The Equalizer 3 was easily the of the box office beating the next film by over 3x the gross. The Equalizer 3 grossed $34.5 million domestically, with an estimated $42 million over the long weekend and $26.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $68.1 million. The first film opened with $55 million in 2014 to go on and earn $192.3 million worldwide and the second opened with $62 million in 2018 and went on to earn $190.4 million worldwide.
Barbie continues its amazing run adding $10.6 million to its total over the weekend to bring its domestic total to $609.5 million. Over the week it grossed $26 million internationally to bring that total to $771.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.381 billion. It’s the top grossing domestic film for 2023 by far and now officially the same worldwide in 2023 as well by a decent amount. There’s still 3 months to go, but this is looking like the year of Barbie and how pink saved the movie theater.
Blue Beetle held steady in third with $7.3 million bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million. Internationally it added $9.8 million to the gross bringing that to $45.3 million. The movie has now crossed the $100 million mark with $101.9 million worldwide.
Gran Turismo crashed in its second week with a 62.4% drop down to $6.6 million where it has now grossed $30.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $13.8 million to bring that to $50.3 million and $80.9 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $5.5 million to bring its domestic total to $210.3 million. It brought in an impressive $65.5 million internationally over the week to bring that to $542.7 million and just under $853 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem slipped one spot to sixth grossing $4.8 million domestically bringing its domestic total to just under $108 million. Internationally, the movie added $7.9 million where it has now grossed $44.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has brought in $152.9 million.
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed about $4,500 over the week domestically to bring its total to $657,810.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added about $200,000 domestically and is now at $381.2 million. Internationally, the film gained about $1.2 million to bring that to $308.1 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $689.3 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 31 films earning $88,445,990 from 38,755 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters and 66 films. The average earning was $2,282.18 this past weekend, a slight increase from the previous weekend’s $2,164.37.
It’s a close call for first place, but it looks like Gran Turismo took the top of the box office with a $17.3 million debut. That’s just a hair more than the second place Barbie. Internationally, the film grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide debut of $53.8 million.
Barbie is a close second place with $17.1 million to bring its domestic total to $594.8 million. Over the week, it added $33.6 million internationally to bring that to $745.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.340 billion. It’s now the top film domestically for 2023 but is about $19 million behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the top spot worldwide.
Blue Beetle dropped from first to third with a respectable 49% drop. It grossed an estimated $12.8 million to lift its domestic total to $46.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $17.5 million to bring its international total to $35.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $81.8 million.
Oppenheimer slipped one spot to fourth with $9 million and its domestic total is now $300 million. Internationally, the movie added $44.6 million to its total which is now $477.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $777.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which grossed $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $98.1 million. Internationally, the film added $6.7 million over the week to bring that to $37 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.1 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $7,208 domestically to bring its total to $653,313.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remained at just under $381 million domestically. Internationally, the film gained about $1 million to bring that to $306.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $687.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 66 films earning $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters and 57 films. The average earning was $2,164.37 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $2,757.47.
Blue Beetle was the top of the weekend box office, dethroning Barbie which has held the spot for the past four weekends. Blue Beetle debuted with $25 million domestically and $18 million internationally for a total of $43 million. That opening was on part with The Suicide Squad which opened with $26.2 million in 2021. Blue Beetle was originally supposed to be a film on HBO Max, so its theatrical numbers are a bit of a headscratcher, but the movie was projected to open between $30 and $35 million. But, the film has received positive word of mouth so this could be another case of a movie having legs and doing well over the long term.
Barbie came in second place with an estimated $21.5 million to bring its domestic gross of $567.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $54.3 million over the week to bring the international total to $711.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.279 billion. The film is about $8 million away from being the top grossing domestic release of the year and $76 million away from being the worldwide leader.
Oppenheimer slipped to third place with an estimated $10.6 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $285.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $47.8 million to lift that to $432.6 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $717.8 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem dropped one spot to come in fourth with $8.4 million. It has now grossed $88.1 million after 3 weeks. Over the week it grossed $16.9 million to bring that to $30.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $118.4 million.
Strays rounded out the top five with $8.3 million domestically and just under $2 million internationally for $10.3 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $16,870 domestically to bring its total to $635,610.
The Flash looks like it remained at $108.1 million domestically. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $100,000 to bring its domestic total to just under $381 million. Internationally, the film is now at $305.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $686.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.5 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters and 56 films. The average earning was $2,757.47 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $3,397.15.
Like a shining psychedelic beckon, breaking thru the mundane haze of our exceedingly limited Streaming App-Age, as culturally, we drown in endless waves of horrid mega-priced mainstream popcorn lobotomies, glows the kaleidoscopic light that is Cartoon Damage.
Coming to you from the deranged mind behind L.A.’s notorious underground comics event, Permanent Damage, (& the upcoming Permanent Damage Portland show Sat. Aug. 26th at Floyd Center Mall) is the animation festival you’ve been waiting for!!!!
Cartoon Damage plays Friday August 25th 6:30pm at Portland’s Historic and Beautiful, Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
60 minutes of Kick-ass Cartoons from animations brightest and best!
Featuring a mind-blowing array of outrageously good animated shorts:
Terra Incognita by Adrian Dexter & Pernille Kjaer,
Those Shoes by Amy Lockhart and Devin Flynn
Back Issues by Skinner & Trevor Borrens
The HORK by Nicole Stafford
Flesh Gun & Morphia Utila by Lale Westvind
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (boner) by Christina Fidler
How the Dog Learned Perspective & Military School by Matthew Thurber
LEMON LIME by Mara Ramirez & music by AC Crowley
Deepstates ep.1 “Convenience” by Molly Wright
Corn Cob Muscle Drawing Tutorial by Lordspew
Nipple Man by Pat Kain and Rudy Schultz
Plus the 2nd part of our double feature!
A Cartoon Damage Mix-Tape : Over 70 minutes of odd, old and rarely screened animation from the archives of curators: Tom Neely, Harry Nordlinger, & KMK
Curated and conceived by Keenan Marshall Keller
Friday August 25th at The Clinton St. Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Barbie once again was the top of the weekend box office continuing an amazing run and the one of the movie stories of the year. The film added $33.7 million to its domestic total which now stands at $526.3 million. Over the week, it added $85.5 million internationally where the film has grossed $657.6 million. That brings it to just under $1.184 billion so far in just four weeks. The movie is just $48 million away domestically and $173 million internationally to be the top grossing film of the year.
Speaking of impressive runs. Oppenheimer returned to second place where it added $18.8 million to its domestic total which is now $264.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $60.3 million over the week and now has grossed $384.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned a bit over $649 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem improved a bit coming in third place for the weekend. It grossed $15.8 million to bring its domestic total to $72.8 million. Over the week it grossed $13.4 million internationally which now stands at $21.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $94.7 million.
Meg 2: The Trench fell to fourth with $12.7 million to bring its domestic total to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $90.8 million to bring its international total to $202.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $256.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Last Voyage of the Demeter which debuted with an anemic $6.5 million. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine has grossed $557,496 after two weeks. Over the weekend it grossed $83,495.
The Flash added about $78,000 domestically to bring its gross to $108.1 million. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $300,000 to bring its domestic total to $380.7 million. Internationally, the film remained at $303.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $684.4 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 56 films earning $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $176,725,450 from 32,960 theaters and 56 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,397.15 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $5,361.82.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac
BONUS MATERIALS 4K UHD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL
Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
“I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
Designing Spiders and Spots
Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
Escape from Spider-Society
Across the Comics-Verse
Lyric Videos
Filmmaker Commentary
Also Includes:
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+.
Not surprisingly, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took first place at the weekend box office. The film grossed $56.2 million domestically where it has grossed a little over $80 million total. The film also grossed $155 million internationally for a worldwide debut of a little over $235 million.
In second place was the Q-Anon propaganda Sound of Freedom which improved to gross $27 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $85.5 million after about two weeks at the box office.
Insidious: The Red Door dropped from last week’s first place to come in third with $13 million to deliver a domestic total gross of $58.1 million. Over the week, the film added $33.1 million internationally for a total of $64.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $122.6 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continued its stumble with $12 million to come in fourth after 3 weeks. The film has grossed $145.4 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $30.3 million to bring its international total to $157 million even. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $302.4 million.
Elemental wrapped up the top five with $8.7 million to bring its domestic total to $125.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $43.7 million internationally to bring that total to $186.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $311.7 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash added just $720,000 domestically to bring its gross to $106.8 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $263.6 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped out of the top five to sixth with $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $368.8 million. Internationally, the film grossed $10.1 million over the week to bring that total to $294.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $663.5 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $480,000. It has now grossed $358.5 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $1.6 million internationally where it has now earned $483.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $842.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 50 films earning $140,138,793 from 35,318 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,967.91 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,474.58.
Godzilla has been on a rampage as of late, from Gareth Edwards‘s 2014 reboot to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In between those films we got the best Godzilla of the current era with Shin Gojira (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, a movie that paved the way for other Shin entries such as Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider (though supposedly not to be taken as part of a shared universe).
This year, Godzilla rises again with the recently announced Gojira Minus One, a return to the giant monster of the 1954 original that decimates cities with colossal anger while carrying the metaphor of nuclear threat in every roar.
Toho International released a teaser trailer of the new production that confirms as much. From what brief look shows, the story goes back to a post-World War II Japan that’s struggling with the destruction wrought by the allies during the last year of the conflict. Godzilla’s arrival plunges the country into the minus, a cruel position in which devastation takes another pass over an already devastated land.
The bits of Godzilla we get in the final seconds of the teaser show a creature consumed by ruthless aggression, as if intent on passing judgment on the country and how it managed to sink to the place it found itself in after it unconditionally surrendered to the allies.
It’ll be interesting to see what director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) has in store for Godzilla in terms of metaphors. The original movie turned the iconic kaiju into a representation of atomic trauma, spawning from the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end the war. The aftermath of the two infamous attacks brought about a period of absolute confusion, especially as the effects of radiation started becoming physically noticeable in those close to the affected areas. Godzilla is an expression of that, a monster that communicates fear a newly minted nuclear world.
With war still a global concern, both in the effects of current conflicts (Ukraine) and the possibility of future world wars, Godzilla is a potent enough symbol to carry messages on its spiky and hulking body. In fact, Godzilla has proven quite adept in embodying different metaphors at different points in time.
The aforementioned Shin Godzilla does an exceptional job at poking fun at the ridiculousness and total dysfunction of bureaucracies in the face of national crises. Anno and Higuchi turn Godzilla into a natural disaster that could have been more quickly and effectively solved had the government not been tangled up by committees with overlapping powers that clash against one another rather than facilitate solutions.
Edwards’s 2014 take turned the kaiju into a warning against the continued use of nuclear power in the present, using imagery and discourse surrounding the radioactive disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant as a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The crisis resulted in critical disruptions to the plant’s operations and led to explosions and radiation leaks that led to the evacuation of some 110,000 residents from the areas surrounding Fukushima.
Edwards’s Godzilla spoke to the severity of that kind of catastrophe, and it made sure the message landed with a force, though the movie didn’t exactly live up to expectations given certain creative decisions that didn’t give the titular kaiju more of a chance to shine. If the teaser is any indication, Minus One won’t be having that problem.
Gojira Minus One, the 30th entry in Toho’s giant monster franchise, has a November 3rd, 2023 release date on its sights for Japanese audiences and a December 1st, 2023 date for American audiences. If you want to give the entire franchise a look, Pluto TV is currently streaming a 24/7 Godzilla channel dedicated to the creature’s many encounters with Japan and the other monsters his presence has attracted throughout his storied career. It’s a good time to be a Godzilla fan, and the new film looks to be terrifyingly special.
SAG-AFTRAannounced on Thursday that it’s on strike. This is the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket line. This is the first strike by actors since 1980 and the first “double strike” since 1960.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA national board voted unanimously to approve a strike. The recommendation was forwarded by the negotiating committee after talks failed in agreement to a fair contract.
The strike officially began at Midnight Friday with picketing beginning today.
The strike impacts more than work, but also promotion which has some wondering what actors will be able to do at conventions while the strike is in effect. San Diego Comic-Con which takes place July 20 to 23 has already had panel cancellations due to it.
The union’s contract expired midnight Wednesday after being extended through july 12. A month of negotiations resulted in little progress. SAG-AFTRA has focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and streaming and their impact on actors and the industry as a whole.
Both the writers and actors have raised concerns over technology and their impact which has suppressed wages. Simple requests like the sharing of streaming viewership data is being rejected.
Below is what members aren’t allowed to do during the strike:
Principal on camera work, such as:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing stunts
Piloting on-camera aircraft
Puppeteering
Performance capture or motion capture work;
Principal off camera work, such as:
ADR/Looping
TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers
Voice Acting
Singing
Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work
Stunt coordinating and related services
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:
Tours
Personal appearances
Interviews
Conventions
Fan expos
Festivals
For your consideration events
Panels
Premieres/screenings
Award shows
Junkets
Podcast appearances
Social media
Studio showcases
Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:
An agreement to perform covered services in the future
Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project
The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production
In a bit of a surprise, Insidious: The Red Door took the weekend box office with $32.7 million domestically. The film also earned $31.4 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $64.1 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped to second place after just one week in first. It added $26.5 million domestically to bring that total to $121.2 million. Over the week it added $56.7 million to its international total to bring that to $126.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $247.9 million after two weeks.
In third place was the controversial Q-Anon linked Sound of Freedom which opened with $18.2 million and a domestic total to $40.2 million. It officially debuted July 4th. There’s no international release.
Elemental dropped from second to fourth with $9.6 million to bring its domestic total to $109.2 million. Over the week, it added $44.7 million internationally to lift that total to $142.7 million for a worldwide total of $251.9 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse rounded out the top five with $8 million to bring its domestic total to $357.6 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.2 million over the week to bring that total to $284.6 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $642.2 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash slipped out of the top ten with $2.3 million domestically to bring it to $105.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $262 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to 14th place with $1 million. It has now grossed $357.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $2.2 million internationally where it has now earned $482.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $839.8 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters. That’s about the same as last weekend’s $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters and 42 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,474.58 this past weekend, a decrease from the previous weekend’s $3,794.64.
It’s not much of a surprise but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the weekend box office with $60 million. Overall, the film has grossed an estimated $82 million domestically and $70 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $152 million.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008 with $100.1 million domestically and went on to gross $790.7 million worldwide. It’s hard to declare the debut of the latest film as anything but a bit of a letdown for its debut.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped one spot coming in second with $11.5 million bringing its domestic total to $339.9 million. Over the week, the film added $24.2 million internationally to bring that to $267.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $607.3 million.
Elemental came in third place with $11.3 million to bring its domestic total to $93.7 million. Internationally, the movie added $42.4 million over the week to bring that to $98 million and $191.7 million worldwide.
No Hard Feelings came in fourth adding $7.5 million to its box office. The movie has grossed $29.3 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added $10.5 million over the week to bring its domestic total to $20 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $49.3 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five adding $7 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $136.1 million domestically. It also grossed $26.9 million over the week internationally to bring its domestic total to $245.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $381.3 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to tenth place with a little over $1.8 million. It has now grossed $355.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $3.3 million internationally where it has now earned $480.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $835.7 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 42 films earning $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters and 48 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,794.64 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,409.82.
It’s been one of the most anticipated casting announcements in recent years but a new Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been revealed. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the roles in James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy.
The story will focus on the early years of Clark Kent as he starts out at The Daily Planet where he works with Lois Lane. The film is about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Gunn sees him as the “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
This is a breakout role for Corenswet who has earned praised for his performance in The Politician and Pearl. Brosnahan has already earned praise and awards for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The film is being directed by Gunn from his own screenplay. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is set for release on July 11, 2025.
With news of multiple version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it’s not a surprise that it’d eventually move back into first place. It did this weekend, as the previous box office champ, The Flash, took a massive trip.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed an esitmated $19.3 million to bring its domestic total to $317.1 million. Internationally, the film add $34.2 million over the week to bring that total to $243.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $560.3 million.
Elemental held on to second with $18.5 million to lift its domestic total to $65.5 million. Over the week, it added $40.6 million internationally where it has grossed $55.6 million. In two weeks, the film has earned $121.1 million worldwide.
The Flash fell from first to third, losing 72.3% from the previous week. It grossed an estimated $15.3 million to bring its domestic total to $87.6 million. Over the week, it added $48.3 million internationally to bring that total to $123.3 million for a worldwide gross of $210.9 million.
No Hard Feelings debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million domestically and $9.5 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $24.6 million.
Rounding out the top five was Transformers: Rise of the Beasts which added $11.6 million to its domestic total which is now $122.9 million. Internationally, the film grossed an impressive $95 million to bring that total to $218.3 million for a worldwide gross of $341.2 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to eighth place with a little over $3.5 million. It has now grossed $351.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $300,000 internationally where it has now earned $476.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $827.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 48 films earning $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters. That’s a drop from last weekend’s $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters and 51 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,409.82 this past weekend, a big dip from the previous weekend’s $5,588.94.
The Flashtook first place at the weekend box office coming in around low expectations. The movie grossed $55.1 million and has earned $64 million domestically so far. Internationally, the movie grossed $75 million for a worldwide debut of $139 million.
It was a rough weekend for Disney too whoseElementalcame in second with just $29.5 million. It has grossed $33.3 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $15 million so far for an opening weekend of $48.3 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseslipped to third place from the previous weekend’s second. It added $27.8 million to its domestic total which now stands at $285 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $209 million for a worldwide total of $494 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsfrom the previous weekend’s first place to fourth adding $20 million to its total which is now $103.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $104.9 million over the week and has now grossed $123.8 million. Worldwide, the film has earned $227.4 million.
In fifth place wasThe Little Mermaidwhich earned $11.6 million to bring its domestic total to $255.3 million. It added about $27 million to its international total over the week which now stands at $212.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $467.7 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3fell to seventh place with a little $5 million. It has now grossed $345.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $6 million internationally where it has now earned $476.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $821.6 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaremained at $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 51 films earning $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters. That’s about the same from last weekend’s $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters and 54 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,588.94 this past weekend, a slight dip from the previous weekend’s $5,913.35.
It was a new movie at the top of the box office as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened with $60.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie opened with just $18.9 million delivering an opening weekend of $79.4 million.
The first live action film, Transformers, opened with $70.5 million domestically in 2007 and grossed $709.7 million worldwide. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened with just under $109 million in 2009 and grossed $836.3 million worldwide. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 opened with $97.9 million and grossed $1.124 billion worldwide. In 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $100 million and grossed $1.104 billion worldwide. Transformers: The Last Knight saw a pretty big drop opening with $44.7 million domestically and grossed $605.4 million worldwide in 2017. Bumblebee kicked off a new take and opened with $21.7 million in 2018 and went on to gross just under $468 million worldwide.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $55.4 million to its domestic total which is now $225.4 million. The International total still hasn’t been updated and stands at $87.9 million for a worldwide total of $313.3 million.
The Little Mermaid slipped to third place with $22.8 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $228.8 million. Over the week, the film added $44.9 million internationally to bring that total to $185.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $414.2 million.
In fourth place was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a little over $7 million. It has now grossed $335.4 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $13.1 million internationally where it has now earned $470.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $805.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Boogeyman which added $6.9 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $24.7 million since opening. Over the week, it added $7.2 million to its international total to increase that to $14.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $39.6 million.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $12,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 54 films earning $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters. That’s a decrease from last weekend’s $205,179,351 from 30,903 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,913.35 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $6,639.46.
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is getting a 4K Steelbook release on September 19th.
Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS 4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz
Creepypasta is horror for the internet age. It started out as user-generated urban legends, more freely dipped in horror, that were shared online in forums and message boards in a style that catered to plausibility. They lived in the grey areas between ambiguity and anonymity, the two things that best describe digital interactions across the board (which is scary in itself). Classic monsters were replaced with hooded figures with abnormally long limbs or faces with frozen smiles on them, carrying names like Candlejack or Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Haunted houses were cast aside for liminal spaces and interdimensional spots that could feature stairs going to places unseen or strange TV shows with names like Candle Cove.
The ScreamBox exclusive Creepypasta movie manages to capture a lot of this with an anthology format that goes for 5-6-minute-long stories, à la The ABCs of Death, that feel like a greatest hits rundown of what Creepypastas are all about. Among the filmmakers that contribute to the film are Daniel Garcia, Buz Wallick, Berkley Brady, Paul Stamper, Carlos Omar De Leon, Tony Morales, Mikel Cravatta, and Carlos Cobos Aroca.
Like all good horror anthologies, the film features a wraparound story which, in this case, follows a man in a strange house who’s looking for a flash drive that’s housing a sensitive video in it. The place is a mess, with dead bodies strewn about and an analogue TV with an 8-bit video game stuck on its start menu screen to round out the atmosphere (here we get a clever Easter egg in the form of Ben Drowned, a popular Creepypasta by Alexander D. Hall, aka Jadusable). The man moves towards a computer screen that sits on a cryptic chat page that directs him to watch sinister video after sinister video as he searches for the right one. We never know who’s writing on the other end.
The short stories range from shadow people to long-legged boogeymen (like Jumby) that kidnap kids. They serve as introductions to urban legends, brief glimpses into horrors that have the potential to become movies independently. The setup is simple enough. One or two characters come into contact with something that defies explanation, and is also off-center weird, only to be immediately haunted or traumatized by it.
Reality itself gets altered to accommodate the beings in these stories, but never to the point of completely breaking away from it. One thing Creepypastas excel at is in projecting a kind of strangeness that flirts with the possibility of being real. I’d argue that’s what makes them so compelling. They aim to scare in a very intimate way while never fully letting go of the little truths that make the mind wonder.
Not every story hits the mark, though. Those that play around with scary imagery and keep to the margins so that the viewer’s mind fills in the blanks are more successful than those that indulge in special effects and overdramatic performances. There’s a story about blue-eyed people that communicate with another dimension, for instance, that could’ve done with some restraint.
On the other hand, There’s a Black Eyed Kids story that’s quite a highlight. It follow a lonely and sick old woman as she’s visited by one of these kids. The segment keeps to a grey toned and heavily shadowed aesthetic that accentuates the horror whenever we’re shown something terrible, if only for a moment, and it sustains the effect throughout the brief runtime. The closing story, about El Cuco (a variation of El Coco), is another high point, and it might be the best the bunch. It builds up the legend of a dark creature with clever use of suggestion and dread. It carries a sense of dark fantasy that makes it come off almost fairytale-like, but not to the point of shedding its Creepypasta identity. Its closing sequence makes sure the anthology ends on a high note.
Creepypasta has the necessary elements to become a very different and exciting horror anthology. It has a unique identity that already sets it apart from the rest. The micro-short story approach plays to the strengths of the Creepypasta concept and opens doors to future entries. Aiming for a stronger selection of stories and a continuation of high-quality wraparound stories will surely lead to the creation of a loyal fanbase that’ll constantly be itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fanbase isn’t growing now as we speak.
Moviegoers went under the sea for The Little Mermaid making the latest Disney live action adaptation the top film for the weekend. The movie grossed an estimated $95.5 million domestically over the weekend and $68.3 million internationally. Over the long weekend, the film has grossed $117.5 million domestically. So far the movie has grossed $185.8 million worldwide and is sure to continue Disney’s trend of live action version so their animated classics.
Fast X wasn’t in first long. It came in a distant second over the weekend with a little over $23 million. The film has grossed $113.6 million after two weeks. Internationally, the film added $199.5 million over the week to bring that total to $399.3 million after two weeks. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $512.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped to third place with just under $20 million for the weekend and a new domestic total of $304.8 million. Internationally, the movie added $26.1 million over the week to bring that total to $418.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $723.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie added $6.3 million to its impressive total which stands at $560.9 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $37.6 million to bring its international total to $717.8 million and $1.279 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was another newcomer, The Machine. The movie grossed $4.9 million for a total of $8.9 million domestically since it opened. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $58,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just over $476 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 58 films earning $163,043,508 from 28,581 theaters. That’s an increase of about $40 million from last weekend’s $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters and 57 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,702.62 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $4,195.52.
There’s a new champ at the weekend box office. Fast X took first, over doubling the next highest film. The movie grossed an estimated $67.5 million domestically and $199.8 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $267.3 million. That domestic opening is near the lower end of things for the franchise which has grossed anywhere from $40.1 million to $147.2 million. It is close to F9‘s $70 million in 2021 which went on to earn $726.2 million worldwide.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 slipped to second place with just under $32 million. The movie has grossed $266.5 million domestically after three weeks. Internationally, the film is rocking adding an additional $130.1 million to that total to bring it to $392.6 million and $659.1 million worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in third place with an estimated $9.8 million. Domestically the film has earned $549.3 million. Over the week, it added $5.7 million internationally to bring that total to $680.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.229 billion.
Book Club: The Next Chapter slipped to fourth place with $3 million to bring its domestic total to $13.1 million. It added about $680,000 internationally over the week to lift that to $3.8 million. Worlwide, the film has grossed $16.9 million.
Evil Dead Rise wrapped up the top five with $2.4 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $64.1 million. Over the week, the film added $10.5 million to bring its international total to $71.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.6 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods remained steady domestically where it has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $136,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.3 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters. That’s an increase of about $20 million from last weekend’s $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters and 55 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,195.52 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $3,049.33.
When I was just a wee baby (as in barely a few months old), my mom decided to take me to the movie theater with her to see The Lost Boys (released in July, 1987). Jerry Rees’s The Brave Little Toaster was also playing. My mom apparently weighed her options and decided The Lost Boys would have more of an impact in my early development than a toaster with a smile.
I cried during the entire movie. If you’ve never seen it (and if you haven’t, you should), the vampire make-up effects by artist Greg Cannom were terrifying. The vamps kept their human forms, but their faces transformed into something resembling very angry bats. And then there’s the vamp feeding scene at a punk bonfire. Fangs sunk into skulls and blood flew over the fire as the bikers went into a frenzy.
Years later, still a kid, I watched the movie again and managed to get through it without crying out of pure fear, but what stood out this time was how important the movie’s mother figure, Diane Weist‘s Lucy Emerson, was to the story and how much tension and terror the movie extracts from her as we watch one of her sons worry over her safety thinking she was dating a vampire. It left an impression. What if my mom got targeted by a vampire all of a sudden? Could I kill it on my own or did I need my own Frog Brothers to stake the bloodsucker?
It was easy to empathize with Lucy. She was a single parent moving in with her father at a time when her two kids were at their most rebellious in a new place she later learns is infested with vampires. She becomes a calming presence that could’ve helped more if her kids had let her in on the troubles of Santa Carla and the people they hung out with. One thing I admired was how brave she came off as in a place director Joel Schumacher went lengths to portray as dirty, dangerous, and forgotten. She was strong and she proved it in the final moments of the film, taking a decision for the sake of her family’s safety that jeopardized hers. All of this to say, Lucy Emerson was my first horror mom and she’s remained a favorite ever since.
It goes without saying by now, but my appreciation of horror, and The Lost Boys in particular, started getting nurtured the moment my mom decided to lightly traumatize me as a baby by taking me to the movies to see biker vampires on a big screen. So, in honor of the work mothers do from the moment we’re born, here’s a list of 5 horror movie moms that either scare, take care, or bring chaos to their kids. In other words, the kind of moms that keep steering future generations into horror.
Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!
1. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1975)
As frightening as the possessed Regan MacNeil is, none of it would’ve worked to the extent it did if the audience couldn’t channel their horror through her mom. Ellen Burstyn made this possible with a spectacular performance as Chris MacNeil, a mom that embodied both the fear of living with a child tormented by something unfathomable and the strength that’s required to fight a battle that initially looked unwinnable.
Burstyn dug deep to portray a mother that had her entire reality flung out the window and yet still managed to hold out hope as a demon tore apart her kid from the inside. Her facial expressions should be studied by anyone interested in capturing what true fear looks like, but also what anger and frustration look like in a supernatural setting. Each one of Chris MacNeil’s screams is a gut punch that makes you reel, heightening the horror of the possession and the idea of what it means to share a household with a sinister entity hellbent on corrupting an innocent soul.
2. Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara in Dark Water (dir. Hideo Nakata, 2002)
Mothers have a strange and complicated relationship with child ghosts in horror. In movies where the mother is grieving the loss of a daughter, for instance, the ghost becomes a metaphor for loss and denial in the face of death.
In Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water, though, the connection becomes something different. The story’s mother character, Yoshimi Matsubara, isn’t mourning the loss of a child. She’s getting consumed by the fear of losing hers, all of which stems from the ghost of a little girl that died in the apartment building they live in.
Actress Hitomi Kuroki plays Yoshimi like a tragic beacon of light that lonely ghosts can find a mother in. Her performance captures both the terrors that motherhood brings to the fore and what being a parent represents in the grander scheme of things. Kuroki channels the energy of a haunted house in human form, reluctantly accepting her role despite the consequences of potentially becoming mom to a ghost.
3. Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Perhaps the most influential horror mom in recent times, Essie Davis’ Amelia landed on the scene with a force that reminded viewers how brutal the experience of motherhood can be. The Babadook runs on her intensity, on her up-close and uncomfortably personal pain.
Amelia is a single mom taking care of her high-energy kid, called Samuel. Her life has essentially halted, fully, just because Samuel and his behavior take up so much of her existence, every inch of it, in fact. When the titular demon comes into their home, it finds Amelia ripe for murderous possession.
Director Jennifer Kent managed to paint a rage-filled portrait of a mother that was dealt an extremely bad hand. Essie Davis leans into Amelia’s frustrations and makes a compelling argument against becoming a mom, but only in certain moments. At others, she manages to flip the horror of the Babadook to show how incredibly beautiful it can be to take care of a life you created.
4. Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in Bates Motel (TV series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, 2013-2017)
I’m going to cheat here really quick and go for a horror TV series instead of a movie because this example is just too good, and it should be discussed more as a whole. Vera Farmiga’s interpretation of the iconic Norma Bates in Bates Motel is one of the most fascinating takes on the role in the history of the moms in horror.
The series modernizes the Norman Bates story by making the motel he shares with his mother part of a larger ecosystem and by having Norma be very much alive. Drugs, late night rendezvous, and dangerous relationships form in their place of business, and Norma has a hand in everything in one shape or another. And yet, nothing with her is predictable. She can turn a bad situation worse or offer comfort in times when those closest to her are in need.
What’s impressive is how the show interweaves outside influences with the peculiar intricacies of Norma’s relationship and outright manipulation of Norman. Farmiga switches with ease between scheming and selfish to loving and nurturing. She’s a source of torment one episode and a pillar of stability in another. She’s both what Norman needs as a mother and what he desperately needs to run away from. Farmiga puts on a show for the ages as Norma Bates. Her contribution to horror should not be overlooked.
A baby can be a terrifying thing, especially as it grows inside you. It can either be a great source of happiness or a force of existential oppression that can shatter a parent’s identity. Add the fear of some foreign entity shaping and corrupting the life you’re carrying and things can get scarier fast.
Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera indulges in this kind of fear, asking what a child is supposed to mean to a mother and whether they should submit to whatever the answer is. It places the mom-to-be, Natalia Solán’s Valeria, at the center of the story as a kind of victim of pregnancy, someone who went along with social expectations only to open the doors for something sinister to latch onto her baby.
Solán approaches Valeria as a ticking time bomb-type of character that suffers quietly at first, but is then forced to face the entity and the prospect of becoming a mother in the worst ways possible. Watching Valeria unravel is tough, but it comes with the development of a different point of view regarding a mother’s obligations and whether it’s okay to resist them. The very meaning of personal sacrifice is explored here, and it leads to an urgent question more people should ask themselves: is the parent’s life, their dreams and desires, less important than that of the child’s? The answer, Huesera would argue, is not so simple.
Shattering box-office records and generating over a billion dollars worldwide, Nintendo and Illumination’s animated spectacular The Super Mario Bros. Movie blasts into homes tomorrow, May 16, 2023, exclusively on digital platforms nationwide where you can buy or rent movies – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in first place at the weekend box office with an estimated $60.5 million. That’s a 48.9% drop from the previous weekend, which is pretty good when blockbusters tend to drop closer to 60%. It’s a sign of life for the recently struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has grossed $213.2 million domestically after two weeks. Over the week it added $94.4 million at the international box office to lift that to $262.5 million. Worldwide, the film ahs grossed $475.7 million. That has it nearly beating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s entire domestic gross for the year as well as its international gross. It should pass both this Monday.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie held on to second place with $13 million lifting its domestic earnings to just under $536 million. Over the week, it added $37.3 million at the international box office to bring that to $674.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.210 billion making it easily the top film of the year.
Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted in third place with $6.5 million domestically and $3.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $9.6 million.
Evil Dead Rise slipped to fourth place with $3.7 million bringing its domestic total to $60.2 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.3 million over the week to bring that total to $61 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $121.2 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.5 million to bring its domestic total to $16.5 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained steady at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $377,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.1 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.8 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 55 films earning $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters. That’s a decrease of about 25% from last weekend’s $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,049.33 this past weekend, a dip from the previous weekend’s $4,887.03.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3took the weekend box office which wasn’t surprising at all. The film debuted with $114 million domestically and $168.1 million internationally for a debut of $282.1 million worldwide.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy debuted with $94.3 million domestically and went on to earn $773.4 million worldwide in 2014 while its sequel debuted with $146.5 million domestically and went on to earn $863.8 million worldwide in 2017. It’s a good guess that the third film will wind up somewhere between those two and has received good reviews from critics, 81%, and the audience at 95%. The audience reviews is the best of the series while critic reviews is the lowest of the trio.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was bumped out of first and came in second with $18.6 million domestically to lift that to $518.1 million. Internationally, the film added $104.7 million over the week to bring that to $637.2 million and $1.155 billion worldwide.
Evil Dead Rise slipped one spot to third adding $5.7 million to its total and bringing that to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $25.8 million internationally to bring that total to $43.7 million and the movie’s worldwide gross to $97.8 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. came in fourth place with $3.4 million bringing its domestic total to $12.6 million. There’s no international returns.
Rounding out the top five was John Wick: Chapter 4 with $2.4 million domestically. There it has earned $180.1 million. Internationally over the week the film remained at $226 million. It has now grossed $406.1 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. Over the week, the film internationally gained about $400,000 and is now at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $800,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $213.8 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.4 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters. That’s an increase of about 50% from last weekend’s $100,091,382 from 37,246 theaters and 68 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,887.03 this past weekend, a nice increase from the previous weekend’s $2,687.31.
Let’s be real: it feels like the once-mighty MCU now really needs a hit. Phase 4 has been, to be kind, uneven. And so, can James Gunn bring some magic back before heading off to DC? Yes. Good news, true believers! Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is a good movie! You will laugh, you will cry (believe me, you will CRY), you will believe a living talking tree can fly? Ok, well, maybe not that far, but it is a solid movie.
That being said, it is missing some of the magic of previous outings. But it does deliver a satisfying end to the trilogy of films focused on our special band of a-holes. Rocket builds stuff. Drax and Mantis banter. Groot takes new forms. Star-lord is… just sort of there (which is good if you, like many, are at the end of your tolerance for Chris Pratt). But returning supporting characters also get some great work, like Kraglin and Cosmo. Cosmo is a very good dog. Cosmo is maybe the best dog. Good dog, Cosmo.
Our story involves Rocket’s origins and his ties to new villain The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is desperately searching for Rocket, deploying every resource at his disposal. This includes returning baddies The Sovereign and their new experiment teased in the after-credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Some comic book nerds are going to be very upset at Adam Warlock’s portrayal in this film as it is incredibly divorced from its comics lore. Just sit tight and wait to the end and what this portends for the future of the character, and forgive the film for needing a Big Bad who is actually a match for our Guardians of the Galaxy.
After an initial fight with Warlock leaves Rocket mortally wounded, Peter and the rest of Guardians have to undertake a desperate heist to save their friend. And through this we learn about Rocket’s origins and his previous life with other experiments of the High Evolutionary Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. And this is the section of the movie that will make you cry and should probably come with a content warning.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a series that has massive kid-appeal. Your kid loves Rocket and Groot, right? Well, this film contains scenes of implied animal torture and experimentation that is incredibly upsetting both for children and adults. While the intent is obviously to create pathos, it is maybe the most disturbing thing so far in the relatively anodyne MCU.
The High Evolutionary is also abusive: the way he speaks to Rocket and treats him is steeped in patterns any kid who grew up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home will immediately recognize. Again, this might be traumatic for people, so go in eyes open and maybe have a therapy session scheduled soon after, just in case.
And while the film focuses a lot on Rocket, its greatest strength is in providing something for every other single team member to do. Everyone gets a true superhero moment, and even better, several team-up moments where we see our gang of misfits fighting together. A hallway battle late in the third act is a symphony of teamwork and gonzo filmmaking only James Gunn could deliver.
Explosions? Yes. Guts and bodily fluids of various colors spraying everywhere? (It’s ok MPAA, they’re aliens and creatures, get it?) You know it! Laser blasts, punches, kicks, impalements, bisections, Groot showing what he can do with his various forms? Oh, HELLS yes.
And, again, everyone gets a hero moment. Mantis has a particularly fun one late in the film that I will simply call her Paul Atreides moment. But it is that same sort of heroic epic moment usually only given to single protagonists, and every. single. member. of the team gets one. It’s obvious James Gunn is leaving everything out on the field in his likely final entry into the MCU, and the last cinematic outing for this particular team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The themes from past films of found family continue to shine through. There’s also a strong potential queer/trans allegory in a lot of this, as The High Evolutionary obsesses over “his creations” needing to be “perfect” in his eyes. (Again, the abuse shown and implied here.) But as Rocket and his fellow experiments choose their own names and do things beyond his designs, they are further abused and rejected.
There is also a story of liberation here that comes at a time when basic human rights, from reproductive freedom to state governments bullying trans kids (and even legislators), are increasingly under attack. Guardians of the Galaxy continues to be a series for those of us who are misfits, but have a strength — when we fight together — that rivals any Avengers lineup.
It’s nowhere close to a perfect film. But it earns a space as one of my favorite films of Phase 4. And its message comes at a time when we couldn’t possibly need it more.
Old friends and new foes come together when John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives Digtal May 23 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD & On Demand June 13 from Lionsgate. The high action-thriller, which has grossed a franchise-best $400 million+ at the global box office, directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise) as he returns in the titular role, joined by franchise regulars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise), Lance Reddick (TV’s “Lost”), and lan McShane (“Deadwood”) while welcoming Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (It franchise), Hiroyuki Sanada (Avengers: Endgame), Shamier Anderson (Race), Rina Sawayama (TV’s “Turn Up Charlie”), and Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday).
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick: Chapter 44K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.96, respectively.
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin: Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have a partnership that stretches all the way back to the first Matrix film. In this retrospective piece, we trace their remarkable friendship and decades-long collaboration.
Train Like a Killer: Weapons Master Robert “Rock” Galotti and Keanu Reeves reveal the rigorous training that Keanu had to endure to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a reality – from gunplay, to jiu jitsu, to some hard-hitting stunt work.
Making A Killing: In John Wick, sets are not merely the backdrop for each scene – they are integral parts of the action, with Wick often using whatever is on hand to take the fight to his enemies. Here we explore the craft at play in designing the sets of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the ways set design and action choreography go hand in hand in this legendary series.
The Psychology of a Killer: Chad Stahelski explores the psychology of John Wick, a character who, despite four films, is still a mystery in many ways. We unpack the complicated code of ethics that Wick lives by, and the ironic bonds he shares with the men trying to kill him.
The Blind Leading the Fight:John Wick: Chapter 4 witnesses the arrival of Caine, a blind killer played by legendary actor and martial artist Donnie Yen. With a style not seen since The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, Caine shows that a killer’s greatest instincts come not from his eyes, but from his mind. Here we uncover Yen’s journey on this film, exploring his prep for the role, his insight into the character, and his intense training regimen to portray this unlikely killer.
Suit Up / Shoot Up: Costume Designer Paco Delgado uncovers the cooler-than-cool suits worn by the assassins of John Wick that feature bulletproof lining – just what every killer needs for a night out on the town. We also explore the more refined looks of the Marquis and the Old West-inspired garb of the Tracker.
Packing a Punch: Pulling off a kill takes a village. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the way Team Wick incorporates special effects into the practical stunts and locations of the film.
One Killer Shot:John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the boldest single-take shots ever attempted in action filmmaking. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff team up with Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers to dive into the creative challenges that went into planning this one-shot sequence that sees John Wick take on Paris’s deadliest killers.
Killing at the Speed of Traffic: Take a look at a nonstop action sequence featuring John Wick’s car-fu at the Arc de Triomphe! The driving force of this piece will be a look at the effects achieved at the iconic location, and sets the stakes of every assassin in Paris descending on Wick.
A Shot in the Dark: The John Wick series takes audiences into a world that is both thematically and visually dark. For film crews, that meant enduring hundreds of night shoots, with crews switching to a virtually nocturnal mode of life for long stretches of production. Here we explore the tenacious work of cast and crew members who tough it out night after night in pursuit of Wick’s dark, iconic aesthetic. Along the way, we explore some of the most iconic night scenes in the film, culminating with Wick’s brutal staircase fight.
In Honor of the Dead: In creating John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski drew on references from some of the greatest films ever made. Uncover the cinematic homages depicted in the film, from David Lean to John Woo, to the samurai epics of post-war Japan.
Theatrical Trailer 1
Theatrical Trailer 2
MOVIES
Reviewed by Knowledge World
on
September 06, 2023
Rating: 5
The Equalizer 3 was easily the of the box office beating the next film by over 3x the gross. The Equalizer 3 grossed $34.5 million domestically, with an estimated $42 million over the long weekend and $26.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $68.1 million. The first film opened with $55 million in 2014 to go on and earn $192.3 million worldwide and the second opened with $62 million in 2018 and went on to earn $190.4 million worldwide.
Barbie continues its amazing run adding $10.6 million to its total over the weekend to bring its domestic total to $609.5 million. Over the week it grossed $26 million internationally to bring that total to $771.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.381 billion. It’s the top grossing domestic film for 2023 by far and now officially the same worldwide in 2023 as well by a decent amount. There’s still 3 months to go, but this is looking like the year of Barbie and how pink saved the movie theater.
Blue Beetle held steady in third with $7.3 million bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million. Internationally it added $9.8 million to the gross bringing that to $45.3 million. The movie has now crossed the $100 million mark with $101.9 million worldwide.
Gran Turismo crashed in its second week with a 62.4% drop down to $6.6 million where it has now grossed $30.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $13.8 million to bring that to $50.3 million and $80.9 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $5.5 million to bring its domestic total to $210.3 million. It brought in an impressive $65.5 million internationally over the week to bring that to $542.7 million and just under $853 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem slipped one spot to sixth grossing $4.8 million domestically bringing its domestic total to just under $108 million. Internationally, the movie added $7.9 million where it has now grossed $44.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has brought in $152.9 million.
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed about $4,500 over the week domestically to bring its total to $657,810.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added about $200,000 domestically and is now at $381.2 million. Internationally, the film gained about $1.2 million to bring that to $308.1 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $689.3 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 31 films earning $88,445,990 from 38,755 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters and 66 films. The average earning was $2,282.18 this past weekend, a slight increase from the previous weekend’s $2,164.37.
It’s a close call for first place, but it looks like Gran Turismo took the top of the box office with a $17.3 million debut. That’s just a hair more than the second place Barbie. Internationally, the film grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide debut of $53.8 million.
Barbie is a close second place with $17.1 million to bring its domestic total to $594.8 million. Over the week, it added $33.6 million internationally to bring that to $745.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.340 billion. It’s now the top film domestically for 2023 but is about $19 million behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the top spot worldwide.
Blue Beetle dropped from first to third with a respectable 49% drop. It grossed an estimated $12.8 million to lift its domestic total to $46.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $17.5 million to bring its international total to $35.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $81.8 million.
Oppenheimer slipped one spot to fourth with $9 million and its domestic total is now $300 million. Internationally, the movie added $44.6 million to its total which is now $477.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $777.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which grossed $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $98.1 million. Internationally, the film added $6.7 million over the week to bring that to $37 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.1 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $7,208 domestically to bring its total to $653,313.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remained at just under $381 million domestically. Internationally, the film gained about $1 million to bring that to $306.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $687.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 66 films earning $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters and 57 films. The average earning was $2,164.37 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $2,757.47.
Blue Beetle was the top of the weekend box office, dethroning Barbie which has held the spot for the past four weekends. Blue Beetle debuted with $25 million domestically and $18 million internationally for a total of $43 million. That opening was on part with The Suicide Squad which opened with $26.2 million in 2021. Blue Beetle was originally supposed to be a film on HBO Max, so its theatrical numbers are a bit of a headscratcher, but the movie was projected to open between $30 and $35 million. But, the film has received positive word of mouth so this could be another case of a movie having legs and doing well over the long term.
Barbie came in second place with an estimated $21.5 million to bring its domestic gross of $567.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $54.3 million over the week to bring the international total to $711.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.279 billion. The film is about $8 million away from being the top grossing domestic release of the year and $76 million away from being the worldwide leader.
Oppenheimer slipped to third place with an estimated $10.6 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $285.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $47.8 million to lift that to $432.6 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $717.8 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem dropped one spot to come in fourth with $8.4 million. It has now grossed $88.1 million after 3 weeks. Over the week it grossed $16.9 million to bring that to $30.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $118.4 million.
Strays rounded out the top five with $8.3 million domestically and just under $2 million internationally for $10.3 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $16,870 domestically to bring its total to $635,610.
The Flash looks like it remained at $108.1 million domestically. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $100,000 to bring its domestic total to just under $381 million. Internationally, the film is now at $305.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $686.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.5 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters and 56 films. The average earning was $2,757.47 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $3,397.15.
Like a shining psychedelic beckon, breaking thru the mundane haze of our exceedingly limited Streaming App-Age, as culturally, we drown in endless waves of horrid mega-priced mainstream popcorn lobotomies, glows the kaleidoscopic light that is Cartoon Damage.
Coming to you from the deranged mind behind L.A.’s notorious underground comics event, Permanent Damage, (& the upcoming Permanent Damage Portland show Sat. Aug. 26th at Floyd Center Mall) is the animation festival you’ve been waiting for!!!!
Cartoon Damage plays Friday August 25th 6:30pm at Portland’s Historic and Beautiful, Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
60 minutes of Kick-ass Cartoons from animations brightest and best!
Featuring a mind-blowing array of outrageously good animated shorts:
Terra Incognita by Adrian Dexter & Pernille Kjaer,
Those Shoes by Amy Lockhart and Devin Flynn
Back Issues by Skinner & Trevor Borrens
The HORK by Nicole Stafford
Flesh Gun & Morphia Utila by Lale Westvind
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (boner) by Christina Fidler
How the Dog Learned Perspective & Military School by Matthew Thurber
LEMON LIME by Mara Ramirez & music by AC Crowley
Deepstates ep.1 “Convenience” by Molly Wright
Corn Cob Muscle Drawing Tutorial by Lordspew
Nipple Man by Pat Kain and Rudy Schultz
Plus the 2nd part of our double feature!
A Cartoon Damage Mix-Tape : Over 70 minutes of odd, old and rarely screened animation from the archives of curators: Tom Neely, Harry Nordlinger, & KMK
Curated and conceived by Keenan Marshall Keller
Friday August 25th at The Clinton St. Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Barbie once again was the top of the weekend box office continuing an amazing run and the one of the movie stories of the year. The film added $33.7 million to its domestic total which now stands at $526.3 million. Over the week, it added $85.5 million internationally where the film has grossed $657.6 million. That brings it to just under $1.184 billion so far in just four weeks. The movie is just $48 million away domestically and $173 million internationally to be the top grossing film of the year.
Speaking of impressive runs. Oppenheimer returned to second place where it added $18.8 million to its domestic total which is now $264.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $60.3 million over the week and now has grossed $384.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned a bit over $649 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem improved a bit coming in third place for the weekend. It grossed $15.8 million to bring its domestic total to $72.8 million. Over the week it grossed $13.4 million internationally which now stands at $21.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $94.7 million.
Meg 2: The Trench fell to fourth with $12.7 million to bring its domestic total to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $90.8 million to bring its international total to $202.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $256.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Last Voyage of the Demeter which debuted with an anemic $6.5 million. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine has grossed $557,496 after two weeks. Over the weekend it grossed $83,495.
The Flash added about $78,000 domestically to bring its gross to $108.1 million. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $300,000 to bring its domestic total to $380.7 million. Internationally, the film remained at $303.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $684.4 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 56 films earning $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $176,725,450 from 32,960 theaters and 56 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,397.15 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $5,361.82.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac
BONUS MATERIALS 4K UHD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL
Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
“I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
Designing Spiders and Spots
Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
Escape from Spider-Society
Across the Comics-Verse
Lyric Videos
Filmmaker Commentary
Also Includes:
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+.
Not surprisingly, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took first place at the weekend box office. The film grossed $56.2 million domestically where it has grossed a little over $80 million total. The film also grossed $155 million internationally for a worldwide debut of a little over $235 million.
In second place was the Q-Anon propaganda Sound of Freedom which improved to gross $27 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $85.5 million after about two weeks at the box office.
Insidious: The Red Door dropped from last week’s first place to come in third with $13 million to deliver a domestic total gross of $58.1 million. Over the week, the film added $33.1 million internationally for a total of $64.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $122.6 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continued its stumble with $12 million to come in fourth after 3 weeks. The film has grossed $145.4 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $30.3 million to bring its international total to $157 million even. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $302.4 million.
Elemental wrapped up the top five with $8.7 million to bring its domestic total to $125.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $43.7 million internationally to bring that total to $186.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $311.7 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash added just $720,000 domestically to bring its gross to $106.8 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $263.6 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped out of the top five to sixth with $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $368.8 million. Internationally, the film grossed $10.1 million over the week to bring that total to $294.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $663.5 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $480,000. It has now grossed $358.5 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $1.6 million internationally where it has now earned $483.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $842.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 50 films earning $140,138,793 from 35,318 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,967.91 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,474.58.
Godzilla has been on a rampage as of late, from Gareth Edwards‘s 2014 reboot to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In between those films we got the best Godzilla of the current era with Shin Gojira (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, a movie that paved the way for other Shin entries such as Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider (though supposedly not to be taken as part of a shared universe).
This year, Godzilla rises again with the recently announced Gojira Minus One, a return to the giant monster of the 1954 original that decimates cities with colossal anger while carrying the metaphor of nuclear threat in every roar.
Toho International released a teaser trailer of the new production that confirms as much. From what brief look shows, the story goes back to a post-World War II Japan that’s struggling with the destruction wrought by the allies during the last year of the conflict. Godzilla’s arrival plunges the country into the minus, a cruel position in which devastation takes another pass over an already devastated land.
The bits of Godzilla we get in the final seconds of the teaser show a creature consumed by ruthless aggression, as if intent on passing judgment on the country and how it managed to sink to the place it found itself in after it unconditionally surrendered to the allies.
It’ll be interesting to see what director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) has in store for Godzilla in terms of metaphors. The original movie turned the iconic kaiju into a representation of atomic trauma, spawning from the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end the war. The aftermath of the two infamous attacks brought about a period of absolute confusion, especially as the effects of radiation started becoming physically noticeable in those close to the affected areas. Godzilla is an expression of that, a monster that communicates fear a newly minted nuclear world.
With war still a global concern, both in the effects of current conflicts (Ukraine) and the possibility of future world wars, Godzilla is a potent enough symbol to carry messages on its spiky and hulking body. In fact, Godzilla has proven quite adept in embodying different metaphors at different points in time.
The aforementioned Shin Godzilla does an exceptional job at poking fun at the ridiculousness and total dysfunction of bureaucracies in the face of national crises. Anno and Higuchi turn Godzilla into a natural disaster that could have been more quickly and effectively solved had the government not been tangled up by committees with overlapping powers that clash against one another rather than facilitate solutions.
Edwards’s 2014 take turned the kaiju into a warning against the continued use of nuclear power in the present, using imagery and discourse surrounding the radioactive disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant as a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The crisis resulted in critical disruptions to the plant’s operations and led to explosions and radiation leaks that led to the evacuation of some 110,000 residents from the areas surrounding Fukushima.
Edwards’s Godzilla spoke to the severity of that kind of catastrophe, and it made sure the message landed with a force, though the movie didn’t exactly live up to expectations given certain creative decisions that didn’t give the titular kaiju more of a chance to shine. If the teaser is any indication, Minus One won’t be having that problem.
Gojira Minus One, the 30th entry in Toho’s giant monster franchise, has a November 3rd, 2023 release date on its sights for Japanese audiences and a December 1st, 2023 date for American audiences. If you want to give the entire franchise a look, Pluto TV is currently streaming a 24/7 Godzilla channel dedicated to the creature’s many encounters with Japan and the other monsters his presence has attracted throughout his storied career. It’s a good time to be a Godzilla fan, and the new film looks to be terrifyingly special.
SAG-AFTRAannounced on Thursday that it’s on strike. This is the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket line. This is the first strike by actors since 1980 and the first “double strike” since 1960.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA national board voted unanimously to approve a strike. The recommendation was forwarded by the negotiating committee after talks failed in agreement to a fair contract.
The strike officially began at Midnight Friday with picketing beginning today.
The strike impacts more than work, but also promotion which has some wondering what actors will be able to do at conventions while the strike is in effect. San Diego Comic-Con which takes place July 20 to 23 has already had panel cancellations due to it.
The union’s contract expired midnight Wednesday after being extended through july 12. A month of negotiations resulted in little progress. SAG-AFTRA has focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and streaming and their impact on actors and the industry as a whole.
Both the writers and actors have raised concerns over technology and their impact which has suppressed wages. Simple requests like the sharing of streaming viewership data is being rejected.
Below is what members aren’t allowed to do during the strike:
Principal on camera work, such as:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing stunts
Piloting on-camera aircraft
Puppeteering
Performance capture or motion capture work;
Principal off camera work, such as:
ADR/Looping
TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers
Voice Acting
Singing
Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work
Stunt coordinating and related services
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:
Tours
Personal appearances
Interviews
Conventions
Fan expos
Festivals
For your consideration events
Panels
Premieres/screenings
Award shows
Junkets
Podcast appearances
Social media
Studio showcases
Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:
An agreement to perform covered services in the future
Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project
The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production
In a bit of a surprise, Insidious: The Red Door took the weekend box office with $32.7 million domestically. The film also earned $31.4 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $64.1 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped to second place after just one week in first. It added $26.5 million domestically to bring that total to $121.2 million. Over the week it added $56.7 million to its international total to bring that to $126.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $247.9 million after two weeks.
In third place was the controversial Q-Anon linked Sound of Freedom which opened with $18.2 million and a domestic total to $40.2 million. It officially debuted July 4th. There’s no international release.
Elemental dropped from second to fourth with $9.6 million to bring its domestic total to $109.2 million. Over the week, it added $44.7 million internationally to lift that total to $142.7 million for a worldwide total of $251.9 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse rounded out the top five with $8 million to bring its domestic total to $357.6 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.2 million over the week to bring that total to $284.6 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $642.2 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash slipped out of the top ten with $2.3 million domestically to bring it to $105.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $262 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to 14th place with $1 million. It has now grossed $357.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $2.2 million internationally where it has now earned $482.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $839.8 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters. That’s about the same as last weekend’s $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters and 42 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,474.58 this past weekend, a decrease from the previous weekend’s $3,794.64.
It’s not much of a surprise but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the weekend box office with $60 million. Overall, the film has grossed an estimated $82 million domestically and $70 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $152 million.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008 with $100.1 million domestically and went on to gross $790.7 million worldwide. It’s hard to declare the debut of the latest film as anything but a bit of a letdown for its debut.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped one spot coming in second with $11.5 million bringing its domestic total to $339.9 million. Over the week, the film added $24.2 million internationally to bring that to $267.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $607.3 million.
Elemental came in third place with $11.3 million to bring its domestic total to $93.7 million. Internationally, the movie added $42.4 million over the week to bring that to $98 million and $191.7 million worldwide.
No Hard Feelings came in fourth adding $7.5 million to its box office. The movie has grossed $29.3 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added $10.5 million over the week to bring its domestic total to $20 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $49.3 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five adding $7 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $136.1 million domestically. It also grossed $26.9 million over the week internationally to bring its domestic total to $245.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $381.3 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to tenth place with a little over $1.8 million. It has now grossed $355.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $3.3 million internationally where it has now earned $480.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $835.7 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 42 films earning $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters and 48 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,794.64 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,409.82.
It’s been one of the most anticipated casting announcements in recent years but a new Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been revealed. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the roles in James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy.
The story will focus on the early years of Clark Kent as he starts out at The Daily Planet where he works with Lois Lane. The film is about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Gunn sees him as the “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
This is a breakout role for Corenswet who has earned praised for his performance in The Politician and Pearl. Brosnahan has already earned praise and awards for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The film is being directed by Gunn from his own screenplay. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is set for release on July 11, 2025.
With news of multiple version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it’s not a surprise that it’d eventually move back into first place. It did this weekend, as the previous box office champ, The Flash, took a massive trip.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed an esitmated $19.3 million to bring its domestic total to $317.1 million. Internationally, the film add $34.2 million over the week to bring that total to $243.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $560.3 million.
Elemental held on to second with $18.5 million to lift its domestic total to $65.5 million. Over the week, it added $40.6 million internationally where it has grossed $55.6 million. In two weeks, the film has earned $121.1 million worldwide.
The Flash fell from first to third, losing 72.3% from the previous week. It grossed an estimated $15.3 million to bring its domestic total to $87.6 million. Over the week, it added $48.3 million internationally to bring that total to $123.3 million for a worldwide gross of $210.9 million.
No Hard Feelings debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million domestically and $9.5 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $24.6 million.
Rounding out the top five was Transformers: Rise of the Beasts which added $11.6 million to its domestic total which is now $122.9 million. Internationally, the film grossed an impressive $95 million to bring that total to $218.3 million for a worldwide gross of $341.2 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to eighth place with a little over $3.5 million. It has now grossed $351.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $300,000 internationally where it has now earned $476.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $827.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 48 films earning $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters. That’s a drop from last weekend’s $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters and 51 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,409.82 this past weekend, a big dip from the previous weekend’s $5,588.94.
The Flashtook first place at the weekend box office coming in around low expectations. The movie grossed $55.1 million and has earned $64 million domestically so far. Internationally, the movie grossed $75 million for a worldwide debut of $139 million.
It was a rough weekend for Disney too whoseElementalcame in second with just $29.5 million. It has grossed $33.3 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $15 million so far for an opening weekend of $48.3 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseslipped to third place from the previous weekend’s second. It added $27.8 million to its domestic total which now stands at $285 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $209 million for a worldwide total of $494 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsfrom the previous weekend’s first place to fourth adding $20 million to its total which is now $103.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $104.9 million over the week and has now grossed $123.8 million. Worldwide, the film has earned $227.4 million.
In fifth place wasThe Little Mermaidwhich earned $11.6 million to bring its domestic total to $255.3 million. It added about $27 million to its international total over the week which now stands at $212.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $467.7 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3fell to seventh place with a little $5 million. It has now grossed $345.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $6 million internationally where it has now earned $476.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $821.6 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaremained at $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 51 films earning $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters. That’s about the same from last weekend’s $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters and 54 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,588.94 this past weekend, a slight dip from the previous weekend’s $5,913.35.
It was a new movie at the top of the box office as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened with $60.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie opened with just $18.9 million delivering an opening weekend of $79.4 million.
The first live action film, Transformers, opened with $70.5 million domestically in 2007 and grossed $709.7 million worldwide. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened with just under $109 million in 2009 and grossed $836.3 million worldwide. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 opened with $97.9 million and grossed $1.124 billion worldwide. In 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $100 million and grossed $1.104 billion worldwide. Transformers: The Last Knight saw a pretty big drop opening with $44.7 million domestically and grossed $605.4 million worldwide in 2017. Bumblebee kicked off a new take and opened with $21.7 million in 2018 and went on to gross just under $468 million worldwide.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $55.4 million to its domestic total which is now $225.4 million. The International total still hasn’t been updated and stands at $87.9 million for a worldwide total of $313.3 million.
The Little Mermaid slipped to third place with $22.8 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $228.8 million. Over the week, the film added $44.9 million internationally to bring that total to $185.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $414.2 million.
In fourth place was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a little over $7 million. It has now grossed $335.4 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $13.1 million internationally where it has now earned $470.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $805.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Boogeyman which added $6.9 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $24.7 million since opening. Over the week, it added $7.2 million to its international total to increase that to $14.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $39.6 million.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $12,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 54 films earning $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters. That’s a decrease from last weekend’s $205,179,351 from 30,903 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,913.35 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $6,639.46.
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is getting a 4K Steelbook release on September 19th.
Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS 4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz
Creepypasta is horror for the internet age. It started out as user-generated urban legends, more freely dipped in horror, that were shared online in forums and message boards in a style that catered to plausibility. They lived in the grey areas between ambiguity and anonymity, the two things that best describe digital interactions across the board (which is scary in itself). Classic monsters were replaced with hooded figures with abnormally long limbs or faces with frozen smiles on them, carrying names like Candlejack or Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Haunted houses were cast aside for liminal spaces and interdimensional spots that could feature stairs going to places unseen or strange TV shows with names like Candle Cove.
The ScreamBox exclusive Creepypasta movie manages to capture a lot of this with an anthology format that goes for 5-6-minute-long stories, à la The ABCs of Death, that feel like a greatest hits rundown of what Creepypastas are all about. Among the filmmakers that contribute to the film are Daniel Garcia, Buz Wallick, Berkley Brady, Paul Stamper, Carlos Omar De Leon, Tony Morales, Mikel Cravatta, and Carlos Cobos Aroca.
Like all good horror anthologies, the film features a wraparound story which, in this case, follows a man in a strange house who’s looking for a flash drive that’s housing a sensitive video in it. The place is a mess, with dead bodies strewn about and an analogue TV with an 8-bit video game stuck on its start menu screen to round out the atmosphere (here we get a clever Easter egg in the form of Ben Drowned, a popular Creepypasta by Alexander D. Hall, aka Jadusable). The man moves towards a computer screen that sits on a cryptic chat page that directs him to watch sinister video after sinister video as he searches for the right one. We never know who’s writing on the other end.
The short stories range from shadow people to long-legged boogeymen (like Jumby) that kidnap kids. They serve as introductions to urban legends, brief glimpses into horrors that have the potential to become movies independently. The setup is simple enough. One or two characters come into contact with something that defies explanation, and is also off-center weird, only to be immediately haunted or traumatized by it.
Reality itself gets altered to accommodate the beings in these stories, but never to the point of completely breaking away from it. One thing Creepypastas excel at is in projecting a kind of strangeness that flirts with the possibility of being real. I’d argue that’s what makes them so compelling. They aim to scare in a very intimate way while never fully letting go of the little truths that make the mind wonder.
Not every story hits the mark, though. Those that play around with scary imagery and keep to the margins so that the viewer’s mind fills in the blanks are more successful than those that indulge in special effects and overdramatic performances. There’s a story about blue-eyed people that communicate with another dimension, for instance, that could’ve done with some restraint.
On the other hand, There’s a Black Eyed Kids story that’s quite a highlight. It follow a lonely and sick old woman as she’s visited by one of these kids. The segment keeps to a grey toned and heavily shadowed aesthetic that accentuates the horror whenever we’re shown something terrible, if only for a moment, and it sustains the effect throughout the brief runtime. The closing story, about El Cuco (a variation of El Coco), is another high point, and it might be the best the bunch. It builds up the legend of a dark creature with clever use of suggestion and dread. It carries a sense of dark fantasy that makes it come off almost fairytale-like, but not to the point of shedding its Creepypasta identity. Its closing sequence makes sure the anthology ends on a high note.
Creepypasta has the necessary elements to become a very different and exciting horror anthology. It has a unique identity that already sets it apart from the rest. The micro-short story approach plays to the strengths of the Creepypasta concept and opens doors to future entries. Aiming for a stronger selection of stories and a continuation of high-quality wraparound stories will surely lead to the creation of a loyal fanbase that’ll constantly be itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fanbase isn’t growing now as we speak.
Moviegoers went under the sea for The Little Mermaid making the latest Disney live action adaptation the top film for the weekend. The movie grossed an estimated $95.5 million domestically over the weekend and $68.3 million internationally. Over the long weekend, the film has grossed $117.5 million domestically. So far the movie has grossed $185.8 million worldwide and is sure to continue Disney’s trend of live action version so their animated classics.
Fast X wasn’t in first long. It came in a distant second over the weekend with a little over $23 million. The film has grossed $113.6 million after two weeks. Internationally, the film added $199.5 million over the week to bring that total to $399.3 million after two weeks. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $512.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped to third place with just under $20 million for the weekend and a new domestic total of $304.8 million. Internationally, the movie added $26.1 million over the week to bring that total to $418.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $723.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie added $6.3 million to its impressive total which stands at $560.9 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $37.6 million to bring its international total to $717.8 million and $1.279 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was another newcomer, The Machine. The movie grossed $4.9 million for a total of $8.9 million domestically since it opened. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $58,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just over $476 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 58 films earning $163,043,508 from 28,581 theaters. That’s an increase of about $40 million from last weekend’s $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters and 57 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,702.62 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $4,195.52.
There’s a new champ at the weekend box office. Fast X took first, over doubling the next highest film. The movie grossed an estimated $67.5 million domestically and $199.8 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $267.3 million. That domestic opening is near the lower end of things for the franchise which has grossed anywhere from $40.1 million to $147.2 million. It is close to F9‘s $70 million in 2021 which went on to earn $726.2 million worldwide.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 slipped to second place with just under $32 million. The movie has grossed $266.5 million domestically after three weeks. Internationally, the film is rocking adding an additional $130.1 million to that total to bring it to $392.6 million and $659.1 million worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in third place with an estimated $9.8 million. Domestically the film has earned $549.3 million. Over the week, it added $5.7 million internationally to bring that total to $680.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.229 billion.
Book Club: The Next Chapter slipped to fourth place with $3 million to bring its domestic total to $13.1 million. It added about $680,000 internationally over the week to lift that to $3.8 million. Worlwide, the film has grossed $16.9 million.
Evil Dead Rise wrapped up the top five with $2.4 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $64.1 million. Over the week, the film added $10.5 million to bring its international total to $71.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.6 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods remained steady domestically where it has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $136,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.3 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters. That’s an increase of about $20 million from last weekend’s $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters and 55 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,195.52 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $3,049.33.
When I was just a wee baby (as in barely a few months old), my mom decided to take me to the movie theater with her to see The Lost Boys (released in July, 1987). Jerry Rees’s The Brave Little Toaster was also playing. My mom apparently weighed her options and decided The Lost Boys would have more of an impact in my early development than a toaster with a smile.
I cried during the entire movie. If you’ve never seen it (and if you haven’t, you should), the vampire make-up effects by artist Greg Cannom were terrifying. The vamps kept their human forms, but their faces transformed into something resembling very angry bats. And then there’s the vamp feeding scene at a punk bonfire. Fangs sunk into skulls and blood flew over the fire as the bikers went into a frenzy.
Years later, still a kid, I watched the movie again and managed to get through it without crying out of pure fear, but what stood out this time was how important the movie’s mother figure, Diane Weist‘s Lucy Emerson, was to the story and how much tension and terror the movie extracts from her as we watch one of her sons worry over her safety thinking she was dating a vampire. It left an impression. What if my mom got targeted by a vampire all of a sudden? Could I kill it on my own or did I need my own Frog Brothers to stake the bloodsucker?
It was easy to empathize with Lucy. She was a single parent moving in with her father at a time when her two kids were at their most rebellious in a new place she later learns is infested with vampires. She becomes a calming presence that could’ve helped more if her kids had let her in on the troubles of Santa Carla and the people they hung out with. One thing I admired was how brave she came off as in a place director Joel Schumacher went lengths to portray as dirty, dangerous, and forgotten. She was strong and she proved it in the final moments of the film, taking a decision for the sake of her family’s safety that jeopardized hers. All of this to say, Lucy Emerson was my first horror mom and she’s remained a favorite ever since.
It goes without saying by now, but my appreciation of horror, and The Lost Boys in particular, started getting nurtured the moment my mom decided to lightly traumatize me as a baby by taking me to the movies to see biker vampires on a big screen. So, in honor of the work mothers do from the moment we’re born, here’s a list of 5 horror movie moms that either scare, take care, or bring chaos to their kids. In other words, the kind of moms that keep steering future generations into horror.
Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!
1. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1975)
As frightening as the possessed Regan MacNeil is, none of it would’ve worked to the extent it did if the audience couldn’t channel their horror through her mom. Ellen Burstyn made this possible with a spectacular performance as Chris MacNeil, a mom that embodied both the fear of living with a child tormented by something unfathomable and the strength that’s required to fight a battle that initially looked unwinnable.
Burstyn dug deep to portray a mother that had her entire reality flung out the window and yet still managed to hold out hope as a demon tore apart her kid from the inside. Her facial expressions should be studied by anyone interested in capturing what true fear looks like, but also what anger and frustration look like in a supernatural setting. Each one of Chris MacNeil’s screams is a gut punch that makes you reel, heightening the horror of the possession and the idea of what it means to share a household with a sinister entity hellbent on corrupting an innocent soul.
2. Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara in Dark Water (dir. Hideo Nakata, 2002)
Mothers have a strange and complicated relationship with child ghosts in horror. In movies where the mother is grieving the loss of a daughter, for instance, the ghost becomes a metaphor for loss and denial in the face of death.
In Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water, though, the connection becomes something different. The story’s mother character, Yoshimi Matsubara, isn’t mourning the loss of a child. She’s getting consumed by the fear of losing hers, all of which stems from the ghost of a little girl that died in the apartment building they live in.
Actress Hitomi Kuroki plays Yoshimi like a tragic beacon of light that lonely ghosts can find a mother in. Her performance captures both the terrors that motherhood brings to the fore and what being a parent represents in the grander scheme of things. Kuroki channels the energy of a haunted house in human form, reluctantly accepting her role despite the consequences of potentially becoming mom to a ghost.
3. Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Perhaps the most influential horror mom in recent times, Essie Davis’ Amelia landed on the scene with a force that reminded viewers how brutal the experience of motherhood can be. The Babadook runs on her intensity, on her up-close and uncomfortably personal pain.
Amelia is a single mom taking care of her high-energy kid, called Samuel. Her life has essentially halted, fully, just because Samuel and his behavior take up so much of her existence, every inch of it, in fact. When the titular demon comes into their home, it finds Amelia ripe for murderous possession.
Director Jennifer Kent managed to paint a rage-filled portrait of a mother that was dealt an extremely bad hand. Essie Davis leans into Amelia’s frustrations and makes a compelling argument against becoming a mom, but only in certain moments. At others, she manages to flip the horror of the Babadook to show how incredibly beautiful it can be to take care of a life you created.
4. Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in Bates Motel (TV series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, 2013-2017)
I’m going to cheat here really quick and go for a horror TV series instead of a movie because this example is just too good, and it should be discussed more as a whole. Vera Farmiga’s interpretation of the iconic Norma Bates in Bates Motel is one of the most fascinating takes on the role in the history of the moms in horror.
The series modernizes the Norman Bates story by making the motel he shares with his mother part of a larger ecosystem and by having Norma be very much alive. Drugs, late night rendezvous, and dangerous relationships form in their place of business, and Norma has a hand in everything in one shape or another. And yet, nothing with her is predictable. She can turn a bad situation worse or offer comfort in times when those closest to her are in need.
What’s impressive is how the show interweaves outside influences with the peculiar intricacies of Norma’s relationship and outright manipulation of Norman. Farmiga switches with ease between scheming and selfish to loving and nurturing. She’s a source of torment one episode and a pillar of stability in another. She’s both what Norman needs as a mother and what he desperately needs to run away from. Farmiga puts on a show for the ages as Norma Bates. Her contribution to horror should not be overlooked.
A baby can be a terrifying thing, especially as it grows inside you. It can either be a great source of happiness or a force of existential oppression that can shatter a parent’s identity. Add the fear of some foreign entity shaping and corrupting the life you’re carrying and things can get scarier fast.
Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera indulges in this kind of fear, asking what a child is supposed to mean to a mother and whether they should submit to whatever the answer is. It places the mom-to-be, Natalia Solán’s Valeria, at the center of the story as a kind of victim of pregnancy, someone who went along with social expectations only to open the doors for something sinister to latch onto her baby.
Solán approaches Valeria as a ticking time bomb-type of character that suffers quietly at first, but is then forced to face the entity and the prospect of becoming a mother in the worst ways possible. Watching Valeria unravel is tough, but it comes with the development of a different point of view regarding a mother’s obligations and whether it’s okay to resist them. The very meaning of personal sacrifice is explored here, and it leads to an urgent question more people should ask themselves: is the parent’s life, their dreams and desires, less important than that of the child’s? The answer, Huesera would argue, is not so simple.
Shattering box-office records and generating over a billion dollars worldwide, Nintendo and Illumination’s animated spectacular The Super Mario Bros. Movie blasts into homes tomorrow, May 16, 2023, exclusively on digital platforms nationwide where you can buy or rent movies – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in first place at the weekend box office with an estimated $60.5 million. That’s a 48.9% drop from the previous weekend, which is pretty good when blockbusters tend to drop closer to 60%. It’s a sign of life for the recently struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has grossed $213.2 million domestically after two weeks. Over the week it added $94.4 million at the international box office to lift that to $262.5 million. Worldwide, the film ahs grossed $475.7 million. That has it nearly beating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s entire domestic gross for the year as well as its international gross. It should pass both this Monday.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie held on to second place with $13 million lifting its domestic earnings to just under $536 million. Over the week, it added $37.3 million at the international box office to bring that to $674.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.210 billion making it easily the top film of the year.
Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted in third place with $6.5 million domestically and $3.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $9.6 million.
Evil Dead Rise slipped to fourth place with $3.7 million bringing its domestic total to $60.2 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.3 million over the week to bring that total to $61 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $121.2 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.5 million to bring its domestic total to $16.5 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained steady at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $377,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.1 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.8 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 55 films earning $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters. That’s a decrease of about 25% from last weekend’s $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,049.33 this past weekend, a dip from the previous weekend’s $4,887.03.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3took the weekend box office which wasn’t surprising at all. The film debuted with $114 million domestically and $168.1 million internationally for a debut of $282.1 million worldwide.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy debuted with $94.3 million domestically and went on to earn $773.4 million worldwide in 2014 while its sequel debuted with $146.5 million domestically and went on to earn $863.8 million worldwide in 2017. It’s a good guess that the third film will wind up somewhere between those two and has received good reviews from critics, 81%, and the audience at 95%. The audience reviews is the best of the series while critic reviews is the lowest of the trio.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was bumped out of first and came in second with $18.6 million domestically to lift that to $518.1 million. Internationally, the film added $104.7 million over the week to bring that to $637.2 million and $1.155 billion worldwide.
Evil Dead Rise slipped one spot to third adding $5.7 million to its total and bringing that to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $25.8 million internationally to bring that total to $43.7 million and the movie’s worldwide gross to $97.8 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. came in fourth place with $3.4 million bringing its domestic total to $12.6 million. There’s no international returns.
Rounding out the top five was John Wick: Chapter 4 with $2.4 million domestically. There it has earned $180.1 million. Internationally over the week the film remained at $226 million. It has now grossed $406.1 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. Over the week, the film internationally gained about $400,000 and is now at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $800,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $213.8 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.4 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters. That’s an increase of about 50% from last weekend’s $100,091,382 from 37,246 theaters and 68 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,887.03 this past weekend, a nice increase from the previous weekend’s $2,687.31.
Let’s be real: it feels like the once-mighty MCU now really needs a hit. Phase 4 has been, to be kind, uneven. And so, can James Gunn bring some magic back before heading off to DC? Yes. Good news, true believers! Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is a good movie! You will laugh, you will cry (believe me, you will CRY), you will believe a living talking tree can fly? Ok, well, maybe not that far, but it is a solid movie.
That being said, it is missing some of the magic of previous outings. But it does deliver a satisfying end to the trilogy of films focused on our special band of a-holes. Rocket builds stuff. Drax and Mantis banter. Groot takes new forms. Star-lord is… just sort of there (which is good if you, like many, are at the end of your tolerance for Chris Pratt). But returning supporting characters also get some great work, like Kraglin and Cosmo. Cosmo is a very good dog. Cosmo is maybe the best dog. Good dog, Cosmo.
Our story involves Rocket’s origins and his ties to new villain The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is desperately searching for Rocket, deploying every resource at his disposal. This includes returning baddies The Sovereign and their new experiment teased in the after-credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Some comic book nerds are going to be very upset at Adam Warlock’s portrayal in this film as it is incredibly divorced from its comics lore. Just sit tight and wait to the end and what this portends for the future of the character, and forgive the film for needing a Big Bad who is actually a match for our Guardians of the Galaxy.
After an initial fight with Warlock leaves Rocket mortally wounded, Peter and the rest of Guardians have to undertake a desperate heist to save their friend. And through this we learn about Rocket’s origins and his previous life with other experiments of the High Evolutionary Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. And this is the section of the movie that will make you cry and should probably come with a content warning.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a series that has massive kid-appeal. Your kid loves Rocket and Groot, right? Well, this film contains scenes of implied animal torture and experimentation that is incredibly upsetting both for children and adults. While the intent is obviously to create pathos, it is maybe the most disturbing thing so far in the relatively anodyne MCU.
The High Evolutionary is also abusive: the way he speaks to Rocket and treats him is steeped in patterns any kid who grew up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home will immediately recognize. Again, this might be traumatic for people, so go in eyes open and maybe have a therapy session scheduled soon after, just in case.
And while the film focuses a lot on Rocket, its greatest strength is in providing something for every other single team member to do. Everyone gets a true superhero moment, and even better, several team-up moments where we see our gang of misfits fighting together. A hallway battle late in the third act is a symphony of teamwork and gonzo filmmaking only James Gunn could deliver.
Explosions? Yes. Guts and bodily fluids of various colors spraying everywhere? (It’s ok MPAA, they’re aliens and creatures, get it?) You know it! Laser blasts, punches, kicks, impalements, bisections, Groot showing what he can do with his various forms? Oh, HELLS yes.
And, again, everyone gets a hero moment. Mantis has a particularly fun one late in the film that I will simply call her Paul Atreides moment. But it is that same sort of heroic epic moment usually only given to single protagonists, and every. single. member. of the team gets one. It’s obvious James Gunn is leaving everything out on the field in his likely final entry into the MCU, and the last cinematic outing for this particular team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The themes from past films of found family continue to shine through. There’s also a strong potential queer/trans allegory in a lot of this, as The High Evolutionary obsesses over “his creations” needing to be “perfect” in his eyes. (Again, the abuse shown and implied here.) But as Rocket and his fellow experiments choose their own names and do things beyond his designs, they are further abused and rejected.
There is also a story of liberation here that comes at a time when basic human rights, from reproductive freedom to state governments bullying trans kids (and even legislators), are increasingly under attack. Guardians of the Galaxy continues to be a series for those of us who are misfits, but have a strength — when we fight together — that rivals any Avengers lineup.
It’s nowhere close to a perfect film. But it earns a space as one of my favorite films of Phase 4. And its message comes at a time when we couldn’t possibly need it more.
Old friends and new foes come together when John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives Digtal May 23 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD & On Demand June 13 from Lionsgate. The high action-thriller, which has grossed a franchise-best $400 million+ at the global box office, directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise) as he returns in the titular role, joined by franchise regulars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise), Lance Reddick (TV’s “Lost”), and lan McShane (“Deadwood”) while welcoming Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (It franchise), Hiroyuki Sanada (Avengers: Endgame), Shamier Anderson (Race), Rina Sawayama (TV’s “Turn Up Charlie”), and Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday).
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick: Chapter 44K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.96, respectively.
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin: Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have a partnership that stretches all the way back to the first Matrix film. In this retrospective piece, we trace their remarkable friendship and decades-long collaboration.
Train Like a Killer: Weapons Master Robert “Rock” Galotti and Keanu Reeves reveal the rigorous training that Keanu had to endure to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a reality – from gunplay, to jiu jitsu, to some hard-hitting stunt work.
Making A Killing: In John Wick, sets are not merely the backdrop for each scene – they are integral parts of the action, with Wick often using whatever is on hand to take the fight to his enemies. Here we explore the craft at play in designing the sets of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the ways set design and action choreography go hand in hand in this legendary series.
The Psychology of a Killer: Chad Stahelski explores the psychology of John Wick, a character who, despite four films, is still a mystery in many ways. We unpack the complicated code of ethics that Wick lives by, and the ironic bonds he shares with the men trying to kill him.
The Blind Leading the Fight:John Wick: Chapter 4 witnesses the arrival of Caine, a blind killer played by legendary actor and martial artist Donnie Yen. With a style not seen since The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, Caine shows that a killer’s greatest instincts come not from his eyes, but from his mind. Here we uncover Yen’s journey on this film, exploring his prep for the role, his insight into the character, and his intense training regimen to portray this unlikely killer.
Suit Up / Shoot Up: Costume Designer Paco Delgado uncovers the cooler-than-cool suits worn by the assassins of John Wick that feature bulletproof lining – just what every killer needs for a night out on the town. We also explore the more refined looks of the Marquis and the Old West-inspired garb of the Tracker.
Packing a Punch: Pulling off a kill takes a village. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the way Team Wick incorporates special effects into the practical stunts and locations of the film.
One Killer Shot:John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the boldest single-take shots ever attempted in action filmmaking. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff team up with Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers to dive into the creative challenges that went into planning this one-shot sequence that sees John Wick take on Paris’s deadliest killers.
Killing at the Speed of Traffic: Take a look at a nonstop action sequence featuring John Wick’s car-fu at the Arc de Triomphe! The driving force of this piece will be a look at the effects achieved at the iconic location, and sets the stakes of every assassin in Paris descending on Wick.
A Shot in the Dark: The John Wick series takes audiences into a world that is both thematically and visually dark. For film crews, that meant enduring hundreds of night shoots, with crews switching to a virtually nocturnal mode of life for long stretches of production. Here we explore the tenacious work of cast and crew members who tough it out night after night in pursuit of Wick’s dark, iconic aesthetic. Along the way, we explore some of the most iconic night scenes in the film, culminating with Wick’s brutal staircase fight.
In Honor of the Dead: In creating John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski drew on references from some of the greatest films ever made. Uncover the cinematic homages depicted in the film, from David Lean to John Woo, to the samurai epics of post-war Japan.
Theatrical Trailer 1
Theatrical Trailer 2
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THE EQUALIZER 3 TAKES THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE WHILE GRAN TURISMO STALLS
The Equalizer 3 was easily the of the box office beating the next film by over 3x the gross. The Equalizer 3 grossed $34.5 million domestically, with an estimated $42 million over the long weekend and $26.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $68.1 million. The first film opened with $55 million in 2014 to go on and earn $192.3 million worldwide and the second opened with $62 million in 2018 and went on to earn $190.4 million worldwide.
Barbie continues its amazing run adding $10.6 million to its total over the weekend to bring its domestic total to $609.5 million. Over the week it grossed $26 million internationally to bring that total to $771.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.381 billion. It’s the top grossing domestic film for 2023 by far and now officially the same worldwide in 2023 as well by a decent amount. There’s still 3 months to go, but this is looking like the year of Barbie and how pink saved the movie theater.
Blue Beetle held steady in third with $7.3 million bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million. Internationally it added $9.8 million to the gross bringing that to $45.3 million. The movie has now crossed the $100 million mark with $101.9 million worldwide.
Gran Turismo crashed in its second week with a 62.4% drop down to $6.6 million where it has now grossed $30.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $13.8 million to bring that to $50.3 million and $80.9 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $5.5 million to bring its domestic total to $210.3 million. It brought in an impressive $65.5 million internationally over the week to bring that to $542.7 million and just under $853 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem slipped one spot to sixth grossing $4.8 million domestically bringing its domestic total to just under $108 million. Internationally, the movie added $7.9 million where it has now grossed $44.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has brought in $152.9 million.
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed about $4,500 over the week domestically to bring its total to $657,810.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added about $200,000 domestically and is now at $381.2 million. Internationally, the film gained about $1.2 million to bring that to $308.1 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $689.3 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 31 films earning $88,445,990 from 38,755 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters and 66 films. The average earning was $2,282.18 this past weekend, a slight increase from the previous weekend’s $2,164.37.
It’s a close call for first place, but it looks like Gran Turismo took the top of the box office with a $17.3 million debut. That’s just a hair more than the second place Barbie. Internationally, the film grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide debut of $53.8 million.
Barbie is a close second place with $17.1 million to bring its domestic total to $594.8 million. Over the week, it added $33.6 million internationally to bring that to $745.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.340 billion. It’s now the top film domestically for 2023 but is about $19 million behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the top spot worldwide.
Blue Beetle dropped from first to third with a respectable 49% drop. It grossed an estimated $12.8 million to lift its domestic total to $46.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $17.5 million to bring its international total to $35.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $81.8 million.
Oppenheimer slipped one spot to fourth with $9 million and its domestic total is now $300 million. Internationally, the movie added $44.6 million to its total which is now $477.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $777.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which grossed $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $98.1 million. Internationally, the film added $6.7 million over the week to bring that to $37 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.1 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $7,208 domestically to bring its total to $653,313.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remained at just under $381 million domestically. Internationally, the film gained about $1 million to bring that to $306.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $687.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 66 films earning $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters and 57 films. The average earning was $2,164.37 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $2,757.47.
Blue Beetle was the top of the weekend box office, dethroning Barbie which has held the spot for the past four weekends. Blue Beetle debuted with $25 million domestically and $18 million internationally for a total of $43 million. That opening was on part with The Suicide Squad which opened with $26.2 million in 2021. Blue Beetle was originally supposed to be a film on HBO Max, so its theatrical numbers are a bit of a headscratcher, but the movie was projected to open between $30 and $35 million. But, the film has received positive word of mouth so this could be another case of a movie having legs and doing well over the long term.
Barbie came in second place with an estimated $21.5 million to bring its domestic gross of $567.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $54.3 million over the week to bring the international total to $711.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.279 billion. The film is about $8 million away from being the top grossing domestic release of the year and $76 million away from being the worldwide leader.
Oppenheimer slipped to third place with an estimated $10.6 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $285.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $47.8 million to lift that to $432.6 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $717.8 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem dropped one spot to come in fourth with $8.4 million. It has now grossed $88.1 million after 3 weeks. Over the week it grossed $16.9 million to bring that to $30.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $118.4 million.
Strays rounded out the top five with $8.3 million domestically and just under $2 million internationally for $10.3 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $16,870 domestically to bring its total to $635,610.
The Flash looks like it remained at $108.1 million domestically. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $100,000 to bring its domestic total to just under $381 million. Internationally, the film is now at $305.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $686.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.5 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters and 56 films. The average earning was $2,757.47 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $3,397.15.
Like a shining psychedelic beckon, breaking thru the mundane haze of our exceedingly limited Streaming App-Age, as culturally, we drown in endless waves of horrid mega-priced mainstream popcorn lobotomies, glows the kaleidoscopic light that is Cartoon Damage.
Coming to you from the deranged mind behind L.A.’s notorious underground comics event, Permanent Damage, (& the upcoming Permanent Damage Portland show Sat. Aug. 26th at Floyd Center Mall) is the animation festival you’ve been waiting for!!!!
Cartoon Damage plays Friday August 25th 6:30pm at Portland’s Historic and Beautiful, Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
60 minutes of Kick-ass Cartoons from animations brightest and best!
Featuring a mind-blowing array of outrageously good animated shorts:
Terra Incognita by Adrian Dexter & Pernille Kjaer,
Those Shoes by Amy Lockhart and Devin Flynn
Back Issues by Skinner & Trevor Borrens
The HORK by Nicole Stafford
Flesh Gun & Morphia Utila by Lale Westvind
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (boner) by Christina Fidler
How the Dog Learned Perspective & Military School by Matthew Thurber
LEMON LIME by Mara Ramirez & music by AC Crowley
Deepstates ep.1 “Convenience” by Molly Wright
Corn Cob Muscle Drawing Tutorial by Lordspew
Nipple Man by Pat Kain and Rudy Schultz
Plus the 2nd part of our double feature!
A Cartoon Damage Mix-Tape : Over 70 minutes of odd, old and rarely screened animation from the archives of curators: Tom Neely, Harry Nordlinger, & KMK
Curated and conceived by Keenan Marshall Keller
Friday August 25th at The Clinton St. Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Barbie once again was the top of the weekend box office continuing an amazing run and the one of the movie stories of the year. The film added $33.7 million to its domestic total which now stands at $526.3 million. Over the week, it added $85.5 million internationally where the film has grossed $657.6 million. That brings it to just under $1.184 billion so far in just four weeks. The movie is just $48 million away domestically and $173 million internationally to be the top grossing film of the year.
Speaking of impressive runs. Oppenheimer returned to second place where it added $18.8 million to its domestic total which is now $264.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $60.3 million over the week and now has grossed $384.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned a bit over $649 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem improved a bit coming in third place for the weekend. It grossed $15.8 million to bring its domestic total to $72.8 million. Over the week it grossed $13.4 million internationally which now stands at $21.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $94.7 million.
Meg 2: The Trench fell to fourth with $12.7 million to bring its domestic total to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $90.8 million to bring its international total to $202.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $256.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Last Voyage of the Demeter which debuted with an anemic $6.5 million. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine has grossed $557,496 after two weeks. Over the weekend it grossed $83,495.
The Flash added about $78,000 domestically to bring its gross to $108.1 million. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $300,000 to bring its domestic total to $380.7 million. Internationally, the film remained at $303.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $684.4 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 56 films earning $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $176,725,450 from 32,960 theaters and 56 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,397.15 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $5,361.82.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac
BONUS MATERIALS 4K UHD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL
Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
“I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
Designing Spiders and Spots
Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
Escape from Spider-Society
Across the Comics-Verse
Lyric Videos
Filmmaker Commentary
Also Includes:
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+.
Not surprisingly, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took first place at the weekend box office. The film grossed $56.2 million domestically where it has grossed a little over $80 million total. The film also grossed $155 million internationally for a worldwide debut of a little over $235 million.
In second place was the Q-Anon propaganda Sound of Freedom which improved to gross $27 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $85.5 million after about two weeks at the box office.
Insidious: The Red Door dropped from last week’s first place to come in third with $13 million to deliver a domestic total gross of $58.1 million. Over the week, the film added $33.1 million internationally for a total of $64.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $122.6 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continued its stumble with $12 million to come in fourth after 3 weeks. The film has grossed $145.4 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $30.3 million to bring its international total to $157 million even. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $302.4 million.
Elemental wrapped up the top five with $8.7 million to bring its domestic total to $125.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $43.7 million internationally to bring that total to $186.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $311.7 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash added just $720,000 domestically to bring its gross to $106.8 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $263.6 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped out of the top five to sixth with $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $368.8 million. Internationally, the film grossed $10.1 million over the week to bring that total to $294.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $663.5 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $480,000. It has now grossed $358.5 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $1.6 million internationally where it has now earned $483.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $842.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 50 films earning $140,138,793 from 35,318 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,967.91 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,474.58.
Godzilla has been on a rampage as of late, from Gareth Edwards‘s 2014 reboot to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In between those films we got the best Godzilla of the current era with Shin Gojira (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, a movie that paved the way for other Shin entries such as Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider (though supposedly not to be taken as part of a shared universe).
This year, Godzilla rises again with the recently announced Gojira Minus One, a return to the giant monster of the 1954 original that decimates cities with colossal anger while carrying the metaphor of nuclear threat in every roar.
Toho International released a teaser trailer of the new production that confirms as much. From what brief look shows, the story goes back to a post-World War II Japan that’s struggling with the destruction wrought by the allies during the last year of the conflict. Godzilla’s arrival plunges the country into the minus, a cruel position in which devastation takes another pass over an already devastated land.
The bits of Godzilla we get in the final seconds of the teaser show a creature consumed by ruthless aggression, as if intent on passing judgment on the country and how it managed to sink to the place it found itself in after it unconditionally surrendered to the allies.
It’ll be interesting to see what director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) has in store for Godzilla in terms of metaphors. The original movie turned the iconic kaiju into a representation of atomic trauma, spawning from the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end the war. The aftermath of the two infamous attacks brought about a period of absolute confusion, especially as the effects of radiation started becoming physically noticeable in those close to the affected areas. Godzilla is an expression of that, a monster that communicates fear a newly minted nuclear world.
With war still a global concern, both in the effects of current conflicts (Ukraine) and the possibility of future world wars, Godzilla is a potent enough symbol to carry messages on its spiky and hulking body. In fact, Godzilla has proven quite adept in embodying different metaphors at different points in time.
The aforementioned Shin Godzilla does an exceptional job at poking fun at the ridiculousness and total dysfunction of bureaucracies in the face of national crises. Anno and Higuchi turn Godzilla into a natural disaster that could have been more quickly and effectively solved had the government not been tangled up by committees with overlapping powers that clash against one another rather than facilitate solutions.
Edwards’s 2014 take turned the kaiju into a warning against the continued use of nuclear power in the present, using imagery and discourse surrounding the radioactive disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant as a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The crisis resulted in critical disruptions to the plant’s operations and led to explosions and radiation leaks that led to the evacuation of some 110,000 residents from the areas surrounding Fukushima.
Edwards’s Godzilla spoke to the severity of that kind of catastrophe, and it made sure the message landed with a force, though the movie didn’t exactly live up to expectations given certain creative decisions that didn’t give the titular kaiju more of a chance to shine. If the teaser is any indication, Minus One won’t be having that problem.
Gojira Minus One, the 30th entry in Toho’s giant monster franchise, has a November 3rd, 2023 release date on its sights for Japanese audiences and a December 1st, 2023 date for American audiences. If you want to give the entire franchise a look, Pluto TV is currently streaming a 24/7 Godzilla channel dedicated to the creature’s many encounters with Japan and the other monsters his presence has attracted throughout his storied career. It’s a good time to be a Godzilla fan, and the new film looks to be terrifyingly special.
SAG-AFTRAannounced on Thursday that it’s on strike. This is the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket line. This is the first strike by actors since 1980 and the first “double strike” since 1960.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA national board voted unanimously to approve a strike. The recommendation was forwarded by the negotiating committee after talks failed in agreement to a fair contract.
The strike officially began at Midnight Friday with picketing beginning today.
The strike impacts more than work, but also promotion which has some wondering what actors will be able to do at conventions while the strike is in effect. San Diego Comic-Con which takes place July 20 to 23 has already had panel cancellations due to it.
The union’s contract expired midnight Wednesday after being extended through july 12. A month of negotiations resulted in little progress. SAG-AFTRA has focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and streaming and their impact on actors and the industry as a whole.
Both the writers and actors have raised concerns over technology and their impact which has suppressed wages. Simple requests like the sharing of streaming viewership data is being rejected.
Below is what members aren’t allowed to do during the strike:
Principal on camera work, such as:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing stunts
Piloting on-camera aircraft
Puppeteering
Performance capture or motion capture work;
Principal off camera work, such as:
ADR/Looping
TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers
Voice Acting
Singing
Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work
Stunt coordinating and related services
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:
Tours
Personal appearances
Interviews
Conventions
Fan expos
Festivals
For your consideration events
Panels
Premieres/screenings
Award shows
Junkets
Podcast appearances
Social media
Studio showcases
Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:
An agreement to perform covered services in the future
Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project
The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production
In a bit of a surprise, Insidious: The Red Door took the weekend box office with $32.7 million domestically. The film also earned $31.4 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $64.1 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped to second place after just one week in first. It added $26.5 million domestically to bring that total to $121.2 million. Over the week it added $56.7 million to its international total to bring that to $126.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $247.9 million after two weeks.
In third place was the controversial Q-Anon linked Sound of Freedom which opened with $18.2 million and a domestic total to $40.2 million. It officially debuted July 4th. There’s no international release.
Elemental dropped from second to fourth with $9.6 million to bring its domestic total to $109.2 million. Over the week, it added $44.7 million internationally to lift that total to $142.7 million for a worldwide total of $251.9 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse rounded out the top five with $8 million to bring its domestic total to $357.6 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.2 million over the week to bring that total to $284.6 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $642.2 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash slipped out of the top ten with $2.3 million domestically to bring it to $105.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $262 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to 14th place with $1 million. It has now grossed $357.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $2.2 million internationally where it has now earned $482.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $839.8 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters. That’s about the same as last weekend’s $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters and 42 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,474.58 this past weekend, a decrease from the previous weekend’s $3,794.64.
It’s not much of a surprise but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the weekend box office with $60 million. Overall, the film has grossed an estimated $82 million domestically and $70 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $152 million.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008 with $100.1 million domestically and went on to gross $790.7 million worldwide. It’s hard to declare the debut of the latest film as anything but a bit of a letdown for its debut.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped one spot coming in second with $11.5 million bringing its domestic total to $339.9 million. Over the week, the film added $24.2 million internationally to bring that to $267.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $607.3 million.
Elemental came in third place with $11.3 million to bring its domestic total to $93.7 million. Internationally, the movie added $42.4 million over the week to bring that to $98 million and $191.7 million worldwide.
No Hard Feelings came in fourth adding $7.5 million to its box office. The movie has grossed $29.3 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added $10.5 million over the week to bring its domestic total to $20 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $49.3 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five adding $7 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $136.1 million domestically. It also grossed $26.9 million over the week internationally to bring its domestic total to $245.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $381.3 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to tenth place with a little over $1.8 million. It has now grossed $355.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $3.3 million internationally where it has now earned $480.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $835.7 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 42 films earning $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters and 48 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,794.64 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,409.82.
It’s been one of the most anticipated casting announcements in recent years but a new Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been revealed. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the roles in James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy.
The story will focus on the early years of Clark Kent as he starts out at The Daily Planet where he works with Lois Lane. The film is about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Gunn sees him as the “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
This is a breakout role for Corenswet who has earned praised for his performance in The Politician and Pearl. Brosnahan has already earned praise and awards for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The film is being directed by Gunn from his own screenplay. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is set for release on July 11, 2025.
With news of multiple version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it’s not a surprise that it’d eventually move back into first place. It did this weekend, as the previous box office champ, The Flash, took a massive trip.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed an esitmated $19.3 million to bring its domestic total to $317.1 million. Internationally, the film add $34.2 million over the week to bring that total to $243.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $560.3 million.
Elemental held on to second with $18.5 million to lift its domestic total to $65.5 million. Over the week, it added $40.6 million internationally where it has grossed $55.6 million. In two weeks, the film has earned $121.1 million worldwide.
The Flash fell from first to third, losing 72.3% from the previous week. It grossed an estimated $15.3 million to bring its domestic total to $87.6 million. Over the week, it added $48.3 million internationally to bring that total to $123.3 million for a worldwide gross of $210.9 million.
No Hard Feelings debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million domestically and $9.5 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $24.6 million.
Rounding out the top five was Transformers: Rise of the Beasts which added $11.6 million to its domestic total which is now $122.9 million. Internationally, the film grossed an impressive $95 million to bring that total to $218.3 million for a worldwide gross of $341.2 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to eighth place with a little over $3.5 million. It has now grossed $351.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $300,000 internationally where it has now earned $476.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $827.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 48 films earning $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters. That’s a drop from last weekend’s $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters and 51 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,409.82 this past weekend, a big dip from the previous weekend’s $5,588.94.
The Flashtook first place at the weekend box office coming in around low expectations. The movie grossed $55.1 million and has earned $64 million domestically so far. Internationally, the movie grossed $75 million for a worldwide debut of $139 million.
It was a rough weekend for Disney too whoseElementalcame in second with just $29.5 million. It has grossed $33.3 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $15 million so far for an opening weekend of $48.3 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseslipped to third place from the previous weekend’s second. It added $27.8 million to its domestic total which now stands at $285 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $209 million for a worldwide total of $494 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsfrom the previous weekend’s first place to fourth adding $20 million to its total which is now $103.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $104.9 million over the week and has now grossed $123.8 million. Worldwide, the film has earned $227.4 million.
In fifth place wasThe Little Mermaidwhich earned $11.6 million to bring its domestic total to $255.3 million. It added about $27 million to its international total over the week which now stands at $212.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $467.7 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3fell to seventh place with a little $5 million. It has now grossed $345.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $6 million internationally where it has now earned $476.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $821.6 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaremained at $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 51 films earning $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters. That’s about the same from last weekend’s $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters and 54 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,588.94 this past weekend, a slight dip from the previous weekend’s $5,913.35.
It was a new movie at the top of the box office as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened with $60.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie opened with just $18.9 million delivering an opening weekend of $79.4 million.
The first live action film, Transformers, opened with $70.5 million domestically in 2007 and grossed $709.7 million worldwide. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened with just under $109 million in 2009 and grossed $836.3 million worldwide. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 opened with $97.9 million and grossed $1.124 billion worldwide. In 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $100 million and grossed $1.104 billion worldwide. Transformers: The Last Knight saw a pretty big drop opening with $44.7 million domestically and grossed $605.4 million worldwide in 2017. Bumblebee kicked off a new take and opened with $21.7 million in 2018 and went on to gross just under $468 million worldwide.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $55.4 million to its domestic total which is now $225.4 million. The International total still hasn’t been updated and stands at $87.9 million for a worldwide total of $313.3 million.
The Little Mermaid slipped to third place with $22.8 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $228.8 million. Over the week, the film added $44.9 million internationally to bring that total to $185.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $414.2 million.
In fourth place was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a little over $7 million. It has now grossed $335.4 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $13.1 million internationally where it has now earned $470.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $805.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Boogeyman which added $6.9 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $24.7 million since opening. Over the week, it added $7.2 million to its international total to increase that to $14.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $39.6 million.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $12,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 54 films earning $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters. That’s a decrease from last weekend’s $205,179,351 from 30,903 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,913.35 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $6,639.46.
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is getting a 4K Steelbook release on September 19th.
Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS 4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz
Creepypasta is horror for the internet age. It started out as user-generated urban legends, more freely dipped in horror, that were shared online in forums and message boards in a style that catered to plausibility. They lived in the grey areas between ambiguity and anonymity, the two things that best describe digital interactions across the board (which is scary in itself). Classic monsters were replaced with hooded figures with abnormally long limbs or faces with frozen smiles on them, carrying names like Candlejack or Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Haunted houses were cast aside for liminal spaces and interdimensional spots that could feature stairs going to places unseen or strange TV shows with names like Candle Cove.
The ScreamBox exclusive Creepypasta movie manages to capture a lot of this with an anthology format that goes for 5-6-minute-long stories, à la The ABCs of Death, that feel like a greatest hits rundown of what Creepypastas are all about. Among the filmmakers that contribute to the film are Daniel Garcia, Buz Wallick, Berkley Brady, Paul Stamper, Carlos Omar De Leon, Tony Morales, Mikel Cravatta, and Carlos Cobos Aroca.
Like all good horror anthologies, the film features a wraparound story which, in this case, follows a man in a strange house who’s looking for a flash drive that’s housing a sensitive video in it. The place is a mess, with dead bodies strewn about and an analogue TV with an 8-bit video game stuck on its start menu screen to round out the atmosphere (here we get a clever Easter egg in the form of Ben Drowned, a popular Creepypasta by Alexander D. Hall, aka Jadusable). The man moves towards a computer screen that sits on a cryptic chat page that directs him to watch sinister video after sinister video as he searches for the right one. We never know who’s writing on the other end.
The short stories range from shadow people to long-legged boogeymen (like Jumby) that kidnap kids. They serve as introductions to urban legends, brief glimpses into horrors that have the potential to become movies independently. The setup is simple enough. One or two characters come into contact with something that defies explanation, and is also off-center weird, only to be immediately haunted or traumatized by it.
Reality itself gets altered to accommodate the beings in these stories, but never to the point of completely breaking away from it. One thing Creepypastas excel at is in projecting a kind of strangeness that flirts with the possibility of being real. I’d argue that’s what makes them so compelling. They aim to scare in a very intimate way while never fully letting go of the little truths that make the mind wonder.
Not every story hits the mark, though. Those that play around with scary imagery and keep to the margins so that the viewer’s mind fills in the blanks are more successful than those that indulge in special effects and overdramatic performances. There’s a story about blue-eyed people that communicate with another dimension, for instance, that could’ve done with some restraint.
On the other hand, There’s a Black Eyed Kids story that’s quite a highlight. It follow a lonely and sick old woman as she’s visited by one of these kids. The segment keeps to a grey toned and heavily shadowed aesthetic that accentuates the horror whenever we’re shown something terrible, if only for a moment, and it sustains the effect throughout the brief runtime. The closing story, about El Cuco (a variation of El Coco), is another high point, and it might be the best the bunch. It builds up the legend of a dark creature with clever use of suggestion and dread. It carries a sense of dark fantasy that makes it come off almost fairytale-like, but not to the point of shedding its Creepypasta identity. Its closing sequence makes sure the anthology ends on a high note.
Creepypasta has the necessary elements to become a very different and exciting horror anthology. It has a unique identity that already sets it apart from the rest. The micro-short story approach plays to the strengths of the Creepypasta concept and opens doors to future entries. Aiming for a stronger selection of stories and a continuation of high-quality wraparound stories will surely lead to the creation of a loyal fanbase that’ll constantly be itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fanbase isn’t growing now as we speak.
Moviegoers went under the sea for The Little Mermaid making the latest Disney live action adaptation the top film for the weekend. The movie grossed an estimated $95.5 million domestically over the weekend and $68.3 million internationally. Over the long weekend, the film has grossed $117.5 million domestically. So far the movie has grossed $185.8 million worldwide and is sure to continue Disney’s trend of live action version so their animated classics.
Fast X wasn’t in first long. It came in a distant second over the weekend with a little over $23 million. The film has grossed $113.6 million after two weeks. Internationally, the film added $199.5 million over the week to bring that total to $399.3 million after two weeks. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $512.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped to third place with just under $20 million for the weekend and a new domestic total of $304.8 million. Internationally, the movie added $26.1 million over the week to bring that total to $418.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $723.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie added $6.3 million to its impressive total which stands at $560.9 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $37.6 million to bring its international total to $717.8 million and $1.279 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was another newcomer, The Machine. The movie grossed $4.9 million for a total of $8.9 million domestically since it opened. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $58,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just over $476 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 58 films earning $163,043,508 from 28,581 theaters. That’s an increase of about $40 million from last weekend’s $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters and 57 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,702.62 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $4,195.52.
There’s a new champ at the weekend box office. Fast X took first, over doubling the next highest film. The movie grossed an estimated $67.5 million domestically and $199.8 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $267.3 million. That domestic opening is near the lower end of things for the franchise which has grossed anywhere from $40.1 million to $147.2 million. It is close to F9‘s $70 million in 2021 which went on to earn $726.2 million worldwide.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 slipped to second place with just under $32 million. The movie has grossed $266.5 million domestically after three weeks. Internationally, the film is rocking adding an additional $130.1 million to that total to bring it to $392.6 million and $659.1 million worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in third place with an estimated $9.8 million. Domestically the film has earned $549.3 million. Over the week, it added $5.7 million internationally to bring that total to $680.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.229 billion.
Book Club: The Next Chapter slipped to fourth place with $3 million to bring its domestic total to $13.1 million. It added about $680,000 internationally over the week to lift that to $3.8 million. Worlwide, the film has grossed $16.9 million.
Evil Dead Rise wrapped up the top five with $2.4 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $64.1 million. Over the week, the film added $10.5 million to bring its international total to $71.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.6 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods remained steady domestically where it has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $136,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.3 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters. That’s an increase of about $20 million from last weekend’s $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters and 55 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,195.52 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $3,049.33.
When I was just a wee baby (as in barely a few months old), my mom decided to take me to the movie theater with her to see The Lost Boys (released in July, 1987). Jerry Rees’s The Brave Little Toaster was also playing. My mom apparently weighed her options and decided The Lost Boys would have more of an impact in my early development than a toaster with a smile.
I cried during the entire movie. If you’ve never seen it (and if you haven’t, you should), the vampire make-up effects by artist Greg Cannom were terrifying. The vamps kept their human forms, but their faces transformed into something resembling very angry bats. And then there’s the vamp feeding scene at a punk bonfire. Fangs sunk into skulls and blood flew over the fire as the bikers went into a frenzy.
Years later, still a kid, I watched the movie again and managed to get through it without crying out of pure fear, but what stood out this time was how important the movie’s mother figure, Diane Weist‘s Lucy Emerson, was to the story and how much tension and terror the movie extracts from her as we watch one of her sons worry over her safety thinking she was dating a vampire. It left an impression. What if my mom got targeted by a vampire all of a sudden? Could I kill it on my own or did I need my own Frog Brothers to stake the bloodsucker?
It was easy to empathize with Lucy. She was a single parent moving in with her father at a time when her two kids were at their most rebellious in a new place she later learns is infested with vampires. She becomes a calming presence that could’ve helped more if her kids had let her in on the troubles of Santa Carla and the people they hung out with. One thing I admired was how brave she came off as in a place director Joel Schumacher went lengths to portray as dirty, dangerous, and forgotten. She was strong and she proved it in the final moments of the film, taking a decision for the sake of her family’s safety that jeopardized hers. All of this to say, Lucy Emerson was my first horror mom and she’s remained a favorite ever since.
It goes without saying by now, but my appreciation of horror, and The Lost Boys in particular, started getting nurtured the moment my mom decided to lightly traumatize me as a baby by taking me to the movies to see biker vampires on a big screen. So, in honor of the work mothers do from the moment we’re born, here’s a list of 5 horror movie moms that either scare, take care, or bring chaos to their kids. In other words, the kind of moms that keep steering future generations into horror.
Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!
1. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1975)
As frightening as the possessed Regan MacNeil is, none of it would’ve worked to the extent it did if the audience couldn’t channel their horror through her mom. Ellen Burstyn made this possible with a spectacular performance as Chris MacNeil, a mom that embodied both the fear of living with a child tormented by something unfathomable and the strength that’s required to fight a battle that initially looked unwinnable.
Burstyn dug deep to portray a mother that had her entire reality flung out the window and yet still managed to hold out hope as a demon tore apart her kid from the inside. Her facial expressions should be studied by anyone interested in capturing what true fear looks like, but also what anger and frustration look like in a supernatural setting. Each one of Chris MacNeil’s screams is a gut punch that makes you reel, heightening the horror of the possession and the idea of what it means to share a household with a sinister entity hellbent on corrupting an innocent soul.
2. Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara in Dark Water (dir. Hideo Nakata, 2002)
Mothers have a strange and complicated relationship with child ghosts in horror. In movies where the mother is grieving the loss of a daughter, for instance, the ghost becomes a metaphor for loss and denial in the face of death.
In Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water, though, the connection becomes something different. The story’s mother character, Yoshimi Matsubara, isn’t mourning the loss of a child. She’s getting consumed by the fear of losing hers, all of which stems from the ghost of a little girl that died in the apartment building they live in.
Actress Hitomi Kuroki plays Yoshimi like a tragic beacon of light that lonely ghosts can find a mother in. Her performance captures both the terrors that motherhood brings to the fore and what being a parent represents in the grander scheme of things. Kuroki channels the energy of a haunted house in human form, reluctantly accepting her role despite the consequences of potentially becoming mom to a ghost.
3. Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Perhaps the most influential horror mom in recent times, Essie Davis’ Amelia landed on the scene with a force that reminded viewers how brutal the experience of motherhood can be. The Babadook runs on her intensity, on her up-close and uncomfortably personal pain.
Amelia is a single mom taking care of her high-energy kid, called Samuel. Her life has essentially halted, fully, just because Samuel and his behavior take up so much of her existence, every inch of it, in fact. When the titular demon comes into their home, it finds Amelia ripe for murderous possession.
Director Jennifer Kent managed to paint a rage-filled portrait of a mother that was dealt an extremely bad hand. Essie Davis leans into Amelia’s frustrations and makes a compelling argument against becoming a mom, but only in certain moments. At others, she manages to flip the horror of the Babadook to show how incredibly beautiful it can be to take care of a life you created.
4. Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in Bates Motel (TV series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, 2013-2017)
I’m going to cheat here really quick and go for a horror TV series instead of a movie because this example is just too good, and it should be discussed more as a whole. Vera Farmiga’s interpretation of the iconic Norma Bates in Bates Motel is one of the most fascinating takes on the role in the history of the moms in horror.
The series modernizes the Norman Bates story by making the motel he shares with his mother part of a larger ecosystem and by having Norma be very much alive. Drugs, late night rendezvous, and dangerous relationships form in their place of business, and Norma has a hand in everything in one shape or another. And yet, nothing with her is predictable. She can turn a bad situation worse or offer comfort in times when those closest to her are in need.
What’s impressive is how the show interweaves outside influences with the peculiar intricacies of Norma’s relationship and outright manipulation of Norman. Farmiga switches with ease between scheming and selfish to loving and nurturing. She’s a source of torment one episode and a pillar of stability in another. She’s both what Norman needs as a mother and what he desperately needs to run away from. Farmiga puts on a show for the ages as Norma Bates. Her contribution to horror should not be overlooked.
A baby can be a terrifying thing, especially as it grows inside you. It can either be a great source of happiness or a force of existential oppression that can shatter a parent’s identity. Add the fear of some foreign entity shaping and corrupting the life you’re carrying and things can get scarier fast.
Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera indulges in this kind of fear, asking what a child is supposed to mean to a mother and whether they should submit to whatever the answer is. It places the mom-to-be, Natalia Solán’s Valeria, at the center of the story as a kind of victim of pregnancy, someone who went along with social expectations only to open the doors for something sinister to latch onto her baby.
Solán approaches Valeria as a ticking time bomb-type of character that suffers quietly at first, but is then forced to face the entity and the prospect of becoming a mother in the worst ways possible. Watching Valeria unravel is tough, but it comes with the development of a different point of view regarding a mother’s obligations and whether it’s okay to resist them. The very meaning of personal sacrifice is explored here, and it leads to an urgent question more people should ask themselves: is the parent’s life, their dreams and desires, less important than that of the child’s? The answer, Huesera would argue, is not so simple.
Shattering box-office records and generating over a billion dollars worldwide, Nintendo and Illumination’s animated spectacular The Super Mario Bros. Movie blasts into homes tomorrow, May 16, 2023, exclusively on digital platforms nationwide where you can buy or rent movies – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in first place at the weekend box office with an estimated $60.5 million. That’s a 48.9% drop from the previous weekend, which is pretty good when blockbusters tend to drop closer to 60%. It’s a sign of life for the recently struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has grossed $213.2 million domestically after two weeks. Over the week it added $94.4 million at the international box office to lift that to $262.5 million. Worldwide, the film ahs grossed $475.7 million. That has it nearly beating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s entire domestic gross for the year as well as its international gross. It should pass both this Monday.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie held on to second place with $13 million lifting its domestic earnings to just under $536 million. Over the week, it added $37.3 million at the international box office to bring that to $674.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.210 billion making it easily the top film of the year.
Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted in third place with $6.5 million domestically and $3.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $9.6 million.
Evil Dead Rise slipped to fourth place with $3.7 million bringing its domestic total to $60.2 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.3 million over the week to bring that total to $61 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $121.2 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.5 million to bring its domestic total to $16.5 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained steady at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $377,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.1 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.8 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 55 films earning $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters. That’s a decrease of about 25% from last weekend’s $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,049.33 this past weekend, a dip from the previous weekend’s $4,887.03.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3took the weekend box office which wasn’t surprising at all. The film debuted with $114 million domestically and $168.1 million internationally for a debut of $282.1 million worldwide.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy debuted with $94.3 million domestically and went on to earn $773.4 million worldwide in 2014 while its sequel debuted with $146.5 million domestically and went on to earn $863.8 million worldwide in 2017. It’s a good guess that the third film will wind up somewhere between those two and has received good reviews from critics, 81%, and the audience at 95%. The audience reviews is the best of the series while critic reviews is the lowest of the trio.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was bumped out of first and came in second with $18.6 million domestically to lift that to $518.1 million. Internationally, the film added $104.7 million over the week to bring that to $637.2 million and $1.155 billion worldwide.
Evil Dead Rise slipped one spot to third adding $5.7 million to its total and bringing that to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $25.8 million internationally to bring that total to $43.7 million and the movie’s worldwide gross to $97.8 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. came in fourth place with $3.4 million bringing its domestic total to $12.6 million. There’s no international returns.
Rounding out the top five was John Wick: Chapter 4 with $2.4 million domestically. There it has earned $180.1 million. Internationally over the week the film remained at $226 million. It has now grossed $406.1 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. Over the week, the film internationally gained about $400,000 and is now at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $800,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $213.8 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.4 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters. That’s an increase of about 50% from last weekend’s $100,091,382 from 37,246 theaters and 68 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,887.03 this past weekend, a nice increase from the previous weekend’s $2,687.31.
Let’s be real: it feels like the once-mighty MCU now really needs a hit. Phase 4 has been, to be kind, uneven. And so, can James Gunn bring some magic back before heading off to DC? Yes. Good news, true believers! Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is a good movie! You will laugh, you will cry (believe me, you will CRY), you will believe a living talking tree can fly? Ok, well, maybe not that far, but it is a solid movie.
That being said, it is missing some of the magic of previous outings. But it does deliver a satisfying end to the trilogy of films focused on our special band of a-holes. Rocket builds stuff. Drax and Mantis banter. Groot takes new forms. Star-lord is… just sort of there (which is good if you, like many, are at the end of your tolerance for Chris Pratt). But returning supporting characters also get some great work, like Kraglin and Cosmo. Cosmo is a very good dog. Cosmo is maybe the best dog. Good dog, Cosmo.
Our story involves Rocket’s origins and his ties to new villain The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is desperately searching for Rocket, deploying every resource at his disposal. This includes returning baddies The Sovereign and their new experiment teased in the after-credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Some comic book nerds are going to be very upset at Adam Warlock’s portrayal in this film as it is incredibly divorced from its comics lore. Just sit tight and wait to the end and what this portends for the future of the character, and forgive the film for needing a Big Bad who is actually a match for our Guardians of the Galaxy.
After an initial fight with Warlock leaves Rocket mortally wounded, Peter and the rest of Guardians have to undertake a desperate heist to save their friend. And through this we learn about Rocket’s origins and his previous life with other experiments of the High Evolutionary Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. And this is the section of the movie that will make you cry and should probably come with a content warning.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a series that has massive kid-appeal. Your kid loves Rocket and Groot, right? Well, this film contains scenes of implied animal torture and experimentation that is incredibly upsetting both for children and adults. While the intent is obviously to create pathos, it is maybe the most disturbing thing so far in the relatively anodyne MCU.
The High Evolutionary is also abusive: the way he speaks to Rocket and treats him is steeped in patterns any kid who grew up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home will immediately recognize. Again, this might be traumatic for people, so go in eyes open and maybe have a therapy session scheduled soon after, just in case.
And while the film focuses a lot on Rocket, its greatest strength is in providing something for every other single team member to do. Everyone gets a true superhero moment, and even better, several team-up moments where we see our gang of misfits fighting together. A hallway battle late in the third act is a symphony of teamwork and gonzo filmmaking only James Gunn could deliver.
Explosions? Yes. Guts and bodily fluids of various colors spraying everywhere? (It’s ok MPAA, they’re aliens and creatures, get it?) You know it! Laser blasts, punches, kicks, impalements, bisections, Groot showing what he can do with his various forms? Oh, HELLS yes.
And, again, everyone gets a hero moment. Mantis has a particularly fun one late in the film that I will simply call her Paul Atreides moment. But it is that same sort of heroic epic moment usually only given to single protagonists, and every. single. member. of the team gets one. It’s obvious James Gunn is leaving everything out on the field in his likely final entry into the MCU, and the last cinematic outing for this particular team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The themes from past films of found family continue to shine through. There’s also a strong potential queer/trans allegory in a lot of this, as The High Evolutionary obsesses over “his creations” needing to be “perfect” in his eyes. (Again, the abuse shown and implied here.) But as Rocket and his fellow experiments choose their own names and do things beyond his designs, they are further abused and rejected.
There is also a story of liberation here that comes at a time when basic human rights, from reproductive freedom to state governments bullying trans kids (and even legislators), are increasingly under attack. Guardians of the Galaxy continues to be a series for those of us who are misfits, but have a strength — when we fight together — that rivals any Avengers lineup.
It’s nowhere close to a perfect film. But it earns a space as one of my favorite films of Phase 4. And its message comes at a time when we couldn’t possibly need it more.
Old friends and new foes come together when John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives Digtal May 23 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD & On Demand June 13 from Lionsgate. The high action-thriller, which has grossed a franchise-best $400 million+ at the global box office, directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise) as he returns in the titular role, joined by franchise regulars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise), Lance Reddick (TV’s “Lost”), and lan McShane (“Deadwood”) while welcoming Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (It franchise), Hiroyuki Sanada (Avengers: Endgame), Shamier Anderson (Race), Rina Sawayama (TV’s “Turn Up Charlie”), and Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday).
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick: Chapter 44K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.96, respectively.
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin: Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have a partnership that stretches all the way back to the first Matrix film. In this retrospective piece, we trace their remarkable friendship and decades-long collaboration.
Train Like a Killer: Weapons Master Robert “Rock” Galotti and Keanu Reeves reveal the rigorous training that Keanu had to endure to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a reality – from gunplay, to jiu jitsu, to some hard-hitting stunt work.
Making A Killing: In John Wick, sets are not merely the backdrop for each scene – they are integral parts of the action, with Wick often using whatever is on hand to take the fight to his enemies. Here we explore the craft at play in designing the sets of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the ways set design and action choreography go hand in hand in this legendary series.
The Psychology of a Killer: Chad Stahelski explores the psychology of John Wick, a character who, despite four films, is still a mystery in many ways. We unpack the complicated code of ethics that Wick lives by, and the ironic bonds he shares with the men trying to kill him.
The Blind Leading the Fight:John Wick: Chapter 4 witnesses the arrival of Caine, a blind killer played by legendary actor and martial artist Donnie Yen. With a style not seen since The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, Caine shows that a killer’s greatest instincts come not from his eyes, but from his mind. Here we uncover Yen’s journey on this film, exploring his prep for the role, his insight into the character, and his intense training regimen to portray this unlikely killer.
Suit Up / Shoot Up: Costume Designer Paco Delgado uncovers the cooler-than-cool suits worn by the assassins of John Wick that feature bulletproof lining – just what every killer needs for a night out on the town. We also explore the more refined looks of the Marquis and the Old West-inspired garb of the Tracker.
Packing a Punch: Pulling off a kill takes a village. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the way Team Wick incorporates special effects into the practical stunts and locations of the film.
One Killer Shot:John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the boldest single-take shots ever attempted in action filmmaking. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff team up with Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers to dive into the creative challenges that went into planning this one-shot sequence that sees John Wick take on Paris’s deadliest killers.
Killing at the Speed of Traffic: Take a look at a nonstop action sequence featuring John Wick’s car-fu at the Arc de Triomphe! The driving force of this piece will be a look at the effects achieved at the iconic location, and sets the stakes of every assassin in Paris descending on Wick.
A Shot in the Dark: The John Wick series takes audiences into a world that is both thematically and visually dark. For film crews, that meant enduring hundreds of night shoots, with crews switching to a virtually nocturnal mode of life for long stretches of production. Here we explore the tenacious work of cast and crew members who tough it out night after night in pursuit of Wick’s dark, iconic aesthetic. Along the way, we explore some of the most iconic night scenes in the film, culminating with Wick’s brutal staircase fight.
In Honor of the Dead: In creating John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski drew on references from some of the greatest films ever made. Uncover the cinematic homages depicted in the film, from David Lean to John Woo, to the samurai epics of post-war Japan.
Theatrical Trailer 1
Theatrical Trailer 2
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THE EQUALIZER 3 TAKES THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE WHILE GRAN TURISMO STALLS
The Equalizer 3 was easily the of the box office beating the next film by over 3x the gross. The Equalizer 3 grossed $34.5 million domestically, with an estimated $42 million over the long weekend and $26.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $68.1 million. The first film opened with $55 million in 2014 to go on and earn $192.3 million worldwide and the second opened with $62 million in 2018 and went on to earn $190.4 million worldwide.
Barbie continues its amazing run adding $10.6 million to its total over the weekend to bring its domestic total to $609.5 million. Over the week it grossed $26 million internationally to bring that total to $771.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.381 billion. It’s the top grossing domestic film for 2023 by far and now officially the same worldwide in 2023 as well by a decent amount. There’s still 3 months to go, but this is looking like the year of Barbie and how pink saved the movie theater.
Blue Beetle held steady in third with $7.3 million bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million. Internationally it added $9.8 million to the gross bringing that to $45.3 million. The movie has now crossed the $100 million mark with $101.9 million worldwide.
Gran Turismo crashed in its second week with a 62.4% drop down to $6.6 million where it has now grossed $30.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $13.8 million to bring that to $50.3 million and $80.9 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $5.5 million to bring its domestic total to $210.3 million. It brought in an impressive $65.5 million internationally over the week to bring that to $542.7 million and just under $853 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem slipped one spot to sixth grossing $4.8 million domestically bringing its domestic total to just under $108 million. Internationally, the movie added $7.9 million where it has now grossed $44.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has brought in $152.9 million.
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed about $4,500 over the week domestically to bring its total to $657,810.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added about $200,000 domestically and is now at $381.2 million. Internationally, the film gained about $1.2 million to bring that to $308.1 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $689.3 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 31 films earning $88,445,990 from 38,755 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters and 66 films. The average earning was $2,282.18 this past weekend, a slight increase from the previous weekend’s $2,164.37.
It’s a close call for first place, but it looks like Gran Turismo took the top of the box office with a $17.3 million debut. That’s just a hair more than the second place Barbie. Internationally, the film grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide debut of $53.8 million.
Barbie is a close second place with $17.1 million to bring its domestic total to $594.8 million. Over the week, it added $33.6 million internationally to bring that to $745.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.340 billion. It’s now the top film domestically for 2023 but is about $19 million behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the top spot worldwide.
Blue Beetle dropped from first to third with a respectable 49% drop. It grossed an estimated $12.8 million to lift its domestic total to $46.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $17.5 million to bring its international total to $35.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $81.8 million.
Oppenheimer slipped one spot to fourth with $9 million and its domestic total is now $300 million. Internationally, the movie added $44.6 million to its total which is now $477.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $777.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which grossed $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $98.1 million. Internationally, the film added $6.7 million over the week to bring that to $37 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.1 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $7,208 domestically to bring its total to $653,313.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remained at just under $381 million domestically. Internationally, the film gained about $1 million to bring that to $306.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $687.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 66 films earning $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters and 57 films. The average earning was $2,164.37 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $2,757.47.
Blue Beetle was the top of the weekend box office, dethroning Barbie which has held the spot for the past four weekends. Blue Beetle debuted with $25 million domestically and $18 million internationally for a total of $43 million. That opening was on part with The Suicide Squad which opened with $26.2 million in 2021. Blue Beetle was originally supposed to be a film on HBO Max, so its theatrical numbers are a bit of a headscratcher, but the movie was projected to open between $30 and $35 million. But, the film has received positive word of mouth so this could be another case of a movie having legs and doing well over the long term.
Barbie came in second place with an estimated $21.5 million to bring its domestic gross of $567.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $54.3 million over the week to bring the international total to $711.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.279 billion. The film is about $8 million away from being the top grossing domestic release of the year and $76 million away from being the worldwide leader.
Oppenheimer slipped to third place with an estimated $10.6 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $285.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $47.8 million to lift that to $432.6 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $717.8 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem dropped one spot to come in fourth with $8.4 million. It has now grossed $88.1 million after 3 weeks. Over the week it grossed $16.9 million to bring that to $30.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $118.4 million.
Strays rounded out the top five with $8.3 million domestically and just under $2 million internationally for $10.3 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $16,870 domestically to bring its total to $635,610.
The Flash looks like it remained at $108.1 million domestically. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $100,000 to bring its domestic total to just under $381 million. Internationally, the film is now at $305.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $686.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.5 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters and 56 films. The average earning was $2,757.47 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $3,397.15.
Like a shining psychedelic beckon, breaking thru the mundane haze of our exceedingly limited Streaming App-Age, as culturally, we drown in endless waves of horrid mega-priced mainstream popcorn lobotomies, glows the kaleidoscopic light that is Cartoon Damage.
Coming to you from the deranged mind behind L.A.’s notorious underground comics event, Permanent Damage, (& the upcoming Permanent Damage Portland show Sat. Aug. 26th at Floyd Center Mall) is the animation festival you’ve been waiting for!!!!
Cartoon Damage plays Friday August 25th 6:30pm at Portland’s Historic and Beautiful, Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
60 minutes of Kick-ass Cartoons from animations brightest and best!
Featuring a mind-blowing array of outrageously good animated shorts:
Terra Incognita by Adrian Dexter & Pernille Kjaer,
Those Shoes by Amy Lockhart and Devin Flynn
Back Issues by Skinner & Trevor Borrens
The HORK by Nicole Stafford
Flesh Gun & Morphia Utila by Lale Westvind
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (boner) by Christina Fidler
How the Dog Learned Perspective & Military School by Matthew Thurber
LEMON LIME by Mara Ramirez & music by AC Crowley
Deepstates ep.1 “Convenience” by Molly Wright
Corn Cob Muscle Drawing Tutorial by Lordspew
Nipple Man by Pat Kain and Rudy Schultz
Plus the 2nd part of our double feature!
A Cartoon Damage Mix-Tape : Over 70 minutes of odd, old and rarely screened animation from the archives of curators: Tom Neely, Harry Nordlinger, & KMK
Curated and conceived by Keenan Marshall Keller
Friday August 25th at The Clinton St. Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Barbie once again was the top of the weekend box office continuing an amazing run and the one of the movie stories of the year. The film added $33.7 million to its domestic total which now stands at $526.3 million. Over the week, it added $85.5 million internationally where the film has grossed $657.6 million. That brings it to just under $1.184 billion so far in just four weeks. The movie is just $48 million away domestically and $173 million internationally to be the top grossing film of the year.
Speaking of impressive runs. Oppenheimer returned to second place where it added $18.8 million to its domestic total which is now $264.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $60.3 million over the week and now has grossed $384.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned a bit over $649 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem improved a bit coming in third place for the weekend. It grossed $15.8 million to bring its domestic total to $72.8 million. Over the week it grossed $13.4 million internationally which now stands at $21.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $94.7 million.
Meg 2: The Trench fell to fourth with $12.7 million to bring its domestic total to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $90.8 million to bring its international total to $202.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $256.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Last Voyage of the Demeter which debuted with an anemic $6.5 million. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine has grossed $557,496 after two weeks. Over the weekend it grossed $83,495.
The Flash added about $78,000 domestically to bring its gross to $108.1 million. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $300,000 to bring its domestic total to $380.7 million. Internationally, the film remained at $303.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $684.4 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 56 films earning $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $176,725,450 from 32,960 theaters and 56 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,397.15 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $5,361.82.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac
BONUS MATERIALS 4K UHD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL
Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
“I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
Designing Spiders and Spots
Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
Escape from Spider-Society
Across the Comics-Verse
Lyric Videos
Filmmaker Commentary
Also Includes:
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+.
Not surprisingly, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took first place at the weekend box office. The film grossed $56.2 million domestically where it has grossed a little over $80 million total. The film also grossed $155 million internationally for a worldwide debut of a little over $235 million.
In second place was the Q-Anon propaganda Sound of Freedom which improved to gross $27 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $85.5 million after about two weeks at the box office.
Insidious: The Red Door dropped from last week’s first place to come in third with $13 million to deliver a domestic total gross of $58.1 million. Over the week, the film added $33.1 million internationally for a total of $64.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $122.6 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continued its stumble with $12 million to come in fourth after 3 weeks. The film has grossed $145.4 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $30.3 million to bring its international total to $157 million even. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $302.4 million.
Elemental wrapped up the top five with $8.7 million to bring its domestic total to $125.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $43.7 million internationally to bring that total to $186.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $311.7 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash added just $720,000 domestically to bring its gross to $106.8 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $263.6 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped out of the top five to sixth with $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $368.8 million. Internationally, the film grossed $10.1 million over the week to bring that total to $294.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $663.5 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $480,000. It has now grossed $358.5 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $1.6 million internationally where it has now earned $483.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $842.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 50 films earning $140,138,793 from 35,318 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,967.91 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,474.58.
Godzilla has been on a rampage as of late, from Gareth Edwards‘s 2014 reboot to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In between those films we got the best Godzilla of the current era with Shin Gojira (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, a movie that paved the way for other Shin entries such as Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider (though supposedly not to be taken as part of a shared universe).
This year, Godzilla rises again with the recently announced Gojira Minus One, a return to the giant monster of the 1954 original that decimates cities with colossal anger while carrying the metaphor of nuclear threat in every roar.
Toho International released a teaser trailer of the new production that confirms as much. From what brief look shows, the story goes back to a post-World War II Japan that’s struggling with the destruction wrought by the allies during the last year of the conflict. Godzilla’s arrival plunges the country into the minus, a cruel position in which devastation takes another pass over an already devastated land.
The bits of Godzilla we get in the final seconds of the teaser show a creature consumed by ruthless aggression, as if intent on passing judgment on the country and how it managed to sink to the place it found itself in after it unconditionally surrendered to the allies.
It’ll be interesting to see what director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) has in store for Godzilla in terms of metaphors. The original movie turned the iconic kaiju into a representation of atomic trauma, spawning from the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end the war. The aftermath of the two infamous attacks brought about a period of absolute confusion, especially as the effects of radiation started becoming physically noticeable in those close to the affected areas. Godzilla is an expression of that, a monster that communicates fear a newly minted nuclear world.
With war still a global concern, both in the effects of current conflicts (Ukraine) and the possibility of future world wars, Godzilla is a potent enough symbol to carry messages on its spiky and hulking body. In fact, Godzilla has proven quite adept in embodying different metaphors at different points in time.
The aforementioned Shin Godzilla does an exceptional job at poking fun at the ridiculousness and total dysfunction of bureaucracies in the face of national crises. Anno and Higuchi turn Godzilla into a natural disaster that could have been more quickly and effectively solved had the government not been tangled up by committees with overlapping powers that clash against one another rather than facilitate solutions.
Edwards’s 2014 take turned the kaiju into a warning against the continued use of nuclear power in the present, using imagery and discourse surrounding the radioactive disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant as a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The crisis resulted in critical disruptions to the plant’s operations and led to explosions and radiation leaks that led to the evacuation of some 110,000 residents from the areas surrounding Fukushima.
Edwards’s Godzilla spoke to the severity of that kind of catastrophe, and it made sure the message landed with a force, though the movie didn’t exactly live up to expectations given certain creative decisions that didn’t give the titular kaiju more of a chance to shine. If the teaser is any indication, Minus One won’t be having that problem.
Gojira Minus One, the 30th entry in Toho’s giant monster franchise, has a November 3rd, 2023 release date on its sights for Japanese audiences and a December 1st, 2023 date for American audiences. If you want to give the entire franchise a look, Pluto TV is currently streaming a 24/7 Godzilla channel dedicated to the creature’s many encounters with Japan and the other monsters his presence has attracted throughout his storied career. It’s a good time to be a Godzilla fan, and the new film looks to be terrifyingly special.
SAG-AFTRAannounced on Thursday that it’s on strike. This is the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket line. This is the first strike by actors since 1980 and the first “double strike” since 1960.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA national board voted unanimously to approve a strike. The recommendation was forwarded by the negotiating committee after talks failed in agreement to a fair contract.
The strike officially began at Midnight Friday with picketing beginning today.
The strike impacts more than work, but also promotion which has some wondering what actors will be able to do at conventions while the strike is in effect. San Diego Comic-Con which takes place July 20 to 23 has already had panel cancellations due to it.
The union’s contract expired midnight Wednesday after being extended through july 12. A month of negotiations resulted in little progress. SAG-AFTRA has focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and streaming and their impact on actors and the industry as a whole.
Both the writers and actors have raised concerns over technology and their impact which has suppressed wages. Simple requests like the sharing of streaming viewership data is being rejected.
Below is what members aren’t allowed to do during the strike:
Principal on camera work, such as:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing stunts
Piloting on-camera aircraft
Puppeteering
Performance capture or motion capture work;
Principal off camera work, such as:
ADR/Looping
TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers
Voice Acting
Singing
Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work
Stunt coordinating and related services
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:
Tours
Personal appearances
Interviews
Conventions
Fan expos
Festivals
For your consideration events
Panels
Premieres/screenings
Award shows
Junkets
Podcast appearances
Social media
Studio showcases
Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:
An agreement to perform covered services in the future
Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project
The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production
In a bit of a surprise, Insidious: The Red Door took the weekend box office with $32.7 million domestically. The film also earned $31.4 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $64.1 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped to second place after just one week in first. It added $26.5 million domestically to bring that total to $121.2 million. Over the week it added $56.7 million to its international total to bring that to $126.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $247.9 million after two weeks.
In third place was the controversial Q-Anon linked Sound of Freedom which opened with $18.2 million and a domestic total to $40.2 million. It officially debuted July 4th. There’s no international release.
Elemental dropped from second to fourth with $9.6 million to bring its domestic total to $109.2 million. Over the week, it added $44.7 million internationally to lift that total to $142.7 million for a worldwide total of $251.9 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse rounded out the top five with $8 million to bring its domestic total to $357.6 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.2 million over the week to bring that total to $284.6 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $642.2 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash slipped out of the top ten with $2.3 million domestically to bring it to $105.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $262 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to 14th place with $1 million. It has now grossed $357.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $2.2 million internationally where it has now earned $482.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $839.8 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters. That’s about the same as last weekend’s $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters and 42 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,474.58 this past weekend, a decrease from the previous weekend’s $3,794.64.
It’s not much of a surprise but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the weekend box office with $60 million. Overall, the film has grossed an estimated $82 million domestically and $70 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $152 million.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008 with $100.1 million domestically and went on to gross $790.7 million worldwide. It’s hard to declare the debut of the latest film as anything but a bit of a letdown for its debut.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped one spot coming in second with $11.5 million bringing its domestic total to $339.9 million. Over the week, the film added $24.2 million internationally to bring that to $267.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $607.3 million.
Elemental came in third place with $11.3 million to bring its domestic total to $93.7 million. Internationally, the movie added $42.4 million over the week to bring that to $98 million and $191.7 million worldwide.
No Hard Feelings came in fourth adding $7.5 million to its box office. The movie has grossed $29.3 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added $10.5 million over the week to bring its domestic total to $20 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $49.3 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five adding $7 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $136.1 million domestically. It also grossed $26.9 million over the week internationally to bring its domestic total to $245.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $381.3 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to tenth place with a little over $1.8 million. It has now grossed $355.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $3.3 million internationally where it has now earned $480.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $835.7 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 42 films earning $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters and 48 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,794.64 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,409.82.
It’s been one of the most anticipated casting announcements in recent years but a new Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been revealed. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the roles in James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy.
The story will focus on the early years of Clark Kent as he starts out at The Daily Planet where he works with Lois Lane. The film is about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Gunn sees him as the “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
This is a breakout role for Corenswet who has earned praised for his performance in The Politician and Pearl. Brosnahan has already earned praise and awards for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The film is being directed by Gunn from his own screenplay. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is set for release on July 11, 2025.
With news of multiple version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it’s not a surprise that it’d eventually move back into first place. It did this weekend, as the previous box office champ, The Flash, took a massive trip.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed an esitmated $19.3 million to bring its domestic total to $317.1 million. Internationally, the film add $34.2 million over the week to bring that total to $243.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $560.3 million.
Elemental held on to second with $18.5 million to lift its domestic total to $65.5 million. Over the week, it added $40.6 million internationally where it has grossed $55.6 million. In two weeks, the film has earned $121.1 million worldwide.
The Flash fell from first to third, losing 72.3% from the previous week. It grossed an estimated $15.3 million to bring its domestic total to $87.6 million. Over the week, it added $48.3 million internationally to bring that total to $123.3 million for a worldwide gross of $210.9 million.
No Hard Feelings debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million domestically and $9.5 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $24.6 million.
Rounding out the top five was Transformers: Rise of the Beasts which added $11.6 million to its domestic total which is now $122.9 million. Internationally, the film grossed an impressive $95 million to bring that total to $218.3 million for a worldwide gross of $341.2 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to eighth place with a little over $3.5 million. It has now grossed $351.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $300,000 internationally where it has now earned $476.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $827.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 48 films earning $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters. That’s a drop from last weekend’s $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters and 51 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,409.82 this past weekend, a big dip from the previous weekend’s $5,588.94.
The Flashtook first place at the weekend box office coming in around low expectations. The movie grossed $55.1 million and has earned $64 million domestically so far. Internationally, the movie grossed $75 million for a worldwide debut of $139 million.
It was a rough weekend for Disney too whoseElementalcame in second with just $29.5 million. It has grossed $33.3 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $15 million so far for an opening weekend of $48.3 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseslipped to third place from the previous weekend’s second. It added $27.8 million to its domestic total which now stands at $285 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $209 million for a worldwide total of $494 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsfrom the previous weekend’s first place to fourth adding $20 million to its total which is now $103.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $104.9 million over the week and has now grossed $123.8 million. Worldwide, the film has earned $227.4 million.
In fifth place wasThe Little Mermaidwhich earned $11.6 million to bring its domestic total to $255.3 million. It added about $27 million to its international total over the week which now stands at $212.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $467.7 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3fell to seventh place with a little $5 million. It has now grossed $345.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $6 million internationally where it has now earned $476.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $821.6 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaremained at $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 51 films earning $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters. That’s about the same from last weekend’s $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters and 54 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,588.94 this past weekend, a slight dip from the previous weekend’s $5,913.35.
It was a new movie at the top of the box office as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened with $60.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie opened with just $18.9 million delivering an opening weekend of $79.4 million.
The first live action film, Transformers, opened with $70.5 million domestically in 2007 and grossed $709.7 million worldwide. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened with just under $109 million in 2009 and grossed $836.3 million worldwide. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 opened with $97.9 million and grossed $1.124 billion worldwide. In 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $100 million and grossed $1.104 billion worldwide. Transformers: The Last Knight saw a pretty big drop opening with $44.7 million domestically and grossed $605.4 million worldwide in 2017. Bumblebee kicked off a new take and opened with $21.7 million in 2018 and went on to gross just under $468 million worldwide.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $55.4 million to its domestic total which is now $225.4 million. The International total still hasn’t been updated and stands at $87.9 million for a worldwide total of $313.3 million.
The Little Mermaid slipped to third place with $22.8 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $228.8 million. Over the week, the film added $44.9 million internationally to bring that total to $185.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $414.2 million.
In fourth place was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a little over $7 million. It has now grossed $335.4 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $13.1 million internationally where it has now earned $470.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $805.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Boogeyman which added $6.9 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $24.7 million since opening. Over the week, it added $7.2 million to its international total to increase that to $14.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $39.6 million.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $12,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 54 films earning $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters. That’s a decrease from last weekend’s $205,179,351 from 30,903 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,913.35 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $6,639.46.
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is getting a 4K Steelbook release on September 19th.
Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS 4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz
Creepypasta is horror for the internet age. It started out as user-generated urban legends, more freely dipped in horror, that were shared online in forums and message boards in a style that catered to plausibility. They lived in the grey areas between ambiguity and anonymity, the two things that best describe digital interactions across the board (which is scary in itself). Classic monsters were replaced with hooded figures with abnormally long limbs or faces with frozen smiles on them, carrying names like Candlejack or Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Haunted houses were cast aside for liminal spaces and interdimensional spots that could feature stairs going to places unseen or strange TV shows with names like Candle Cove.
The ScreamBox exclusive Creepypasta movie manages to capture a lot of this with an anthology format that goes for 5-6-minute-long stories, à la The ABCs of Death, that feel like a greatest hits rundown of what Creepypastas are all about. Among the filmmakers that contribute to the film are Daniel Garcia, Buz Wallick, Berkley Brady, Paul Stamper, Carlos Omar De Leon, Tony Morales, Mikel Cravatta, and Carlos Cobos Aroca.
Like all good horror anthologies, the film features a wraparound story which, in this case, follows a man in a strange house who’s looking for a flash drive that’s housing a sensitive video in it. The place is a mess, with dead bodies strewn about and an analogue TV with an 8-bit video game stuck on its start menu screen to round out the atmosphere (here we get a clever Easter egg in the form of Ben Drowned, a popular Creepypasta by Alexander D. Hall, aka Jadusable). The man moves towards a computer screen that sits on a cryptic chat page that directs him to watch sinister video after sinister video as he searches for the right one. We never know who’s writing on the other end.
The short stories range from shadow people to long-legged boogeymen (like Jumby) that kidnap kids. They serve as introductions to urban legends, brief glimpses into horrors that have the potential to become movies independently. The setup is simple enough. One or two characters come into contact with something that defies explanation, and is also off-center weird, only to be immediately haunted or traumatized by it.
Reality itself gets altered to accommodate the beings in these stories, but never to the point of completely breaking away from it. One thing Creepypastas excel at is in projecting a kind of strangeness that flirts with the possibility of being real. I’d argue that’s what makes them so compelling. They aim to scare in a very intimate way while never fully letting go of the little truths that make the mind wonder.
Not every story hits the mark, though. Those that play around with scary imagery and keep to the margins so that the viewer’s mind fills in the blanks are more successful than those that indulge in special effects and overdramatic performances. There’s a story about blue-eyed people that communicate with another dimension, for instance, that could’ve done with some restraint.
On the other hand, There’s a Black Eyed Kids story that’s quite a highlight. It follow a lonely and sick old woman as she’s visited by one of these kids. The segment keeps to a grey toned and heavily shadowed aesthetic that accentuates the horror whenever we’re shown something terrible, if only for a moment, and it sustains the effect throughout the brief runtime. The closing story, about El Cuco (a variation of El Coco), is another high point, and it might be the best the bunch. It builds up the legend of a dark creature with clever use of suggestion and dread. It carries a sense of dark fantasy that makes it come off almost fairytale-like, but not to the point of shedding its Creepypasta identity. Its closing sequence makes sure the anthology ends on a high note.
Creepypasta has the necessary elements to become a very different and exciting horror anthology. It has a unique identity that already sets it apart from the rest. The micro-short story approach plays to the strengths of the Creepypasta concept and opens doors to future entries. Aiming for a stronger selection of stories and a continuation of high-quality wraparound stories will surely lead to the creation of a loyal fanbase that’ll constantly be itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fanbase isn’t growing now as we speak.
Moviegoers went under the sea for The Little Mermaid making the latest Disney live action adaptation the top film for the weekend. The movie grossed an estimated $95.5 million domestically over the weekend and $68.3 million internationally. Over the long weekend, the film has grossed $117.5 million domestically. So far the movie has grossed $185.8 million worldwide and is sure to continue Disney’s trend of live action version so their animated classics.
Fast X wasn’t in first long. It came in a distant second over the weekend with a little over $23 million. The film has grossed $113.6 million after two weeks. Internationally, the film added $199.5 million over the week to bring that total to $399.3 million after two weeks. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $512.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped to third place with just under $20 million for the weekend and a new domestic total of $304.8 million. Internationally, the movie added $26.1 million over the week to bring that total to $418.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $723.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie added $6.3 million to its impressive total which stands at $560.9 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $37.6 million to bring its international total to $717.8 million and $1.279 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was another newcomer, The Machine. The movie grossed $4.9 million for a total of $8.9 million domestically since it opened. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $58,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just over $476 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 58 films earning $163,043,508 from 28,581 theaters. That’s an increase of about $40 million from last weekend’s $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters and 57 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,702.62 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $4,195.52.
There’s a new champ at the weekend box office. Fast X took first, over doubling the next highest film. The movie grossed an estimated $67.5 million domestically and $199.8 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $267.3 million. That domestic opening is near the lower end of things for the franchise which has grossed anywhere from $40.1 million to $147.2 million. It is close to F9‘s $70 million in 2021 which went on to earn $726.2 million worldwide.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 slipped to second place with just under $32 million. The movie has grossed $266.5 million domestically after three weeks. Internationally, the film is rocking adding an additional $130.1 million to that total to bring it to $392.6 million and $659.1 million worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in third place with an estimated $9.8 million. Domestically the film has earned $549.3 million. Over the week, it added $5.7 million internationally to bring that total to $680.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.229 billion.
Book Club: The Next Chapter slipped to fourth place with $3 million to bring its domestic total to $13.1 million. It added about $680,000 internationally over the week to lift that to $3.8 million. Worlwide, the film has grossed $16.9 million.
Evil Dead Rise wrapped up the top five with $2.4 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $64.1 million. Over the week, the film added $10.5 million to bring its international total to $71.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.6 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods remained steady domestically where it has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $136,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.3 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters. That’s an increase of about $20 million from last weekend’s $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters and 55 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,195.52 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $3,049.33.
When I was just a wee baby (as in barely a few months old), my mom decided to take me to the movie theater with her to see The Lost Boys (released in July, 1987). Jerry Rees’s The Brave Little Toaster was also playing. My mom apparently weighed her options and decided The Lost Boys would have more of an impact in my early development than a toaster with a smile.
I cried during the entire movie. If you’ve never seen it (and if you haven’t, you should), the vampire make-up effects by artist Greg Cannom were terrifying. The vamps kept their human forms, but their faces transformed into something resembling very angry bats. And then there’s the vamp feeding scene at a punk bonfire. Fangs sunk into skulls and blood flew over the fire as the bikers went into a frenzy.
Years later, still a kid, I watched the movie again and managed to get through it without crying out of pure fear, but what stood out this time was how important the movie’s mother figure, Diane Weist‘s Lucy Emerson, was to the story and how much tension and terror the movie extracts from her as we watch one of her sons worry over her safety thinking she was dating a vampire. It left an impression. What if my mom got targeted by a vampire all of a sudden? Could I kill it on my own or did I need my own Frog Brothers to stake the bloodsucker?
It was easy to empathize with Lucy. She was a single parent moving in with her father at a time when her two kids were at their most rebellious in a new place she later learns is infested with vampires. She becomes a calming presence that could’ve helped more if her kids had let her in on the troubles of Santa Carla and the people they hung out with. One thing I admired was how brave she came off as in a place director Joel Schumacher went lengths to portray as dirty, dangerous, and forgotten. She was strong and she proved it in the final moments of the film, taking a decision for the sake of her family’s safety that jeopardized hers. All of this to say, Lucy Emerson was my first horror mom and she’s remained a favorite ever since.
It goes without saying by now, but my appreciation of horror, and The Lost Boys in particular, started getting nurtured the moment my mom decided to lightly traumatize me as a baby by taking me to the movies to see biker vampires on a big screen. So, in honor of the work mothers do from the moment we’re born, here’s a list of 5 horror movie moms that either scare, take care, or bring chaos to their kids. In other words, the kind of moms that keep steering future generations into horror.
Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!
1. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1975)
As frightening as the possessed Regan MacNeil is, none of it would’ve worked to the extent it did if the audience couldn’t channel their horror through her mom. Ellen Burstyn made this possible with a spectacular performance as Chris MacNeil, a mom that embodied both the fear of living with a child tormented by something unfathomable and the strength that’s required to fight a battle that initially looked unwinnable.
Burstyn dug deep to portray a mother that had her entire reality flung out the window and yet still managed to hold out hope as a demon tore apart her kid from the inside. Her facial expressions should be studied by anyone interested in capturing what true fear looks like, but also what anger and frustration look like in a supernatural setting. Each one of Chris MacNeil’s screams is a gut punch that makes you reel, heightening the horror of the possession and the idea of what it means to share a household with a sinister entity hellbent on corrupting an innocent soul.
2. Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara in Dark Water (dir. Hideo Nakata, 2002)
Mothers have a strange and complicated relationship with child ghosts in horror. In movies where the mother is grieving the loss of a daughter, for instance, the ghost becomes a metaphor for loss and denial in the face of death.
In Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water, though, the connection becomes something different. The story’s mother character, Yoshimi Matsubara, isn’t mourning the loss of a child. She’s getting consumed by the fear of losing hers, all of which stems from the ghost of a little girl that died in the apartment building they live in.
Actress Hitomi Kuroki plays Yoshimi like a tragic beacon of light that lonely ghosts can find a mother in. Her performance captures both the terrors that motherhood brings to the fore and what being a parent represents in the grander scheme of things. Kuroki channels the energy of a haunted house in human form, reluctantly accepting her role despite the consequences of potentially becoming mom to a ghost.
3. Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Perhaps the most influential horror mom in recent times, Essie Davis’ Amelia landed on the scene with a force that reminded viewers how brutal the experience of motherhood can be. The Babadook runs on her intensity, on her up-close and uncomfortably personal pain.
Amelia is a single mom taking care of her high-energy kid, called Samuel. Her life has essentially halted, fully, just because Samuel and his behavior take up so much of her existence, every inch of it, in fact. When the titular demon comes into their home, it finds Amelia ripe for murderous possession.
Director Jennifer Kent managed to paint a rage-filled portrait of a mother that was dealt an extremely bad hand. Essie Davis leans into Amelia’s frustrations and makes a compelling argument against becoming a mom, but only in certain moments. At others, she manages to flip the horror of the Babadook to show how incredibly beautiful it can be to take care of a life you created.
4. Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in Bates Motel (TV series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, 2013-2017)
I’m going to cheat here really quick and go for a horror TV series instead of a movie because this example is just too good, and it should be discussed more as a whole. Vera Farmiga’s interpretation of the iconic Norma Bates in Bates Motel is one of the most fascinating takes on the role in the history of the moms in horror.
The series modernizes the Norman Bates story by making the motel he shares with his mother part of a larger ecosystem and by having Norma be very much alive. Drugs, late night rendezvous, and dangerous relationships form in their place of business, and Norma has a hand in everything in one shape or another. And yet, nothing with her is predictable. She can turn a bad situation worse or offer comfort in times when those closest to her are in need.
What’s impressive is how the show interweaves outside influences with the peculiar intricacies of Norma’s relationship and outright manipulation of Norman. Farmiga switches with ease between scheming and selfish to loving and nurturing. She’s a source of torment one episode and a pillar of stability in another. She’s both what Norman needs as a mother and what he desperately needs to run away from. Farmiga puts on a show for the ages as Norma Bates. Her contribution to horror should not be overlooked.
A baby can be a terrifying thing, especially as it grows inside you. It can either be a great source of happiness or a force of existential oppression that can shatter a parent’s identity. Add the fear of some foreign entity shaping and corrupting the life you’re carrying and things can get scarier fast.
Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera indulges in this kind of fear, asking what a child is supposed to mean to a mother and whether they should submit to whatever the answer is. It places the mom-to-be, Natalia Solán’s Valeria, at the center of the story as a kind of victim of pregnancy, someone who went along with social expectations only to open the doors for something sinister to latch onto her baby.
Solán approaches Valeria as a ticking time bomb-type of character that suffers quietly at first, but is then forced to face the entity and the prospect of becoming a mother in the worst ways possible. Watching Valeria unravel is tough, but it comes with the development of a different point of view regarding a mother’s obligations and whether it’s okay to resist them. The very meaning of personal sacrifice is explored here, and it leads to an urgent question more people should ask themselves: is the parent’s life, their dreams and desires, less important than that of the child’s? The answer, Huesera would argue, is not so simple.
Shattering box-office records and generating over a billion dollars worldwide, Nintendo and Illumination’s animated spectacular The Super Mario Bros. Movie blasts into homes tomorrow, May 16, 2023, exclusively on digital platforms nationwide where you can buy or rent movies – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in first place at the weekend box office with an estimated $60.5 million. That’s a 48.9% drop from the previous weekend, which is pretty good when blockbusters tend to drop closer to 60%. It’s a sign of life for the recently struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has grossed $213.2 million domestically after two weeks. Over the week it added $94.4 million at the international box office to lift that to $262.5 million. Worldwide, the film ahs grossed $475.7 million. That has it nearly beating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s entire domestic gross for the year as well as its international gross. It should pass both this Monday.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie held on to second place with $13 million lifting its domestic earnings to just under $536 million. Over the week, it added $37.3 million at the international box office to bring that to $674.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.210 billion making it easily the top film of the year.
Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted in third place with $6.5 million domestically and $3.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $9.6 million.
Evil Dead Rise slipped to fourth place with $3.7 million bringing its domestic total to $60.2 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.3 million over the week to bring that total to $61 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $121.2 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.5 million to bring its domestic total to $16.5 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained steady at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $377,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.1 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.8 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 55 films earning $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters. That’s a decrease of about 25% from last weekend’s $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,049.33 this past weekend, a dip from the previous weekend’s $4,887.03.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3took the weekend box office which wasn’t surprising at all. The film debuted with $114 million domestically and $168.1 million internationally for a debut of $282.1 million worldwide.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy debuted with $94.3 million domestically and went on to earn $773.4 million worldwide in 2014 while its sequel debuted with $146.5 million domestically and went on to earn $863.8 million worldwide in 2017. It’s a good guess that the third film will wind up somewhere between those two and has received good reviews from critics, 81%, and the audience at 95%. The audience reviews is the best of the series while critic reviews is the lowest of the trio.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was bumped out of first and came in second with $18.6 million domestically to lift that to $518.1 million. Internationally, the film added $104.7 million over the week to bring that to $637.2 million and $1.155 billion worldwide.
Evil Dead Rise slipped one spot to third adding $5.7 million to its total and bringing that to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $25.8 million internationally to bring that total to $43.7 million and the movie’s worldwide gross to $97.8 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. came in fourth place with $3.4 million bringing its domestic total to $12.6 million. There’s no international returns.
Rounding out the top five was John Wick: Chapter 4 with $2.4 million domestically. There it has earned $180.1 million. Internationally over the week the film remained at $226 million. It has now grossed $406.1 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. Over the week, the film internationally gained about $400,000 and is now at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $800,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $213.8 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.4 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters. That’s an increase of about 50% from last weekend’s $100,091,382 from 37,246 theaters and 68 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,887.03 this past weekend, a nice increase from the previous weekend’s $2,687.31.
Let’s be real: it feels like the once-mighty MCU now really needs a hit. Phase 4 has been, to be kind, uneven. And so, can James Gunn bring some magic back before heading off to DC? Yes. Good news, true believers! Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is a good movie! You will laugh, you will cry (believe me, you will CRY), you will believe a living talking tree can fly? Ok, well, maybe not that far, but it is a solid movie.
That being said, it is missing some of the magic of previous outings. But it does deliver a satisfying end to the trilogy of films focused on our special band of a-holes. Rocket builds stuff. Drax and Mantis banter. Groot takes new forms. Star-lord is… just sort of there (which is good if you, like many, are at the end of your tolerance for Chris Pratt). But returning supporting characters also get some great work, like Kraglin and Cosmo. Cosmo is a very good dog. Cosmo is maybe the best dog. Good dog, Cosmo.
Our story involves Rocket’s origins and his ties to new villain The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is desperately searching for Rocket, deploying every resource at his disposal. This includes returning baddies The Sovereign and their new experiment teased in the after-credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Some comic book nerds are going to be very upset at Adam Warlock’s portrayal in this film as it is incredibly divorced from its comics lore. Just sit tight and wait to the end and what this portends for the future of the character, and forgive the film for needing a Big Bad who is actually a match for our Guardians of the Galaxy.
After an initial fight with Warlock leaves Rocket mortally wounded, Peter and the rest of Guardians have to undertake a desperate heist to save their friend. And through this we learn about Rocket’s origins and his previous life with other experiments of the High Evolutionary Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. And this is the section of the movie that will make you cry and should probably come with a content warning.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a series that has massive kid-appeal. Your kid loves Rocket and Groot, right? Well, this film contains scenes of implied animal torture and experimentation that is incredibly upsetting both for children and adults. While the intent is obviously to create pathos, it is maybe the most disturbing thing so far in the relatively anodyne MCU.
The High Evolutionary is also abusive: the way he speaks to Rocket and treats him is steeped in patterns any kid who grew up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home will immediately recognize. Again, this might be traumatic for people, so go in eyes open and maybe have a therapy session scheduled soon after, just in case.
And while the film focuses a lot on Rocket, its greatest strength is in providing something for every other single team member to do. Everyone gets a true superhero moment, and even better, several team-up moments where we see our gang of misfits fighting together. A hallway battle late in the third act is a symphony of teamwork and gonzo filmmaking only James Gunn could deliver.
Explosions? Yes. Guts and bodily fluids of various colors spraying everywhere? (It’s ok MPAA, they’re aliens and creatures, get it?) You know it! Laser blasts, punches, kicks, impalements, bisections, Groot showing what he can do with his various forms? Oh, HELLS yes.
And, again, everyone gets a hero moment. Mantis has a particularly fun one late in the film that I will simply call her Paul Atreides moment. But it is that same sort of heroic epic moment usually only given to single protagonists, and every. single. member. of the team gets one. It’s obvious James Gunn is leaving everything out on the field in his likely final entry into the MCU, and the last cinematic outing for this particular team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The themes from past films of found family continue to shine through. There’s also a strong potential queer/trans allegory in a lot of this, as The High Evolutionary obsesses over “his creations” needing to be “perfect” in his eyes. (Again, the abuse shown and implied here.) But as Rocket and his fellow experiments choose their own names and do things beyond his designs, they are further abused and rejected.
There is also a story of liberation here that comes at a time when basic human rights, from reproductive freedom to state governments bullying trans kids (and even legislators), are increasingly under attack. Guardians of the Galaxy continues to be a series for those of us who are misfits, but have a strength — when we fight together — that rivals any Avengers lineup.
It’s nowhere close to a perfect film. But it earns a space as one of my favorite films of Phase 4. And its message comes at a time when we couldn’t possibly need it more.
Old friends and new foes come together when John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives Digtal May 23 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD & On Demand June 13 from Lionsgate. The high action-thriller, which has grossed a franchise-best $400 million+ at the global box office, directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise) as he returns in the titular role, joined by franchise regulars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise), Lance Reddick (TV’s “Lost”), and lan McShane (“Deadwood”) while welcoming Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (It franchise), Hiroyuki Sanada (Avengers: Endgame), Shamier Anderson (Race), Rina Sawayama (TV’s “Turn Up Charlie”), and Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday).
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick: Chapter 44K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.96, respectively.
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin: Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have a partnership that stretches all the way back to the first Matrix film. In this retrospective piece, we trace their remarkable friendship and decades-long collaboration.
Train Like a Killer: Weapons Master Robert “Rock” Galotti and Keanu Reeves reveal the rigorous training that Keanu had to endure to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a reality – from gunplay, to jiu jitsu, to some hard-hitting stunt work.
Making A Killing: In John Wick, sets are not merely the backdrop for each scene – they are integral parts of the action, with Wick often using whatever is on hand to take the fight to his enemies. Here we explore the craft at play in designing the sets of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the ways set design and action choreography go hand in hand in this legendary series.
The Psychology of a Killer: Chad Stahelski explores the psychology of John Wick, a character who, despite four films, is still a mystery in many ways. We unpack the complicated code of ethics that Wick lives by, and the ironic bonds he shares with the men trying to kill him.
The Blind Leading the Fight:John Wick: Chapter 4 witnesses the arrival of Caine, a blind killer played by legendary actor and martial artist Donnie Yen. With a style not seen since The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, Caine shows that a killer’s greatest instincts come not from his eyes, but from his mind. Here we uncover Yen’s journey on this film, exploring his prep for the role, his insight into the character, and his intense training regimen to portray this unlikely killer.
Suit Up / Shoot Up: Costume Designer Paco Delgado uncovers the cooler-than-cool suits worn by the assassins of John Wick that feature bulletproof lining – just what every killer needs for a night out on the town. We also explore the more refined looks of the Marquis and the Old West-inspired garb of the Tracker.
Packing a Punch: Pulling off a kill takes a village. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the way Team Wick incorporates special effects into the practical stunts and locations of the film.
One Killer Shot:John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the boldest single-take shots ever attempted in action filmmaking. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff team up with Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers to dive into the creative challenges that went into planning this one-shot sequence that sees John Wick take on Paris’s deadliest killers.
Killing at the Speed of Traffic: Take a look at a nonstop action sequence featuring John Wick’s car-fu at the Arc de Triomphe! The driving force of this piece will be a look at the effects achieved at the iconic location, and sets the stakes of every assassin in Paris descending on Wick.
A Shot in the Dark: The John Wick series takes audiences into a world that is both thematically and visually dark. For film crews, that meant enduring hundreds of night shoots, with crews switching to a virtually nocturnal mode of life for long stretches of production. Here we explore the tenacious work of cast and crew members who tough it out night after night in pursuit of Wick’s dark, iconic aesthetic. Along the way, we explore some of the most iconic night scenes in the film, culminating with Wick’s brutal staircase fight.
In Honor of the Dead: In creating John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski drew on references from some of the greatest films ever made. Uncover the cinematic homages depicted in the film, from David Lean to John Woo, to the samurai epics of post-war Japan.
The Equalizer 3 was easily the of the box office beating the next film by over 3x the gross. The Equalizer 3 grossed $34.5 million domestically, with an estimated $42 million over the long weekend and $26.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $68.1 million. The first film opened with $55 million in 2014 to go on and earn $192.3 million worldwide and the second opened with $62 million in 2018 and went on to earn $190.4 million worldwide.
Barbie continues its amazing run adding $10.6 million to its total over the weekend to bring its domestic total to $609.5 million. Over the week it grossed $26 million internationally to bring that total to $771.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.381 billion. It’s the top grossing domestic film for 2023 by far and now officially the same worldwide in 2023 as well by a decent amount. There’s still 3 months to go, but this is looking like the year of Barbie and how pink saved the movie theater.
Blue Beetle held steady in third with $7.3 million bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million. Internationally it added $9.8 million to the gross bringing that to $45.3 million. The movie has now crossed the $100 million mark with $101.9 million worldwide.
Gran Turismo crashed in its second week with a 62.4% drop down to $6.6 million where it has now grossed $30.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $13.8 million to bring that to $50.3 million and $80.9 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $5.5 million to bring its domestic total to $210.3 million. It brought in an impressive $65.5 million internationally over the week to bring that to $542.7 million and just under $853 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem slipped one spot to sixth grossing $4.8 million domestically bringing its domestic total to just under $108 million. Internationally, the movie added $7.9 million where it has now grossed $44.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has brought in $152.9 million.
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed about $4,500 over the week domestically to bring its total to $657,810.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added about $200,000 domestically and is now at $381.2 million. Internationally, the film gained about $1.2 million to bring that to $308.1 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $689.3 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 31 films earning $88,445,990 from 38,755 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters and 66 films. The average earning was $2,282.18 this past weekend, a slight increase from the previous weekend’s $2,164.37.
It’s a close call for first place, but it looks like Gran Turismo took the top of the box office with a $17.3 million debut. That’s just a hair more than the second place Barbie. Internationally, the film grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide debut of $53.8 million.
Barbie is a close second place with $17.1 million to bring its domestic total to $594.8 million. Over the week, it added $33.6 million internationally to bring that to $745.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.340 billion. It’s now the top film domestically for 2023 but is about $19 million behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the top spot worldwide.
Blue Beetle dropped from first to third with a respectable 49% drop. It grossed an estimated $12.8 million to lift its domestic total to $46.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $17.5 million to bring its international total to $35.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $81.8 million.
Oppenheimer slipped one spot to fourth with $9 million and its domestic total is now $300 million. Internationally, the movie added $44.6 million to its total which is now $477.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $777.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which grossed $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $98.1 million. Internationally, the film added $6.7 million over the week to bring that to $37 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.1 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $7,208 domestically to bring its total to $653,313.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remained at just under $381 million domestically. Internationally, the film gained about $1 million to bring that to $306.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $687.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 66 films earning $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters and 57 films. The average earning was $2,164.37 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $2,757.47.
Blue Beetle was the top of the weekend box office, dethroning Barbie which has held the spot for the past four weekends. Blue Beetle debuted with $25 million domestically and $18 million internationally for a total of $43 million. That opening was on part with The Suicide Squad which opened with $26.2 million in 2021. Blue Beetle was originally supposed to be a film on HBO Max, so its theatrical numbers are a bit of a headscratcher, but the movie was projected to open between $30 and $35 million. But, the film has received positive word of mouth so this could be another case of a movie having legs and doing well over the long term.
Barbie came in second place with an estimated $21.5 million to bring its domestic gross of $567.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $54.3 million over the week to bring the international total to $711.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.279 billion. The film is about $8 million away from being the top grossing domestic release of the year and $76 million away from being the worldwide leader.
Oppenheimer slipped to third place with an estimated $10.6 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $285.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $47.8 million to lift that to $432.6 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $717.8 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem dropped one spot to come in fourth with $8.4 million. It has now grossed $88.1 million after 3 weeks. Over the week it grossed $16.9 million to bring that to $30.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $118.4 million.
Strays rounded out the top five with $8.3 million domestically and just under $2 million internationally for $10.3 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $16,870 domestically to bring its total to $635,610.
The Flash looks like it remained at $108.1 million domestically. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $100,000 to bring its domestic total to just under $381 million. Internationally, the film is now at $305.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $686.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.5 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters and 56 films. The average earning was $2,757.47 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $3,397.15.
Like a shining psychedelic beckon, breaking thru the mundane haze of our exceedingly limited Streaming App-Age, as culturally, we drown in endless waves of horrid mega-priced mainstream popcorn lobotomies, glows the kaleidoscopic light that is Cartoon Damage.
Coming to you from the deranged mind behind L.A.’s notorious underground comics event, Permanent Damage, (& the upcoming Permanent Damage Portland show Sat. Aug. 26th at Floyd Center Mall) is the animation festival you’ve been waiting for!!!!
Cartoon Damage plays Friday August 25th 6:30pm at Portland’s Historic and Beautiful, Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
60 minutes of Kick-ass Cartoons from animations brightest and best!
Featuring a mind-blowing array of outrageously good animated shorts:
Terra Incognita by Adrian Dexter & Pernille Kjaer,
Those Shoes by Amy Lockhart and Devin Flynn
Back Issues by Skinner & Trevor Borrens
The HORK by Nicole Stafford
Flesh Gun & Morphia Utila by Lale Westvind
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (boner) by Christina Fidler
How the Dog Learned Perspective & Military School by Matthew Thurber
LEMON LIME by Mara Ramirez & music by AC Crowley
Deepstates ep.1 “Convenience” by Molly Wright
Corn Cob Muscle Drawing Tutorial by Lordspew
Nipple Man by Pat Kain and Rudy Schultz
Plus the 2nd part of our double feature!
A Cartoon Damage Mix-Tape : Over 70 minutes of odd, old and rarely screened animation from the archives of curators: Tom Neely, Harry Nordlinger, & KMK
Curated and conceived by Keenan Marshall Keller
Friday August 25th at The Clinton St. Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Barbie once again was the top of the weekend box office continuing an amazing run and the one of the movie stories of the year. The film added $33.7 million to its domestic total which now stands at $526.3 million. Over the week, it added $85.5 million internationally where the film has grossed $657.6 million. That brings it to just under $1.184 billion so far in just four weeks. The movie is just $48 million away domestically and $173 million internationally to be the top grossing film of the year.
Speaking of impressive runs. Oppenheimer returned to second place where it added $18.8 million to its domestic total which is now $264.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $60.3 million over the week and now has grossed $384.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned a bit over $649 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem improved a bit coming in third place for the weekend. It grossed $15.8 million to bring its domestic total to $72.8 million. Over the week it grossed $13.4 million internationally which now stands at $21.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $94.7 million.
Meg 2: The Trench fell to fourth with $12.7 million to bring its domestic total to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $90.8 million to bring its international total to $202.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $256.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Last Voyage of the Demeter which debuted with an anemic $6.5 million. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine has grossed $557,496 after two weeks. Over the weekend it grossed $83,495.
The Flash added about $78,000 domestically to bring its gross to $108.1 million. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $300,000 to bring its domestic total to $380.7 million. Internationally, the film remained at $303.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $684.4 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 56 films earning $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $176,725,450 from 32,960 theaters and 56 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,397.15 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $5,361.82.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac
BONUS MATERIALS 4K UHD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL
Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
“I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
Designing Spiders and Spots
Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
Escape from Spider-Society
Across the Comics-Verse
Lyric Videos
Filmmaker Commentary
Also Includes:
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+.
Not surprisingly, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took first place at the weekend box office. The film grossed $56.2 million domestically where it has grossed a little over $80 million total. The film also grossed $155 million internationally for a worldwide debut of a little over $235 million.
In second place was the Q-Anon propaganda Sound of Freedom which improved to gross $27 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $85.5 million after about two weeks at the box office.
Insidious: The Red Door dropped from last week’s first place to come in third with $13 million to deliver a domestic total gross of $58.1 million. Over the week, the film added $33.1 million internationally for a total of $64.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $122.6 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continued its stumble with $12 million to come in fourth after 3 weeks. The film has grossed $145.4 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $30.3 million to bring its international total to $157 million even. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $302.4 million.
Elemental wrapped up the top five with $8.7 million to bring its domestic total to $125.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $43.7 million internationally to bring that total to $186.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $311.7 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash added just $720,000 domestically to bring its gross to $106.8 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $263.6 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped out of the top five to sixth with $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $368.8 million. Internationally, the film grossed $10.1 million over the week to bring that total to $294.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $663.5 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $480,000. It has now grossed $358.5 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $1.6 million internationally where it has now earned $483.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $842.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 50 films earning $140,138,793 from 35,318 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,967.91 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,474.58.
Godzilla has been on a rampage as of late, from Gareth Edwards‘s 2014 reboot to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In between those films we got the best Godzilla of the current era with Shin Gojira (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, a movie that paved the way for other Shin entries such as Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider (though supposedly not to be taken as part of a shared universe).
This year, Godzilla rises again with the recently announced Gojira Minus One, a return to the giant monster of the 1954 original that decimates cities with colossal anger while carrying the metaphor of nuclear threat in every roar.
Toho International released a teaser trailer of the new production that confirms as much. From what brief look shows, the story goes back to a post-World War II Japan that’s struggling with the destruction wrought by the allies during the last year of the conflict. Godzilla’s arrival plunges the country into the minus, a cruel position in which devastation takes another pass over an already devastated land.
The bits of Godzilla we get in the final seconds of the teaser show a creature consumed by ruthless aggression, as if intent on passing judgment on the country and how it managed to sink to the place it found itself in after it unconditionally surrendered to the allies.
It’ll be interesting to see what director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) has in store for Godzilla in terms of metaphors. The original movie turned the iconic kaiju into a representation of atomic trauma, spawning from the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end the war. The aftermath of the two infamous attacks brought about a period of absolute confusion, especially as the effects of radiation started becoming physically noticeable in those close to the affected areas. Godzilla is an expression of that, a monster that communicates fear a newly minted nuclear world.
With war still a global concern, both in the effects of current conflicts (Ukraine) and the possibility of future world wars, Godzilla is a potent enough symbol to carry messages on its spiky and hulking body. In fact, Godzilla has proven quite adept in embodying different metaphors at different points in time.
The aforementioned Shin Godzilla does an exceptional job at poking fun at the ridiculousness and total dysfunction of bureaucracies in the face of national crises. Anno and Higuchi turn Godzilla into a natural disaster that could have been more quickly and effectively solved had the government not been tangled up by committees with overlapping powers that clash against one another rather than facilitate solutions.
Edwards’s 2014 take turned the kaiju into a warning against the continued use of nuclear power in the present, using imagery and discourse surrounding the radioactive disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant as a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The crisis resulted in critical disruptions to the plant’s operations and led to explosions and radiation leaks that led to the evacuation of some 110,000 residents from the areas surrounding Fukushima.
Edwards’s Godzilla spoke to the severity of that kind of catastrophe, and it made sure the message landed with a force, though the movie didn’t exactly live up to expectations given certain creative decisions that didn’t give the titular kaiju more of a chance to shine. If the teaser is any indication, Minus One won’t be having that problem.
Gojira Minus One, the 30th entry in Toho’s giant monster franchise, has a November 3rd, 2023 release date on its sights for Japanese audiences and a December 1st, 2023 date for American audiences. If you want to give the entire franchise a look, Pluto TV is currently streaming a 24/7 Godzilla channel dedicated to the creature’s many encounters with Japan and the other monsters his presence has attracted throughout his storied career. It’s a good time to be a Godzilla fan, and the new film looks to be terrifyingly special.
SAG-AFTRAannounced on Thursday that it’s on strike. This is the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket line. This is the first strike by actors since 1980 and the first “double strike” since 1960.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA national board voted unanimously to approve a strike. The recommendation was forwarded by the negotiating committee after talks failed in agreement to a fair contract.
The strike officially began at Midnight Friday with picketing beginning today.
The strike impacts more than work, but also promotion which has some wondering what actors will be able to do at conventions while the strike is in effect. San Diego Comic-Con which takes place July 20 to 23 has already had panel cancellations due to it.
The union’s contract expired midnight Wednesday after being extended through july 12. A month of negotiations resulted in little progress. SAG-AFTRA has focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and streaming and their impact on actors and the industry as a whole.
Both the writers and actors have raised concerns over technology and their impact which has suppressed wages. Simple requests like the sharing of streaming viewership data is being rejected.
Below is what members aren’t allowed to do during the strike:
Principal on camera work, such as:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing stunts
Piloting on-camera aircraft
Puppeteering
Performance capture or motion capture work;
Principal off camera work, such as:
ADR/Looping
TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers
Voice Acting
Singing
Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work
Stunt coordinating and related services
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:
Tours
Personal appearances
Interviews
Conventions
Fan expos
Festivals
For your consideration events
Panels
Premieres/screenings
Award shows
Junkets
Podcast appearances
Social media
Studio showcases
Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:
An agreement to perform covered services in the future
Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project
The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production
In a bit of a surprise, Insidious: The Red Door took the weekend box office with $32.7 million domestically. The film also earned $31.4 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $64.1 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped to second place after just one week in first. It added $26.5 million domestically to bring that total to $121.2 million. Over the week it added $56.7 million to its international total to bring that to $126.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $247.9 million after two weeks.
In third place was the controversial Q-Anon linked Sound of Freedom which opened with $18.2 million and a domestic total to $40.2 million. It officially debuted July 4th. There’s no international release.
Elemental dropped from second to fourth with $9.6 million to bring its domestic total to $109.2 million. Over the week, it added $44.7 million internationally to lift that total to $142.7 million for a worldwide total of $251.9 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse rounded out the top five with $8 million to bring its domestic total to $357.6 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.2 million over the week to bring that total to $284.6 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $642.2 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash slipped out of the top ten with $2.3 million domestically to bring it to $105.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $262 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to 14th place with $1 million. It has now grossed $357.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $2.2 million internationally where it has now earned $482.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $839.8 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters. That’s about the same as last weekend’s $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters and 42 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,474.58 this past weekend, a decrease from the previous weekend’s $3,794.64.
It’s not much of a surprise but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the weekend box office with $60 million. Overall, the film has grossed an estimated $82 million domestically and $70 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $152 million.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008 with $100.1 million domestically and went on to gross $790.7 million worldwide. It’s hard to declare the debut of the latest film as anything but a bit of a letdown for its debut.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped one spot coming in second with $11.5 million bringing its domestic total to $339.9 million. Over the week, the film added $24.2 million internationally to bring that to $267.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $607.3 million.
Elemental came in third place with $11.3 million to bring its domestic total to $93.7 million. Internationally, the movie added $42.4 million over the week to bring that to $98 million and $191.7 million worldwide.
No Hard Feelings came in fourth adding $7.5 million to its box office. The movie has grossed $29.3 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added $10.5 million over the week to bring its domestic total to $20 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $49.3 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five adding $7 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $136.1 million domestically. It also grossed $26.9 million over the week internationally to bring its domestic total to $245.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $381.3 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to tenth place with a little over $1.8 million. It has now grossed $355.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $3.3 million internationally where it has now earned $480.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $835.7 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 42 films earning $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters and 48 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,794.64 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,409.82.
It’s been one of the most anticipated casting announcements in recent years but a new Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been revealed. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the roles in James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy.
The story will focus on the early years of Clark Kent as he starts out at The Daily Planet where he works with Lois Lane. The film is about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Gunn sees him as the “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
This is a breakout role for Corenswet who has earned praised for his performance in The Politician and Pearl. Brosnahan has already earned praise and awards for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The film is being directed by Gunn from his own screenplay. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is set for release on July 11, 2025.
With news of multiple version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it’s not a surprise that it’d eventually move back into first place. It did this weekend, as the previous box office champ, The Flash, took a massive trip.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed an esitmated $19.3 million to bring its domestic total to $317.1 million. Internationally, the film add $34.2 million over the week to bring that total to $243.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $560.3 million.
Elemental held on to second with $18.5 million to lift its domestic total to $65.5 million. Over the week, it added $40.6 million internationally where it has grossed $55.6 million. In two weeks, the film has earned $121.1 million worldwide.
The Flash fell from first to third, losing 72.3% from the previous week. It grossed an estimated $15.3 million to bring its domestic total to $87.6 million. Over the week, it added $48.3 million internationally to bring that total to $123.3 million for a worldwide gross of $210.9 million.
No Hard Feelings debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million domestically and $9.5 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $24.6 million.
Rounding out the top five was Transformers: Rise of the Beasts which added $11.6 million to its domestic total which is now $122.9 million. Internationally, the film grossed an impressive $95 million to bring that total to $218.3 million for a worldwide gross of $341.2 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to eighth place with a little over $3.5 million. It has now grossed $351.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $300,000 internationally where it has now earned $476.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $827.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 48 films earning $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters. That’s a drop from last weekend’s $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters and 51 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,409.82 this past weekend, a big dip from the previous weekend’s $5,588.94.
The Flashtook first place at the weekend box office coming in around low expectations. The movie grossed $55.1 million and has earned $64 million domestically so far. Internationally, the movie grossed $75 million for a worldwide debut of $139 million.
It was a rough weekend for Disney too whoseElementalcame in second with just $29.5 million. It has grossed $33.3 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $15 million so far for an opening weekend of $48.3 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseslipped to third place from the previous weekend’s second. It added $27.8 million to its domestic total which now stands at $285 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $209 million for a worldwide total of $494 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsfrom the previous weekend’s first place to fourth adding $20 million to its total which is now $103.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $104.9 million over the week and has now grossed $123.8 million. Worldwide, the film has earned $227.4 million.
In fifth place wasThe Little Mermaidwhich earned $11.6 million to bring its domestic total to $255.3 million. It added about $27 million to its international total over the week which now stands at $212.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $467.7 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3fell to seventh place with a little $5 million. It has now grossed $345.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $6 million internationally where it has now earned $476.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $821.6 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaremained at $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 51 films earning $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters. That’s about the same from last weekend’s $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters and 54 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,588.94 this past weekend, a slight dip from the previous weekend’s $5,913.35.
It was a new movie at the top of the box office as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened with $60.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie opened with just $18.9 million delivering an opening weekend of $79.4 million.
The first live action film, Transformers, opened with $70.5 million domestically in 2007 and grossed $709.7 million worldwide. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened with just under $109 million in 2009 and grossed $836.3 million worldwide. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 opened with $97.9 million and grossed $1.124 billion worldwide. In 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $100 million and grossed $1.104 billion worldwide. Transformers: The Last Knight saw a pretty big drop opening with $44.7 million domestically and grossed $605.4 million worldwide in 2017. Bumblebee kicked off a new take and opened with $21.7 million in 2018 and went on to gross just under $468 million worldwide.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $55.4 million to its domestic total which is now $225.4 million. The International total still hasn’t been updated and stands at $87.9 million for a worldwide total of $313.3 million.
The Little Mermaid slipped to third place with $22.8 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $228.8 million. Over the week, the film added $44.9 million internationally to bring that total to $185.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $414.2 million.
In fourth place was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a little over $7 million. It has now grossed $335.4 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $13.1 million internationally where it has now earned $470.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $805.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Boogeyman which added $6.9 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $24.7 million since opening. Over the week, it added $7.2 million to its international total to increase that to $14.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $39.6 million.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $12,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 54 films earning $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters. That’s a decrease from last weekend’s $205,179,351 from 30,903 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,913.35 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $6,639.46.
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is getting a 4K Steelbook release on September 19th.
Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS 4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz
Creepypasta is horror for the internet age. It started out as user-generated urban legends, more freely dipped in horror, that were shared online in forums and message boards in a style that catered to plausibility. They lived in the grey areas between ambiguity and anonymity, the two things that best describe digital interactions across the board (which is scary in itself). Classic monsters were replaced with hooded figures with abnormally long limbs or faces with frozen smiles on them, carrying names like Candlejack or Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Haunted houses were cast aside for liminal spaces and interdimensional spots that could feature stairs going to places unseen or strange TV shows with names like Candle Cove.
The ScreamBox exclusive Creepypasta movie manages to capture a lot of this with an anthology format that goes for 5-6-minute-long stories, à la The ABCs of Death, that feel like a greatest hits rundown of what Creepypastas are all about. Among the filmmakers that contribute to the film are Daniel Garcia, Buz Wallick, Berkley Brady, Paul Stamper, Carlos Omar De Leon, Tony Morales, Mikel Cravatta, and Carlos Cobos Aroca.
Like all good horror anthologies, the film features a wraparound story which, in this case, follows a man in a strange house who’s looking for a flash drive that’s housing a sensitive video in it. The place is a mess, with dead bodies strewn about and an analogue TV with an 8-bit video game stuck on its start menu screen to round out the atmosphere (here we get a clever Easter egg in the form of Ben Drowned, a popular Creepypasta by Alexander D. Hall, aka Jadusable). The man moves towards a computer screen that sits on a cryptic chat page that directs him to watch sinister video after sinister video as he searches for the right one. We never know who’s writing on the other end.
The short stories range from shadow people to long-legged boogeymen (like Jumby) that kidnap kids. They serve as introductions to urban legends, brief glimpses into horrors that have the potential to become movies independently. The setup is simple enough. One or two characters come into contact with something that defies explanation, and is also off-center weird, only to be immediately haunted or traumatized by it.
Reality itself gets altered to accommodate the beings in these stories, but never to the point of completely breaking away from it. One thing Creepypastas excel at is in projecting a kind of strangeness that flirts with the possibility of being real. I’d argue that’s what makes them so compelling. They aim to scare in a very intimate way while never fully letting go of the little truths that make the mind wonder.
Not every story hits the mark, though. Those that play around with scary imagery and keep to the margins so that the viewer’s mind fills in the blanks are more successful than those that indulge in special effects and overdramatic performances. There’s a story about blue-eyed people that communicate with another dimension, for instance, that could’ve done with some restraint.
On the other hand, There’s a Black Eyed Kids story that’s quite a highlight. It follow a lonely and sick old woman as she’s visited by one of these kids. The segment keeps to a grey toned and heavily shadowed aesthetic that accentuates the horror whenever we’re shown something terrible, if only for a moment, and it sustains the effect throughout the brief runtime. The closing story, about El Cuco (a variation of El Coco), is another high point, and it might be the best the bunch. It builds up the legend of a dark creature with clever use of suggestion and dread. It carries a sense of dark fantasy that makes it come off almost fairytale-like, but not to the point of shedding its Creepypasta identity. Its closing sequence makes sure the anthology ends on a high note.
Creepypasta has the necessary elements to become a very different and exciting horror anthology. It has a unique identity that already sets it apart from the rest. The micro-short story approach plays to the strengths of the Creepypasta concept and opens doors to future entries. Aiming for a stronger selection of stories and a continuation of high-quality wraparound stories will surely lead to the creation of a loyal fanbase that’ll constantly be itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fanbase isn’t growing now as we speak.
Moviegoers went under the sea for The Little Mermaid making the latest Disney live action adaptation the top film for the weekend. The movie grossed an estimated $95.5 million domestically over the weekend and $68.3 million internationally. Over the long weekend, the film has grossed $117.5 million domestically. So far the movie has grossed $185.8 million worldwide and is sure to continue Disney’s trend of live action version so their animated classics.
Fast X wasn’t in first long. It came in a distant second over the weekend with a little over $23 million. The film has grossed $113.6 million after two weeks. Internationally, the film added $199.5 million over the week to bring that total to $399.3 million after two weeks. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $512.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped to third place with just under $20 million for the weekend and a new domestic total of $304.8 million. Internationally, the movie added $26.1 million over the week to bring that total to $418.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $723.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie added $6.3 million to its impressive total which stands at $560.9 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $37.6 million to bring its international total to $717.8 million and $1.279 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was another newcomer, The Machine. The movie grossed $4.9 million for a total of $8.9 million domestically since it opened. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $58,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just over $476 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 58 films earning $163,043,508 from 28,581 theaters. That’s an increase of about $40 million from last weekend’s $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters and 57 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,702.62 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $4,195.52.
There’s a new champ at the weekend box office. Fast X took first, over doubling the next highest film. The movie grossed an estimated $67.5 million domestically and $199.8 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $267.3 million. That domestic opening is near the lower end of things for the franchise which has grossed anywhere from $40.1 million to $147.2 million. It is close to F9‘s $70 million in 2021 which went on to earn $726.2 million worldwide.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 slipped to second place with just under $32 million. The movie has grossed $266.5 million domestically after three weeks. Internationally, the film is rocking adding an additional $130.1 million to that total to bring it to $392.6 million and $659.1 million worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in third place with an estimated $9.8 million. Domestically the film has earned $549.3 million. Over the week, it added $5.7 million internationally to bring that total to $680.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.229 billion.
Book Club: The Next Chapter slipped to fourth place with $3 million to bring its domestic total to $13.1 million. It added about $680,000 internationally over the week to lift that to $3.8 million. Worlwide, the film has grossed $16.9 million.
Evil Dead Rise wrapped up the top five with $2.4 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $64.1 million. Over the week, the film added $10.5 million to bring its international total to $71.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.6 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods remained steady domestically where it has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $136,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.3 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters. That’s an increase of about $20 million from last weekend’s $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters and 55 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,195.52 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $3,049.33.
When I was just a wee baby (as in barely a few months old), my mom decided to take me to the movie theater with her to see The Lost Boys (released in July, 1987). Jerry Rees’s The Brave Little Toaster was also playing. My mom apparently weighed her options and decided The Lost Boys would have more of an impact in my early development than a toaster with a smile.
I cried during the entire movie. If you’ve never seen it (and if you haven’t, you should), the vampire make-up effects by artist Greg Cannom were terrifying. The vamps kept their human forms, but their faces transformed into something resembling very angry bats. And then there’s the vamp feeding scene at a punk bonfire. Fangs sunk into skulls and blood flew over the fire as the bikers went into a frenzy.
Years later, still a kid, I watched the movie again and managed to get through it without crying out of pure fear, but what stood out this time was how important the movie’s mother figure, Diane Weist‘s Lucy Emerson, was to the story and how much tension and terror the movie extracts from her as we watch one of her sons worry over her safety thinking she was dating a vampire. It left an impression. What if my mom got targeted by a vampire all of a sudden? Could I kill it on my own or did I need my own Frog Brothers to stake the bloodsucker?
It was easy to empathize with Lucy. She was a single parent moving in with her father at a time when her two kids were at their most rebellious in a new place she later learns is infested with vampires. She becomes a calming presence that could’ve helped more if her kids had let her in on the troubles of Santa Carla and the people they hung out with. One thing I admired was how brave she came off as in a place director Joel Schumacher went lengths to portray as dirty, dangerous, and forgotten. She was strong and she proved it in the final moments of the film, taking a decision for the sake of her family’s safety that jeopardized hers. All of this to say, Lucy Emerson was my first horror mom and she’s remained a favorite ever since.
It goes without saying by now, but my appreciation of horror, and The Lost Boys in particular, started getting nurtured the moment my mom decided to lightly traumatize me as a baby by taking me to the movies to see biker vampires on a big screen. So, in honor of the work mothers do from the moment we’re born, here’s a list of 5 horror movie moms that either scare, take care, or bring chaos to their kids. In other words, the kind of moms that keep steering future generations into horror.
Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!
1. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1975)
As frightening as the possessed Regan MacNeil is, none of it would’ve worked to the extent it did if the audience couldn’t channel their horror through her mom. Ellen Burstyn made this possible with a spectacular performance as Chris MacNeil, a mom that embodied both the fear of living with a child tormented by something unfathomable and the strength that’s required to fight a battle that initially looked unwinnable.
Burstyn dug deep to portray a mother that had her entire reality flung out the window and yet still managed to hold out hope as a demon tore apart her kid from the inside. Her facial expressions should be studied by anyone interested in capturing what true fear looks like, but also what anger and frustration look like in a supernatural setting. Each one of Chris MacNeil’s screams is a gut punch that makes you reel, heightening the horror of the possession and the idea of what it means to share a household with a sinister entity hellbent on corrupting an innocent soul.
2. Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara in Dark Water (dir. Hideo Nakata, 2002)
Mothers have a strange and complicated relationship with child ghosts in horror. In movies where the mother is grieving the loss of a daughter, for instance, the ghost becomes a metaphor for loss and denial in the face of death.
In Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water, though, the connection becomes something different. The story’s mother character, Yoshimi Matsubara, isn’t mourning the loss of a child. She’s getting consumed by the fear of losing hers, all of which stems from the ghost of a little girl that died in the apartment building they live in.
Actress Hitomi Kuroki plays Yoshimi like a tragic beacon of light that lonely ghosts can find a mother in. Her performance captures both the terrors that motherhood brings to the fore and what being a parent represents in the grander scheme of things. Kuroki channels the energy of a haunted house in human form, reluctantly accepting her role despite the consequences of potentially becoming mom to a ghost.
3. Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Perhaps the most influential horror mom in recent times, Essie Davis’ Amelia landed on the scene with a force that reminded viewers how brutal the experience of motherhood can be. The Babadook runs on her intensity, on her up-close and uncomfortably personal pain.
Amelia is a single mom taking care of her high-energy kid, called Samuel. Her life has essentially halted, fully, just because Samuel and his behavior take up so much of her existence, every inch of it, in fact. When the titular demon comes into their home, it finds Amelia ripe for murderous possession.
Director Jennifer Kent managed to paint a rage-filled portrait of a mother that was dealt an extremely bad hand. Essie Davis leans into Amelia’s frustrations and makes a compelling argument against becoming a mom, but only in certain moments. At others, she manages to flip the horror of the Babadook to show how incredibly beautiful it can be to take care of a life you created.
4. Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in Bates Motel (TV series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, 2013-2017)
I’m going to cheat here really quick and go for a horror TV series instead of a movie because this example is just too good, and it should be discussed more as a whole. Vera Farmiga’s interpretation of the iconic Norma Bates in Bates Motel is one of the most fascinating takes on the role in the history of the moms in horror.
The series modernizes the Norman Bates story by making the motel he shares with his mother part of a larger ecosystem and by having Norma be very much alive. Drugs, late night rendezvous, and dangerous relationships form in their place of business, and Norma has a hand in everything in one shape or another. And yet, nothing with her is predictable. She can turn a bad situation worse or offer comfort in times when those closest to her are in need.
What’s impressive is how the show interweaves outside influences with the peculiar intricacies of Norma’s relationship and outright manipulation of Norman. Farmiga switches with ease between scheming and selfish to loving and nurturing. She’s a source of torment one episode and a pillar of stability in another. She’s both what Norman needs as a mother and what he desperately needs to run away from. Farmiga puts on a show for the ages as Norma Bates. Her contribution to horror should not be overlooked.
A baby can be a terrifying thing, especially as it grows inside you. It can either be a great source of happiness or a force of existential oppression that can shatter a parent’s identity. Add the fear of some foreign entity shaping and corrupting the life you’re carrying and things can get scarier fast.
Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera indulges in this kind of fear, asking what a child is supposed to mean to a mother and whether they should submit to whatever the answer is. It places the mom-to-be, Natalia Solán’s Valeria, at the center of the story as a kind of victim of pregnancy, someone who went along with social expectations only to open the doors for something sinister to latch onto her baby.
Solán approaches Valeria as a ticking time bomb-type of character that suffers quietly at first, but is then forced to face the entity and the prospect of becoming a mother in the worst ways possible. Watching Valeria unravel is tough, but it comes with the development of a different point of view regarding a mother’s obligations and whether it’s okay to resist them. The very meaning of personal sacrifice is explored here, and it leads to an urgent question more people should ask themselves: is the parent’s life, their dreams and desires, less important than that of the child’s? The answer, Huesera would argue, is not so simple.
Shattering box-office records and generating over a billion dollars worldwide, Nintendo and Illumination’s animated spectacular The Super Mario Bros. Movie blasts into homes tomorrow, May 16, 2023, exclusively on digital platforms nationwide where you can buy or rent movies – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in first place at the weekend box office with an estimated $60.5 million. That’s a 48.9% drop from the previous weekend, which is pretty good when blockbusters tend to drop closer to 60%. It’s a sign of life for the recently struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has grossed $213.2 million domestically after two weeks. Over the week it added $94.4 million at the international box office to lift that to $262.5 million. Worldwide, the film ahs grossed $475.7 million. That has it nearly beating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s entire domestic gross for the year as well as its international gross. It should pass both this Monday.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie held on to second place with $13 million lifting its domestic earnings to just under $536 million. Over the week, it added $37.3 million at the international box office to bring that to $674.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.210 billion making it easily the top film of the year.
Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted in third place with $6.5 million domestically and $3.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $9.6 million.
Evil Dead Rise slipped to fourth place with $3.7 million bringing its domestic total to $60.2 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.3 million over the week to bring that total to $61 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $121.2 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.5 million to bring its domestic total to $16.5 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained steady at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $377,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.1 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.8 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 55 films earning $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters. That’s a decrease of about 25% from last weekend’s $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,049.33 this past weekend, a dip from the previous weekend’s $4,887.03.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3took the weekend box office which wasn’t surprising at all. The film debuted with $114 million domestically and $168.1 million internationally for a debut of $282.1 million worldwide.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy debuted with $94.3 million domestically and went on to earn $773.4 million worldwide in 2014 while its sequel debuted with $146.5 million domestically and went on to earn $863.8 million worldwide in 2017. It’s a good guess that the third film will wind up somewhere between those two and has received good reviews from critics, 81%, and the audience at 95%. The audience reviews is the best of the series while critic reviews is the lowest of the trio.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was bumped out of first and came in second with $18.6 million domestically to lift that to $518.1 million. Internationally, the film added $104.7 million over the week to bring that to $637.2 million and $1.155 billion worldwide.
Evil Dead Rise slipped one spot to third adding $5.7 million to its total and bringing that to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $25.8 million internationally to bring that total to $43.7 million and the movie’s worldwide gross to $97.8 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. came in fourth place with $3.4 million bringing its domestic total to $12.6 million. There’s no international returns.
Rounding out the top five was John Wick: Chapter 4 with $2.4 million domestically. There it has earned $180.1 million. Internationally over the week the film remained at $226 million. It has now grossed $406.1 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. Over the week, the film internationally gained about $400,000 and is now at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $800,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $213.8 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.4 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters. That’s an increase of about 50% from last weekend’s $100,091,382 from 37,246 theaters and 68 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,887.03 this past weekend, a nice increase from the previous weekend’s $2,687.31.
Let’s be real: it feels like the once-mighty MCU now really needs a hit. Phase 4 has been, to be kind, uneven. And so, can James Gunn bring some magic back before heading off to DC? Yes. Good news, true believers! Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is a good movie! You will laugh, you will cry (believe me, you will CRY), you will believe a living talking tree can fly? Ok, well, maybe not that far, but it is a solid movie.
That being said, it is missing some of the magic of previous outings. But it does deliver a satisfying end to the trilogy of films focused on our special band of a-holes. Rocket builds stuff. Drax and Mantis banter. Groot takes new forms. Star-lord is… just sort of there (which is good if you, like many, are at the end of your tolerance for Chris Pratt). But returning supporting characters also get some great work, like Kraglin and Cosmo. Cosmo is a very good dog. Cosmo is maybe the best dog. Good dog, Cosmo.
Our story involves Rocket’s origins and his ties to new villain The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is desperately searching for Rocket, deploying every resource at his disposal. This includes returning baddies The Sovereign and their new experiment teased in the after-credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Some comic book nerds are going to be very upset at Adam Warlock’s portrayal in this film as it is incredibly divorced from its comics lore. Just sit tight and wait to the end and what this portends for the future of the character, and forgive the film for needing a Big Bad who is actually a match for our Guardians of the Galaxy.
After an initial fight with Warlock leaves Rocket mortally wounded, Peter and the rest of Guardians have to undertake a desperate heist to save their friend. And through this we learn about Rocket’s origins and his previous life with other experiments of the High Evolutionary Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. And this is the section of the movie that will make you cry and should probably come with a content warning.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a series that has massive kid-appeal. Your kid loves Rocket and Groot, right? Well, this film contains scenes of implied animal torture and experimentation that is incredibly upsetting both for children and adults. While the intent is obviously to create pathos, it is maybe the most disturbing thing so far in the relatively anodyne MCU.
The High Evolutionary is also abusive: the way he speaks to Rocket and treats him is steeped in patterns any kid who grew up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home will immediately recognize. Again, this might be traumatic for people, so go in eyes open and maybe have a therapy session scheduled soon after, just in case.
And while the film focuses a lot on Rocket, its greatest strength is in providing something for every other single team member to do. Everyone gets a true superhero moment, and even better, several team-up moments where we see our gang of misfits fighting together. A hallway battle late in the third act is a symphony of teamwork and gonzo filmmaking only James Gunn could deliver.
Explosions? Yes. Guts and bodily fluids of various colors spraying everywhere? (It’s ok MPAA, they’re aliens and creatures, get it?) You know it! Laser blasts, punches, kicks, impalements, bisections, Groot showing what he can do with his various forms? Oh, HELLS yes.
And, again, everyone gets a hero moment. Mantis has a particularly fun one late in the film that I will simply call her Paul Atreides moment. But it is that same sort of heroic epic moment usually only given to single protagonists, and every. single. member. of the team gets one. It’s obvious James Gunn is leaving everything out on the field in his likely final entry into the MCU, and the last cinematic outing for this particular team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The themes from past films of found family continue to shine through. There’s also a strong potential queer/trans allegory in a lot of this, as The High Evolutionary obsesses over “his creations” needing to be “perfect” in his eyes. (Again, the abuse shown and implied here.) But as Rocket and his fellow experiments choose their own names and do things beyond his designs, they are further abused and rejected.
There is also a story of liberation here that comes at a time when basic human rights, from reproductive freedom to state governments bullying trans kids (and even legislators), are increasingly under attack. Guardians of the Galaxy continues to be a series for those of us who are misfits, but have a strength — when we fight together — that rivals any Avengers lineup.
It’s nowhere close to a perfect film. But it earns a space as one of my favorite films of Phase 4. And its message comes at a time when we couldn’t possibly need it more.
Old friends and new foes come together when John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives Digtal May 23 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD & On Demand June 13 from Lionsgate. The high action-thriller, which has grossed a franchise-best $400 million+ at the global box office, directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise) as he returns in the titular role, joined by franchise regulars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise), Lance Reddick (TV’s “Lost”), and lan McShane (“Deadwood”) while welcoming Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (It franchise), Hiroyuki Sanada (Avengers: Endgame), Shamier Anderson (Race), Rina Sawayama (TV’s “Turn Up Charlie”), and Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday).
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick: Chapter 44K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.96, respectively.
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin: Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have a partnership that stretches all the way back to the first Matrix film. In this retrospective piece, we trace their remarkable friendship and decades-long collaboration.
Train Like a Killer: Weapons Master Robert “Rock” Galotti and Keanu Reeves reveal the rigorous training that Keanu had to endure to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a reality – from gunplay, to jiu jitsu, to some hard-hitting stunt work.
Making A Killing: In John Wick, sets are not merely the backdrop for each scene – they are integral parts of the action, with Wick often using whatever is on hand to take the fight to his enemies. Here we explore the craft at play in designing the sets of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the ways set design and action choreography go hand in hand in this legendary series.
The Psychology of a Killer: Chad Stahelski explores the psychology of John Wick, a character who, despite four films, is still a mystery in many ways. We unpack the complicated code of ethics that Wick lives by, and the ironic bonds he shares with the men trying to kill him.
The Blind Leading the Fight:John Wick: Chapter 4 witnesses the arrival of Caine, a blind killer played by legendary actor and martial artist Donnie Yen. With a style not seen since The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, Caine shows that a killer’s greatest instincts come not from his eyes, but from his mind. Here we uncover Yen’s journey on this film, exploring his prep for the role, his insight into the character, and his intense training regimen to portray this unlikely killer.
Suit Up / Shoot Up: Costume Designer Paco Delgado uncovers the cooler-than-cool suits worn by the assassins of John Wick that feature bulletproof lining – just what every killer needs for a night out on the town. We also explore the more refined looks of the Marquis and the Old West-inspired garb of the Tracker.
Packing a Punch: Pulling off a kill takes a village. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the way Team Wick incorporates special effects into the practical stunts and locations of the film.
One Killer Shot:John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the boldest single-take shots ever attempted in action filmmaking. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff team up with Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers to dive into the creative challenges that went into planning this one-shot sequence that sees John Wick take on Paris’s deadliest killers.
Killing at the Speed of Traffic: Take a look at a nonstop action sequence featuring John Wick’s car-fu at the Arc de Triomphe! The driving force of this piece will be a look at the effects achieved at the iconic location, and sets the stakes of every assassin in Paris descending on Wick.
A Shot in the Dark: The John Wick series takes audiences into a world that is both thematically and visually dark. For film crews, that meant enduring hundreds of night shoots, with crews switching to a virtually nocturnal mode of life for long stretches of production. Here we explore the tenacious work of cast and crew members who tough it out night after night in pursuit of Wick’s dark, iconic aesthetic. Along the way, we explore some of the most iconic night scenes in the film, culminating with Wick’s brutal staircase fight.
In Honor of the Dead: In creating John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski drew on references from some of the greatest films ever made. Uncover the cinematic homages depicted in the film, from David Lean to John Woo, to the samurai epics of post-war Japan.
The Equalizer 3 was easily the of the box office beating the next film by over 3x the gross. The Equalizer 3 grossed $34.5 million domestically, with an estimated $42 million over the long weekend and $26.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $68.1 million. The first film opened with $55 million in 2014 to go on and earn $192.3 million worldwide and the second opened with $62 million in 2018 and went on to earn $190.4 million worldwide.
Barbie continues its amazing run adding $10.6 million to its total over the weekend to bring its domestic total to $609.5 million. Over the week it grossed $26 million internationally to bring that total to $771.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.381 billion. It’s the top grossing domestic film for 2023 by far and now officially the same worldwide in 2023 as well by a decent amount. There’s still 3 months to go, but this is looking like the year of Barbie and how pink saved the movie theater.
Blue Beetle held steady in third with $7.3 million bringing its domestic total to $56.6 million. Internationally it added $9.8 million to the gross bringing that to $45.3 million. The movie has now crossed the $100 million mark with $101.9 million worldwide.
Gran Turismo crashed in its second week with a 62.4% drop down to $6.6 million where it has now grossed $30.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $13.8 million to bring that to $50.3 million and $80.9 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $5.5 million to bring its domestic total to $210.3 million. It brought in an impressive $65.5 million internationally over the week to bring that to $542.7 million and just under $853 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem slipped one spot to sixth grossing $4.8 million domestically bringing its domestic total to just under $108 million. Internationally, the movie added $7.9 million where it has now grossed $44.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has brought in $152.9 million.
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed about $4,500 over the week domestically to bring its total to $657,810.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added about $200,000 domestically and is now at $381.2 million. Internationally, the film gained about $1.2 million to bring that to $308.1 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $689.3 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 31 films earning $88,445,990 from 38,755 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters and 66 films. The average earning was $2,282.18 this past weekend, a slight increase from the previous weekend’s $2,164.37.
It’s a close call for first place, but it looks like Gran Turismo took the top of the box office with a $17.3 million debut. That’s just a hair more than the second place Barbie. Internationally, the film grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide debut of $53.8 million.
Barbie is a close second place with $17.1 million to bring its domestic total to $594.8 million. Over the week, it added $33.6 million internationally to bring that to $745.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.340 billion. It’s now the top film domestically for 2023 but is about $19 million behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take the top spot worldwide.
Blue Beetle dropped from first to third with a respectable 49% drop. It grossed an estimated $12.8 million to lift its domestic total to $46.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $17.5 million to bring its international total to $35.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $81.8 million.
Oppenheimer slipped one spot to fourth with $9 million and its domestic total is now $300 million. Internationally, the movie added $44.6 million to its total which is now $477.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $777.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem which grossed $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $98.1 million. Internationally, the film added $6.7 million over the week to bring that to $37 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.1 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $7,208 domestically to bring its total to $653,313.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remained at just under $381 million domestically. Internationally, the film gained about $1 million to bring that to $306.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $687.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 66 films earning $90,836,303 from 41,969 theaters. That’s about last weekend’s $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters and 57 films. The average earning was $2,164.37 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $2,757.47.
Blue Beetle was the top of the weekend box office, dethroning Barbie which has held the spot for the past four weekends. Blue Beetle debuted with $25 million domestically and $18 million internationally for a total of $43 million. That opening was on part with The Suicide Squad which opened with $26.2 million in 2021. Blue Beetle was originally supposed to be a film on HBO Max, so its theatrical numbers are a bit of a headscratcher, but the movie was projected to open between $30 and $35 million. But, the film has received positive word of mouth so this could be another case of a movie having legs and doing well over the long term.
Barbie came in second place with an estimated $21.5 million to bring its domestic gross of $567.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $54.3 million over the week to bring the international total to $711.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.279 billion. The film is about $8 million away from being the top grossing domestic release of the year and $76 million away from being the worldwide leader.
Oppenheimer slipped to third place with an estimated $10.6 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $285.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $47.8 million to lift that to $432.6 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $717.8 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem dropped one spot to come in fourth with $8.4 million. It has now grossed $88.1 million after 3 weeks. Over the week it grossed $16.9 million to bring that to $30.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $118.4 million.
Strays rounded out the top five with $8.3 million domestically and just under $2 million internationally for $10.3 million.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine grossed $16,870 domestically to bring its total to $635,610.
The Flash looks like it remained at $108.1 million domestically. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $100,000 to bring its domestic total to just under $381 million. Internationally, the film is now at $305.9 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $686.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.5 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $96,960,958 from 35,163 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters and 56 films. The average earning was $2,757.47 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $3,397.15.
Like a shining psychedelic beckon, breaking thru the mundane haze of our exceedingly limited Streaming App-Age, as culturally, we drown in endless waves of horrid mega-priced mainstream popcorn lobotomies, glows the kaleidoscopic light that is Cartoon Damage.
Coming to you from the deranged mind behind L.A.’s notorious underground comics event, Permanent Damage, (& the upcoming Permanent Damage Portland show Sat. Aug. 26th at Floyd Center Mall) is the animation festival you’ve been waiting for!!!!
Cartoon Damage plays Friday August 25th 6:30pm at Portland’s Historic and Beautiful, Clinton Street Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
60 minutes of Kick-ass Cartoons from animations brightest and best!
Featuring a mind-blowing array of outrageously good animated shorts:
Terra Incognita by Adrian Dexter & Pernille Kjaer,
Those Shoes by Amy Lockhart and Devin Flynn
Back Issues by Skinner & Trevor Borrens
The HORK by Nicole Stafford
Flesh Gun & Morphia Utila by Lale Westvind
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (boner) by Christina Fidler
How the Dog Learned Perspective & Military School by Matthew Thurber
LEMON LIME by Mara Ramirez & music by AC Crowley
Deepstates ep.1 “Convenience” by Molly Wright
Corn Cob Muscle Drawing Tutorial by Lordspew
Nipple Man by Pat Kain and Rudy Schultz
Plus the 2nd part of our double feature!
A Cartoon Damage Mix-Tape : Over 70 minutes of odd, old and rarely screened animation from the archives of curators: Tom Neely, Harry Nordlinger, & KMK
Curated and conceived by Keenan Marshall Keller
Friday August 25th at The Clinton St. Theater 2522 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Barbie once again was the top of the weekend box office continuing an amazing run and the one of the movie stories of the year. The film added $33.7 million to its domestic total which now stands at $526.3 million. Over the week, it added $85.5 million internationally where the film has grossed $657.6 million. That brings it to just under $1.184 billion so far in just four weeks. The movie is just $48 million away domestically and $173 million internationally to be the top grossing film of the year.
Speaking of impressive runs. Oppenheimer returned to second place where it added $18.8 million to its domestic total which is now $264.3 million. Internationally, the film grossed $60.3 million over the week and now has grossed $384.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned a bit over $649 million.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem improved a bit coming in third place for the weekend. It grossed $15.8 million to bring its domestic total to $72.8 million. Over the week it grossed $13.4 million internationally which now stands at $21.9 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $94.7 million.
Meg 2: The Trench fell to fourth with $12.7 million to bring its domestic total to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $90.8 million to bring its international total to $202.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $256.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Last Voyage of the Demeter which debuted with an anemic $6.5 million. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine has grossed $557,496 after two weeks. Over the weekend it grossed $83,495.
The Flash added about $78,000 domestically to bring its gross to $108.1 million. Internationally, the film remained at $160.4 million for a worldwide total of $268.5 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed $300,000 to bring its domestic total to $380.7 million. Internationally, the film remained at $303.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $684.4 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained at about $359 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $100,000 internationally where it has now earned $486.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $845.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 56 films earning $111,915,660 from 32,944 theaters. That’s a dip, but still solid, from last weekend’s $176,725,450 from 32,960 theaters and 56 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,397.15 this past weekend, a drop from previous weekend’s $5,361.82.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac
BONUS MATERIALS 4K UHD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL
Blu-ray, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
“I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
Designing Spiders and Spots
Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
Escape from Spider-Society
Across the Comics-Verse
Lyric Videos
Filmmaker Commentary
Also Includes:
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
Raising a Hero
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
Blu-ray and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+.
Not surprisingly, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took first place at the weekend box office. The film grossed $56.2 million domestically where it has grossed a little over $80 million total. The film also grossed $155 million internationally for a worldwide debut of a little over $235 million.
In second place was the Q-Anon propaganda Sound of Freedom which improved to gross $27 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $85.5 million after about two weeks at the box office.
Insidious: The Red Door dropped from last week’s first place to come in third with $13 million to deliver a domestic total gross of $58.1 million. Over the week, the film added $33.1 million internationally for a total of $64.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $122.6 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny continued its stumble with $12 million to come in fourth after 3 weeks. The film has grossed $145.4 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $30.3 million to bring its international total to $157 million even. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $302.4 million.
Elemental wrapped up the top five with $8.7 million to bring its domestic total to $125.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $43.7 million internationally to bring that total to $186.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $311.7 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash added just $720,000 domestically to bring its gross to $106.8 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $263.6 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped out of the top five to sixth with $6.1 million to bring its domestic total to $368.8 million. Internationally, the film grossed $10.1 million over the week to bring that total to $294.7 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $663.5 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 grossed $480,000. It has now grossed $358.5 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $1.6 million internationally where it has now earned $483.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $842.4 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 50 films earning $140,138,793 from 35,318 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,967.91 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,474.58.
Godzilla has been on a rampage as of late, from Gareth Edwards‘s 2014 reboot to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In between those films we got the best Godzilla of the current era with Shin Gojira (2016), directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, a movie that paved the way for other Shin entries such as Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider (though supposedly not to be taken as part of a shared universe).
This year, Godzilla rises again with the recently announced Gojira Minus One, a return to the giant monster of the 1954 original that decimates cities with colossal anger while carrying the metaphor of nuclear threat in every roar.
Toho International released a teaser trailer of the new production that confirms as much. From what brief look shows, the story goes back to a post-World War II Japan that’s struggling with the destruction wrought by the allies during the last year of the conflict. Godzilla’s arrival plunges the country into the minus, a cruel position in which devastation takes another pass over an already devastated land.
The bits of Godzilla we get in the final seconds of the teaser show a creature consumed by ruthless aggression, as if intent on passing judgment on the country and how it managed to sink to the place it found itself in after it unconditionally surrendered to the allies.
It’ll be interesting to see what director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) has in store for Godzilla in terms of metaphors. The original movie turned the iconic kaiju into a representation of atomic trauma, spawning from the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end the war. The aftermath of the two infamous attacks brought about a period of absolute confusion, especially as the effects of radiation started becoming physically noticeable in those close to the affected areas. Godzilla is an expression of that, a monster that communicates fear a newly minted nuclear world.
With war still a global concern, both in the effects of current conflicts (Ukraine) and the possibility of future world wars, Godzilla is a potent enough symbol to carry messages on its spiky and hulking body. In fact, Godzilla has proven quite adept in embodying different metaphors at different points in time.
The aforementioned Shin Godzilla does an exceptional job at poking fun at the ridiculousness and total dysfunction of bureaucracies in the face of national crises. Anno and Higuchi turn Godzilla into a natural disaster that could have been more quickly and effectively solved had the government not been tangled up by committees with overlapping powers that clash against one another rather than facilitate solutions.
Edwards’s 2014 take turned the kaiju into a warning against the continued use of nuclear power in the present, using imagery and discourse surrounding the radioactive disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant as a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The crisis resulted in critical disruptions to the plant’s operations and led to explosions and radiation leaks that led to the evacuation of some 110,000 residents from the areas surrounding Fukushima.
Edwards’s Godzilla spoke to the severity of that kind of catastrophe, and it made sure the message landed with a force, though the movie didn’t exactly live up to expectations given certain creative decisions that didn’t give the titular kaiju more of a chance to shine. If the teaser is any indication, Minus One won’t be having that problem.
Gojira Minus One, the 30th entry in Toho’s giant monster franchise, has a November 3rd, 2023 release date on its sights for Japanese audiences and a December 1st, 2023 date for American audiences. If you want to give the entire franchise a look, Pluto TV is currently streaming a 24/7 Godzilla channel dedicated to the creature’s many encounters with Japan and the other monsters his presence has attracted throughout his storied career. It’s a good time to be a Godzilla fan, and the new film looks to be terrifyingly special.
SAG-AFTRAannounced on Thursday that it’s on strike. This is the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket line. This is the first strike by actors since 1980 and the first “double strike” since 1960.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA national board voted unanimously to approve a strike. The recommendation was forwarded by the negotiating committee after talks failed in agreement to a fair contract.
The strike officially began at Midnight Friday with picketing beginning today.
The strike impacts more than work, but also promotion which has some wondering what actors will be able to do at conventions while the strike is in effect. San Diego Comic-Con which takes place July 20 to 23 has already had panel cancellations due to it.
The union’s contract expired midnight Wednesday after being extended through july 12. A month of negotiations resulted in little progress. SAG-AFTRA has focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and streaming and their impact on actors and the industry as a whole.
Both the writers and actors have raised concerns over technology and their impact which has suppressed wages. Simple requests like the sharing of streaming viewership data is being rejected.
Below is what members aren’t allowed to do during the strike:
Principal on camera work, such as:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing stunts
Piloting on-camera aircraft
Puppeteering
Performance capture or motion capture work;
Principal off camera work, such as:
ADR/Looping
TV Trailers (promos) and Theatrical Trailers
Voice Acting
Singing
Narration, including audio descriptive services except as the services may be covered by another collective bargaining agreement referred in the Notice to Members Regarding Non-Struck Work
Stunt coordinating and related services
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests, and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions (including via self-tape)
Promotion of/publicity services for work under the TV/Theatrical Contracts, such as:
Tours
Personal appearances
Interviews
Conventions
Fan expos
Festivals
For your consideration events
Panels
Premieres/screenings
Award shows
Junkets
Podcast appearances
Social media
Studio showcases
Negotiating and/or entering into and/or consenting to:
An agreement to perform covered services in the future
Any new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project
The creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for a struck production or other ancillary content connected to a struck production
In a bit of a surprise, Insidious: The Red Door took the weekend box office with $32.7 million domestically. The film also earned $31.4 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $64.1 million.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dropped to second place after just one week in first. It added $26.5 million domestically to bring that total to $121.2 million. Over the week it added $56.7 million to its international total to bring that to $126.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $247.9 million after two weeks.
In third place was the controversial Q-Anon linked Sound of Freedom which opened with $18.2 million and a domestic total to $40.2 million. It officially debuted July 4th. There’s no international release.
Elemental dropped from second to fourth with $9.6 million to bring its domestic total to $109.2 million. Over the week, it added $44.7 million internationally to lift that total to $142.7 million for a worldwide total of $251.9 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse rounded out the top five with $8 million to bring its domestic total to $357.6 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.2 million over the week to bring that total to $284.6 million. Worldwide, the move has grossed $642.2 million.
In comic film news…
The Flash slipped out of the top ten with $2.3 million domestically to bring it to $105.2 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $156.8 million for a worldwide total of $262 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to 14th place with $1 million. It has now grossed $357.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $2.2 million internationally where it has now earned $482.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $839.8 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $129,497,729 from 37,270 theaters. That’s about the same as last weekend’s $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters and 42 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,474.58 this past weekend, a decrease from the previous weekend’s $3,794.64.
It’s not much of a surprise but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the weekend box office with $60 million. Overall, the film has grossed an estimated $82 million domestically and $70 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $152 million.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008 with $100.1 million domestically and went on to gross $790.7 million worldwide. It’s hard to declare the debut of the latest film as anything but a bit of a letdown for its debut.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped one spot coming in second with $11.5 million bringing its domestic total to $339.9 million. Over the week, the film added $24.2 million internationally to bring that to $267.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $607.3 million.
Elemental came in third place with $11.3 million to bring its domestic total to $93.7 million. Internationally, the movie added $42.4 million over the week to bring that to $98 million and $191.7 million worldwide.
No Hard Feelings came in fourth adding $7.5 million to its box office. The movie has grossed $29.3 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added $10.5 million over the week to bring its domestic total to $20 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $49.3 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five adding $7 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $136.1 million domestically. It also grossed $26.9 million over the week internationally to bring its domestic total to $245.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $381.3 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to tenth place with a little over $1.8 million. It has now grossed $355.6 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $3.3 million internationally where it has now earned $480.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $835.7 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 42 films earning $128,186,797 from 33,781 theaters. That’s an improvement from last weekend’s $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters and 48 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,794.64 this past weekend, an increase from the previous weekend’s $3,409.82.
It’s been one of the most anticipated casting announcements in recent years but a new Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been revealed. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play the roles in James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy.
The story will focus on the early years of Clark Kent as he starts out at The Daily Planet where he works with Lois Lane. The film is about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Gunn sees him as the “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
This is a breakout role for Corenswet who has earned praised for his performance in The Politician and Pearl. Brosnahan has already earned praise and awards for her work on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The film is being directed by Gunn from his own screenplay. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is set for release on July 11, 2025.
With news of multiple version of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it’s not a surprise that it’d eventually move back into first place. It did this weekend, as the previous box office champ, The Flash, took a massive trip.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed an esitmated $19.3 million to bring its domestic total to $317.1 million. Internationally, the film add $34.2 million over the week to bring that total to $243.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $560.3 million.
Elemental held on to second with $18.5 million to lift its domestic total to $65.5 million. Over the week, it added $40.6 million internationally where it has grossed $55.6 million. In two weeks, the film has earned $121.1 million worldwide.
The Flash fell from first to third, losing 72.3% from the previous week. It grossed an estimated $15.3 million to bring its domestic total to $87.6 million. Over the week, it added $48.3 million internationally to bring that total to $123.3 million for a worldwide gross of $210.9 million.
No Hard Feelings debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million domestically and $9.5 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $24.6 million.
Rounding out the top five was Transformers: Rise of the Beasts which added $11.6 million to its domestic total which is now $122.9 million. Internationally, the film grossed an impressive $95 million to bring that total to $218.3 million for a worldwide gross of $341.2 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fell to eighth place with a little over $3.5 million. It has now grossed $351.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $300,000 internationally where it has now earned $476.8 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $827.9 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 48 films earning $109,097,190 from 31,995 theaters. That’s a drop from last weekend’s $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters and 51 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,409.82 this past weekend, a big dip from the previous weekend’s $5,588.94.
The Flashtook first place at the weekend box office coming in around low expectations. The movie grossed $55.1 million and has earned $64 million domestically so far. Internationally, the movie grossed $75 million for a worldwide debut of $139 million.
It was a rough weekend for Disney too whoseElementalcame in second with just $29.5 million. It has grossed $33.3 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $15 million so far for an opening weekend of $48.3 million.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseslipped to third place from the previous weekend’s second. It added $27.8 million to its domestic total which now stands at $285 million. Internationally, the film has grossed $209 million for a worldwide total of $494 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastsfrom the previous weekend’s first place to fourth adding $20 million to its total which is now $103.6 million domestically. Internationally, the film added $104.9 million over the week and has now grossed $123.8 million. Worldwide, the film has earned $227.4 million.
In fifth place wasThe Little Mermaidwhich earned $11.6 million to bring its domestic total to $255.3 million. It added about $27 million to its international total over the week which now stands at $212.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $467.7 million.
In comic film news…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3fell to seventh place with a little $5 million. It has now grossed $345.1 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $6 million internationally where it has now earned $476.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $821.6 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaremained at $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 51 films earning $163,789,317 from 29,306 theaters. That’s about the same from last weekend’s $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters and 54 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,588.94 this past weekend, a slight dip from the previous weekend’s $5,913.35.
It was a new movie at the top of the box office as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened with $60.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie opened with just $18.9 million delivering an opening weekend of $79.4 million.
The first live action film, Transformers, opened with $70.5 million domestically in 2007 and grossed $709.7 million worldwide. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened with just under $109 million in 2009 and grossed $836.3 million worldwide. Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011 opened with $97.9 million and grossed $1.124 billion worldwide. In 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction opened with $100 million and grossed $1.104 billion worldwide. Transformers: The Last Knight saw a pretty big drop opening with $44.7 million domestically and grossed $605.4 million worldwide in 2017. Bumblebee kicked off a new take and opened with $21.7 million in 2018 and went on to gross just under $468 million worldwide.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $55.4 million to its domestic total which is now $225.4 million. The International total still hasn’t been updated and stands at $87.9 million for a worldwide total of $313.3 million.
The Little Mermaid slipped to third place with $22.8 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $228.8 million. Over the week, the film added $44.9 million internationally to bring that total to $185.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $414.2 million.
In fourth place was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a little over $7 million. It has now grossed $335.4 million domestically. Over the week, it grossed $13.1 million internationally where it has now earned $470.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $805.9 million.
Rounding out the top five was The Boogeyman which added $6.9 million to its domestic total. It has grossed $24.7 million since opening. Over the week, it added $7.2 million to its international total to increase that to $14.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $39.6 million.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $12,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476.1 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 54 films earning $165,337,184 from 27,960 theaters. That’s a decrease from last weekend’s $205,179,351 from 30,903 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,913.35 this past weekend, a drop from the previous weekend’s $6,639.46.
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is getting a 4K Steelbook release on September 19th.
Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS 4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director Michael Schultz
Creepypasta is horror for the internet age. It started out as user-generated urban legends, more freely dipped in horror, that were shared online in forums and message boards in a style that catered to plausibility. They lived in the grey areas between ambiguity and anonymity, the two things that best describe digital interactions across the board (which is scary in itself). Classic monsters were replaced with hooded figures with abnormally long limbs or faces with frozen smiles on them, carrying names like Candlejack or Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Haunted houses were cast aside for liminal spaces and interdimensional spots that could feature stairs going to places unseen or strange TV shows with names like Candle Cove.
The ScreamBox exclusive Creepypasta movie manages to capture a lot of this with an anthology format that goes for 5-6-minute-long stories, à la The ABCs of Death, that feel like a greatest hits rundown of what Creepypastas are all about. Among the filmmakers that contribute to the film are Daniel Garcia, Buz Wallick, Berkley Brady, Paul Stamper, Carlos Omar De Leon, Tony Morales, Mikel Cravatta, and Carlos Cobos Aroca.
Like all good horror anthologies, the film features a wraparound story which, in this case, follows a man in a strange house who’s looking for a flash drive that’s housing a sensitive video in it. The place is a mess, with dead bodies strewn about and an analogue TV with an 8-bit video game stuck on its start menu screen to round out the atmosphere (here we get a clever Easter egg in the form of Ben Drowned, a popular Creepypasta by Alexander D. Hall, aka Jadusable). The man moves towards a computer screen that sits on a cryptic chat page that directs him to watch sinister video after sinister video as he searches for the right one. We never know who’s writing on the other end.
The short stories range from shadow people to long-legged boogeymen (like Jumby) that kidnap kids. They serve as introductions to urban legends, brief glimpses into horrors that have the potential to become movies independently. The setup is simple enough. One or two characters come into contact with something that defies explanation, and is also off-center weird, only to be immediately haunted or traumatized by it.
Reality itself gets altered to accommodate the beings in these stories, but never to the point of completely breaking away from it. One thing Creepypastas excel at is in projecting a kind of strangeness that flirts with the possibility of being real. I’d argue that’s what makes them so compelling. They aim to scare in a very intimate way while never fully letting go of the little truths that make the mind wonder.
Not every story hits the mark, though. Those that play around with scary imagery and keep to the margins so that the viewer’s mind fills in the blanks are more successful than those that indulge in special effects and overdramatic performances. There’s a story about blue-eyed people that communicate with another dimension, for instance, that could’ve done with some restraint.
On the other hand, There’s a Black Eyed Kids story that’s quite a highlight. It follow a lonely and sick old woman as she’s visited by one of these kids. The segment keeps to a grey toned and heavily shadowed aesthetic that accentuates the horror whenever we’re shown something terrible, if only for a moment, and it sustains the effect throughout the brief runtime. The closing story, about El Cuco (a variation of El Coco), is another high point, and it might be the best the bunch. It builds up the legend of a dark creature with clever use of suggestion and dread. It carries a sense of dark fantasy that makes it come off almost fairytale-like, but not to the point of shedding its Creepypasta identity. Its closing sequence makes sure the anthology ends on a high note.
Creepypasta has the necessary elements to become a very different and exciting horror anthology. It has a unique identity that already sets it apart from the rest. The micro-short story approach plays to the strengths of the Creepypasta concept and opens doors to future entries. Aiming for a stronger selection of stories and a continuation of high-quality wraparound stories will surely lead to the creation of a loyal fanbase that’ll constantly be itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fanbase isn’t growing now as we speak.
Moviegoers went under the sea for The Little Mermaid making the latest Disney live action adaptation the top film for the weekend. The movie grossed an estimated $95.5 million domestically over the weekend and $68.3 million internationally. Over the long weekend, the film has grossed $117.5 million domestically. So far the movie has grossed $185.8 million worldwide and is sure to continue Disney’s trend of live action version so their animated classics.
Fast X wasn’t in first long. It came in a distant second over the weekend with a little over $23 million. The film has grossed $113.6 million after two weeks. Internationally, the film added $199.5 million over the week to bring that total to $399.3 million after two weeks. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $512.9 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped to third place with just under $20 million for the weekend and a new domestic total of $304.8 million. Internationally, the movie added $26.1 million over the week to bring that total to $418.7 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $723.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie added $6.3 million to its impressive total which stands at $560.9 million domestically. Over the week, the movie grossed $37.6 million to bring its international total to $717.8 million and $1.279 billion worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was another newcomer, The Machine. The movie grossed $4.9 million for a total of $8.9 million domestically since it opened. No international total has been reported.
In comic film news…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $58,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.5 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just over $476 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 58 films earning $163,043,508 from 28,581 theaters. That’s an increase of about $40 million from last weekend’s $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters and 57 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $5,702.62 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $4,195.52.
There’s a new champ at the weekend box office. Fast X took first, over doubling the next highest film. The movie grossed an estimated $67.5 million domestically and $199.8 million at the international box office for a worldwide debut of $267.3 million. That domestic opening is near the lower end of things for the franchise which has grossed anywhere from $40.1 million to $147.2 million. It is close to F9‘s $70 million in 2021 which went on to earn $726.2 million worldwide.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 slipped to second place with just under $32 million. The movie has grossed $266.5 million domestically after three weeks. Internationally, the film is rocking adding an additional $130.1 million to that total to bring it to $392.6 million and $659.1 million worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in third place with an estimated $9.8 million. Domestically the film has earned $549.3 million. Over the week, it added $5.7 million internationally to bring that total to $680.2 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.229 billion.
Book Club: The Next Chapter slipped to fourth place with $3 million to bring its domestic total to $13.1 million. It added about $680,000 internationally over the week to lift that to $3.8 million. Worlwide, the film has grossed $16.9 million.
Evil Dead Rise wrapped up the top five with $2.4 million. Domestically, the film has grossed $64.1 million. Over the week, the film added $10.5 million to bring its international total to $71.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $135.6 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods remained steady domestically where it has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $136,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.3 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed just under $476 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 57 films earning $121,758,165 from 29,021 theaters. That’s an increase of about $20 million from last weekend’s $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters and 55 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,195.52 this past weekend, a boost from the previous weekend’s $3,049.33.
When I was just a wee baby (as in barely a few months old), my mom decided to take me to the movie theater with her to see The Lost Boys (released in July, 1987). Jerry Rees’s The Brave Little Toaster was also playing. My mom apparently weighed her options and decided The Lost Boys would have more of an impact in my early development than a toaster with a smile.
I cried during the entire movie. If you’ve never seen it (and if you haven’t, you should), the vampire make-up effects by artist Greg Cannom were terrifying. The vamps kept their human forms, but their faces transformed into something resembling very angry bats. And then there’s the vamp feeding scene at a punk bonfire. Fangs sunk into skulls and blood flew over the fire as the bikers went into a frenzy.
Years later, still a kid, I watched the movie again and managed to get through it without crying out of pure fear, but what stood out this time was how important the movie’s mother figure, Diane Weist‘s Lucy Emerson, was to the story and how much tension and terror the movie extracts from her as we watch one of her sons worry over her safety thinking she was dating a vampire. It left an impression. What if my mom got targeted by a vampire all of a sudden? Could I kill it on my own or did I need my own Frog Brothers to stake the bloodsucker?
It was easy to empathize with Lucy. She was a single parent moving in with her father at a time when her two kids were at their most rebellious in a new place she later learns is infested with vampires. She becomes a calming presence that could’ve helped more if her kids had let her in on the troubles of Santa Carla and the people they hung out with. One thing I admired was how brave she came off as in a place director Joel Schumacher went lengths to portray as dirty, dangerous, and forgotten. She was strong and she proved it in the final moments of the film, taking a decision for the sake of her family’s safety that jeopardized hers. All of this to say, Lucy Emerson was my first horror mom and she’s remained a favorite ever since.
It goes without saying by now, but my appreciation of horror, and The Lost Boys in particular, started getting nurtured the moment my mom decided to lightly traumatize me as a baby by taking me to the movies to see biker vampires on a big screen. So, in honor of the work mothers do from the moment we’re born, here’s a list of 5 horror movie moms that either scare, take care, or bring chaos to their kids. In other words, the kind of moms that keep steering future generations into horror.
Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!
1. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1975)
As frightening as the possessed Regan MacNeil is, none of it would’ve worked to the extent it did if the audience couldn’t channel their horror through her mom. Ellen Burstyn made this possible with a spectacular performance as Chris MacNeil, a mom that embodied both the fear of living with a child tormented by something unfathomable and the strength that’s required to fight a battle that initially looked unwinnable.
Burstyn dug deep to portray a mother that had her entire reality flung out the window and yet still managed to hold out hope as a demon tore apart her kid from the inside. Her facial expressions should be studied by anyone interested in capturing what true fear looks like, but also what anger and frustration look like in a supernatural setting. Each one of Chris MacNeil’s screams is a gut punch that makes you reel, heightening the horror of the possession and the idea of what it means to share a household with a sinister entity hellbent on corrupting an innocent soul.
2. Hitomi Kuroki as Yoshimi Matsubara in Dark Water (dir. Hideo Nakata, 2002)
Mothers have a strange and complicated relationship with child ghosts in horror. In movies where the mother is grieving the loss of a daughter, for instance, the ghost becomes a metaphor for loss and denial in the face of death.
In Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water, though, the connection becomes something different. The story’s mother character, Yoshimi Matsubara, isn’t mourning the loss of a child. She’s getting consumed by the fear of losing hers, all of which stems from the ghost of a little girl that died in the apartment building they live in.
Actress Hitomi Kuroki plays Yoshimi like a tragic beacon of light that lonely ghosts can find a mother in. Her performance captures both the terrors that motherhood brings to the fore and what being a parent represents in the grander scheme of things. Kuroki channels the energy of a haunted house in human form, reluctantly accepting her role despite the consequences of potentially becoming mom to a ghost.
3. Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Perhaps the most influential horror mom in recent times, Essie Davis’ Amelia landed on the scene with a force that reminded viewers how brutal the experience of motherhood can be. The Babadook runs on her intensity, on her up-close and uncomfortably personal pain.
Amelia is a single mom taking care of her high-energy kid, called Samuel. Her life has essentially halted, fully, just because Samuel and his behavior take up so much of her existence, every inch of it, in fact. When the titular demon comes into their home, it finds Amelia ripe for murderous possession.
Director Jennifer Kent managed to paint a rage-filled portrait of a mother that was dealt an extremely bad hand. Essie Davis leans into Amelia’s frustrations and makes a compelling argument against becoming a mom, but only in certain moments. At others, she manages to flip the horror of the Babadook to show how incredibly beautiful it can be to take care of a life you created.
4. Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates in Bates Motel (TV series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, 2013-2017)
I’m going to cheat here really quick and go for a horror TV series instead of a movie because this example is just too good, and it should be discussed more as a whole. Vera Farmiga’s interpretation of the iconic Norma Bates in Bates Motel is one of the most fascinating takes on the role in the history of the moms in horror.
The series modernizes the Norman Bates story by making the motel he shares with his mother part of a larger ecosystem and by having Norma be very much alive. Drugs, late night rendezvous, and dangerous relationships form in their place of business, and Norma has a hand in everything in one shape or another. And yet, nothing with her is predictable. She can turn a bad situation worse or offer comfort in times when those closest to her are in need.
What’s impressive is how the show interweaves outside influences with the peculiar intricacies of Norma’s relationship and outright manipulation of Norman. Farmiga switches with ease between scheming and selfish to loving and nurturing. She’s a source of torment one episode and a pillar of stability in another. She’s both what Norman needs as a mother and what he desperately needs to run away from. Farmiga puts on a show for the ages as Norma Bates. Her contribution to horror should not be overlooked.
A baby can be a terrifying thing, especially as it grows inside you. It can either be a great source of happiness or a force of existential oppression that can shatter a parent’s identity. Add the fear of some foreign entity shaping and corrupting the life you’re carrying and things can get scarier fast.
Michelle Garza Cervera’s Huesera indulges in this kind of fear, asking what a child is supposed to mean to a mother and whether they should submit to whatever the answer is. It places the mom-to-be, Natalia Solán’s Valeria, at the center of the story as a kind of victim of pregnancy, someone who went along with social expectations only to open the doors for something sinister to latch onto her baby.
Solán approaches Valeria as a ticking time bomb-type of character that suffers quietly at first, but is then forced to face the entity and the prospect of becoming a mother in the worst ways possible. Watching Valeria unravel is tough, but it comes with the development of a different point of view regarding a mother’s obligations and whether it’s okay to resist them. The very meaning of personal sacrifice is explored here, and it leads to an urgent question more people should ask themselves: is the parent’s life, their dreams and desires, less important than that of the child’s? The answer, Huesera would argue, is not so simple.
Shattering box-office records and generating over a billion dollars worldwide, Nintendo and Illumination’s animated spectacular The Super Mario Bros. Movie blasts into homes tomorrow, May 16, 2023, exclusively on digital platforms nationwide where you can buy or rent movies – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Fred Armisen.
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in first place at the weekend box office with an estimated $60.5 million. That’s a 48.9% drop from the previous weekend, which is pretty good when blockbusters tend to drop closer to 60%. It’s a sign of life for the recently struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has grossed $213.2 million domestically after two weeks. Over the week it added $94.4 million at the international box office to lift that to $262.5 million. Worldwide, the film ahs grossed $475.7 million. That has it nearly beating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s entire domestic gross for the year as well as its international gross. It should pass both this Monday.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie held on to second place with $13 million lifting its domestic earnings to just under $536 million. Over the week, it added $37.3 million at the international box office to bring that to $674.5 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $1.210 billion making it easily the top film of the year.
Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted in third place with $6.5 million domestically and $3.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $9.6 million.
Evil Dead Rise slipped to fourth place with $3.7 million bringing its domestic total to $60.2 million. Internationally, the film grossed $17.3 million over the week to bring that total to $61 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $121.2 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.5 million to bring its domestic total to $16.5 million.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. The film internationally remained steady at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $377,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $214.1 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.8 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 55 films earning $100,362,433 from 32,913 theaters. That’s a decrease of about 25% from last weekend’s $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters and 52 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $3,049.33 this past weekend, a dip from the previous weekend’s $4,887.03.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3took the weekend box office which wasn’t surprising at all. The film debuted with $114 million domestically and $168.1 million internationally for a debut of $282.1 million worldwide.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy debuted with $94.3 million domestically and went on to earn $773.4 million worldwide in 2014 while its sequel debuted with $146.5 million domestically and went on to earn $863.8 million worldwide in 2017. It’s a good guess that the third film will wind up somewhere between those two and has received good reviews from critics, 81%, and the audience at 95%. The audience reviews is the best of the series while critic reviews is the lowest of the trio.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was bumped out of first and came in second with $18.6 million domestically to lift that to $518.1 million. Internationally, the film added $104.7 million over the week to bring that to $637.2 million and $1.155 billion worldwide.
Evil Dead Rise slipped one spot to third adding $5.7 million to its total and bringing that to $54.1 million. Over the week, the film grossed $25.8 million internationally to bring that total to $43.7 million and the movie’s worldwide gross to $97.8 million.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. came in fourth place with $3.4 million bringing its domestic total to $12.6 million. There’s no international returns.
Rounding out the top five was John Wick: Chapter 4 with $2.4 million domestically. There it has earned $180.1 million. Internationally over the week the film remained at $226 million. It has now grossed $406.1 million worldwide.
In comic film news…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods added $100,000 over the week. Domestically, the film has grossed $57.6 million. Over the week, the film internationally gained about $400,000 and is now at $75.8 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $133.4 million.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania added nearly $800,000 over the weekend to bring the domestic total to just under $213.8 million. Internationally, the movie remained steady at about $261.6 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $475.4 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks like it held steady at $453.8 million domestically. Internationally, the film looks like it remained steady and is about $405.4 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $859.2 million.
The week’s overall box office success…
Numbers have 52 films earning $159,898,817 from 32,719 theaters. That’s an increase of about 50% from last weekend’s $100,091,382 from 37,246 theaters and 68 films. But, it’s still a solid weekend box office. The average earning was $4,887.03 this past weekend, a nice increase from the previous weekend’s $2,687.31.
Let’s be real: it feels like the once-mighty MCU now really needs a hit. Phase 4 has been, to be kind, uneven. And so, can James Gunn bring some magic back before heading off to DC? Yes. Good news, true believers! Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3 is a good movie! You will laugh, you will cry (believe me, you will CRY), you will believe a living talking tree can fly? Ok, well, maybe not that far, but it is a solid movie.
That being said, it is missing some of the magic of previous outings. But it does deliver a satisfying end to the trilogy of films focused on our special band of a-holes. Rocket builds stuff. Drax and Mantis banter. Groot takes new forms. Star-lord is… just sort of there (which is good if you, like many, are at the end of your tolerance for Chris Pratt). But returning supporting characters also get some great work, like Kraglin and Cosmo. Cosmo is a very good dog. Cosmo is maybe the best dog. Good dog, Cosmo.
Our story involves Rocket’s origins and his ties to new villain The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who is desperately searching for Rocket, deploying every resource at his disposal. This includes returning baddies The Sovereign and their new experiment teased in the after-credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Some comic book nerds are going to be very upset at Adam Warlock’s portrayal in this film as it is incredibly divorced from its comics lore. Just sit tight and wait to the end and what this portends for the future of the character, and forgive the film for needing a Big Bad who is actually a match for our Guardians of the Galaxy.
After an initial fight with Warlock leaves Rocket mortally wounded, Peter and the rest of Guardians have to undertake a desperate heist to save their friend. And through this we learn about Rocket’s origins and his previous life with other experiments of the High Evolutionary Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. And this is the section of the movie that will make you cry and should probably come with a content warning.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a series that has massive kid-appeal. Your kid loves Rocket and Groot, right? Well, this film contains scenes of implied animal torture and experimentation that is incredibly upsetting both for children and adults. While the intent is obviously to create pathos, it is maybe the most disturbing thing so far in the relatively anodyne MCU.
The High Evolutionary is also abusive: the way he speaks to Rocket and treats him is steeped in patterns any kid who grew up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home will immediately recognize. Again, this might be traumatic for people, so go in eyes open and maybe have a therapy session scheduled soon after, just in case.
And while the film focuses a lot on Rocket, its greatest strength is in providing something for every other single team member to do. Everyone gets a true superhero moment, and even better, several team-up moments where we see our gang of misfits fighting together. A hallway battle late in the third act is a symphony of teamwork and gonzo filmmaking only James Gunn could deliver.
Explosions? Yes. Guts and bodily fluids of various colors spraying everywhere? (It’s ok MPAA, they’re aliens and creatures, get it?) You know it! Laser blasts, punches, kicks, impalements, bisections, Groot showing what he can do with his various forms? Oh, HELLS yes.
And, again, everyone gets a hero moment. Mantis has a particularly fun one late in the film that I will simply call her Paul Atreides moment. But it is that same sort of heroic epic moment usually only given to single protagonists, and every. single. member. of the team gets one. It’s obvious James Gunn is leaving everything out on the field in his likely final entry into the MCU, and the last cinematic outing for this particular team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The themes from past films of found family continue to shine through. There’s also a strong potential queer/trans allegory in a lot of this, as The High Evolutionary obsesses over “his creations” needing to be “perfect” in his eyes. (Again, the abuse shown and implied here.) But as Rocket and his fellow experiments choose their own names and do things beyond his designs, they are further abused and rejected.
There is also a story of liberation here that comes at a time when basic human rights, from reproductive freedom to state governments bullying trans kids (and even legislators), are increasingly under attack. Guardians of the Galaxy continues to be a series for those of us who are misfits, but have a strength — when we fight together — that rivals any Avengers lineup.
It’s nowhere close to a perfect film. But it earns a space as one of my favorite films of Phase 4. And its message comes at a time when we couldn’t possibly need it more.
Old friends and new foes come together when John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives Digtal May 23 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD & On Demand June 13 from Lionsgate. The high action-thriller, which has grossed a franchise-best $400 million+ at the global box office, directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise) as he returns in the titular role, joined by franchise regulars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix franchise), Lance Reddick (TV’s “Lost”), and lan McShane (“Deadwood”) while welcoming Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Bill Skarsgård (It franchise), Hiroyuki Sanada (Avengers: Endgame), Shamier Anderson (Race), Rina Sawayama (TV’s “Turn Up Charlie”), and Scott Adkins (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday).
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe, and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick: Chapter 44K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.96, respectively.
4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
Chad and Keanu: Through Wick and Thin: Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves have a partnership that stretches all the way back to the first Matrix film. In this retrospective piece, we trace their remarkable friendship and decades-long collaboration.
Train Like a Killer: Weapons Master Robert “Rock” Galotti and Keanu Reeves reveal the rigorous training that Keanu had to endure to make John Wick: Chapter 4 a reality – from gunplay, to jiu jitsu, to some hard-hitting stunt work.
Making A Killing: In John Wick, sets are not merely the backdrop for each scene – they are integral parts of the action, with Wick often using whatever is on hand to take the fight to his enemies. Here we explore the craft at play in designing the sets of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the ways set design and action choreography go hand in hand in this legendary series.
The Psychology of a Killer: Chad Stahelski explores the psychology of John Wick, a character who, despite four films, is still a mystery in many ways. We unpack the complicated code of ethics that Wick lives by, and the ironic bonds he shares with the men trying to kill him.
The Blind Leading the Fight:John Wick: Chapter 4 witnesses the arrival of Caine, a blind killer played by legendary actor and martial artist Donnie Yen. With a style not seen since The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, Caine shows that a killer’s greatest instincts come not from his eyes, but from his mind. Here we uncover Yen’s journey on this film, exploring his prep for the role, his insight into the character, and his intense training regimen to portray this unlikely killer.
Suit Up / Shoot Up: Costume Designer Paco Delgado uncovers the cooler-than-cool suits worn by the assassins of John Wick that feature bulletproof lining – just what every killer needs for a night out on the town. We also explore the more refined looks of the Marquis and the Old West-inspired garb of the Tracker.
Packing a Punch: Pulling off a kill takes a village. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the way Team Wick incorporates special effects into the practical stunts and locations of the film.
One Killer Shot:John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the boldest single-take shots ever attempted in action filmmaking. Fight Choreographers Jeremy Marinas and Laurent Demianoff team up with Stunt Coordinator Scott Rogers to dive into the creative challenges that went into planning this one-shot sequence that sees John Wick take on Paris’s deadliest killers.
Killing at the Speed of Traffic: Take a look at a nonstop action sequence featuring John Wick’s car-fu at the Arc de Triomphe! The driving force of this piece will be a look at the effects achieved at the iconic location, and sets the stakes of every assassin in Paris descending on Wick.
A Shot in the Dark: The John Wick series takes audiences into a world that is both thematically and visually dark. For film crews, that meant enduring hundreds of night shoots, with crews switching to a virtually nocturnal mode of life for long stretches of production. Here we explore the tenacious work of cast and crew members who tough it out night after night in pursuit of Wick’s dark, iconic aesthetic. Along the way, we explore some of the most iconic night scenes in the film, culminating with Wick’s brutal staircase fight.
In Honor of the Dead: In creating John Wick: Chapter 4, Chad Stahelski drew on references from some of the greatest films ever made. Uncover the cinematic homages depicted in the film, from David Lean to John Woo, to the samurai epics of post-war Japan.
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