engaged, even though Tess, a layabout with a taste for Eurotrashy men, has lied to him about her past. Once again, George, supposedly a man of the world, is clueless about what women want. And Jane, ever the helpmate, becomes her sister’s bridesmaid.
This is the kind of movie where the audience is meant to recognize the heroine’s one true love even before she does. It’s obvious that Jane and Kevin were meant for each other, which is why it takes almost the entire movie for them – or, more exactly, her – to realize it. She even gets to act out that hoariest of scenes – the one where the girl kisses the guy she’s supposed to be in love with (George) and realizes the sparks just aren’t there.
Heigl, a regular on “Grey’s Anatomy,” made her big movie splash in “Knocked Up,” and her sunny insipidity helped to leaven some of that film’s raunchiness. She was charming in that film and she’s delightful in “27 Dresses,” too, although director Anne Fletcher overdoes the smiling-through-tears close-ups.
Heigl doesn’t need the camera to do her work for her. She’s a bit like Amy Adams – Hollywood’s other It girl. They both radiate a sweetness that can’t be faked (or at least they’re doing a great job faking it).
As her wisecracking co-worker, Judy Greer has the best lines and she knows how to deliver them. Marsden, who was the cartoonishly handsome prince opposite Adams in “Enchanted,” does a variation on that role here. Akerman is a one-note temptress but then again, her role is barely a grace note.
Like I said, it’s January. You want good? Wait until the spring. Grade: C+
Rated PG-13 for language, some innuendo, and sexuality.
The Post was not able to acquiesce to Holmes’s publicist’s requests — especially that the celeb not be asked about a certain Los Angeles-based church. Several publications apparently agreed to this condition, but not us. Until it fell to pieces, we were prepared to go for broke with the following questions . . .- We have a guest bedroom and bathroom in our apartment, almost zero neighborhood paparazzi, and the fridge is full of diet sodas and healthy snacks. You could stay as long as you like, and we promise not to tell a soul. Would you like to leave with us right now?(Note: Ask again, offering her the option of just blinking twice if the answer is yes.)- How much cash do you have on you, at this moment? Could you break a 50? (It’s related to the movie!)- You just told David Letterman that your 2-year-old daughter — her name is Suri, right? — always sleeps from 11 p.m. until 9 a.m., uninterrupted, every night. Other than a crack staff of nannies, we’re sure our readers with young children want to know: What’s your secret?- Did you feel all totally Juno, getting pregnant and giving birth before you got married? When did you decide to keep your baby? When did you tell Dawson that it was (allegedly) Tom’s?
After weeks of back-and-forthing between our people and hers, the Style section regrets that we blew our chance to sit down with Katie Holmes in New York last week to talk about her new film, “Mad Money.” (The one where she, Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah make like D.C. property tax office managers and steal piles and piles of cash — buthilariously.)
PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - Whatever people may think, Robert Redford and his daughter Amy Redford say that her debut as director of “The Guitar” at the Sundance Film Festival was all Amy’s doing — no help from the Sundance Kid.
“It’s a very basic question, and one I would ask,” Amy Redford, 37, told Reuters. “But the thing I feel good and confident about is that I’ve been involved in other films that haven’t made it, and it’s a democratic selection process.”
The elder Redford, who founded the festival named after his role as the outlaw Sundance in the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” told reporters at a separate news conference that his only role was as a father who supported his daughter.
“I’m happy to say she is here on her own drive,” he said.
The Sundance Film Festival, which began on Thursday and ends January 27 at the Utah ski resort of Park City, is the premiere gathering for U.S. independent film. Each year thousands of filmmakers submit movies in hopes of gaining entry and, perhaps, the exposure that can make them Hollywood stars.
Of the more than 3,600 movies submitted this year, only about 120 were selected from 25 countries around the world, so it’s natural that some people might suspect nepotism was involved in “The Guitar” winning a spot.
Yet, the festival employs many programmers to screen all those films, utilizes a selection committee to pick entries, and Robert Redford is not in that group.
“The Guitar,” which tells of a young woman finding her own true spirit and independence, debuted at Sundance on Friday, and like any first-time director Amy Redford said she was nervous
Three former Drug Enforcement Administration agents are suing NBC Universal for $55 million, claiming the film “American Gangster” defamed hundreds of agents’ reputations.
Russell Crowe
in ‘American Gangster’According to Reuters, the plaintiffs take issue with the film’s claim that “from 1973 to 1985 three-quarters of New York City’s DEA agents were convicted criminals.”
The critically lauded film, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, claims to be based on the real-life story of ’70s drug lord Frank Lucas (Washington). It also portrays NYC cop-turned-attorney Richie Roberts (Crowe) as battling widespread internal corruption while attempting to bring Lucas to justice.
I don’t know how much of “American Gangster” is true, but I thought it was a fantastic homage to classic ’70s crime dramas like “The French Connection” and “Serpico.”
I’m curious to see how this lawsuit turns out. Maybe Universal decided not to let the facts get in the way of a good story.
(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)
